Mount Hevron – Reserve Syrah 2009 – Judean Hills

Very inky colour here, almost opaque at the core; however the rim has some rusty notes, indicating a certain age. Nice nose here; spicy notes emerge like pepper, some smoke. I get some vibes of new oak, but I feel the wine has a certain evolution so it’s not too marked, just getting some of those smoky notes, some vanilla with dark plum, dark berry fruit. Good grip on the palate here, high concentration; it feels certainly like a warm climate, because the fruit is quite sweet and ripe. However I think that the wine is well kept together. We have quite fine tannins here, we have a good level of acidity, giving a lift to that almost inky dark black peppery fruit with notes of cassis, spicy and peppery. I would say that the oak is nicely integrated. We have a good length as well, certainly at least long towards very long. What I appreciate with this one is that fine spiciness; it starts out with freshly ground pepper and it finishes off with… freshly ground pepper! No, there’s some of those sweet notes like clove. Interesting, no clue whatsoever what it is, but I would say it’s a well-made really hot climate, more Mediterranean style; spicy, rich, warming, pleasant, still with a potential for aging but with a good drinkability today.

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