Was rummaging thru the archives & decided to pull this out:
1. MarkWest Angelique PinotNoir GrapeWine RRV (Natural Flavors Added; 18%; PN harvested early) NV: Rather dark brown fairly murky color; rather aromatic/spirity bit brown sugar rather nutty/bit walnutty bit old Port quite interesting complex nose; quite sweet/grapey some nutty/walnutty spirity/alcoholic much like an old Port but not as grapey fairly complex flavor; very long/lingering quite sweet rather alcoholic/spirity old Port-like sweet/grapey quite sweet finish; really quite an interesting apertif beverage or with blue cheeses. $5.99 (Beltramos)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Tasting a real bit of history here. MarkWest was a wnry started by ??m on a shoestrong. Specializing in PinotNoir from up in the RRV. Named after MarkWest Creek that traversed the property. Their Pinots were rather OK, just that, nothing exceptional. Not sure who actually started MarkWestWnry. It was bought by DerekBenham from over in Modesto. Sold to big $$'s to Constellation and now appear to specialize in MontereyCnty Pinots. Wines made in Modesto, so maybe Gallo by now. MarkWest appears to now be mostly a TotalWine wine.
No information I could find on the Internet about this wine. This was probably made as an Angelica from PN juice harvested early for their PinotNoir Rose. Then fortified w/ grape brandy. The MW Wnry was founded in 1978, so this Angelica was probably made around '79-'80 afore Benham bought the wnry. So about a 40 yr old Angelica aged entirely in the btl.
Tom