The VINO-FINO TASTERS'
JOHN VIGNAU MEMORIAL TASTING
October 18, 2000
1984 & 1985 Napa CABERNETS
Shocked by the sudden passing of our long-time friend and wine-tasting
associate John Vignau we put together a set of wines we were certain John would have
enjoyed.
The tasting commenced with a bottle of 1959 Dom Perignon Champagne from the cellar of
John's best buddy, John McGlothlin. This was a fairly deep yellow hue, with a nutty,
oxidized note on the nose. The wine was still nicely fizzy and the flavor was
superb! Toasty, smoky, creamy and with a toasted hazelnut note on the long finish.
We then got down to business, all lifting a glass to John's memory.
| The Wines |
Gerald's Ranking |
Group Ranking |
Total Points |
1sts/2nds/
Lasts |
BEAULIEU VINEYARD
1985 Private Reserve
"Georges de Latour" |
7 |
8 |
69 |
0/0/6 |
CAYMUS VINEYARDS
1984 Napa Valley
"Estate Bottled" |
2 |
3 |
27 |
0/3/0 |
DUNN VINEYARDS
1984
"Howell Mountain" |
4 |
2 |
27 |
2/2/0 |
DUNN VINEYARDS
1985
"Howell Mountain" |
3 |
4 |
34 |
0/2/0 |
FROG’S LEAP WINERY
1984
Napa Valley |
6 |
5 |
42 |
1/1/1 |
SILVERADO VINEYARDS
1985
Napa Valley |
5 |
6 |
52 |
0/0/0 |
SILVER OAK WINE CELLARS
1985 Napa Valley |
1 |
1 |
20 |
6/1/0 |
SPOTTSWOODE WINERY
1985
Napa Valley |
8 |
7 |
53 |
0/0/2 |
8th Place: BEAULIEU VINEYARD 1985 Napa Valley "Georges de Latour
Private Reserve"
Here's a wine from an era when BV had lost its way! They were making
lackluster wines and resting on their laurels. We've had bottles from BV's
"golden age" in the late 1960s and early 1970s (-some may argue the era started
well before in the 1950s!-) and these are still alive. Pity the 1985 was so tired,
showing the dried out fragrances and tar-like notes one finds in old-styled Barolo wines.
This wine still had a bit of tannin, too. Too bad!
7th Place: SPOTTSWOODE 1985 Napa Valley
About a year-and-a-half ago we had a tasting of 1985s and the Spottswoode
bottle fared poorly. Upon examining the cork, someone noted it had a flaw (not tainted and
corky or papery, but a hole or "canal" all the way through it from top to
bottom). The Novaks sent us another bottle and this was included in this tasting. The wine
had a very bright fruit note: sweet and plummy very much like the 1994 or 1997 Vintage
Portos! On the palate the wine shows similar notes of plums and Porto! The wine is almost
too smooth at this stage....very ready to drink. This would have been a great match with
venison or game in a Port reduction sauce.
6th Place: SILVERADO VINEYARDS 1985 Napa Valley
Showing hints of chocolate-like aromas, this wine starts out sort of warm and
friendly on the nose, but it packs a punch on the palate. It is surprising, since
Silverado gets little credit from wine "geeks" as being the source of anything
terribly interesting. However, I noted on my score sheet that this is "seriously deep
Cabernet." It may have another 5-10 years of life ahead of it! I gave it a
star-and-a-half.
5th Place: FROG'S LEAP 1984 Napa Valley
I remember this as a more berry-scented red wine, so I was surprised to find
the weedy, stemmy, vegetal notes present in this bottle. The same weedy notes show up on
the palate, with some rough and tumble tannins still yet to be resolved. I expect this
will wind up with the tar-like notes of the 1985 BV (above). It has another 5-10 years'
worth of tannin, but its lack of charm were a disappointment to me. One soul ranked it
first and another seconded that motion.
4th Place: DUNN 1985 Howell Mountain
This is an amazing bottle of wine! If you own any, I hope you have many years of life
ahead, as this won't be "ready" for another couple of decades! The fragrance has
a mildly cedary note and some vanillin. The wine is quite muscular and strong, being very
tannic, tough and astringent. Yet, past all the tannins there's a pretty solid core of
fruit. It's a "big time" young Cabernet! Two to three stars (but only if you are
as young as this wine!).
3rd Place: CAYMUS 1984 Napa Valley
Caymus was still relatively small, so this was an "estate bottled" wine in those
days. The fragrance was amazingly fine! There were woodsy notes at the beginning, showing
sweet oak and a hint of a forest-floor/mushroom scent (not in a negative way).
Medium-full-bodied, this still has a bit of tannin, though it is nicely developed with
woodsy, tea-like flavors along with hints of cedar and oak. I'd peg it as having another
3-8+ years of life. Two stars, easily! Maybe more.
2nd Place: DUNN 1984 Howell Mountain
Starting out with a hint of an earthy note on its nose, there's a nice cedary
bouquet which blossoms with aeration. Though it's no shrinking violet, it does not seem to
have the mega-tannins of its 1985 sibling! I described this, too, as muscular, showing a
fair bit of tannin to along with it's intense fruit. For me it's about a star-and-a-half
to two stars.
1st Place: SILVER OAK 1985 Napa Valley
The run-away favorite of the group, here's a perfectly outstanding example of
Silver Oak! The wine was very nicely balanced for current drinking, yet it still has
some vitality to last a few more years. The fragrance is textbook Silver Oak:
hints of dill, lumber-yard notes from the American oak and sweet scents. The herbal,
dill notes come through on the palate with finesse and elegance. This was delicious
and a 3-star example of Silver Oak Cabernet!
The evening concluded with two "bonne bouches". The first, one
of John Vignau's favorite tipples: Single Malt Scotch whisky! We had a small
bottle of "MacVignau", a well-aged bottle of Springbank which was distilled in
1972! This was dry, smoky and had a wonderfully long finish.
The second bottle was provided by Jack Sweitzer, a remarkably fine bottle of
1986 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes. This was rich, honeyed and unctuous on the palate.
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
