1979 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
I still don't fully understand why I love great wines so much. Maybe it started with a little wine guide from Hugh Johnson that my sister gave to me in 1989.
I was travelling through California by that time, and I was curious to experience the delights described in Johnson's book. My first successful experience was a bottle of 1987 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 22 years later I was lucky enough to encounter this wine again, this time it was the vintage 1979:
Tasted from a perfectly stored bottle. The first impression was the sweet scent of cranberries mixed with eucalyptus, mint and cedar. With airing it turned into classic scent of cassis and figs. Delicious fruit with a mineral component. I could hardly believe how fresh this bottle showed. And it clearly improved with airing. Of course this was medium-bodied only and not a super-complex wine (like Heitz Martha's vineyard), but it was offering all the pleasures of a gracefully matured classic Cabernet from Napa Valley. I generally admire what Californian wineries have produced in the 70ies. - My personal rating: 90/100.
Cheers,
Rainer