Round Pond Estate
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
One of my contributions for Napa Cab vs Napa Merlot blind taste night!
This wine is a great example of Napa cab, especially from Rutherford. This is dark fruit (fresh squeezed blackberries, Black currant) with a crunchy (cranberry) finish, stain the glass purple, slow moving legs and lovely earthy notes on the tongue. Dusted cocoa leaves, too. Decanted about two hours and was prime. At $60'ish/bottle, this wine gives their reserve ($110) a battle for best QPR.
This wine is a great example of Napa cab, especially from Rutherford. This is dark fruit (fresh squeezed blackberries, Black currant) with a crunchy (cranberry) finish, stain the glass purple, slow moving legs and lovely earthy notes on the tongue. Dusted cocoa leaves, too. Decanted about two hours and was prime. At $60'ish/bottle, this wine gives their reserve ($110) a battle for best QPR.
What year? Definitely a great value
@Jason Oliver : This was the ‘13. Could use more time but the decant opened it beautifully.
Grgich Hills Estate
Napa Valley Merlot 2012
Classic Napa Merlot. Mellow and fun to drink. Mushroom and blackberry pie. Acidity is fairly light. Plum and dusty...perfectly Rutherford.
Kenefick Ranch
Chris's Cuvée Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Nose on this was so “dirty”, and I figured cab franc was mixed in and because of that, it would be the merlot. Wrong. Plush and smooth. Dark fruit and a bit chalky.
Such a great vineyard
Shafer Vineyards
Napa Valley Merlot 2014
A top Merlot for me coming out of Napa (alongside Paloma, Jarvis & Hourglass). I correctly guessed merlot out of the flight paid based on the truffled mushroom nose, medium acidity and simple structure. Everything about this wine is harmonious and is a textbook example of Napa Merlot. Red and black fruit medley finish with some heft.
Chateau Potelle
VGS Mount Veeder Syrah
Think this was my wine of the night. Never heard of it! I even guessed it wrong, thinking it was the merlot of the flight pair. Had a menthol like note that had me and one other thinking it may be Heitz Martha’s. Very smooth and plush. Blueberry pie, vanilla and truffled mushroom. Reminds me of what a 2011 Bevan Cab would taste like.
Kenefick Ranch
Estate Grown Calistoga Merlot 2014
Thought this was Cab, not necessarily due to color or notes, but mainly because of structure. Nice acidity and red fruit driven. More tannic than the cab!
Caymus Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Hard to rate this wine. I immediately guessed it was the cab of the flight pair, and it was, and thought maybe it was a Bevan Cellars cab. After time in the glass, it got a bit more flabby, which had me thinking it was an Orin Swift wine, possibly Mercury Head. It was sweet, sugary, fruit forward and accessible. Loads of blue fruit, nutmeg, vanilla and some toasted bread. Medium tannic structure that suggested it could benefit from a few more years in the cellar but was totally ready to party now. Pop and pour like palate. Love it or hate it style.
Love it
Hoyt Hammer
Hoyt had this 6 years ago