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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 56 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Matthesen on 11/10/2022 & rated 93 points: Excellent color, robust wine. Like many 1994s, lovely today.
Very pretty nose with pencil lead, dark fruits, even a bit of cigar box
Palate shows lovely balance, great power and intensity, and a nice med+ finish. All in all a lovely wine in a great place; solid wine, ready to go, but not in any need to drink up. I liked it a lot. Perhaps lacks a bit of finesse and the extra elements that would give it a higher score. (737 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 7/3/2022: Cigar box, mineral, cherry. Classic profile. Tannin and acid. In a perfect spot. (1101 views) | | | Tasted by vinojones on 3/21/2022 & rated 93 points: decanted 1 hr; Ruby red; spice and herbal notes on the nose; mature red fruits and middle eastern spices on the palate; very balanced, medium weight on the palate, slightly thin,quick finish lowers overall score but a very nice wine(purchased on release) (1143 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 8/1/2021: Continues to drink like a baby with so much rich, tar, cigar and herb-filled fruit. Terrifically balanced with structure that is still gritty but melded to the fruit. 13.0% ABV (1729 views) | | | Tasted by spacewrangler on 12/2/2020: Textbook, classic Napa cab - still chugging along with a nice green pepper component. Not falling apart but my preference would be to drink now, as the acidity pokes out more and the fruit leans toward the tarter side at this point in its evolution. (1936 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 8/24/2020: Still with the mouth filling tannin. A touch tart. Just hints of green in the background. Classic cedary, cassis Cab goodness. Terrific. (1645 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 6/28/2020 & rated 90 points: In vertical. Lots of layered flavors - black plum, earth, eucalyptus, savors spice- with moderate weight for the vintage reputation. (2287 views) | | | Tasted by RockinCabs on 4/1/2020 & rated 91 points: Very nice aged napa cab. Plum, cedar, tobacco and tar. Well developed and layered. Ripe plum, chocolate and berry, bell pepper and cedar notes.
This was good but perhaps a bit off of the best 90s Forman I have had. (1499 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 12/25/2019 & rated 93 points: Wines with Christmas DInner (Home): Classic Forman in a classic vintage. Still rich and chewy in texture. Plum fruit with loads of wet cedar, tobacco, bell pepper and signature Forman tar. On the front end of a long drinking window. (1551 views) | | | Tasted by Lord of the Bottles on 12/16/2019 & rated 92 points: 1994 California Cabernet Blind Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel, New York): Floral almond nose. Lively palate of dark and red fruit. 20 second finish. Still youthful. (1625 views) | | | Tasted by Diane (LI) on 8/5/2019: So many characteristics of Bordeaux. The nose showed cedar, tobacco and bell pepper. The palate had mostly resolved tannins, good acidity, underlying fruit with licorice at the end. Drinking so we’ll now. (1251 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 7/22/2019 & rated 92 points: Moderate concentration but very good depth of flavors, particular with a couple hours of air. Typical Forman complexity with loads of tobacco, tar and herb along with your standard tobacco and bell pepper notes. In a good zone now and should hold for a decade+. (1339 views) | | | Tasted by spacewrangler on 1/11/2019 & rated 95 points: Gorgeous aromatics of red berries, leather and tobacco are also present on the palate, very silky with plenty of tannin and acid to go another 5 years til peak. (1421 views) | | | Tasted by solana on 12/5/2018 & rated 95 points: Decanted 1 1/2 hours. The wine was pleasant upon opening, but unwound significantly by this point.
Lovely aromas of cassis and red cherry / berry fruit w/ a licorice note, fine herbs and fine earthy tones.
Charming and sleek for a Forman cab with no olive & less tobacco / earthiness than earlier vintages.
Sleek and luscious on the palate where more tobacco / earth appears, but the core of deep cherry / berry / cassis fruit dominates the flavors. Licorice gives a sweetness that interweaves all the way through the very long finish. Fine tannins frame the flavors, but it is the fine acidity that lifts and extends the finish, with no tartness, and gives this wine its lovely brightness. The tobacco / earth notes add complexity, but this is quite different from earlier Forman cabs in the way it exudes charm and deep fruitedness.
3 hours decanted and no more to pour the wine has meshed together fully & beautifully. All the flavors remain and have integrated seamlessly while the tannins have vanished. Delicious and very very long. No need to wait with a decant, no need to hurry either. (1226 views) | | | Tasted by OG-Wino on 4/7/2018 & rated 90 points: Mostly cherry, with some leather, tobacco & cedar notes. Only slight bricking -- surprising fresh and rich for a 24 y/o bottle, although my instinct is not to wait any longer on any remaining bottles. These wines are like time capsules to another age of Napa cabs... (1750 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 8/4/2017: So rich and dense still. Drinking like it's just now starting to really mature. Terrific expression of mountain Napa Cab. Could use a tad more acidity but the character of the fruit is captivating enough you really don't notice. No signs of caked on oak or ultra-ripe fruity flavors. Just pure Cab goodness. Deep and wide. Much better than I remember. This has a ways to go but satisfies now. Excellent. (2161 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 7/22/2017 & rated 94 points: 4th Saturday group uptown tasting (Mike & LA's): Double blind. Garnet core with just a bit of bricking. Peppery at first, with red and dark fruit underneath as well as floral elements. Cherry and red berry fruit on the palate with a good finish. Becomes more complex as it opens in the glass. Aromas of tobacco and currants come forward in the bouquet, while the fruit recedes ever so slightly on the palate giving this a slight leanness that had me believing this was old world. Guessed 2000 Pauillac. 94-95 pts.
This came courtesy of Mike M, and the cork was perfect. I am happy to have one still in the cellar and hope it shows as well as this did. Given the lean quality this developed, I'll open mine within the next 12 months. (2536 views) | | | Tasted by t_moderne on 6/24/2017 & rated 91 points: Opened and poured through a filter into a decanter. Served with food (steak, in case you were wondering at Delmonico restaurant). Tasted along with the 1996 vintage, although this was served (and finished) first.
Nose shows some cedar and dried herbs and dark fruits. Silky and elegant with fine tannins on the finish. Notes of dried cherries with hint of cigar box. All nicely balanced in an elegant and subtle style. Delicious. (2199 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 12/30/2016 & rated 93 points: Had at Press Nap Valley. Decanted on table 1 hour. Tons of structure and still faint tannin. Very old world and leathery. Dusty earth, graphite, soil, and black fruit accompany. Great but more austere. All up front falling short on the finish. (2205 views) | | | Tasted by vinojones on 9/26/2016 flawed bottle: Corked (1906 views) | | | Tasted by maxfischer on 5/21/2016 & rated 93 points: Muted nose on open. Deep ruby color, very little if any noticeable bricking. Decanted. Dark, ripe red fruit with a touch of syrupy cassis, menthol, and sweet tannins gave this amazing depth and persistence. Acids were in check and beautiful balance and gave a sense of virility to this 22 year old wine. Reached apex after approximately four hours but didn't show signs of fading. Everything I love in California cabs and wish there were more wines like this being produced today. (1384 views) | | | Tasted by karl.1480 on 5/25/2015 & rated 90 points: Clear, medium intensity ruby color.
Developing nose with a medium aroma intensity. Aromas of cassis, black raspberries, oak, cedar wood, lead pencil, grass, fresh herbs, mint, cold coffee, gravel and pine.
Dry on the palate with a medium acidity, medium(+) body and medium(+) ripe tannins. The flavor intensity is medium(+) with flavors of inky, black fruits, cassis, lead pencil, cedar, cigar box and pine. The finish is medium(+) with black raspberries, sugared coffee and leather.
Drinking very good today but needs a bit of aeration. This wine is powerful with smooth, rounded edges. Very good! (1959 views) | | | Tasted by Mascarello59 on 5/23/2015: Limited notes. Dense color, sweet aromas of black fruit, roses and cedar. Almost aggressive acidity, soft tannins and a warm finish. Didn't like that balance to start with but with more air the acidity seemed to mellow a bit. Overall good but i had higher expectations. 88-90p (1914 views) | | | Tasted by ntydrd on 4/21/2015 & rated 93 points: Pale ruby, cool, integrated, perfumed, nice body. Drinking beautifully. (1858 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 11/23/2014 & rated 94 points: Deep, dark garnet in color with no signs of aging. Fragrant, attractive and complex nose of developed & mature, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries and plums with earthy overtones, forest floor, mint, lead pencil, classic cedar box & tobacco notes, some leather, dried herbs, minerals, some spices & toasted oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced, developed & mature, silky smooth texture, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & cassis with cedar, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices, mint and toasty oak in the background. Long lingering supple finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting and airing. It should hold at this plateau for a few more years but I doubt there is any further development from additional aging. (1992 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Forman Producer website
Robert Parker: "Ric Forman is arguably Napa Valley’s first superstar winemaker. Although sometimes overlooked today, there is little question Forman has had a profound influence on a number of younger winemakers who still speak of him with great reverence. In 2012 Forman celebrated his 46th harvest. Today, Forman counts on the assistance of his son Toby, in running this small, family-owned jewel of an estate. As for the wines, they are superb, but, best of all, remain realistically priced for the consumer who wants to drink top-flight Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon without having to take out a second mortgage. Forman’s Cabernet is one of the classic masterpieces of Napa Valley, even if recent vintages come across as a bit riper than the norm. Still, it is impossible to go wrong with any of these wines."Cabernet 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 |
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