1997 Vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Tasting

“History’s lessons drowned in red wine”
Children’s Crusade by Sting

Hopefully none of our “Wine Drinking People” drown in Red wine from ETA!  Looks like we got a serious lesson in Mother Nature with all this rain, it’s a bit flooded here at Wine Watch but we are still open!  We are always ready for the worst and the generators are gassed up so the Wine Bar may endo up being a temporary Hurricane bunker in the future.

This week there are no events at the Wine Bar this week and you know what that means… Toni and I will be out of town.  There are only a few chances left to drink with us this year as we will be closed for the entire month of December at the Wine Bar till after Christmas.  But we have a few great events to close out the month including this 1997 California Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting on Friday November 27th!

Check out the Calendar of events at www.winewatch.com.

The 1997 vintage...at 23 years old- how are they drinking now??

1997 Vintage Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting
Friday, November 27th
7:30 PM

1997 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Benchlands Napa
The 1997 Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon represents the third vintage of this wine. It was produced with fruit specifically selected from the gently rolling foothills (or "benchlands") of the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of the Napa Valley. The vineyards' eastern exposure offers cooler temperatures that allow the grapes to mature slowly while the gravelly loam soil provides excellent drainage.
 The winemaking regimen for the Benchland Select included using the "rack and return" process of draining the fermenting juice off the skins and then returning it to the stainless steel tanks. This procedure greatly reduces the young wine's astringency by softening its tannins while deepening its dark color. As the wine was fermented dry, it was taste-tested for optimum flavor levels before it was separated from the skins and then aged for twenty-six months in a combination of new (65%) and one year old (35%) French oak barrels.
 The resulting wine reflects the exceptional quality of the fruit sourced from three select vineyards in the Napa Valley's western foothills; including Jack and Dolores Cakebread's own "Hill Ranch." The 1997 Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon displays aromas of an intense red fruit character and the spiciness of mocha, cocoa and nutmeg. The flavors seamlessly echo those of its aromas, showing a soft, elegant wine that offers plenty of ripe fruit with a lingering balance of vanilla, cedar and supple, well-integrated tannins.

1997 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour
(95 Points) A strong effort from Beaulieu, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve boasts a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a beautifully sweet nose of spicy oak intermixed with black cherries and currants. Full-bodied, rich, pure, and concentrated, it combines restraint and elegance with power and muscle. It will age well for two decades. While Beaulieu is no longer one of California's cutting edge wineries, this is classic stuff.  Wine Spectator

1997 Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains
(94 Points) The product of a generous crop and a balmy vintage, the 1997 Monte Bello continues to show beautifully, wafting from the glass with an expressive bouquet of cassis, dried cherries, menthol and loamy soil, lavishly framed by new American oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and open-knit, with largely melted tannins and a generous personality, which is all tied together by the bright thread of acidity that's such a signature of this site. Despite being seemingly fully mature, an open bottle held up beautifully over three days. Even after extensive crop thinning, yields in 1997 were around two tons per acre—high by this bottling's modest standards—and the blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, attaining 12.9% natural alcohol.  Issue Date, 31st May 2018- Source, Interim End of May 2018, The Wine Advocate

1997 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain
(95 Points) Opulent, sexy, and immediately charming is the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain (1,100 cases). It exhibits a saturated purple color in addition to an explosive nose of licorice, cedar, roasted herbs, and black plums and currants. Full-bodied, with a voluptuous texture, low acidity, and heady alcohol, this offering possesses considerable tannin, but it is beautifully submerged by the wine's depth of extract and high glycerin. Impressive, with a flamboyant personality, this 1997 should drink well for 18-20 years. Issue Date. 22nd Dec 2000, Source- 132, The Wine Advocate

1997 Cardinale Napa
(95 Points) There are 3,900 cases of the prodigious 1997 Cardinale, comprised primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon with a tiny dollop of Merlot. The wine has an opaque bluish black/purple color, a knockout nose of black cherry liqueur intermixed with cassis, lead pencil, mineral, and smoky oak. The glorious richness in the mouth is backed up by a full-bodied, opulently-textured, super-extracted wine that is neither heavy nor ponderous. Stunning purity, a fabulous multi-layered impression, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute make this the most exciting Cardinale to date.

For statisticians, this is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, of which 79% of the grapes came from Napa and 21% from Sonoma. It spent 22 months in 100% new French oak before being bottled with neither fining nor filtration. It tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030.  Issue Date, 22nd Dec 2000, Source- 132, The Wine Advocate

1997 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Prichard Hill Napa
(94 Points) A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the pale to medium brick colored 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard has a nose that is tiring just slightly, giving way to tobacco, incense, smoked meats and new leather notes plus wafts of menthol and dried mulberries. Medium to full-bodied, it has a velvety texture and plenty of meaty/savory flavors, with seamless freshness and a long, harmonious finish. Issue Date, 31st May 2018, Source- Interim End of May 2018, The Wine Advocate

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa
(100 Points)  An inky/plum/purple color is accompanied by a stunning bouquet of violets, charcoal, creme de cassis and a hint of toast. Prodigious when it hits the palate with a full-bodied expansiveness, there is not a hard edge to be found in the 1997, only velvety tannins, compelling depth and fruit intensity, and stunning purity. It is a perfect expression of Napa viticulture and wine that should continue to age effortlessly for two decades or more.  The Wine Advocate

Ringer #1

Ringer #2
                                                                                                                     
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Rare Seared Beef Carpaccio with Crispy Fried Capers, Fresh Basil, Spanish Onion, Lemon-Roasted Garlic Aioli & Parmesan Crisps Tuilles
Cabernet Braised Beef Short Rib Wellington with Au Poivre Sauce
Dark Chocolate-Sundried Apricot-Sea Salt Roasted Nut Bars

The price of this event is $225 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.