Originally posted 11/22/00.
This weekend I attended a horizontal tasting of thirty 1991 California Cabernet Sauvignons. In addition to being loads of fun, these kinds of get-togethers are also quite educational as it enables one to get a better understanding of a particular vintage. With 1991 being considered by many as one of the finest years California has seen and with nine years of age on them, it was time for a checkup.
What was learned? Well, 1991 is indeed an excellent vintage. Of the thirty wines tasted, I rated seventeen of them as an A-/B+ or higher. Overall all, the wines showed nice ripeness and excellent balance. However, a couple of things stuck out in my mind. One is that I found the flavor profile to be quite similar in many if not most of the wines. They were largely dominated by cherry and black fruits, had a jolt of chocolate and all had a really pronounced herbal quality to them
The other thing that struck me was though Ive developed a palate thats pretty sensitive to over-oaked wines, for the most part, these wines had balanced and integrated oak.
While some may argue that these wines have seen just as much oak as any other Cabernet and that with nine years of age on them, the oak has simply integrated, I would contend that based on what Ive tasted over the past 6 years, the use of oak has changed dramatically in California. In my mind, I would say that theres a marked difference since the 94 vintage. This isnt much of a newsflash, but its certainly a subject worthy of discussion.
The wines were tasted in five flights of six wines. It should be noted that the wines were tasted blind, though it was known in advance which wines would be included in the tasting. There was food served with each flight. The wines were scored on a 10 point system and were ranked in this order by the group:
30) Stag's Leap- Fay Vineyard, 29) Conn Creek- Anthology, 28) Silverado- Reserve, 27) Dalla Valle, 26) Forman, 25) Ch. Montelena, 24) Silver Oak- Bonny's Vineyard, 23) Mount Eden- Old Vines, 22) Silver Oak- Napa, 21) Newton- Unfiltered, 20) Saddleback, 19) Dominus, 18) Silver Oak- Alexander, 17) Ridge- Monte Bello, 16) Joseph Phelps- Insignia, 15) Philip Togni, 14) Mt. Veeder- Reserve, 13) BV- Georges de Latour, Reserve, 12) Laurel Glen, 11) Araujo, 10) Fisher- Wedding Vineyard, 9) Robert Mondavi- Reserve, 8) Harlan, 7) Caymus- Special Selection, 6) Ferrari Carano- Reserve, 5) Etude, 4) Beringer- Private Reserve, 3) Justin- Isosceles, 2) Seavey, 1) Shafer- Hillside Select.
My top five wines of the night were: 1) Justin-Isoceles, 2) Mt. Veeder- Reserve, 3) Etude, 4) Ch. Montelena, 5) Seavey.
On to the notes, which are listed in the order tasted. Remarkably, there was not a single corked bottle, though one did seem to show a bacterial problem.
Brad
1991 Beringer- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Private Reserve," Napa Valley
Dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of black cherries and dark fruit, cedary oak, chocolate and light herb. Quite tannic on the palate and in need of further aging. Rich, resonating black cherry, herb, spicy cedar and chocolate flavors. Lingering spicy finish. Solid A-.
1991 Forman- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Purple/Ruby color. Nose a bit restrained at first, but eventually reveals black currant, chocolate, herb and spicy cedar aromas. Tannins are still very firm and a bit drying. Good fruit, but not as rich as some of the others in this flight. Black fruit, herb, chocolate, cedary oak and leather flavors. Turns a bit coarse on the finish and shows a little bit of an alcohol burn. B+.
1991 Saddleback Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Lightish garnet with a faded rim. Most mature looking, smelling and tasting of the flight. Herb, red cherry and leather aromas. Nice, slow-burning intensity on the palate. Flavors start slow, but build and linger. Cherry, spicy cedary oak and herb flavors dominate with a touch of tobacco showing with air. Tannins have smoothed out, but still provide support in an elegant way. The wine also threw a bit of sediment. A sophisticated wine thats at peak. A-.
1991 Fisher- Cabernet Sauvignon, Wedding Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Dark ruby color. Really appealing black cherry and chocolate aromas. Quite tannic, but nicely balanced. Deep black fruit, chocolate and light herb flavors. All things seem to be in the right places. A few years are needed to shed some more tannins. A classy wine. Solid A-.
1991 Dominus- Napanook Vineyard, Napa Valley
Dark garnet color. Herb aromas dominate the nose though there is some cherry fruit as well and a whiff of barnyard. Not as rich on the palate as most of the others in this flight. Quite herbal with black cherry flavors. Tannins are a bit too drying. B+.
1991 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Fay Vineyard, Napa Valley
A flawed bottle. Probably bacterial as the wine smelled and tasted like raw sewage.
1991 Dalla Valle- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Garnet/Ruby color. A nice intensity on the nose with black fruit, spicy oak, chocolate and light anise. A decent burst of ripe black cherry, cassis and oak on the palate. However, the tannins are a bit dusty and astringent and theres a bit of stemminess to the wine. Alcohol also shows up a tad too much on the finish. A good wine, but its showing a few faults. B+.
1991 Mount Veeder- Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa Valley
Deep garnet. Lots of chocolate on the nose with rich black cherry, black fruit and a touch of herb. Loads of rich, ripe black fruit on the palate with chocolate, herb and light tobacco as accomplices. Balanced, and seamless with integrated and ready to go tannins. Delicious wine! A.
1991 Newton- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Ruby colored with a lightish nose of cherry liquor, herb and light spice. On the palate, a bit rustic in style and a little clunky, but in a good way. Medicinal cherry flavors with a bit of earth, leather and wood. Tannins are firm and a touch drying. Still, charming in its own way. Low A-.
1991 Silverado Vineyards- Cabernet Sauvignon, Limited Reserve, Napa Valley
Ruby/garnet color. A rather unappealing nose of V8 juice (vegetables and tomatoes) and menthol cherry. Not particularly concentrated on the palate with menthol cherry and herb flavors dominating. Tannic and overall the wine is not particularly well-integrated. B/B-.
1991 Laurel Glen- Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain
Dark Garnet/ruby. Bordeaux-like nose of deep black fruit, wet black earth, and herbs. On the palate, nicely integrated and well balanced. Herb flavors dominate with rich cherry, earth and tobacco. Tannins are firm, but velvety. Finish is nice and smooth. A-.
1991 Justin- Cabernet Blend, Isoceles Reserve, San Louis Obispo County
Dark ruby color. Gorgeous nose of sweet, very ripe black fruit, chocolate, espresso and faint black licorice. Rich and thick on the palate with everything in complete harmony. Tannins are soft and sweet. Loads of thick black fruit, chocolate and integrated oak with a long finish. Heck of a wine! Solid A.
1991 Beaulieu- Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve Georges De Latour, Napa Valley
Ruby color. An elegant and feminine nose of red cherry with menthol, herb and light chocolate. Lightish on the palate with noticeably higher acidity than other wines tried so far. Pleasant red cherry, spice and earthy tobacco flavors. Nice, in a light and elegant style. A-/B+.
1991 Mount Eden- Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vines Reserve, Santa Cruz
Dark garnet with menthol cherry, herbs and charred oak aromas. High acid with relatively light fruit. Pretty disjointed with espresso and cherry flavors. Finish is a bit astringent and none too pleasant. B.
1991 Seavey- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
A very dense, dark ruby color. The wine really clings to the sides of the glass. The nose was rather tight, but lots of swirling brought out rich black fruit, earth, chocolate and sweet oak. On the palate, this is a brooding wine with big tannins that still need plenty of time to unwind. Hidden under the tannins is rich black fruit, anise, chocolate and cedary oak. Excellent wine thats pretty tight and compact at this stage. Patience will be rewarded. A/A-.
1991 Caymus- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Special Selection," Napa Valley
Ruby colored with espresso and rich cherry dominating the nose. On the palate, lots of chocolaty oak with some menthol cherry and light herb. Concentration is pretty good and the tannins are still firm, though theres a bit too much oak showing. A-/B+.
1991 Araujo Estate Wines- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Eisele Vineyard," Napa Valley
Ruby color with a nose of cherry and cedary oak. Acidity is pretty high. Theres some enjoyable cherry and espresso flavors present, but the wine really fades in the mid palate and theres not much on the finish. Possibly in a dumb stage, or simply doesnt have much stuffing. B.
1991 Ferrari-Carano- Reserve Red Proprietary Wine, Sonoma Valley
Ruby/garnet with plenty of herb aromas and red fruit. Mid-weight on the palate and fairly accessible at this stage. Good red fruit with chocolate and herb. Light spicy oak on the finish. A-/B+.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Bonnys Vineyard," Napa Valley
Dark ruby/garnet color. Whoa! Billowing dill aromas completely dominate the nose. Had folks asking where the salmon was. The palate too is dominated by overwhelming dill, though some cherry flavors do manage to be heard from. Simply way too much dill present for this wine to be enjoyable. B/B-.
1991 Philip Togni- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Dark ruby colored with a great Cab nose of black cherry, black fruit, anise, chocolate and herbs. Nicely balanced with noticeable richness. Shows similar flavors as on the nose. Seems more forward than many of the others tried. An excellent and very classy wine . Solid A-.
1991 Ridge- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Monte Bello," Santa Cruz
Dark garnet in color. Reticent nose is dominated mostly by eucalyptus, herb and oak. Mid-weight on the palate with nothing particularly lively or of interest. Enjoyable cherry, herb, earth and cola flavors. Good acidity, but tannins seem fairly soft. Espresso on the finish. A very good wine, but not the most exciting thing in the world. A-/B+.
1991 Chateau Montelena- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Dark ruby. Beautiful and opulent nose of rich black fruit, chocolate and anise. Classic Cal Cab on the palate. Richly endowed, well balanced with still very firm tannins. Plenty of black cherry, cassis, chocolate, anise and herbs. Lingering finish. Excellent stuff and what I look for in a Cab. Once the tannins smooth out a bit, the wine will merit a higher score. A/A-.
1991 Joseph Phelps Vineyard- "Insignia" Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley
Garnet in color with medicinal cherry, espresso and herb aromas. A bit mid-weight on the palate with cherry fruit, herbs and a touch of leather. The fruit seems to be fading. While enjoyable, theres not all that much going on and it seems like its on its way south. B+/B.
1991 Conn Creek- Anthology, Napa Valley
Garnet in color with an odd citrus note on the nose with the usual cherry and herb. Quite high in acidity with drying tannins, which is generally not a good combination to have. Light cherry on the palate. Not much here. B/B-.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Garnet/ruby. Smells light. Light cherry, dill/herb and oak. On the palate, light cherry flavors with lots of herb, oak and earth. Acidity is a bit high and the wine seems quite tart, especially on the finish. Not too good. B-.
1991 Robert Mondavi- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Reserve," Napa Valley
Deep ruby color. Lovely, complex nose of dark black currants, black cherry, herbs, black olives and anise. A little lighter on the palate than the nose indicates, but some nice stuff here. Same flavors as on the nose with the addition of chocolate. Manageable tannins for current drinking, though it should age well for a while longer. A-.
1991 Harlan Estate- Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley
Ruby color. Somewhat light, feminine nose of red cherries, spice, herbs and light menthol. Not particularly appealing on the palate as its showing fairly light and acidic with drying, astringent tannins. Menthol, cherry, mint and chocolate flavors. Finish was too dry. B.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Ruby/garnet color. Lots of herb on the nose with black fruit and chocolaty oak. Doesnt show much concentration on the palate like flavors as aromas, but theres too much herb and oak here. B-.
1991 Etude- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Dark ruby color. Wow! Terrific, rich nose of sweet black fruits, chocolate and cigar box. Luscious and intense on the palate with exquisite balance. Seamless and elegant in a blockbuster way. Sweet black fruit and chocolate framed by cigar box and slight herb flavors. Plenty of firm tannins left, but its the fruit that dominates. Long, sweet finish. Really enjoyable. A/A-.
1991 Shafer Vineyards- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Hillside Select," Napa Valley
Deep ruby color with rich black fruit, light chocolate, herb and spicy cedar on the nose. Nicely integrated and balanced on the palate with nice intensity. Similar flavors as on the nose with a long, lingering black fruit and spicy cedar finish. Solid A-.
This weekend I attended a horizontal tasting of thirty 1991 California Cabernet Sauvignons. In addition to being loads of fun, these kinds of get-togethers are also quite educational as it enables one to get a better understanding of a particular vintage. With 1991 being considered by many as one of the finest years California has seen and with nine years of age on them, it was time for a checkup.
What was learned? Well, 1991 is indeed an excellent vintage. Of the thirty wines tasted, I rated seventeen of them as an A-/B+ or higher. Overall all, the wines showed nice ripeness and excellent balance. However, a couple of things stuck out in my mind. One is that I found the flavor profile to be quite similar in many if not most of the wines. They were largely dominated by cherry and black fruits, had a jolt of chocolate and all had a really pronounced herbal quality to them
The other thing that struck me was though Ive developed a palate thats pretty sensitive to over-oaked wines, for the most part, these wines had balanced and integrated oak.
While some may argue that these wines have seen just as much oak as any other Cabernet and that with nine years of age on them, the oak has simply integrated, I would contend that based on what Ive tasted over the past 6 years, the use of oak has changed dramatically in California. In my mind, I would say that theres a marked difference since the 94 vintage. This isnt much of a newsflash, but its certainly a subject worthy of discussion.
The wines were tasted in five flights of six wines. It should be noted that the wines were tasted blind, though it was known in advance which wines would be included in the tasting. There was food served with each flight. The wines were scored on a 10 point system and were ranked in this order by the group:
30) Stag's Leap- Fay Vineyard, 29) Conn Creek- Anthology, 28) Silverado- Reserve, 27) Dalla Valle, 26) Forman, 25) Ch. Montelena, 24) Silver Oak- Bonny's Vineyard, 23) Mount Eden- Old Vines, 22) Silver Oak- Napa, 21) Newton- Unfiltered, 20) Saddleback, 19) Dominus, 18) Silver Oak- Alexander, 17) Ridge- Monte Bello, 16) Joseph Phelps- Insignia, 15) Philip Togni, 14) Mt. Veeder- Reserve, 13) BV- Georges de Latour, Reserve, 12) Laurel Glen, 11) Araujo, 10) Fisher- Wedding Vineyard, 9) Robert Mondavi- Reserve, 8) Harlan, 7) Caymus- Special Selection, 6) Ferrari Carano- Reserve, 5) Etude, 4) Beringer- Private Reserve, 3) Justin- Isosceles, 2) Seavey, 1) Shafer- Hillside Select.
My top five wines of the night were: 1) Justin-Isoceles, 2) Mt. Veeder- Reserve, 3) Etude, 4) Ch. Montelena, 5) Seavey.
On to the notes, which are listed in the order tasted. Remarkably, there was not a single corked bottle, though one did seem to show a bacterial problem.
Brad
1991 Beringer- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Private Reserve," Napa Valley
Dark ruby color. Beautiful nose of black cherries and dark fruit, cedary oak, chocolate and light herb. Quite tannic on the palate and in need of further aging. Rich, resonating black cherry, herb, spicy cedar and chocolate flavors. Lingering spicy finish. Solid A-.
1991 Forman- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Purple/Ruby color. Nose a bit restrained at first, but eventually reveals black currant, chocolate, herb and spicy cedar aromas. Tannins are still very firm and a bit drying. Good fruit, but not as rich as some of the others in this flight. Black fruit, herb, chocolate, cedary oak and leather flavors. Turns a bit coarse on the finish and shows a little bit of an alcohol burn. B+.
1991 Saddleback Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Lightish garnet with a faded rim. Most mature looking, smelling and tasting of the flight. Herb, red cherry and leather aromas. Nice, slow-burning intensity on the palate. Flavors start slow, but build and linger. Cherry, spicy cedary oak and herb flavors dominate with a touch of tobacco showing with air. Tannins have smoothed out, but still provide support in an elegant way. The wine also threw a bit of sediment. A sophisticated wine thats at peak. A-.
1991 Fisher- Cabernet Sauvignon, Wedding Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Dark ruby color. Really appealing black cherry and chocolate aromas. Quite tannic, but nicely balanced. Deep black fruit, chocolate and light herb flavors. All things seem to be in the right places. A few years are needed to shed some more tannins. A classy wine. Solid A-.
1991 Dominus- Napanook Vineyard, Napa Valley
Dark garnet color. Herb aromas dominate the nose though there is some cherry fruit as well and a whiff of barnyard. Not as rich on the palate as most of the others in this flight. Quite herbal with black cherry flavors. Tannins are a bit too drying. B+.
1991 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Fay Vineyard, Napa Valley
A flawed bottle. Probably bacterial as the wine smelled and tasted like raw sewage.
1991 Dalla Valle- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Garnet/Ruby color. A nice intensity on the nose with black fruit, spicy oak, chocolate and light anise. A decent burst of ripe black cherry, cassis and oak on the palate. However, the tannins are a bit dusty and astringent and theres a bit of stemminess to the wine. Alcohol also shows up a tad too much on the finish. A good wine, but its showing a few faults. B+.
1991 Mount Veeder- Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa Valley
Deep garnet. Lots of chocolate on the nose with rich black cherry, black fruit and a touch of herb. Loads of rich, ripe black fruit on the palate with chocolate, herb and light tobacco as accomplices. Balanced, and seamless with integrated and ready to go tannins. Delicious wine! A.
1991 Newton- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Ruby colored with a lightish nose of cherry liquor, herb and light spice. On the palate, a bit rustic in style and a little clunky, but in a good way. Medicinal cherry flavors with a bit of earth, leather and wood. Tannins are firm and a touch drying. Still, charming in its own way. Low A-.
1991 Silverado Vineyards- Cabernet Sauvignon, Limited Reserve, Napa Valley
Ruby/garnet color. A rather unappealing nose of V8 juice (vegetables and tomatoes) and menthol cherry. Not particularly concentrated on the palate with menthol cherry and herb flavors dominating. Tannic and overall the wine is not particularly well-integrated. B/B-.
1991 Laurel Glen- Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain
Dark Garnet/ruby. Bordeaux-like nose of deep black fruit, wet black earth, and herbs. On the palate, nicely integrated and well balanced. Herb flavors dominate with rich cherry, earth and tobacco. Tannins are firm, but velvety. Finish is nice and smooth. A-.
1991 Justin- Cabernet Blend, Isoceles Reserve, San Louis Obispo County
Dark ruby color. Gorgeous nose of sweet, very ripe black fruit, chocolate, espresso and faint black licorice. Rich and thick on the palate with everything in complete harmony. Tannins are soft and sweet. Loads of thick black fruit, chocolate and integrated oak with a long finish. Heck of a wine! Solid A.
1991 Beaulieu- Cabernet Sauvignon, Private Reserve Georges De Latour, Napa Valley
Ruby color. An elegant and feminine nose of red cherry with menthol, herb and light chocolate. Lightish on the palate with noticeably higher acidity than other wines tried so far. Pleasant red cherry, spice and earthy tobacco flavors. Nice, in a light and elegant style. A-/B+.
1991 Mount Eden- Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vines Reserve, Santa Cruz
Dark garnet with menthol cherry, herbs and charred oak aromas. High acid with relatively light fruit. Pretty disjointed with espresso and cherry flavors. Finish is a bit astringent and none too pleasant. B.
1991 Seavey- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
A very dense, dark ruby color. The wine really clings to the sides of the glass. The nose was rather tight, but lots of swirling brought out rich black fruit, earth, chocolate and sweet oak. On the palate, this is a brooding wine with big tannins that still need plenty of time to unwind. Hidden under the tannins is rich black fruit, anise, chocolate and cedary oak. Excellent wine thats pretty tight and compact at this stage. Patience will be rewarded. A/A-.
1991 Caymus- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Special Selection," Napa Valley
Ruby colored with espresso and rich cherry dominating the nose. On the palate, lots of chocolaty oak with some menthol cherry and light herb. Concentration is pretty good and the tannins are still firm, though theres a bit too much oak showing. A-/B+.
1991 Araujo Estate Wines- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Eisele Vineyard," Napa Valley
Ruby color with a nose of cherry and cedary oak. Acidity is pretty high. Theres some enjoyable cherry and espresso flavors present, but the wine really fades in the mid palate and theres not much on the finish. Possibly in a dumb stage, or simply doesnt have much stuffing. B.
1991 Ferrari-Carano- Reserve Red Proprietary Wine, Sonoma Valley
Ruby/garnet with plenty of herb aromas and red fruit. Mid-weight on the palate and fairly accessible at this stage. Good red fruit with chocolate and herb. Light spicy oak on the finish. A-/B+.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Bonnys Vineyard," Napa Valley
Dark ruby/garnet color. Whoa! Billowing dill aromas completely dominate the nose. Had folks asking where the salmon was. The palate too is dominated by overwhelming dill, though some cherry flavors do manage to be heard from. Simply way too much dill present for this wine to be enjoyable. B/B-.
1991 Philip Togni- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Dark ruby colored with a great Cab nose of black cherry, black fruit, anise, chocolate and herbs. Nicely balanced with noticeable richness. Shows similar flavors as on the nose. Seems more forward than many of the others tried. An excellent and very classy wine . Solid A-.
1991 Ridge- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Monte Bello," Santa Cruz
Dark garnet in color. Reticent nose is dominated mostly by eucalyptus, herb and oak. Mid-weight on the palate with nothing particularly lively or of interest. Enjoyable cherry, herb, earth and cola flavors. Good acidity, but tannins seem fairly soft. Espresso on the finish. A very good wine, but not the most exciting thing in the world. A-/B+.
1991 Chateau Montelena- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Estate," Napa Valley
Dark ruby. Beautiful and opulent nose of rich black fruit, chocolate and anise. Classic Cal Cab on the palate. Richly endowed, well balanced with still very firm tannins. Plenty of black cherry, cassis, chocolate, anise and herbs. Lingering finish. Excellent stuff and what I look for in a Cab. Once the tannins smooth out a bit, the wine will merit a higher score. A/A-.
1991 Joseph Phelps Vineyard- "Insignia" Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley
Garnet in color with medicinal cherry, espresso and herb aromas. A bit mid-weight on the palate with cherry fruit, herbs and a touch of leather. The fruit seems to be fading. While enjoyable, theres not all that much going on and it seems like its on its way south. B+/B.
1991 Conn Creek- Anthology, Napa Valley
Garnet in color with an odd citrus note on the nose with the usual cherry and herb. Quite high in acidity with drying tannins, which is generally not a good combination to have. Light cherry on the palate. Not much here. B/B-.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Garnet/ruby. Smells light. Light cherry, dill/herb and oak. On the palate, light cherry flavors with lots of herb, oak and earth. Acidity is a bit high and the wine seems quite tart, especially on the finish. Not too good. B-.
1991 Robert Mondavi- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Reserve," Napa Valley
Deep ruby color. Lovely, complex nose of dark black currants, black cherry, herbs, black olives and anise. A little lighter on the palate than the nose indicates, but some nice stuff here. Same flavors as on the nose with the addition of chocolate. Manageable tannins for current drinking, though it should age well for a while longer. A-.
1991 Harlan Estate- Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley
Ruby color. Somewhat light, feminine nose of red cherries, spice, herbs and light menthol. Not particularly appealing on the palate as its showing fairly light and acidic with drying, astringent tannins. Menthol, cherry, mint and chocolate flavors. Finish was too dry. B.
1991 Silver Oak- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Ruby/garnet color. Lots of herb on the nose with black fruit and chocolaty oak. Doesnt show much concentration on the palate like flavors as aromas, but theres too much herb and oak here. B-.
1991 Etude- Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Dark ruby color. Wow! Terrific, rich nose of sweet black fruits, chocolate and cigar box. Luscious and intense on the palate with exquisite balance. Seamless and elegant in a blockbuster way. Sweet black fruit and chocolate framed by cigar box and slight herb flavors. Plenty of firm tannins left, but its the fruit that dominates. Long, sweet finish. Really enjoyable. A/A-.
1991 Shafer Vineyards- Cabernet Sauvignon, "Hillside Select," Napa Valley
Deep ruby color with rich black fruit, light chocolate, herb and spicy cedar on the nose. Nicely integrated and balanced on the palate with nice intensity. Similar flavors as on the nose with a long, lingering black fruit and spicy cedar finish. Solid A-.