nose: blackberry and sugared dates
palate: this was the heaviest of the cabs, with the thickest mouthfeel, and also the sweetest palate. Not necessarily too sweet, and certainly not goopy, I rather liked the vanilla fruit, though it was not particularly complex. this was tasted at cellar temperature and I suspect at higher temps the alcohol would overshadow the palate. Fortunately, that was not the case tonight. The nose opened up considerably over the 2 hours it was open. Tannins were full integrated. THis was in a good place for drinking right now with some air.

nose: more herbal, sawdusty (oak?), with red fruit
palate: this had the highest acid of the tasting, though the palate was considerably thinner next to the Turnbull. It was also more complex and a bit more interesting to taste than the Turnbull, to my palate. Finish was unsatisfyingly short, though. But otherwise, a nice wine that could probably use a few more years of sleep.

(Cindy & Jeff informed us that no flagship cab was produced in 2006, so this bottle has all the high-end fruit of the 06 harvest.)
the nose was somewhat wooden in personality, with a body weight somewhere between the V Sattui and the Turnbull cab. THe flavors were similar to the other two, though this seemed a tad more herbal to me. This had a nice presence on the tongue and I enjoyed it a smudge more than the V Sattui (but just a smudge). I would drink either again without quibble.

well, this didn't stand out to me as a favorite, but it certainly didn't taste like cheap plonk next to the other cabs. I did find it more roasted and a bit fakey-sweet next to the Beau Vigne and the V Sattui, but it's also 1/3 the price. Beringer does amazing things....even when you don't know it's Beringer. 86-87 its

My least favorite of the lineup. The nose smelled manufactured, sort of like pleather in the backseat of my mother's 1985 volvo. THe midpalate was slightly bitter in a weird way and never regained composure. I didn't spend a lot of time on it. Not rated, but also not really liked.

this bottle was decanted at 6 pm, tasted around 7 pm
nose: more metal and earth than the wines tasted alongside, not super forward, though there was oak presence
palate: seemed tight, though I liked the flavor of the fruit. Longest finish of the wines at the table. Classy, and complex, though not offering 'wow' factor (yet).