2014 Tournon by Michel Chapoutier Pyrenees Shiraz Shays Flat Vineyard Victoria Australia 750 ml

Just mention Syrah and our mouths start watering. When this grape reaches its full potential, it's beguiling, drawing you in with its endless core of black fruit laced with pepper and smoke. Truly great Syrah is also incredibly rare—it needs time, unique terroir, and the touch of an exceptional winemaker. 

The 2014 M. Chapoutier Tournon Pyrenees Shiraz Shays Flat Vineyard has it all. 

Michel Chapoutier is a Northern Rhône legend who has crafted more than a few 100-point Syrahs in his day. Luckily, you don't have to pay triple-digit Hermitage prices to taste his brilliance in the Shays Flat Vineyard, at least not today, with our $28 deal. Lovers of bold reds, this value-driven Syrah is ideal—and meant to be consumed now and often.  

This 93-point beauty hails from Australia but flirts with its Frenchness—a playful dance of ripe fruit, seductive savory spices, an older soul. James Suckling calls it "bright and focused." 

This wine has all the classic curves and characteristics one could desire in a Syrah, with a deep well of forest fruit that radiates throughout, the scent of freshly picked violets to lift its frame, and that unmistakable mark of cured meat on the finish. Grapes are hand-picked at night to preserve freshness, destemmed, then macerated for up to five weeks, followed by a year of slumber in oak. Powerful yet elegant, Suckling marvels at its "firm and polished tannins" and "soft texture."

To borrow a turn of phrase from Karen MacNeil, this wine is a cowboy in a tuxedo—rustic yet refined with an air of untamed elegance. 

What began as intrigue became a full-on love affair in 1997, when Chapoutier set out to explore the world's most ancient soils. After a few joint ventures, he knew what he was looking for in a property of his own. So when he set foot in the Victorian Pyrenees, whose undulating hills reminding him of those on the Spanish-French border, 200 years of ancestral winemaking knowledge told him this was it. 

So special was this site, Chapoutier named it for his birthplace: Tournon. 

Chapoutier was seeking terroir that had a Northern Rhône feel, and the Shays Flat Vineyard was perfect. A cool, high-elevation site (over 1,000 feet) facing east allows the grapes to enjoy the morning sun while being protected from the late afternoon heat. The complex soils are composed of red schist, rich clay, and free-draining quartz, producing less than a ton of grapes per acre. Central to Chapoutier's philosophy is respect for the land, the vine, and the consumer who gets to enrich their moments with great wine. 

A current release that has six years of age, our team agrees this wine will age like a champ. Drinking beautifully now, be sure to give this 30 to 60 minutes in the decanter let this juicy red hit its stride.