1. Bucklin Zin OldHillRanch/SonomaVlly (15.6%; Vnyd established 1885) 2002: Dark color w/ slight bricking; very attractive spicy/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin some dusty/old vines light toasty/cedary/vanilla/oak slight menthol/CocaCola some complex nose; tart bit tannic/hard strong blackberry/Zin/very spicy light earthy/graphite some pencilly/cedary/oak complex flavor; med.long bit tannic/hard strong blackberry/Zin/very spicy light earthy/dusty slight CocaCola/pungent finish; lovely nose but starting to dry out slightly on the palate; drink up.
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2. Carlisle TwoAcres RRV RW (15.3%; Mourvedre/PS/Valdepenas/AlicanteBouschet/others; 74 cs) 1999: Med.dark color w/some bricking; some taosty/oak rather plummy/blueberry/boysenberry/dark fruits very spicy/perfumed light licorice/pungent slight earthy/rosemary/oregano quite complex nose w/ slighht alcohol; soft smooth/velvety strong plummy/licorice/boysenberry/spicy light toasty/oak light earthy/rosemary/spicy quite complex flavor w/ bit of a tannic bite; very long slight tannic/bitey fairly smooth/velvety/lush strong plummy/boysenberry/licorice light toasty/oak spicy/rosemary/earthy complex finish; a bit like a middle-aged Carlisle Zin but more towards the plummy part of the spectrum, a bit like an older SavoieMondeuse; starting to show some age on the palate but in a really good place right now w/ little aged character; a lovely complex fully mature red to drink up.
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3. Massican passito NapaVlly Sweet TW (85% SauvBlanc dried on redwood trays+15% dry RibollaGialla; 13%; RS: 13%; 49 cs of hlf btls) 2010: Light gold color; beautiful pineapple/mango/pear very fragrant/perfumed almost Muscat-like nose; rather tart very intense/pineapple/mango/pear/peach/ripe fruit fairly sweet (I thought about 5%-7%) very perfumed/aromatic flavor; very long/lingering very intense pineapple/mango/pear rather sweet quite aromatic/fragrant finish; this is really developing into a beautiful dessert wine; not as raisened/overripe as most Italian passitos; loads of dried mango/pineapple character; stunning dessert wine. $35.00/hlf
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Twackers: A wine that has come together really/really well but may be on the verge of starting to crack up. Like most of Mike's wines, it carries a hefty alcohol but shows no overripe/raisened character and no fumey/alcoholic heat, especially for an older wine when this character starts to come to the forefront.
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2. passito: This wine is really evolving into a beautiful dessert wine since when I first had it w/ Dan a yrs ago. The usual lament: "shoulda bought more". Dan (Petroski) made this wine by laying out SauvBlanc grapes (ChilesVlly) on redwood trays to dry in the sun for a week or so. He then added a bit of GeorgeVare's RibollaGialla to give it more acidity & brightness. The aromatics reminded me a lot of the Maculan Dindarello made from OrangeMuscat, but a bit more light on its feet. Passito wine is a genre they they really should be pursuing more in Calif. Alas..they don't. Like my kids...those Calif winemakers never pay any attention to me.
Tom