Had these two at DinDin last night:
1. Ryme RibollaGialla VareVnyd/NapaVlly (13.4%) 2011: Deep gold/burnished bronze color; strong rather resiny/phenolic/ViniMacerati/skin-contact slight RG/white pepper quite honeyed/honey graham/graham cracker/orangey quite complex beautiful nose; lightly tart quite honeyed/honey graham some mature VM/resiny/phenolic bit orangey light RG/white pepper/floral fairly smooth rather savory/saline quite complex flavor w/ slight tannic bite; very long/lingering some phenolic/VM/resiny lightly tart somewhat rich/lush/smooth rather honeyed/honey graham/graham cracker quite complex finish w/ light tannic bite; a beautiful example of a fully-mature VM RG much like some of the older SandiSkerk or Stekar skin-contact RG; one of the best fully mature Calif RG I can recall.
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2. Forlorn-Hope GasconyCadets PetiteVerdot King-AndrewsVnyd/SuisunVlly/SolanoCnty (15.1%) MatthewRorick/SuisunVlly 2009: Very dark color w/ some bricking; strong herbal/PV/earthy/dusty slight floral/lilacs rather perfumed/aromatic some toasty/oak fairly complex nose; lightly tart/tangy some herbal/earthy/dusty rather floral/lilacs/zennias/pungent some complex flavor w/ light chewey tannins; very long but rough/coarse/clunky/rustic some floral/lilacs/perfumed rather earthy/dusty some complex finish w/ light rough tannins; reminds some of a Loire CabFranc, some of a rustic Madiran; a rather earthy/rustic bit floral country wine that's probably not going to get any better; an interesting rustic red but just that.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I was mightly impressed by how the Ryme RG had evolved. In its youth at release is was an aggressively tannic hard/harsh strongly phenolic RG that was kind of hurtey to taste. It is a stunning example of how some of these VM can develop.
Tom