WTN: 2004 Hug Syrah, Bassetti Vineyard

[Jenise]

Charmingly funky when I tasted it at the winery three years ago, but now? Hopelessly bretty. Others didn't mind so much but I couldn't drink it.

Thats OK, you can start a new red wine vinegar jug in your new kitchen!

Too bad. I've got 02, it's a bit "more" than my usual style, but I enjoyed and don't remember brett in the 2002. Nevr had the 04

BTW, it's "Bassetti" (I know because I serve either this, the ESJ Bassetti, or "Faithful Hound" at our Basset's annual birthday tea (next weekend).

Hmm? that is bad news. I'm not a fan of a lot of brett on the palate. I'm sitting on a few of the '03s, I guess I should check in on them soon. FWIW the Hug '04 PN RO was clean (and quite enjoyable).

[Jenise]

Thanks for the correction, Dale; hope your bottle and Dan's are better than mine was. Unless you really love to roll around in the poop, that is.

I have a couple of bottles of this, so I'll try to give a bottle a spin soon.

[Jenise]

Jim, reading your response just now I got this sense of deja vu about our discussing this wine. I'd never had it before except upon tasting it at the winery where, as indicated in my note, I'd liked it, but I found this note where you found a similar issue with the 2000:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4772&p=37351&hilit=Jenise+Hug+Bassetti#p37351

Proves nothing one way or the other, but maybe in light of my comments it's a memory you would like to revisit.

Wow... how you remembered that, I'll never know!! Pretty amazing, I tell you, but you always did have memory for food and wine that was uncanny.

I was looking at my notes on my Hug wines (and I have a lot!!). We had a month or so back the 2005 Hug Bassetti Rena Block that Augie and Raquel Hug brought to us when we all were up visiting Cedarville in Amador County. That bottle was awesome.. .listen to this gushing CT note:

Wow, was this nice... Lovely nose, palate with hints of tar in the best sense, richness abounding, but oh so balanced at the same time. Up there with my experiences with Alban, Saxum and SQN. Terrific bottle of wine. ( I gave it a 94, and I'm NOT that easy of a grader.

I now buy little to no CA Syrah from Hug (or anyone else either, except Saxum and Alban), but I love what Augie does with Pinot and now he has added Merlot, Zin and Mourvedre to his line up.

Speaking of Zin (as we did in the linked post above), you should try Scherrer if you haven't. Great stuff. Thanx to you I have quite a bit of Zin, both young and aged, from Swan too (and Cabs as well.. and Pinots).

[Jenise]

Wow... how you remembered that, I'll never know!! Pretty amazing, I tell you, but you always did have memory for food and wine that was uncanny.

Born with it: I remember being 11 months old--and it's a food memory too! We were camping in San Francisco within view of the Bay Bridge, and I was being forcefed pancakes. I didn't like them or being strapped into that chair while my older brother (wearing a micky mouse hat, which I most jealous of) roamed free one little bit!

That's pretty high praise for the Hug. I'll try to stay open minded and not judge them on this bottle. But like you, I'm generally not a buyer of California syrah or anyone else's for that matter. It's pretty much my least favorite of the popular red grapes--outside of the Rhone, that is, then everything changes.

No, I've not tried Scherrer, but thanks for the recco--I'll make a note of it. Napa, Sonoma or Amador?

Scherrer is Sonoma...

http://www.scherrerwinery.com/

[Jenise]

Thanks, Jim.