Don't Fear the Grape

2005 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Oakville
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: I decanted this wine 3 hours and I would imagine it would have tasted better day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, spice, oak and vanilla
Taste: A juicy palate with good acidity.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: Solid wine with plenty backbone. (92 pts.)

2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Walla Walla Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Earth, spices, vanilla and red pepper
Taste: Spices, vanilla, oak and red peppers
Finish: Medium finish and tannic.
Evaluation: Lacks typical Washington State fruit. (90 pts.)

2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard

Region: Washington > Columbia Valley > Yakima Valley
Date Tasted: 4/19/2010
Notes: Still tannic and decanted for 3 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Leather, spice, cherry and pepper
Taste: Very complex palate with leather, spices, pepper, and oak.
Evaluation: This wine is drinking really well and should age nicely for 10 plus years. (92 pts.)

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, oak, vanilla, smoke and cherry
Taste: What a powerhouse wine on the palate and shows a tremedous upside down the road.
Evaluation: While I enjoyed Conn Valley wines young they certainly get better with age. (93 pts.)

2004 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Out-of-sight-vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Floral, cherry, chocolate, and spices
Taste: Very balanced wine and the palate has flavors bouncing all over the mouth.
Finish: Really nice use of oak and there is a medium finish on the wine. A bit of chalk comes into the finish which was interesting.
Evaluation: Wow! Well made wine! (94 pts.)

2007 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: A simple nose with spice, pepper and floral.
Taste: Good flavors but nothing like out of the bottle.
Evaluation: An interesting wine that out of the bottle was great but 4 hours of decanting it lost its edge. I will cellar the remaining 2 and see what happens. (90 pts.)

2002 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Washington
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Notes: Decanted 5 hours.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Forest floor, spices, coffee, cherry and earth dominate the nose.
Taste: Very integrated wine with tons of complexity.
Finish: The finish is long and shows spice, floral, coffee, cherry, plum and leather.
Evaluation: Another great showing. No flaws on any part of the wine. This wine has it all and is drinking well now but I will revisit down the road. (95 pts.)

2005 Star Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California > Central Coast > Santa Ynez Valley
Date Tasted: 4/21/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, floral and minerals
Taste: Palate is solid.
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: This is the first Cab I have tasted from Santa Ynez Valley and I think with some time this could improve a few points. (89 pts.)

John and I taste a sampling of wines from Columbia Crest.

2006 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot

Price: $8.00-$11.00
Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 88-90 points

2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $8.00-$11.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 88-90 points

2004 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot

Price: $25.00-$30.00
Varietal: Merlot
Region: Washington > Columbia Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

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One thing many wine drinkers do not do is really look at a young wines ability to transform over the course of a few days. The 2004 Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Quet was not a good wine on day one or two but really opened up for business on day three and four. Had I drank the bottle on the in first couple of days I would have not been a buyer of the wine, but seeing the potential I will buy a few more and cellar for five plus years.

2004 Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Quet

Region: France > Rhône > Southern Rhône > Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Color: Medium color

Day One Review

Date Tasted: 2/19/2010
Nose: Spice, raspberries, and earth
Taste: On the palate spice, leather, spice, and some sweet fruit
Finish: Finish is really disappointing
Evaluation: I hope this improves the next day (88 pts.)

Day Two Review

Date Tasted: 2/20/2010
Nose: Tar, leather, spices, and floral
Taste: Palate shows heavy spices which throw off the wines overall balance
Finish: Medium finish
Evaluation: Really not my style. It is better then day one (88 pts.)

Day Four Review

Date Tasted: 2/22/2010
Nose: Aromas of white pepper, garrique, spices, raspberries and truffles
Taste: On the palate dirt, spices, garrique, pepper, raspberries and leather
Finish: Medium finish that is much less tannic then day one
Evaluation: The wine has really opened up and I really like the wine. I am always amazed and the transformation of good wine. (92 pts.)

Have fun experimenting with wine!

Cheers,

John Glas
Wineglas

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