2005 Scholium Project Babylon Tenbrink Vineyards Suisun Valley 15.7%
My first Scholium red. Pitch red. A laudry list of aromas, some bulging, some fleeting, parade under the nacelles: coffee, cocoa, molasses, marzipan, epoxy... Martial mouth feel, brawny fruit matched by powerful acidity, unexpectedly well met. Truck driver testosterone meets quiche eater brain. Wears its bruiser alcohol with grace (I would have guessed 14%, max). I'm hardly into overripe fruit, but this is accomplished, a paean to ripeness. But, alas, beyond the curiosity of discovery and the interest in supporting a maverick enterprise, it gave me little pleasure.
) were $39.99. More than in NYC, but still far from $80.