Spurred on by interest in getting a handle on the characteristic taste of OldVine whites, I cracked last night w/ Susan:
1. Bedrock Riesling WirzVnyd/CienegaVlly (Plntd: 1963; Dry farmed/own rooted; Tended by PatWirz; Aged: neutral Fr.oak cask; Drk: 2019-2028: MTP) 2017: Med.dark gold color; strong R/floral/dandelions light Mosel valve oil quite mineral/chalky/stony savory/old-timey/bit steely quite lovely atypical Calif R nose; quite tart/tangy/steely/metallic rather mineral/chalky light floral/dandelions/R light Mosel valve oil quite savory/old-timey some tangy/lemony flavor; very long/lingering very savory totally dry rather stony/chalky lovely old-timey finish; reminds a bot of Sudtirol R, some of Oz R, much like the old StonyHill R's; quite savory/saline/tangy for 13.5%; lots of depth & a laser-like clarity; should age well for 10-20 yrs; great price at $22.00
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2. PewseyVale Riesling EdenVlly MuseumReserve SingleVnydEstate TheContours (OldVines; Bttld aged: 5 yrs; 12.5%) PewseyValeVnyd/PewseyVale/SouthAustralia 2012: Screwtop pops on removal; lots of small bubbles that persist/dissolved CO2; very strong lemon/lime/R quite Mosel valve oil very mineral/chalky/savory very classic Oz R nose; bit spritz/dissolved CO2 on fron of palate; very tart/tangy/metallic very lemon/lime/juicy/Oz R fairly mineral/savory/steely quite dry light floral/R flavor; very long/lingering very strong lemon/lime/mineral quite tangy/tart/almost screechy bit Mosel valve oil finish; a beautiful very classic younf Oz R that will easily go out 10-20 yrs; very fairly priced at $32.00 (AV)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I thought these two would be good wines to get a handle on the character of OldVines vnyds because we have been told by the wine experts that Riesling displays terroir better than any other variety. Uhhh/err..they told us that PinotNoir displays terroir better. Hmmm...I thought they told us that Nebbiolo displays terroir better. Danged...I wish these wine experts would make up their minds!!
I liked both these R quite a lot. Very/very interesting wines whose greatness will only come to the forefront w/ much more age.
So did I figure out what OV whites have has a unique characteristic. Still haven't a clue. But both of these had a depth and a crystalline-clarity that reminded me of other OV whites I've had, particularly the Chalone CB '07. Could I pick out an OV white in a tasting?? Pretty unlikely.
Tom