Another wine that got a big "Wow" in the notes was the 2018 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard. This medium-bodied, Côte Rôtie look-alike offers a brilliant bouquet of ripe red and black berry fruits, white pepper, flowers, iron, and bouquet garni. Fresh and incredibly complex, with silky tannins and no hard edges, this is a California Syrah for the Jamet lovers out there!

The 2018 Syrah John Sebastiano is a deep, powerful wine that is going to need a few years in bottle to soften, as it is pretty tightly wound at the moment. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol add a touch of whole cluster savoriness and give the 2018 an exotic quality that is impossible to miss. This is an especially fine rendition. There is so much character here.