PSA; Dirty & Rowdy Drinking Windows

WINE TALK
#1

From today’s email:

WHITES
Skin and Concrete Egg Fermented Semillon
2011: Hold: Nice depth, still fresh, secondary flavors starting to emerge. Skin tannin no longer evident. Pleasurable now - try 2018- 2022.
2012: Hold: Ripe, honeyed aromatics, nice weight, some tannin still remains. Try 2018-2023. Decant 2hrs.
2013: Hold: Bright, tightly wound, firm, still shows tannin. Try 2018-2023. Decant 3hrs.
2014: Hold: A baby. Bright, light, subtle, starting to gain a little viscosity/texture. This feels like it may be the longest lived of the group. Try 2018-2025. Decant 3hrs.

Familiar Blanc
2014: Drink or Hold: Picking up weight and depth. Moving from fun wine to serious wine. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2018.
2015: Drink or Hold: Banging and happy. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2018.

Alder Springs Vineyard Chardonnay
2013: Hold: Deep, bold. Starting to gain texture and depth. Pleasurable now - try 2018-2021.
2014: Hold: Tight, wound, fresh, electric. Drink 2018-2025.
Decant 3hrs and drink next day or more. The '14 will outlast the '13.
*Note: last tried with a bottle we left open for 7 days - the wine continued to improve each day.

Antle Vineyard Melon
Should be sold with a decanter :wink:
2014: Drink or Hold: Picking up weight and texture. Drink 2016-2019. Decant 3hrs and drink next day or more.
*Note: this wine picks up texture and depth with air, and the current happy place seems to be on day 3-4.

Pet Nat Pinot Blanc
Pleasure / Party Wine
2013: Drink: Get it cold and pop. No need to wait. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2017.

Traditional Method Pinot Blanc
More Sophisticated Party Wine
2013: Drink or Hold: Edges slowly rounding off. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2019.

REDS
Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Mourvèdre
2010: Drink or Hold: Primary fruit, with secondary, and slight tertiary flavors starting to show. Weightier on the palate than later vintages. We are holding ours. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2018.
2011: Hold: Off the charts aromatics, great texture, body. Still primary in its flavors. Pleasurable now - try 2017-202.
2012: Drink or Hold: More round in tone than the ’11, nice weight, texture, secondary flavors slowly starting to appear. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2021
2013: Hold: Super fragrant, bright, lively. A lot of youthful pleasure still. Pleasurable now - try 2017/18-2023.
*Note: tasted out of 1.5L
2014: Drink or Hold: More open than the ’13. Still primary. Looser than the '11 and '13. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2021. Decant 2hrs.

Shake Ridge Ranch Mourvèdre
2011: Drink or Hold: Fresh, fruit & spice driven. It has not moved a lot since being bottled. Pleasurable now - try 2016-2022.
2012: Hold: Powerful, young, tannic. Try 2018-2026. Decant 2hrs.
2013: Hold: Heavily Perfumed, tight tannins. Pleasurable now - try 2017-2024. Decant 2hrs.
2014: Hold: Lots of youthful energy, bright acidity, granular tannins. Pleasurable now - try 2018-2025. Decant 2hrs.

Rosewood Vineyard Old Vines Mourvèdre
2012: Drink or Hold: This is showing really well but still on the upswing. Complex with some earthy flavors. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2021.
2013: Hold: Primary, tight. Pleasurable now - try 2017-2021. Decant 2hrs.

Skinner White Oak Flats Mourvèdre
2013: Hold: Tight, slowly opening. Reduction starting to fade. Great texture/weight. This could be one of our longest lived Mourvèdre. Try 2018-2026. Decant 3-4hrs.
2014: Hold: Amazing aromatics, tons of primary fruit flavors and rock. Significant tannin for its weight. Try 2018-2022. Decant 2hrs.

Skinner Stoney Creek Mourvèdre
2014: Hold: Spice, potpurri, granite, fruit. Balanced tannin. A baby, but delicious. Pleasurable now - try 2018-2024.

Antle Vineyard Mourvèdre
2013: Hold: Bigger in structure than most of our Mourvèdre. Bright flavors, good tannins. Still a baby. Try 2018-2024.

Evangelho Vineyard Old Vines Mourvèdre
2014: Hold: Explosive. bright, alive, fresh. All primary. Pleasurable now - try 2018-2024.

Familiar Mourvèdre
2013: Drink: In the zone. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2018.
2014: Drink: Aromatic, alive. Charming. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2018.
2015 Drink or Hold: Fun, deep, dark flavors. Refreshing. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2019.

Rosewood Vineyards Old Vines Petite Sirah
2012: Hold: Regal and just getting better. Pleasurable now - drink 2018-2022.
2013: Hold: Wild. Barnyard. Reductive. Wound up. Take some time. Drink 2018-2022. Decant 3hrs.

Fred & Dora’s Old Vines Petite Sirah
2014: Hold: Great aromatics and graceful weight, bold, astringent tannins. Drink 2017-2024. Decant 2-3hrs.
*Note: with a good decant, this wine is pretty delicious and fun right now. There is a ton of dry tannin so make sure you have something to eat.

Mourvèdre Especial
Fun & Funky. These are meant to be consumed early. If you still have them in 750ml, it is time to drink!
2013: Drink: Wild and alive. Serve with a slight chill and don’t hold back. Pleasurable now - drink 2016.
*Note: double decant for some trapped CO2, but no need for anything more.
2014: Drink: Tighter than the ’13 but still with a wild streak. Pleasurable now - drink 2016-2017.


They also announced Kate and Hardy are expecting there first child; Mazel Tov!!!

Cheers,
Warren

#2

Loved today’s email and how every Semillon is hold!!!

#3

I was looking at one last night. Glad I passed it by.

WT

#4

Hmm, I think I have one bottle of Semillon left.

#5

Thank you! Any day now. [cheers.gif]

#6

Had the 2014 semillon at the beach last week. Tasted great. Really enjoy those weird semillons.

#7

so, basically “drink…and hold”

#8

Congrats!
Gonna bottle anything special?

#9

Thank you! We hope to. We picked up a new vineyard this year in hopes that it will be one to lay down for many many years. If not, we’ll just give her some Semillon :wink:

#10

Dig the notes. Enjoy the wine. Love the man. Hardy you’re a damn genius!

#11

I guess I never fully grasped the concept that the Dirty and Rowdy “Familiar” Mourvedre is built to last longer than the “Especial”.

I think the honoring of the birth of a new family member with a special bottling is a romantic, noble concept - be it a timeless Semillon, a sparkling wine, or even a solera of every year of the new babe’s life. :slight_smile:

I hope that the future continues to bring joy and prosperity to the D&R family!

#12

Thanks Drew-
Both the Familiar wines and the Especial wines are intended to be consumed early (within 3 years), it is just that the Familiar wines are hanging in longer than the Especial. The Especial wines only saw a very short maceration (approx 5days) and though red are 1/2 way between red and rosé.

We hope the wine we intend to make will be long-lived, though I really like your solera idea!