2008 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
Decanting Queen Likes this wine:
Saturday, November 16, 2019 - I did an experiment last night, tasting both the ‘08 and the ‘17 Myriad Dr Crane. A better scientist would have taken notes, but unfortunately I only have less detailed impressions to share.
First of all, both were excellent. Much to my surprise, the ‘17 was by far better and very drinkable.
But the ‘08 was still fantastic. Lovely big fruit aromas on pnp and hadn’t lost the big fruit despite the decade of age. The fruit was more mature but a nice mixture of red and black and plenty of spice and complexity. After an hour of drinking really well, it started to go downhill. After several hours the fruit was much more dilute with not so much to back it up. I think this still has a few years left, but it isn’t going to evolve into something better. And ‘dilute’ is a relative term, given that we were also drinking the ‘17 which was a ripe and luscious berry salad.
This ‘experiment’ challenged a number of my assumptions:
1. A wine with a few years on it will always be preferred to a super young one (esp Cabernet)
2. Napa cabs are always better with air vs PnP. In this case, both wines were at their best immediately after opening.
3. There were no great wines in ‘17, just ‘good considering the vintage.’ I think the ‘17 Dr Crane qualifies as a great wine regardless.
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3 comments have been posted
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (2,689 views)
Comment posted by Mark1npt:
11/16/2019 5:59:00 PM - Love the experiment, Jen!
1. God, I like both! Just depends on the maker and the vintage, I think.
2. I'd bet I drink 90% or more of my Napa cabs at the pnp. They are my 'weekday' wines. Some are a little better with an hour of air. Most no better with more air, IMO.
3. I think there are some really good '17s, the problem is where? Whom? I think many of our usual high end wines that cost >$150 just might not be worth price in '17. Scores are all over the place from different critics.
Comment posted by Decanting Queen:
11/17/2019 3:46:00 AM - Thanks Mark. I agree the really good 17s will be more of a gamble. I think you have taken a smart and restrained strategy to purchasing them and waiting to go to Napa to taste. I tried to be more careful with allocations but with clubs I just took the ‘17s that came. None have been horrible so far, but as you have previously described, perhaps overmaniulated and not great. I think many will be good for serving to nonwine friends who like that style and don’t know the difference. Is that awful?
Comment posted by Mark1npt:
11/17/2019 7:43:00 AM - Awful? You mean, like giving my bestest downstairs neighbor that other 1 L bottle of Caymus I bought last year, for Christmas, because I thought he could use the cherry cough syrup more than moi???
We all have friends who deserve certain kinds of wines, Jen. Heck, I give quite a few bottles to my staff throughout the year. Some are those I just really don't have a palate for anymore. Some I bought in my prior wine life and ask myself, "what were you thinking?" Does that make me a bad person, lol?
As an aside, I did take some of my allotments for '17. I did buy a case of Turley zins and PS but was very selective of vineyards and locales. Loaded up on the Paso side. Also bought 9-10 bottles of Myriad, a few Carters, and some whites/zins from JN. Overall, just a mere fraction of what I've bought in '15s and '16s. I really loaded up on '16s when out there last month. The first half of next year will be more '17s but I'm going to hold back, get my accounts balanced and wait for the glorious '18s to be released.