Brief TN: 2002 Hewitt Cabernet Rutherford

WINE TALK
1

Not quite sure about this wine. Clearly it has very good fruit and winemaking, but it is covered up by a lot of tannin and a huge amount of oak. I like oak as much as the next guy, but this was a bit overboard. It could definitely use more time and i only let it breathe briefly. Good balance of fruit, not too ripe for a 2002, but just tough to call this complex on the nose or palate, just oaky and tannic. If you have them, might be worth laying down and hoping the oak integrates better and the tannins settle a bit more. 90-91 points? I’ve had much better $20-30(on closeout) Napa/Sonoma cabs these days. Well, on the bright side i guess its not just ripe and fruity like some 2002s.

2

Sounds like the bottles I have had to date

TN: 2002 Hewitt Cab - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Others have reported an improvement in later vintages, which led me to buy a few 2005s on a good deal. But I have not opened any yet.

3

I’ve tasted the '04 and '05 and not been bowled over. Fwiw, I thought the '04 was a good deal better than the '05, which I did not like much at all.

4

The Hewitt anomaly: Great sources, great talent, lots of experience. I could be a fan, but more times than not, have been a bit non-plussed. (really, I could be a fan). [scratch.gif]
I did like the '04 as well.