Wonderful on pop n pour. Very Paulliac on the nose and palate. I think it would easily stand up to a Pichon L or Baron from a good year (1990). This has aged very well. Pray you have some.
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Good nose, but all the taste in the front - no midpalate or finish. Can still taste hints of what this wine was at its peak, but has passed. Still a good wine.
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Decanted 4-5 hrs with the 2003 and 2013 vintages with a beef tenderloin dinner. Cork crumbled when opening and I thought wine would not be very good. Tasted before dinner with guests and thought it was “ok”. However, when served as the first wine with dinner, this wine really drank well. Totally but pleasantly surprised! It’s past prime but how well it’s drinking is a testament to how well Spring Mountain cabs are made.
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Beautifully bordeaux like. Complex bell pepper/cedar/pencil shavings. Reminds me of a mature Pauillac or St. Julien from a softer year. Not jammy. Pretty interesting and fun to drink throughout the whole bottle, not just one glass.
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Youngest son's birth year. Drank on his 20th birthday. Still had life but on downhill. I was worried when cork disintegrated but the wine was fine. Cherry colored with a tinge of amber (don't want to say rust) in color, an earthy yet fruity wine.
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Rich color, balanced palate with notes of dark fruit jam, leather, coffee (?). Enjoyed the wine alone without food but this wine would hold up with any red meat, grilled steak, lamb chops.....
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Deep cherry fruit and cranberry acidity; toffee, glycerin, cocoa, mocha; long, full finish. I was worried about the age, but this bottle is in outstanding shape and has many years left.
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Just so you know, this is drinking beautifully right now. I know it's a 93 but it really hits the sweet spot of maturity and complexity which I find in a lot of early 90's SMV wines. It had a definite 'bordeaux complexity' which I often do not get with aged CA cabs. I have a very old world palate and this is nice. Not at all jammy or sweet. Even though it is Spring Mountain fruit, it is the opposite of something like Pride. This could fool your Francophile friends for sure. I would guess St Estephe blind.
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Interesting note on the palate - a sweet spice combined with a pleasant "green" - the combination reminds me a bit of Dentyne. Still a fair amount of drying tannins on the finish which are effectively tamed with a good steak.
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I'm gonna leave my last two bottles alone for a few more years. This wine still has quite a bit of tannins as well as a ton of acidity. Otherwise showing very good. Dark ruby red with a a nose of cigar box and cassis. Really tannic on the palate. Good, not great finish otherwise I would have rated higher.
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Found the fruit a bit muted, and the woody taste a little overpowering, not sure if this represents a bad bottle, or a tired vintage. Have one more to decide.
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Another weekend experiment, and a good one. Nose of fruit and cedar, both carrying to a rich full palate, one that is very nicely balanced. I would second the earlier opinion that this is at or near its peak. A little longer finish would add a couple of points. G put this well ahead of the 2004 Merus.
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This wine is surprisingly youthful for a 13 year old Napa cab. Made to age by the winemaker at Spring Mtn, this is a wonderful example of mature cab full of mountain fruit, fresh berry, ceder, a touch of cinnamin, and a lon finish of almost sweet cherries. Very nice.
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Still dark vibrant garnet purple. At first the wine was very closed and did not give up much nose. After 2-3 hours decanting the wine really started to open up showing classic cali moutiain fruit, dense black cherry, cedar, asian spices, mulled spices. Good finish, not great finish.
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One of the best things about visiting Spring Mountain Vineyard Winery is that they have older vintages available for purchase and tasting. Ruby red center with white rim. This 2003 cab had wonderful aromas of raspberry, mint, spice and wood. Age had developed elegance from this Mountain Cab, leaving a soft and delicious wine with a long, lingering finish.
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With steaks on the grill. Cedar, cinamon, and earth, though not much fruit. Has a touch of spearmint on the finish. This is at or just past peak. Very satisfying cabernet.
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4/17/2020 - tewino Likes this wine:
Wonderful on pop n pour. Very Paulliac on the nose and palate. I think it would easily stand up to a Pichon L or Baron from a good year (1990). This has aged very well. Pray you have some.
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10/29/2018 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good nose, but all the taste in the front - no midpalate or finish. Can still taste hints of what this wine was at its peak, but has passed. Still a good wine.
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4/8/2018 - BamaWiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 4-5 hrs with the 2003 and 2013 vintages with a beef tenderloin dinner. Cork crumbled when opening and I thought wine would not be very good. Tasted before dinner with guests and thought it was “ok”. However, when served as the first wine with dinner, this wine really drank well. Totally but pleasantly surprised! It’s past prime but how well it’s drinking is a testament to how well Spring Mountain cabs are made.
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11/29/2013 - Grant Geyer wrote: 84 Points
While this is still identifiable by the nose as a cabernet sauvignon blend, it is well past its prime and died quickly in the glass. Drink up.
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6/16/2013 - bbigelow Likes this wine: 91 Points
The tannins are gone but the wine is still excellent. I would not keep it any longer.
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5/18/2013 - tewino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautifully bordeaux like. Complex bell pepper/cedar/pencil shavings. Reminds me of a mature Pauillac or St. Julien from a softer year. Not jammy. Pretty interesting and fun to drink throughout the whole bottle, not just one glass.
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2/2/2013 - bruce61 wrote: 90 Points
Youngest son's birth year. Drank on his 20th birthday. Still had life but on downhill. I was worried when cork disintegrated but the wine was fine. Cherry colored with a tinge of amber (don't want to say rust) in color, an earthy yet fruity wine.
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5/22/2012 - MK62 wrote: 92 Points
Rich color, balanced palate with notes of dark fruit jam, leather, coffee (?). Enjoyed the wine alone without food but this wine would hold up with any red meat, grilled steak, lamb chops.....
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12/18/2011 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
Deep cherry fruit and cranberry acidity; toffee, glycerin, cocoa, mocha; long, full finish. I was worried about the age, but this bottle is in outstanding shape and has many years left.
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12/15/2011 - tewino wrote:
Just so you know, this is drinking beautifully right now. I know it's a 93 but it really hits the sweet spot of maturity and complexity which I find in a lot of early 90's SMV wines. It had a definite 'bordeaux complexity' which I often do not get with aged CA cabs. I have a very old world palate and this is nice. Not at all jammy or sweet. Even though it is Spring Mountain fruit, it is the opposite of something like Pride. This could fool your Francophile friends for sure. I would guess St Estephe blind.
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11/25/2011 - us010144 wrote: 89 Points
rich, caramel, aromatic, light tanic bite but eased with air....very warm and tasty with our turkey and fixings!
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12/8/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Interesting note on the palate - a sweet spice combined with a pleasant "green" - the combination reminds me a bit of Dentyne. Still a fair amount of drying tannins on the finish which are effectively tamed with a good steak.
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10/25/2010 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 91 Points
This wine is still holding in there. Not a lot has changed since the last time I tasted it.
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5/18/2008 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 90 Points
I'm gonna leave my last two bottles alone for a few more years. This wine still has quite a bit of tannins as well as a ton of acidity. Otherwise showing very good. Dark ruby red with a a nose of cigar box and cassis. Really tannic on the palate. Good, not great finish otherwise I would have rated higher.
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7/7/2007 - mmyette wrote: 87 Points
Found the fruit a bit muted, and the woody taste a little overpowering, not sure if this represents a bad bottle, or a tired vintage. Have one more to decide.
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4/7/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Another weekend experiment, and a good one. Nose of fruit and cedar, both carrying to a rich full palate, one that is very nicely balanced. I would second the earlier opinion that this is at or near its peak. A little longer finish would add a couple of points. G put this well ahead of the 2004 Merus.
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3/13/2007 - mmyette wrote: 92 Points
See previous notes.
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2/25/2007 - mmyette wrote: 92 Points
This wine is surprisingly youthful for a 13 year old Napa cab. Made to age by the winemaker at Spring Mtn, this is a wonderful example of mature cab full of mountain fruit, fresh berry, ceder, a touch of cinnamin, and a lon finish of almost sweet cherries. Very nice.
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2/15/2007 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 92 Points
Still dark vibrant garnet purple. At first the wine was very closed and did not give up much nose. After 2-3 hours decanting the wine really started to open up showing classic cali moutiain fruit, dense black cherry, cedar, asian spices, mulled spices. Good finish, not great finish.
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5/24/2006 - GolferChris wrote: 92 Points
One of the best things about visiting Spring Mountain Vineyard Winery is that they have older vintages available for purchase and tasting. Ruby red center with white rim. This 2003 cab had wonderful aromas of raspberry, mint, spice and wood. Age had developed elegance from this Mountain Cab, leaving a soft and delicious wine with a long, lingering finish.
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1/17/2006 - bk wrote: 93 Points
With steaks on the grill. Cedar, cinamon, and earth, though not much fruit. Has a touch of spearmint on the finish. This is at or just past peak. Very satisfying cabernet.
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