San Antonio Wine Geeks

The Home of Dave Lew
Tasted Friday, March 19, 2010 by Nutty08 with 640 views

Introduction

Graciously hosted by Dave Lew, the usual folks were present. Cabernet Sauvignon was the theme, with some Pinot and Chard with appetizers.

Flight 1 (12 Notes)

2006 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard 93 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

Expressive floral nose with concentrated fruit. Big rich round palate with good acidity, and enough vanilla to add complexity without being overbearing. Lengthy vanilla finish adds a some mineral to the acidic backbone. Great precision and balance. Great example of the “bigger” style of Cali chardonnay.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2002 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series 91 Points

Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

I wish I had this one prior to the Rhys. Pretty floral nose with fresh clean fruit. Palate is subtle, focused, and quite acidic even at this age, with crisp mineral and wet stone. Really grabs the palate on the finish. Little if any oak influence. More subtle than the Rhys and didn’t seem to quite have the depth and complexity, but still fantastic in a different style.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2007 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard 90 Points

USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Big rich cola and cherry nose with subtle spice on top. Lush ripe mouthfeel, acidic with a tart cherry character and touch of herbal spices on the mid palate. Medium clipped finish seeming slightly thin. Seemed to be a pretty typical Cali style pinot, well made though not distinctive.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard 91 Points

USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

Huge sappy nose of plum and cherry. Very ripe palate with bright red fruits, though not overdone, though a little heat came out on the finish. Hint of spices coming through on the finish. A big driven pinot, though balanced and should settle down over the next few years.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard 92 Points

USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Another huge KB nose of cassis, plum, and dark currants. Palate is again very fruit driven, but a much darker fruit profile than the Gary’s, though none of the herbal character came though., it seemed deeper and have more complex fruit and had a slate character on the finish. Maybe it just tasted more like syrah. Some heat on the backend was distracting, though I still preferred this to the Gary’s.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1999 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

This was lovely and was very distinctive in a tasting of Cali cabs. Fantastic open nose of typical Pauillac: Pencil, flint, tobacco and some cassis in the background. Fine palate with chalky mostly resolved tannins with distinct cassis fruit character with tobacco leaf leading into a flint and cedar finish. Balanced, focused, and open for business. Faded after 2-3hrs in the decanter. Probably at or near peak, I don’t see this improving. Doesn’t have the concentration or complexity of the better bdx vintages(I have high hopes for my ’00, ’03, and ‘05’s), but I prefer this to drinking young/primary petit Chateaux.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1999 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 89 Points

USA, California, Napa Valley

I had this in Napa at the winery and was hoping I wouldn’t get any of the green pepper/veggie notes that bottle. Unfortunately, the nose was again dominated by green pepper, with just a little cedar and tobacco coming through on the nose. Elegant subtle palate, quite distinctive in this tasting as it was not as concentrated as the other Cali cabs and was probably most similar to the Pichon-Baron in that respect. Palate has mature red fruits, tobacco leaf with an herbal twist…and a little green pepper. Medium finish, slightly clipped of slate and cedar. I’m a big fan of the Beringer PR, but not this vintage as I cant’ get past the green notes to enjoy what is otherwise a great mature and elegant Cali cab.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 88 Points

USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

This was initially severed blind and despite being decanted for several hours was a complete mess on initial tasting. The nose was nothing but oak, toast, vanilla and a weird damp mushroom note. Palate was acidic, thin, but paradoxically seemed viscous in the mouth with a little plum and currant. Strong vanilla finish. Horribly unbalanced at first and admittedly I just dumped it. After a few more hours it had come together with the oak notes fading some and allowing more red fruit and a little chocolate coming though and at that point was an enjoyable though unremarkable Cali cab 88 points at peak performance. I was shocked when it was revealed as it showed none of the coffee/volcanic rock character I associate with Stags leap. Hold and hope this comes together with time…

Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2003 Laird Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain Ranch 91 Points

USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

Floral nose of toast and cedar. Rich dark fruit palate, less concentrated than some of the others but complex and balanced. Mocha flint and cedar finish with a mineral character I cant’ describe but that I associate with volcanic soil (tar but not that strong). Really nice well and well made.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2002 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

USA, California, Napa Valley

Mild reduction in the nose, though much less than the QC and showing blackberry and vanilla. Concentrated palate with dark fruit profile with cassis highlights, though much more coffee and chocolate coming though on the finish than the QC. Loved the flint character on the complex finish.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2006 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 93 Points

USA, California, Napa Valley

Big concentrated nose with primary red fruits-cassis, raspberry, and cherries and creamy vanilla. Some blackberry on the palate coming though with a distinctly red fruit palate, chewy tannins and a perfect mix of vanilla, mocha and fruit on the finish I associate with the Napa valley floor. Nice complexity. For me this was quintessential Napa valley and really showed the bright red fruit of To-Kalon. Should only get better as it sheds its baby fat as it comes across as very primary right now.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

USA, Washington

My first experience with QC and the wine of the night for me, though I’m not sure this is a style that really speaks to me. Decanted 5-6hrs prior to tasting. Huge (HUGE) deep concentrated nose (with a strong element of reduction/port) blueberries, blackberries, currants and plum. On the palate; I don’t know if I’ve ever had another wine this concentrated. Layers of complex dark fruit with fine barely noticeable plush tannin and a very long finish of mocha, subtle vanilla and dark fruits. Most impressive for its concentration and impeccable balance will all elements in harmony. If I wasn’t distracted by the reduction on the nose, this might have been the best cab I’ve ever had, instead I’ll say it’s a tie for the best domestic cab I’ve ever had with ’02 Shafer Hillside.

Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No