We happy that Bernard, who has sampled so many wines, has shared his notes with us. We do have, or have had for sale a few of the wines Bernard writes about, and we include a link to our stock page whenever it is a producer we carry (but since the stock page is kept up-to-date and the wines are sold, don't expect any but the newest of wines to show up in our stock!). Mostly though, since we specialize in County of Santa Barbara Wine and Central Coast Wine, we don't carry a lot of the wines Bernard writes about. But we think it is important that you be able to have an idea what they're like in case you are planning to buy some somewhere, or have them in your own collection. Enjoy.

Here are Bernard's notes from October 8, 1998:

95 Dalla Valle (Napa)--Dark blue-violet. More forward nose than Montelena. Bouquet of black cherry, toasty oak. Lush, silky smooth mouthfeel, fruity with talc-like tannins. High acid. Peppery, tarry secondary flavors. Voluptuous. Good finish, excellent balance. After 1 hours in glass, turns acidic, disjointed. Very young. Needs 3-4 years to come together. 93

95 Phelps Insignia--Dark purple. Very forward bouquet. Floral, bit petrol. Then nose shuts down. Very rich, dark fruit flavors. Deep, big, rich. Very long. Another great vintage. Layers of complexity, great balance, great presence. Bordeaux-like. Give it 5-6 years. 95+

95 Pahlmeyer Claret--Burgundy red. Classic, Pauillac-like nose of cedar, tobacco, cigar box. Very rich, lush aroma. Excellent balance, complexity, very big powerful fine tannins. Dark fruits, dried figs, leather, meaty. Very long, very full. Superb. Needs 6-8 years. 94+

94 Ridge Montebello--Very dark purple. Nose of eucalyptus, gunpowder, black cherry, wet fur. Black cherry, tannic, some leather. Parker's descriptor "monolithic" seems a propos. Not especially complex (now). Very fine tannic finish. Needs 4-5 years to come together. 90 pts now, perhaps 92+ in a decade.

95 Dominus--Medium red violet. Very suave nose. Very rich, dark, complex nose. Minty, cherry, gunpowder. In the mouth, huge, tannic, very fine ripe fruit. Almost medicinal. Very structured. Really incredible! Very long, persistent, palate-stinging. 90 now, 95+ in 10-12 years time.

95 Araujo--Dark purple. Sweet cherry, eucalyptus nose. Not very open. In mouth, very lush, sweet fruit. Deep, long. Black cherry, dried roses, a bit tarry flavors. Beautiful, balanced, long finish. 96

Pulpitisms:

The 95 Montelena is a bit of a comedown from the 94, but should still be an excellent wine in 6-10 years given its heritage.

Although the Dalla Valle by itself was quite nice, except for the Ridge, every wine that followed had a lot more stuffing and structure. I wouldn't turn down a bottle, but it is not good QPR at $50+.

It seems like Phelps Insignia and Araujo have traded places in 95 compared to 94. In 94, the Araujo showed the power and structure and Insigia was so opulent. In 95, the Phelps is showing greater power, the Araujo being the more lush and seductive. I would not bee surprised to see the Insignia surpass the Araujo in 8-12 years. Both are great wines.

Both 94 Montebello and 95 Dominus are not drinking particulary well right now. Though either would blow away most cabs in the under $50 category, among their peers they are a bit of a disappointment for now. I expect that to change over time, particularly for the Dominus.

Finally, the surprise of the night was the 95 Pahlmeyer Claret. It is the equal of most Second Growth Pauillac in a top vintage. Showing layers of complexity already in its youth, the only question is how it will evolve. It's got the stuffing and structure to last 15 years or more. We'll see...