2014 Joseph Phelps Syrah Larry Hyde & Sons Vineyard Napa Valley 750 ml

Harvested from one of the top sites for Syrah in Napa Valley, this 95-point library release even had Robert Parker swooning with the effusive, complex Syrah that could “easily pass for a Cote-Rotie.”

Larry Hyde and Sons Vineyard is one of the most sought after sites in California, with a list of top producers clamoring for fruit. The Hyde vineyard was originally famous for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but like the nearby Hudson Vineyard, might be at its best-suited toward spicey, powerful Syrah. There's a combination of wind, fog and California sunshine yields Syrah with a staggering combination of rich, textured fruit and graceful aromatics.The proximity to the cool San Pablo Bay allows the grapes to fully ripen while maintaining a freshness—and in the skilled hands of the Joseph Phelps team, it is undeniably a stunner.