Taste: Black color with purple rim. This wine is still an infant and just emerging from bottle shock. Wow! Distinctly different nose here. It will begin to flesh out and develop even more bottle bouquet over the next few months and change considerably over the next year. This wine has outstanding overall structure. Tight on the nose, showing hints of blueberry and blackberry with sweet prunes and hint of eucalyptus. On the palate, a dusty earth emerges with black cherries, currant, tea leaf and sage. Currant fruit and chocolate will emerge over time. Interesting mineral components linger throughout suggesting a more Bordeaux-like structure and long ageing potential. A brilliant, lingering finish offers well integrated tannins with a kiss of vanilla, white pepper and toasty oak.
Cameron Confidential: Like Lot 34, this is grower wine with much of the same set of circumstances; grower contracts not renewed during the wine glut that started back in '01 and the grower is forced to make wine and bulk it out. High-quality, conscientiously made wines are imperative to sell against a much oversupplied bulk market. Like the Rutherford, this wine is made with entirely new 100% French oak. Yountville is five good miles south of Rutherford and considerably cooler with very different soil structures (volcanic loam for better drainage), resulting in wines of greater concentration, color, and fruit. The smaller degree temperature days contribute to a more Bordeaux-like structure. Think Pauillac. Significant vanilla and toast courtesy of new French oak. This wine will age easily another 10+ years.
