Mark (Dale and Mojo too),

Thanks for the helpful post! So what happens when you start out with a
really fruit-driven wine that lacks tannic structure? Could you
describe what an over-the-hill fruit-driven wine tastes like? I'm
pretty sure I've had them but I'm not sure. I had one Pinot Noir
recently that was so flabby that it tasted like cough syrup. I was
frustrated with myself for lacking the knowledge to pinpoint what the
obvious defect was (lack of acidity, weak tannins, or poor acid/alcohol
balance). I found myself wishing that I could have an expert taste it
and explain the defect to me.

On the same subject, is a lack of tannins what accounts for the softness
that makes alot of "quaffers" unappealing to me? I'm thinking of some
of the cheap Australian Shirazes such as Yellow Tail.

It really is amazing how many elements must come together to provide a
perfectly balanced wine. It's exciting when it happens -- enough to
send people like us on our quests for really great wine!

Jonathan

>
> p.s. Thanks for the thoughts on the '82 G-L. That's an example of a
> wine that was hell of tannic in its youth, and see how it's developed!

How long do you intend to hold your last bottle of the '82 G-L?