WTN: checking out the library

The oldest bottle I bought from Steve's library sale was an Edmunds St. John 1993 California Syrah, and yesterday we thought we'd have it with the second dinner from our Thanksgiving porchetta. Fully mature but not tired, this bottle has an interesting nose of something like wood-smoke at first (presumably not a lingering effect of the use of new barrels), combined with deep fruit that starts out in a plum and tart red-currant register, but becomes sweeter and fuller with air, showing an appealing complex of blackberry, game, tar, and olive notes. An acetic edge shows through from time to time, but it's slight enough to be a pleasing accent rather than a distraction. A good pairing and a lovely wine to finish after the meal on its own!

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for the note. I did not go back that far on Syrah. Most of my wayback machine action was for Les Côtes Sauvages.

Good work. I should have known you would be a fan of libraries!

I also dipped into last year's ESJ library sale with 95 Durell for main courses. It showed the dark minty aged side of syrah. Seamless texture and lovely integration, but the meaty depth was past this bottle and it was hard to get my in-laws away from the furiously fragrant 2010 Hirtzberger Hochrain Riesling Smaragd that began the meal.

Patchen, the smoke is all Syrah. The wine is made up of puncheons of Syrah from Durell and Fenaughty that didn't make the Durell or Grand Heritage blend that year, plus a bit of Grenache and Cinsault that seemed to add a bit of flesh to the skeleton. For whatever it's worth, I've never owned a new barrel; the least aged one I ever had was a four year old puncheon I bought from Dehlinger in '94.

Just as I suspected, Steve!

And a pretty remarkable showing for a wine that didn’t make the cut — but then, sometimes the good things are the simplest.

Thanks, and happy holidays to you and yours!

Rahsaan — interesting: I don’t think of Syrah as having a minty side. I think I got a 95 Durell too, so I’ll have a chance to learn. The Hirtzberger sounds delish...

Rahsaan — interesting: I don’t think of Syrah as having a minty side...

Mint may not be the ‘right’ word but it’s what registers to me. Perhaps herbal is a better way of putting it. Although not at all that fresh young herbal note you might find in young lightweight reds. Something else that I call mint!