Age 15

Florida Jim

Florida Jim

Florida Jim
1993 Fisher, Cabernet Sauvignon Lamb Vineyard:
15 years old but no bottle bouquet in evidence; extroverted aromatics but relatively straight-forward some cassis, some smoky earth, a touch of spice; still grippy in the mouth with strong but one dimensional flavors, some salinity, little nuance, reasonable balance and sustain. At release, a very highly regarded wine by certain CA savvy critics and, I admit, I bought on the strength of those assessments. I have been through a case of this wine and it has never lived up to its hype. One of many examples of why I no longer read, listen to or follow any professional critics recommendations.
I see nothing here that gives any indication its best days are ahead of it and, today, this isnt worth the trouble. Fair with grilled strip steaks but still, nothing that warrants buying or cellaring this wine.
Diane comes home and has a glass and says she likes it (go figure). I ask why, as she usually doesnt care for cabernet. She says its because it has no green smells or flavors ah, such are the delights of lowered expectations.
Our last bottle.

Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
1993 Fisher, Cabernet Sauvignon Lamb Vineyard:
15 years old but no bottle bouquet in evidence;
Click to expand...

Jim, that comment encapsulates my concerns re CalCabs: do they actually develop tertiary characterists upon aging? On the positive side, a '90 Dunn Napa opened for a French friend did have marvelous bottle bouquet (mirabile dictu! a ready to drink Dunn!) but most Ch. Montelenas that I've had have simply softened with age, with no notable development. Apart from some Ridge Monte Bellos, I can't think of another "recent"* CalCab that has shown the capacity to develop positively in the bottle.

Mark Lipton

* Yes, I can cite several examples from the '70s, but that's not the really the point of my comment.

Edit: I have high hopes for those Corisons I recently purchased, but those are decades in the future I think.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
Whither CalCab?
originally posted by Florida Jim:
1993 Fisher, Cabernet Sauvignon Lamb Vineyard:
15 years old but no bottle bouquet in evidence;
Click to expand...

Jim, that comment encapsulates my concerns re CalCabs: do they actually develop tertiary characterists upon aging? On the positive side, a '90 Dunn Napa opened for a French friend did have marvelous bottle bouquet (mirabile dictu! a ready to drink Dunn!) but most Ch. Montelenas that I've had have simply softened with age, with no notable development. Apart from some Ridge Monte Bellos, I can't think of another "recent"* CalCab that has shown the capacity to develop positively in the bottle.

Mark Lipton

* Yes, I can cite several examples from the '70s, but that's not the really the point of my comment.

Edit: I have high hopes for those Corisons I recently purchased, but those are decades in the future I think.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, my experience with Montelena in the last few years is the same, softening, but not much development in terms of bottle complexity. I wouldn't have thought that.

OTOH, I may have been too harsh in my judgment of Dalla Valle, as the last bottle I had was fantastic. Who knew?

I hope to have a Dunn very soon.
 
Jim, that comment encapsulates my concerns re CalCabs: do they actually develop tertiary characterists upon aging? On the positive side, a '90 Dunn Napa opened for a French friend did have marvelous bottle bouquet (mirabile dictu! a ready to drink Dunn!) but most Ch. Montelenas that I've had have simply softened with age, with no notable development. Apart from some Ridge Monte Bellos, I can't think of another "recent"* CalCab that has shown the capacity to develop positively in the bottle.

Mark Lipton

* Yes, I can cite several examples from the '70s, but that's not the really the point of my comment.

Edit: I have high hopes for those Corisons I recently purchased, but those are decades in the future I think.
Click to expand...
Cathy did a vertical tasting a few years ago, with wines going back to 1989. I don't have my notes at hand, but the wines were great, showing gradual and positive development, with interesting vintage variation (which didn't correspond to common vintage generalizations). The wines were all somewhere between beautiful and delicious, and generally were more so with bottle age.
 
I've tasted older wines recently from Ridge, Dunn, Ritchie Creek, Forman, Grace Family Vineyard (before being replanted due to phylloxera), Dalle Valle and Mayacamas. They've all developed into Cabernets with good secondary characteristics that are the antithesis of the stereotypical modern day Napa booze.

-Eden (a big Heidi Barrett fan)
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:

No offense, but she's as formulaic as anyone in the biz.
Best, Jim
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Maybe now she is, but she didn't used to be, back in the era in question (pre-mid 90s)

-Eden (it's difficult to NOT be formulaic with cabernet sauvignon)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
originally posted by Florida Jim:

No offense, but she's as formulaic as anyone in the biz.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Maybe now she is, but she didn't used to be, back in the era in question (pre-mid 90s)

-Eden (it's difficult to NOT be formulaic with cabernet sauvignon)
Click to expand...

Yeah, those early Oakfords went against the prevailing ripeness tide.
 
Mark,
I had that one within the last three years and I disagree with VLM. Unless it has come a long way in the interim, it is one angry critter.
Best, Jim
 
I don't have a lot of older CA cab.; some 1991's and a few 1993-96 Laurel Glens.
A recent '91 Montelena wasn't very inspiring.
Actually, a recent 1995 Snowden was nice but it is no example of aged cab.

I think the last really great CA cab. I had was the '78 Red Rock Terrace and it may have been the best CA wine I ever had.

I have one bottle of '91 Phelps, Eisele left and argue with myself upon occasion as to whether now is the time or whether I should just let it go.

Cabernet is pretty much off my radar.
But then so are strip steaks, aged or not. Life with Diane means an absence of red meat.
The tradeoff suits me.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Mark,
I had that one within the last three years and I disagree with VLM. Unless it has come a long way in the interim, it is one angry critter.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

It's the Napa, not Howell Mtn.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Mark,
I had that one within the last three years and I disagree with VLM. Unless it has come a long way in the interim, it is one angry critter.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

It's the Napa, not Howell Mtn.
Click to expand...

Yep.
You had it recently - I'd be pleased to be proven wrong.
Best, Jim
 
I'm shocked by the love for Dalla Valle. I bought a few after its fall from culty grace retroactively crashed the prices of the older ones, and the ones that hadn't fallen apart were generic and flabby. I was especially excited to try the cabernet franc, but the '96 was a hate crime against the grape. Still have not tried Maya, though, not that I'm ever likely to.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Still have not tried Maya, though, not that I'm ever likely to.
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I've had them up until 2000.
They all taste alike, as in the very same wine alike, regardless of vintage. One may like or dislike that taste but, if you tried one, you've tried them all.
Best, Jim
 
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