Caveat emptor...Myself and a few other forumites were invited to this tasting as "internet media" to come taste, observe, and "blog" about it. There were no strings attached, although we were offered free admission, and none of us (that I'm aware of) have any personal or business connections to ACME. So...here it is.....

The link to the invitation

Overall, this was an extremely well organized event...almost too much so, but who's complaining about too much of a good thing? Organized lists and signs of who was who...parking attendants, meeters, greeters, coffee/espresso makers, spiral notebooks with winemaker profiles, ample stemware, lovely and gourmet finger foods, and beautiful weather! They certainly took the horse by the reins in putting this together. It was communicated to us that this was a tasting of Napa "A listers". For me...initially a bit pretentious, no doubt top notch winemakers and wines, but also none of the bonified "A lister" wines....no Harlan (or any of the Levy lineup), no Screagle (although Andy Erickson was pouring), no Colgin, no Bryant, no Dalla Valle, no Bob Foley, no Thomas Brown (although he's in Burgundy right now), no Peter Michael, etc., etc. And...the price tag was certainly not part of the stimulus package at $175 per.

Nevertheless...it was, again, well organized, and there were plenty of great winemakers and wines to overindulge in. I had a fun time with a few other forumites, and look forward to any other potential tastings that ACME may host in the future.

One of the fun parts of the tastings was trying the wines all under the umbrella of one winemaker. It allowed one to see the difference (or lack there of) between sites/terriors, and winemaker style. On to the wines:

Philippe Melka

Overall impression - my second favorite table of the day, but here style showed through more than individuality of property. Not necessarily a bad thing in that all the wines were solidly constructed, and tasty.

2006 Vineyard 29 - 19 months in 85% New French Oak. Very full and intense. Dark black cherry, toasty oak, copious fine grained tannin, dark semisweet chocolate and a long finish. Backed up with great fresh acidity. No flabbiness here. This was my favorite of the three, and could use some short term cellaring to mellow out. 93+ pts.

2005 Melka Metisse - Softer than the Vineyard 29. Dark fruit, juicy red currant, new oak, olive pit, and a nice full palate. This was more drinkable now, and while good, in line with most of the other 2005's I've had...nothing really spectacular (considering the price range). 92 pts.

2005 Lail J Daniel Cuvee - Very much like the Metisse. Softer dark and red fruits, oak, toast, and graphite. Easy and straightforward. Long finish. 92 pts.

Sarah Gott

2007 Cliff Family, Cliff Bar White "The Climber" (mostly Sauv. Blanc) - This was my favorite of Sarah's lineup. Very nice acid backed white. Refreshing and focused, with notes of stone fruit, grapefruit, and light white peach. Long finish. tasty. 92 pts.

2005 Gott 5 Cabernet - A somewhat oaky confectionary wine on the nose with toffee, maple, and toasty oak. On the palate, a simple wine with red/blue fruit, toast, and mineral. Pleasurable, but nothing exciting. Easy, soft, round, and a moderate finish. 88 pts.

2006 Oakville East "Exposure" Cabernet - I felt like I just tasted this? Plum, mineral, oak...decent. Moderate finish, but nothing for the mind. 87 pts.

2006 Blackbird Vineyard "Illustration" - This is a "premium" Napa Merlot blend. 85% Merlot. Again...a decent wine, but at $90 suggested retail...I'm lost here? Blueberry, oak, toast, soft, simple, moderate finish...drink up, no aging potential here either. 88 pts.

Heidi Barrett

2007 La Sirena Moscato Azul - Another impressive white. Tasty and refreshing, with a touch of residual sugar showing. The ladies will love this! Notes of honeysuckle, white peach, and ripe honeydew. Sporting a nice dose of acidity and tannin on the long finish. Not majorly complex, but very good. 91 pts.

2005 La Sirena Barrett Vineyard Syrah - My favorite of all the Heidi wines on the table. This showed varietal character, without being yet another moster over-ripe CA Syrah. Very good. Notes of black pepper, juicy currant, briary blackberry/bush, light bacon grease, and sweet dried herbs. Long finish. Nice...92 pts.

2005 La Sirena Cabernet - A little too soft, a touch flabby, and somewhat generic. Blind...I wouldn't guess this as a premium CA Cab. Notes of blueberry, toasty oak, dark sweet plum and mineral. Good, but...90 pts.

2005 Barbour Cabernet - Easy to drink. Soft, approachable, but nothing really exciting here. Black olive, red/dark fruit, slightly green coffee bean. Moderate finish. 88 pts.

2005 Lamborn Howell Mtn. Cabernet - Just a touch of brett/burnt rubber here. Nothing offputting. But..again...soft fruit, a bit flabby, lacking depth and complexity. This was one of my least favorites. 87 pts.

2005 Paradigm Oakville Cabernet - Generic...dark cherry, mineral, tannic with a moderate finish. Nothing exciting here, but a drinkable wine. 87 pts.

Mike Hirby

2007 Relic Ritual - This is a GSM blend. Very nice. Ripe, but not over done. Dark black/blue fruit, holiday spice cake, sweet cigar tobacco, earth and toasty oak. Great mid section, and a long finish. 92 pts.

2004 Realm Farella Caberent - Slightly sweet, lightly porty fruit. Dark plum, creme de cassis, light raisin, toast, mineral but still drinking very well and in no danger of immediate decline. A foursquare wine. 90 pts.

2005 Sherwin Family Cabernet - I think the best thing about this winery is their beautiful etched magnums! I've yet to have a very impressive Cab., but they're also not bad. A touch of light funk/Brett in the nose, medium weight, round, soft, and slightly flabby. Moderate/long finish. 89 pts.

2005 Rockledge "The Rocks" Cabernet - For me this was cookie cutter CA cab. Blackberry, oak, tannin, and a moderate/long finish. Simple, nothing out of place here. 90 pts.

2006 Roy J. Maier Cabernet - My favorite of the whole lineup. This is tasty! A well done, volumptuous, sexy, but not over the top Cab. Lots of baby fat here and a sweet silky mouthfeel. Blue and black fruit, baking spices, creamy vanilla oak, and a long finish. Not terribly complex, but a great mountain Cab, priced well at $50-60. 93 pts.

Russell Bevan

2008 Greystack Sauvignon Blanc - This was very good. Not as acidic and supportive as I typically like, but right along the lines of Merry Edwards Sauv. Blanc....more decadent. This had tropical fruit/pineapple, honeysuckle, peach, stone fruit, and enough acidity to not leave it flabby. Long finish. Lovely. 93 pts.

2007 Westerhold Bennett Valley Syrah - This had supposedly just been bottled, and to me tasted a bit grapey and uninspiring. No score.

2007 Bevan Cellars Showket Vineyard Red - This was 45% Cab. Franc, 45% Cab., and 10% Merlot. Dark fruit, red florals/violet, straightforward, but good. Long finish. 91 pts.

2007 Showket Vineyard Cabernet - Good, but not as inspiring as I was hoping for. Full bodied, straight shooting CA Cab. Blackberry, toasty oak, moderate tannin, a bit flabby, and a long finish. 91 pts.

2007 Sanglier Syrah - This was my favorite of the Reds. Ripe, rich, and full bodied, but not over-done. More CA than Rhone, but you've got to love it. Long finish. 92 pts.

Celia Masyczek

My favorite table of the tasting. Nearly all of these wines were good, and had a sense of elegance and grace as well as the CA forwardness. In a word...balanced.

2006 Scarecrow - Great acidity. Lovely blue/red fruits, lightly spiced oak, and a long finish. I've had nearly all of the Scarecrow wines, and while they've been consistent, I just don't see the hype! They're very good, but not great. 93 pts.

2006 Lindstrom Cabernet - Very good. Full, lush, and soft, but with enough supporting acidity to lift it up. Dark plum, blackberry, graphite, espresso, and oak. 92 pts.

2006 Keever Cabernet - One of my favorite wines of the tasting. This is the definition of CA Cab. Rockin! Full of intense blue/dark red fruit, but not weighty or porty. A mouthful of ripe Cabernet. Mixed berries/blackberry, spiced oak, fresh, and floral. Nice supporting acidity. 100% Cab. Delicious. Long finish. 94+ pts.

2006 Husic - Boy was the owner passionate about his wine. I think he may have been his biggest fan of it! Nevertheless, a good Stag's Leap Cab. Ripe dark red fruit, mint leaf, tobacco, and cedar. Not terribly impressive, but I enjoyed it. 91 pts.

2005 Kelly Fleming Cabernet - This is situated behind the Eisele Vineyard. Good stuff. Loamy soil, dark red fruit, flinty mineral, and red florals. A touch herbal in the nose, but not showing that on the palate. Elegant and a long finish. 92 pts.

2005 D.R. Stephens Cabernet - Also quite good. We debated the midpalate being a bit hollow on this, but I think it will come around. Mixed berries, milk chocolate and toast. Full, but elegant. Long finish. 92 pts.

2006 Corra Cabernet - Also quite nice. 100% Cab. Lovely dark red fruit and florals, toast, and spice. Long finish. 92 pts.

2004 Cornerstone Cab. - Good, but for me this was showing a bit of angular/chalky tannin. Not terribly distracting, but not the full package of the others. Blackberry, toast, espresso, graphite and somewhat angular tannin. Long finish. Maybe this needs a bit more time? 90+? pts.

Andy Erickson

This table had me lost?

2006 Favia - A GSM blend. good, but not great. I'd rather have Tres Picos! 89 pts.

2006 Arietta "Variation One" - A Sryah and Merlot blend. Light rubber band, cherry cola, meat jus, and dark red fruit. Moderate finish. I'm not very excited about this wine????? Certainly drinkable, but...88 pts.

2005 Dancing Hares - Lean fruit. Green coffee bean, smoked meat, and earth. A bit flabby and lacking grace. Moderate finish. 87 pts.

2006 Leviathan - Very flabby and not very well put together. Plummy fruit, mineral, and oak. Nothing exciting here at all. 87 pts.


And that's all I was able to get to!

Cheers!

I should note...the winemakers were all present pouring their wines. Some I've met before, some I had not. It was interesting putting faces and personalities to the wines...

I was invited as well, but wasn't able to attend. It looks like I missed a nice tasting. Thanks for the notes, drab....

Yes...I heard you were supposed to be there. Would have liked to have met you! Maybe next time...

ACME?

Was Wile E. Coyote there?

Actually...to be honest....I'm still somewhat unsure as to what ACME is really all about? They have a retail component, and search out hard to get fine wine for clients looking to buy them. Their physical location is in St. Helena on Fulton Ave., and they had a very nice kitchen in the back. I'm sure they host tastings a lot and probably parties/dinners, etc. Click on the link above....

dr.darkrichandbold

I'd like to comment on two of the winemakers from your lineup that I have some familiarity with, that being Celia and Philippe.

For me I have always found Melka to produce big, dense and rich wines which are flamboyant right out of the gate. Certainly a crowd pleasing style to many, as well as myself, that is until recently. Now I find his wines a bit overblown and lacking personality. The last 2002 Lail we drank was fat in texture and port like in ripeness. On the second day it fell flat on it's face. Personally I think this style is conducive to early drinking and is undoubtedly a food pairing challenge.

Celia's wines on the other hand are more to my liking. She fashions firm, structured wines that posses ample concentration and harmony. Her 1999 Hartwell was a monster in it's youth with bold and dynamic Cabernet flavors but it possessed complexity and perfect balance as well and is still drinking well today. The 2004 Rocca that I had last year was an infant. The 2005 Keever has wonderful depth and balance. While he 2005 D.R Stephens could benefit from additional cellar time, the 2004 we had a year ago was an impressively rich and balanced expression of Cabernet Sauvignon.

I like my CA Cabs to satisfy for at least a few days in the bottle and for up to a decade in the cellar.

cab chris....I would have to agree with you!

A few thoughts...

I would say that of the 3 Melka wines, the Lail was showing the least structure and lowest acidity. But, it still came off well crafted, with no flaws, and certainly not flabby or porty. I liked them all, but found them to all be very similar. And, I talked to Phillipe for about 10 minutes regarding the general trend in CA wines toward over-ripe. He indicated a style change with his wines, and feels like many other CA producers will be pulling back a little in the years ahead. He and I agreed that in many cases things have gone too far. I felt all of the wines above to have ample acidity for near term drinking/short term cellaring, and was surprised, as well as encouraged, to see that. Now we just have to work on getting the price down from $100+ for these 90-94 pt. wines!

As for Celia's wines...you're spot on. For me, they were all well balanced, with great depth as well as supporting structure to back up the fruit.

Cheers!

quote:

I like my CA Cabs to satisfy for at least a few days in the bottle and for up to a decade in the cellar.

I think this would be a great rule of thumb for the modern day CA winemaker to try and achieve...

Drab,

Positive it was the 06 Husic? I thought the 05 was the current release. I have had the 03, 04 and 05 and really only the 04 was very good. NOtes of Coffee were very pronounced.

Did not really care for any of the other years..not at $100 anyway.

Yep...it was '06...

Thanks Drab...seems like two off years in a row.

It's Stag's Leap....Only Shafer has mastered this region of the valley!