TN: 2006 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

WINE TALK
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  • 2006 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/22/2009)
    I was not quite prepared for how good this was. This wine hit the perfect balance point for me between ripeness of fruit and earthy elements - not a huge powerhouse Cali cab, but one with so much finesse and impeccable balance. To me this is very similar to my favorite Bordeaux, ones with very ripe fruit in exceptional vintages. Round, interesting reddish fruits, nicely balanced with hints of herbal green that impart character and typicity. Had just a taste at a retailer, but I look forward to having this, and the 2007, from bottle, as the taste I had put this among the best California cabs I’ve had. My preliminary score for my palate personally is 95-96; those who like flashier, bolder cabs might find this to be less remarkable. Some cabs are huge like a towering Pujols homer - this is Ichiro swiftly and smoothly taking one out of the park with finesse, same devastating results. (96 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Wow, glowing notes.

I’m so tempted from these notes and the many I read about the '06 and '07 RM Cabs to open one and try it out…I really should do that.

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Nice look, Alan, thanks. Sounds like this is coming along beautifully.

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Thanks Tom- I saw your excellent note on this wine too - sounds like we had fairly consistent experiences.

Todd - if you have a decent number of bottles, you should absolutely go for it on one of them now, as it’s giving so much pleasure. Normally I’m pretty hesitant to give this high a score on a wine I’ve only sampled (and I did ask for a retaste on this one to make sure I was liking this as much as I did), but sometimes you just have to call it as you see it, caution be damned. I only have one bottle and I’m really tempted as it is.

If anyone’s had both the 06 and 07, would love to hear your thoughts on how they compare.

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Alan,

I have 4 bottles - certainly enough that I could risk infanticide with a bottle and try them out - see what all the fuss is about.

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big long decant. i’d say 5+ hours

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Nice work, Todd. I have 4 as well. I am going for it this weekend.

Now when I look at Charlie’s avatar, I think about pouring out that Ringland last week.

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You poured out a 100-pointer?

Did it eat through the plumbing?

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I too, love the wine but I’m putting mine to bed for another year before opening another. It’s a great wine now, but I’m not sure it’s even on the upslope of its potential at this point. Take this with a grain of salt, but I think it starts really singing about 2011 and probably holds for 10 years or so. I only have 6 left and that’s below my threshold to open more at this point. (Selfishly I hate reading these glowing notes as it always makes me think price increases will be coming.)

Anyone else notice the excessive sludge sediment these throw off? Both the ones I opened had grape sludge in the neck and on the bottom of the cork. Not a problem at all for me, but I was just wondering if anyone else noticed this?

Chris

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I sure did. I poured that bitch right down the drain. I wore a mask to keep the fumes from overpowering me. Plumming seems to check out though. At least for now.

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You might have cleansed the pipes - freer flowing now?

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Sounds like entirely different conversation all together. [thumbs-up.gif]

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Should have tossed that in for our last trade … I think my plumbing could use a good cleaning. [dance-clap.gif]

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[quote=“Tom Gutting”
Should have tossed that in for our last trade … I think my plumbing could use a good cleaning. [dance-clap.gif][/quote]

Yes, I would have GLADLY traded that wine for 10 bottles of KB. However, I think I might have pissed off a few people trading a drawing prize. Next time I won’t do the right thing. [thumbs-up.gif]

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Damn, now THIS is the CA Cab I might be looking for.

Has anyone visited the winery? Given our upcoming trip, perhaps this is worth a stop. Everything checks out: JL doesn’t love it, not a bomb, some green character, depth and complexity. Whew!

Great note.

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Tasting with Thomas is easily the worst tasting in the Valley. It’s all over the place – he makes you try cab from more than one of the top tier wineries he works for, then maybe some of his highly allocated pinot and if you are lucky, some chardonnay. I hate going up there, it’s pain.

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So he says. [stirthepothal.gif]

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some of us made the drive opposed to shots of tequila with the todd!

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+1 Depending on how you like your wines I would wait. I opened one at T-Day and although it was delish as you described it paled next to the 96 mondavi reserve we also had. If you do open I would use Charlies reco and decant for a long long time.

I noticed the sludge also

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Okay, so beyond the inside stuff… Does the tasting really suck there?