Coho Headwaters Meritage

Coho Headwaters Meritage 2005 – 94 Points.
A delicious blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot features the best of Napa at an affordable price! This wine has already aged gracefully in just one year of bottle time. It now displays deep layers of ripe fruit flavors that include blackberry, plums, and a hint of cherry floating across a super SILKY SMOOTH texture (thanks to the amazing quality Merlot!). Hints of caramel toffee shine through with the toasty oak as well as a coconut (from the oak barells) and tannins on the delightful finish. Enjoy tonight (after decanting 1/2 hour) with any meat or hard cheese or buy a few extra bottles because this gem will age gracefully for the next 3 – 5 years, peaking around 2012 in our estimate. 94 Points.

John Anthony Cabernet

John Anthony Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – 94 Points.
(update 1/09) This wine has aged well and has picked up more dense fruit and leathery tannins.  Very impressive!  In the beginning of this tremendous experience, rich blackberry and cassis aromas unfold into black cherry and dark plum. This seductive new Cabernet is young and bright, but serious and well balanced.  Perhaps even bigger and more ageworthy than the 2004 vintage, this is showing incredible finesse and polish with ripe, integrated tannins.  Blackberry, plum and cassis flavors in the front & mid palates meld into toasty oak and sweet hints of coconut on the delightful finish lasting a full 30 seconds. Enjoy now (after decanting one hour) + buy enough to age for the next 5 years, peaking around 2010 in our estimate! This is an amazing new release from these talented young vintners and a winery to watch for years to come. This is a truly delicious wine.  94 points.