| California Super Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Report |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Well I can honestly say that we have never had a staff tasting
where all the wines were this good. I should say incredible!
Even the lowest scoring wine received a score higher than most
of the wines that earn the top score in our monthly tastings.
Despite whatever place these wines finished in, they are all
winners and all very good. I absolutely have no problem
recommending anyone of these to anyone looking for a wine
for a special occasion.
Since all of these wines are super tannic and young, I opened
each bottle about two and half hours ahead of time. Upon
opening them, I decided to take a quick taste of each, not
blind so I did know what it was I was tasting at the time and I
found that my three favorites were the Caymus, Whitehall
Lane and the Shafer. When we went back and tasted them
again blind as a group, my order was similar, but the S.
Anderson wound up being my second favorite this time
around with the Whitehall being my highest scoring wine. I
thought it was interesting to note how much they did change
in those couple of hours that they sat open.
The Shafer was a tannic monster and no doubt needed much
time to be enjoyed properly. If I were to venture a guess, I
would say it would be the longest living wine of the bunch
lasting well over a decade. It came in last with the group I
believe in part, due to it's very rough tannic youth, but mark
my words, if we did this tasting again in ten years, the results
would probably be different. You will just have to determine
how you like your cabs, young or old. If it's the latter, this
may be the cab for you!
The cinderella story in our tasting had to be the S. Anderson,
which narrowly beat out the Cakebread for second place. At
$25.00 it was roughly half the price of the next cheapest wine.
I have two takes on why it did so well. Number one, it
obviously was much more approachable right now, although it
could age for a bit longer too. The second theory is that
despite the fact that it may not have the pedigree that some of
the other wineries have in our tasting, it does come from
grapes in a region well known for incredible cabernet wines.
The bad news for you is that this wine is no longer available in
the market. Cliff Lede has taken over the winery and it will be
interesting to see if he can keep up the high quality of the
wines.
I should point out that without exception every wine in our
tasting had someone that liked it the best and someone that
liked it the least. I found that to be very interesting because
usually, the vast majority will really like one and not like
another.
For this month's tasting report, I am going to do something a
little different that I probably will not do again. I am going to
use either the winemakers notes or the wine critics notes for
each of these wines and then make a comment about each one.
It should be interesting to see if we agree with the critics.
Here they are:
where all the wines were this good. I should say incredible!
Even the lowest scoring wine received a score higher than most
of the wines that earn the top score in our monthly tastings.
Despite whatever place these wines finished in, they are all
winners and all very good. I absolutely have no problem
recommending anyone of these to anyone looking for a wine
for a special occasion.
Since all of these wines are super tannic and young, I opened
each bottle about two and half hours ahead of time. Upon
opening them, I decided to take a quick taste of each, not
blind so I did know what it was I was tasting at the time and I
found that my three favorites were the Caymus, Whitehall
Lane and the Shafer. When we went back and tasted them
again blind as a group, my order was similar, but the S.
Anderson wound up being my second favorite this time
around with the Whitehall being my highest scoring wine. I
thought it was interesting to note how much they did change
in those couple of hours that they sat open.
The Shafer was a tannic monster and no doubt needed much
time to be enjoyed properly. If I were to venture a guess, I
would say it would be the longest living wine of the bunch
lasting well over a decade. It came in last with the group I
believe in part, due to it's very rough tannic youth, but mark
my words, if we did this tasting again in ten years, the results
would probably be different. You will just have to determine
how you like your cabs, young or old. If it's the latter, this
may be the cab for you!
The cinderella story in our tasting had to be the S. Anderson,
which narrowly beat out the Cakebread for second place. At
$25.00 it was roughly half the price of the next cheapest wine.
I have two takes on why it did so well. Number one, it
obviously was much more approachable right now, although it
could age for a bit longer too. The second theory is that
despite the fact that it may not have the pedigree that some of
the other wineries have in our tasting, it does come from
grapes in a region well known for incredible cabernet wines.
The bad news for you is that this wine is no longer available in
the market. Cliff Lede has taken over the winery and it will be
interesting to see if he can keep up the high quality of the
wines.
I should point out that without exception every wine in our
tasting had someone that liked it the best and someone that
liked it the least. I found that to be very interesting because
usually, the vast majority will really like one and not like
another.
For this month's tasting report, I am going to do something a
little different that I probably will not do again. I am going to
use either the winemakers notes or the wine critics notes for
each of these wines and then make a comment about each one.
It should be interesting to see if we agree with the critics.
Here they are:
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Whitehall Lane 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California |
WC - This offering is an exceptional wine
from an excellent vintage. It displays
attractive aromas of mulberry,
blackberry, spice and vanilla. This
elegant wine is round and supple with
alluring flavors of berry, plum and mocha
that linger beyond the long, polished
finish. The balance of fruit and power
make this wine a candidate for graceful
aging.
Me - Well it certainly blew us away. Only
one person on the panel did not love it. If
you noticed, not only did it come in first at
our staff tasting, it also came in second at
our Super Cab Tasting. That's
consistency!It drinks well now and it will
last a while too! Trust me, buy it, you'll
love it!
from an excellent vintage. It displays
attractive aromas of mulberry,
blackberry, spice and vanilla. This
elegant wine is round and supple with
alluring flavors of berry, plum and mocha
that linger beyond the long, polished
finish. The balance of fruit and power
make this wine a candidate for graceful
aging.
Me - Well it certainly blew us away. Only
one person on the panel did not love it. If
you noticed, not only did it come in first at
our staff tasting, it also came in second at
our Super Cab Tasting. That's
consistency!It drinks well now and it will
last a while too! Trust me, buy it, you'll
love it!
| Score - A |
| Price around $50.00 |
| S. Anderson 2001 Claret - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California |
WC - Our Claret is blended with ready
enjoyment in mind, yet with the balance,
texture and complexity to satisfy the
discriminating. Merlot forms the core of
the blend, highlighting sweet fruit on the
palate and great richness. Cabernet
Sauvignon supplies the distinctive aromas
of rich plum fruit, cherry cola and fresh
tobacco while retaining its Stags Leap
District silkiness. The dollop of Cabernet
Franc lifts the aroma with its
characteristic floral notes. Certainly
ready to drink now, splashing this wine
into a decanter will even increase its
accessibility.
Me - I threw this wine in our tasting
because it is one that my wife and I really
love and I knew in my heart that it would
show well against the others. I just had
no idea that it would show this well! If
you can find any left around the DFW
area, pounce on it because you won't get
a second chance!
enjoyment in mind, yet with the balance,
texture and complexity to satisfy the
discriminating. Merlot forms the core of
the blend, highlighting sweet fruit on the
palate and great richness. Cabernet
Sauvignon supplies the distinctive aromas
of rich plum fruit, cherry cola and fresh
tobacco while retaining its Stags Leap
District silkiness. The dollop of Cabernet
Franc lifts the aroma with its
characteristic floral notes. Certainly
ready to drink now, splashing this wine
into a decanter will even increase its
accessibility.
Me - I threw this wine in our tasting
because it is one that my wife and I really
love and I knew in my heart that it would
show well against the others. I just had
no idea that it would show this well! If
you can find any left around the DFW
area, pounce on it because you won't get
a second chance!
| Score - A- |
| Between $25.00 & $32.00 |
| Cakebread Cellars 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California |
WC - Cakebread Cellars 2002 Cabernet
Sauvignon boasts an enticing aroma of
ripe black cherry, berry and currant fruit
complemented by scents of vanilla, sweet
herbs, cocoa, and coffee bean. On the
palate, the wine's lush, deep, mouth-filling
berry and cassis flavors carry a hint of
tea-leaf spiciness and are seamlessly
balanced by firm, supple tannins, leading
to a lusciously long, rich, oak-enhanced
finish. Delicious to drink now, this classic
Napa Valley Cabernet will continue to
develop for another 5-7 years in bottle.
Me - It's going to be hard to keep this
wine in your cellar. It tastes like liquid
candy right now and when a wine tastes
this good young, what's the point in
holding on to it. This can be kind of hard
to come by sometimes, you have to get a
hold of it the moment it hits the retail
shelves, but it certainly is worth the happy
pursuit!
Sauvignon boasts an enticing aroma of
ripe black cherry, berry and currant fruit
complemented by scents of vanilla, sweet
herbs, cocoa, and coffee bean. On the
palate, the wine's lush, deep, mouth-filling
berry and cassis flavors carry a hint of
tea-leaf spiciness and are seamlessly
balanced by firm, supple tannins, leading
to a lusciously long, rich, oak-enhanced
finish. Delicious to drink now, this classic
Napa Valley Cabernet will continue to
develop for another 5-7 years in bottle.
Me - It's going to be hard to keep this
wine in your cellar. It tastes like liquid
candy right now and when a wine tastes
this good young, what's the point in
holding on to it. This can be kind of hard
to come by sometimes, you have to get a
hold of it the moment it hits the retail
shelves, but it certainly is worth the happy
pursuit!
| Roughly $60.00 |
| Score - A- |
| Caymus 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon - Rutherford, Napa Valley, California |
WC - Dense, saturated dark ruby color.
Dominant aromas of ripe black currants,
black cherries and sweet berries, with
subtler suggestions of brown spices,
bittersweet cocoa and earth. In the mouth,
bursting flavors of berry fruits/plums at
their lush, high-summer ripeness, toasted
spice and chocolate. Fine, fully mature
tannins give the wine a satisfying grip--a
textural element I love. The finish is long,
rich and fruit-filled yet surprisingly supple
for Cabernet at this level of extraction.
Me - This wine really needs no
introduction as it is probably the most well
known on our list by wine lovers and
critics alike. I must admit that I have a
soft spot in my heart for Caymus, it is a
truly remarkable wine. It came in first
place at our Super Cab Event. If you can
afford it, get it. Caymus Cabs have the
unique ability to almost always gain in
price value over time. That's because
they are consistent and make great wines
year in and year out!
Dominant aromas of ripe black currants,
black cherries and sweet berries, with
subtler suggestions of brown spices,
bittersweet cocoa and earth. In the mouth,
bursting flavors of berry fruits/plums at
their lush, high-summer ripeness, toasted
spice and chocolate. Fine, fully mature
tannins give the wine a satisfying grip--a
textural element I love. The finish is long,
rich and fruit-filled yet surprisingly supple
for Cabernet at this level of extraction.
Me - This wine really needs no
introduction as it is probably the most well
known on our list by wine lovers and
critics alike. I must admit that I have a
soft spot in my heart for Caymus, it is a
truly remarkable wine. It came in first
place at our Super Cab Event. If you can
afford it, get it. Caymus Cabs have the
unique ability to almost always gain in
price value over time. That's because
they are consistent and make great wines
year in and year out!
| About $75.00 |
| Score - A- |
| Merryvale 2000 Profile (Meritage) - Napa Valley, California |
WC - The mouthfeel is dominated by dry
tannins and acids that lead to a tart,
astringent finish. There are some
blackberry and black cherry flavors along
with herbs and earth, and the texture is
supple and rich.
Me - Being that this is really a blend
made up mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon
with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit
Verdot, it was somewhat at a
disadvantage in our tasting because it was
markedly different then the rest of the
wines in style and taste. Some people
really like that about it and others did not.
After tasting the 2001 that Donnetta
brought over the next night, I was
fascinated by how different they tasted
from one vintage to the next. If you want
a little Bordeaux from your Napa Cab,
then this wine is your ticket!
tannins and acids that lead to a tart,
astringent finish. There are some
blackberry and black cherry flavors along
with herbs and earth, and the texture is
supple and rich.
Me - Being that this is really a blend
made up mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon
with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit
Verdot, it was somewhat at a
disadvantage in our tasting because it was
markedly different then the rest of the
wines in style and taste. Some people
really like that about it and others did not.
After tasting the 2001 that Donnetta
brought over the next night, I was
fascinated by how different they tasted
from one vintage to the next. If you want
a little Bordeaux from your Napa Cab,
then this wine is your ticket!
| Around $90.00 |
| Score - A- |
| Duckhorn 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley, California |
WC - Ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of
currant, chocolate and tarry oak. Rich,
juicy and aromatic, with varietally
accurate flavors of currant, chocolate and
tobacco leaf. Well-made cabernet, with
good lift in the mouth. Finishes spicy,
ripely tannic and fresh.
Me - Okay, if I'm being totally honest,
this was my least favorite in our tasting
because I thought it was a little green and
had a lighter body than the rest.
However, it still was a really good bottle
of wine, but for my money, the wine that
came in last is much better! I just got
overruled on the last place one!
currant, chocolate and tarry oak. Rich,
juicy and aromatic, with varietally
accurate flavors of currant, chocolate and
tobacco leaf. Well-made cabernet, with
good lift in the mouth. Finishes spicy,
ripely tannic and fresh.
Me - Okay, if I'm being totally honest,
this was my least favorite in our tasting
because I thought it was a little green and
had a lighter body than the rest.
However, it still was a really good bottle
of wine, but for my money, the wine that
came in last is much better! I just got
overruled on the last place one!
| About $60.00 |
| Score - A- |
| Shafer 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California |
WC - Shafer makes it look so easy to
produce these lush, massively textured
Cabs. This baby has polished flavors of
cassis and cherry so rich, so tremendous,
they practically overwhelm the powerful
tannins. It will certainly be succulent now
with a juicy T-bone but is clearly a cellar
candidate. However, age will rob it of the
robust, juicy fruit of youth.
Me - I'm sorry, but I have to disagree
with my fellow tasters about this one!
This wine is a stud!!! If your a collector
and own a cellar, you'd be a nut not to
pick up a bottle or two of this! It only
came in last because it was the most
tannic. I admired it's aggressive potential
and its perfect structure! I can't wait to
open another one in 2011.
produce these lush, massively textured
Cabs. This baby has polished flavors of
cassis and cherry so rich, so tremendous,
they practically overwhelm the powerful
tannins. It will certainly be succulent now
with a juicy T-bone but is clearly a cellar
candidate. However, age will rob it of the
robust, juicy fruit of youth.
Me - I'm sorry, but I have to disagree
with my fellow tasters about this one!
This wine is a stud!!! If your a collector
and own a cellar, you'd be a nut not to
pick up a bottle or two of this! It only
came in last because it was the most
tannic. I admired it's aggressive potential
and its perfect structure! I can't wait to
open another one in 2011.
| Around $60.00 |
| Score - A- |
