TN: 1991 Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)

WINE TALK
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  • 1991 Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (2/11/2010)
    Lots of cloudy sediment, dark garnet, prune juice color. Starts out very sour skin tart, dryness. Pop in a couple pieces of tri tip…the sourness becomes a back from the dead acidic kick, to go along with saw dust cedar, spicy cigar box, currant/plum/cherry, menthol tobacco. Really SUPER with the meat…little dry and tart finish…but not dead at all. Another testament to the killer '91 Vintage! (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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impressive showing for (what I assume is) a rather humble wine. [thumbs-up.gif]

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Another bottle tonight…I LOVE these older cheapo cali cabs…but I hate the corks that crumble like saw dust!
This bottle is dusty, nutty, and full of aged plumberry fruit, not at all over the hill. The fruit is sweet, dark, and ripe… yet has nice plum skin acidity for lift, and aged complexities of coffee, menthol, and cigar box. If you can get the cork out in one piece…you are in for a real treat! 92pts 13.2alc

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That’s Sonoma checking it at 2 decades on the 91. This was probably ten bucks on the shelf.

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I’ve had a few “regular” Napa Cabs this past year that all showed very well, and not particularly cold stored - passive at 58, up to 68 briefly at the end of summer. The Mondavi Napa was surprisingly excellent, as was the Stag’s Leap Napa. The Groth was still in very good shape but a little softer and more generic perhaps.

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Aged Souverain has been one of my most consistent surprises, bottle after bottle. Inexpensive for sure, but wow…the stuff from the 80’s and 90’s ages much better than would be suggested by its bottom-shelf positioning in most wine stores. Not sure if the current bottlings share that, but was very happy to pick up a number of older ones on auction for a song. Still have a Mag or 2 of the '97 Winemaker’s Reserve that I’ll probably wait a few years to pop.