La Cruz Vineyard Syrah 2019

93+ points. John Gilman, View from the Cellar
“The La Cruz Vineyard bottling of Syrah from Sean and Joanna Castorani is a touch riper than their estate vineyard bottling, as the La Cruz Vineyard is a bit further inland in the Petaluma Gap and does not have the same constant winds here. But, a touch riper is still only 13.3 percent in the 2018 vintage, with the wine again all whole clusters and raised in five hundred liter, older French casks. The wine is more black fruity on the nose than the estate vineyard version, offering up a nascently complex bouquet of cassis, black raspberries, pepper, black olive, hung game, a touch of garrigue and just a whisper of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and utterly classic in profile, with a superb core, fine mineral drive, ripe tannins and a long, nascently complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is a bit broader-shouldered in personality than the estate vineyard bottling this year, but it is an equally superb example of first class syrah. It really reminds me of a young Côte-Rôtie from a vintage like 1978!” 2028-2075.

(90-93) points. Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media 
“The 2018 Syrah La Cruz Vineyard shows a much deeper and richer expression of the Petaluma Gap than the straight Syrah. Layers of nuance and texture reveal themselves with a bit of air. Rich, pliant and explosive, with superb mid-palate depth, the La Cruz is so promising. Black pepper, game, wild flowers and savory overtones from the clusters are all beautifully delineated. This is such a pretty wine.”