Each of the following wines was fantastic but I have to admit that the Beringer stole the show. I would love to have a case!
We started with 2 bottles of Champagne. My friend, Michael, brought the Piper Heidsieck Champagne. It was terrific. Very dry - just the way I like it!
I brought my prized bottle of 1998 La Grande Dame. That Champagne is true luxury! As the winery describes it:
La Grande Dame 1998 has a pale gold color with jade glints. The wine is crystal clear, with unbelievably fine bubbles. On the first nose, typical Chardonnay characteristics come to the fore, with the arrival of floral and mineral aromas (acacia, ferns, chalk). By agitating the wine, scents of candied fruit (citrus fruits, apricots, quince) and sweet almond emerge, to reappear later in the mouth. After rotating the wine for a few minutes more, rare notes such as peaty malt, tobacco and delicate herbs, are gradually unveiled. This aromatic, impressively complex bouquet is confirmed in the mouth. On the palate, the wine is clear-cut and pure, perfectly balanced with a delightful silky smoothness. La Grande Dame 1998, with its lace-like construction, has a long, lively, and structured finish. This wine has unbelievable aging potential. The 1998 vintage of La Grande Dame, the quintessence of the Veuve Clicquot style, reaches a peak of refinement, without losing its legendary strength produced by a blend including nearly two-thirds of Pinot Noir.
We then moved on to the reds. Michael had brought a magnum of 2000 Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Cabernet. It was excellent and didn't last long!
From the winemaker's notes:
Our 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is made from our finest Napa Valley vineyards, with half the grapes selected from Robert Mondavi’s historic To Kalon Vineyard. The wine was fermented in a traditional oak tank, aged for 17 months in French oak château barrels and bottled without filtration.
We next opened a bottle of 2006 Marita's Vineyard Napa Cabernet. This was my first experience with a Marita's wine and it was very good. It's what I call a boutique wine - only 444 cases were produced. This 100% Cab will set you back $150 retail. Wine Enthusiast awarded 93 points.
I think we're adding Merita's Vineyards to our Napa Tour list.
Cellar Tracker was telling me that I should have opened my 1998 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab by 2010 so I decided NYE was as good a time as any! It totally rocked. Silver Oak releases their Cabs at the 5 year mark but in my humble opinion their wine needs to age. A 10+ year old Silver Oak is hard to beat. Drink it too early and it lacks the smoothness that time will bring.
From the winemaker:
The 1998 Alexander Valley is a beautifully elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with a medium ruby-red color and a nose of strawberry, Bing cherry and ginger. It is seamless on the palate and has a fruity attack, elegant mid-palate with a long finish of fruit and herbs. Drink now to 2016.
Hands down, the best wine we drank that night was the 2004 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Cab. It was just out of this world. Sometimes you drink a bottle of wine and find near perfection. This was one of those bottles. Wine Spectator gave this wine 93 points and it deserved every one of them. This wine is still available for around $80.
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