Beau Vigne, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District

At this point the nose is pretty much obliterated by the alcohol (15.3%). Palate is again quite dominated by the alcohol with port-ly fruit and a palate drying finish.

Wow, that's one intense wine. Inky opaque purple, luscious nose. Smooth, almost port-like flavors. Probably wouldn't hold much longer.

Eagle Down

Been sitting on this one for over three years and was a bit of a letdown. Lots of heat, restrained nose, tannic. After an hour in the glass it started to evolve. Maybe decant for an hour or two with next bottle. Bummer- paid a lot for this one. Bad QPR.

Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA) : Big cab. Lots of currant, blackberry and vanilla on the nose. Mouthfeel is very nice due to the dusty tannin structure on the long finish. Couple of years of bottle age should integrate all the elements nicely.

Mostly 2003 California Cabs (Moraga) : Nose dominated by cassis and some oak. Fine-grained, dusty tannins coat the palate and give the impression of good volume, even though the fruit is restrained, even muted. This wine seems to have the raw ingredients, but it also seems to be shut down at the moment. The finish is more impressive, this one might come around with substantial bottle age, although the slightly drying tannins are a bit worrisome.