WTN: Idlewild Cortese FoxHillVnyd '14...(short/boring)

Tried this Fri night w/ Susan:
1. Idlewild Cortese FoxHillVnyd/MendoCnty (13.8%) 2014: Deep golden/burnished bronze color; very fragrant honeyed/orangey/honeycomb/graham cracker slight floral/fruity very slight resiny/phenolic almost muscatty slight nutty quite complex nose; quite tart/tangy rather honeyed/honeycomb/orangey/graham cracker/honey grahams rather nutty lightly phenolic/resiny bit oxidative some bitter complex flavor; very long orangey/honeyed/honeycomb/honey grahams somewhat nutter/bitter quite tart/tangy bit oxidative slight resiny/phenolic somewhat lean/austere/rather bitter complex finish; has evolved in a very strange way & lost the lush fruit it once showed; seems more like a Georgian austere qvervi Rikatsetelli w/ a trace of oxidation more than the Idlewild I know & love; don't understand this wine at all. $32.00
___________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I tried this wine over two yrs ago:

5. Idlewild Cortese FoxHillVnyd/MendoCnty (13.8%) 2014: Med.dark gold color; medest phenolic/skin-contact/resiny
some orangey/honeyed/honeycomb very perfumed/floral complex beautiful nose; fairly tart some phenolic/resiny/
skin-contact strong orangey/honeyed/honeycomb bit pencilly light floral/figgy/appley quite complex flavor w/
light tannic bite; very long/lingering modest phenolic/skin-contact/resiny some figgy/floral/appley rather
orangey/honeycomb finish w/ light tannic bite; a beautiful skin-contact white w/ a great balance of fruit/
complexity and phenolic character. $32.00

I obviously loved that wine back then. This btl left me scratching my head. It was not a bad wine, per se, and was perfectely fine w/ the broiled keilbasa...but it had evolved into something I totally did not expect. I was particularly struch by the bitter streak it showed on the palate.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

No 2014 left in my cellar. Lots of 2015 and 2016 though.

No 2014 left in my cellar. Lots of 2015 and 2016 though.

Well, David...that's what happens for living in the fast lane/instant gratification mode.
I asked Sam to pull a btl and see if this is happening or my btl was off. I have one more left.
Tom

As FloridaJim reports:

‘Had a bottle with spinach pizza tonight.
I’d say this one gives us hope - showed young with little oxidation and almost no sour notes. Perhaps a bit of bitter but off-set by freshness and citric tones. Much enjoyed.
That said, I had a bottle maybe six months ago that was more like yours; so bottle variation seems likely.
Let me know what Sam says.
Best, Jim
_________________________
Jim Cowan
www.CowanCellars.com

And as SamBilbro reports:

Hi Tom
I opened a bottle yesterday at the winery, and it seems like you had a off bottle. Ryan tried it too, and we both though it had great density and fruit.
So, the culprit sounds like heat damage, a faulty (porous) cork, or maybe a really low rate of TCA... I usually find that to not show TCA but to have hollowed out the fruit and liveliness. Or, maybe a combination of any of the above.
Want to leave a space in your next order and I’ll toss in a replacement bottle from the library?
Thanks,
Sam

Sam Bilbro
Idlewild Wines

Tom