2007 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
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Tasting notes
(14.9% alcohol): Bright ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, menthol and cinnamon apple donut are slightly dulled by a veneer of chocolatey oak. A supple, nicely made midweight with good lift and an herbal element to its dark berry flavors. Not especially complex or deep but well balanced and evolving gracefully. The tannins turn a bit herbal and dry on the back end, which also shows a repeating note of pastry sweetness. Good as far as it goes.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve exhibits a dark ruby color along with a muted nose (as if the wine had been seriously processed) of moderately sweet red and black currant fruit on the attack and mid-palate. The finish falls off and the wine is shallow but pleasant. There is nothing about the current wines that is similar to the great wines Groth made in the eighties. The same thing can be said for another estate that produced phenomenal wines in the late sixties and seventies, Mayacamas, only to fall on hard times and never recover. It is hard to believe that the 1985 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was the first California wine to receive a 100 point score from this critic. Years of vegetal, understated, uninteresting wines followed, which is rather tragic when you consider that the the 1984, 1985, and 1986 Groth Reserves remain vibrant wines in 2010. Perhaps the estate is coming back ever so slowly. Tel. (707) 944-0290; Fax (707) 944-8932