My wife and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary on Wednesday and, in honor of the occasion, are drinking a bunch of '94s this week. Decided to start with some of the more modest wines and work our way up, so we pulled these two tonight.
1994 Château Gloria- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (5/18/2014)
A pleasant surprise. The cork was perfect and came out like a charm. There’s a bit of funk and old leather on the nose - no mistaking this for anything but Bordeaux. It’s quite dark in the glass and medium bodied, with cedar, dark berries, a pleasant smokiness, and a hint of that funk from the nose. The finish is dry and long. Delicious wine and still in fine shape. (89 pts.)
1994 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford- USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (5/18/2014)
The cork on this was soaked about 80% of the way to the top, very evenly, but with no wetness at the top. The nose was a little subdued, showing notes of forest floor, Chinese five spice, and warm blackberry pie. Dark garnet and slightly cloudy in the glass, despite standing up in the cellar for the last 2+ weeks. Medium-bodied with a mix of red and black currants, baking spices, and moderate acidity, which carries through the finish. Certainly enjoyable, but I think it’s time to drink up on this one. (87 pts.)
Thanks, Neal. I have a '94 Dalla Valle on tap for Wednesday, with a '94 Mondavi Reserve as back-up. Would love to do both but, as was demonstrated last evening, too much red wine gives my wife a migraine. Looks like it’ll be a bottle a day this week.
Haven’t yet decided what’s up tonight but, when I do, I’ll post about it here.
1994 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Marston Vineyard- USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District (5/19/2014)
The nose and palate are both muted on opening. By hour two, there’s more expressiveness but things stall out there and there’s no further development into hour three. On the nose, there are suggestions of blackberry liqueur, wet rocks, and something that reminds me of fine shoe leather. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with a little acidity poking out around the edges. I’m looking for a little more depth but it’s just not there. Tart black cherries make an appearance on the finish. I suspect I missed peak on this one by a few years. (88 pts.)
1994 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley (5/20/2014)
Opened and poured 1 hour before the first taste. This has clearly been a well stored bottle (it was a recent Christmas gift, so I am not the original owner). The lovely nose suggests sweet woodsmoke, wild berry preserves, and faint potpourri. In the mouth, it’s both graceful and assertive, as the mature fruit has a pleasant silkiness and the wave of tannins on the back end provides a sense of grip and structure. The finish is long and offers an array of spice notes. Really fantastic. I think this is at peak and should stay there for at least another few years. (94 pts.)
1994 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon- USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (5/21/2014)
Jeff Leve’s recent tasting note is spot on for me. What a great bottle of wine! The bouquet has a perfume-like quality to it - soft floral notes, talcum powder, and dried spices are all noticeable as I decant the wine off its sediment. In the mouth, it’s incredibly well balanced, very smooth, yet not at all short on body. This is my first DV, but it strikes me as tasting distinctive, in the same way that aged Montelena does. The finish is just super, with a blanket of fine tannins closing things out. Wow. (95 pts.)
I was looking forward to this note. I have 2 bottles and now I am really looking forward to them and just hope they show as well as your bottle. Very nice.
1994 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve- USA, California, Napa Valley (5/28/2014)
Started off a bit musty and not showing a lot on the nose or palate…to the point that I worried it was mildly corked. However, after 90 minutes of air, the wine is showing much better. Damp forest floor and sweet tobacco notes on the nose lead to a darkly toned mix of both sweet and savory elements including dark chocolate, tobacco, plum preserves, and old cedar. The finish is earthy and a bit clipped. I wouldn’t hold this a lot longer, as I think it will be past peak in the next few years. (92 pts.)