Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Marietta Cellars - Old Vines Red, Lot Number Forty Three (California)

A non vintage "field blend" that has been produced more than 50 times by Marietta Cellars, this one is version "43" and one I have had languishing in my cellar for quite some time.  From what I know about the wine it is a primarily Zinfandel based blend with a whole bunch of other grapes thrown in for good measure.  Today I extricated it from a box in my cellar and poured it into my glass, with good results.  Dinner was a pepperoni pizza and a few chicken wings (not the healthiest of meals but sometimes you have to scratch that itch) and I thought something smooth and easy going would do the trick, then I came upon this bottle and curiosity got the better of me.  Now, in its youth the Marietta Old Vines Red is a perfectly good wine that is suitable for all kinds of food, especially the simple burgers and pizza nights, but also pairs well with BBQ and other Zinfandel friendly fare.  But this one is now 11 blends past its release (according to their website Marietta has released #54), and the claim is that the wine will drink about 1-3 years after its release (but how are you to know right?) - I know that this one is more than 4 years old (my records show the last time I drank a bottle was in 2007).  The nose was full of plum, black raspberry all with a touch o' vanilla.  Then the palate took over showing black cherry and spice with some chocolate-licorice notes on the finish.  Still lovely after all these years ... I see I also have a bottle of #44, betcha that's nice too.

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