Tried last night:
1. Qupe LosOlivosCuvee (50% Syrah, 37% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache; 53% Ibarra-Young/47% Stolpman vnyds; 13.5%) 1997: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; some FrancoisFreres/smokey/charred/pungent/oak slight Rhonish/roasted aromatic plummy/licorice/Mourvedre complex nose; soft/smooth plummy/licorice light roasted/smokey/pungent/smoked meats/oak slight blackberry/Syrah complex flavor; med. plummy/licorice/strawberry smooth some roasted/smoked meats/pungent/oak finish w/ little tannins; at its peak or slightly beyond. Great value at $16.00
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A bit of a BloodyPulpit:
1. I've always liked Bob Lindquist's LOC. Althought the blend changes from yr to yr, it's consistently been a very good wine and one that seems to take moderate age quite well. Bob frequently brings older versions of the LOC to HdR and RR tastings and they, like most of his wines, always show great aging character. It's about the balance, folks, not the extract!!
Tom