Working my way thru this box of older wines, I tried last night:
A.Rafanelli CabSauv DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (Unfltrd; 13.7%) Healdsburg 1993: Very dark color w/ some bricking; strong earthy/loamy/mushroomy rather blackcurranty/Cab/rustic/bit Bdx-like some toasty/Am.oak/vanilla bit chocolaty/licorice quite complex nose w/ lots of bass notes; fairly tart rather rough/rustic/earthy/loamy/bit Bdx-like some dusty/OV strong vanilla/Am.oak/charred some blackcurranty/Cab/licorice flavor w/ modest rough/coarse tannins; very long/lingering rather rough/rustic/earthy/loamy/Kansas root cellar/mushroomy fairly vanilla/toasty/Am.oak rather blackcurranty/Cab/licorice complex finish w/ light rough tannins; still very much alive and a rather rustic/old-timey Calif Cab; reminds a bit of the OV/rustic/Languedoc Cabs; a bit of the old Stag’sLeap Cabs but more rough/rustic & less polished; maybe a bit of the old Gemello Cabs; in amazingly good shape for its age.
A wee BloodyPulpit:
Been a good while since we’ve heard a good Patty Rafanelli story in these here parts of CyberSpace. Share yours.
Tom
No, Drew…I don’t particularly have a problem w/ Rafanelli Wnry. But the stories of being treated rudely by Patty Rafanelli
in the tasting room are the stuff of legends. I only stopped there in their tasting room once. The daughter was pouring and her
attitude made it clear that she didn’t want to be there. I tried to engage her in conversation…but she was having none of that.
But she was a teenager & I could understand that.
Tom
never met Patty so no Patty stories…Dave, on the other hand, could not have been nicer to us, he was a terrific host…am quite fond of Rafanelli zins but think their cabs are even better…During one of our visits, 2008, if memory serves, Dave tasted us on a Merlot that his daughter had crafted…I believe that Shelly is now the winemaker at A. Raf…Last time we were in Sonoma was 2012 and did not get a chance to visit with Dave on that trip…
