Holiday time, a glut of 1991 TNs here, and we have not had one quite this aged so why not? Simple dinner of petite, grass-fed filets and baked potato chips with local, zesty-cranberry ketchup. I had this bottle upright a month or so. Bottle had a sunken cork, big-time like 1/3-1/2 inch! Cork totally saturated too and a bit soft, still a difficult extraction with ah-so. So a bit disappointing until the wine filled the immediate area with red & dark fruits mixed with spices!
Wine lasted over an hour getting better for quite awhile before losing what was pungent fruit to reveal a more balanced, subdued attack. I enjoyed the wine’s more boisterous period while Mel liked the last glass. I actually think blind I might have been able to say it was not Napa, it was just different, less muscular perhaps? This is bottle #1 from a case purchased via the secondary market and this was an auspicious beginning indeed. I know little about their technical approach to winemaking in terms of cooperage or clones but I know they make a Cabernet above this one in status: Terrace Select from their southern hillside vineyard. I do believe this wine we loved was 100% estate fruit. I have never successfully visited A. Rafanelli (tried a time or two) but have ridden my MC right past there, pretty close to Lake Sonoma. God’s country really.
This wine occupies that broad, delicious tier of 1991 California Cabernet Sauvignon wines; for me just below the legends we all write about and open too infrequently!
I see a mini-vertical with a 90, another 91, 94 & 96 + wagyu approaching soon. Chick Wells to the white courtesy phone, Mr. Wells please…
I am going to pull a 96 next Ed. Can’t properly express how much more enjoyable this Rafanelli was than a well thought of 1979 Bordeaux we uncorked last night.
Tried and failed a couple times myself. Got the sense they really didn’t want visitors very badly unless you were willing to go through hurdles or had nothing else planned for your trip except hitting them at the just right time, for them. Sounds like a nice wine and they have an interesting story but I dropped the list a long time ago.
“I have never successfully visited A. Rafanelli (tried a time or two) but have ridden my MC right past there, pretty close to Lake Sonoma. God’s country really.”
We referred some friends to Rafanelli and they visited yesterday. They said they were treated very well. Also, they said there is a new Estate Blend that is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet, and is $45. Have to check that out!
Cranberry ketchup sounds good with beef. I remember when Rafanelli was freely available in the late '80s and into about 1991 or so, when they became available pretty much only from the winery. I’ve had zinfandel and 1 cabernet from them before, but I never would have thought to have aged it so long. Glad you did and reported. Oh, I tried to visit them too in 1993, but no luck. Fortunately on the same trip, I got to taste at the old Williams & Seylem property on what, West River Rd?
Thanks for the note, love the wines at A. Rafanelli. Purchased some Merlot last time I was there, looking for to popping open one next year… I know the tasting room experience can be tough in a way, they don’t do email really and its kind of by appointment in a sense that it’s not very structured, but relaxing at the very least!
The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I had been there one other time and had a fabulous tasting and tour of the cave that David hosted, and that appointment was set up a couple of days in advance. At that time, they didn’t take credit cards and only allowed a 2 bottle per person purchase. At my second tasting, credit cards were allowed and we weren’t limited. I think you just have to time your request when someone is available.
I drank a 2005 Cab a few months ago that was lovely, and I am holding onto a 2008.
Big fan of Rafanelli, will open a 2007 Cabernet this weekend and post. Opened up a 1978 Rafanelli Zin yesterday, it was interesting…started off stinky and tasted thin and metallic…came around after 45 minutes and was drinkable and a fun wine lesson.
I’m going to try to find some 90’s Rafanelli cabs for a reasonable price.
there was a point in time where our buddy faust and i would trek up to rafanelli just to load up on the zin…but my favorite wine they make is their cab, especially the terrace select. i would get a bottle of the t/s and just knock that shit out before we even make it home.
let’s do it doc! best bang for your buck. then we get the fellas out to dinner in the evening and have our own version of the ‘gala’ dinner. buzz will play for sure if you come out. he’s being a little b!tch lately.
