Seppelt
Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
This is one of the ultimate Southern Hemisphere wines in the world. Made only great years, last vintage was 1998. This will last another 20 years, easily. Still takes awhile to open and honestly, I don’t know that I’ll ever know all of its secrets. Barely any fade after 23 years. A wine for the ages. If we are still alive in 20 years, I’ll open another. One of the best kept secrets from Australia. Good luck finding it, this vineyard’s grapes are now put into Seppelt’s reserve cab. — 5 years ago
Henschke
Keyneton Euphonium Barossa Shiraz Blend 2001
Been reading reviews and I have to laugh. Drink up in 2014? Ha. Some definite brickishness on the edges, but like a good Barossa wine, this has horsepower to spare even 22 years later. Kept in my cellar. Color is still a deep ruby color (with fade). Had out of a Riedel red glass. Nose has some cigar box, mostly sweet red fruit still, some caramel, at one point there was a line of green (!) that came through, which was especially odd for a Barossa wine. Shortbread, cassis…a pinch of briar (the green streak evolves). Don’t get any of the funk some reviewers talked about. On the palate this is a full red, the oak has mostly disappeared, there are very fine tannins. Very little in the way of legs. This is a Shiraz, but the other grapes come through. This is an easy drinking wine, now. Probably its best days are behind it, but it’s a graceful, slow descent. The Barossa Shiraz shines through, keeping a nice, long finish. It may have been more “serious” a few years ago, but it’s great for sitting on the deck on a summer night. Delicious still. My date has never had good wine before and now she has. — a year ago
Moon Mountain Vineyard
Sonoma County Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
This poor vineyard. Wedged in between two of Sonoma’s best vineyards but mistreated for years. Mountain fruit. The first whiff took me back to being in their caves. The Petit Verdot comes out. Lots of red and black fruit coming out with spice and cedar/cigar box. Still so rich. The oak is fully integrated, very fine tannins. Excellent balance. At its peak, with many more years to go. A medium to big cab, sensuous, but structured, not overdone. One of my favorite wines for sentimental reasons. Perhaps not a “great” wine, but so what? There’s a lot of pleasure in this. There isn’t much mountain fruit like this from Sonoma. Drink or lay down. I’ve got a vertical. — 4 years ago
Rockford
Basket Press Barossa Valley Shiraz
20 years old and while it’s aging well, it would have been better to drink it a few years ago. It’s elegant but has lost its full-throttle fruit (and after only 20 years...), so it doesn’t need to breathe much before drinking. Still has good color, some fade. Lighter than I expected, mineral and still that smell of Syrah (note how I didn’t say “Shiraz”). Drink now and enjoy. — 6 years ago
Cosentino Winery
Secret Clone Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
The plush and delicious Secret Clone. Aging beautifully. No loss anywhere. Deep red/black fruit. Oak showing through right now. Much more left in the tank. A truly fine Napa wine. — 4 years ago
Cosentino Winery
Estate Meritage Blend 2006
Slight brickishness on the edges but mostly a deep garnet. Throwing very little sediment. Oak jumped out of the sniff from the bottle (40 months!) but the red and black fruits became dominant. Typical of Mitch Cosentino’s style, letting the fruit show through but with a solid core of structure. Lithe. Drinking well right out of the bottle, but still rewards with some air. This wine has a LONG way to go, but is at its peak. I’m always impressed by the (pre-bankruptcy) Cosentino wines for how drinkable they are immediately and yet benefit from aging. It’s a tightrope not many can walk. The finish is incredibly long, dominant merlot, (60/40 with cab) but not a “soft” wine with the Oakville cab backing it up. Listen, this is a great wine. It’s almost 15 years old and it drinks much younger but I also know this was equally drinkable 9 years ago. More velvet glove than iron fist, but you don’t drink this well after this long without some iron to sustain it. Medium to big-bodied and it is all pleasure. Integrated tannins, red and black fruit, spice, cedar. Drink now...or wait a few years. It’s got a long way to go. I mourn the loss of Cosentino. Had this with filet roast for the inauguration and it made the special occasion even more special. If you can get your hands on it, do it. Only 40 barrels made. All. Pleasure. — 4 years ago
Tatachilla
McLaren Vale Shiraz 1998
A little gassy at first in the nose, but that blew off, brickish color. Black and red fruit, cherries and raspberries. I got the image of an abandoned sawmill, so the oak still shines through. Very integrated tannins, surprising amount of fruit still. This was a bruiser, initially, but it is a light bodied shiraz, now. Aging incredibly well, at least 5 more years, but drink now, for sure. A beautiful wine. Last bottle. — 5 years ago
Cosentino Estate
Hoopes Ranch 1999
From magnum, 9/19/18. Still VERY young, even with leaking at the cork. This is an elegant Oakville cab, drinking incredibly well. Slight brickishness, but very little loss. Still great fruit, refined tannins, still needs a little air. Medium to full bodied. Typical Cosentino, it brings back so many memories. Had it with barbecued salmon and it was amazing. — 6 years ago
Josh Eichorn
A perfect wine? Perhaps. Not many Napa wines can have this kind of horsepower at 19 years old (I was always told Napa wines fall apart after 15 years). I’ve never had Screaming Eagle or Grace Family or any of the new “premier cru” wines. What I will say, though, is that I have a hard time imagining a wine being better than this. Plush, with a solid core. Very little fade. Let it breathe, but it was drinkable right out of the bottle, rich with refined tannins, so much fruit, so much pleasure. The oak is now seamless with the wine, not an addition, but a part of it. If you had told me this was a more recent vintage, I would have believed you. This was Cosentino’s top of the line and what a top it was. Age has allowed for more complexity (I did taste this when it was newly bottled) and development, but this is a young wine, still. Nothing out of place. It is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. Quintessential Napa, the best the valley has to offer. I forget the story of “the secret clone” but knowing what all the steps are in making great wine, having this clone was just one of the many right choices in making this. This one may outlive me. It is in its prime with no end in sight. Perfect? I’m not sure. But I’ve not had better. — 8 months ago