So as some of you might know, I’m kinda passionate (some may say obsessed) with aged California wine. I love the stories, the history….and most importantly….how absolutely delicious they can be when they’re on! All that said, my ‘holy grail’ of CA wine (aside from my favorite wine the 68 Mayacamas Late Harvest Zin) has always been the 1875 Cucamonga Vineyard Angleica. These are increasingly rare bottles (11 in CT including my holdings) so I’ve done my best to acquire them whenever they are available (let’s not talk about the Zachy’s disaster where UPS, allegedly, dropped a box and smashed 6 of my bottles), and am fortunate to have ‘a few’ in the cellar. I’ve been dying to open one and, for whatever reason, this felt like the time.
Let me just say…..this was literally staggering. My expectations truly could not have been higher, and this WELL exceeded them. It’s honestly hard to put the wine into words, but I’ll do my best. On the nose, it’s nutmeg, freshly baked apple pie, and a hint of mint. Intoxicating and constantly evolving. So good. In the mouth, it’s somehow even better. An absolute explosion of flavors. So intense, yet precise at the same time. It’s almost, in a good way, overwhelming, as there’s so much going on that it’s hard to conceptualize exactly what you’re experiencing. Cherry syrup, cinnamon, Carmel, creme brulee. Good Lord, this is literally insane! But just as impressive as the deep, powerful fruit, is the almost impossible amount of acidity that, somehow, balance everything out. It’s truly like a blend between an ancient Malvasia Madeira and a very old vintage port.
Maybe my favorite part is the finish. No joke, its still evolving and changing literally 2 minutes after each sip i take. I can honestly say that I’ve never tasted anything like this. What an absolute honor and privilege to drink this tonight. Singular, unique, and truly unforgettable. While I’ll always be looking for more, I feel very, very fortunate to have additional bottles in the cellar. Cheers all!
Had three bottles at one time as well as three of the 1875 Cucamonga “Port.” Have one left of each. The “Port” is likely Zinfandel based. Both have been staggeringly good. Maybe the Angelica a hair better with a touch more acidity. Most of the remaining bottles were lost in that arson fire at a wine storage house a few years ago. Francis Dickenspiel, a decendent of Isias Hellman, wrote about it. She also wrote Hellman’s biography. He is a facinating figure, instrumental in the founding of California.
Wow - very jealous! Having made a couple of Mission Angelicas myself - and visited old vineyards in Cucamonga Valley wine country - this is my “holy grail” wine as well. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever get to try one so I’m happy to read your impressions - thanks for posting this!
Ahhh, that’s amazing Eric! I have 1 bottle of the port as well and 4 bottles left of the Angelica. I was very tempted to open the port alongside the Angelica as i wasn’t 100% sure if it was the same wine (not much info i could find online)…but a little bit of this wine goes a long way so it would have taken me forever to kill both bottles, ha!
Thanks for the response and glad you enjoyed them as much as I did! It’s always super helpful to hear your feedback on these types if wines as you have more experience than anyone i know
Thanks Robert! And yep…unfortunately the Zachys/UPS debacle was a bunch of these bottles. I literally still get sad when i think about it, ha!
And to answer your question, a smaller glass goes a LONG way. There’s tons of acidity but it’s also very rich, so there’s no way I’d want more than a glass. I have the rest in a QikVin (what I use for older wines i can’t finish in a single sitting) which i feel pretty confident will keep it fresh for quite a while.
Ha! Very slowly over time at auction. You rarely see these as there’s just not many left. Unfortunately the price usually reflects that, ha! But it’s one of those wines I’m willing to splurge on (within reason of course)
Rich your threads are always the best, love the enthusiasm and allowing us to vicariously taste a little piece of California’s wine history through your pursuit of these wines!
We drank some old California cabs as well last night, should be posting notes in a bit. Love Cabs from the pre-14.5%+ ABV era!
Thanks brother - i really appreciate you saying that! Honestly it just makes me happy that there’s people like yourself here on WB that also appreciate hearing about older CA wine. Or at the very least…will suffer through some of my TNs, ha!
Pumped to hear about those cabs my man! Will look for the post!
Having made a couple of Mission Angelicas myself - and visited old vineyards in Cucamonga Valley wine country - this is my “holy grail” wine as well. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll ever get to try one so I’m happy to read your impressions - thanks for posting this!
