- 1990 Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Hill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (1/6/2025)
Cork was good - came out in one piece with no trouble. Stained only about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Color remains vibrant/deep, with only slight browning at the edges. Lots of sediment caked to the bottle with some getting into the glass. Will need to use the mesh filter for other pours.
A touch of bottle sickness/stink at first on the nose, but then bramble berry fruit, herb, and dirt road dust take center stage. Thereās a faint note of cedar, and the bottle sickness turns to a sweeter old red wine smell with time. If not for the āzinberryā fruit I would be hard pressed to identify this as Zinfandel rather than an old Merlot or Cabernet.
Old red wine sweetness permeates the palate, which props up the berry fruit, and keeps it ahead of the still present tannins. There is acidity as well, and the mouthwatering effects feel more like Zinfandel, especially classic Zinfandel, than any Bordeaux variety.
This bottle is definitely hanging on, and is representative of the early 1990s Ravenswood bottlings that avoided the excesses of over ripeness and excessive heat. The alcohol isnāt low (14.9%), but even at this stage it is not noticeable on the nose or palate.
This is all rather clinical, but itās an enjoyable wine, true to its variety and its origin in Sonoma. Itās even more notable to me as a historical marker, and a foundational element in my development as a wine drinker. The early 1990s Ravenswood wines were a major part of what I drank at the time, and returning to them now, with 30 additional years of experience, I can still see why they prompted such enthusiasm in me and others.
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Kinda what I expected to read on the note, thanks. On the ā80s and early ā90s Iāve opened they have borderlined on, āInteresting but I almost poured it out until it got some significant air.ā Then, since Iām the only one in the household who appreciates this kind of age, it gets poured out anyhow because I canāt drink it all before it degrades. For this reason I tend to save mine for offlines where they can be shared with others. Kudos for popping and sharing with us.
Right there with you on the issues with opening older, potentially fragile bottles. I had another glass after dinner because I didnāt want to waste too much. Still poured out 1/3 of the bottle. That said, the last 1/3 was quite chunky anyway. Amazing how much deposit there was in this wine.
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First of all, excellent notes as always. I also got my early serious wine education with a lot of the late '80s/early '90s Ravenswood, Ridge and Rosenblum bottles. I drank all of mine years ago, but would love to try a well-stored one at this point to see how they have aged.
When I decant an older wine that Iām not going to finish quickly, I always rinse the sediment from the bottle and put the wine back in the bottle. I do this frequently with older bottles Iām bringing to a tasting and the wines are always better with a bit of air.
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I wish I had as good an experience with leftover older wine. I just donāt.