Pezzi King Cabs (and Merlot) blindtasted

Introductory comments from tasting organizer Ross B.
Pezzi King vineyards was founded by James Rowe and his late wife, Jane, who named the winery after the last names of their mothers. The Rowes purchased the 134-acre estate in 1993 from Wheeler Winery, who had been making wines there since the 1980s. They turned the winery in the late 1990s into one of the destination sites on the Russian River Barrel Tasting weekend, with wonderful food combinations and a vast array of wines, and terraces overlooking the Dry Creek Valley, and a couple prize minature ponies who ate hay and patiently tolerated the winetasting crowds.

The vineyards are on the steepest slopes on the western side of the Dry Creek Valley. After taking over, the Rowes quickly converted to all-organic farming, and this remains a trademark of this winery to this day. The estate vineyards focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, and more recently Syrah, with Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs purchased from neighboring vineyards.

Since their first Cabernet Vintage in 1994, their Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots have always impressed me. They strike me more as a classic Napa Valley style rather than a traditional Dry Creek or Sonoma Cab. By this, I mean that there are more ripe currant, cassis, and dark chocolate flavors than the traditional somewhat herbal, weedy Sonoma characteristics. (In fact, at their open houses, they pair their Cabs with chocolate truffles.

Tonight, we'll try five of their Cabernet Sauvignons beginning with their first vintage in 94, along with two of their Merlots. As a ringer, we'll have a highly rated 1994 Bordeaux, the Chateau Pontet Canet, which should make a very interesting contrast in styles, and provide a chance to look at the ageworthiness of Pezzi King vs a top Pauillac at 12 years.

1994 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pezzi King "Estate", Dry Creek Valley (13.2%)
1995 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pezzi King "Estate", Dry Creek Valley (13.8%)
1996 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pezzi King "Estate", Dry Creek Valley (13.8%)
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pezzi King "Estate", Dry Creek Valley (14.2%)
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Pezzi King "Estate", Dry Creek Valley (14.5%)
1996 Merlot, Pezzi King "Susie's Reserve", Dry Creek Valley (13.2%)

• 1997 Pezzi King Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #1 (my #1) – 14 pts; 2 1st place vote, 1 2nd place votes, 2 thirds, 0 last places – Deep garnet color; nice, pointed, caramel scented black fruit nose; maturing, more balanced, sweet Cab fruit, with graphite and menthol; short-medium finish 90

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• 1996 Pezzi King Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #2 (my #2) – 17 pts; 2, 2, 0, 1 – Deep garnet color; plum and graphite nose; big, thick, extracted black fruit, graphite and plum palate; medium finish

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• 1999 Pezzi King Cabernet Sauvignon 83 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #3 (my #4) – 18 pts; 1, 2, 0, 0 – garnet red color; tarry vanilla nose and VA; sweet cherry, vanilla, menthol, hot palate; medium finish

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• 1994 Pezzi King Cabernet Sauvignon 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #4 (my #3) – 18 pts; 1, 0, 3, 0 – deep garnet red; slight peppery, oak nose; mature, sweet black fruit palate with a graphite note; short, slightly tangy finish (gets worse after 30 minutes in the glass)

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• 1996 Pezzi King Merlot Susie's Reserve 79 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Group's #5 (my #5) – 28 pts; 0, 0, 1, 1 – garnet red color; deep vegetal, bell pepper nose with strong VA; herbaceous, peppery fruit and hard oak edges; short finish

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• 1995 Pezzi King Cabernet Sauvignon Flawed

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Group's #6 (my #6) – 31 pts; 0, 1, 0, 4 – corked nose; corked and hot on palate

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