J Lohr Paso Robles Syrah 2018

What a wonderful aroma - instantly evocative of a hot sandy beach, with sun-baked stones, ionic sea air, and even a whiff of a distant barbeque... Ripe and beautiful fruit follows on the palate - not jammy, like Syrah can be - but buoyant, aromatic, and concentrated. A soft, ripe tannic structure belies the full phenolic ripeness here, and a slick of toasted vanilla pod rounds out the finish. Very drinkable yet packed with layers of quality and flavour. Paso Robles d this warm, Mediterranean-style Syrah par-excellence.