Community Tasting Note

• jeagle Likes this wine: 93 points

  October 18, 2019 - Decanted for an hour and a half then consumed over two nights. It has been nearly two years since I approached this wine. It has improved in flavor profile and finish, but there remains something about the style that goes against my grain. I can't really express it well, but the wine feels stylistically manufactured rather than artisanal. I admittedly found it to be delicious but ever so clean with the structure too well hidden. Too pretty? It definitely resonates a more feminine treatment of the grape, and maybe that is my problem since I view Cabernet in more masculine terms. Oh well, still a very nice bottle. Night one was my preference as everything was in bold and underlined whereas night two was softer across the board.

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3 Comments

• Mark1npt commented:

  10/18/19, 10:27 AM - I can't disagree with anything you said. I typically don't have a wine hang around til night 2, because I don't like the 'ghostlike' rendition I'm usually left with. Regarding the styling component, it seems many of these big Cali cabs are getting that kind of treatment today.....and more every year. In fact, it's getting to the point where it's hard to tell some of the vineyards and even some of the wineries apart anymore. Individually is waning, for sure.

• jeagle commented:

  10/20/19, 7:54 AM - Sorry for the late response, but I have been on the road. The only other Mike Smith Cab I have had is the 2015 Scarlet Reserve and it was very similar, and I was not fond of his Syrah under the Myriad label. This style does seem to be the "modern" approach with varying amounts of residual sugar. With younger wines, I used to find improvement on night two, but these wines do not appear to have the endurance.... I see you visited Selah. I will probably switch over from Outpost based on its sale as well as the appealing smallness and now your impression of the winery. Thanks for the response. >John

• Mark1npt commented:

  10/20/19, 9:04 AM - No worries, John......seems Napa is inundated with certain winemakers and their successes garnering a vast number of clients. Mike Smith must have 7-10 labels now. Kirk Venge makes quite a few and I was told last week that TRBrown may have as many as 50 winery clients. Some really do ALL taste the same now. Having said that you can access Selahwines.com and get their new release cab ('16). They only make the one wine. It is a small operation headed by Joe Blanton, former MLB pitcher. His vineyard is on White Cottage Rd, in Angwin on Howell Mtn. He meets with you on his property. There is no formal tasting room. TRBrown is his winemaker. It is a very nice Howell Mtn cab and if you like Outpost you will like this one, too, though it is a bit different than the Outpost cab. Maybe just a tad more rustic? I've had all 3 vintages now and they get better every year. Great bang for the buck, too. All the best! Mark

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