Freemark Abbey Napa Cabernet

Freemark Abbey Cabernet

Napa Valley, 2001

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Roommate and I both got new Riedel glasses. We're nerds. So to celebrate, I opened up that bottle of Concannon Petite Syrah that I'd been holding on to. Damn thing was corked. That's a shame, too, because it hurt me to pour that inky purple juice down the drain. And now the sink's stained.

So John says he'll just open a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cab instead. Okay.

Pretend this label says something about 2001.

This wine is really, really good. It's really what to expect in a cab; maybe a little softer and a little more jammy than you'd expect. Full nose of fruit; sipping was intense but followed with balanced light tannins. The finish lingered so long I woke up tasting the stuff.

It was totally ready to go - I told him not to hold onto his other bottle too much longer. He's also got a bottle of their Sycamore Cab. Note to self: be around when that gets opened.

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The other useful lesson of the night came in the comparison of the new crystal with the old little glass goblets we had been using before. There were noticeable differences in the taste of the wine in the two glasses. The little glass guys (which have been washed in the dishwasher) actually added a bitter overtone to the wine. Soap, probably? Anyway, we really think we're cool now.