| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.3 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 9 notes) |
| | Tasted by mflesh on 8/17/2019 & rated 91 points: Served blind to and a half dozen people or so, this wine had lots of guesses that it was an aged Brunello, one Barolo, one straight Sangiovese. Then the last guess? "84 or 85 Napa Cab... Should have been opened 10 years ago." .... Mkkaaay, nailed it! However, I don't necessarily agree with the 10 years ago statement. Opened up a 76 not too long ago and it was surprisingly vibrant. This one seemed not as vibrant, but color was still surprisingly dark, crimson. The nose of this wine had more aged character than the palate. Nose of mostly aged raspberry and black cherry, hint of mushroom, hint of bacon fat. Palate with iodine, aged blackberry and black cherry, a little bit herbaceous. Actually finished with a little more weight than I expected. The heyday of this one was probably 20 years ago, and this one is definitely on the downward trend. Still, a great history lesson! (1614 views) |
| | Tasted by Baron Slick on 4/11/2015 & rated 88 points: Ruby, bricking orange. Lots of earthy elements on the nose; plums, wet foliage, dried mint, saladitos, and a touch of walnut shell. Displays a tart entry, juicy middle, dry back end, and a spicy finish. It retains a decent amount of fruit so it still brings drinking pleasure, but I'd drink up soon. (3532 views) |
| | Tasted by jrkennedy37 on 1/19/2015: This was surprisingly rich and relatively young for being 31 years old. Upon opening, the acid was puckering but this settled down with 30 minutes of air. Some primary notes still lingered and, frankly, was at an ideal state of development. I'm assuming this bottle was stored well, as it could easily last another 5 years or so, though I don't see any reason not to drink right now. I was expecting a dead bottle and this was the highlight of an evening with a number of younger, much more expensive california cabs. Remarkable bottle for the $40 I paid. (3526 views) |
| | Tasted by Loren Sonkin on 9/1/2014 & rated 88 points: A Labor of Love (and wine and beer) (Our home): This was decanted for sediment, then drunk. So sure, its past prime, but it was fun. A 30 year old Cal Cab. Purple in color. The nose shows better than the palate. Cassis and bit of dust and chocolate. On the palate, most of the fruit has faded but there is still some cherry fruit. There are layers of saddle leather, forest floor and tea. Nice balance. Impressive showing. (4792 views) |
| | Tasted by BigTarheel on 7/27/2013 & rated 90 points: very goos, still powerful and drinking younger than its 29 years. Dark fruit, hints of chocolate, firm with still some tannin. Med-full bodied. Should hold for some time. Well done (4637 views) |
| | Tasted by zinfidel on 11/6/2010 & rated 88 points: As expected, tannins are resolved and fruit is fading, but still a pleasant older wine. Drink now, or 5 years ago. ;-) (4426 views) |
| | Tasted by moonmanvegas on 3/19/2010 & rated 84 points: on the deep deep decline (3003 views) |
| | Tasted by zimmy07 on 2/9/2008 & rated 88 points: very happy with this, I was expecting it not to hold together this long. Nice purple color with currant, plum and a bit of chocolate on the midpalate. The wine has lost fruit, but had pretty good balance. drink now (3214 views) |
| | Tasted by kstoddard on 12/24/2006 & rated 89 points: From magnum. Still very much alive. Plums and prunes. The acid is holding this together. Decent finish. What a pleasant surprise! (3204 views) |
| Chappellet 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 |
