The 2016 Thalarn is pure Syrah from the estate vineyards planted in 2003 on the property in the village that gives the wine its name. The wine had a slightly shorter élevage and had only been bottled for a few days when I tasted it. 2016 was a warm and dry vintage, with very healthy grapes. The high altitude of the vineyards, planted on limestone soils at 850 to 1,000 meters altitude, and the difference of temperature between night and day allows the wines to retain freshness even in slightly riper vintages like this 2016. It feels extremely young and a little raw, very primary and exuberant with upfront fruit and no trace of oak even though it matured in new French oak barrels for 12 months followed by a further three months in larger oak vats. It's juicy and expressive, with ripe berries and underbrush aromas. It's a powerful and slightly riper vintage with lower acidity than previous years. It will need a little more time to develop some more complexity. 12,400 bottles and 150 magnums were filled in late January 2018.