Girard Cabernet Sauvignon 1997

thanks to the crabby grape and the feisty tomato for inviting me over to try this napa valley cab. i in turn brought a bottle of cab which i will review also in my next entry. the 97 cab was purchased in 2001 for about $40. the nose was musty, like old library books, with subtle fruit aromas of black cherry and blackberry. we did a quick taste to see whether the wine needed to be decanted, and the decision to decant was made. on the palate this beautiful old cab was delicate, with what i called a pretty flavor. nothing overpowering, with beautifully subtle flavors of black fruits like black raspberry and blackberry. there was some very nice leather and earth flavors and nice medium tannins, and a very nice finish. we were enjoying this wine with some nice hearty cheeses and salami, and it held up very well, complementing the food nicely. this wine was most likely near it's peak and was a true joy to taste after being in the bottle for 13 years!