J Chave St. Joseph Offerus, 1999

I realize that St. Joseph is ordinarily considered a wine for early drinking, but, from earlier tastes of this (plus the 1997 and 1998) St. Offerus, I assumed that this wine would be more ageworthy than it is showing tonight.

The color is a bit faded, and so are the aromas and flavors. Leather, black fruit and spice but lacks the intensity and depth that I have come to expect from a Northern Rhone Syrah. I like the acid level but there is not enough strong fruit presence for my taste--even considering its age.

Beside it on the table is a much older wine (the 1981 d'Angludet described below) that actually tastes much younger.