Wanted a white wine last night, so dug back in my stash for:
1. Idlewild Arneis FoxHillVnyd/MendoCnty (13.6%; www.IdlewildWines.com) SamBilbro/Healdsburg 2013: Rather deep gold/burnished bronze color that suggests it may be over the hill; very intense pineapple/some Mosel valve oil/bit old R-like light herbal/cardamon/new mown grass very spicy slight nutty/oxidative beautiful complex nose; lightly tart slight nutty/oxidative intense ripe/pineapple/Mosel valve oil/quite honeyed very dry bit austere some herbal/cardamon/new mown alfalfa very exotic flavor; very long/lingering rather herbal/cardamon quite dry/bit austere some old R/Mosel valve oil/honeyed bit nutty/oxidative slight earthy very exotic/complex finish; no Arneis character to speak of but a very complex/beautiful/exotic old white; a very compelling wine that I kept going back to until the btl was all gone; amazing stuff.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. When I saw the color of this wine upon first pouring, I was certain it was dead&gone. Though it did show some oxidative/nutty character, much earlier than I'd have expected for a 6 yr old white, I was totally blindsided by what it had evolved into. Will ask Sam if this is an aberration of one btl, are something to be expected. It had a honeyed character that reminded me of some old skin-contact Friuli Ribollas, but not the tannins. It had plenty of fruit but not identifiable as Arneis (never had any old Piemonte Arneis). It showed a Mosel valve oil complexity that reminded me of a 20 yr old Mosel Kabinett. Whatever this wine is...it's pretty exotic stuff.
Tom