Dark red towards black; powerful nose, lots of licorice and mocca; quite strong attack, lots of depth, lots of power; Napa cab at full blast; probably taken way too young, said to be able to last for 40-50 years; this one - at 14 years - seem too underdeveloped; wish I had another bottle to try 20 years from now
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Lots of ripe dark berries, some tobacco, tar, licorice and smoky cigar box. Great medium intense acidity. Tannins are integrated nicely. Very precise and clean structure. Great complexity and depth. Good balance but the alcohol is a little too dominant. Amazing long and elegant finish. Drink now until 2028. (IG)
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30 minute slow ox. Massive wine that needs more time to age. Black currant, smoke and leather on the nose. The palate is concentrated, powerful and pure with flavors of black currant, cigar box and undergrowth coming through. This finishes long and satisfying but it lacks the sophistication of the best Bond’s
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Lots of dark berries in the nose. Needs an hour in the decanter to open up. Dark cherries, blackcurrant, tar, salty licorice and blackberries on the palate. Full bodied with a fine acidity in the background. Concentrated, not overdone, very complex. You don’t feel the high alcohol level. Tannins are present but already nicely integrated. Feels quite young, no tertiary notes yet. Great overall balance. Finish is long. Beautiful wine with at least another decade ahead. I’ll try my next bottle in five years.
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This ripe and balanced wine is absolutely stunning right now; with ripe fruit, earthy foundation, savory undertone, round mouthfeel, and bright acidity, it really has it all. At this age, many big Napa Cabernets start to show a bulge a bit at the seams, especially with baked or plummy fruit. Although it is obviously ripe, this wine has taken its age in stride, with energy and class.
Dark cherry in color and full in body, the wine offers compelling aromas of blackberry, gravel, fresh herbs, and cedar. The tastes are integrated but still fresh: blueberry, black licorice, leather, and graphite, with a seamless and lingering finish. 14.5% alcohol. Drink now or in next 3-5 years. Decant at least an hour. I know these Bond wines are nutty expensive, but they also also really good.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Noticeable heat at first. It blew off a bit as the evening progressed but remained in the foreground. The wine has massive legs which stick to the glass like glue. The fruit is intense with nice complex blackberry and tobacco flavors.
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Winorama: A winter in Wineland II; 1/6/2018-1/14/2018 (Portland, Eureka, Napa): Tasted at the winery from a 375. Blueberry and fig and a lot of structure. The kindof wine that is built to age. The finish was a touch quicker for me and I wasn't convinced this wasn't a bit more shut down than some of its peers (although not a common perception at the table where the other two thought it was showing as one of the top ones).
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SLDS November 2017: Licorice, blueberry, smoke, cherry and redcurrant on the nose. The palate is powerful but seamless, beautifully composed fruit with sweetness but plenty of texture and depth. Superb length, this is really delicious.
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Pnp. Massive oak, licorice, plums, dark fruit on the nose and palate. Very deep and long. A massive monster. Good potential. It probably needs a 6-7 hours of decanting if you consume it now.
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Decanted and followed over 3-4 hours. Even after several hours in the decanter this was pretty closed and tannic. All of the components seem to be there, but I'd hold for now and hope that it comes out of its shell in a few years. 91-92+
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perhaps the most balanced of the 4 new worlds sampled with our steak entrée, this had plenty of licorice and smoke to balance the plum and berry notes. Of course, very deep and intense.
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Saturday Night Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine)): Impressive but ultimately a couple of nits. This is rather big on the nose bursting with dark fruits, sweet and bitter. On the palate, there is a mild but noticeable green or herbal note. Not off putting but its there. The fruit is dense on the palate but this lacked a bit of acidity to balance it out. Seemed like the fruit dominated without enough structure. This clearly has the pedigree and these Bond wines can be absolutely terrific. That said, again, there are too many nits for a wine with this price tag.
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Decanted for 4 hours. This wine is big in every way. Lots of dark fruit, licorice, leather, and a nice minerality followed by big firm tannins. The tannins help balance out the fruit which makes it surprisingly approachable. Looking forward to seeing how this wine will continue to develop.
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A delicious wine, perfect for Christmas dinner. As dark a purple as one could imagine, nearly black. Aromas are concentrated yet very precise: black cherries, cassis, toffee. Sweet and rich on the palate, endless length. My only real criticism is that the wine is a bit blurred by the richness that makes it so soft and approachable; I prefer a more sculpted, delineated style of cabernet. But Vecina, among the Bond lineup, isn't as terroir-driven as some of its siblings, so one shouldn't ask for the impossible...
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A really impressive wine, with loads of smoke, licorice, dark fruit and tar. It amazes me how well the fruit and tannins complement one another. No hurry, but this is fully open for business.
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AHA Hearts Delight - USA Wine Tasting: My favorite wine of the night! Tannins 9/10 so this packs a heavy punch of tannin. At the same time this seems beautifully integrated. Cassis and dark fruit but not too much.
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Great aromas of smoke, Forrest soil and black fruit. Amazing purity and depth. After I got some air more aromas of licorice and minerals. Still needs time for the tannins to integrate. I live this wine!
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USA Cult and Wines of Interest (Sydney, Australia): Aromas that really drew me into the wine - cassis, black cherry, truffle, earth and a lovely smoky edge. The palate is breathtaking, there is immense fruit power that somehow retains its brightness and purity, making for compelling drinking. The structure here is brilliant and it finishes with sensational length. I was left awestruck by this wine and given time to age I think it will become even more magnificent.
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ruby in color. blueberry, mineral, smoke, sweet tones on the nose. black berry, blueberry, forest floor, chocolate on the palate. medium acid, medium tannins on the finish.
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11/11/2022 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red towards black; powerful nose, lots of licorice and mocca; quite strong attack, lots of depth, lots of power; Napa cab at full blast; probably taken way too young, said to be able to last for 40-50 years; this one - at 14 years - seem too underdeveloped; wish I had another bottle to try 20 years from now
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10/29/2022 - DrZett wrote: 94 Points
Lots of ripe dark berries, some tobacco, tar, licorice and smoky cigar box. Great medium intense acidity. Tannins are integrated nicely. Very precise and clean structure. Great complexity and depth. Good balance but the alcohol is a little too dominant. Amazing long and elegant finish. Drink now until 2028. (IG)
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10/24/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
30 minute slow ox. Massive wine that needs more time to age. Black currant, smoke and leather on the nose. The palate is concentrated, powerful and pure with flavors of black currant, cigar box and undergrowth coming through. This finishes long and satisfying but it lacks the sophistication of the best Bond’s
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10/23/2020 - Wine852 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Need at lest two hours in decanter.
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7/26/2020 - DrZett wrote: 96 Points
Lots of dark berries in the nose. Needs an hour in the decanter to open up. Dark cherries, blackcurrant, tar, salty licorice and blackberries on the palate. Full bodied with a fine acidity in the background. Concentrated, not overdone, very complex. You don’t feel the high alcohol level. Tannins are present but already nicely integrated. Feels quite young, no tertiary notes yet. Great overall balance. Finish is long. Beautiful wine with at least another decade ahead. I’ll try my next bottle in five years.
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5/23/2020 - eschuldt wrote: 94 Points
Took a while to open up but after 3 hrs became nicer balanced. Delicious dark fruits, well integrated tannin.
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9/15/2019 - Bcw1989 wrote: 97 Points
Fantastic Bottle of wine. Drank at APL Steak House, Hollywood, California. Perfect pairing for a filet!
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7/13/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 91 Points
Quite tannic. Blackberry and blueberry. Tar and licorice.
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1/18/2019 - msuwine wrote: 96 Points
This ripe and balanced wine is absolutely stunning right now; with ripe fruit, earthy foundation, savory undertone, round mouthfeel, and bright acidity, it really has it all. At this age, many big Napa Cabernets start to show a bulge a bit at the seams, especially with baked or plummy fruit. Although it is obviously ripe, this wine has taken its age in stride, with energy and class.
Dark cherry in color and full in body, the wine offers compelling aromas of blackberry, gravel, fresh herbs, and cedar. The tastes are integrated but still fresh: blueberry, black licorice, leather, and graphite, with a seamless and lingering finish. 14.5% alcohol. Drink now or in next 3-5 years. Decant at least an hour. I know these Bond wines are nutty expensive, but they also also really good.
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6/30/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Noticeable heat at first. It blew off a bit as the evening progressed but remained in the foreground. The wine has massive legs which stick to the glass like glue. The fruit is intense with nice complex blackberry and tobacco flavors.
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1/10/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winorama: A winter in Wineland II; 1/6/2018-1/14/2018 (Portland, Eureka, Napa): Tasted at the winery from a 375. Blueberry and fig and a lot of structure. The kindof wine that is built to age. The finish was a touch quicker for me and I wasn't convinced this wasn't a bit more shut down than some of its peers (although not a common perception at the table where the other two thought it was showing as one of the top ones).
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11/22/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 95 Points
SLDS November 2017: Licorice, blueberry, smoke, cherry and redcurrant on the nose. The palate is powerful but seamless, beautifully composed fruit with sweetness but plenty of texture and depth. Superb length, this is really delicious.
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11/4/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Pnp. Massive oak, licorice, plums, dark fruit on the nose and palate. Very deep and long. A massive monster. Good potential. It probably needs a 6-7 hours of decanting if you consume it now.
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5/13/2017 - B Paul wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and followed over 3-4 hours. Even after several hours in the decanter this was pretty closed and tannic. All of the components seem to be there, but I'd hold for now and hope that it comes out of its shell in a few years. 91-92+
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3/19/2017 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
perhaps the most balanced of the 4 new worlds sampled with our steak entrée, this had plenty of licorice and smoke to balance the plum and berry notes. Of course, very deep and intense.
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10/3/2015 - andrewdl Likes this wine: 94 Points
A two hour decant did not even touch this. Don't drink for at least 5 years.
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2/28/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Saturday Night Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine)): Impressive but ultimately a couple of nits. This is rather big on the nose bursting with dark fruits, sweet and bitter. On the palate, there is a mild but noticeable green or herbal note. Not off putting but its there. The fruit is dense on the palate but this lacked a bit of acidity to balance it out. Seemed like the fruit dominated without enough structure. This clearly has the pedigree and these Bond wines can be absolutely terrific. That said, again, there are too many nits for a wine with this price tag.
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11/6/2014 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Harlan dinner
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3/8/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. This wine is big in every way. Lots of dark fruit, licorice, leather, and a nice minerality followed by big firm tannins. The tannins help balance out the fruit which makes it surprisingly approachable. Looking forward to seeing how this wine will continue to develop.
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12/25/2013 - KPB wrote: 95 Points
A delicious wine, perfect for Christmas dinner. As dark a purple as one could imagine, nearly black. Aromas are concentrated yet very precise: black cherries, cassis, toffee. Sweet and rich on the palate, endless length. My only real criticism is that the wine is a bit blurred by the richness that makes it so soft and approachable; I prefer a more sculpted, delineated style of cabernet. But Vecina, among the Bond lineup, isn't as terroir-driven as some of its siblings, so one shouldn't ask for the impossible...
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8/24/2013 - andrewdl wrote: 95 Points
Banging juice! Ready to go.
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8/7/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
A really impressive wine, with loads of smoke, licorice, dark fruit and tar. It amazes me how well the fruit and tannins complement one another. No hurry, but this is fully open for business.
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5/1/2013 - cab blends Likes this wine: 98 Points
AHA Hearts Delight - USA Wine Tasting: My favorite wine of the night! Tannins 9/10 so this packs a heavy punch of tannin. At the same time this seems beautifully integrated. Cassis and dark fruit but not too much.
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4/7/2013 - Lutz wrote: 96 Points
Great aromas of smoke, Forrest soil and black fruit. Amazing purity and depth. After I got some air more aromas of licorice and minerals. Still needs time for the tannins to integrate. I live this wine!
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3/14/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 96 Points
USA Cult and Wines of Interest (Sydney, Australia): Aromas that really drew me into the wine - cassis, black cherry, truffle, earth and a lovely smoky edge. The palate is breathtaking, there is immense fruit power that somehow retains its brightness and purity, making for compelling drinking. The structure here is brilliant and it finishes with sensational length. I was left awestruck by this wine and given time to age I think it will become even more magnificent.
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12/1/2012 - affordableCollector Likes this wine: 89 Points
ruby in color. blueberry, mineral, smoke, sweet tones on the nose. black berry, blueberry, forest floor, chocolate on the palate. medium acid, medium tannins on the finish.
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4/8/2011 - rdrunner wrote: 96 Points
Founders room Bond tasting with friends. Tasted - St Eden,Melbury,Pluribus,Quella,Vencina , Matriarch. All fantastic !
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