Four solid wines with red meat.
2006 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel
Decanted all day essentially, very graceful by drinking time with brambly cherry and spice. Not hot or overbearing, little zing of chocolate/cocoa at the end.
2006 Carlisle Cardiac Hill Syrah
Huge powerful wine that features very Northern Rhone characteristics: meat/game, pepper, salinity (get this in Hermitage a lot).
2004 Pax Alder Springs Syrah
A touch of plasticky/medicine smell dissipates and evolves into a restrained Rhoney nose, with pepper and meat aromas. Thought it was a notch or two below the Cardiac Hill.
2005 Orin Swift The Prisoner
I always cringe at “fun” wine names/labels, but this was a pretty nice bottle. Forget the blend, but it drank better later on than early (tight). Give it some air.