2005 ESJ Bassetti: a TN that will be of no use to you

R

Rahsaan

Rahsaan
Earlier this spring I had a bottle of 2005 ESJ Bassetti that showed the dark herbal focused and brooding side of things. It made me think of Hermitage. The fruit became more generous with air, although over the whole night it remained on the side of reserved and never gave the pleasure of the dark fragrant herbal nose.

Cut to last night, when another bottle of 2005 ESJ Bassetti was gushing pleasure from the beginning. Gorgeous perfume and rich plummy CA syrah fruit, but with fine-grained tannins giving structure and layers, the harmony of age, and ESJ freshness. The perfect zone for me.

I have several more bottles and will be hoping the rest show more like last night's bottle. But of course there is no way to predict!
 
Indeed. It was a great opportunity to educate my 9-year-old son about the concept of bottle variation. And, how that variation is likely to increase as wines age. And, how different regions/specific wines have different expected aging curves.

I'm sure it all stuck somewhere in his head, giving him the perfect ammunition for becoming a teenager.
 
I guess. I just meant that the bottle variation leaves me not knowing what to expect from the next bottles. So people with different storage will gain even less insight. (Although FWIW, TomHill of long/boring fame recently pronounced the wine as slightly past its best).

I actually bought the wine in 2 or 3 different groups over the years. Mostly direct from Steve. But I didn't note which purchase on the bottles.
 
FWIW, I will defend. 1995 ESJ Durell Syrah is beautiful now. And the couple bottles of 2005 Bassetti I’ve tried in the last couple years have not been even close to “drying” out per Tom Hill. They have been great although I admit a preference for the Durrell bottlings. I don’t believe In wine drying out in the sense tannins outliving fruit. An old saw. But wines do oxidize. And no doubt all wines have bottle variation. It’s sort of ho hum - I don’t see anything other than possibly bottle variation in ESJ wines from the mid-oughts leading to sporadic oxidation issues at this point ....
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

How can someone be proud of being known for long/boring fame?!? Sounds very artificial.

. . . . . Pete
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proud?? where did that come from?

i see no notion that anyone here is suggesting tomhill is proud of attaining "long/boring fame".
 
originally posted by robert ames:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
How can someone be proud of being known for long/boring fame?!? Sounds very artificial.

. . . . . Pete
Click to expand...
proud?? where did that come from?

i see no notion that anyone here is suggesting tomhill is proud of attaining "long/boring fame".
Click to expand...
So, you're saying it comes naturally?
 
FWIW, Mr. Edmunds responded elsewhere to say that he had drunk a bottle a couple of days ago and it was showing more pleasure than any previous bottle. So he was looking ahead. Presumably his bottles have moved the least and are the least prone to variation.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
FWIW, Mr. Edmunds responded elsewhere to say that he had drunk a bottle a couple of days ago and it was showing more pleasure than any previous bottle. So he was looking ahead. Presumably his bottles have moved the least and are the least prone to variation.
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Good to hear.
On release, I bought a case and every attempt to drink it since has been a brief conversation with an angry critter. But there was so much latent that cellaring has not been a challenge.
When I get back to CA, I’ll try again.
BTW, congrats on becoming prof.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by robert ames:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
How can someone be proud of being known for long/boring fame?!? Sounds very artificial.

. . . . . Pete
Click to expand...
proud?? where did that come from?

i see no notion that anyone here is suggesting tomhill is proud of attaining "long/boring fame".
Click to expand...
So, you're saying it comes naturally?
Click to expand...

i say that it is a claim never stated.
 
Yes, promotion is official amidst the pandemic.

Now we just have to wait and see what type of furloughs/salary cuts the university announces to assist with the celebration. But that's for yet another thread.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Yes, promotion is official amidst the pandemic.

Now we just have to wait and see what type of furloughs/salary cuts the university announces to assist with the celebration. But that's for yet another thread.
Click to expand...
Hearty congrats, nonetheless!

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Yes, promotion is official amidst the pandemic.

Now we just have to wait and see what type of furloughs/salary cuts the university announces to assist with the celebration. But that's for yet another thread.
Click to expand...

Congrats!
 
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