by Andrew Chalk
It was packed. And no surprise about that. Sigel’s 4th Annual Benchmark Cabernet Tasting at the Park Cities Club was full of some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons from the U.S. (and a few from Australia and South Africa as well). Among the 50+ wines there were names with established reputations like Dominus, Beaulieu, Beringer, Groth, Miner, Robert Mondavi, Nickel and Nickel and Newton) and also startups and boutique wineries producing just a few hundred cases but with absolutely no quality concessions (Arietta, Bello Family, Carte Blanche, Francesca, Herold, Kobalt, Larkin, Priest, Rudius and Tor).
All the wines are on sale pricing at Sigel’s through the weekend. Among my favorites (in alphabetical order with sale pricing shown) were:
2010 Dominus, Napa ($179.99) 2008 Newton, ‘Puzzle’, Spring Mountain, Napa ($84.99) 2009 Robert Mondavi Reserve, Oakville, Napa ($111.99) 2010 Tor Kenward, Oakville ($111.99)My ‘best values’ were:
2008 Cafaro, Napa ($33.99) 2010 Newton, Unfiltered’, Napa ($44.99) 2010 Rombauer, Napa ($37.99) 2009 Selene ‘Dead Fred’, Coombsville ($39.99)A Partial list of wines on Sale:
|
Winery |
Appellation |
Designation |
vt |
reg $ |
Sale |
Press |
|
Anderson’s Conn Valley |
Conn Valley |
Reserve |
2010 |
79.99 |
71.99 |
93-96rp |
|
Arietta |
Napa |
2010 |
124.99 |
112.99 |
94rp |
|
|
August Briggs |
Sonoma |
Monte Rosso |
2009 |
51.99 |
43.99 |
|
|
Beaulieu |
Napa |
Georges de Latour |
2008 |
128.99 |
115.99 |
93rp |
|
Bello Family |
Rutherford |
2009 |
91.99 |
81.99 |
93rp |
|
|
Beringer |
Napa |
Private Reserve |
2007 |
109.99 |
59.99 |
97rp |
|
BR Cohn |
Sonoma |
Olive Hill |
2008 |
57.99 |
51.99 |
|
|
Cafaro |
Napa |
2008 |
39.99 |
33.99 |
|
|
|
Carte Blanche |
Napa |
Proprietor’s Red |
2010 |
129.99 |
116.99 |
|
|
Carte Blanche |
Napa |
2010 |
129.99 |
116.99 |
|
|
|
Casa Piena |
Yountville |
Our Gang |
2009 |
74.99 |
66.99 |
92ws |
|
Ch St Jean |
Sonoma |
Cinq Cepages |
2009 |
64.99 |
57.99 |
|
|
Chapellet |
Napa |
Signature |
2010 |
53.99 |
47.99 |
|
|
Clarendon Hills |
Clarendon |
Brookman |
2006 |
49.99 |
42.99 |
93rp |
|
Clos du Val |
Stag’s Leap |
SLD |
2009 |
69.99 |
62.99 |
93rp |
|
Dominus |
Napa |
2010 |
199.99 |
179.99 |
92rp |
|
|
Frank Family |
Rutherford |
Reserve |
2010 |
86.99 |
77.99 |
90rp |
|
Groth |
Napa |
Reserve |
2009 |
124.99 |
111.99 |
91st |
|
Hayfork |
St Helena |
Lewelling Ranch |
2010 |
69.99 |
62.99 |
93rp |
|
Herold |
Napa |
2010 |
99.99 |
89.99 |
94rp |
|
|
Keenan |
Spring Mt |
Reserve |
2009 |
94.99 |
84.99 |
94rp |
|
Kobalt |
Napa |
2010 |
104.99 |
94.99 |
95rp |
|
|
Larkin |
Napa |
2010 |
54.99 |
45.99 |
|
|
|
Loring |
Paso Robles |
2012 |
24.99 |
20.99 |
|
|
|
Meerlust |
Stellenbosch |
Rubicon |
2007 |
35.99 |
29.99 |
92st |
|
Miner |
Pritchard Hill |
Oracle |
2008 |
84.99 |
71.99 |
|
|
Miner |
Pritchard Hill |
Stagecoach |
2008 |
69.99 |
58.99 |
|
|
Mollydooker |
McLaren Vale |
Gigglepot |
2011 |
51.99 |
45.99 |
90+rp |
|
Mt Brave |
Mt Veeder |
2010 |
96.99 |
86.99 |
93rp |
|
|
Napanook |
Napa |
2009 |
59.99 |
53.99 |
93rp |
|
|
Newton |
Napa |
Unfiltered |
2010 |
49.99 |
44.99 |
|
|
Newton |
Spring Mt |
Puzzle |
2008 |
94.99 |
84.99 |
|
|
Neyers |
Napa |
AME |
2009 |
78.99 |
70.99 |
90-92rp |
|
Neyers |
Napa |
Conn Valley |
2010 |
54.99 |
45.99 |
91st |
|
Nickel & Nickel |
Rutherford |
CC Ranch |
2009 |
94.99 |
84.99 |
92+rp |
|
Realm |
Combsville |
Farella |
2010 |
127.99 |
114.99 |
93rp |
|
Red Mare |
Napa |
2010 |
49.99 |
44.99 |
|
|
|
Robert Mondavi |
Napa |
Reserve |
2009 |
124.99 |
111.99 |
94rp |
|
Rombauer |
