Arzak mountain

Chateau Montelena 2008 Zinfandel (Napa Valley) – Classically structured Napa zinfandel, though without the aggressive hardness of some I don’t like (Dickerson) nor the lavish structure of those I do (the Storybook portfolio). Which is another way of saying that the number of Napa zins I like is few, yet here’s one I love for its fine balance of the darkest fruit, crisp acid, and a quick zip of tannin. This might well age, but my bottle doesn’t even last an hour after uncorking, so I’ll never know. (8/11)

Grassy

Cedar Knoll 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – Weedy and underripe, with nasty green tannin suffused with stale cigarette ash, then treated to a burnt licorice overoaking and nasty, rancid buttering. I can’t get this out of my mouth fast enough. (9/10)

Pozzan pans

Pozzan “Annabella” 2007 Merlot “Special Selection” (Napa Valley) – Over-toasted (assuming there are barrels involved; I don’t want to over-presume), charred…the Starbucks dark roast of merlot. (5/10)

Matthewpork

Markham 2005 Merlot (Napa Valley) – Solid dark fruit. Enough structure. Made from grapes. (5/10)

Napariño

Abrente 2009 Albariño (Napa Valley) – Only 13% by the label, but absolutely consumed by its alcohol. So much so that there’s almost nothing else to be said. Grossly, pathetically imbalanced. Where’s the…well, anything other than ethanol? (5/10)

7x4

Hendry 2005 Zinfandel Block 28 (Napa Valley) – 15.2%. To me, Hendry is an underrated producer. Heck, I even like their chardonnay. Mitigating against that, at least for my cellar, is that their prices are…well, they’re low for Napa, but aggressive in any wider context. That’s one thing when discussing the cabernet, quite another when looking at the zinfandels, which are reliably high-quality but priced as if they’re at the pinnacle, which they’re not. Here’s a wine with concentrated wild-berry fruit (blackberry, olallieberry, perhaps even some dark, exotic plum), excellent structure, and obvious aging potential. The finish is medium-length but vibrant throughout. I just wish it was a little cheaper. (9/09)

The mighty Tor

Kenward “Tor” 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Mast-Cimarrossa (Napa Valley) – Corked. So massively-fruited that it almost overcomes it. But still corked. (10/09)

Montelena Olin

Montelena 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – 14.01% alcohol. Those were the days, eh? Though I can’t help see the precision of the number as a sort of jibe. Anyway…the wine’s highly structured, but everything else is quite advanced (especially the color), and I think drinking is in order over the next few years. Tobacco, gravel, and cassis liqueur are present, but the dominant impression is a dusty austerity. Restrained, but not I think by middle age, but by its basic nature. A good, not great, Montelena. (2/09)

Gin

Martini 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – Artificial blackberry syrup, in taste and texture. The damage done to this name by the new owners is unforgivable. (2/09)

My darling dear, love you for all time

Brick Angel 2006 “Littlefoot” St. Barthelemy (Napa Valley) – Half petite sirah, one quarter each zinfandel and syrah, 15.1%. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. (1/09)

Dynasty

Coturri 2001 Zinfandel Forsythe (Napa Valley) – 15.9%. This tastes very much like the Coturri grenache, which just can’t be good. It’s an overwhelming explosion of slutty fruit given a massive sheen of oak; not the flavor, but the polish, which (for me) is rarely a positive for zinfandel. The acidity is vibrant, and the wine is – despite the temple-throbbing alcohol, which is immediately noticeable – quite chuggable, but there’s just nothing interesting in this bottle. Except, perhaps, the next morning’s hangover. (10/08)

The Mayacamas, the Maya go

Storybook Mountain 1996 Zinfandel Mayacamas Range (Napa Valley) – 14.3%. Really good, with nicely developed black fruit turning towards peppercorn and black dust, yet still firm with structure. There’s a cohesiveness that’s not always found in zin, and a balanced confidence rarely found in Napa zin, that are immensely appealing. This should age for a long, long time, though eventually I think the tannin will outlast the fruit. (8/08)

Please Allomi to introduce myself

Hess 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Allomi (Napa Valley) – Obviousness personified, and though the wine has more of cabernet’s tobacco signature than most of its pushed-ripeness, overoaked, over-merloted brethren, there’s an unfortunate satisfaction with that state: it tastes like fermented tobacco wine rather than something made from grapes. Plenty of structure, especially tannin, so this will last a good long while. I have no idea what it will develop into, though. An ashtray? (7/08)

The heart of Napa

Corison 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – Great acidity, which I say about once per decade about a Napa wine. Black’n’blue berries, crisp apple, thyme, rosemary, and cedar with the structure one expects. Not yet done aging, of course. Terrific. Corison remains grossly underappreciated. (2/08)

Chopin

Etude 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – An insular wine. Chocolate-covered cherries and nearly-crisp blueberries. Dense, tough, and hard. Turns hot on the finish. Just OK. (2/08)

Fay Wray

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Fay (Napa Valley) – Eucalyptus and thyme, with a dark residue of blackcurrant. Mostly, it’s structure right now, with massive tannin dominating. Appealingly authentic, though there’s very little that’s actually appealing about the wine right now. Let it rest. (4/08)

Without reliving the weeks before Easter

Shafer 2004 “Relentless” (Napa Valley) – Wafts of pretty oakspice, good red fruit, and lots of tannin…both grape and wood. Ultimately, the wine is completely dominated and then overwhelmed by the arbor, and lacks character as a result. (2/08)

George

Forman 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – A bit closed, but authentic, with peppers bracing the sweet fruit. The only flaw is a bit of obvious heat on the finish, but that could be exacerbated by the stage the wine’s in. Not bad. (2/08)

Unicanard

Duckhorn 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Patzimaro (Napa Valley) – Very dense. Blueberry milkshake, both vanilla and chocolate versions, with a full, lush texture. Tannic. New World all the way, but with more tannin than is typical in the genre. (2/08)

Nora

Dunn 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) – Dense and thick with chocolate and lactic finish. Very long and well-balanced. Very good in its style, though this sort of thing is beyond my ability to truly enjoy. (2/08)