The best part of this wine is the nose. Very complex dark fruits with oak and floral. It was enjoyable sniffing and it lasted. Color was a medium purple. The palate was good but not outstanding. It is a solid wine though. Dark fruits loads of oak which was nice and finished off with some spices and charcoal. Good solid fruit and the tannins were fresh hitting the side of the tong. The 2005 was just a touch young and a coupe years will round out this wine. OK wine for 55 bucks. I would try this if you like the oak monster because it is nice from that standpoint.
Robert Parker – Wine Advocate (93 Points)
“This blend of 70% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest wine to emerge from Scott Palazzo, who makes only 1,100 cases of an unfined/unfiltered, French-styled red. The sexy, Pomerol-styled 2005 exhibits aromas of chocolate, espresso roast, sweet cherries, and black currants. The fragrant bouquet is followed by a silky-textured, medium to full-bodied wine with lush, mocha-infused flavors that cascade over the palate. Drink this beauty now and over the next 10-12 years. ”
Nose very dark and foggy. little meaty and interesting and a step up from an everyday wine. a little minty on the tail end. The palate was of good quality, this is a good wine; good flavor; the tannins were a little hot and a touch disjointed;got some green pepper thought and was leaning toward a Brdeaux-like approach with cocoa; and tobacco coming through. Had a nice old world feel to it. Worth a try for the money.
From Bennett Lane web site:
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Price: $55.00
Our current release 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon was just awarded 93 Points by renowned wine writer Robert Whitley; “Bennett Lane is a relatively recent addition to the landscape around the village of Calistoga. Its strongest suit is pure, bold, mouth-filling Napa Valley cabernet, and there is no finer example of that than the 2005 vintage. It delivers a gorgeous nose of ripe cassis, with a hint of cedar and vanillin. The texture is slightly grippy in the most positive sense, and there is tremendous fruit lift through the mid-palate. This is a darkly fruited cabernet of uncommon depth, with exceptional palate length and persistence of flavor. And it’s supple enough to enjoy tonight, though this is one Napa cabernet I wouldn’t hesitate to lay down for several years.” With all of the incredible accolades of our 2005 vintage, this is another release that is sure to sell out fast!
This release opens with aromas of bing cherries and violets and continues with elegant subtle notes of clove and cedar. On the palate the wine has a nice mouthfeel, with flavors of black cherry and plum leading to a full velvety finish. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of both our Estate Lynch Family vineyard and select growers from throughout the best regions of the Napa Valley. Our Viticulturist Doug Wight farms nearly all of these properties, lending an added degree of consistency and cohesiveness.
Wine Profile
Vintage: 2005
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Date: October 2005
Aging: 18 months in French Oak, 20% New
Bottling Date: June 2007
Alcohol: 14.7%
Recommended Cellaring: 2009-2013
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Black olives and dark fruits on the nose. Very strong jammy feel. The color is a deep solid purple. The tast is jammy on the start and has the taste on the Orin Swift Prisoner for starters. Kind oj jammy and lots of suger on the palate in the beginning with some tartness. Hits the tong strong on the sides with the tannins. Good strong start and gets better over time, about 30 minutes. However it goes a little stale in the glass fast and has some mineral of metal taste to it. The mid palate goes bitter fast and the overall finish is short and has a strong tannin taste that lingers. The alcohol does come out and is a little disjointed from the flavors. I like this wine for the money. The second day on this wine is much smoother. Give it a try.
Had this wine at the Catalina Jazz fest a couple weeks ago and it was good but not great. This wine was definitely more that a table wine, and was bordering toward a Bordeaux. Its intense and a little hot in the beginning and looseness up in about 30 minutes and the fruits came out more. Ruby red on the color and little inky. the nose was very nice with floral and pepper, and a little earthy. Had some tobacco and vanilla. The palate was of dark fruit and herbs. Medium length and the tannins were just a touch too much in the beginning. The finish was white pepper and earthy with just a little bitterness. Really heads toward a Bordeaux.
Had the Opus little brother. Definitely not Opus but I think Overture is a better value for 45 bucks than Opus is for 150. The color of this wine was constant with Opus but a little thinner. The nose was a little more like a Bordeaux with light fruits. This wine did come off like a little industrial though. It needed to open up a little and i would not open and pour. After about 30 minutes it opened up a little and was a constant cab. Little hot on the tannins. The wine was a little metallic and not real strong on the fruit. Had some veggies and some light tobacco. This wine is good and much better than an everyday wine but I would be hesitant to have too many bottles at 45 bucks. Try it out for the experience but don’t load up on it.
(Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)
Had this wine out at the Catalina Jazz festival. Color was medium dark purple and a little thin for a brunello. The nose is complex and has some depth to it. The nose went a little stale in about 15 minutes but while it lasted it had some leather, green peppers and dark red fruits. Hint of tobacco and was earthy with good balance of oak. The palate was a little flat on the fruit and was leaning more to an everyday brunello. After about 20 minutes it loosened up and the dark fruits and black liquorish come out strong. The tannins were just a bought right. length was ok. I think this wine needs a couple more years although it was good quality. Not bad and worth a try if you don’t pay too much for it. Pleasant wine but not over the top.
2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve
(USA, California, Napa Valley)
While very good upon popping the cork and you could tell it’s only going to get better. The nose had old world all over it with notes of black currant licorice, cedar, and smokey. Nice earthy nose with some tobacco. Bight purple color hinging on the brown side. Palate has quality all over it. Seemed a touch short on the start and the mid palate was a little disjointed but very good overall. Chocolate and tobacco is prominent with hints of dark berries in the background. Dries out the palate on the finish and ends dark. Great wine for the money and worth a try.
Vintage: 2004
Color: Dark ruby with almost a black-purple ring at the glass/wine interface
Aroma: Wonderful aromas of spice, with vanilla, sweet oak and coffee. Very
ripe blackberries
Taste: Well balanced between the acid, oak and fruit. Medium mouth feel, a
sweet black tea with honey taste. Soft tannins and texture on the sides with a
long f inish that is smooth, not bitter. Long lingering aftertaste. Should be at
its best 2012-2018.
The Year: The 2004 growing season was one of the fastest and earliest in history.
The quality of fruit was excellent and the yield light. The season started
with a warm spring, followed by a mild summer with extreme heat at the end.
The flavors for 2004 are high quality and intense and the colors beautiful.
The Wine: Conn Valley’s Cabernets are made from 100% estate grown grapes
from the vineyards located at the winery site in Conn Valley. This vintage is a
blend of numerous clonal varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, each of which contributes
to the character of the wine and adds complexity. Prior to blending
and bottling, the 2004 vintage was aged in the hillside caves located on the
Conn Valley Estate.
We were in a Bordeaux mood and tried this beside a 91 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The 1997 was another tough year for Bordeaux, Parker rated it 83 and the 1991 78. I have to say I tend to agree on this. Although the Lynch-Bages was a bit more exciting than the Rothschild, it was still on the thin and weak side. Not as fruitful and complex as the 89, 96 and 2000 vintages.
The color was a deep purple and much thinner that it’s Cabernet brothers. We decanted this wine for an hour. The nose was still earthy and typical of a Bordeaux. The berries came through more than the tobacco and wet leaves. Really had matured in the nose. Old world quality but not overwhelming. The start on the palate was good with some pepper and blackberry. It was pretty rounded on the start and nothing was outstanding about it. The mid palate got into some floral qualities with a hint of eucalyptus and got a little earthy fast. The finish had the tannins really integrated and quickly transitioned into a bitter and stale feel to it. I got the feeling that this wine has peaked and has nowhere to go. To me this is an everyday type wine that needs some food parings with it but in that case is over priced at 50 bucks. Another pass for the French.
2006 Palmaz Vineyards Muscat Canelli Florencia -Palmaz web site
(USA, California, Napa Valley)
Nice soft Palmaz desert wine. Not over the top but good quality. The color was almost like water… I guess that would be no color. No… it had a hint of light yellow. We tasted this wine at the Palmaz vineyard and by the way, I highly suggest a visit if you can get in. The facility is very different and beautifully. A unique approach to making wine in an 8 story building carved into the side of a mountain. The Palmaz palate had Loads of pear and apple that were balanced well. Tannins were light and in the background where they should be. Clear and refreshing. This Palmaz is a quality desert wine and one that is not too expensive and has the qualities of more expensive muscat. Its worth a try.
From Palmaz site:
The Muscat Canelli grape is a joy to work with. Venerated for its historical value in Napa Valley, this varietal was planted in abundance in the late 1800’s. Today there is very little Muscat left in Napa Valley and we feel fortunate to be able to secure a contract for a small amount each year.
This floral and fruit forward wine has yielded some fun and interesting wines to enjoy in the last few vintages.
Made primarily for our personal consumption the production volume on these wines are very small and available only at the winery.
Decanted for 1 hour. The color war deep purple leaning toward the brownish side. The color and nose really yelled “old world” with Leather, plum and raisins. Good start. The palate was not as exciting. A little narrow minded wine. Even knowing it was still old world it came off not as dynamic as the nose. Had varying spices, cedar, leather chocolate and some berry. It was a big wine and I enjoyed it but I just could not get it over a 90 point wine. I expect more from a Barolo and I guess is ok for 40 bucks.
From Wine library:
92 Points - Wine Spectator
“Lots of crushed blackberries, cherries and Spanish cedar on the nose. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and loads of ripe fruit on the finish. Needs time. Best after 2009. 5,000 cases made.”
2004 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
(USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)
This 2004 Jordan Cabernet was a little underwhelming for me. I expected more depth from a California Cabernet. It might be that Jordan wanted this to be a thin wine. I felt this wine was average. The color was a weak purple and was more like a petite syrah. The nose had mild on th fruit and had some strong ceder and tobacco. The nose was somewhat smooth and velvety although the tannins were peaking out a little strong. The flavors were also mild with cherry, tobacco and some cola. Wish I could say more on this wine but I would pass on the 2004 now. I will have to try some other vintages.
THE WINE The 2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon captures the essence of the vintage. After the initial fermentation of 16 days, the wine spent four weeks in large oak upright tanks for malolactic fermentation. It was then aged in 62% French and 38% American small oak barrels for 12 months. After a final three months of aging in our oak upright tanks, it was bottled and held for another 18 months prior to its release.
The fruit from our estate hillside vineyards adds concentration and complexity to our Cabernet Sauvignon. A combination of Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Petit Verdot (4%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) creates well-integrated flavors, deep color, and balance. The bouquet offers distinct notes of cassis, black cherry, and cocoa. The aromatic qualities of the Petit Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and compliment the masculine tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
(USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)
This Jordan Cabernet was thin in color and structure. A light purple and toward the pinkish hue. The nose was pleasant and fresh. not a huge smelling wine but clean smelling. The palate was hot at the start and gave the wine a crisp new world feel to it. It immediately felt industrial. Got cherry on the palate but it was just not hitting the quality level on the taste. It felt forced. It was smooth but single dimensioned and it quickly transitioned to a flat finish with tannins hitting hard. Just OK
THE WINE The 2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon captures the essence of the vintage. After the initial fermentation of 16 days, the wine spent four weeks in large oak upright tanks for malolactic fermentation. It was then aged in 62% French and 38% American small oak barrels for 12 months. After a final three months of aging in our oak upright tanks, it was bottled and held for another 18 months prior to its release.
The fruit from our estate hillside vineyards adds concentration and complexity to our Cabernet Sauvignon. A combination of Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Petit Verdot (4%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) creates well-integrated flavors, deep color, and balance. The bouquet offers distinct notes of cassis, black cherry, and cocoa. The aromatic qualities of the Petit Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and compliment the masculine tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hi everyone. Ok, I did not want to put this video out originally but I’m going to now. Why you ask? Well I am floored at the amount of hits to my blog for Chateau Boswell Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Jacquelynn Cuvèe Blanc. Since I posted the reviews for their wine there has been allot of buzz. This was a great boutique winery run by the family and is putting out wine that you could compare to Harland Estate and Colgin. They just built a new cave that is very contemporary and something to be seen. I got a private tour by the owner Josh Peoples and he was generous enough to walk me around and barrel taste some of the up and coming Estate vintages. Outstanding. There is not much produced so get as much as you can and lay it down. This wine will double or tipple in value very quickly. By far one of my favorite wines from my 2008 trip to Napa.
(USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley)
Nice Pinot. The wine jumped right out at you because it was very hot and bothered. The nose was leathery with chocolate and espresso. It was fun to smell and very different in a quality way. The palate was better than most pinot noir because it was not thin and weak. I’m not a huge pino fan but this Pino Noir was exciting to me and I can’t wait to open another. This Goldeneye really had some life to it except it was a little disjointed and the tannins over powered the taste with the spice. Lots of oak, black liquorish, leather, Plum vanilla and some coke. It’s definitely an experience but overall not a super quality wine, just good. I would try it just for the experience of a different pino Noir. Other duckhorn
2006 Palmaz Vineyards Johannisberg Riesling - Palmaz web site
(USA, California, Napa Valley)
Soft and buttery wine with citrus, nice fruit base and strong golden pear. A touch spicy, just enough tannins and a well rounded reselling. I enjoyed this wine and it was refreshing and could be a nice tasting wine. Went great with a strong cheese. Give this a shot because it’s very enjoyable.
