Dinner With Dave (3/28)
After Susan & I finish up w/ the GrandTasting, we head on over to Moraga for a casual dinner w/ long-
time friend DaveJones, his son Colin, and his Mom. With pulled pork samwichs, we try:
1. OjaiVnyd Syrah StolpmanVnyd/SBC (14.5%) 1997: Med.dark color w/ slight bricking; slightly alcoholic
beautiful/smokey/cedary/pencilly some licorice/pungent/blackberry/Syrah slight floral/violets complex
nose; soft slight tannic complex/cedary/pencilly/oak light tarry/blackberry/licorice/Syrah lovely flavor;
long/lingering smooth/complex light licorice/Syrah/blackberry/tarry some cedary/pencilly/smokey/oak
finish; in a really good place right now; at its peak or slightly beyond.
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2. Ridge Calif Zin JimsomareVnyd/SCM (13.1%; 21 brls; Drk: 4/93-4/98: PD) 1991: Med.color w/ noticible
bricking; attractive cedary/pencilly/old Zin slight smokey/tarry/BarBQue sauce complex/mature Zin nose;
tart lovely smokey/pungent/BarBQue sauce rather cedary/pencily/old Zin smooth/complex flavor; med.long
quite cedary/pencilly/old Zin slight tarry/pungent/smokey smooth/round finish w/ some tannic bite on back
of the palate; nice old-bones Zin that'll only be going downhill from here.
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3. OjaiVnyd LateHrvst Viognier RollRanch/Calif Hardenbergh-Tolmach (13%; 2 brls) 1997: Med.gold color;
beautiful ripe/Viog intense grapey slight peachy nose nose w/ little complexity; very tart slightly sweet
very grapey/ripe/overripe/peachy/Viog flavor; very long/lingering slightly sweet quite tart ripe/peachy/
Viog very grapey finish; lots of intense grapey character more like a passito wine, no evidence of
botrytis; still a young wine & little evidence of age or complexity; lovely dessert wine for lighter
desserts.
Tom