Wine Spectator's California Wine Experience

I have a love/hate relationship with Wine Spectator. I love their events. I occasionally enjoy their magazine. I routinely disagree with their wine scores (they gave Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2005 only 85 points – WTF are they thinking?!) and I take issue with the 100 point system generally. But I have to remind myself that it’s for neophytes, and serves some purpose.

(Audrey, reading Wine Spectator in Lake Tahoe, Spring 2008)

So it was with glee and trepidation that I ordered one ticket for the California Wine Experience at the Marriot in NYC – but mostly glee.

Araujo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “Eisele Vineyard” 2005 **** Smoky garnet color. Earth and minerality on the nose. A wine of great depth and class, and my favorite 2005 Napa cabernet of the night.

Bond “Pluribus” Napa Valley 2004 ** did not display the depth and concentration I hoped for from a 2004 Bond. Between this and Harlan, I preferred this for its more fragrant nose. That being said, a delicious wine.

Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005 *** Gorgeous fresh flowers on the nose and big thick body of nicely ripe fruit.

Carter Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2005 ** Deep, fragrant and thick, perhaps a touch overwhelming fruit. Unlike the Pluribus, which a touch too unripe and fragrant, this was a touch too much.

Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “Special Selection” 2006 ** Reminded me of the 2004 Shafer Hillside Select in its concentration and subtlety. Gorgeous fragrance and fruit.

Cayuse “Bionic Frog” *? is a 100% syrah from Walla Walla, Washington State. I couldn’t quite figure this one out. Cayuse garners big scores from the major wine writers for being a “full throttle” Northern Rhone look alike, but it didn’t blow me away at all. Apparently “bionic frog” is proprietor Christophe Baron’s nickname: “bionic” for Baron’s boundless energy and “frog” for, well, because he’s French. Baron hails from Champagne, and I wonder what the true story is why he choose the arid land in southern Washington over his family's centuries-old Champagne house, Baron Albert.

Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard” 2005 *** Good thick body without being overt or sweet; just nicely ripe with a touch of spice and pine. Very fine.

NV Domaine Carneros Brut Rose Carneros * light rose petal notes and good texture. A little flabby, but this exceeded expectations. (A joint venture between Champagne Taittinger and Kobrand.)

DuMOL “Clare” Chardonnay 2006 ** DuMOL is one of my favorites every year, and meeting Kerry Murphy and his wife for the first time was a blast. This is gold in color, big and fruity. From a small harvest. Just released to the mailing list this week. Cellar for 2 years and enjoy for the next decade.

DuMOL “Finn” Pinot Noir 2006 ** Garnet color, with underlying minerality and sour cherry notes on top. Needs time to breathe and develop.

Dunn Vineyards “Howell Mtn.” Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 **** Dark and fluid flinty acidity with a big spoonful of ripe dark berries and cream. Just gorgeous. Tasted thrice and consistent notes. This is flat out a wine to find and enjoy.

Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2005 ** Dried herbs on the nose with nice minerality, but not too fleshy.

Hanzell Chardonnay Sonoma Valley 2005 *** hmmm, always one of my favorites. I should have ended the night with this.

Harlan Estate Napa Valley 2004 ** Once again, I was not wowed by this wine. Last year the 2003 propriety wine was like plush chocolaty velvet. This year, the 2004 was underwhelming.

Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “Trailside Vineyard” 2002 ** about as good as the Harlan, for 1/5 of the price.

Kapcsandy State Lane Vineyard “Estate Cuvee” 2005 *** This is the estate blend – that is, the third wine from this property after the “State Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon” which serves as the flagship wine and the “Roberta’s Reserve,” a merlot based blend. All of these wines come from the same vineyard and see similar winemaking. The Estate Cuvee is remarkable and simply lacks the depth and concentration of the flagship wine.

Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 **** Probably the best wine very few people care about, and my #3 wine of the night. This is still evolving. Aromas of pine and cedar, boysenberry and heavy minerals on the finish. If you’ve never heard of this winery, do yourself a favor and splurge on a bottle. Thank me later.

Kistler Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 **** Delicious. Full, minerally, with perfectly ripe fruit and gorgeous balance. #2 wine of the night overall, and the top wine of 2006.

Ladera Vineyards “Howell Mtn.” Cabernet Sauvignon **** Stunner. Depth, grip, perfectly ripe fruit, very little spice, nice balance. Had never heard of them before, but will seek them out in the future. Apparently the family used to raise cattle in Montana before chucking it all (no pun intended) and heading for Napa. Smart move. They make some great wine.

Lail “J. Daniel Cuvee” 2005 *** a deep almost inky color with minerals emanating from the glass. This wine was a little closed, with dry fruits and dried flowers on the palate. Almost tasted like American oak, although I know they use 85% French. I suspect this will start drinking beautifully in two years and have notes of cedar and pine. Very concentrated.

Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005 *** This is a standard (almost formulaic) three star wine with all the trimmings, fresh ripe fruits on the nose, big oak and blueberry on the palate, chalky sweet tannins, and a long sweet finish. There is nothing wrong with this wine, except it lacked character. That’s where the “Cuvee L” steps in.

Lewis Cellars “Cuvee L” 2005 **** This is a slightly thicker wine than the Reserve, but there is a touch of cardamom and mellow clove. Needs time to breathe.

M by Michael Mondavi 2005 **** I actually enjoyed this immensely, even though I only tried it to see how Michael and Timonthy Mondavi were doing things differently now that they’re on their own, and I didn’t expect very much from this. I was surprised. It’s refined, silky, reserved and balanced; full bodied with minor spice notes (perhaps a touch less spice than the Continuum). In other words, don’t be fooled by the ridiculous packaging. Michael and Timothy are producing some excellent cabernet still.

Merus 2005 ***? Ohh…the density of Merus is something to behold. This is thick and tastes like molten blackberries with big spicy and nutty notes throughout. Coats the mouth and finishes strong. I’m a little disappointed that Merus is under corporate ownership now. I enjoyed these wines more when they were made in a garage in downtown Napa.

Owen Roe “Dubrull Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 **** I’ve always been a fan of these wines. This wine in particular was remarkable, and reminded me of Ramey’s Pedregal Vineyard cabernet sauvignon. This retails for about $60 and was probably the highest quality-to-price ration wine of the night. (Owen Roe’s “Abbot’s Table” is one of my favorite crazy-blends from Washington State.)

Paloma Merlot Spring Mountain District 2005 ** incredibly ripe, plush, and forward; very juicy.

Peter Michael “Les Pavots” 2005 *** (previously reviewed) a Wine Spectator 97 point wine. This is indeed showing very well right now. Rich and plush, forward, juicy.

Pride Mountain Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 **** Simply gorgeous. Concentrated and rich without being overt or overripe.

Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon “Pedregal Vineyard” Napa Valley 2005 *** (previously reviewed) a little closed tonight, but fragrance is of dried flowers and herbs, blueberries and cream. Needs time.

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1978 **** The Wine of The Night. Everyone was talking about this wine. Surrounded by four star wines, this clearly stood out as the wine of the night. A five star wine, really. I stood around the table waiting for seconds, and begged Paul Draper to pose for a photo with me. Ha! When someone asked why they were pouring the 1978, Donn Reisen, President of Ridge Vineyards replied, “Because we can.” I guess that says it all.

(Paul Draper, left; the author, right.)

Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard “Old Sparky” (1.5ltr magnum) *** Cocoa, blueberry and minerals. Great class.

Shea Wine Cellars “East Hill” Willamette Valley 2006 * Dark garnet color and good acidity underline this ripe pinot noir.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Cask 23” 1999 (?) After tasting richer and riper cabernets, this wine was lank and disjointed. Disappointing … I have enjoyed these wines immensely in the past. Maybe the wine closed down.

Viader Napa Valley 2005 *** Bouquet of dried spring flowers. Concentrated and well balanced with notes of cedar, cigar, and graphite.