2006 "Vitus" Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville. A real discovery, this is a new project from a garagiste/hobby winemaker who is going big time now. He is a really nice guy-lives about five blocks away from me. Not a fruit bomb, this is a very balanced earthy Oakville Cab. Painfully young, but will be great in a few.
2003 William Harrison "Rutherford Red" Basically cab (80%) from their five acre estate vineyard on Silverado Trail (at Zinfandel Lane). Once I get my $ act together, I will rejoin their wine club, because I love these wines, even though they are not even necessarily my usual style. There is just something so plush and lush and delicious, with oak well integrated, amazing blackberry and cassis fruit with good leather, a rich mouth feel and no obvious heat despite the too typical Napa Valley alcohol (14.5%). Only discordant element was one weird note on the nose, but the plush flavors were just so good. Lovely wine. 94 points.
2002 Farella-Park Napa Valley Cabernet (Coombsville, east of Napa City). From a small winery right at the foot of the Mount George range that separates Solano and Napa County, this, too, was a quite lovely wine. Lower alcohol (13%!), a piercingly pure cassis and red fruit nose with oak fully integrated. Secondary elements beginning to develop. Tom Farella consistently makes some of the most age-worthy Napa reds (I still remember his amazing 1995 Merlot!) 93 points, slightly below the above only because the William Harrison above was so plush...the Farella Park is actually more my style.
2003 Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Cruz Mountains). With pork loin and mashed potatoes. This is an absolutely stunning wine its balance and elegance. Bright cherry fruit on the nose, with some vanilla from the oak evident. However, the oak is fully integrated into the wine when we actually tip the glass back. The cherry fruit is definitely there, along with cassis and a hint of lovely bright tobacco. Great acidity-this reminds me a little bit of the Mayacamas 1996, with better balance between the fruit and the acid. My friend commented on the fine grained and elegant tannic structure. This wine just shouts elegance, and it was a nice wine to drink on Donna's birthday. 96+ points. WOTM (wine of the month).
1999 Felsina "Rancia" Chianti Classico Riserva. Another lovely, lovely wine...this somehow melded with the pork loin and potatos in an almost alchemical way. Very big for a Chianti, with the Sangio tang, black cherry fruit, and a ton of savory tannins on the finish. Leather and earth and dust, oh my. Delicious wine. It would, however, have been even better with a touch more acidity and freshness. Still...that's the only complaint, and it merits the 92 points.