Wow! This was a fantastic bottle (actually half bottle). Much like the one I had on release that impressed me. Others have been slightly closed in. I'll start by saying that anyone who doesn't like this wine #1 doesn't like good CA Cab Franc, or #2 Just doesn't like/understand Viader's style. There is NOTHING wrong with this stuff. No Balsamic, no Brett. I would argue that after JL published his bashing of this, many have had a carrot and stick mentality leading them to these opinions, merely fueled by the power of suggestion. On to the wine...

Dark purple in color. Intensely aromatic nose of violet, crushed rock/mineral, potpurri, and blackberry compote. I could smell this 3 feet away. Awesome palate full of fruit, and perfume, creme de cassis, vanilla bean, mixed berries, full bodied, lively acids and plenty of tannin. The cab franc imparts such intensity and dominates this wine so much, I can see how it's potpurri/floral elements can be construed as off putting or a negative form of V.A. I would argue that this is simply CA Cab. Franc at it's finest! Long full bodied finish. The structure came out of this more than any other time I've had it. This should last quite a while. Wonderful, and very singular. 95+ pts. for me.

DRAB,

I totally I agree with your assessment. I gave the wine 94 when I taste it on release. I save this wine for special occasion. Still have 5 bottles left compare with only 2 bottle of '01 Caymus regular. (I bought 6 bottles of each at the same time).

DP

I think you guys must have had the extra special bottles from Viader. I would say that the wine is not close to Laube's rating but it definitely didn't get above 89 points for me.

• 2001 Viader - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/11/2006)
  89 with some potential for improvement. A very nice wine with bright red fruit flavors, an herbal element and reasonable balance. Unfortunately it has a whole in the mid-palate that detracts from the overall wine. [~$70 on release; Decanted about an hour and needed it; Drinking well now but tastes young; Short-term hold OK] (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Drab

Drink or hold???


Winetex, Since you rated it 89 points, do you think it will improve with age???

Uh...to answer that question, he'd need to understand the word "hold."

I think that I serve this wine right out of bottle. But that was in 2004. Could there be bottle variation?

Actually, I had it in late 2003. Oppp... wrong year.

DP

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dpromphan,

Latour - Hold

Dpromphan - There must be, for people to have such wildly different opinions. To me, it's a fantastic wine. I wish there were 84-89 pt. wines out there for purchase that tasted and smelled this good!

Latour67 -

quote:

Winetex, Since you rated it 89 points, do you think it will improve with age???

I don't really know. I hope so as I have at least one more bottle. Unfortunately my experience with a "hole in the palate" is that the wine can improve but the "hole" will still be there.

I had this about a week ago, ironically it was a half bottle as well, and it was excellent after a couple hours of air. Time to debate the 2001 Viader 375ml vs. 750ml?

This is good news. . .I came across some of this wine in the cellar last week and will put a bottle on the fast track for consumption this weekend with friends. I'll report back with my notes and a general consensus from the other dudes. Perhaps I'll crack open an '03 Larkin for a little friendly comparison. . .