2005 Waypoint Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)

After one disappointing bottle, this comes back with a vengeance. Still dark and youthful looking. Nose of pure creamy cassis with some blackberries. Palate shows the finely delineated cool-creamy textured profile that I have expected from the best Dr Crane wines; black infused currants with a tinge of cola, violets and framboise. This has a super deft palate that says class and elegance are in control. Long and pure with some pretty notes of asian teas, cedar-box and cardamom.This medium weight wine has a line of creaminess running right through it and reminds me of why I love Dr Crane Cabs; so distinctive and speaks of place like not many others can, this is the real deal.  94 pts

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville)

 Opened 8 hours beforehand. Upon pour this just shoots from the glass; fragrant black currants, blackberry and violets abound. This youthful wine has tremendous appeal with a black fruit profile and balance to spare. Medium to light bodied, but intense and well structured. Notes of spring flowers, framboise, pomegranate and cedar box. Tannins are huge but well in check. Interestingly once food hit the table this took a backseat to the 2003 Pride Cabernet that was enjoyed alongside it. Certainly one to drink while sitting on the deck with some light fare or on its own. A beat behind the Panek in my humble estimation, but super nonetheless. 91 pts

2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

 Opened 3-4 hours beforehand. Nose shows the Foley profile nicely. Not too over the top, but certainly some chocolate/cocoa notes with a more red fruit profile. Lovely across the palate save for a hint of dryness toward the finish, just a bit and not distracting. I got some red cherry, red raspberries and currant with a touch of cola and malted. Time has treated this nicely and I had to reconfirm it was the regular bottling….twice. Medium weighted viscous wine with resolved tannins and no sign of a cliff in sight. Long and fragrant, this really too a shine above when food hit the table; some tricky pan-Asian dishes really made this pop. (The 09 RM Corona we had alongside it went the other way). I am almost in regret in not owning any of these. What a great showing. 92 pts

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Opened 2 hours previous to note. Nose of red currant with hints of cherries & dried wood.. Palate has a somewhat sweet & creamy texture with red black fruits in control. Initially there is a boozy quality that dissipates quickly. I now find some cedar, boysenberry and graphite. Nice balance and decent structure. Tannins seem youthful. Long finish keep the fruits in play. 89 pts

1999 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Morisoli Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Black as night. nose has pure creme de cassis, cherry cola and blackberries. The palate shows a slight reductive note I usually don't associate with KL Reserves. There is some nice dark fruits with a lively medium body mouthfeel. Tannins seem nicely resolved. Interestingly enough, this showed so much better a year ago at CLONYC 17, the Got Karl dinner. (www.clonyc.com). Maybe I am not of the world of 13 year old wines any longer? Maybe this is slightly damaged? Maybe I have to stop buying anything older than 5 years old? Maybe all of the above.

2009 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Opened about an hour beforehand. Fragrant black and red fruits on the nose; dusty black-cherry, cassis and hints of cardamom. Palate reveals some fresh kirsch infused blackberries, black cherry and cardamom. I get a creamy midpalate that has some exotic tea leaf and lead pencil shavings. Tannins are somewhat edgy but overall balance is admirable. I get a long finish that keeps true. More fragrance than I remember. A 'very' cab lovers cab. This really hits on all the sense today. Glad I have more, although I may wait about a year for my next. If you must, best to decant for an hour. 92 pts

2009 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus (USA, California, Napa Valley)

opened 5 hours and recorked. What I found was consistent with my last night. This is creamy textured, blue and black fruits which include cassis, blueberry and bing cherry. I find spring flowers, cocoa powder, cardamom, and warm vanilla. A very feminine wine with lilt balanced and length. This coats the palate with a blanket of velvet. Nice. 94 pts

2008 Kuleto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Starts dry and rounds out slightly after 30 minutes. Some dusty black fruits with cedar, soy and kirsch. Overall decent but nothing spectacular.  88 pts

2009 Jones Family The Sisters (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Yowser! How does he get so much flavor into the bottle? Nose has an incredible array of reddish black fruits, violets and cool cola. The palate attacks with an intensity that is difficult to explain, but I'll try.
Blackberries, framboise, cardamom, black raspberries, kirsch, cola and more. Like a deep dark hole, this takes you well into its inner being gracefully. This weaves left to right and back again across your tongue., in its wake it leaves a coating of dusty black fruits. Tannins are huge, but behaved and all else is perfectly balanced for the long run, but when you taste this now you ask 'why wait?’ The finish remains many minutes and then beckons you to lift the glass again; to this, I will be subservient do as told happily.If you own this, consider yourself lucky. 95 pts

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena)

Opaque dark red color. Dense looking. Edges are purple tinged. Nose shows cocoa powder, black raspberry with a hint of strawberry. The palate shows a very serious, slightly hi-toned wine that expresses much breed; intense chocolate covered black raspberries, blackberries and plum pumice. A medium weight wine with fantastic balance and delivery. Some brightness interjects itself as well. The mouth feel is pure and simply incredible. There sits within hints of cola, cassis and soy. I also get the most interesting level of minerality which I do enjoy in small doses. Finish is long and true. What I like is the overall feel to this and yes, it’s certainly young, this would benefit from at least two years in the bottle. TRB’s signature is all over this one and as close to a baby Schrader as I have ever had; a style which I prefer more and more. Good for me……..
After about three hours this has turned into something totally different. It has shed its youthfulness and garnered tremendous fullness and roundness. It's more cool blue in fruit style now and the brightness is gone and it now resembles Maybach Amoenus in a big way; so much so I had wondered if Panek is actually Chris' fruit source for Amoenus. I went to the Maybach site for my answer: 'from a hillside vineyard on the Western side of Calistoga', so no, it's not.
But it is now an easy 95 points. (was 93)

2010 Quivet Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard (USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros)

Pretty amber color with purple tinged edges. Wonderful blue fruits on the nose, fresh squeezed and bright blueberries being prominent; very pretty indeed. Palate has a creamy light weight feel that feels so good without dinner, but the inch thick ribs eyes should be just about right later in the afternoon. Complicated but approachable style of Cali Syrah I really find myself gravitating toward in my advanced drinking years (30+). There perfectly fragrant crushed blueberry, blackberry and boysenberry with a hint of flint, flowers and white pepper. Nicely balanced with a tamed tannins and nothing amiss. A magnetic Syrah with loads of elegance and joy. Finish remains true but I really need to mention that creaminess again, just for the record. You would be hard pressed to find a better cool climate Syrah at this pricepoint. I do prefer this style to the Myriad. Time top reload. 94 pts

2006 Hoopes Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville)

PnP but best after about an hour. Dark and brooding. Nose of black raspberries and cassis. Palate has all black fruits with a slight lean toward over-ripeness. Balance very admirable. Tannins are large and somewhat clumsy; I can see what some think this properties potential is limitless. It's all pure Cabernet with not much elegance but tons of character. Finish holds the dark fruits true. I would like to try this in another few years. 90 pts

2009 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus

Think about how a Maybach Materium gets creamy and plushy with some notes of cola, cocoa powder and warm vanilla? Well, forget all that and meet Maybach Amoenus.


Purple tinged. Nose slightly unyielding. On the palate this is pure Cabernet love. It has red raspberries, violets, black cherry and pomegranate. It glides across the palate with a more square Cabernet approach than round, as the Materium is but there are no rough edges on that square. A nice mouth feel that commands attention. Obviously very young, this needs some bottle time but look out because it will be amazing; there is so much squeezed in the little package; I get some light notes of graphite, eucalyptus and Heering Cherry liqueur. Nice. Balance is pretty deft for its youth with nothing poking you in the eye. Just delicious. This is Robin to Materium's Batman--- who, admit it, was always cooler.

2009 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium (USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville)

Oh Yeah, I did. :)This stuff is amazing..The nose is holding back some (da!). What you can coax out is a sweet (not cloying type) of black cherry and black raspberries. The elegance can be spotted on the nose alone. Hints of kirsch, boysenberry and Framboise are in play. The palate explodes with incredible balance, depth and beauty. If there is a hard edge in the house, I certainly can't feel it. Mouth-coating and medium weight, this creates a wave of intensity bringing on layer upon layer of pure black fruits. Hints of graphite, tar and spring flowers add real interest. Tannins are well defined and complicated, but the overall package is an alchemy of all things good, and all things previous vintages have brought forth; I get the elegance of the 2006, the intensity of the 2005, the poise and structure of the 2007 and the quiet flamboyancy of the 2004. (I have not had the 2008 yet!). The finish just goes on with those layered fruits revealing themselves even more. I love the hint of creaminess that flows through the middle of this. If you've been a fan, you will certainly smile when you get to sample this one. Enjoyable now, I won't touch another of my own for a year. That's not to say I won't of my own for a year ---and not to say I won't taste it for a year...... :) 96 pts

2004 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

The nose is intense with pure red and black fruits exploding from the glass. The palate shows ripe black and red currant, black cherries, blackberries, boysenberries and more. There is a hint of cola and some real nicely welcomed minerality present. The purity is insane as is the balance. It is true to the vintage, with a slight 'fatness' that I really really like. It has some lead pencil, creme de cassis (Kirsch) and some Cherry Herring Liqueur. This is both elegant and wildly rambunctious all at the same time.. The finish is nutty long, with those fruit notes just continuing on and on. I like the combo of vintage typicity with the hallmark Beringer Reserve profile. I grabbed a bunch of these last month for a song, and glad I did.

2001 Ruston Family Cabernet Sauvignon La Maestra (USA, California, Napa Valley)

Pretty nose of lead pencil shavings, black cassis Color is an 'advanced' stage, but not old. The palate has a sweet reddish black medley of fruits with cassis and red cherries up front and pomegranate and red raspberries in the background. Some worn leather and hints of tobacco and cedar box really add dimension. There is a hint of cola and early spring flowers, you know, like the ones you really notice after winter. Balance is perfect with tannins evolved and resolved to cabfection (don't look it up. It's not there). A long finish keeps the fruits in motion all while crescendoing nicely.
I really love how this is showing on this night. I wish some of the wines I had last night showed like such. 93 pts

2003 Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon Mayacamas Range (USA, California, Sonoma County)

And it's still vibrant yet. (open 30 minutes) The nose is all pretty cherry cola and red raspberries with cardamom and soil. The nose is incredibly focused with deep plushy fruits. This is pretty consistent with my last note. There is some red/black fruits of currant and cherries with plum pumice and hints of Kirsch. Balance is decent with the lean toward acidity heavy. Tannins are resolved and all in this this really is an incredible deal for what I paid. ($15).
I really can't find much to fault this other than being slightly foursquare and lacking just a bit more elegance, but for what it is, it is (and it is a 2003 Napa Cab). I score this 91 in for its QPR value tonight. I will keep my eyes open for----more. Thomas really does rock.

1999 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District)

After having the 2001 SHS on Thursday and it showing as It did which was good, just not great I was happy to peek in on this one.
It had soem real pure black fruits with some kirsch and cola, but there was some real evident vanilla as well. usually I can deal with oak, but sometimes it is so noticeable, I have to call it out: This was a bit oaky. It had nice mouth-feel and purity with some pretty floral notes. I think this has not fully resolved, but tannins on this night we in check and well behaved. Some good acidity and a longish finish completed this nicely, I just wanted....more, so shoot me. 90 pts

2001 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Herb Lamb (USA, California, Napa Valley)

These are all about the nose. I opened this one outdoors and I tell you, the air immediately around me had the pretty smell of Cabernet perfume. If this had happened indoors, it would be tell-worthy, but outdoors? I let it sit for a few hours. I knew I did not need to sample it just on that.

This is pretty black with red tinged edges. On the nose there is the purest expression of black currant you would ever fins. There was some cola, cardamom, souy, new leather, hints of cocoa, and lead pencil. An amazing mouth-feel with deft balance and structure. Tannins are intricate and in control of all else here, in a good way. I love the purity and the perfume that shoots from the glass as you bring it in. Its long, and flamboyant without being heavy handed or obtrusive. These really are a perennial crowd pleaser. Just a enjoyable and fulfilling drink of wine, perfect for friends. 94 pts

2007 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley)

As 2007 Cabs go, I must add this one to my 'like' list. The list is about 4/35 (like/don't care for).
This really is similar in profile to the Schraders, and its no wonder now is it? It has a similar nose and approach onto the palate. Where is differs is in its length.
There is some reall pretty black and red fruits of cassis, black plums and black cherries with some cola and Creme de Cassis liquor. It has some great structure with a mid to mid-plus weighted wine with some voluptuous mouth-feel.. Tannins are pretty huge, and hidden right now behind some of that fruit cornucopia. There are those rumors out there that you want to believe: The one about the extra Schrader, (or lets call it a 'cut') going into this is not a stretch...... 91 pts