Pulled these relics out last night to try:
1. Ch.St.Jean CabSauv SonomaCnty (13%) Windsor 1974: Ullaged down below the shoulder; very wet/soft/mushy cork but Corovin prevailed; dark color w/ some browning; rather cedary/pencilly/oldCab little Cab fruit rather complex aged nose; lightly tart strong cedary/pencilly/oldCab slight oxidative bit tangy/metallic complex flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long/lingering rather oldCab/cedary/pencilly bit tart/metallic some cigar box complex finish w/ light metallic tannins; little signs of oxidation or air ingress & not at all dried out/tired; just a pleasant example of an old cedary/pencilly Cab that clings to life.
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2. Ch.St.Jean CabSauv SonomaCnty (12%) Kenwood 1981: Ullaged to just down to the bottom of the neck; dark color w/ some browning; strong cedary/pencilly/oldCab quite cigar box/cedary slight licorice/black curranty quite complex oldCab nose; gentle/mild rather cedary/pencilly/oldCab some slight blackcurranty/Cab/licorice bit drying/metallic flavor w/ light drying tannins; very long/lingering bit drying out/tannic/metallic rather cedary/pencilly/oldCab some blackcurranty/Cab/licorice rather complex w/ light metallic tannins; still hanging on for dear life & still has a bit of fruit. $17.00 (Q)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The '74 was first Cab made by Ch.St.Jean. I believe Dick Arrowood was then the winemkaer at that time. Surprisingly, the wines were not totally dead/shot & clinging on for dear life. More intellectual pleasure than sensual pleasure. The both showed that slightly metallic character of too-old wines but they were not dump-down-the-drain wines.
By the next morning, they had turned a murky brown and pretty much on their last legs.
We'll have the '79 & '80 WildwoodVnyd versions tomorrow in our tasting.
Tom