1970 Ridge Zinfandel Jimsomare
Blind tasted at Spencer's last night, this was more than a little puzzling. Initially there was a mustiness that seemed corky, but turned out just to be bottle funk. Once that blew off there was this very bright red fruit, a mushroomy quality and ultimately some herbs as well. Interesting! On the palate things were a little more funky. The red fruit and herbs were still there, but they were very spiky, almost volatile. The acids were incredibly bright, and the age of the wine (in retrospect) showed in the finishing alcoholic burn, as there just was not enough stuffing left to cover up the 15.8% alcohol (per the revealed label). Still this was a fascinating experience, if not the most successful showing for a bottle of wine.