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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John and I taste a sampling of wines from the Meek Family Estate.

2006 WJ Meek Syrah

Price: $15.00
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 88-91 points

2005 Meek Family Estate Syrah

Price: $25.00
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 92-93 points

2005 Meek Family Estate “Inherit”

Price: $30.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot
Region: Washington > Yakima Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

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John reviews a few California Cabernet Sauvignon wines and then John, Patrick and I taste a 2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon.

2005 Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $15.00-$25.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 92 points

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $50.00-$60.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 93 points

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

Price: $60.00-$70.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 94 points

2006 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Price: $15.00-$20.00
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California > Napa Valley
John’s Rating: 94 points

Tad’s Rating: Like It
Patrick’s Rating: Like It
John’s Rating: Like It

Links mentioned in this episode:

100 point rating system guide: www.wineglas.com/ratings.html

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2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled Chicken Ranch Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Rutherford
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Notes: This wine review is on day 2.
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, daust, earth, oak and plum
Taste: On the palate dust, spices, floral, cherry and vanilla.
Finish: Medium and concentrated finish.
Evaluation: This is an amazing wine for the price point of $25. (92 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Cloud’s Nest Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > Mt. Veeder
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Dust, minerals, charcoal
Taste: On the palate dust, cherry, blueberries, figs, charcoal, oak and floral.
Finish: Medium and multi layered finish.
Evaluation: Great acidity and this wine should improve a few points over the next five years. (93 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon Mario’s Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Smoke, dust, blackberries, floral and oak.
Taste: On the palate awesome concentration with blackberries, blueberries, smoke, dust leather and oak.
Finish: Medium, mulit layered finish with some serious punch.
Evaluation: This is a cellar selection wine. (94 pts.)

2007 Trinchero Family Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Central Park West Vineyard

Region: California > Napa Valley > St. Helena
Date Tasted: 3/23/2010
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Bacon, charcoal, tobacco, and spice.
Taste: On the palate rich with cherry, bacon, charcoal, and earth.
Finish: Medium finish.
Evaluation: Since the recorded show I did on Trinchero wines this wine improved to a solid 91 point score. (91 pts.)