'94 Bryant Family Vineyard

[MikeE]

My wife and I cracked open a bottle of the '94 BFV to celebrate moving in to our new home.

I've had this wine on two previous occasions and I would say that this is the best it's shown so far. There is still an enourmous amount of NFO layered over a great extraction of boysenberry fruit. The vanillin slowly seems to be integrating, but I wonder if it will ever fully balance? (As an aside, does oak ever fully integrate the way acidity and tannins do in wines able to handle them do?)

Anyway, I enjoyed this wine, but this continues to underwhelm me compared to the '93 BFV, '94 Screaming Eagle, '94 Colgin, '94 Aruajo, etc. I realize that those are some heavy hitters, but this one is supposed to be in the same league.

Anyway, in my humble opinion.
ME

[Bucko]

Many of these high dollar cult wines are nothing but oak bombs. I went to a tasting of all of the 95 "big boys." Hands down favorite of the night on everyone's card was the Screaming Eagle - a shame it is so over-priced and with limited availability. I found many of the other wines to be too over-oaked, IMHO of course.

Bucko

[Jerry D Mead]

I just had a preview of the Chateau St. Jean Reserve Merlot and Cabernet 1994...I predict very big numbers from RP.

JDM

[n144mann]

"I predict very big numbers from RP" Not knowing your opinion of the esteemed Mr Parker, would you let me in on what exactly you meant by that??? Can I assume you do not agree that big numbers are deserved? Or am I simply reading too much into that comment? (I tend to be sarcastic and sometimes do that)

Sorry to be such a know nothing 'newbie', but hey, gotta learn somewhere! :-)

Geeez, can't ever get through a post without having to edit! :-o

[This message has been edited by n144mann (edited 03-03-99).]

[Jerry D Mead]

Actually, I'm giving both wines pretty good numbers myself...what I meant is that Parker is known for going for big, very rich, powerful red wines and these (especially the Cabernet) fit that description...with a price tag of $60 per.

I also, usually in private conversation, make reference to a wine being a "Dan Berger" or "Bob Thompson" wine...which indicates lots of identifiable fruit and no, or barely, discernable oak.

Everyone has their own personal taste preferences. I personally like oak and as I often say, "If God intended Chardonnay to taste like grapes, He wouldn't have invented oak trees."

JDM

[n144mann]

Ahhhh, got it. I had picked up on the Dan Berger thing already from some other posts you had made, actually enjoyed the dialogue the two of you had. I'm with you tho, like the oak! Went to a tasting with the hubby, he is not an oak fan, think we agreed on about 3 wines, not a single chard and only one big red, but since I do the wine buying guess who wins!! :-) Thanks for the info!
Nancy