Napa Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-16
Medium-deep cherry red. Still very young with a lot of tannins. But not aggressive - neither its smell nor its taste. The first impression is very earthy. In the next moment aromas of cedar wood and blackberries. Rich and heavy. On the palate more playful. Good structure by the tannins. Still some bitter notes, but very charming at the end where the fruit notes and some "chilly chocolate" take control. Long and pleasant finish.
Wait. The wine is still too young. Even if it provides already a lot of fun. I decanted this Cab for two hours. My résumé? Wait. Minimum two years, perhaps more. A very famous wine magazine wrote in October 2014: "Drink now!" Sometimes I can't understand the critics. Of course this is not a 100 point wine, but it is definitely a very, very good Napa Cab. With a lot of potential - quite surprising for this very difficult vintage for Napa Cabs. So give it a chance. I have a second bottle in my cellar - and I am really lucky. I will look for more later in the year when I will visit the area again. Pair it with a nice stew.
By the way: It is worth to visit the tasting room of the winery. The people are friendly and competent, the tasting fee reasonable for Napa. I visited the winery twice and both times it was great
Tuesday, August 18. 2015
2011 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon "Stags Leap District" (90/100)
Wednesday, August 5. 2015
2009 Regusci Winery Syrah (91/100)
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California
Alcohol 14.2 %
Tasted 2015-08-05
Deep dark cherry red with some light rims. Dark, ripe fruits. Blackberries and black currants paired with sour cherries. In addition a touch of leather. Earthy. Rich and full bodied. The sour cherries are clearly dominating. Tannins are still present, but well integrated and smooth. Medium to long finish with a nice sour and refreshing final. Vibrant - and very pleasant!
Regusci Winery is located in the Stags Leap District at the Silverado Trail directly besides Stags Leap Wine Cellars. I prefer the Silverado Trail to the St. Helena Hwy. It is not so overcrowded and usually the tasting room people are a "little bit" more interested in their vistors - just as at Regusci.
I visited the tasting room in spring this year. The visit was not planned; my wife and I drove down the Silverado Trail and thought it would be a good idea to stop. Totally in contradiction to our visits in this area since ten years. This time a very good decision. Cozy ambience, friendly and competent people, outstanding wines. I bought in total six bottles...
The history of the Regusci Winery is a typical West Coast Story. The family is present in the area since 1932 when Gaetano Regusci bought the nearly 300 acre big estate in Stags Leap District. Gaetano was a farmer, not a winemaker. Of course he prepared some homemade wine, but this was only one part of the whole farm business. Gaetano's son Angelo planted then some Bordeaux varietals in the 1960s but it was the next generation - Angelo's son Jim - who established 1996 Regusci Winery.
Regusci Winery is not very well present in the databases of the wine popes. But I want to cite Mr. Robert M. Parker: "I rarely see these wines, but I have consistently enjoyed them when I have had them at restaurants or at a random tasting." (2006 Patriarch Proprietary Red - the Bordeaux blend of Regusci). Really true for the 2009 Syrah, but also for all others I tasted during my visit. Besides the 2009 Syrah I bought the 2012 Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée and the 2011 Patriarch - both still lying in my wine cellar. By the way: The Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée is not typical for Napa Valley. More mineralic, European style - but that is just an aside.
In the meantime the Syrah develops more peppery notes. This extends the finish and the flavours become more complex. Great. The wine is just at the beginning. It will be on the top in two years and will hold this quality for another three years.
I'm looking all the time for perfect partners for my pulled pork BBQ. This buddy is a perfect candidate.
Alcohol 14.2 %
Tasted 2015-08-05
Deep dark cherry red with some light rims. Dark, ripe fruits. Blackberries and black currants paired with sour cherries. In addition a touch of leather. Earthy. Rich and full bodied. The sour cherries are clearly dominating. Tannins are still present, but well integrated and smooth. Medium to long finish with a nice sour and refreshing final. Vibrant - and very pleasant!
Regusci Winery is located in the Stags Leap District at the Silverado Trail directly besides Stags Leap Wine Cellars. I prefer the Silverado Trail to the St. Helena Hwy. It is not so overcrowded and usually the tasting room people are a "little bit" more interested in their vistors - just as at Regusci.
I visited the tasting room in spring this year. The visit was not planned; my wife and I drove down the Silverado Trail and thought it would be a good idea to stop. Totally in contradiction to our visits in this area since ten years. This time a very good decision. Cozy ambience, friendly and competent people, outstanding wines. I bought in total six bottles...
The history of the Regusci Winery is a typical West Coast Story. The family is present in the area since 1932 when Gaetano Regusci bought the nearly 300 acre big estate in Stags Leap District. Gaetano was a farmer, not a winemaker. Of course he prepared some homemade wine, but this was only one part of the whole farm business. Gaetano's son Angelo planted then some Bordeaux varietals in the 1960s but it was the next generation - Angelo's son Jim - who established 1996 Regusci Winery.
Regusci Winery is not very well present in the databases of the wine popes. But I want to cite Mr. Robert M. Parker: "I rarely see these wines, but I have consistently enjoyed them when I have had them at restaurants or at a random tasting." (2006 Patriarch Proprietary Red - the Bordeaux blend of Regusci). Really true for the 2009 Syrah, but also for all others I tasted during my visit. Besides the 2009 Syrah I bought the 2012 Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée and the 2011 Patriarch - both still lying in my wine cellar. By the way: The Chardonnay Mary's Cuvée is not typical for Napa Valley. More mineralic, European style - but that is just an aside.
In the meantime the Syrah develops more peppery notes. This extends the finish and the flavours become more complex. Great. The wine is just at the beginning. It will be on the top in two years and will hold this quality for another three years.
I'm looking all the time for perfect partners for my pulled pork BBQ. This buddy is a perfect candidate.
Monday, August 3. 2015
1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (97/100)
Napa Valley, California
93 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot
13.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-02
Medium-deep cherry red. Enormously harmonic mix of black currant, licorice and some cedar wood. On the palate Cab feeling at its best. Fruity, velvety with a sensational peppery finish - after a very, very long time. The wine doesn't want to leave the mouth.
This wine is a prime example of what a Napa Valley Cab represents. The wine is perfectly aged; the tannins wonderfully integrated. Rarely, very rarely I drunk a wine which was closer to perfection. Perhaps the 2008 Grange. But in contradiction to this Australian masterpiece the Silver Oak has the corners and edges which are needed to transform an outstanding wine to a touching one.
The 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cab is definitely on the top. I would not wait any longer. However it will provide also wine enjoyment on a very high level for the next ten years. But at the moment... it is perfect! Enjoy this diva with a chili oriented beef dish. Asian? Why not.
93 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot
13.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-08-02
A Cabernet benchmark - the 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium-deep cherry red. Enormously harmonic mix of black currant, licorice and some cedar wood. On the palate Cab feeling at its best. Fruity, velvety with a sensational peppery finish - after a very, very long time. The wine doesn't want to leave the mouth.
This wine is a prime example of what a Napa Valley Cab represents. The wine is perfectly aged; the tannins wonderfully integrated. Rarely, very rarely I drunk a wine which was closer to perfection. Perhaps the 2008 Grange. But in contradiction to this Australian masterpiece the Silver Oak has the corners and edges which are needed to transform an outstanding wine to a touching one.
The 1997 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cab is definitely on the top. I would not wait any longer. However it will provide also wine enjoyment on a very high level for the next ten years. But at the moment... it is perfect! Enjoy this diva with a chili oriented beef dish. Asian? Why not.
Saturday, August 1. 2015
2009 Hartford Family Old Vine Zinfandel (91/100)
Russian River Valley, California
16.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-07-31
Medium, clear purple red. Intensive fruity aromas. Blackberries, blueberries - all ripe - and surprisingly some cherry notes. Also some white pepper is noticeable. This is obviously a Zin but not a typical one. On the palate the blueberries dance a parade. I never drunk a wine before which was dominated so extremely by blueberries. Incredible. The finish is long, very long with a charming sweetness at the end. Robert Parker wrote "irresistible". Indeed the right adjective. The high alcohol is of course observable but very well integrated.
From my perspective on the top. The wine will be on this level for the next two or three years. After that it will provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. But on a different level. Damn good job!
Serve this tough guy with the soft core to veal scallops with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delicious!
16.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2015-07-31
Medium, clear purple red. Intensive fruity aromas. Blackberries, blueberries - all ripe - and surprisingly some cherry notes. Also some white pepper is noticeable. This is obviously a Zin but not a typical one. On the palate the blueberries dance a parade. I never drunk a wine before which was dominated so extremely by blueberries. Incredible. The finish is long, very long with a charming sweetness at the end. Robert Parker wrote "irresistible". Indeed the right adjective. The high alcohol is of course observable but very well integrated.
From my perspective on the top. The wine will be on this level for the next two or three years. After that it will provide a lot of fun for another five to ten years. But on a different level. Damn good job!
Serve this tough guy with the soft core to veal scallops with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delicious!
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