2004 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
(14.8% alcohol): Good dark red. Expressive, nuanced, rather wild aromas and flavors of black raspberry, meat, leather, dried peppery herbs, black olive, truffle and mocha. Wonderfully sweet, dense and concentrated but not heavy; in a somewhat more powerful style than the '03 but with surprising aromatic lift, perhaps due to the inclusion of some Cabernet Franc for the first time. The very long, palate-staining finish features strong tannins that could still use a bit more time to resolve. (Incidentally, there was no Aida Vineyard bottling in '04 as the grapes were affected by a spray used by St. Helena's Parks & Recreation department to control a poison oak outbreak just across the St. Helena Highway from the Aida site.)
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Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
(14.8% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Musky black cherry, dark chocolate, crushed stone and cola on the nose, along with some superripe suggestions of roasted fruit. Plush, layered and sweet. A very ripe, borderline-extreme style that saturates the mouth with exotic black fruits and dark chocolate. Slightly elevated alcohol. Finishes with big, chewy, ripe tannins and lovely length. Still a bit clenched today, this Cabernet may yet calm down with more time in bottle.
This great vineyard situated on the hillsides north of St. Helena has produced a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. A sensational offering from proprietors Chuck and Anne McMinn, it offers up beautiful floral, blueberry, black currant, blackberry, licorice and incense aromas. Not a hard edge is to be found in this full-bodied, multidimensional, complex, world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. With sweet tannin as well as a skyscraper-like texture, it is performing even better than it did early in life. One of the superstars of the vintage, it can be drunk over the next 10-15 years. Tel. (707) 963-9292; Fax (707) 963-7848
(blended with 7% cabernet franc) Good deep ruby-red. Complex aromas of black fruits, licorice, tar and meat. Lush, large-scaled and rich, with impressive sweetness and concentration to the very round, almost roasted fruit flavors. Finishes with huge but very fine tannins. A wonderfully round wine with a sexy oak component. The best vintage to date for Chuck McMinn's steadily improving wine, from a steep east-facing vineyard just down the road from Grace Family Vineyards.