TNs: 1996 Bristol Cellars (Lone Madrone) - Apple Cider - (California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)

WINE TALK
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  • 1996 Bristol Cellars Apple Cider - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (9/4/2009)
    – popped and poured –
    – tasted non-blind out of a red wine glass –

NOSE: smells very Belgian in nature: gently warm; baking spices; smells vaguely like warm apple core – a bit earthier than merely straight apple flesh; hint of menthol;

BODY: some yeast sediment at bottom of bottle; rich brown-orange color; very loose bead; medium-light bodied.

TASTE: lovely sourness; Belgian aftertaste - much like Delerium Tremens; nice acidity, but tannins take hold on mid-palate; weak finish – all the action is on the front of the palate, although the light finish does linger for a while; any fan of Belgian beer would consider this a real treat – this tastes and smells more like a Belgian beer than it does apple cider; truth be told, I’m actually flabergasted that an apple cider can live to see 13 years of age, and this doesn’t at all taste like it’s going bad …truly remarkable! From what I understand, this was the last the winery (Lone Madrone, in Paso Robles) had of this vintage, which is a real bummer because I love it. They do continue to make new vintages, but I don’t think they have anything older than 2007 right now.

B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 7 = (90 pts.)

NOSE: very interesting bouquet of carmelized sugar; warm apples and spices; and a hint of marmalade; bouquet is moderately expressive. Kind of smells like a Belgian Saison or Farmhouse ale.

BODY: hazy butterscotch color of medium depth; sediment is present; small amount of effervescense still remains (this is actually a sparkling apple cider); medium-light bodied.

TASTE: gentle apple tartness, along with an unusual secondary note of sulfur/mesquite on the front palate (haven’t noticed this with previous bottles); hint of yeast on the finish; weak mid-palate; light finish.

B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = (88 pts.)

  • 1996 Bristol Cellars Apple Cider - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (12/7/2008)
    This is a far cry from the hot apple cider you got as a kid at the end of the Halloween Haunted Hay-ride. 9.2% alc. If I were served this blind there’s no way I would ever guess this is an apple cider (partially b/c I don’t drink apple cider, I suppose) … rather, I would peg this as a Belgian ale, but that wouldn’t quite be right … perhaps a Flemish Ale, but it’s not quite as sour as many of those are … perhaps a Saison, or Farmhouse Ale, but this has greater acidity than those and isn’t quite as “wheaty” … simply put, this cider is awfully good, and it’s just as interesting as it is good. The alcohol is completely hidden, and it’s medium bodied. It’s more tart than sweet, but it’s not mouth-puckering. This would be a perfect gift for a beer afficionado.

This was made by the Neil Collins, the winemaker for both Tablas Creek and Lone Madrone. This was purchased at the Lone Madrone tasting room.

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