California vs Bordeaux Wine Tasting

I attended a California vs Bordeaux wine tasting last night. The wines we tasted from Bordeaux were 1994 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe-Pauillac, 1999 Chateau Rochebelle Grand Cru-St Emilion and 2004 Chateau Pontet-Canet Cru Classe-Pauillac. The California Cabernet Sauvignons were 2005 Clos Pegase Napa Valley, 2005 Silver Oak Winery-Alexander Valley and 2006 Flora Springs Winery-Napa Valley.
My favorite Bordeaux of the three was the Chateau Pontet-Canet. It was a deep ruby with mild aromas of red cherry, smoky tobacco and licorice and had flavors of juicy blackberry, vanilla and hints of oak. It was well-balanced with smooth tannins and a dry, slightly oaky finish.
My favorite from California was the Clos Pegase. It was garnet colored with aromas of creme de cassis, cherry, leather and cedar and had flavors of black cherry, ripe plum and cocoa. It was also well-balanced with smooth tannins and had a toasty, ripe berry finish.
While all of the wines were good, we did order a bottle of the Clos Pegase to have with dinner.

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