Tried these two over the last week:
1. Ojai Syrah BienNacidoVnyd/SBC (13%) 1996: Dark/murky color w/ some browning; very strong smokey/toasty/oak/pungent bit peppery/Syrah/blackberry some wet army blanket/funky/oxidized complex nose; rather tart bit dried out strong pungent/oak/smokey bit roasted/Rhonish some blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry slight funky/wet army blanket flavor w/ some astringent/drying tannins; very long very smokey/pungent/toasty/oak some funky/wet army blanket/oxidized finish w/ some metallic/drying tannins; some very interesting things there in the nose but on its last legs on the palate.
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2. Ojai Syrah BienNacidoVnyd/SBC (14.0%) 2001: Dark color w/ little bricking; strong smokey/toasty/oak strong black cherry/blackberry/Syrah/licorice slight Rhonish/smokey/smoked meats fairly complex nose; bit tart/tangy/metallic very strong blackberry/black cherry/black cherry cola/Syrah quite smokey/toasty/oak some Rhonish/smoked meats/roasted complex flavor w/ light slightly drying tannins; very long bit tart very strong blackberry/black cherry cola/Syrah/licorice rather pungent/smokey/oak/charred slight Rhonish/roasted meats complex finish w/ light tangy tannins; a lovely example of an older Ojai Syrah that's probably starting a long downhill slide; speaks strongly of BienNacido Syrah.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The '96 was another btl from my Orphan Stash. Though there were some interesting things therein, it had clearly been compromised by the poor storage conditions of that Stash. Whereas the '01, from better storage conditions, was at or slightly beyond its prime.
Tom