Went to friends for dinner and lunch, so I brought some wine over.  It was fascinating to taste a bunch of these wines within a short period of time – not like the wine tasting we had a few months ago – but still very fun indeed.

Chateau Le Crock, Saint Estephe 2002 – Score: A-
This is a thick and tasty wine.  Very complex with layers, full in the mouth, and it still is quite tannic.  The color of this wine is a dark blue to purple.  The nose is full of black fruit – blackberries, plums, and coffee, with some green vegetal aromas.  The mouth on this massive full-bodied wine is velvety and complex.  The black fruit flows in the beginning, with a mid palate of chocolate and something green, and a finish of spice and oak.  This wine is a winner and at its current price now online – it is a winner.

Yarden Chardonnay 2003 – Score: A-
The nose on this dark straw colored wine has aromas of peach, citrus, butter, and TONS of oak.  This is a classic California Chardonnay.  The mouth on this full-bodied Chardonnay is full of oak, butter, and citrus.  The finish is nice and spicy – which makes the wine feel complex.  The wine is really not very complex – but the shift of the flavors makes it quite enjoyable.  The fullness of this chardonnay makes it feel ripe and a bit fat – but is balanced nicely with the acidity and spice.

Chillag Orna Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – Score: A-
The nose on this dark and almost impenetrable black colored (unfiltered) wine is strong with earthy aromas, cranberry, blackberry, a bit of green, and a fair amount of oak.  The mouth on this wine changes often from when we opened it to when it was finished a couple of hours later.  The wine starts almost cold to the touch – like a first date; not very talkative and almost boring.  The wine wakes to a strong-minded woman very quickly and it is quite enjoyable to say the least (disclaimer – no meaning to my comparison – just the first thing that came to my mind Smile).  The mouth of this full-bodied wine is not complex – but fun nonetheless.  The flavors are fruit forward and the wine’s tannic nature comes through loud and clear.  The tannins have yet to integrate – but when they do this wine will be nicer.  My question will be whether the wine has much body behind that tannin – time will tell.  The mid palate is nice but the finish of mint and spice makes it fun.  This is the first release Carmel did with Orna (acting as a guest wine maker).  Orna has a very successful Israeli boutique winery on her own called Chillag Winery – though, unfortunately it is not kosher.

Segal’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Unfiltered 2002 – Score: A-
This was the winner of the day – hands down.  The nose on this wine explodes – like a geyser throwing aromas in every direction.  Really quite a joy.  The nose on this impenetrable black colored wine was filled with blackberry, cranberry, coffee, chocolate, oak, along with a strong sweet flavor – almost date like in nature, and some allspice thrown in as well.  When smelling this wine at the start I said this is a hot wine.  A wine, which has zero green flavors in it, and the mouth, solidified that thought.  This was a fruit and spice wine – with zero green flavors to be found.  The mouth on this nice complex wine is really fun.  It starts with a strong attack of fruit that is complex by the nature of the many fruits that come at you along with the layers of the fruits as well.  Blackberry, cranberry, raspberry hit you first, the mid palate comes with a strong attack of coffee and chocolate.  The finish is laced with what I first thought was tar along with leather and oak.  The tar flavors dissipated quickly – but I swear it was there – weird for a cab to display tar flavors – but who knows.  Totally wild ride and the true winner of all the wines tasted this past weekend.