Matt Letson  
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1339
 | | 10-11-2003 01:33 PM |
| I've got a few of these, so it was time to take one for the team.
14.5% alc. Inky, very deep, dark purple. This is a very young, tight and muscular wine. Very dense juice. Aromas and flavors of blueberry and cassis, blackberry, kirsch/liqueur, smoke and toasty oak. Firm, tight tannins. Very long finish.
This wine was completely shut-down upon opening and really only began to open-up after 3.5 hours in the decanter. The best glasses were towards the end of the bottle. By then, it was a much gentler giant.
If you only have 3 or 4 of these--wait at least 1.5 years, do not open yet, as it is not ready. If you have a case, go ahead and pop one (make sure you decant) for the fun of it. It is beautiful stuff. Very hard to judge at this point, since it will continue to develop. 92-94 points. Best from 2005-2012. | | |
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Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 10-11-2003 01:58 PM |
| Agreed. This wine is an absolute monster. Ojeffso and I shared a bottle on Thursday night.
I rated it 94+ (he rated it 93). | | | |
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ojeffso
warren, new jersey
Wine Lover
Posts: 4877
| | 10-11-2003 02:54 PM |
| | actually, to be more exact, i rated it a 93+. i think this wine will drink well for years. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12607
| | 10-11-2003 04:04 PM |
| | Happy to hear that it is better than the '99. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1074
| | 10-11-2003 07:33 PM |
| | I'm hoping we can source a bottle of the '00 and '01 for the Pride Smackdown at Skwid's house tomorrow. Compliments of Skwid, we'll be doing an very pointed analysis of the '99 and hopefully put to rest questions as to its quality. Notes will surely follow. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 10-11-2003 08:12 PM |
| | Don't worry Lafon, just bring your thirst. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 10-11-2003 10:01 PM |
| | i can't wait to see the results. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 10-13-2003 05:29 PM |
| We had this at the Pride Smackdown on October 12th:
I opened the bottle of this at 1:30 p.m. and tasted it. I didn't think the tanins were that overwelming (and I'd prefer not to over decant) so I closed the bottle and decanted at 2:30 p.m. We started the tasting at 4:00 p.m. We had some cheese and then "Bressler'd" things (i.e. had hamburgers).
This is a huge wine with lots of fruit covering a fair amount of tanin. It got better as the afternoon/evening went on. Went well with the burgers. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1074
| | 10-13-2003 06:31 PM |
| | This wine boasted a dark ruby/red color. On the nose I got some very strange spices. The only way I can describe it is...you know when you were a kid and got a new box of crayons? That's the nose I got on it. The secondary bouquet, I can only describe as play-doh. Odd, eh? Also got alot of vanilla and some cinnamon. On the palate, this one was highly extracted and rich, very chewy with lots of tannins. This one had a long 30-45 second finish. Definitely needs more time. 93 pts. | | | |
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Eric White
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9456
| | 10-13-2003 07:55 PM |
| From skwid’s Pride smackdown tasting, I am posting this before reading any of the previous comments…
Ok, here is the 1000 lb gorilla in this lineup. Saturated, dense very dark purple color, the nose on this wine is an absolute knock-out. This is the kind of wine you can be happy just sitting and sniffing, without ever taking a sip, with deep intense oak infused spices, crushed blackberries, anise, and vanilla. On the palate tremendous layers and layers of fruit and spice delight the palate, with intense but seamless tannic structure, and a purity of dense extracted fruit that is kept in check by the fantastic balance. Tannins are substantial to say the least, and this wine will surely improve with many years in the cellar, but as skwid pointed out it is amazingly drinkable now. A stunning wine, 96+ | | | 2008: the end of an error | |
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Tom
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2384
| | 10-15-2003 06:25 PM |
| | Is this a candidate for the WS Wine-of-the-Year? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 10-15-2003 06:58 PM |
| | it doesn't get my vote, i can tell you that. | | | |
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rickym13
los angeles
Wine Thief
Posts: 2868
| | 10-15-2003 07:03 PM |
| As much as I like this stuff and other Cal stuff. I think WS wine of the year is going to be from
00' Bordx  | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts: 15756
| | 10-15-2003 07:05 PM |
| | I'll put my nickle on Shafer HSS for 2001. Or will that be WOTY 2004? | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 10-15-2003 08:54 PM |
| The Shafer HSS won't be released until September 2005 so I don't think it will make it for 2004 (or 2003).
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Tom
Barrel Sampler
Posts: 2384
| | 10-15-2003 09:19 PM |
| Non! Remember the boycott!
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1010
| | 10-16-2003 12:36 AM |
| 2000 Bordeaux.
Bet the house on it. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 10-16-2003 12:43 AM |
| | which one though. leoville las cases maybe? that would be my bet or is that to rich for ws WOTY? | | | |
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MTPockets
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1834
| | 10-16-2003 01:40 AM |
| | The '01 Prides (Cab. Sauv. and Merlot) are by far the best since the '97s. The fruit is very sweet, the tannins firm but well integrated; finishes last 40+ seconds. I'm not disciplined enough to assign a score so I vote with my wallet. I went back for more. | | | |
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Christ Karalekas
Grape Stomper
Posts: 101
| | 10-19-2003 09:42 AM |
| | Had this wine as well the other night with the misses.Huge wine with massive flavors and mucho tannins.The taste that came to me was Godiva chocolate raspberry ice cream...it really tasted alot like that.will try again next year. | | | |
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