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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 42 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 12/21/2023 & rated 89 points: Holiday Champagne Gala (Wilmette Harbor Club): Tasted at gala dinner. Fully mature, well spiced with good balance, good enough weight. Drink up. (333 views) | | | Tasted by doctornoah on 4/17/2023 & rated 94 points: Absolutely on point. Wonderful depth, a bit of tobacco and barest hints of Cabernet pepper with dark fruit and impeccable balance. Tannins resolving but firm enough to make this feel still youthful. These have years left. 1992 a classically underrated Napa vintage, often as striking as 1991. (532 views) | | | Tasted by vinojones on 5/24/2022 & rated 91 points: Garnet, no bricking yet; cranberry, raspberry nose with undertone of spices, allspice, cardamom; tart red cherry flavor,also pomegranate; balanced finish; a very good food wine like a left bank 2nd (793 views) | | | Tasted by Satoshi Nakamoto on 11/21/2021 & rated 87 points: Way more primary than the divine 1990 I had recently. Red fruited, almost no lead and graphite, much thinner body. A disappointing showing. (1021 views) | | | Tasted by vinojones on 11/7/2021 & rated 92 points: Garnet red; cranberries, red plum nose, some herbal notes; tart red cherries, red plums, herbal notes ending in black tea. Sliding downhill slowly, finish much more tertiary than fruity, longer finish, but less fruity than 10 yrs ago (929 views) | | | Tasted by oldwines on 12/31/2020 & rated 92 points: Brought by a friend to try. Slightly translucent, medium to dark garnet crimson color wit little to no bricking. Nose is heavily herbal and floral with rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender and violets followed by game meat and lots of mixed black fruit and berries. Palate has a smooth texture but that old school Cali brightness and ripe balanced flavors, not the more modern over-ripeness. Good with all sorts of food ranging from cheese to meats and even salmon or tuna. By no means yet in decline. (1472 views) | | | Tasted by blank blank on 5/28/2020: My kind of cabernet. This is starting to dry out a bit - and probably past peak for many palates - but while the fruit is starting to recede it’s stayed fresh and purple. What been revealed now is the amazingly cedary and mineral core of the wine: I’d bet anyone would blind this as left bank bdx. The tannins are a bit rough now without the fruit to cover them up, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay. Textbook Forman. (1306 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 5/21/2020: More powerful and deep than apparently my last go around was years ago. Hint of brett. Not much complexity. More straight forward. This will get you want you but not much more. So I'd still say this is not a great year for a Forman. I suppose given how many of 92's have aged this could still open up more. I wouldn't bet on it this long in. Good but not among the best. (908 views) | | | Tasted by adamcellar on 4/17/2020 & rated 90 points: - Ruby color - Good. Integrated and drinking well. Fruit forward. (707 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 1/6/2019: The most Claret like Forman I can remember. This doesn't display the richness of fruit that it does in most vintages. That certainly doesn't mean it's without expression or depth. Strong tobacco leaf aromas initially. Lots of bright cherry/cassis flavors. Fresh acidity making this even somewhat minerally initially. Very late acting, fine coating tannin. Lots of that still. It's just barely showing some tea notes way around the edges. Picks up some richness with air. Very nice, on the lighter side for a Forman. Not weak. Holds up pretty well overnight. Maybe richer but a bit wobbly. 85% of the first night's showing. Terrific. Clearly in a good window. I'd say go for it. (1409 views) | | | Tasted by stevenjstein on 12/26/2018 & rated 92 points: Definitely seems like a mature wine, but still some life left in it. Decent fruit and some secondary tobacco notes. Clearly was a well-balanced wine. (859 views) | | | Tasted by wynlvr on 11/9/2018 & rated 92 points: Still drinking well, with more life left. (831 views) | | | Tasted by seijaro on 7/15/2017 & rated 92 points: From magnum: 93, 93+, 92, 92 around the table with cheese. It's old and past its prime, but balanced, steady, and fun to drink. Faded after two hours. (1868 views) | | | Tasted by wynlvr on 4/28/2017 & rated 92 points: bought on release from the winery, refrigerated storage, drinking perfectly, what a treat, kept opening after we uncorked for two full hours (1606 views) | | | Tasted by Loren Sonkin on 3/24/2017 & rated 93 points: Some great wines with the boy Scouts - Year 2 (BSA Fundraiser): Sure, I'll try this. Whoa. Drinking great and although I had an early taste, others said it held up all night long. 92 a very good Napa vintage if not at the 91 or 94 level notwithstanding, this wine was singing. It is mature and probably a bit past peak but it is 25 years from vintage. Ruby in color. The nose has dust, cassis, and slight funk. A bit of dried fruit too. On the palate, this has layers of fruit and earth. The tannins are gone. The acidity stands a bit out of balance (strong) but I think food would have helped that. Nice finish. Everything you could want out of it. (2368 views) | | | Tasted by wineman73 on 1/26/2017 & rated 92 points: The 1992 Forman was a garnet red with no bricking. The nose presented aromas of cherry, herbs and other dark fruits. The mouth feel was medium and had little to no tannins. Silky smooth with flavors of cherry, dark fruits and a hint of mint. Very nice wine. Drink now and over the next 2-3 years. Score 92 (1571 views) | | | Tasted by KMcevoy on 6/4/2016 flawed bottle: This was the last bottle of a 6 bottle lot I obtained via auction. Unbelievably, five of the six bottles were corked. Prior to purchasing I had read the reviews of the wine here on CellarTracker and had not noticed a high proportion of corked or flawed notes, but based on my experience I would stay away from this wine. The one bottle that was not corked was beautiful; supple, with deep fruit and a long finish. Never experienced anything remotely close to this with any other wines. (1810 views) | | | Tasted by GalvezGuy on 10/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Tasted blind. Nice nose of currants, sour cherry, with hints of spice and tobacco. On the palate, dense and full bodied with bright cherry, black raspberry, and leafy mint. Long finish with plenty of grip. Guessed Cali Cab from the 90's (2098 views) | | | Tasted by dave smigielski on 10/25/2013: Marin County Wine Group - Aged Cabernets 15 year min.; 10/24/2013-10/25/2013 (Mill Valley, Ca.): The younger of the Formans in this flight. Classic California cabernet nose and very youthful. I loved the red cherry popsicle on the back of the palate, but unfortunately for me the finish was not there that I was hoping for. This was the 2nd best wine of the flight for me. (3691 views) | | | Tasted by thelostverse on 5/22/2013 & rated 92 points: Opened by Allred at Anvil veranda party. Would not have guessed a '92 based upon appearance or taste. This still tasted and looked young. Notes of cherry and currant with a Bordeaux-like profile. (3020 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 5/22/2013 & rated 93 points: Opened in honor of Stephanie's 21st birthday and gently decanted off its sediment. Ready to go right out of the bottle, with that lovely violet/floral note that I find in Forman's cabs. Along with the violets, there were cherry, tobacco, black currant and cedar notes. Well-balanced with integrated tannins. Flavors of black cherry, dark fruit cigar box and florals. Long, balanced finish. Beautiful. Should hold a while, though likely not improve- at peak in my opinion, with the perfect balance of fruit and secondary qualities. Drink now-2015. (3167 views) | | | Tasted by Baron Slick on 2/16/2013 & rated 91 points: Youthful ruby with a bright sheen; classic in style with a full body and plush texture; aromas and flavors of ripe cherries and leather, red currants and strawberries, plums and plum skin, pencil lead and tar, licorice and forest shrubs; whiffs of flowers and cigar box; delicate and lithe, this is all about nuance; undoubtedly elegant, but lacks an essential something that would propel it to greater heights. (2949 views) | | | Tasted by La Cave d'Argent on 5/29/2011 & rated 92 points: This wine was tasted at a walk-around Memorial Weekend party. The bottle was kindly provided by Frank Noble. Deep garnet in color, it shows an intense, elegant bouquet of plums, nutmeg, leather and cigar box. Medium-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, melted tannins and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 12.9%). The flavors are complex and mirror the nose. The middle palate is solid, with a silky mouth texture. Long, smooth finish. Beautiful at this point, it should hold up well for at least another 3-4 years. Drink now-12/15. (3226 views) | | | Tasted by Serge Birbrair on 4/30/2011: From Stonehenge Cellar. Not a single sign of age, I wonder what temperature was it stored. Well made Cab with lots of love and feminine side to it. (2603 views) | | | Tasted by wallstreet on 3/25/2011: yep, worked once again with a filet mignon. See my previous notes. Consistent. (2423 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Forman: Four Decades of Cabernet Sauvignon 1985-2012 (Jul 2015) (7/1/2015)
(Forman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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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