Community Tasting Note

etherscreen wrote:

Saturday, March 3, 2012 - larry fairchild is making my favorite cabernets in california. yes this is a bold statement, but these wines so compellingly express everything i desire in a napa cabernet - noble and firm, yet elegant, harmonious, and pure.

last year i experienced the '08 sigaro on multiple occasions as well as the '05, and the characteristics of this site, once again, come to the fore in 2009.

decanted 2.5 hours and continuing its evolution in the glass. a lively, deep purple core with burnt crimson edge. at first inspection, the nose unveils the telltale sigaro mineral and soil characteristics packed into a bowl of freshly picked, dark cherries. cedar, bakers chocolate, subtle bay leaf, and tobacco add additional layers of complexity. like the '08 and '05, the palate presents itself in an understated, yet confident way. saturates the entire mouth while retaining it's spherical shape. perfectly titrated acid. etoh is undetectable. tannins, while very well managed, show on the drawn out finish; no surprise given its youth. this wine knows its worth. it is not bragging even though it could (and should). at 4.5 hrs this is really starting to sing. kudos to proprietor larry fairchild and winemaker paul hobbs!

this is a very, very strong buy for me. i'll be picking up the '09 GIII without hesitation as well. 96-97 with room for improvement. delicious!

Post a Comment / View etherscreen's profile
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue (2,832 views)