1996 Cult Cabs

Tasted Saturday, March 2, 2013 by soyhead with 629 views

Introduction

All wines were aerated for several hours, and tasted blind, except for the Champagne which was a pop&pour to get the event going.

Flight 1 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 95 Points

    France, Champagne

    nose - hazlenut, honeysuckle
    mouth - rich, quince, grapefruit, honey, very long on the palate, slight bitterness on the backend. There is also definite sweetness which
    is balanced by the wine's body. delicious and pretty unique.

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Flight 2 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    a very nice fruity wine, rich, with smooth tannins though lacking the verve
    of some of the others that were tasted side by side. drink now.

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Flight 3 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Harlan Estate 97 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    nose - ripe lush dark berry and cherry
    mouth - wow, brilliant blueberry, blackberry, cassis and other dark fruits, opulent in mouthfeel and length.
    Yummy juicy quality on the midpalate with a long finish with pleasing structural tannins.
    As Duane pointed out this wine is 'complete' in every sense. My WOTN and right up there with the best
    bottles I have ever had.

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    nose - dark berry
    mouth - huge mouthful of rich fruit, fruit punchy complex, dry tannins on the tannic finish. Missing the finishing acidic kick.
    'lot of nuance' per Duane.

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    nose - very primary, like grape skins, or grappa
    mouth - intensely concentrated, dark fruits with a dribble of olive, relentlessly powerful, deep dark and brooding.
    Per Mario 'vermouth'
    Felt like a whole bottle of cabernet condensed into my glass. The only other wine that I have ever tasted like
    this is Harlan estate, so I went very far out on a limb proudly proclaiming to all this was the Harlan, without a doubt.
    By now I should know better than to make such proclamations as they are nearly always wrong.
    This wine needs to slumber but I'm not sure it will get more approachable anytime soon. Really a unique tasting
    experience, and everyone picked it out as being different from the others. Best comsumed in small sips and paired with air.
    In a word 'a beast'. Group WOTN and my runner-up, beating out Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Bryant, Schafer, Pahlmeyer.

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    nose - dark fruit, smoke, exotic
    mouth - massive rich, mouthcoating. dark cherry, plum, cocoa, and mint. Eucalyptus per Brian.
    Duane tells me that the little bit he managed to save for the following day was singing

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Flight 7 (1 Note)

  • 1996 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
    nose - delicious, smoky, slightly herbal.
    mouth - fruit punchy, raspberry, dark cherry, hint of herbality, good complexity. possibly the best of the
    wines of the night for food pairing

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Closing

Wicked tasting, not sure when I will encounter such an august line-up again.

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