We readily admit to having unabashed enthusiasm for Bob Foley’s wines; been feeling this way for a lot of years. Foley’s genius comes through in the glass almost every time. It seems as if he takes winemaking back to a primal goal of "make it taste good" and succeeds better than just about anyone else at achieving that goal.

So when we say that it was an "honor" to have Bob Foley host a tasting of 18 of his wines, the word is not used as cliché. After all, didn’t we proclaim that "Bob Foley is the God of Cabernet" in an earlier report?

Not surprisingly, the Cabernet Sauvignons were indeed the brightest stars this evening. But the Syrahs were not far behind, a revelation for those of us who were unfamiliar with Foley’s deft hand with Syrah. The Merlots were superb on their own terms. Even as a "least preferred" flight, the Cabernet Francs held our interest and gathered our appreciation.

What did surprise us was Foley’s amazing ability to captivate his audience; he speaks as well as he makes wine, providing numerous insights from the vineyard and winery. For example, us city-slicker Easterners learned all about "tarweed," a wild, exotic, floral note found in many of his wines. Foley’s easy-going, friendly speaking style was well received while he managed to provide gushers of valuable information. Combined with tasting so many wonderful wines, this event will go down as an EWS classic, stimulating to the palate and brain. Thank you Bob Foley!

The Robert Foley Claret was recently designated as one of the Rising Stars of Napa Cabernet in Wine Spectator (11-15-06). Despite the difficult growing season in 2003, last year's vintage received an average rating of 96 points from respected critics like and Robert Parker. The 2004 Claret promises to be one of the best ever!

Cabernet from mountain vineyards and rocky well-drained blocks in Calistoga combine to form this blockbuster Claret. A small percentage of Merlot fills the mid palate while the Cabernets provide massive structure and mouth-filling tannins. Flavors and aromas of ripe black cherry and blackberry, chocolate and espresso linger in the finish for several minutes. This wine is enjoyable in its intense youth and will also bottle age for decades.

One of northern California's greatest winemakers is unquestionably Bob Foley, who has proven vintage after vintage that he has immense talent reflected in the wines he fashions at Pride Mountain Vineyards. Although his own operation is much smaller, he produces brilliant offerings. It will be nearly impossible for readers to find a better Charbono than this 2002. Exuberant, rustic, full-flavored fruit may fall short on complexity, but the wine delivers plenty of body along with loads of earthy, peppery, blackberry and black currant fruit. This pure, savory Charbono is meant to be drunk over the next 7-8 years, although I suspect it will last for two decades.

The virtually perfect 2001 Claret (80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot) has more of everything. A tour de force in winemaking, it possesses extraordinary concentration, intensity, purity, and ripeness, yet retains an elegant style. With a spectacular perfume of blackberry liqueur, cassis, acacia flowers, graphite, espresso roast, and chocolate as well as a 60-second finish, this long, dense 2001 is still primary, but already fun to drink. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.

97

Executive Wine Seminars-Blind Tasting         November 4, 2004

Deeply colored. Gorgeous bouquet features rich blackberry and raspberry fruit with copious amounts of oak. Follows through nicely on the palate with a beautiful combination of lush, sexy, ripe black fruits and penetrating depth of flavor. This wine has focus and palate persistence that’s hard to beat. There’s plenty of tannin and the acidity is excellent. The finish seems endless and thoroughly seductive. Maybe if we were picky, we’d say that a bit too much alcohol was showing, but this is still a nearly perfect Cab loved by everyone. Like we said, Foley is the "God of Cabernet"

Potentially the "Cabernet Sauvignon of the vintage" Foley's 2000 Claret (80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot) is an amazing effort for this irregular vintage. It possesses a saturated black/purple color, great elegance and richness as well as amazing precision and extraordinary purity. Aromas of smoke, licorice, incense, black currant liqueur, and spice box are followed by a full-bodied, satiny smooth wine with a 45+ second finish. This incredible 2000 is a tribute to Bob Foley's talents.

ROBERT PARKER'S Wine Personalities of the Year (2002)

The Wine Advocate

As the winemaker for Pride Mountain, the fabulous blue chip performer situated on the hillsides of Spring Mountain, Bob Foley has consistently turned out phenomenal wines. He also runs a small operation under his own name, and is the genius behind several other labels, most notably Switchback Ridge. For mountain-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and even striking Sangiovese and Viognier, Foley has an undeniable talent for producing wines of great richness and intensity yet keeping them reasonably light on their feet. The 2001s tasted from barrel appear to be legends in the making.

93

There are 400 cases of this blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Pride Mountain Vineyard's winemaker, Robert Foley. Sadly, most of the 1998 [see below] (which I reviewed in issue #141) was destroyed in a warehouse fire. The only bottles that survived were those from his personal cellar and a handful of bottles provided as samples to distributors. A seamless classic, the opaque purple-colored 1999 offers a sweet perfume of coffee, mocha, graphite, black cherries, licorice, and cassis. The wine reveals sweet tannin, beautiful purity and a gorgeous layered texture. It should drink well for 15+years.

92-94

Saturated purple-ruby. Reticent but nuanced nose suggests blackberry, violet, licorice, minerals and mint. Very intensely flavored and densely packed but quite tight today. The wine's strong underlying minerality and firm acidity contribute to the powerful impression of backbone. Not hugely sweet today but impressively long, with very fine tannins.

Top Picks of the New Releases:

Dark in color, with a sleek body and tight beam of spicy, herb-laced cherry, plum and current, this Cabernet blend firms up nicely on the long, persistent finish, where the tannins anchor the flavors. Shows great depth and complexity. Drink now through 2014.

A sleek, plush, tightly focused wine, loaded with spicy herb-laced cherry, plum and currant fruit flavors, and showing a long, persistent finish. The wine is a blend of Cabernet and Merlot.

94

This tiny 250-case lot from Pride Mountain Vineyard's winemaker, Robert Foley, exhibits exquisite concentration, balance, and harmony. This opaque purple-colored blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot reveals aromas of licorice, crème de cassis, blackberries, and iron. Full-bodied, rich, and exceptionally well-balanced, this impressive offering can be drunk now and over the next 15 years.