The 2004 Ode to E (Syrah) is an incredible blend of 94% Syrah, 4% Grenache and 2% Viognier, all from their estate Eleven Confessions Vineyard, that spent just under four years in oak. Boasting insane notes of creme de cassis, barbecued meats, licorice, exotic spices and singed cedar, this beauty flows onto the palate with a full-bodied, seamless, pure and incredibly layered profile that carries massive fruit and concentration, yet never seems heavy, overdone or puts a foot wrong. It’s the purity of fruit, as well as the overall seamlessness that puts this right up near top of the heap. Drinking perfectly now, it will continue to evolve gracefully for another decade or more. It’s incredible juice and I wish every wine lover could have a sip (or a big glass) of it. (JD)

Inky purple color. Explosive, seductively perfumed aromas of blackberry, blueberry, candied licorice, fruitcake, olive and incense, with a slow-building smoked meat quality. Broad, fleshy and palate-encrusting, with potent flavors of blueberry, boysenberry and candied violet. Outsized and engorged with fruit, but eventually finishes with terrific energetic, peppery lift and thrust. The amount of fruit packed into this wine is freakish. (JR)