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1996 A. Rafanelli Zinfandel - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (6/5/2012)
Dark/opaque ruby in color; white at the rim. A bit lean at opening. The cork was soaked up to the neck and some schmutz under the foil. It smelled a bit maderized/acetic on the nose. However, some nice red Zin fruit popped out followed by a touch of toasty/popcorny American oak. The wine really oscillated the whole night between glasses/tastes on both ends of the scale, one minute VA/nailpolish, the next minute red/black fruits and oak. On the good sniffs, one could also detect secondary notes of coffee, spices, grilled meat, ripe blackberries, and salty bacon. One of the last of a half dozen or so I’ve consumed, this was definitely on the worse end of them. Judging by the color I would think a clean bottle should have another decade or two of life ahead of it. (90 pts.)
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