Just curious…what are the shipping prices like with Aero for you East Coast guys?
![[thankyou.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/d/df165fe9c1593d19166ae7e1ffe5e272089cc07b.gif "thankyou"){kind=small}
Glad to be wrong about that!
Buying these:
2 x 1987 Les Cotes Sauvages
1 x 1994 Les Cotes Sauvages
1 x 1995 Les Cotes Sauvages
3 x 2001 Zinfandel Peay Vineyard
2 x 1996 Zinfandel Brandlin Ranch
1 x 1993 Zinfandel Story Vineyard
1 x 2003 Bassetti Syrah
1 x 1996 Syrah
The Brandlin Vineyard is like the undiscovered Holy Grail of my wine world
Nice haul, Brian. I grabbed a bottle of the 1995 Durrell Syrah and one 2005 Bassetti Syrah. Along with some recent vintage stuff.
I haven’t tried ESJ zins before, so very excited about this. These are vineyards I’ve not heard of before. Anyone else make wines currently from Brandlin, Story, etc?
Steve - I sent you an email about the links, but haven’t received anything
Brandlin Vineyard:
It is not very fair of me to make the following statement, but I am going to anyway: the “Brandlin Vineyard” is one of the most unique sites in California and, nowadays, it’s potential is is largely untapped.
The historic portion of the “Brandlin Vineyard” is almost 100-years-old, perched high upon Mt Veeder in Napa Valley. It is predominantly Zinfandel, with portions of Mourvèdre and Carignan sprinkled in it. The budwood for the Zin, according to Rhoda Stewart’s book A Zinfandel Odyssey, came from “some pre-Prohibition vineyards above Lokoya Lodge”. Initially planted on its own vines, the family had to graft the rest of the vineyard onto St George rootstock shortly afterwards.
Brandlin Vineyard: “Story”
"…As early as the 1870s, the Brandlins settled on these steep, rocky slopes, and became grape growing pioneers in Napa’s Mount Veeder region. With over 50 years’ of experience, Henry Brandlin staked the family’s claim to this estate and planted their own vineyards in 1926.
“In 1998 Cuvaison Estate Wines was honored by Henry’s son, Chester Brandlin, with rights to purchase ‘Brandlin Vineyard’…”
Over the years, the Brandlins sold grapes to Christian Brothers, the Napa Co-op, Edmunds St John, Caymus, George Hendry, Kent Rosenblum, and Peter Franus. These +90-year-old grapes have created legendary wines, individually and in blends, in the past.
A vineyard that garnered praise from one of the most respected Mourvèdre vintners in the world currently does not have a fair opportunity to show off its composite varieties.
Here are two tellings of the “ESJ Brandlin Story”:
SF Chronicle
“Steve Edmunds Is the Unsung Hero of California Wine”
by Esther Mobley
April 17, 2018
“…So impressed was Lynch with that ‘Brandlin’ Mourvèdre that he showed the 1986 vintage to Francois Peyraud, the owner of Domaine Tempier itself. ‘I wanted him to taste California wines that would impress him,’ says Lynch. In a now-famous utterance, Peyraud tasted the wine and proclaimed ‘la terre parle.’ The earth speaks.”
Wine & Spirits
“In Search of Mataro”
by Patrick Comiskey
February 14, 2017
“…‘When he got to the Mourvèdre,’ says Edmunds, ‘he stuck his nose in the glass, and he absolutely just stopped and stood there, for about two minutes. And then very slowly he lowered the glass and his head came up and his eyes rolled back and he took this deep breath and he said, “La terre parle,” the earth speaks.’”
Nowadays, Peter Franus has bottled two vineyard-designated Mourvèdre wines from this old-vine site (2005 and 2013). He produces a “Brandlin” Zinfandel almost every year. His 25th Mt Veeder Zin is currently available.
The Cuvaison-owned Brandlin Vineyard winery focuses on Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Bordeaux-style blends today. The old Zinfandel on the mountain property is used for a winery-exclusive bottling.
A recent 1995 Durell was crazy good…
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Damn thread lazarus - I immediately fired off a note to Steve!
(thread title should have been a clue…)
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Me, too.
LOL
You all could just come visit. Lots of ESJ library wines to share.
I was composing a frantic missive to Steve but decided to double check before sending. 