Blind side-by-side with the 02. Gorgeous and typical Forman nose that surrounds plum fruit with a medley of tar, tobacco, medicinal herbs and cedar. Incredible velvety smooth texture. Tannins are smoothing and integrated. Long with precise, complex flavors. I slightly preferred this to what turned out to be the 02.
Double blind paired with the 02, and the Forman 01/02. Far, far more modern than the Forman wines. Nose has creamy rich fruit with lots of oak toast. Palate follows suit with rich, dense, creamy fruit. Mocha throughout. Ripe and alcoholic finish. Not my cup of tea, but better than the 02 version of the same.
Double blind paired with the 01, and the Forman 01/02. An extreme wine with uber-ripe black fruit, oak char and boozy aromas. The palate is dense and ripe with lots of charred oak. Chewy tannin. Nothing about this wine is appealing.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Attractive if simple nose of plum, tobacco and bell pepper. Smooth, polished fruit with light notes of cedar and earth. A bit short and simplistic. Surprised on reveal, but apparently this is an off vintage for Bryant.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. My favorite of the flight. Aromas of ripe plum made complex with leather, cigar and bell pepper. Delicious on the palate with excellent richness and depth. Intense and complex old-worldesque flavors throughout. Long and balanced finish. Clearly in a more traditional style given the lower levels of extraction and no trace of alcohol.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Modest nose with earth tones more than fruit. The palate, however, is more expressive and ready. Smooth and polished fruit with good spice. Good structure and elegantly styled. Upside from here as this unfolds.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Good fruit in the nose with cedar, herb and tobacco leaf ... which are all attractive but also overt oak. Palate starts richly fruited with obvious oak. This does have density and richness to carry the oak, but it's too much for my taste and overshadows the cedar/tobacco/bell pepper cab character.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Aromas are faint -- darker fruit and tobacco. The palate is richly fruited and jammy. Without much cab character. Very soft tannin. Simple, fruit-filled and like a cocktail.
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Appealing nose has loads of tobacco and bell pepper complexity right out of the gate. Palate is polished and ripe, but in check with good cab character and firm grip and structure.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Late night bonus bottle. Pop n' pour and took a little bit for this to open up. Pretty nose with earth-driven cherry. I didn't pick up much meat or meaty spice, but it did start to come through on the second pass. Good richness on the palate with plenty of spice and lift in the finish. Terrific balance. Young with plenty of upside from here.
Blind side-by-side with the 2001. Quite similar to the '01 aromatically with just a bit more earthy funk, otherwise similarly intense and complex with plum complemented by tar, tobacco, cedar and herbs. More gritty than the velvety 2001. Concentrated fruit has power, yet the overall impression is elegant. Initially not as precise as the 2001, but this kept improving throughout the night.
2001 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind side-by-side with the 02. Gorgeous and typical Forman nose that surrounds plum fruit with a medley of tar, tobacco, medicinal herbs and cedar. Incredible velvety smooth texture. Tannins are smoothing and integrated. Long with precise, complex flavors. I slightly preferred this to what turned out to be the 02.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Original Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 83 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Double blind paired with the 02, and the Forman 01/02. Far, far more modern than the Forman wines. Nose has creamy rich fruit with lots of oak toast. Palate follows suit with rich, dense, creamy fruit. Mocha throughout. Ripe and alcoholic finish. Not my cup of tea, but better than the 02 version of the same.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Double blind paired with the 01, and the Forman 01/02. An extreme wine with uber-ripe black fruit, oak char and boozy aromas. The palate is dense and ripe with lots of charred oak. Chewy tannin. Nothing about this wine is appealing.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Attractive if simple nose of plum, tobacco and bell pepper. Smooth, polished fruit with light notes of cedar and earth. A bit short and simplistic. Surprised on reveal, but apparently this is an off vintage for Bryant.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. My favorite of the flight. Aromas of ripe plum made complex with leather, cigar and bell pepper. Delicious on the palate with excellent richness and depth. Intense and complex old-worldesque flavors throughout. Long and balanced finish. Clearly in a more traditional style given the lower levels of extraction and no trace of alcohol.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Modest nose with earth tones more than fruit. The palate, however, is more expressive and ready. Smooth and polished fruit with good spice. Good structure and elegantly styled. Upside from here as this unfolds.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve 89 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Good fruit in the nose with cedar, herb and tobacco leaf ... which are all attractive but also overt oak. Palate starts richly fruited with obvious oak. This does have density and richness to carry the oak, but it's too much for my taste and overshadows the cedar/tobacco/bell pepper cab character.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Aromas are faint -- darker fruit and tobacco. The palate is richly fruited and jammy. Without much cab character. Very soft tannin.
Simple, fruit-filled and like a cocktail.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Marshall Cellars Juliet Peery Reserve Beckstoffer 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Double blind in an 01/02 Cali Cab flight. Appealing nose has loads of tobacco and bell pepper complexity right out of the gate. Palate is polished and ripe, but in check with good cab character and firm grip and structure.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Domaine Louis Jadot 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Late night bonus bottle. Pop n' pour and took a little bit for this to open up. Pretty nose with earth-driven cherry. I didn't pick up much meat or meaty spice, but it did start to come through on the second pass. Good richness on the palate with plenty of spice and lift in the finish. Terrific balance. Young with plenty of upside from here.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2002 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blind side-by-side with the 2001. Quite similar to the '01 aromatically with just a bit more earthy funk, otherwise similarly intense and complex with plum complemented by tar, tobacco, cedar and herbs. More gritty than the velvety 2001. Concentrated fruit has power, yet the overall impression is elegant. Initially not as precise as the 2001, but this kept improving throughout the night.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue