Going thru another box from my orphan stash in the garage, four went down the drain and these three were actually drinkable, if a bit shakey:
1. Les VieuxCepages Grenache McDowellVlly (EB; RTW) McDowellVllyVnyds/Hopland 1988: Rather light quite browning color; quite fragrant/strawberry/Grenache/candied/strawberry bubble gum/Fleers very aromatic complex nose; quite light bright/strawberry/Grenache/Fleers/candied/cheap perfume very aromatic quite complex bit earthy/dusty/OV flavor w/ very light/gentle tannins; very long light/strawberry/Grenache/Fleers/DoubleBubble/candied delicate/elegant complex finish w/ very light/quiet tannins; no trace of oxidation whatsoever; very delicate/ethereal strawberry/Grenache wine performing well above its pay grade; amazing stuff. $7.00 (A)
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2. Qupe Syrah CentralCoast TW 1988: Med.color w/ considerable browning; quite smokey/toasty/pencilly/oak some old/Rhonish/gamey/meaty classic oldQupe/Rhonish complex nose; rather tart/tired/metallic quite smokey/pencilly/oak slight cranberry/Syrah/blackberry complex Rhonish flavor w/ very light/drying tannins; very long slightly oxidized/dried out/tired strong pencilly/cedary/smokey/oak bit cranberry some oldRhonish/earthy/complex finish w/ light/tired tannins; rather tired & dried out but still some interesting things in there and a classic aged Qupe Syrah. $9.00
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3. DryCreekVnyds PetiteSirah DryCreekVlly (13.0%) Winemaker: David Stare & LarryLevin 1986: Very dark/black color w/ slight bricking; quite earthy/loamy/dusty/OV some vanilla/Am.oak slight peppery/PS some clunky/oafish/funky bit complex nose; soft rather earthy/dusty/OV/loamy slight peppery/PS somewhat oafish/coarse rather vanilla/Am.oak flavor w/ light/rough tannins & no signs of oxidation; very long rough/coarse/earthy/dusty/OV/loamy some vanilla/Am.oak slight peppery/earthy/PS finish w/ light/coarse/rustic tannins; a pretty classic old PSon the coarse/rustic side but no signs of oxidation or drying out; a good example that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's scrotum.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. By the next morning, for breakfast, all three of these wines, stoppered overnight on the sideboard, were ugly brown color and totally shot. The DCV was showing a trace of TCA.
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2. The Grenache was from back in the days when McDowellVllyVnyds was producing some remarkable Rhones under GeorgeBursick. Probably the only reason that this was so good was because it came from the very old GibsonRanch. We are promised, which I believe, that GibsonRanch will once again make great Rhones in Calif. Heck...it already has.
Tom
