TN: Cloudy Montevetrano Ebenezer Seghesio Taylors

Posted by: Bill Spohn

TN: Cloudy Montevetrano Ebenezer Seghesio Taylors - 02-02-2019 13:56:04

Notes on a blind tasting:

Roederer Anderson Valley Brut nv – medium amber, very little mousse, a nose of oxidized elder flower, finishing very dry with high acidity. This bottle was probably at least 20 years old. Drinkable, but seriously faded.

2015 Cantine Lunae Bosoni Colli di Luni Lunae Etichetta Nera – this vermentino was pale yellow, had some grapefruit notes in the nose, and finished cleanly. Balanced.

2016 Terredora di Paolo Greco di Tufo Loggia della Serra – this Greco showed none of the rustic parmesan cheese notes in the nose that I always look for. It was clean and mineral very much Chablis like in character, It was a good well made wine, but just not what I expect in a Greco.

2004 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay – medium colour, a big flinty fruit nose, juicy fruit on palate and very good acidity. In fine shape.

1999 Donatella Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino Prime Donne – quite dark, and with a ripe nose of big red fruit, and on palate a ripe presentation with soft tannin and medium length. This one had me shaking my head – as if a Brunello had been made by a California Petit Sirah producer.

1996 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno – my contribution. This went from an unknown wine to stardom when RP reviewed it in the early 1990s and declared it to be the ‘southern Sassicaia”. It is a cab, merlot and aglianico bleshort lived fruit bombs to this market. nd. Pure sweet red fruit in the nose, a mahogany colour with pale edges. Both coffee and a hint of cocoa in the nose, and in the mouth, and sweet dark fruit in the mouth. Finishes with high acidity. Drink now.

2002 Barossa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Ebenezer – don’t see this one very often, and from a vintage that I consider to be among the last few worth buying from Oz – not that they don’t still make excellent wines, just that they only send the pumped up lush but short lived versions to this market. A smooth, well made not over the top cabernet with vanilla and cherry in the nose and good but not too exuberant fruit level. Drank well.

2012 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – a new producer for me. Slightly subdued cabernet nose, and significant wood influence, but now fairly well mellowed, with decent fruit. Bit simple.

2004 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Home Ranch – Dark wine with clear edges. Very nice nose featuring cassis and blackberry notes, and some mint hints. In the mouth, still a big wine but not hot, even though it has labeled at 15.5% alcohol. Quite nice.

1968 Taylor Very Old Single Harvest Port Limited Edition – another new wine for me. I just finished my last bottle of the 1967 Vargellas so was interested to see what this might be. Brown wine (colour of a tawny) with toasted nuts, dried fruit with orange peel, some allspice, cinnamon and caramel. This was an excellent wine but reminded me of an old Bual Madeira more than a tawny Port. Lots going on here!
Posted by: Marc Hanes

Re: TN: Cloudy Montevetrano Ebenezer Seghesio Taylors - 02-03-2019 10:06:10

Always curious to see how Cloudy Bay holds up over the long term. Was tempted to age some but never pulled the trigger. The wines are out of fashion with wine geeks these days but I still remember when they were popular with wine collectors, etc.
Posted by: TomHill

Interesting.... - 02-04-2019 06:08:55

Interesting, Bill. That that Seghesio '04 is still holding up. They usually get a lot of oak and I'd have expected it to be pretty shot.
Tom
Posted by: Bill Spohn

Re: Interesting.... - 02-04-2019 08:40:13

Agree, Tom.

I found that a percentage of Zins crash after about 10 years, the blowsy fruit that attracts many (but not me) having passed and there is nothing much there any more, but some get past that stage and become very cab like and then can go on for many years.

I still have early 90s Ridge, Renwood, Turley etc. still doing fine.