Sat, 10/29/16, $2 Tasting + a Zin "surprise"

Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA
Tasted Saturday, October 29, 2016 by srh with 153 views

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

Seems like I always find SOMETHING of interest with these... ;)

  • 2014 Heinz Eifel Riesling Spätlese

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    N: Apricots, poss peaches; Petrol waaaay underneath?

    P: MF body; Almost a honeyed sensation which extends to the lingering finish, which may lack a bit of intensity. Certainly quaffable, and the recipient of 88 pts & a "Best Buy" from WE @ $13 on 2/1/16. [This vendor's price is $9.95.]

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  • 2015 Barone Fini Pinot Grigio

    Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Trentino, Valdadige

    N: Apples, poss a touch of hay; Seems crisp

    P: Med body; A rndish entry morphing into an intriguing, not unpleasant, bitterness on the LONG finish. Quite seamless for the price, though possibly just for current consumption as I've concerns that the bitterness COULD get out of hand over time. [This vendor's price: $6.95!]

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  • 2014 Château Grand Marchand Reserve

    France, Bordeaux

    N: Jammy with tar notes mixed in? Seems ripe & deep

    P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with astringency kicking in early mid-palate, then fading to a spicy/tanginess on the LONG finish. At least somewhat disjointed, but capable of improvement? If so, a STEAL @ this vendor's $7.95!

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  • 2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

    N: A bit closed/muted? A melange of jam, earth, & tar, with notes of bacon with increased air

    P: Med, poss MF, body; Bacon on front with a lingering, somewhat astringent finish. While not all that charming right now, I can see this evolving over the next 2 yrs or so. A CS for Syrah drinkers? 90 pts ea in WS & WE.

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  • 2014 Viña Cobos Malbec Felino

    Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

    N: CLOSED; With air, notes of smoke & jam?

    P: Med body with a rndish entry; Almost swtish fruit on front yet with a finishing structure; Good length & should improve with short term cellaring, say 18-30 mos. (The elegance & balance of this are quite attractive!).

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Flight 2 - When the server brought this by, others also receiving it, I initially wasn't sure... (1 Note)

...what he'd said. When I requested clarification, I clearly heard "Belloni" & '97! ¡WOW! :)

  • 1997 Ravenswood Zinfandel Belloni

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    (Only slight browning on rim)

    N: RIPE; raisins, prunes, & some smoke

    P: Med body, MF with additional air [the acidity also seeming to pick up with time]; Smooth entry, nice length & BALANCE; The acidity has CLEARLY held this, there no longer being any sense of tannins whatsoever. Blind I'd **never** have guessed this to be, in essence, 19 YEARS after the vintage!

    ===========

    This experience brings so MANY things to mind. In no particular order:

    1) The many ACCURATE comments on this wine here y-e-a-r-s previously! Folks mentioned the ACIDITY level of this, with the post immediately preceding this on how the wine didn't yet seem "together" but still [10 YEARS after vintage] seemed to have plenty of stuffing. All of which imply...

    1a) ...the *CRITICAL* role of acidity for ANY wine to age

    1b) ...the ability of at least CERTAIN Zins to age.

    That last leads me to some general ideas re aging wines:

    2) I didn't notice any particular nuances or layers of flavors as a result of this having been cellared. Granted, I'm next to positive it wasn't decanted, & as I noted improvement from my first to last taste, perhaps decanting WOULD have revealed additional layers/complexities that were truly THERE. Otherwise, other than to "finally" get this bottling to express its FULL potential, WHY cellar it *if* ADDITIONAL nuances & layers weren't to make up for the natural loss of YOUTHFUL exuberance?

    IMHO all of these are considerations for those of us who cellar wines WITH the expectation of actually IMPROVING what we purchased initially. ;)

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Closing

The "surprise" made this PARTICULARLY noteworthy! ¡BRAVO, Vintage Wines Ltd! :)

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