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TN: 2001 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon

I attended a tasting of 5 of the vineyard designated 2001 Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignons. Nickel & Nickel is a relatively new winery (started in 1997) that was founded by some of the partners in Far Niente. Nickel & Nickel only produce 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines. This was a sit down tasting at a retailer, but the wines had been poured about 30 minutes before the tasting started, so the wines had some time to open up.

2001 John C. Sullenger Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley Nose of red cherry, plum, chassis and oak. Big red cherry and plum flavors with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish that tended towards blacker fruit flavors with hints of chocolate. Very appealing for drinking now, and will age well, at least in the near term. List price is $75. My rating 93. This was my favorite of the tasting.

2001 Nickel & Nickel Tench Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley Nose was tight with hints of cherry and oak. Flavors had red and black cherry, with high acid and lots of tannins on the long finish. This wine is too tight for drinking now, and needs a few years of aging. List price is $65. My rating 84.

2001 Dragonfly Vineyard, St. Helena, Napa Valley Open nose of red cherry. Flavors were red cherry and plums with high acid, moderate tannins, and a long fruity finish with the black cherry flavors on the finish. Very appealing for drinking now, and will age well. List Price is $90. My rating 91. My second favorite of this group.

2001 Vogt Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley Nose was tight with cherry and plums. Flavors were red cherry with spicy or herbal undertones, high acid, and a long astringent finish. This wine needs some time to open up and is too tight for current drinking. List price is $75. My rating 86.

2001 Branding Iron Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley Nose was red cherry, earthy. Flavors were black cherry and plums, with high acid, high tannins, and a long astringent finish. This wine is too tight for drinking now, but the fruit shows promise of opening up into a very appealing wine in a few years. List price is $65. My rating 90.
Reply to
mikeca42
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in article snipped-for-privacy@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com at snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote on 2/12/05 2:32 PM:

Nickel & Nickel is a concept that seems to have worked out very well. I guess it's a a no-brainer if you're working with the level of vineyard properties they have access to, and know how to market the idea. I was at a wholesale distributor tasting where their table was, far and away, the most popular of well over 100 wineries.... though many of the buyers lined up were from chain food markets that normally wouldn't get to taste their wines (at least I hope not).

Anyway, I pretty much agree with your ratings. We were at Nickel & Nickel on Cab Release Day (the Silver Oak event), in Napa, a few weeks ago and there were about a dozen '01 Cabs being tasted. We also put Tench at the bottom, have tasted Sullenger before and loved it, thought Branding Iron was outstanding.....as well as one you didn't taste, which was the '01 Stelling Vineyard.

These wines are not in my day-to-day budget, but they certainly are a treat when I get to taste them.

Reply to
Midlife

I attended a tasting there in January. Very cool place with lovely porches and many extra tastes of Chardonnay's and even a dessert wine. I had never tasted their wines before and was suitably impressed with the Sullenger one of the longer finishing wines I've had and Branding Iron with my notes read some cedar in the nose as well. The Dragonly wasn't my favorite so I dind't buy any but bought 3 bottles each of the Sullenger and Branding Iron as well as the Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay.

Reply to
Lawrence Leichtman

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