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Overall impressions: The Hundred Acres topped my list for this tasting. Price-point notwithstanding, this is one beautiful wine. I have also heard that the wine sells through the mailing list for $100, which makes pricing here more than a little disadvantageous (i.e. it's obviously not 4-times better than my second favorite). Bargains are always relative in the Cabernet market. But, in the case of the White Cottage Risa, here is a wine made in a difficult vintage, that just singing right now. And at $35, this gorgeous wine can run with the big boys. But, don't miss the Summers. At under $30, this wine made by The Clark-Claudon and Barnett SMD were also both excellent wines and highly recommended, as is the Whitehall Lane. The Panza is one of the new wines from Carl Doumani - previously of Stags' Leap - and is a delicious wine. The down side of the flight? The regular Heitz Napa was a real stinker - at least in the aromatic sense. There may be some who long for mothballs and medicinal scents in their wine. But, I don't count myself among them. |
2001
Clos Tita Cabernet Sauvignon - Santa Clara Mtns. $26.99. Dark
garnet color. Nose of cedar-scented cassis, with just a hint of
toast. Ripe and even a bit candied in mouthfeel, there just doesn't
seem to be much going on here. 2001
Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - California.
$14.99.
Medium-dark garnet color. Lovely vanilla-scented cassis, with notes
of clove, mint and toast. Nice sweet mouthfeel, good fruit and long
finish. Somewhat more to the claret side of weight, this is a blend
of fruit from Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. 2001
Cloudview - Napa Valley $59.99. Dark
ruby color. Lots of spicy black cherry and cassis in the nose, with
a touch of toasted bread. Sweet and toasty initially in mouthfeel,
the cassis fruit gets a bit more sweet-sour toward the latter palate.
There is also a peppery quality through the long finish. 57% Merlot;
43% Cab. A nice blend that I found more interesting in nose than
in mouth. 2001
Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $26.99.
Dark ruby-garnet color. Sweet nose of black cherry, vanilla, and
creamy oak. Tasty mouthfeel, lots of black cherry fruit, very good
balance, approachable tannins and long finish. 2001
Vine Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $31.99. Medium
dark ruby color. Lovely nose of cassis, graham cracker, and sweet
hardwoods. Very nice balance, with a light clove flavor to the cassis
fruit, fine-grained tannins and very long finish. 2001
Summers Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $28.99.
Very dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of cassis, black cherry, pie
crust, chocolate , mocha, and toasty bread. Smooth tannins, slightly
tart cherry fruit, excellent balance, and very long seamless finish. 2001
Terroir Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $29.99.
Medium dark ruby-garnet color. Ripe nose of herb and floral aromas,
and almost a sinewy old-vine quality to the cassis fruit. Nice sweet
cassis on the palate, with very good balance, smooth tannins, and
long finish. 2001
Ruston Family Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $34.99.
Medium dark garnet-ruby color. Beautiful cassis and black cherry
fruit, with light chocolate and vanilla aromas, and a hint of coffee.
Fruit-filled, though slightly astringent from mid-palate on, with
very good balance. Finishes long and smooth. 2001
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $32.99.
Dark ruby-garnet color. Lots of black cherry and cassis is accented
by touches of eucalyptus and floral aromas. Off-sweet mouthfeel,
with flavors of cassis, cranberry, and spiced cherry. Very good
balance, and long finish. 2001
Barnett Spring Mtn District - Napa Valley. $54.99.
Dark ruby-garnet color. Beautiful nose of cassis, vanilla, toasted
grains, and a light scent of sage. Nice spice-laden cassis fruit,
with flavors of black cherry and herbs. Beautiful balance, chewy
mouthfeel, and long finish. 2000
Heitz
Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $27.99.
Dark ruby color. Somewhat medicinal nose, with eucalyptus, menthol,
and moth ball scents accenting the otherwise floral and stemmy notes.
Off-sweet fruit, light stemminess to the cassis flavor, good balance,
long finish. 2000
White Cottage Risa Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $34.99.
Dark
ruby color. Gorgeous nose of cinnamon-scented cassis, black cherry,
clove, vanilla, and gingerbread. Wow, this tastes nearly just like
it smells - what a concept! Beautiful fruit, excellent balance,
and long seamless finish. |
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2000
Emilio's Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $36.99. Very
dark ruby color. More hi-toned in aroma, with notes of raspberry
and cranberry punching up the cassis scents. Background hints of
floral tones, graham cracker, and chocolate make this a wine to
inhale. Off-sweet mouthfeel, excellent balance - if somewhat to
the acid-side of things, lots of fruity flavors, and very long finish.
2000
Clark-Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $79.99.
Dark ruby-garnet color. Beautiful cocoa-scented cassis nose, with
additional notes of toast, black cherry and spice. Very nice texture
on the palate, with very flavorful cassis fruit, touch of anise
and sage, seamless mouthfeel, and very long finish. 1999
Panza Red Table Wine - Stags' Leap Ranch. $28.99.
Dark ruby color. Touches of eucalyptus and floral scents add to
the ripe cassis and chocolate aromas. Delicious dark fruit, fine-grained
tannins, very good balance, and very, very long finish. Mostly Cabernet,
this is the new label from Carl Doumani, formerly of Stags' Leap. 1999
Ch. Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - Alexander Valley.
$28.99. Dark
ruby-garnet color. Light coffee and mocha scents add to the nice
cassis and black cherry aroma. Very fat on the palate, with lots
of obvious clove and spice notes. The wine has a nice balance, but
the flavor profile seemed a little odd - less fruit, and more of
something else...undefinable. 1999
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve - Napa
Valley. $36.99. Dark
ruby color. Nose of spicy black cherry, with a just a touch of mint.
Flavorful, but also a bit simple tasting - like Kool-Aid. Nice balance,
some smooth tannins, long finish. 1999
Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon - Bella Oaks Vnyd, Napa Valley. $45.99.
Medium
dark ruby color. Interesting nose, with clove-infused cassis, along
with floral and minty notes. Very macerated in mouthfeel, with lots
of fresh chewy fruit, fine-grained tannins, and bittersweet chocolate.
Gets somewhat bitter from mid through latter palate. 2001
Hundred Acres Cabernet Sauvignon - Kayli Morgan Vnyd, Napa Valley.
$159.99. Dark
ruby color. Amazing combination of cassis, black cherry, toast,
cake spices and a touch of sage. Smooth, sweet and chewy on the
palate, with a nice chocolate note, excellent balance and concentration,
and very long finish. |
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No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson |