Twin Cities Wine Tasting with John Glas
Host your own wine tasting with John Glas

 

Twin Cities Wine Club Presents

US Cabernet Sauvignons

January 28, 2006

 

Sixteen of us gathered in Edina for this blind tasting.  This was the first Twin Cities Wine Club Event and it was a huge success.  The results are listed below and the wines of the night are at the end.

 

2001 Atalon Napa Valley Cabernet $$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Black currants especially cherry and plum

Taste:  Velvet taste with nice currants

Finish:  Medium smooth finish.  Mild tannins.

Evaluation:  Drink now.  A solid effort and sells for around $25.  89 points

 

1976 B. V. Vineyards George’s LaTour

Color:  Orange with sediment floating in the glass

Nose:  Bell pepper and water

Taste:  Thin with bell pepper

Finish:  Water and bell pepper

Evaluation:  Not stored correctly as some of these wines are drinking well today.  Always store at 55 degrees with 80% humidity.

 

2002 Seavey Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, plum and other currants

Taste:  Nice balance wine with some tannins along with plum, cherry and earth

Finish:  Long impressive finish

Evaluation:  This wine should improve with proper storage but at this time was in an

infant stage.  90 to 92 points

 

2001 Hogue Reserve Columbia Valley $$$

Color:  Red

Nose:  Cherry and other currants

Taste:  Earth along with distinct cherry flavors

Finish:  Nice medium finish with nice structure

Evaluation:  Satisfying wine that should be consumed in a few years or less.  89 points

 

2000 Sherwin Family Vineyards Spring Mountain District $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Tobacco and earth

Taste:  Earth elements dominate with tobacco and forest floor

Finish:  Very long complex finish

Evaluation:  Wine of the Night at our Twin Cities Wine Club’s January Cabernet Event

90- 93 points

 

2000 L’Ecole Columbia Valley Cabernet $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Tobacco and smoke (impressive)

Taste:  Did not match up with the taste as it was watered down with earth elements

Finish:  Short finish

Evaluation:  80 points

 

1999 Mondavi Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet $$$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, oak and it was powerful

Taste:  Earth, oak and medium tannins

Finish:  Medium finish with a little bit on the watery side.  Oak and earth dominating here

Evaluation:  A well made wine. 89 points

 

1999 Columbia Crest Reserve Columbia Valley Cabernet $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Plum, cherry and oak

Taste:  Licorice, plum and smooth tannins

Finish:  Long finish with currant and oak interweaving in this complex wine

Evaluation:  An incredible value and one of the best Cabernets I have tasted. 93 points

 

2001 Simi Landslide Sonoma County Cabernet $$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth and cherry

Taste:  Earth and a little watered down

Finish:  Short with earth

Evaluation:  Not what I expected from this normal steady producer.  The wine seemed to be out of sorts and I would say cellar for a few years and hope it comes around.  80 points

 

2003 Steltzner Napa Valley Cabernet $$$

Color:  Medium red

Nose:  Mint and currant

Taste:  Mint, smoke and plum

Finish:  Medium finish with above elements intermixing into a medium finish

Evaluation:  This was a nice full bodied wine that I would recommend from a weak 03 California Vintage.  89 points

 

1997 Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley Cabernet $$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Cherry and oak

Taste:  Light oak flavors along with plum and cherry

Finish:  Raspberry and earth in this balanced wine

Evaluation:  A great age worthy wine that does not cost a lot around $18 today.  89 points

 

1997 Summit Lake Emily’s Kestrel Howell Mountain Cabernet $$$

Color:  Light red

Nose:  Light oak

Taste:  Earth and mint

Finish:  Short finish

Evaluation:  Might be past its prime 80 points

 

2002 Flora Springs Trilogy Bordeaux Blend $$$$

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Cherry and earth

Taste:  Sweet fruit, smoke and earth

Finish:  Well integrated wine with nice elements combining together into a long finish

Evaluation:  One of the highest ratings I gave a Cabernet based wine in 2006.  94 points

 

2002 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Regular Cabernet $$$$

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Earth

Taste:  Strong earth components with no fruit detected

Finish:  Earth dominated

Evaluation:  For those who enjoy earth dominate wines this is for you.  85 points

 

Wines of the Night

 

Each participant figured out their top three wines of the night.  They gave three points for first, two for second and one for third.  We added the totals and the results were:

 

1.  2000 Sherwin Family Vineyard Trent 9 points

2.  2002 Flora Springs Trilogy Tim 8 points

3.  Chateau Montelena John 6 points

4.  Columbia Crest Reserve Eric 5 points

5.  Simi Landslide Carol 4 points

 

A great evening was had by all.