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CT Group does Bordeaux vs Cal Cabs @ Jeff S
Tasted November 7, 1998 by mdefreitas with 1,052 views
Flight 1 - STARTER WINES (2 notes)
A 1994 Beringer Private Reserve Chard was also served, of which I lost my notes... but it did seem to be on decline.
White
1996 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kellerberg
90 points
Dark yellow in color. Citrus and floral nose. Searing acidity. Juicy, mouth watering, slightly spicy (pepper?) fruit. Nice, medium-long finish. Great apertif wine.
White
1996 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Sbragia Limited Release
82 points
Pronounced oakiness on the nose. Some spicy apple-like fruit and vanilla, but it's pretty hard to get away from the heavy new oak treatment. Not my style.
Flight 2 - 1990 PRE-DINNER (0 notes)
Served in California/Bordeaux pairs, except for the last pair which was all California (and which also had a 1991 Beringer Private Reserve Cab, of which I lost my notes).
Flight 3 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Calon-Ségur
89 points
Light red in color with a garnet rim. Sweet floral nose with some dusty earth hints. Some mature fruit flavors. Ready to go mature Bordeaux. Kept going back to the nice nose...
Red
1990 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard
88 points
Dark purple color. Plumb, cassis and other dark fruits. Some herbs. Perhaps a bit alcoholic? Medium short finish. Still surviving after 8 years.
Flight 4 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Belair (Dubois-Challon)
85 points
Some bricking. Dried cherries, some tobacco and earth. Mature, ready to go. Pleasant, but not exciting.
Red
1990 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard
88 points
Dark purple color. Some green pepper, but lots of fruit to go with it. Even a bit of a chocolatey hint. Very good.
Flight 5 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Haut-Brion
90 points
Minerals, earth, and dried fruits. Seemed quite closed at first. Seemed to have opened up a bit later in the night as some sweeter fruit and tobacco poked its head out. One for terroir fans. Even a bit of characteristic gravel.
Red
1990 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
94 points
Dark red color. Flashy nose of sweet fruit (strawberries) and sweet oak (although not as much as I would have expected from Caymus). Jammy and juicy. Very nice, and aging well.
Flight 6 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Cadet-Piola
80 points
Simple, lean. An odd medicinal nose. A tough wine with little charm. Not bad, but not much pleasure either.
Red
1990 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
85 points
Some currant fruit with a bit of herbs. Overall, a bit on the lean side. Could use more stuffing. A bit of green was also evident.
Flight 7 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Dalem
86 points
Tight, young and tannic. No nose, although some tough cassis fruit showed up eventually. Could use time, given the tannins, but I wonder if the fruit will hold up.
Red
1990 Gallo Family Vineyards / Gallo of Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
86 points
Some cherry, but some green pepper as well. Cassis, and a nice lingering finish. Pleasant.
Flight 8 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Ridge Monte Bello
92 points
Nice combination of California ripeness with Bordeaux minerality. Still a bit tannic and just a hint of herbs and mint. Long finish. Can last for more years.
Red
1990 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
95 points
Big, jammy California style fruit. Essence of cassis, almost a crystalized fruit character. Low in acid and full of fruit with some creamy oak. Hard not to like. Still tastes young and unevolved.
Flight 9 - 1995 POST DINNER MYSTERY CULTS (0 notes)
Both decanted for 3 hours, served double blind.
Flight 10 (2 notes)
Red
1995 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
98 points
Dark purple. Very expressive nose of cassis and oak. Complex, with some briary notes. One of the longest finishes of any wine I ever experienced. Big, ripe, Helen Turley-like wine. Very powerful.
Red
1995 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
96 points
Slightly closed at first, but started to open up with air. Pure cassis flavors. Some chocolate and licorice as well. Got even better on the following day. Elegant and complex. Palate piercing, laser-like cassis impact. Needs time to show it's best.
Flight 11 - 1990 AGAIN (0 notes)
Served in California/Bordeaux pairs again, except for the last flight which had two Bordeauxs (one from 1995).
Flight 12 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Léoville Barton
94 points
Tight and young. Still needs more time, but the massive tannins cannot hide the sweet fruit and chocolately notes. Put this baby away and pleasure will await...
Red
1990 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
85 points
Some cherry fruit and the bell pepper scents that seem to be typical of Sonoma cabs. Decent finish. Okay wine.
Flight 13 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Château Rausan-Ségla
90 points
Tight, closed and tannic, but it seems to have some good concentration. Good mouthfeel. Perhaps this wine needs time?
Red
1990 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
87 points
Big bell pepper nose. Sweet fruit, but the herbaceousness really detracts. Nice mouthfeel, good concentration.
Flight 14 (2 notes)
Red
1990 Clos des Jacobins
83 points
No nose. A bit thin on the palate. Lean fruit. Smooth, easygoing wine, but nothing exciting.
Red
1995 Château Lynch-Bages
90 points
Nice nose, showing cassis and charred oak. Heavy tannins prevent me to access the fruit. I think this wine has potentional, but it's way to young to drink at this time.
Flight 15 - DESSERT (1 note)
Red - Fortified
1970 Taylor (Fladgate) Porto Vintage
95 points
Nice nose of sweet raisen-like fruit. Dried black fruits and floral scents. Beautiful finish. Mature and ready to drink, yet will hold for more years. Smooth as silk. Heavy sediment.