I attended a tasting of 5 of the vineyard designated 2001 Nickel and
Nickel Cabernet Sauvignons. Nickel & Nickel is a relatively new winery
(started in 1997) that was founded by some of the partners in Far
Niente. Nickel & Nickel only produce 100% varietal, single-vineyard
wines. This was a sit down tasting at a retailer, but the wines had
been poured about 30 minutes before the tasting started, so the wines
had some time to open up.

2001 John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose of red cherry, plum, chassis and oak. Big red cherry and plum
flavors with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish that
tended towards blacker fruit flavors with hints of chocolate. Very
appealing for drinking now, and will age well, at least in the near
term. List price is $75. My rating 93. This was my favorite of the
tasting.

2001 Nickel & Nickel Tench Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with hints of cherry and oak. Flavors had red and black
cherry, with high acid and lots of tannins on the long finish. This
wine is too tight for drinking now, and needs a few years of aging.
List price is $65. My rating 84.

2001 Dragonfly Vineyard, St. Helena, Napa Valley
Open nose of red cherry. Flavors were red cherry and plums with high
acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish with the black cherry
flavors on the finish. Very appealing for drinking now, and will age
well. List Price is $90. My rating 91. My second favorite of this
group.

2001 Vogt Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with cherry and plums. Flavors were red cherry with
spicy or herbal undertones, high acid, and a long astringent finish.
This wine needs some time to open up and is too tight for current
drinking. List price is $75. My rating 86.

2001 Branding Iron Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was red cherry, earthy. Flavors were black cherry and plums, with
high acid, high tannins, and a long astringent finish. This wine is too
tight for drinking now, but the fruit shows promise of opening up into
a very appealing wine in a few years. List price is $65. My rating 90.

in article ,
at wrote on 2/12/05 2:32 PM:

I attended a tasting of 5 of the vineyard designated 2001 Nickel and
Nickel Cabernet Sauvignons. Nickel & Nickel is a relatively new winery
(started in 1997) that was founded by some of the partners in Far
Niente. Nickel & Nickel only produce 100% varietal, single-vineyard
wines. This was a sit down tasting at a retailer, but the wines had
been poured about 30 minutes before the tasting started, so the wines
had some time to open up.

2001 John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose of red cherry, plum, chassis and oak. Big red cherry and plum
flavors with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish that
tended towards blacker fruit flavors with hints of chocolate. Very
appealing for drinking now, and will age well, at least in the near
term. List price is $75. My rating 93. This was my favorite of the
tasting.

2001 Nickel & Nickel Tench Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with hints of cherry and oak. Flavors had red and black
cherry, with high acid and lots of tannins on the long finish. This
wine is too tight for drinking now, and needs a few years of aging.
List price is $65. My rating 84.

2001 Dragonfly Vineyard, St. Helena, Napa Valley
Open nose of red cherry. Flavors were red cherry and plums with high
acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish with the black cherry
flavors on the finish. Very appealing for drinking now, and will age
well. List Price is $90. My rating 91. My second favorite of this
group.

2001 Vogt Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with cherry and plums. Flavors were red cherry with
spicy or herbal undertones, high acid, and a long astringent finish.
This wine needs some time to open up and is too tight for current
drinking. List price is $75. My rating 86.

2001 Branding Iron Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was red cherry, earthy. Flavors were black cherry and plums, with
high acid, high tannins, and a long astringent finish. This wine is too
tight for drinking now, but the fruit shows promise of opening up into
a very appealing wine in a few years. List price is $65. My rating 90.


Nickel & Nickel is a concept that seems to have worked out very well. I
guess it's a a no-brainer if you're working with the level of vineyard
properties they have access to, and know how to market the idea. I was at a
wholesale distributor tasting where their table was, far and away, the most
popular of well over 100 wineries.... though many of the buyers lined up
were from chain food markets that normally wouldn't get to taste their wines
(at least I hope not).

Anyway, I pretty much agree with your ratings. We were at Nickel & Nickel
on Cab Release Day (the Silver Oak event), in Napa, a few weeks ago and
there were about a dozen '01 Cabs being tasted. We also put Tench at the
bottom, have tasted Sullenger before and loved it, thought Branding Iron was
outstanding.....as well as one you didn't taste, which was the '01 Stelling
Vineyard.

These wines are not in my day-to-day budget, but they certainly are a treat
when I get to taste them.

I attended a tasting there in January. Very cool place with lovely
porches and many extra tastes of Chardonnay's and even a dessert wine. I
had never tasted their wines before and was suitably impressed with the
Sullenger one of the longer finishing wines I've had and Branding Iron
with my notes read some cedar in the nose as well. The Dragonly wasn't
my favorite so I dind't buy any but bought 3 bottles each of the
Sullenger and Branding Iron as well as the Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay.


In article om,
" wrote:

I attended a tasting of 5 of the vineyard designated 2001 Nickel and
Nickel Cabernet Sauvignons. Nickel & Nickel is a relatively new winery
(started in 1997) that was founded by some of the partners in Far
Niente. Nickel & Nickel only produce 100% varietal, single-vineyard
wines. This was a sit down tasting at a retailer, but the wines had
been poured about 30 minutes before the tasting started, so the wines
had some time to open up.

2001 John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose of red cherry, plum, chassis and oak. Big red cherry and plum
flavors with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish that
tended towards blacker fruit flavors with hints of chocolate. Very
appealing for drinking now, and will age well, at least in the near
term. List price is $75. My rating 93. This was my favorite of the
tasting.

2001 Nickel & Nickel Tench Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with hints of cherry and oak. Flavors had red and black
cherry, with high acid and lots of tannins on the long finish. This
wine is too tight for drinking now, and needs a few years of aging.
List price is $65. My rating 84.

2001 Dragonfly Vineyard, St. Helena, Napa Valley
Open nose of red cherry. Flavors were red cherry and plums with high
acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish with the black cherry
flavors on the finish. Very appealing for drinking now, and will age
well. List Price is $90. My rating 91. My second favorite of this
group.

2001 Vogt Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Nose was tight with cherry and plums. Flavors were red cherry with
spicy or herbal undertones, high acid, and a long astringent finish.
This wine needs some time to open up and is too tight for current
drinking. List price is $75. My rating 86.

2001 Branding Iron Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
Nose was red cherry, earthy. Flavors were black cherry and plums, with
high acid, high tannins, and a long astringent finish. This wine is too
tight for drinking now, but the fruit shows promise of opening up into
a very appealing wine in a few years. List price is $65. My rating 90.