On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 03:04:13 GMT, "DPM" > wrote:

>A friend of mine gave me this several years ago, and it was old then. I put
>it away for a special occasion and forgot about it, but tonight my wife
>asked me to open a sticky, and rooting around in the cellar I found it, so
>we decided to open it.
>
>The cork crumbled immediately, and my first thought was " Bummer -
>vinegar!", but I managed to get the pieces out and poured two glasses. In
>the glass, deep brown-maroon, almost opaque. Huge legs. Nose of raisins,
>prunes and sour cherry. Decidedly porty. Amazing palate: huge jammy dried
>fruit - raisins, prunes, cherries, perhaps some fig over a nice acidic
>backbone. No noticeable oak. Long sweet finish, with still-unresolved
>tannins!
>
>Label says 14% alcohol, 10% sugar. I'm amazed by this wine - it's 19 years
>old, and properly stored could have lasted another 10-20. Who says Zins
>don't age! I don't think they make 'em like this anymore.

I've always liked Cline Old Vine Zin and did a double-take when I
started reading your post to note that you were talking about a "late
harvest" bottling.

I don't think you'll ever find "vinegar" in an over the hill
bottle--that's an old wives tale although maderization, sherry flavors
and simply dead/flat wines are likely from over-aged, poorly sealed or
badly stored wines.

That being said, your tasting impressons track with what I expect from
a late harvest wine. They really go for heavy and port is my most
common comparison.

As for making 'em like that anymore, Ridge has done several late
harvest and late picked bottlings in the last couple of years. They
fit the profile you mention.

As for Cline, I picked up an Old Vine Zin a few weeks ago--think it
was '02--and found it decidedly herbal rather than fruit forward.
Somehow dill in wines is a taste I haven't acquired yet.



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