By AJ McClellan
For Ivans birthday you know that we are going to push the boat out. It was a great Graileys day, only a few members in and a handful of great wines. Of course we had the table full of good juice but the three that really stood out for me are below…
2009 Tusk Cabernet Franc Magnum – We went and visited this estate last year and the experience was phenomenal. This magnum came from that visit and we promised to save it for a special event. Well, it was Ivans birthday and I could not think of a better time to open the bottle than for the birthday of the one that turned us onto the wine. Once opened aromas of blackberry, cherry, vanilla, cedar, anise, and lavender exploded from the glass like that have just been waiting to be released since bottling. The wine was plush on the palate and while I think it could have benefited from a days worth of decanting I was very pleased with the results.
1995 Colgin Herb Lamb – Ah yes, hello my old friend. I love Colgin Herb Lamb. This wine represents the best vale I have had in wine for a good long while. The pure expression of fruit is stunning and the silky texture of this wine is unparalleled. I have had many vintages and bottles of this wine and it always impresses. This wine is simply one of the best I have had out of Napa.
1997 Araujo Eisele Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum – Another great bottle of wine from a wonderful producer. This will be the third time I have had this wine in the last two months and the magnum has shown the best out of all of them. Sweet red and black fruits with subtle earthy aromas make this a very Bordeaux like bottle of wine.