2001 Scenario Napa Valley

[newsguy]

(13.5%, $9.99) dark crimson. cherry dominates big initial nose, joined by dark fruits and hints of earth, spice and vanilla. big entry and midpalate, but fine drying tannins come into play and cut finish short. flavors are a bit disjointed, dominated by dark fruit, plus a little tartness. over time, dark fruits dominate the nose as well. the fruit is sourced from just south of st. helena (and i'm guessing might be leftover from a known-name winery). this young cab has the structure to make you think it will age well, but i'm not quite sure the fruit, while big now, will outlast the tannins in the long run. decant for a few hours or give it a few years. 88 points, with potential to go up 2 or 3 with time. definitely a serious wine, which you wouldn't expect at this price point.

[This message has been edited by newsguy (edited 12-09-2004).]