6/29/2009 - bk wrote:

Stewed fruit, plums and berries. No noticeable tannin left. Heavy and dull.

4/27/2009 - bk wrote:

Opened and poured for an early (and rushed) meal before a concert. Returned to the bottle later in the evening. This wine opened up amazingly in the 4 hours. Medium bodied, smoky fruit, bacon fat. Let it open up.

1/23/2009 - bk wrote:

Simple.

1/3/2009 - bk wrote:

Tobacco, earth, and cedar dominate. Dark fruit and raisins on the finish. I assumed this was past its prime. However, plenty of structure and fruit left. This was excellent for a winter Italian meal.

6/27/2008 - bk wrote:

Amazingly floral and fruit forward for CdP.Medium body, good structure.

5/4/2008 - bk wrote:

Impressive nose of mocha, leather, vanilla, and black fruit. Tannins have integrated and fruit (plums and black cherry) comes through with leather and hint of eucalyptus. Drinking very well.

4/29/2008 - bk wrote:

Cherry, smoke, meaty, and tapenade. This wine is subtle, but lovely and complex. Needs to be consumed on a quiet evening as it changes markedly over a few hours. Still plenty of life left, I think, but drinking beautifully now.

4/3/2008 - bk wrote:

Brick red, with a light tinge on the edge. Nose of cherries and anise. Dried cherries, mocha, and spice on palate. Long, dense finish. Lots of finesse. Served with chicken picata and roasted asparagus, this was once again, an excellent food accompaniment. I believe this still has a lot of life left.

2/27/2008 - bk wrote:

Good wine with comfort food. I think it's well integrated and ready to drink. Didn't notice the acidity mentioned in some of the previous notes or any unpleasant odor, cork was fine as well. Didn't decant, but poured my glass and walked away for 30 min before approaching. Medium bodied and subtle, not a knock out but very interesting. Great value.

2/8/2008 - bk wrote:

Still dark with some ruby edges. Blackberry, mocha, and mineral quality dominate. Still nice tannins and acidity. Although no big upfront fruit, wine still feels very young.

2/6/2008 - bk wrote:

Big Amarone. Stewed prunes, raisins, mocha, and bing cherries. Almost pitch black in color, sweet dark fruits are dominant. Paired this with a savory pasta dish, would go much better with chicken marsala or fruit based marinade.

1/25/2008 - bk wrote:

Smooth, straight-forward, with a long, if simple finish. Still plenty of fruit, bing cherries and blueberries. Very easy to drink and food friendly (grilled chicken.)

1/22/2008 - bk wrote:

Dark, dark purple. At first I thought the wine was murky even though it had been standing for a couple of days. Sweet tannins, dark berries, with significant eucalyptus and menthol undertones. Still great with grilled steaks.

1/11/2008 - bk wrote:

In decline. Drink up.

11/30/2007 - bk wrote:

Wonderfully interesting wine. Garnet with blood orange tinge. Well rounded, with good balance and silky tannins still evident in long finish. Plums, raisins, spices, cedar and vanilla all evident. Great value for a very distinctive experience.

10/23/2007 - bk wrote:

Nice structure, cherries, cedar, and earth. A little funk initially, but dissipated quickly. Lovely wine.

7/25/2007 - bk wrote:

Disappointing.

7/11/2007 - bk wrote:

Flinty minerality and bone dry.

6/14/2007 - bk wrote:

Compared well with othe 1997 on the table. Mocha, cherries, and cedar. Delicious.

6/14/2007 - bk wrote:

I completely agree w/ previous comments by pgb67. I opened this with another 1997 Brunello (Fanti Tenuta San Filippo) and the contrast was striking. This wine shows leather, dust, and tannin with little accessible fruit. By comparison, the other was full of black fruit, chocolate, and cherries. Can only assume (hope) this comes around with time but doesn't give that impression at the moment.

5/3/2007 - bk wrote:

Coffee and mocha. Still better the second day.

4/24/2007 - bk wrote:

Cherries, raspberries, and cocoa. Heavy bodied for a pinot.

4/12/2007 - bk wrote:

Well balanced, smooth, subtle. Red fruit, candied cherries, are dominant along with red meats and bacon. Need to enjoy this slowly over an evening.

4/5/2007 - bk wrote:

I love this wine. Blackberry and cherry fruit, a slight metallic edge or minerality. Good acidity, depth and very well rounded. It's a perfect wine for a winter meal and, given I was looking out at a snowfall on April 4th, very comforting.

3/16/2007 - bk wrote:

Brick red. Cherry fruit, cedar, earth. Lovely, delicate wine but will deteriorate from here out.

3/9/2007 - bk wrote:

Faded wthin a few hours of opening.

3/2/2007 - bk wrote:

This was disappointing. A little thin and too sweet. I would drink this now, I don't see it improving at all. Good acidity, no tannin to speak of.

1/25/2007 - bk wrote:

Lovely bottle that is perfect drinking right now. Cherries, strawberries, mocha, and slate. Nothing heavy or overbearing, just a lot of finesse.

1/23/2007 - bk wrote:

Surprisingly good for the price. Dark fruit - blackberry, plum, spice, and a surprising weight. I would say fairly low acidity but overall great substance. Great with the grill.

1/8/2007 - bk wrote:

Nice complement to the grill. This got better all night. Dark berries, decent acidity, very balanced. Maybe a little too sweet, but it worked tonight.

1/3/2007 - bk wrote:

Very simple, dark purple grape juice. Too sweet.

12/26/2006 - bk wrote:

Light garnet, gossamer quality in color. Nose vanilla, cedar, spice. Cherries and blackberry dominate on palate. Not a lot of complexity but a nice long finish. This wine still had plenty of life. I bought this wine in Sydney in 1986 and was worried about how it had held up. 1983 was not a great year. Overall very pleased with the outcome, and a great Christmas wine for visiting Australian relatives.

12/6/2006 - bk wrote:

This needs more cellar time. Lots of structure, some fruit (blackberries?), good acidity. Needs a little time to come into balance.

12/3/2006 - bk wrote:

Paired with beef bourginon. A nice older cabernet that works well with roasted or slow cooked meats.

10/10/2006 - bk wrote:

Light in color. Delicate to medium bodied. Still some tannin, good fruit (strawberries) but I thought it a bit thin.

9/30/2006 - bk wrote:

Earthy and brick red in color. Spice, cherries, chocolate. Very dense and long finish. Great food wine.

9/17/2006 - bk wrote:

Bittersweet chocolate, spice, earthiness, maybe truffles. Very silky with dark red fruit. This was a great bottle of wine.

8/21/2006 - bk wrote:

Lemongrass, herbs and floral overtones. Great with grilled salmon.

5/26/2006 - bk wrote:

Cedar, earth and prunes. Nice structure. Great with grilled lamb chops last night.

5/23/2006 - bk wrote:

Jammy blackberry and licorice.

5/5/2006 - bk wrote:

Grapefruit, mellon, and vanilla. Crisp.

4/29/2006 - bk wrote:

Deep garnet. Nose of vanilla, mushrooms, and earth. Black cherries and cassis, low acidity and well rounded. Still plenty of tannin on the finish, but there is so much fruit, you don't really pick it up right away.

4/23/2006 - bk wrote:

Strawberries and dried cherries.

4/20/2006 - bk wrote:

Herbs, cedar, and cloves. Nice depth and good finish. Still plenty of life left, but this is drinking perfectly right now.

4/17/2006 - bk wrote:

Dull, muted and uninteresting.

4/17/2006 - bk wrote:

Blackberry liqueur. Great balance and long finish.

4/17/2006 - bk wrote:

Some fruit, but thin and dissipated structure. Over the hill.

4/3/2006 - bk wrote:

Lots of ripe blackberry fruit with anise, licorice and menthol flavors. Very smooth and long finish. Very interesting and delicious wine.

3/27/2006 - bk wrote:

Cloves, chocolate, and blackberries. Very smooth, long finish. This is drinking perfectly right now but should last a while (5 -10 years?)

2/25/2006 - bk wrote:

Great structure and balance. Good fruit - black cherries, blueberries. This is a great beaujolais.