Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92
/100
Reviews
10
professional
Vintages
1
2005
Other
92/100
Syrah
NV
Community Reviews
2121
Reviews
91.7
Avg Score
95
Highest
Taster #8742
· Aug 7, 2025
94/100
Last night we opened the 2003 Wylie-Fenaughty and the 2005 Bassetti. These were my last 2 ESJs, and in a way it was like finishing off ones last Gentaz-Dervieux - make sure you get some other geeks to enjoy it, and make it a fun occasion. No reverence needed. So invited over @BradS , @PedroHB and #spicelessginger, all members in good standing of the #EastBayRieslingSquad and ready for a trip off the reservation. Both ESJs were classic syrah. Lots of …
2005 vintage
Taster #4127
· Oct 31, 2022
Still plenty of structure,but quite approachable. Black plums, berries, pepper and smoked meat. Lovely, holds up well through afternoon and dinner. A-
2005 vintage
Taster #4649
· Oct 30, 2022
93/100
Stood up for several days. Decanted off sediment for 1h back into bottle. Note is 2-3 hours after decant. Aromas of red cherries, cranberries, olives, bramble and game meats. Raspberries and red cherries on the palate with brambles, roasted game meats, and olives. Excellent concentration and depth that seem to amplify the wine's complexities. Drinking so well but I think this is in its early days of maturation and likely to evolve further. But just drinking really well right now. …
2005 vintage
Taster #3329
· Oct 2, 2022
94/100
Steve K kept this. It's a Cornas/St. Joseph ringer. Out of the gate, iodine. Then it blooms to include sweet black tobacco and berry ink. Tannins are tiered and axe hewn. Sweet collaborations of dark herbs imply charred meat, graphite, and caper licorice. Hoisted on confident, beautiful legs.
2005 vintage
Taster #8772
· Sep 12, 2021
92/100
Cork split; decanted. Inky violet. Nose fruity. Palate mineral, rocky, dark fruited with nice density. Still drinking young and primary, surprisingly, but delicious.
2005 vintage
Taster #3907
· Nov 24, 2019
Textbook Rhône-like aromatics and flavors; most impressive. Blossomed after opening; this has not reached its apex but was terrific this evening. If I could go back in time I would have several more bottles of this instead of just one.
2005 vintage
Taster #4219
· Oct 2, 2019
A Good Tuesday, Vol III: The MixTape (Billecart, Rayas, ESJ, Kalin, Shafer-Froelich) (The Gerneral Muir) : Terrific northern Rhone-like nose that is meaty and peppery, slightly funky. Palate was rather tight, like the wine had closed down hard, or was just in an awkward phase. A+ nose. Not sure after that. Having many of Steve's Syrahs over the years, was expecting more, and this was not a great showing. Others liked it more than I did. Maybe its me.
2005 vintage
Taster #7590
· Jan 19, 2019
Pulled for a friend's birthday party and drunk alongside a 2010 Compagnie l'Hermitage Hermitage. The resemblance was stunning and Steve's wine could easily have passed for a good bottle of Hermitage. It has the depth of fruit, the structure and the secondary characteristics to completely obscure its origin in CA. Steve, as always, has done a masterful job of crafting a Syrah that is both Old World and New World in character. Bravo!
2005 vintage
Taster #4127
· Feb 7, 2017
Lovely showing- rich dark berry fruit, smoke, a little coffee, and just a hint of an animal note. Young but so tasty. A-
2005 vintage
Taster #4096
· May 14, 2015
95/100
John is a real fan of syrah so I dug out one of my two remaining bottles of 2005 ESJ Bassetti. This was a fantastic bottle. 2005 was the last wine made from this vineyard source by Steve, I think because they pulled it from him to sell at a higher price elsewhere or some such thing. HUGE mistake. I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job of corralling CA fruit that wants to go hog wild into a …
2005 vintage
Taster #9421
· Dec 22, 2014
90/100
Still on the list! Consistent notes.
2005 vintage
Taster #9421
· Oct 4, 2014
Popped and poured on wine list here in PDX. Nose was sweet charcoal ash, sweet stewed plum, sweet charred fruit wood and trace hints of burnt BBQ beef ends. Seems like the aromas of secondary characteristics of Syrah. Palate is a bit Australian in the brash afronty fruit of sweet stewed plums and black cherry. There is a bit of pine varnish on the midpalate as well. The wine's acidity has impacted the mouth feel in that it's juicy and …
2005 vintage
Taster #9261
· Mar 29, 2014
91/100
A well made wine. The experience is not overpowering delivering fruit in a more elegant and understated way. Reminiscent of CA pinot, but leaning to the old world style slightly. I imagine this will evolve and improve with more time in bottle.
2005 vintage
Taster #9700
· Jan 29, 2013
89/100
Very tannic and uncertain about fruit. Tannins might soften with time but not sure how it will balance out with lack of fruit. The community drinking period starting from 2016 might be right.
2005 vintage
Taster #5824
· Jan 24, 2012
91/100
Tight spice; Nice nose; Light weight; Good definition; very nice; Great with quail
2005 vintage
Taster #6249
· Dec 18, 2011
Steve Edmunds is a national treasure...loved this wine and would stand up to many Northern Rhones. Opened the night before I got married with my best man - 2 bottles left. Revisit in 5-7. Steve said this will live longer than he will.
2005 vintage
Taster #8742
· Sep 10, 2011
Had this a few nights ago and did not take notes. It seemed like it had...potential to be a great syrah, but was closed up. The 2001 ESJ Wylie-Fenaughty we drank that same night was much more pleasurable. I'll take Steve Edmund's advice and hold on to my remaining bottle for 5-10 years and see what that brings.
2005 vintage
Taster #9821
· Mar 12, 2011
Opened, not decanted,12 hrs before tasting. Quite young and structured. Black fruit, cocoa and beef notes predominate. Chalky tannins. Mineral notes and nice acidity. Wine needs at least another 4 or 5 years in the cellar although I would not be surprised if this wine isn't 8-10 years from peak.
2005 vintage
Taster #5824
· May 15, 2010
88/100
More highly developed nose with secondary characteristics; Juicy
2005 vintage
Taster #9635
· May 8, 2010
Mucho ESJ (Croton on Hudson, NY) : Brooding and primary - there's a tightly wound core of savoury dark fruits; plums, blackcurrants and olives and earthy notes, but the structure's dominant right now and this is screaming to be left alone for several years.
2005 vintage
Taster #6709
· Mar 13, 2010
This was a very unique Syrah, not only within the realm of Syrah in general, but within context of Steve Edmunds' other Syrahs, including previous vintages of Bassetti. The nose is extremely dense, almost impenetrable, comprised of meat, baker's chocolate, black forest cake, toasted nuts, and black fruit. On the midpalate, the tannins are starting to soften, but are still very present, with an almost chalky consistency- this must have been a beast when it was first released! The flavors …
2005 vintage