'84 Cabernet Blind Tasting 2/4/10

This was a RossBott tasting. 16 people, 8 wines. We tasted blind and individually ranked them. The rankings are compiled and tallied, yielding a group score, ranking and a spread. The score is 1 point for each 1st place vote, 2 for 2nd and so on down to 8 for 8th, so the lower the score the better. The spread shows the number of votes for the following rankings: 1st/2nd/3rd/last.

A) Nose - white floral note with a smooth moderate tobacco and black currant character. Hint of cherry and oak spice. With time some limoncello and kirsh.
lemon/black plum/black currant, watery-refreshing, cedar. Soft mid-palate, peppery on the fringe. A bit of bitter black olive on the finish. 87 pts
My #7, group #4 1/4/2/3 (74)
'84 Ridge York Creek (Spring Mountain District)

B) Nose - a bit of volatile resin character, dusty wood, cherry, sweetish.
Pert cedar/tobacco, smooth plum with some black currant. A touch of lime zest on the finish. 87 pts
My #8, group #5 2/3/0/6 (75)
'84 Rodney Strong Alexander Crown Vineyard (Alexander Valley)
It's interesting that all six of us at our table voted it #8, and that we got the first pours.

C) Nose - sweetish, brett - horse stable, tobacco, black plum, lead pencil, green olive.
Smooth peppery black currant, a touch of barnyard, watery, lemon, black olive, lime zest, touch of barrel char. 88 pts
My #6, group #8 0/1/2/0 (79)
'84 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)

D) Nose - sweet redwood and cedar, cinnamon, red plum, vanilla oak.
Cedary Black currant, good acid and mineral, nicely integrated, redwood, plummy spice. 92 pts
My #4, group #3 4/0/2/1 (66)
'84 Swan Estate (Northern Sonoma)

E) Nose - cassis liqueur, smooth, shy, hint of white pepper.
Smooth intense mature plum, with tobacco, redwood, zest, cedar, black currant. 93 pts
My #2, group #2 3/2/3/1 (59)
'84 Girard Reserve (Napa Valley)

F) Nose - farty tobacco and pencil lead, intense minerality.
Prominent outhouse, lighter body with black plum and black currant, dried herbs. 92 pts
My #3, group #7 0/3/3/3 (78)
'84 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains

G) Nose - sweet, peppery, dark, soft black plum, touch of white resin, black olive, barrel char.
Smooth/cedar/tobacco/black currant, charcoal, green peppercorn. 91 pts
My #5, group #6 2/0/3/2 (78)
'84 Mount Eden Estate (SCM)

H) Nose - bright, tobacco, dark minerality, graphite, sweet French oak, dried basil.
Tobacco, black currant, cedar. Classic. Touch of green peppercorn, good minerality, intense. Seems a decade younger. 94 pts
My #1, group #1 4/3/1/0 (58)
'84 Ridge Monte Bello (SCM)

A very enjoyable tasting and I'd be happy drinking any of the wines again.

Richard's notes: http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=9852