I would not call it an oaky mess. I generally prefer closer to 20 years on Lytton and Geezer, which gives them plenty of time to integrate. This one is moving along… slowly.
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Thanks. I’ll leave the rest of mine for another decade then.
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Were both the Ridge Geyserville and Lytton Springs always made that way? I cut some of my wine baby teeth on those wines (and the Lytton Springs winery Zin) back in the mid-to-late 80s. I don’t recall ever thinking “this is a lot of oak” when drinking them, and we drank them fairly young. Then again, not sure I really understood and could readily identify the oak note back in those, for me, early days. 
I suspect there’s more new oak now, but also tastes have changed, so maybe we just notice it more.
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Had dinner with my Dad last night and he pulled this beauty from his cellar. No formal notes, but drinking incredibly well. Fully mature, but still lovely fruit and structure.
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That’s the way to do it!
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I don’t remember the ‘85 and ‘87 tasting like that, more red fruited and less extracted. But I was a newb back then and I think David is right, tastes have changed.
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Back to the crypt, and this is showing very well. The Merlot was OK, but coming to the downslope. This is at peak with time to spare. Quite delicious in a deep red cherry vein.
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Who signed it?
It was hard to read and my Dad’s memory is not perfect, but he believes it was Doug Shafer.
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Or John Shafer.
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There are some things my dad did not drink that I am happier to have. 2004 Bordeaux nears the top of the list, as it’s a classic and classy vintage. This bottle is drinking very well now, with plenty of time to spare. Luckily there is more.
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Looks like John Shafer.
Sometimes dad followed my buying lead. While more sweetly fruity than I expect from Bocquenet (hello 2003!) this is still a very fine Burgundy in a more rustic style.
Not dead, not close to dead. Not taking RMDs. Not even interested in buying long term care insurance!
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Hello folks, and welcome to Crypt Lane! It’s a lovely community with no HOA, so there’s no restrictions on TCA! Come on in a make yourselves at home in the immaculate cork of this 1998 St. Emilion Grand Cru!
There goes the neighborhood!
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Godamned shame about the TCA. I remember the 2001 (about 10 years ago) and it tasted good. TCA never tastes good.
Somebody call the Fire Marshall! The heat was definitely on for both of these wines, each well past its “best by” date. The Torbreck had no aroma at all. There was some fading fruit on the palate but it could not stand up to the flamethrower alcohol! The most substantial thing about the Tikal was the bottle, which weighed more than a baby elephant. The wine itself was pruney and fetid at the same time, but everything it touched was sanitized by the barrel proof alcohol level!
Glad to have gotten these out of the Crypt, but there’s a lot more from Tikal down there! 
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Bummer. Wow! I can count on a finger the number of sparkling wines that I’ve had that are corked. It feels like that’s more rare than still? Sorry for you! Hopefully there was a backup. Merry Christmas!
There’s too many backups!
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