This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Chateau Montelena
The Montelena Estate Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Bright, dark red with ruby tones. Captivating floral lift to the very primary aromas of black cherry, cassis, minerals and earth, plus subtle notes of coffee and mocha. Tactile and sharply delineated, delivering a wonderful balance of sweet fruit and salty mineral and soil elements. Still linear but not at all angular, this penetrating wine finishes firmly tannic, classically dry, subtle and very long, with echoing mineral complexity. Really complete Cabernet here--and stuffed with flavor. (the estate began using a new Delta destemmer as of 2001) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2001
Full, bright ruby-red. Initially reserved, youthful nose opened slowly to reveal aromas of blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, graphite, tobacco and spices. Wonderfully ripe, almost liqueur-like on entry, then plush and thick but vibrant in the middle, with highly concentrated black fruit, bitter chocolate, tobacco and mineral flavors framed by perfectly integrated acidity. A wonderfully complete, sweet, youthful wine with the added creaminess--but no loss of energy--from a strong dollop of Merlot. This was the 40th anniversary bottling for this California classic, and its listed alcohol of 14.2% was the highest to date. Finishes with big, ripe tannins and outstanding persistence. In the context of Monte Bello, this wine is remarkably ripe, sweet and rich, and it should still go on in a cool cellar for at least another couple decades. (the 40th anniversary bottling for this wine) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Dalla Valle Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Moderately saturated dark red. Slightly violety aromas of blueberry, raspberry, menthol, milk chocolate, leather and coffee bean. Juicy, intense and a bit tightly wound, with dark fruit, mineral, violet and licorice flavors framed and extended by sound acidity. Finishes firmly tannic, juicy and long, with repeating floral lift. Clearer and more youthful than a first sample I tried, which was creamy and sweet but a tad rustic and less transparent to its site. This bottle is just now ready to drink. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Pride Mountain Vineyards
Reserve Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon
Full bright ruby to the rim. No-holds-barred nose of crushed blackberry, licorice, tropical dark chocolate and espresso. Wonderfully dense, thick and sweet; an utterly mouthfilling, generous wine with a plush 3-D texture and no edges in spite of its mineral lift. This classic large-scaled, briary mountain wine boasts terrific fruit retention. Finishes very long and powerful, with huge but integrated tannins and palate-staining black fruits. Not the last word in nuance but this unflagging, utterly captivating, slightly high-toned wine delivers almost liqueur-like mountain berry sweetness. It's at its peak right now, but with its firm underlying spine of acids and tannins it should go on for a while. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Harlan Estate
Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2001
Deep medium ruby with no sign of development. Musky aromas of blackberry, blueberry, soy sauce and licorice; almost liqueur-like. Huge, savory and utterly silky on entry, then plush and superconcentrated in the middle palate, boasting blackberry, licorice and mineral flavors of incredible intensity and penetrating sweetness. Utterly palate-staining in its breadth. Leaves the palate vibrating with black fruits and licorice pastille. When I originally tasted this wine from barrel, I noted that it was one of the greatest California Cabernets I had tasted to that point. This massive, three-dimensional wine finishes with huge, noble tannins and outstanding rising length. I suspect it's just embarking on its plane of peak drinkability, which might last another two decades. This may be the longest Cabernet of the 2001 vintage. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Bond
Vecina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Dark ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, blackberry, mocha and licorice. Concentrated, dense and fully ripe, conveying a much more pliant texture today than the 2002. But this is also sappy, fine-grained and nicely delineated, with its dark berry and black cherry fruit flavors given shape by a brooding element of savory minerality. Not hugely sweet, though, and clearly less liqueur-like than the 2002. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins that should carry this wine for at least another 15 years. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Philip Togni Vineyard
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Full, bright ruby-red! Pure and complex if subdued on the nose, offering scents of plum, briary dark berries, spice cake and dark chocolate. Densely packed, fine-grained and concentrated, conveying a lovely restrained sweetness and excellent depth of texture. No rough edges here in spite of the wine's seriously firm structure. Intense, sharply delineated mountain berry flavors convey a medicinal reserve, a distinctly savory quality and lovely juicy energy. This Cabernet is still a bit ungiving but its acid backbone and firm but harmonious tannins promise more positive evolution ahead. An excellent showing for this palate-staining wine, which will be long-lived and may yet gain in breadth. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Hourglass
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Healthy bright, dark red to the rim. Musky nose combines dark raspberry, mocha, chocolate, shoe polish, mint and licorice, plus a suggestion of rocky minerality. Fine-grained and smooth but distinctly minty, conveying good concentration, healthy acidity and a slight greenness to its midweight dark fruit and licorice flavors. A tad sour on the end, with a repeating suggestion of eucalyptus, but the tannins are dusty and fine-grained. I'd drink this soon, before its remaining fruit disappears. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Barnett Vineyards
Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Good dark red. Subdued, rather loamy aromas of red plum, currant, mocha and tobacco leaf. Fine-grained, supple and vinous, but its moderate fruit sweetness is reduced by menthol and herb character. The wine's substantial broad, dusty tannins turn a bit dry, even peppery, on the back end. But this Cabernet still retains good savory energy, and a subtle sweetness to its red fruit flavors. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago
Delectable Wine
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Healthy dark red with ruby tones. Mature, sauvage, expressive scents of blackberry, truffle, leather, violet, game and spice cake, along with a whiff of Band-Aid. A fairly plush, alluring midweight with lovely breadth and grain and a distinctly wild, mature character to its savory dark berry, leather and meat flavors. Nice restrained sweetness and texture. Finishes with a broad dusting of substantial tannins and good length. A tad dry-edged but still quite good, although fans of more polite wines may want to give this a pass. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, June 2020)
— 4 years ago