March 9, 2014 – Wine: 2004 Rudd Estate Proprietary Red

I tasted this wine at the winery and sought out a case of it.  (Yes, it was that good.)  Then I let it sit for three years before opening the first bottle.  Again I was disappointed that one of my premium wine purchases was thinning, restrained, and lacking its youthful richness.  Of course, this is probably the stage of wine development known as locked-down.  Tonight, I opened my second bottle and the results were quite different.  Similar to the development trend of the 2002 release of this wine, this vintage is tending now towards elegance, with power to back it up.  The wine is delightfully smooth, with flavors of sour cherry, raspberry, blackberry, tea, and leather.  Now I am glad that I have nearly a case remaining to enjoy.

2004 Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red