Initial impression was of a top tier Cab juice, think Schrader To Kalon: oak and creme de cassis. Within an hour the wine totally changed its character and became one of the finest new world Syrah I had a pleasure of drinking: gobbles of black plums, blackberry, raspberry liqueur, intensive black pepper, bees wax, garrigue, spices, herbs, flower notes, watermelon rind, exotic fruits, smoke, earth, truffle and what not. The finish is intensive and around 50 seconds in length. For how big this wine is it is totally weightless, alcohol comes by totally unnoticed. I don't know what else to say but this is a stunning wine with a slight upward potential in that it can be even silkier in a couple years. All in all, it is one of those wow wines and a true monument to California winemaking.