2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret - 99 pts!
A potentially perfect wine, which is in bottle after having spent 30 or so months in a combination of old and new oak. The practice under Bob Foley is to first keep the wines in neutral wood as the selections are made for the different cuvees and then, once made, move the wines into new oak until bottling. The 2001 Reserve Claret, which is a 450-case blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Sauvignon, is a spectacular wine, offering up a dense purple color and a nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberries, creme de cassis, chocolate, and espresso roast. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, layered, with tremendous purity and persistence on the palate. It is a stunning example of mountain viticulture that can be drunk now, although it is still an adolescent in its evolutionary development and will age for 15-20 years. Readers who love the Bob Foley style of wines, and there seem to be many who do, should also know that he produces wines under his own name, and is also the winemaker for Switchback Ridge and Hourglass, two other up-and-coming estates. RP
