Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
Freshly arrived upon this spawn of Albion, I could not fail to drag my tired carcass over to Chambers for a handshake deal with the charming and winningly unassuming Steve Edmunds. Over the background static provided by his lovely wines, we chatted a bit and put face to name. Enjoyed the 09 Bone-Jolly and 08 Porphyry Gamays, non-carbonic manifestations, meaty, medium and bouncy. Onto the delish 2010 Rocks and Gravel, a concrete fermented and elevated blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, herby and spicy, took me back to Provence. The 09 Wylie-Fenaughty, whole clusters stomped by foot, was a gangly and promising youth, crisply tannic and full of nicely acidic fruit. The 03 Bassetti Syrah had a licqorous note, perhaps out of empathy with its European brethren in that mercurial vintage, that contrasted oddly with the fresh acidity and tannins. I wondered if there was something wrong with this particular bottle but Steve thought there was nothing amiss, in that way parents have, but what does he know anyway. So, lovely wines, lovely man, evidence for the idea that one might go with the other.