My favorite of this quartet is the 2000 Syrah Melville Vineyard. Pure cassis and blackberry fruit characteristics along with a touch of white flowers and pepper emerge from this deep ruby/purple-colored 2000. It reveals the breed and class generally found in Melville Vineyard wines. Long, ripe, and stylish, it should be consumed over the next 7-8 years.Tel. (800) 225-3633

The wine is astringently tannic and offers little relief by way of flavor, but if you concentrate you’ll find a core of black cherry. Still, the structure is so fine that with a suitably rich dish, the wine would be better. ——S.H.(3/1/2004)—— 86