2013 Wellington Alicante Bouschet Old Vines Noir de Noirs
Community Tasting Note
buffyst Likes this wine:
Monday, July 6, 2015 - Possibly best ever from here. I've been enjoying this "tooth-stainer" for nearly a decade, and the production has always been small. Opaque purple/black. Med. body with subtle black-fruit aromas that expand with airtime. More balanced and refined than previous vintages. Although very young, this is already quite impressive. Drank solo (without food) with friends last evening, and the bottle disappeared quickly. The palate showed beautiful blackberry, blueberry, cherry, mineral and earth tones. Med.+ acidity. Med.+ finish. I had intended to let this rest for a few more years . . . But it was thoroughly enjoyable, and has some new fans as a result. The 15.7% abv is not even noticeable. QPR. Drink or hold.
Post a Comment / View buffyst's profile3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,534 views)
3 comments have been posted
Post a Comment
/ View buffyst's profile
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,534 views)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,534 views)
Comment posted by John Dunlap:
11/1/2019 9:53:00 PM - Is this their last vintage of Alicante Bouschet?
Comment posted by buffyst:
11/2/2019 5:33:00 AM - I'm afraid so. VJB Cellars (Kenwood, CA) purchased the Wellington facility and 21 vineyard acres in early 2014. Although VJB produces many different varietals (mostly Italian), as far as I can tell, they are not currently making an Alicante Bouschet. Perhaps in the future?
Comment posted by John Dunlap:
11/2/2019 8:06:00 AM - Hi - thanks for the nice note. Too bad the Wellington property, including their Alicante Bouchet were sold. Appears to have fallen into further obscurity and probably now used to add color to other wines at VJB. Such a rare wine. BTW, Used to follow VJB Cellar's Barbera back in the 1990s but have lost touch. Their Barbera was quite enjoyable, as I recall. One vintage got a nice review from the NYT way back when. Cheers!