This is the "second" label for Scarecrow wine.   It is a blend of blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec and 3% Merlot.  What a fabulous wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, some tobacco and slight graphite.  This is young of course but already delicious.  It kept opening all night but even the first sip was delicious.  Full bodied.  14.9% Alc.  Not a fruit bomb but lots of California sunshine and ripeness.  On the palate, cassis and black cherries with firm tannins.  An underlying forest floor quality.  It coats the mouth but has the acidi

Ruby in color, some browning at the rim.  The nose is slightly dusty with black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has some cherries and dried cherries with a bit of earthiness.  Good acidity.  Reasonably complex.  This is still alive and drinking well if perhaps a bit past prime.  It is surprisingly clean given the age and how Chateauneufs were produced back then.  It went well with a tomato cream soup and indeed, would work with a wide variety of foods.  

This bottle was quite good.  There are some reports about the prematurely oxidizing or at least ageing quickly but this was the first time trying this vintage.  It is quite a deep golden color but that is not unheard of for Chenin.  The nose is very nice with aromas of pears, orange peel, slight copper note and a bit of honey.  Full bodied and slightly viscous.  Also slightly oily in texture.  Lots of great minerality with some background orange and pear.  Long finish.  This has a slight perception of being sweet but it seems dry.  Good acidity.  This worked great with some hummus and also

Always nice to have some Champagne at a dinner or party.  This is a reasonably priced bottle that drinks nicely.  45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier.  Light silvery gold in color.  A nice mousse with a fair amount of smallish bubbles.  The nose has hay, ginger and slight toast.  On the palate, this is reasonably crisp.  More mineral driven than fruit but some citrus.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Very enjoyable and will go with most any food.  These should be purchased fresh and drunk in the first couple of years.  

This wine is pretty much at peak at this point but drinking quite well.  Pop and pour and it was drinking from the get go.  Purple in color with a slight ruby line at the rim.  The nose has cherries, a slight funk and just a hint of aquarium water.  It is better on the palate and more fresh.  juicy cherries with some complexity.  An underlying earthiness though clean.  The fruit is ripe.  No tannins.  While it drinks well on its own, it would be better with some medium or lighter fare.  The fruit is fresh enough to stand up to some spice as well.  These should be drunk up in the next few ye

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has macerated cherries with a slight Burgundy funk.  This wine is still youthful and needs some time to develop.  it unwinds slowly in the glass as the nose gets more pronounced.  On the palate, there are slight tannins.  Nice red cherry fruit.  Deep but needs air/time to show its complexity.  With air a nice spice quality comes out on the finish.  This wine really begs for food and should pair nicely with a wide variety of foods.  It should peak in about five more years and be good for a decade after that.  

Is there a more iconic wine made anywhere?  Arguably no and certainly not in the USA.  This is the wine that defines "Cult Wine".  The release price has closed in on $1,000 per bottle and the aftermarket is double for starters.  So, it is nice to actually open a bottle and see what the fuss is all about.  The first question is whether it is worth it.  That answer all depends on so much more than wine.  One pays for the rarity.  One pays for the status.  One pays for the experience.  Still, at the end of the day, how is the wine.  As Napa Cabs go, this is not a huge wine.  It is more about e

Dull purple in color.  The nose is nice.  Fresh and earthy with some cherries.  On the palate, this has bright cherries.  A bit lighter than other vintages.  It faded quickly in the glass.  Still quite good but this probably needs to be consumed in the next few years if this bottle was representative.  More red cherries than black cherries.  

Easily the star in a vertical of older vintages of Numanthia.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has slight coconut with ripe black cherries and some spice.  On the palate, this is lush, deep and still youthful.  Black cherry fruit.  Firm medium tannins.  Long finish.  Just a delicious wine that will doubtless last another decade and probably two as it matures.  This will need bigger food to stand up to it.  

This wine is showing its age and was a unanimous choice for last place in our vertical.  That said, it is still worth drinking if you own a bottle, just lower expectations.  Purple in color.  The nose is a bit dusty with just a bit of diluted cherry fruit left.  On the palate, this lacks fruit.  There is a bit of a root beer note that is interesting.  Slightly bitter on the finish.  It has some depth.  Of course, at age 19, bottles will vary.