For the longest time the 2004 Yarden Syrah, Ortal Vineyard, Single Vineyard, was the wine to have. It was the wine that the late Daniel Rogov called one of the two best Syrah of Israel!

While, I would never disparage the words of such a world class wine critic, I would love to know what he would think of the wine now. The wine may well continue to evolve to 2018, but it will evolve with more of a portish style than a wine style. The wine turned on me and it turned FAST after I opened it this past weekend.

The last time we had this wine; it was tasting fine – but sweet as always, but not showing signs of dying off. This time the signs were clear and made me think this wine will not last till 2014 (fruit wise) let alone 2018.

It continues to be a beast of pure attack with little to any relent. It comes at you with a two-by-four to start and continues until you scream uncle. Its power and its body are not sagging, like many of advanced age. Rather this wine has and continues to have clear over-the-top fruit that comes out as date and raisin that is a bit too much. That was my concern the last two times I had it. However, this past time I opened it and again, it reminded me of the fruit platter we were having for Tu Bishvat. Filled with date, fig, and nuts, along with wonderful fruit, anise, and leather. However, a few hours after that it turned into a more over the top fruit bomb, with clear port leanings – more than I was expecting. The body never failed, but the fruit is failing the wonderful wine and its age is showing in the way the fruit is displayed. What can I say, I would really love to hear what Daniel would say about this Syrah in comparison to the newly released 2010 Tulip Syrah, Reserve or the 2010 Flam Syrah, Reserve. Either are far better wines and one that blow me away.

It is a shame that such a special wine that I was saving has made its slow turn into the sunset. Still, it is another example of how holding wine till it is too late is a far worse crime than enjoying a wine before its peak. Drink up your special wines and please enjoy them while they are still upright and lacking all the flab and defects that come with older age.

We paired this semi-wonderful wine with the killer steak recipe that we wrote about before. Isaac’s kindness (a friend of mine) continues to bless us with this great recipe from food critic and cookbook author – the late Craig Claiborne. The recipe is built for the Shabbos and it worked great.