WTN: EdStJ Syrah Bassetti '01..(short/boring)

[TomHill]

Tried this last night:
1. EdmundsStJohn Syrah BassettiVnyd/SLOCnty (13.7%) Intuition & BlandLuck 2001: Very dark/near black color w/ slight bricking; very strong blackberry/Syrah/peppery/cracked black pepper/cold-climate slight funky/brett/sweaty leather quite spicy slight Rhonish/floral/olive tapenade fairly complex nose; quite tart strong blackberry/Syrah/cracked black pepper/cold-climate slight bretty/barnyardy/horsecollar some complex flavor w/ smooth/polished tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/Syrah/peppery some bretty/barnyardy/horsecollar bit Rhonish/black olive complex finish w/ smooth/resolved tannins; the brett/unclean is evident but not strong enough to distract and the cold-climate Syrah fruit dominates; a really lovely slightly Rhonish cold-climate Syrah that's probably near or beyond its peak.
_________________
No BP in me today.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Only one of these left in the cellar, and I keep putting it back. Maybe, maybe...

[Lou Kessler]

Don't ordinarily do it but I put a case of this wine in my cellar when it was released. Tom is right, it's there IMHO. Been drinking them on a regular basis the last couple of years. Down to one or two left in the case. I'll miss them but I have a case of the 05 Bassetti to look forward to drinking.

[Steve Edmunds]

Jeez, Tom: Intuition and Bland Luck? My neighborhood has really gone downhill...

[David M. Bueker]

Jeez, Tom: Intuition and Bland Luck? My neighborhood has really gone downhill...

Steve - he's just typing blind with a southern accent.

[Dale Williams]

I had my penultimate 01 Bassetti in May, thought it showed great. But probably will hold last one for a few more, just out of curiosity.

[TomHill]

Jeez, Tom: Intuition and Bland Luck? My neighborhood has really gone downhill...

Sorry, Steve....sometimes my mind is racing ahead of my fingers!!
Tom

[Sam Platt]

We opened our last 2001 Bassetti and our first 2005 Bassetti over the Christmas holiday.

The '01 model showed lots of very nice berry and spice Syrah notes once the funk blew off. The funk definitely was overwhelming at first and did not blow off easily. I sampled it in the decanter and it finally started to smooth out after about 4 hours. Unfortunately, that was well after dinner was finished.

The '05 Bassetti is a tannic beast at present. It is tightly closed and does not a thing except suck the moisture from your tongue. Extended time in the decanter didn't do much to help. I am a bit concerned that there is no real fruit evident under the tannins. I won't touch another bottle for at least 5 years though I'm thinking that 10+ years maybe required for the tannins to start to resolve. Fortunately I have three more bottles to track over time.

Bottom line - decant your Bassetti for an extended period.

[TomHill]

We opened our last 2001 Bassetti and our first 2005 Bassetti over the Christmas holiday.
The '01 model showed lots of very nice berry and spice Syrah notes once the funk blew off. The funk definitely was overwhelming at first and did not blow off easily. I sampled it in the decanter and it finally started to smooth out after about 4 hours. Unfortunately, that was well after dinner was finished.
The '05 Bassetti is a tannic beast at present. It is tightly closed and does not a thing except suck the moisture from your tongue. Extended time in the decanter didn't do much to help. I am a bit concerned that there is no real fruit evident under the tannins. I won't touch another bottle for at least 5 years though I'm thinking that 10+ years maybe required for the tannins to start to resolve. Fortunately I have three more bottles to track over time.
Bottom line - decant your Bassetti for an extended period.

My btl stood on the counter, stoppered, overnight. Tried it the next afternoon. All the bretty/horsecollar/funk
had blown off and it was clean as a whistle...buut the fruit was also greatly diminished and it was
just a refined/gentle little ole lady.
Tom

[Sam Platt]

Tom,

Sounds like you gave your bottle plenty of time with some air. The fruit this '01 Bassetti was a bit more lively than what you describe. I know that I gave my first two bottles some time in air but I do not remember them being quite as funky out of the bottle as this one was. I did not pickup any significant brett on the '05.

[Bob Henrick]

Don't ordinarily do it but I put a case of this wine in my cellar when it was released. Tom is right, it's there IMHO. Been drinking them on a regular basis the last couple of years. Down to one or two left in the case. I'll miss them but I have a case of the 05 Bassetti to look forward to drinking.

Lou, have you tried the 05 Bassetti lately. I got case of this wine on release (or thereabouts) and haven't tried one yet. Around the time I bought them I had an opportunity to speak with Steve, and he told me that the 05 was a 20, maybe a 30 year wine. We are now only 7+ years out from the vintage and I don't buy much wine anymore, and would dearly hate to kill one too soon. Of the case I bought I shared half with some friends so I don't have them all. (Call me a hoarder?)