by Patchen Markell » Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:57 pm
Trying to decide what to open to toast Steve, we decided, for whatever reason, on one of two remaining bottles of the Edmunds St. John 2001 California Syrah. This wasn’t a wine I would have expected to go 23 years; it had been accessible, and quite beautiful, in its youth and in its adolescence too, but it didn’t have the density, relatively speaking!, of some of the other ESJ Syrahs. And I wasn’t entirely wrong. This shows some volatility on opening, rusty-orange around the edges and garnet in the center, becoming a little deeper in color with time. There are some intriguing leather and tar notes, and an aroma and flavor of smoky, fatty bacon that comes into the foreground after half an hour, but that’s about all. Came back to it later in the evening and even the next day, but little change. I’m afraid this one should have been opened five years ago, but c’est la vie, and even this had its interest and its quiet pleasures. There’s another bottle to try, and who knows, but I think “take two” will involve a Bassetti or a Wylie-Fenaughty.
cheers, Patchen
