Cracked this open last night w/ grilled flank steak:
1. TurleyVnyds NapaVlly Zin Moore "Earthquake"Vnyd (15.1%) 1996:
Very dark color w/ slight bricking; very ripe/blackberry/boysenberry light pencilly/toasty/oak some licorice rather dusty/old vines smokey very slight alcoholic nose; smooth/velvety ripe/blackberry/Zin bit pungent/smokey/pencilly/cedary/oak rather dusty/old vines slight pommengranate/plummy fairly complex flavor; long quite dusty/old vines ripe/blackberry/pommengranate light pencilly/cedary/oak finish w/ light/smooth/velvety tannins and nice complexity; a nice mix of youthful fruit and mature/cedary Zin character; alcohol very low key;a lovely example of a fully mature Zin. $30.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I've found the Turley Zins can be a bit eratic in their aging trajectory and some of the big/powerful Zins die an early death. The only sure-fire ager is Turley's famed Smoot-Hawley Vnyd White Zin. So I was pretty much expecting this one to be on its last legs.
Because of the alcohol level, I took the precaution of chilling it down a bit. I think even DarrellCorti would have liked this wine, as the alcohol was not at all obvious. A bit of volatility on the nose, but no heat to speak of on the palate.
The next morning, after sitting en decanter on the countertop, it was just clinging to bare life. It had turned much more murky/brown, pretty hot/fumey on the nose (probably upper 60's temp), and developed a raspy astringency on the palate. Sliding down that slippery slope to oblivion. Maybe I'll give it a hasty dispatch tonight in the blender
TomHill