From the past week:
2012 Black Hills Estate Nota Bene Okanagan Valley VQA Red Bordeaux Blend
A very good vintage for Nota Bene. All blackberries and sage at this time, very unique. Well balanced. But a note to the taster who thought it would age well over the next ten years: I don't think the track record on past Nota Benes (I own 04 thru 08) suggests that they improve. Unless something's changed, these are going to be at their best between now and 2019, and will decline from there.
2012 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series Washington
Inky black fruits, very concentrated. Great potential (as usual).
2012 Avennia SestinaColumbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
72% cabernet with the rest CF and Merlot. Outstanding; a wine with obvious Bordeaux aspirations. Black fruit, cigar box, and mocha, and sans the sap that mars many WA cab blends for me. Needs time to fully evolve but wow what a package from one of Washington's best new winemakers.
2012 Secret Squirrel Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Quoting another CTer: "Inky dark ruby, cassis nose. Dry, fruit forward, bold body, prevalent acid, chewy tannins. Nicely balanced big red with a bit of bitter. Nice now, but should get better with more bottle age." This is Corliss Winery's new 'affordable' wine. Sells in the mid 20's and is probably a way of moving on fruit that's too young and unevolved for the big guns.
1989 Woodward Canyon Charbonneau Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Well into that tertiary stage beyond everything primary and secondary, and cruising just fine. Remarkably well preserved for it's age (very few WA wines get this kind of mileage). Bill found that it crashed in his glass, but I didn't find that and even drank the dregs.
1998 Moraga Vineyards Bel-Air Los Angeles County Red Bordeaux Blend
Oh, was this good. Showing very, very well. Classy, mature but not 'old' flavors appropriate to age of plummy black cherry fruit uit with good structure and secondary nuances of tobacco and graphite. I hate that Rupert Murdoch gets to drink this every day.
2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 Stags Leap District
Tasted like a Napa Cab and it was quite drinkable, but there was something confused about the wine I couldn't quite put my finger on, something muddled that thudded the impact this wine should have had. Might have been recently transported.
2001 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Fruit seems to be fading a bit which leaves the considerable oak standing out there naked. Tired.