now share your thoughts
Ygrained in the Lore of Olds Caledonia, as foretold in the histories of Jorges de Monmouth, lies a mythic beast of legend. It is said that the tentacles of the beast reach deep into the volcanic earth of the mountainous range, a land birthed by fire and ash. Henceforth shall flow an elixir so ethereal, so preternatural, it may only grace the chalice that received the blood of Bacchus, held warmly in the hands of the virginal Maenads. Driven to mad, ecstatic frenzy, this elixir satiated the soul, allowing the beast to rise like the Phoenix, Lore-ding over its vast vineyards that were birthed from the corpus of Ampelo.
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I told yaā¦thatās some good sh*t!! 
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Iām on a serious cellar reduction campaign, and had no intention of another purchase in November. But ā¦ an eleven year old Mt. Veeder old vine Zin ā¦ Ultimately it was the gushing and fussing from the likes of Chris, Rich, RAJr., Tom Lee, etc. that did me in. I thought the wine was worth all the fussing, but it did raise a few questions: 1) Are the old vines (four rows, two-thirds of an acre) still being bottled separately? Why no vintages available since 2012?
Some background on the vineyard from the HVS website:
If it is accurate that vines often reflect the character of the farmer that tends them, the Sky Vineyards ā73 planting of Zinfandel on St. George rootstock is living proof. Head trained to a height that suits the 6ā1ā³ frame of Lore Olds, who has continuously pruned this block since its inception. Having survived the dual calamities of AXR-induced phylloxera that saw much of the original plantings torn out in the late 1990s and the 2017 fires, both these vines and the Olds family continues to endure.
At 1/3 of an acre, the block is the second-oldest Zinfandel block on Mt. Veeder after Brandlin Ranch. Planted at 2200ā² elevation in red, volcanic loam soil similar to what is found at nearby Monte Rosso Vineyard.
Iām very happy to have these bottles and the access to Sky Vineyard through Bedrock. Great stuff.
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2012 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel St. George Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder (11/29/2023)
13.5% abv. Medium dark ruby, very expressive aromas. Striking and very pure red raspberry on the palate, supplemented with a bit of spearmint and menthol. Beautifully integrated, long, penetrating and deep. A singular expression of Zinfandel that is drinking spectacularly right now and shows no serious signs of aging. A treat! (94 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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Lots of lovely Christmas spice and powerful tannins as well. You and Rich capture this wine so well. What stopped me in my tracks was the fresh purƩe of wild red raspberries, such a soil-to-glass transfer wine. Like a free pour, so delish.
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I rarely enable but when I doā¦
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Sheez. What are @Rich_Brown and I, chopped beef cake liver!?!
I saw Chris today and he pushed me over the edge. Iāve been avoiding this thread because I donāt need another producer in the rotation.
Besides, you drive a Range Rover, how can I take you seriously? 
10000% agree! The raspberry note is stop you in your tracks good!
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No kidding! I posted a long, albeit shitty, note, and you gave a full-on medieval almost sonnet-like review of the wineā¦and @Chris_Cottrell gets all tbe love!?! Manā¦ive never wanted to own a winery more than i do right now 
Chris prolly is a babe magnet, āhey, I own a winery . . . ā. Rich, we have no game, just our good looks.
Popped a ā12 tonight but it was surrounded by a lot of much older wines which didnāt do it any favors. Fresh lively red fruit, piercing acidity, very young, juicy, tempted to buy another 3-pack and cellar them for 20+ years. If I live that long. They can be incredible with more age.
This was incredible!
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