The Wine Insiders » 2005

Seduire Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2005 – 94+ Points.

thewineinsiders — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:15:29 +0000

The 2005 Séduire is plush, rich and layered, built on crème de cassis, mocha, cherries, currant and blueberries flavors aimed to seduce your every sense; sight, nose and palate. It has a very supple and silky tannin structure and provides a long smooth finish.

Buy this wine at Porthos.

Sans Permis Chardonnay Durell Vineyard 2005 – 93 Points

thewineinsiders — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:45:07 +0000

A wonderful yellow-gold color and a nutty, toasty nose greet you. In the mouth, Meyer lemon, crisp green apple, with butter notes and good acidity with a surprisingly rich creamy mouthfeel make this a fantastic wine to pair with a wide variety of foods.

Buy this wine at Porthos.

Chateau Sergant Lalande de Pomerol 2005 – 93 Points

thewineinsiders — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:30:31 +0000

Deep in color and heady with the scents of cedar, crushed blackberry, and chocolate. Opulent and medium bodied, this wine exhibits a complex cache of flavors, including fresh berries, hints of violet. Medium-to-full body, with velvety tannins and a clean, fruity aftertaste. Fine, supple, and supremely elegant.

Buy this wine from Porthos.

Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 2005 – 96 Points

thewineinsiders — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:58:01 +0000

Wow, this unforgettable wine reminds us why Cabernet is still the king of grapes. Big, bold and lush, the new 2005 ‘Martha’s’ impresses by gushing fruit, yet retaining an elegance and power difficult to achieve in a wine with this much power. Bright blackberry and currant fruit, with notes of graphite, blueberries and espresso leave you mourning the last drop. Don’t miss this sumptuous new discovery destined for fame! Enjoy now through 2017 and decant for 1 hour if popping the cork prior to 2014.

Buy this wine at Porthos.

Shelter Cabernet.

thewineinsiders — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:51:51 +0000

Shelter Cabernet

The holy grail for many Cabernet collectors might be something like finding a Cult Cabernet at less than 1/2 the auction price. While that is unlikely to happen given the demand for those wines, we have discovered a new wine – Shelter “The Butcher” 2005 Cabernet – that makes us feel like we have found just such a thing.
We rated this impeccable wine 95 points originally but are prepared to raise the rating after now having tasted the actual bottling. The truth is we do get a bit nervous when we exalt the virtues of a new wine without have a long history with the winery. In the past, we have fallen in love with a winery “sample” only to later feel duped when the real bottles arrive and bear no resemblance to the juice we adored. The Shelter is even more impressive than we remember from our tasting. Everything starting from the aromas to the depth of flavors to the finish is memorable. (All humility aside) we really have been fortunate to sample enough of the so-called Cult Cabernet to know that serious wine collectors are going to flip out over this wine.

TASTING NOTES:
Dense purple in color, with a nose of graphite, dark berries, creme de cassis, and hints of truffle, the wine shows remarkable fruit intensity, cocoa powder, tobacco, dense body, sweet and plushy tannins, vibrant acidity, and a stunning, seamless, long finish that last a full 60 seconds. We predict this wine will deliver a captivating experience over the next decade, peaking around 2012 in our estimate. 95 points.

BUY: Shelter Cabernet Sauvignon ‘The Butcher’ 2005

Shelter Cabernet ‘The Butcher’ 2005 – 95 Points.

thewineinsiders — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:27:07 +0000

Shelter Cabernet

Dense purple in color, with a nose of graphite, dark berries, creme de cassis, and hints of truffle, the wine shows incredible fruit intensity, cocoa powder, tobacco, full body, sweet and plushy tannins, vibrant acidity, and a stunning, seamless, long finish. 95 points
About Shelter Wines:
The Shelter label was created when the two former sommeliers from a world famous Napa restaurant in Napa were approached by one of their high-profile cult winemaker friends. This unnamed winemaker had some extra wine which was identical to their top Cabernet. Rather than raise their production and go through the hassle of re-bottling, ordering new labels, capsules, etc–they decided to sell it in bottle to be re-corked as the Shelter Wine Co. The wine “Shelter” sells for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of the identical wine bottled by this unknown producer. It is a wine for those customers who know quality Cult Cabernet when they taste it, but would rather drink a wine for a fraction of the price than pay extra just for the renowned label.

Our Favorite new “Burgundy + California” Pinot!

thewineinsiders — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:55:00 +0000

SAND HILL “DURELL” VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2005

This delicious Pinot Noir is sourced from the owner of the Durell vineyard, famous as one of Kistler’s most highly rated! We love this new micro-production discovery because it combines the elegant minerality of Burgundy’s finest Pinots combined with seductively bold California fruit.

THE WINE INSIDERS “OUTSTANDING 94″ RATING: The Sand Hill “Durell” Pinot Noir 2005 is a deliciously elegant, well crafted Pinot that is both built-to-last and a candidate for the most perfectly food-friendly Pinot of the year! This is a classic boutique production Pinot featuring a full-bodied, powerful style but also has a seamless integration of dark berries, creamy oak, tannins and alcohol that is still restrained enough to let the delicate fruit shine. This beauty can be savored young, although we envision this wine hitting its peak in 5+ years. 94 points.

We Say “96 points!” before Parker samples next month!

thewineinsiders — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:55:09 +0000

CHATEAU BOSWELL “ESTATE RESERVE” Cabernet, 2005 = 96 points!!!

Insider Scoop: We poured this gem at a serious wine collector tasting event on 9/13 and it was the overwhelming crowd favorite. We opened the bottle about 3 hours prior to sampling and then decanted it for almost an hour. We sampled a few $$$ Cabernets prior to this Boswell Estate and when we sampled this nectar everyone in the room was stunned by the noticeably superior quality. The #1 collector in the room was stunned when we informed him that this wine sells for under $100 because he thought it would be a $300+ “cult” wine!

THE WINE INSIDERS “CLASSIC 96” RATING: “A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot, this wine has aromas of cassis, new leather and mocha. Dense, creamy-sweet and juicy, with excellent concentration to its luscious flavors of dark berries and semi-sweet chocolate. This grand creation features ultra luscious fruit flavors deftly melded together with plush tannins that bode well for long term cellaring (if you can wait). Enjoy tonight, after decanting an hour, or anytime over the next 7 – 10 years, peaking around 2014. Hurry because I plan to stock a few bottles in my personal cellar! 96 POINTS” TheWineInsiders.com

Currently this wine is available for $79 (click here)

Chardonnay = Better than 98 points!

thewineinsiders — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:42:25 +0000

Leeuwin Chardonnay Art Series 2005

One of the Top 5 rarest and most collectible Chardonnays in the world since Wine Spectator rated last three vintages an unprecedented 94 – 98 points and “best white wine in Australia” ..Only 100 cases were imported and we have less than 10 case to sell so ‘do the math’ and order now!

WINE SPECTATOR REVIEW: (not released yet but we expect it to be consistent with the 2001 vintage – - 98 points! – - which sold out in 48 hours!)

INSIDER SCOOP: We love this wine because it can “out Kistler – Kistler” for long term aging with elegant, bright fruit after 5+ years.

THE WINE INSIDERS “OUTSTANDING 96″ RATING: The 2005 Art Series is one of the finest Chardonnays I have ever tasted (period!). Possessing the texture, intensity, and precision of a great grand cru white Burgundy combined with elegant tropical fruit and lemon oil characteristic of Leeuwin’s top vintages. It builds subtly in the mouth offering huge flavor intensity, yet managing to remain elegant as well as authoritatively rich, and intense. Starting off with the trademark Leeuwin notes of pristine citrus, then notes of butter, oranges, honeysuckle, and pears are apparent, with the oak component kept well in the background. Tremendously intense and powerful, yet subtle, this young Chardonnay should drink well for 5-7 years, peaking in 2013 most likely.

This wine is currently available for $79 (click here)

Duckhorn’s Best Kept “Secret” Cabernet

thewineinsiders — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:43:01 +0000

We love this wine because the undiscovered “secret” is that Duckhorn produces some of Napa’s finest bold Cabernet fruit crafted in a BIG, age-worthy style reminiscent of Silver Oak’s finest vintages. Duckhorn’s Estate Cabernet is one of the finest, food-friendly elite Cabernets from Napa. I recently sat down with the winery and enjoyed a bottle of this prized juice along side grilled mushrooms and Kobe beef. It was an out-of-body experience!

THE WINE INSIDERS “CLASSIC 95″ RATING: “The new Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautifully elegant wine built-to-last for a decade+ but delicious tonight after an hour of decanting. Dark and inky, this Cabernet reminds me of a renowned $100+ second growth Bordeaux blends that is nicely layered with a velvety smooth, well-integrated structure, round tannins, dense texture, and a long lingering finish that lasts a full 30 seconds. The aroma is concentrated with raspberry, black cherry and toasted oak followed by vanilla, mocha and hints of spice. The flavors are rich with blackberry, currant, semi-sweet chocolate and a savory component of lightly roasted coffee. This wine is Duckhorn’s most age-worthy Cabernet to date and will peak in flavors and balance around 2015 in our opinion. 95 points”

This wine is currently available for $95 (click here)