Community Tasting Note
-
Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 points
February 11, 2020 - I know, I know...on the face of it, this rating for VV's entry level cab seems absurd. But this weekend proved to me this wine is showing better than most anything I've ever tasted at this price point. Quick summary: had a double blind tasting where the entrants were 16 Bulgheroni Crane, 16 Carter Verdad, 16 B Cellars To Kalon, 13 Dominus and I threw in this much less expensive wine to make things interesting. I've done that many times before, and generally it is very obvious which is the lesser specimen. Well damn if this wine didn't WIN the tasting EASILY. With 6 people all experienced tasters, this had four #1 votes and two #2.
Now, as a caveat, all the wines received about 3 hours of slow ox, but that was it. Over the few hours we sat with them, and after the initial blind, many of the more expensive wines started to pull even or ahead in a couple cases, but bottom line is this is just a spectacular value.
TN: Blueberries, violets, crushed stone and mineral driven notes dominate a terrific pure nose. Rich, powerful and fruit forward but not overdone on the palate, this show seamless integration of fine grained tannins and wonderfully pure and layered fruit. Tons of mineral driven flavors. Doesn't back down at all through the mid palate and even picks up a bit of weight, but with exceptional balance. Finishes medium length and spicy.3 people found this helpful 7,576 views
6 Comments
-
GQG commented:
2/11/20, 4:25 PM - Nice review Crystal2000, especially quoting a double blind test! I'm 1/3 of the way though a case of this wine and completely agree that it may be the best I've had at the price point. Heard that it was intended primarily for restaurants where the pricing would be double or more on the menu, so it's a loss leader or "introduction to VV" of sorts, all the better for those of us who buy it other ways.
-
blarmston commented:
2/11/20, 7:31 PM - Nice note. And I would agree that this wine is legit. I remember tasting it at VV a couple years ago, along with a VV Napa, Las P and Crane (all ‘16s), and thinking that there wasn’t a huge drop in quality from the regular VV Napa blend. But that Las P? Oh my that was tasty as F
-
Cristal2000 commented:
2/11/20, 7:31 PM - Rather shocking how well this showed. To think restaurants and retailers probably pay $40 for it...amazing.
-
Cristal2000 commented:
2/11/20, 7:35 PM - Blarmston - Yeah, I've had the VV LPV when it tasted like the best wine in the world...and then also when it's been totally shut down and just nails. That is one very moody wine for them. To me, the Crane and BTK are much more predictable.
Love all the VV wines, but for the $68 I paid retail for this, you can't beat the QPR, especially with the price point at $250 for Crane, LPV and BTK now. -
msuwine commented:
2/11/20, 10:33 PM - Great note, Cristal2000! I applaud the lack of hesitation to score a second wine this high. You obviously did your homework during the blind tasting (fun homework!), so it's not even a cost thing. Still, I do think QPR should affect scores somehow - I mean, this cost half, if not a third, of many of the other wines in your tasting. I know it's not a math equation, but a fantastic wine at $70 is a more exciting find, to me, than a fantastic wine at $225.
More broadly, I also think it's important not to accept the winery's quality (and pricing) hierarchy, especially when the price differentials are so high. Yes, a single vineyard LPV or Crane or BTK probably costs more to produce (and definitely costs more to buy) - but that doesn't mean it tastes better (especially in the early going?). I think wine reviewers are too polite sometimes in low-balling the second wine, as opposed to just tasting it on its own.
Anyway, long way of saying - thanks for the great note! I'll have to open another one of these soon. -
Cristal2000 commented:
2/12/20, 10:18 AM - Hi Msuwright - I would say that blind tastings are the ultimate equalizer. Otherwise, you are swayed by critic scores, your knowledge of who makes the wine and its cost, perhaps the beauty of the label etc etc. I've always felt justified in my spending after blinds, because generally the less expensive wine has always been a pretty distant last. Needless to say, this one opened my eyes, especially considering how good some of those other more expensive bottles are and what they cost.
Clearly, these second wines are made to show better early, so that impacts it some. But at the same time, everyone around the table drinks a ton of wine, some are vineyard consultants, some have degrees in enology, some regularly judge wine...so it was amazing that it was so universally enjoyed and ranked so high, with the experience to understand how great wines are early in their life.