1980 Joseph Phelps Zinfandel

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 94.7 points

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  10/13/2019 - Eye Drink Reds Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Wow what a wonderful treat. I'm not a zin guy and if tasted blind I would have guessed mid-1990s St. Julian. Pristine bottle with very high-shoulder which is amazing for a 39 year old bottle!
  Was expressive, albeit a bit hot, on PnP. Notes of stinky earth, baked red fruits (plums, red cherry), vanilla, and mild baking spices. Lots fine sediment as would be expected.

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  4/14/2017 - Millennial Drinkers Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Was nervous about if this wine had held up. Seemed like it had a little bit of seepage and when we removed the cork it was wet and crumbled straight away. Additionally it was a mid to low shoulder.
  
  Medium tawny brown with watery edges. Love this nose, layers of stinky and gamey notes, burnt and smoked wood, mushrooms, forest floor and some light red berries too. Extremely well balanced and well integrated. Moderate tannins (5/10) and medium bodied. A touch of jamminess on the palate with soft red fruits and some nice spiciness. Insanely long finish. Would be excited to try another one of these that was stored properly. Drink till 2019.

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  4/14/2017 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points

  Tawny port brown in color.
  
  The cork was soft and crumbled easily which was a big concern. The shoulder was mid to low shoulder.
  
  Well integrated and balanced with a lingering finish that holds onto your tongue for quite a long time. No ugliness or over acidic flavor.
  
  Nose has some light oak and wood. Tannins 5/10 and medium body - Far better than I expected.
  
  Very difficult to rate as I am not often a fan of the older fines but this has a lot going on - many fruits.

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  10/10/2015 - mhauser wrote:

  Bought from auction on a lark. Brownish-red, with sediment. Big nose with heat, lots of mushroom and black tea. Very acidic, not much tannin. Piles of oak on the palate, and a searing sourness that obscures everything else. Some fruit, but it's buried. Long finish. This is surviving, but just tastes out of balance and is not worth the trip.

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