Another Saturday Night...

started out SLOW... but finished up strong. The 1994 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon (two bottles) ranged from earthy and sweet to not as earthy and not as sweet. The wine is ok... very black fruits upfront then very, very sweet cherry/strawberry on the back end. Not my favorite wine. Both bottles were from the same wooden case, both stored exactly the same since they were purchased years ago, but yet they taste different. Isn't wine great! The 2001 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon is no longer open, vibrant, and explosive. While still outstanding, this wine has started to shut down and I will no longer be recommending it to guests until it comes around. Having tasted both this and the Harlan, and remembering the best bottle of this that I've had, the Harlan is a clear favorite. The Harlan, by the way, is one of the 5 best wines I've ever had. The 1994 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-St.-Vivant Morey-Monge was the perfect food wine. Full of acid, this off-vintage wine was outstanding. Very earthy, sweet, classic DRC. This bottle proves that even in off-vintages, the best producers still get the best fruit and still make the best wines. These are the vintages that tell me who the greats are...