Today I've been concentrating on Cabernet, concentrated Cabernet which has been concentrating on my teeth, and as a result blue teeth. Starting off with a Dry Creek producer Michel-Schlumberger http://www.michelschlumberger.com/, organic grapes focusing on Cabernet, Chardonnay, Syrah and Semillon.
Great wines that really need about ten years to come into their own, the 1999 and 2002 are drinking superbly now, with fine grain tannins, a sweet fruit core of blackberries and spruce, the Chardonnays were probably the most oxidative chards I've tried, showing quite nutty and sherry notes (not sure when the bottle was opened though). Very good wines, check them out. Driving across the Castiloga Rd brought me onto the Napa Valley floor and onto Twomey http://www.twomeycellars.com/main/index.html . These guys specialise in Merlot and Pinot Noir, and despite a short tasting list, of two, the wines were really good especially the Pinot. Following this, an appointment with Chateau Montelena http://www.montelena.com/, one of the wines to appear at the legendary Paris tasting of 1976 were a bunch of American wines were tasted blind against the home guard of French wines. Everybody expected the French wines to be far superior but that wasn't the case check out the link to see how it ended http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris_(wine) .
The winery sits on a cave system that doubles as a barrel room, constant, non fluctuating temperature and good humidity. Stylistically the winemaking focuses mainly on the fruit aspect of the wines, retaining a more European style, less new oak (between 15-25%), French barrels, alcohol levels that aren't excessive for Napa. The wines, especially the Montelena Estate Cabernet (95% cab 5% merlot) are very good. Lovely fine grained tannins, crisp acidity, long evolved persistence and a beautiful core of dark blackcurrent, blackberry leaf and touch of savoury spice around the core. If your gonna buy these wines, stick with the Bordeaux blends, especially the Estate Montelena.
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