2001 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/1/2009)
Decanted for 2 hours.
Deep, dark, almost inky color. The nose is initially quite closed, but opens after about 30 minutes to reveal a splendid Cali-Cab black cherry aromatic profile. Medium bodied tending toward the lighter side. In addition to the black cherry, some mint and mocha notes appear on the palate. There is some oak, but it is held in check by the fruit and does not intrude at all. The tannins are surprisingly smooth/integrated and I found this bottle to be much more approachable than the 2000 KL we had a few months ago. NJ described it as balanced.
Nits: There was a bit of a hole in the mid-palate and the finish was clipped.