Stephen & Walker, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Syrah 2018

 The fact that this winemaking team could craft equally impressive bottlings of Syrah from two different vintages is quite striking, as are the wines themselves.  This 2018 is very ripe and still entirely about primary fruit character, but that’s only a good-news indication that the overt oak level is low, bespeaking respect for the beautiful fruit.  This doesn’t need time to soften — it is already luxurious and delicious — but will clearly benefit from time in bottle, which will add savory notes to the highly expressive berry fruit.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine and Spirits Competition.