OK, so here’s the wine that Eric Asimov wrote about back in the Gray Lady. Granted, my Platonic Ideal of aged Syrah is the ‘85 Verset Cornas that Lou Kessler opened for us at a dinner In Berkeley in ‘04. My expectations, sky-high as they were, were dashed. Lacking most of the animale elements of the Verset bottle, it was instead most mannerly and restrained, with a nose that hinted at Licorice and medicine. On the palate, there was a core of red- black fruit and a lovely acidic spine, but it lacked the thrill of that oft-remembered Verset. Still, a good match for venison loin with sweet potato hash.
Mark Lipton
Mark Lipton