Post-Wedding Family Dinner

Tasted Wednesday, August 4, 2010 by Dave Dalluge with 449 views

Introduction

We hosted my brother's wedding on 7/3. It was the culmination of a ton of work getting the house ready and the next night -- with family still in town -- I decided to unwind a little bit and pop open a bunch of wine. We started with a pair of '99 S. Anderson Cabs which everyone loved. Based on this I decided to pull some more '99s and a few other interesting wines to mix in. The notes aren't my best, but I thought there might be some interest in how these lesser '99s are aging.

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 1999 S. Anderson Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    Two bottles. Popped and poured. Lovely nose featuring red fruit and dried herbs. Sweet and smooth in the mouth. Fully resolved tannin. Both these bottles were significantly better than any previous bottle I've had. In a great place right now, so no reason to hold these any longer.

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  • 1999 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Last bottle from a case and by far the worst. The nose is dominated by VA. Tastes thin and tired. Glad I drank these up back when they were pretty good.

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  • 1999 Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    Popped and poured. Much better than the Whitehall Lane. Showing red cherry and licorice on the nose with mild aromas of barnyard/Brett. On the palate this is smooth and elegant with flavors of simple red fruit. Lighter and less expansive flavor-wise than I would have expected but very enjoyable. Still showing some tannin. Decent finish.

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  • 1984 Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    Popped and poured. Big, expressive nose with dark fruit, funk and floral notes. Nuanced and intriguing. Smooth and elegant texture with fully resolved tannin. Lacking flavor intensity, but what's there is quite satisfying. Turns a little tart towards the finish but has good length. A surprisingly good showing for a wine that is well past its prime.

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  • 1986 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Decanted about an hour before serving and I think that was a mistake. The nose gives black fruit, spice and a big wallop of iron/mineral. Somewhat stern and austere taste-wise with more minerality. Shows some grittiness, but with an endearing elegance. Still fairly tannic. Excellent finish with great length. I have trouble seeing this improving with additional cellar time given the general lack of fruit.

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  • 1999 Vérité La Muse 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Decanted about an hour before serving. Riveting nose with overt floral notes, black fruit, cherry/raspberry, soy and coffee; just so much going on it's hard to stop smelling! On the palate this seemed a little closed and is still fairly tannic. Balance is perfect -- the texture is lush but with good underlying structure. Showing very well now but seems to still be on the early side of peak drinking. If I have more I will definitely hold them for another 3-5 years.

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Closing

The night ended with a massive bonfire and tons of fireworks. Somehow most of the wine got consumed too. Great night.

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