11/28/2023 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Very well made bordeaux-style wine. Tiny bit of petite verdot and cab franc goes a long way. Not even close to peak. If planning to drink now, you ought to let it slow ox for few hours.

9/10/2023 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Pleasant wine to drink. Perhaps too young to expect secondary notes.

7/21/2023 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

What a pleasant surprise! This Aussie cab had aged gracefully. Bottle cellared since release. Lots of dark fruit. Tannins had resolved. Drink up now.

5/6/2023 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Tannins mellowed out. Barnyard, cedar, dark fruit. Amazing on palate. Finish medium plus.

3/14/2023 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Having tried '96 vintage, this bottle stood out too. Still in need of air time of few hours. Could not tell it was Barolo from nose only as we waited for that hint of tar but none after 2 1/2 hours air time. Chewy and meaty, very pleasant on palate. excellent.

4/29/2022 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

this will pick up more finesse with time. a robust bordeaux style blend. would keep in cellar for few more years.

3/26/2022 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

This was surprise of the night! Went head to head with '99 Tardieu Laurent Cote Rotie and lived up to competition. Nose out of this world. Lots of sediment needs decanting initially suspected damaged bottle but color settled to clear in 30 minutes post decanting

3/26/2022 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Have heard many wine critics describe vintage '97 Napa wines as high sugar, lower acidity, with short aging potential. At an age of 25, this bottle was excellent. For someone who enjoys olive tapenade, the nose was heavenly. Balanced, integrated, not a bit of heat. Generous dose of dark fruit. Tannins have completely resolved. Perhaps at or just past prime drinking window.

1/8/2022 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

from a magnum. lovely.

12/29/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

delicious well made napa cab. nothing particularly unique for this bottle. for price it is a major pass. glad we bought this back in the days

12/27/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

petit verdot and cab franc gave this bottles extra dimensions. I would not be surprised if this wine ends up drinking like cheval blanc or pichon baron one day. If planning to drink before 2030, then give it a prolonged few hours air time

11/28/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Pleasantly surprised wine was not past its prime. Delicious.

4/28/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

On same level as 2010 Harlan or Kapcsandy. Nose of a young Boardeaux. Really loaded with profound complex layers of joy. Tannins prominent. No doubt about longevity. Would re-try 2030+

3/26/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Really pleasantly surprised with this bottle. Black currant and dark fruit. Delicious. A little pungent at first but not noticeable after 1/2 hour decanting. Oak/cedar but not in excess. Tannins completely resolved. I suspect drinking window is approaching a near future end. Drink up.

3/13/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Wonderful. Marcel's DC. At peak

2/26/2021 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

34 year old juice and still going with loads of lush fruits black currant and some cedar. no sign of fatigue and might easily last 2 additional decades. delicious

4/19/2020 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

6oz via coravin. Wine remains young, however within early drinking period. Dark red color no browning. Within an hour, scents of sweet dark fruits intertwined with floral orange blossoms and oak emerge. On palate it packs a bunch of dense dark fruits. Tannins noticeable but don't affect the drinking joy. For those who doubt California wine is short lived, I'd cellar a bottle for a decade or 2 more. We think they will be in for a pleasant surprise.

1/7/2020 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

fully mature possibly past peak drink up

2/29/2020 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

from a magnum shared with family in Bahamas!
smooth delicious no hard edges
medium long finish

11/16/2019 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Same OWC we pulled last bottle from in 2016. Cork in mint condition. Wine seems to be in a dumb or "semi-dumb" phase. Closed. Few hours decanting made little if any difference to nose. Good news. On palate, no sign of aging. Same dense fruits as in previous tasting. Tannins still noticeable. Too early to show tertiary notes.
Score held

11/12/2019 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Tannins prominent and softened up after slow ox then 2 hours decant. This is loaded. Dark fruits, wild mushrooms, forest soil, cedar oak and a hint of molasses. Agree with Galloni this wine will be a rock star at the age of 20.

9/22/2019 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

a great '99 cote rotie. a grand cru caliber of northern rhone. next day 8oz leftover in decanter tasted even better. loaded and will pick up more finesse for the next decade or so. drink or hold.

9/20/2019 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Lots of potential. Very delicious. Most impressive on day 2 left over in decanter!

6/8/2019 - Old Vino Does not like this wine:

Nose great and that's pretty much it for this bottle.
Disappointment started as Alc HEAT which attenuates all the fruit and flavors we had experienced with other bottles a couple of years ago. Perhaps just a bottle variation, though.

12/20/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

From a magnum (V.V.)
Very balanced and unique
Usual northern rhone beef blood, iron rust, red and black fruits
Went well with smoked brisket

2/26/2019 - Old Vino wrote:

Previous note 05/04/2013.
This time, considerably different.

4oz using coravin --> I was displeased with what initially smelled like nail polish but not very similar to corked wine on nose. Concluded it was flawed. Went back to cellar and pulled another bottle; again 4oz via coravin. Same but not as intense. Of interest, smell blew off in like 15 minutes. On palate the wine is enjoyable but very little to justify its price. Suspect wine in a dumb phase. I'd hate to write off RP100 vino early on.

10/9/2018 - Old Vino wrote:

Another disappointing bottle. Perfectly cellared since release. Tannins and acidity are not well balanced against what seems to be quickly fading fruit

9/22/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

delicious. fully mature. no sign of age-related decline, but doubt it will pick up more depth with additional cellaring. drink up.

9/10/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Excellent NAPA wine. I didn’t expect tertiary notes from a 16 year old California wine. But this is trying to be Margaux–like. No bite or heat. Well integrated. Tenants totally resolved. Unable to assess longevity. Ready to drink now.

7/19/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

previous note 05/07/14
Four years from last tasted, this wine seems to have taken a sizable step forward. A lot more polished and seems to have picked up complexity. (another possibility is bottle variation). Great nose and flavor. Minerality with lots of red and black fruit. Finish medium plus.

7/15/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Second time tasting from a bottle perfectly cellared since release. We were under the impression this was made as a more modern style for Piedmont. The wine is very well balanced and elegant. The usual tar, minerality, rust, and pure lush fruit. No browning. This got to remain in bottle for a decade or two (?!)... not even close to prime drinking window. A bold wine for bold and patient men.

6/27/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Almost 30 years old and still in need of a decade or two in cellar. Don't get me wrong it is delicious and loaded but so backward. Olive tapenade, iron rust, beef blood, and tons of profound dark fruit. Tannins noticeable. If anxious to drink now, then would uncork with slow-ox in bottle for few hours rather than flash decant.

6/19/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

so many elements of enjoyment. rich and loaded. cellar time needed, perhaps a decade or two.
NR

4/13/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

.
beautiful bordeaux aromas. on palate: lush, crisp, complex...mixed dark fruits and sweet berries. a touch of dried molasses. finish long really long.

contrary to many bordeaux siblings of '90 vintage, this is aging at a slow pace....just like the '86 LLC (which entered its drinking period at age of 30).

great juice with lots of pleasure
.

4/9/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

A washington state wine that never lets bordeaux drinkers down.
Very impressive on nose and palate
No tannins
Drink up

4/8/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

4oz coravin
explosive rich aromas of CdP and much more
big and bold. %15.5 Alc heat is noticeable only on end
delicious and we hope it integrates and picks up more complexity as it ages
94+

4/4/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

made for bold men
more in line with traditional vinificazione del barolo!
intense, structured, and rich
very long life ahead and will only get better
if not long-decanting, then i'd retry 2020+

3/18/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Elegantly perfumed. Iron, beef blood, cinnamon, charcoal, berries, cherries. Silky and balanced. Medium plus finish. At peak.

1/22/2018 - Old Vino wrote:

flawed

1/21/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Great as always. Some bottle variation as this one contained more sediment than previous bottles (same case)

1/16/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Berries, dark fruit, black cherries, plus vanilla and toasted oak. New world character on both nose and palate. Very enjoyable. While made to provide immediate drinking enjoyment, wine has a spine of acidity and some tannins to carry it 5 years may be a little more. Unsure whether it'll pick up more finesse with additional cellaring time.

1/14/2018 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

beautiful polished and delicious. a whiff of VA blew partially after 1 hour decant.

12/10/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

from dbl-mag @ work xmas party
very enjoyable
always a crowd pleaser

11/5/2017 - Old Vino wrote:

We had high hopes after reading Tanzer note. Explosive dense aromas, lots of black fruits, kirsch, and cedar. Enjoyable to smell but not as much to drink. Alc heat ruins it. Would rate 90. May be an awkward phase.

10/30/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Last tasted 4 months ago so I suspect a bottle variation contributed to different experience. This one is considerably better. No notes at time of consumption but all I remember is rich and profound wine, both on nose and palate. This delivers a plenty of joy. Tannins noticeable but soft. Upside potential with further aging but ready to drink now; give it some air time, though.

10/23/2017 - Old Vino Does not like this wine:

Properly stored bottle since release. Noticeable Alc heat ruined the enjoyment. Not my cup o' tea. I don't even know whether cedar oak and alcohol will subside in another decade. NR

10/20/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

still young but loaded, saturated, and lovely

9/15/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

another great performance. so deep and profound. spice and tobacco intertwined with dark fruit

7/19/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

this wine could easily compete with top grand cru bordeaux in a blind tasting. simply amazing

8/11/2017 - Old Vino Likes this wine:

Agree with earlier reviewer this wine is of a grand or 1er cru caliber. Nose of mixed dark berries, cedar, plus some earth and barnyard. Layers of black fruits on palate. Finish medium plus. Try after 2021 or enjoy now following few hours of slow ox.