March 10, 2024 - OG California Cab, made when they made real, non-fruit-bomb cabs.
Details: Flawless cork, popped and poured with a ribeye dinner. Hardly any bricking. Did not decant.
Make no mistake, this is a massive wine, and 30 years on it is still huge, luscious, ripe, and full of fruit. So many years ahead for this one, and no way over the hill yet.
Acid? You betcha, balancing out those big fruit flavors. Soft muted notes of vanilla round out the almost forever finish.
Oh, that they still made this style of wine, maybe the closest of which today is my favorite Mayacamas. However, you can tell this was made in in the valley, and it’s not at all a mountain wine like Mayacamas, but I make the comparison to show restraint, if one can believe that in this wine. But, back in 93 when they made this wine did they know they were still making a “restrained” wine of balance?
Unmistakably California, and early style, and in my opinion, better than what is produced today.
November 19, 2023 - Decanting advisable as the wine does need it time to open up.
This benefits from the 1993 vintage being softer and not as ripe as others in the 90s as the wine does not suffer from the over pushing these guys sometimes went for with their wines. This is ripe but also well mannered, rich but in balance, a lot of spice, bright herby edge, licorice maybe at times , black currents and cherries and light coffee too. Very solid wine maybe could be a touch more elegant vs the other classic masters of the area. 93
November 24, 2022 - A monster Napa Cab that is still full of flavor and life. Fully mature, of course, and just a classic. Three hour double decant was perfect and it really showed its stuff.
March 5, 2022 - Popped and poured, and drank over 2 hours. Paired well with the 1kg T bone steak at Wolfgang’s. Soaked cork, and the sommelier had to use a puller to get it out - he did a great job in getting it out in one piece. This wine has not aged in the six years since I last drank it. 29 years old and going strong. Great acidity. Unbelievable.
August 4, 2021 - Decanted for forty five minutes and it needed it as there was a lot sediment. This is in great shape. Fairly classic in style with only a hint of overexuberance. Black currant, black cherry, tobacco and lead pencil comes through. The wine is at peak maturity but it still retain its structure and has well integrated tannins with only a touch of rusticity.
September 19, 2020 - Deep garnet, still young in color. Huge sediments in the bottle.
Intense nose, with very ripe blackberry liqueur and toasted coffee aromas. Unashamedly ripe Napa valley Cabernet Sauvignon nose.
Full body, low acidity, sweet ripe fruit;blackberry and cassis. licorice, coffee.
Very long and quite complex.
Very nice wine. May get some more complexity in few years time.
November 14, 2019 - Purchased on release, always properly cellared and yet expecting way more enjoyment.
February 20, 2019 - After a one hour decant. Dark red fruited color. Nice nose of blackberries, violet and forest floor. The wine is fully mature and delicious with a long finish. Flavors of black fruit, lead pencil and a little earthiness with the oak nicely integrated. Overall this is a very good mature Napa cab it just lacks a bit of refinement to justify a higher score
February 3, 2019 - Loads of dark fruit left with the tannins melted into the background. Blackberries, licorice and mint with some chocolate. Great depth and nuance.
December 31, 2018 - Dark chocolate, herbs, cassis- enjoined with nye prime rib- on its way out but still very drinkable and delicious. Bought this from WineBid.com about six months ago