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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.3 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 140 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cellartracker@drkayem.com on 12/28/2019 & rated 87 points: This wine is now 18 years old. It is definitely past its prime. It has a slight musty taste to it. However, you can still tell it’s a full bodied Napa cab that is just a few years past it’s prime. Hints of charcoal and leather. Overall, still a good wine. But if you still have this in your cellar, drink it now. (2255 views) | | | Tasted by Stevere on 1/31/2017 & rated 92 points: It was a pleasant surprise to taste how much this wine has improved over years of cellaring. It is now soft and smooth with mild tannins to add body, blueberry, cassis, and the most furtive glimpse of Maraschino cherry. Still a few years to go, but it is drinking great right now. (3939 views) | | | Tasted by ledocq on 4/6/2016 & rated 91 points: Hey, guess what? Still good. Has some tannins on the pnp, and a bit of a cranberry finish that changes to something more tense after an hour. I got this for $30 on a hunch, and it paid off. (4923 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 6/27/2015 & rated 93 points: Second of three bottles......first one had zero nose. This bottle? Smoke, smoke and more smoke. Gradually abated over 30 min to the mildest of floral notes, almost imperceptible. Great tannins, still with a lot of bite. Nice red/black fruit, balanced acidity ad lingering finish. I really believe this is a very under appreciated cabernet. (5412 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 6/7/2015 & rated 92 points: Opened first bottle of 3 tonight. Not much to the nose either on opening nor 1 hour later. The taste profile after 1 hour shows the wine opening up nicely with evolving tannins and a nice long finish. Good tobacco, black currants and tannins lingering quite a while after swallowing. Both the wife and I find it to be drinking nicely right now. Not great power so may be headed to it's downside. Hard to tell but I don't think it will get any better than it is right now. A compelling buy at $29.00 when released and surely drinks like a $50-75.00 bottle now, IMO. (5318 views) | | | Tasted by rfras on 5/17/2013 & rated 91 points: Mature Napa Cab with well integrated red fruits and a smooth lingering finish. (6652 views) | | | Tasted by Cphofmann on 12/22/2012 & rated 90 points: This wine was drinking better than I expected. Deep maroon in color. Blackberry, spice and leather on the nose. Still a good amount of fruit on the palate. Black fruit, medium body with some soft tannins on the finish. Very enjoyable, maybe at peak now. (5171 views) | | | Tasted by dlstrauss on 12/10/2012 & rated 92 points: Very good. (4440 views) | | | Tasted by vanpe003 on 11/16/2012 & rated 92 points: Dark fruits and a light perfume on the nose. The palate is quite resolved. Medium heavy in body with little left in the way of tannins / acidity. That said, it comes across as quite lively. I suspect this is probably at it's peak. (4120 views) | | | Tasted by Sugarb on 9/9/2012 & rated 90 points: At or maybe a little past peak. Lacked some fruit power that we expected, although still very good. (4274 views) | | | Tasted by ml1 on 8/11/2012 & rated 90 points: Very dark and brooding. Probably at its peak right now. Some light tannins still lingering with a mix of dark fruit and leathery notes. (2448 views) | | | Tasted by dlstrauss on 4/1/2012 & rated 93 points: I agree with bordeaux4wino. This is a special wine and perhaps was in need of further aging. Beautiful nose and palate of red fruit and long finish. Very well integrated. Glad I have one more. (2382 views) | | | Tasted by bwillia on 3/28/2012 & rated 90 points: This is very nice. Very dark saturated color. Terrific fruit but nicely resolved and in a sweet spot age wise. (2455 views) | | | Tasted by bordeaux4wino on 11/7/2011 & rated 92 points: It's interesting looking at some of the other notes and comparing my tasting. I don't know if this wine has just really aged well or if others weren't giving it a fair shake, but I was very impressed with this wine and the cellar time has really served it well.
In Appearance, this wine was clear and surprisingly, still a deep ruby with shades of garnet at the edges and medium legs that left persistent trails.
The Nose here was clean and at least medium-plus intensity. When I first opened this wine, the smoky, charred oak really dominated the nose, but after significant decanting, the dark berry notes really became more prominent along with a bit of earth. This was a fully developed nose with aromas of black currant, black cherry, and plum with an herbaceous note in the back.
On the Palate, this wine was medium bodied and very dry with still fairly high acidity, but medium, well-integrated tannin and alcohol. The acidity level is what really surprised me because it held up extremely well. The cellaring certainly led to some very well-rounded tannins. The fruit notes again showed black fruit like currants, cherries, and black berries. This was accompanied by notes of earth, leather, and tobacco. The length was of medium-plus intensity and finished with an herbal note again, perhaps eucalyptus.
Overall, this was a very good wine that is drinking now and could age a few more years, but no more than another 2-3. It's already paying big dividends and I think those who gave up on it too soon are missing something now. I wish I had some more! (3170 views) | | | Tasted by rmodak on 5/30/2011 & rated 90 points: In a good spot now with classic cassis, black olives, minerals and sage. Rich mouthfeel is balanced by good acidity exemplifying the classic style. (3606 views) | | | Tasted by ml1 on 4/20/2011 & rated 91 points: for 10 years old, still needed a good hour or so to open up. oak dominated for first hour, but then opened up to a nicely balanced bottle. still fair amount of tannins for the age of this wine. (3696 views) | | | Tasted by yui on 9/29/2010 & rated 91 points: kept getting better and better in the glass (4383 views) | | | Tasted by schimmy23 on 8/30/2010 & rated 89 points: Bottle is definitely mature at this point and likely will decline from here. Needs virtually no time between opening and drinking. Tremendous fruit on the nose and a hint of coffee. Smooth on the way down with minimal tannins at this point. (4557 views) | | | Tasted by Serraghost on 8/15/2010 & rated 89 points: Nice, balanced fruit. One drinker said rough tannins at the finish. Two drinkers liked the finish. Opened up after 30-45 minutes. Even better with salad with blue cheese, dried cherries and bacon. Enjoyed this bottle. (4487 views) | | | Tasted by pdadams66 on 3/27/2010 & rated 88 points: Same notes as before. Cherries, cassis, graphite. A little astringent wood. Not clear the fruit will make it past the tannins, but might repay waiting. The 99 was so much more forward at this point in time. (4791 views) | | | Tasted by Mcarrera on 10/16/2009: Very enjoyable!! (5369 views) | | | Tasted by rstark on 10/9/2009 & rated 91 points: Just lucky that we opened it two nights ago and didn't feel like drinking it. If I'd put in the score it would have been 89. Way too reticent. But I put it in fridge (used Vacuvin) and now this wine is smokin'!!!! Not over-the-top, but it has such nice dark pedigree fruit. Slight vegetal, but hardly at all, just in an endearing way. Pretty, velvety tannins lead to a long finish. Restrained use of oak. (5413 views) | | | Tasted by bistro on 9/15/2009 & rated 89 points: Pleasant and approachable, with above average depth and nice dusty tannins on the finish. Not as good as the Beckstoffer, but that's no surprise. (5365 views) | | | Tasted by pikemasterflash on 7/19/2009: Consistent notes (5573 views) | | | Tasted by Brbell0110 on 4/15/2009 & rated 87 points: Enjoyed. Very dark. Get more (5813 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Atalon 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 |
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