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Overall impressions: this was a very nice flight of Cabs, with each of the wines very comparable in quality. Among my favorites, the Andrew Will was excellent, and the nose on the Rockledge was just stunning! That being said, the Downing Family and the Barlow Cabs seem to represent the best values in the group. Finally, although I rated the Silverado last in this flight, it is a bargain in its own right, and definitely the best Silverado I've had since the '90 and '92. |
1999 Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $26.99. Medium-dark garnet ruby color. Nice effusive nose of spicy licorice and cassis. Rich and flavorful mouthfeel - more of in a claret style. Although not a blockbuster, the wine is very fruity and forward, with very good concentration and mouthfeel, and a long, if a bit oaky, finish. Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+ 1999
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $34.99. Medium
dark ruby color. Almost Merlot-like in aroma, with a fleshy, sweet
floral scent, and a touch of shoe wax and Rutherford dust. Slightly
sweet mouthfeel, very forward fruit, pinch of aok, and a long finish
that seems to lose just a bit of fruit toward the end. 1999
Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $34.99. Medium
dark garnet color. Dense nose of cassis, obvious oak, with clove,
cigar, vanilla, and a touch of orange zest. Off-sweet chewy mouthfeel,
very tasty cassis fruit and flavors, with a smooth, toasty, seamless
finish. 1999
Downing Family Cabernet Sauvignon - Rutherford. $34.99.
Medium-dark garnet color. Slightly herbaceous nose of cassis, loam,
anise and a touch of dill and olive. Moderate mouthfeel, sweet,
but balanced more to the acid side of things, with nice integration
of flavors. A bit coarse on the finish, but the fruit seems to go
on and on. 1999
Andrew Will Sheridan Cabernet Sauvignon - Washington. $49.99.
Dark ruby garnet color. Dark and brooding nose of cassis, black
cherry, dark chocolate, anise, and a nice dose of toasty oak. Sweet
fruit, with a nice chewy mouthfeel. Full and rich raspberry/black
cherry flavors, with a long smooth toasty finish. 1999
Rockledge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $49.99.
Medium dark garnet color. Smelling more like a high-end Bordeaux,
this wine pumps out the aromas of smooth toasty fruit, anise, crushed
florals, and a touch of tobacco. Beautiful texture and flavors in
initial mouthfeel. Lush and fruity, with chocolate and espresso
mingling on the long and slightly grainy finish. |
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1999 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $59.99. Medium dark garnet color. Loads of pencil lead and vanilla toast in the very seductive nose. Also has an interesting black pepper/black cherry aroma. Chewy mouthfeel, with a nice macerated taste and texture. As sort of a minor letdown, the wine gets a bit oaky at mid-palate, and the fruit seems to fall off a bit as it approaches the long finish. I liked the nose slightly better than the mouth. Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A- 1999
Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma Valley. $44.99. Dark ruby
garnet color. Very spicy nose of clove, soy sauce and Worchestershire
add a nice accent to the underpinnings of cassis and black cherry
fruit. Smooth mouthfeel, with flavors of clove, mint, cassis, and
chocolate, pushing the long toasty finish. Real nice! 1999
Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon - Mt. Veeder. $44.99. Medium
dark ruby garnet color. Nice, slightly herbaceous and stemmy nose
of cassis, rosemary, and ripe olive. Very round in the mouth, with
a slightly sweet toasty flavor, and a long finish. Although balanced
and tasty, the mouth still seems to fall a bit short after the very
engaging nose. 1999
Ristow Quinta de Pedras Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley.
$59.99. Very dark garnet ruby color. Dense, very ripe and concentrated
in the nose, with aromas of black cherry and anise, and a touch
of stems. Toasty, off-sweet mouthfeel, with nice cassis/black cherry
flavors and long, somewhat tannic finish.
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No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson |