Guenoc 2005 Victorian Claret
I’ll freely admit to being a huge sucker for Bordeaux style blends, and most California claret’s really end up hitting my sweet spot: a bit more approachable and fruit-forward than a traditional French Bordeaux, but still have some interest, dimension, structure, etc.
So, that said, this was really “just OK” for me… There is tons of stuff going on here—it’s really pretty chaotic. There’s a real rich, sweet, complex fruitiness on the noise, and on the palate big flavors of raisin and plum, some vanilla, and a bit of cedar box. There’s also tons of oak, and then the finish is absolutely filled with smoke and tobacco—so much that I thought it was kind of nasty.
It’s a strange wine, and quite a bit different than the 2003 I’ve had previously. One would hope that (in some time) this wine will settle down and mellow out.