WCC 1997 California Cabernet Blind Tasting
Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY, 4/4/2013

My regular local group met to taste 1997 California Cabernet blind. Each person brought a bottle wrapped in brown paper. The bottles were from our cellars. The Wine Fairy chose the wines and organized the flights. The food at the Fort Orange Club was excellent as usual and quite well-matched to the wine. Dinner began a little after 7:30pm and ended around 10pm.

Flight 1
Lobster Ravioli with Pomodoro Semplici, Caper-Kalamata Tapenade.
Very tasty. Not a great match to the wines, but not a problem either.
Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.
  1. 1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
    [Pop and pour.] Black fruit nose. Balanced in the mouth. Quite drinkable now and for a few more years. (90 points)
  2. 1997 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Decanted at 4pm. Put back in the bottles at 5:30.] Big smokey red fruit nose. Still and slightly tannic. Juicy red fruit. Should improve for several more years. Best 2018-2022. (93 points)
  3. 1998 Fife Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double decanted about 5:30pm.] Slightly more mature. Spicy red fruit. Smooth and elegant. Quite ready. [Only afterwards did we discover this was a 1998 and not a 1997. An impressive showing for what is generally considered a weak vintage.] (93 points)
  4. 1997 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
    [Double decanted about 7am.] Dark, tannic. Still quite backward. After an hour, it is starting to open up. Serious wine. (93-95 points)
  5. 1997 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
    [Double-decanted at 6pm.] Gorgeous black fruit nose. A rich tannic yummy wine with loads of body and black fruits. (95-97 points)
    6. Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.

Flight 2
Chicken Breast with Proscuiutto, Osyter Mushrooms, Poulet Glace, Brown Grain Rice.
Quite tasty. Mild Chinese seasonings, but not strong enough to clash with the wines.
Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.
  1. 1997 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double-decanted at 2pm.] Big smoky ripe nose. Young and sweet in the mouth. Very appealing. (93 points)
  2. 1997 Ravenswood Pickberry - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
    [Double decanted about 7am.] Elegant, but with significant structure and tannin. Still needs time. I would never have guessed that this is 60% Merlot from tasting it. (92-94 points)
  3. 2000 Château La Dominique - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
    [Double-decanted at 12:30pm.] Intense long black fruit. Long finish. Sweet. Should drink well for 2 decades more. (96 points)
  4. 1997 Dominus Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double-decanted at 12:30pm.] Muted cardboard nose. Tart. Corked. Not strongly so, but enough to spoil what should have been a great wine. (NR)
  5. 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages - USA, California, Sonoma County
    [Doubled decanted around 5pm. Drunk around 9pm.] Extracted sweet black fruit. Another excellent wine. (93 points)
    6. Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.

Flight 3
Slow Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Au Gratin Yukon Potato, Pan Fond Liè.
The perfect dish for these wines. Delicious.
Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.
  1. 1997 Folie à Deux Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double decanted about 5:30pm.] Gorgeous mineral and spice nose. Tart, tannic, but tasty. Not sure it will improve, but should hold another decade. (94 points)
  2. 1997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Decanted at 4pm. Put back in the bottles at 5:30.] Bright red fruit nose. Quite special with complex red fruit and spice in a very long wine. (96 points)
  3. 1997 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Double-decanted at 12:30pm.] Another beauty. Same bright red fruit nose. Sweet and complex. Ready but should hold for 10-15 years more. (95 points)
  4. 1997 Dalla Valle Maya - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
    [Double decanted about 7am.] Mature, smoky nose. Slightly oxidized. Probably not a well-stored bottle. Or maybe given too much air (now that I see the decanting regimen).(88? )
  5. 1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
    [Doubled decanted around 5pm. Drunk around 9pm.] Smoky black fruit nose. Stunning in the mouth. Like most of the other wines in this tasting, this has rich smooth black fruit and a long finish, but this one takes up another notch. An ethereal quality that I can't quite put my finger on and an expansiveness in the mouth. My WOTN. Kinda nice that it turned out to be the wine I brought (and that I have more!). (97 points)
    Open 3 days: Smoky, complex mature. Great wine.
    6. Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.


Cheese Course
Brie, Aged Provonlone, Herb Boursin, Roast Garlic Loaf.
Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.


Summary

Based on this tasting and others, I would say 1997 is a great vintage for California Cabernet. This was a pretty good cross-section of (mostly Napa) Cabernet and with few exceptions, they all showed very well.

Notes posted from CellarTracker



WOTN Voting (3pts each for #1, 2pts for #2, 1pt for #3)

RankPtsWine
1171997 Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity
2(tie)111997 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
2(tie)111997 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
481997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
571997 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages
6(tie)61997 Dominus Estate
6(tie)61997 Folie à Deux Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
841997 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
931997 Ravenswood Pickberry



People Photos

Click on an image with a border for a larger view of that image.
Matthew and Joel before the dinner.

Bob and Keith.

Steve, Mike, Bob, and a deer.

Larry, Bill, Mike.

Tom, Joel.

Bob!

 

 

 

All original content © Ken Vastola