Charity Tasting At San Diego Wine Company

I was happy to attend a charity tasting for Southern Caregiver Resource Center, a local charity that helps families and caregivers by providing services that are inclusive of all issues related to caring for adults with chronic and/or disabling conditions held at San Diego Wine Company. The theme for the tasting was "Big Gun" and offered several higher-end wines from the store's inventory. There were 9 wines of which I sampled all 9 (naturally) and hors d'oeuvres provided by Metro Gourmet. The wines tasted in order poured an my hastily scribbled notes were:

Cakebread 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Traditional Sauv Blanc, tart with bright citrus and light minerality delivering a nice finish. Good apèritif.

Shafer 2006 Chardonnay: Crisp, green apple and apricot. No malolactic fermentation so you don't get any buttery weight, this is a summer Chardonnay. Nice acid with a good finish that paired nicely with many of the food offerings.

Radio Coteau 2007 "La Neblina": A Pinot Noir from the Sonoma area that earned a 93 from Robert Parker. Smoke, red fruit, a little hint of choclate on the nose delivering big fruit with some fine acid and smooth tannins blending to a delicious finish.

Celani 2006 "Tenacious Red": An offering from nearby Napa that is a Cab Frac/Merlot blend. The nose promised big fruit and spice but I wasn't terribly impressed. Might have been the bottle but this one just didn't speak to me.

Don Melchor 2006 "Maipo": A well-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Concha y Toro. I was expecting wow and the nose indicated I would get that will big fruits, tar and tobacco. On the tasting, great opening but something happened on the finish that just wasn't agreeable. It seemed that the the hints of tobacco turned into ash and just turned me off. I definitely want to try it again but this night I wasn't happy.

Silver Oak 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: OK, now we're talkin' again. Dark ruby red color, blackberries and cassis, licorice and hints of spice combine with mouthwatering acidity and smooth tannins makes for a fine experience.

Ghost Block 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Nice! Black Cherry, blackberry, cassis, hints of chocolate and toasty oak. Great mouthfeel, good acid/tannin/fruit balance with a lovely lingering finish.

Duckhorn 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Pleasant Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and just a touch of Cab Franc. Rich color, nose promises big fruit (Currant, black cherries, hint of plum). Good acidity, smooth tannins and nice fruit delivery. Big, will be better next year but fine right now.

Caymus 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: A wine with a LONG distinguished pedigree. DEEP! Nose indicates power in its delivery of dark fruits and a hint of rose petal and hints of Old Worldliness to it. Full bodied, powerful yet balanced in its acid/tannin/fruit combo resulting in a long finish.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 178