Community Tasting Note

johnmerb Likes this wine:

Sunday, June 2, 2019 - For most of its life this was really well cellared at a friend's house but he made me reclaim it last year because he was moving and I have no good storage, so I opened it tonight since i suspected its days are numbered, with me at least. I’d say that’s correct for this old soldier and it’s time to drink this one while it still has something to give. I had some immediate concern because the cork was crumbly and came out in pieces. The wine is deep and dark, nearly black even against a light but for the garnet flashing along the edges as it’s swirled. The nose is a pleasant perfume with vague dark fruit, maybe black plum or muddled blackberries, but no other clear notes in the vapor. On first sip there’s the dark fruit again, massive and viscous though lacking brightness, but now some small prune that extends into the mid palate and finish betraying its age and likely the recent storage neglect or cork deterioration. I’m not a fan of prune but it’s mild. The mid palate adds some cola. Still a sturdy structure though one senses some mild decay. The finish drops off the fruit earlier than in its prime but has a lengthy agreeable mild tannic mouthfeel that goes for quite a while that speaks to the overall quality of the bottling. Improves as it opens. Very pleasant if no longer spectacular especially for a Sea Smoke fan but is certainly now on the decline so drink up!

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