Since I’m in California, I figured I might as well drink some Californian wine from time to time.
2002 Edmunds St. John California Syrah “The Shadow”
Needs several hours of air to come together (Steve explains that after sitting in tank for so many years it will be a permanently cranky wine), but once it does come together it shows the same reliable floral, mid-weight CA syrah pleasure that it always has. Delicious.
2004 Edmunds St. John “Rocks and Gravel”
Peppery and spicy with more funk and less of the warm lush fruit found in the 2005. This is a lot better on the second day, when the fruit has filled in, although it is always framed by those minty spicy notes. Nice wine, although I’ll probably weight future purchases in favor of the 2005.
2005 Edmunds St. John “Rocks and Gravel”
This is rocking and rolling from the corkpull. Ripe, juicy, lush, but with freshness, balance, herbs, garrigue, whatever you want to call it, this is nice wine!
2005 Edmunds St. John Syrah “Wylie Fenaughty”
Lovely ripe, typical ESJ syrah fruit, showing good balance and good future potential, although probably needs way more air than I gave it, and I’m guessing my future bottles should either be buried in the cellar or tasted on day two. This one never made it that far because it was still pretty darn tasty even if young, but make a mental note for the future.
1997 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered “Le Puzzle”
Rest assured that I did not purchase this wine. Rather, it was discovered in my basement and we opened it with great curiosity about whether it was heat-damaged or not. Unfortunately, when it showed thick, rich, and without any semblance of tannins or a finish, I could not be sure whether that was a function of heat damage or the way the wine was made. Either way, not at all my style. (Although others at the table found it very “complex”)
1996 Heitz Wine Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
This was found along with the Newton, and was much much better. Gains balance and weight with air, and in fact has a thicker body than I might normally like. But, it never becomes “jammy” and has nice cedary notes to keep me interested. I helped finish the bottle.
