1980 Shown Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

[TheEngineer]

Like WW said,

This was an ephinany. I went out to dinner on thursday night with a friend and his SO and he brought along a couple of 1980 Napa Cabs. We opened up this one first.

I'm not had many aged napa cabs, let alone one that is coming on 30 years old.

On opening, it was a but muted, a bit austere, smokey, leaner, but firm and nicely structured. Dried fruits. So we decided to decant it. Five minutes of air and MAN this thing blossomed.

It gained in texture, becoming round smooth and then the fruit came back, ripe, dense, super smooth, fruit juice, black berries, cherries, wonderfully integrated. In another hour, it gained complexity, starting with some cinnamon, spiciness, but still a wonderfully smooth round wine (13.5% ABV). 3 hours into the dinner (and it was still getting better), other naunces started coming. At the fourth hour, I could start to smell black tea.

I've never heard of this winery but a wine like this would just about stand up to anything I've every tried on the red side. Wow. it was an ephinany.

Anyone here know anything of this winery?

[winoweenie]

Shown and Sons owned a beautiful property off the Silverado trail. Somehow in the mid to late 80s' they lost the property and Charles Wagner of Caymus bought the property. Has become the backbone of the Caymus Napa bottlings. WW

[TheEngineer]

WW, many thanks for that! I've been looking and looking! It was nice to have tasted a juice that has traveled so nicely past almost 30 years now.

[TheEngineer]

For my old friend who passed away today, in my mind I'm raising this glass to you. to toast they way you lived life and to thank you for what you have shown me.

May you rest in peace.

[winoweenie]

You can dig up some relics faster than the Smitstonian antiqua group. I had the pleasure of knowing the Showns and they were a classy group. As stated their property makes up the backbone of the Caymus Napa bottling with the premier grapes going i the SS. WW

[TheEngineer]

I had dinner last night with some friends and the spouse of my friend who has passed away last year. Low and behold, another bottle of this comes out (after the 1978). I had the pleasure of pulling the cork, solid bottle, incredible density and fantastically nuanced. No change in notes (no bottle variation!!).

What a lovely bottle.

[winoweenie]

My reply is the same. WW