Overall impressions: there were some impressive wines in this flight of three vintages: some of the newly released '01s, several '00s and a few of the stragglers from '99. Given the difficult 2000 vintage, I was especially pleased with the quality of several of the '00s in the flight - though admittedly at these price points, the wines certainly ought to be good. My favorites, the Rudd, Andrew Will, Ladera, Lewis, and Quintessa were all very closely matched, with the Rudd being just a cut above the rest. Also, the Duncan Peak was far and away the bargain in the flight, so keep your eyes on Mendocino Cabs.

Of the less impressive offerings, I felt the Justin Isosceles could have used a little more stuffing as well as focus. It's a nice enough wine, but seems a bit pricey for what's in the bottle. Everybody's over-oaked whipping-boy, St. Francis, delivered another oak bomb with the '99 Nun's Cyn Reserve. The fruit's actually there, but you have to dig through a board-foot of oak to get at it.

2000 Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $9.99. Medium ruby color. Moderate cherry-scented nose with a touch of vanilla. Moderate flavors on the palate, slightly hot in mouthfeel, medium-long finish. Definitely in the quaffer camp, but has enough stuffing to be a decent everyday house wine.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 Frog's Leap Merlot - Napa Valley. $24.99. Medium dark ruby color. Somewhat faint and fleshy black cherry aroma. Fruity mouthfeel, seems primarily acid-balanced, which probably sees it through the long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 Matanzas Creek Merlot - Sonoma County . $24.99. Very dark ruby color. Massive herbed black cherry nose. Slightly herbaceous and leafy black cherry fruit. A bit oaky in mouthfeel, fairly stiff backbone, more cassis than black cherry in flavor, with full long somewhat tannic finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B

2001 Duckhorn Merlot - Napa Valley. $44.99. Dark ruby color. Lush and plush nose of black cherry, cassis, vanilla and a bit of mint. Fleshy and chewy in mouthfeel, with lots of fruit, moderate toasty elements, very good balance, and long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Alexander Valley. $11.99. Medium dark ruby color. Slightly herbed fruity black cherry nose. A bit oaky and dry in mouthfeel, with decent cassis fruit, good balance, and long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 Mantra Cabernet Sauvignon - Alexander Valley. $18.99. Dark ruby color. Very nice black cherry and vanilla nose, with moderate toastiness. Moderately fruity in mouthfeel, with very good balance, and a long finish. Nice wine, just seems a bit underfilled - at least right now.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B

1999 Duncan Peak Cabernet Sauvignon - Mendocino County. $19.99. Dark ruby color. Massively fruit black cherry nose, with lots of creamy vanilla aromas, and sweet toast. Lush and fleshy mouthfeel, slightly soft and candied, but very tasty, with a sweet-sour grip through the long finish. Keep your eyes on Mendocino Cabs.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Solaris Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $18.99. Dark ruby color. Quite a bit of musty herb and mushroom evident in the otherwise nice black cherry nose. Dusty mouthfeel, with lots of slightly bitter cassis fruit, bittersweet chocolate, and a medium-long oaky finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 S.P. Drummer - Blair Vnyd, Napa Valley. $44.99. Very dark ruby color. Fascinating nose of perfume, brandied cherries, Swiss chocolate, and a light vanilla scent. Moderately soft mouthfeel initially, the oak becomes a bit more obvious at mid-palate, with sweet black cherry and cassis flavor throughout, and long finish. A very interesting wine. Had the oak been just a bit more integrated, it would have merited a higher score. 60% Cab Sauv, 40% Cab Franc
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2000 Justin Isosceles - Paso Robles. $41.99. Medium dark ruby color. Ripe black cherry nose, with just a touch of herb and spice. Smoky, slightly sweet core of fruit. The flavor profile is nice enough, but the wine never seems to get expansive across the palate, retaining only a narrow focus through the otherwise long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2000 Quintessa - Napa Valley. $69.99. Dark ruby color. Lovely nose of cassis, black cherry, and toast, with touches of chocolate and vanilla. Thick and chewy mouthfeel, lots of nicely integrated flavors, with a mocha cassis taste, excelect balance, and smooth long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2000 Opus One - Napa Valley. $119.99. Medium ruby color. Very nice nose, with a light touch of herbaceousness to the cassis, toast and hints of olive. Bordeaux-like profile in mouthfeel and on the palate. Nice complexity of fruit and toast, very good balance, and long finish. it wants for a chewier or richer mouthfeel - coming across as a bit understated, and more claret-like. If it fills out a little more with time, it will be a very nice wine indeed.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2000 Rudd Oakville Estate - Napa Valley. $79.99. Very dark ruby color. Lots of black cherry and toast, with a touch of eucalyptus and herb in the nose. Slightly sweet mouthfeel, smooth and chewy texture, beautiful combination of fruit and toast , with a light dusting of cocoa throughout the long tasty finish. Just beautiful.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 Conn Creek Anthology - Napa Valley. $46.99. Very dark ruby color. Slighty brandied or Porty in the nose, with lots of burnished cassis, Worcestershire, and sweet oak. Somewhat rough-edged mouthfeel, with very good balance and flavor,and a touch of heat on the long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Legacy - Alexander Valley. $46.99. Dark ruby color. Quite herbaceous and dusty black cherry, with ample oak. Smooth on the palate, nicely integrated flavors of fruit and toast, not nearly as herbaceous in the mouth, with very good balance and a long tasty finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

2000 Andrew Will Cabernet Sauvignon - Ciel du Cheval Vnyd, WA. $44.99. Very dark ruby color. Stunning nose of thick black cherry compote, with just a hint of spices and sweet bread. Fruit-filled mouthfeel, thick and chewy on the palate, with a sweet-sour taste, excellent balance, and very long smooth finish. What a classy fruit bomb!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 St. Francis Nuns Cyn Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma Valley. $36.99. Very dark ruby color. Quite oaky and woody in the nose. The nice, if faint, cassis aromas really got stepped on here. Dusty and dry in mouthfeel, with medium-full fruit, and a dusty and somewhat abbreviated finish. Not sure the oak will ever blow off this one.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B

2000 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $54.99. Very dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of herbed black cherry, spices, toast, and a hint of chocolate. Loaded with lots of off-sweet cassis fruit and mineral flavors. There's a trace of heat on the big and chewy mouthfeel, and a bit of oak bite comes on during the very long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $56.99. Very dark ruby color. Rich black cherry and toast in the nose, with just a touch of leaf and mint. Smooth and fruity mouthfeel, with lots of toasted cassis and black cherry, and a touch of leafy mint in the long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-