Pick My Next Bottle – 2014 Syrah

The June installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on the 2014 vintage from some of the very best domestic producers of Syrah and Syrah based wines. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published the following week.

Any conversation about the best domestic Syrah or Syrah based wine will include producers like Cayuse, Sine Qua Non and Saxum. All of the wines below should be in a really good spot at 9 years of age. With Cayuse and Sine Qua Non you have to buy the wine in multiples of three so if you haven’t checked in on this vintage what are you waiting for?

The Contenders

• 2013 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog – Always one of the most unique in the lineup, the 2014 Syrah Bionic Frog is phenomenal stuff any way you look at it. Cold fireplace, charred meat, tapenade, shiitake and loads of dark, earthy fruit all emerge from this full-bodied, tight, backward and beautifully concentrated Syrah that readers just need to taste. Incredibly long, elegant, building and heavenly juicy, don’t miss a chance to get some of this! It needs 3-5 years of cellaring and is going to blow you away over the following two decades. 100 points from The Wine Advocate.
• 2014 Saxum Broke Stones – The 2014 Broken Stones is heavenly stuff! Made from a blend of 41% Syrah, 19% Grenache, 16% Petite Sirah, 13% Mourvèdre and the balance Tempranillo and Roussanne, this inky colored beauty offers terrific notes of mostly blue fruits (blackberries, blueberries), crushed violets, Asian spices and forest floor. Full-bodied, concentrated, elegant and seamless on the palate, it has a ripe tannin and a gorgeous finish. 97 points from Jeb Dunnuck.
• 2014 Sine Qua Non Syrah Piranha Waterdance – Blended of 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and 1% Graciano, sourced from 34% The Third Twin, 35% Eleven Confessions and 31% Cumulus (all estate vineyards), the provocative, inky purple colored 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance was made using 26% whole cluster and hits the scent scene with exuberant, pure crème de cassis, blackberry cordial and blueberry coulis notes with hints of espresso, licorice, garrigue and menthol, plus a gorgeous underlying perfume of red roses. The full-bodied palate is oh-so-elegant and pretty, revealing very finely pixelated tannins that beautifully frame the almost electric intensity, culminating in an epically long, licorice and chocolate-laced finish. Too stunning for mere words and rude to even try–just drink it. 100 points from the Wine Advocate.

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Thanks for voting! I’d love to see a comment below on why you picked one bottle over another.

Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for the July Installment of Pick My Next Bottle.