2004 Owen Roe Abbot's Table

[TheEngineer]

Heavy packaging immediately obvious. On opening, sweet scents of dark cherries, berries, chocolate and tons of wood. Prety much the same on palate except that with some airing, some of the overwoodiness (?) blew off a little (still overwooded). Then came the plums, the high acidity, the raisins, and a hint of hotness at the back.

Dense, dark, opaque, jammy, but not entirely together with too much wood.

From their website. 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.6% Syrah, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 8% Zinfandel, 4.5% Grenache, 3.4% Malbec, 3% Pinot Noir, 1.5% Counoise.

[dananne]

I like Owen Roe wines, but I haven't tried this one. They can be like black lab puppies when young -- a little hyper and in your face. Like labs, I feel they need a little time to calm down. Most of the time, the components come together.

[TheEngineer]

Hmm..maybe I didn't give this one enough time. Local pusher said it was ready to go but you are right, it appeared a bit discombolulated right now.

[Bucko]

The more I drink wine the more I become convinced that balance in = balance out. I just have no faith in these big, overextracted, high alcohol, woody wines.

[winophite]

It seems to me, the more I drink wine (or is that, the more wine I drink) balance definitely goes out! Hee hee. WP

[Bucko]

Just do like WW -- he drinks laying down -- not so far to fall. [img]http://wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

[winoweenie]

Heck-fire buck-snort whenced I'm standing I still done' have a long way to fall. WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

[dananne]

Agree, Bucko, with the premise that big, overextracted, high alc wines may not age well, and that balance in = balance out. From the tasting note, however, I was just under the impression that it was woody and somewhat muddled. He didn't mention alc, and I've not tasted the wine. In that case, I'd likely agree with you. My take regarded the use of wood. Sometimes, in my experience, that mellows with time. For example, many Pauillac wines taste like cedar juice when young. The Owen Roe wines I've had all seemed to calm down a bit with some bottle age, save for some hot ones (I posted on an '03 Pinot Noir that was too hot when young, and it hasn't improved with bottle age).

[winoweenie]

Well said Dan. When I bring myself to constructive comments I've always contended balance is the key to any wines longevity. High alc wines that have good acidity and plenty of fruit do age well and evolve into good drinkin,ie Caymus Special Selection, Latour. Contrary to the condemnation of Dehlinger by certain board members I've found his pinots don't start drinking well until their 5-7th year and then are killer juices. That's me take FWIW. WW