INSIDER'S PICK: 2018 ANDREW MURRAY VINEYARDS SYRAH 'TOUS LES JOURS' SANTA YNEZ VALLEY (Vinous 91points) $19.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

We love consistency from a producer, being able to lock in their spot on the floor from vintage to vintage almost without needing to taste them (though we always do). When it comes to Rhone varietals from California, Andrew Murray is about as consistent a source as it gets over the last decade or so. Syrah in particular has been exceptional even in some of the more difficult vintages, a credit to the time they've put in at their estate and their vineyards have matured to optimum efficiency. A lot of Syrah planting really didn't kick in until the latter part of the 1990s, so it's taken a while to get the quality and volume from these vineyards to get consistent values year after year. Tous Les Jours is the winery's multi-vineyard blend, and about as strong a deal as you will find in California from almost any varietal. Dark in color and immediately pleasurable from first pour with loads of warm cherry and black fruits on the nose that evolve more currant and dark spice as it opens up, really filling the space around the glass with its perfume over time. The palate is everything that California Syrah has become, with fine polished tannins similar to a Pinot Noir but more flesh and darker, more structured fruit to the mouthfeel. It also doesn't have the boozy extracted side that Australian Shiraz is prone to, instead hitting a plush balance. A great wine for people looking for a 'bigger' flavor in their wine that still don't want something aggressively tannic, and perfect for hearty Winter meals.

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