When Scotty at Il Forno Classico announced the Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon tasting, I was leaping for joy (pun intended, sorry.) There were a group of us at this tasting, dear friends Heidi, Michael and Al, plus Dan, Chickie, Eric from Hawai’i, Minuki and Tim. Most also belong to Blind on the Vine, our tasting group, and we had a nice diverse group of palates.
What we tasted:
Chimney Rock 2006
This wine starts with a good fruity nose of bright cherry, and the front and middle of the wine are bright and fruit-forward. I tasted sweet cherry, violets, and a hint of vanilla. The finish was disappointing, a bit flat, and the wine was not particularly rich or layered. 6 out of 10 points.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2006
I did not like this wine at all. It had an odd nose, sort of sour-smelling, and my notes say, “Not good wine! Toilet! Vile like bile!” It tasted sour, floral and flat to me, and I spit and dumped it after one sip. No points for YOU.
Stag’s Leap Winery 2005
Starting with very little nose, the wine surprised me with a lovely opening note of sour cherry and vanilla. It was smooth, soft, and delicate, with hints of rose and sunflower. The finish was soft and round. 7 out of 10 points.
Renteria Vineyard 2004
This started with a big nose of cherry and vanilla that I really liked. The flavors were rich and complex, of vanilla, cherry, chocolate, tobacco, and raspberry. The finish was full and well-balanced, and I thought, “Finally, this is what I expected of Stag’s Leap.” I gave it 9 out of 10 points. I noted this paired well with the Meatball Sliders at Il Forno Classico – I don’t eat much meat, but these sliders are worth it. The meatballs are like my grandmother’s, a big mouthful of YUM!
All in all, I was disappointed with the Stag’s Leap wines, probably because I had very high expectations. None of these wines were cheap, and I have had cabs under $10 that would beat the Wine Cellars 2006 by a mile. Just proves that price doesn't necessarily equal quality.
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