Tasting Notes - January 2005

Tasting Notes From January 2005

Chateau Souverain
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve, Alexander Valley
This is a wine I picked up a single bottle of at the winery on our honeymoon. I was impressed with it then, and was once again. The nose shows sweet red currant fruit, cedar, and a touch of sweet tobacco. Medium-full bodied, rich, balanced, not very tannic, but definitely identifiable as Cabernet. $30

Garretson
2002 Grenache
Rozet Vineyard
This is one Mat should have re-thought about releasing. Strong aromas of rubber, glue, reduction. 16.3% alcohol. What was he thinking? Some of the reduction does blow off – or maybe after a few sips your brain adjusts – but this is still a strange, somewhat hot, funky, pruney wine. Let’s call it medium-full bodied with a sweetish midpalate underneath the alcohol and funk. $30

Merry Edwards
1999 Pinot Noir
Olivet Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Aromas of cola and classic California Pinot funk with a copper metallic edge. Medium-bodied with fairly silky texture and black cherry and black raspberry fruit. Turns tangy in the finish. Maybe a bit expensive for what it is. $45

Chateau Montelena
1990 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Slightly tawny and clearing at the rim. Decent perfume, if a little too dusty. A bit metallic with a touch of greeness to the lingering tannins. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1991 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Dark without much clearing. Dusty nose. Medium-bodied with tangy red currant fruit. Dust, red earth. Some fruit still left in this. Silky quality to the tannins. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1992 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Dry smelling but less dusty and dry on the nose than either the 1991 or 1990. Clearly similar though. Richer, with more red and black currant fruit. Clearly more youthful. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1993 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Less dusty still than its older siblings, but less expressive. This vintage seems compressed. Black currant fruit. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1994 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Slightly funky nose. Dark. Not expressive. I came back to this an hour later and still thought this seemed compressed. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1995 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Touches of spice on the nose. Old wood. Black currant fruit tipped with green tannin. More youthful. Good. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1996 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Denser, richer, and sweeter than anything to this point. Black currant fruit. Nice. Silky black currant fruit. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Smells tannic, but tastes less so. Dense black currant fruit. Old wood. Nice. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Touch of brown sugar? On this wine. Toast and vanilla. Someone suggested it tasted like nickel. I suppose they meant the metal. Anyway, this was very nice for a 1998. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Softer black currant fruit. Lots of parker points, but I found this boring, especially given the hype. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Chateau Montelena
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate, Napa Valley
Richest and sweetest of the group. Lovely and much better than the vintage would suggest. This is probably the best 2000 vintage cab I have tasted. Black currant. Rich and slurpable. A vertical of Montelena for a good cause

Aldin
2001 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
This is the Karl Lawrence second label. Not particularly fragrant with toasted nuts and minerals on the nose. The palate is more expressive with tight pears, a touch of banana, and more nuts. Medium-sweet. Pretty good.

Cheers!
James

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