(Tasting Notes from May, 2006)

1988
Intense aromas of violets, licorice which come through to the palate. Dried figs. Nutmeg Very evolved. Charming and evocative. A classic example of 1980’s Napa Cabernet. Beautiful expression. Good with pork.

1989
Fair to great. Aromas of cassis, cranberry, lavender and floral notes. Very rich. Tart and smooth entry, tar, vegetative, and, dry tannins finish. Still fresh and young. Fruit is delicate. Gentle tannins, good acid balance. Very intense. Chewy.

1990
Favorite wine. Dark garnet. Nose very intense with lovely, sweet big black fruit aromas. Menthol, mint on palate, slightly sweet talcum, licorice, concentrated black fruits, slightly high on ripeness. Palate coating tobacco infused talcum powder. Youthful. Good weight. Lengthy tannins. Chalky finish. Brackish. Powerful and refined. One of best wines made under Maya. Most distinctive. Great character. Minerality. Stone Flower. Perfect balance. A Sense of over the top. Dense, rich, harmonious. Purity. Like food in the glass.

1991
While still a bit closed now, this wine has powerful sweet fruit, purfume and tannins. Dense black fruit reminescent of black cherries and blackberries on the palate with toasty oak. Full bodied. Good personality. Fresh and appealing. With an incredible presence in the glass with a certain austerity. Long, lingering finish. This is a benchmark Napa Valley Cabernet. Great potential.

1992
Extraordinary deep violet color, huge mouth feel. Grape-y-ness up front. Rich blueberry, buttermilk, brown sugar, rich, chewy tannins. Minerality, chocolate sweetness without jammyness. Great texture. Enticing. Delicious. Beautiful expression of Cabernet Franc. Excellent Ripeness. Perfect texture. Very youthful. Needs time to develop. Dense. Charming. Delivers a long finish. Very approachable. Finesse. Very pretty wine and will continue.

1993
A bit more rustic. Lovely fruit aromas, strong aromatics of cedar. Herbal notes. Ripe fruits and excellent marriage of fruit and oak. Mouth feel with purity and focus and bit angular. Great structure. Very youthful. Tight finish.

1994
Dense garnet to violet, viscous mouth feel. Bright ripe fruit. Beautiful floral and intense dark fruit aromas that are expansive in the mouth and evocative of sweet violets, raspberries, blackberries and some woodsy notes. The wine is rich and dense with an excellent balance of black fruit to tannins. Completely balanced. Overall impression is of lots of fruit and lots of tannins with lots of layers and depths. Unified and seamless. Elixir like.

1995
Deep garnet color. Sweet ripe fruit jumps out of the glass. Quintessential example of Napa Cabernet. Impressive ripeness with hints of sweet cherries, plums, blackberries, kirsch, licorice and anise, vanilla, tar, toast. Fresh, feminine, good tannins without being aggressive. Touch of camphor. Red and black fruits. Very exotic. Vanilla. Layers of flavors. A seamless, harmonious wine. Gripping tannins. Long finish.

1996
Deep, dense violet to garnet red in color. Aromas come through as more advanced with hints of licorice, black cherry, violets. Well-melded flavors of licorice, tannins more moderate, great mouth feel with great integration. Very young and very alive; full of energy. Good acidity. Fresh. Alcohol structure more velvety with good glycerin levels. Juicy with good pronounced texture.

1997
Pure Maya! Sweet, ripe fruit. Full round mouth feel. Big massive, muscular wine and still a bit closed. Pronounced fruit. Mineral components. Austere. Lots of sophistication. Less acid. More oak. Excellent tannin management.

1998
Black cherry notes on nose. Taste is tart fruit with a sweet oak impression. Lactic quality in flavors comes through as buttermilk, caramel. Very concentrated. Elegant. Good weight and excellent palate impression. Terrific structure. Gorgeous, pleasurable wine.

1999
Aromas of ripe fruit, tomato. Taste profile of blueberries, black cherries, cassis, cedar, spice, vanilla, black pepper. Silky viscosity in mouth. Well-integrated. Dense. Distinctive character. Palate coating. Expansive alcohol. Ultra long, warm finish with good tannin closure. This is a hi-octane, powerhouse, and super-great wine. High toast levels. Beautiful. This wine is a keeper will never disappoint.

2000
Beautiful nose with hints of lavender, blueberry pie, buttermilk and floral notes. In the mouth nice citrus quality, Feminine, sophisticated, classy wine with great balance. Elegant. Soft, harmonious. Excellent tannin structure.

2001
Classic Maya. Beautiful nose, pleasurable superb balance, Dense. Opulent, beautiful length. Nice tannin structure. Lots of weight. Big structure. Cabernet Franc shows amazingly well. Prominent tannins. Purity.

2002
Very fragrant, jammy character. Expressing lots of intense fruit. Freshness. A hint of port like characteristics in nose. Sense of stones or rocks and minerality. Very expressive and distinctive profile. Perfect harmony. Compact, Dense, More oak nuances in perfect balance with tannins. Angular.


Cabernet Sauvignon tasting notes