2003 Jacob's Creek "St. Hugo"				***
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Coonawarra, Australia	$25	The Wine House	9/24/07
	An intense ruby-colored wine with a nose that leaps out of the glass. Aromatics of black fruits, eucalyptus and spice (nutmeg) follow through on the full-bodied palate. Notes of meat and earth play a part in the long finish. A complex wine that keeps you coming back for more.

2003 Chateau Kirwan Margaux				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Bordeaux, France	$55	Wine.com	9/24/07
	Medium-bodied, ruby-colored wine with aromas of spice, smoke and dried fruits (fig, raisin). Though the acidity is fairly low, the tannins are still a bit strong. The red fruit flavors are a touch overripe/cooked mingling with smoke from the oak on the finish. Time (at least 2 years) will definitely help integrate the flavors, soften the tannins and perhaps show what this wine is really capable of. OTHER RATINGS: Robert Parker: 93 | Wine Spectator: 92

2003 Halter Ranch Estate Cabernet Sauvignon				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$28	@ the Winery	3/14/09
	A medium-deep, ruby-colored wine with a bright nose of black fruit and sweet spice with hints of oak and earth. The time in the bottle made this wine ready to go right out of the bottle delivering balance and integration of flavor and tannins. The palate was medium-full-bodied with nice round flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant leaf, plum, earth and notes of cherry and mocha on the chalky, yet lingering finish. While this wine still has some life to it, it's definitely ready to go now and I don't think it will be getting much better. Still has enough fruit to please without being over-the-top ripe.

2003 Lail Vineyards Blueprint				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Napa Valley, CA	$45	Gift	10/16/09
	A medium-deep, ruby colored wine with a well-developed nose of blackcurrant, plum, smoke and earth. This vintage is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Merlot from with grapes coming from several Napa Valley appellations including Howell Mountain, St. Helena, Oakville, and Yountville. Since I took the time to age the wine, we just opened it and poured. The palate was round and full-bodied with integrated tannins and a lengthy finish. It was well-balanced with persistent flavors of currant leaf, blackberry, plum, earth and notes of sweet spice and cedar. Went great with and without our pepper steak dinner. There's nothing like the flavor of a well-aged Cabernet. Worth it's price point. Could age a few more years, but ready to drink now.

2002 Eberle Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$65	Gift	1/19/10
	A deep, ruby-colored wine with ripe aromas of black currant, blackberry and raspberry with notes of sweet spice, earth and cedar. The palate is full-bodied and round with fully integrated tannins and perfect balance. The flavors reflect the nose with notes of vanilla and cassis on the lingering finish. We popped and poured this wine since it was already aged for 5 years by the winery – 24 months in American Oak before the final blending of the reserve barrels and then an additional 3 years in the bottle before release. It was ready to go, but has enough backbone and balance to age for at least another 2-3 years. The flavors are so ripe I would have sworn the alcohol level would be higher than 14.5%, though no heat was detected. Gary Eberle has been making wine in Paso for over 30 years and his skills are very evident in this wine.

2002 Mitchella Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon				**
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$18	@ the Winery	5/3/08
	A deep ruby/purple colored wine with powerful black cherry, herb and cassis aromas. The palate is full of blackberry, sweet red cherry, plum, and raspberry flavors that linger and a finish that is filled with notes of cedar and minerals. This is a well-constructed wine with big flavors, but not a great deal of complexity. It's true to the varietal and not as overripe as some cabs from this region. A nice value wine.

2002 Rio Seco Winery Cabernet Sauvignon				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$25	@ the Winery	10/18/08
	A medium-deep, ruby colored wine with a nose of black fruit, earth and tar, which starts closed and rounds out with time. The palate has acidity and ripe tannins with blackberry, cherry liqour, earth and hints of licorice and cedar on the moderate finish. More integrated than the 2001, though it could still use a bit more time in the bottle to round it out some more. More ripe and rustic than your typical CA cab.

2002 Rodney Strong Alexander's Crown Cabernet Sauvignon				**
	Region	Price	Tasted	Drank
	Alexander Valley, CA	$26	The Wine House	4/21/08
	A medium-bodied, ruby-colored wine with a nose of blackberry, fresh earth, oak, sweet spice and hints of mint that follow through on the palate. Still fairly intense acidity and tannins with good structure and a moderate finish of oak and herbs. A cool climate Cab with some depth and elegance. A good value for the quality, though not a wine I'd rush out and buy.

2002 Steven Kent Cabernet Sauvignon				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Livermore Valley, CA	$45	@ the Winery	9/15/08
	A very deep ruby/purple colored wine with typical CS aromas of black fruit, earth, herbs and cedar which follow through on the full-bodied and unified palate. A little closed to start, then the black currant and plum flavors along with some vanilla came out and softened the wine even more. The long finish was filled with hints of chocolate, tobacco and earth. This wine was well worth the 6-year wait and could still hold on for a few more though I don't think it's going to get much better. Great balance between the fruit and tannins. Wish I had another bottle.

2001 Rio Seco Winery Cabernet Sauvignon				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$25	@ the Winery	12/31/07
	Classic dark fruit flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry dominate the nose and palate with hints of licorice on the finish. Though the tannins had softened, the wine was not as integrated or complex as it should be at this age. The short finish didn't help. Not as good as their 1999 vintage, drunk at a similar age. A good value varietal cab, but not worth the wait.

2001 Beckmen Vineyards PMV Cabernet Sauvignon				***
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Santa Barbara, CA	$42	@ the Winery	11/13/08
	This is a deep, ruby-colored wine that is not showing any age. The nose is still fruit forward with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, currant and hints of cedar. The palate is medium-full-bodied with ripe tannins and good structure, carrying over the same fruits from the nose along with notes of prune, chalk and licorice on the medium-length finish. While the fruit is still apparent, the wine is well-integrated with a nice unity of flavors that kept me going back for more. While I don't think it will get much better, it's still got plenty of life left in the bottle. Was open for several hours with no breakdown of the flavor. Threw off a lot of sediment, so this is one to decant.

2000 Arroyo Robles Cabernet Sauvignon				**
	Region	Price	Purchased	Drank
	Paso Robles, CA	$24	@ the Winery	2/29/08
	Classic dark fruit flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry dominate the nose with hints of cooked fruit that follow through on the palate. The first sips were a bit acidic which mellowed out with our steak and turned the flavors into more classic Cab notes. Away from food the wine had a distinct caramel/vanilla finish. This wine is not getting better, so drink up.

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