Reserve Unfiltered Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

One more example of why I obsess over 1991 California cabs. Your nose is greeted with the whiff of an antique furniture store that soon gives way to red fruit, cedar and earth. The first thing you notice when you start to drink this gem is the vibrant acidity. The palate follows the nose only to be joined by slow resolving tannins. You cannot ask for a more graceful package.

Dark tawny, opaque. Not showing it’s age at all. Bright fruit forward nose. Notes of currants, violets, moist dark earth, ripe plum, some menthol and some hoisin sauce. Still full of vigor in the mouth. A bit of a dry finish is the only fault I have with this. Drink now and over next 10 years.

Dark tawny, opaque. A little reddish amber in the rims. Great nose right out of the gate. Notes of plum, black cherry, currants, cedar floors and a little sweet cranberry. Silky smooth in the mouth. Tannins integrated but there is still great structure and mouth feel which builds with air. In a great window right now but bottles like this will go for at least 10 more years.

Killing it

Wow! So young and fresh. Incredible. Never would have guessed '91. More like a 12 yr fully integrated beauty!

One of my favorites, this bottle had faded and was over the hill with a lot of raisin and dried fruits. Have had better examples in the last 1-2 yeas.

Classic lines. Elegance and muscularity meet, team up, kick ass. Graphite, bold cherry tobacco and sage.

A wonderful bottle. Primary fruit has faded, with hints of cassis. Cedar, leather and black licorice. Tannins, remain full, while nicely integrated.

Really nice aged Mondavi cab. Wonderful scents on the nose. Old musty plums and soil. Deep ruby color with bricking on the edges. After an hour in the decanter the finish turned from watery to a full mouth feel. Tannins perfectly integrated with the still present fruit. Great with a steak at Benny's in Chicago.

A little bretty, secondary driven and holding on to some firm tannins like many '91s.