Almost all the oak is new or one year old, and the wine tastes and smells over-oaked, with clove, vanilla and caramel notes dominating. Underneath is a high-alcohol wine, whose cherry and blackberry flavors taste hot, sweet and jammy. Impresses for sheer volume, but is unbalanced, and not going anywhere.——S.H.(9/1/2010)—— 84

Even at the age of five-plus, this Syrah is still all hard tannins and primary fruit, an immature wine. There’s a lot of jammy cherries and black raspberries. Should blossom relatively quickly. Try in mid-2010.——S.H.(12/15/2009)—— 89

Hanna’s 2003 Syrah Bismark Mountain Vineyard is a no-holds-barred Syrah revealing huge amounts of oak, creme de cassis, and blackberries offered in a thick, internationally-styled format. This teeth-staining, mouthfilling red is loaded with fruit, glycerin, tannin, and wood. It will become more civilized in several years, and should last for a decade.Tel. (800) 854-3987

Attractive smoky bacon fat and cassis aromas waft from this dark ruby-hued 2001 Syrah. In the mouth, it is appealing, but somewhat superficial and soft with a herbaceous, shallow component. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.Tel. (707) 251-9818