Well I cooked Easter dinner for the family today (roast leg of lamb stuffed with cranberries + apricots, browned brussel sprouts / baby Yukon gold potatoes, yams and steamed broccoli). Earlier this morning I opened a bottle of '91 Far Niente Cab that I was saving for a special occasion. I've had mixed results with older wines lately ... some pretty good and others somewhat nasty. This one started off OK, but really came around after a couple hours and turned into one of the best wines I've had in several years.
The color was a dark brick / garnet. The nose was a very complex mix of violets, honeysuckle, cinnamon, vanilla, cedar and mild red fruits. The initial flavors were mostly cherry and raspberry with a tart finish. The tannins were still evident by the dryness on the middle and sides of my tongue. It did pair wonderfully with the roast leg of lamb though.
After a couple more hours the tannins totally smoothed out and the wine opened up all the way. There was also a nice floral component that really accented the flavors. The aged fruit was totally coating my mouth - sort of the way a good port does and it had a very smooth, slight sweet / slightly tart finish. Now this is the way a quality California Cab should taste after 17 years.
The color was a dark brick / garnet. The nose was a very complex mix of violets, honeysuckle, cinnamon, vanilla, cedar and mild red fruits. The initial flavors were mostly cherry and raspberry with a tart finish. The tannins were still evident by the dryness on the middle and sides of my tongue. It did pair wonderfully with the roast leg of lamb though.
After a couple more hours the tannins totally smoothed out and the wine opened up all the way. There was also a nice floral component that really accented the flavors. The aged fruit was totally coating my mouth - sort of the way a good port does and it had a very smooth, slight sweet / slightly tart finish. Now this is the way a quality California Cab should taste after 17 years.
