L'Ecole 41 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Syrah 2020

Professional Ratings

• 94 James Suckling

  “Aromas of plums and brambleberries, together with cured meat, ground peppercorn and cherry chocolate. Full-bodied, firm and little tight on the palate, with a deep core of purple fruit, coated with layers of finely polished tannins. Long and persistent with a velvety finish.”

• 93 Wine Spectator

  Dynamic and well-structured, with handsome blackberry, stony mineral and espresso flavors that take on tension and detail toward medium-grained tannins.

• 93 Decanter
  This wonderful single-vineyard Syrah shines a light on Walla Walla's savoury, umami spirit. From the aromas you take smoked game, wild fennel, sage and dusty blackberries in August. The palate is balanced and shows elegance to match the wine's power. Faint hints of mocha powder, cocoa nibs and black cherries are integrated into notes of soy-based umami and meaty, smoky flavours. There is a real depth to the wine's savoury character. Will only improve over the next five years in bottle.
• 91 Wine Enthusiast

  . Restraint and finesse win the day with this pretty Syrah. Fruitforward aromas of dried strawberries and ripe black cherries unite with bits of leather and violets. Brawny tannins support copious amounts of blackberries and bacon fat. 

• 91 Vinous

  Darkly floral and refined, the 2020 Syrah Estate Seven Hills Vineyard opens slowly with a dusting of exotic spice and earth tones, giving way to dried blackberries and ashen stones. This is like pure silk on the palate, seamless, without a hard edge in sight, with polished red and black fruits elevated by a pinch of sour citrus toward the close. It finishes with medium length and is only lightly structured, leaving a licorice tinge as minty herbal tones slowly taper off. The 2020 shows the soft nature of the vintage yet without sparring complexity.

• 90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The 2020 Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard Estate delights with notes of black raspberries, olives, nuances of red and black peppercorns, dried lavender and hung sausage. This medium-bodied Syrah boasts a balanced structure and a juicy and dusty mid-palate that promises to remain food-friendly until the end of this decade.