Vacation Wines - Number Nine - 2013 Mea Culpa Syrah, Giant Steps Vignerons

The meat on the grill shouts out for a Syrah, and I opened this beauty.

2013 Mea Culpa Syrah, Giant Steps Vignerons
A lovely, almost ethereal nose with notes of ripening blueberries, sandel wood, bay leaves, both white and black pepper and some diesel oil. Given this blind I would have gone European nine times out of ten.
The taste is seedy and fresh with notes of blueberries, red beet juice, some 70% Valrhona chocolate and a hint of that old blood & iron feeling. Really good. Long and balanced. This is a fine bottle of Syrah.  Should improve some with a couple of years in the cellar.
92p   (tasted 2016/07)