April 24, 2022 - 48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): Six Napa wines were added to this Bdx tasting. 1990 was not an overly exciting vintage in Napa Valley, clearly overshadowed by the 91/92/94 vintages. Almost all of the wines are past peak with not enough fruit left. In addition the vintages misses a bit of charm and creaminess and remains rather on the astringent side of things. The only star was the Heitz Martha’s Vineyard (94 pts) which showed complex, savoury, balanced and creamy with that typical Martha’s mint kick. Opus (92 pts) and Heitz Bella Oaks (91 pts) were still ok, while the La Jota Howell Mt (86 pts) and Simi Reserve (87 pts) and Latour Beaulieu Reserve (dead) were past peak.
TN: Astringent nose. A touch alcohol, lots of freshness. Not an exciting nose. On the palate this is fresh, Pauillac like with loads of minerality, herbs but missing the roundness of the tannins, missing the creaminess and the complexity. On the downhill, got worse and less clean by the minute. 87
January 23, 2022 - Appearance: medium+ ruby, garnet highlights, starting to show some bricking at the edges, medium tearing, no staining, good amount of fine sediment.
Nose: clean, developing, pronounced intensity, blackcurrant, black cherry, red plum, charred red bell pepper, graphite, bay leaf, crushed gravel, cigar box, leather, coffee grounds, brown sugar, baked plum.
Palate: dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, medium alcohol (13.0%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, long finish, blackcurrant, black cherry, red plum, charred red bell pepper, graphite, bay leaf, crushed gravel, cigar box, leather, coffee grounds, brown sugar, baked plum.
November 17, 2017 - Stunning, mature, rich, layered, complex, Very Fine
October 16, 2017 - Classic cabernet. Red fruits combined with tertiary elements, just what I needed to scratch the itch.
June 11, 2017 - Surprisingly youthful, rich, minerals and dark berry fruit. The fine yet somewhat dry tannins persist, but never take over so the wine stays interesting. This could even go another year or 2 but is wonderful now. My earlier bottles showed the tannins where quite dry and pronounces but this has aged nicely.
May 14, 2016 - Fill into neck with solid cork. It took about 45 minutes to come around. Modest bricking. Teaspoon of fine sediment. This bottle had another 5+ years left in its ideal drinking window. Black and red fruits beautifully with some eucalyptus and hints of herbs and cassis. Smooth, not quite silky. A 30+ second finish.
April 13, 2016 - Opened 72+ hours; murky ruby at the core. Sweet/ripe blackberry fruit on the nose.
Nice medium-bodied palate presence here - this was popular with the group on Sunday (and I was less impressed with it then), but this is a well-made wine that has handled the years nicely. I still have a few bottles left from the original case, but IMO this wine won't be improving, so if you have it in the cellar, put it in the "drink soon" rack.
December 4, 2015 - Very nice indeed. Fully mature but keeps on developing in the glass. Very much on the red berries and classical Napa style. A beautiful wine
November 12, 2013 - American Belle 2nd Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Clear garnet in color. Nose of berries and chocolate. Nice sweetness and elegance. The wine is quite classical and 'calming'. Now fully mature. Great Cab
September 8, 2012 - Sensational, well preserved Alexander Valley reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Ink colored, with dried fruit and
underbrush aromas out of the bottle, this opens with overpowering fresh earth that reseeds after an hour or
so, creating intricate, impressive characteristics woven together into a harmonious combination of fruit and
mature red flavors. Unleashes black plum, cassis, and striking blackberry accented by smashed cloves. Full
bodied and concentrated, this delivers precision and remarkable balance for a wine it's age. Gaines intensity
on the illustrious, polished finish that sails on and on. Best now, but may hold into next year. 1990 California
Cabernet Sauvignon review