1969 and 1986 Cali Lunch

A great lunch with the Tucson "Tuesday Lunch Bunch' group, hosted by Bill Jones. Bill graciously provided all of the wines, which have been in his cellar since the beginning of time!

White

1998 Château Haut-Brion Blanc France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Beautifully balanced. Honeysuckle. More reserved than expected. Dave said "oak applied in the right way". I really liked it.

Comment

It was surprising how the Pinots improved over time in the glass. Sometimes with these older wines, its drink quick as they deteriorate. These got better and better, and this was an incredible flight.

Red

1969 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir USA, California, Napa Valley

Started off with a slight bit of what seemed like oxidation. Somewhat controversial, but really improved with time in the glass. Over time tar, baked caramel, cinnamon.

Comment

Red

1969 Heitz Cellar Pinot Noir USA, California, Napa Valley

Old stories have it that the grapes were from Hanzell for the 69 Heitz Pinot. This was deep and rich, and still holding on to its fruit. Brown sugar, nice nose, beautiful palate. Almost laughable how good this was.

Comment

Red

1969 Beaulieu Vineyard Pinot Noir Beaumont USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

A bit linear to my palate, but good. Some liked it as much as the 69 Heitz Pinot, but I thought them bonkers.

Comment

Overall, the 69 Cabs were a bit more clustered in their similarity, and therefore the Pinots had more personality. But both 69 flights were outstanding, and it was a rare treat to have these all together.

Red

1969 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve USA, California, Napa Valley

Sweet American oak on the nose. Still a lot of fruit. This came on strong with time in the glass, and I liked it a lot.

Comment

Red

1969 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Cask G 29 USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

A bit of a metallic nose. Dry on the palate. Good shape, but relatively uninspiring.

Comment

Red

1969 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

Eucalyptus on the nose. Lots of fruit. My favorite of the flight by a wide margin. Lingered on the palate.

Comment

The 86's were an incredibly youthful flight at age 30. We had a discussion about 87 vs. 86 as a Cali Cab vintage, and while many of my memories are dated, this reinforced that I was always an 87 fan. I'm just not sure if these are "coming around", or simply will never fully arrive.

Red

1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

Restrained nose. Not flamboyant. Lots of rich fruit, and a long finish. My wine of the flight for the 86 Cabs.

Comment

Red

1986 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate USA, California, Napa Valley

A touch of TCA marred this wine, and as a result was somewhat dumb.

Comment

Red

1986 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

Less of the "house" style in this 86. Youthful. I love Heitz, and this bottle was in great shape, but this was somewhat uninspiring.

Comment

A nice addition, this rare Lake Vineyard was a treat.

Red

1990 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Lake USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

A relative youngster. Cedar, green, elegant, balanced. Just a touch short on the finish. A very good wine. According to our host, this was the first Cali Cab that retailed for $100, which apparently Al Bronstein was quite proud of.

1969 and 1986 Cali Lunch

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1969 and 1986 Cali Lunch

Flight 1 (1 note)

Flight 2 (3 notes)

Flight 3 (3 notes)

Flight 4 (3 notes)

Flight 5 (1 note)

Flight 6 (1 note)

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