I found this two weeks ago on a local wine shop’s close-out table, containing bottles that had poor fills, missing labels, or other problems that led the store to decide essentially that the bottles could not be sold.
Fill was almost 3 inches below the cork, and there was a large amount of “dirt” on top of the cork, below the capsule. After decanting for sediment, the wine’s center was pale, rusty red that became orange towards the outside and clear at its edge. The nose was full of roasted meat, dried flowers, spice, and forest floor. Initially, the palate had savory flavors of dried fruit and spice in a light body that had a long, tangy finish that at moments seemed a little volatile. With 30 to 45 minutes of air, the flavors became richer, the body seemed more medium-weight, and the finish was without flaw.
Under any circumstances, the wine in the glass would have been wonderfully enjoyable to me. Given the appearance of the bottle, its unknown storage-history, its humble appellation, and its bottling by a negociant who was previously unknown to me, the wine in the glass was truly incredible.