Cali Cabs w/Bryans Steaks

A really fun evening at the Shaffers. Steaks were awesome on the big green egg, as were the cheesecakes as usual. Great food, great wine, fun company. Standouts for me were the 94 Insignia, 99 Pride Reserve, and 04 Schrader To Kalon.

Opening wines (no notes on these) included:
2004 Pax Venus
2004 Aubert Lauren - always delicious
2004 Beringer Sbragia Chardonnay
2004 Alban Viognier
2005 Auteur Donum Chardonnay
2004 Kutch Pinot RRV

• 1987 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full black red color. Huge aroma of green pepper and black fruit. Nice rich structured black fruit with pencil lead notes. Very nice.

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• 1989 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  full black red color. Slightly stripped nose. Decent black fruit but little going on. Not a great showing for this bottle.

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• 1990 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Opaque black color with some lightening. Medium tight black fruit nose with coffee hints. Very tight acidic tannin black fruit. Do these ever come around?

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• 1991 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full deep red color. Clean bright red fruit with slight licorice hints. Nice rich black fruit on the palate.

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• 1993 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Full black red color. Clean bright black fruit on the nose. Very tight bright clean red and black fruit on the palate. Still young, but promising stuffing.

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• 1994 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full deep red color. More canned black fruit on the nose. nice rich round black fruit on the palate with structure remaining. Not as good as the last bottle, but still nice.

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• 1993 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Full black red color. Medium clean red fruit with spice on the nose. Big bold black fruit on the palate. Rich.

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• 1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full opaque black red color. Full lack fruit with just a hint of mint. Mmmmn, big sweet black fruit with chocolate notes on the palate. Really lovely. 94-95 pts.

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• 1999 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full opaque black red color. big aroma of spicy black fruit with some sweetness. Mmmmn, big black spicy fruit with a hint of sweet. Very nice. My WOTN.

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• 2001 Pine Ridge Vineyards Andrus Reserve 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Full deep black red color. Big birght pale nose of lack fruit. Big black coffee fruit onthe palate.

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• 1996 Ridge Monte Bello 92 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Full opaque black red color. medim nose of lifted purple fruit. Nice clean round red fruit with acidity and a bunc of tannin. Still too tight to be great for me.

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• 1997 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Full red color. MEdium green pepper and black fruit with some stemminess on the nose. Quite green on the palate as well with coffee and black fruit. Surprisingly tannin as well.

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• 2002 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Late in the evening... Opaque black purple color. All black fruit from the nose to the palate. Low to mid 90s?

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• 2001 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, Washington

  Opaque black purple. Bright black fruit nose with huge tannin black fruit on the palate. Opening up, though slowly...

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• 2002 Robert Foley Claret

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Late in the evening... Nice rich black fruit. Very ripe character in a typical Foley style. low to mid 90s?

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• 2004 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Late in the evening... Opaque black purple color. tight bright black purple fruit nose. Big rich chocolate black fruit with plenty of balanced acid and tannin. Still young, but my kind of wine. Mid 90s?

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Finished a lovely 88 Rieussec