WTN: EricRoss Zin OldVine '95...(short/boring)

Tried last night as I assembled the lasagna:
1. EricRoss Zin OldVine SonomaCnty (14.5%; vonWeidlichVnyd?) Occidental 1995: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; very strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry dusty/old vines light toasty/pencilly/oak/smokey lovely complex nose; rather tart bit tannic/hard strong/tangy/blackberry/Zin/spicy some earthy/dusty/old vine light pencilly/toasty/oak complex flavor; very long tart/tangy some tannic/hard very strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry some toasty/pencilly/oak finish; a lovely classic old-vine Zin that still has plenty of blackberry fruit w/ good complexity; not starting to dry out but maybe will never come together into a harmonious wine. $19.50
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. EricRoss is a name I almost never hear anymore. Back in the '90's, they used to make some terrific Zins. They were originally located up in Occidental near the old vonWeidlich vnyd. My recollect is that much of this wine came from vonWeidlich. They have since moved the wnry over near the town of Sonoma and make a fairly quotidian range of wines.
vonWeidlich Zin now goes only to Ottimino of BillKnuttle/BradAlper. It was the vnyd from which Ridge made a number of stellar Zins back in the '70's. Paul dropped the vnyd in the late '70's because the grapes were too hard to get ripened; up on OccidentalRidge, heart of Pinot country. Paul recounts how one harvest he drove up to the vnyd and caught old man vonWeidlich out there dumping bags of sugar on the just-picked grapes.
EricSussman used to get some of this Zin for Radio-Coteau as well.
It's a beautiful old-vine Zin vnyd. Property looks (last I visited) like a hillbilly homestead right out of the Ozarks, junk & stuff strewn all about.
Tom

But Tom, zinfandel does not age remember? I really liked 1995 for Zin and still have a Gezer or two hanging around. My favorite and all drank up long ago was the Ravenswood Monte Rosso. Wish I still had a few of those. Never did try an Eric Ross and don't think I have ever seen one on the east coast but can't say I have been looking either.

I was a fan of the EricRoss Old Vine Zins and tasted once at their Glen Ellen tasting room. It seemed like the alcohol percentage went up with each vintage. My favorites were from the mid 90's and I purchased one from Feeney Ranch after they lost their Occidental source.
In the Southeast, Carolina Wine Company used to carry EricRoss and that is where I first came across their wines.