Culler La Palette

My 3.0 bottle is drinking nicely. Not a great wine but a nice wine

Last bottle from 10 years ago; great wine

So sorry that Karen Culler is apparently out of winemaking. Once took a bottle of this to a blind tasting at a Commanderie de Bordeaux function. The Maitre guessed 2001 Lynch Bages. Served this bottle last night to guests who requested "a glass of cabernet". This is cab and petit verdot. I haven't had 2001 LB but it must be good if it tastes like this. Dark purple with a nose of dark fruit and leather. Resolved tannins and attenuated …

Perfumed cassis and dark blue fruit on the nose along with an earthiness. Lush blue fruit on the palate with strong tannic backbone and freshness to carry it through. It's still very young, but it's moving into a less primary state, and everything is in very good balance.

Delicious, fantastic value, the 8% Petite Verdot softens the wine, but it's still robust and flavorful

Quite a delicious wine with bright fruit that is well integrated with the tannic structure at this point in its life. I don't see this wine improving a great deal from here, as the fruit is thinning down. At the same time, it probably has a few more years of shelf life. Used in the monthly tasting series and found that it did not match up to the richness of flavor and experience, or the nuance of the nose, of …

Medium body cab with floral qualities. Had it with Piedmontese beef ribs.

An approachable and tasty cab with medium body. The bright fruit, firm tannins and the structure are all there, but like most above average '07 napa cabs I've had, La Palette could could benefit from more time in the cellar. Low 90s at this point.

Wines from Winemakers Jonathan Maltus and Karen Culler and more (Artisan Wine Depot, Mountain View, California) : Opaque purple red violet intriguing, black plum, black fruit, inky, licorice nose; a little tight, ripe black fruit, black plum, tar palate; medium-plus finish 90+ points (95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot)

An excellent value. This wine needs some time but some will rate it higher.

An outstanding value. Big wine with bourdeaux blend of mostly Cabernet. Vanilla, fig, cherry on the palette. Vanilla on the nose. Medium density

2009 California Barrel Tasting (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington DC) : Delicate wine that showed well, very intense taste but could definitely benefit from laying down. I wish we'd had this earlier and could re-taste it as it was one of the best wines we tasted.