2002 Château Pavie (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru)

Threw this into a bbq mix where many a Napa Cabs were served (as well expected of me), and oh yeah... and I wrapped it in foil. Let's have some fun.
Opened at 1pm. Served at 5.
Initially this showed some reddish fruits of raspberries and red currant with a hint of strawberries. I spend a few minutes with it right after pop and thought to myself how it fit into my expectations of what I thought it should taste like according to others notes and conversations about Pavie in general, this being my second Gérard Perse era Pavie. This was Bordeaux, and a real nice Bordeaux indeed.
By time it was served it was fun to watch the group taste and guess and much more of the same. Someone said Napa Cab right off the bat, others guessed mid nineties Napa Cabernet. Color was a pretty hue of carmine with burnt-umber edges and transparent throwing a slight/fine sediment. The crowd looked toward me suspiciously. I said nothing. It had real nice purity with a tremendously expressive midpalate with an almost pinot-like mouth feel. There was some nice hints of cedar and spice-box with tobacco, lite-soy sauce, and smoke. What I really loved was that strawberry note, and this in particular combined with some damp cellar floor, earth and a very real 'Regal-ness' told me we were firmly right of the Gironde.
Someone said 2002 or 2003, I nodded yes. OK, time for a hint: It is a Bordeaux varietal other than Cabernet Sauvignon. Someone said it was not Merlot; sleuth-Nano needed another pour (or two) and Cheryl who knows me all to well said 'Somebody had to have gifted you this wine Mike', to which I gave a BIG grin; they were onto me and it was time to reveal my one and only bottle of Bordeaux to a boisterous and laughing crowd.
I liked this one alot.

World's End wines come east.

Some time back there was a vote done on WineBerserkers.com to send two lucky candidates a few samples from a new venture by Jonathan Maltus, the original ‘Garagiste’. A few weeks back I had received these bottles. It had always been my intention to share with a few Cab-head friends; last night we did so. These are all well made wines that will give joy to those who seek them out. A big ‘thanks’ to Jonathan Maltus for sending these east. All wines were pop and pour.

2008 Good Times, Bad Times Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, Napa An interesting nose that was indeed ‘To Kalon like’ on pop and pour. I got some intense and focused black fruits of cassis and blackberries with just a hint of Kirsch. There was a very interesting creme brulee quality to this with maybe an exotic note of pickle (dissipated quickly) and some black olives. The tannins were firm with a bit of grip but with nice balance. As this sat its structure tightened bit and became a wee bit less fragrant. A nice little bottle of wine with its roots firmly into the To Kalon vineyard

2008 Crossfire Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Initially I loved the way this busted from the glass into the nose. Slightly more black/blue in the fruit profile. This reminded me of a Coombsville Cab like say Realms ‘Farella’ offering. It was more plush and bigger/fuller in the middle. A very ethereal wine with lots to like. I also enjoyed the cola aspect it exhibited in the middle. As this sat it became a bit thin (1 hour. I popped and poured all of these). This placed as an early favorite. I really enjoyed this save for the behavior as it sat in the glass.

2008 Wavelength Sugarloaf Mountain, Napa A 50/50 Syrah Cab Franc blend. As with its two siblings, this was fragrant and pretty on the nose. I can honestly say it was like nothing I have ever had in my life. It was nicely balanced and intense with plenty of flowers, red and blue berries, cherries and red plum. I got a hint of white pepper and spice-box. I would love to try this on its own as I think it has much to offer, just not alongside the fragrant and plushy Crossfire.

No notes, no photographs, yes a good time.

Sometimes its more than the tasting note. Sometimes it’s just a few (or more) glasses of wine with some friends over some good grub. That’s the 'sometimes' it was this past Saturday when a few friends converged on my home for homemade pizzas and wine. While the wines were great, I did not take detailed notes. Heck, I took no notes at all! But I can tell you what I enjoyed--with friends--sans notes.

2001 Justin Vineyard Isosceles was amazing. Precise and focused with very dark and character filled black fruit profile. 93
2004 Schrader TKL Cabernet Sauvignon. A very blowsy type of cab with tons of cocoa powder, crème di cassis, and vanilla. Pretty much in line for how I remember it to be. Not for everyone, but sure for me. 91
2004 Beringer Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright and very fruit forward this was beautiful and focused. More so than the Schrader. Black and red fruit profile with some wonderful depth and purity. 92
2002 Quintessa. About my 6th time with this and probably the best showing yet. Glad I have 3 more; sad my other 9 are behind me. Blackish fruits with kirsch and leather. Some pretty floral notes. Wow. 93

The pizzas were pretty good as well. I did my usual traditional round cheese and San Marzano tomato pie (almost Neapolitan), the Grandma’s pie with flat dense crust, 3 cheese combo of mozzarella, Scamorza and provolone, all with some red wines vinegar marinara sauce and basil infused olive oil drizzle. Thirdly was the Palermo pie, my newest creation of thick square dough (almost 1.5 inches thick!) with fresh mozzarella, sautéed sweet Vidalia onions and the San Marzano sauce. (My favorite on the night), and lastly the Great Kills pie: round crust with provolone cheese, cooked until slightly charred and then topped with prosciutto, Arugula, and sweet aged thickened balsamic vinegar.

Between the pizza and the appetizers, it was a tough day for my Lipitor, which sure worked overtime.

All in all a nice evening.

2005 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Marjorie’s - Premiere Napa Valley

Wholly crap! This was super fragrant of all things good: blackest cassis, chocolate covered cherries, spring wild flowers, leather, some pomegranate and more. It was deep and elegant with layers upon layers of cabernet goodness. The tannins were brawn hidden by flash, but never did it out flash itself. Phenomenal. 95

2005 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red

I was interested in trying this just having the 06 a week previous. Wow. Super dark in color with brooding viscosity, this had such a medley of mixed fruits. Currant, black and red cherry, kirsch, fresh ground coffee, camphor, leather, and more. All nicely balanced within a super structure of tannins, true to the vintage. Long and elegant with food, pure and precise. 94

2001 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Wow, pure and elegant with some wonderful lush blackish-red fruits. There were some hints of creamy vanilla, soy, and leather. A finely meshed tannin base with perfectly balanced acidity. Wonderful medium weighted mouthfeel, super long finish. What a treat. 94

Dinner with friends---and Spottswoode

1986 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate: Sweet cassis nose with old wine, some dirt, some funk. The palate shows beautiful red/black fruited profile with some creme de cassis, blackberry, tar, and worn leather. The mouth feel was lively and focused with the sweet fruit always keeping control. What a great old wine still wearing its own flesh nicely. Great balance with fully inter-twined texture and a long finish completes completely. 91

1987 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate: Weird nose with a reduction quality and almost being port-like. Some fruit still evident but awkward balance and mouth feel kept this from really showing itself at all. n/a

1988 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate: Similar to the 86. A bit darker and a bit lusher, this had all the components with a little less sweetness in its profile, which make me the contrarian of liking it more amongst the group. I live the contrarian lifestyle comfortably. 92

1989 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate: First bottle was tainted with something, the second, although better, still reminded me of the 87, just a bit more drinkable overall. 88

2002 Lewelling Wight Cabernet Sauvignon: This was super dark and concentrated with a pure overlaying vanilla-oak layer that you either love or hate. I am in the love camp.It had some very lush reddish black fruits of currant, blackberries,plums, and a touch of blueberry. Some elegance with really intricate tannins, I can see this really being a prize in about 3 to 4 more years. Interesting contrast on the night. 92

2003 St. Helena Winery "Sympa" Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Mark Herold, Winemaker): The nose on this was simply amazing. Very concise and precise as being a Mark Herold wine in the vein of similar vintage Merus and Kobalt. As a matter of fact, this was reminiscent of the 2003 Kobalt I had a few years back. All black fruits with some dark cola, black as night currant, a hint of kirsch, some lead pencil, some leather and a hint of cedar. A very admirable mouth feel just coming in a bit short.Overall an almost stunning wine. Near perfect on the nose, and almost the same save the length. 93

2000 Chateau Dereszla Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos (Hungary)

Beautiful deep and dark golden honey in color. The nose is pure honeyed apricots and honeydew. There is richness on the palate, which is full of gorgeous sweet apricots, lemongrass, melons, and joy. A super balanced style just bordering on a fine line between mid and heavyweight, this is a joy to experience. The finish goes on and on. Just stunning. 94 points.

2002 Gemstone (USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville)

76% cab, 12% merlot, 9% cab franc, 3% petite verdot.. Time treats these Gemstones well. The last time I had this it was nice, but surely not monumental. Today, 4 years later it has added weight and class, but more importantly, structure. A very deep and dark reddish black color, this was very fragrant on the nose: cassis, flowers, and black cherries. On the palate there is a very concentrated mouth feel that I don’t really remember this having previous time while sampling. Great structure with some great lushness. The black fruit profile is my playground. Great black currant, plums, blackberries with some kirsch notes, tar, and a hint of soy. A bit of leather and a hint of cedar box. The tannins are still noticeable but did not negatively affect his showing on ounce. It was decanted 4 hours (I believe), which surely was advantageous in this showing. A real elegant classy and uber balanced wine, with a long creamy smooth finish. (92 pts.)

2003 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

30 minute quadruple splash decant. Dark and brooding. The nose is fragrant with black cassis notes, black cherries, and crème de kirsch. The palate has a silky and pure mouthfeel that is lush and elegant. Totally open for business. There is the crème de kirsch with some cocoa, black currants, black cherries, super black plums and pomegranate. Amazing intricately weaved tannins with a lilthy acidic 'bounce'. A very long and poignant finish that goes minutes, not seconds. A fantastic showing indeed. No rush, but no need to postpone enjoyment either. 94 points

2004 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

3 hour decant.
A quiet beauty. Deep and dark with nary a sign of demise. The nose is all camphor, cassis, creme de kirsch and framboise. The palate has the cassis with a soft but firm mouthfell. There is the kirsch and the creme, but there is also some tar, and leather. Some black plums with a hint of super black cherry, This has surely quieted down since my last taste. A decent acid level keeps this lively and fresh. A long and exact finish beckons more.......and I'm glad to have more in the cellar. (94 pts.)

3 Champagnes, 2 vintage, 1 rose NV

1996 Henriot Brut Millésimé -Very dark straw color. The nose had some butterscotch and with a touch of underlying sulphur. The plate showed beautiful citrus notes with a touch of grassy knoll. Beautifully balanced with the most lilt amount of acidity and just a wee bit creamy, which I do appreciate. A very classy wine indeed. If the nose showed more fruitiness and less sulphur, which never blew off, it would have been just incredible. 90/100

2002 Taittinger Brut – What a contrast. Light yellow lemon shade of straw. Beautiful bright fruit profile with sun flowers, lemon zest and peach. An elegant wine in a light bodied style. Obviously showing its youth. 91/100

NV Camille Savès Brut Rosé -The most beautiful burnt umber / salmon color I can describe. The nose was all joy of strawberries. The fine delineated bubble path was incredible. Pure and elegant, but fun and easy, this was a revelation. Some beautiful creaminess and super balanced light mouthfeel, this was just a great rose champagne worthy of popping this summer on the deck. 94/100

2007 Maybach Family Vineyards Chardonnay Eterium

Two barrel selection from the 2007 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard. Less than 500 bottles will be available. Maybe.....This was pale golden hued and glossy. The nose was lemon rind and tall grass. 100% new oak and it showed wonderfully. Similar in many ways to the RM but more minerality with the great lemon fruited notes. Intense and complicated this was great.

After 2 days (vacuvined): This really came together nicely. More structure and elegance with a beautiful delineated acid level and just a more focused wine in whole. Complicated and enjoyable. I really like this wine.

2006 Schraders Cabernet Sauvignon line-up

2006 Schrader Beckstoffer To-Kalon – Wow, this is the schnizzle all new world Cali cab drinkers seek. Dark and dense, with some wonderful notes of flower petals and violets on the nose. Darkish fruit profile with black-hole cassis, sassafras, black cherry, and black plums. Really impressive mouth fell and structure that brought joy to everyone on the tables face. Unbelievable. If you pass on any of the Schraders, don’t let it be this one, regardless of what got what points from whom……
2006 Schrader CCS- Like all of the other Schraders, the similarities are there. All wonderful wines with some great depth structure and finesse. Not to sound like a broken record as I am sure I do already, this is just beautiful and a must seek out for Napa cabernet aficionados.

2006 Schrader T6 Cabernet Sauvignon- Floral nose and ungiving upon opening. 4 hours plus this had some great black fruits with super structure. A tremendous mouth feel. Great cassis and cola with a slight touch of camphor. There was the slightest note of sulphur, but it dissipated in the glass quickly. Such a big brawny wine with tons of finesse. Great.

2006 Schrader Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon- All the Schrader’s had a similar profile save for a certain something: This had the super long finish and persistent cover on the tongue. Super plush with crème de cassis and leather, this was great. Check out this note.

2006 Schrader Georges III with a 50 hour decant!!

So I sit here with a few tastes more from Monday nights TRB dinner and just poured the Schrader Georges III, of which I might have had 3 ounces or so.Let me say this. Holy friggin crap! It’s awesome!Sexy, lush and still vibrant. Not a bit of age or sign of too much air in sight. Keep in mind this has now been open for 50 hours. Wow.Dark and complex with notes of camphor, crème de cassis, black cherry cola, sassafras, amazing.Tar, slight soy notes, multi dimensional and incredibly deep and full. A super long finish of 2 plus minutes. Its velvety and plush. I would love to taste this one in 3/5 years.
wow. 95/100

Pobega's Pizza Ca-Blast! (and my first 99 point wine!)

What's better than an afternoon of friends and Cabernet? An afternoon of friends, Cabernet and PIZZA! A decent sized group met at my home for such an afternoon on Presidents Day Weekend Sunday. What a great time. The 2001 Cabernet theme was augmented with a few surprises. Many were served blind.

2001 Bond Matriarch- Somewhat old red coloring on opening and decanting. So much so I thought it flawed. It darkened with decanter time. Nice cassis filled black fruited profiled cab with class and structure. Some tar and leather. A bit restrained in style. I was expecting a more lush style. This had a nice finish. 92/100

2001 Shafer Napa Decent dark color. Lots of red and black fruits going on. Some cassis & black cherry. The acid level was surely elevated from my last sampling about 3 months ago. Strange? There was some discussion on whether this was damaged. It just did not do as well today. N/A

2001 Justin Isosceles Reserve- deep dark black color. I guessed this on bottle shape alone! It had some pure and elegant cassis. A very wonderful Paso signature of black and green olives. Very nice. I really enjoyed this wine. It was a well structured mid-weight cab based wine with tons of character, breed, and elegance. Super long finish. A real treat. 93/100

2004 Maybach Materium- I knew I had this before by nose alone. An I knew I liked it before. It was dark and lush with some eucalyptus. A wonderful mouth feel with some decent structure and an exotic woven tannin level. I had pinned this for a Merus. It was long and full with tons of black cherries and currant. Some cola and cocoa. A Very early favorite. I would have decanted longer as a two hour decant did not seem enough. 92/100

2001 Beringer Reserve- This showed very odd. It was red in style with lots of new oak and vanilla. It reminded me of a Simi Reserve in some ways. The finish seemed slightly acidified and the mouth feel was a bit angular. I am a big fan of Sbragias wines and this was a bit of a shocker. More Foley than Sbragia. 89/100

2004 Buccella- Wow. dense and brooding. This had it all and it was all strutting. Dark chocolate wrapped black cherries . Soy, kirsch, cola, wow. This had structure and elegance with flash and fury. I love this bold in your face style of pure cali-cab. A super long dense finish with gobs of fruit. One of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. wow. 99/100

2003 Slaughterhouse Cellars Cabernet-Bright red fruit on the nose and palate. This was served blind. It had good reddish fruits of cherries and pomegranate. Some currant with some cherry cola. A fun and single dimensional wine that seemed the perfect foil for a fun pizza filled Sunday. You are as good as the company you keep. Nano purchased on name alone. Slaughterhouse.....88/100

2001 Forman- The color was deep and dark. The nose is all funky barn-yard and dirt mixed with a remnant of fruit......somewhere. Very European in style. The palate had some red and black fruits of cassis, red cherries, blackberries with some tar and anise. I have had this a half dozen times and this has surely declined from what it was from 5 years ago. A sloppy mess. Who brought this? 86/100 (me)



And then there was the pizza.......

Thanks to all for participating. See you at Ca-Blast II?

Steven Eisenhauer's Congruence Cabernet Update

If you have ever met Steve you may already know of his passion for great wine (alongside that boyish smile) but did you also know that his passion extended to making a top performing Cabernet? It’s tricky when a friend shares wines that he has made with you. You want to always be fair and with a friendship in the balance you might have the tendency of fluffing, even in the slightest. Happily for all, fluffing is not needed when we speak of Steve’s Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon.

2008 Congruence Napa Valley (barrel sample 1) - nice blackish color, purple tinged edges. Great nose of red and black fruits with something of a hint of herbaceousness reminiscent of Petit Verdot but I was assured none was in the mix. 4 separate vineyards of Cab coming together here.
The palate has great currant filled fruits layered with some black cherry and blackberries. Throw in some cassis liqueur and a touch of leather. Elegant now and if it were a bit plusher I would have thought it be a very high end Cali cab. Really.
The mouth feel is very nice and everything is hitting a harmony very early on, keeping in mind this is a barrel sample, I just got to say….wow. Super structured with a balance and promise one could not ignore. Once this has a few years in the bottle and sheds its almost non-existent baby fat anyone lucky enough with some in their cellar will be greatly rewarded. (This is the final blend choice for the 2008 Congruence).
I had asked Steve to please re-label as Chateau Mike. He said he will think bout it. :)
93/100

2008 Congruence barrel sample (blend 2) – This was very different. One of the component sites of Cab has been removed and it is surely missed. It had some black fruits, some cassis but was much edgier and more four square in style. Gone is the elegance and structure and present is some sour cherry and and a slightly green tinged short finish. Amazing when you realize how that one site of Cab really fills out the sum of all. The group of tasters all agreed on this as well. Since final blend choice was not known going in, Steve was beaming as he told us that his final blending choice had already been decided and was glad to announce it was number 1 above. So were we.

Contact Steve Eisenhauer at princessgate@comcast.net to get further info about this wine today. The inaugural vintage (2007) is already allocated but for this vintage (2008), he has increased production to about 115 cases.

1984 Spottswoode Cabernet from a pristene 3L bottle

This had a vibrant darkish color. Pretty amazing for its age. Some nice fully resolved red fruits on the nose. Cherries with some black currant. The mouthful was soft and well structured. Age has been kind to this and the bottle size had to be at least in part responsible as well. There was a slight old cab quality in the nose, a sort of hint of reductiveness, but a beauty it was. The tannins were fully resolved and the fruit was still showing itself nicely. Lots of secondaries of soy, leather, and anise. A perfect foil for Steve’s famous Napa Cabernet braised short ribs! 92/100

Drank alongside a 1983, 1985, and 1987 Spottswoode Cabernets. The ‘83 was a tired old man. The ‘85 slightly more youthful, and the ‘87 the best of this group. There was a commonality of reductiveness on all. The 1984 was the rockstar. Not being the biggest fan of old wines, this was an interesting lineup indeed.

Some excerpts from the Ghost Ghorse dinner.

All wines were double decanted at for about 4 hours.

2005 Ghost Horse - This was hitting all cylinders and was greatly appreciated by this point of the nigh. It had deep dark color with great black fruits of cassis, blackberries and plum. Nice. Great elegance and structure showed breed and style. This was great. Very lush and smooth A long finish brought it home. I wish it has been maybe 5-8 degrees cooler in temperature though. Still all in all a great wine. WOTF, My #1. I had this pegged for the SHS or Harlan. 94/100

2002 Araujo Eisele - Back on track: Great black cherries and kirsch. Some cola and cocoa. Very nice. I wish this had more Oomph though. It was a bit feminine, but graceful and elegant. Not in the fat bruiser style at all, this is Araujo..... A good long finish. Very nice indeed. 93/100

2005 Merus - This was very different in style than anything on the table yet. Big brooding and well structured with very masculine lines. Nice dark black hole fruits of currant and boysenberry with some pomegranate. There was some soy and tarry leather. Consistent notes from previous visits with this wine. What a great wine with certain QPR for its price rage and certainly here tonight. 93/100

2003 Harlan Estate - Another medium colored wine with some Framboise, currant, and black cherries. It had a clean and nicely balanced mouth feel, and although a step up, still uninspired. Got better as time went on: took on some elegance and structure, but Harlan? I enjoyed this and am sure I would have even more if it were alone on the table and given some additional time to evolve. Easy WOTF. My #4 92/100

2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Dark & brooding. The nose opened with some damp forest floor of pine needles and moss. Intense dark fruits of super black cherry, black currant and blackberry, with a deft touch of pomegranate. The palate revealed an amazing intertwined medley of those black fruits with some black & white malted in the mix, leaning heavier toward the chocolate. Wow. The tannins seemed to be resolving nicely although I sensed some chewiness still present. There is too much happening in this wine to put in words. Its somewhat typical Foley and yet I can see the appeal to a wider audience including Foley dissers. The mouth feel was very silky and smooth, but you can't ignore the power hiding under the surface of this iceberg. As others have stated: this is an exotic cabernet with TONS of structure and finesse. A super long minute plus finish and Bobs your uncle.... really