1995 Shafer Napa SLD

[newsguy]

as soon as i saw this topic, my mouth watered. i remembered this wine from our dinner in vegas. it was my WOTN. so i figured i'd repost my tasting note from that night, then thought, what the heck. here's the entire column. thanks again, WW. it was a night of legendary wines with a legendary wine drinker.

ran 2/9/06 in tampa bay times:

Winning wines from the Winoweenie

By Keith St. Clair

I finally met the Winoweenie.

Okay, I know that needs an explanation. When I first started really getting into wine six years ago, I discovered the Wine Board at Wines.com. This online forum is packed with friendly folks who are more than willing to share their knowledge of the grape. It quickly felt like home.

It didn't take me long to notice the postings of someone with the board name of Winoweenie. This guy really knew his stuff, and the more of his posts that I read, the more impressed I was - not just with his knowledge, but his folksy manner and his eagerness to help newbies and long-timers alike.

The Winoweenie has been a wine drinker for more than 30 years and his collection numbers in the thousands of bottles. But he lives in Phoenix. Was I ever going to meet the legend himself, I wondered?

Then I saw on the board that he was going to be in Las Vegas all week for work, and I was going to be there myself for Super Bowl weekend. He was bringing up two cases of aged California cabs to go along with work dinners and invited me to join him.

Friday night, we spent nearly five hours at Pamplemousse restaurant, and the company was every bit as good as the world-class wine and food.

Sometimes legends live up to their billing. This one surely did.

Thanks, Winoweenie.

Our wines that evening:

1997 Beringer Knights Valley Alluvium: This red blend is drinking beautifully. It has a remarkable nose that gets more complex over time. Loaded with cinnamon, plums, coffee, red currants and spices. An incredibly silky mouthfeel that belies the slight tannins that still lurk underneath and can easily carry this another few years. Excellent.

'95 Pride Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: This big wine made from mountain grapes still is just a baby. Dark in color, aromas and taste, there's lots of blackberry and the perfume that comes from years aging in French oak barrels. With plenty of acidity and some chunky, drying tannins, this concentrated cab needs at least another three years to hit its peak and will easily last well into the next decade. Excellent.

'95 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Another 11-year-old wine that's still youthful in appearance. Lots of dark and red fruits, plus spice and coffee. Great balance and a very long finish. Drink this over the next few years. Excellent.

'95 Flora Springs Napa Valley Trilogy: Another meritage blend, this one's nearly equal parts of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, plus some cabernet franc. This absolutely is at the top of its game. The aromatics are phenomenal and the flavors that follow live up to them: perfume (again, that French oak), dark and red fruits, plus red licorice. Despite the fully mature nose and flavors, this still has some acidity and ultra fine tannins to take this another three to five years. Excellent.

'97 Quail Ridge Eisle Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Very nice aromas and wonderful flavors of dark fruits with a nice dose of French oak. Very concentrated, with plenty of acidity and some tannins. This screams to accompany a red meat entree and still has a long life ahead. Excellent.

'95 Shafer Stag's Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine is huge and still drinking young. Aromas and flavors of licorice, mocha, blackberry and perfume. Incredibly concentrated and perfectly balanced with a very long finish. Probably still another five years from its peak and might still improve a bit. My favorite of the evening. Excellent/Classic.



[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 11-20-2006).]