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WINE REVIEWS & RATINGS
CALIFORNIA
2003
2003 Big Yellow Cab North Coast Cabernet
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Sour cherry and earth tones
Taste: Earth, mild tannins
Finish: Short with no fruit and ends before you can blink
Evaluation: If you like fruit forward wines then this is not for you. 82 points
2003 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: Dark ruby purple
Nose: Plum, earth
Taste: A fruit forward wine which is dominated by its cherry flavors. This wine has some earth tones and smooth tannins.
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: A solid effort for the 03 vintage which is not California’s best as a whole. For $26 I would recommend this wine. 89 points Excelsior Vintage
2003 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum and earth
Taste: Tannic bomb. This needs to be cellared for a minimum of five years.
Finish: Spice and pepper with bitter notes from the overpowering tannins. Also chewy.
Evaluation: I believe this will improve but at the $30 price point hard to buy many. 83 points
2003 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth and tobacco
Taste: A little chunky and dominated by earth tones. Not much detectable fruit at this time.
Finish: Buttery finish that lasted about a minute.
Evaluation: For the price not a good value. The 2003 vintage from California is widely disappointing and unfortunately the prices are not going down because of it. 88 points Hennepin Lake
2003 Louis Martini Sonoma County Cabernet $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Oak and spice
Taste: Oak and spice
Finish: Tannic
Evaluation: Not well made. 78 points
2003 Robert Mondavi Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: Super dark purple
Nose: Earth and spice
Taste: Cherry, plum, buttery notes and spice.
Finish: Plum, earth, medium buttery finish.
Evaluation: This is one of the better Mondavi wines I have tasted in recent years. I believe this has a chance to improve three or four points with proper cellaring. 89 points
2003 Charles Krug Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: dark ruby red
Nose: Oak, earth tones, ripe fruit
Taste: Buttery, oak, earth
Finish: Multi layered finish with many elements coming together.
Evaluation: A well made wine with a variety of flavors throughout the tasting process. 88 points
2003 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Cabernet
Color: Super dark purple
Nose: Earth, some heat with a touch of spice
Taste: A little chewy with earth, spice and a little acidic.
Finish: Medium finish with a simple finish of mostly earth tones.
Evaluation: Purchased on sale for $12.99 and worth buying and seller a few to see if age improves this wine. 86 points currently.
2003 Flora Springs Napa Valley Cabernet
Color: Purple
Nose: Cherry, earth, tannins evident but not overpowering after decanting
Taste: Earth, spice, pepper and cherry.
Finish: Spice with a multi layered finish with earth notes.
Evaluation: A well made wine that should improve with two to three years of cellaring. 86 points
2003 Franciscan Oakville Estate Napa Valley Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Tannins, oak
Taste: Earth, tannins, oak, vanilla
Finish: Medium with tannins, oak and earth
Evaluation: Not their best effort. 83 points
2003 Lis Neris Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: med purple
Nose: earth
Taste: tannic and bitter
Finish: tannic
Evaluation: 73 points
2003 Jeff Runquist Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, spice
Taste: Earth, some fruit, pepper
Finish: Little tannic with earth and spice
Evaluation: Not as impressive as his syrah, zin and petite sirah 86 points
2003 Martin Ray Stag's Leap District Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, oak, spice
Taste: Buttery notes and oak, spice, vanilla, integrated tannins
Finish: medium with oak, integrated tannins and a buttery finish
Evaluation: 87 points
2003 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, raspberry
Taste: Oak, vanilla, cherry, raspberry
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: Over priced!!! 86 points
2003 Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, oak, tannic
Taste: A nice blend of oak, spice and earth with somewhat strong tannins (decant a few hours)
Finish: Medium with oak, vanilla, spice and earth lingering into a buttery note
Evaluation: A well made 03. 87 points
2003 Robert Young Scion Alexander Valley $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, plum, cherries
Taste: Spice, oak, vanilla, floral
Finish: Buttery and tannic with cherries, vanilla, floral Evaluation: Solid for an 03 90 points
2004
2004 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge Napa Valley $$$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Blackberries, pepper, cherry
Taste: Wow with blackberries, cherry, subtle spices, medium tannins
Finish: Super concentrated with a long finish
Evaluation: This is wow wine that is one of the best values in America 96 points
2004 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge Napa Valley $$$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Vibrant with coffee, spice, cherry and floral
Taste: Spice, cherry, coffee, floral, blackberries
Finish: Medium and concentrated. This wine is perfectly balanced
Evaluation: One of the best reds I have had from California 95 points
2004 Anderson's Conn Valley Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Cherry, spice, earth
Taste: Powerful wine with cherry, plum, spices, coffee, oak, vanilla
Finish: Super concentration
Evaluation: Another great effort 94 points
2004 Bennett Lane Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, blackberry, cinnamon, spice, oak
Taste: Oak, cherry, cinnamon, blackberry, medium tannins
Finish: Cinnamon, spice, wood, plum, blackberry, crushed rock
Evaluation: Cellar for 5 plus years. 90 points
2004 Buehler Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, oak, vanilla, earth
Taste: Big wine with dark fruit, plum, oak, vanilla
Finish: Medium to long with spice, dark fruits, and well integrated tannins
Evaluation: A great buy at $30. 91 points
2004 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Blueberry, blackberry, vanilla
Taste: Plum, blackberry, vanilla
Finish: A little tannic so cellar with vanilla and chocolate
Evaluation: A really good wine that will improve. 92 points
2004 Chappellet Signature Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Plum, oak, grape jelly, vanilla, crushed rock, violets
Taste: Plum, violet, crushed rock, cinnamon, oak, integrated tannins
Finish: Violets, crushed rock, oak, vanilla, on this lengthy finish
Evaluation: Cellar!!! On day one this wine was an 88. After 2 days it flourished. Cellar for 5 years and you will be rewarded. 92 points
2004 Chimney Rock Stags Leap Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, black fruit
Taste: Thick and sweet fruits along with cinnamon, blackberries, and earth
Finish: Medium with sweet cherries, mineral, and blackberries
Evaluation: Well made but price is a little high. 88 points
2004 Cliff Lede Napa Valley Claret $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, earth, chocolate
Taste: A rich taste with oak, vanilla, chocolate, spice and mild tannins
Finish: Spice, oak, and vanilla which weaves into a buttery finish
Evaluation: A nice wine with a earth forward approach. 90 points
2004 Dynamite Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, oak
Taste: Oak, vanilla, earth, mild tannins
Finish: Medium with oak, vanilla, earth, and tannins present
Evaluation: This is an earth forward wine with nice flavor. 86 points
2004 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, vanilla, earth
Taste: Tobacco, oak, vanilla, smooth tannins
Finish: Long finish with oak, tobacco, vanilla, smooth tannins
Evaluation: The best Franciscan I have tasted in a while. 88 points
2004 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cherry, floral
Taste: Mineral, spice, cherry and floral
Finish: Medium and balanced. Drinking well right now
Evaluation: 90 points
2004 Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth
Taste: Tannic and earth
Finish: Short to medium with earth and tannins
Evaluation: Hess is struggling in my opinion to produce a quality wine year in and year out. 81 points
2004 Hestan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Meyer Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/5/2010)
Heat on the nose. Cherry, spice, and oak dominate the wine. Tannic and needs some time to soften. Medium finish. (87 pts.)
2004 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Black currants, red pepper, spice
Taste: Red Pepper, spice, mineral notes
Finish: Low tannins for an 04 along with a medium earth dominated finish
Evaluation: Not the most balanced wine but a good everyday value. 87 points
2004 Larkmead Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, cherry, spice, oak, vanilla
Taste: Great fruit and earth combo.
Finish: Medium with spice, cinnamon, oak, cherry, and mineral
Evaluation: Stellar wine. 93 points
2004 Luna Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, spice, smoke
Taste: Currants with smoke, earth and spice
Finish: Medium and complex
Evaluation: Solid Napa Cab 91 points
2004 Lyeth Sonoma Cabernet $$
Color: Dark
Nose: Tannic, wood
Taste: Wood, tannic, some fruit
Finish: Dirt, short
Evaluation: 76 points
2004 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Intense with earth, tobacco, some currants
Taste: Earth, tobacco, leather, medium tannins
Finish: Earth, tobacco, leather
Evaluation: Earth Forward wine that needs some cellar time. 88 points
2004 Ramey Napa Valley Claret
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Ripe currants featuring cherry
Taste: Spice, oak, not much fruit
Finish: Medium with a spicy note
Evaluation: Decant a few hours should open this up more. 89 points
2004 Ramey Pedregal Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, smoke, prunes, tannins present
Taste: Quite tannic with spice, crushed rock, with buttery elements emerging
Finish: Complex finish with spice, crushed rock, buttery elements. LONG
Evaluation: This is a very balanced wine that needs cellar time. Should be outstanding in 10 years. 92 points
2004 Ramey Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Subtle nose with earth and spice
Taste: Spice, sweet fruit emerging, earth
Finish: Medium with a rich combination of spice and earth notes
Evaluation: Another Ramey wine that needs to be cellared and it should improve. 90 points
2004 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Red pepper, oak, spice
Taste: Oak, tannic, red pepper, spice,
Finish: Oak, cinnamon, spice, little tannic on this medium finish that ends with a buttery note.
Evaluation: Needs some cellar time. Currently 85 points
2004 Sebastiani Alexander Valley Cabernet $$$
Color: Dark Purple
Nose: Earth, plum, cherry
Taste: Plum, earth, spice, medium tannins
Finish: Plum, earth, spice
Evaluation: Well made overall. 87 points
2004 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Cherry
Taste: Cherry, plum, vanilla
Finish: Medium and really oaky
Evaluation: Over priced!!! 86 points
2004 Sterling "SVR" Napa Valley Reserve $$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Oak, plum, earth
Taste: Good concentration with a balance of fruit and earth
Finish: Medium and a bit tannic
Evaluation: Solid wine 89 points
2004 Wattle Creek Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, plum, spice
Taste: Oak, plum, vanilla, spice
Finish: Oak, plum, and vanilla
Evaluation: Solid everyday wine. 85 points
2004 Robert Young Scion Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$ April 09
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spices, coffee, cherry, floral
Taste: A mouthful of concentration featuring spices, cherry, raspberries, floral, mineral
Finish: Medium and starts out intense but settles down quickly. A little dust on the end of this one
Evaluation: A solid wine with some aging potential 92 points
2004 Robert Young Scion Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $$$$ July 09
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Oak, vanilla, spice, cherry
Taste: Oak, vanilla, spice, cherry, plums
Finish: Medium tannins and a lot of life left in these bottles. Very concentrated wine
Evaluation: This wine is really showing well now but expect more in years to come 93 points