TN: 2005 Darioush - Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

2005 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (3/4/2016)
– opened one hour before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind –
– 375mL bottle –

NOSE: dark red fruits; a bit sweet and fumey

BODY: medium-fine sediment present; dark red color of great depth; medium-full to full bodied.

TASTE: oaky; alcoholic — labelled at 14.8%; very ripe non-descript fruit; alcohol is noticeable; fairly bitter; not digging it.

2005 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/10/2019)
– decanted immediately before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over 2 hours –
– 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec –

NOSE: dark; bitter cherry; light to medium oak presence; alcohol is noticeable.

BODY: blood red color of great depth; full bodied; sediment present.

TASTE: oaky; chewable aspirin; ripe; no pencil shavings; no funk; low acidity; paired well with steak; good, not excellent, for the style (big/ripe) — unfortunately, it’s not a style I prefer; poor QPR at the price I paid a decade ago, and, assuming this wine continues to be made in the same style, even worse QPR at today’s going rate; gut impression score: 87 – 88. Although this doesn’t feature any tertiary characteristics I think this is best consumed Now and over the next 5 years: it seems too alcoholic and too low in acidity for this to go anywhere positive from here.

But the tasting room is so fancy!

The tasting room is very nice!

This bottle represented one of the few remaining “mistakes” in our collection. This bottle was purchased a bit more than a decade ago, shortly after our only trip to Napa. A wine enthusiast friend brought us around to a few spots in Napa, and Darioush was one of them. Ashley and I quite liked their wines, and I bought a few shortly thereafter. Fast forward 10+ years, and here my wife and I sit with significantly different palate preferences. Glad to make the space in the cellar (and with how obnoxious these bottles are, I may have cleared enough room for a magnum.

That is my experience with many ultra-ripe, ultra-rich, ultra charred oaky cabs- Once the fruit fades, only bitter burnt flavors and booze remain. If you like the style, drink’em young.

Yep. And, as someone who really doesn’t enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon much until it develops some aged character, I really should avoid wines made in this style. … always learning.