I met with a group of friends for our monthly get together. This month the theme was 1990 Napa Cab.
1990 Caymus SS-Still quite dark with no discernable age in the color. Huge aromatics of black currant, anise and black pepper. Rich on the palate showing massive, jammy blackberry and cassis. Soft round tannins and a touch of vanilla on the finish. "A+"1990 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet-This wine was made when Mondavi was still making terrific wine. Medium dark reddish purple in the glass with just a hint of brick. Pummy nose with some oaky vanilla and mineral. Plush red and black fruit flavors on the palate with a fair amount of exotic spice and blackberry. Well resolved tannins and a mediuim body make this a real food friendly wine. "A"
1990 Philip Togni Spring Mountain Cabernet-Like ink in the glass. Massive nose of crushed blackberries, cassis, dusty cedar and licorice. This wine has barely evolved since bottling. Stunningly rich flavors of black currant, creme de cassis, dark chocolate and a touch of mint. Still big and tannic this wine could go another 10-20 years. "A+"1990 Chateau Montelena-Dark purple with some clearing at the rim and a blush of brick overall. A bit of Brett on the nose with a musty note of wet dog. Not offputting but just a hint otherwise quite aromatic with black coffee, wet stones and black raspberry. The wine was quite complex with layers of black fruits, plums, oak, black cherry and spicy black pepper. Still somewhat tannic with a fair amount of grip. Perhaps more out of balance than the others. B+
1990 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet.-Nice dark purple red color. Nose of minerals and herbs with a concentrated jammy grapey note. Overpowering tannins that were so rough as to cover much of the fruit. Will this wine ever soften? I doubt it. Too tannic to be enjoyed for long. The longer it sat in the glass the more tannic it seemed to get. C+