Two misnomers in the title of this posting: First these wines were had this afternoon, so it is not "what I am drinking tonight"; the second is there was no versus here, these wines were tried separately and judged separately.
We started with a bottle of 1970 Chateau Leoville-Barton; at first those in attendance wanted to write this one off, but i figured you have to give it a chance, heck it's been sitting in a bottle for the last 40 years or so. But I didn't blame them, the nose was all woody and the same flavours followed, nothing fruity about this number and there was some really sour cranberry on the palate. Two hours later I wouldn't say this wine shined but it sure showed better then when first poured out of the bottle. The nose was woody with forest floor notes, tree bark and very dried fruit, with that slight sweet note. The taste was sour cranberry, dried leaves and woody. I have heard of this kind of wine described as rotting fruit, but in a good way. You have to remember, this is a 40 year old wine, it tastes old but it's old in an interesting kinda way, not the make salad dressing with kinda way.
Next wine poured was a polar opposite, young, full of fruit, and lots of alcohol (16.5%). The Thomas George Estates 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, The Torrente Vineyard was just loaded with plum and cherry, sweet vanilla, chocolate and caramel, there was even some blueberry notes. The palate was just as exciting as the nose: dark berries, plummy, chocolaty and sweet raspberries - absolutely delicious - you have to like real Zinfandel to appreciate this wine, the red kind, not the pink kind.
This really was the tale of two wines, both interesting, both exciting in there own way.
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