I had the great privilege to attend a private tasting of some nicely aged, top shelf California Cabernet/blends. The theme of the evening was BV Georges de Latour 1989-1995, Mt Eden 1992-1995, and Pahlmeyer 1992-1995. Here are my notes:
1998 BV GdL Yes, 1998 – thrown in for fun along with the lineup of older wines, clearly a good, if not an exceptional effort for the vintage. Bright clear ruby red in color, with a pleasant nose showing some plum and earthy notes. No sign of vegetal or “green-ness”, but somewhat drying tannins on the fairly short finish. 88 points.
1989 BV GdL Dark red color with some bricking, a light and musty nose showing muted berries. Tannins are pretty much gone, and it’s light and pleasant on the palate, finishing with a little sour notes. Faded quickly in the glass, this wine is not dead, but clearly on it’s decline. 85 points
1990 BV GdL A bit lighter red than the 89, more pronounced bricking. Nose was at first a bit medicinal, but that thankfully faded with a little time to reveal some nice spicy, cedar notes. Tannins are gone, and I found it a little overly acidic, but this was still quite a pleasant, mature Cab. 89 points.
1991 BV GdL Very nice coloration without any fading. Excellent nose, showing plum, cassis, and anise notes. Elegant and complex, with fine mellow tannins and a soft fruity finish. This may be at it’s peak now, 92 points.
1992 BV GdL Clear ruby red color, and a totally ungiving nose. Hugely tannic, but not much else going on here, a real odd ball of the lineup. Will it ever open up? 85 points.
1993 BV GdL Excellent dark red color, with a big fruity nose showing great cassis, leather, and spice. Rich and complex, very fine. My #2 of the flight, 92 points.
1994 BV GdL Dark cloudy red in color, really opened up with some time in the glass, showing nice complexity. Marked by spice and dark fruits, with a nice long finish. Still young and tannic, needs a few more years. 92 points.
1995 B.V. GdL Cloudy dark red color, big fruity nose showing currant, spice, and American oak. Graceful, full, rich and complex, this really needs another several years in the cellar. My #1 wine of the flight, 94 points.
1992 Mt. Eden Great dark color with a purplish edges and no sign of fading. Strikingly big, fruity nose showing great cassis and earthy notes. The palate doesn’t quite live up to what the aroma seemed to offer, but still quite nice with leather, mineral notes in a decidedly tannic frame. 90 points.
1993 Mt. Eden Old Vine Best color of all the Mt Eden wines, dense dark red without any sign of fading. Great nose, showing plummy, eucalyptus nose. Great balance and weight on the palate, bright acidity, excellent wine, my #1 of the Edens. 93 points.
1994 Mt. Eden Old Vine A little lighter in color, but still dark red. Nice cedar and berry notes hosted on firm tannins. 88 points.
1995 Mt. Eden Old Vine Nice purplish/red color, I was overwhelmed with the oak on this one – not really my style, though properly made. 85 points.
1992 Pahlmeyer Very dark red color with an intense nose of minerals and woodspice. Rich and firmly tannic, this is still showing quite young and could benefit from a few years more rest. 91 points, my #2 of the Pahlmeyers.
1993 Pahlmeyer Cloudy garnet color with a big fruity, spicy nose. Rich and voluptuous, deft balance and ripe tannins. Excellent complexity and depth, my #1 of the Pahlmeyers, 94 points.
1994 Pahlmeyer Clear bright ruby in color, I found this bottle to be off – possibly corked. The table seemed evenly split, some loving this wine, some disliking it, for me I am convinced it was off. Not rated.
1995 Pahlmeyer Medium bright red color, showing nice berry, plum, and earthy/mineral notes. I found the tannins to be a bit harsh, and not as well integrated as I would like, still and excellent wine. 91 points.
And to finish things off…
1986 GdL – dead and gone, Elvis has left the bldg.
1986 Pahlmeyer My wine of the night! Dark red color with slight bricking. A wonderful example of a beautifully aged California Bordeaux blend, wonderfully complex, showing elegance and grace. Soft ripe dark fruit and spice, and a nose that just keeps getting better in the glass. Excellent, 94 points.
Posts: 4410 | Location: San Ramon, California | Registered: May 07, 2002
