Bottled in shouldered dead leaf, I actually popped and poured before I realized it was a white and drank my first tastes at cellar-temp. A quick trip into the freezer and it comes back probably a lot more as the winemaker intended–still mid-60’s though. But I don’t think it’s SB. Gonna go with Viognier and GB as my first guess, with the latter dominant. Clean and bright, though bogged down in some of the richness experienced from the former. The nose is all savory moist cardboard, a calm cellar funk laying heavy on warm tropical and somewhat butter density. Rather elegant though, NOT a shrill example of GB this time.
In the mouth, a spritely green apple courses through, going tannic early and refuting easy fruit descriptors. Green plum, tart strawberry and firm apricot are the compelling factors, as it comes off as more luxurious White Bordeaux or expensive Rhone blanc than many of the easy white blends crossing my desk. The bitterness late-middle is delicious: a chalky, mineralific hard-shell candy-coating on thick guts. Beautifully austere in its complexity–AS ALL WHITE WINES SHOULD BE at this age–it has a mellow toasty sense of neutral solidifying the body. For a white blend, this bottle will set you back a couple dollars: placing itself in rather selected company in the grand scheme of California white blends–especially the top notches of Sauv-Blanc. But it’s worth every penny. A grand glass of wine with 20-year potential. I would have put a more elegant, classic label on it, because it deserves top-billing.
2021 MEEKER ‘Vexing Tyche’ GB/SB/VG/CB 51/21/17/11 North Coast 13.7
Stephen McConnell 