Source: Sterling Cellars
Consumption Date: 5/23/2012
Notes: Light garnet with a wide, pronounced brick orange
rim. Moderate aroma of barnyard, forest
floor, and an unusual gamy mushroom note.
Full bodied with strong gamy mushroom flavors; a pleasing spicy,
herbaceousness; and a hint of ripe cherries and damp hay. Moderately long finish of spice and dry wood
with a hint of cherry fruit. Mild
tannins.
Overall, this is pretty much what I expected, except that it
has a lot more complexity than I would have expected for a village level
wine. Although the fruit has become
secondary to the more aged characteristics of the wine (e.g., mushroom notes),
it has retained enough fruit to be enjoyable.
Although somewhat oxidized as indicated by the color and the aroma, the
flavor is not as dominated by oxidative qualities as I might have expected. Selecting this wine primarily because of the
vintage and the curiosity factor, I was not expecting too much from a lesser
appellation and a lesser known negociant; I have, however, found this to be
enjoyable and educational. I don’t
expect to become a connoisseur of highly aged wines (although if my rate of
purchasing continues to exceed my consumption, I may become one inadvertently)
nor do I plan to pursue many older vintages, as I prefer wines that have a
better balance between the fruit and the secondary, aged flavors. However,
I will occasionally enjoy the trip back through time that only an older
vintage wine can provide. Good value.
No comments:
Post a Comment