If all be true that I do think,
There are five reasons we should drink:
Good wine - a friend - or being dry -
Or lest we should be by and by -
Or any other reason why.
Henry Aldrich 1647 – 1710

The month of March is reason to drink for us here at Wine Watch. 

Continuing our study of Napa Valley this month we will be featuring ten vintages of Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is one of the first “Cult Wines” from the Napa Valley and some have forgotten about this tiny 3.5 acre vineyard that Charles Wagner SR. put on the map by bottling it as single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon with the 1978 vintage but we just featured the 1990 vintage along with a dozen top level  1990’s vintage Bordeaux including; 1995 Lafleur, 1996 Mouton Rothschild, 1990 Lynch Bages, 1998 Latour, 1998 Margaux and more in a blind tasting at Wine Watch.  Not one of our “Wine Drinking People” could pick out the Grace Family from these top level Bordeaux!  A testament to the quality of this wine and in my mind this was reason enough to put together this tasting to continue to study this wine by showcasing this wine back to the 1990 vintage with every wine on the table over 10 years old.

This is a “Once in a Lifetime” opportunity to experience a decade of this great Napa Valley single vineyard wine along with a special meal prepared by Wine Watch Catering’s Toni Lampasone.  The fee for this tasting is $249 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463. Or we will take a bottle of Grace Family from your cellar of equal value.

Grace Family Vertical Tasting at Wine Watch
Thursday, March 30th
7pm

1990 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $325.00    Sale $286
Quantity in Stock: 1

(94 Points) Dark and maturing, with complex black cherry, coffee, wild berry, stewed plum, cedar and anise flavors that are concentrated and elegant. Finishes with mild but sufficient tannins. Drinks exceptionally well now.--California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2010. 154 cases made. “JL Issue: Feb 28, 2001

1991 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $225.00    Sale $198
Quantity in Stock: 1

(89 Points) A soft, elegant, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, the Grace Family Vineyards' 1991 lacks the concentration and intensity of the winery's marvelous past efforts. Nevertheless, there are generous amounts of rich, black-cherry, and cassis fruit, a gentle touch of toasty new oak, and a velvety finish. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next decade. Wine Advocate # 93, Jun 1994

1993 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $295.00    Sale $259.60
Quantity in Stock: 2

(90 Points) "Deep, bright ruby-red. A real potpourri of a nose: clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, orange peel and licorice. Then sweet, round and rich, but with very strong, if not exotic, oak spices; I was reminded of mulled cider. Fairly large-scaled for a cabernet from this estate. Finishes with a note of chocolate and supple tannins that coat the entire mouth. The Grace cabernet appears to be sacrificing some floral delicacy in favor of more sweetness and weight, partly through the use of a higher percentage of new oak."  International Wine Cellar -

1994 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(94 points) The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon is the last wine made from the original vineyard plantings. The opaque purple color is accompanied by an explosive bouquet of blackcurrants and cherries, intermingled with toasty, new oak. Full-bodied, with a lead pencil, cedary, cassis-like characteristic not dissimilar from a high class Pauillac, this tightly-knit yet formidably-endowed Cabernet Sauvignon should last for 20-25 years. I hope the handful of multi-millionaires who latch onto a bottle or two will have enough patience to cellar it for 5-6 years before pulling a cork. These limited production gems certainly merit the hyperbole and accolades they receive. (RP) (12/1996) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1996 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

This vintage produced wines with excellent structure and although the wines were a bit tannic in their youth they have matured nicely and are drinking beautifully right now.

1997 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(92 points) "Dark and ripe, rich and elegant, with a core of cedar currant, earth and berry, finishing with supple, polished tannins and good length. Available only in 1L-bottles by mailing list. Best from 2002 through 2012. 48 cases made." (04/2000) Wine Spectator

1998 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

Full ruby-red. Aromas of currant, berry skin and bitter chocolate, plus a whiff of high-toned oak. Juicy, fresh, slightly tart flavors of small red berries. Lacks flesh but offers good sweetness and density for this difficult vintage. Finish shows some raw oak tones. (ST) (5/2001) Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

1999 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

There are 110 cases of the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon from this well-known site on the west side of Route 29, north of St. Helena. Its dark purple color is accompanied by aromas of lead pencil shavings, pure black currants, vanilla, and licorice. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with good underlying acidity, firmness, and an elegant, restrained, structured feel. It will be at its finest between 2005-2017. (8/2002) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2003 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $195.00    Your Price: $165.75
Quantity in Stock: 19

(90 Points) "Deep, bright ruby-red. A real potpourri of a nose: clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, orange peel and licorice. Then sweet, round and rich, but with very strong, if not exotic, oak spices; I was reminded of mulled cider. Fairly large-scaled for a cabernet from this estate. Finishes with a note of chocolate and supple tannins that coat the entire mouth. The Grace cabernet appears to be sacrificing some floral delicacy in favor of more sweetness and weight, partly through the use of a higher percentage of new oak." International Wine Cellar

2005 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.6
Quantity in Stock: 15

(93 points) Bright, saturated ruby-red. Deep aromas of black fruits, violet, tobacco, licorice, minerals, nuts and earth. Lush, rich and sweet, with an intriguing smoky character and lovely lightness for a wine with so much breadth and volume. Unusually powerful and deep for this bottling; complex and distinctive. In a rather Old World style, with complex soil tones currently dominating primary fruitiness. Finishes broad and dry, with very lush, fine tannins. A superb vintage for this estate. Winemaker Brookman noted that this was a large crop but the team made three separate passes through the vines to reduce the crop level and then harvested later than ever here. The Grace wine was once aged in all new barrels but as of 2005 that percentage has been cut to 80% to 85%. (ST) (6/2008)  Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Menu
Selection of Cheese:  Beemster Gouda, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Dark cherry and cola beef Beef Shortrib with carrot and beet puree
Chocolate Covered Bacon and berries

The fee for this tasting is $249 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463. Or we will take a bottle of Grace Family from your cellar of equal value.