It’s not often that one gets the opportunity to taste a single varietal Petit Verdot so I took one and tried this wine. As one would expect the color is deep purple. The nose shows violets, spice box and a mineral hint. In the mouth this wine is thick and chewy with black cherry and anise spice. A little goes a long way. It’s clear why winemakers use this wine in dribs and drabs to blend with the Bordeaux varietals because it’s powerful stuff. This wine comes from South Australia as well so it’s very fruit forward. Interesting for a one off try but not all that exciting.
2005 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The nose had very floral notes with violets showing most prominently. The mouth feel was balanced with ripe red fruit, cedar and a hint of currant in the mix. The finish was medium length and had a hit of the hefty tannins at the end but these should lay down some with additional bottle time. Very good and very interesting. The grapes for this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon come from the S & J Vineyard which is east of the Vaca Mountain range in Napa’s Capell Valley.
2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
Dark, extracted purple color. The nose shows cedar , cocoa powder and lots of black cherry notes. In the mouth this wine has a very balanced mix of fruit and mineral notes such as black currant, plumb, cedar and nutmeg. The tannins are very fine and well integrated. The fruit for this winner is sourced from the Taplin 2 block of Lewelling vineyard in St Helena and the Lynch Family Vineyard, from owner Randy and Lisa’s Estate in Calistoga. Elegant but plenty of fruit forward enjoyment as well. Outstanding. If you get the chance to visit the Napa Valley make sure you drop by their tasting room. It’s very relaxed and a fun time.
2005 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
The nose shows hints of green pepper, black fruit and leather. Across the palate there are notes of mint, currant, mineral and spice. Th
e tannins are rustic and long lasting on the finish. The grapes for this wine are sourced from the Trefethen estate in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley. This wine drinks more like a Left Bank Bordeaux than a Napa Valley floor Cabernet Sauvignon. Good but not great, and expensive ($100).
2005 Realm Cabernet Napa Valley
2005 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Napa Valley. Very dark purple in color. The nose had aromas of intense black fruit and sweet oak. The flavors across the palate were layered, complex and included black currant, cherry, and spice. Although this wine is lush and very ripe it’s not over the top and is very well put together. The long silky finish ends with another hit of the fruit. An exciting expression of this legendary Oakville vineyard. Extraordinary
2005 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Napa Valley
Very dark purple in color. The nose had aromas of intense black fruit and sweet oak. The flavors across the palate were layered, complex and included black currant, cherry, and spice. Although this wine is lush and very ripe it’s not over the top and is very well put together. The long silky finish ends with another hit of the fruit. An exciting expression of this legendary Oakville vineyard. Extraordinary.
2005 St. Francis Red (USA, California, Sonoma County)
Not much nose to speak of after a short time in the decanter. This wine showed aromas of red fruit and pepper. The flavors were a mix of jammy cherry and raspberry with the pepper carrying on through the finish. Simple but easy to drink and not bad for the money. A interestingblend of 58% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Zinfandel.
2005 Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon Friends (Australia, Barossa)
Deep purple in color. The nose has notes of wild blackberry, c
herry and cedar. Across the palate this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was jam packed with black fruit that was very forward but not in the way. The tannins were fine grained and lingered on the medium finish. Most of the Cabernet grapes for this moderately priced red wine blend were sourced from the Eden Valley. The Merlot fruit came from the Barossa Valley. Although slightly singular in it’s complexity it is very enjoyable and easy to drink. A good introduction to this producer at a good price. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot.
2005 Delectus Syrah Mt. George (USA, California, Napa Valley)
Very dark purple color that fades a bit at the rim. The nose has a nice balance of blackberry, currant and wet stones. This wine is jam packed with black fruit flavors but it not overly ripe. The tannins are still a little gritty and mouth coating on the long finish but will lay down some with more bottle time. Thes
e Syrah grapes come a small vineyard in and around Mt. George near downtown Napa. Plenty to chew on but rich at the same time. Worth the effort to find it if you are not on the mailing list as there were only 325 cases produced.
2005 Bodegas Castaño Monastrell Yecla Hécula (Spain, Murcia, Yecla)
This wine is still very tight. It needs at least 90 minutes in the decanter to be fully enjoyed in the near term. Very dark purple color. Early on this wine was very dry with very little of the fruit showing through. After about 2 hours of aeration the wine showed lots of black fruit aromas as well as leather and a touch of smoke. Across the palate there were blackberry, pepper and leather notes. This wine is quite 
and the finish is drying. Monastrell is the Spanish version of the French Mourvedre. It’s widely planted in Spain and is generally blended with Grenache or Garnacha. If you can decant this value priced ($13) red wine from the Yelca region of Spain it’s a good wine for the money.
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