Boston, MA
Tasted Saturday, June 11, 2016 by retired_and_roving with 367 views
Attended an amazing 50th birthday celebration, where the hosts cracked open their cellar and served a lot of great wines to accompany an amazing dinner. All in all a terrific night of great friends, food and wine.
For me the wine of the night was the Forman, with the Checkerboard and Matriarch in close pursuit. I didn't drink anything that I would not have wanted to have some more of - so this was truly a contest of winners. There were also many Pinot Noirs on offer which I did not try, so no notes on those.
2006 BOND Matriarch
USA, California, Napa Valley
From magnum - Popped and poured, but sat in glass for about 30 minutes prior to tasting. Dark fruits and some herbal notes on the nose. On the palate ripe blackberries, fresh herbs and a bit of a mint note. Nice weight in the mid palate and a very long finish with some sweet tannins.
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2006 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Salus
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
This was decanted for about 1 hour before I tasted from magnum. This was drinking like a fully mature Napa Cab, nicely balanced and resolved. The fruit was a bit less prominent with more leather and earth characteristics coming through. Apparently people who tasted this later in the evening felt that it had fallen apart and was passed it's prime. Give it some air but be careful not to give it too much.
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2009 Checkerboard Vineyards
USA, California, Napa Valley
From magnum - decanted for about 1 hour prior to tasting. Another really enjoyable wine, but still a bit young and should show much better with some more years in the cellar. Lots of dark fruit, tobacco and leather.
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2008 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
From a 3L bottle, decanted for about 2 hours prior to tasting. This wine with some air time was drinking beautifully. Really well balanced with an incredibly long finish. One of the stand out wines of the evening.
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2001 Antinori Tignanello
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Lots of sediment - as my tasting pour was from the end of the bottle. This one seems fully mature to me, although some other tasters felt this was already past it's prime. Not much fruit left on the nose or the palate. Nice secondary notes of tar, smoke and forest floor. If you have these I would try to drink up in the next few years, but still thought this was very enjoyable now.
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2007 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Popped and poured but had about 30 minutes of airtime in the glass. This was drinking very nicely and holding its own among some much higher priced cabs tonight. Just found out that these grapes come from Vine Hill Ranch which is the source of some amazing wines - so am less surprised that this wine continues to punch above its weight. Seems pretty mature now and ready drink within the next few years.
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2008 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Popped and poured. Not too many notes on this one as it was towards the end of the evening. I remember that I liked it, but it did not stand out as distinctly from the pack. Perhaps a bit more fruit forward and less mature than some of the others tasted.
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