Grapesphere

Not much nose on initial pour – taking its time to open up. Still even after 2 hrs it’s a bit closed down – a note of spice and violets, lavender as well. Bell pepper nose and on the taste. Not a ton of oak holding things up either. Fruits are muted some by a tannic and acidic nature of the wine overall. Softens up after about 2 hours – still a good grip of tannins and raspberry earthiness. Good finish and followthru with pencil lead and tobacco. Warm molten bittersweet chocolate.

Rating: 91pts
Priced around $40

2005 Monticello Vineyards Jefferson Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a wonderful wine from Napa Valley. I let it decant for about 1 hour prior to tasting. The initial taste however found this wine to still be tight and acidic. There was a good nose on the wine however, with aromas of black fruit and earthy spices. The flavor was big, long and lush, and with a little more time, the wine opened up perfectly. Blackberries and black cherries dominated the palate, and mixed in with tobacco, cocoa, and cassis. The finish was relatively long and the tannins, while fairly well integrated, still had a nice bit of grip to give the wine that bigger mouthfeel. Overall I found this wine to be exceptionally well-made and even went out to buy a second for the cellar.

Rating: 93pts

2002 Forth Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Sonoma

This wine is brooding with big purple, black colors and a violet tinge around the edge. Slow drawn legs on this wine hint at the alcohol level which is around 14.7. This is a nice meaty wine from Sonoma.The wine seems to run a little hot at the outset. Nose has plums and green peppers with a little bit of asparagus as well. Definetely on the hot side taste wise. It does have all of the body and weight of a heavy hitter from Napa - the plums and blackberries, along with green peppers and tobacco are the first things I notice. A nice bit of tannins under the fruit help drive to a very dry finish - but now I can't get over the heat coming off this wine. It started out very very nice, and now has gone a little bit dull by hour 2. Tobacco and a hint of mocha seem the prevalent notes here, though there is definetly a vegetal quality to this wine. Not a bad wine by any means, and for the price, around 25 bucks, this still stacks up nicely with some of the Napa wines that would be close to 40 dollars. By hour 3, the wine is starting to smooth out and I'm getting some raspberries peaking through. There's also not a ton of oak, and the wine shows some nice chocolate-covered cherries. After a good 3hrs, this wine is really showing nicely. Lesson shows that this needs some decanting - probably a good hour or two before serving.

My Rating: 91-92pts

2004 Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a really wonderful, rich Napa cab that is showing really well in these early stages of life. It possesses big sweet fruit, with raspberries and green peppers on both the nose and tongue. There are notes of mocha, mushroom and tobacco flavor. The finely integrated tannins give this wine a solid mid-pallet and finish. A really nice wine all around for the price, which I've seen for around $30.

My Rating: 91-92pts

2001 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Ruby-red to deep purple in color, this was a dark and rich wine. This wine had a nose with perfumes of blueberries, lilacs, and hints of allspice. The flavor is all chocolate and cherries. As this wine progressed through the tasting, it continued to be sweet, smooth and suave, with spicy flavors of currant. There was also a decent amount of oak that backed this wine, but nothing over-powering, say like a Silver Oak. This was a big wine that kept on going and going, and would have been good for a few more years to come. Served this with a roasted duck breast, rich cherry sauce and polenta.

My Rating: 92pts

2000 Broman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This wine came as a gift from some friends last year. Noting the vintage, I figured this wine was ready for drinking. I wasn't disappointed with my decision. A beautiful wine with finely integrated tannins, a earthy nose, with olives and mushrooms, giving way later to cherries, touch of oak for backing. On the initial pour I found the wine to be a bit tight and acidic. But within an hour of decanting, the acidity and griping tannins melted away, and the wine started to show its true character. Not an overpowering wine but more of a rustic style, with medium body. Because of its rustic nature, I really enjoyed this wine. Priced around $30.

My Rating: 91pts

2001 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

I thought this was a wonderful wine - it seemed to be smooth and aged. Plump and ripe with solid fruit, and a smooth rich sweet finish. There were very integrated tannins that would just ripple below the surface. I had some doubts about this wine given the bad press this one got on some of the web sites out there. But the fruit was still in good shape and the flavors were really just starting to gain complexity. I'll be very excited for my second bottle in a year or two.

My Rating: 93pts

2002 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon

The wine started with a soft nose though, not a lot happening. The first taste presented a soft body with nicely integrated tannins and flavors. The nose opened up to have a cranberry nature and a little white pepper. The wine possessed nice rich earthy flavors including mushroom, truffles, and chocolate-covered cherries. It also had notes of tobacco and leather. The ending flavor started becoming dry and it finished with some grip after about two hours.

Rating: 92 Pts

2004 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a wonderful wine full of big, brawny, and bold flavors. The flavor was rich and multi-dimensional, with the tannins bold at first however quickly fading into the body. Chocolate raspberries and classic Napa blueberries dominate the mid-palate, with an earth tobacco and charred earth mix in the finish. Good length and body, especially for the price of around $35. This was a solid Napa cab for the money.

Rating: 93pts

2004 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Bordeaux Blend

This was a nice fruit-driven wine displaying a good blend with cherries and chocolate. There were also notes of tobacco and dirt mixed in too. The tannins were integrated and not showing too much through the finish. The wine had a decent finish and some nice complexity. Overall not a great wine but it still delivered. Priced around $35.

Rating: 89pts