1994 was a big year in California... the Northridge earthquake, OJ, Apple's Power Mac, Netscape Navigator, Green Day's Dookie, and this Cabernet from Stonestreet. This is the only one that's still relevant today.
Upon opening I could tell there was plenty left in the tank. I had my concerns, though, with how brett-y and damp the initial funk it gave off was, but the fruit was showing through. It needed 45 minutes before it was noticeably better. The surprise was how much it continued improving over the next two hours, leveling off at style reminiscent of 1989 Left Bank Bordeaux... an entanglement of dried black cherry, coffee, graphite, pipe tobacco, and dried herbs with an edge of pine, but with a slightly more pronounced oak influence. The hint of damp earth remains to linger in the background. I'm not sure I'd risk it, but this could probably go another decade. Superb.
1994 was a big year in California... the Northridge earthquake, OJ, Apple's Power Mac, Netscape Navigator, Green Day's Dookie, and this Cabernet from Stonestreet. This is the only one that's still relevant today.
Upon opening I could tell there was plenty left in the tank. I had my concerns, though, with how brett-y and damp the initial funk it gave off was, but the fruit was showing through. It needed 45 minutes before it was noticeably better. The surprise was how much it continued improving over the next two hours, leveling off at style reminiscent of 1989 Left Bank Bordeaux... an entanglement of dried black cherry, coffee, graphite, pipe tobacco, and dried herbs with an edge of pine, but with a slightly more pronounced oak influence. The hint of damp earth remains to linger in the background. I'm not sure I'd risk it, but this could probably go another decade. Superb.
May 27th, 2017
Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
