2009 Equinoxe Syrah – John Szabo

Wow. First class syrah here, a big step up from the Le Vieux Pin’s already very good “regular” syrah. This has incredibly dense and complex flavours spanning the spectrum from smoke and tar to ripe but not jammy fruit, garrigue, liquorice, faded roses and violets, and top notch dark chocolate. The palate is really well balanced and poised, with terrific flavour intensity without excessive extraction, just well-managed tannins and juicy acidity, leading into a long, long finish. Absolutely terrific and highly inviting now, but likely best 2014-2020.