Premier Cru - Cabernet Sauvignon RSS/RDF Feed http://www.premiercru.net/premier/jsp/xml/premiercrucab.php http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45439 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=26598 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=16513 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42629 95+ Galloni: "The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is stunningly beautiful and seductive in its red fruit, mint and tobacco. This is a surprisingly accessible vintage for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Today it looks like an excellent choice for readers who want to explore the wines of this iconic producer -- as long as it doesn't close down in bottle. Togni's 2009 is notable for its exceptional elegance, finesse and pedigree. There is plenty of Spring Mountain structure, but today the 2009 is disarmingly sexy and radiant for such a young wine. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45389 93 points Galloni: "The 2009 Tanbark Hill is a rich, voluptuous wine graced with layers of expressive fruit, smoke and tobacco. It shows quite a bit of depth for this bottling. Licorice, crushed flowers, spices and mint wrap around the plush, inviting finish. This is all elegance and class. In 2009 one-third of the production was bottled as Tanbark Hill. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45388 95-97 points Parker: "The blend of the 2008 Insignia, 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, is not terribly different from the 2007. However, I suspect the production will be a lot less given the frost damage in early spring. The color is an inky/purple and the wine shows lots of cassis, blueberry, graphite and floral notes, good acidity, stunning concentration and purity, and a long finish. Another great success for Phelps, the 2007 and 2008 Insignias may be the best back-to-back vintages they have produced since 1995 and 1994. The 2008 has some tannins to resolve whereas the 2007 has already assimilated them. It appears the 2008 will require 2-3 years of bottle age, but should last for three decades." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=43540 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=37973 95 points Galloni: "The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is big, dark and juicy. There is an element of wildness that runs through the wine. Graphite, licorice, tar and smoke are just some of the nuances that add complexity. The 2006 boasts superb purity from start to finish. Elements of fleshiness give the impression the 2006 might drink well relatively early, until the massive tannins set in. Floral notes add freshness on the finish. This is another fabulous wine from Randy Dunn. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42337 94 points Parker: "The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a huge, powerful wine that is starting to show the very earliest signs of development. An exotic melange of smoke, tar, camphor and licorice leads to expressive, fleshy fruit as the 2005 opens up in the glass. Hints of tobacco, leather, licorice and spices are layered into the finish. This is a gorgeous wine with lovely mid-palate presence and fleshiness. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=39217 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=40947 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RE258 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RE113 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=28297 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=28298 92-95 Parker http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=26142 98 points Parker: "From Colgin's first-growth quality estate vineyard, Tychson Hill, located north of St. Helena, on the western slopes, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is performing far better out of bottle than it did from cask. An extraordinary bouquet of flowers, cedar, tobacco leaf, black currants, blueberries, chocolate, and scorched earth scents is followed by a wine of prodigious concentration, purity, depth, and sweet tannins. An amazing effort for this vintage, it is a compelling bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon" http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=41255 97 points Parker: "The saturated black/purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard displays this winery's hallmark - a provocative nose of blueberry jam, orchid flowers, and smoky new oak intertwined with cassis. Additional aromas of licorice and exotic Asian spices emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Extremely full-bodied and rich, with more noticeable tannin than the 1997, this large-scaled yet extraordinarily rich wine is like drinking cassis/blueberry liqueur. Its sweet tannin and remarkable 40+-second finish are amazing. Anticipated maturity: now-2022." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=12940 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45183 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45174 96 points Parker: "The 2006 Harlan Estate has turned out better than I originally predicted. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by classic aromas of creme de cassis, melted licorice, smoked meats, burning embers, and graphite. It has thrown off some of the tannic clout it displayed last year, revealing great balance. A candidate for "wine of the vintage," this dense, full-bodied effort has 25+ years of life ahead of it. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2035." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=41084 99 points Parker: "The 2004 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine is a 637-case blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. It borders on perfection. An extraordinarily complex bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted herbs, meat juices, flowers, and subtle oak is followed by a powerful, rich, pure wine with a finish that lasts nearly 60 seconds. The tannin is silky and the wine is seamlessly constructed. It's difficult to suggest an optimum window of drinkability since it is already showing well, but this extremely young Napa red should evolve for 15-20 years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=37915 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=35926 96 points Parker: "One might call the opaque purple-colored 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate "locked and loaded." Fashioned from a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc (which saw about 25% new oak), it exhibits a tremendously pure, but tightly-knit bouquet of creme de cassis, leather, forest floor, minerals, and licorice. Dense, with layer upon layer of concentrated black fruits intermixed with spice and wood, it displays full body, great purity, low acidity, and a solid lashing of heavy duty tannin in the blockbuster finish. It"s great stuff, clearly the finest Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon since 1997, but patience will be essential. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=29367 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=45018 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44951 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44942 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44943 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44891 92 points Parker: "One of the ripest, richest Martha's Vineyard Cabernets, this wine is aging marvelously as the tannin has become less noticeable and the fruit more dominant. It reveals a deep, saturated, plum/purple color, and a huge, tell-tale, mint, cassis, and vanillin bouquet with vague earth and licorice notes. Exceptionally full-bodied, powerful, and chewy, with sensational extract, this concentrated 1976 has begun to strut its stuff. Approachable now, it should last for another 10-15 years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RR267 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RR268 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RE682 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RE140 a superb Martha's!! http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=CE133 94 points Parker: "A consistent mid-ninety point wine, this lavishly-oaked, rich, opulent wine exhibits Caymus' tell-tale dramatic bouquet of blackcurrants, toast, coconuts, and jammy black fruits. Corpulent, chewy, full-bodied flavors possess enough acidity to provide focus and uplift. Like many Caymus Special Selections, this wine oozes with pure Cabernet fruit. Velvety-textured, yet still youthful and fresh, this super effort can be drunk now or over the next 10 years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=CE192 94 points Parker: "In the blind tasting, I first thought this was a Spanish wine given the intense, pain grillee, toasty oak, and vanilla aromas. After ten minutes some of the oak dissipated, allowing the wine's flamboyant blackcurrant fruit to emerge. Full-bodied, exceptionally concentrated, with a seamless, velvety texture, and a marvelously long, opulent finish, this 1986 Cabernet tastes like a jar of jam on the palate, with great purity and staying power. Although it appears to be fully mature, it will last for another 10-15 years. This impressive, sweet, creamy, exotic, and flamboyant wine merits the praise it has received. http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=CR449 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=CR418 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=C1248 93-95 points Parker: "The powerful, concentrated 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (14.3% alcohol) exhibits aromas of black currant jam, tar, smoke, and forest floor. This opulent, rich 2003, while less flamboyant than the extroverted 2002, is deep, chewy, pure, and well-delineated. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025+." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=33301 98 points Parker: 'The 2004 Harlan Estate is probably the most precocious and accessible Harlan Estate that this perfectionist team has made. Already compelling, the wine has notes of roasted coffee, charcoal, blackberry, spring flowers, and some background sweet, toasty notes. Dense, fleshy, exuberant, even flamboyant by the standards of Bill Harlan, this wine exhibits no jaggedness or rough edges, has relatively high tannins, but they melt away on the palate. The wine is sensationally well-endowed, long, and rich -- a tour de force in winemaking. They can do no wrong at Harlan, and it is obvious, even in the most challenging vintages such as 1998, that this estate is a true grand cru/first growth, making wines of irrefutable world-class quality. Of course, none of this comes cheap, as the price is now moving up into the league with Screaming Eagle, but there are no shortage of takers." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=38615 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=43444 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44645 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44633 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44632 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44621 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44620 95 points Parker: "At present, the 1976 is undoubtedly the greatest B.V. Private Reserve made in the last 30 years. The wine, which has been spectacular from its release, continues to be the richest, most exotic of all the B.V. Private Reserves I have tasted. Did the monumental 1951 resemble this wine at a similar age? The 1976 is full-bodied, with a huge, intoxicating perfume of sweet black and red fruits, earth, Asian spices, roasted herbs, and toasty oak. This massive, full-bodied, super-concentrated, fragrant, alcoholic wine is close to full maturity. It is the quintessential example of the B.V. Private Reserve style - the likes of which has not been made since. It should continue to drink well for another 20 years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=CE836 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44603 93 points Parker: "The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley reveals a provocative nose of tobacco, black cherries, cloves, fruitcake, and spice. Some plum and raspberry fruit also emerges on the palate. This is a hedonistic, sexy, seductive, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with low acidity, and loads of toasty oak. It will be a huge crowd pleaser when released next year. It should show well for at least 12-15 years. Tel. (707) 857-3562; Fax (707) 857-3135" http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=RR282 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44577 98 points Parker: "The single-vineyard offering from Thorevilos is usually a blend of 80-85% Cabernet Sauvignon with a good dosage of Cabernet Franc added to finish out the wine, and occasionally a touch of Petit Verdot. This pure, steep hillside vineyard is planted in what they call tufa, or white volcanic ash-based soils. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Thorevilos is borderline perfection, an unreal wine with notes of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blueberry pie, and creme de cassis intertwined with a bit of smoke, espresso roast, and chocolate. The wine is phenomenally rich, has great nobility, purity, and a finish that goes on for just over a minute. This is an amazing wine that, like its stable mate the Madrona Ranch, seems to have softened considerably in the last year of bottle age. It can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25+ years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=38661 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=30072 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=28301 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=26293 92 points Parker: "The dark ruby-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley exhibits a pronounced smoky, espresso bean, and kirsch-scented nose. Round, dense, rich, full-bodied, and open-knit, its low acid flavors are undeniably appealing. Black olives make an appearance in the wine's aromatics as it sits in the glass." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=17305 94 points Parker: "The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley is performing far better after a year of bottle age. This dark ruby/purple-colored, seductive wine offers blazingly intense aromas of cigar box, smoky oak, and jammy black currants with a hint of Provencal herbs. Ripe and full-bodied, with low acidity, and a fleshy, succulent texture, it is a wine to drink over the next 14-15 years" http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=12858 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44554 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=44278 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=20946 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=43897 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42458 92 points Parker: "The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve possesses more blueberry, raspberry, and floral notes, an elegant personality, full body, and outstanding depth, richness, and texture. Enjoy it for 15+ years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=40951 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42529 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=43730 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=27628 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42438 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42439 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=43484 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42572 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42597 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42456 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42453 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42500 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=40438 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42341 92 points Parker: "The 2007 Monte Bello is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by attractive aromas of incense, red and black currants, spice, and forest floor. Much lighter in the mouth with less concentration and texture than the 2006, 2005, and 2003, the 2007 is built along the lines of the 2004. There is a slight lack of intensity in this offering (yields were almost twice as high in 2007 as they were in 2005), but it is a very pretty effort made in a lighter, more elegant, restrained style. It reveals lots of blue, black, and red fruits, medium body, good acidity, and a fine finish. The extremely cold weather in late September as well as the wet October has had an impact on the 2007 in contrast to what happened further north in Napa and Sonoma. While it does not represent a great classic, the 2007 will certainly last 15 or more years." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42327 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42042 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=42030 http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=19908 89 points Tanzer: "Red-ruby. Aromas of raspberry, menthol, espresso and fresh herbs. A juicy, sappy wine with a light touch, despite the fact that the label says 14.1% alcohol. Essentially in an understated style but offers good creamy depth. Finishes with fine tannins and an herbal nuance." http://www.premiercru.net/premier/shop/WineDetails.do?wineId=31086