Wow! What a fabulous wine. This was served by a friend last night with a big catered spread of BBQ stuff. It really showed up the 2017 Ridge Geyserville alongside it. This had such nice, focused reddish fruit, with a solid spine of acid. Decanted and drunk over 90+ minutes, it fleshed out but remained somewhat taut, in a good way. Structurally, it was a little like a Cotes de Nuits from a good, ripish year, if you can believe that. Or a Felsina Chianti. The balance and the fact that it needs some air to open up reminded me of Bedrock’s basic old vines zin, which is such a pleasure, and a steal. There was ample fruit in the Dolinsek to stand up to BBQ sauce. This was 92.3+ for me.
This has many years of life yet, and will no doubt gain more secondary elements. But it has all come together, so there’s certainly no crime in consuming it now. The back label says the vineyard was planted in 1910 and produces minute quantities.
The Ridge was nice, but very primary, with a lot of sweet black cherry fruit. The Bedrock was much more refined.
John, thanks for your for this post. It confirms I’m not crazy. I recently posted a tasting note in the running Bedrock thread about a bottle of the Belle du Jour zin – also 2013. I hesitated in my note to refer to textural similarities to an aged Volnay for fear of looking like yet another myopic, tunnel-vision Burg nut. But that’s what my red-fruited, acid-addled brain was thinking!
Here’s my note:
I had a very good Zin last night that appealed to my dirt-and-twigs instincts – the 2013 Bedrock Belle du Jour. Very red-fruited, not the brambly blackberry flavors I’ve had in other Bedrocks. Tannins have softened but there is plenty of spine left. Spicy nose, glossy-but-not-too glossy mouthfeel, slightly crunchy dark cherry fruit. I’d imagine some Zin aficionados might say this is a bit soft, but I loved it. I can appreciate the bigger Zins at times, but they can be very tiring – one or two glasses and I’m done for the night. But this had a succulence that kept you coming back for more. Drink now.
The Bedrock Dolinsek’s are always great. Never had a bad one. Good early drinkers.
Matt - It definitely sounds like there’s a family resemblance in the overall impression. I’d say the Dolinsek was more in the direction sour cherry.
Dolinsek has always been the Bedrock wine I tend to open first as it is truly delicious on release.