Served as part of a high end blind flight, this was perhaps my "worst" guess of the night. Blind, I called a 2018 Solaia or Sassicaia.
Served blind, I got lucky and guessed 2017 Scarecrow. This was more open and ready than I might have expected for 2012, which is why I guessed 2017. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, cedar and clay. Full bodied. Firm tannins. great energy and balance. On the palate, this is seamless. So smooth. Cassis with wet rocks/light earthiness. Long finish. This may still improve and will undoubtedly age more. Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years. Great on its own, this is a classic steak house wine.
This is the basic Cabernet in Myriad's lineup. A stunning wine if not at the level of the single vineyard offerings. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, slight tobacco, leather, spice and char. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, great balance. Lots of cassis with black pepper and underlying char. Long finish. This is not a fruit monster but it is a bigger wine. At age 5, it is barely showing much development, but is still enjoyable. Ideally, cellar for five more and then drink for fifteen to twenty after that.
My first time trying this. It seems to be associated with Ghost Block wines. This is a blend of 56% Malbec and 44% Petite Verdot. Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has plums, cedar, clay and spice. Full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, plums with a bit of black raspberries. More one dimensional with out a lot going on. It drinks very easy. Nice on its own, this would be a nice mid week burger wine. drink over the next five years.
Always a great night when drinking this wine. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is classic with cassis, sandalwood, slight cedar, baking spices, and slight char. Full bodied. Tannins are mostly integrated but a few remain. The texture is beautiful. Almost seamless. great balance. On the palate, this is delicious. Mature but plenty of life left. Notes of cassis, plums with underlying char. Long finish. Complex, it unwinds in the glass. This is wonderful on its own, and will work well with bigger foods. It would work well with roasted chicken or duck. At age 1
This is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is lovely with cassis, cedar, black cherries, slight dried tobacco, spice and an interesting menthol note. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is delicious. Cassis, black cherries, spices and graphite. Lovely texture. Long finish. This is young but drinking well. It is great on its own and would work well with roasted meats and/or root vegetables. It will still improve. Drink over the next twenty years.
This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It is a beautiful wine. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is lovely with cassis, slight black cherries, cedar and char. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, young, firm and deep. This needs time to open but still provides a lot now. Cassis, and cedar with underlying char. Long finish. This is great on its own and would work with a steak right now. Still, cellar for five years then drink for fifteen after that.
This is from the American sparkling wine outpost of Taittinger. Green gold in color with a nice mousse of very small bubbles. The nose has pears, slight lemons, toast and a hint of vanilla. Full bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, the pears with underlying char. Some lemon notes on the finish. Good finish. This is nice on its own and should be very food friendly. A great wine to share with popcorn when streaming a movie. Drink over the next three to five years.
Light golden in color with a bit of a copper hue, clear and bright. The nose is big with limes, peach and slight tropical fruit. Medium bodied. On the palate, the tropical fruit becomes more vivid along with limes. Slight minerality. Crisp. Long finish. This is drinking well on its own but would work well with lighter foods. A nice choice with a Cobb Salad. Drink over the next five years.
From one of the classic Napa wineries (and still producing great wines). This bottle was consumed on the Celebrity Millennium Cruise Ship off the coast of Alaska (off their list). Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with lemon cream and a slight pine note. Full bodied. On the palate, this is crisp. It shows just minimal touches of oak. Nice lemon/lime notes with good acidity. A bit clipped perhaps on the finish, but otherwise very impressive. Lovely on its own, this will work well with sea food or even Thai. Drink over the next eight to twelve years.
