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| Rob Williams - Cabernets and Blends | ||
Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives So here is my wine review for the week of September 3rd... ST. CLEMENT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1997
Description: This is what they call, in the wine world a “library review,” meaning that the wine in question is no longer available on the free and open market, but is uniquely a member of private collectors’ personal libraries, and therefore must be acquired through auctions or wine merchants. Occasionally wineries will make library selections available, but for a year as coveted as the Napa 1997 vintage, it is quite rare. This seemed an appropriate time to again research and discuss the validity of aging great wines, as the 2005 Napa reds are shaping up to be a glorious batch. How and when I drank it: Thursday afternoon August 16, beginning at Noon, decanted and enjoyed over the course of four hours How to get it: It’s pretty tough. Find a friend who was smart enough to stock up and save the 1997 vintage or peruse auctions and online merchants. How Much: Most 1997 Napa bottles from a winery like St Clement eclipse $200 and can get much, much higher. My Thoughts: This bottle is both a testament to the glories of wine aging and a disappointment all at once. On one hand, the wine is incredibly velvety and lush, with no bite or tannic tang to the finish. On the other hand, the flavors are mild and somewhat muted, though not due to youthful tightness, but rather to a flirtation with thin-ness. The wine has body, but not as much as a 10 year old bottle from one of the world’s greatest vintages should. Overall Score: It’s always fun to open an old bottle and see how it has progressed, even if it doesn’t live up to expectations. If you bought this bottle on the open market at time of release, it has aged into a worthy $40 bottle of cab 10 years later. IF you go out tomorrow and buy it at auction for $400, you’re an idiot. 3 vines. ST. CLEMENT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 1997 =
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