Which shop? Seems high compared to what Steve offers directly no?
Cheers
Wow. Pricing. Glad I drank a boatload when the wines were a fraction of those prices. No hate on the shop or Steve. Love the wines, and I realize ESJ is no more so you’re buying museum pieces at this point
Parcelle. Can’t find the thread on the last library release (think Chambers had a nice email about it), but pricing is in line with that. A far cry from the 2019ish private cellar release he ran here thoguh.
Either way, hope Steve made out well from it and is enjoying retirement
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Steve has nothing for sale which is as old as those. These are in the range of what his older wines are currently selling for.
People can feel free to visit me with their checkbooks. I will happily sell for 30% less. Wider selection by far!
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Actually a bit below the last “release” tranche of these on the syrahs. I thankfully have a stash because of this board’s advice, but you won’t see these available anywhere eventually
With a couple of exceptions, I own 4 bottles of every Syrah and Rocks & Gravel from 2008-15. A smattering of Durell and 3 bottles of ‘05 Bassetti. I’m thinking that next time my regular offline group meets, suggest they bring a couple of whites and we’ll do a vertical of R&G. All those on me, gratis. My gut (and age) tells me I have too much wine.
I wonder what the current value is on my magnum of ‘11 R&G? I very rarely open magnums. Good chance that wine will outlive me!
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Would be verrrrry interested in those notes!
Speaking of, has anyone opened any vintage of Rocks & Gravel recently?
We opened a mag of 2011 R&G at Thor’s memorial. I don’t know that it will outlive you, but it will be a close race.
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I opened my last bottle of 2001 Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah a couple of weeks ago and, sadly, it was a little past its prime. Not oxidized or anything like that, but a little underfruited. Based on the last bottle five years ago (tasting notes here), I thought it would still be fresh at this point. It was a killer in the late 2000s and a bottle in 2015 was fabulous.
Here was David’s comment on my 2020 notes:
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Merged threads - I think because the original thread had only (ESJ) in it, the new thread was started since it wasn’t searchable, so I edited the thread title as well
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Hmmm, I’m down to one '05 Bassetti and one '03 Wylie-Fenaughty. Maybe time to have a mini-grillfest and invite my only close fellow ESJ lover and see what they bring. (I’ve found BBQ’d sausages cooked in red wine, rosemary and butter to be a killer pairing with Syrah.)
A mag of ‘11 R&G is in the current WineBid auction. Opening price is $95. That seems on the low side. I’m tracking that lot.
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Last night we opened the 2003 Wylie-Fenaughty and the 2005 Bassetti. These were my last 2 ESJs, and in a way it was like finishing off ones last Gentaz-Dervieux - make sure you get some other geeks to enjoy it, and make it a fun occasion. No reverence needed. So invited over @BradS , @PedroHB and #spicelessginger, all members in good standing of the #EastBayRieslingSquad and ready for a trip off the reservation.
Both ESJs were classic syrah. Lots of olive and meatiness as well as offsetting acidity and fruit. The W-F was a touch lighter with Bassetti having a bit more mineral. We also had a Biricchino Grenache from SCM(I forget which vintage) that showed really well.
All paired with grilled bratwurst in a wine-butter- rosemary sauce done on the barbie. It’s a favorite pairing with Syrah. And we got to sit outside in shorts and flip flops! A welcome respite from the usual summer fog and chill.
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Was changing the filter in one of my Eurocaves, and found that a bottle of 1993 ESJ Amador (Story Vineyard) Zinfandel had leaked into its cellar bag and molded something gnarly. I pulled it out and queue’d it up, opening tonight.
I opened the cork (completely saturated and very soft) and cleaned the bottle, and poured a great color. The nose was a mix of sherry and what I would have hoped from a 93 ESJ Zin, unfortunately once I tooo a sip, it was dominated by port like prune and overly aggressive and alcoholic acid. I gave it an hour in a decanter and it didn’t change or improve.
Based on this experience, I can’t say for certain if it was the wine or the cork (I have 2 more bottles so we’ll see), but a bummer either way. Lots of photos below:
That definitely looks like a loser in the cork lottery.
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Oh man, what a fun night!
What purpose does a cellar bag serve? Unfamiliar with the concept.
Same thing as plastic wrap in theory, I just find them easier to use (in this instance it at least kept the leak in the bag instead of all over the eurocave)
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In 2006, I was his house guest and cellar rat for harvest.
And in several vintages thereafter, stomped grapes with him and the Berkeley gang.
Lots of wonderful memories and new friends as a result and a little bit of learning, too.
Still the most intuitive winemaker I’ve ever seen in action.
BTW, Steve, that idea about starting a band now rings true . . .
Love, Jim
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