4/15/2014 - melli0 Likes this wine:

Tasted from magnum. Decanted 1 hr. Very nice rich dark fruits. Integrated tannins but still a lot of life left in this one, especially from magnums. Tasted against 1993 Pichon Baron and 1993 Cos d'Estournel. Lynch stole the show.

7/18/2012 - melli0 wrote:

Very pleasant bottle. On the lighter side of modern Barolos. Notes of cherry or red berry, decent smooth tannins, good acidity. Not exceptionally complex on the finish. Solid value.

7/18/2012 - melli0 wrote:

Very nice bottle and I am sad that it was my last. Very nicely aged but still had some tannic backbone. Very well integrated and nice dark cherry notes.

3/28/2012 - melli0 wrote:

Pleasant but much less exciting than I thought it would be. A little light and funky and definitely had some brett. Not much finish.

7/26/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Typical Phelps and typical Cali Cab. Not unpleasant, but strikes the same note...over and over. Was hoping for more from this single vineyard.

7/26/2011 - melli0 wrote:

This was really really nice. Let it breath for a couple of hours and it opened up very well. Soft tannins. Bright red fruits. Long finish. Ran to the store and bought 6 more bottles.

7/26/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Couldn't keep my hands off this...had to try it. Very nice bottle for the style. Big, explosive candy fruit, lots of alcohol but a nice finish. Doesn't really go well with food, but great for a tasting or after dinner.

6/27/2011 - melli0 wrote:

This is a decent bottle, but not for the price. Big fruit. High alcohol. Wore out everyone's palate fairly quickly, and our group had a hard time getting through it. Sadly we were drinking this side by side with an 03 Pontet Canet, which blew the Shafer out of the water at 25% of the price.

6/27/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Drinking really well right now. Still plenty of tannin, so can go a lot longer. Nice big fruit, though not overwhelming. Very long finish. Drank this side by side with a 2004 Shafer Hillside Select. The Pontet Canet blew it out of the water in both quality and complexity.

5/31/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Nice bottle. Drinking well currently with velvety tannins and a decent amount of fruit. A bit oaky.

5/31/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Light and fruity. Still very fresh, jutt not enough complexity.

5/13/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Decanted this wine for 4 hours and it could have used more. Was drinking fantastically well. Had the 06 a few days later, but the 05 was significantly better.

4/4/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Nice wine. Was surprisingly tannic. Drank straight from cellar and did not let it breath long enough. Should also wait a couple of yrs before opening the next one.

3/29/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Tasted much more like a big fruity California Pinot rather than a traditional burgundy. Still had some decent tannins, but fruit was not subtle. I guess this is to be expected from such a hot year.

3/28/2011 - melli0 wrote:

This bottle was such a dissapointment. Maybe I waited too long to open it. Was purchased direct from the winery and stored at 55 ever since. This is typical of what is wrong with so many Cali wines: high alcohol, too much jammy ruit, no complexity, generally boring.

3/28/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Decanted for 3-4 hours, which was about right. Very smooth tannins, plenty of fruit emerged. Complex with a long finish. Sooo much better than the 04 Caymus Special Selection that we opened last Saturday night.

3/16/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Nice wine. More oak than I expected. Good fruit and still plenty of tannin.

3/16/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Kind of funky at first, but flavors seemed to come together after 2 hrs of air. Nice tannins and somewhat fruity (black fruit). Feel like it needs some more time in the bottle to even out.

3/9/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Drank after decanting for 1-2 hrs. Nice high red fruit flavors, a decent amount of acid, and not too much jamminess. Low alcohol for a California red. Plenty of tannin and will age well. Very enjoyable bottle.

3/8/2011 - melli0 wrote:

Excellent HB. Savory flavors with some light fruit. Velvety tannins for its age. Long finish. Really needs more time but I coudln't wait.