Cracked this last night w/ my braised shortribs:
1. OjaiVnyd BenjaminLorenzo PinotNoir BienNacidoVnyd/SBCnty (13%; Art by m.k.) 1995: Very dark rather murky/cloudy some browning color; beautiful cedary/pencilly/pungent/smokey some spicy/black cherry/black cherry cola/Pinot slight earthy/charred forest complex nose; tart slight frizzante/tingly very pencilly/cedary/smokey/pungent strong blackberry/black cherry cola/RCCola/DrPepper/spicy bit hard/tannic complex flavor; very long/lingering slight funky/earthy smokey/pungent/toasty/pencilly/cedary/oak rather black cherry cola/RCCola bit hard/tannic complex finish; a wonderful old Calif PN that's probably starting its downhill slide. $38.00
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. BenjaminLorenzo is Adam's oldest son, and a gem of a kid he is. Sorta a TomSawyer kid w/ unruly/curly hair...bit like his Dad.
This wine was a powerful/extracted Pinot in its youth. Sometimes those wines never come together well. This is one that has done well. It would never be mistaken for a Burgundy. This is how they'd make Pinot in Burgundy if they could.
This btl was stored neck down for all its life. I stood it upright over a week ago. When I opened it, there was this small disk of black/slimey stuff adhering to the end of the cork. As I decanted the wine, there was this big wad of black slimey stuff that spurted out into the decanter and much of the coating adhering to the inside of the neck swirled out as I continued decanting. At the bottom of the btl was probably a quarter cup of dark/murky sediment that stayed behind. Anyway, the wine was pretty murkey in color from all the "stuff" that evaded decanting. Which may have accounted for the somewhat tannic bite it had.
Tom
