Three from Napa

There was a new puppy in the extended family to visit last night, a fourteen week old Havanese.  To celebrate the folks raided their wine cellar for three nice wines.

Best of the lot on this particular day was a 2000 Beaulieu Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.   The BV Rutherford is nearly always wonderful and remains one of the few consistent bargains in Napa cabs.  This one was no exception.  Dark fruit of black cherries and cassis, fully ripe and rounded tannin, and good acidity teamed up with the bottle age for an elegant wine.  There was good depth, a hint of dark chocolate and earth at the end and just a wonderful feel in the mouth.  The wine is at its peak but showed no signs of going over that peak.

Next up was a 2003 Beaulieu Tapestry, a blend of Bordeaux varietals.  This wine picked up the acid and the tannins in a major way.  The fruit was good, but the fruit was redder than that in the 100% Cabernet wine.  Dark red cherries, and almost a hint of cranberry dominated here.  The tannins were strong and still a little gripping and the acid stood out at the end.  Vanilla was about the last sensation on the finish.  This was a wine where each part was good, but the whole had yet to come together.  It cried out for a steak and about two more years bottle age.

Wine number three was a Groth 2004 Cabernet.  Dark red cherries here again, and this wine had a hint of cinnamon and leather as well.  Good depth of fruit, full flavored, nice ripe tannin and good acid.  There was a little bit of heat on the finish and the alcohol level was pushing 15%.  Two more years will do wonders for this wine as well.

The photo?  The sage in the yard is blooming and fragrant.