From the Cellar

Rivera 1999 Aglianico & Heritage Road 2001 Shiraz (Italy & Australia)

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Category: Uncorked Tonight

(May 3, 2020) ...

Rivera 1999 Aglianico Riserva Cappellaccio ... This Aglianico wine from the south of Italy has held up reasonably well for a wine now in its 21st year from vintage date. It starts off plummy / pruney with whiffs and hits of smoke, but as it opens there are also some really pleasant notes of vanilla, coffee bean and anise. The acidity is still holding this one together, but as it continues to open some tobacco leaf, herbal and spice take over - and then everything just kinda of disappears leaving just those notes behind.

Heritage Road 2001 Reserve Shiraz, Old Mundulla Vineyard ... a couple of years younger and from a totally different part of the world, not sure why I pulled these two out together, but this one fared a little better than the wine above, being that it showed plenty of plum, smoke and cocoa - this was quite an interesting revelation as I did not expect it to have held up that well.

Bogle 2005 Old Vines Zinfandel (California)

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Category: Uncorked Tonight

(April 25, 2020) ... This wine really shows its age, but is still drinkable for those who like, or need, a lesson in old bottles of Old Vines Zin. The nose is just where I thought I might find it: earthy, forest floor and spice with hints of prune and even some herbal nuances ... yes, aeration helps it a bit, but fruit is long gone from this wine and no matter how long it stayed open and was swirled in the glass it still finished finish dry, herbal, tannic and harsh ... even when it came across "smooth" it was still woody-cedary smooth ... "drinkable to a point" - in an every wine is a learning experience kinda way.