External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 67 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 10/20/2020 & rated 97 points: Done. This style has not aged well. Oak has turned sour and the once extracted fruit is thin/watery. Likely peaked at age 5. Drinkable still. (1805 views) | | | Tasted by Chad Wenger on 10/8/2019 & rated 94 points: Rich black fruits with tobacco leaf. Smooth to drink but still going strong. (1581 views) | | | Tasted by Hi.its.Don.4.Wine on 11/8/2017 & rated 93 points: As mentioned, the fruit on this wine is more than one might expect from Melka, but it is still a gorgeous wine. Also, comment about wine nearing end is something I might tend to agree, to a point. No rush, but wouldn't let it sit too much longer. I had the sensation that wine opened up after about an hour or so and then started to fade. (2564 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 9/17/2017 & rated 92 points: Pop and pour. Good but on the decline with all elements fully resolved/integrated and almost watered down. Cool blackberry, aged leather, spearmint, plums, and some woody notes. Time to drink. (2643 views) | | | Tasted by vinomex on 10/19/2016 & rated 91 points: PnP , very enjoyable. Seems it needed a little more air time. Drank along 2 other wines, this wine stood out for its structure and elegance and quality juice. I just wish I had given it more time and a decant. (2989 views) | | | Tasted by stconner on 1/17/2016 & rated 92 points: Overall & especially for the price, this was a very good bottle of wine. Very fragrant nose, good amount of fruit on the mid-palate and decent finish. I would recommend decanting it for a couple of hours to really let it open up as it definitely got better in hour 3 vs when I first opened it and tasted it. (2791 views) | | | Tasted by richardkim on 3/1/2015 & rated 92 points: Unctuous on the nose. On the palate, too, the fruit is rich and silky, with blackcurrant, vanilla, and mocha. Tannins remain firm. (3159 views) | | | Tasted by grover91 on 8/1/2014 & rated 92 points: Everything you want a Cab to be! Served with steaks. No decant needed. Smooth, well balanced, and tasty! (3293 views) | | | Tasted by hrazdiiv on 4/3/2014 & rated 90 points: I love this producer but have to say that this wine disappointed me. One of the reasons I think Philippe Melka is one of the best winemakers around is that he combines classic bordeaux winemaking with California fruit, but this wine is just simply too much of the latter. Though the fruit is beautiful, it is not matched by any acidity and the tannins are already soft. You could easily mistake this for a central coast Syrah. I think his 2007 CJ is much more complex and worthy of aging. Perhaps I am being unfair because I hold him to such a high standard, but there are other wines in this category that are a better, more typical style of what I expect. (3696 views) | | | Tasted by Delli on 9/28/2013 & rated 91 points: Nice bottle of wine. Purple and opaque. Nose is vanilla, mocca/chocolate, cedar, and a rumboling cherries, plumbs, and appricots. Palate is consistent with acidity that keeps the wine balanced. Tannins are round and working towards velvety. 5+12+16+8=91 (3913 views) | | | Tasted by difran on 8/12/2013 & rated 92 points: Cherry, bright fruit, still good structure, well balanced, but short finish. A nice overall wine. (3187 views) | | | Tasted by CK6865 on 4/17/2013 & rated 89 points: Popped and poured ,should of decanted for at least 2 hours , opened up as the night went on ,served with lasagna went ok ,just not alot of depth to this wine maybe it's just a bad time for this wine. (3165 views) | | | Tasted by truthseekder1 on 2/27/2013 & rated 95 points: A combination of deep dark fruit--figs and chocolate with a touch of cumin and dust on the nose.
It is luxuriously velvety on the palate with stirrings of dust initially that luxuriously blossom into notes of vanilla, caramel and sugarcane surfing on a balanced undercurrent of dark fruit. The slightest hint of tannicity appears at the end that holds the entire elegant complex together for an elegantly satisfying ending. Every sip of this wine needs to be savored. It breaks the time space continuum.... (2783 views) | | | Tasted by Frank_A_M on 12/25/2012 & rated 92 points: Full body cab. Pepper in the nose, long legs, great taste. (2479 views) | | | Tasted by dmoes on 1/8/2012 & rated 89 points: Very nice - excellent fruit with soft,smooth finish. Not very tannic. (3255 views) | | | Tasted by yankswing on 1/8/2012 & rated 87 points: All in all, this wine has a beautiful nose and an attractive palate. However, the palate did not live up to expectations based on the nose. It seems a little too accessible and I think some more acidity as well as tannic structure would help balance the wine. That said, it is very much enjoyable. It does not seem to strive to be complicated. Rather, it enjoys doing a good job of being a good, simple cab. Nevertheless, the price, I feel, is out of line with the bottle. To me, it should be more in the $30 range.
Tone: Deep, dark purple. Ruby on the rim
Nose: Gorgeous! Simply, unquestionably beautiful. Well balanced, floral bouquet with hints of lilacs and spices. Classic Napa Cab hues with underlying current of gravel. Even a bit rustic
Palate & Finish: Noticeably sweet on the attack. Lingers throughout and cheapens the wine a bit. Medium-length finish that is pleasant and a bit chewy. Medium-full bodied with an easy mouthfeel. Perhaps a little more acidity would help balance this wine out. Unmistakable hints of orange. A little raspberry. There is also a rustic element hidden on the palate and in the finish. It is almost bricky in nature. A hint of tartness comes in a after a little while. (3466 views) | | | Tasted by Chateau Cabron on 1/8/2012 & rated 91 points: Dark purple, bright magenta rim
Strong notes of plums, cassis, vanilla and cedar. Aromatically rich and enticing. Full bodied with an incredibly rich, sweet (but not), decadent mouthfeel. Slight lift of acidity on the finish keep the wine refreshing. Moderate level of tannin rounds out the palate that finishes with a medium length finish consisting primarily of cassis and vanilla.
Solid wine, very fun to drink. You cannot get more "modern" than this style. It's definitely one to drink in the near-term as opposed to extended cellaring. (3590 views) | | | Tasted by jeff nowak on 10/29/2011 & rated 90 points: the guy makes wine for so many other people that his own label gets lost. this is the "second" wine and is showing well. always cool labels. (3898 views) | | | Tasted by stevenbshapiro on 10/8/2011: Very big wine...needs more cellaring. Excellent flavors and balance, but will take advantage of some time to evolve further. (3356 views) | | | Tasted by muredskin14 on 8/16/2011 & rated 94 points: splendid napa cab, esp for the screaming deal it is (3589 views) | | | Tasted by n2wine on 7/28/2011 & rated 93 points: Wow! Great wine. Great fruit. Dry with a long finish. I'm buying more. (3357 views) | | | Tasted by muredskin14 on 7/12/2011 & rated 94 points: Not much more to add than already said. This is just a true beauty of a Napa wine with silk and grace. AND, a good "value" for a high quality Napa Cab. (3686 views) | | | Tasted by conga523 on 7/3/2011 & rated 93 points: I think the Parker rating on this one is way wrong. An explosion of berries and jams with a slightly candy flavor. This wine gets better each time I have a bottle. I need to pick up more. (3578 views) | | | Tasted by ListenToMeWine on 5/15/2011 & rated 93 points: Once this gets open and going it rewards you handsomely with plum and dark fruits. Lots of silky tannin on the palate with a along finish. Needs a good hour and a half to come around. More like a powerful Paulliac than Napa fruit bomb. Cheers! (3768 views) | | | Tasted by TPs Vino on 4/15/2011 & rated 94 points: If you are ready to drink this now it will need an hour of love and decanting before it is ready. Once it is open it is fantastic with dark fruit, primarily plum, and dry tannins. This is extremely smoothed and balanced, excellent wine. Will only be better with time. (4186 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Melka Producer websiteCabernet 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)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
|
