We get a lot of Shiraz or Syrah (depending on where you live) from our california wine club, which is a good thing because my husband and I are big fans of this wine. It's up there with Merlot and Pinot Noir for sure.

Here's some information on one of our latest wine tastings, a bottle of DJ Cellar's 2003 Reserve California Syrah, available at International Wine Cellars:

DJ Cellars believes that the success of any bottle is the direct result of what grows on the vine. Incorporating this philosophy, the team employs a rigorous cropping schedule to reduce yields and help the vine concentrate all of its nutrients into a few groups of grapes. The result is a wine of intense color and fruit with loads of character. Aging in American oak has helped round-out the wine and integrate vanillin flavors. And thanks to a whopping 14.7% alcohol level, this red is indeed a blockbuster not meant for the timid!

We tended to agree with this. After sampling a number of lower end alcohol volume wines lately, this was pretty strong, but still very good. I would definitely recommend a hearty meal with this wine since it can stand up to just about anything. As is our usual routine, we cracked open some stinky cheese and crackers with this baby.