A few weeks ago, I hosted a blind tasting of 3 premium California cabs from the 1995/1996 vintage, and 3 red caberenet based Bordeaux from 1996.  All 6 wines were roughly the same price, and all had 10 years of age under their belts.  All wines were scored above 90 points by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker.  The wines included Smith-Haut Lafite, Pichon Baron, and Chateau Lagrange from Bordeaux, and Fisher Wedding Vineyard Reserve, Flora Springs Rutherford Hillside Reserve, and Spottswoode from Napa.

The overall winner of the competition, based on the scores of the 11 people in attendance was the Spottswoode 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon.  A beatuiful wine with a big bouquet, plenty of freshness remaining in the fruit, and a seamless finish with soft, velvety tannin.

4.25 stars.

 

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