Cracked last night w/ leftovers:
1. Ravenswood Icon SonomaVlly RTW (13.9%; 68%Syrah/21%Grenache/11%Mourvedre) 1993: Dark/muurky color w/ some browning; lovely/complex/perfumed cedary/pencilly light licorice/anise slight roasted/pungent/Rhonish some spicy/herbal/rosemary; soft/smooth/elegant very spicy/rosemary/oregano slight strawberry/licorice/Rhonish light cedary/pencilly very slight brett/horsecollar complex/lovely flavor; long soft/smooth/cedary/pencilly/mature wine slight strawberry/licorice spicy/oregano/rosemary complex finish w/ no tannins; a lovely/complex fully mature Calif red. $18.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I was very excited when Joel came out with his first Syrah, the Icon. In the early '90's, Ravenswood was at the top of their game with their single vnyd Zins. So I just knew his Syrah was going to be an absolute killer.
Boy, was I wrong. It was singularly unthrilling. Not a whole lot of Syrah character; it was rather clunky/oafish, fairly big & tannic, but seemed more like another oafish PetiteSirah than anything.
So, when I drug out this orphan last night, I cracked it w/ low expectations. Whatta surprise. The ugly duckling and blossomed into a beautiful swan. Not strongly Rhonish in character, but it had evolved into a beautiful old Calif red wine..a genuine pleasure to drink.
Tom