Introduction

We returned to our corner table in the trendy 2120 restaurant in South Lake Union once again for our monthly blind-tasting dinner. The food just keeps getting better here and the service has always been wonderful. We ordered a raft of appetizers and began sampling the juice.

Flight 1 (5 notes)

Closing

We had a clear win for the value hounds with Cadence's beautiful Bordeaux blend Camerata. There are a few bottles of this at some Total Wines around the State but it won't be easy to find otherwise. If you have this in your cellar, your patience has been rewarded. The Margaux didn't show well for some reason and perhaps is entering a closed phase or needed more decanting time.

My ranking:
1. 2010 Cadence Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard ($55)
2. 2008 Charles Smith Syrah Royal City ($120)
3. 2003 Abreu Rothwell Hyde ($88)
4. 2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry ($113)
5. 2014 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley ($30)

The group's ranking:
1. 2010 Cadence Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard
2. 2003 Abreu Rothwell Hyde
3 (tie). 2008 Charles Smith Syrah Royal City
3 (tie). 2014 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
5. 2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry

Next month we decided to do a non-Cabernet theme with no bottle containing more than 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Until then...