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Wine Spectator Grand Tasting
Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Tasted October 19, 2006 by GolferChris with 6,313 views
Introduction
Unbelievable event with over 190 wineries pouring their very best. Over the course of 3.5 Hours tasted some of the very best California/Washington Reds. The 80 wines that I tasted would have cost over $8600 to buy 1 bottle of each. Many of the industries top winemakers were pouring their wines - Robert Foley, Ed Sbragia, Tony Soter to name a few. This event gives you an opportunity to sample cult wines and other limited productions wines that most mere mortals will never taste.
Flight 1 - 96 Point Wines and Above (14 notes)
Exceptional Wines. These wines clearly separated themselves from the pack as the BEST OF THE BEST.
Red
2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
99 points
Incredible wine. Deep purple color. Intense, deep and complex. Aromas/flavors of black currant, smoke, blackberry, vanilla and chocolate. Immense layers of flavors wrapped in well-integrated, fine tannins. Tremendous lenght on the finish lasting over 60 seconds!!! This is one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Top notch effort. Would have been WOTN if not for the price.
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Red
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
99 points
Top 5 WOTN. Incredible wine that provides aromas/flavors of black berry, currant, licorice, minerals, sweet oak and a hint of menthol. Rich and lush with intense depth and complexity. Big sweet tannis balance this near perfect wine. 50+ second finish that leaves incredible lingering flavors in the mouth.
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Red
2003 Robert Foley Claret
98 points
One of the top wines tasted. Rich, lush elegant style. Beautiful balance. Complex flavors/aromas of blackberry, currant, graphite, black cherry, chocolate, and french vanilla. Layer after layer of flavors. Long, incredible 50+ second finish. An outstanding wine among an evening of outstanding wines. Robert Foley is a true cabernet master. My favorite over $100 wine of the evening. TOP 5 WOTN.
Red
2001 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrashe Vineyard
97 points
Well balanced and completely delicious. Intense fruit flavors/aromas of currant, black cherry and blackberry. Finish delivers flavors of vanilla and chocolate. Long, long finish. Top 5 WOTN.
Red
2003 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
97 points
Incredible wine. Very complex wine showing aromas/flavors of blackberry, currant, licorice, tobacco, minerals and a hint of flowers. Dark purple, almost black in color. Unending layers of flavors in the mouth. Very long 50 second finish that excites the mind as you try and grasp the greatness of this wine.
Red
2003 Harlan Estate
97 points
Very complex and deep wine that is very closed now. Aggressive swirling for several minutes allowed some of the fruit to open revealing a huge cab. Exquisite aromas of smoke, currant, graphite, chocolate, and a touch of violet. Layers and layers of flavors coat the mouth. Loads of tannins but still very well balanced. Nearly 60 second finish that ends in chocolate and violets. This is an incredible wine. TOP 10 WOTN.
Red
2002 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrashe Vineyard
96 points
Similar in style to the great '01 vintage. Still a very big and beautiful wine with lots of fruit - blackberry, cherry, currant. Well integrated tannins and a very long finish that delivers cocoa powder. Great fruit, great vineyard, great winemaking = great wine.
Red
2004 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard H&C
96 points
Killer wine. Lots of fruit but tons of complexity. Layers of flavors and long finish. One of my favorite cabs of the night. This one is only going to get better, but its very good right now. Watch for other wines by Mark Carter, he is an up and coming superstar and one of the nicest people you will ever meet.
Red
2002 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
96 points
Unbeliveable wine. Exotic nose of red/black fruits, violets, and french vanilla. Deeply concentrated fruit that unwinds in layer after layer of flavors. Long 50 second finish. One of the best wines of the evening. Ed Sbragia was wonderful to talk to and is obviously on top of his game with this wine.
Red
2004 David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon Elevation 1147
96 points
Great bottle of wine. Extremely deep and concentrated flavors of blackberry, currant, raspberry and oak provide layer upon layer of pleasure in the mouth. This is a very big cab with lots of tannins that will keep this wine going for 10 or more years. Provides long, elegant 45+ second finish. Very elegant in style but very big as well.
Red
2002 Gemstone G
96 points
Outstanding wine. Big nose/mouth of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, and vanilla. Elegantly styled. Tannins are big but balanced. Long (45+ second) and supple finish. Very oppulent wine. At under $100 this is a very good value. Top 10 WOTN.
Red
2003 John Anthony Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
96 points
My WOTN - 96 pts. $55. Tremendous value. Beautiful nose with red/black fruit, flowers, tobacco and sweet oak. Layered fruit and fine grained supple tannins. Great balance. Long, enticing finish. Grab a bottle you won't be disappointed.
Red
2003 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
96 points
Excellent example of well made Howell Mountain Cab. Aromas of dark fruit and Kona coffee. Wonderfully layers flavors of blackberry, black cherry, licorice and cedar. Big round wine with tremendous structure. Tannin structure balances the fruit nicely. Long, lucious finish. Great effort by Karen Culler and the passionate owners, Pat and Anne Stotebery. Tough to find a better mountain cab for less money, great value at $68.00. Top 5 WOTN.
Red
1996 Ridge Monte Bello
96 points
Possibly the most complex wine of the evening. Big fruit, leather, mineral, cedar and spice nose/mouth. Layers of interesting flavors are still wrapped nicely in well, balanced tannins. Finish goes on forever. Top 10 WOTN ($200).
Flight 2 - 94-95 Point Wines (24 notes)
Incredible wines that excelled againt most of the nite's competition.
Red
2002 Dominus Estate
95 points
Lush, complex and deep bordeaux style Napa Cab. Aromas/flavors of licorice, blackberry and currant. Fine, silky tannins. Wonderful, long 45+ second finish.
Red
2003 Dominus Estate
95 points
Extremely fragrant wine with aromas of tobacco, plum, currant, spice, leather and earth. Very deep and complex wine with a never ending finish. Well crafted and very interesting.
Red
2003 BOND St. Eden
95 points
Complex interesting wine. Aromas of black/red fruit and vanilla. Deep, layered flavors. Beautiful tannin structure. This wine was a little closed but opened up with vigorous swirling. Long 45+ second finish. A real shame that this is almost impossible to procure and priced at $235 a bottle upon release.
Red
2003 Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles Reserve
95 points
Clearly the Cab Blend coming from the Paso Robles area. Ripe fruits (plum, currant, black cherry) along with vanilla notes. Big, balanced tannins. Long, lucious finish.
Red
2003 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard
95 points
Excellent effort from great Stagecoach Vineyard fruit. Big cab, bursting with flavors/aromas of licorice, red raspberry, blackberry, currant, menthol and chocolate. Big, bold tannins. Nice depth and complexity. Long, lingering finish.
Red
2003 Lail Vineyards J. Daniel Cuvée
95 points
Philippe Melka delivers another big effort. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, smoke, graphite, black cherry, currant and a touch of earth. Big, rich wine with wonderfully integrated tannins. Very complex. Long, lucious finish. Top 10 WOTN.
Red
2003 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon
95 points
Dark purple color. Blueberry, blackberry, earth and spice flavors/aromas. Layer upon layer of flavors. Complex and deep wine. Ripe tannins and very long finish help make this a great wine.
Red
2003 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
95 points
Deep purple color. Deeply concentrated wine delivering aromas/flavors of blackberry, plum, currant, licorice and smoke. Integrated tannins and long 45+ second finish make this a wonderful cab.
Red
2003 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
95 points
Impressive wine. Tons of black cherry, blackberry, currant, licorice and vanilla. Well structured tannins that are big but not overpowering finishing with the classic Rutherford Dust. Very deep and complex wine. Nicely integrated oak softens the tannins. Very long, sweet and focused finish lasting 45+ seconds. Top 10 WOTN.
Red
2003 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
95 points
Huge effort. Big, deep, dark cab with flavors/aromas of black cherry, wild berry, currant, cedar and spicy oak. Still a bit tight with big, bold tannins. Layer, upon layer of flavors and a 45+ second finish provide the hint at how good this wine really is. A steal if you can find it for the release price of $75.
Red
2003 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Vineyard
95 points
Big Howell Mountain effort. Huge fruit character with blackberry, blueberry, plum, currant with a hint of flowers and minerals. Deep and complex. Layered flavors are wrapped around big tannins that provide a 45+ second finish. Tannins still big but huge fruit helps balance the wine. Great value for $75 release price.
Red
2003 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
94 points
Beautiful and elegant effort. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice and violets. Sweet supple tannins that are well integrated. Long, lucious finish lasting 40+ seconds.
Red
2002 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
94 points
Everything I love in Howell Mountain Cabs. Dark puple color from the deeply extracted fruit. Very ripe fruit with strong mountain tannins, balanced enough to drink now but will last for years and years. Nose/mouth of blackberry, leather, and flowers. Long 40+ second finish.
Red
2003 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
Big red wine. Aromas of blackberry, graphite, and menthol on the complex nose. In the mouth this wine delivers big fruit balanced by dusty, big tannins. Wine is a little rough now, but should mellow and develop a supple style with two or three years of bottle age.
Red
2004 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
94 points
Big fruit bomb of wine. Still very young but plenty of tannins to balance out the fruit. Long finish. Expect this wine to really be special in a couple of years.
Red
2003 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard
94 points
Deep purple color. Nose of exotic vanilla, black cherry, blackberry, and currant. Lush, well balanced tannins. Lots of depth and complexity. Long finish.
Red
2003 Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
94 points
Big Howell Mountain Cab. Dark purple color. Deeply extracted flavors of black cherry, blackberry and currant. Big, bold tannins now that are still well integrated with the big fruit flavors. Long finish.
Red
2001 Bacio Divino
94 points
Likely the most intersting blend of the evening with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Petite Sirah. Big wine with lots of red/black fruit by complex flavors and aromas of mineral, cedar, licorice, spice and pepper. Well integrated tannins, nice acidity and long finish make this an excellent wine.
Red
2002 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford
94 points
Very well rounded cab. Lots of fruit with nicely structured tannins. Long finish provides nice touch of cocoa powder/Rutherford Dust. Outshined some cabs costing more than twice as much.
Red
2002 Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
Very concentrated flavors of blackberry, currant and black cherry, almost liqueur like. Aromas of black fruit, earth, and oak. Over the top fruit is balanced nicely with big but well structured tannins. Good long finish. Will improve with age.
Red
2003 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon
94 points
Excellent cab from Santa Cruz Mountains. Dark purple color. Wonderful nose/mouth of blackberry, black cherry, currant, graphite and oak. Well integrated tannins and a long, lingering finish.
Red
2003 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
94 points
Top 10 WOTN. Great big fruit balanced nicely by the big, sweet tannins. Flavors/aromas of black fruit, oak, earth and spice. Complex, deep, well balanced wine. Long, sweet finish.
Red
2003 Sbragia Family Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho del Oso Vineyard
94 points
Big Ed has delivered a very good Howell Mountain Cab. Flavors/aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cocoa powder, sweet oak and a touch of menthol. Rich, complex wine with well integrated tannins. Nice long finish.
Red
2004 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead Vineyard
94 points
Deep purple in color. Flavors/aromas of currant, blackberry, graphite, licorice, minerals and a hint of mocha. Plush, deep, complex wine with big, ripe tannins that provide tremendous balance. Long finish. David Ramey is making great Cabs and this young wine is no exception.
Flight 3 - 92-93 Point Wines (27 notes)
Many very good wines. Just a step behind their competition.
Red
2003 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace
93 points
Beautiful nose of black cherry, currant, leather, and a touch of earth. Big complex wine with tannins that need a couple of years to fully integrate. Layers and layers of flavors with a long 40+ second finish.
Red
2003 Beau Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon
93 points
Big cab. Lots of currant, blackberry and vanilla on the nose. Mouthfeel is very nice due to the dusty tannin structure on the long finish. Couple of years of bottle age should integrate all the elements nicely.
Red
2003 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
93 points
Well made Mount Veeder cab. Dark purple color. Currant, graphite, oak, and black cherry on the nose and mouth. Lush elegant finish for a mountain cab, due to the beautifully integrated tannins. This will get better with age.
Red
2003 Bennett Lane Primus Reserve
93 points
Big intense flavors/aromas of dark chocolate covered cherries, raspberry, blackberry, currant, vanilla and a touch of cedar on the nose. Long, lingering finish. Well balanced tannins and layered flavors make this wine very seductive now, but will probably be even more complex in two or three years.
Red
2004 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosemary's Vineyard
93 points
Biggest pinot made by Talley. High toned structure with plenty of tannins. Lots of fruit - raspberry and currant, with wonderful spice notes. Layered flavors and long finish. Complex and deep pinot.
Red
2003 Girard Winery Artistry
93 points
Well made bordeaux blend by winemaker Marco DiGiulio. Nice fruit and balanced tannins deliver a tremendous value ($40). Good medium-long finish. This wine if blind tasted would have fared very well against wines costing up to 4 or 5 times as much.
Red
2001 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard
93 points
Big aromas of currant, cassis, blackberry, mint with a touch of earth. Nicely balanced tannins. Good structure. Long, pleasant finish.
Red
2003 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Sacrashe Vineyard
93 points
Big cab. Lots of red/black fruit, cocoa powder, cedar, and oak on the nose and mouth. Balanced, elegant tannins. Long finish ending with a touch of cocoa powder. Shows why Sacrashe is one of my favorite vineyards.
Red
2004 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
93 points
Very young. All the pieces are in place for this to get much better - great fruit, big tannins, nice long finish, lots of complexity - just needs more time to come into perfect balance.
Red
2003 Merryvale Profile
93 points
Well balanced bordeaux blend. Flavors/aromas of blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Well integrated tannins deliver long, lingering finish.
Red
2003 Pine Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
93 points
Lush and elegant SLD Cab. Aromas/flavors of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, cocoa powder, vanilla, cedar and a hint of tobacco. Well balance with silky tannins. Long, lingering finish.
Red
2003 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
93 points
Big black fruit, graphite and oak, with big, round tannins. Still a bit tight but should open with bottle age. Big wine that showed well against the competition.
Red
2003 Quintessa
93 points
Aromatic wine that delivers black fruit, flowers, spice and a touch of cedar. Elegantly styled wine with supple tannins and concentrated flavors. Nice, long finish.
Red
2003 Séléné Chesler
93 points
Elegant styled wine. Mia Klein delivers a deep and complex wine that has tons of blackberry, currant, licorice and tobacco aromas/flavors. Well rounded tannins that provide a long, dusty finish.
Red
2003 Viader
93 points
Elegant cab. Flavors/aromas of blackberry, violets, licorice and currants. Lots of depth and complexity. Sweet, round tannins add to the wines elegance. Long, lingering finish.
Red
2002 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
92 points
Drinking well now. Aromas/flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cedar and spice. Sweet fruit and supple tannins with medium finish. Maybe their best effort in years.
Red
2002 Col Solare
92 points
Excellent big red from Washington State. Delivered red/black fruits, licorice and oak in the nose and mouth. Still has big, gripping tannins now that should better integrate with a little bottle age. Surprising complexity and nice long finish.
Red
2000 Burgess Enveiere
92 points
Interesting and elegant wine with aromas/flavors of cedar, leather, violets, blackberry and currant. Well balanced tannin structure. Long finish.
Red
2004 Beau Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon Juliet
92 points
Deep purple color. Aromas of raspberry, chocolate and vanilla on the nose. Red fruits, cocoa powder, toasty vanilla fill the mouth. Well balanced tannins lead to nice finish.
Red
2003 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District
92 points
Well done Spring Mountain Cab. Dark purple color. Aromas of cedar, black/red fruit dominate the nose. Big fruit in the mouth followed by long, lingering finish that delivers coffee and chocolate. For the price this is a very good Mountain Cab value that outperformed some wines more than twice its price. Hal Barnett is doing some very good things with his property.
Red
2003 Northstar Merlot Walla Walla Valley
92 points
Excellent merlot that stood up to all the great cabs that were tasted. Tons of black and red fruit with a touch of spice on the nose. Mouthful of black cherry, blackberry and red raspberry. Layers and layers of flavors. Nice elegant finish.
Red
2003 Paloma Merlot
92 points
Excellent merlot that beat many of the cabs in the WS Grand Tasting. Elegant styled wine that delivers big aromas/flavors of black cherry, blackberry, currant, oak and a touch of earth. Beautiful example of Spring Mountain Merlot. Well balanced tannins deliver seductively long finish. Jim and Barb Richards are the nicest couple that I have met on my wine journeys.
Red
2004 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard
92 points
Elegantly styled complex pinot. Nice fruit with touch of earth. Long finish for pinot. Well made. Only 125 cases made. Keep an eye out for this producer.
Red
2003 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Weir Vineyard
92 points
Big pinot. Lots of blackberry, black cherry and rapberry fruits on the nose and mouth. But complex aromas of rose petals, earth, spice and mineral. Very burgundian. Nice acidic backbone that is balance well by the fruit and tannins. Long, pleasant finish.
Red
2004 Vision Cellars Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard
92 points
Beautiful expression of pinot. Blueberry, cherry, raspberry and earth shine through. Good long finish. Nice acidity would make this a tremendous food wine.
Red
2004 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Big red. Complex aromas/flavors of currant, blackberry, spice, licorice and cedar. Big tannins that are a little rough now, but should mellow with age. All the elements are there for a great cab, just a little young and unbalanced now.
Red
2003 Gemstone G
92 points
Not nearly as impressive as the 2002. Lacks the elegance and balance of the '02. Should improve once the tannins integrate more, but lacks the complexity of the '02 and I doubt that it will ever approach the excellence that the '02 delivers.
Flight 4 - 90-91 Point Wines (11 notes)
A few surprizes here with some pricey wines just not keeping pace.
Red
2003 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Oakville
91 points
Complex, elegant wine. Still very young. Beautiful nose. Good fruit and nice balanced tannin stucture. Should improve with a little bottle age.
Red
2003 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
91 points
Pleasant surprise how well this showed versus the competition. Lots of red/black fruit and well balanced tannins. Highlights the quality of fruit coming from Stags Leap District. Nice medium-long finish.
Red
2005 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir Maritime Vineyard
91 points
Still very young, will improve with a year or 2 of bottle age. Lots of cherry, raspberry, spice with a touch of violets. Nice acidity. Nice long finish.
Red
2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia
91 points
Complex nose of black fruits, graphite, earth and a touch of leather. Not as lush or balanced as the Great 2002. Tasted a bit out of balance. So many other great wines that I found this a bit disappointing considering its price.
Red
2002 Rubicon Estate Rubicon
91 points
Aromas/flavors of blackberry, currant, earth, spice and cedar. Nice tannic structure. Medium length finish. Decent but overpriced wine that was overshadowed by so many better tasting wines this evening.
Red
2003 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages
90 points
Nice well made bordeaux blend with plenty of red fruit and nice, supple tannins. Just didn't stand up to the great Napa cabs tasted.
Red
2004 Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Excellent value napa cab. This performed better than some wines costing 5 times as much. Lots of red/black fruit with a nice oak note. Moderate tannins. Well balanced and tasty.
Red
2003 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve
90 points
Big red/black fruit marred slightly by a green herbal note. Nicely balanced tannins but a sub-30 second finish was a little disappointing. Not one of the best recent vintages of this legendary wine.
Red
2003 Flora Springs Trilogy
90 points
Reminded me of a St. Emillion. Good red fruit of currant, raspberry and cherry. Tannins still a little harsh. Not in full balance yet, may improve with a couple of years in the bottle. Overshadowed by the other wines tasted.
Red
2001 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford
90 points
Currant, plum and tobacco on the nose and mouth. Nicely structured tannins and medium-long finish.
Red
2003 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
90 points
Not as complete as last few vintages. Big fruit, nice tannin structure but lacks the depth and complexity of the other wines tasted this evening. Overall a good wine but overshadowed by the many great wines tasted.
Flight 5 - 89 Points and below. (4 notes)
The evening's real disappointments.
Red
2003 Opus One
88 points
Very disappointing considering price. Minimal fruit overshadowed by harsh tannins.
Red
2003 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
Big disappointment. Aromas of black olive, black raspberry, minerals and herbs. Sharp tannins that leave this wine unbalanced now. May get better with age, but side by side with over 70 great cabernets this one just did not hold up to the quality of the other wines.
Red
2003 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Estate Grown
89 points
Big disappointment. Lots of fruit and additional flavors of chocolate with a nice dusty tannin finish, but finish was short and the wine unbalanced at this time.
Red
2003 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
87 points
Very disappointing wine. Very lean on the fruit and an unattractive green/herbal nose. Supple tannins. Not balanced. Short finish. I expect more from Oakville Estate fruit.