Last night with Jim and Mary:
1979 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
This bottle has been in a cool root cellar in southern Washington since purchased for $12.50 back in the day by a friend's father. The father passed away, and the mom, who still lives in the house, doles out the remaining bottles when her son comes to visit. Lucky us to be friends and share a birthday! Medium color, clear on the rim. Musty nose of dried fruit, orange peel and old leather bound books. On the palate, it's vibrant and sweet with yet some tannins, though they're quite relaxed now. Impressive; this isn't a Fay or special Cask bottling, just the regular Napa Cab. A lovely wine, and believe it or not quite harmonioius with our smoked salmon bruschetta.
2002 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla
What Pepper Bridge does well is that they never make a straight cabernet. Sure, it's at least 80% that, but they achieve some spicy complexity by blending all four other Bordeaux red grape varieties into the wine which helps it carry the French oak--I'm not sure how much new they use, but I'd bet 70% min and wouldn't be surprised by 100%. A recent taste of the 02 Merlot (they only make two wines, merlot and cabernet) from magnum, which was a bit tired, made me think I should get around to this cabernet, but I needn't have hurried. It's pleasantly in middle age at 8 years old and still improving. This confirms to me that PB is one of Washington's better producers.