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Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Pride Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

Pride Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

I pulled this robust Napa Cab for tasting with some artisan cheeses.

Pride Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

We visited Pride Mountain Vineyards and Winery high atop Spring Mountain of the Mayacamas Range overlooking Napa Valley to the east, and Sonoma Valley to the west during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 1999 and again in 2003. 

This is one of two estate vineyards that straddles the summit and thereby can claim to be both Napa Valley and Sonoma County as its AVA. The other is Constant up the range to the north atop Diamond Mountain. This label is designated Napa Valley.

We've enjoyed Pride since and often 'gifted' Pride to friends on special occasions. We're big fans of rich concentrated extracted mountain fruit and hold Pride Cabernet going back to the mid-nineties. We love the Spring Mountain expression of terroir which I believe is as complex and flavorful as the other popular mountain appellations.

At twenty-five years, this is amazingly showing well and not exhibiting any diminution from age. I noted in earlier posts several years ago that this was showing its age. Perhaps these were bottle variations which might explain the negative review, not the positive. Ideal provenance of this bottle in our cellar since release shows the true age worthiness of the label. While likely at its apex, it will not improve with any further aging and should be consumed as it will start to diminish in due course. We still hold five more bottles of the case we acquired back at the time of release.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, "Dark, full bodied, firm, initially closed and tight - decanted and set aside, after an hour and half it started to open up to reveal big full complex dark blackberry and black currant fruits accented by anise, with hints of spice, dusty cedar, and a subtle sweet dark mocha on the full firm lingering tannin finish."

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=6236

http://www.pridewines.com/

@pridewines