One of the hazard of two deep wine racks is forgetting about the ‘back bottle.’
My son happened across this '95 Spottswoode SB so we opened it to have on wing night.
It was ever so slightly butterscotched in appearance, but not oxidized, still primarily straw colored and clear.
No cat pee or cut grass.
It had a subdued tropical fruit profile…like dried pineapple or peach, maybe kiwi.
The acidity was gone, also like comparing fresh fruit to dried, but no sweetness or cloying.
There was just a touch of mineral sensation, and maybe ‘pie crust’ without sweetness but with a flour/dough kind of impression.
It had a good mid palate sensation and a short finish. Still had backbone, not flabby, and fit into an AFWE profile, for sure.
If I had it at a restaurant, I would not be unhappy, but certainly would not have guessed what it was in a million guesses.
I am having a hard time coming up with a comparison wine. Actually, if it had been carbonated, I would go with old Champagne for the profile.
Anyway, social distancing can lead to cellar contemplation and we got lucky with this one.