Picking the Bones of Previous Vintages

Presented in the order in which they were tasted —

1982 Grand Cru Vineyards, Collector’s Reserve, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

Perfectly fine, smooth, with plenty of simple cherry fruit. It lasted, but it didn’t seem to gain anything with age, and from here it will be all down hill.

1982 Quail Ridge, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

This wine, made by Leon Santero, was really very good, having gained some interesting mushroom and coffee notes with age, while retaining a core of rich blackberry fruit. It did, however, fade in the bottle with an hour of air time.

1987 Chateau Souverain, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

I remember the ’87 vintage being quite good when released, but it’s now, sadly, over-the-hill, showing a sour edge of volatile acidity.

1993 Saratoga Vineyards, Santa Clara County Merlot:

Wow! This Merlot from the Santa Cruz Mountains is a perfect example of why we age wine. Though from a ho-hum vintage, this Merlot was balanced, layered, and complex, with a core of cassis, surrounded by earth, subtle oak notes, and a layer of truffles. It still has firm structure, but the tannins are mellow. Great now, with plenty of life left.

1994 Hanna, Alexander Valley Merlot:

From a good vintage, this was decent, though a bit tart and not particularly complex when it was opened. It went off fairly rapidly once the bottle was open.

1995 Boeger, El Dorado, Estate Zinfandel:

Boeger always makes sound wines that taste good from the get go, and they also age well. This ’95 Zin is no exception. It has good depth of raspberry-blueberry fruit with a spicy background that lingers on the palate. The tannin is soft, the structure classic, and the alcohol modest. Fine now, it will hold for many more years.