I needed something to stand up to the big pot of America’s Test Kitchen ground beef chili I have in the oven (yes - thet tell you to cook at 275 for 2 hours to break down the collegen), so I figured I’d pop this new world uber-reviewed bottle that I bought on release when I was still figuring out my palate.
TN: 2001 Ramey Jericho Canyon, Napa Valley. This blend of 45% Cab Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 19% Cab Franc should have an arm tattoo: BIG NAPA. With a vanilla jammy fruit nose, nobody is going to think we’re in France here. Regarding age, it is drinking perfectly well for what it is and there is no hurry here at all with some tannin remaining at the finish. In fact, its crazy concentrated, eerily so. Lot’s of blackberries. Hints of liquorice and some bitter dark chocolate. While I respect it was made with care, this is simply not the sort of wine I care for. It’s more like a really well-made Slurpie than something that comes from (real) grapes, to my palate anyway. At $75 on release, I can think of a thousand wines I’d rather have. 85 [revised to 80 below] points (much higher for BIG NAPA types).
