Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
For a quiet Saturday evening dinner at home, Linda prepared grilled NY Strip steaks, roasted beets and roasted potatoes. I pulled from the cellar a 20 year old vintage Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Cabernet.
Wow! I've written often in these pages about how the much heralded '97 Cabernets were not living up to their lofty expectations, often being closed and subdued, as if still sleeping, not yet awakened to their potential greatness. Well perhaps its time has come. This was the best '97 Cab I recall having experienced, showing all the characteristics of a spectacular vintage, twenty years hence. This was a perfect accompaniment to the grilled steak dinner.
We tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery high atop Spring Mountain during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.
As shown in the picture below, at twenty years, the cork was perfect, as was the fill level, indicating our cellar conditions are ideal for aging fine wines.
Consistent with earlier tasting notes in its profile, it seemed to show more polish and balance than I remember. Previous reviews I have given over the last several years have been increasing by a point indicating this vintage release is hitting its stride, at the peak of its drinking window.
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, a firm structured backbone props up the vibrant complex black berry and black currant fruits showing tones of spice, cedar and hints of smoke, anise, leather and subtle mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish.
RM 93 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717
Wow! I've written often in these pages about how the much heralded '97 Cabernets were not living up to their lofty expectations, often being closed and subdued, as if still sleeping, not yet awakened to their potential greatness. Well perhaps its time has come. This was the best '97 Cab I recall having experienced, showing all the characteristics of a spectacular vintage, twenty years hence. This was a perfect accompaniment to the grilled steak dinner.
We tasted and acquired this wine during our visit to the winery high atop Spring Mountain during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999.
As shown in the picture below, at twenty years, the cork was perfect, as was the fill level, indicating our cellar conditions are ideal for aging fine wines.
Consistent with earlier tasting notes in its profile, it seemed to show more polish and balance than I remember. Previous reviews I have given over the last several years have been increasing by a point indicating this vintage release is hitting its stride, at the peak of its drinking window.Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, a firm structured backbone props up the vibrant complex black berry and black currant fruits showing tones of spice, cedar and hints of smoke, anise, leather and subtle mocha turning to a tangy gripping tannin finish.
RM 93 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=96717
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