Overall impressions: a tasting of mostly 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, with a smattering of Merlot or blends. Of the Cabs, the top three were excellent - if $50-75 each. Of these, the Versant is the standout, with the Seavey a close second. Values in the top tier include wines from Chappellet, Mt. Veeder, newcomer Audelssa, and the consistently dependable Summers. The Richard Partridge Cab was another very nice wine, if just a bit wandering on the palate.

Disappointments? Well, several of the Washington wines seemed to miss the mark - or at least my mark. Was 2002 a tough year up there? Most surprising was the Andrew Will, which seemed to lack focus. Sadly, I recall when Clos du Bois wines like the Marlstone were something of a benchmark in blends some 20 years ago. How this label has fallen. Finally, Silver Oak - always controversial, did manage a good showing - enough to beat two other opponents.

2002 Tompkin Cabernet Franc - Santa Barbara County. $19.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Ripe nose of chocolate-scented cassis and black cherry. Rich mouthfeel, creamy texture, very good balance, with lots of cassis and a touch of chocolate through the long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Sharecroppers Cabernet Sauvignon - Columbia Valley. $18.99. Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Slightly herbal nose of dark cherry, sage, and hazelnut. Creamy texture in mouthfeel, nice flavor profile of off-sweet fruit and a light vanilla touch.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: +B Overall score: B+

2002 Delille Cellars D2 - Yakima Valley. $32.99. Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Fleshy, almost candied nose of dark cherry, plum and vanilla, with just a light medicinal scent. Full in mouthfeel, with very nice balance, slightly sweet taste, and a bit of grip from tannins on the finish. About 48% Merlot.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 L'Ecole #41 Apogee - Pepper Ridge Vnyd, Walla Walla Valley. $39.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of cassis and black cherry, with touches of toast. A bit stern in structure, with ample backbone and a little Spartan in fleshy fruit. Nice balance, and very nice flavors through the long lightly astringent finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Andrew Will - Sheridan Vnyd, Yakima Valley. $47.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Ripe - almost overripe nose of cassis, prunes, and dates, with a light chalky scent. Slight Kool-Aid quality to the mouthfeel through mid-palate - almost a blend of freshly macerated fruit with a light grainy texture. Balance was good, and the finish satisfying. About 50% Cabernet.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Tobin James James Gang Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Paso Robles. $16.99. Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Hints of pickling spice in the otherwise nice dark cherry aromas. Full in mouthfeel, the wine shows lots of extraction and grip on the palate. Generally sweet flavors, though a bit of tartness creeps in on the long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 Clos du Bois Marlstone - Alexander Valley. $29.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose seems a bit candied and cloying in aromas, with almost a cherry and vanilla syrup quality. Full on the palate, with slightly tart flavors, good balance, and long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2001 Audelssa Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma Valley. $24.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Very Bordeaux-like in aromas, with lots of cassis, toast, and a touch of tobacco. Full mouthfeel, well-intregrated flavors of dark cherry and black raspberry, excellent balance and scale, rich fruit-driven finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 Summers Adriana's Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $18.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Nice sweet black cherry and vanilla aromas in the nose. Slightly sweet-sour macerated dark cherry flavors, rich texture on the palate, very nice balance, and very long lingering finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee - Napa Valley. $21.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Gorgeous nose of sweet black cherry, with touches of toast and vanilla. Delicious flavors and excellent balance, the fruit keeps driving this wine until a slight fade during the otherwise long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Chateau Woltner Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $24.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of slightly herbed cassis with a just a touch of oak ('but it's only wafer thin'). Slightly off-sweet fruit, full mouthfeel, very nice balance, and nice long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $29.99. Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Slightly herbal quality to ripe cassis aromas, yet very entrancing. Deep and dark, I kept coming back to the nose of this wine and finding floral and lavender scents. Smooth and lip-smacking in the mouth, with a light licorice flavor to the cassis, and a very, very, very long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $34.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Vanill, clove and mint infused cassis in the nose. A bit weak in mouthfeel; good flavor profile and balance - just seems somewhat underfilled.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B+

2002 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District. $39.99. Dark ruby-garnet color. The nose seems a bit reticent, with faint wisps of cassis and vanilla - nice, but where's the blast of fruit? Off-sweet dark fruit, with touches of toast and vanilla, very good balance, and long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Richard Partridge Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $43.99. Dark ruby-garnet color. Very attractive nose of ripe dark fruit, clove, cake spices and toast. Full mouthfeel and plush on the palate, very tasty, long smooth finish. Nicely made!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 White Cottage Cabernet Sauvignon - Howell Mountain. $44.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Beautiful nose of cassis, black raspberry compote, cake spice and toast. Full and rich on the palate, excellent balance, and very tasty. The smooth fine-grained tannins run throughout the wine - though the fruit seems to drop off a bit on the otherwise long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: A-

2001 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon - Howell Mountain. $49.99. Very dark ruby color. Big nose of dark fruit with hints of clove and vanilla, and a light hint of toast in the background. Full and rich in mouthfeel, with a decided lip-smacking presence, excellent balance, and long clingy finish. Very nice!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $54.99. Very, very dark ruby color. Nose of perfectly ripe fruit, with lots of cassis, black raspberry, vanilla pudding and nutmeg. Big and rich mouthfeel, chewy fine-grained textures, smooth long luxurious finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Versant Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $74.99. Very dark ruby color. Clove-accented cassis dominates the nose, with light amounts of vanilla and cake spices. Smooth and tasty, more restrained in mouthfeel than the Seavey, with a long elegant finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2000 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $89.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Nose of ripe dark fruit and pickling spices, with lesser amount of toast and oak. Moderately full on the palate, though surprisingly not as big as expected - almost more claret-like. The pickling spice does not come through in flavor, but is replaced with more herbal notes of sage and dried leaf. Smooth, well-balanced, with a long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+