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Tight, firm, intense and concentrated, this is slow to unfold but does so with depth, focus and complexity, targeting mineral, dried berry, wild berry, blackberry, underbrush and cedar flavors, with ripe, chewy tannins. Drink now through 2022.—J.L.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 93+ points

The 2008 Syrah Rockpile exhibits an opaque blue/purple color followed by a dense nose of blueberry pie intermixed with blackberry, pepper, flower and new saddle leather aromas. Dense, rich and full-bodied with silky tannins and a heady finish, it should drink well for 5-6 years.

  94 points JC Cellars Haley Rockpile Vineyard 2008

As much as we like the depth and wonderfully rich fruit evinced by JC Cellars Syrahs, we are even more impressed by the fact that their winemaker manages to go right to the brink without going to far and somehow achieves exceptionally fine balance in wines of such high ripeness.  This very rich wines is just such a case, and it exhibits a wealth of very deep, fully ripened blackberry fruit played against a full measure of oak and subtle touches of pepper and stones.  It comes with an uncanny sense of brightness amidst it riper themes, and its careful blending of firm acid and fine-grained tannis ensures six to eight years of very positive growth.

  93 points - Connoisseurs' Guide - 2007 Rockpile Vineyard 'Haley' Syrah

Sonoma’s Rockpile appellation has found a real champion in JC Cellars, and it ability to produce big, well-ripened red wines fits the winery’s style to a tee.  This very ripe, very full-bodies effort leads with effusive aromas of framboise and chocolate with lots of peppery spice as a reminder of just what it is.  In the mouth, it progresses from suppleness to fairly sizeable tannins, and there is little about it that can be “refines”.  Whether time in the cellar changes that is a question only answered years down the line, but as tough as it is as the finish, it never lets go of fruit and should take to aging quite well. $60.00

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 91 points

The 2007 Syrah Rockpile Vineyard (458 cases) needs some additional bottle time. Meaty, roasted herb, espresso, blackberry, and chocolate aromatics ooze from the glass of this black/purple-colored wine. Intense, full-bodied, and loaded with tannin and extract, it should drink well for a decade.

Wine Spectator 94 points

Offers wonderful purity of flavors, with a mix of rich blackberry, wild berry and boysenberry fruit that's intense, focused, supple and structured, gaining complex mineral, anise, sage and cedar flavors. Long on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 458 cases made. –JL