Alive still. It showed some honey, almond and nuts with apricot and lemon curd. Still lively on the palate, plush but enough acidity to keep me intrigued. No VA or oxidization here, but it’s aged well. Lots of stony, mineral, earthy tones underneath the richer elements. Fun stuff.
This one is sported some stewed tomatoes on the nose with mint, leaves, hints of brambly red fruit. Light tannins, showing some heat, moderate acidity. Red cherries still there, with notes of coffee grounds, oak and leather. Actually a lot better on the palate than I was expecting.
Pepper and plums on the nose. Fresh, zesty, dusty tannins. Seems to show quite a bit of life left here with red plums and raspberries, and notes of pepper, soy and leaves. Impressive complexity on this refined, aged wine.
A more muted nose with sweet cherries and coffee. Plum cake dominates the palate with soft tannins and medium acidity. Raisined, but showing some cool wild herb notes underneath.
Leafy aromas in a good way (like all kinds of forest floors) mixed with bell pepper, black pepper, on top of tangy red currants. Zippy, dusty and spicy on the palate with light tannins and crisp acidity. This is a really cool and fresh wine, and the red fruit is still going, while the earthy, savory, spicy notes take front seat. One of the better wines of the evening.
Tired but wild on the nose with strawberries, tomato leaf and a massive amount of paprika. Sour, tart and crazy on the palate with volatile acidity. The amount of insane paprika and cumin flavors cannot be overstated.
What a world of difference from the 1991! Shows lively strawberries and raspberries and red licorice on the nose. Plush, still going on the palate with dusty tannins and juicy raspberry and cherry fruit. Integrated notes of gamey meat, soy, black pepper glaze. This one is a lot of fun.
Yikes, this is a Sherried, Madeirized wreck. In a feat of palate masochism, I made myself taste it after realizing how messed up it was on the nose, just to have another point of reference in the wine fault memory. The wine was not pleasant in any way.
Pretty yet bold on the nose with strawberries, plum cake, pepper, oak and cedar. Juicy on the palate with a rich texture but nuance and integration from age. Yummy strawberries and wild berries on the palate with complex elements of menthol, charcoal, leather, wild herbs. Wow, this is balance, delicious, has aged well. Just really good stuff. My wine of the night easily.
Cherry pie on the nose with cola, herbs, pepper. Really ripe, juicy, dark and roasted, but it’s put together well and still lively. Juicy and dark but some black pepper, bell pepper and cocoa notes. Delicious stuff!
This wine was a bit weird, dusty, with volatile acidity throwing things out of whack. Sour cherries and tart raspberries with dusty, earthy, sooty notes. Ah well. I was hoping this was still pumping.
2005 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 89 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Alive still. It showed some honey, almond and nuts with apricot and lemon curd. Still lively on the palate, plush but enough acidity to keep me intrigued. No VA or oxidization here, but it’s aged well. Lots of stony, mineral, earthy tones underneath the richer elements. Fun stuff.
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1992 Boeger Winery Zinfandel Walker Vineyard 86 Points
USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
This one is sported some stewed tomatoes on the nose with mint, leaves, hints of brambly red fruit. Light tannins, showing some heat, moderate acidity. Red cherries still there, with notes of coffee grounds, oak and leather. Actually a lot better on the palate than I was expecting.
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1990 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Estate Reserve 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Pepper and plums on the nose. Fresh, zesty, dusty tannins. Seems to show quite a bit of life left here with red plums and raspberries, and notes of pepper, soy and leaves. Impressive complexity on this refined, aged wine.
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1993 Greenwood Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Scherrer Vineyards 83 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
A more muted nose with sweet cherries and coffee. Plum cake dominates the palate with soft tannins and medium acidity. Raisined, but showing some cool wild herb notes underneath.
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1991 The Terraces Zinfandel 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Leafy aromas in a good way (like all kinds of forest floors) mixed with bell pepper, black pepper, on top of tangy red currants. Zippy, dusty and spicy on the palate with light tannins and crisp acidity. This is a really cool and fresh wine, and the red fruit is still going, while the earthy, savory, spicy notes take front seat. One of the better wines of the evening.
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1991 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Estate Reserve Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tired but wild on the nose with strawberries, tomato leaf and a massive amount of paprika. Sour, tart and crazy on the palate with volatile acidity. The amount of insane paprika and cumin flavors cannot be overstated.
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1992 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Estate Reserve 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
What a world of difference from the 1991! Shows lively strawberries and raspberries and red licorice on the nose. Plush, still going on the palate with dusty tannins and juicy raspberry and cherry fruit. Integrated notes of gamey meat, soy, black pepper glaze. This one is a lot of fun.
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1994 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Estate Reserve Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Yikes, this is a Sherried, Madeirized wreck. In a feat of palate masochism, I made myself taste it after realizing how messed up it was on the nose, just to have another point of reference in the wine fault memory. The wine was not pleasant in any way.
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1992 Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Pretty yet bold on the nose with strawberries, plum cake, pepper, oak and cedar. Juicy on the palate with a rich texture but nuance and integration from age. Yummy strawberries and wild berries on the palate with complex elements of menthol, charcoal, leather, wild herbs. Wow, this is balance, delicious, has aged well. Just really good stuff. My wine of the night easily.
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1993 Ravenswood Zinfandel Los Chamizal Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Cherry pie on the nose with cola, herbs, pepper. Really ripe, juicy, dark and roasted, but it’s put together well and still lively. Juicy and dark but some black pepper, bell pepper and cocoa notes. Delicious stuff!
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1993 Ravenswood Zinfandel Grandpère Flawed
USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
This wine was a bit weird, dusty, with volatile acidity throwing things out of whack. Sour cherries and tart raspberries with dusty, earthy, sooty notes. Ah well. I was hoping this was still pumping.
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