New California Cult 2007 Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting at Wine Watch Wine Bar

"Spent my days with a woman unkind,
Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine.
Made up my mind to make a new start,
Going to california with an aching in my heart."

Going to California by Led Zeppelin

New California Cult Cabernet Tasting of 2007 vintage and 2007 offering!!

This tasting was just put on the calendar today as a follow-up study to the Schrader event this Saturday night here at the new Wine Watch Wine Bar.  We like to hit a subject hard when we study and new “Cult Cabernet” is the theme this evening with 10 wines that are now 10 years old.  This is one of the best vintages in the first decade of the New millennium and it could be the best year for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon but that’s why we do these tastings- scientific wine research!

Join us as we experience some of the top new names in Napa Valley along with the new cuisine of the Wine Watch Wine Bar.  This tasting is limited to 14 tasters and the fee for this event is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon Study
 Ten Year Old’s at the NEW Wine Watch Wine Bar
Thursday, May 11th
7:30pm

2007 Abreu Thorevilos Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $800.00    Sale Price: $650.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

(100 points) The 2007 Thorevilos is monumental, and stands out as one of the most singular and greatest Napa red wines I have ever tasted. An expansive fragrance of subtle barbecue smoke intermixed with graphite, blueberries, espresso, white chocolate and a liqueur of rocks soars from the glass of this full-bodied, prodigious effort. It has the texture of a skyscraper yet never becomes heavy or overbearing. This offering, which can send chills up your spine, is a candidate for one of the finest wines ever made in Napa Valley. It will last for 2-3 decades. (RP) (12/2010) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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2007 Bond St Eden

(99 points) Not surprisingly, the 2007 St. Eden flirts with perfection. Another Pauillac look-alike, it offers up glorious aromas of cedarwood, creme de cassis, spice box, high class unsmoked cigar tobacco, roasted herbs and a hint of mocha. The complex aromas brilliantly conceal the long aging in new French oak. This compelling, singular, full-bodied, multilayered, sensational Cabernet Sauvignon can be drunk early (because of the flamboyance and unctuosity of the vintage), but promises to provide thrilling consumption in 30+ years. (RP) (12/2010)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Checkerboard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

(95 POINTS) The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon has put on weight since last year and performed better from bottle than it did from barrel. A dense purple color is followed by aromas of charcoal, bay leaf, scorched earth, creme de cassis, espresso and black currant. Deep, full-bodied and opulent with subtle oak as well as white chocolate and graphite notes, this is a beauty of full-bodied power and evolving complexity. Drink it over the next 12-15 years. Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Futo Oakville Red Napa

From the winery: "Strong youthful aromatics of currant, spiced cherry and cedar wood. Flavors take up where the nose leaves off adding blue fruits, baking spice, smoky minerals and a citrus-like complexity. In the mouth the wine is full and rich with layers of sweet tannin and a long savory finish. Drink now for its vibrancy or cellar to your preference as this wine is built to last."

2007 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Arc Napa
Price: $575.00    Sale Price: $475.00
Quantity in Stock: 4

(100 points) A perfect wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard (1,300 - 1,400 cases) from Howell Mountain is one of the great efforts from this high elevation terroir. It offers notes of burning embers, black raspberries, blueberries and flowers, a full-bodied opulence, wonderful intensity, but the wine is not weighty or overripe. Fleshy and voluptuous with terrific floral notes, it should drink well for 15-20 years. (RP) (12/2010) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Maybach Materium

(99 points) The prodigious 2007 Materium exhibits an even more opaque purple color, and ratchets up the level of intensity and aromatic complexity. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, and cassis aromas intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers, and toasty new oak are found in this beauty. Outstanding intensity along with full-bodied power and beautifully integrated acids, tannins, alcohol, and wood suggest this 2007 should hit its peak in 5-7 years, and evolve for three decades or more. (RP) (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard Howell Mountain
Price: $300.00    Sale Price: $220.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

(98 points) From a single nine-acre parcel, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard exhibits extraordinary aromas of acacia flowers and violets along with an irrefutable minerality, an abundance of blueberry and blackberry fruit, outstanding texture, full-bodied richness, great depth, and ripe tannin. This Cabernet will benefit from four to six years of cellaring, and should evolve for 40 years. (RP) (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Verite La Joie Sonoma
Price: $475.00    Sale Price: $375.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 points) From my perspective, the 2007 La Joie is pure perfection. A Pauillac-like blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, it possesses a cedary, fruitcake, black currant, tobacco leaf, blackberry, and graphite-scented bouquet. Layers of creme de cassis and blackberry liqueur intermixed with scorched earth, truffle, and toasty characteristics are spectacular as are the multidimensional mouthfeel, fabulous purity, and a 60-second finish. This 2007 will be accessible in 6-8 years, and should drink well for 35-50 years thereafter. Only those with cold cellars and enormous patience should purchase this modern day legend.

The 2007s appear to be the greatest wines Verite has yet produced under the leadership of Jess Jackson and his winemaking guru, Bordelais Pierre Seillan. These extraordinary wines, built for the long term (much like top Bordeaux), are fashioned from some of the finest fruit sources Jess Jackson owns in Sonoma County. I have purchased and loved these cuvees from the beginning, and have followed their aging process (which is glacially slow). Production of these wines is small, but not ridiculously so. There are just over 1,460 cases of La Muse, nearly 2,000 cases of La Joie, and just under 1,900 cases of Le Desir. The 2008s are also strong efforts. Given the fact that Verite's wines often perform better out of bottle than they do from barrel, this may be another powerful, long-lived vintage. Wine Advocate # 187 Feb 2010

Menu

Beemster Gouda Shropshire Blue Cheese Parmesan Reggiano

Fig and Butternut Squash ravioli with goat cheese creme and applewood smoke bacon crumble

Deconstructed beef ribeye wellington with English yorkshire pudding

Chocolate creme brulee with raspberry preserves

The fee for this tasting is $250 + tax per person and is limited to 14 tasters.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

2007 " This was a generally cooler than normal year in the north, with moderate yields, a few heat spikes, but overall a textbook growing season with no serious problems. This has turned out to be the greatest vintage since 2001 or 2002 for the Bordeaux varietals in Napa, although 2005 is very close in quality, if very different in style. The wines display extraordinary fragrance and gorgeously seamless personalities, with sweet noble tannins as well as terrific concentration and length. It is a very exciting vintage, with more alcohol than 2005, but slightly less alcohol than 2002 or 2001. The wines should be approachable young because of the sweetness of the tannins. As for the other varietals, Chardonnay looks to be superb, as do many Syrahs. Pinot Noir is less consistent in quality, in large part because some producers picked too early and have made wines without full phenolic ripeness, resulting in green, leafy flavors as well as hollow textures. However, there are enough great Pinot Noirs to support what will be a lofty reputation for the 2007 vintage in northern California. Lastly, after two successive dismal vintages, 2007 Zinfandels appear to be a return to very reliable quality."  The Wine Advocate

The rest of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon in the store:

2007 Ad Vivum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $175.00    Sale Price: $140.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma
Price: $45.00    Sale Price: $35.00
Quantity in Stock: 8

2007 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard Napa 3 Liter
Price: $2400.00    Sale Price: $2000.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(93 points) Since last year’s report I have had the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard on three separate occasions, including recently at the winery. It has definitely improved over last year’s report, but it has not lived up to my barrel tasting reviews. There is no explanation for this other than that the Araujos told me that the wine was bottled three months later than normal, which seems like a negligible reason to explain the differences. A beautiful wine by any standards, it is just not one of the great Eiseles. Its deep plum/ruby/purple hue is accompanied by notes of cassis, blueberries and acacia flowers. This medium-bodied effort seems surprisingly reserved and restrained, but it has put on a little weight, revealing sweet tannin as well as a velvety texture. This offering should drink nicely for 12-15 years.  Wine Advocate #192, Dec 2010

2007 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $150.00    Sale Price: $120.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

2007 Bond Vecina Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $650.00    Sale Price: $525.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 points) A perfect wine, the 2007 Vecina provides a prodigious display of blackberries, charcoal, black currants, burning embers and a La Mission-Haut-Brion-like hot rock/gravelly character. The most tannic as well as most concentrated and layered of the 2007s, this is a long-term, but utterly brilliant wine. In many ways it reminds me of the Harlan Estate itself given its prodigious build and potential for extended longevity. It merits 4-5 years of bottle age and should drink well for three decades thereafter.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Bond St Eden Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $470.00    Sale Price: $370.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(99 points) Not surprisingly, the 2007 St. Eden flirts with perfection. Another Pauillac look-alike, it offers up glorious aromas of cedarwood, creme de cassis, spice box, high class unsmoked cigar tobacco, roasted herbs and a hint of mocha. The complex aromas brilliantly conceal the long aging in new French oak. This compelling, singular, full-bodied, multilayered, sensational Cabernet Sauvignon can be drunk early (because of the flamboyance and unctuosity of the vintage), but promises to provide thrilling consumption in 30+ years.  Wine Advocate #192 Dec 2010

2007 Blankiet Estate Paradise Hills Vineyard Rive Droite
Price: $150.00    Sale Price: $120.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Blankiet Paradise Hills Red Wine Napa
Price: $250.00    Sale Price: $200.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Celani Family Vineyards Tenacious Napa
Price: $64.25    Your Price: $56.54
Quantity in Stock: 2

Forward red plum and red currant berry fruit milk chocolate notes of fresh earth, cigar box spice. A very soft and elegant wine but with lots of flavor very nice freshness a nice note of cigar box spice on the finish. Finish 45+ Excellent +

2007 Cliff Lede Imagine Rhapsody
Price: $171.60    Sale Price: $143.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

2007 Colgin IX Proprietary Red Estate
Price: $650.00    Sale Price: $500.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

(100 Points) The staggeringly rich, complex, harmonious, impeccably well-balanced 2007 IX Proprietary Red Estate (1,400 case produced) exhibits aromas of spring flowers, cedarwood, Asian spices, licorice, blueberries, and blackberries. A distinct liqueur of minerals buttresses the full-bodied, massive concentration, giving an overall impression of elegance, purity, and harmony. This is another seamless tour de force in winemaking. It should drink well for 25 or more years.

Colgin's 2007s, which include their final vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Herb Lamb Vineyard, are all extraordinary, world-class wines. The change in winemakers from Mark Aubert to Allison Tauziet has gone very smoothly, and was made easier by the retention of the highly-respected French wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, who told me that tasting Colgin’s 2007s gave him his greatest emotional high since he tasted the Chateau Pavie 2000! The 2008s will not be available until 2011, but it appears to be a very successful vintage for Colgin. The crop was tiny, and there were no frost issues, but several heat spikes did occur. Both Allison Tauziet and Alain Raynaud thought that the small berries provided powerful fruit intensity. Wine Advocate #186, Dec 2009

2007 Constant Claret Diamond Mountain
Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12
Quantity in Stock: 2

(90-92 points) The deep ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Claret possesses a sweet, fat component that provides flesh and succulence to the wine’s tannic structure. Black raspberry, black currant, crushed rock, and spring flower-like characteristics emerge from this pure, textured beauty. This breathtakingly beautiful vineyard and winery on the top of Diamond Mountain produces 1,500-1,800 cases of wine (their goal is no more than 2,000 cases). The offerings from proprietors Mary and Fred Constant have shown dramatic improvement with each new vintage. While the focus is on Bordeaux varietals, two estate Syrahs have been added to the portfolio. Their vineyard, which is primarily on the Napa side of the Mayacamas range, also includes a small parcel on the northern Sonoma side, and the Syrah comes from this plot. The 2006s are very strong efforts in this irregular year, and the 2007s are the finest wines I have yet tasted from Constant. Wine Advocate #180 Dec 2008

2007 Dana Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Lotus Napa
Price: $1200.00    Sale Price: $995.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

(100 points) Utterly perfect is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Lotus Vineyard. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in 100% new French oak. Although limited in availability (220 cases produced), it is a wine of awesome intensity boasting an opaque purple color in addition to a brilliant floral-scented bouquet displaying aromas of cassis, black raspberries, black fruit, and forest floor. Multilayered with terrific intensity as well as a long, nearly 60-second finish, this flawlessly assembled wine is a brilliant example of Cabernet Sauvignon from the St. Helena hillsides. Give it 2-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Bravo! Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009

2007 Harlan Estate The Maiden Napa
Price: $260.00    Sale Price: $200.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $1200.00    Sale Price: $950.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $149.00    Your Price: $131.12
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Hundred Acre Deep Time Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $370.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

(96 points) The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time is gorgeous. The personality of the vintage is very well suited to the extended time in barrel (40-50 months) Woodbridge gives this wine. All the elements are in the right place. Rich, dark and sumptuous, the 2007 is totally seamless on the palate, yet at the same time, there is more than enough support from the tannins. This is yet another compelling, totally beguiling wine from Jayson Woodbridge. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. (AG) (12/2012) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Grace Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $350.00    Your Price: $280.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(92+ Points) Pure creme de cassis, black cherry, wood spice, crushed rock, and subtle oak characteristics are present in this dark ruby/purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is another 2007 that shows abundant minerality, something I have detected in many Napa 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons. This youthful effort will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 25+ years. Wine Advocate # 186, Dec 2009

2007 Kapcsandy Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard
Price: $475.00    Sale Price: $375.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Ovid Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $350.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Tokalon Napa
Price: $360.00    Sale Price: $260.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

(98+ Points) From the amazing Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard, Hobbs 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is a slightly more opulent, broader, savory effort that comes close to the perfect 2002. The 2007 has more noticeable tannin than the 2002 did at the same stage as well as more obvious minerality, but notes of graphite, black currant liqueur, licorice, cedar, and spice box are found in this full-bodied, multidimensional, fabulously concentrated wine. It was aged in 100% new Taransaud French oak barrels. Give it 5-6 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following three decades. Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009

2007 Peter Michael L'Espirit des Pavots Knights Valley
Price: $125.00    Sale Price: $95.00
Quantity in Stock: 12

2007 Peter Michael Les Pavots Knight's Valley
Price: $280.00    Sale Price: $220.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(97 Points) The 2007 Les Pavots, a Bordeaux varietal blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, is brilliant. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeously complex aromas of melted chocolate, espresso roast, blackberries, and cassis. Full-bodied with a superb texture, a subtle note of oak, and fabulous concentration, it is more reminiscent of a Right Bank Bordeaux than one expects with this much Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. A thirty-year wine, its impeccable balance and the sweetness of its tannins make it accessible already.

Brothers Nicolas and Luc Morlet (the former the winemaker and the latter a consultant) told me that 2008 was one of the smallest crops they have encountered, largely because of the late spring frosts, and windy conditions during flowering. Yields were low, but the quality was among the highest they have ever seen for Chardonnay, with a level of concentration reminiscent of the 2002s. As I indicated in issue #180, Peter Michael’s 2007 Chardonnays are spectacular. Production is about 30% higher per cuvee than in 2008, and these are exquisite efforts with lots of uplift, minerality, zesty aromatics, and refreshing acids. This year I should have a chance to taste the estate plantings from the huge investments Sir Peter Michael has made in Pinot Noir vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. In the meantime, here are some interesting efforts from sites where they contract for fruit. Wine Advocate # 187 Feb 2010

2007 Pina Cabernet Sauvignon Ames Vineyard
Price: $228.00    Sale Price: $190.00
Quantity in Stock: 4

2007 Progeny Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder
Price: $325.00    Sale Price: $250.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

2007 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $175.00    Sale Price: $145.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

(97 points) *#4 on Top 100 of 2010* Aromas of roasted herb, red pepper and sage are complex, elegant and spicy, joined by ripe currant, plum and black cherry fruit, but this is at its best on the full-bodied palate, where the texture is supple, graceful and polished. (JL) (10/2010) Wine Spectator

2007 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Price: $56.00    Sale Price: $45.00
Quantity in Stock: 9

Red currant and cherry berry fruit on the nose with notes of coco and toasty oak spice but still somewhat of a shy flower on the nose right now, has some funk on the nose right now but should open up with a little time in the glass. A refined and elegantly fashioned Oakville Cabernet sauvignon with ripe and round tannins and some nice toasty oak nuance on the finish, has all the right stuff just needs a bit of time to come together with some dry tannins showing up on the finish. Finish 45+ Excellent +

2007 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa
Price: $135.00    Sale Price: $110.00
Quantity in Stock: 6

(95 Points) A wonderful expression of stylish Cabernet that's ripe, fleshy, complex and layered, highlighting ripe currant, wild berry and blueberry, with touches of cedar and cigar box. The flavors gain traction on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 9,590 cases made.  “JL Wine Spectator

2007 Rudd Oakville Estate Red
Price: $205.00    Sale Price: $160.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 points) The flagship wine, the 2007 Proprietary Red from Oakville is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. A prodigious effort, it boasts a dense purple color along with gorgeously complex aromatics reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of a first-growth Pauillac and a top Graves. Notes of burning embers, forest floor, creme de cassis, blackberries, espresso, and a hint of chocolate soar from the glass of this full-bodied, well-delineated, structured wine with tremendous depth and texture. This awesome red is a future legend in the making. Give it 4-5 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 30-35 years. 98+ (RP) (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Sbragia Cabernet Sauvignon Wall VIneyard
Price: $100.00    Sale Price: $80.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $1050.00    Sale Price: $825.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

(100 points) Scarecrow's inky/purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is a prodigious effort. It reveals a liqueur of crushed rocks intermixed with a smorgasbord of spring flower, blueberry, creme de cassis, and assorted blue, black, and red fruit characteristics. It also possesses extraordinary concentration, but what sets it apart is the fragrant aromatics combined with uncommon purity and elegance for such a full-bodied, massively concentrated wine. Its perfect balance suggests it can be drunk at a relatively young age, but it should easily evolve over 30-35 years. Congratulations to all involved! (RP) (12/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Napa
Price: $1400.00    Sale Price: $1125.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 points) There is something about the inky/purple-hued 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard CCS (clone 4) that blows me away. The most opulent, perfumed, and accessible of these wines, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as an extraordinary density and richness in addition to copious creme de cassis, cedar, ink, and spice box characteristics. As with all of these wines, there is a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol in addition to phenomenal length and ripeness. The multidimensional personality and full-bodied style, with both power and elegance, is compelling. This amazing effort can be drunk now, but it will be even better in 4-5 years, and should unfold gracefully over the following 30+ years. (RP) (12/2009)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

(100 points) Offering riveting aromas of red and black cherry, red and black licorice, plum, spice and cedar, this is firm, full-bodied, deep, dense and concentrated on the palate, not wanting to bend much now, but with a muscular thrust of flavors and backbone that bodes well for cellaring. (JL) (10/2010) Wine Spectator 

2007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $4199.00    Your Price: $3359.20
Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 Points) As impossible as it might seem, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon takes things to another level. An exquisite, celestial bouquet melds into endless layers of fruit as this rich, voluptuous wine blossoms on the palate. Full-bodied and seductive, the 2007 conquers all of the senses with its head spinning, beautiful personality. As always, Screaming Eagle is a bit more restrained next to Napa Valley’s other heavy hitters, yet the pedigree of this opulent vintage comes through in spades. A kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors flows through to the creamy, textured finish. I have tasted the 2007 several times recently. It was always been perfect. My only issue with the 2007 is that it appears to be shutting down just a touch. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027.

I have had a number of fabulous tastings at Screaming Eagle, but this was one of the most memorable. The biggest news at Screaming Eagle is the release of a second wine, a project that has been in the works for a number of years. Owner Stan Kroenke and his team wanted to make sure their new wine was up to the estate’s standards, and have only released the first vintages over the last few months. I tasted all four vintages of Screaming Eagle’s second label, Second Flight, next to Screaming Eagle itself, which allowed for a fascinating set of comparisons of both wines across a number of vintages. Like its big brother, Second Flight is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, but here the Merlot plays a much more significant role. Regardless, what comes through most is the signature of these sites as seen through the lenses of the respective vintages. Readers might also enjoy taking a look at a recent video I shot with Winemaker Nic Gislason during the 2012 harvest that we recently posted on our site.

2007 Staglin Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $275.00    Sale Price: $220.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(98 points) A pure and seductive style, with enticing aromas of mocha, baking spices, melted chocolate, ripe plum, black cherry and black licorice that are supple, elegant, balanced, rich and layered, ending with an amazingly long and persistent finish. Drink now through 2020. 2,500 cases made. “JL Issue: Oct 15, 2010

2007 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon Armstrong
 Price: $114.00    Sale Price: $95.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

2007 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $150.00    Sale Price: $120.00
Quantity in Stock: 12

2007 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Price: $130.00    Sale Price: $100.00
Quantity in Stock: 12

2007 Sloan Proprietary Red Napa
Price: $900.00   Sale Price: $725.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

(100 Points) The 2007 Sloan, now in bottle, has lived up to the extraordinary quality it exhibited from barrel. A world-class, perfumed nose of charcoal, espresso roast, white chocolate, black currants, sweet plums, Asian soy and a Grave-like scorched earth aroma soars from the glass of this dense purple-colored wine. Full-bodied and seamlessly constructed with a multidimensional mouthfeel as well as a phenomenal finish, this 2007 carries considerable tannin, but at present it is concealed by the wine’s luxurious levels of fruit, glycerin and intensity. This spectacular 2007 should drink well for 25-30+ years. Stuart Sloan’s operation on a beautiful hillside just above Auberge du Soleil has taken off in less than a decade. They produce slightly more than 600 cases, but they hope to eventually reach 1,000 cases. This spectacular vineyard is treated like a spoiled child and Sloan boasts an impressive winemaking team of Martha McClellan and globe-trotting consultant Michel Rolland. The blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (80-85%) with the rest some awesome Cabernet Franc and tiny portions of Petit Verdot and Merlot.  Wine Advocate #192Dec 2010

2007 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $350.00    Sale Price: $280.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

(99 points) Retasting the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was a treat as I believe it is the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon Spottswoode has ever produced. Wonderful aromas of black raspberries, blueberries, black currants and flowers jump from the glass of this dark ruby/purple-tinged Cabernet. As I have stated before, if Chateau Margaux were in Napa Valley, it would be Spottswoode. The purity, balance and delicacy of this wine are impressive. Perhaps slightly less dense and powerful than the 2008, the 2007 is flawlessly put together with nothing out of place. It, too, should age effortlessly for 20-30+ years. (RP) (12/2010) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (3 Liter)
Price: $795.00    Your Price: $636.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(92 Points) Jeremy Nickel, son of the late Gil Nickel, who founded Far Niente, farms this ten-acre vineyard in Oakville's Halter Valley, between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountains. He grew a tight, mineral-rich cabernet in 2007, a wine with the warmth of sun on stone. Intriguing flavors develop out of the tannin, with juicy, purple berried fruit and cool notes of conifers. This is pungent and savory, a wine to cellar for several years before decanting with lamb. Wine & Spirits Magazine

2007 Verite Le Desir
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $350.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

(100 Points) "A profound blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec, with 56% of the fruit from Chalk Hill, 26% from the Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, 14% from Knight’s Valley and 4% from Bennett Valley, the 2007 is a wine of unbelievable intensity. It boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as notes of acacia flowers, graphite, licorice, blackberries, blueberries and a hint of burning embers/charcoal, superb intensity and purity, and abundant tannin in the finish. This massive wine needs 5-6 more years of bottle age, and is meant for 35-40 years of cellaring."  The Wine Advocate

2007 Verite Le Muse Sonoma
Price: $475.00    Sale Price: $375.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

(99 Points) The Right Bank or Pomerol-styled 2007 La Muse is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Sensational aromas of espresso roast, black cherries, black currants, licorice, toast, and spice box emerge from this inky/purple-colored 2007. In the mouth, hints of chocolate, creme de cassis, kirsch, charcoal, and a touch of new oak are found in this full-bodied, opulent, yet structured wine. While it is the most showy and precocious of the three 2007s, it needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should evolve for three decades or more. The 2007s appear to be the greatest wines Verite has yet produced under the leadership of Jess Jackson and his winemaking guru, Bordelais Pierre Seillan. These extraordinary wines, built for the long term (much like top Bordeaux), are fashioned from some of the finest fruit sources Jess Jackson owns in Sonoma County. I have purchased and loved these cuvees from the beginning, and have followed their aging process (which is glacially slow). Production of these wines is small, but not ridiculously so. There are just over 1,460 cases of La Muse, nearly 2,000 cases of La Joie, and just under 1,900 cases of Le Desir. The 2008s are also strong efforts. Given the fact that Verite’s wines often perform better out of bottle than they do from barrel, this may be another powerful, long-lived vintage. Wine Advocate # 187, Feb 2010