The 2004 Sequel Syrah is made by John Duval, for 15 years the winemaker of Penfolds Grange, Australia’s most famous Shiraz. The fruit was sourced from five vineyards encompassing several AVAs and includes 3% Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend. Ninety percent of the wine was aged for 18 months in small French oak. Purple/black in color, this superb Syrah offers grilled meat, bacon fat, game and wild blueberry aromas and flavors. On the palate the wine is spicy, layered, and plush with soft tannins and enough acidity to hold things together. This hedonistic effort can be enjoyed now but will easily last for 20+ years.Jay Miller.

Smooth and velvety, this is a graceful, beautifully balanced Syrah that shows off its blueberry and plum fruit against shades of white pepper and cedar. The finish keeps welling up with haunting flavors. Drink now through 2014. 1,359 cases made. –HS  -92 points.