'05 Napa Meritage Blind Tasting

Interesting concept going on. Valley of the Moon presented this comparative blind tasting of 6 California Meritage style wines, including Cuvee de la Luna from VOTM. They've gathered 28 of this town's most respected palates. We'll see what happens!

• 2005 Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Five 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  Tasted blind. I chose this as the second best of the tasting. Very ripe black raspberries, currants, and chocolate. Rich mouthfeel with firm dusty tannins, moderate toastiness, more chocolate and a sweet cassis finish. Definitely Napa Meritage. First experience with this winery.

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• 2005 Dominus Estate 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tasted blind. I chose this as second to last in the tasting as did the entire panel, however I still enjoyed it. Closed down nose, didn't offer much the entire tasting. Palate is a touch on the ripe side, almost jammy? Ripe blackberries and cherries with high acidity and firm tannins. Almost a green edge to the tannin structure. I'm not convinced this one was showing as well as it should, but then again, great vintages of Dominus don't strut until 10+ years of age.

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• 2005 Valley of the Moon Cuvée de la Luna 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Tasted blind. Chose as 4th in the tasting. Very toasty nose. Paine grille, chocolate, and spices. Black fruits, high acidity, and moderate tannin structure. Very approachable and user friendly. Is it a better wine than the '05 Dominus, no, did it show better today? Yes.

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• 2005 Flora Springs Trilogy 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tasted blind. I chose this as the best wine of the lineup, as did the majority of the panel. At first, a touch of brett. Could it be Bordeaux? No, but at first it definitely had a touch of earthiness, brett, and cedar. Dried figs and currants sneak through with spices, mocha, and cassis. Very rich, full bodied and powerful, yet with refined tannins that are not overwhelming. Nicely balanced with a burst of fresh berries and acidity. Fantastic wine.

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• 2005 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Tasted blind. I chose this as the least favorite of the lineup, as did the entire tasting panel. Didn't show as well as one would think. Everything was unbalanced. The nose had a nice toasty vanilla and currant thing, but the palate was full of green, aggressive tannins and raw oak. The purity of the fruit didn't shine until after 20 minutes in the glass, and by then every other wine was singing. Unfortunate results with this one.

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• 2005 Opus One 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tasted blind. I chose this as the 3rd best wine of the lineup and the rest of the panel chose as number 2. I detected slight sulphur at first, which immediately drew a concern, but it soon blew off. It was a close one between this and the Cain 5. The acidity on this one wasn't quite as balanced, nor was the structure. Did show nice rich fruits, nice use of oak, and great extraction. Given the fact that this was tasted last, it could have had a different outcome, but we did spend 30 minutes with the wines. At any rate, this is a very big step up from past vintages.

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WOW. How does one even begin to describe the outcome of this tasting. First of all, great wines from start to finish. I wouldn't dismiss any of them. The results of the entire tasting panel is as follows:
1st: Flora Springs Trilogy
2nd: Opus One
3rd: Cain 5
4th: Valley of the Moon Cuvee de la Luna
5th: Dominus Estate
6th: Ch St Jean Cinq Cepages