Bright yellow in color. Pineapples on the nose. Tasting of lemon and honeydew melon. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Layered finish. Nice wine. Always a fan of Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays. 14.7% alcohol.
Smells of fresh blackcurrant. Black cherry, blueberry, earth, chocolate, prune and charred oak on the palate. Soft finish with good length but with a little heat on the end. 14.2% alcohol.
Blackberry aromatics. Tasting of blackcurrant, violet, mocha and black cherry. Firm sweet tannins. Nice complexity on the powerful finish. 15.3% alcohol.
Aromas of blueberries. Tastes of blackberry, charred oak, earth and violets. Big wine with lots of tannin and structure. Full bodied. Somewhat balanced. Long and rich finish. My personal favorite of the 2000, 2001 and 2003 Howell Mountain flight. 14.8% alcohol.
Aromas of dark berry fruit on the nose. Tastes of black cherry and blackcurrant. Very firm tannins. Finish is a touch bitter and acidic. Much riper than the 2000 and 2001. Some of the 15.7% alcohol is peaking through at the end.
Caramel dominates the dark berry fruit nose. Blackberry, black cherry, earth and charred oak. Chewy tannins. Full bodied. Lots of licorice notes on the fruit forward powerful finish. Not much depth or complexity. 15.2% alcohol.
Aromatics of red fruit. Tastes of black cherry, blueberry, earth and charred oak. Firm tannins. Great structure and depth in the mid palate. Nicely balanced with fresh acidity unlike most of the other Neal's tonight. Layered finish with good complexity. This wine is drinking exceptionally well right now. Impressive. 16.0% alcohol.
Blackberry aromas. Tastes of blackcurrant, cherry, anise, kirsch, coffee with an interesting tobacco profile in the mid palate. Medium bodied. Green tannins. Searing alcohol. Not a fan of this one. 14.7% alcohol.
Red berry fruit on the nose. Tastes of raspberries, blueberry, bramble and violet. Good balance. Well integrated oak. The oak treatment is unlike any of the other Neal's tasted tonight. Sweet tannins. Nice elegant finish. 14.6% alcohol.
2003 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Bright yellow in color. Pineapples on the nose. Tasting of lemon and honeydew melon. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Layered finish. Nice wine. Always a fan of Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays. 14.7% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wykoff 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Smells of fresh blackcurrant. Black cherry, blueberry, earth, chocolate, prune and charred oak on the palate. Soft finish with good length but with a little heat on the end. 14.2% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon One Lane Bridge 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
Blackberry aromatics. Tasting of blackcurrant, violet, mocha and black cherry. Firm sweet tannins. Nice complexity on the powerful finish. 15.3% alcohol.
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2000 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Black cherry nose. Oxidized and sherry like. Blackberry, charred oak and green bell pepper. Quite hot on the finish. Off bottle. 13.5% alcohol.
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2001 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Aromas of blueberries. Tastes of blackberry, charred oak, earth and violets. Big wine with lots of tannin and structure. Full bodied. Somewhat balanced. Long and rich finish. My personal favorite of the 2000, 2001 and 2003 Howell Mountain flight. 14.8% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Aromas of dark berry fruit on the nose. Tastes of black cherry and blackcurrant. Very firm tannins. Finish is a touch bitter and acidic. Much riper than the 2000 and 2001. Some of the 15.7% alcohol is peaking through at the end.
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2001 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Second Chance Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Atlas Peak
Caramel dominates the dark berry fruit nose. Blackberry, black cherry, earth and charred oak. Chewy tannins. Full bodied. Lots of licorice notes on the fruit forward powerful finish. Not much depth or complexity. 15.2% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Second Chance Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Atlas Peak
Aromatics of red fruit. Tastes of black cherry, blueberry, earth and charred oak. Firm tannins. Great structure and depth in the mid palate. Nicely balanced with fresh acidity unlike most of the other Neal's tonight. Layered finish with good complexity. This wine is drinking exceptionally well right now. Impressive. 16.0% alcohol.
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1998 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blackberry aromas. Tastes of blackcurrant, cherry, anise, kirsch, coffee with an interesting tobacco profile in the mid palate. Medium bodied. Green tannins. Searing alcohol. Not a fan of this one. 14.7% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Chafen Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
Badly corked. 15.7% alcohol.
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2002 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Fifteen-Forty 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Red berry fruit on the nose. Tastes of raspberries, blueberry, bramble and violet. Good balance. Well integrated oak. The oak treatment is unlike any of the other Neal's tasted tonight. Sweet tannins. Nice elegant finish. 14.6% alcohol.
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