There's a character in well made wine that coalesces around time. It's a fruit tree of varying offers. A richness of leather, tobacco, silk and pepper that satisfies the olfactory, coats the lips, and cannot be manufactured. The juice simply must be racked well in excess of 15+ years - in our experience - a timeframe where these notes weave themselves into the vin, seemingly birthed of thin air. They were simply NOT there five, eight or even ten years back. These were really good grapes.
If a drinker always insists on cracking open prematurely, such a beverage, they'll never understand the depth of purpose appropriate aging offers.
This beauty had such an effect on our nose and palate. The finish, however, was touch short for such a polished, solid gem of a bottle, limiting our overall score.
We hope all people who claim to love wine get to taste, enjoy and understand this rewarding discovery of properly aged, well made vin.
This bottle comes with a story... Oh but don't all of ours ;)~
May 7, 1997, the California Mustang was purchased. In driving it home, that Wednesday night Napa Valley was weaved through. Still remember the T intersection at Lake Berryessa. Oh the yumminess. Well, these 1997 harvest grapes were growing that night, as the Stang rolled by. Here, on an eve 25 years hence, this bottle was cracked for the memory and enjoyment. The video (now DVD) taken of the entire 2100 mile trek, was watched tonight, and a good time was had by all.
These twenty five year old grapes were sequestered- just for us- and we made a wonderful pasta to pair with- then took some pics.
Unlike the Mustang (or us), this bottle was likely past its prime, scoring only a 90 the way we see it.
We still have a few more "last century" bottles left in the cellar, and will revel in them on future anniversaries of other wonderful life memories.
Enjoy.
Noroc!
