Wine tasting on May 28, 2010

As you may recall, some of us were blaming our venue for wines tasting excessively oaky because of a bad oak miasma leaking off the furniture. Uncle-E graciously invited us to his place for this Friday wine tasting. Although in the middle of moving, Piroca made an appearance-- what dedication. Present were our core members, Uncle-E, the host, Uncle-N, Prioca, Winepath and Jimmy. We blind tasted 6 wines; one was uncorked early in the day and decanted carefully several hours before the tasting by Uncle-E. All of the wines were wonderful and "NOT" too oaky which appears to add some credence to this wacky theory of the oak miasma. We are all grateful for Uncle E's hospitality and letting us taste 3 wonderful and rare wines from his vast collection (after I left, the rest were to taste Bordeaux, someone, please add the entry for this one).

1. Vilafonte Series M Paarl South African Bordeaux bend 2004, score=3

This wine sported a red wrapping tissue. It was further wrapped in sheets of white paper with the red tissue paper streaming off from the neck like a red scarf flapping in the wind providing a nice effect. Color is nice dark ruby/garnet. Nose has slight sweaty foot kind of funk but not the basement and mouldy smell of a classic Bordeaux. Palate is well balanced and controlled with predominant black fruit with herbal notes especially mint, roasted red meat and mushroom leading to well integrated smooth tannin. Nice mouth feel. Our tasters really liked this wine. Tempranillo was mentioned but the majority of us thought this had to be Bordeaux. Jimmy said this is a Bordeaux blend but not from Bordeaux and suggested possible California origin. Although initially reluctant, even Uncle-E conceded that this could be Bordeaux. This happened to be from Paarl, South African Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon 36%, Merlot 31%, Cabernet franc 8%, Malbec 25%).

91 points By Wine Enthusiast (3/1/2008)
"Zelma Long’s tradition of excellence continues with the Series M: Its deep chocolate, cinnamon and berry aromas and full, complex waves of delicious fruit and spice are exactly what a Bordeaux blend should be. Restrained but memorable, the wine has firm structure and will age beautifully."  - S.K.

91 points By Wine Spectator (Mar 31, 2007)
"Ripe and juicy, yet restrained and pure, with a fine minimality leading the way for spice cake, fig, raspberry and briar notes. The long, supple finish is carried by the fine structure. Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2008. 1,764 cases made."–JM

90 points By Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, (Mar/Apr 07)
"Bright ruby-red. Sexy aromas of musky redcurrant and spicecake. Dense, lush, broad and dry but distinctly laid-back today and in need of a bit of cellaring. Intriguing note of fruitcake. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and noteworthy persistence."

2. Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, score=2+

Color is nicely dark garnet. Nose has perfume and a hint of cracked black pepper. Palate has a fruit forward initial taste of fruit laced with vanilla leading to well controlled tannin leaving a sweet after taste. It has some acidic kick at the end but good lingering finish. Our consensus was California Cab.

"After giving the 2004 Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon an additional year and half of bottle age, winemaker Jeff Hansen finally decided to release this exceptional wine in October, 2008. And, the additional time really helped, allowing this rich puppy to evolve and open up to show its true depth of character. Deeply colored, the nose is loaded with cassis, currants, blackberries and espresso notes, which is underscored by mild toasty tones. In the mouth, you will be treated to an expansive, hugely complex, multi-dimensional cabernet, with well-integrated, silky tannins, tons of structure and a finish that refuses to quit. Although, with airing, you will be able to enjoy this Gem near-term, it will easily age 7- to 12-plus years. This is probably the best valued cabernet on the market." (Jim Barr, K&L Wine Merchants)

3. Steltzner Malbec 2006, score=2+

Color is dark garnet without any purple hue. Nose has burned popcorn and some Jus de Viande. Palate is fruit forward leading to rather big and firm tannin with some bitterness at the end. Acidity was there but not too intrusive. We all thought this was California Cab but this turned out to be California 100% Malbec. This is a limited production by Steltzner. I do not think we ever tasted California Malbec. It is interesting that this Malbec did not have any purple hue and the acidity was much less than usual Argentinian Malbec.

From Dean and Deluca Web site
"The only Stags Leap District Malbec in Napa Valley, Steltzner Vineyards continues to produce this varietal because of the vineyard's ability to produce malbec high enough in quality to bottle on its own. This offering comes from their 1.4 acre Malbec vineyard on the eastern foothills of the Vaca Mountains. The Steltzner's are true believers that the cool evening breezes from the San Pablo bay combined with the eastern exposure make for the ideal grape-growing climate. USA"

4. Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon "Poetry" 2006, score=3+~4

Color is dark and nice. Nose is classic cab nose. Upfront black fruit laced with caramel, chocolate, toasted almond and a hint of espresso coffee leading to nicely crafted firm tannin. One said long and one said short finish so I assume the finish is average. Our consensus was again Cali cab, rather high-end. We all like this one.

94 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (December 2008)
"Even better is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry. A 969-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot, this wine has sweet tannins, a big, rich kiss of blackberry and creme de cassis interwoven with subtle smoke, graphite, and loamy soil undertones. The wine has gorgeous purity, full-bodied flavors, elegance, and finesse. Like great cuisine, it offer tremendous intensity of flavor without any sense of heaviness or weight. Drink it over the next 20+ years"

About the Winery Poetry (Cliff Lede)
"One of the new up-and-coming wineries in Stags Leap is Cliff Lede, run by the proprietor of the same name and his winemaker Michelle Edwards. (None other than superstar David Abreu is the viticulturalist, and this is another place where Michel Rolland makes his semi-annual stop for consulting purposes.) 2006 turned out to be very successful for the wines of Cliff Lede, all displaying the elegance one expects from the Stags Leap region, but with substantial flavors as well as intensity"

5. Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3+~4

This one was uncorked in the morning and decanted for several hours by Uncle-E. Color is nice garnet. Nose has some slight funk but has lilac flower, mint licorice with mineral dusts. Palate is rather complex with well-controlled black fruit with mint, tobacco and black tea leading to rather big and firm tannin and lingering long finish. We wondered if this was Italian, possibly super Tuscan, California Merlot and just because Uncle-E served this, French (Bordeaux)?? This turned out to be 07 Quilceda creek, and is one of the rare wines from Washington states which we like.

According to Robert Parker:
"In 1990, in Issue 69, after tasting a complete vertical of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, I wrote that the winery was producing Washington’s (and possibly America’s) finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Little has changed in the intervening years. The winery has been upgraded and the portfolio has been expanded, while quality remains at the summit. As a postscript, I was able to taste barrel samples of the 2007 collection. The Golitzins describe it as an 'exceptional vintage' a conclusion that I cannot dispute." (10/09)

6. Booker "The Ripper" Grenache 2008, score=2+

Uncle E gave us this Bonus wine but he used a Quilceda Creek bottle as a decoy bottle since the Booker bottle has a sloped shoulder. Color is a bit lighter than our usual suspects but not transparent like Pinot. Nose has sour bread or spoiled milk notes but not unpleasant. Palate is predominantly red fruit with rather sweet aftertaste leading to mild soft tannin. We thought this was a Rhone blend if not from Rhone. Although there was no strawberry nose, we suspected grenache as being the main grapes rather than syrah.

This is rather unusual wine from Paso Robles.

92 points - Robert Parker
"Lastly, the 2006 Ripper (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah) is a sexy Paso Robles Chateauneuf du Pape look-alike. Licorice, roasted Provencal herbs, kirsch liqueur, and creme de cassis characteristics emerge from this broad, concentrated, intensely flavored effort. Full body along with stunning opulence, purity, and length suggest this beauty will drink well for 6-8 years. Sadly, fewer than 150 cases were produced."

"This wine shows beautiful sweet black cherry and cassis but has a finish of some traditional Grenache flavors like strawberry and kirsch with some gorgeous oak integration. Not near as over the top as the '05, this wine should pair well with food and satisfy New World and Old World fans alike. Like most grenache, I feel they are far superior in their first 5 years."

Wine tasting on May 21, 2010

We had an attendance of all the usual suspects and then some. Present were Uncles E and N, Piroca, Jimmy, and Winepath with a special guest appearance of Uncle-OZ. We blind tasted 6 wines; all of them were rather decent. One was presented without a cover and was simply enjoyed as a celebration of sorts. Again some of us complained about the venue. In their opinion, the furniture in the room exudes bad oak miasmas which make all the wines taste too oaky. I am not sold on this rather particular theory.

1. Abelis Carthago "Lui Selection" Castilla Leon Red 2005, Score=2+

This one came in a tall skinny and dark bottle. Color is dark garnet. Nose shows perfume, black cherry and smells like cab (by Winepath). The tasters also felt it was highly alcoholic by the nose. Palate has well-controlled black fruit featuring plum and black cherry with a hint of sweetness leading to well integrated tannin and citrus acidity to finish. Some felt that some bitterness remained on the palate. Some thought that this had a Malbec or Grenache component. Spanish with Garnacha, Cali Cab were suggested. This turned out to be 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) from Castilla Leon, Spain.

90 points by By Jay Miller of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate # 183 (Jun 2009):
 "The 2005 Lui Selection spent nine months in French oak. It offers up a nose of mineral, spice box, coffee, incense, and blackberry. Full-bodied and plush on the palate, it has plenty of ripe, savory black fruit, licorice, and Asian spice notes. Nicely balanced, this lengthy effort will evolve for 2-3 years and drink well from 2011 to 2020. Abelis Carthago is a tiny estate in Toro producing around 2000 cases annually from estate grown Tinta de Toro vines, most of which are ungrafted and over 100 years of age. Importer: Jane Delaney, The Ravensvale Group, Naples, FL; tel. (800) 580-0052"

By ravensvale.com
"The family who produces the Lui and William wines have been growing grapes in Toro for generations. They are a small family owned artisan winery located in the prestigious "pago" of Cascajera in the heart of Toro. The production of these handcrafted wines is very small with less then 2,000 cases produced annually. All fruit is estate grown on their 40 acres which is divided into small plots in Toro. The family owned vineyards are planted on the banks of the River Duero in gravel and limestone soils. The vines are ungrafted, many of which are more than 100 years old. The vines are taken care of by the family in the same way their ancestors did, without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. All organic matter is reused and the soil is plowed without machines. The vines are hand pruned and all grapes are handpicked.
The wines from Toro are brimming with tradition. Their origins date back to before the settlements of the Romans. The main grape of Toro is called Tinta de Toro, a synonym of Tempranillo, which produces some of Spain’s finest red wines. Old Tinta de Toro vineyards, planted with only about 1,000 vines per hectare (ha) account for 65% of the region’s vines. The rest is high quality old vine Garnacha and the white grapes, Malvasía and Verdejo. Most of Toro’s vineyards are planted at 600 to 750 meters above sea level. The climate is sunny and dry, the region gets only about half the annual rainfall of Bordeaux, but the vineyards are dry farmed, not irrigated. The soils around Toro are well-drained and often sandy, an environment not hospitable to the phylloxera bug and as a result, most vines are not grafted onto American rootstock."

2. Slipstream Shiraz/ Grenache McLaren Vale 2005, Score=3~3+

This one came in a sloped shoulder bottle but because of several recent "decoy" bottle incidents, our tasters were careful not to be influenced by the bottle's shape. Color is very dark. Nose has some mineral note, plum and cherry laced with vanilla and spiced toasted oak/cedar. Nice nose. Palate is front loaded with fruit; plum black cherry with a jus de viande note leading to rather mild tannin. Uncle-E was firm that this was Aussie Shiraz. Others thought this could be Cali Cab in a decoy bottle. This turned out to be Slipstream Shiraz. May I offer an ancient saying I just made up; "A suspicious mind clouds good judgement".

90 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate):

"Sexy and flamboyant, the 2005 Shiraz/Grenache (72% and 28% respectively)was created by three winemakers - Ben Riggs, Reid Bosward, and Stephen Pannell. A Fabulous value, it offers gorgeous notes of raspberries, licorice, garrigue, and sweet cherries. This elegant, medium-bodied wine exhibits loads of fruit, character, and personality. It should drink well for 5-6 years."

Reportedly, ST gave 91 (can't confirm).

3. Musella Amarone 2003, Sore=2+

The color is dark with some brown hue. Nose has a slight sewer note with a "brown sugar coated" candle wax (how did our tasters came up with this?). Palate has some black fruit with raisin and port-like sweetness leading to well-integrated tannin and slight bitter after taste. Despite some sewer smell, we judged this not to be Bordeaux. Raisin and port-like character led us to discuss the possibility of Amarone but in the end, we strayed to the thought that this could be a Cab maybe from Argentina or Chile. This was indeed Amarone which we tasted before.

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Members of the Pasqua family bought this historic property (with an adorable bed & breakfast) and founded a new wine estate in 1995. Since then, Musella has emerged as one of the best Amarone producers outside the Classico zone. This wine delivers incredible intensity and purity of aromas: Distinct notes of coffee, cherry and roasted nut comprise a compact and clean presentation. It’s chewy, sweet with a velvety, soft texture in the mouth."

4. BV Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2006, Score=2+

Color is dark garnet. Nose is pleasant with some minerals. Palate has nice upfront fruit, mostly black fruit with some vanilla note ending in nice well-integrated tannin. Pleasant enough wine. We thought this was a classic Cali Cab.

Wine Spectator 88 Points
"There's plenty of up-front earthy currant, sage, anise and blackberry fruit in this full-bodied red, which shows touches of spice, black olive and sage, ending with integrated tannins that give this a tapered finish. Drink now through 2015. 30,750 cases made.–JL"

5. Valsacro Dioro Rioja 2001, Score=2

Color is dark brown/garnet. Nose has some sweaty feet notes but this is not too strong initially. Palate is bit austere but with some black fruit with coffee (espresso) component and chocolate leading to firm tannin and crisp acidity in the back end. After some air time, the nose became a bit strong to me but others did not mind it as much as I did. This turned out to be Rioja. I thought the label looks familiar. We tasted this before. At that time, we did not like this wine at all and gave a score of 1. This is what we said then;

"The nose is most unpleasant with sulfa, "fecal", rubber and some herbal note (cut grass), in another word, smell of dog poop in your cluttered backyard with old tires piled up in the corner after mowing. Austere palate with tastes of tannin and acid. Not much fruits. The nose turned off many of us. This wine is made from 50% tempranillo, 40% grenacha (grenache or garnacha ---- so many different spelling), and 10% from mazuela (carignan)."

Did our taste change or the previous bottle was stored in Uncle E's bath room. (He said this one was stored in his garage cellar).

We all enjoyed "The maiden 2005" which is a cerebration of sort for Piroca.

Wine tasting on May 14, 2010

For a change we had a full attendance of our regulars; Uncle-E, Uncle-N, Jimmy, Piroca and Winepath. I was a bit under the weather and none of the wines tasted particularly good to me but that was because I could not really taste well; I had a metallic taste in my mouth. Despite this, as dedicated as I am, I am recording our proceedings of the event. We (except me, I guess) tasted 5 wines. All were decent (as per other tasters).

1. D'Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Score=2+

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose has prominent cedar and a hint of mint. Palate is a bit muted with black fruit laced with herbal and medicinal components ending in rather rough hewn tannin leaving a lingering "bitter" taste. In addition, there is a rather strong acidic component with lemon and grapefruit notes. Malbec+Cab (from Argentina), California Cab were among those mentioned. Although I was not tasting well, it was a disappointment to me as well. I was expecting much more. This is D'Arenberg's  "The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006". We, in general, like D'Arenberg; their Dead arm Sihraz to Laughing Magpie. Certainly we do not agree with the high scores  that the wine experts gave.

95 pints By Jeremy Oliver:
"Full-bodied, rich, gutsy wine overflowing with blackcurrant fruit, cassis and tannins; good oak sustains the long finish"
Date Tasted: Mar 08

93+ point By Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The saturated purple 2006 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, vanilla, cinnamon, black cherry, and black currant. Impressively structured and well-balanced, this dense Cabernet demands 6-8 years of cellaring after which it will drink beautifully from 2016 to 2036. D’Arenberg has been owned and operated by the Osborn family since its inception in 1912. The portfolio, with a focus on the Rhone varieties, is wide ranging and value-oriented from top to bottom. The winery produces a bevy of value priced reds and whites that were reviewed in Issue 178. They should not be overlooked. At the higher end of the portfolio there is one white wine on which to report. Importer: Gavin Speight, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA."

2. Asterisk Red by Sloan 2005, score=3+

Color has a definite brown tinge. Nose has very nice black cherry with dusty minerals, crushed rock notes. Palate is well-controlled black fruit laced with caramel leading to firm big tannin. I tasted an unpleasant after taste (but this is just me in my less-than optional physical condition).
We thought that this is a High-end Cali cab. One suggested this could be Harlan (wishful thinking). Because of the brown tinge and rather muted fruit, we thought of older vintages--maybe 1998-2001 but this turned out to be the second label of the cult wine "Sloan". We do not know what is in it. Just said "red wine" which even we can tell it is. Although I searched extensively, I was not able to find any information about the content of this wine. I assume this is a Bordeaux blend. My guess is that this is more of the right bank style with Merlot, Cab sauv and Cab frank but whoever is in-the-know, please inform us.

The tasters except for Piroca (who brought this) were not as impressed as we should be. The cultivated cult status certainly helps to hype this wine (their web site does not contain any useful information except for putting your name on their waiting list.) Among us, Piroca and Grasshopper are more into cult wines and probably in a lesser degree, Uncle-E. We were, however, very fortunate to taste this cult wine.

3. Stephen and walker zinfandel 2005, Score=2+

Color is nicely dark garnet. Nose has pleasant perfumey and fragrant notes. Palate is a bit simple but nice mixed red and black cherries leading to nicely integrated tannin. Very pleasant wine. Piroca was very sharp and said this was Zin and he was right. This is a Winepath's Dry creek estate neighbour's wine.

From the Winery:
"This Zinfandel grows on the hills above the valley floor on West Dry Creek Road in Dry Creek Valley just west of Healdsburg.  The wine is very concentrated and has dense fruit flavors complemented by smoky oak aromas and flavors.  The wine was aged in small French and American oak barrels for 15 months prior to bottling."

Winemaker’s Notes:
"Voluptuous and rich dark berry fruit, with generous flavors of smoky oak and chocolate truffle, over subtle notes of plum and tangerine."

4. Beau Vigne Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3-

Color is dark garnet. Nose is very pleasant with cassis and licorice. Palate is loaded with fruit especially black cherry and has a sweet taste in its back end leading into well-integrated tannin. Well-balanced wine and we liked it but the sweetness (not a residual sugar sweet, though) may be a bit too much. This is cab sauv from Napa. We are not familiar with Beau Vigne Vinayrd but this is a nice effort.

93 points by Robert Parke:
"A very good value in top-flight Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is Beau Vigne’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Juliet. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, it exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to abundant amounts of creme de cassis and floral characteristics, full-bodied power, supple tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a long, savory finish. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years". (Dec 2009)

From the winery:
"This Reserve has smooth pointed entry of black currant, black cherry, and creme de cassis, backed by tobacco leaf and cocoa notes. Offering a complex harmony of flavors and aromas. Nicely structures tannins lead to a full 60 second finish. Drink 2010 - 2018 Winemaker: Dave Phinney  |  Production: 700 Cases  |  Alc. 16.3% By Vol."

5. Outpost "The other" Petite Sirah 2006, score=3

Color is very dark with a purple hue. Nose is very pleasant. Palate is full of black fruit especially black raspberry (as per Piroca) with a faint sweet aftertaste leading to firm big tannin. Somebody mentioned (?Winepath) that it had a "Jabuticaba" taste as well. Very nice wine. Because of the purple hue, we thought of P. Verdot or P. Syrah and mentioned that this is not tannic enough to be P. Verdot. We were right, this turned out to be P. Syrah from Outpost, Napa, Howell Mountain region, a very small production wine.

90 points by Robert Parker:

"Outpost has not overlooked one of the most underrated varietals in California, Petite Sirah. Their 2006 Petite Sirah The Other is a massive, broodingly backward, foreboding purple-colored, dense wine that reveals scary levels of concentration and extract. It should be forgotten for 5-8 years, and should provide gorgeous drinking for 20-25 years thereafter. This beautiful 40-acre estate (19 of which are under vine) high on Howell Mountain enjoys a sensational view of Napa Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. The renowned Thomas Brown is the winemaker. There are only around 300+ cases of the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and significantly less of the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard.", Issue #180, December 2008.

Winery Notes:
"Creating wines that express a unique sense of place is part art, part science - and pure passion. All Outpost wines are handcrafted onsite at our winery from estate grown fruit. While our primary focus is on Zinfandel, an all-American varietal, we also produce limited quantities of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Grenache. Outpost wines are distinctively spicy, with strong hints of black and white pepper and brambly mountain fruit, with a power and complexity in keeping with Howell Mountain's reputation for producing 'big California reds'.

Release Date=March 2009;Appellation=Howell Mountain elev. 2200 feet above the Napa Valley floor; Winemaker=Thomas Rivers Brown; Varietal composition=100% Petite Sirah, all from our estate; Production=185 cases;Alcohol=15.3%;Cooperage=50% new French oak barrels 50% 1 year-old French oak barrels."

Friday Night Tastings, May 7, 2010

Only three of the usual Uncles were present: Piroca, Jimmy and Winepath. Uncles N and E were away at meetings. we tasted 4 wines tonight, all pretty good.

The first one was thought to be a cabernet from California. Color was dark, but tasted a bit thin and had an acidic finish. 'Cedary' according to Piroca, with a little cherry. Uncle Jimmy thought that it was a Sonoma wine. It turned out to be a Napa Merlot, by Clos Pegase. A 2+.

Vanilla nose, chocolate. Better than the previous wine (this diagnosis did not last long). A cab or cab blend; with a fairly long finish, quite drinkable. Turned out to the Columbia Crest cabernet sauvginon from Washington state. Pretty good for the price, a 2+ to 3.

An "Italian wine" (Winepath); A good "cab nose" . Slightly funky nose, bitter first impression. However, the consensus was a cabernet from California. Quite pleasant, not much fruit forward; slight asphalt, muddy rock, a touch of cedar and stable. Turned out to be Newton, a Napa Cali cab, deserves a 3.pr

Now this was a great wine; probably a California cab. Thyme, with Bordeaux nose (without the necessary funk), spice box, slight after-rain dust, heavy cassis, lavender and rosemary (without her baby). This could be acceptable on a daily basis as our vin de la maison. Trouble is, our maison may not be able to support the habit, this being the Maiden 2006. Wonderful, a 3+ to 4.

Wine tasting on April 30, 2010

There was a small tasting last week but the scribe was not there and the backup scribe opted out--so no post for that tasting. I was told "Merus" was tasted and grasshopper made an appearance. This was the last tasting of April. Present were Unlce-N, Winepath, Jimmy and Piroca and we blind tasted 4 wines. Three were very nice, but one did not even resemble wine and warranted a "minus" score for the first time in our blog history.

1. Baer Winery  Ursa  Columbia Valley  Bordeaux Blend 2006, score=2+~3
This one came in a tall skinny bottle. Color is dark garnet but lighter than our usual suspects. The color immediately produced such reactions as "may be Grenache or even Pinot, but the bottle shape was wrong for Pinot". Nose is very pleasent with perfume and citrus. Some felt it has a "cab" nose. No funk. Palate is well controlled. Mix of black and red fruits up front with black fruit predominating such as black cherry and blue berry leading to nice well-integrated tannin. No strong oak derived taste and the wine is well balanced. Decent lingering finish. Our tasters could not figure out the grapes or regions well. Merlot, Cali Cab (from Sonoma or Paso robles -why this specific??) were mentioned. This is from Washington sate, Columbia valley. To me, this wine is how right bank Bordeaux should taste--without funk. Some of us liked this one better than the #2 wine below.  Our linguistic expert, Winepath, indicated "Ursa" is "bear" in Latin which is a word play on the name of the winery, obviously. We ususally do not like red wines from Washington state or Oregon but this is a good one that we all liked.

91 points By Wine Spectator
"Smooth, polished and generous with its layers of currant, plum and white pepper aromas and flavors, with a whiff of herbs. Persists easily into the long, deftly balanced finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2014. 1,724 cases made." –HS, (Jun 30, 2009)

90 points By Wine Enthusiast
"The newest Ursa is 50% Merlot, 24% Cab Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, and it is absolutely delicious right out of the chute; no breathing needed. It’s got plump and sweetly juicy cherry and berry fruit flavors, mixed in with cherry candy, red licorice, anise and spice. Good persistence and length".  - P.G. (8/1/2009)

By baerwinery.com
"Now in its 7th vintage, Ursa remains Baer's signature blend, showcasing the fruit from our select Columbia Valley vineyard partner, Stillwater Creek. This lush, velvety blend hints at rootbeer and mocha on the palate. The rich nose delivers big, ripe fruit – blackberries and black cherries—along with chocolate and spice. Mouthfeel is well-balanced, with a long finish carrying through the flavor of cherries and sweet oak. Expressive and approachable, this is a fine wine that may be enjoyed now, or cellared for up to 8 years."

2. Seavey Vineyard  Caravina  Napa Valley  Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, score=3
Color is dark garnet, the color our wines usual have. Nose shows oak and cedar. Palate is more fruit loaded than the first wine we tasted. Mostly black fruit laced with coffee, dark chocolate leading into big chewy tannin balanced with crisp acidic finish. Long lasting finish. Everybody liked this wine and suggested Cali Cab or Cab blend. Some also thought this could be Califronia syrah or, at least, contained a syrah component.
This turned out to be the second label of Seavey.

91 points By Robert Parker,Wine Advocate # 180 (Dec 2008)
"The 2006 Caravina (96% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot) is also surprisingly soft for a wine from this vintage, with melted tannins and lots of scorched earth, blackberry, and cassis notes. With full body and a silky suppleness, it should drink well for a decade as well. As I said last year, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley. Sadly, Mary Seavey, long-time wife of Bill Seavey, passed away just before my visit, and my heartfelt condolences go out to her husband who, along with his wife, were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of Meadowood Resort. Their winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka, who has always said that the challenge is not with the complexity or quality of the fruit, but rather taming what can be the savage tannins that can emerge from these hillsides. He has done just that, and along with Bill Seavey, introduced perhaps the best second wine in all of Napa Valley, the Caravina. Keep in mind that I have Seaveys going back to 1990 in my cellar, and they are still young wines, so this is a wine that can easily hold up for 25+ years when well-stored. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the production varies between about 725 to just over 1,000 cases depending on vintage conditions) tends to be anywhere from a minimum of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon to as much as 92-93%, with the balance always Petit Verdot, and over recent years, no Merlot whatsoever."

By seaveyvineyard.com
"In 1981, Wm. Seavey restored a prized, historic mountain slope vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley, with original vine plantings by the Franco-Swiss Cellar dating back to 1871. This 200-acre cattle ranch and vineyard property embraces the rustic 1881 stone barn as its winery.
William Seavey, Proprietor;Philippe Melka, Consultant Winemaker; Jeremy Weintraub, Winemaker; Brandon Hébert-St.Martin, Director

Seavey Vineyard’s eighth estate-produced Caravina Cabernet, the 2006, was made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Petit Verdot grapes that came from vines planted on several different locations of the south-facing hillside vineyard.
Winemaking style followed classic Bordeaux methods. Harvested at optimal ripeness, the juice remained in contact with the skins for an average of 15 days, with malolactic fermentation occurring in barrel.  The wine was aged in French oak barrels (40% new oak) and bottled in May 2008. Released: May 10th, 2009 Production: Limited to 1100 cases of 750ml bottles. Alcohol 14.8%".

3. Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, score=3+(4)
This one was served in a decoy bottle since the Buccella bottle was too distinctive. Color is dark garnet. Nose has a nice cab nose with vanilla and caramel. Palate is loaded with big predominantly black fruit with caramel, vanilla, chocolate and a hint of cinnamon leading to big firm tannin. Nice lingering finish. This wine did not leave any doubt that this was a high-end California cab. Only question was which one. The bottle shape really led us astray since Piroca used a Rutini Malbec bottle which was carefully covered. The last year's release (06) had much bigger tannin but 07 is much smoother and we like 07 better than 06.

Here is barrel tasting note from the winery.
2007 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee Katrina Eileen; DW 95-97
"Named for Bill and Alicia’s daughter, aged in 100% Darnajou barrels, the wine is in its second vintage. Shows an ultra-intense Syrah-like color…

Aroma: deep and intense with gooey blue and black fruits and an an underlying sense of tobacco, cocoa and nutmeg

Palate: focused and centered, the palate is refreshingly structured showing classic mid-valley benchland character, elements of cranberry and gobs of sculpted black fruits

Impression: a little coffee and spice along with well defined black and deep red fruits - excellent texture"

4. Kretikos Red Wine of Crete 2005, score=-1

This wine made us score the very first negative score of all our tastings. Color is watery thin and brown. Nose has a very unpleasant chemical and basement smell. Palate? None. No taste, no tannin just some acidity. We are totally baffled why anybody in their right mind would produce, import or drink this wine. Like RP scoring, we gave a score of 1 to just show up. But we had to subtract for color, nose and taste which made it a minus score. We have tasted bad wines from Florida, Hungary, Romania, Turkey etc but this one is exceptionally bad.