Enjoying WW's 1994 Cal Cabs

[wondersofwine]

First one out of the box (and bottle) was a winner. A MARKHAM product. Very nice aroma and taste. Purple brown edge. Plum, blackberry and a little cinnamon in the flavors. Next up, a LIPARITA, Howell Mountain. A little darker and denser than the Markham. More muted nose than the Markham. Not my style (those Howell Mountain wines can have killer tannins).
Third was the ROBERT CRAIG AFFINITY, a Meritage blend. I found this to have a bitter finish and it was still quite tannic. I prefered the 1994 HESS COLLECTION but didn't write down notes on it other than to say that it was very mellow and viscous. As WW says, the 1994 GALLO OF SONOMA FREI RANCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON shows what Gallo can produce with good grapes. It was impressive and one of my favorites. A profound nose to start things off. This was followed with the ETUDE, clear Bordeaux in color shading to brown and viscous like the Hess Collection. I liked this one also.

The first half-dozen of WW's case of Cal cabs was followed up with a funky smelling 1987 Guigal Hermitage provided by KC. If you could get past the barnyard smell, it tasted somewhat better than it smelled.

(to be continued later)--time for lunch now

[Innkeeper]

We both liked the Etude best of the six, with the Markham coming in second. Two fantastic flights of different '94 Napa cabs.

KC's Guigal Hermitage reminded me of a bawdy expression from my youth that I won't get into. Surfice to say that some things do taste better than they smell. Both Northern Rhones and Red Burgundies can give you barnyard on the nose and a completely different experience on the palate. I got pummeled on another board for suggesting that any SB worth its salt be it from New Zealand or elsewhere gave you cat pee on the nose and something much else on the palate.

[winoweenie]

Profound notes WOW. Culdn't have made the remarks better my-very-own-self. WW

[Kcwhippet]

We sure did like all of the Weener's Cabs, also. Nice notes, WoW. Good to see you back from the Big Apple.

I've only had a few older wines like the Hermitage, but they all had that real barnyard funk. The taste sure does make you forget the nose, though, doesn't it?

[winoweenie]

Found this orphan and an old post from our Finger Lakes party. I'd sent a case of 94s up 2 weeks before we got there and naturally it didn't help a whale of a lot. The orphan was stunning. Don't know how you'd expect more from a bottle than this mammy provides. Deep Howell fruits, And a solid 4&1/2 + lapper finish. Life is good. WW