2005 Reviews

May/June 2008 Issue 138

2005 VIADER

Highly complex nose offers currant, plum, blueberry, bitter chocolate and herbs. Suave, silky and downright creamy in the mouth, with lovely breadth and palate coverage. Fresh but harmonious acidity gives this a rather sophisticated texture. In comparison to the easier, fruit-forward 2004, this one is more characterized by its bite and structure. 92(+?) points.

2005 VIADER “V”

Good full ruby-red. Notes of licorice, leather, flowers and mint on the nose. The palate offers a juicy, high-acid impression, with a leathery edge to the intense flavors of bitter cherry and dark chocolate. Conveys a slightly leafy Medoc aspect and offers lovely inner-mouth aromatic character. Finishes with firm tannins and a lingering floral quality. 89(+?) points.

2005 DARE Cabernet Sauvignon

Good full ruby-red. Aromas of bitter cherry, leather and band-aid. Sweeter and suppler than the 2005 cabernet franc release, with a distinctly plumper, softer middle palate. Finishes with dusty tannins and lingering sweet fruit. 88 points.

Best of Year, 11/28/2008

2005 VIADER – Cellar Selection. 92 points.

It is entirely conceivable that this blend of the two Cabernets could improve dramatically with time in the bottle. Currently, it’s a very dry, firmly tannic wine, with black currant, mocha, cherry and new oak flavors that have a distinctive edge of sweet herbs, figs and tobacco. Improves considerably with airing in the glass, so decant if you drink it anytime soon. Cellar Selection.

2005 VIADER

Sleek and elegantly styled, with spicy currant, sage, dusty berry, mineral and pleasant herb and sage notes. Well-balanced, even delicate and detailed. 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Cabernet Franc. Best from 2009 through 2014. 2,119 cases made. 91 points –JL

2005 VIADER Barrel Tasting

Firm and concentrated, with spice, anise, currant, herb and cedar flavors that are well-proportioned, tightly focused and rich and persistent on the finish. 92-94 points (Issue: Aug 31, 2006)

2005 DARE Cabernet Sauvignon

Complex, tight and focused, displaying dried currant and spicy berry notes, with hints of nutmeg, sage and herbs. The long, focused, lingering, firmly tannic finish bodes well for short-term cellaring.
Best from 2009 through 2014. 2,000 cases made. 89 points –JL

California Wine Guide for September 2008: “Cal Cabs to Hunt Down”

2005 VIADER rated as a Four-Star wine!

“Effusive nose of violets, dried herbs and black fruit. Slightly jammy, but crunchy acidity, solid tannins and creamy vanilla moderate the ripeness.”
-Linda Murphy 

TASTED Magazine: The Wine Guide by Andreas Larsson, “Best Sommelier in the World”

Andreas does not use a score system, but rather assigns categories such as “My Top Picks” and “I also liked.”

“My Top Picks”: 2005 VIADER Proprietary Red Blend
“I also liked”: 2005 VIADER "V" Petit Verdot Blend

Best of The Best :
California Red Blends

Blending is an art form, as these wines ably demonstrate.

Many California wineries offer, in addition to 100-percent-varietal red wines, top-end blended reds. Most of these blends are based on Bordeaux models, and contain varying proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The aim is to achieve a wine in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts...

5-Star California Red Blends

Wines of extraordinary character and quality — in a class by themselves

 

2005 VIADER

 

2005 VIADER (Napa Valley)
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc.

Lush, round, elegant, blackberry, coffee and vanillin flavors.

VIADER
2004 Reviews

 

May/June 2006 Issue 126

2004 VIADER

Good deep ruby-red.  Understated but precise aromas of dark berries, graphite and sweet oak.  Then sweet, lush and soft, with a texture of liquid silk.  Flavors of black and red cherry complicated by licorice.  Finishes with very fin, suave tannins and lovely length.  A distinctly feminine style of wine.  Proprietor Delia Viader describes the 2004 vintage as elegant and supple, even soft, while 2003, she says has more punch, and shows more obvious tannins and alcohol.  92 points.

2004 VIADER “V”

Good red-ruby color.  Blackberry and licorice on the nose.  In the mouth, this comes across as juicy and firm-edged following the estate wine, less silky and more brisk.  Perfumed notes of orange peel, jasmine and licorice add interest.  Finishes with very firm tannins.  It must be noted that my sample was almost entirely petit verdot, as the cabernet had not yet been blended in.  90 points

2004 VIADER Syrah

Good ruby-red.  Pure, ripe aromas of raspberry, black cherry and flowers.  Suppler and sweeter than the 2003, with intriguing hints of smoke, earth and game adding flavor interest.  This has lovely purity of fruit.  The crop level was under a ton an acre, says Viader.  89 points.

Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
July 2006
91 Points, The Connoisseurs Guide (July 2006): "This impressively extracted youngster is still rather withdrawn and slow to show what it has, but it slowly
unfolds and offers glimpses of tantalizing dark-berry fruit with touches of minerals and a full measure of very rich oak. Its deep and fully extracted flavors
may be a little more forward, but they are closed out by youthful tannins, and, while an edge of heat emerges in its raw, unpolished finish, the wine guarantees better if held for three or four years.”.

 

Wolfgang Weber

2004 VIADER

Warm and black, this is a superripe Napa Valley red – 60 percent cabernet sauvignon, 40 percent cabernet franc – with a ferrous edge of tannin.  It’s soft and ready to decant for steak.  90 points

 

 

2004 VIADER

Smoke, black cherry and currant aromas are clean.  Supple, elegant and balanced, this keeps the fruit at the forefront, ending with mild tannins. Drinks well already. (Now through 2012.)

 

Master of Wine, Andrea Immer-Robinson
2007 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone

 

2004 VIADER

This “wonderfully smooth” Napa Cab blend feels like cashmere for the tongue.  Its “glorious fruit,” sweet complexity are “as good as any of the cult Cabs” but an elegance that’s rare in the category. 
Taste: Outstanding