Napa Valley Vintner's Assn
So much wine, so little time
________________________
photos courtesy of: A. David Chan
Report on the Napa Valley Vintner's Assn tasting - Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, L.A. Music Center. Like ZAP, there were two sessions - one for the "trade' and one for the public. The tasting brochure indicated that 86 vintners would be in attendance pouring 299 wines. for a tasting fee of $60 - unless you were in the trade, or you devised some nefarious way of obtaining entrance, in which case you got in for free. Each winery had the option of pouring up to three current releases or ready to be released wines, plus up to 2 barrel samples.
How Many Wines Does it Take To...
The number of wines available sounds staggering - and it was. No human
could get through it. Let's see 120 minutes, 299 wines - that's about
24 seconds per wine, less the travel time in a crowded room, that's probably
17 seconds per wine, less the pour and chat time - hmmm. 
Okay,
let's say we cut out those pesky whites. Now we're down to 228 wines.
Well, we can certainly cross out the no-shows, and now we're down to 201.
Hey, ...we're up to 36 seconds per wine! Well, now we're getting somewhere.
Wait a minute ...some of the wines on the list aren't even being poured.
Hmmm, this means more time for the rest of the wines, but it also means
an equal or greater amount of time will need to be spent mapping out a
new strategy. So, finally we're looking at about 40 seconds per wine.
Whoops. Have to eat something. Figure 17 minutes for a food break
...6:30 each for 2 additional breaks ...carry the 2 ...plus 4 ...equals
33.... Okay, we're at a 2:33 average, less the breaks, that's uh...1:55
per wine! Hey, that's exactly how long it took me.
To
me, one of the greatest things about this type of tasting is that the
winery principals and/or winemakers are actually in attendance, and usually
doing the pouring. The likes of Dan Duckhorn, Tom Burgess, Bill Frazier,
John Shafer, Andy Schweiger, Jim Allen (Sequoia Grove), David Graves (Saintsbury),
William Hill (Bighorn Ranch), Peter Mondavi Jr. (Charles Krug), Norm Kiken
(Reverie), and Delia Viader were all right there pouring their wines.
Here are some brief impressions of the 48 wines I tasted:
'97 Astrale e Terra Merlot. Nice fleshy and stemmy nose. Very
plush and full mouthfeel, with lots of fruit, body and hints of sage.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic cassis nose. Big and tannic
mouthfeel, with lots of fruit, vanilla, and toast.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'96 BV Tapestry Reserve. Slightly green nose. Sweet, soft mouthfeel,
and soft finish. I suppose this was a shot at elegance, but it left me
wanting more body and substance.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'98 BV Georges de LaTour Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel).
Wow! Big beautiful nose of cassis, vanilla, toast, etc. Soft, yet concentrated
flavors of cassis, toast, vanilla. Very long smooth and sweet finish.
They were assuring everyone that this was not the final blend, but it
ought to be.
Aroma score: A Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Bighorn Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. William Hill's new effort.
Average Cab nose. Full mouthfeel, ample flavors and long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B+ Overall score: B
'96 Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon. Candied cinnamon and cassis nose.
Initially full mouthfeel develops a hole in the mid-palate, before coming
back strong at finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'98 Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel). Nice, but restrained
nose. Soft tannins and fruit in the mouth.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Burgess Merlot. Very big fleshy nose; just jumps from the
glass.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'96 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon. Nose seems shut down or dumb at
present. Young tannic mouthfeel, good fruit, long drying finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Cain Cuvee. Slightly closed nose of cassis and toast. Tight
and tannic mouthfeel. Expected softer.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'96 Cain Five. Nose of cassis, vanilla, and toast. Tight and tannic
mouthfeel. Expected more.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'96 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon. Somewhat green and herb-like
nose. Narrow and tight mouthfeel, with unyielding fruit.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Cosentino Cabernet Franc. Small core of blueberry/cassis fruit
in both nose and mouth. Long somewhat fruity finish. Certainly not one
of the richer tasting versions of this varietal.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Cosentino Merlot Reserve. Somewhat green and stemmy nose.
Slightly thin mouthfeel, with acid-driven finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Cosentino Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (barrel). Restrained
cassis nose. Tannic and young mouthfeel, Has obvious fruit, but lacks
chew.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Cuvaison Merlot. Very nice nose of Strawberry/cassis. Full
mouthfeel, with a decidedly malolactic quality to the long sweet finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Diamond Creek Red Rock Cabernet Sauvignon. Very refined and
integrated nose. Almost soft and candied fruit, tasty mouthfeel, long
finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice, but
the least effusive and complex nose among the DC Cabs. Soft mouthfeel,
slim core of fruit. Much less than expected.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. Nice cassis
and toast nose. Dry, thin, and tannic on the palate. Less than expected.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot. Fleshy and herbaceous nose with
a background of mint. Fleshy and big mouthfeel, that becomes dry and tannic
toward latter palate. Fascinating nose; less so mouth.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B+
'97 Duckhorn Estate Merlot. Big fleshy nose. Very dense fruit
with just a hint of stemminess. Huge mouthfeel, very chewy wine, long
finish. Excellent effort.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Frazier Merlot. Fleshy and stemmy nose of red fruit. Full
mouthfeel, chewy body, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon. Big sweet cassis nose. Huge mouthfeel
of cassis, cinnamon, toast, and nutmeg. Long seamless and smooth finish.
Aroma score: A Taste score: A Overall score: A
'98 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel). Very nice nose of cassis
and spice. Slightly thin mouthfeel, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Freemark Abbey Merlot. Somewhat vegetal and thin smelling
nose. Surprisingly full mouthfeel (considering the nose), nice fruit,
long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'96 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon. Cardboardy and slightly
vegetal nose. Sweet full mouthfeel, fruity long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Moderate nose of cassis, anise,
and toast - had all the right ingredients, but nothing spectacular. Toasty
cassis, dry mouthfeel, fruity long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'96 Grgich Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. Sharp and acidic cassis nose.
Huge tannic mouthfeel, but with soft fruity finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Harrison Cabernet Sauvignon. Smoky cassis and cherry nose.
Huge toasty cassis mouthfeel, long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'95 Heitz Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon. Cardboardy nose with
merely average mouthfeel and flavors.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'98 Joseph Phelps Insignia (barrel). Nose of cassis, ink, shoe
polish, spices, anise. Initially chewy mouthfeel, but get a shallow at
mid-palate. Long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Napa Wine Co Cabernet Sauvignon. Seems a bit light on its
feel in both nose and mouth, and appears to be a weaker effort than the
'96.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97
Reverie Cabernet Franc. Nose of blackberry and blueberry. Substantial
mouthfeel, with plenty of semi-sweet fruit, good balance and long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'96 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve. Cassis-filled
nose, with toast, vanilla, and anise. Big mouthfeel, lots of fruit, excellent
balance, long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'95 Keenan Cabernet Sauvignon. Tight and tannic, the nose seems
a bit closed and one-dimensional. Mouthfeel is substantial, but the flavors
seem unfocussed. Long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B
'98 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir. Ripe strawberry and cola nose.
Tasty black cherry and strawberry fruit, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Schweiger Merlot. Fleshy and stemmy - quite extracted. Full
mouthfeel, fleshy fruit and flavors, long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'98 Schweiger Merlot (barrel). Nice fleshy cherry nose. Good chewy
fruit, long balanced finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Schweiger Cabernet Sauvignon. Huge nose of black cherry/cassis.
Full mouthfeel, very chewy textures, long off-sweet finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'97 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon. Spicy cassis nose. Moderate
mouthfeel, good fruity flavors, softens at latter palate.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97
Shafer Merlot. Stemmy, and somewhat vegetal nose. fleshy mouthfeel,
black cherry flavors, good balance, long finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B
'97 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon. Nose of buttery cassis, cinnamon,
and spice. Spicy cassis/cherry flavors, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon. Off-sweet cassis nose. Big
mouthfeel, tannic and tight fruit, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Stagliano Sangiovese.Spicy dried cherry nose. Spicy and toasty
mouthfeel. Medium-long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'96 Staglin Cabernet Sauvignon. Nose of cassis, spice, anise.
Tart and seemingly a bit thin in mouthfeel. Long finish. On a previous
occasion, this wine tasted significantly better.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Viader. Fleshy and fruity nose. Big and fleshy mouthfeel,
quite chewy, long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-
'98 Viader (barrel). Tight and slightly vegetal nose. Very chewy
mouthfeel, a bit thin on fruit, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
'97 Von Strasser Cabernet Sauvignon. Fabulous nose of cassis,
toast, and anise. Full mouthfeel of semi-sweet fruit, nice balance, long
finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+
___________________
Overall impressions: the '97 Frazier stole the show for me. Everything you could want in a Cab! I was very surprised how well the BV Reserve Cab performed. The nose is fabulous, and going against the grain for the vintage, the mouthfeel is full with lots of fruit, albeit soft fruit. A big thumbs-up for the Duckhorn Estate merlot. And, the Reverie wines taste and smell great.
On the down side, the Cain wines didn't seem up to par. Can't blame the vintage here, the wines just didn't seem to show much in nose or mouth. The Frog's Leap and Grgich were underwhelming. The Diamond Creek Cabs didn't perform all that well in my book. It could be that these wines were just way too young. Or, it could be that as with Heitz, everybody else in the Valley has just about eclipsed them. Additionally, they had the distinction of giving the shortest pours in the room. Speaking of Heitz, here was yet another lackluster performance.
|
|
No original material may be reproduced without written consent
Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson
