Decided to Pobega this recent arrival:
1. EdmundsStJohn Syrah NorthCanyonRd ElDoradoCnty (69% FenaughtyVnyd/31% BarsottiRanch; 12.9%) Fairplay 2013: Dark color; slight metallic/burning metal/pungent deep blackberry/blueberry/Syrah bit herbal/pepper classic ElDorado/earthy/mushroomy slight Rhonish/Gigondas very light oak quite interesting nose; rather tart bit tangy rather earthy/mushroomy/truffly/ElDorado strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah bit herbal/garrigue very balanced flavor w/ modest lean tannins; long fairly tart/tangy quite earthy/truffly/ElDorado some blueberry/blackberry/Syrah slight spicy/peppery some Rhonish/earthy finish w/ modest lean tannins; a solid core of bass-note Syrah fruit overlain w/ loads of ElDorado earthy terroir; not very complex now but the balance should easily take it out 10 yrs or more; not a profound or "wow" wine now and in the classic EdStJ understated style and, like most EdStJ wines, the best is yet to come for those with patience; very fairly priced at $33.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This is a classic EdStJ young Syrah. Not a big/bombastic rendition of Syrah but very polished and balanced. At this stage, it's not going to blow people away & send them rushing out for more. But you just "know" from experience that, down the road, this is going to be something special. You have to believe that Steve knows what he's doing and just trust.
This wine reminds me a bit of a Cornas, but w/o the rough tannins those often have. It reminds me a bit of the LeCrete Val d'Aosta Syrah w/o the strong cold-climate peppery character.
Truth be told, it reminds me a lot of JohnMcCrea's first Syrah. In '83, the first really good Syrahs were released: Ojai Estate, BonnyDoon EstrellaVnyd, Qupe EstrellaVnyd, and SierraVista Estate/ElDorado. At the time, the SV was my least favorite because of the ElDorado character and its lesser fruit. But 15 yrs down the road, the SV was the one that stood the test of time.
NorthCanyonRd is the only Syrah Steve is making now. It is named after the road that winds itself by Fenaughty and the Barsotti vnyds.
Lest I forget...I've followed SteveEdmunds from the very start!!
Tom