Two winners and a "not even close to ready"

[Glass_A_Day]

Had these three at the rehersal dinner. First was 2002 Stags Leap. Very tannic and closed. The fruit was completly hidden and I was glad that Pop was buying. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img] Then we got to the 2003 Phelps. Fantastic Cab that was the nights winner until we hit the last. This was the 02 Hess Collection. Classic Hess stuff that was heavily mouth coating with a long long finish. All starting out with some Freemark Abby Chard and ending with some 40 year old tawny and surrounded by family and "new" family.

[brappy]

Congrats to you and yours!!!... Nice wines for the rehersal dinner. It's amazing how many rehersal dinners are served with plonk...

Again, Congrats,

mark

[wondersofwine]

At my nephew's rehearsal dinner we had the less expensive Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon as the red (don't recall which white wine). To keep costs in line the Hess Select was at least a decent quaff.

[winoweenie]

Love the new Dads cherce. If you look back on the cab thread forever you'll find as many acclimations on the Hess Collection as on almost any other bottle of juice on the board. WW

[Glass_A_Day]

Went back to the same restaurant last night. Had another of the Phelps and it just blew everyone away. Just fantastic stuff. Bummer was, when we went to order a second bottle, they were out and we were forced to follow up with a Simi. Having them back to back really showed how important integration is. Both had great fruit, but the Simi was all over the board and the nose didn't have nearly the perfume. Everyone agreed that paying double the cash for the Phelps was a worthwhile investment. I'd give this one a 95+ if I was the rating type.

[winoweenie]

Undubbitidly they musta' been out of the 02 Hess. Many years the Phelps Napa is so close in quality to the Insignia I've come close to passing on the Sig but always back down. As stated many times on the board for some unexplainable reason the 75, 85, and 95 Napas have been phenomanale. WW

[Glass_A_Day]

Then we should look forward to the 2005!

[winoweenie]

I know I be holding wif' anticipation of that dudes release. WW