Wine Tasting Notes

Flight 1: DuMOL Chardonnay:

2004 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe

RP: This beautiful offering is capable of lasting 5-6 years. The 2004 Chardonnay Chloe, largely from the Ritchie Vineyard, is made from an old Mt. Eden clone of Chardonnay, and spends time in 62% new French barrels. There are 900 cases of this stunning white. An exceptional bouquet of wet stones, white currants, white peaches, and orange liqueur is followed by a wine with super acids, full body, a singular presence as well as fruit, and a stunningly long finish of over 30 seconds. This is a killer Chardonnay to drink over the next 4-6 years. 95 points.

2004 DuMOL Chardonnay Isobel Green Valley

RP: From the Heintz Vineyard, the 2004 Chardonnay Isobel Green Valley is a 500-case cuvee aged 18 months in barrel. It reveals crisp acidity, a steely structure, and beautiful honeysuckle, orange blossom, and subtle smoky characteristics. 94+ points.

Flight 2: Turley Red Zinfandel:

2003 Turley Wine Cellars Zinfandel Estate

RP: There are 200 cases of the 2003 Zinfandel Turley Estate (15.2 % alcohol). Grown on an old river bed filled with cobbles, this supple-textured, round, easygoing, hedonistic Zinfandel offers loads of briery, peppery, berry fruit and leafy, herbal notes, a succulent style, and a gorgeous glycerin- and fruit-endowed finish. Far less powerful and concentrated than the epic 2002, it should drink well for 4-5 years. 91-93 points.

2003 Turley Wine Cellars Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard

RP: The most revered Zinfandel in the Turley portfolio, the 2003 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard (500 cases; 16.5% alcohol) is again a prodigious Zinfandel and represents the essence of this varietal. Outrageously rich, full-bodied, dense, and multilayered, with a dark ruby/purple color (the most saturated color of all the Zinfandels), it boasts aromas and flavors of raspberries, black cherries, cassis, licorice, pepper, and loamy soil notes. The finish lasts for 45+ seconds. It is a sensational Zinfandel, and based on all the vintages produced by Turley to date, capable of lasting a decade or more. 94-96 points.

Flight 3: W.H. Smith Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir:

2003 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir Maritime Vineyard

WS: A gorgeous wine, rich, smooth and seamless, with layers of complex creamy cherry, wild berry and plum shaded by mocha-laced oak that is neatly integrated. The tannins are ripe and supple, the aftertaste fascinating. 97 points.

2003 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vineyard

WS: Hints of cedar and sandalwood in the aroma lead to a firm, tightly wound, richly flavored and notably complex wine. The core flavors are built around ripe cherry, plum and raspberry, and they're elegantly styled, ending with a pretty dash of vanilla-tinged oak. 96 points.

Flight 4: California Merlot:

2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot

RP: A blend of 52% Napa and 48% Sonoma fruit (the vineyard traverses the county lines), the 2003 Merlot exhibits notes of sweet oak, mocha, and berry fruit in its pretty, elegant, tasty, medium-bodied, plump personality. 88 points.

WS: An openly seductive style, with ripe currant, blackberry and wild berry fruit shaded by splashy mocha and espresso bean oak flavors. It's complex and concentrated, but also quite tannic, so if you pull the cork tonight, decant an hour. 92 points.

2003 Paul Hobbs Merlot Michael Black Vineyard

RP: The final vintage for the single vineyard Merlot Michael Black Vineyard, the 2003 boasts a dense purple color in addition to a sweet perfume of espresso, white chocolate, black cherries, and figs. With tremendous opulence, density, and a long, lush finish, it will provide plenty of pleasure over the next decade. 93 points.

WS: Ripe and plush, with layers of rich currant, cranberry, roasted plum and rum cake spice. Supple texture and excellent concentration, finishing with a persistent, flavorful aftertaste. 89 points.

Flight 5: Dominus Mid-90s Vertical:

1994 Dominus

RP: Christian Moueix and his talented winemaking team continue to rewrite the definition of a Napa Valley reference point wine. I have had a difficult time keeping the corks in my bottles of 1994 Dominus. Eight-thousand cases were produced from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. In this vintage, 174 days passed between bud break and the harvest, a remarkable period of time for any wine region in the world. The 1994 is a strikingly thick, compellingly rich wine with the texture of a great Pomerol, despite being made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine exhibits a dense purple color, and an incredibly fragrant nose of jammy black fruits, spice, smoke, and loamy, truffle-like scents. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with thrilling levels of extract and richness, but no sense of heaviness or harshness. This seamless Dominus possesses no hard edges, as its acidity, tannin, and alcohol are beautifully meshed with copious quantities of ripe fruit. This wine offers early drinking, yet has the potential to last for 30+ years. 99 points.

1996 Dominus

RP: The 1996 Dominus, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. Although this offering lacks the power, intensity, and compelling characteristics of the 1991 and 1994, it is not far off the pace of those two monumental wines. A super nose of roasted coffee, chocolate, dried herbs, black fruits and kirsch is both intense and persuasive. The wine displays terrific richness, medium to full body, low acidity, a succulent, opulent texture, and superb purity. This beautifully made 1996 is one of the few wines that has successfully tamed the vintage's elevated tannin level. It should be relatively drinkable upon its release, yet evolve nicely for two decades. Impressive! 95 points.

Flight 6: Dessert Wine:

2002 Sine Qua Non Mr. K The Nobleman

RP: The 2002 Mr. K The Nobleman (321 grams per liter of residual sugar and 10.25 grams per liter of acidity) is made from 100% botrytised Chardonnay. Its medium gold color is followed by a wine with honeyed complexity, and huge body, sweetness, and thickness. This effort is never as complex or focused as its siblings, but it is still a phenomenal sweet wine that can stand on its own merits against any great sweet wine made in the world. 94 points.