1983 Bouchaine - J. E. Luper Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

1983 Bouchaine - J. E. Luper Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (90 pts) @bouchaine _vineyards · ℹ️ Tasted double blind, but I did know it was 1999 or older. Here is what I could find about the wine after tasting it. Celebrated winemaker Jerry Luper (Diamond Creek, Freemark Abbey and Chateau Montelena) produced three vintages of his own wine under the J.E. Luper label from 1982-1984 while making wine at Bouchaine· 👁 Deep ruby with a pale garnet rim· 👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of prune, plum, dried dark cherry, dusty, VA, balsamic reduction, oak, ash, leather, menthol, and lead pencil· 👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium ripe and rounded tannins, medium alcohol, and medium body. Medium length finish of dried dark cherry and lead pencil· 🔔 A lovely example of a very spry 35 year young Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was not showing it's age, it thrived with some air and represented winemaking of a bygone era where 12.5 alcohol was the norm. Fun to taste, especially blind· 😎 I guessed 1989 Napa Cab. Ripe fruit almost a touch candied, but only medium alcohol, before mid-90s (aka alcohol crazy town). Pyrazines showing menthol instantly drove me to Napa, Sonoma, or Australia. Nothing of this age from South America would be showing so well at that time. Structure like Cabernet, but not a polished enough oak regiment for it to be Bordeaux. A lot of Bordeaux wines of this era have a considerable savory profile that this was missing. Was happy to be in the right location, grape, and same decade· In Blind, We Trust 😎