So Friday night my wife and I had some friends over and we grilled some massive Flannery Poterhouses. Thanks to Captain Landreth for grilling help. The meal was well-recieved, as were the wines. We also had a bottle of '08 Charvin Rose and '08 Shaya Albarino (which I’ll post on later).
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 1996:
Probably the least complete of the three Cabernet-based wines we had that night. Had an interesting, if slightly muted, nose of roasted herbs, sea salt, candied blackberries and violets. The core of the wine was pure black fruit (some of it drudged in chocolate syrup and sugar!) but the secondary notes were an excellent mix of tobacco leaf, ground spices, coconut, damp earth and wood. Overall this was a good wine but not super. I think it still needs some time to show off a little more but I also think it will never be truly outrageous, although for some that may be a reason to search it out. 91 points
Lewelling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard 2002:
An excellent Cabernet that seems to get better with every vintage. This version is in a really nice place right now. Pure and dense, with a nose of smoke and tar and deep, black fruit. Charismatic and opulent, this wine draws you in right from the start with its seemingly impossible two-faced goodness- elegant and powerful, stylish but not over done, intense but focused. Truly an exceptional wine . . . and one that should only get better. 94+ points
Ridge Monte Bello 1995:
The last bottle of this I had smelled like a barnyard. It was really disappointing. But this bottle not only showed well, it outperformed all of its peers. Ripe plums and blackberries, some oak and minerals and a touch of purple flowers jump from the glass. Along with dark fruits, firm tannins, powerful acidity and some smoke flavor, comes an array of secondary flavors I hadn’t noticed in previous bottles. Often discounting this vintage in favor of the '96 or other early '90s Monte Bellos was probably a mistake (at least on this night). Hints of wild game, leather, slaughterhouse, scorched earth and dried leaves are just a sample of some of the fun flavors I noticed. Needless to say I dug it. Will I like it again the next time? We’ll see. I’ve only got four left! 95 points
Marcassin Pinot Noir Blue Slide Ridge 2002
I have no love for this winery. I dropped them like it was hot after purchasing wine and consistently not finding them to my liking. I know a lot of people do. I am down to my last few and all I can say is that I have made a lot of other people happy by opening them and popped a lot of peoples’ Marcassin’s cherries. Moving on to last Friday night I thought I would open this . . . you know, for the kids. Best showing ever! Of course if you read the previous few sentances than you took that statement with a grain of salt. Smells a bit like a candy store that has problems with their A/C unit. Some of the fruit candy is a little melty, some of it goopy, syrupy, maybe even some of the salty and sour candy mixed in the same grab bag too. Oh, and did I mention, its all a little hot? Not to worry though the repair man is there and he is on the job. With a little air things will calm down. Problem is: your candy* is all melted together. Some how after about two hours that jumble works. The Frankestein mold tastes pretty good. I mean it ain’t Pinot Noir but its pretty good. Still not for me and still not recommended by the American Dental Associassion. *Some might say the real problem is that you were shopping the f’in candy department in the first place! Just buy Pinot and not candy next time!!! 86 points