Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
Email Don directly with your wine-related questions.
Captivating Cabs
Last week I attended the annual Oakville Growers trade-tasting event called "Taste of Oakville". We receive a much sought-after invitation each year, for what is almost entirely a tasting of first-class Cabernet. This tasting can bring together in the same room (depending on if every member shows up) some of Napa Valleys most familiar names and some of its most highly praised "cult" labels.
This year Denise, James and I found the usual bevy of fine Cabs: including Harlan; Screaming Eagle; Bond; Mondavi, Far Niente; Nickel & Nickel; etc., along with debuts from Kelleher and Futo (the later was good, but ambitiously pricey).
For the second year in a row, my personal favorite wine was from a grower-turned-winery called Tierra Roja. Their 2005 was even better than their stunning 2004 debut. That wine was incredibly scarce, but in 2005 there is a bit more, along with a promise from owner Linda Neal to give NVWE enough for our Fall High Rollers Cabernet Club box.
Some of my other Cab favorites were: 2005 Ghost Block; 2005 Rudd; 2005 Stanton; 2005 Tamber Bey; 2005 Plump Jack; 2005 Oakville East "Exposure"; 2004 Bond "Vecina" & 2004 Bond "St. Eden"; 2005 Mondavi "Reserve" and 2004 Harlan.
Also impressive were: 2005 Venge Merlot; 2004 Paradigm Merlot; 2004 Paradigm Cab, 2005 Oakville Ranch Cab; 2005 Hoopes Cab (bottled the day before and showing it); and 2005 Mondavi "Oakville".
A few of the above have been released, while others will trickle out over the coming months. Some, like the Bond, Harlan and a few others are always scarce, but have been made even more so by advance publicity. The just-released Harlan, for instance, has already earned a Wine Advocate score of 98 points. As you might expect, its price reflects that. Oh well...