93 points Rhone Report: "Coming from the cool climate Watch Hill Vineyard located in the Los Alamos Valley, the 2010 Andrew Murray Syrah Watch Hill Vineyard is a blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier. Aged for 18 months in 33% new French oak, it is complex and perfumed on the nose, with copious raspberry, sappy underbrush, peppercorn, leather, and earth. This leads into a medium-bodied, elegant, and stylish Syrah that builds in stature with air, showing a pure, focused texture, integrated acidity, and a clean, lengthy finish. Taking the better part of the evening to open up, it should be given another year or two in bottle, and consumed over the following 5-8 years. (Dec 2012)"

90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "[$30 list] Glass-staining ruby. Intense aromas of cassis, blueberry, olive and violet pastille: is this syrah or what? Full and broad on the palate, offering dark berry liqueur flavors framed by dusty tannins that build with aeration. This solid, dense wine finishes with very good power and smoky persistence. I suspect that it will be even better with a bit more bottle age. (Nov/Dec 2012)"

Producer notes: "[$30 list] The Watch Hill Vineyard lies in the cool reaches of the Los Alamos Valley. The grapes are allowed to reach very high maturity levels, while retaining a stunning natural acidity due to warm, sunny days and cool nights, and soils rich in sand and calcareous material. This results in a classic, cool-climate Syrah that is refreshing, rather than heavy or cloying. We added 3% Viognier to this vintage in hommage of our old Roasted Slope Syrah. The 2010 (like the 2009 before) just begged for a little something extra, and the Viognier delivered by lifting the nose and by helping to keep this Syrah remain yummy and dinstinctive. The aromas and flavors lean toward bright red fruits...cherries, raspberries, currants, and cranberries, with just a touch of a floral/violet note (from the Viognier) with a spicy note dominated by fresh black pepper and a dose of sweet French oak. This wine is quite quaffable now, but you will be rewarded if you wait 2-7 years to drink this one. 350 cases produced."