WTN: Stag Party

[David M. Bueker]

• 2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (12/29/2023)
  Just finished the holidays with family, and the first Christmas without dad. Just weird. Decided to toast his memory with a bottle from his cellar, and his far and away favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon.
  
  When first opened this seemed to suffer from the “can we make 1997 again” disease that afflicted Napa for over a decade after that watershed vintage. An hour later it emerged from behind a curtain of super ripe fruit with mint, tobacco, cedar, and clove flavors that refreshed rather than overwhelmed. Still properly tannic, such that the fruit was kept in check on the palate, it showed that 5, 10, or even 20 more years could be positive for development. Unfortunately this was the only bottle in my dad’s cellar, but it remained a fitting tribute.

I have 1 remaining 2004 if I can find it. The previous 5 were wonderful.