Histoire D'Enfer Syrah, Valais, Switzerland 2008

Deeply coloured but not aggressively so or over extracted. Textbook Syrah characteristics on the nose with abundant pepper (black and white) and elegant Provence herbs and spices and lavender, truly giving a fair nod to a Côte-Rôtie. One anticipates a weight and Rhône like heat from the fruit but that simply doesn’t materialize.  The acidity is quite exceptional and there is a real thread of freshness right through the finish with the still rich but elegant, flavoursome but delicate, black and red fruits and demonstrating real purity. Of course £ 33.00 is the starting price of a decent Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage but this is Swiss; it is a little different; it is rare size wise; and fundamentally it is that good. Pleasant from opening but after 20 minutes and more one really began to see that this is not merely a novelty but a fabulous wine to boot.