Cracked this last night w/ my bowl of gruel...er...Oven-Roasted Cauliflowers and Sunchoke Curried Soup:
1. Nalle SonomaCnty/DryCreekVlly CabernetSauvignon (13.2%) 1989: Med.color w/ slight bricking; rather cedary/pencilly/tobaccoy/smokey/old Cab perfumed slight herbal/blackcurranty/Cab complex nose; soft/smooth/elegant rather tobaccoy/cedary/cigar box light blackcurranty/herbal/Cab lovely/elegant complex flavor; long bit herbal some blackcurranty/Cab rather smokey/tobaccoy/cigar box/old Cab finish w/ light tannins; fully mature and lovely/gentle old Cab that's a pleasure to visit with; an elegant old lady who buys her underwear at Sears, rather than Victoria'sSecret.
Tom
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. When folks start whining about all the current Zins w/ their high alcohols, picked at physiological maturity, and "gobs of hedonistic fruit"; I always tell them to go buy a Nalle Zin. It's all about balance and restraint, lots of pretty raspberry/DCV fruit; a Zin you can drink a whole friggin' btl w/o sliding under the table. I always describe them as the Burgundy of the Zinfandel world.
I have, of course, followed DougNalle's wines from the very start. Very/very fond memories of Sophie & Blackie (RIP). Alas, I haven't kept up w/ him has well as I should have over the last few yrs. Me bad.
Although known for his Zins, he also makes a small amount of other stuff, this Cab being one of them. And a bit of HopkinsRanch/RRV PinotNoir. He also used to make Anderson GWT and Riesling that I loved. It was dry & austere, much like an Alsation PinotBlanc, and actually aged pretty well.
At one time, his wines were distributed here in NewMexico. Doug visited and did a tasting w/ my group. Absolutely charmed the sox of my sub-teenage daughter, Rebecca, who couldn't in her life imagine that her Dad had any friends who could be so nice. I still give her a btl of Nalle Zin from time to time for old times sake.
Tom