Yes, you read it correct, CLONYC 47. I started this thing in April 2006. Hard to believe where we have been.
Simple theme: 2012 Napa Cabs. very ‘Old School’ for CLONYC. Tweleve guests, tweleve wines, 4 flights of 3.
Lets jump into it.
2012 Maybach Materium- Dark and ominous. Pretty expressive nose of black currants and the darkest blackberries you can fine. Bold and deep and keeps with Materiums style.
2012 Becklyn- I love these type of tastings; this was one I figured for my top on the evening but as it sat between the Materium and the Stone The Crows, it just got lost. It’s a bit redder in style and certainly less exuberant on the nose, but as far as QPRs go, it shines. It is multi-layerd and quite textured.
2012 Stone The Crows – Very similar to the Maybach in style. Bold and densely packed with notes of cardamom. Big boned and tightly knit, this is winner in this vintage and in this flight. My WOTF
7 votes for WOTF go to 2012 Stone The Crows, 2 to the Maybach and 2 to the Becklyn.
2012 Hobel- Starts a bit alcoholic on the nose. In time this fleshes out to become a bit more refined and approachable but unfortunately, I am in no mood to deal with more alcohol so I dumped it.
2012 RM Panek- I always love the multi-dimensional aspects of these and this one is no different. Deftly balanced and a bit more focused than anything before it save for the Stone The Crows. Aromatics on this shows a little vineyard distinction. Always a great one to have on my table. My WOTF
2012 Schrader RBS- When we are speaking Cabernet we can’t ignore one of the bigger players in the field. This is super-dark and dense. Cassis driven with a touch of minerality, I always enjoy these more than I like to admit. Loving a $200 Cab is easy, maintaining that relationship is hard.
The Schrader got 7 votes WOTF, tha Panek 3 and the Hobel 1.
2012 Outpost Howell- I think I have moved away from mountain wines and I think I would have enjoyed the True better, but this it is and this it was. It’s clearly TRB with a more chewy tannic style.
2012 Quivet Pellet- As one of my favorites from last years Mike Smith dinner, this one seems to get a little lost in this crowd. I think it has a bit more refinement and gets clobbered in an array such as this. Had I had a better plan, I would have placed this with the Becklyn.
2012 Pride Cabernet Reserve- I am a fan of the new direction pride has taken. This is a red and black fruit wine with focus and elegance. Tannins behaved but present and finish long. Love the aromatics on this one. I wish this was served earlier and maybe with the Becklyn and the Quivet but it was too cold when it arrived in the dining room.
Between the Pride and the Outpost, this was the most diverse flight.
The Pride garnered 7 WOTF votes (me too) and the outpost 5.
2012 Vine Hill Ranch- if there is one wine on the table that I think I did not give a fair evaluation to, it’s the VHR. It was in position number 10 in a lineup of near bruisers. My notes tell me it had tremendous dept and verve amidst its classic black fruit profile. I mention super deft and very elegant but that’s about it and that is so not me. I would like to give this another try, but again, at $185+, it may never happen…
My WOTF
2012 12C Georges III- I have had this a bunch of times and it was always quite nice but tonight it comes across and pedestrian and run-of-the-mill. Dump.
2012 Plumpjack- Arrived even colder than the Pride, this had the widest style profile in the group; first it was red, then black ; it was very fragrant with notes of flowers and worn leather. It had the highest acidity of the group. It showed intense boldness wrapped within some pretty femininity. It was pretty and handsome all at once.
Loved it but loved the VHR more.
The Vine Hill Ranch had 8 votes for WOTF while the Plumpjack had the balance of 4.
In keeping with the ‘don’t think, just answer’ theme, I asked the group without overthinking it, what wine would they consider their unofficial-official WOTN.
The VHR had 6 votes, the Stone The Crow 3. The Schrader and Plumpjack 1 each and Rays vote is unreadable……
It was a fun night and was my son Michael’s first CLONYC. He was more quiet than usual. After 47 CLONYCs and a large amount of wine dinners in general I have forget what is like to go to my first one. He is untarnished whereas I am tiring. The young will inherit the world, even its wines….
