Simi Alex. Valley 2001

[amw5g]

Picked this up on the suggestion of WW at yesterday's wine pilgrimage. Deep red/purple color. Bouquet of raspberries and cherries. The taste is slightly acidic with a liquorice finish. Firm, but not abrasive tannins. As the bottle wore on, I got a dominant taste of oak/vanilla.

The oddest thing about this wine was how unremarkable the taste was, as if something were waiting in the wings, but hadn't really come out. Perhaps the proper term for this is "closed" or "dumb", but I'm not quite certain enough to throw that out, yet. The tannins give me the impression that the wine would peak after no more 3 or 4 years, so perhaps it's just on the young side right now.

Not an unpleasant or wimpy wine, just felt constrained. $15.50/btl

For those of you keeping score at home, we also picked up a 2001 Le Nonce CdP and a 2000 Hayman & Hills Meritage.

-Andrew

[This message has been edited by amw5g (edited 03-07-2004).]

[This message has been edited by amw5g (edited 03-07-2004).]