1997 Alex. Valley Silver Oak Cab

in article gglId.13756$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com, Tom Wright at snipped-for-privacy@pacbell.net wrote on 1/21/05 9:11 PM:

This is a deep, rich, smooth wine, .... one of the best that Napa has to offer in it's price range. I still have a few bottles left and thoroughly enjoyed every one opened so far. You've got to hand it to a winery that serves Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Cab Release Day (coming up next weekend, actually). Here's what their site has to say.

Perhaps, except the Alexander Valley is in _Sonoma_ County - not Napa. :^)

Tom S

I was not particularly impressed with the 97 Alexander SO.

And that was my favorite wine for many years was that winery and vineyard. Started to lose its status with me from the 1996 release.

That said I did puchase the 97 Napa bottling and it is supposed to be very good.

Interestingly, the price on the 97 and 98 Alexander Valley is falling dramatically lately. I have seen it for around $54 per bottle recently. I thought that I was getting a super buy at $60 on openning day at several Costco stores last year.

in article LjnId.4445$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com, Tom S at snipped-for-privacy@dontspampacbell.net wrote on 1/21/05 11:31 PM:

Rather embarrassing senior event, especially when it's the Alexander Valley tasting room I usually go to and then, of course, there's the small matter of the label as well. Please pass the Ginkgo Biloba. ;o)

I tend to agree. With the loss of Justin Myer, I think that SO lost a bit of luster. What was that, 1994, or '95 vintage? When released, I, too, liked the Napa bottling much better. It was a Cab that thought it was a Turley Zin. The '97 AV was a little on the thin, one dimensional side. I have a few bottles, but have not gone back to them in some years, and they may have matured. I only wish that I had been able to score some of the '97 Napa, but we had just moved to AZ and I was told by a local retailer (only one who seemed to have the Napa), that all were for his "good customers," and I could not buy any! Well, of the 80+ cases of wine I have purchased since moving to AZ, none has been from this retailer - guess I'll never be one of his "good customers."

Hunt