Ron Rubin Vineyards, Green Valley of Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Syrah 2013

This excellent wine is an object lesson in how good Syrah can be in California — or at any rate in the cooler winegrowing districts of the Golden State.  Conspicuous by its fresh and nimble character, it shows red and black berry-flavored fruit accented with a judicious whiff of toasty oak.  Already indisputably delicious, this should become even more complex over the course of the next five years.  Platinum Award winner at the 2017 San Diego Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.