1987 Edmunds St. Johns Mourvedre

Perfect fill and cork. PnP, and there's a little funk on opening, but this blows off quickly to show a classic, earthy, old-world driven bouquet that I find captivating. It's filled with aromas of leather, dried beef, black tea, loam, and raspberries. This has that beguiling texture of a fully mature wine with a silky mid-palate and a lovely sweetness. The finish is a bit rustic with tannins to spare, but this gives the wine soul and character.

At first, this reminded me of an old St. Emilion like the 1970 Magdelaine, but we opened a (slight corked) 1985 Canon later and put next to the Mourvedre, it brought out the Mediterranean stylings of the ESJ. Still a beautiful garnet-red, but I wouldn't risk holding these much longer as it is clearly in sensational form. This is a wine that truly "stirs a great emotion". 94 pts.

[David M. Bueker]

I wish I could try that wine. That and the Grand Heritage are the two ESJ bottlings I have never had the pleasure of tasting.

That Edmunds guy does seem to know a thing or two about making wine.
These would have been ChesterBrandlin's old-vine Mourv grapes.
Thanks for the TN, Patrick.
Tom

That Edmunds guy does seem to know a thing or two about making wine.
These would have been ChesterBrandlin's old-vine Mourv grapes.
Thanks for the TN, Patrick.
Tom

My buddy who served this found it this year for $15. Too bad there's not lots more of it around at that price (or any)! Definitely a WOTY candidate for me.

After finishing the bottle, we opened Steve's website to read about the history of the wine and found some great older photos too:
http://www.edmundsstjohn.com/i/MataroCloseup.jpg

There was no Brandlin fruit in the '87 Mourvedre. It was Evangelho, and Eron Ranch (in Calistoga), and Raboli (Livermore) along with a bit of Grenache from McDowell Valley. Not especially tannic at bottling, but, in its way, hard as nails.

There was no Brandlin fruit in the '87 Mourvedre. It was Evangelho, and Eron Ranch (in Calistoga), and Raboli (Livermore) along with a bit of Grenache from McDowell Valley. Not especially tannic at bottling, but, in its way, hard as nails.

So, Steve...what yrs did you get Mourv from Chester?? I seem to recall one of your Mourvs being mostly Brandlin.
And I don't recall EronRanch. Was that old-vine stuff??
Tom

Tom; all the Mourvedre from Brandlin in '87 went into Les Fleurs du Chaparral (along with Carignan from Brandlin, and the little bit of Leaky Lake Cabernet). Eron Ranch was old-vine, and really not all that great.