2001 Chateau St Jean - Cinq Cepages Proprietary Blend - USA - California - Sonoma - Red

I was al ittle bit disappointed by this bottle since I had such a great one before. This bottle showed an acidity to it that hadn't been displayed before. The fruit still was vibrant and the tannins were soft but it was somewhat of a disappointment.

Time to drink, still plenty to enjoy in this bottle. Dark garnet, deep core, light watery edge. Aromas of dried fruits, tar, dark fruits. On the palate this still has good structure with some acid and nice tannins. Dark flavors of ripe to dried fruit, leaves, tobacco and cassis.

At the end of its life so drink up now.

Delicious! Strong aromas, tight tannins, and a long finish. Could sit in the bottle another several years and still be a great wine.

Smooth... Great cabernet blend. Fruit forward but balanced and drinking extremely well now...

92 pts (WS): Beautifully crafted, dark, rich and layered with blackberry, cherry, plum and wild bery fruit that zooms across the palate, holding a tight focus and finishingwith long, complex aftertaste. The tannins firm up nicely on the finish. Drink now thorugh 2011. 15,500 cases made. 's notes - Cinq Cépages ("Five Varieties"), made forever famous (and famously hard to procure) since being named Spectator's Top Wine of the Year in 1999. This is a Bordeaux-style blend consisting of cabernet sauvignon (76%), merlot (10%), cabernet franc (9%), malbec (3%), and petit verdot (2%). Each component is aged separately for two years in small French and American oak barrels before blending. Once the wine is assembled, it spends six months in the bottle before release. The 2001 offers blackberry and cassis flavors balanced by soft tannins and vanillin oak nuances.