Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot and blends
 '85
Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa):
Big wine, big texture, big sink-scrapings nose, big coarse tannins.
Imagine V-8 spiked with plum juice. SY (8/01)
'91
Araujo "Eisele" Cabernet: Rumors
of ill health do not appear to be exaggerated. Poured into Riedel Vinums,
the wine showed a distinct "dusty" quality on the nose without a whole
lot else. It did open over the evening to give off a little herby, dried
fruit thing but it never achieved the opulence you would expect from
a wine of this pedigree. In the mouth, the dried out theme continued.
The fruit was mature but dried out on the short finish. Again, it became
more forthcoming over the evening but was disappointing in the end.
An argument could be made that the wine is still closed but I think
the maturity of the fruit belies that. I guess we will see in a few
years if the patient is indeed terminal. JD (6/01)
'90
Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma):
Opening scents of green tobacco and toast make way for some very characteristic
Sonoma fruit. Well-controlled and medium bodied, just getting to maturity,
it's a relief from the over-ripe stuff normally emanating from this
area. Tannins are still abundant but not intrusive. Superb match for
a potato and onion pizza. I'll drink my other bottles soon. SY (10/00)
'79
Niebaum-Coppolla Rubicon (Napa): Remarkably youthful, but it's mandatory
to air it out for a couple of hours to get its best. Well-muscled, still
coarsely tannic (as it apparently always will be), lots of Rutherford
dust aromas, and deep plummy fuitiness. A lot of palate impact, great
wine near its peak. SY (5/01)
'93
Saddleback Reserve (Napa): Very toasty-oaky and starting to oxidize.
The tannins are still there in full force, though. For chocoalte and
vanilla fans. SY (4/01)
'96
Greenwood Ridge Merlot ($20): Cherry/plum nose with a dash of oak.
Decent fruit on the palate, the wine thins on the finish. JD (6/99)
'96
Duncan Peak cabernet (Medocino)($29): Some cherry/berry fruit with
moderate tannins. Very simple wine. $29? JD (6/99)
'92
Oakville Bench Cellars cabernet ($14): I'm not sure but I think
this wine may have done some physical damage. JD (6/99)
'97
Benziger Cabernet ($16): Fruity nose with a slight herbaceous edge.
Soft fruit on the palate in a chocolate and oak frame, that isn't overdone.
A nonthreatening wine that you can quaff or serve to inlaws. JD (8/99)
'96
Paradigm Cabernet ($40): No discernable nose. Soft and simple fruit.
I preferred the Benziger. JD (8/99)
'95
Caymus "Special Selection" ($120): Inky color. The nose
is pretty tight but there is big fruit and chocolate on the
palate. The massive toasted new oak that has so marred
previous vintages is there but is in much better balance
with the fruit. This is a big ass wine that needs a few
years to show its best. I still can't understand the price
though. JD (4/99)
'96
Mt. Veeder Cabernet: No nose. Some fruit and coffee on
the palate with big tannins. What fruit there is thins on
the finish. Whether or not the fruit can tame the tannins
somewhere down the road is questionable. JD
(4/99)
'96
Pezzi King Cabernet ($20): A little green. Good fruit
with plenty of tannins. The finish is a little short. Even
with these shortcomings, it seems to have some potential.
Give it a few years and it should be a pretty nice wine. JD
(4/99)
'95
Dunn "Howell Mountain" Cabernet ($46): Opaque color,
poopy nose. Very tight, subdued fruit on the palate. Massive
tannins. Another wine from Dunn that requires at least 15-20
years to see if it's any good. On the plus side, the price
has remained reasonable (relatively speaking). JD
(4/99)
'96
Von Strasser Cabernet ($39): Classic cassis and
herb nose. The palate shows concentrated sweet fruit and
full tannins. It may turn out well but it's very tight right
now and needs years to resolve. Could be worth sticking a
bottle or two away to see how it turns out. JD
(3/99)
'96
Flora Springs "Trilogy" ($34): There have been some
decent "Trilogy's" in the past but this isn't one of them.
Sweet, candy fruit on the nose and the palate. Big tannins
and a short finish. Skip it. JD (3/99)
'97
La Crosse Cabernet ($10): From one of the Napa
Valley's perennial underachievers, Beaucannon, this one
doesn't help. Sweet black cherries on the nose but the
palate is thin and uninteresting. JD
(3/99)
'95
Wynn's "Coonawarra" Cabernet -Australia ($11):
Decent fruit nose with a waxy edge. The palate is
austere but there is some depth to the fruit. Short finish.
An adequate bbq wine that may benefit from a year or so in
the bottle. JD (3/99)
'96
St. Francis Merlot (Sonoma): Dark garnet color- not
even a hint of purple, all of which are reflected in a
slightly oxidative nose. Coconut, chocolate, and dill (sure
signs of American oak) lead the aroma pack, with some plums
and olives bringing up the rear. The usual soft merlot
texture yields to a sharp spike of tannin on the finish. I
suppose this is a decent domestic merlot, but it doesn't
ring my chimes. I hate to encourage this sort of thing, but
it might go well with pizza. SY
(3/99)
'95
Cafaro Merlot: Black fruit on the nose with some
cedar and toasted oak. Good dark fruit and oak on the
palate. The middle has a medium sized black hole in it
though, sucking in the flavors around it. Moderate tannins
and a medium length finish. JD (2/99)
'97
Echelon Merlot ($12): From Chalone, this is a wine
Merlot lovers should seek out. Plummy nose that's just a bit
stemmy. Sweet fruit with some toasty oak. Not complex by any
stretch of the imagination but it does deliver more fruit
than most Merlots in this price range. JD
(2/99)
'95
Hess "Select" Merlot ($13): Light fruit on the nose
and on the palate. Tannic and not much going for it. Skip it
and go for the Echelon instead. JD
(2/99)
'95
Monticello "Corley Reserve" Merlot ($35): 82%
Merlot and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is pretty
reticent. Full body with a huge structure. Big fruit and big
tannins. This is a serious Merlot that needs at least five
years to integrate and mellow. Or, pop it next to a well
marbled steak tonight. JD (2/99)
'96
Frogs Leap Cabernet Sauvignon $24): Wow. Plenty of
cassis and cedar on the nose in a frame of oak that refrains
from being gaudy. Big, rich fruit on the palate with full,
somewhat coarse tannins. This wine isn't going to win awards
for complexity or elegance but it sure is a damned nice
bottle of cab that should easily last 8-10 years while still
drinking well tonight. JD (2/99)
'95
Terraces Cabernet Sauvignon ($50): Cedar nose, some
cassis. Decent fruit on the palate with plenty of toasted
new oak. Full tannins that warrant years of ageing. For the
price, I'll take the Frogs Leap. JD
(2/99)
'94
Monticello "Corley Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon
($50): I'll admit, I haven't paid much attention to
Monticello for some years. This one made me sit up and take
notice. Classic cab nose full of cassis, cedar, herbs and
oak. Full red fruits on the palate. The structure is well
balance and big while still allowing the wine to come across
as elegant. I'll be tasting this one again but based on this
experience, it is well worth adding a couple of bottles to
the collection. Give it at least 10 years in the cellar.
JD (2/99)
'96
Sierra Vista Cabernet Sauvignon ($16): Plums, cassis with a
dose of toasty new oak. Plenty of sweet fruit with a touch of herbs
and toasted oak on the palate. Big tannins warrant a few years in the
cellar. Not being major fans of foothill cabernet, this one adds points
to the "plus" column. Decent juice at a decent price. (11/98)
|
