CLONYC 16 - The Dr. Crane Vineyard

CLONYC 16 commenced last evening with an introspective retrospect of the Dr Crane Vineyard, all 21 acres of it. 10 different bottlings of assorted vintage. 

1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé- Nice, refreshing. A little front loaded and loudish, but I believe thats the style here, as it drank exactly as it did a few months back. Nice acidity, all with faint tiny bubbles.
"Tiny bubbles, in my wine, make me happy, some of the time"

The first flight of Karl Lawrence Dr. Cranes was thought to be a tough act to follow. As we see, it wasn’t. Not to say these aren’t awesome, because they were, but the two flights to come were no slouches either, especially with Hobbs on the horizon.

2003 Karl Lawrence Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve- 2 hour decant- This opened very pretty and elegant with lots of reddish black fruits of creamy crushed currant, red and black cherry and plums. Some eucalyptus popping. A sweet profiled wine with length and structure. This as the two to follow changed the most in the glass as time went on. 94 My WOTF
2004 Karl Lawrence Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve- 2 hour decant- This one is very reminiscent of the '03. Same profile and feel, with maybe just a wee bit more structure and finesse. Reddish black fruits, leather, and a hint of sulphur that kept it from beating the 03 in my estimation. 92
2005 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard- this sure could have used a decant. It was big boned with a delineated chunky tannin base, black fruited and bold. The nose was restrained. A bit edgy. A youngster that begs for three to four years further, or a 3 hour. I say go the years. 91

First place:
Wine 1 - 3 votes
Wine 2 - 5 votes
Wine 3 - 0 votes. 8 last place votes

2005 Realm Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- its no mystery to me why I am such a fan of this, the interesting thing is to put it up against the others in its category and see the differences. This is bright and bold with a berry blast of black currant, black berry, black cherry, and pomegranate. A style that could be polarizing, as it was so last night (your cue Steve). A full featured cab that could have been the schoolyard bully on the night. Nice. 94 My WOTF
2002 B&H Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- This was the one that all eyes were on, and I must say, it really shined. It was of a softer style, with great plush red and black fruits with the red cherries are dominant. The bottle says blend, and I am not sure what the other grape(s) could be, but a few percent of PV would not shock me. It was very pretty and fragrant. Fully resolved tannins, and a slight underbrushness I enjoy. Interesting.
2004 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- This wine was the letdown on the evening. Its showing was just not up to par with the others earlier. An Oaky mess is how I will sum it up. I chose to enjoy winner in the glasses around it instead of dissecting this one for too long. Dump.
2005 Paul Hobbs Dr Crane- Corked.

First place:
Wine 1 - 6 votes
Wine 2 - 2 votes
Wine 3 - 0 votes, 8 last place votes.

This flight was ‘The Revelation’ flight. All somewhat similar, these really had the feel of the Crane vineyard available on different labels. 

2005 Waypoint Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- Anyone ever actually open these yet, you should, they are fantastic. I remember the blowout a local retailer did, and all I can say is I am sorry I did not try and buy. Now they have doubled in price. This was super fragrant and pure with a backbone. Plush and medium weight with crème de cassis, kirsch, currant, black plum pudding, and some cedar. Tannins in full bloom and in line, the balance of this was staggering. Long finish to boot. More please. 94 My WOTF
2007 Myriad Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- In the same vein as the Waypoint, this was a bit fuller and flashier. You can see TRBs influence on the winemaker here. He learned well. Great structure, poise and elegance, Dark fruits with currant, plums, and cocoa, and a touch of lead pencil shavings. Floral nose with berry influence. I could drink this all night. 93
2006 Frontier Justice Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane- Again, similar to the Waypoint, with some of the same goodies. The difference in my mind is it is maybe just a bit more subdued and restrained, but make no mistake, it fit into this flight perfectly. Not a minor point that both this and the Waypoint say Bounty Hunter on the back labels….Hmmmmm 92

First place:
Wine 1 - 5 votes
Wine 2 - 3 votes
Wine 3 - 0 votes 7 last place votes.
Its tough being last.

2007 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon Maiden Voyage- Always happy to taste this one and see the evolution, although being at the end of the night is a tough placement. Great reddish black fruits with some lead pencil, cola, and kirsch. A bit lush with some elegance. Very nice showing. Interesting that when these show up at big name dinners, they always hold their own.

Groups WOTN
3 2005 Realm Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane
3 2004 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane 
1 2003 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane
1 2005 Waypoint Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane (guilty!)

Thanks to everyone for being a part of this one. Great people, wine and food. What’s not to love?

Anywho, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it.