Cave Saint-Pierre – Réserve des Administrateurs Syrah 2012 – Valais

Red wine, quite dense ruby red colour, slightly lighter at the rim, indicating some evolution. Very intense nose, showing off some smoke, some pepper, spicy notes, sweet dark berries, and a hint of oak. Good grip on the palate, quite full; dense structure with layers of dark fruit plum, underlined by that peppery spiciness, some smoky notes. Ripe, with balanced alcohol, good level of freshness. There’s a slight hint of oak there but not too obtrusive in any way. Long and persistent on the finish. Very nice clean fruit, with those spicy notes. Attractive wine, with a certain amount of complexity already. Certainly a candidate for ten more years in the cellar, but I find this delicious right now; that beautiful peppery fruit just makes my mouth water for a big juicy steak au poivre.

Tasted by the Best Sommelier of the World, Andreas Larsson.