1986 Livingston-Moffett Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Estate Moffett Vineyard

This wine exhibits a youthful medium dark ruby color, but no discernable bouquet other than earthy, light fruit aromas. It assaulted my palate with relentless waves of tannin and harsh acidity, so much so that I have concluded it will never become balanced, and will quickly lose what little fruit it possesses. Moreover, the high acidity levels give the wine a compressed, sharp feel on the palate that is annoying and disconcerting. The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore.