Chicago, IL
Tasted Friday, January 1, 2010 by psmith with 701 views
New Year's Day Cali Cabernets of the 2000s Retrospective. Wines were served in flights blind to the participants, who were asked to rate them using a 100 point scale (M refers to my rating, G to group average). I don't normally score wines, so while are certainly made with reference to this scale, they're probably more useful as a relative rating among these wines than an absolute measure of quality (e.g., 80 was my lowest rating and is reflective of the fact that I didn't like this [flawed] wine, rather than the standard "good" that an 80 is meant to represent).
Flight 1
Flight 2
Flight 3
Flight 4 - All provided by the host for the final flight but still served blind to the tasters (where the host didn't know the order).
A couple of additions from the host - we were told the wines but they were blinded so it was unclear which was which. I think most tasters were able to pick out the CdP from the New World wine.
Great time - lots of generosity shown by the host and other tasters.
2004 Carina Cellars Iconoclast
USA, California
Cabernet-Syrah blend (~70% Cab). Dark fruits, graphite notes, with some vanilla and chocolate oak influence. Ripe, bold wine. Fine tannins. Some heat. Syrah not particularly evident. M92/G92.3
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2004 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Dark, ripe fruits and vanilla notes. Ripe and forward. A bit muted on the palate with some restrained green notes showing through. M93/G93.9
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2002 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley
More classic styling and less overt ripeness. Red fruits. Very fine tannins. Some heat comes through on the finish. M91/G92.6
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2004 Terlato Vineyards Episode
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Some dark and blue fruit notes. Good weight. Firm structure. Ripe. Modern styling. M93/G91.9
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