Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 96 points

The 2005 “44" James Berry Vineyard is a blend of 81% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 9% Grenache that was aged 44 months in a combination of small barrels and larger demi-muids. There are fewer than 100 cases of this inky/purple-tinged 2005, which represents the concentrated essence of blackberry, charcoal, and floral notes intermixed with smoke, grilled herbs, and meat. With superb concentration and a multi-textured mouthfeel, this splendid wine demonstrates how concentrated these wine can be with prolonged barrel aging, and how they tend to be less oaky with extended time in wood compared to those taken out of oak at 16-18 months.

Review date: August 2009