Birthwholeday Wine Night :)

Tasted Saturday, May 19, 2012 by wineberg with 497 views

Introduction

Abbreviated notes on all these as they were typed up the next day from memory...

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 2005 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Koplen Vineyard 96 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Excellent bottle of CA Pinot, drinking perfectly. Perfume nose. Big, but well rounded with a long finish.

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  • 2008 Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    This has a 12 hour decant on it. Very good, nice ripe dark fruit from To Kalon, but not quite up to the level rest of the bottles from the evening. Still had noticeable alcohol that took over the finish.

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  • 2009 Scarecrow Monsieur Étain 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    Consistent with the last bottle from New Years. This one had a longer decant on it, but still the big, fruit forward, creamy Napa Cab I remember. I'd say drink these in the next decade, don't think they're built for the long run.

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  • 2009 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 96 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    Decanted for 9+ hours. This is gorgeous at that point, and was my WOTN.

    Perfumed nose, complex palate with layers of flavors followed by a finish that evolves as it goes.

    Lay it down for now, or give it at least an 8 hour decant.

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  • 2005 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

    Decanted for 12+ hours. I remember more of a red fruit nose on this, and the Howell Mountain stood distinct from the rest of the Napa Cabs we had, which were valley floor or close to it.

    Smooth, well balanced all around. I think this has a good amount of life left to it as well. Lay it down for a few more years, or give it a good decant now.

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  • 2009 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Definitely needs decanting right now. Really young and still has a lot of barrel flavors to it right out of the bottle. But, give it a good few hour decant, and that all smooths out and this opens up. The 08 has been one of my regular 'drinking' wines over the last year or so. I haven't done a side by side of 08 and 09 yet, will do that soon, but my first impression was I like the 09 slightly better than the 08, and I think it's really the nose that I like...it really reminds me of Napa for some reason!

    - As a follow up a few months later: After finally doing a side by side of the 08 and 09, the 08 is the clear winner.

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