Winery - Frazier
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Soft and a bit hot in alcohol, this Cab has luscious flavors of blackberry jam, licorice and smoky oak. It’s pretty tannic now, with a sandpapery mouthfeel. Doesn’t seem like an ager, but nice now through 2011.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The alcohol is a shocking 16%, but the truth is this wine is deliciously drinkable, in a soft, velvety way. Shows decadent flavors of blackberry essence, cherry tart, dark chocolate and cedar, grounded by earthy notes of sage. Very rich and exotic, almost a liqueur. Drink now.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Bramble and cedar, along with plenty of toasty vanillin oak. Black currant is the dominant fruit; the mouthfeel is appropriately big, and the finish turns a bit dry, but with proper length. Very nice in the typical Napa mold.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A bit harsh and overripe, with Porty flavors of baked blackberries, cherries and red currants. Partly, the heat is due to high alcohol.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Ripe and delicious, with blackcurrant and cassis flavors that finish with a citrusy, orange-zest edge. This may come from the French oak, which also brings lush vanilla, cream and smoky notes. Sweet tannins and soft acids make it instantly appealing.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
It’s been several years since I last tasted a Frazier Cab, but this ’03 brought back memories of the excellent ’99. It’s not quite as rich, but is classically structured. From a cooler part of the valley, it blends dried herbs in with the black currants.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Frazier breaks the triple-digit price barrier with this Cabernet. Like their regular ’05, it’s a very tannic wine, not suitable for drinking now or possibly anytime soon. But it’s clearly powerful and concentrated in flavor, with a dense layering of cassis and freshly-crushed blackberries. Totally dry, but a little high in alcohol, it should reward cellaring over the next eight years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
You’ll want to stash this young Cab away for a while because it’s too closed and tannic now for enjoyment. But it has a very rich, concentrated core of cassis flavor and is dry and balanced in acidity. Should negotiate the next 6–8 years easily, and maybe longer.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a serious Merlot, a welcome relief from the sea of mediocrity that masquerades under the variety. Grown in the winery’s estate vineyard in the southerly Coombville area, the wine shows similarities to Carneros Merlots. Dry, fairly tannic, with crisp acidity and an earthy grounding, it has supple, refined flavors of black cherries, currants, cocoa, violets and cedar.
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Frazier Merlot - 2005
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Voluptuous and sensual, this is an exotically ripe style of Merlot that joins lush fruit and toasty oak with a fine tannin-acid structure. They used to call Merlot the soft Cabernet, and in this case it really is true. At its best now.
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Frazier Merlot - 2003
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