From the Cellar
Birthday Night in Canada (New Zealand / California)
23 Jul 2016- Details
- Category: Uncorked Tonight
(December 8, 2015) ... Tonight's my birthday, well it was all day, but at night I can drink (socially acceptable then anyway) - as with any occasion (like Friday) sparkling wine plays a role. Starting tonight with an Oyster Bay Sparkling Rose ... the last bottle I opened of this wine was slightly oxidized and off-putting, so I had understandable trepidation about this one (meaning I had a backup), but as it turned out I needed not be: peach coloured, moving towards copper, showing its age but the nose still smells fresh and that continued onto the palate with raspberry, lime, tangerine and mineral - good bracing acidity. Nice start to the evening.
The next bottle was courtesy some friends in New York, you know who you are - surprise, I never did drink the bottle in the hotel room, instead I took it home, put it in the cellar and forgot about it, until now: Orin Swift 2007 The Prisoner - a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Charbono with 15.2% alcohol - I can see why my friends fell for this wine: mocha, pepper and raspberry on the nose; while the palate has great layers of spicy-sweet black raspberry, plum, and chocolate to start, leading to black pepper and cassis. It had a creamy mid-palate with a long finish of Christmas spice and mocha. A big thank you for this bottle.
