Bringing Out a Moldy Oldy

Ummmm...you left out the Important Part: How was the wine?

Good point. Well, it was holding up remarkably well. The color was still deep garnet with little of the browning that occurs with really old wines. The nose was a combination of dark blackberry, coffee, and cigars, meaning it still showed some fruit characters without being competely over the hill. To quote Jim Laube's blog: "it could have easily passed for a 30-year-old Barbaresco or Barbera. What's always worth considering when you taste a mature wine that's still complex, vibrant and aging gracefully is that the only way a wine can last that long is that it has to begin its life in perfect balance. It also needs a great cork and proper storage. But this wine demonstrated that despite all the new fandangled vineyard and winemaking techniques, whether it be new clones, trellising systems, crop thinning, sorting tables or new French oak barrels, there's something to be said for just letting the grapes do their thing." I guess that about sums it up!

"Jim Laube's blog: "it could have easily passed for a 30-year-old Barbaresco or Barbera."

Hmmm...I've had a bunch of old Zins and a few old Barbaresco's, and I can't say that one has ever reminded me of the other. Hmmm, hmmm.

Very cool it's alive and shining at such an age! You guys must be proud!!!

Hey Kim,

This is Chuck at the Donatello. Great story on your 1974 Zinfandel. I participated in a "Guest the Varietal Contest" by Allan Green, winemaker at Greenwood Ridge Vineyards in Mendocino in 2007. It was a lot fun. In fact, I took second place in the couples competition. One of the wine varietals I selected in the contest was a 2000 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel. The crowd watching the event went wild when they had learned I had guested the year of your wine and the varietal. One of the contestants said to me, "what are you doing in the novice competition?." The event was a lot of fun. I took away a case of Allen's wines as a reward for my placement in the contest.

I believe those kinds of events really enhances wine connoisseurs experiences in Wine Country.

Chuck

I remember doing a "guess the varietal" contest years ago too. It's a great way to test one's knowledge, but more importantly-it's a whole lot of fun. I've never been all that good at the "guess the vintage" part--now that's tricky.

Kim,
I'm getting ready to pop a 1979 Dry Creek Cabernet for my 30th. Any ideas how this vintage is holding up?

Lucky you! Unfortunately, I'm not sure what to tell you as I haven't had this wine in a very long time. The 1979 vintage as a whole is not considered a great year, nor is it considered a bad one...kind of average I'd say. But, so much depends on the storage conditions and whether the wine has been consistently stored over the years. You'll probably notice some slight browning around the edges with a dusty earthy quality along with soft tannins and subtle dried cherry Cabernet fruit characters. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you...
Happy Birthday!