April 10, 2013 – Wine: 2003 Miner Family The Oracle Red Wine

When I pulled this bottle from the cellar, I thought I had grabbed a half-bottle from the 2005 vintage, of which I had a few remaining.  I was surprised how this one had deviated from the other 2005’s that I had already opened, but it retained the consistency that Miner puts into their Oracle wines.  It wasn’t until a few weeks later when I was looking for the last half-bottle of 2003 Oracle that I realized that this bottle was my last 2003 (and not a 2005 as I had thought – rummaging through the recycling confirmed this).  In my own defense, the year on the bottle is shown in tiny text that is difficult to read without reading glasses and good lighting.  Regardless of what I thought I was drinking, this wine is in a great state right now.  The wine presents nice fruits in terrific balance and smooth texture.  After a 90-minute decant (which this wine desperately needs), I noted flavors of sour cherry, cranberry, sweet black prunes, leather, and well-balanced minerals.  This was the first vintage of Oracle that I experienced (back in 2007) and I have always been impressed by this wine.


2003 Miner Family The Oracle Red Wine