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All tasting notes
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.6 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 307 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ed B on 9/5/2020 & rated 91 points: Decanted thru a strainer because cork crumbled. Drank over two hours. No detailed notes. Rich, full bodied. Super long finish. (1904 views) | | | Tasted by Jim B on 12/22/2019 flawed bottle: Let this one go to long. past its window. (2250 views) | | | Tasted by Blacksmith450 on 8/25/2019 & rated 93 points: Belle maturité, équilibre exemplaire, finale savoureuse et longue. Excellent ! (3064 views) | | | Tasted by grafstrb on 8/21/2019 & rated 88 points: -- decanted 50 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --
NOSE: a bit high-toned; noticeable oak; no funk or pencil shavings; mixture of ripe red/purple fruits; typical Cabernet Sauvignon blackberry aroma.
BODY: lots of sediment present; black-garnet color of great depth; slight bricking throughout; full bodied.
TASTE: plush; some very fine tannin; alcohol a little noticeable; very big; very ripe; hint of incense; medium-low acidity; age simply hasn't done much for this wine; Drink Now.
50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88 (2491 views) | | | Tasted by vinole on 8/24/2018 & rated 91 points: A fairly dense and concentrated wine, but the tannins are now fully resolved. Rich dark fruit that is more open than before and is now well balanced. A bit monolithic, but still quite pleasurable. Needed a half hour of decanting and should hold for another 2-3 years in its sweet spot. Last of 4 bottles. (3189 views) | | | Tasted by ONEFIVE on 7/1/2018: Garnet edge with a deep red core.
Ripe on the nose. Cassis, black fruit, with a touch of raisin/tobacco.
Wonderful mouthfeel with balanced acidity. This baby unfolds on the finish. That’s what is is all about here. Dark chocolate, cherry liquer, and a touch of hot rocks/minerality. Drinking great now and will hold up for 5 or so more years before it’s starts a long steady decline. (2116 views) | | | Tasted by Gti2ton on 3/29/2018 flawed bottle: Corked (2124 views) | | | Tasted by z_willus_d on 3/20/2018 & rated 94 points: I've taken care to properly store this bottle for 10 years now. In this case, the effort has paid off. This wine has evolved nicely since the 8 years past I last tasted it. It's in fine balance, and the flavors are a couple dimensions past primary level-1. There's a great deal of length, fullness (without heaviness) and persistence to the wine. I'd say this would go up favorably against a lot of multi-hundred dollar bottles from the region. The cassis, sour-plum, dried meats, and dirt nose is evocative, and it all transfers to a transcendent palate. Loads of minerals and pepper popping in and out too. Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing drinking this alone on a Tuesday night with plans for a turkey sandwich dinner pairing. This deserves company and great fanfare. (2428 views) | | | Tasted by bryon m on 12/26/2017 & rated 92 points: Still inky dark. Weight and clarity is excellent. Good flavors of cherry, tabacco, with a little leather at the Finish that stays for a While. (387 views) | | | Tasted by clutj on 7/13/2017 & rated 92 points: Good rich cab, still holding its own at 12 years out. Tannins well integrated, fruit subdued a bit by age, good time to drink. (2775 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 12/25/2016 & rated 88 points: With Prime Rib on Christmas. A correct though not particularly distinct Napa Cab. Very good core of ripe plum fruit with toasty accents, along with cedar and herb notes. Chunky on the palate with plenty of good fruit and gritty tannin. Paired well with the meat. Should hold for several years, but don't see this getting much better. (3349 views) | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 5/6/2016 & rated 92 points: Major cork disintegration issue for me too. First night did not like as disjointed and seemed corked. Rating is for 2nd day where it blew off the musty smell and tannins melted into the complex wine. Very dark wine. Lots of cassis but the fruit is overshadowed by an earthy, tobacco, char driven set of secondary flavors. I liked it as it is so different from most of the current Napa wines. Long finish. Nose was OK but nothing special. (4490 views) | | | Tasted by Tallhoyalawya on 3/29/2016 & rated 88 points: The cork disintegrated. Wine was not to my liking. (4424 views) | | | Tasted by SexyEpicurean on 3/8/2016 & rated 88 points: Much better than the last bottle I tried back in 2012 or 2013. It was not in a good stage back then, but the extra 2-3 years seems to be bringing it along. It did not show a whiff of age or hot alcohol on finish, so would be safe to hold even longer I think. Decanting will improve, for sure. Good black fruit, some oak still lingering but not bombastic. (4592 views) | | | Tasted by Coachron13 on 1/1/2016: Pretty disappointing. Not very aromatic, taste was somewhat off. Cork was in bad shape, disintegrated into hundreds of small pieces and finally had to push the remainder into the bottle. At first, we thought it might be spoiled, but that wasn't the case, it was just not very good. Got slightly better as the night went on, but not anywhere near our expectations. Since this was our first of this vintage, I'm not scoring this since it could be an off bottle, especially given the recent positive comments on CT. (4120 views) | | | Tasted by magic2coop on 11/12/2015 & rated 92 points: Still rocking. After 10 years tannins are finally integrating with the lush blackberry and currant. Cherry and plum round out the chocolate backbone. Good stuff. Enjoy. (3574 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 11/7/2015 & rated 91 points: No visible signs of age. Decent nose - black fruits. Bright, racy fruit (black cherries) on the palate, along with a hint of smoke. Medium body, with an OK (not great) finish. Probably time to drink up. (2288 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 9/26/2015 & rated 90 points: Opened about 30-45 minutes before tasting. No visual signs of age. Terrific nose - red and black fruit. Same on the palate. Fairly rich, with a nice finish. Tannins almost completely resolved. At or slightly past its peak. (2351 views) | | | Tasted by prism on 7/22/2015: This bottle spent two hours in a bus and some more being dragged around the city on a hit day, so that may have knocked off a couple of points. Still excellent, though I find the vanilla flavor from the oak a little too prominent. Maybe could go another year or two, but the fruit is in a good place right now and the tannins very well integrated. (2640 views) | | | Tasted by meatbomb013 on 7/1/2015 & rated 94 points: A great bottle of wine for a reasonable price. Hard to believe that this is 10 years old. Still has a ton of energy and primary cab attributes. Tannins have mellowed and there is a ton of sweet red and blue fruits. I don't think that this will necessarily get better with time but should hold up for another 5 years or so. Wish I had more of this vintage. (2562 views) | | | Tasted by Kdog on 6/29/2015 & rated 94 points: Outstanding cab, great QPR for high quality Napa Cab. Rich Stags leap fruit profile, everything is there. Still youthful at 10 years, wish I had more. (2454 views) | | | Tasted by tantotinto on 6/10/2015 & rated 92 points: This is in excellent form tonight. Worth the wait. Superb aromatics. Soft black fruit, cedar, graphite and tobacco on the palate. (2709 views) | | | Tasted by wbduval on 5/13/2015 & rated 92 points: Beautiful wine. Drinking very well at the moment - decanted for 2.5 hours and then drunk over the next 4. (2392 views) | | | Tasted by Corrie on 5/8/2015 & rated 93 points: At it's best right now--flavor and balance just right. (2355 views) | | | Tasted by JackTurner on 1/4/2015 & rated 90 points: This is the 7th bottle of a case I have of this. I have not had a bottle in over a year and a half. I think this wine is maturing nicely, especially if folks like a mature Napa Cab. Clearly fruit driven with plenty of oak but there is a very soft tannin structure that helps an earthy and sweet finish. I tend to agree with Gary V that this wine will provide enjoyment for folks who like the style until 2017. (2757 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (7/7/2009)
(Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (12/6/2008)
(Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Linda Murphy
JancisRobinson.com (6/22/2008)
(Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2008, IWC Issue #138
(Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District) Subscribe to see review text. |  By Gary Vaynerchuk
Wine Library TV, 5 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines - BLIND!, Episode #581 (11/19/2008)
(Cliff Lede Stag's Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon) #1 (BLIND TASTING); COLOR-very dark; NOSE-interesting; a little charcoal; red beets; smokiness; leather; beef jerky; very dark; I like this; Bordeaux-like; TASTE-good dark fruit - lots of blueberries and gorgeous blackberries; good firm tannins; this wine will easily last 7-15 years; I like the charcoal; I like the second tier black fruit flavors; great length; great tannins; very explosive and focused; clearly from a great fruit source; an absolute complete effort from top to bottom; I'm still tasting it with a one minute; great length; coats your palate; this "brings straight thunder"; there is some Oak, but nicely integrated; great dryness; RP-92; GV-92+ 92+ points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and Wine Library TV. (manage subscription channels) |
| Cliff Lede Producer website2005 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap DistrictFrom website - The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District opens with initial scents of rich raspberry, fig compote, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Once decanted, abundant aromas of iris root, lilac, osmanthus, pie crust, fenugreek, citral, and huckleberry burst from the glass. Upon entry, the mouth is stimulated by black cherries, white pepper, and a plush fine-grained minerality. A dense richness crosses the breadth of the palate as fine tannins slowly ebb into lingering acidity, gradually diffusing with the fatness of the finish. [ download pdf ]
analysis
Composition: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 1% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.8
Bottled: June 2007
Release: December 2007Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Stags Leap District Stags Leap District |
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