Earlier in the month, I hooked up with a friend of mine for some fine food and a little tasting of California Cabernets. Here are my tasting notes:
2004 Roessler Chardonnay Alder Springs Emerald Pond Block Mendocino. This was purchased from the restaurant wine list. It has a pretty bouquet of rich pear flesh, lemon drop candy, soft minerality, candy cigarettes, and creamy-tinged oak. It is solidly-structured, with plenty of body and heft, yet sporting a crisp edge. It is compact and relatively powerful, with a solid pear and spice flavor profile. Overall, it is a nice bottle.
We continued on with five Cabs from Napa.
1996 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley. Right off the bat, this hits you upside the head with its strong aromatics of ultra-ripe cassis framed by menthol and soft cedar dust. Moreover, deeper down, there is a sweet-smelling well of black currant, fig and tobacco juice. Much later in the evening, a very strong mocha note emerges, as well. It sports a very similar profile in the mouth, with black currants and sweet crème de cassis flavors, with spicy menthol kicking in toward the back of the palate. It is fairly full-bodied, but the tannins are very soft and manageable. The finish is spicy and of generous length. On days 2 and 3, the wine held well and still offered plenty of pleasure. This was my WOTN.
1997 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. Interestingly, this wine opens with a nearly identical aromatic profile to that of the ’96 Reserve, but simply in a more elegant, toned-down package. It slowly evolves to bring in additional notes of coffee grounds, cedar planks, Bazooka Joe bubblegum and blackberry jam. With time and air, a very distinct note of malted milk also comes in. Compared to the ’96 Reserve, this is brighter and tangier in the mouth, with a more distinctly red-fruited personality. Plush cassis and crushed berries are draped over a finely-defined structure. The tannins are fewer and finer than the ’96, which makes it a better candidate for current drinking.
1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Napa Valley. This opens up with a gigantic note of fresh tar and hot oil on the nose. Slowly, a pretty violet-tinged perfume finds its way through, along with a distinct minerality. Much later, it begins to hint at loamy earth and leather. Overall, it is delightfully complex, but evidently quite young. In the mouth, it is strong and compact, feeling almost like a spring coiled in tightly around itself. Though it is not what I would call rich or especially full, the streamlined flavors of cool fruit, chocolate and dark espresso roast suggest classiness and great promise. Most impressive is the persistent finish that is simply miles and miles long. This is going to be very good, but needs at least 5 years.
2002 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Napa Valley. The nose gently unfolds in layers, beginning with blueberry tart, black cherries and toasted herbs that suggest tart freshness more than rich decadence. Unusual but appealing notes of orange marmalade, grape jelly and persimmon fruit also assert themselves as time goes on. In the mouth, the attack is surprisingly prickly and tangy, with a citrusy streak supporting fresh blackberry compote flavors. However, it grows in the mid-palate, where the amplitude rises as well and builds to an intense finish. Overall, though, it feels like it needs more time for it to integrate—I would revisit in 5 years.
2003 Match Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Butterdragon Hill Napa Valley. The bouquet on this wine is nothing like its predecessors, showing a more feminine profile that makes one think more of a richly-styled California Pinot Noir. Aromas of red currants, cola or sasparilla, cocoa powder, bright blue berries and grape stalks are unexpected but in many ways charming. Still, I was scratching my head to get a handle on this bouquet. On the palate, it is a big mouthful of wine that really coats the entire mouth with its flavors of chocolate, berries and baking spices. It remains very bright and even a touch angular, and is currently showing its oak more than I would like. It comes across as young and in need of some more time.
-Michael