Jan. 28, 2010 - Cult/Near-Cult Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends

The 1997 Pride Mountain Reserve cabernet sauvignon, made by Robert Foley when he worked at Pride Mountain, edged out the 2003 Robert Foley Claret for first place in our annual January tasting of cult/near-cult cabernet sauvignons and blends. The 2004 Harlan The Maiden was a distant third. Two ringers, the 2004 Spring Valley Frederick from Walla Walla, Washington and the 2007 Coho Headwaters from Napa Valley, finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

1. 1997 Pride Mountain Reserve (WS 92, WA 97+) (4 of 7 firsts/1 second/1 third/0 fourths, 21 points)
2. 2003 Robert Foley Claret (WS 95, WA 96) (2/3/1/0, 19 points)
3. 2004 Harlan, The Maiden (WS NR, WA 95) (1/1/0/2, 9 points)
4. 2001 David Arthur, Elevation 1147 (WS 96, WA NR) (0/1/2/0, 7 points)
5. 2004 Spring Valley Frederick, Washington (ringer) (WS 90, WA 94) (0/0/2/2, 6 points)
6. 2007 Coho Headwaters (ringer) (WS NR, WA 89) (0/1/0/0, 3 points)
7. 1996 Peter Michael Les Pavots (WS 96, WA 96) (0/0/1/0, 2 points)
8. 2001 Quilceda Creek, Washington (WS 94, WA 98) (0/0/0/2, 2 points)
9. 2001 Vérité La Muse (WS NR, WA 94) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Aug. 13, 2009 - Recent, High-End Zinfandel

Our August tasting of recent, high-end zinfandels produced some surprisingly nice wines and a very close finish. The 2009 Vineyard 29 Aida and the 2007 Orin Swift Saldo each picked up 19 points, with the Aida winning with more first-place votes. Right behind was the 2005 Hartford Family, Fanucchi-Wood Road zin.

1. 2004 Vineyard 29, Aida, Napa (WS NR, WA 94) (3 of 9 firsts/1 seconds/0 thirds/4 fourths, 19 points)
2. 2005 Orin Swift, Saldo (WS 91, WA NR) (2/2/2/1, 19 points)
3. 2005 Hartford Family, Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard, Russian River Valley (WS 92, WA 90) (2/1/2/0, 15 points)
4. 2007 Gamba, Russian River Estate (CG 91, LA & OC County Fair Gold Medals) (0/1/3/1, 10 points)
5. 2006 Turley, Mead Ranch, Atlas Peak, Napa (WS 90, WA 88-91) (0/2/0/2, 8 points)
6. 2005 Haywood, Rocky Terrace Los Chamizal Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (WS 93, WA NR) (1/1/0/0, 7 points)
7. 2003 Rosenblum, Rockpile Road Vineyard, Sonoma (WS 94, WA NR) (1/0/1/0, 6 points)
8. 2007 Ravenswood, Teldeschi Vineyard (ringer) (WS NR, WA NR) (0/1/0/0, 3 points)
9. 2005 Williams Selyem, Forchini Vineyard, Russian River Valley (WS 89, WA 91) (0/0/1/1, 3 points)
10. 2004 School House Vineyard, Mesco Lanzas, Spring Mountain (WS NR, WA 93) (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical, July 16, 2009

Our July tasting of Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon from the Alexander Valley offered several surprises. Many of the group felt that the Alexander Valley cabs were more consistent in style than the Napa cabs we tasted last month. Some tasters also felt the overall quality was equal to or greater than the Napa wines. As with last month, the older vintages showed better than the more recent ones. The 1991 come in first by a substantial margin, followed by the 1985 and the 1995. The complete results are shown below.

Again, a big "thank you" to Larry G. for providing three of these wines and for suggesting the verticals in the first place.

1. 1991 (WS 91, WA 92) (3 of 10 firsts/3 seconds/0 thirds/2 fourths, 23 points)
2. 1985 (WS 90, WA 92) (1/1/3/3, 16 points)
3. 1995 (WS 92, WA 94) (1/2/2/0, 14 points)
4. 2001 (WS 89, WA 90) (2/1/0/0, 11 points)
5. 1993 (WS 86, WA 90) (1/1/1/0, 9 points)
6. 1990 (WS NR, WA 91) (0/1/2/2, 9 points)
7. 1987 (WS 82, WA 89) (1/0/2/0, 8 points)
8. 1996 (WS 80, WA 92) (1/0/0/1, 5 points)
9. 1997 (WS 82, WA 89) (0/1/0/1, 4 points)
10. 1999 (WS 87, WA 89) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)
11. 2000 (WS 86, WA 88) (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical, June 25, 2009

The older vintages fared better in our June tasting of Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley. The 1981 vintage was the overall winner, although some tasters admitted they voted for it not necessarily because it was the best wine, but because it was the best wine "considering its age." It was holding up remarkably well and had obviously been well-stored by Mike. Second place went to the 1995, followed closely by the 1992. The group consensus was that the quality of more recent vintages has declined slightly from earlier years. It was also noted by several tasters that the winery's style did not seem to be as consistent as is usually thought.

Many thanks to Larry G. for providing six of the wines for this event.

1. 1981 (WS 75, WA 86) (4 of 10 firsts/1 second/0 thirds/1 fourth, 20 points)
2. 1995 (WS 84, WA 95) (3/0/2/1, 17 points)
3. 1992 (WS 89, WA 94) (1/3/1/0, 15 points)
4. 2002 (WS 90, WA 91) (1/1/2/0, 11 points)
5. 1994 (WS 91, WA 93) (0/2/0/4, 10 points)
6. 1990 (WS 88, WA 93) (1/1/0/0, 7 points)
7. 2001 (WS 88, WA 92) (0/1/2/0, 7 points)
8. 1998 (WS 85, WA 88) (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
9. 1993 (WS 88, WA 90) (0/0/2/1, 5 points)
10. Tie: 1991 (WS 90, WA 95)
1996 (WS 86, WA 91)
1999 (WS 91, WA 87) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Recent, High-End "Rhône Rangers," May 28, 2009

The top four wines were very close in our May tasting of recent, high-end California "Rhône Rangers," with the 2001 Alban Reva syrah from Edna Valley emerging as the winner by a single point. Right behind were the 2004 Tensley syrah, Colson Canyon, Santa Barbara and the 2003 La Sirena syrah, Napa Valley, with the 2004 Garretson syrah, Mon Amie, from Paso Robles in fourth place. The wines showed extremely well overall and met or exceeded almost everyone's expectations. Eight of the 11 wines got at least one first-place vote, and every wine got at least two votes.

1. 2001 Alban Syrah, Reva, Edna Valley (WS 94, WA 93) (2 firsts/2 second/1 third/1 fourth, 17 points)
2. 2004 Tensley Syrah, Colson Canyon, Santa Barbara (WS NR, WA 93) (3/1/0/1, 16 points)
3. 2003 La Sirena Syrah, Napa Valley (WS NR, WA 93) (1/3/1/1, 16 points)
4. 2004 Garretson Syrah, Mon Amie, Paso Robles (WS 87, WA 94) (1/1/2/3, 14 points)
5. 2005 Bevan Cellars Syrah, Drystack Vineyard, Bennett Valley, Sonoma (WS NR, WA NR) (1/1/1/0, 9 points)
6. 2005 Lagier Meredith Syrah, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley (WS 92, WA 95) (1/0/1/2, 8 points)
7. 2004 Qupé Syrah, Bien Nacido Hillside, Santa Barbara (WS NR, WA 92) (0/1/2/1, 8 points)
8. Tie: 2006 Denner Syrah, The Dirt Worshipper, Paso Robles (WS 93, WA 88+), and
2006 Saxon Brown Syrah, Parmelee-Hill Owl Box Block, Sonoma (WS 94, WA 90) (1/0/1/0, 6 points)
10. 2005 Red Car Syrah, California (WS 93, WA 93) (0/1/1/1, 6 points)
11. 2000 Ojai Vineyards Syrah, Melville Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills (WS 90, WA 94) (0/1/0/1, 4 points)

Joseph Phelps Insignia Vertical, April 9, 2009

Our April vertical tasting of Joseph Phelps Insignia produced uniformly outstanding wines and the 2005 vintage won by a wide margin. The fact that the 2005 beat out the older wines demonstrates the early drinkability of Insignia (and, perhaps, our penchant for younger, fruitier wines). On the other hand, our results correlated reasonably well with the scores from the Wine Advocate. The results, along with scores from the usual suspects:

1. 2005 (WS 92, WA 95) (7 firsts/1 second/3 thirds/0 fourths, 33 points)
2. 2004 (WS 94, WA 95) (1/4/1/0, 18 points)
3. 2002 (WS 96, WA 95) (0/2/0/3, 9 points)
4. 2001 (WS 90, WA 95) (0/1/2/2, 9 points)
5. 2003 (WS 90, WA 94) (1/0/0/3, 7 points)
6. 2000 (WS 92, WA 91) (0/1/2/0, 7 points)
7. 1992 (WS 94, WA 95) (1/0/0/0, 4 points)
8. 1998 (WS 92, WA 91) (0/0/2/0, 4 points)
9. 1999 (WS 94, WA 91) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Red Bordeaux 1982-1999, March 12, 2009

Our March tasting of older red Bordeaux was pleasantly surprising, as most of the wines showed extremely well and generally lived up to the critics' past scores. Two 1995 Pauillacs topped the results, but a 1982 St.-Emilion was close behind. The winner was the 1995 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, which edged out the 1995 Pichon-Lalande. However, the 1982 Figeac, the oldest wine of the night, was in a virtual tie for second and received the largest number of first-place votes of the night. The fourth place wine was another Pauillac, the 1985 Lynch-Bages.

1. 1995 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac (WS 93, WA 95) (2 firsts/2 seconds/4 thirds/1 fourth, 23 points)
2. 1995 Pichon-Lalande, Pauillac (WS 94, WA 96) (3/0/2/3, 19 points)
3. 1982 Figeac, St.-Emilion (WS 93, WA 95) (4/0/0/2, 18 points)
4. 1985 Lynch-Bages, Pauillac (WS 97, WA 92) (1/3/1/0, 15 points)
5. 1995 Angélus, St.-Emilion (WS 95, WA 95) (0/3/1/2, 13 points)
6. 1986 Rausan-Ségla, Margaux (WS 87, WA 96) (1/1/0/2, 9 points)
7. 1989 Meyney, St.-Estèphe (WS 93, WA 90) (1/1/0/1, 8 points)
8. 1990 Lagrange, Pomerol (WS 94, WA 86) (0/2/1/0, 8 points)
9. 1999 Canon-La Gaffelière, St.-Emilion (WS 88, WA 92) (0/0/2/0, 4 points)
10. 1995 Calon-Ségur, St.-Estèphe (WS 95, WA 92) (0/0/1/1, 3 points)
11. Tie: 1996 Léoville Poyferré, St.-Julien (WS 90, WA 93) and
1986 Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien (WS 93-89, WA 94) (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

Recent, High-End, West Coast Pinot Noir, February 12, 2009

We tasted a great group of 11 pinot noirs in February, including four wines from Kosta Browne, but some of the big guns did not quite live up to their reputations. Kosta Browne did very well overall, taking first place with the 2004 Amber Ridge Vineyard and fourth with 2006 Kanzler Vineyard. The Kosta Browne 2005 Garys' Vineyard tied for fifth and the very highly rated Kosta Browne 2004 Kanzler finished seventh. Second place went to the 2005 Ambullneo, Mastiff Cuvée. The top two wines stood out from the pack.

Three of the top four wines were from Sonoma County - two from the Russian River Valley and one from the Sonoma Coast - and the other was from Los Carneros, which straddles the southern part of Sonoma and Napa. Three Oregon wines finished at the bottom of the rankings. The complete results, along with the critics' scores, are listed below.

1. 2004 Kosta Browne, Amber Ridge Vineyard, Russian River Valley (WS 93, WA NR) (3 firsts, 3 seconds, zero thirds, 4 fourths, 25 points)
2. 2005 Ambullneo, Mastiff Cuvée, Los Carneros (WS NR, WA 92) (2/3/3/0, 23 points)
3. 2005 Chasseur, Freestone Station, Russian River Valley (WS 91, WA 94) (2/1/0/1, 12 points)
4. 2006 Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard, Sonoma Coast (WS 92, WA NR) (2/0/1/1, 11 points)
5. Tie - 2005 Kosta Browne, Garys' Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands (WS 93, WA 86) and
2006 Laetitia, Reserve, Arroyo Grande Valley (WS NR, WA NR, Wine Enthusiast 95)
7. 2004 Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard, Sonoma Coast (WS 98, WA NR) (0/0/3/2, 8 points)
8. 2006 Talley, Rosemary's Vineyard, Arroyo Grande Valley (WS 94, WA 89+) (0/1/2/0, 7 points)
9. 2005 Argyle, The Nuthouse, Willamette Valley (WS 93, WA 95) (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
10. 2006 St. Innocent, Anden Vineyard, Willamette Valley (WS NR, WA 92+) (0/0/1/0, 2 points)
11. 2004 Archery Summit, Arcus Estate, Willamette Valley (WS 94, WA 88) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Cult/Near-Cult Cabernet Sauvignon & Bordeaux-Style Blends, January 15, 2009

The 2001 Shafer Hillside Select was the clear winner of our January 15 tasting of cult and near-cult California cabernet sauvignons and blends. The wines, in general, lived up to their reputations and were outstanding across the board, with every wine getting at least one vote. The tasting turned up one outstanding value - the 2006 Honig, a ringer which finished fourth despite being priced well below the other wines at $32. Interestingly, the three oldest wines in the group finished at the bottom of the rankings. The complete results, along with the critics' scores, are listed below.

1. 2001 Shafer, Hillside Select (WS 95, WA 99) (4 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds, 1 fourth, 20 points)
2. 2003 Robert Foley, Claret (WS 95, WA 96) (2/1/2/2, 17 points)
3. 2002 Spottswoode (WS 90, WA 97) (1/2/1/0, 12 points)
4. 2006 Honig (ringer, WS NR, WA NR) (1/1/1/2, 11 points)
5. 2004 Harlan, The Maiden (WS NR, WA 95) (1/1/1/1, 10 points)
6. 2001 Hourglass (WS NR, WA 95) (0/2/0/1, 7 points)
7. 2002 Vineyard 29, Aida (WS NR, WA 95) (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
8. 1999 Araujo (WS 97, WA 95) (0/0/2/0, 4 points)
9. 1999 Colgin, Cariad (WS 92, WA 91) (0/0/1/1, 3 points)
10. 1995 Lokoya, Rutherford (WS 97, WA 94) (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Right-Bank Bordeaux Reds, 1995 & Younger, >/=$50 & 92 Points, November 13, 2008

November's tasting of right-bank red Bordeaux (all St.-Emilions except for one Pomerol) was somewhat disappointing, but it did produce a clear winner. Although there were some excellent wines, they did not live up to our expectations or the critics' scores. Most of the wines were young and hard and need time to improve. The standout was the 2005 Ch. Destieux, followed by the 2003 Ch. Canon-La Gaffelière.

1. 2005 Ch. Destieux, St.-Emilion (4 firsts, 2 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth, 25 points)
2. 2003 Ch. Canon-La Gaffelière, St.-Emilion (3/1/1/2, 19 points)
3. 2005 Ch. Sansonnet, St.-Emilion (1/2/1/1, 13 points)
4. 2005 Ch. Bellefont-Belcier, St.-Emilion (1/1/2/1, 12 points)
5. 2005 Ch. Monbousquet, St.-Emilion (1/1/1/1, 10 points)
6. 2005 Ch. La Clotte, St.-Emilion (0/2/1/1, 9 points)
7. 2000 Clos Fourtet, St.-Emilion (1/0/1/2, 8 points)
8. 2000 Ch. Pavie-Macquin, St.-Emilion (0/1/2/0, 7 points)
9. 1995 Ch. Monbousquet, St.-Emilion (0/1/1/2, 7 points)
10. Tie: 1998 Ch. Grand-Mayne, St.-Emilion, and
2000 Ch. Latour à Pomerol, Pomerol (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

2004 vs. 2005 Cabernets & Bordeaux-Style Blends >/=$50, October 30, 2008

Our October tasting of 2004 and 2005 California cabernet sauvignons and Bordeaux-style blends over $50 turned up some outstanding wines, including a notable bargain, but produced no clear winner between the two vintages. The top wine, by a slight margin (and the bargain wine of the night) was the 2004 Provenance, Rutherford, cabernet. It was a ringer because its retail price was about $30. Second place went to the relatively unknown 2005 O'Shaughnessy, Howell Mountain, cabernet which was in a virtual tie with the 2005 Shafer One Point Five cabernet. All the wines were cabernet sauvignon, except for one blend.

1. 2004 Provenance, Rutherford (ringer) (3 firsts, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fourth, 18 points)
2. 2005 O'Shaughnessy, Howell Mountain (2/2/1/0, 16 points)
3. 2005 Shafer One Point Five (1/3/1/1, 16 points)
4. 2004 Sherwin Family (1/1/1/1, 10 points)
5. 2004 Revana (1/0/2/1, 9 points)
6. 2004 Etude (0/2/0/3, 9 points)
7. 2005 Vineyard 29, Cru (1/0/0/3, 7 points)
8. 2004 Lancaster (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
9. 2005 Palazzo, Red Wine (1/0/0/0, 4 points)
10. 2005 Pride Mountain (0/0/2/0, 4 points)
11. 2004 Wolf Family (0/0/1/0, 2 points)

Spanish Red Wines (>$30), September 25, 2008

Our September tasting of Spanish red wines turned up some very nice, and generally reasonably priced, wines. However, the consensus seemed to be that they were "good, but not great." Two wines tied for first in the field of eight, with four of the wines getting first-place votes.

1. Tie (2 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds, 1 fourth, 12 points):
1997 Torres, Mas la Plana Estate, Black Label, Penedès
2004 Mas Doix, Salanques, Priorat
3. 2002 Aalto, Ribera Del Duero (1/1/2/0, 11 points)
4. 2004 Ardèvol, Coma d'en Romeu, Priorat (0/2/2/0, 10 points)
5. 2004 Numanthia-Termes, Termes, Toro (1/0/1/2, 8 points)
6. 1995 Bodegas LAN, Culmen Reserva, Rioja (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
7. Tie (0/0/0/1, 1 point):
2003 Celler de Capçanes, Mas Donis Barrica, Tarragona (ringer)
2000 Viñas de Alange, Palacio Quemado Reserva, Alvear

2001 & Older Châteauneuf-du-Pape, August 14, 2008

August's tasting of older Chateauneuf-du-Pape got us back to our usual price level, but the results were disappointing. Even though the wines were rated highly by the usual critics and publications, the group generally found them lacking - a bit old and/or dried out and not worth the relatively high prices. The results are below.

1. 1998 Ch. Cabrieres, Prestige, Tête de Cru, Unfiltered (1 first, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, 1 fourth, 23 points)
2. 1996 Ch. Rayas, Ch. De Fonsalette, Réservé (Côtes du Rhône, ringer) (1/1/3/1, 14 points)
3. 1998 Dom. De la Vieille Julienne, Cuvée Réservé, Daumen Père & Fils (2/1/0/0, 11 points)
4. 2000 M. Chapoutier, Croix de Bois (2/0/1/0, 10 points)
5. 1998 Clos St.-Jean (0/2/0/1, 7 points)
6. 2001 Bosquet des Papes, Chante le Merle, Vielles Vignes (1/0/1/0, 6 points)
7. 1998 Bosquet des Papes (1/0/0/2, 6 points)
8. 1995 Dom. Roger Sabon, Cuvée Prestige (0/0/2/3, 5 points)
9. 1994 Dom. du Vieux Télégraphe, La Crau (1/0/0/0, 4 points)
10. 2001 Dom. Du Pegau, Cuvée Réservée (0/1/0/1, 4 points)

Red and White House Wines, July 17, 2008

Our July tasting of red and white house wines provided some surprises, with some sub-$15 wines showing extremely well. The standouts in the red flight were the 2006 Hahn Meritage, the 2005 R Wines Boarding Pass Shiraz (Australia) and the 2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates cabernet sauvignon (Washington state), which finished 1-2-3. The Boarding Pass shiraz was a little controversial (you either loved it or not) - it got five first-place votes and no others.

The winner in the white flight was the 2006 Meridian Santa Barbara County chardonnay, followed by the 2005 Belvedere Russian River Valley chardonnay. The complete results are listed below.

July 17, 2008 - House Red Wines (<$15)
1. 2006 Hahn, Meritage (3 firsts, 2 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth, 21 points)
2. 2005 R Wines, Boarding Pass, Shiraz (Australia) (5/0/0/0, 20 points)
3. 2005 Columbia Crest, Grand Estates, Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State) (0/4/2/3, 19 points)
4. 2004 Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon (1/3/0/2, 15 points)
5. 2007 Root:1, Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) (1/1/1/1, 10 points)
6. 2005 Huntington, Petite Sirah (0/0/2/1, 5 points)
7. 2004 Legaris, Crianza (Spain) (0/0/1/1, 3 points)
8. Tie (0/0/1/0, 2 points):
2005 Albane & Bertrand Minchin, Le Clos Delorme, Valençay, Loire Valley
2005 Ch. Caronne Ste. Gemme, Haut-Médoc
2004 Sly Dog, Lake County, Cabernet Sauvignon
11.2004 Napa River, Merlot (0/0/0/1, 1 point)


July 17, 2008 - House White Wines (<$15)
1. 2006 Meridian, Santa Barbara County, Chardonnay (2 firsts, 4 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth, 23 points)
2. 2005 Belvedere, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay (2/2/1/0, 16 points)
3. 2006 Rod Strong, Chalk Hill, Chardonnay (1/1/3/1, 14 points)
4. 2006 Block 50, Chardonnay (New South Wales) (2/0/0/2, 10 points)
5. 2005 Angeline, Mendocino, Gewurztraminer (2/0/0/1, 9 points)
6. 2006 Beringer, Alluvium Blanc (0/1/3/0, 9 points)
7. 2007 Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) (1/0/2/0, 8 points)
8. 2005 Toasted Head, Chardonnay (0/1/0/3, 6 points)

Nov. 9, 2007 - Recent High-End Merlots

The November tasting of recent, high-end merlots included a lot of excellent wines, but two stood out from the pack - the 2004 Pahlmeyer, which finished first, and the 2005 Pride Mountain, which was second. Third place was a somewhat controversial wine from Washington state - it got three first-place votes and nothing else.

1. 2004 Pahlmeyer (4 firsts, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 0 fourths, 29 points)
2. 2005 Pride Mountain (4/2/1/1, 27 points)
3. 2004 Pedestal, Washington State (3/0/0/0, 12 points)
4. 2004 Blackbird (0/2/2/2, 12 points)
5. 2004 Gainey, Limited Selection (0/2/1/2, 10 points)
6. 2002 Beringer, Bancroft Ranch (1/0/0/3, 7 points)
7. 2002 Joseph Phelps (0/1/1/1, 6 points)
8. 2002 Keenan, Reserve (0/1/0/3, 6 points)
9. 2001 Del Dotto (0/1/1/0, 5 points)
10.2003 Corte Riva (0/0/2/0, 4 points)
11.2002 Behrens & Hitchcock (0/0/1/0, 2 points)
12.2004 Keenan, Mailbox Reserve (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

Oct. 11, 2007 - 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon & Bordeaux-Style Blends

The 1997 Ch. St. Jean Cinq Cepages was the runaway winner of our October tasting of 1997 cabernet sauvignons and Bordeaux-style blends. It was followed by the Saddleback Cellars and the Silver Oak, Napa Valley. Most of the wines were surprisingly young, with quite a few years ahead of them. The complete results:
1. Ch. St. Jean, Cinq Cepages (4 firsts, 0 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth, 19 points)
2. Saddleback Cellars (1/1/2/2, 13 points)
3. Silver Oak, Napa Valley (1/1/2/0, 11 points)
4. Seavey (0/2/1/2, 10 points)
5. (Tie) Joseph Phelps, Insignia, and
Hanna, Bismarck Ranch (0/1/0/0, 3 points)
7. Dunn, Howell Mountain (0/0/0/1, 1 point)

Sept. 20, 2007 - Napa Valley Sub-Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon Taste-Off

The September cabernet taste-off of Napa Valley sub-appellations proved quite interesting, with some expected and some unexpected results. Those of us who are Stags Leap District (SLD) fans weren't surprised that the top two wines were from that sub-appellation. However, to most people's surprise, most of the mountain wines faired poorly - perhaps because of their youth. The winner by a wide margin was the 2004 Shafer One Point Five, SLD, followed by the 2003 Hartwell, SLD. While the sub-appellation comparisons were interesting, some of the variations were undoubtedly the result of wineries' stylistic differences. The complete results:

1. 2004 Shafer, One Point Five, SLD (6 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds, 1 fourth, 28 points)
2. 2003 Hartwell, SLD (3/1/3/0, 21 points)
3. 2004 Revana, St. Helena (1/3/0/5, 18 points)
4. 2004 Von Strasser, Diamond Mountain (1/2/1/1, 13 points)
5. 2003 Flora Springs, Rutherford Hillside Reserve, Rutherford (0/1/2/1, 8 points)
6. 2004 Ehlers Estate, 1886, St. Helena (0/0/2/3, 7 points)
7. 2003 Sherwin Family, Spring Mountain (0/2/0/0, 6 points)
8. 2004 St. Clement, Steinhauer Ranch, Howell Mountain (0/0/3/0, 6 points)
9. 2004 Piedra Hill, Purple Label, Howell Mountain (0/1/0/0, 3 points)
10. (Tie) 2003 Hess Collection, Mount Veeder, and
2002 Pine Ridge, Oakville (0/0/0/0, 0 points)

Aug. 2007 - Pinot Noir

Theme: High-End Recent Sonoma/Mendocino Pinot Noir (2002+, $30+, 90+ pts)

[Raw pix]

By bag number:

1. '04 Copain, Hyde Vineyard (WS 91-93)
   

2. '05 Radio Coteau, Savoy Vineyard
   

3. '05 Walter Hansel, North Slope (WA 94)
   

4. '03 Adrian Fog, Savoy Vineyard
   

5. '05 Williams-Selyem, Westside Road Neighbors (WS 90)
   

6. '03 Fort Ross, Reserve (WS 92)

7. '02 Kosta Browne, Sonoma Coast (WS 93)
   

8. '03 Fort Ross, Symposium (WS 92)
   

9. '04 Elizabeth Spencer, Special Cuvee, Sonoma Coast (ringer)
   

10. '02 Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard (WS 93)
    

By vote ranking:

1. '05 Walter Hansel, North Slope (4/1/2/1)
   

2. '02 Kosta Browne, Sonoma Coast (0/4/2/0)
   

3. '04 Elizabeth Spencer, Special Cuvee, Sonoma Coast (ringer) (2/1/0/1)
   

4. '03 Fort Ross, Symposium (2/0/0/4)
   

5. '05 Williams Selyem, Westside Road Neighbors (0/2/3/0)
   

6. '05 Radio Coteau, Savoy Vineyard (0/1/2/0)
   

7. '04 Copain, Hyde Vineyard (1/0/0/1)
   

8. '03 Adrian Fog, Savoy Vineyard (0/0/1/0)
   

9. '03 Fort Ross, Reserve (0/0/0/1)
   

10. '02 Kosta Browne, Kanzler Vineyard (0/0/0/0/)