I was out in LA on business earlier this week so I made a two day detour to Napa on return. I don't take great notes and only have a limited ability to discrimate flavors, but with that preface here are my notes.

Day One.

Joseph Phelps

2000 Viognier. Nice and dry, no grassy notes. GP88.

1999 Ovation Chardonnay. Some oak, nutty flavors, nice chardonnay. GP90.

1999 Le Mistral. Just a trace of fruit on nose. On palate subdued berry, leather , and anise. GP90.

1999 Merlot. Wonderful blackberry nose. More of same on palate with some oak and leather notes. Could use some more time in bottle. GP90.

2000 Cab. (Just released, earlier than normal. They ran out of 1999 and I bet they want plenty of time to sell the weak 2000 before the 01 comes out). Nice nose, but the flavors are somewhat green and astringent. GP88.

1999 Insignia. Dark ruby with a dark fruit nose. Mouth filling with blackberry, oak, anise, leather, etc. in layers upon layers. Finish is obscured at present by drying tannins. GP94+.

Duckhorn: Stopped hoping to get a taste of some of the 99 reds, but nothing but 2000 reds available which I judged to be not worth the $10 tasting tariff. I could be wrong but had a long day ahead so I passed.

Freemark Abbey.

1999 Napa Sangiovese. Medium dark ruby color. Somewhat green on nose but very nice on palate with nice acidity for food. Almost seemed like it could use a little more time in the bottle. GP89.

1998 Napa Cab. Somewhat light in color for a cab., nice attack but turns simple with marginal fruit and flat finish. GP87.

1999 Cab Franc. Slightly darker than the 98 Napa cab., some earthy notes on nose, somewhat ruff and tannic in the mouth, may come around, may not. GP87?

1997 Sycamore Cab. Dark ruby with a nice dark berry nose. More of same on palate mixed with some anise and oak and finishing with firm tannins. GP90.

1997 Bosche Cab. Slightly darker in color than the Sycamore, which is to say quite dark. Wonderful fruit on nose. In the mouth it’s not quite lush, but does show some very nice complexity and forward fruit. Finish framed in soft tannins, pick of the F-A litter, very approachable now. GP91.

St. Clement

1999 Napa Merlot. Very soft and full with cherry flavors, ready to go now. GP90.

1998 Napa Cab. Nice dark color. Not giving much on nose, drinking nicely now but no blockbuster. GP89.

1999 Oroppas. Very dark in color. Restrained fruit nose. Seems closed at present with some anise and currant flavors in the subdued fruit. Very nice sweet tannin on finish, but probably needs more time to develop. GP92.

Markham

1998 Petite Sirah. Dark in color. Some oak mingled with fruit on the nose. Oak flavors but with nice fruit structure and some tannins on finish, drink or hold. GP90.

Beringer

Finally I get to cash in on my reserve level club membership at Beringer with a bunch of complementary tasting in the reserve room. I liked just owning the stock better, before Foster’s bought them out, the stock I actually made money on, although that was not my principal intent.

1997 Howell Mountain Merlot. Dark ruby color. Blackberry fruit dominates the expressive nose. Cherry with anise flavors give way to nice long finish framed with substantial but not overly obtrusive tannins. A merlot for cab lovers as many have said. GP92.

1998 Private Res. Cab. Very dark ruby color with just a hint of purple tint. Very approachable now with complexity to boot. Very nice for a 98, but probably not a keeper, best drunk in next couple years IMO. GP91.

1993 Chabot Cab. Dark with no bricking on the rim whatsoever. Huge fruit driven nose. Lovely cheery, blackberry, and currant flavors with a nice long finish. Just enough backbone to suggest it will hold for a few more years, but probably near peak right now. GP93.

1999 Nightingale. A very good sticky, and this comes from someone whose not a big fan of dessert wines. GP91.

Fisher.

My first visit to Fisher. Met both Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, both are very nice, she lead the tasting. Was a little disappointed that I did not get to taste the 99 Lamb or Wedding, but it was still well worth the time.

1999 RCF Merlot. Medium dark burgundy color. Nice dark fruit aromas on nose. Some fruit flavors but they are quickly obscured by a tart and astringent finish. GP88.

1999 Coach Insignia. Lovely vanilla on nose, nice layers of fruit, tannic finish, but not objectionable even at present. GP91+.

1995 Lamb Cab. Medium dark ruby in color. On palate with the normal cab flavors I was getting some eucalyptus notes. Finish still shows tannins, hold this one longer. GP91.

Pride

2000 Cab. Franc. Medium dark ruby color. Oddly was not giving much on the nose. In the mouth there was wonderful fruit, some licorice and anise flavors. GP90.

2000 Merlot. Medium dark color. Nice nose of ripe fruit. Components seem to be in place but at present its tight and tannic, hold this one for at least a year or two. GP91.

2000 Cab. Dark color. Light violet aromas on nose. Tight dark fruit with anise and leather notes. Tannic finish, a definite hold for my tastes. GP91.

NV Mistelle de Viognier. A nice, different, sticky. Somewhat light and simple though compared to other dissert wines I’ve had, which is few. GP89.

Viader

Tasting was hosted by Delia Viader herself and Charles Hendricks joined us for a good portion of it.

2000 Viader. Medium dark, floral nose of the cab. franc, very nice layered fruit finishing with solid but supple tannins. GP91+.

2000 “V”. Dark with some spicy fragrance. Pepper flavors dominate with nice acidity and smooth easy going finish. GP90.

2000 Syrah. Dark ruby in color with a nice fruity nose. Very full in the mouth with lush fruit and some earth notes. GP92.

Day Two.

Whitehall Lane

1999 Merlot Napa. Dark Ruby. Cherries on nose, smoother than when tasted six months ago, but still has some grip. A very good merlot for the $$$. GP90+

1999 Cab. Dark, with blackberry aromas on nose. Not overly lush on palate, but very solid fruit core with lots of depth and gripping tannins on finish, hold for at least a year. GP92.

1998 Cab. Res. (You know they must have a lot of this to get rid of when they are including it in the standard $5 tasting.) Very dark in color. Huge nose of raspberry, more of same on palate with a long finish framed by just a trace of sweet tannins. Best drunk in next couple years I suspect. GP91.

Saddleback/Venge

They were fully involved in the crush, a very busy time to visit but fun to see. Nils was running around along will all the rest of the crew, but they seemed to be having a great time. What a great gig if you can get it.

2001 Pinot Gris. Simple but nice. GP88.

2001 Pinot Blanc. Very bland, not flawed but just simple. GP85.

2000 Chardonnay. Oaky but nice. GP89.

2000 Viognier. Somewhat green and grassy. GP85.

2001 Chardonnay. Greener on nose than 2000, oak and nutty flavors on palate. GP89.

1999 Sangiovese. Happen to have had this just last week as well. Medium ruby in color, nice fruit and acidity, good food wine. GP90.

1999 Saddleback Cab. Dark with restrained nose, full throttle currant and anise flavors in the Venge style. Tannic finish suggests it will benefit from some bottle aging. GP91.

2000 Zin. Nice fruity nose with a trace of alcohol. Plum and overripe fruit flavors dominate on palate. GP90.

1999 Saddleback Merlot. Dark with nice fruit nose, blackberry fruit on palate, tannic finish. GP90.

Turnbull

1999 Old Bull Red (64% Sangiovese/36% Merlot). Medium dark, simple and ever so slightly sweet. GP87.

1999 Sangiovese. Lighter in color than the Old Bull, a tad green on nose, simple wine without flaws. GP85.

1998 Merlot Napa. Medium dark in color, green on nose, dominated by licorice on palate with some anise. Drink soon. GP88.

2000 Syrah. Medium color. Not much on nose, nice typical syrah fruit flavors with some tannins on finish. GP90.

1999 Cab. Dark ruby, with aroma of cherries on nose. Currant, licorice, and leather, flavors give way to a nice long finish framed with firm tannins. GP91.

1999 Turnbull Red Wine. Dark, oak and currant on nose, very fruity and full on palate, mild tannins. GP92.

Flora Springs

2000 Sangiovese. A simple and pleasant wine with nice acidity. GP86.

1999 Poggio del Papa. Nice floral nose, bracing fruit with some oak apparent and a little tannins as well. GP90.

1999 Windfall Merlot. Dark ruby, pleasant fruit nose, leather, anise, and licorice on palate, will improve with a few years in bottle I suspect. GP91.

1999 Trilogy. Medium dark, berries on nose, nice layered currant flavor with tannic backbone. GP91.

1998 Wild Boar Cab. Very fruit forward with nice structure, drinking well now, would not plan on holding past a couple years. GP90.

1999 Rutherford Hill Res. Cab. Dark ruby, blackberry nose of medium intensity, wonderful dark fruit flavors with great structure and depth, needs time. GP92+

Napa Wine Co.

1999 Pahlmeyer Red. Dark burgundy color with nice, but restrained, nose. Nice complexity with layers of anise, earth, leather, and licorice. Has a nice long finish with moderate tannins suggesting drinking in next five years or so. GP91.

Darioush.

1998 Estate Cab. Medium color. A fruit driven wine. Flavors of anise and licorice and a simple but pleasant finish. GP89.

1999 Signature Cab. Not giving much on nose. On palate there are abundant flavors of toasty oak, anise, cassis, and a trace of dill. GP93.

S. Anderson.

1999 Merlot SLD. Dark, nice fruit nose, soft on palate but tannic on finish. GP90.

1999 Merlot SLD SAV. Dark ruby, nice but restrained nose, sort of rough and tannic at present but would seem to have the elements all there to be very good with time. GP91.

1998 Cab. SLD SAV. Another dark wine with a restrained nose. Tannins are about fully resolved and this is a cab ready to drink now. Finish is sort of short, otherwise very good. GP90.

1999 Cab. SLD. Dark with a nice expressive nose typical of good cab., big time anise on palate, finishes with firm tannins suggesting this is one to hold for a couple years, not quite as approachable as some SLD cabs right out of the gate. GP92.

Villa Mt. Eden and Conn Creek.

1999 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Grand Res. Bien Nacido Vin. Nice pinot. GP88.

1998 Syrah Calif. Grand Res. Medium amber, with somewhat astringent finish. GP88.

1999 Conn Creek Cab. Franc. A very nice, dark wine. GP89.

1998 Conn Creek Anthology. Dark ruby, sort of tannic now but if there is fruit behind the tannins this should show well in a few years. GP90.

Respectfully submitted,

CabNut

Great notes Cabnut, much appreciated. We have liked the '99 Le Mistral as well, a decent Cal shot at a Rhone wine. Good to hear that not all the '97 FA Bosche is garbage. This has shown very poorly (as in down the drain, but not corked, just foul) at two different tastings I've been to and others I've heard about as well. I'm a big fan of Beringer Nightengale (though it is really overpriced), the '98 version was disappointing, glad to hear you liked the '99, with the vintages acidity levels it should be really nice, definate future stop for me.

Great notes CabNut! Thanks for posting these. I can't believe you got all that done in only 2 days. Nice planning!

Cheers,

Otis

Otis:

I get out there so seldom, compared to how often I’d like to go, that I really try to make the most of it. I wanted to get appointments at Shafer, Spottswoode and to a lesser extent Caymus, but did not have enough notice to get on their calendars. Where I can I skip all of the whites, just not worth filling up valuable time on as we just drink so few. I dumped a lot of wine this time to avoid overdoing it, some of the wineries make it awkward to spit and I'm just not that good at it anyway. This trip I was sans wife, that made it go faster, but certainly made the trip less fun and more "analytical" in nature.

CabNut

CabNut,
I love your pace. Ask the Queen for verification. She is sure I'm a wine Nazi. But when you're there, attack. You sure did with a sense of purpose.
Thanks for the TNS. Very nice.
We're headed out in November. We've been to every one of those you visited but Fisher. Did you need an appointment there?
One other question: Were all those wines poured at Flora Springs' tasting room or did you have something special set up?

KoH:

I had to get an appointment at Fisher. It was not too difficult, maybe I just lucked out.

At Flora Spring I hit there early that day and they had no one else in there. When they see a single guy, with a pad, skipping the cheap stuff and taking notes, they seem to perk up. I had to ask about the 99 HSR and I believe the Wild Boar too as well. Initially the attractive young lady said the 99 HSR was not released yet and that they (the staff) had tried a couple days earlier; of course she told me it was fantastic. Then another older fellow came by, we chatted some and there was some whispering, and out came the 99 HSR which had already been opened but was hidden somewhere!!

When I go with Ms. CabNut, I need to cut back the pace a lot. I've been called some things equivalent to the wine Nazi for sure! I try to plan my trip so that I don’t have to go back and forth and up and down the valley any more than necessary. I also try to not even have to cross traffic on 29 during the afternoon. I was there on Thursday and Friday, I expect Tuesday and Wednesday would have been even better.

CabNut

Verified. Cabnut - loved your notes. Very impressed with your pace, selections and variety. We are on the doorstep of winery #1 at 10am sharp. I whine at first, then voila! the fun starts. Thanks for whetting our appetite. Looking forward to following in your footsteps...

QoH:

I wine at first too. Then I wine more, and more ....

Will be looking forward to the notes from you and the King, enjoy!

CabNut

...great notes cabnut. My Darioush notes were almost duplicate.

CabNut,
Nice try you liar!!! There is at least one of the wines that you allegedly tasted that is not available yet!!!

Just kidding! Thanks for the awesome work! I hope that you're either a spitter or you ate a ton! It's especially cool to hear of your tasting at Pride and Saddleback.
You've saved me a lot of running around.

I think you may have had the same "Hostess" at FS as I did. You know what I mean.
I found her most.....persuasive, although I never got past her to the guy with the good stuff.

Better Red Than Not!

Sorry about the timing of my Mishy joke. I'm just returning to the forums after a few weeks away, and this was the first topic I hit.

Better Red Than Not!

great notes, cab. i too, applaud your attack and pace!

Thanks for the epic notes, CabNut. These will be useful when some of those wines eventually start appearing in my market.

Thanks for your notes - one of the best posts I have ever seen on the forum. Admirable pace of tasting !

CN for President (or at least NV tour guide).

Thanks all, glad to be of service. As much fun as it is, think what it would be like to get paid to do this? But then again, with the pressure, it might not be as much fun. But I think most of us would love to give it a try.

rucchin: The "Mishy" joke blew right pass me, I try to avoid the none-wine related exchanges here so I have no idea what the joke was.

CabNut

Hats off to you!

Thanks for the notes!

-DRAB

CabNut,
Thanks for the info. We'll take a shot at Fisher because I've always appreciated the Coach Insignia, even though the price has gone through the stratosphere.
Probably had the same person serve us at Flora Springs last year, but the room was crowded so. We'll give it a shot during the week and see what happens.

Awesome job CabNut! Just making it up the hill to Pride after all that tasting is impressive. As for missing Caymus, I wouldn't worry about it. They seem to try pretty hard to make you feel beneath them.

CabNut: Thanks a bunch for the notes. We're planning our attack for a July visit, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out if 5 wineries a day is do-able, and here you are going to 8. My wife would have my head...
Anyway. A question about Viader. I'd like to set something up there. How hard was is to set up? How far in advance did you call? And, most importantly, how long was your visit? Do they walk you through the facility, or is it just a pour and taste type of visit. I hate to do "hit and runs" at places that require special reservations. Thanks.

CabNut,
No worries. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting sucked into the non-wine vortex...but then I have to realize that it's "Wine Spectator" not "Whine Spectator"! And I'm here for the juice baby!
Do you have any comparisons between the '99 and the '00 Pride Merlot? (They are both available locally).
Did they have any Syrah? Did you try the "Mountain Top" Merlot?

Better Red Than Not!

CabNut

After 4 tastings i wouldn't be able to see straight much less write. You did an admirable job. James Laube should be afraid

Thanks for the input, and great notes.