Last night, we had our final birthday dinner for my daughter as she turns 7. Final in that we have sold our home in Chicago and will be living solely in Scottsdale from now on. We have had some amazing dinners and memories in this house, and I wanted this one to be special as well.
I opened my last mag of '94 Harlan, hoping for something special. For once, the bottle actually went beyond my high expectations. This was as good as California cab gets. I read some of the tasting notes on CT, and Jeff Leve’s was so spot on I thought why write my own? He had the same thought I did to open the note, and nailed it from there, so here are Jeff’s notes:
About as good California Cabernet gets. Complete in every way from start to finish. The perfume is intoxicating. The wine drenches your palate and taste buds with layer after layer of sweet, silky, perfectly ripe fruits, chocolate and licorice, finishing with a seamless end note that does not want to quit.
Jeff rated his bottle 99. I might up that on this one by one point. Maybe 2. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Best of all, this bottle has no end in sight. I would have been fine holding it another ten years, and it most likely would still be youthful.
The second bottle was the 2005 Shafer Hillside Select, from 750. While much younger, this was also excellent, and deserving of at least an upper 90’ish point score. 96, 97, 98? Who can really tell the difference at that level? With years to go, this bottle still needs time to hit the apex of its drinking window, but it would be no crime to open one now. The wine is very well balanced, with nothing standing out to overshadow the experience. It is a huge wine, but being so well balanced everything just works. I am probably inclined to hold mine for a few more years, but won’t feel badly if I succumb and open one early. Or two.
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