Forman, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1994 - 2000

1994 - Fabulous nose - toast, black fruit, earth, hazelnut. Seamless and very sexy. Round, plush entry with nice herb action. Very refined and subtle. As with most of the wines, this shows no sense of weight or alcohol. My favorite wine of the night.

1996 - Very deep nose shows some brett influence (meaty, slightly medicinal) that adds complexity. Even a hint of brine. Deep and powerful in the mouth, herbs and earth.

1999 - Beautiful nose. Deep, but less direct fruit and more earth and wild herbs. Reminds me of some of my favorite wines from the south of France. Concentrated and tannic, but not hard. Spicy, loaded. I really enjoyed this stuff.

2000 - Not a group favorite, but I thought it had far more depth and complexity than the others gave it credit for. Smells like sumptuous food (earth, meat, melted cheese) with lifted white and black pepper. Deep and sensual, with refined tannin and very good mid-palate material. Shows a bit of heat.


I think the wines from '91 on (in this tasting) show the results of better farming and probably more refined winemaking. The heavy rains in 1989 made canopy management priority #1 in the '90's. The wines in this period seem to me to show not only more depth, but also more complexity. None of these wines are "big", but all are interesting and full of life. Which is what Forman is all about, apparently.