WCC 1990s California Cabernet Blind Tasting

My regular Albany-area group met to taste California Cabernet from the 1990s blind. Dinner began a little after 7:30pm and ended around 10pm.

Pix and more comments on my website:

http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2015-06-04_WCC_90sCab_Doratos/

• 1995 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Dark smoky nose. Young, tannic, black fruit. A long tannic finish. The tannins are softening over time and getting sweeter. Lovely stuff. Just beginning its drinkability, I think.

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• 1995 Whitehall Lane Merlot Reserve Leonardini Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double-decanted at 11am.] Black fruit and cinnamon nose. Lush and silky in the mouth. Expansive. An excellent wine. No one guessed it wasn't Cab. Maybe the lush softness should have been a hint, but it wasn't enough. Group WOTN. My WOTF.

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• 1995 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted for 2 hours.] Sweet black fruit nose. Lush up front with tart tannins in the finish. Still young.

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• 1999 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  [Decanted for about 9 hours.] Smokey black fruit nose. Thick and rich, but also tannic and musty. Just a little off?

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• 1999 Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  [Double decanted at 5:30.] Ripe juicy red fruit. Long and ripe but bitter on the finish. Jared thinks it's corked. Maybe. NR

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• 1999 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  [Decanted for 3.5 hours.] Nose of minerals and red fruit. Yummy, rich, long, tannic, but loads of ripe fruit make it delicious. Should drink well for many years.

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• 1997 Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Reserve 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted for one hour.] Expansive and ripe red fruit and spice. Appealing, but short. Good, but not in the same class as most of the other wines tonight.

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• 1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted for 2 hours at 4:30.] Tasted non-blind after 1 hour in decanter: Nose of tar, licorice and black fruit. Intensely structured on the palate. Riveting finish lasts for minutes. Simply amazing wine. Still very young.
  As part of the blind tasting: Muted black fruit nose. Juicy red fruit in the mouth. Complex, but still very young. Licorice in the finish. Should continue to improve for 5-10 years.

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• 1997 Dominus Estate 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double-decanted at 11am.] Ripe, sweet, fragrant red fruit nose. A touch of cedar. Others think it may be a Bordeaux ringer. I think it is Dominus! [pat myself on the back] Group #2 WOTN.

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• 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  [Opened at 1pm for 1.5 hours.] Licorice and black fruit. Long complex ripe licorice finish. Very tasty wine! Group #3 WOTN.

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• 1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted and filtered (due to broken cork) at 2:30pm.] Rich, tart, smokey. Really tight. Hard to judge. One of the youngest tasting wines tonight. 93?

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• 1994 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted for one hour.] Tarry red fruit nose. Tart, ripe sour.

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• 1994 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  [Double decanted and filtered (due to broken cork) about 5:30 pm.] Big smokey nose. Fabulous, ripe, tannic, but one of the more flamboyant wines tonight. Very drinkable.

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• 1992 Philip Togni Black Muscat Ca' Togni 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  [Double-decanted at 11am.] Two half bottles decanted, then put into a full bottle so it could be blind. Hot sweet alcoholic nose. Mellowing as it breathes. Lovely sweet and complex. Kind of port-like, but with not as much body.

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I suggested this theme after our 2005 California Cab tasting because I thought those were all to young. These too still seem quite young to me. A lot of delicious wines to drink with steak.