2012 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley (12/16/2014)
Delivered on Friday, picked up from the drop ship location on Sunday, opened on Monday night in memory of a former Cabernet lover who has now gone over to the dark side.
You know who he is! This is shockingly approachable in its youth, even in crappy hotel event glasses at a client Christmas Party. Dark red fruit, not overly tannic, some coffee and chocolate. Flavors are strong and primary with bitterness. ABV at 14.3% is balanced by the power of the wine. Outstanding. If the “regular” cuvee is this good, the SVDs must be off the chart, but I think they will wait a few years to see how they develop. (92 pts.)
This was a standout from our trip last summer and a super value, even with the price increase. The SVDs - at least the Calistoga and the Panek, we didn’t taste the Corona - are unbelievably good.
I just took delivery of '12 Calistoga and Panek Vineyard, but I plan on holding them. On Friday I opened a '11 Panek at a wine tasting dinner. Impression: young and needs plenty of air time, but is showing good dark fruit, cedar notes and a couple of other secondary characteristics - good potential (Hold)… 91 pts. right now.
As usual, I will be slow-oxing a newly arrived Panek for Christmas Eve dinner at my brother’s home. It is probably the single bottle ‘bring along’ in a years worth of me bringing super wines to his home that actually solidifies his false impression of me that I actually know what I am doing in this wine thing. This year, in order to be transparent to you Jay, I am mentioning now that I will be bringing Pinot Noir as well. Some Patricia Green should do us right… My brother gonna think me a Super-Genius now, just like Wile E Coyote.
I did not want to rat you out to the uninitiated rabble. I already got a comment on my note from someone named “River Rat” who wrote “Long Live the King.” Must have been one of our guys.
We killed one of those plus a Corona and both were stellar.
The Corona “won” out of the gate, but over the course of the evening, as my Cowboys put down them there ornery Eagles, both blossomed into great tastes! I may have actually preferred the Napa…but we ate salmon, stir fry veggies, and taters, so it may not really have shown all the Corona had to offer had we had nice, meaty piece of red meat to go along with it.
I thought you were repositioning as plonyc and since we all wondered why, you decided to drop the why so we would stop asking, and you just become Plonc.
We Pobega’d the 2012 Panek and Calistoga last night.
The Calistoga has nice, bright fruit with solid accompanying structure. Big mouth feel, and an ample finish! The bright edge of the fruit felt like it could give a solid hint about where the wine will go over time. Plenty of tannin that is well balanced, but present to a reassuring degree for the future, as well. I look forward to seeing its development.
Sadly, it was Panek! in the kitchen when we opened it - cork, cork, cork. The cork taint could not be tasted through to give any valid impression of the wine.
Ironically, I had been reading the “corked wine from a mailing list” thread yesterday. This bottle was obviously well cared for and it’s siblings have been fine. I know cork taint is an unpredictable event, so this bottle will just be added to the “cellar of experience” but I can’t see going through the effort of trying to return a bottle.
Anyway, a solid thumbs up on the Calistoga!
I will continue to seek out this wineries offerings!
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