2013 Instigator | Wine Notes
Dark, purple and opaque in color. Big ripe red and black fruit tones mixed with roasted herbs and black licorice. Flavors follow with dark cherry and blackberry with a backbone of vanilla and spice that finish with a touch of orange zest. Complex and mouthwatering.
91 points - Connoisseurs' Guide to Wine
92 points - Wine Enthusiast
2012 Instigator | Wine Notes
Ripe blackberry aromatics are well integrated with earth, game and leather. Oak will soften and blend with the concentrated black current and raspberry fruits. A bold and unrestrained Syrah.
94 points - Wine Spectator
92 points - Wine Enthusiast
2011 Instigator | Wine Notes
Pure Syrah aromatics of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate and pencil lead. Deeply concentrated fruit built around a core of dense blueberry and blackberry flavors with a touch of apricot. Chewy tannins will develop nicely with bottle age.
94 points - Connoisseurs' Guide to Wine
Neither of the two Prospect 772 Syrahs will ever be described as being shy or withdrawn, and this dense and deep wine is far from retiring, but it stops several steps short of being unreasonably excessive, and, its obvious ripeness and mass notwithstanding, it shows inklings of polish and a wholly unexpected suggestion of sophistication. It is quite full in body, yet its tannins are held in check, and its alcohol is buffered by a wealth of insistent, well-defined fruit. It is nearly as big, but far better-mannered than its companion below, and it, too, is wine that wants to be savored with the heartiest fare.
2010 Instigator | Wine Notes
Deep opaque red-black 100% Syrah. Aromas of ripe berries with cocoa, coffee & maple. Powerfully concentrated black fruits, leather, earth & exotic spice wrapped around a core of velvety dark chocolate. Firm tannins give wine strength and enhance a long and layered finish.
94 points "Cellar Selection" - Wine Enthusiast
92 points - Wine Spectator
Offers a pleasantly elegant mix of blackberry, dried berry, subtle earth, cedar and anise. This is most impressive on the finish, with graceful tannins. Drink now through 2021.
—J.L.
2009 Instigator | Wine Notes
Inky black purple in color. Graphite, tar and fine hashish dominate the aromatics with super-ripe crushed blackberries at the core. The flavors are savory and elegant with ripe black fruits and wild berries, molasses and espresso filling the palate followed by a rich cotton velvety texture with long mouthwatering tannins screaming for a juicy steak to join in.
93 points - Wine Spectator
Gorgeous pure, ripe, juicy plum, raspberry and pomegranate give it a delicious taste and it firms nicely at mid palate, with a scorched earth mix, well structured yet the flavors remain pure and persistent, ending with a long, long finish. Best from 2012 through 2024.
—J.L., Wine Spectator
92 points - The Wine Enthusiast
2008 Instigator | Wine Notes
Dark and dense, the Instigator relentlessly clings to the side of the glass after you swirl. Rich and robust, it delivers a burgeoning yet restrained bouquest of Kirsch liqueur, rustic meat, dried lavender and graphite. 100% Syrah sourced from Kick Ranch in Sonoma Valley concentrated flavors follow suit: Blackberry puree, cassis, and floral notes with a long and sophisticated finish. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and it should drink well over the next decade.
