Still has fruit after 26 years - very nice right after opening. No need to decant but we did since the cork disintegrated. Raisin note very strong. Old Zins are amazing. Get them if you can!
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California Dreamin' - Double Blind - Zin/PS/Cab - 70's - 2009: Brief Notes - part of a larger blind tasting. In a Ridge late harvest/picked flight with an 02 Pagani, and 77 Geyserville, this was tied for 2nd place along with the 77, although I thought the 77 was the WOTF. Surprisingly the lightest bodied out of the 3, with ample acidity, a nice nose of spice and earth, and sweet, brambly blue fruit and leaves on the palate. Shortest finish in the flight probably put it a step behind the 02 in my book, but I still really enjoyed this wine. 82% zin, 13% Mataro, 3% Alicante, 2% PS.
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Ruby color with a lighter rim. Fine aromas of berry fruit, fine earth, bramble, black pepper, and sweet spices. Deep flavors of sweetly spiced red and black berries, black pepper, and licorice with a fine earth under tone throughout. Perfect acidity frames and extends the flavors. Grows very boysenberry on the rear palate though the black pepper has the last word on the finish. Less heavy than a few years ago, this has emerged from its rich and powerful stage and become sleek and bright. Pity its my last bottle.
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3/27/2021 - CarlSchmidt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still has fruit after 26 years - very nice right after opening. No need to decant but we did since the cork disintegrated. Raisin note very strong. Old Zins are amazing. Get them if you can!
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11/7/2020 - mk42 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of a case bought in the 90s. Amazing that it is still great.
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5/23/2018 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
California Dreamin' - Double Blind - Zin/PS/Cab - 70's - 2009: Brief Notes - part of a larger blind tasting. In a Ridge late harvest/picked flight with an 02 Pagani, and 77 Geyserville, this was tied for 2nd place along with the 77, although I thought the 77 was the WOTF. Surprisingly the lightest bodied out of the 3, with ample acidity, a nice nose of spice and earth, and sweet, brambly blue fruit and leaves on the palate. Shortest finish in the flight probably put it a step behind the 02 in my book, but I still really enjoyed this wine. 82% zin, 13% Mataro, 3% Alicante, 2% PS.
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3/10/2014 - pkatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mature, balanced and showing no signs of going over the hill, but why wait?
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12/4/2013 - solana Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby color with a lighter rim. Fine aromas of berry fruit, fine earth, bramble, black pepper, and sweet spices. Deep flavors of sweetly spiced red and black berries, black pepper, and licorice with a fine earth under tone throughout. Perfect acidity frames and extends the flavors. Grows very boysenberry on the rear palate though the black pepper has the last word on the finish. Less heavy than a few years ago, this has emerged from its rich and powerful stage and become sleek and bright. Pity its my last bottle.
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