Clos Du Val was the last stop on my bicycle ride Sunday.
2005 Carneros Reserve Chardonnay. Nice light color. Balanced oak. Good fruit. Not very exciting for this non-Chardonnay drinker. 12/20.
1996 Clos Du Val Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Tannins are pretty well integrated, but this wine was quite green, as in herbal/raw bell pepper notes. Only so-so, especially given the expense. 13/20
2001 Stag's Leap District Cabernet. Now this puppy is beginning to sing. Oak fully integrated and not sticking out at all. Dark fruit on the nose and the palate, with nice blackberry, black cherry, and cassis. Definitely a "dark fruit" wine-which is surprising, a lot of Stag's Leap wines seem, to my limited experience, to be brighter red raspberry in character. I liked this one quite a bit-the tannins have smoothed out by this point, although still good structure. 16/20
2001 Reserve. Now THIS wine was a full blown operatic chorus. Not in an over-oaked, over-the-top, milkshake way. The fruit was just a little richer, somehow. Not over-ripe, just deeply flavorful. Still good structure-it was near the end of the day, so I'm sure the wine had a chance to open up, but the tannins were mellow but present. Good tobacco, excellent acidity, some savory note. I really enjoyed this wine. 17.5/20+?
I am actually enjoying the 2001 Napa Cabernets quite a bit. I find them interesting wines-plenty of fruit, but a lot of balance and a lot of other things happening. The Hess 2001 was excellent, and the 2001 Dutch Henry last week was pretty fine, too.