An Amaro-like mix of bitters and herbs; this is exceptionally dense and dark. The fruit is a grace note; the big flavors come from herb, earth, rock, barrel and more. Licorice, baking spices, smoke, black cherry, Bourbon barrel, and on it goes. Huge and dense and seemingly endless.——P.G.(12/15/2011)—— 98

0 Depth and texture dominate; it’s all whole-cluster fruit, aged in new barriques. This fine follow-up to the 2006 features a little more delicacy, with a lovely floral component and some earth. The depth is astonishing in the weight and texture and the way the wine plays out across the palate. The finish never ends: a glorious mix of black cherry, earth, herb, spice, and rock.——P.G.(2/1/2011)—— 99

In 2005 Charles Smith introduced three high-end Syrahs. In 2006 Smith has made a wine better than each of these, by combining them into a single wine—Royal City Syrah. Rich scents of purple fruit, smoked meat, cedar, lead pencil, moist earth and so on proclaim a wine with genuine gravitas. There is nothing missing, from the first sniff to the last sip, the wine delivers on all levels. Complex, beautifully balanced, powerful and detailed.——P.G.(12/1/2009)—— 100