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 Louis Benton Steakhouse

December 14, 2005 -
The Very Best of Napa Valley

Well attended with palpable excitement, the Very Best of Napa Valley proved to be everything we had conceived when we planned for it months earlier. Every wine showed spectacular and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Honig 2004 "Rutherford" Sauvignon Blanc $24.50
Pale gold with little variation in the glass, this jumped up with aromas of white grapefruit, sweet pea, freshly cut hay and dill with a slight whiff of vanilla spice. On the palate the fruit is very bright and juicy, again with grapefruit notes but even more-so star fruit and pineapple layering through. Definitely one of the better examples of this varietal coming out of California these days, this got the night off to a great start.

Von Strasser 2000 Chardonnay $49.00
I was skeptical as always about serving a white that's five years old but this was wonderful. Vibrant gold in the glass with some variation, it's replete with aromas of beeswax, lanolin, over-ripe pear, baked spiced apples and vanilla toast. Very complex and integrated on the palate it boasts flavors of fig compote, Mom's apple pie and buttered-melt-in-your-mouth croissants. Fairly awesome is scribbled in the margin of my notes. In the top ten California Chards I've had. Wow.

Ballentine 2001 "Pocai Ranch" Cabernet Franc $30.00
Deep garnet in the glass with slight variation, I was looking forward to this as I'm a closet Cab Franc-ophile. It possessed the textbook black cherry, blackberry, cassis and dusty spice notes you would expect aromatically, but the real surprise came when you tasted it. Wonderfully yummy, with medium tannins that were softening, it has chewy flavors of spicy blackberry, black cherry cola and vanilla which fan out as they finish. Elegant and eminently drinkable.

Keenan 2001 "25th Anniversary" Merlot $35.00
Deep ruby with little variation, this was, next to the Chardonnay, the surprise of the night. Merlot has been given short-shrift of late and this one is here to de-bunk all the noise that it's been getting. With dark, roasted fruit dominating the aromas, it sports notes of black currant, kirsch, blackberry tart, grilled plum and spice. On the palate it's big and silky with super-fine tannins and flavors echoing the aromatics. Structured yet sophisticated, this could age for a while but was immediately stunning right out of the bottle. Made by the legendary Nils Venge. Super-duper.

Cosentino 2001 "The Poet" Meritage $64.00
One of the names the crowd really came for, Cosentino has proved to be a real pleaser every tasting we've showed their wines at. Deep garnet in the glass with little variation, this is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 3% Malbec. Really fruity and ripe in the glass, this comes at you with big black cherry, black currant, spice, vanilla and toast aromas. On the palate this is pure silk, with very soft tannins and lush, lush flavors echoing the aromas. Again, very ripe, very extracted and so smooth, what you'd expect from this producer. Definitely on the seductive side.

Vine Cliff 2001 "Oakville" Cabernet Sauvignon $87.00
Infanticide at best, this was way young but of course, was the showstopper as it should have been. Super deep ruby in the glass with almost no variation, this boasts wonderful Cabernet notes of black cherry, black currant, chocolate, vanilla and toasty cedar spice. It was so much fun to just smell over and over! On the palate the tannins were medium-firm, with yummy flavors of red cherry and more red cherry, cassis and cedar with hints of vanilla. Very thick yet silky in the mouth, this one goes on for ever. I would say give it five years in the cellar and try it again for fun. A beautiful expression of Cabernet Sauvignon.

As I think back, this was an awesome, awesome tasting. We'll do it again soon I promise.

*All of the wines we taste, no matter what night we tried them…even if it was over a year ago…are available either on our shelf or to special order. We are always very happy to special order a bottle of anything you’re looking for. If you are interested in trying some of these, please email or call us anytime and we will include it on our next order – almost always delivered within two to three days!
 
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