Community Tasting Note

• ffzhang Likes this wine: 99 points

  April 19, 2021 - Exploring 2018s and 2019s in Napa - Spring 2021; 4/18/2021-4/22/2021 (Napa Valley, CA): I absolutely loved this wine and wanted to give it a triple digit score as it ended up being my favorite of the trip. It really got me thinking that I may enjoy the 2019s more than the 2018s at least in the short term.
  
  Final barrel sample. Phenomenal pronounced bouquet on the nose with extremely pure fruit flavors. Red, blue, and black fruit are all present including perfectly ripe cherry, blueberry pie, and blackberry. Lovely floral note (not as perfumed as the BTK), earthy/minerality note (not as dark as the LPV), and baking spice note including anise, adds to the layers of complexity in this wine. Many Cabernet Sauvignons seem to have a lighter mid-palate, but this wine did not suffer from that. Rich and decadent, yet elegant at the same time, lasting through the entire palate, onto the very long finish. Tannins and alcohol were super well integrated. Absolutely singing. 99+

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5 Comments

• #1Winelover commented:

  4/24/21, 2:31 PM - lucky you! I get to taste them in 3 weeks. Can't wait!

• ffzhang commented:

  4/24/21, 2:36 PM - #1Winelover, I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to taste the Dr Crane when I visited, but I’m so glad I did since it was showing so well! Enjoy your trip and looking forward to seeing your notes!

• csimm commented:

  5/20/21, 6:29 AM - Great notes on your Napa trip. Thanks for all the info. I’m envious that the Crane was showing so well for you. It was surprisingly shut down when we sampled it. The LPV (and M7 of course) were the show stoppers for us. Anyway, thanks for the notes!

• ffzhang commented:

  5/20/21, 2:21 PM - Csimm, thanks for the comment! I absolutely love your notes and use them as a guide for my yearly purchases! As for the VV Dr. Crane, it's crazy how different barrel samples can be! But overall, I love their entire lineup and what their doing - particularly excited for their new collaboration with L'Aventure.

• csimm commented:

  5/20/21, 3:02 PM - VV's partnering-up with Stephan Asseo will certainly be an interesting combo. I can't wait to see how the final product ultimately materializes. Asseo is a bit of an iconoclast with the Rhone-meets-Cab concoctions (at least from a Frenchman in Paso). Here's hoping we get to check it out at some point. Cheers!

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