Cabs & Merlots -
Results from an mostly Cab tasting - Saturday, March 25, 2000, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Eighteen wines were poured for a tasting fee of $27.
The wines, in the order tasted:
1998 Andrake Cellars Merlot - Washington. $27.99. Nose of cassis,
anise, tar and toast. Off-sweet mouthfeel, moderate body.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Ruston Family Vineyards Merlot - Napa Valley. $27.99. Herbal
and a bit green in the nose. Concentrated herbal and dill-influenced fruit.
Medium-long oaky finish. interesting nose, but less fruit-forward that
most of the flight.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Havens Merlot Reserve - Carneros, Napa Valley. $26.99. Cassis
and shoe polish in the nose, with hints of olive and oak. Slightly tart/sour
fruit with moderate palate coverage, and medium tannic and oaky finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
1996 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - Walla Walla Valley, WA. $21.99.
Dark garnet ruby color. Nose of cassis, cinnamon, nutmeg and green olive.
Tart/sour mouthfeel, tart/sour finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B- Overall score: B
1997 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, Artist Series #6 - Washington.
$28.99. Dark garnet ruby color. Nose of cassis, dill, tomato, toast
, and green olive. Sweet cassis-flavored toasty mouthfeel, long sweet
toasty finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1997 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County. $17.99. Dark
garnet-ruby color. Nose of cassis, olive, dill, shoe polish, and sweet
toast. Smoky cassis and oak flavors. Medium-full body, but appears a bit
thin in the fruit department. Long sweet toasty finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Ravenswood Rancho Salina Vineyards - Sonoma Valley. $20.99.
Dark ruby garnet color. Ripe and sweet, herbal and cassis aromas. Sweet
mouthfeel, toasty and chalky, with long chalky finish. Blend of 50/39/1
- Merlot/CS/CF. 14.8% alcohol
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards - Sonoma Mountain. $27.99.
Very dark ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis, anise, vanilla, and toast.
Sweet mouthfeel, chewy body, long toasty finish. Blend of 60/35/5 - Merlot/CS/CF.
14.9% alcohol
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Murphy Goode Cabernet Sauvignon Brenda Block - Alexander
Valley. $29.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Sweet cassis and toast in
the nose. Cassis and vanilla on the palate, and smooth long toasty finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1997 B. R. Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - Sonoma
Valley. $74.99. Dark garnet ruby color. Nose of cassis, beet, shoe
polish, and sweet toast. Toasty sweet mouthfeel, cassis flavor, long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1996 Beringer Alluvium - Knights Valley. $21.99. Dark garnet
ruby color. Nose of smoky cassis, toast, and an herbaceous quality. Toasty
sweet mouthfeel, with a bit of tartness at the finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1997 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $15.99. Dark ruby
garnet color. Nose of smoky cassis, toast, cocoa, and ...hot dog! Toast,
cassis, and oak predominate in mouthfeel, with a hint of paint or latex
on the long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Swanson Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $27.99. Very dark
ruby garnet color. Ripe and somewhat burnished nose of sweet toasty cassis.
Toasty cassis-filled mouthfeel.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1997 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $27.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. herbaceous cassis, and sweet toast in the nose. sweet
cassis mouthfeel, with a long toasty finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1997 Steltzner Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District. $23.99.
Very dark garnet ruby color. Very ripe raisiny cassis nose. Somewhat tart
and tannic mouthfeel, with flavors of cassis and toast. Tart/sour finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
1997 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $44.99. Very
dark ruby, violet color. Nose of smoky cassis, BBQ woods, and toast. Huge
mouthfull of fruit and tannins. Slightly tart/tannic finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
1996 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $22.99. Dark
garnet ruby color. Sweet, yet sharp nose of cassis, cheddar, and a hint
of olive. Slightly thin, though fruity mouthfeel, long toasty finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
1995 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - Napa Valley.
$59.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis, beet, shoe polish,
and toast. Sweet mouthfeel, toasty cassis, a little light on fruit, very
long toasty finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: A-
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Overall impressions: pretty much a mixed bag of wines, with no particular aces. The Beringer PR was nice, but nothing spectacular. The Oakville Ranch and Murphy-Goode were both nice wines, with the Murphy coming out ahead from a pricing standpoint. Haven't had a Beringer Alluvium this good in a while, either, and it probably is the best value in the whole flight. Both Ravenswoods were very good, with the Rancho Salina the best bargain of the two.
Bummers? Not really any of those either. Although, the B.R. Cohn
seems significantly overpriced, especially considering the other reasonable-priced
wines at the same quality level. I will admit to not understanding how
Steltzner can do so little with so mush good fruit. And, the Seven
Hills needs a dose of ML or residual sugar to cut through the tartness.
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Here is my relative ranking, by tier and in order of preference, of the wines tasted:
1995 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - Napa Valley.
$59.99.
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1997 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $44.99.
1996 Beringer Alluvium - Knights Valley. $21.99.
1997 Murphy Goode Cabernet Sauvignon Brenda Block - Alexander Valley.
$29.99.
1997 Swanson Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $27.99.
1997 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, Artist Series #6 - Washington.
$28.99.
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1997 Ravenswood Rancho Salina Vineyards - Sonoma Valley. $20.99.
1997 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards - Sonoma Mountain. $27.99.
1998 Andrake Cellars Merlot - Washington. $27.99.
1997 Ruston Family Vineyards Merlot - Napa Valley. $27.99.
1997 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $27.99.
1997 B. R. Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - Sonoma Valley.
$74.99.
1997 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $15.99.
1996 Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $22.99.
1997 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County. $17.99.
1997 Havens Merlot Reserve - Carneros, Napa Valley. $26.99.
1997 Steltzner Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District. $23.99.
1996 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - Walla Walla Valley, WA. $21.99.
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