1998 L'Ecole #41 Cabernet Sauvignon

[dananne]

When I was mostly still in the dabbling phase, I bought this wine solely based on the label -- I was starting my school at the time, and the little schoolhouse screamed, "Buy me!" I found out later that it was a WS 91, #97 top 100 (FWIW).

Decanted 30 minutes before pouring and throughout evening. Early on, the nose was all vanilla oak, reminding me of the nose of an old school Rioja. In time, other elements crept into the nose, including blackberry. Color was blood red along the edges, darker inside. The flavor profile is all about black currants. Blackberry slips in, too. The finish is pretty juicy and long, the currants still dominant and joined by the vanilla, which comes back at this point. More juicy-fruity than earthy, but I enjoyed it. Paid about $30. 13.8% alc.