4/25/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Six hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Black cherry, blueberry, sage, granite, dusty marshmallow, and subtle tangerine rind and Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookies. Dry, plush palate, with satiny acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.

Some ‘18s are finally ready to go, but many well made Napa Cabs are still very fickle and Syrah-like. I hope to wait 6-12 months for my next bottle and only do a one hour decant. I need to play around a bit. I don’t think the long decant helped in this case.

4/14/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Pnp'd into a decanter and enjoyed small glasses all afternoon over about 3 hours, then through dinner and after for about 2 hours more, so a total amount of air of 5 hours. Dark/opaque magenta/purple in the glass, nose of graphite and beautiful florals.

Pnp....juicy, liqueur like dark red fruit. Silky, sweet cassis notes with a high glycerin component and great acidity throughout. The only drawback, ever so slightly tight tannins on the back end. 95+

1 hour in......the palate grows even heavier, the back end tannins even out some. 96+

2nd hour....more of the same, everything now in balance. Smooth, round tannins to go with the great fruit which seems to be mostly red/black plum, 97-97+ then.

3rd hour...more of the same. 97

4th and 5th hours.......the wine tones down just a point or two. A very slight herbal note arrives and leaves mostly graphite on the nose by then and the glycerin enriched, high energy fruit calms down, a lot. 95 at the end.

This vintage has many years left ahead for it. Still in a somewhat hedonistic primary stage with just the slightest hint of secondary creeping in when exposed to more air......

3/16/2024 - ozziewine Likes this wine:

Decanted this for two hours and that helped round off the edges. JONNYG nailed it with their "Polished and modern but not over the top" descriptor. No extraordinary characteristics jumped out at me.
This was more of a textural experience. Elegant and smooth with silky viscosity. Dark, though very subtle, fruit. This was terrific.
Purchased 7+ years ago for $140 so a good QPR in my opinion.
Drinking beautifully today and will last many years, though what little fruit there is may fade rendering it a tad dull possibly.

2/4/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Three and a half hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Blueberry, black cherry, black walnut brownie, cinnamon-dusted caramel custard, thyme, and gardenia. Dry, plush, slightly dusty palate. Firm, full, medium intensity tannins on the longish finish.

This is very nice, but probably even better with a shorter decant. More time in the cellar will also be beneficial. I hope to wait a year before having my next bottle.

1/6/2024 - bobh22314 Likes this wine:

Note much in the way of notes Full mouthfeel soft tannins and a long finish. Ready now if you like big fruit driven wines. Maybe better in a couple of years but delicious now

12/27/2023 - caspernick Likes this wine:

A friend brought this over for Boxing Day dinner. Delicious, ripe, silky, perfumed but throwing a ton of sediment. Long finish and a generous mouthfeel. Everything you could ask for in a Napa Cab. Drink soon!

12/25/2023 - JonnyG Likes this wine:

My first of six. Ripe and modern, a bit one dimensional but nonetheless delivers, with delicious blue and black fruit, some bramble and pepper. A touch of heat. Fully mature but should hold for a decade.

12/5/2023 - Mdagator wrote:

Wonder deep color with lovely nose. Finish is fantastic. Decanted 90 mins. Would recommend a few hrs or more time asleep in cellar.

12/2/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Three hour decant. Very very deep, yet bright, magenta color. Blackberry, blueberry, almond biscotti, tangerine rind, ginger, and jasmine. Very dry, satiny palate, with fine acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.

First time having more than a taste and haven’t tried in two years. Wonderful nose, but the palate is tight. This can handle a 6+ hour decant for the next year or so. I hope I can wait that long for the next bottle. This will improve significantly in the next year or two.

11/10/2023 - Cabernet4me2 wrote:

Was my first SS and was excellent… was a PnP.. and this bottle was pretty ready to go after an hour.. could easily see this getting better with some time in bottle… going to lay the remaining bottles for awhile and if popped .. think would gove a good double decant and back in bottle for 1/2 day or so. This had great integration and was primarily black & blue fruit. Looking for to the next time trying for some more detailed notes…

10/14/2023 - tomoem Likes this wine:

Aromatically I get slight cherry fruit with a tinge of tobacco leaf and chocolate. In mouth the wine is soft with black currants, plum skin, slight amounts of ripe blackberry and that new french oak wood presence despite being 8 years in bottle. The mid palate is where this really shines with the viscous weight of the juice simply enveloping the mouth with coating berry flavors. This has tremendous weight with layering of tobacco, chocolate and plum leading to a long finish and really balanced tannin's. Ready to consume right now.

9/14/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Decanted 1 hour then back into the bottle before taking to dinner with the HMCs at Chops.

Initial thoughts.....notes and palate of smokey, oaky, balsamic cabernet. Wow.....what the hell do I know?

At the table this one has settled in beautifully. I absolutely felt this one magically transformed itself on the way to the restaurant. Red/dark red fruited. Soft, but not weak in any way. Balanced as best as it could possibly be at this stage. It has a perfumed cab nose, elegance, class, subtle power, fruit and finish. I came oh so close to giving it a 99, tonight....and the CT window says this one was finished in '22? Couldn't be more wrong. Still time to go if you have them.

8/23/2023 - Jonathan T wrote:

This is a high quality cabernet and just entering a nice drinking window. Massive amount of fruit with a nice mineral streak on the back end. Still tight and dense and could benefit from some more time in the cellar. At this point, you do feel the considerable alcohol level. I think this is a fair value at $150, but I'm not sure if it it's worth $200.

7/23/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine:

45 minutes double decanted and consumed about 2 hours later with friends at Flemings. This is a big Napa Cabernet, one of those that can cut through a big and fatty Tomahawk!

Everyone at the table loved it.

7/1/2023 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine:

Hold until 2025-2028.

P.S. A coravined glass was left in the bottle for Day 2. Poured it and let it breath for an hour, and it was significantly more rich and complex than on Day 1. I’d score Day 2 at 94 or even 95.

5/5/2023 - JonnyG wrote:

Polished and modern, but not over the top. Coffee and muted spice notes alongside the dark red fruit. Medium+ finish. No rush whatsoever.

2/27/2023 - Elkcims Likes this wine:

3 hour S/O, drank over 3 hours. Saved half for next day.
Big bold, low acid, soft tannins, black currant, earth tones. Although enjoyable, I decided a few years ago to stop buying this as it lacked complexity and didn’t merit the $175 tariff. It might be worth it today considering the 25% inflation in NV pricing that’s occurred in the past 1-2 years. Still it was an enjoyable bottle and didn’t change on day 2.

2/25/2023 - mckillop Likes this wine:

Best vintage I have had from Aaron at this site!

12/30/2022 - Decanting Queen wrote:

Last 2 days of 2022 Naples-palooza; 12/30/2022-12/31/2022 (Casa Mark1npt): Brought by Mark to our quick hotel tasting on day 1 and wow this was good. My first Seven Stones. It seemed perfectly integrated and probably right at peak. You would never guess the +15% alcohol, it was all so smooth. Great texture of rasberry nectar, soft shoe leather and also fruit rollups. Red fruited with a long finish. What a way to start the trip.

12/30/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

First wine of this mini New Years Palooza with Mr/Mrs Decanting Queen. I gave this a 98, 16 mo ago at a Vine Vault tasting.....this bottle obtained only recently at auction. Obviously, another bottle exploded all over it. The labels were extremely stained. This bottle had good cork closure with no sign of seepage however the middle of the cork was dried out and it came out in 2 pieces. 30 minute decant was all it needed. Smooth red raspberry fruit, leather and some earthy notes on the nose. More red fruit on the palate. It's smooth and integrated on all fronts. This bottle ready to drink right now, just not quite as elegant as the one 16 mo ago.......very happy with it!

12/13/2022 - johnmcclearn Likes this wine:

Outstanding

12/12/2022 - mflesh wrote:

About 3-4 yr ago, I said that the best years of this wine were 4-5 yr ahead of it. I still believe that today, although today on the revisit of this wine I will definitely tell you that this one has come a LONG LONG WAY to making up that unpreparedness. I think I was a little late to the party, as this wine had been opened for about 1-2 hours. But that's definitely what it needed (and could have benefitted from a decant for that time as well). Purple and blue fruits on the nose and palate. Had a youthful density to the nose and palate, and even a little bit of a restrained character here yet this wine is definitely still on the way up. With each 10 minutes, this wine improved quite a bit, and finished with a black pepper that shows this wine has huge upside potential still, with a definite improvement expected here in the next 1-2 years. A monster of a wine, and very layered and dense. I've had other vintages of the SS Cabernet, and I don't think I've historically enjoyed the others as much as I have this one. Drink from 2024-2030.

12/2/2022 - waywardsailor wrote:

Beautiful, refined, elegant, well balanced.

8/13/2022 - #1Winelover Likes this wine:

Battle of the best: Abreu Cappella 2013, Seven Stones 2012 and Chateau Pavie 2009. All were excellent and I will rate them the same. Brad Grimes is one of the best winemakers out there. His wines are consistent and I really love his style; full-bodied and translucent. Seven Stones 2012 is still going strong. I rated it highly upon release and it has maintained its energy, tension and full flavors. Pavie took the most time to come around and when it did, it was awesome. I don't know if it is in a shut down phase or not because I am not an expert on Bordeaux but it did come around.

It was a fun night!

6/26/2022 - mckillop Likes this wine:

My last bottle. Looking forward to the other vintages in my cellar!

6/26/2022 - srwatters Likes this wine:

Removed the cork and left in the cellar for five hours before blind tasting. Still too young. Outstanding potential showed as it continued to open up while consumed over the next few hours. Will let the remaining two rest for a few years.

5/9/2022 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine:

My last bottle. Consistent with my last note.

3/28/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Four hour decant. Very deep ruby magenta color. Dark fruit, wild strawberry, truffle and caramel infused dark chocolate, tea, and subtle marshmallow and orange rind on the nose. Very smooth, tongue drying palate. Firm, full tannins on the long finish.

Very elegant and refined. Didn’t necessarily need more than two hours of air, but four didn’t hurt. Birthday wine for my wife/girlfriend (it’s the same person). ;)

3/18/2022 - gteran76 Likes this wine:

From my bedroom to the fridge (opened) for about 2 hours, then decanted for 1 full hour and placed back in the fridge for about 10 minutes while we finished getting ready to leave to the restaurant...

This wine is a beast, big and bold classic Napa with high tannins and restrained in the fruit department (which contradict my previous statement that is a "classic Napa", but I'm referring to the Napa Cults).

At this stage in its life the wine is a bit tannic still, like most of the 2010’s from Napa, while the long exposure to oxygen helped the wine and don’t think it’s shining at this moment. We took a quarter of the bottle back home and finished by 10pm (around 8 hours after it was opened) and the wine went downhill…

94+ HOLD.

1/7/2022 - mckillop Likes this wine:

Drinks like a wine made in France! It’s really just the body that gives it away as being New World. Not surprising given the winemaker (Pott) and the weather that year. Drink-up!

12/29/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine:

3 hour slow-ox in glasses, sippin along the way. Big bold full bodied cab with dark brooding blackberry and plum that lacked complexity. Saved half with nitro for next night and it didn't improve. I stopped buying these a few years ago because it doesn't rise to level of the price or my palate.

12/28/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine:

A third of a bottle consumed each night over three. AGELVIS nailed the TN’s so please reference his notes. I felt this was best on night two. Acid was a touch much for my palate which I believe will settle in the next few years. Plenty of fruit to cellar for second and tertiary development. A big improvement to the recent 14 which lacked depth.

95, 96 & 94 day three.

12/22/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Three hour decant. Nearly opaque ruby magenta color. Blackberry cobbler, fig, sugar plum, toffee brittle, and subtle tin cup on the elegant nose. Very dry and silky smooth palate, with nice, lingering acidity. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.

This is very refined and wonderfully integrated. The palate is more expressive than the nose, which is the only modest imperfection I could find. This absolutely drinks at its price point.

12/19/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:

Handles the ripe year well. Tannins are still present, and a little "blocky" compared to the Macdonald. Ripe red fruits, hints of rainy fruit but held together well. Nice cab

11/15/2021 - Shugs_Claret Likes this wine:

Nose was dark cherry and sandalwood. Not over oaked in any sense. Palate was refined with dark fruits and tobacco leaf. Extremely fine tannin structure make this highly enjoyable now. Tasted at the winery.

11/14/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Seven hour decant. Deep, yet bright magenta color. Strawberry shortcake, blackberry compote, sweet violet, honey toasted pecans, and subtle baking soda on the elegant, complex nose. Very smooth, dry palate, with nice, grainy acidity. Plush tannins on the longish finish.

Mark - Thanks for opening this beauty for us (or for Carol). ;)

11/14/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

95 bordering on 96 for me, personally. 3rd day of our latest Jaimepalooza and the livers are hanging low. 6+ hour decant, pretty decent strength to the classic cab nose. One of the better noses tonight, maybe some sweet violet? Very well balanced but not opulent, not extracted or over the top in any way, just balanced sensibly.

9/26/2021 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine:

Failing to heed my own advice, I barely waited a few months to open another bottle, not the few years I had recommended. My impatience was rewarded by a wonderful Cabernet with complexity and a long finish. The wine was somewhat cloudy and an extra bubble of tannin showed up regularly in the finish or it would have merited another point or two.

9/10/2021 - gteran76 Likes this wine:

Opened for 3 hours inside the cellar then a quick (15 min) double decant and drove to the restaurant to consume within a 2 hours window.

The color is dark ruby, no brick edges, no show of aging, the nose is magnificent, pure and floral, the palate is coating, complex, berries and minerals compressed in this bold and beautifully age Napa Cabernet. IMO it’s at its peak but has plenty of acidity, tannins and fruit to keep on living and changing depending on drinking preferences…

As my girlfriend said, one of the best wines we have had in quite some time!

8/14/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Tasted at a Vine Vault tasting in Austin.......bonus wine poured by our host, Michael.....classically aged SStones! Just beautiful......a perfumed, dark cherry, lead pencil nose.....to go along with the elegant, aged cab fruit...everything perfectly integrated with still a nice acidic backbone all the way through the ending, so many more years to go! Thanks for the pour, Michael.....

8/14/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Tasted at a Vine Vault tasting in Austin.......all agreed, this was the wine of the tasting event. Decanted? Prepared properly as to so many others that were not? I don't know, but this clearly shown above all the rest. Beautiful weight and glide in the glass and in the mouth. Dark red/black fruit with a hint of chalky minerality and great overall texture. Of any 2018 cab at this event, this felt the most 'together', not a rough edge or any component out of balance. Beautiful.......

8/12/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

One hour slow ox. Deep brick red color. Mushroom, rum cake, black cherry, and cassis on the nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Firm tannins on the long finish.

This has aged very well and has lots of life left. It’s clearly very well made. With that said, it’s too tertiary for my palate (i.e. not my style).

8/12/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Thirty minute decant. Cherry liqueur, creme brûlée, coffee, and marzipan on the already rich nose. Super smooth, dry, full bodied palate. Firm, full tannins on the long finish.

This was tasted at a Vine Vault Roadshow in Austin, TX. My score has a bit of potential built in. This will be absolutely amazing in two years or so.

5/22/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine:

Easily concur with Quiet Lion's review of 2-26-21. Pleasurable and full of rich black and blue berries. Full bodied and delightful!

5/9/2021 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine:

100% cab. I let it breathe for 4.5hrs. A very nice lower acidity cab. Lots of ripe our cherry. Polished tannins.

4/25/2021 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine:

I feel like this wine went through a few awkward years and is now finding its legs. Pretty fruit and seems balanced throughout. What seems unusual with this wine is its acidity. It is all over the board. Depending how you swirl it in your mouth, you can find yourself amazed or offended. I believe its still needs a few years to completely resolve and then my money is this wine is a real winner. Fruit is still fresh and tannins are really refining themselves. Drink now and you'll enjoy, wait (IMO, 2 years) and you will be happy.

4/24/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine:

This wine was so good, it left me speechless. One of the best Napa Cabs I've had this year.

4/19/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine:

Full bodied. Decanted in glasses for an hour. Blackberry, black cheery, iron, fine grain tannins. Concentrated, not elegant.

4/18/2021 - mckillop Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly. Only question is for how long, but the backbone makes me think 10+ years.

4/16/2021 - 1964vintage wrote:

Double decant and this sings like an angel. Beautiful wine.