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On 24 Oct 2004 17:21:08 GMT, ojunk (Bill Spohn) wrote:

>Dinner at home last night with 3 guests from afar and some interesting wines:
>
>1979 Shenandoah Amador Special Reserve Zinfandel – this was a shot at
>matching the chanterelles in whipping cream with sage and sherry. I had a nice
>Burg pulled, but Ian my guest said that he wanted to experience new and
>American wines, particularly zinfandels. It had amazingly good colour at the
>age of 25 years, and the nose still showed good fruit, though not identifiably
>of a Zin sort. It had an amazing amount of fairly weighty tannin, though very
>soft now. It went passably well wit the food. This was a modest wine that cost
>probably $10, and I do not believe that they still make wines in this style any
>more, nor that the wines produced today would last nearly as long.
>
>1994 Renwood Grandmere Zinfandel – I picked another Amador zin to match with
>spice rubbed steaks. Warm ripe nose, with some heat (>15% alcohol) good fruit
>and not too heavy on palate, the ample tannins quite ripe and a good match to
>the food. (I figured that the Grandpere would have been bigger and more
>overwhelming at this point).

Great stuff to show Ian. I've become a recent fan of Amador county
Zins and will admit to surprise that they were making them 25 years
ago and that some would still be showing well.

I like your choice of the Renwood with steak. I had the most recent
release of Grandpere and Grandmere (2001??) about six weeks ago. The
Grandmere is quite drinkable now, but certainly has the body to last
for quite a while. The Grandpere is tannic-brutality right now--but
what a great wine it is going to be after several years to calm down.
(Gotta say that these sorts of in-your-face,
what-do-you-think-of-the-colonies-now wines might give a European
pause for considerable comment--not necessarily positive.)

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org