Wine Lover: Mystery bottle unearthed, uncorked, enjoyed

A couple of months ago, my friend’s landlord decided to remodel his house on 12th Avenue in Santa Cruz. Matt Umstead, the tenant, helped as Adam Dahlen Construction gutted a side bedroom and put in some new foundational support. As the team dug, they began finding old empty bottles. Many of them were ancient whiskey bottles, and some were old, forgotten wine bottles.
Then they unearthed one that hadn’t been opened.
Matt called me over for dinner and a Giants-Dodgers game later that day. When I arrived, the bottle was sitting on his porch table. It was a 375-milliliter and covered in dirt clods. The bottle didn’t have a label or any definitive markings. I asked Matt about it, and he explained that they had dug it up that morning. I asked to open it and said, “It’s probably vinegar, but hey! Why not?”
Matt said, “I’m sure it’s bad, but go ahead.”
I opened the bottle slowly and put it to my nose as Matt, his girlfriend Mariel, and our mutual friend Phil watched with anticipation. I breathed in the scent of age, caramel and expectation that had been waiting for me patiently for decades. My eyes lit up, and I grinned widely like a child at Christmas. I smelled again after the initial must blew off just to make sure.
I gazed up at them and excitedly said, “It’s port! I’m gonna give it a try.”
They laughed as though I were joking until I raised the bottle to my lips. I took a tiny sip, and the undeniable port flavors of caramel and chocolate flakes coated my tongue. The port overran my palate as though it were joyful to be released.
I nodded to Matt in approval as the jaws of every member of the group dropped.
“Glasses?” I asked. “You guys should try this.”
I poured some mystery wine into each glass. The wine was brown with what seemed to be green rim variation. It was heavily inundated with tiny bits of sediment. The bits were so tiny, it added texture: a slight grittiness, appropriate as the bottle had waited so long in the dirt.
As years of wine must dissipated, the port began to show its true colors. It was like roasted nuts, tawny and crème brulee with ribbons of alcohol interspersed. We sipped with ease as Matt contemplated who had lived at the property in past years. We mused about where it might have come from and who might have made it.
I drove home that night with the almond finish lingering in my mouth. Matt still has the dirty bottle sitting on his mantle. I told Matt recently, “That was one of the coolest wine experiences I’ve ever had. I should write an article about that.”
Austin Twohig is a certified sommelier and partner in The Santa Cruz Experience, which conducts winery tours in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Contact him at au****@th********************.com.