Hi y’all,
I opened this last night figuring it was a 50/50 chance it’d be alive and was pleasantly surprised. It’s interesting - it’s definitely not sweet enough to be dessert but the acid is wild. I could see charcuterie and cheeses with this or maybe as a digestive. It felt like a vendange tardive… of Zinfandel.
1995 Ravenswood McGill Vineyard Late Harvest Zinfandel
16% abv, 44 g/l RS 1.3 g TA/100 ml. 70 cases made. Medium garnet with a 1/4" amber rim and clear. Upon opening I was concerned about this wine - the cork was great but the nose had quite a bit of VA and while there was some classic dark berry fruit there, it also smelled like pomegranate molasses and nocino. So I had a glass and waited a while and a few hours afterward it was starting to stabilize - the fruit peeking out and the VA integrating nicely. The palate is moderately sweet, with solid dark berry fruit and a herbal honey note in the midpalate that fades away into black tea. This is a fascinating style of Zin they just don’t make anymore and for it to be alive at 31 years of age is a minor miracle.
Thanks,
Zachary