VINO FINO TASTERS
1997 CALIFORNIA CABERNETS
Tasted September 20, 2000
Nace Ruvolo
selected a set of California Cabernets for the boys to evaluate. A small group of
participants means each vote carries a bit more weight.
| The Wines |
Gerald's Ranking |
VINO FINO RANKING |
TOTAL POINTS |
1sts/2nds/
Lasts |
BERINGER
1997 Knights Valley
$22 |
4 |
7 |
37 |
0/1/2 |
CAFARO CELLARS 1997 Napa
$37 |
5 |
2 |
27 |
2/0/0 |
CORISON WINES 1997 Napa
$50 |
6 |
6 |
35 |
0/1/2 |
ELLIOTT
1997 Napa
$30 |
8 |
4 |
31 |
1/2/2 |
FRANUS
1997 Napa
$30 |
3 |
3 |
28 |
1/0/0 |
HANNA WINERY
1997 Alexander Valley
$18 |
7 |
8 |
38 |
0/1/1 |
HONIG CELLARS 1997 Napa
$24 |
1 |
5 |
35 |
1/0/0 |
Chateau
SOUVERAIN
1997 Alexander Valley
$18 |
2 |
1 |
21 |
2/2/0 |
My notes on the wines:
This was a relatively closely matched set of wines. I didn't find any "hall of
fame" candidates, though I thought my first place wine was well ahead of nearly
everything else.
The fact that Chateau Souverain won the tasting is a bit of a surprise. Or is it a
"wake up" call to consumers and producers alike who have the idea that it takes
$30-$50 (or more) to sell or buy a bottle of good Cabernet?
8th Place HANNA 1997 Alexander Valley
I ranked this 7th, finding a lot of fruity notes which were almost candy-like
and artificial. The wine is more tannic and big and ripe on the palate, with not any
special note of fruit or oak. Rather standard, at best.
7th Place: BERINGER 1997 Knights Valley
I did detect an "off" note on the aroma in the first pass through
this set of wines. Either that odd note blew off or I became de-sensitized to it as
it showed somewhat woodsy notes after a while. The wine seemed to me a bit
aggressively tannic for what modest fruit is there. I thought this was a little on
the lean or thin side.
6th Place: CORISON 1997 Napa
There was a smoky note at first, then blossoming into a hint of blueberry
before showing somewhat of a cellar or "corked" character. I finally
jotted down "hints of cellar notes" for the aromas and then found a hint of a
stemmy or herbal fragrance. It's a big, aggressive, tannic Cabernet. I will
say I have yet to taste a wine under this label which I thought was stellar.
However, that being said, I have tasted wines made by Ms. Corison which are
excellent.
5th Place: HONIG 1997 Napa
I found lots of sweet oak, berries, a hint of candle wax, vanillin and a
touch of an herbal, weedy note to the nose of this wine. I had it in first place as the
wine was the best balanced of the set. On the palate there's nice oak, a cedary
note. a touch of cocoa or mocha and some woodsy tones. I gave it a star-and-a-half
rating, though nobody else seemed to think much of this.
4th Place: ELLIOTT 1997 Napa
At first sniff, this was extremely dusty and odd. As it sat, I found a
note reminiscent of chocolate and raisins. It's a tannic, tough red wine which, for
me, was short on charm and not at all complex. Pass. Last place on my
scorecard.
3rd Place: FRANUS 1997 Napa
I thought this started with a nice aroma of cassis and red berries.
It's dry and moderately acidic...fairly full bodied. On the palate:
Whoa! Loads of tannin to this aggressive and mouth-drying red wine. Not that
I'd be surprised in finding a rough & tumble red made by Mr. Franus, since that's
often his "style." The wine, however, does have fruit on the palate, so it
may very well develop into a balanced and good wine in 10 or 15 years. One star.
Third place on my scorecard.
2nd Place: CAFARO 1997 Napa
I found the primary aromas of this to be mildly stalky or stemmy, followed by some berry
fruit and a touch of sweet oak. The herbal notes dropped this wine, in my
estimation, but others found more to like here than did I. It's dry, somewhat big,
ripe and tannic. A half-star wine on my scale.
1st Place: CHATEAU SOUVERAIN 1997 Alexander Valley
There's a pleasantly fruity note to this mildly-oaked, vanilla-scented wine along with a
hint of dill and some woodsy notes. The same elements are on display in the mouth
and this is certainly in the same league as the rest of this field, though it is not, at
all, a highly-regarded winery by many in the wine trade or those who are
"collectors." One star.
VINO FINO TASTING ARCHIVE
2007 RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIRS February 2010
A
RANGE OF FRENCH CHABLIS WINES January 2010
HOLIDAY DINNER
& WINE MARATHON December 2009
ROSÉ
SPARKLING WINES November 2009
ARGENTINEAN
MALBECS October 2009
WEST
COAST CHARDONNAYS September 2009
GREEK
RED WINES August 2009
2005
BUDGET BORDEAUX July 2009
CAMPANIAN
WHITE WINES June 2009
MIXED
BAG OF CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIRS April 2009
RIOJA
WINES, MOSTLY FROM THE 2004 VINTAGE March 2009
NORTH
COAST PETITE SIRAHS February 2009
SYRAH
& PETITE SIRAH COMPARISON January 2009
A
VINO FINO CHRISTMAS December 2008
MOSTLY
2005s: NAPA CABERNETS November 2008
SONOMA
COUNTY PINOT NOIRS October 2008
SANTA
RITA HILLS -2006 VINTAGE- PINOT NOIRS SEPTEMBER 2008
NEWLY
RELEASED ZINFANDELS August 2008
WHITE
RHÔNE VALLEY WINES JULY 2008
LOIRE
VALLEY SAUVIGNONS JUNE 2008
FRENCH
CHABLIS 2005-2006 MAY 2008
NORTHERN
RHÔNE SYRAHS APRIL 2008
SANTA
CRUZ MOUNTAINS PINOT NOIRS January 2008
ANNUAL
HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS DINNER December 2007
WEST
COAST CHARDONNAYS November 2007
AUSTRALIAN
SHIRAZ October 2007
SPANISH
TEMPRANILLO WINES September 2007
SONOMA'S
2005 VINTAGE ZINFANDELS August 2007
CURRENT
RELEASE (2004-2005) ZINFANDELS July 2007
ROS
WINES FROM ALL OVER June 2007
ITALIAN
LAGREIN WINES May 2007
ARGENTINEAN
MALBECS April 2007
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE PINOT NOIRS March 2007
MOSTLY
2004 CABERNETS February 2007
CRU
BEAUJOLAIS January 2007
A VINO
FINO CHRISTMAS December 2006
CALIFORNIA
ZINFANDELS November 2006
PINOT
NOIRS of VALUE-PRICING October 2006
WORLD
OF SYRAHS TASTING September 2006
AUSSIE
CABERNET-SHIRAZ BLENDS August 2006
ALEXANDER
VALLEY (California) and MARGARET RIVER (Australia) CABERNETS July
2006
CALIFORNIA
PETITE SIRAHS June 2006
2004
NORTH COAST PINOTS and a FRENCH INTRUDER May 2006
AGLIANICO
: BASILICATA & CAMPANIA'S MAJOR RED WINE April 2006
NERO
D'AVOLA - A TASTE OF SICILIA March 2006
UNDER THE
VINO FINO RADAR ZINFANDELS January 2006
HOLIDAY WINE
TASTING & DINNER December 2005
BUBBLIES FROM AROUND
THE WORLD November 2005
NORTH
COAST PINOT NOIRS October 2005
STATE
OF CONFUSION CABERNETS September 2005
TIM
ZAINER'S SIDEWAYS LOOK AT MERLOTS August 2005
LOIRE VALLEY CABERNET
FRANCS June 2005
CALIFORNIA
SYRAHS March 2005
2002
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS February 2005
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY WINE MARATHON December 2004
CHARDONNAYS
OF MODEST PRICE November 2004
SPANISH
TEMPRANILLO October 2004
2002
CENTRAL COAST PINOT NOIRS September 2004
AUSSIE
SHIRAZ-CABERNET BLENDS August 2004
GEWRZTRAMINERS
FROM ALSACE July 2004
2001
SOUTHERN RHNES (7 Chteauneufs & a Vacqueyras) June 2004
AGLIANICO
WINES FROM CAMPANIA & BASILICATA May 2004
MONTEPULCIANO
WINES FROM THE ABRUZZO & MARCHE REGIONS April 2004
SONOMA
ZINFANDELS February 2004
1997
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO January 2004
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY BACCHANALIA 2003
2001
CTES du RHNES September 17, 2003
2000
OREGON PINOT NOIRS August 20, 2003
WEST
COAST SYRAHS July 16, 2003
2000
Bordeaux June 18, 2003
2000
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS May 21, 2003
OFF
THE BEATEN PATH SYRAHS APRIL 16, 2003
2002 NEW ZEALAND
SAUVIGNON BLANCS March 19, 2003
1999
California CABERNETS February 19, 2003
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY BACCHANALIA December 4, 2002
AUSTRALIAN
SHIRAZ August 21, 2002
CHAMPAGNES
& SPARKLERS July 17, 2002
Interesting
Paired CHARDONNAYS
May 15, 2002
2001
Southern Hemisphere SAUVIGNON BLANCS Feb. 20, 2002
1999 ZINFANDELS January 16, 2002
HOLIDAY
SEASON BACCHANALIA
December 5, 2001
1999-2000
New PINOT NOIRS November 14, 2001
1999
CALIFORNIA ZINFANDELS October 17, 2001
1998
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS September 19, 2001
1999
LANGUEDOC REDS August 15, 2001
1997
SAUTERNES July 18, 2001
Mostly
1998 NEBBIOLO June 20, 2001
1999 PINOT NOIRS May
16, 2001
1996
SAINT-MILION Tasting April 18, 2001
CARNEROS
CHARDONNAYS March 21, 2001
1984-1985
NAPA CABERNETS/John Vignau Memorial Tasting October 20, 2000
1997
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS September 20, 2000
1998 CALIFORNIA
CHARDONNAYS August 16, 2000
WINES
FROM THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: CLARETS June 21, 2000
WINES
FROM UNDER THE TUSCAN (and Umbrian) SUN Aprile 19, 2000
1997 BORDEAUX: MEDOC May 17,
2000
