Ivan the Fiver generously shared this bottle around last Wednesday. I really shouldn’t have been drinking… well, that was the plan but when Ivan offers you a taste of anything, be prepared to see your resolve just dissolve.
So, I swirl and sniff…
Tremendous iron note, graphite, and a touch of cedar were the initial bouquet on the nose. The palate was medium-bodied, vibrant, and smokier than the nose suggested. As it aerated in the glass, a note of blackberry and plum started to emerge. I’m wowed by how ‘pretty’ this wine was and it just got better and better as it took some air. The fruit became sweeter and layered with menthol, then cedar, then iron, and spices. I’m thinking, Bordeaux. Something from a vintage that is more about restrain and elegance rather than power. I thought, maybe 88?
This turned out to be a 1980 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow.