Dinner at Cafe Bizou in LA.
1983 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - delicious.
1984 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - also very delicious. More fruit and sweeter, and over time this opened up really well.
Proof that Californian Cabs can age.
April 18, 2003
April 17, 2003
1996 La Sirena Cabernet
1996 La Sirena Cabernet Sauvignon - drank over dinner at Pinot Blanc. Bottle was signed by Heidi Petersen Barrett. Nose of vanlla, toffee, coconut, sweet strawberries, minerals, cherries, and a bit of stewed prunes towards the end. Tannins rounded despite the young age. Very nice indeed.
Ann Colgin was at the next table celebrating her 50th(?) birthday and was drinking Château Margaux. If I had brought the 1992 Colgin as I originally planned, I would have asked her to sign it...
Ann Colgin was at the next table celebrating her 50th(?) birthday and was drinking Château Margaux. If I had brought the 1992 Colgin as I originally planned, I would have asked her to sign it...
Napa Trip - Philip Togni
2001 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon - barrel sample of both the free run and the pressed juice (25% of the blend). Pretty good stuff.
2001 Ca' Togni - very sweet stuff. Pretty interesting.
2001 Ca' Togni - very sweet stuff. Pretty interesting.
Napa Trip - Etude
Visit to Etude Winery.
200x Etude Pinot Blanc - this was great. Cheap but good wine.
2000 Etude Pinot Noir Carneros - much better than the '96 I had before. Bigger body, not as light. Delicious
1999 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon - wow! This was very, very good indeed. Every bit an Etude Cab as it should be.
2000 Etude Pinot Noir Heirloom - this was definitely one of the best Californian Pinots... Not Kistler but holds its own in any tasting.
200x Etude Pinot Blanc - this was great. Cheap but good wine.
2000 Etude Pinot Noir Carneros - much better than the '96 I had before. Bigger body, not as light. Delicious
1999 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon - wow! This was very, very good indeed. Every bit an Etude Cab as it should be.
2000 Etude Pinot Noir Heirloom - this was definitely one of the best Californian Pinots... Not Kistler but holds its own in any tasting.
Napa Trip - Barnett
Visit to Barnett Vineyards. Barrel tasting.
2000 Barnett Merlot - this vintage includes some fruit from Mia Klein's plots in the valley.
2000 Barnett Pinot Noir - this was OK and grown in Santa Lucia.
2000 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Peacock Family - pretty good.
2000 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake Hill - really like this one, which actually turned out to have a Bordeaux-like nose.
2000 Barnett Merlot - this vintage includes some fruit from Mia Klein's plots in the valley.
2000 Barnett Pinot Noir - this was OK and grown in Santa Lucia.
2000 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Peacock Family - pretty good.
2000 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake Hill - really like this one, which actually turned out to have a Bordeaux-like nose.
Napa Trip - Pride Mountain
Visit to Pride Mountain Vineyards.
2001 Pride Mountain Viognier - pretty good stuff. Trying for Condrieu. Pear, lychee, minerals.
2000 Pride Mountain Merlot - very good Merlot 2001 is even better with no Cab in the blend.
2000 Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - really good stuff! Big, jammy and powerful.
2001 Pride Mountain Viognier - pretty good stuff. Trying for Condrieu. Pear, lychee, minerals.
2000 Pride Mountain Merlot - very good Merlot 2001 is even better with no Cab in the blend.
2000 Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon - really good stuff! Big, jammy and powerful.
April 16, 2003
1992 Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard
1992 Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard - drank over dinner at Terra in St. Helena. Wow! So nice! The nose showed a bit of stewed fruit at first, with some glycerin, then coffee, sweet strawberries came out after 45 minutes, as well as a hint of smoke. Spicy on the after palate, long finish, smooth tannins. This was really delicious. Araujo is never a big, powerful wine. Rather, smooth and silky.
Napa Trip - Beringer
Visit to Beringer Vineyards.
2001 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve - OK, but a bit too oaky, not as buttery and creamy.
1998 Beringer Merlot Private Reserve - very good Merlot.
1998 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - very good stuff. Consistent year after year.
2001 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve - OK, but a bit too oaky, not as buttery and creamy.
1998 Beringer Merlot Private Reserve - very good Merlot.
1998 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve - very good stuff. Consistent year after year.
Napa Trip - Caymus
Visit to Caymus Vineyards.
1996 Caymus Sauvignon Blanc - mature and mellow. Full-bodied. Minerals, petrol, pear, oaky but well-rounded. Nice stuff.
1999 Caymus Zinfandel - pretty good and interesting. Big and fruity with minerals and earth notes.
1996 Caymus Sauvignon Blanc - mature and mellow. Full-bodied. Minerals, petrol, pear, oaky but well-rounded. Nice stuff.
1999 Caymus Zinfandel - pretty good and interesting. Big and fruity with minerals and earth notes.
Napa Trip - Beaulieu Vineyard
1991 BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve - not good. Maybe opened for too long? A bit cooked.
1998 BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve - best of the tasting. Nice tannins.
1999 BV Tapestry - OK for drinking wine.
1998 BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve - best of the tasting. Nice tannins.
1999 BV Tapestry - OK for drinking wine.
April 15, 2003
1997 Marcassin Pinot Noir
1997 Marcassin Pinot Noir - drank over dinner at Wine Spectator's Greystone. Pretty good stuff. Nose of toffee, coffee, vanilla, a bit of smoked meats, also glycerin, sweet red fruits. A bit spicy on the palate. While this wine does not "wow" me, the structure is definitely there, and one will need to wait another 5-10 years until it matures. But can we resist the temptation to drink it? Will need to keep my bottle of '96 out of my reach...
April 14, 2003
2000 Morgan Syrah Tierra Mar
2000 Morgan Syrah Tierra Mar - this was very good, even though it is very young. The potential is definitely there. Lots of sweet fruit in the nose. Medium to full-bodied with firm tannins.
April 13, 2003
1997 Smith & Hook Merlot
1997 Smith & Hook Merlot - OK but not great. Then again it didn't cost very much. Needed a lot of time to open up. I thought it would perform better since this is a '97. Again slightly disappointed.
April 12, 2003
2000 Andrew Murray Enchanté
2000 Andrew Murray Enchanté - drank over dinner at Tarpy's Roadhouse in Monterey. This blend of Roussanne and Viognier was interesting and the flavors are pretty typical of the varietals, with floral notes on top of pear. But it tastes just like a Côtes-du-Rhône! A bit disappointed...
April 9, 2003
A pair of '90s
Dinner at Brasserie on the Eighth.
1990 Henschke Cyril Henschke - noticeably sweeter on the palate, also fuller-bodied and firmer tannins despite the age. My preferred wine of the night.
1990 Vieux Château Certan - a little disappointing. It was very smoky at the beginning. This dissipated but there just wasn't enough fruit. It was classic, understated Bordeaux. Improved a bit after 2-2½ hours, but so typical of many Bordeaux - not interesting enough.
1990 Henschke Cyril Henschke - noticeably sweeter on the palate, also fuller-bodied and firmer tannins despite the age. My preferred wine of the night.
1990 Vieux Château Certan - a little disappointing. It was very smoky at the beginning. This dissipated but there just wasn't enough fruit. It was classic, understated Bordeaux. Improved a bit after 2-2½ hours, but so typical of many Bordeaux - not interesting enough.
April 8, 2003
1995 Geyser Peak Shiraz Reserve
1995 Geyser Peak Shiraz Reserve - drank over dinner at W's Entrecote. Decent drinking wine. Fairly good amount of red fruit. Medium to full-bodied, tannins OK but still firm.
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