I decided to purchase some moderately priced 2001 Cabernet's from
four of my favorite producers and have a mini tasting. I also threw in
another 2001 from Ravenswood that I recently received in a wine club
shipment. All these wines were tasted and rated blind.

2001 Chateau Monelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine was medium dark ruby with aromas of cherry and currants. The
flavors are cherry, raspberry, and cedar, with high acid and a long
fruity finish. This wine is well balanced with soft tannins that are
not obvious with the fruit. This wine is appealing for current drinking
and should hold for several years. List price is $38. I paid $34. My
rating is 84.

2001 Ravenswood, Red Table Wine, Gregory Vineyard, Sonoma
Mint and eucalyptus are the dominant characteristics of this wine. The
wine is very dark. The aromas are mint and eucalyptus. The fruit
flavors are mint and eucalyptus with hints of cherry. It has high acid
and a long fruity finish with moderate tannins. In my experience some
people hate mint and eucalyptus on cabernets and some people like it. I
generally like it, but this wine lacked complexity and its fruit was
completely dominated by the eucalyptus. This wine is 65% Cabernet
Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. List price is $32. My rating is 82.

The notes from Ravenswood indicate Dick Gregory, who played half back
for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, owns this vineyard.

2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.

2001 Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine is very dark with a tight nose of black cherry and oak. It has big
black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with very high acid and a
long astringent finish. This is a big wine that needs a little time to
develop. It is a little less balanced for current drinking than the
other wines in this tasting, but with a few years of aging I think this
will be a very nice cabernet. List price is $40. I paid $32. My rating
is 88.

2001 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
Wine is medium ruby, with a tight nose of cherry and oak. The fruit
flavors are cherry with earthy and mushroom overtones. It has high acid
and tannins with a long, fruity finish. This is a well-balanced
Cabernet for near term drinking, but I found the earthy fruit flavors a
little less attractive than some other wines in this tasting. I think
the list price on this is around $28. I paid $20. My rating is 85.

I am definitely going to pick up some of the Silverado.
------------------------------------
Mike's Wine Blog
http://mikeswinecellar.blogspot.com/

> wrote in message
oups.com...

> 2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
> Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
> flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
> smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
> appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
> Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
> probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.

I bought a case of this at Costco for $12.79.
It's very good value.

Pete Fraser wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>
>>2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
>>Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
>>flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
>>smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
>>appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
>>Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
>>probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.
>
>
> I bought a case of this at Costco for $12.79.

I assume that's $12.79 each bottle? At $12.79/case
I'd take several cases.

> It's very good value.

It seems to be consistently so, too.
The Chardonanny is a better than decent quaffer at the
price as well.

My rating on your review is: Sickening.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I decided to purchase some moderately priced 2001 Cabernet's from
> four of my favorite producers and have a mini tasting. I also threw in
> another 2001 from Ravenswood that I recently received in a wine club
> shipment. All these wines were tasted and rated blind.
>
> 2001 Chateau Monelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
> Wine was medium dark ruby with aromas of cherry and currants. The
> flavors are cherry, raspberry, and cedar, with high acid and a long
> fruity finish. This wine is well balanced with soft tannins that are
> not obvious with the fruit. This wine is appealing for current drinking
> and should hold for several years. List price is $38. I paid $34. My
> rating is 84.
>
> 2001 Ravenswood, Red Table Wine, Gregory Vineyard, Sonoma
> Mint and eucalyptus are the dominant characteristics of this wine. The
> wine is very dark. The aromas are mint and eucalyptus. The fruit
> flavors are mint and eucalyptus with hints of cherry. It has high acid
> and a long fruity finish with moderate tannins. In my experience some
> people hate mint and eucalyptus on cabernets and some people like it. I
> generally like it, but this wine lacked complexity and its fruit was
> completely dominated by the eucalyptus. This wine is 65% Cabernet
> Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. List price is $32. My rating is 82.
>
> The notes from Ravenswood indicate Dick Gregory, who played half back
> for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, owns this vineyard.
>
> 2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
> Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
> flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
> smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
> appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
> Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
> probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.
>
> 2001 Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
> Wine is very dark with a tight nose of black cherry and oak. It has big
> black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with very high acid and a
> long astringent finish. This is a big wine that needs a little time to
> develop. It is a little less balanced for current drinking than the
> other wines in this tasting, but with a few years of aging I think this
> will be a very nice cabernet. List price is $40. I paid $32. My rating
> is 88.
>
> 2001 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
> Wine is medium ruby, with a tight nose of cherry and oak. The fruit
> flavors are cherry with earthy and mushroom overtones. It has high acid
> and tannins with a long, fruity finish. This is a well-balanced
> Cabernet for near term drinking, but I found the earthy fruit flavors a
> little less attractive than some other wines in this tasting. I think
> the list price on this is around $28. I paid $20. My rating is 85.
>
> I am definitely going to pick up some of the Silverado.
> ------------------------------------
> Mike's Wine Blog
> http://mikeswinecellar.blogspot.com/
>

My rating on your review is: Sickening.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I decided to purchase some moderately priced 2001 Cabernet's from
> four of my favorite producers and have a mini tasting. I also threw in
> another 2001 from Ravenswood that I recently received in a wine club
> shipment. All these wines were tasted and rated blind.
>
> 2001 Chateau Monelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
> Wine was medium dark ruby with aromas of cherry and currants. The
> flavors are cherry, raspberry, and cedar, with high acid and a long
> fruity finish. This wine is well balanced with soft tannins that are
> not obvious with the fruit. This wine is appealing for current drinking
> and should hold for several years. List price is $38. I paid $34. My
> rating is 84.
>
> 2001 Ravenswood, Red Table Wine, Gregory Vineyard, Sonoma
> Mint and eucalyptus are the dominant characteristics of this wine. The
> wine is very dark. The aromas are mint and eucalyptus. The fruit
> flavors are mint and eucalyptus with hints of cherry. It has high acid
> and a long fruity finish with moderate tannins. In my experience some
> people hate mint and eucalyptus on cabernets and some people like it. I
> generally like it, but this wine lacked complexity and its fruit was
> completely dominated by the eucalyptus. This wine is 65% Cabernet
> Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. List price is $32. My rating is 82.
>
> The notes from Ravenswood indicate Dick Gregory, who played half back
> for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, owns this vineyard.
>
> 2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
> Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
> flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
> smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
> appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
> Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
> probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.
>
> 2001 Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
> Wine is very dark with a tight nose of black cherry and oak. It has big
> black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with very high acid and a
> long astringent finish. This is a big wine that needs a little time to
> develop. It is a little less balanced for current drinking than the
> other wines in this tasting, but with a few years of aging I think this
> will be a very nice cabernet. List price is $40. I paid $32. My rating
> is 88.
>
> 2001 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
> Wine is medium ruby, with a tight nose of cherry and oak. The fruit
> flavors are cherry with earthy and mushroom overtones. It has high acid
> and tannins with a long, fruity finish. This is a well-balanced
> Cabernet for near term drinking, but I found the earthy fruit flavors a
> little less attractive than some other wines in this tasting. I think
> the list price on this is around $28. I paid $20. My rating is 85.
>
> I am definitely going to pick up some of the Silverado.
> ------------------------------------
> Mike's Wine Blog
> http://mikeswinecellar.blogspot.com/
>

i have to disagree, redhart -

silverado is one of the greatest westerns of all time. don't you love that
part where costner backs out of the saloon door and takes 2 bad guys out at
90 degree angles?






"Redhart" > wrote in message
.. .
> My rating on your review is: Sickening.
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>I decided to purchase some moderately priced 2001 Cabernet's from
>> four of my favorite producers and have a mini tasting. I also threw in
>> another 2001 from Ravenswood that I recently received in a wine club
>> shipment. All these wines were tasted and rated blind.
>>
>> 2001 Chateau Monelena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
>> Wine was medium dark ruby with aromas of cherry and currants. The
>> flavors are cherry, raspberry, and cedar, with high acid and a long
>> fruity finish. This wine is well balanced with soft tannins that are
>> not obvious with the fruit. This wine is appealing for current drinking
>> and should hold for several years. List price is $38. I paid $34. My
>> rating is 84.
>>
>> 2001 Ravenswood, Red Table Wine, Gregory Vineyard, Sonoma
>> Mint and eucalyptus are the dominant characteristics of this wine. The
>> wine is very dark. The aromas are mint and eucalyptus. The fruit
>> flavors are mint and eucalyptus with hints of cherry. It has high acid
>> and a long fruity finish with moderate tannins. In my experience some
>> people hate mint and eucalyptus on cabernets and some people like it. I
>> generally like it, but this wine lacked complexity and its fruit was
>> completely dominated by the eucalyptus. This wine is 65% Cabernet
>> Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. List price is $32. My rating is 82.
>>
>> The notes from Ravenswood indicate Dick Gregory, who played half back
>> for the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, owns this vineyard.
>>
>> 2001 Chateau Souverain, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
>> Wine is medium dark ruby, with aromas of cherry and spices. The fruit
>> flavors are cherry and dill like spices. It has high acid and a long
>> smooth finish with moderate tannins. I found this a very smooth,
>> appealing wine for current drinking, with interesting flavors.
>> Considering the price, it is an outstanding value. The list price is
>> probably around $20. I paid $14. My rating is 87.
>>
>> 2001 Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
>> Wine is very dark with a tight nose of black cherry and oak. It has big
>> black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with very high acid and a
>> long astringent finish. This is a big wine that needs a little time to
>> develop. It is a little less balanced for current drinking than the
>> other wines in this tasting, but with a few years of aging I think this
>> will be a very nice cabernet. List price is $40. I paid $32. My rating
>> is 88.
>>
>> 2001 Beringer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
>> Wine is medium ruby, with a tight nose of cherry and oak. The fruit
>> flavors are cherry with earthy and mushroom overtones. It has high acid
>> and tannins with a long, fruity finish. This is a well-balanced
>> Cabernet for near term drinking, but I found the earthy fruit flavors a
>> little less attractive than some other wines in this tasting. I think
>> the list price on this is around $28. I paid $20. My rating is 85.
>>
>> I am definitely going to pick up some of the Silverado.
>> ------------------------------------
>> Mike's Wine Blog
>> http://mikeswinecellar.blogspot.com/
>>
>
>