Behrens & Hitchcock Syrah "4 Blocks" Alder Springs Vineyard (Mendocino County) 2004

Served with Soy-Ginger Beef and Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing (which was excellent, BTW). Deep purple shading to ruby at the rim, despite having thrown quite a lot of very fine sediment (which made it a pain to decant; I ended up having to run the last third of the bottle through unbleached coffee filters to avoid tossing it). Intense prune/plum aromas and flavors. Plus lots of blackberry jam, a little pepper, and oriental spices. Big. Rich. Chewy. A little touch of game and earth on the finish adds interest. Should continue to age well (which makes me very happy since I have 3 more bottles in my cellar). Grade: A-