1994 Blend from Monte Bello Vineyard Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains

3 Stars VineSugar

At first, there's still signs of elegant fruit components but this iconic blend falls apart in the middle. Aromas waft of cedar, sweet leather, pencil shavings and anise with subtle hint of black cherries. Smells very "old world" and reminiscent of walking through a dimly lit wine cellar with quietly aging barrels. An easy, delicate entry with plenty of sweet oak and forest floor qualities. Very light and delicate flavors that fade quickly into a surprisingly long, leather, tobacco and oak spice finish. There's still good tannin structure here but the fruit has faded into subtle nuances of dried cherries. I can appreciate the aromas and finish but there's not enough in between to make me like this wine. Considering its age, it's maintaining itself proudly but a few years ago, this wine was probably drinking much better overall.