A TASTE OF THE BEST OF NAPA VALLEY

Wine Tasting – January 8, 2006
@ Galatea

N.B.: Wine Tasting notes & rankings are by Robert Parker

2003 Peter Michael Winery Chardonnay “La Carriere” 97 pts
“This spectacular Chardonnay La Carriere is becoming one of my favorite California Chardonnays as it tastes like a Corton-Charlemagne on steroids. The 2003 boasts aromas of crushed rock, quince, lemon butter, and orange marmalade, followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet extraordinarily elegant wine with an amazing finish. It should drink well for 4-5 years”

2001 Jones Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 95 pts
“The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the finest offerings I have tasted from Jones Family. An inky/purple color is accompanied by sumptuous aromas of sweet blueberry, blackberry, and cassis fruit, licorice, and toasty background oak. This full-bodied, unctuously-textured 2001 possesses tremendous purity, palate presence, and balance. The finish lasts 40+ seconds. It should drink well young yet age nicely for 10-12+ years.”

2002 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 98 pts
“As for the 2002 Hundred Acre (1,200 cases), this is a terrific example of great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. A seamless wine with extraordinary concentration, a dense purple color, a beautifully sweet nose of black cherry liqueur intermixed with cassis, graphite, smoke, and underbrush, it is layered, multi-dimensional, and opulent, with a long finish. Although more accessible and flashy than the 2001, it is capable of lasting 15 more years.”

1999 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon “Herb Lamb Vineyard” 95 pts
“This 200 case cuvee spent 26 months in oak. Its opaque purple color is followed by a gorgeous perfume of graphite, crème de cassis, and licorice, and full-bodied, layered, concentrated flavors with superb balance and density. Surprisingly sweet tannin as well as an explosive finish have developed over the past year. Colgin, which is already a so-called “cult” wine, seems to have pushed the envelope of quality even higher….as hard as that is to believe. As always, the truth is in the bottle…in vino veritas.” Robert Parker

1994 Dominus 99 pts
“Christian Moueix (owner of Chateau Petrus) and his talented winemaking team continue to rewrite the definition of a Napa Valley reference point wine. I have had a difficult time keeping the corks in my bottles of 1994 Dominus. Eight-thousand cases were produced from this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. In this vintage, 174 days passed between budbreak and the harvest, a remarkable period of time for any wine region in the world. The 1994 is strikingly thick, compelling rich wine with the texture of a great Pomerol, despite being primarily made from Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine exhibits a dense purple color, and an incredibly fragrant nose of jammy black fruits, spice, smoke, and loamy, truffle-like scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with thrilling levels of extract and richness, but no sense of heaviness or harshness. The seamless Dominus possesses no hard edges, as its acidity, tannin and alcohol are beautifully meshed with copious quantities of ripe fruit. This wine offers early drinking, yet has the potential to last for 30+ years.”

1997 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 100 pts
“As I reported last year, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch is a perfect Cabernet Sauvignon. It has been in bottle for over a year, and this wine, like all others, has easily soaked up its aging in 100% Taransaud barrels. It is a sumptuous, unctuously-textured, fabulously concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon that hits all the sweet spots on the palate, and puts the olfactory senses on overdrive. The wines smells and tastes perfect. It is a compelling effort that one day will be considered part of a small part of elite California Cabernets that may be rewriting the definition of greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon.”

1997 Harlan Estate 100 pts
“The 1997 Harlan Estate is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine’s unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute.”