2005 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Magnum The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot) is more backward, but promising. It exhibits an inky/blue/purple color as well as notes of lead pencil shavings, toasty oak, charcoal, sweet roasted herbs, and background wood. Rich, full-bodied, and moderately tannic, it will benefit from 1-3 years of bottle age, and should last for 15+. Pride Mountain Vineyards is going through a transitionary stage with the departure of their renowned winemaker, Bob Foley, and the hiring of his replacement, Sally Johnston, formerly at St. Francis. The first Pride vintage where she had complete control is 2008. This is an impressive 83-acre vineyard spread high on Spring Mountain, traversing both the Napa and Sonoma County lines. Tasting through Pride’s 2006s was somewhat mixed. With the exception of the top Reserves, the wines did not appear to be at the same quality level as the 2005s, 2003s, 2002s, or 2001s. Keep in mind that 2004 was a troublesome year for Pride Mountain, and it looks like 2006 is another less than brilliant year. Nevertheless, some very good 2006s were made, but when expectations are so high, it is sometimes difficult to sustain them. RP
