2003 Cali Cab Vintage

[winoweenie]

Oos I'm reluctant to do this as it may seem as if I'm pimping for the old guard but I've found that, just as in Bordeaux, there are definately differences in the quality of the wines produced. Call 'em growths, leaders, or what-ever, it is just as prevalent in Calif as the old world. Caymus Napa & Special Selection, Duckhorn, B.V. Private Reserve, Beringer Pvt. Reserve, Flora Springs Hillside and Trilogy, Pride, Pahlmeyer, All 3 Robert Craig releases, Ch. Montelena, Heitz Marthas', Shafer Hillside and Viador. I consider these the 1st growths of Napa. I've dropped several of the great wines from my cellar because of the exhorbitant pricing IMHO.( Diamond Creek, Grace Family, Stags Leap Cask 23, Araujo, Bryant Family, and Dalle Valle Maya)
My favorites in the 2nd thru 5th areas are normally the Usual suspects. I've pared my mailing list wines down from a high of 37 at one time to 4 now. (Dehlinger, Scherrer,
Santa Cruz Mtn, and Joseph Swan.) The only =reason is that none of these are available
locally. The wines I normally buy for daily use or for gifts,kids,or leather-tongued doctors, are the ones tasted at our local pushers jernt. All of the great P/Q dudies are discovered there during our tri-weekly brain-tester meetings. This is far longer than I meant it to be. Hope it isn't too boring. WW