Last night, a few of us assembled at Austin's wink wine bar to celebrate the day before our friend Rick's wedding. By the time I arrived, most everyone had left already, but I was able to taste through the lineup anyway. Here we go.
- 1987 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - USA, California, Napa Valley
Ah yes. Very good stuff. Shows off some nice fruit still. Must have been stored perfect because the label looked like new and I would have never pegged the wine as 20+ years old. Had good currant and cherry with bitter chocolate, while staying focused and delineated. Fun to taste. - 1987 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Dedication Series - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very nice bottle of wine. Still amazingly youthful and vibrant, and it's got a very earthy flavor to it. Only subtraction wsa the hint of blueberry, which is a taste I absolutely can't stand in wine. - 1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
If they still make them like this in CA, I don't know where. It's a funky wine, and an extremely tannic one. With another few years, this could surely be mistaken for Bordeaux in blind tastings (if not already). This has cassis and cherry in spades with some cedar plank and tons of dusty earth on the palate. Finish is a monster and although this is drinking exceptionally well right now, I am convinced it'll be better in 5 years and can hold for substantially longer than that. - 1990 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Sensational wine, but not as good as the last bottle. Of course, there's the tell-tale Brett, although this bottle wasn't all that bretty. It was wild and rustic, and powerful on the nose and kept showing something new every few minutes, but this bottle seemed more tannic and maybe a little shut down. Gave up less on the palate than my prior encounter with this wine. Overall, this probably still needs a few more years if it's been stored very cool. Nevertheless, an amazing wine that is in my personal hall of fame and "wines to drink before you die" list. - 1995 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
I was expecting a Lopez Heredia-like experience, but this is a totally different animal. Very dark, very primal, very brooding, very funky, very focused, but without significant fruit extraction. It's extremely high toned in its acid and raspberry and red currant fruit. There's also an incredible amount of dried herbs and mossy forest floor there. Got better and better with air, but I think it's nowhere near maturity. To get where I would like to drink it, it'll need 10 years more at least, and I'm not sure if 15 years would be even better. - 1989 Château Talbot - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
As crazy as it sounds...this drank better than the 1990 Montrose. It may not be as complex overall, but it was fully blossoming in the glass, and it held back nothing. An amazing amount of finesse, this is loaded with classic cigar box, leather, and earth, and the fruit, while still focused and balanced is just part of the orchestration of flavors and aromas. I liked this a lot. A wine that overachieved big time last night.
Last night was only the warm-up act. Tonight is the official wedding reception, and the wines will be off the hook. Stay tuned for the notes on this monster blow out wine-bonanza.
Posted from CellarTracker
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