One of the great 70's late harvest zinfandels. Sometimes referred to as the greatest California red wine ever made. Paul Draper, the winemaker reportedly considered this his favorite vintage. Cork was sound and easily removed with an ah-so. Moderately bricked deep ruby color. Didn't decant and it could have used it, slight cast from sediment. Strong fruit in the nose, no obvious oxidation. Wonderful mature varietal characters. Mouth-filling, smooth, lingering, rich and long in the finish. Fermented dry. Hard to believe, but this wine is at it's peak, and really a treat.
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The Cabernets from this era were typically lighter than we experience in todays California offerings, and this was always a fairly light wine. Heavily bricked medium garnet color. Required decanting with medium residue. No real fruit in the nose, but not as maderized as many of this age. Presented a light nose of leather. Well balanced, still elegant in it's elderly way. My recollection of this wine from it's youth is consistent with what resulted. Smooth on the pallet, pleasant, no off characters. Past it's prime but still in remarkably good shape.
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This bottle was a fairly low fill, about an inch above the label. I didn't expect much, but was amazed at the quality of this wine. First opened, it was very closed in with the oxidized nose one would expect, but with the first taste I realized I had something special in my glass. Most shocking was how little browning at the edges it displayed, even after 42 years. Just in from the slightly bricked edge, it transitions to an inky, deep red color. Easy to see why it was favored as a blending grape. It quickly opened up in the glass and rewarded us with a balance rare in such an old California wine. Still solid, even and firm. No sign of the overwhelming tannins it showed when I bought it at the winery @1974. Any fruit and berry character has long since been replaced with leather, caramel and black pepper in the nose and on the palette. Typically wines this old have corks about to fail, and this was no exception, it needs to be enjoyed now, or if you have multiple bottles re-corked. A fabulous example of the wines made during the emergence of the California wine industry onto the world's enological scene.
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1973 Ridge Late Picked Geyserville
12/27/2013 - Conover Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the great 70's late harvest zinfandels. Sometimes referred to as the greatest California red wine ever made. Paul Draper, the winemaker reportedly considered this his favorite vintage.
Cork was sound and easily removed with an ah-so.
Moderately bricked deep ruby color. Didn't decant and it could have used it, slight cast from sediment.
Strong fruit in the nose, no obvious oxidation.
Wonderful mature varietal characters.
Mouth-filling, smooth, lingering, rich and long in the finish.
Fermented dry.
Hard to believe, but this wine is at it's peak, and really a treat.
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1967 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
12/25/2013 - Conover wrote: 89 Points
The Cabernets from this era were typically lighter than we experience in todays California offerings, and this was always a fairly light wine.
Heavily bricked medium garnet color.
Required decanting with medium residue.
No real fruit in the nose, but not as maderized as many of this age. Presented a light nose of leather.
Well balanced, still elegant in it's elderly way.
My recollection of this wine from it's youth is consistent with what resulted. Smooth on the pallet, pleasant, no off characters.
Past it's prime but still in remarkably good shape.
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1971 Freemark Abbey Petite Sirah
12/22/2013 - Conover Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was a fairly low fill, about an inch above the label. I didn't expect much, but was amazed at the quality of this wine.
First opened, it was very closed in with the oxidized nose one would expect, but with the first taste I realized I had something special in my glass.
Most shocking was how little browning at the edges it displayed, even after 42 years. Just in from the slightly bricked edge, it transitions to an inky, deep red color. Easy to see why it was favored as a blending grape.
It quickly opened up in the glass and rewarded us with a balance rare in such an old California wine. Still solid, even and firm. No sign of the overwhelming tannins it showed when I bought it at the winery @1974.
Any fruit and berry character has long since been replaced with leather, caramel and black pepper in the nose and on the palette.
Typically wines this old have corks about to fail, and this was no exception, it needs to be enjoyed now, or if you have multiple bottles re-corked.
A fabulous example of the wines made during the emergence of the California wine industry onto the world's enological scene.
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