2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc

There is nothing like sipping a well made, Washington grown, Cabernet Franc outside on the deck of a not-quite-completed house overlooking the Puget Sound. This 2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc came courtesy of Sara's uncle Chris.



The 2005 did not have as much vanilla as the 2004, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. I like the vanilla flavor that certain oak barrels will impart. Chris though it had a bit too much oak influence. Either way, we both agreed this was a nice wine to drink. If you like other Washington wines, you will like this one.

Wine Spectator gave this 93pts, and I think that is pretty fair. This pushed the price up a bit into the low to mid $30 range, but everything seems to be getting more expensive. The wine is very fruit-forward and smooth. My personal feeling is that Cougar Crest is one of the better Washington wineries and their entire line bears tasting, but I always seem to like the Cab Franc the best.

2005 Justin Justification

Sara's parents came to visit us in Palo Alto. Sara made a cassoulet the first night they were here (which was excellent) and I wanted to open a nicer bottle to go along with it. You can see for yourself in the picture below that we enjoyed the wine.



The wine is a great blend of 64% Cabernet Franc and 36% Merlot. The wine was still young, with the some pretty recognizable vanilla flavors in it that will fade over time. The tannins were tame and it wasn't acidic at all; the wine was smooth and complex with a fairly short finish. It is a good drinking wine that goes great with home cooking. Now I can not decide if I like it or Isosceles better.

If that is the only difficult decision I have to make, I guess things are going pretty well.

2003 Fox Creek JSM

They blended Shiraz and Cabernet Franc. BRILLIANT!



This wine cost $10. I should have bought a whole case. I should have bought two cases. This wine was great. Australia wins. The wine is big, jammy, fruity, Aussie Shiraz. Great wine to go with whatever you're having for dinner.

It did need 24 hours in the fridge after I opened it to come into its fullness, so if you are going to drink it, leave time to let it breathe. Generally you do not need to decant value wines, but this one really needed some time.

2004 Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

I know nothing about this wine. In fact, I don't even know where it came from. Ben suggested it may be the mysterious "Garagiste Bonus Bottle." Wherever it came from, we enjoyed drinking it.

This wine is not like many of the wines I review. It was a light-to-medium bodied wine. Very french; 12.5% alcohol. It had a nice earthy smell when we first opened it, but the taste was very hard to pin down. At times we could taste notes of cherry, at other times much more earthy, legumey, flavors came through. There weren't any noticeable defects; it was smooth and pleasant. Overall, depending on how much it cost, I'd recommend it as a good summer/food wine. Anyone know anything about it?

Cougar Crest Tasting

On Friday I tasted three new Cougar Crest wines.

Dedication (Non-vintage) - Interesting. The finish was incredibly long, but it was kind of a nasty taste so that wasn't necessarily a good thing. For $18, if you find the right food to match it with, this might be a good wine. But for those who just want something to drink, save your money.

2004 Cab Franc - Excellent. Lots of vanilla and just an amazing example of this varietal. I bought a couple of bottles and they were a hit at a recent birthday party. ($28)

2003 Reserve Cab - Very good. But for $38 you might be able to find something better.

Overall I've always been impressed with everything these guys make and I can't sing their praises enough. The wines are consistant and reasonably priced, and they're made by some Washington locals. If you can find any of the Aniversery Cuvee, I highly recommend picking that up at any price ($25).