Samsara, Zotovich Syrah, Sta. Rita Hills

In a nice place a year and a half from my last tasting. Church incense, palo santo, fresh cracked pepper, ripe black cherries, ripe figs, ripe dark plums, cedar and vanilla on the nose Smells a bit more secondary than I remember it, and smoother too. Medium + intensity of aromas. The palate adds cardamom, allspice, powdered cumin and keeps most of the fruit. Unfortunately it loses the "incense" and palo santo aromas that make the nose so inviting, but …

This wine has such intense black pepper notes. It's as if someone is grating it from the mill into my glass. Good coffee/cacao notes too as well as red and blue fruit. Overall, though, this is pretty fruit backward. Medium + body and medium + tannin. Drink now if you like the above; but it's worth storing a few to see how it will mellow out in 2-5 years.