2007 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon Fin de journee- USA, California, Napa Valley (1/11/2010)
Produced by Susan and Jonathan Pey, from grapes in the Oak Knoll and Yountville AVA’s…89%Cab,6% CF,3%Merlot,2%PV. Dark blackberry color, grapey nose of blackberry, Kirsch, dusty white pepper, smoky road tar. Starts out kind of grapey, cheap cab in flavor…hell, what do ya expect for $15? The fruit looks like it would be an ooze monster, but it really isn’t. Has a lifting band of acidity(kind of sharp) as well as good dose of tannin, making it pretty spicy. Some nice flavors of graphite, chocolate covered sour cherry, vanilla cedar wood. Pretty acidic…doesn’t really sing Napa Cabernet imo. Same lines as Mondavi Napa Cab, and Beringer Knights Valley…simple, cheaper, well made wine…but can tell it’s cheap. Might be better with some age though. (88 pts.)
MUCH MUCH better day 3! Has become more “Cab-like”…less grapey, sour…more dusty graphite, dried cherry, cedar, mocha. Still pretty spicy and tannic, but tastes more like a $25++ Cab now! Wife loves it…might have to get more for the future! Solid 90pts now.
i had the “big brother” Mise en place from 2005 and sold 4 bottles out of the 6-pack i bought. has a mega-purple aspect and for me leans towards a artificial fruit profile. one of my biggest disappointments from 2009 as a lot of folks i know really dug the wine.
2007 Textbook ‘Mise en Place’ Cabernet Sauvignon [Oakville] 14% abv, a chunky/husky feel, the wood is resolved now. Red berry fruit on the palate, resin/pine on the nose. Mostly CS, with some CF and merlot to round it out, yet still keep the varietal tag. Given the aging, and what it cost 15 years ago ($35-40 on release) I’m disappointed. There’s nothing out of place, but its not very character filled, or even super oaky steak wine today. Maybe these purplish, chewy cabs are better in their woody youth. Given the hype the Pey’s garnered back in this era, this doesn’t seem to have lived up to early enthusiasm. Tannins are getting an upper hand on the fruit, btw. It get’s a B in my ledger.
