I was out in SF this week adn got to go visit a few friends and they truly did pull out a few amazing bottles. I did not take careful notes but madly scribbled when I got back to my hotel. I've also only listed the highlights, but did try many many more..
1976 Joseph Phelps Insignia: A friend opened this thing amongst the others and it was a treat. The wine not only was alive but kicking and we had to decant it to open it up. It stuck around for the entire 4 hour dinner, improving along the way. Super nose, obviously older wine but did not feel that old. Color was still garnet, some fruit remains but the second and tertiary notes were good, medium body and finish but a wonderful look into the 70's
1978 Ridge York Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon: Again, far from a dead soldier, in fact, better than the 91, 92 and 94 Ridge I had earlier in the day...I'll post on those later. Tannins have fully gone but still a bit of grip o the wine, still a good density, a strange detergent nose blew off after a splash decant, rock solid and still a deep garnet for colour. Not as balanced as the Insignia but drinking like a 15 year old wine versus a 32 year old....
1978 Sabastiani Zinfandel: Wow, thsi thing had POWER, still, iron fist in velvet glove drinks like a barolo but with more fruit still on this. Impressive
1980 Heitz Bella Oaks, Cabernet Sauvignon: This has the same crisp crunchiness as the 05 I tried yesterday, still holding on, transparent garnet with some bricking of colour. Classy and elegant I wish I had more of Joe Heitz's wines to try as these are clearly better than the early 00's bellas that I've had.
1985 Roberrt Mondavi Reserve from Magnum: Opened up clearly a nice wine, with a density the others did not have, of course with the benefit of another decade less aging, but had a strange moth ball nose that also blew off with time. Cork had crumbled so we were a bit concerned. having said that, while lacking some of the elegance of the others, this wine performed very well, holding up for 6 hours of drinking improving for the first two and then holding steady for the rest of dinner. A solid cork might mean a longer life for this bottle.
2002 Gravner Amphora Ribolla Gialla: I love this thing.....
1991, 1992, and 1994 Ridge Monte Bello, all from 375's mL , and I think the format had to do with the shape of the wines. all were mature, all showing tertiary notes, but the one common theme, TANNIC and GREAT GRIP....geez..... Nicely done but I wish they were not so advanced.
2007 Ridge Monte Bello: more lush and fruity of course but showig the great focus and grip of the vintage. I'm looking forward to this one in a few years. It is furry and needs time.
2006 and 2007 Mica: This is the second wine of Buccella. I kept on thinking what the hell the main wine must be like if this is so good. On first pour, it is deep, brooding dark and opaque, definitely showing a viscosity when it was being poured. This thing has massive deep dark fruits, cassis, currant, very floral, violets, rich, super smooth, some coco, graphite and yet the wine as big as it was, still had a nice tension and a GREAT balance. Impressive to say the least. The 2007 is similar to its 2006 sister, with much the same stuffing but missing the overall balance of the 06, the wine is ver perfume and is very tight, perhaps time will allow this to open up but I doubt it will be the equal of the 06.
2007 Opus One: Colour is a translucent garnet, wine has a great nose, very medoc, as you can guess, super tight right now, some focused berries, graphite, good minerality, very elegant mouthfeel, it has power and strength but does not overwhelm. Pricy and I can find god Bordeaux's a half this price but if that does not bug you,....
2005 Heitz Bella Oaks: Lighter transluscent garnet, crunch red, pure focused berries, good acidity, good grip still but does not seem like a long termer, especially when the appeal is in its light crispy crunchiess.
2005 Heitz Trailside: Much deeper and darker than the bella, riper deeper fruit, good density, a bit heavy on the oak, good tannic grip but not among the best of trailsides.
2007 Alpha Omega Proprietary Red: Mostly Merlot (over half) and the rest will be CS, SF and PV. Rather ripe and overextracted if a touch, big wine, big grip, will need a few years to settle down, but did not seem like there was a lot of complexity going on. Not as good as the barrel sample that I tried a few months ago.
2007 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon: Colour is rather deep, garnet black, mid opaque. Nose is a bit surprising, a rather focused fruit, some spiciness, some rather floral components violet and the palate is much the same.
Favs this week were the Mica and the 76 Insignia