That may have sounded intresting.... this was!!

[mrdutton]

For those of you who may be fans of reds like Bonny Doon's Cal Del Solo Big House Red or Cline's Cotes D'Oakley this baby is right up your alley!

As a matter of fact, I think it might even be a few steps above that alley.

Fruit on the nose, fruit on the palate. Tastes like cherries and blackberries to me; smells like 'em also. But then there's other things also. Hints of vanilla and spice (like a bit of pepper) along with hints of bitterness, like what you get from aromatic earth, and some astringency from hints of tannis on a long, complex finish that seems to last almost forever.

This stuff is a bit more expensive than the 7 to 9 dollars you pay for the Cline or the Bonny Doon. It rolls in around 17 dollars a bottle.

California Old Vine Red, Lot Number Twenty Six, Marietta Cellars, Geyserville, CA.

Alcohol is 13.5% according to the label.

Drank this with Meatloaf, scalloped potatoes (covered with fresh ground black pepper) and home-made succotash. The meatloaf was veal, pork and beef topped off with some tomato sauce and filled with onions and garlic.

Now there might have been better things this would have gone with, but it sure went well with what was served.

[Innkeeper]

Couldn't agree more. Been touting this baby since Lot #2. If our search engine worked, you could find dozens of favorable posts.

[cpurvis]

Great table red indeed. But $17 ??!! You're gettin' stuck mrd! That Marietta is $10 on any shelf 'round these parts & 15% less by the case. cp

[winecollector]

cp- I may be wrong, but I think there are at least two different bottlings of the stuff. If memory serves me correctly, on my last trip to West Virginia the store I frequent down there had some for around $10, and a higher priced one around $15. I'll check on it next time I'm down there.

[cpurvis]

wc, let me know. Marietta bottles a variety of offerings & the labels look very similar, but I've only seen the Calif. O.V. Red Lot numbered series in one bottling...consistently at $10 these days. cp

[Innkeeper]

Now I remember why I call this the "Wine to go with oddball dishes." Tonight we had it with hot dogs and maple syrup baked Jacobs Cattle Beans, along with garden salad and our own Russian dressing. Great. Everyone should keep a case of it on hand for nights like this, meatloaf, corned-beef & cabbage (if no Harps lager is available), and other hard to match up things. Incidentally Lot #27 has made its appearance.

[Bucko]

I think I started with Lot 6...... always a value wine.

Bucko

[summa]

Had it on my wine list in NY a decade ago, forget the vintage # good to know some things don't change...a few at least [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] .