TN: EdmundsStJohn Syrah FenaughtyVnyd '11...(short/boring)

WINE TALK
1

Cracked this orphan last night to go w/ my Tolouse sausage in Chacroute:

  1. EdmundsStJohn Syrah FenaughtyVnyd/ElDoradoCnty (13.1%; www.EdmundsStJohn.com)Thumbnail Moonlight/Fairplay 2011: Very dark color; very strong quite Rhonish/pungent/graphite/burning steel wool (Grade 000) some blackberry/Syrah/blueberry/Cornas-like rather earthy/ElD/mushroomy bit rustic/roasted quite complex nose; quite tart/tangy bit lean/hard some blackberry/peppery/Syrah/blueberry quite pungent/Rhonish/roasted very Cornas-like/rustic rather ElD/earthy/truffly some pungent/burning steel wool/MrMatthews welding shop quite complex/Rhonish flavor w/ modest rough tannins; very long/lingering rather tart/tangy/angular some blackberry/Syrah/peppery rather Rhonish/roasted/pungent/burning metal fairly earthy/ElD/mushroomy/earthy quite complex/Rhonish finish w/ ample rough tannins; still needs more age; a very atypical Calif Syrah; speaks strongly of ElDCnty and much like a Cornas in the rustic character; beautiful if exotic Syrah. $30.50

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. When I first opened this wine, I took an instant dislike to it. Rather reductive and strong burning metal/pungent aromatics and rather hard/acidic on the palate. But after about 30 minutes, it really started to evolve into something quite unique. As I drank further into the btl, it suddenly struck me that I was drinking an EricTexier Cornas, which usually has a tangy/bracing acidity. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Eric’s wines. He trained & worked as a nuclear engineer for some ten yrs afore bagging it and going on to success as a winemaker. Some of us were not smart enough to make that choice and continued to plod along in our nuclear engineering career.
    Tom
2

Tom,

Thanks for the notes - and thanks for your honesty. There are so many folks that would smell that wine, say in a flight of 6, and immediately ‘dismiss’ it rather than give it time.

I continue to be amazed at how many wines are ‘written off’ because the consumers/reviewer/etc simply did not give the wine enough time to open up and evole. A conundrum indeed . . .

Love what Steve has done and continues to do - opened a 95 Mourvedre of his over the weekend - still provided quite a bit of joy to those who had it, including me.

Cheers!

3

Thanks for the tasting note, Tom!!

Do you think the metallic odor came from the burning of sulfur candles in a barrel? [scratch.gif]


Larry, please do share your tasting impressions of the 1995 Edmunds St John Mourvèdre!!!

4

Tom,
Although I read your posts frequently, I didn’t notice where you are based until your reference to nuclear engineering. My wife and I visited NM for the first time last month. Took the long way up from ABQ to Santa Fe (Jemez Byway?) and stopped by Los Alamos for a late lunch. Was surprised how much is actually still going on up there; always thought of Los Alamos as more of a historical site. Pleasant lunch at Blue Window where we learned how big a “big salad” can be. NM has beautiful, diverse landscapes and vistas. Nice places for short hikes. We loved it.
[cheers.gif]
-Jim

5

Had the 2005 version of this wine last week and it was in great shape. Fully mature, I would say, but probably several years to go, maybe as many as five. Steve makes great syrah, and it develops wonderfully over time.

6

Don’t blow his cover!!! :wink:

After reading The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy, it struck me as interesting how the site is called “The Hill”. It kinda made me laugh, considering Tom’s place of work and his last name.

7

Nice note! Love me some ESJ. Enjoying a 2010 Rocks and Gravel tonight…