Open Mike: ESJ Syrah based wines

This weekend will be ESJ Syrah wines. OK, many of us have had them and yes they are clean and somewhat untypical of CA syrah but let's try one this weekend. I will be opening '00 WYLIE FENAUGHTY. Now Steve is a good guy but if you find something you don't like about his wine, post it, I hear he loves criticism. You can prepare your palate with one of his whites but let's just post TNs on the Syrah based wines.
Walt

[Robin Garr]

This weekend will be ESJ Syrah wines.

Great one! There was a lot of ESJ around town after Steve visited here a year or so back, but it's mostly blown off the shelves. I'll sure look for some, though!

[David M. Bueker]

I've got a '99 Durell in the hopper for the big party this weekend.

I am not sure what wines I have, but 3-4 I know for sure. I also have some of the 2001 generic California syrah. This is a great wine and miles better than most other cali syrahs.

This weekend will be ESJ Syrah wines. OK, many of us have had them and yes they are clean and somewhat untypical of CA syrah but let's try one this weekend. I will be opening '00 WYLIE FENAUGHTY. Now Steve is a good guy but if you find something you don't like about his wine, post it, I hear he loves criticism. You can prepare your palate with one of his whites but let's just post TNs on the Syrah based wines.
Walt

I jumped the gun and posted notes on this and another a few weeks back, but I can contribute notes on the '01 ESJ Cal Syrah.

Cheerioz,

geo

This weekend will be ESJ Syrah wines. OK, many of us have had them and yes they are clean and somewhat untypical of CA syrah but let's try one this weekend. I will be opening '00 WYLIE FENAUGHTY. Now Steve is a good guy but if you find something you don't like about his wine, post it, I hear he loves criticism. You can prepare your palate with one of his whites but let's just post TNs on the Syrah based wines.
Walt

Walt, I have been looking for ESJ here for years, but no agent!! Maybe I will do a .........or something to compare. Do it blind and see if anyone gets it?!!
On WOTM, I think a few of us, as it is Gamay month, are looking at Drouhin. I have a couple lined up so should be an interesting weekend. You are going to be busy this weekend!! Eh, a blind Open Mike, now there`s an idea.

Too bad there's no agent there, Bob; I make the only real Gamay in CA, and it's not bad!

Steve, looking forward to Open Mike here and hearing all about the wines you have out there. Sounds like these guys mean business!
I know it is not usually proper for owners to write notes on their wines on a forum like this(hint hint that is what I heard) but it would be great if you could contribute something on your Gamay over on Wine Focus where we are tasting Gamay. I am going to post on a Sandhill (BC) tomorrow. We are short of notes relating to this varietal from other parts of the world!!

A week or two late for Geo t and a week early for me. There is NO ESJ in western Mich, and precious little in Eastern Mich, except a couple of bottles that geo t is bringing to me at MoCOOL - a week too late.
Such is life.
Steve, are you registed for direct shipping into Mich?????

OW, is there anything we can taste that is compatible with ESJ? I want to take part too. No agent for ESJ in Alberta!! How about Cline, Novy readily available up here. Need to watch the wallet this week!!

Bob, I wish I knew. But I have never had an ESJ that I can recall Maybe a quick taste at a winetsting or something, but I know I have never had a bottle. So I will let others respond to that inquiry. I'm sure Steve would say that NOTHING is comparable.

Actually OW, that is not at all what Steve would say. He touts other wineries at ever chance. I need to give it a moments thoughts and then I can maybe recco something to Bob.

Actually OW, that is not at all what Steve would say. He touts other wineries at ever chance. I need to give it a moments thoughts and then I can maybe recco something to Bob.

Well, while we were tasting/thrashing the Sandhill Gamay Noir, I looked around and found a Montgras Syrah from Chile. There were some other Syrahs from California but budget-conscious this week!! I intended to pick up the Rudera Syrah from SA but sold out.

Bob, Montgras does a good job on their wines, but I have never had their syrah so can't speak to it. From chile, one I can recco is the Montes Alpha, but it sells for more than the Montgras. The Alpha here is about $19 but is worth that IMO.

Hi Bob H, you are thinking good this morning!! Love the Montes Alpha Syrah and have posted some notes here somewhere. Will look them up tomorrow when I open the Montgras. Do you have a ESJ?

Yes Bob, I have some of the 2001 California generic, plus a few of the higher end ESJ wines. I have about 3 bottles of his 2002 gamay that he calls "Bone Jolly" which I guess is a play on Beaujolais. Damned good gamay, and I am not even a big fan of gamay. Ch. Grand Traverse (CGT) in Michigan makes a very fine gamay too, but it is his reserve bottle not his regular that I like. I will get a couple of those next week when I am up there for Mo'Cool. Bob, you should have Jenise bring a couple ESJ wines north for you when she comes up to shop, if she does in fact come to Alberta. Another Cal syrah you might look for is Qupe, which is good, and I do think the Novy is a winner as well.

[David M. Bueker]

So I had the '99 Durrel yesterday along with a whole bunch of our friends, including Charles & Glenna Weiss, Joe Perry & Amy, Thor & Theresa, Bill and Lil an Mike & Carla Offline.

The wine is vibrant and delicious. There's solid black fruit, earth, tar and a nearly zippy acidity. It reminded me of a Cornas. Great stuff, and it can still use another couple of years in the cellar.

WTN: We tried the 1999 Wylie-Fenaughty last night -- lovely color, excellent Syrah aroma, but a serious earthy flaw -- certainly not corked, but harsh and unpleasant with a sewage flavor. Quite extraordinary given the marvelous aroma. My first ESJ that wasn't pleasurable. Or drinkable, in Janet's opinion.

And we've a very long and happy relationship with these wines. This nicest part of trying this bottle was reading the label: "Produced and Bottled by Intuition and Blind Luck" and the whispered "la terre parle". :-)

Ah well better luck next time.

Regards, Bob

WTN: 1999 Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah Edmunds St. John El Dorado County California. That's more like it!

Tonight's bottle was as good as I've ever tasted from Wylie-Fenaughty -- I like some other offerings a little more -- but this one had the beautiful color, the lovely aroma, and a rich complex taste of Syrah -- well evolved tannins, long, long finish. Lovely, satisfying wine. 4*+

Regards, Bob

WTN: '00 Wylie Fenaughty Syrah - ESJ

Served at about 60 degrees on a warm evening outside with beef tenderloin. Bright ruby color. Initially the wine appeared somewhat tight and never seemed to fully open. The wine was mouthfilling with dark fruits present but not dominating the palate. Lots of pepper and bacon fat (a description by a person who did not even know the grape being tasted) on the palate and a nice long finish. The wine was a little hot and showing some alcohol. I think this wine is still young and even though drinking well today might open up more in a year or two. In a blind tasting I would not have picked this as a domestic syrah but when we drink west coast syrah it is big fruit driven RR stuff which may not be typical. Everyone liked the wine and I agree but have had other ESJ Syrahs that were as good and some better.
Walt

Tom Hill posts lots of notes on Syrahs that are mostly mouth-watering. I am really envious of you guys getting to taste ESJ, I had a choice of Bonterra Syrah or the MontGras! I choose the latter in my willingness to take part and will post this evening. It was pretty good.

Meant to post my '01 ESJ Cal Syrah notes here, but accidentally put them here instead: http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=2955

Well, here is my belated contribution to the current Open Mike. No ESJ in these parts so I picked out this Syrah from Chile.

WTN: `04 Syrah Limited Edition--MontGras, Colchagua V.

Opened one hour and decanted. 14%, an improving set up by all accounts.

Colour. Deepish purple, inky centre. Looks typical to me!

Nose. Meaty, plum, vanilla, oak, blackberry. Took a while to open up and lots of swirling.

Palate. Initial impression is full-bodied, dusty earth tannins, big wine indeed. As it warms (slight chill), find it chewy and quite hard. The oak is all over the place, hints of chocolate, spice, blackberry and white pepper. No ripeness with this one and think needs some time. Right now, could use some of that lush fruit to even out the tannin structure. I have to think the Montes Alpha was more fruit upfront than this one?

*** after 24 hrs, finish improves a little and some jammyness. The big addition was the pomegranite, is this typical for Syrah? Its getting juicy but needs time.

Cost was $20.00 Cdn.