We tried this last night w/ genuine NM Bischochitos, made w/ genuine lard:
1. CaseyHartlip GWT LateHrvst OrdwayVnyd/AndersonVlly (SaH: 35 Brix; RS: 15%; 12%; BarrelFrmtd) 2013: Med.light gold color; beautiful intense/GWT/lychee/hair oil/spicy very grapey/passito-like/icewine-like almost passito Muscat very aromatic nose; rather tart quite sweet w/o being cloying intense passito/grapey very clean spicy/GWT/lychee/hair-oil balanced beautiful flavor; very long/lingering intense lychee/GWT/hair-oil/floral tart/balanced very sweet/lush finish; a beautiful example of a GWT passito; almost muscatty fragrant; a drop-dead steal at $25.00/hlf
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Many a moon ago, Casey ran the EaglePointRanch, high in the hills above Talmage. He made wine under the EaglePoint brand. Danged good wine. Syrah/Grenache/Zin/PS.Many a btl I put down w/ relish. Alas, the grapes were good/the wines were good, but Casey found having to sell the stuff was way more than he bargained for. So he bailed on the wine biz, sticking to growing grapes.
Fast forward to now. Casey manages the OrdwayVnyd up in the AndersonVlly. In 2013, there was a small block of GWT left at the end of the pick. Couldn't find a home for it at a reasonable price. Everytime Casey would walk thru Ordway, he'd hear these tiny little chirping voices: "Pick me...no...pick me". Unable to resist, despite his better judgement, the siren song of fame & fortune making wine...Casey gave in & picked them. They were perfectly ripe, no signs of botrytis or rot. Friend Grazi had a spare tank by then, so Casey now has a LateHrvst GWT to peddle. Not the easiest thing to market in the world.
A week ago, I ordered 3 hlf-btls from Casey. All he had around were shiners. So last night we cracked one.
I've long preached that Calif should be making more Italian-style passito/dessert wines. This passito GWT will stand up to the best of any passito wines from Italy. Lots of luck finding it on the shelf, though. His two brokers have some 400 cases of hlfs to move. Maybe Casey can help us out??
Tom