The Wine Club Saturday Tasting: Top California Red 2005/11/05

Year	Wine	Price	Rating
2001	Newton Cabernet, Napa Valley tannic, plum, spice, earth, violet, very long finish. RP 90. - so - ws	39.99	****
2003	Whispering Dove, Stags Leap District This vintage of Whispering Dove (wordplay: Screaming Eagle) is labeled as Stags Leap District (the previous two vintages were from Oakville). Tart, spicy oak, menthol, red fruit, long finish. Slightly downhill from the previous vintages. - so - ws	29.99	***½
2002	Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet, Napa Valley Roasted nut, very concentrated, consistent RM style, coffee, blackberry, long finish. RP 92. - so - ws	99.99	*****
2002	Turnbull Oakville Red, Oakville Plum, chocolate, currants, sugary, wide spectrum, bay leaves, very very distinctive... extremely dark like double bass. But has a minor hole in mid palette. WS 94. - so - ws	64.99	****½
2002	Opus One, Napa Valley spicy clove that is dinstinguished Op. 1's oak profile. acidic, elegant, hint of earth, not very fruit forward. May be better in a year. - so - ws	129.99	****½
2002	Cardinale, Napa Valley Astringent, very fragrant black fruit and earth, bordeaux style, tannic, complex long finish. Very well balanced. RP 95. - so - ws	159.99	*****
2002	Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV, Napa Valley black fruit, plum, very full body, relatively simple, has a distinctive orasted oak, roasted herb aroma that I am not very fond of. - so - ws	89.99	****
2002	Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Napa Valley chocolate, full body, rounded, herbal, dillweed?, blackberry. The silky texture is a signature of Cask 23. Somehow not very exciting. - so - ws	144.99	****
2001	Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet, Napa Valley restrained nose, mineral, lots of herbs, blackcherry, fragrant oak, very tannic, very long finish. RP 96. - so - ws	89.99	*****
2002	Joseph Phelps Insignia, Napa Valley Tasted third time. Consistent. jammy, floral, deeply deeply concentrated, a tad more concentrated than any wine that comes before, plummy, chocolate, ultra long mineral dark finish. Can I give more than 5 stars? RP 96. WS 96. How often do WS and RP and me agree?? Best Insignia ever. - so - ws	104.99	*****
2002	Verite Les Desir, Sonoma County men's room earth, herbal, roasted nuts, blackberry, tannic, over priced. Their 2001 vintage got WS 74 selling at $140 per bottle. No ethics. RP 97. Disagreed. - so - ws	159.99	****
2002	Verite La Muse, Sonoma County herbal, elegant, not as concentrated as the Les Desir, acidic, spicy oak, cloves. Overpriced. RP 94. - so - ws	159.99	****
2002	Verite La Joie, Sonoma County elegant nose, complex, coffee, inky, astringent, plum, vanilla, ultra long finish. This is an excellent bottle from Verite, perhaps may redeem the previous two bottlings. Still overpriced. RP 98. - so - ws	159.99	*****
2003	Ramey Diamond Mountain Cabernet, Diamond Mountain David Ramey is a favorite winemaker who made the 2000 Rudd that topped my 2003 wine list. Unfortunately he quit Rudd and since then the Rudd wine is just not my cup of tea any more. This is an excellent wine that has some sparklings: pungent, fermenting-grape juice nose, tannic, cigarette tobacco, plummy, very very concentrated, it is going to evolve into a great wine but way too young for immediate consumption, well perhaps we can try with a 4 hour decanting. Long finish. - so - ws	69.99	*****