Med-dark ruby with slightly bricking edges.  Big alcoholic nose at first obliquely fruity–there’s your blueberry descriptor–but ripens and deepens into effusive uber-blackberry and sweaty baseball-bat, black-tar tannin and crazy briar–and all through, that alcohol burn.  Instantly massive in the mouth, with miserably-extracted fruit fighting with the shocking tannins for system domination.  It settles down a bit in the fairly supple middle, showing more of the cloaked fruit and probably its age.  As soon as the tannins realize the show is over they encore on and on–tarry, bitter, astringent bastards, all.  This thing should have settled down a bit more by now.  Really, ten years on an Edna (this HAS to be Slide Hill, I can’t see too much Alban resemblance and Wolff or Alfred or Nivens or Talley fugetaboutit) typically starts showing flaws or polish or both and this thing just steams on and on.  It is big, brash and untamed and still somehow restrained and almost elegant–except for that whole pesky AL thing.  It HAS to be at least 15-2.  And still, the AL is nowhere to be seen in the finish–only the nose and entry.  I don’t know who makes this and don’t really care but it is pretty masterful stuff.  Awkward in places and the ripeness and AL tarnish the edginess a bit, but taken as a complete package–and considering the age–is really quite a stunning little Syrah.  Fresh and bright–in a black-spray-paint sorta way and I am somewhat sad this was an orphan.  15-6   ♦♦