The 2004 Syrah "Ortal Vineyard" (Yarden) is revisited this issue. This has held pretty nicely and better than most. At 3,000 feet above sea level, Ortal Vineyard makes a cooler climate Syrah. Not surprisingly, this has a very elegant and graceful mid-palate and is sunny and crisp, without a lot of fleshiness. After waking up, the wine shows a bit of a tannic burst, but it always retains its charm. Age has made it a bit more reticent, and it does not respond as well to air as it did originally. As was the case the first time around, this does show more Syrah character with a little air, though, demonstrating more complexity than seemed apparent from an early taste. Overall, this is a pretty good performance for a maturing Israeli Syrah, a category for which the country is not yet known. It is a wine that should hold on and still provide some useful drinking over the next few years. It grew on me as it aired out, and I began to appreciate its graceful demeanor and focus more on what it did do well, rather than what it didn't do well. It can seem a bit underwhelming when viewed through the prism of its price tag, but that was true when it was younger, too. Unlikely to improve, although in no danger of falling off the cliff, it is quite charming to drink now, and probably should be drunk in the near future for best results. It did become a touch harsh after extended aeration. Drink now-2014. The Yarden reviews in this issue are library wines, revisited to see how they are coming along.Importer: Yarden, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 997-9463