This was really nice. We drank this with a 1987 Groth, showing the boys so older California wines. This was dark red to black fruited. With the darkest cherry and cherry skin, and blackberry. It tame and wild at the same time, like a cultivated blackberry patch. (I like Beuker’s use of Brambly). There was earth, and some spice hints. Enjoyed with Flannery Jorges! I wish I would have bought more of these when I had the chance.
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My last bottle of this vintage and it showed nicely but may be near the end of its drinking window. Upon decanting this has a very rich complex nose with dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco, dark fruit and sweet spice. There is a surprisingly fresh look to this wine with little to no bricking. It is very complex and layered but does taste a bit worn out, not in decline but no longer improving. Very enjoyable! BUT...time to finish what you have in the cellar...
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What a wonderful wine. The Field blends from Old Hill Ranch are always interesting to taste. This was delightfully complex and easy to drink with great Homestyle Mexican food at El Molcajete Restaurant near Flemington NJ. Purchased almost 3 years ago from someone else’s cellar through Cana Wines in Nashville. The wine showed no bricking and a translucent rich medium garnet color. The nose had dried porcini mushroom, plum, light pipe tobacco, coffee and blackberry. The palate was smooth and yet brightly flavored with layers of blackberry, boysenberry, ripe plum, tobacco, coffee and a savory note like roasted pork belly on the finish. It is bone dry but gives off the essence of the fruit rather than any sweetness or snappiness sometimes common in Zins and Blends. I just love balanced older Zins like this.
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bottle might have sustained a bit of heat somewhere along its almost-20-year lifespan... was in OK shape but not as fresh as other older Old Hills I've had.
still, had the wonderful Christmas-spice / almost candied-nut nose one gets with aged zin done right, still plenty of fruit and a round body, good color... these old Ravenswoods are a treat.
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It is really quite amazing how these 20th century bottlings of Old Hill echo the influence of Joel Peterson. From a well-cellared bottle generously provided to our tasting group by M.C., this wine (tasted in double-blind fashion) showed beautiful aromas and flavors of plum, pipe tobacco, pine nuts and espresso. Full-bodied and with medium acidity, the wine now has only light residual tannins and somehow seems to weave its 14.8% alcohol nicely into the flavor profile. Solid in the middle and finishing very long, it is drinking beautifully at this point. As is often the case with well-cellared, aged upper-echelon Zinfandels, I mistakenly identified it as an aged new-world Cabernet. Drink now-2018.
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Still showing plenty of brambleberry fruit, along with warm herbs and a dusty background. Holding up quite well, though unlikely to improve further with age. I do not see it cracking up though. Quite enjoyable now.
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An excellent zinfandel that has held its fruit while maturing nicely. TIme to drink up as it is hard to imagine that it will get better with further age in the bottle.
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Tasted at the 17th Annual Zin Thing Few notes taken. Of 7 zins tasted, two were clear favorites, and one a clear second. This was one of the remaining 4. May still have been good - cannot recall.
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3/10/2024 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was really nice. We drank this with a 1987 Groth, showing the boys so older California wines. This was dark red to black fruited. With the darkest cherry and cherry skin, and blackberry. It tame and wild at the same time, like a cultivated blackberry patch. (I like Beuker’s use of Brambly). There was earth, and some spice hints. Enjoyed with Flannery Jorges! I wish I would have bought more of these when I had the chance.
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11/20/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle of this vintage and it showed nicely but may be near the end of its drinking window. Upon decanting this has a very rich complex nose with dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco, dark fruit and sweet spice. There is a surprisingly fresh look to this wine with little to no bricking. It is very complex and layered but does taste a bit worn out, not in decline but no longer improving. Very enjoyable! BUT...time to finish what you have in the cellar...
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12/28/2018 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a wonderful wine. The Field blends from Old Hill Ranch are always interesting to taste. This was delightfully complex and easy to drink with great Homestyle Mexican food at El Molcajete Restaurant near Flemington NJ. Purchased almost 3 years ago from someone else’s cellar through Cana Wines in Nashville. The wine showed no bricking and a translucent rich medium garnet color. The nose had dried porcini mushroom, plum, light pipe tobacco, coffee and blackberry. The palate was smooth and yet brightly flavored with layers of blackberry, boysenberry, ripe plum, tobacco, coffee and a savory note like roasted pork belly on the finish. It is bone dry but gives off the essence of the fruit rather than any sweetness or snappiness sometimes common in Zins and Blends. I just love balanced older Zins like this.
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8/11/2015 - Jahull03 wrote:
bottle might have sustained a bit of heat somewhere along its almost-20-year lifespan... was in OK shape but not as fresh as other older Old Hills I've had.
still, had the wonderful Christmas-spice / almost candied-nut nose one gets with aged zin done right, still plenty of fruit and a round body, good color... these old Ravenswoods are a treat.
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7/25/2014 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
It is really quite amazing how these 20th century bottlings of Old Hill echo the influence of Joel Peterson. From a well-cellared bottle generously provided to our tasting group by M.C., this wine (tasted in double-blind fashion) showed beautiful aromas and flavors of plum, pipe tobacco, pine nuts and espresso. Full-bodied and with medium acidity, the wine now has only light residual tannins and somehow seems to weave its 14.8% alcohol nicely into the flavor profile. Solid in the middle and finishing very long, it is drinking beautifully at this point. As is often the case with well-cellared, aged upper-echelon Zinfandels, I mistakenly identified it as an aged new-world Cabernet. Drink now-2018.
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1/10/2013 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Still showing plenty of brambleberry fruit, along with warm herbs and a dusty background. Holding up quite well, though unlikely to improve further with age. I do not see it cracking up though. Quite enjoyable now.
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11/17/2011 - peterk wrote: 85 Points
Fruit has held up, but fading.
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7/21/2010 - M DU VIN wrote: 91 Points
An excellent zinfandel that has held its fruit while maturing nicely. TIme to drink up as it is hard to imagine that it will get better with further age in the bottle.
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12/5/2009 - gkharrin wrote:
Tasted at the 17th Annual Zin Thing
Few notes taken.
Of 7 zins tasted, two were clear favorites, and one a clear second. This was one of the remaining 4. May still have been good - cannot recall.
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12/5/2009 - winecat9 wrote: 90 Points
Zin Thing 2009: Excellent mature Zin. Good balance with fruit restrained but definitely present.
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11/25/2007 - SteveH wrote: 91 Points
Definitely one of the best Zins I've had, and bottle seems at its peak. Fruit forward but not too much, a little residual acid but not too much.
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12/3/2005 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
BLACK CHERRIES AND RASPBERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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