Bonnefond Syrah 23

Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines — it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.

Those who love Bonnefond’s wines would be well advised to stock up on the 2023 Syrah as well. This wine trails the Côte Rôties in complexity and length, of course, but this Syrah from the humble regional appellation is simply delicious, offering a juicy and energetic glass with a glimpse of the pepper and black olive notes that make the top wines so compelling.