1995 Edmunds St. John Syrah - USA, California (8/4/2019)
Very heavy sediment required a careful decant, even so leaving the wine a touch cloudy. First sip was all road tar, roasted meat and underbrush. An hour later, the wine cleared up, and a hint of blackberry fruit was added to the mix, alongside some worn leather. It never got into bacon fat territory, but was still classic, aged Syrah. Medium body, balancing acidic structure, and a long, meaty finish kept me going back sip after sip until it was gone.
I don't normally say this with ESJ wines, but I think this bottling is at the drink up stage. It's lovely now, but does not have the extra depth for further aging. I have one more which I will open within the next year.