Four Young Cali Cab Flights, Various Price Points

This was a blast. My first event at Snooth. I was fortunate to claim a last minute seat with Greg del Piaz tonight and got a great education on young Cali Cabs. No food to obscure the tasting. Just water and a few plain crackers. Lots of tasting and discussion. I will seek to attend more of these. Lots of fun and very educational. As always, I met some nice people.

While the Pedroncelli was tasty, this flight was not great for me. Not unpleasant, but green and lacking in obvious big, dark fruit.

• 2005 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Beautiful, deep burgundy/purple color, very slightly translucent, slight minimal alcohol, clean taste, smells and looks like it is older than it is or at least that it was decanted for a long while, I wouldn't call this green, but there were some vegetal notes, not a lot of fruit. Medium to long finish. My #3 of the flight.

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• 2006 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, North Coast

  The color is the same as the Simi but the nose and mouth were better and more expressive, more oak than the Simi and Pedroncelli, dry tannins and a bit underripe. My #2 of the flight.

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• 2006 Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignon Three Vineyards Dry Creek Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  My #1 of the flight. Looks dark like the rest, but brighter, some alcohol on the nose, but not much to speak of. My guess was that this was younger than the other two due to it's brightness, but it wasn't. Dry tannins, more fruit than the others. I'd buy this for $17. My #1 of the flight.

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I really enjoyed this flight! Wines one and two were close for me. Lots of dark, sweet fruits here. These were nice.

• 2005 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  I liked this. Very dark in color and dark sweet, black cherries on the palate. Smooth mouthfeel, goes down super smooth and easy. No need for food with this. I'd happily drink it on its own, by the glass. My #2 for the flight, very close to the #1.

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• 2005 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  After a bit of air, wood was present and this was thicker, denser with more to consider than the other two. Black fruit. Others found cocoa, spoofilated, with dark choc and mint. My #3 of the flight.

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• 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Cafe au lait! Milk chocolate on the nose. Deepest dark cherry color on the edges only, nearly opaque otherwise. Drying like black tea, perhaps, Midpalate had a bit of acid or green going on but that was short and not unpleasant. Sweet dark fruit, not particularly dry. I like this a lot. My number one of the flight and night.

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I could have skipped the Meritage flight. Meritage must contain at least two of these grapes and not more than 90% of more than one. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, St. Macaire, Gros Verdot, and Carmenere. My overall comment on the flight was "not good, nothing to buy or repeat here".

• 2005 Bennett Lane Maximus

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Lots and lots of alcohol on the nose at first, but this became my preferred wine in a flight I didn't love. Black fruit, sweet, short finish, tight. Others found pencil lead, baking spice and fruitcake.

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• 2005 Rodney Strong Symmetry

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Alcohol again! After time it blows off, but don't put your nose directly over the glass right away. The sweetness comes through eventually, but not much. Smooth, long finish. Dry tannins. My #3 of the flight.

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• 2005 Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  The nose on this was alcohol and something really offputting. Eucalyptus and dirty diapers on the nose, but still not my #3 of the flight. Dry enough to make you pucker on the finish. Sweet in the mouth, but so smooth on the finish that it goes down like water. Hard to find descriptors.

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I liked this a lot. I wish it hadn't come at the end as I was buzzed by this point. I couldn't identify many differences between the three. On the whole they had dark fruits, short finishes. All pleasant. My #2 flight, but my taster was exhausted by this point. I'd love to have these again.

• 2005 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Alcohol on the nose, adic on the finish. Very pleasant in the mouth. Dry on the finish. Others found lime leaf and elegance. I got coconut milk at the end, but I may have been snookered at this point. ;) My #3 of the flight.

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• 2005 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Alexander Valley

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  Nice in the mouth, short and drying on the finish, someone noted this would age well. I found tobacco, cigar and some asian spice. Eventually, I got some raspberry, too. My number #2 of the flight.

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• 2004 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Endeavour

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  So, who ever started a note with "Campbell's tomato soup" on the nose and ended with "my #1 of the flight and #2 of the night"? Well, me. This was tasty. Short finish, nice mouthfeel, sweet, raspberry. I didn't care ofr the nose (at all) but I really enjoyed the taste. For the record, all three of these were all close together for me.

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