We tried this throw-away dessert wine last night:
1. ShenandoahVnyds Zin LateHrvst Fiddletown (EschenVnyd/14.9%; SaH: 34%; RS: 9%) 1983: Med.color cloudy/murky w/ some bricking; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/spicy/big fruit some raisened/late hrvsty bit alcoholic complex nose; fairly strong slightly sweet chocolaty/framboise/blackberry/spicy slight peppery slight raisened/late harvesty slight alcoholic flavor w/ light tannins; very long/lingering bit sweet ripe/framboise/blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/spicy/slight peppery some raisened/late hrvesty finish w/ light/smooth tannins; still loads of framboise/fruit w/ some late-harvesty character; still very much alive & a pleasure to drink.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This was a throw-away dessert wine I served because it should have been totally dead & gone. When I pulled it from the cellar, it was a leaker and about 1/3'rd of the hlf btl had ullaged away. I stood it upright several days ago. When I peeled off the capsule, the cork was depressed over 1/2" below the lip & there was a bit of wine floating on top of the cork. As I started the corkscrew into the cork, it started to go further down into the neck. Finally got a bit of a grip w/ the corkscrew and eased the cork out, totally intact. Clearly, the cork was long gone and the btl should have been totally crappola. However...it was not and still a delighht to drink. Go figure. No Coravin needed here.
An hour later, the glass of wine had turned an ugly murky brown and cloudy w/ sediment.
Have 2 more hlf-btls left. Will give them another 20 yrs, I guess.
Tom