Tried these (among a few dead&goners) this weekend:
1. IlPodere dell'Olivos SantaBarbaraCnty Nebbiolo (TW) 1988: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; rather pungent/tarry/road tar slight fragrant/floral/dried rose petal bit herbal/leafy slight oak complex interesting nose; tart rather floral/lilacs/dried rose petal some tarry/pungent/Nebbiolo rather tannic/hard flavor; long lilacs/dried rose petal/floral fairly tarry/pungent pretty hard/tannic finish; much like an old Gattinara; fairly classic old Nebb w/ attractive fragrance but hard on the palate; still alive & interesting.
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2. EdmundsStJohn Syrah ElDoradoCnty Wylie-Fenaughty (14.1%) 1999: Very dark/near black color w/ no browning; beautiful/complex very peppery/smokey/pungent some roasted/espresso/rather Rhonish bit minerally/WWII beacon some blackberry/Syrah lovely nose; very long some hard/tannic very roasted/espresso/Rhonish pungent/minerally slight blackberry/Syrah finish; a beautiful/complex very Rhonish Syrah that still going strong; no "low-brow" Cote-Rotie this wine.
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3. LaJota NapaVlly/HowellMtn Zin (13.5%) 1988: Dark color w/ slight browning; slight herbal smokey/pungent/cedary/old Cab some licorice/blackberry bit dusty/earthy somewhat complex nose; soft slight dried out/tannic/astringent light licorice/blackberry/herbal light cedary/pencilly/toasty flavor; long soft some dried out/tannic light blackberry/licorice/dusty/earthy slight peppery finish; really interesting nose but a bit dried out/tired on the palate; interesting old Zin but not much sensual pleasure.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The IlPodere was one of the first good Nebbiolos in Calif. I believe this was one of the first crops off BienNacido that the Millers planted for JimClendenan. Don't recall from my conservations w/ Jim if it was Michet or Lampia. The first really good Calif Nebb was by Nick Martin at MartinBros in PasoRobles. Their first 3 vintages were from an old Nebbiolo vnyd over in the SanJoaquinVlly until the '85, when their Nebbiolo/Michet vnyd began producing.
Despite the lousy reputation Calif Nebbiolos have, I've had some that I've liked quite a lot and that compare favoriably w/ the best Nebbiolos from Italy...from the Valtelline.
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2. Anybody know whatever happened w/ Nick Martin?? After he & his brother parted company, I kinda lost track of Nick. Last I'd heard, he was making wine at some relatively unknown wnry there in Paso.
Tom