2011 GRGICH HILLS Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (First Post) 14.2% ABV

Imgur Currently drinking out of a Riedel Restaurant Somm Series

So i won two of these bottles via competition in the restaurant i work at, this is bottle #2.

The first time i drank this it was side by side with the 2006 vintage as well but, it was with many people out to dinner and my focus was not 100%. I remember from that night though that both wines needed decanting and the difference in the 5 years between vintages was tremendous. The 2006 was my favorite of the two, drank over 2.5 hours

The fruit was much more developed in the wine whereas the 2011 was more bright fruit and tannins that felt subdued and trapped in the wine. They were sharp towards the back of my palate.

SIGHT Deep dark ruby red, with very little rim variation and a heavy concentration from the center outward that has a dark, purplish hue close to the rim.

NOSE (1 hour plus in the glass)

Fruit, fresh underripe fruit of bright red cherries, blackberries, raspberries, plum with warm baking spices, cardamon, vanilla. I get this slight "burn", ( not sure if that terms in accurate for this) when i really get into the glass.

TASTE Medium plus body, medium acidity,gritty tannins on the front of the palate but the acidity is balanced really well which helps that napa fruit come through the wine with a nice 10-15 strong finish. It lingers a little longer past the 10-15

Overall

I think this is a great wine from a great producer and winemaker. I cannot say whether the 2006 was better than the 2011 because of how much longer the 06' was aged but, this was a great Napa Cab. Drink it with or without food but let it breathe for some time in the glass and watch it open up more and more.

Final Note:

This was my first post and i am beginning my venture into breaking down wines and have had little guidance. I am working on my descriptors and being able to put sight, smell, and taste into words to convey it to other! Any notes or advice to help make future posts better are encouraged guys, PLEASE!