TN: 2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

  • 2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/12/2012)
    This wine is in such a great place right now. Super dark, nose of deep cassis, black cherries and pomegranate. The palate has an intensity that is near mind boggling. Notes of new leather, cardamom, framboise, cocoa powder and Kirsch Royal. A powerful wine that did well against the filet mignon au poivre with mustard sauce and frites. Medium to heavy weight mouth feel that never gets heavy or overbearing. The finish just goes. Near fully resolved and well integrated, this should drink nicely for a bunch more years and well worth grabbing is you see a ‘deal’. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

My palate can no longer handle the sweetness of Pride wines. I wonder what to do with those in
my cellar, such as two magnums of the 1997 Cabernet.

Hi Victor, I have found that time in the bottle lessens the sweet thing you speak of. this one last night showed nothing untoward in the sweetness spectrum, and while it certainly wasn’t bone dry, it sure reflected well (to me) that these are wine that need that time in the bottle. I know I goof about opening my wine right off the FEDEX truck from winery, but even I can realize some just need time.

I don’t have many Pride Reserves left (a few '01s and '02s), but a friend opened the 2000 Cab Reserve on NYE and it was really drinking well. Out of 5 big names (12 days later and I can’t recall the others) and vintages ranging from '97-'02, it was the best cab on the table.

I also struggle with the Pride sweetness. Not a big Pride fan. I thought I was one of the few.

I wonder what Saxon has to say about this?

newhere

Probably the same thing I (and 10 others) did the day I visited the winery with a group of truly knowledgeable geeks. “Million-dollar view.”

Pride remains my Cabernet blind spot wine. I do not generally like wines of their particular style, but I love the Pride Cabs, Cab Francs and even the Merlot once in a while.

I opened my last bottle of 1995 Pride Cab Franc not that long ago, and it was a lovely, complex wine with none of the brashness of its youth. Granted the wines have gotten even bigger since then, but I’ve enjoyed the way various vintages have aged, so I keep at it.

Rarely drink many of them on release.

last year i saw notes from Steve Pride on vertical tasting of the reserves. I think it was from 2000- 2008. The 03 was his favorite at that time.

Mike- agreed these need time to shed a little baby fat. I am moving towards less riper Cali cabs but Pride still hits my sweet spot. Nice wine. Next time though please leave off the mustard sauce from the steak… pileon

I will get to ask him myself first hand this coming March as CLONYC is hosting a Pride dinner and he is our guest.
Should be fun and interesting even if we are not ‘truly knowledgeable geeks’ and there is no**“Million-dollar view”**.
The steak sauce really does work well. I had a similar experienc last month at a Syrah dinner and the same sauce. [cheers.gif]