What an elegant Syrah this is – it’s made from Delaine Vineyard fruit, a single vineyard owned by Jackson-Triggs’ former owner Donald Triggs and named after himself and his wife Elaine. The vines are now about 10 years old and winemaker Marco Piccoli is very impressed with the way the fruit is growing, granted this was a hot year, but each year the roots dig a little deeper and the fruit gets a little better “this wine is not about style, it’s about what the fruit gives me, it’s softer with more elegance.” This wine really proves what Marco is talking about. The elegance of this Syrah are apparent right from the get go with violets, white pepper, hints of vanilla smoke and smoked meat spice; the palate shows the same kind of flavours as the nose suggests, but it’s also where the dark fruit starts to come out. It all culminates in a long finish, which is both soft and smooth across the palate, yet at the very end it gets grippy with all those tannins – iron fist in a velvet glove comes to mind here. Aged 17 months in 50% new French and American oak, and made in limited quantity – this one should age nicely over the next 7+ years. Price: $32.95 – Rating: ****½