2009 California Barrel Tasting
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington DC
Tasted Saturday, March 21, 2009 by pizzler with 1,046 views
Introduction
This was the 24th benefit tasting for the Addy and Bruce Bassin Memorial Cancer Research Fund, sponsored by MacArthur Beverages. Unless noted, every wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon. We hit the wineries we most wanted to taste and then bounced around tasting other wines.
Flight 1 (30 Notes)
Closing
Our favorite's were the 2007 Barnett Spring Mountain, 2007 Delectus Cuvee Julia, and the 2007 EMH Vineyard Black Cat. If the wines we tasted are representative of the vintage, the 2007's look to be excellent wines with abundant fruit and plenty of structure to evolve nicely. What a fun evening!
2007 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
barrel sample, excellent balance, touch of vanilla and caramel with traces of nutmeg, one of our WOTN
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2007 August Briggs Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
barrel sample, This was one of the most complex wines we tasted with pepper, cherries, and herbaciousness, really nice nose.
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2006 Delectus Cuvée Julia 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Fruit forward nose and taste with pleasant caramel and vanilla ending notes. Someone also described it as "cocoa butter" which worked too. Very much in harmony now with plenty of aging potential. The was one of our WOTN. The 2007 could surpass it in time...
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2007 Delectus Cuvée Julia 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Powerful fruit nose, dark cherry taste that kept coming and coming. The quality was very close to the 2006 and may surpass it over time.
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2007 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
I've never been a huge fan of the RRT. Compared to the other two barrel samples we found this a little thin with a slightly harsh aftertaste.
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2007 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
I don't have many notes on it, but I know I liked it the best of the three...with others preferring the Gravely Meadow.
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2007 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
tons of fruit, a little bit of a soapy after taste. I sometimes have a hard time assessing Dunn wines early, but generally they turn out really well. I couldn't give it a rating given the aftertaste.
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2007 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
This is the most Burgundian of the DC's with soft tannins and is already well integrated. It had wonderful intense after taste.
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2004 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Strong alcohol nose, distinct vanilla and caramel taste, lots of structure, very good wine
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2006 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Candied cherry nose, caramel taste mixed in with black cherries, a powerful wine
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2007 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Pedregal Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
smooth, subtle, softer tans and alcohol, it seemed one-dimensional, but it was a yummy dimension
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2006 Ridge Monte Bello 88 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Alcohol on the nose, slightly unpleasant aftertaste, vanilla and black cherries, good structure
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2007 Ridge Monte Bello 89 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Sharper flavors than the 06, which might have been in a slightly dumb phase, strong taste of cherries.
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2008 Ridge Monte Bello 91 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
Dark cherry, intense wine. I liked this one the best of the three. I wasn't as impressed with the06-08 wines I tasted as I have in the past. Still, they are very good wines with a lot of appeal and will surely get better in the bottle. It's hard to go wrong with a Monte Bello.
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2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
This was a blended wine that was delicate with good balance and sweet fruit; drinkable now or later
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2007 Vineyard 7 & 8 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Caramel taste with lots of fruit; it had plenty of tannin for the long haul but was very approachable now.
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2007 August Briggs Cabernet Sauvignon Two Moon Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
This was also a very interesting wine, more delicate than the Monte Rosso, but also peppery with hints of vanilla, very viscous
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2007 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
complex wine with plenty of structure for the long haul, excellent fruit, yummy nose and taste and a long after taste; one of our WOTN
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2007 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake Hill 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Vanilla and ash or a pumice nose, very complex, with a refined vanilla taste and lots of structure and balanced; we slightly preferred the Spring Mountain, but it was close
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2006 Blue Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
dark cherry and vanilla taste
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2007 Culler La Palette 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Delicate wine that showed well, very intense taste but could definitely benefit from laying down. I wish we'd had this earlier and could re-taste it as it was one of the best wines we tasted.
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2005 Blue Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Cherry nose and a very nice cherry taste, this was a finesse wine for drinking now but had the structure and tannins to last.
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2007 Ravenswood Merlot Sangiacomo Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
It was excellent bang for the buck, the cheapest wine at the tasting but still very good, I'm not a big Merlot fan, but this was very pleasant
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2007 Sequoia Grove Syrah 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
decent wine, I prefer the bigger Aussie style Shiraz wines, but this would be pleasant with food
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2007 Ravenswood Pickberry 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
pleasant, but no lasting impressions
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2007 Fisher Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coach Insignia 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
decent wine, not as memorable as other Insignia's I've had in years past
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2007 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Blueberry nose and taste, great staying power, intriguing wine; wish we'd found it sooner
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2007 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
zesty nose, really nice start to the wine but it quickly tailed off, vanilla in the cherries
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2007 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
much like the regular bottling in that the wine quickly tailed off, nice after taste which suggested the fruit is being hidden in massive tannins. Another one I would have liked to re-sample.
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2007 Steltzner Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Stags Leap District
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
blueberry nose and taste, a little awkward right now, no score
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