Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Block Collection Walking Tree Vineyard 2009

Dark fruit on the nose, cherries, dark berries, pepper, and some oak, nice body and finish

For $16 I thought it was not that good. Medium bodied wine. Good nose but very light flavor. Very High tannins. Need to eat with meat.

Nose was smooth and rich with blackberry and cranberry. On the palate we got tart berries and flat Dr Pepper underneath from the hints of black cherry and malty caramel. Tannins and acidity were mellow overall. Finish was short with some berries and pear. For the price, we expected more complexity.

Great feel in the mouth, smooth tannin, loaded with berries and licorice, and a nice finish.

1. 2005 Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon – Alexander Valley – Color: ruby, Nose: (“Cedar Mulch” –Hector, and I agree), a little hot, a little raspberry, Taste: medium bodied, a little on the lighter side, light tannins, (“I would have imagined a Virginia wine based on White Hall. Tastes like Cedar Mulch, chewing on wood chips.” – Hector), like sticking your nose in a mulch pile, decent finish Lamarr: B+ (quite pleasant, better than I expected, you can get better Cabs for the same price, but good for a blind purchase) Hector: very high B (“Smells like a woodworker’s dumpster” [goes into anecdote about his dad and sawdust])

Cool minty eucalyptus nose leads to a wine of medium body with lots of acidity, giving it good structure. Finishes on cocoa and a spearmint character.

This is a great value cab that starts tight but opens over four hours to become a quality fruit-forward delight. Herbs and spices begin on the nose, followed at two to three hours with expanding aromas of fruit. Very dry on the palate, and initially spicy and acidic, but complex enough to be interesting even at the beginning. Not a big wine, but layered nonetheless. Newcomer notes spread through the palette as the clock ticks. The acidity begins to tame at about three hours, and then the wine really starts to open its hidden treasures. Herb-infused cherry, mild oak, pepper, dark berry and currant all evolve with each taste through the evening. Overnight the improvement continues. On the thin side -- treble, with little bass, but with “piccolos” of cherry pops in mid-song that make for a lively, succulent outcome.