Napa Wines!

It is time for a Napa wine night at Bobby Van's. For this dinner we will have one white wine followed by 4 red wines, all from California's Napa Valley.

We will return to perennial favorite, Bobby Van's on Park for a 7pm reservation.

Here is a link to their menu...
Bobby Van's on Park Menu

Just a reminder of our usual rules:

** The cost of this event is $48 and is for the cost of the wines only.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry! Meetup+ members are exempt from this charge.

You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a Zero corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $6 service fee.

Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!

The Wines :
2017 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley ($50) - CT 90.5, JD 94, WA 92 points, "The 2017 Chardonnay has a wonderful perfume of apple pie and grated nutmeg with notes of wet hay, honeycomb, cheese rind and peach cobbler plus touches of crushed stone, mushroom and wet bark. The palate is medium to full-bodied, rounded and silky with intense, savory flavor layers and bright acidity kicking in on long the finish. (drink 2020-2027)"

2012 Juslyn Vineyards Perry's Blend ($60) - CT 90.3, WA 93 points, "The proprietary red, a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 17% Cabernet Franc, is the 2012 Perry’s Blend. This was aged almost 30 months in 50% new French oak and 50% second-year barrels. Gorgeous aromatics of unsmoked cigar tobacco, spring flowers, black and red currants, a touch of raspberry and blueberry are followed by a sexy, delicious, lush, medium to full-bodied wine with beautiful balance, purity, and overall texture. This is hard to ignore, but then again, it is another very showy 2012. This wine should continue to drink well for 12-15 years at the minimum, but who has such patience? (drink 2015-2030)"

2012 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($90) - CT 92.6, there is a HUGE difference in the WS and WA ratings, who got it right? Having had this before, I lean towards WA's review. WS 86, WA 93 points, "The soft, delicious, complex 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers notes of cedarwood, blackcurrants, baking spices, Asian soy, crème de cassis, licorice and a touch of graphite. It continues to remind me of a hypothetical blend of a second or third-growth Bordeaux Pauillac with a Napa Valley Cabernet. Composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 54% new French oak, it possesses full body, sweet tannin and should drink well for two decades or more. (drink 2014-2035)"

2015 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ($80) - CT 93.3, I don't know what to make of this wine. The recent reviews on CT are very high, but my last bottle in 2020 tasted tired. We shall see! WA 92, JD 95 points, "The 125 cases 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley sports a vibrant ruby/purple color to go with a gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, white chocolate, flowers, graphite and hints of vanilla. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, polished and elegant, it has ripe, sweet tannin, a great mid-palate and a layered, multi-dimensional texture. It's gorgeous. This estate was started in 2012 by Austin, TX-based Matt and Amber Denny. (Drink between 2018-2033)"

2016 Lewelling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wight ($75) - The higher end of Lewelling's two Cabernets. CT 93.3, WA reviews them most years, but skipped the 2016 vintage, JD 97 points "There are just over 450 cases of the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard, another majestic, heavenly example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from this estate. A selection from the estate vineyard that's all Cabernet aged 20 months in 90% new French oak (it's also bottled unfined and unfiltered), it offers a more pure, focused style than the straight Cabernet Sauvignon (as well as compared to the more over-the-top 2015) yet doesn't lose anything on the opulence and sheer decadence scale. Its incredibly pure bouquet of blueberries, black currants, lead pencil shavings, violets, and damp earth notes all remind me of a great vintage of Ducru-Beaucaillou. Full-bodied, ethereally textured, concentrated, classic and yet just pure deliciousness, this brilliant wine will continue drinking well for two decades. (Drink between 2019-2039)"