Despite several last minute cancellations due to some kind of stomach bug going around and some family obligations, our blind-tasting group pushed through with dinner at Elbert's Steak Room with the theme North American Cabernets. Joining us was Rod Schiffman of the West Coast Wine Net discussion forum, and his wife, Debbie.
To start we had a Reverdy Sancerre 2005 - Quite soft. Good fruit. Refreshing to have a Sauvignon Blanc that tastes and smells like a wine rather than overripe guava. Unfortunately, this had a slight metallic tang in the finish which I found off-putting.
The tasting was done double blind, all wines popped and poured, only each taster's top 3 wines were chosen, and choices were made after trying the wines with and without food.
Wine A - Heat and sweet fruit on the nose. Soft. Oaky, smoky. Later, this developed some caramel. Good but not too interesting as the sweetness and oak didn't agree with me. Franciscan Magnificat 2002. Not in my top 3. Group #3.
Wine B - Lots of sweet berry. Lacks structure. Seemed like a mess on the palate. Spicy. Oaky.Soft. Didn't like this at all. Osoyoos Larose 2004 from Canada. Not in my top 3. Group #6 (least liked).
Wine C - Brandy-like nose. Sweet, spicy, oaky finish. Initially, I noted this as very good and in the running for my top 3. Unfortunately, it became extremely sweet and, for me, impossible to enjoy. Staglin Family Vineyard Estate 2003. Not in my top 3. Group #4.
Wine D - Rather high alcohol. Good ripe fruit. Just a bit too much oak for me. Good flavor. Soft tannins. Good structure. Very nice. I don't know if I've developed hyper-sensitivity to oak but, so far, I'm having trouble with all the oak in these wines. Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2004. My #2. Group #5.
Wine E - Nose started off a bit stinky but that blew off after a bit. Soft, sweet, spicy. Bordeaux-ish. There is a bit of obvious oak but it's mostly in the background and isn't intrusive. Seamless, well-rounded. Very good and showing very well now although it's possible it could improve a bit more over the short term; say a year or two. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 2001. My #3. Group #1. This is the wine I brought so I won this tasting!
Wine F - Very dry. Bordeaux-like. Classy stuff. The only wine in this lineup where the O word doesn't show up. Well integrated and an excellent drink now although it will probably improve a bit more with some short term cellaring. Dominus 1998. My #1, Group #2.
Monty, who brought the Dominus, generously opened a Spring Mountain Reserve 1996 after the voting. High alcohol. Tannic, leafy. Good fruit. Could age a bit more. Very good.
For dessert, we had another Canadian wine courtesy of Vince. Sumac Ridge Pipe 2001 - A Canadian Vintage Port style wine. Unfortunately I failed to note ehat grapes go into this. Raisins on the nose. Syrupy, grape jelly. Surprisingly, not all that sweet. Simple. While a far cry from the real stuff, not bad for me.
