1986 Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County - USA, California, Sonoma County (11/16/2020)
From the most recent Ravenswood library sale via Joel Peterson's Once & Future venture, this is about as good provenance as one can get with acquiring 30+ year old California wine.
It starts out decidedly high toned. JP has never been afraid of acidity, and that's one of the things I love about his Ravenswood wines. A little bit of air, and the aromatics begin to unfold. Aged tobacco, green herbs, leather, cassis and a light cedar note speak of Cabernet. It's not a notably ripe wine, and fans of modern California Cabernet would probably call it unripe. I love it, as it speaks to a time gone by. It's a window to the way things used to be in Sonoma, and even Napa, before shoulder pads became mandatory accessories to Cabernet-based wines. There's a kinship with old school Bordeaux, as age has stripped much of the California sunshine, leaving only grape and dirt. It's a lovely trip down memory lane.