1981 Chateau Margaux

Wine is medium garnet, brownish around the rim. Nose is chassis and red cherry, with some spiciness. The forward fruit is red cherry, currants and chassis. On the finish the fruit takes on hints of leather and licorice. It has moderate acid and still has some astringent tannin on the long fruity finish. This is an elegant, complex Bordeaux that is probably at its peak and will continue to hold for a few more years at least. My rating 92.

This wine continued to developed more complexity as it aired in the glass. I had half a bottle left the first night, which I pumped down and saved for the next day. It was still very good the second night, with the fruit more open than the first night.

1989 La Tour Du Pin Figeac - Giraud-Belivier, Sanit-Emilion

I am pretty sure I bought this wine on Parker’s recommendation as one of the sleepers of the vintage, but his recommendation was for La Tour Du Pin Figeac – Moueix, which is a different estate that was separated from the this La Tour Du Pin Figeac in 1882. Parker never tasted this wine, and didn’t think much of the wines from this estate in the early 1980s. Still, it turned out not too bad.

Medium dark, brownish around the edge. Nose opened slowly with cherry and chassis. The fruit had cherry, and plums, with moderate acid, moderate tannins and a long finish with lots of fruit and some astringency. This wine is drinking very nicely. I doubt that it will improve, but it still has good structure, lots of fruit and shows no signs of decline. The only thing this wine lacks is a little complexity. My rating 87.

I wonder what the La Tour Du Pin Figeac – Moueix is like?

1999 Ridge, Zinfandel, Nervo, Late Picked

Wine is dark with garnet around the edges. Nose has red cherry and alcohol. The forward fruit is red cherry and raspberry, moderate acid, strong tannins and a long fruity finish with lots of tannins and some heat. This Ridge ATP wine is almost a desert style Zinfandel. The alcohol is 16.2% and the residual sugar is 0.22%. Surprisingly, it only tastes slightly overripe. It seems to have lots of fruit and tannins, but the acid is very soft, so I am reluctant to recommend aging it much more. I do not see this as a normal food wine, more of a desert wine or something served with a cheese and crackers. As such, the 1991 Ridge, Zinfandel, Late Harvest, Lytton Springs that I tasted recently was clearly a better wine. My rating 83.

1986 Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate

Dark, garnet around edges. Nose had aromas of cherry and plumes. Intense fruit flavors of red cherry, plums and chassis on the palate, high acid, very soft tannins and a long fruity finish. This is a very good, mature California Cabernet. The tannins are very soft. I don’t think it will improve any more with age, but showed no signs of decline yet either. My rating 92.

James Laube in his 1989 book California’s Great Cabernets recommended drinking this wine from 1995 to 2004, which I think is pretty close. He rated it a 93.

Two Ravenswood Zinfandels

Two Zinfandels from recent Ravenswood wine club shipment:

2002 Ravenswood, Zinfandel, Mendocino County, Old Vine
Medium garnet. Nose had blueberry aromas. Forward blueberry and raspberry fruit flavors on the palate, moderate acid, modest tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a nice fruity Zin. Although it is lighter in weight than many Ravenswood Zins, it is still has big fruit flavors and should be nice for near term drinking. It is a good value. Alcohol 14%. 3025 cases produced. List price $15. My rating 85.

2002 Ravenswood, Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, Big River
Medium garnet. Tight nose with raspberry aromas. Palate has raspberry and cherry fruit, high acid, a big dose of tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a big, alcoholic Zinfandel with lots of fruit. Unlike many alcoholic Zinfandels, this one does not taste overripe. It needs some time to soften out the tannins. Alcohol 15.2%. 1274 cases produced. List price $32. My rating 87.

1989 Ridge, Petite Sirah, York Creek, Devils Hill, Napa

Very dark, brickish around the edges. Nose had strawberries and black pepper. Forward strawberry and raspberry fruit flavors with hints of black pepper, moderate acid, significant tannins, and a long fruity finish. The Devils Hill Petite Sirah is clearly superior to the regular 1989 York Creek Petiet Sirah bottling from Ridge, with much more fruit intensity and complexity. This was not quiet as appealing as the 1986 Devils Hill, but a very good, mature Petite Sirah that still has good structure and tannins. My rating 89.

I believe 1989 was the last vintage Ridge made from the Devils Hill vineyard, at least it is the last vintage I seem to have. Yields were apparently so low that the vines were ripped out. The bottle indicate 17 barrels were produced. In the 1986 Vintage 30 barrels were produced from this vineyard.

2002 Chappellet, Chardonnay, Signature Series, Napa Valley

Golden yellow. Nose had oak, lemon and a little butter. Strongly oaked forward lemon fruit with a buttery aftertaste, moderate acid, and a long buttery finish. There may be some interesting fruit here, but with all the oak, you just can’t tell. Maybe some people like this style Chardonnay, but I found it just over oaked. Price $35. Not rated.

2000 Aveleda Charamba, Douro, Portugal

Medium dark. Nose had strawberry aromas. Fruit had currants and strawberry flavors, moderate acid, moderate tannins and a long fruity finish. This seems like a nice, straightforward wine for near term drinking, and a very good value. Price was around $6. My rating 83.

1987 Ridge, Petite Sirah, York Creek, Devils Hill, Napa

Very dark, garnet around the edge. Nose had strawberry. Flavors of raspberry and strawberry on the palate, moderate acid, a strong dose of hard tannin, and a long astringent finish. This wine is surprisingly tight and tannic. The 1986 was much more enjoyable to drink. I am not sure when this wine will soften out and whether it will still have fruit left then. My rating 85.

1981 Ridge, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monte Bello Vineyards

Medium color, little brownish around the edges. Nose has cherry, chassis and violet aromas. The fruit had cherry, plums, and chassis with hints of licorice and mushroom earthiness, moderate acid, very soft tannins, and a long fruity finish. This is a very good wine that still has good structure and lots of complex fruit flavors, but it is clear this wine is fully mature and is not improving. My rating 90.

I bought a case of this on futures and a few more bottles from a friend in the mid 80s. I think this is my last bottle. This wine was very tight and not showing much when it was young, but it opened up and started drinking very well in the early 90s. James Laube in his 1989 book on California’s Great Cabernets say to drink 1996-2004, so I would say he called this one very well.

This vintage appears to be currently available from the winery for $350 a bottle. I would expect the winery’s storage to be better than my storage, especially in the 1980s, so a bottle from the winery may well be in slightly better condition.