WTN: Two Cabernets..(short/boring)
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:59 am
Tried these two over the last two days:
1. DallaValleVnyds CabSauv NapaVlly (13.5%; 2.5 tons/acre; 9% CabFranc) 1994: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; very strong herbal/blackcurranty/Cab rather smokey/cedary/oak/toasty slight dusty/loamy bit alcoholic rather old-timey NapaVlly Cab nose; soft rather herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/spicy strong toasty/Fr.oak/smokey some tannic/hard/angular/young flavor; very long strong toasty/charred/smokey/Fr.oak strong blackcurranty/Cab/herbal/licorice finish w/ some tannins; a strong/4-square classic NapaCab that needs more age and not showing much evolution or development; boring as hell. $41.00
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2. Foxen CabSauv MamereVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (EB; 13.5%) 1996: Very dark bit murkey color w/ some browning; very intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/loamy rather Bdx-like very strong minty/menthol/eucalyptus some toasty/charred/smokey/pungent/Fr.oak complex beautiful nose; fairly tart rich/angular intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/earthy/very Bdx-like quite minty/menthol/eucalyptus/koala bear poop charred/smokey/toasty/Fr.oak complex flavor w/ smooth/lush/round/graceful tannins; very long/lingering rich/mouthfilling/angular rather tart very strong charred/burnt/Fr.oak intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/DrPepper rather strong minty/menthol/eucalyptus/pungent complex finish w/ rich/ripe/round/structured tannins; lots of eucalyptus and lots of charred oak and lots of herbal/Cab character w/o straying into vegetal/underripe territory; probably near its peak w/ plenty of youthful vigor; easily the best most complex SB Cab I've ever had w/ some real Bdx-like character and some Languedoc character; terrific Cab and almost enough to make me start drinking Cabernet again. $38.00 (WCFutures)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. SantaBarbaraCab: This was a wine I bought at a WineCask futures tasting (RIP...sniff/sniff). Back then, I was quite taken by its intensity and its powerful eucalyptus character. That's still there. Back then, SantaBarbara Cabs were not very good and ths one stood out like a sore thumb. The Foxen wines of that era always had a pretty strong hit of charred Fr.oak..which I think they've backed off since then. Since then, I've had a fair number of SantaBarbara Cabs, especially from out in the HappyCanyon area, that I've thought were as good as any being made in Calif. SantaBarbaraCnty...it ain't just Syrah anymore.
Tom
1. DallaValleVnyds CabSauv NapaVlly (13.5%; 2.5 tons/acre; 9% CabFranc) 1994: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; very strong herbal/blackcurranty/Cab rather smokey/cedary/oak/toasty slight dusty/loamy bit alcoholic rather old-timey NapaVlly Cab nose; soft rather herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/spicy strong toasty/Fr.oak/smokey some tannic/hard/angular/young flavor; very long strong toasty/charred/smokey/Fr.oak strong blackcurranty/Cab/herbal/licorice finish w/ some tannins; a strong/4-square classic NapaCab that needs more age and not showing much evolution or development; boring as hell. $41.00
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2. Foxen CabSauv MamereVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (EB; 13.5%) 1996: Very dark bit murkey color w/ some browning; very intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/loamy rather Bdx-like very strong minty/menthol/eucalyptus some toasty/charred/smokey/pungent/Fr.oak complex beautiful nose; fairly tart rich/angular intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/earthy/very Bdx-like quite minty/menthol/eucalyptus/koala bear poop charred/smokey/toasty/Fr.oak complex flavor w/ smooth/lush/round/graceful tannins; very long/lingering rich/mouthfilling/angular rather tart very strong charred/burnt/Fr.oak intense herbal/blackcurranty/Cab/DrPepper rather strong minty/menthol/eucalyptus/pungent complex finish w/ rich/ripe/round/structured tannins; lots of eucalyptus and lots of charred oak and lots of herbal/Cab character w/o straying into vegetal/underripe territory; probably near its peak w/ plenty of youthful vigor; easily the best most complex SB Cab I've ever had w/ some real Bdx-like character and some Languedoc character; terrific Cab and almost enough to make me start drinking Cabernet again. $38.00 (WCFutures)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. SantaBarbaraCab: This was a wine I bought at a WineCask futures tasting (RIP...sniff/sniff). Back then, I was quite taken by its intensity and its powerful eucalyptus character. That's still there. Back then, SantaBarbara Cabs were not very good and ths one stood out like a sore thumb. The Foxen wines of that era always had a pretty strong hit of charred Fr.oak..which I think they've backed off since then. Since then, I've had a fair number of SantaBarbara Cabs, especially from out in the HappyCanyon area, that I've thought were as good as any being made in Calif. SantaBarbaraCnty...it ain't just Syrah anymore.
Tom