WTN: Quatre Vignt Quinze Cinq Cepages

[David M. Bueker]

• 1995 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages - USA, California, Sonoma County (12/26/2023)
  Pulled from late dad’s cellar, this had accompanied him when he and my mom moved from Connecticut to Virginia in 2002. It was none the worse for wear. Still plenty of dark red fruit, and while the tannins had largely dropped away there was a firm acid backbone to keep things in line. Twenty-plus year old wines are always a bit of a crapshoot, but this was a winner, and stronger than a 1996 Cinq Cepages I opened earlier in 2023.

[Jenise]

Those old CC's do well and '95, which didn't get the hype that '94 and '97 did, was in my opinion a better year than either. Was this from the Dick Arrowood era?

[David M. Bueker]

No. Dick Arrowood finished in I think 1991.

And it was the 1996 that was Wine Spectator wine of the year.