Got together with my work wine group for some grilled steaks and Cabernets.
2002 Dowie Doole McLaren Vale Cabernet This was a WTSO purchase for I believe $11. Nose of plums and cherry that were repeated on the palatte. A nice wine for the price. 84-85 pts
2006 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Black cherry and a lot of chocolate on the nose. Flavors of plum, chocolate and vanilla. The oak treatment on this wine did it no favors IMHO. However, others really liked this and, though we didn't vote, I think this was the groups wine of the night. 83 pts
1995 Guenoc Beckstoffer IV Vineyard Reserve Cabernet I found this a relatively cheap price and decided to take a chance because I've had good luck with 1995s and it was a Beckstoffer Cabernet. Unfortunately, this wasn't as good as I had hoped. Nose of cherries and a little bit of soy sauce. Flavors were mostly of plum and a trace of raspberry and some leather. Overall though it was lacking some in fruit and a bit thin. Might have suffered some because the other wines showed bigger, but nothing from this bottle would have me seek out another one. 82 pts
2001 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder Cabernet Nose of black currant, blackberries and a whisper of licorice. Dark fruit flavor profile with a trace of cedar. A very nice Cabernet that creeped right up to that outstanding line. 89-90 pts
2001 Wakefield Clare Valley St. Andrews Cabernet This wine had pretty much a dark fruit flavor profile also, but the flavors were just a tad riper. It made an interesting foil to the Robert Craig. Later in the evening this picked up a bit of earthiness. I believe I have one more bottle of both this and the Robert Craig and will probably be drinking them over the next year. 88 pts
“Appreciating old wine is like making love to a very old lady. It is possible. It can even be enjoyable. But it requires a bit of imagination.”
Thanks for the notes! Last time I popped the 01 Robert Craig Mt Veeder a few years ago it was still quite young and tannic. Is it softening and integrating now?
Posts: 5231 | Location: minneapolis minnesota usa | Registered: Dec 17, 2003
This is the first bottle of the Robert Craig I've opened, but I think it is ready to go. As I noted, I'll probably drink my other bottle within a year or possibly two, but it can probably go longer. For my palate it is in a good place now with tannins still present but well integrated.
“Appreciating old wine is like making love to a very old lady. It is possible. It can even be enjoyable. But it requires a bit of imagination.”
You know what is worse, the next night I had 7 wines and I didn't score any of them over 92 pts. I have to stop drinking good to outstanding wines and concentrate only on the classic.
“Appreciating old wine is like making love to a very old lady. It is possible. It can even be enjoyable. But it requires a bit of imagination.”
Actually all the wines had merit, and two of them were quite pleasing -- hence the "very good" ratings. While true that none of the wines knocked my socks off and made me feel like the hand of God had touched me, the event was far from melancholy.
“Appreciating old wine is like making love to a very old lady. It is possible. It can even be enjoyable. But it requires a bit of imagination.”
