This wine was opened and decanted for at least three hours before drinking. Not enough. This should still be held. It is a magnificent wine but very young still. It is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Merlot.
This is not their Grand Vin but "just" the regular blend. Not sure what that says more about, this wine of their top wines. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon of different clones of Cabernet. This was made by the late Denis Malbec. Inky purple in color. The nose is great with cassis, slight pencil lead, chocolate and slight roasted herbs. On the palate, this has a beautiful, almost seamless texture. Plenty of depth. Cassis fruit with slight dry tobacco and earthy notes. Also a bit of chocolate. Long finish. Light tannins. This is just about mature, maybe a bit more to go.It should b
One of the historic names from Napa, it's always a pleasure to see a bottle end up at the table. This is true to form. Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose is classic with cassis, slight bell pepper, a touch of chocolate and some fresh cut lumber. On the palate, still young with firm tannins. Plenty of cassis fruit and some oak. Needs another few years to develop and mature. That said, it is drinking fine today as well. Good drinking for 15 years at least. This will work well with roasted or grilled meats and/or fowl. These days it's a pretty good value in Napa Cabs.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot. This was a new winery for me. So many choices which is great! Purple in color. The nose has cassis, some black cherries, cedar, baking spices and dust. On the palate, this seems to be drinking well. Just slight tannins. Cassis fruit. Some depth. Solid finish. This probably won't get better but should continue to drink well for another five to seven years. It will go well with grilled burgers or steaks and most medium to heavier foods.
From Magnum. This is the home vineyard for Heidi Barrett, former winemaker for Screaming Eagle. I think sometimes, her wines get short shrift as they are not Screaming Eagle. At age 15, however, this one was outstanding. Purple in color. The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and some roasted meats. On the palate, this has a wonderful texture. Energy, it dances across the palate. Flavors of black raspberries, slight chocolate over gravel and char. Nice finish. Tasted again on day 3, it was just as strong (out of magnum). Nice finish. This will go
Another gorgeous California Cabernet. They are blessed in Napa. This one is drinking very well right now. Cassis, pencil lead and cedar on the nose. With air a slight cigar box emerges. On the palate, this is ripe but not over ripe. A classic example of Napa without being too far to the extreme. Cassis with some tobacco and fresh turned earth. Nice balance. The layers unwind in the glass; cassis, tobacco and cedar. Medium tannins still. This will certainly mature more over the next five years. Not sure it gets better. No hurry though, this has a decade left and likely more. It
One of the great wines of the world. This was tasted right after a huge Aussie Shiraz and it took a sip or two to re-calibrate, but once that was accomplished, this wines class shown thru. Still a young wine, this has a long future ahead. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, cedar, an herbal note (in a good way), spice and slight forest floor. On the palate, this has a wonderful texture. Full bodied but by no means brawny or a fruit bomb. Nice purity of cassis fruit over some roas
This is a big, sweet wine. It will likely be love it or hate it for most people. For my tastes, it is good but a little goes a long way. Inky purple in color. The nose is blackberry pie with some cherries, cedar, and chocolate. On the palate, this is full bodied. Sweet with blackberry pie, cherry pie, some dark chocolate and just a bit of spice. This lists 16.5% ABV on the label and though it tastes it, and feels it texturaly (is that a word?), there isn't any heat. Long, sweet finish. So, basically, this should be consumed as though one was drinking port. It will overpower most f
This a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petite Verdot. A Napa version of a Right Bank Bordeaux wine but this is really a pretty big wine. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, plums, slight spice and char. On the palate, the black cherries continue. There are firm tannins. Low acidity. A bit of underlying forest floor comes out with air. Medium finish. This makes a nice drink on its own. It should continue to evolve and become more food friendly with age. Another five years to peak and then another seven to ten after that. This was around $80 on releas
This is a blend of 58% Mourvedre and 42% Grenache. Purple in color. Opaque. The nose has black cherries, plums, cedar, and roasted meats. On the palate, the Grenache seems to dominate at this point, but with age that should change. Black cherry fruit intertwined with smoke and slight earthiness. Good acidity. Nice finish. This seems young but not a ton of tannins. It will be interesting to watch this age. It should go well with spicy Asian cuisine of stews and chili. Drinking well now, I don't think it gets better but should morph over the next decade or more.
