Community Tasting Note

• Badmonkey wrote: 90 points

  March 20, 2018 - Set aside a bottle to see how it would mature a little - thankfully I only set aside one. As usual with most of Mike's entry level cabs this vintage was quite a bit better really young in my opinion. Dark ruby/purple fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. Smooth mid-palate, however, the fruit came across rather flat - flavors somewhat lacking and not much character otherwise. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep and a little tart. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for around three hours. Not much improvement with time. If tasting blind I would never guess that it was a Mike Smith cab - it didn't show the character that I've come to expect from his cabs.

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4 Comments

• Yack Man commented:

  3/21/18, 6:55 AM - Drink them young Badmonkey, that is what Mike suggests and leave the other high-end designations time to age. I do believe the Scarlett entry level Cab has better staying power when compared to the other labels. I think that I would give all the entry level Cabs 5 to 6 years at max. In my case, they probably won't last that long, the oldest I hold is 2013.

• Badmonkey commented:

  3/21/18, 7:18 AM - Yack Man, I hear you and I've been saying that for a while. I've never had a Myriad napa cab, Quivet napa cab, nor Becklyn cab show better than after the first couple years from their release. I would probably throw the Quivet Kenefick Ranch in there as well. However, I didn't expect this vintage to fall-off that much from a couple years ago. I agree with you about the Scarlett. In addition, I believe the Quivet Pellet and Myriad Three Twins have a little longer drinking window and show better with a little more time - a couple years. Take care.

• Mtpisgah commented:

  3/25/18, 4:18 PM - I feel the opposite about this wine. It was good before but I think it is even more enjoyable now that the fruit has faded some. It reminds more of mtn fruit.

• Badmonkey commented:

  3/25/18, 5:52 PM - I can't necessarily argue that statement about the Mtn fruit profile especially mid-palate, however, there was still a slight tartness mid-palate that was even more pronounced with the finish. I actually saved some for day two hoping that the tartness would wane but no such luck. Just not my style but as always everyone has different preferences. Take care.

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