TN: 2005, 2006, 2007 Forman Cab + 2008 Chard

WINE TALK
1

Went up to try a few wines. The 07 comes out in April. I bet Parker digs it. How Ric gets such elegance from a Chard grown in Star Vineyard in Rutherford is beyond me. Also, his prices are still really cheap for the quality. The reserve program Parker mentioned a couple of years ago has apparently been abandoned, which I think is a smart move. One Cab, one Chard. Easy to remember and build a brand around. The Cab is usually 75%+ cab, with the rest Merlot, Franc and PV.

2008 Forman Chardonnay, Napa Valley $40
The smoothness of such a young wine gives it away as Californian, but the voluptuous mouthfeel from 7 months of barrel stirring combined with no malo is just about the best combo for a Napa Cab I could imagine. Nice melon flavors with a hint of mushroom. Elegant, medium bodied. Really nice now, but maybe better in 3 years. Drink over the next five to ten.
91pts

2005 Forman Cabernet, Napa Valley, $75
A bit of bell-pepper I have not noticed before in an 05 Forman. Medium-full body, very smooth and a bit less structured than most Formans. Give it a few years to see if it changes.
88pts

2006 Forman Cabernet, Napa Valley, $75
More structured than the 2005 and I like it better. Medium-full body, black fruits married to elegance. His wines age so well, but are also drinkable so young. Moderate tannins and finish. Drink over the next decade, but it could go longer.
91+pts

2007 Forman Cabernet, Napa Valley, $$?
The best of the three. Edge of full-bodied, purple color. Classy, potent and structured with tiers of black fruit, some spice and almost a bit of Left Bank style. Good, dense tannins with no sharp edges. Give this 5 plus years and drink over the next decade plus. Excellent!
94+pts

2

Another '07 on my list. Thanks for the notes.

3

Thanks for the notes Roy. Has the style stayed in line with the 2007 Cab?

4

awesome…thanks for the tip!

5

Pretty much. The 05 seemed the least classical for me. The 07 is what we Forman fans looks for in his Cabs, just a bit more full-bodied than usual. But I think he had no choice that year, it was a full-bodied year.

6

Weird. When me, Todd and Jane tried 04, 05 and 06 we found the 05 to be the MOST classic in style. The 06 showed a lot of ripeness for a Forman which was a bit off putting to me and it coincidentally received the biggest RMP score ever. It sort of put it more in line with the majority of the wines coming out of Napa these days which is exactly why I usually gravitate towards his wines in lieu of others. I hope this isn’t the start of a stylistic shift.