Larry brought this to try w/ our espresso/chocolate cake:
1. ShenandoahVnyds Riesling t.b.a. (SaH: 46%; RS: 24%; 10%) 1985: Very dark/PX/brown nearly black color; very intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy slight earthy nose; very sweet rather tart bit sweet/sour very intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy bit complex flavor; very long/lingering very sweet/mouthfilling/syrupy fairly tart very intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy slight earthy finish; a huge dessert wine that is nothing but botrytis.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. By the early '80, use of the term "trockenbeerenauslese" on Calif botrytis Riesling was prohibited by the ATF. That ruling was finessed by winemakers identifying the wine as "totally botyrtis affected" or "t.b.a." on the label. Of course, the ATF bureaucrats were unable to figure that one out.
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2. These wines are a bit of a puzzle to me. They're indestructible. They a bit like Alban or SQN Syrahs. When you taste them on release, you're so in awe of their intensity that you "know" they can only develop into complex old wines. But it don't happen. As best I can tell, this wine has not changed one whit since its release, except turning darker & darker in color...here at 30+ yrs of age. It is totally dominated by the botrytis. And nothing else. You just don't get the complexity and secondary characteristics you find in a good German Auslese. This wine will probably taste exactly the same when I try it again in 30 yrs. That said, this was an absolutely delicious TBA.
Tom