Single Blind Old Napa Virtual Tasting

This was a virtual tasting with 5 of us participating. Wines were delivered to a not so "central" location :) - but hey, we all live all the over the place so central is not an option. The wines were than poured into glass vessels, single blind about 2 hours before the tasting, with only that person knowing the wines. The readied wines were then picked up about an hour before the tasting commenced and transported to our homes. Zoom was used for the virtual platform and worked well. This was a really fun and much needed wine tasting. It was so good to be able to talk with friends, and talk about wines that we were all drinking. It was almost like a real wine tasting J.

• 2010 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Light-medium plus golden color. Followed a glass over 2 hours plus. This certainly wasn't your typical Sauv Blanc. It was full bodied and honeyed, cedarbox and golden fruits on the nose with noticeable oxidation. The palate also shows the wood influence, lemon, viscous and full, oxidative, a little bitter on the back end with a touch of alcohol bleed. The overall depth was interesting and the richness, but it was flabby and had lost whatever zip it might have had. This was far better than expected, but I have no doubt that for its style it would have been much better 5 plus years ago.

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• 1992 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Very dark red color with a subtle 1cm transitional margin. Gentle splash double decant through cheese cloth and immediately back into the bottle and recorked until poured into vessels about 5:15pm and then poured into glasses at 6:30pm. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. I was pretty sure this was the Dunn even without tasting the others. The brilliance of Randy Dunn and old school Napa Valley wines is on full display. Provocatively perfumed nose of leather, funk, dried earth, mushroom, cassis, and moutain wild berries. The palate is full bodied, yet dextrous, silky fine tannins, pencil box, cassis, very earthy with a core of pretty black fruits and just a glimpse of blue fruit and a rocky mineral essence. This was wonderful, building over the first 30 minutes and then just sailing along never fading at all. This should easily go another 10+ years as the structure is all there to be a fifty year wine. This was my and the group WOTN, (3+3+3+2+2=13pts). 95+(+?)pts.

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• 2012 Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Signature Series Napa Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark red color with a 7mm transitional margin. See IRBDW's notes for prep detaills. Followed a glass single blind for 2 hours. This was a serviceable wine, but not in the caliber of the rest of the group. It seemed apparent that this was the ringer. A touch of green on the nose and palate, dried black and blue fruits that fade over time, full bodied, dry tannins. More simple but still good, though past its prime. 88+ to 89pts.

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• 2011 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark red/purple color. Followed one glass single blind over 2 hours. There was little doubt that this was the '11 Myriad in anyone's mind. Forward nose of blackberry and black cherry, distinctly green and herbaceous, bell pepper, young, loads of vanilla. The palate is full bodied, green, herbaceous, somewhat jammy black fruits, blackberry, flabby, vanilla, black cherry-vanilla, and just a little blowsy. Yes, this is probably a controversial wine - and while it is still relatively young, at 9 years it makes me question where this goes. I'm sure there's a lot of people who will find the fruit component appealing enough to overcome the other aspects of the wine. Or maybe they don't even need to do that. For me, this is a non-starter that I don't care to drink. No score. Personal note is less than 88.

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• 2001 Joseph Phelps Insignia 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Very dark red color with a 5-6 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. This was my second favorite wine of the night. I was divided on whether this was the '01 Insignia or the '96 Martha's. Unfortunately at one point earlier on I thought I noted some eucalyptus on the nose which steered me to thinking this was the '96 Martha's. Stupidly, I ignored the other clues that should have been the preponderance of evidence, so to speak, especially since I never got the eucalyptus again. Regardless, this was drinking great. This also develops a lovely perfumed nose with cassis and other dark fruits, very earth, boysenberry, violets and dust. The palate is full bodied, poised, great intensity, very pretty black and blue fruits, fine pencil, earthy, dusty tannins, long finish. This is drinking great now with a long future. My #2 WOTN.

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• 1996 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Very dark red color with a 1cm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. This wine was really the biggest enigma for me. This was the most distinctive nose that was more mindful of Graves/Pessac character. The nose is woodsy, lots of scorched earth, tar, burnt embers, cassis, high toned wild flowers (later), some vanilla and menthol. The palate is full and earthy, scorched earth, creosote, cassis, black raspberry, nice texture, fine tannins. 92+ to 93pts.

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• 1996 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Very dark red color with a 15 mm transitional margin. PNP, poured into vessels and capped 2 hours prior to pouring into glasses. Drank 2 glasses single blind over 3 hours. I've had the '96 Martha's a number of times and it has always been fantastic. This was good, but certainly didn't have me thinking that's what we're drinking. The nose is nice, wood spice, dried cherry, cassis, with damp earth emerging gradually. The palate has a more medium full body, cassis, a little dirty, blackberry, plum and woodsy, earth and little metallic minerality. Not the best example we've had. 91+ to 92pts.

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