Whistler 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Feb 04

A more sedate and less forward nose than the Merlot or Cabernet Merlot blend, this straight Cabernet is varietally correct for a warm climate wine of this variety with dark fruit, milk chocolate, fresh spearmint which provides a lift, and cedar. An honest wine where the palate reflects the savoury bouquet, the fruit is deeply seated and persistent. It’s ample in weight with abundant drying tannins and shows its obvious solid quality construction. It’s still tight, not anywhere near as approachable as the merlot or the blend and need about five years for the components to integrate and when they do, it should be pretty drinkable. I did detect some sappy tannins but they don’t appear to be at all unripe and do not detract from the wine. Rated as Recommended with **** (at $21) its probably the most serious of the three wines tried but the one that’s showing the least of its true self.