TN: 1977 Mirassou Vineyards Zinfandel Anniversary Bottling

• 1977 Mirassou Vineyards Zinfandel Anniversary Bottling - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County (6/25/2016)
  OUTSTANDING old zinfandel. I have found that when a zinfandel passes about 30 years, it takes one of two routes. Either it morphs to a well-aged caret or it gets port-like with the fruit but without the syrup and the extra sweetness. This one took the latter route. Lots of red fruit. Plum and cherry with a bit of the classic flavor of Touriga Nacional that evokes Port itself. This had perfectly resolved tannin. Very smooth. I could drink this every day. If I knew then what I know now, I would have put away a lot of this, probably for $1.99 a bottle. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Great note Jay. My wife and I lived near the old Mirassou winery yeas ago (I assume it’s gone now) and drank a lot of Mirassou Zins and Cabs. They sourced a lot from Monterey, were inexpensive and somewhat hit or miss. I’d love to know the vineyards they were sourced from.

Super cool note.

Yes! Love it when an old zin over-performs!

Exactly why I have quite a few in my Cellar and why I take fliers on bottles at auction when the price is right.

Thanks for the note Jay - good stuff!

I remember this wine. Had to be four bucks

No way. I got 1974 Haut Brion for $6. My first case was a 1974 Fetzer Cab for $30 a case in 1977, and this was closer to that. Maybe $2.99.

Typo corrected. It was 1974 HB for $6, not 1994.

Yup…I age my carrots in the fridge for several months, until green fuzz starts to grow on them,
then put them out in the yard. The neighborhood bunnies love 'em!!!

Mirrasou made some great wines in their day. But they saw the days were numbered for
grape growing in SantaClara Cnty and went south to Monterey. Their Monterey Cabs were
responsible for killing for many yrs the reputation of Monterey Cab…with their canned aspargras character.
Fortunately, their were a few that eventually learned to farm Cab in Monterey.
But some of their SantaClara Cabs were as good as any in Calif.
Tom

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.01.96/menu-9631.html

Article on the end of the Mirassou Zinfandel plantings in Santa Clara County (RIP: 1911 - 1996), with a brief overview of the area’s viticulural history.

It’s a bit shocking to this Zin lover how calloused one can appear in destroying the agricultural heritage of one’s own family…

Thanks for the note Jay.

You might find this contemporary article from Alexis Bespaloff in the New York Magazine interesting, Jay.

It lists the Mirassou 1977 Zinfandel (regular) and $4.95 suggested retail. Spendthrift!

Very interesting. Maybe you guys pay MSRP in Chicago, but no self-respecting lawyer would do that in New York. Seriously, he references the Sutter Home Zinfandel at $5.99 a bottle. I would be shocked if anyone paid that much. I would own a lot more Bordeaux from the 1960s and 1970s if Sutter Home Zinfandel would have cost me $6 in 1980.

The prices as MSRP are high end, of course, but not even you crafty New Yorkers got wine at 40% of MSRP (particularly in the city). My guess is that $4 ($3.95) would have been a good retail price in the city, and is reflective of my recollection of what that wine cost in the Midwest and South Florida (although my recollection is far from perfect in such things). We didn’t well a lot of $2 wine in the late 70’s other than Hearty Burgundy and Pink Chablis.

Jay, you must have the vintage wrong because there is no way you paid so little for a 1994 unless you took advantage of a huge pricing mistake

“1994 Haut Brion for $6.”
-The mags, at $12.50, and the halves, were FREE !
I remember those happy days.

Btw. Great note, great positive surprise. Love when this happens .

Regards, Soren.

Typo - 1974.