Indeed, I did miss that! Don’t know how I did, but you are right, solid gold thread. Would love to see more of this. I suspect a lot of us have these oddball misfits in our cellar, and are looking for an excuse to open them, if only as a science experiment.
I did miss that thread! 
Some of these wines would have fit perfect in there!
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I’ve got one coming up that’s even darker! And stuff floating in it too! 
Here goes #2…
NV Heitz Cellar Ryan’s Red - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/26/2023)
Named after Joe Heitz’s grandson, probably from the 80’s, and from an article written in 1988…sold as a $5 cheapo…one third Cab Sauv, one third Zin, and one third whatever else they had on hand at the time! It’s NOT horrid! Nice aged Burgundy color…nose of dried cherries, potting soil, pencil shavings…somewhat thin and slightly maderized…the fruit is still there…still some sweetness…probably from the Zin…tart plum skin sours…cherry pixy sticks, dried tobacco leaves. Tannins are dusty and quite smooth…reminds me of the 94 Pinot I had last year…does show a little compost bin and electrical fire at times though, making sure you know this is NOT a Martha’s! Intriguing wine! I’d say a success from what it probably was meant for…Ryan should be proud! (85 pts.)
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1997 Caymus Pinot Noir Œil de Perdrix - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/17/2023)
Actually LOVED this wine back in 2006…rated it 94pts! Calif fruited Pinot Noir meets Provence…with oak. Loved oak back then…and Caymus wasn’t shy about using it! Remember their Sauv Blanc…it actually had sticks of wood in it, it was SO oaky. Well back to this wine…it is NOT a 94ptr today! While not a first sip dumper…it is very advanced with Sauternes like density of fruits…apricot, baked apple…not terribly oxidised, cuz there is a TON of wood in this embalming! It almost drinks like a Bourbon! Charred oak barrel, alcohol heat(14.3), burnt sugar, orange bitters, tea bag…really zero Pinot elegance and finesse here…more like an aperitif or savory late harvest wine…with oak! Intriguing…not totally disgusting…but not at all like the wine I remember in 2006. Some might say…“why the hell did you save a wine like this?”…1997 is our wedding year…and I have a bunch of stuff from that year…wife will be thankful I didn’t take this out for one of our anniversaries! Chalk this one up for science. (79 pts.)
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16 bottle Chardonnay blowout resides in the berserker hall of fame thread
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#1 IMO. I still read it and bump it yearly and laugh out loud with my wife asking me what is so funny about wine?
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Fellow '97-er. The Mrs. and I thank you for taking one for the team.
I’m waiting for the day 3 notes.
I wonder how many weeks they were thinking.
That’s a worthy denizen of the crypt!
What will Pantone name that color?
He starts at 75
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1997 was during a time (at least in CA) when a lot of people would send back BTG dry rose mostly because of the white zin stigma and the name given to the wine not specifying “Rose”. I wonder if they called it “Pinot Noir - Blanc” because of that? Either way, lots of people where I worked would have still sent it back, expecting a “white” wine like the “Blanc” in the name suggests.
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Rosé Blanc was the singer in my punk band.
Hester Prynne was the drummer, and she wore a scarlet “A.” She could drum the eff-bomb out of “I Wanna be Sedated.”
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This needs to be here!
1998 Turley Roussanne Hospices du Rhone Alban Estate Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (6/28/2023)
Well…here we go…I’ve had this bottle in the cellar for many many years…I believe I picked up a couple from WB, long time ago, and noted that wine had turned when last had…probably mid 2000’s? Alban fruit, made for Hospices du Rhone, I believe, because it says it on the label…probably a barrel made and auctioned off? SQN made a Syrah from Alban fruit for HdR as well that year…goes for 6k! Never any hope for this bottle…with all the kombucha looking stuff floating in it…although I’ve had many Alban Roussanne with plenty of age that are fantastic. This wine…didn’t dump it out at first…so a decent sign! Color is…well…kombucha tea! Nose of nuttiness, apricot marmalade, butterscotch, fermented citrus…almost a distilled liqueur alcohol smell…it’s only 13.9abv though. Nose is promessing, and reminds me of Alban Roussanne…in the mouth…WHOA…tart and puckering!! Again, kombucha comes to mind…really sour and not even drinkable. I think this has turned into a science experiment…too bad, as I’ve enjoyed many Roussannes with age on them…this one just went rogue. (NR/flawed)
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Bummer - love aged Roussannes, even those that are as dark as that.
Shared an 04 Qupe Bien Nacido Roussanne with Bob Lindquist over the weekend - dark amber but still oh so enjoyable despite being a bit oxidized.
Still have quite a few older Tablas, Alban and Copain (from James Berry) Roussannes resting for consumption down the line.
Cheers
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I’m sitting on Camp 4 rousanne. So good, world class.
Yes…I’m not afraid at all of aged Roussanne…but this bottle is wicked!
Me thinks in the hands of John Alban…still a great wine. Turley(Ehren Jordan)…no chance?
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