Popped and poured these wines over a 3 hour+ dinner; most tasted side-by-side.
2005 Kuleto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Deep crimson hue with a ripe, lush nose of currants and candied black cherries that gave way to an overpowering entry marked with heat and prickly tannins. After about an hour, I tried another glass and the palate had smoothed out nicely, but this is still a pup and is crafted in brooding style which is not in my comfort zone.
2007 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Yup, killed a baby here. However, the initial glass was surprisingly accessible and really tasty. Beautiful nose of cherry, blueberry, dark chocolate with a lush mouthfeel finishing very long. After a few hours, the oak/vanilla components began to overpower, but this will definitely be a special wine given the time in bottle it needs to integrate completely.
2000 Far Niente Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
As expected, this showed a much more refined side compared to many of the other wines. I found the palate and finish to be slightly disappointing; tired tannins and a noticeably thin finish. But, the nose was quite enjoyable; pleasant earth notes coupled with appealing cassis, plum and caramel.
2002 Chimney Rock Elevage (Napa Valley, CA)
This wine was one of the table’s favorites and I enjoyed it too. Cherry, blackberries, cigar box; medium-bodied with an enticing elegance with loads of finesse on the long finish. The bottle disappeared quickly!
2002 Pine Ridge Andrus Reserve (Napa Valley, CA)
I’ve posted before about disappointments with previous wines from PR and I’m glad my stash is almost completely gone. Yet, every now and then I drink one and remember why I bought these years ago. This bottle gave me a classic chameleon tasting experience.
At first, the nose was dominated with an off, vegetal odor and taste. When I came back an hour+ later, the peculiar smell was gone and was replaced with classic Bordeaux aromas. Gentle tannins coated the entire palate and culminated in a long, velvet finish.
2004 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry (Napa Valley, CA)
My favorite wine out of the bunch. Captivating nose offering red fruits, vanilla, cassis and tobacco. The entry flowed seamlessly displaying suppleness and balance ending firm and pleasantly long. Excellent with duck and prime NY steak and will continue to get better with age.
2005 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (Sonoma County, CA)
I had this wine the night before all of the Napa cabs/blends. I’ve always found the KB pinots to be very well made and enjoyable as a bigger style of pinot and they always seem to illicit praise from people who don’t typically drink pinot. This wine did the same and the table of Cab drinkers liked it quite a bit.
The nose is effusive with heady black fruits and caramel and the richness coats the entire palate with a viscous finish. However, I detected too much heat on the nose and overall found it lacking balance and acidity.