New World Syrah at its best.  Imposing at the outset with its deep, black-cherry hue, this wine immediately offers dark chocolate, cassis, tobacco and cedar on the nose.  On the palette, blueberry mixes with black cherry and leather.  Black-pepper evokes the northern Rhone before giving way flavors of cinnamon and clove.  A wonderfully present acidity also begs comparison to its Rhone counterparts.  Gordon Brothers has crafted a wonderful ode to the near perfect conditions for Washington Syrah in 2005: a long, hot, dry summer ripened the hearty grape near perfectly before a long cool spell in August provided the grapes with an extra 3 week 'hang time,' while preserving acidity.  The classic pairing here is with roast lamb.