TNs: A 5-Cab lunch

[Michael Malinoski]

I had a rare chance to hang out with a couple of friends recently in the middle of what was supposed to be a work day, and we decided it would be nice to open a few bottles to drink over lunch.

1996 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley. There are just lovely aromatics here—with classical scents of tobacco, suede leather, red currants, sweet cassis, leafy underbrush and faint cedar shavings coming forth effortlessly. It’s just as nice on the palate, where it shows off loads of warm-toned cassis, red currant and licorice rope flavors that are smooth, creamy and seamlessly-textured. It’s a well-made and highly enjoyable Cabernet all around.

1998 St. Clement Oroppas Napa Valley. This wine is a bit more narrowly-contained on the nose, but I definitely enjoy its dried cherry, cranberry, menthol, wood smoke, tomato leaf and mocha powder aromas that are directed and fleshy. In the mouth, it has some nice sweet red fruit flavors accented strongly by mocha and chocolate notes, as well as a hint of raisin box underneath. The tannins have completely melted away and there is an easy and free-flowing feel to it. It’s a tiny bit cinched up on the cooler-toned finish, so my guess is that we’re catching this just in time.

1993 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Selection Monte Rosso Vineyard Sonoma Valley. Here one encounters a nose sporting moderate blueberry fruit to go along with scents of baked clay, tobacco, sassafras, a little bit of animal funk and a fair bit of menthol leaf. It’s warm, toothy, pasty and direct on the palate, with flavors of dried cherries, baked clay, dates, raisins and herbs carried by a squirt of citric acidity. It lacks some nuance and turns a bit lean on the finish, but it’s fairly tasty and enjoyable even if it’s not all that elegant or fully-fruited anymore.

2005 White Cottage Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley. This wine presents a heady and lifted bouquet of high-toned mountain berry fruit underscored by aromas of toasty oak, brownie batter, coffee beans and leafy greenery. In the mouth, it’s a fairly big wine, but seemingly pretty light on its feet. It delivers plenty of delicious and sleek flavors along the lines of black currants, blackberries and sweet blueberries. It’s pure, concentrated and smooth, with refined tannins and an easy flow from start to finish.

2005 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley. This 2005 from Howell Mountain doesn’t seem nearly as ready to go as the White Cottage Ranch, in my opinion. This wine is very dark and very densely-colored, with super-concentrated but also slightly mysterious aromatics of black olives, graphite, blackberry paste, brimstone, tomato paste and sweet creosote. It has loads and loads of dark fruit stuffing on the palate, with a somewhat youthfully pasty texture and significant tannin. It’s got a lot of energy, push and vibrancy for such immense structure and dark power, so I’m quite confident in stashing the rest of my bottles away for a good long while.


-Michael