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Overall impressions: another nice flight of '99 Cabs, with some of the wines strikingly higher in quality than others in the flight. Among my favorites, the Tench Vnyd bottling by Nickel & Nickel was outstanding - and, definitely superior to their Carpenter Vnyd bottling. The Ladera was equally as stunning. Other notables included the Opus, Lail, Franus, Harrison, and Dominus. But, the real value wines here were the Larkmead, the Lewelling, the Chappellet, and the Sterling. Each of these wines, at about $35 or less, were excellent. Most of the lower priced offering performed about as expected. However, the intriguing Honig and Columbia Crest Reserve were very solid wines - especially for the prices. No real surprises, or even disappointments here. Just some very nice wines from what is turning out to be an excellent vintage. |
1999 Fife Scarlet Meritage - Napa Valley. $31.99. Medium-dark garnet color. Moderate cassis and light oak aromas in the nose. Nice mouthfeel, very good flavors, and an enjoyable claret-like finish. Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+ 1999
Beaulieu Vnyds Tapestry Meritage - Napa Valley. $29.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. Nicely integrated - almost prefumed nose of cassis,
black cherry, and toast. Slightly sweet-sour fruit, very good balance,
with a nice mid-palate, becoming somewhat more acidic on the back
end, and getting just a bit tart on the finish. 1999
Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon - Columbia Valley.
$10.99. Medium dark garnet color. Although not corked, the wine
seemed a bit muddy, stinky, and mushroomy in the nose. Moderate
mouthfeel, a bit chalky and grainy from mid-palate to its midium-long
finish. 1999
Villa Mt. Eden Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $17.99.
Dark ruby color. Somewhat restrained in the nose, with moderate
aromas of perfumed cassis and oak. Very fruity mouthfeel, with good
acid balance,and a long finish. 1999
Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Washington. $22.99.
Dark ruby garnet color. Moderately fleshy and macerated scented
nose. Fleshy mouthfeel, with good balance, and a surprisingly long
tasty finish. 1999
Honig Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $23.99. Dark ruby garnet
color. Rich, moderately herbaceous nose of cassis, black cherry,
sage, kalamata olive, and minty eucalyptus. After the in-your-face
aroma, the mouthfeel is surprisingly light and claret-style, with
a moderate punch of fruit at mid-palate, and medium-long finish. 1999
Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley.
$28.99. Dark garnet color. Lovely nose of black cherry, cassis,
hardwood shavings, rosemary, and cracked pepper. Sweet mouthfeel,
with flavors of freshly macerated black cherry, toast, and a light
anise quality, with fine-grained tannins showing through the long
very tasty finish. Made by Phil Titus. 1999
Sterling Cabernet Sauvignon - Diamond Mtn, Napa Valley. $33.99.
Dark ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis, oak, mint, with kind
of a herbal-bark background note. Somewhat soft and velvety mouthfeel,
with very fruity core, and a long, soft yet slightly grainy finish. 1999
Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley . $34.99. Dark ruby
garnet color. Fabulously integrated nose of black cherry, cassis,
toast, licorice, and a hint of vanilla. Sweet mouthfeel, with lots
of cassis, toast and vanilla flavors, and an interesting texture
- something like polished mahogany. Long tasty finish that shows
just a touch of heat. 1999
Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $35.99. Very dark
garnet ruby color. Very integrated nose of Black and red cherry,
toasted grains, herbs and vanilla. Sweet and smooth mouthfeel, fabulous
balance, slightly herbed black cherry flavors, and a very long finish. 1999
Franus Cabernet Sauvignon - Rancho Chimiles, Napa Valley.
$35.99. Dark garnet color. The barest hint of rubber band is
the only distraction in an otherwise beautiful nose of ripe black
cherry, cassis, toasted woods, and vanilla. Delicious mouthfeel,
lots of fruity flavors,and a lip-smackingly long finish. |
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1999
Harrison Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $49.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. Nose of sweet black cherry, licorice, and burnished
hard woods. Moderately full mouthfeel, lots of very nice fruit,
very good balance, smooth long finish. 1999
Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon - Carpenter Vnyd, Napa Valley.
$49.99. Dark ruby color. Nose of cassis, oak, and herbs, with
a nice vanilla/caramel background note. Slightly sweet mouthfeel,
tasty fruit, very good balance, long finish. 1999
Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon - Tench Vnyd, Napa Valley.
$49.99. Dark ruby color. Dense aromas of black cherry, licorice,
vanilla and toast, coupled with an intriguing touch of mint. Sweet
and succulent mouthfeel, smooth from front to back, with excellent
balance, masses of vanilla-laced black cherry fruit, and a long
toasty finish. Significantly richer and more fleshy than the N &
N Carpenter Vnyd bottling. 1999
Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon - Lone Cyn Vnyd, Napa Valley. $54.99.
Very dark garnet ruby color. Fabulous nose of cassis, herbs, licorice
and vanilla, with an herb and euclyptus background note. Dense sweet
black fruit on the palate and chewy mouthfeel. Smooth and somewhat
fat, this wine is built for comfort, rather than speed. 1999
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $79.99. Very dark
garnet ruby color. Big rich nose of cassis, chocolate, and toast.
Very full mouthfeel, plenty of chocolate-infused black cherry fruit,
with a smooth finish - yet odd aftertaste. 1999
Dominus - Napanook Vnyd, Napa Valley. $89.99. Very dark garnet
ruby color. Nose of cassis, black cherry, chocolate, toast and mint.
Full and chewy mouthfeel, very good balance, rich fruit, long if
slightly chalky finish. 1999
Lail Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Daniel Cuvee - Napa Valley. $74.99.
Very dark garnet ruby color. Lovely ripe nose of cassis, licorice,
and vanilla, with an interesting Worcestershire and soy background
note. Rich macerated and crunchy mouthfeel, chewy and concentrated
flavors, excellent balance and very long finish. 1999
Opus One - Napa Valley. $119.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Beautiful
nose of cassis, black cherry, peppermint, sage and vanilla. Excellent
balance - not overfilled or too ripe, chewy and smooth texture,
very long tannic finish. Pretty much textbook. 1995
Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - Tench Vnyd, Napa Valley. $49.99.
Dark garnet color. Nice bottle bouquet in the nose, with aromas
of cassis, licorice, and toasted oak. Somewhat raw and harsh on
the palate, good balance of acids and fruit, but a rather coarse
finish. If the oak resolves, this wine may come along fine with
more time. |
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No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson |