The story starts with a bottle of 2004 Chave St. Joseph opened last month for Jean's birthday dinner. At the time, it delicious but still achingly young, being mostly about bright and juicy red berry fruit with some stony minerality. Half the bottle was saved (recorked) for a later day. Four days later, the fruit had receded a bit, the wine seemed richer and fuller in body and there was a distinct green olive note complementing the fruit. Last night, after two weeks absence, we had the last of the bottle with dinner. Wow!!! Pure, essence of green olives, not tired in any way and a joy to drink. Jean, whose relationship with the funkier renditions of Syrah is a tricky one, was in love with this wine. This is as close as I'll ever come to having green olive liqueur I predict.
Moral: Keep those bottles under wraps for another decade, at least. This is a wine for the long haul
Your intrepid reporter,
Mark Lipton
Moral: Keep those bottles under wraps for another decade, at least. This is a wine for the long haul
Your intrepid reporter,
Mark Lipton