Binny's California Night
Highland Park
Tasted Thursday, November 29, 2007 by KeithAkers with 1,089 views
Introduction
Went to the Highland Park Binny's for a massive california tasting that they held. Of course, working there and getting in for free also helps, :)
Flight 1 (30 Notes)
Closing
this was tons of fun. I needed to really expand my tasting range and this was perfect for it. I'm also really glad I got a chance to try to the Caymus Special Select. it's not everyday that you get to try a wine of that pedigree
2004 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: solid nose with a bit of oak, cranberry, and vanilla. Decent enough nose, not too much going on here
taste: easy drinking with little tannin effect. A bit of toasted oak, vanilla, and hazelnut flavors on the mouth
overall: good solid cab that's easy to drink. Has a decent finish, but this isn't anything to write home about
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2003 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon 87 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
nose: tight nose. Getting some soft cherry flavors, but that's about it. nose doesn't really want to give me much
taste: nice sour fruit on the mouth with cranberry being the main flavor. Still, that's about it and there isn't all that much in teh way of secondary flavors on the mouth
overall: tight tannins with a nice finish. The wine itself is a bit closed right now and may have entered a slight dumb phase. c'est la vie
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2004 Dominus Estate 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: nice creamy nose with vanilla, red fruit, and a slight hint of toasted oak. Very nice polished nose that is pretty fun to smell
taste: nice silky mouthfeel. Getting some cranberry, sour cherry, vanilla, and slight hints of toasted oak
overall: nice well polished wine. THe finish doesn't last as long as I'd like, and there isn't as much depth to the wine as one would want from such a pedigree. Still, this is a pretty darn good wine
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2004 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Merlot 81 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: extremely tight nose. getting a little bit of blueberry and some black fruit notes, but it's taking a while to get them
taste: very astringent and absolutely zero mid pallate. Not really getting much of any flavors on the mouth and it isn't as silky as a merlot should be
overall: this isn't bad, but it's not good either. It's a very bland wine that just doesn't bring much of anything to the table
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2004 L'Aventure Optimus 88 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
nose: big bold nose with tons of dark fruit. some blackberry, black currant jam, and unfortunetly heat on the nose. After the initial attack on teh nose, getting some of that burnt rubbing alcohol effect on the nose too
taste: pretty tight and tannic with lots of sour cherry and cranberry on the mouth
overall: big mouth inverting tannins and leaves a long finish. This needed more air time at the tasting, but what can you do. There was a lot of promise on this one like my last notes, but just picked the wrong time of the tasting to have it
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2005 Shafer Merlot 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: nice silky and rich nose. Deep floral notes with some cherry and hints of blueberry. Very luscious nose
taste: wonderful silky mouthfeel. cherry, tart cranberry, and blueberry just coates your pallate
overall: super smooth with a great lasting finish. This wine is really polished and is a real joy to drink. Really damn good wine
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2004 Kathryn Kennedy Lateral 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: real sharp layered nose with dark cherry, creme de cassis, and a slight bit of blueberry too. Lots of stuff going on in this nose, and it's really fun to smell
taste: really good silky and explosive mouth with cranberry, blueberry, and even some briar patch notes. I'm sure that more depth on the mouth will evolve with time
overall: very firm tannins with lots of structure. Good now, but this has the ability to be great down the road
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2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir Lollapalooza Fiddlestix Vineyard 84 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
nose: nice smooth nose with some earth, cherry, and strawberry. Nice well integrated nose that is subdued and isn't overpowering
taste: damn, the mouth just dissapates immeaditely upon tasting it. Very flabby and hollow with zero mid pallate. Maybe I'm getting some cherry, but there is almost no fruit on the mouth at all
overall: darn, the nose was sooo promising, but the mouth just dies. Very frustrating
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2006 Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon 87 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
nose: big time fruit forward nose. Getting some candied cherry, cranberry, vanilla, and a bit of oak. The nose is a bit extracted, but it's getting in the way
taste: good firm mouth with some cherry. Mouth is one dimensional, but it's not that big of a deal
overall: nice wine. A bit quick on the finish, but it has some good structure on it. a real good QPR
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2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
super dark color on this. Almost as dark as night
nose: tons of stuff going on here. Coffee, hazelnut, cranberry, cherry, and slight hints of cola on the back end of the nose. Big and powerful fruit forward nose
taste: huge smooth attack on the mouth. Cranberry, vanilla, sour cherry, and some mocha on the finish. Big time mouth feel
overall: This is a big time wine, but not a blow away wine just yet. It's young, but oh soo smooth. Tons of polish on the wine and brings a really nice long lasting finish. Just not enough to push it into that next category, but this is some really great wine
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2004 Rubicon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 86 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
nose: very tight nose. getting some heat, chalk, and cranberry, but the heat is shining through here and this wine had been opened for a while
taste: simple mouth. Mostly oak, hazelnut notes, and more heat. Pretty dissapointing to be honest
overall: meh, this is a decent wine, but not much more then that
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2001 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
nose: nice nutty nose with some dark fruit notes too(a bit of blackberry in there?) and a slight bit of oak
taste: nice mouthfeel with oak and lots of dark fruit
overall: nice wine. Leaves a solid finish, but this doesn't push itself into that really good level
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2004 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: nice dark nose with some spice, vanilla, dark cranberry, and some hints of oak
taste: good solid mouth with cranberry, dark fruit, and very slight hints of oak.
overall: a nice solid cab. Firm tannins, but the finish ends really fast. Was expecting a bit more, but this is a good solid cab, but not worth the money that it costs
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2004 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: nice earth driven nose. getting chalk, dark cherry, and a bit of anise too. very nice and pungent nose
taste: real good firm mouth with dark cherry, cranberry, and hints of earth
overall: a really damn good wine that has some nice structure to it. Brings a good earthy finish and this is a real damn good wine
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2002 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
nose: real interesting nose with floral notes, chalk, chocolate, and even some citrus notes. There is a bit of heat on the nose, but it goes away with more swirling
taste: extremely smooth mouth with hints of chocolate, lilac, and blueberry
overall: a nice wine with a really good flavor profile and mouthfeel. There is most likely some merlot in this one to get these flavors, but I'm certainly not complaining
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2003 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 86 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
nose: nice light nose with cranberry and blueberry mostly. After opening it up a bit though there is a ton of oak coming through, really brings down the niceities of the fruit
taste: big amount of tannins, oak, and heat. The mouth is a bit disjointed
overall: this most likely needs time. The flavors are there, but they're hiding behind oak and tannins. Hopefully the oak will blow over with time
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2002 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 86 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: mainly getting cranberry and oak with hints of vanilla
taste: very tannic with some serious heat too. getting a bit of cranberry trying to fight through, but the heat is a bit much
overall: decent, but the heat and oak is a problem. Will most likely blow over with time, but I wasn't really getting all that much at this time to have it fare better. Hopefully with extra aging more flavors will come out as the heat blows over
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2004 Franciscan Estate Magnificat 84 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: toasted oak, sour red fruit, and also some heat coming through
taste: lots of oak and some sour cranberry. Also getting that burnt rubbing alcohol element to it. this is just run of the mill for me
overall: meh. Pretty stereotypical california cab based blend. It doesn't bring all that much in teh way of flavors and doesn't bring that much of a finish. There's a lot more out there around this price point that is much better and isn't so run of the mill
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2002 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: damn, real nice left bank bordeaux style nose. Earth, cedar box, pencil shavings, and even a bit of black currant along with some dark red fruit
taste: very bordeaux like on the mouth with cranberry, cedar box, and earth. This is right up my alley
overall: this is my kind of cabernet. Gives a good solid finish and has some very nice firm grip and structure
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2004 Estancia Meritage 87 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
nose: a bit extracted on the nose, but not too bad. Getting mostly cherry and slight hints of oak. Fruit forward and a bit one dimensional, but it works
taste: nice smooth mouth. Good firm structure with cherry, cranberry, and oak on the mouth
overall: this is a really nice solid wine. Not much more to it then that, but I would certainly drink it again and it worked for me
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2004 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
nose: mostly getting oak, cranberry, and herbacous notes. Decent nose, pretty standard, except for the herbaceous-ness, but not all that bad either
taste: pretty tannic with a decent amount of oak and cranberry. THe mouth is a bit astringent
overall: this is a decent wine, not sure that I'd really go out and buy it, but I'd certainly never turn it down
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2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 86 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
nose: ooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk. and tons of it. Maybe a bit of cranberry or red fruit, I can't really tell because the oak just overwhelms the fruit like a blackhole
taste: whadda know, more oak. Also getting a bit of reduction cranberry and a slight bit of earth
overall: a very bland wine that is just oaked to all hell
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2004 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: very vibrant and fruit forward nose. A lot of cherry, cola, and candy notes on the nose
taste: extremely fruit forward mouth. candied cherry, cranberry, and lots of dark fruit on the mouth
overall: nice quality cab. Real big mid-pallate attack and leaves a very nice lasting finish. This kind of cab isn't normally my style, but I dig it
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2005 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: nice reserved nose with tobbacco, cranberry, cherry, and dirt on it. Real mix between old and new world
taste: very nice smooth mouth. Cranberry just attacks your pallate and then moves on into the rest leaving some tobbacco secondary flavors with hints of blackberry and cherry
overall: real good old/new world style wine that toes the line just right and is a lot of fun to drink. It leaves a real nice quality finish
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2005 Ramey Chardonnay Carneros 91 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
nose: real nice quality white burg style on the nose. Lemon Peel, citrus notes, and a bit of flinty minerals and some slight hints of honeydew melon.
taste: nice bright mouth with lemon, tangerine, other various citrus notes, and a slight bit of melon
overall: this is a really good chardonnay. Done in a burgundian style, this one is a pleasure to drink and really brings out the flavors of chardonnay. a real quality wine
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2004 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: very earth driven nose. Very much in the bordeaux style with cranberry, black currant, and cedar box
taste: real good amount of earth and cranberry mixed with various red fruit. nice big mouth with good grip
overall: This one is right up my alley. Real good attack on the pallate and firm structure with a good finish. It's nice to see not all california cabs going the fruit bomb style
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2005 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: a bit tight, but starts to open up a bit more after giving it some good air. Nice silky nose with blueberry and floral notes. Not really pronounced though and you kind of have to dig for it
taste: huge explosive mouth with cherry, blueberry, and floral flavors
overall: really good wine with some real nice grip and a very smooth mouth. It has that almost there component though as you just want a bit more out of it and it's not really giving it to you, or can't at this point. with that said, it's still a pretty darn good wine
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2004 Amizetta Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
nose: oak hits you right off the bat, but then it goes into some earth, cedar box, cranberry, and extracted cherry. Once you get past the oak, there is a really good grounded nose there
taste: getting more oak, but also getting cranberry, cherry, and some cigar notes
overall: good grip on the pallate and real nice firm tannins. A real nice wine that is fun to drink, but the oak does bother me a bit. The finish also isn't as long as I'd like it to be either
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2006 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
nose: good california chard nose. Getting mostly butter, lemon, and citrus notes
taste: nice smooth mouth. Some butter, but a whole lot of various citrus and lemon sticks out. Easy drinking mouth
overall: very nice chard. Brings good flavors, but they are simple in the end. Just not really enough to get me really jazzed about it, but it is a well made wine
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2005 Mer Soleil Chardonnay 84 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
nose: bright nose with oak, butter, vanilla, and citrus. Very standard and stereotypical california chard nose(and I don't mean that in a good way)
taste: all I'm getting is butter and an overwhelming sweetness, but there is little actual distinctive notes to the sweetness.
overall: one dimensional. It's a decent drinkable wine, but it's just soooo stereotypical and there are so many better options out there to spend your money on. The sweetness on it is almost to riesling levels. very blah for me
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