94 points Wine Spectator: "Silky and elegantly complex, with expressive violet and black raspberry aromas that open to refined and polished black cherry, smoked pepper and licorice flavors, dancing toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2027. 400 cases made."
Us: Aromatic fireworks, lifting right out of the glass and straight into your happy-making senses. A cascade of red and black raspberries have a wonderfully savory-salty accent that hums through the finish, grabbing morsels of smoke and cocoa for the ride. An underlying structure, more like a shadow, adds weight to what is already a textural beauty. - Marcus
Betz: French for “The Red Slope,” combines Syrah from the two founders of Red Mountain: Scott Williams of Kiona Vineyard and Jim Holmes of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. In the 1970’s these two made a passionate (and many thought absurd) commitment to the untested and inhospitable sagebrush slopes of Red Mountain. Now Red Mountain is justifiably considered to be one of America’s most respected appellations, producing long-lived Syrah brimming with fruit essence and richness. The 2017 Syrah La Côte Rousse marks our first time utilizing a traditional technique of co-fermenting small amounts of Viognier (3%) along with the Syrah, the goal being to subtly affect aromatic lift and color vibrancy. And what color! Magnificent, deep, dark purple leads out to an almost impossibly brilliant magenta rim. The aromas are a blend of familiar and exotic; black and red raspberry lead the way for sweet and savory salted plum, chamomile tea and white pepper. Weighty but fresh, the palate adds peat smoke and leather with a hint of cocoa powder filling out the package. The finish is saline, lengthy and broad. This is classic Red Mountain Syrah, with precision, brightness and terrific structure. 97% Syrah, 3% Viognier, 13.9% ABV.
Also, 95+ points Jeb Dunnuck.