The 2016 Castello del Terriccio (a blend of mostly Syrah with Petit Verdot and complementary red grapes) is a concentrated and inky dark wine with almost no light penetration. The wine moves smoothly over the palate with the focus and precision that we have come to associate with this classic vintage. There is plenty of dark fruit, with plum and blackberry, but the wine is also fleshed out by spice, toast and burning embers. The tannins are dry and a bit powdery, but the wine maintains a rich and compact structure overall.

The 2013 Castello del Terriccio is a blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Petit Verdot and 25% other red varieties. The results are full and generous. There are ample dark fruit notes and spice, but 2013 was a cooler vintage and the fruit is not as opulent or sticky as, say, 2011. This vintage has already evolved nicely with some clear tertiary definition of tar, smoke and licorice. In 2008, Castello del Terriccio abandoned barrique and opted for 100% tonneaux-aging instead.

The 2012 Castello del Terriccio is a very different wine than the 2013, showing more heat and softness in the Syrah, Petit Verdot and other red varieties present in the blend. This vintage also shows a looser texture and a more opaque quality of aromas, with fewer sharp accents or high notes. Instead, the aromatic delivery is large and wide. The wine is fermented for about two weeks in stainless steel and aged in tonneaux.

The 2011 Castello del Terriccio is deeply redolent of balsam notes that recall rosemary oil and eucalyptus. The wine opens to a deeply saturated garnet-black color and thick consistency. The bouquet boasts thick notes of black fruit, with black olive, exotic spice and more of those balsam notes that are so prominent at the outset. The mouthfeel is thickly textured and dense. The warm vintage has contributed to the wine's overall opulence.

The 2009 Castello del Terriccio is a soft and luscious wine that demands your full attention. The bouquet is impeccable with thick layers of dark fruit, blackberry, spice, leather and tobacco. It's all about the fine details. Very subtle tones of licorice and tar reveal that this wine has already experienced a good degree of graceful aging. Tight tannins give the wine proper support and substance at the back. Syrah (50%), Petit Verdot (25%) and other red grapes make up the blend.