The Private Minneapolis Wine Club
Minneapolis Wine Club does Domestic Domestic Cabs & Meritage Blends
Thank you to Craig for putting this tasting together. I agree with Dave on the Filet. My meat went from Shoe Leather to one of the best Filets I also have tasted.
The wines were nice overall but nothing really stole the show and the group seemed to like the Andrew Will the best overall. The Quilceda Creek needs some cellar time at this point as I tasted it 3 years ago and it was a rock star. I will cellar the 3 bottles I own for a while but a big thanks to Diana for bringing this wine!
My wine of the night was the 1999 Chappellet which is one of my favorite California producers.
NV Schramsberg “Mirabelle” North Coast Brut
A light Sparkler with lemon and mineral at the forefront. Short finish. 84 points
2006 Verget Macon-Villages.
Crisp, mineral driven wine with a hint of lemon. Lacks a substantial finish. 85 points
2005 Peay Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Oak and mineral on the nose. Taste was balanced and not over the top oak. It featured minerals, lemons, oak and vanilla. Medium finish and the best of the 3 starter wines. 88 points
2006 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain Red Blend
I have sampled previous vintages of this wine and this was tight and needs five more years in the cellar. I am currently enjoying the 2002 Vintage. A wine with a future featuring aromas of floral, spice, and cherry. A little tannic and over time this will soften to show more of the plum and cherry flavors. Currently 90 points
2005 L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
A wine dominated by earth components. Spice, vanilla and oak were consistent in the nose and palate. I like more fruit with my Washington wines then this is currently offering. 88 points
2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Eloge Napa Valley Red Blend
Complex nose of cherry, minerals, tobacco and spices. The palate was well balanced and showed good acidity. This wine was a bit tight tonight and I would recommend not popping one for a few more years. 91 points
2005 Kitchak Cellars “Concerto” Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
A big wine with cherry, blackberries and oak dominating the nose. The most intense palate so far and opened up brilliant later on in the evening. While I enjoyed the wine at $125 a bottle I will stick to a the Conn Valley line 92 points
2003 Paul Hobbs Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Cherry and oak on the nose. For a 03 it was nice but a little too much oak on the palate that hides the fruit. Overall a solid effort. 89 points
2001 Bressler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
Subtle nose with a hint of fruit but well balanced. This was a soft wine ready to drink right now. I enjoyed it but don’t see a five year future for this wine. Drink up! 90 points
1999 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard, Napa Valley.
My wine of the night after allowing it to sit in the glass. This features dark fruits, earth and really is well integrated. A medium concentrated finish and I would say this will go another five to ten years. 93 points
1997 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Bell pepper and earth dominated this wine. It was tired on the palate and either was an off bottle or past its prime. 84 points
1991 Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Not a lot going on with this wine. It was tired and had no fruit to offer the nose or palate. After checking out other reviews on cellar tracker this wine was up and down so maybe cellaring was the issue here or just an off bottle. 82 points
1994 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley.
A very nice aged bottle. Fruits were jumping out of the glass such as blackberries and plum. Palate showed some nice fruit, red pepper and spices. Very balanced wine and a real treat to try. 92 points
2003 Quilceda Creek Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon
The second time trying this wine and it was in a closed phase as the wine was decanted over six hours. It had the intensity but the fruit was hiding a bit. I would try this one again a few years from now or pop day one and revisited it on day two. I still really like the wine. 91 points