6 May 2007 - 15:55Topolos: Drink It Now

I don’t have a large wine collection but I do have a few cases in the cellar (crawl space) some of which I’ve been hoping to leave there for some years. One wine that I have been particularly looking forward to drinking in 2012 or later (I might have said 2022 except I can’t imagine holding anything that long) is a 2002 Topolos Alicante Bouschet. I’ve tasted very few wines where Alicante Bouschet was the featured attraction instead of a minor player but I have enjoyed them all. I bought a case of this one four or five years ago and I’ve only got four left but my intention had been to leave them alone. This is a varietal that is supposed to age very well. I’ve never had an aged Alicante but I’ve read that it can last as long as 20 years or more.

I also have some Topolos Zinfandel from 2000 and 2001. These I’ve been expecting to finish off no later than this year because Zinfandel doesn’t hold up much longer than 4-6 years. In fact, the last one I opened proved to be past it’s prime and so I’ve brought all the remaining bottles up from the cellar for drinking asap. They’re still good but they won’t last much longer — each one I open displays similar qualities including a brownish red color on the edges, a velvety soft texture and a sweetly alcoholic earthen flavor. Which got my curiosity up so last night I opened one of the last four Alicante Bouschets.

It’s a good thing I did because it’s also past it’s prime but so slightly so that it almost takes like a mature Amarone or Barolo. It’s incredibly rich, aromatic, smooth and full and just starting to fall out of balance with the alcohol starting to overtake the fruit. Topolos drinkers of the world: Drink it now! (They’ve gone out of business and I think their last vintage was 2003 or 2004.)

5 Comments | Tags: Tasting Notes

Comments:

  1. Eric says;
    08 May 2007 - 10:48

    We are still making some very fine wines at Russian River Vineyards (formerly Topolos) including award winning Pinot, Zin & Alicante (sold out the last vintage).

    Our restaurant has reopened too!

  2. Erwin Dink says;
    08 May 2007 - 13:40

    Thank you very much for the information. I don’t get out that way as much as I used to and on my last visit there was a “going out of business” sale. Also, the domain topolos.com points to a domain squatter — it’s too bad you didn’t carry that over. At any rate, I’m glad to hear you’re still operating and I will drop in when I can to see what’s what under the new label. I’m especially glad to hear you’re still making Alicante.

  3. Tom says;
    20 Jun 2007 - 22:05

    I loved the old Topolos tasting room. Like you Irwin, we ran into the same problem with the Alicante, (same year, 2002) which we picked up a mixed case of their wines when my girlfriend and I were there about two or years ago. We put it in her fathers wine cellar, so it was stored properly, but when we cracked one open starting about the last year, you could taste that it was losing it’s flavor and going bad. The Alcohol and vinegar were taking over big time. It was a nice buy and an interesting tasting wine, but definitely don’t let it age. Drink it now. I’m glad to hear they are still in business though.

  4. Peter May says;
    07 Aug 2007 - 10:25

    Thanks for the heads-up. I have a bottle of Topolos Alicante 1999.

    I too find Alicante interesting and I have recently obtained 2 French Alicantes

  5. Erwin Dink says;
    07 Aug 2007 - 11:06

    Peter, What were the French Alicantes you bought and are they still available?

    Thanks for the comment.