Definitely past maturity and a bit short on the palate, but still enjoyable. Some mustiness from the old age, yet still opens up with taste of cedar chips, wet rocks and dark chocolate., I still have 10 more bottles left, so need to get into them ASAP.
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Another forgotten pooch from my cellar. I wasn't expecting much based on the prior review, but I was surprised to find fruit and balance. This was a thoroughly enjoyable bottle of wine to enjoy to watch the sun set with some double creme brie.
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Very good, nose of plum and vanilla, mouth is very creamy, opened up nicely and has aged well it has great balance and light tannins and a great finish!
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Nice creamy Cab, very approachable, but you would expect that after nine years. This is a complex wine and has aged very well. Flavors of blackberry, coffee, plum, vanilla, cherries, and oak. This is a wonderful Cabernet that is worth seeking out. Super steak wine, well integrated and well tamed tannins that easily cut through the charcoal flavors and fat. Great finish!
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Mature fruits with currents and blackberries which moves into smoky cedar and oak on the finish. Medium to full bodied, the tannins have largely resolved and this is now a nice compliment (and not competition) to a meal. However, it is slightly past it's peak and moving into the afterlife of wines....drink up!
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Had this in a vertical with the 1995, 1997, 2001 with grilled Rib-eye. The wines breathed for about one hour, in retrospect I should have opened them in the morning and had them breath all day!
The 1995 the favorite on the first night, thou as the evening passed it seemed to fade in comparison to the 1997 and 2001. In retrospective, I think the 1997 and 2001 were just starting to open up. Now tasting the wines again 5 days later (stored in refrigerator)....amazing all the wines are still drinkable after being opened five days.
The 1995 is the most washed out.
The 1997 is drinking well. It has the most sediment of the three. I think I missed its peak...sometime on day two would be my guess. Was a wonderful Cab the first night, but needed more air. On day five it has been enjoyable over the last two hours....but I have to wonder what it was like on 5 July!
The 2001 was the second place wine on the first night...particularly as the evening wore on. Tonight it is the best...very nice sipping Cab. Body is lighter than the first night but it still very nice on the palate. The nose is on the light side.
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90-91. I would drink up seems to have the slightest bit of taint to it, but it is also decadent and complex with some ripe fruit offset by really interesting earthy olives and smoky complexity. if it didn't have any taint, it would be 91ish or 91+.
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Agree that it's on the far side of it's drinking window. But if you want to know what a mature well made Sonoma Cab tastes like... This is still very nice.
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Mature fruits with currents and blackberries that is replaced by smoky cedar and oak on the finish. Medium to full bodied, the tannins have largely resolved and this is now a nice compliment (and not competition) to a full flavored meal.
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Wine is a deep garnett color with aromas of black fruit, predominently black currant. On the palate a medium-full bodied wine tasting of black currant with a hint of anise. Tannins are fully integrated and almost non-existant. After 90 minutes in the decanter tasted of raisins on the mid palate. This tasted like it was just past it's prime....if you have any drink up!!!
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Not up to previous bottles. Still quite tasty, but slight bricking and a bit of raisiny age tells me that the one more in the cellar needs to be consumed. I think I gave this 91 or 92 in its prime but 89 is about where it's at now. Fruit has dulled and there seems to be less depth and complexity.
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WOW. Decadent from the first sip. I cooled this down a bit before popping & pouring. This tastes just as good whether paired with grilled rib-eye or by itself. Notes consistent with other bottles. Sadly this is my last bottle, & with the current economy I'm not in the market for more. (92-93)
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very consistent. Not aging much in the bottle, but should still hold up well for a few more years if you have any. I drank my last bottle. Please see prior reviews.
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Had to drink this bottle as I dropped it while filling a new cellar! Drinking perfectly now, nice mellow tannins, good rich full body, long silky finish.
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this wine remains an exceptional value. Well integrated and balanced tannins and medium fruit with a good finish. Very american, no pretension. Little to no wood on the palate.
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One of CA most underappreciated value Cabernets. Great fruit all wrapped in that dusty Sonoma tannin. Consumed about half of this magnum one night & the wine was even better a few nights later. Decant for maximum enjoyment.
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Opened up in 20 minutes, a super impressive red. I notice something different every time I open a new bottle. An addicting scorched earth nose, with ripe fruit aromas. It's balanced in the mouth with great complexity & a lingering finish on the tongue. Went great with the smorgasbord while watching playoff football.
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Very good we had this after the Joseph Phelps. The Cohn opened up nicely which was good because it was only in the decanter for 10 minutes. This bottle did not drink as well as the Phelps but it had a good balanced and light tannins
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Wow, this has definitely improved with age. After decanting for nearly 40 minutes the nose smelled of new leather, with black fruit in the background & just a whiff of oak. Beautiful purple color, almost black in the glass. Powerful, yet silky & balanced in the mouth. Strong enough to handle 60% dark chocolate, but far from a fruit bomb. Classic cabernet that will drink well for years to come.
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This wine is what a good to very good cali cab is supposed to be. Opened up nicely in the glass after about 20 min. No need to decant or wait, no b.s.. This bottle lliterally disappeared. (Reached for a Joseph Phelps next, wow what a disapointment in comparison--no not the Insignia.) Balanced fruit and oak, light tannins keep the palate approachable and of medium complexity and very drinkable, which is what I'm looking for when I'm not taking a deep dive into the cults or the bank vault of Bordeaux.
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5+15+15+5 Loved this dark red. I decanted for six hours. When I first opened the bottle it had only oak on the nose, however, upon hour five a scorched earth scent deveoped that was hard to resist. I found myself sniffing instead of drinking. Very balanced, explosion of flavors in the mouth with a fantastic finish. Upon hour seven the nose changed to a typical cab fruity scent. This wine should remain at its' peak until at least 2012. I'm buying more! 90+
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Opened and poured into a decanter for sediment, none was present, and aerated for 45 minutes. Deep dark purple, nose of dark berries. Blackberry, a little acidic on the palate, nice amount of tannins, 20 second finish. All in all a good full bodied Cab that is drinking well now but probably has another 5-7 years before it starts to fade. At $40 per bottle not a bad QPR.
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(at Hyde Park – Columbus) - no formal notes. Deep garnet, but not opaque. Lovely cassis nose with excellent ripeness and a nice frame of cedar. The nose is not un-Bordeaux-like. Ripe, yet understated and well balanced. There is generous fruit and a lovely, seamless mouthfeel. Smooth, but not boring. I actually quite like this. A nice surprise. (16.5)
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2/21/2021 - pwm wrote:
Drank this very late. Good with rich beef stew. Not very good alone or even with bread and butter. To be fair, I don’t much like pure cabs.
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11/29/2020 - Cellartracker@drkayem.com Likes this wine: 87 Points
Definitely past maturity and a bit short on the palate, but still enjoyable. Some mustiness from the old age, yet still opens up with taste of cedar chips, wet rocks and dark chocolate., I still have 10 more bottles left, so need to get into them ASAP.
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1/2/2018 - booksmiths Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another forgotten pooch from my cellar. I wasn't expecting much based on the prior review, but I was surprised to find fruit and balance. This was a thoroughly enjoyable bottle of wine to enjoy to watch the sun set with some double creme brie.
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1/19/2013 - Dngrzn12 wrote: 85 Points
Past prime but still some great tannins left.
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12/17/2011 - gajalaa wrote: 90 Points
Very good, nose of plum and vanilla, mouth is very creamy, opened up nicely and has aged well it has great balance and light tannins and a great finish!
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1/8/2011 - wmccone54 wrote: 93 Points
Nice creamy Cab, very approachable, but you would expect that after nine years. This is a complex wine and has aged very well. Flavors of blackberry, coffee, plum, vanilla, cherries, and oak. This is a wonderful Cabernet that is worth seeking out. Super steak wine, well integrated and well tamed tannins that easily cut through the charcoal flavors and fat. Great finish!
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12/30/2010 - unrelenting wrote: 89 Points
drink yesterday
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10/9/2010 - DA Wines wrote: 91 Points
Mature fruits with currents and blackberries which moves into smoky cedar and oak on the finish. Medium to full bodied, the tannins have largely resolved and this is now a nice compliment (and not competition) to a meal. However, it is slightly past it's peak and moving into the afterlife of wines....drink up!
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7/8/2010 - blaiseiii wrote: 92 Points
Had this in a vertical with the 1995, 1997, 2001 with grilled Rib-eye. The wines breathed for about one hour, in retrospect I should have opened them in the morning and had them breath all day!
The 1995 the favorite on the first night, thou as the evening passed it seemed to fade in comparison to the 1997 and 2001. In retrospective, I think the 1997 and 2001 were just starting to open up. Now tasting the wines again 5 days later (stored in refrigerator)....amazing all the wines are still drinkable after being opened five days.
The 1995 is the most washed out.
The 1997 is drinking well. It has the most sediment of the three. I think I missed its peak...sometime on day two would be my guess. Was a wonderful Cab the first night, but needed more air. On day five it has been enjoyable over the last two hours....but I have to wonder what it was like on 5 July!
The 2001 was the second place wine on the first night...particularly as the evening wore on. Tonight it is the best...very nice sipping Cab. Body is lighter than the first night but it still very nice on the palate. The nose is on the light side.
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5/23/2010 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
90-91. I would drink up seems to have the slightest bit of taint to it, but it is also decadent and complex with some ripe fruit offset by really interesting earthy olives and smoky complexity. if it didn't have any taint, it would be 91ish or 91+.
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1/22/2010 - krmcgrath wrote: 91 Points
Agree that it's on the far side of it's drinking window. But if you want to know what a mature well made Sonoma Cab tastes like... This is still very nice.
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9/5/2009 - krmcgrath wrote: 91 Points
Mature fruits with currents and blackberries that is replaced by smoky cedar and oak on the finish. Medium to full bodied, the tannins have largely resolved and this is now a nice compliment (and not competition) to a full flavored meal.
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8/7/2009 - Istaples wrote: 90 Points
Wine is a deep garnett color with aromas of black fruit, predominently black currant. On the palate a medium-full bodied wine tasting of black currant with a hint of anise. Tannins are fully integrated and almost non-existant. After 90 minutes in the decanter tasted of raisins on the mid palate. This tasted like it was just past it's prime....if you have any drink up!!!
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7/27/2009 - grapist wrote:
Not up to previous bottles. Still quite tasty, but slight bricking and a bit of raisiny age tells me that the one more in the cellar needs to be consumed. I think I gave this 91 or 92 in its prime but 89 is about where it's at now. Fruit has dulled and there seems to be less depth and complexity.
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7/15/2009 - Hollowleg wrote: 92 Points
WOW. Decadent from the first sip.
I cooled this down a bit before popping & pouring.
This tastes just as good whether paired with grilled rib-eye or by itself.
Notes consistent with other bottles.
Sadly this is my last bottle, & with the current economy I'm not in the market for more.
(92-93)
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7/12/2009 - incident wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby red. Medium aromas of red fruits, plum, smoke, flowers, herbs. Medium acid, medium tannin. Flavors match aromas. Well done. Drink or hold.
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7/5/2009 - jcoughlon wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Eakes in backyard, second to last bottle, will definitely kill the other this year.
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1/31/2009 - TuckerTini wrote: 90 Points
very consistent. Not aging much in the bottle, but should still hold up well for a few more years if you have any. I drank my last bottle. Please see prior reviews.
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1/6/2009 - nwsidewino wrote: 90 Points
Had to drink this bottle as I dropped it while filling a new cellar!
Drinking perfectly now, nice mellow tannins, good rich full body, long silky finish.
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12/27/2008 - TuckerTini wrote: 92 Points
this wine remains an exceptional value. Well integrated and balanced tannins and medium fruit with a good finish. Very american, no pretension. Little to no wood on the palate.
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8/31/2008 - Hollowleg wrote: 93 Points
Still super impressive. see previous notes
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8/20/2008 - ed-d wrote: 93 Points
One of CA most underappreciated value Cabernets. Great fruit all wrapped in that dusty Sonoma tannin. Consumed about half of this magnum one night & the wine was even better a few nights later. Decant for maximum enjoyment.
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6/3/2008 - Eck wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed it, good effort from Sonoma Valley.
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5/28/2008 - hiltondg wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding Sonoma red at or near its peak. Pop and pour.
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1/12/2008 - Hollowleg wrote: 93 Points
Opened up in 20 minutes, a super impressive red. I notice something different every time I open a new bottle.
An addicting scorched earth nose, with ripe fruit aromas. It's balanced in the mouth with great complexity & a lingering finish on the tongue.
Went great with the smorgasbord while watching playoff football.
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1/5/2008 - gajalaa wrote: 91 Points
Very good we had this after the Joseph Phelps. The Cohn opened up nicely which was good because it was only in the decanter for 10 minutes. This bottle did not drink as well as the Phelps but it had a good balanced and light tannins
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10/8/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this has definitely improved with age.
After decanting for nearly 40 minutes the nose smelled of new leather, with black fruit in the background & just a whiff of oak.
Beautiful purple color, almost black in the glass.
Powerful, yet silky & balanced in the mouth. Strong enough to handle 60% dark chocolate, but far from a fruit bomb.
Classic cabernet that will drink well for years to come.
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7/26/2007 - TuckerTini wrote: 92 Points
This wine is what a good to very good cali cab is supposed to be. Opened up nicely in the glass after about 20 min. No need to decant or wait, no b.s.. This bottle lliterally disappeared. (Reached for a Joseph Phelps next, wow what a disapointment in comparison--no not the Insignia.) Balanced fruit and oak, light tannins keep the palate approachable and of medium complexity and very drinkable, which is what I'm looking for when I'm not taking a deep dive into the cults or the bank vault of Bordeaux.
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3/16/2007 - Hollowleg wrote:
No different from the last bottle. Consistently outstanding.
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2/28/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 90 Points
5+15+15+5 Loved this dark red. I decanted for six hours. When I first opened the bottle it had only oak on the nose, however, upon hour five a scorched earth scent deveoped that was hard to resist. I found myself sniffing instead of drinking. Very balanced, explosion of flavors in the mouth with a fantastic finish. Upon hour seven the nose changed to a typical cab fruity scent. This wine should remain at its' peak until at least 2012. I'm buying more! 90+
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6/30/2006 - Seanr7 wrote: 89 Points
Opened and poured into a decanter for sediment, none was present, and aerated for 45 minutes. Deep dark purple, nose of dark berries. Blackberry, a little acidic on the palate, nice amount of tannins, 20 second finish. All in all a good full bodied Cab that is drinking well now but probably has another 5-7 years before it starts to fade. At $40 per bottle not a bad QPR.
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2/13/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
(at Hyde Park – Columbus) - no formal notes. Deep garnet, but not opaque. Lovely cassis nose with excellent ripeness and a nice frame of cedar. The nose is not un-Bordeaux-like. Ripe, yet understated and well balanced. There is generous fruit and a lovely, seamless mouthfeel. Smooth, but not boring. I actually quite like this. A nice surprise. (16.5)
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11/3/2005 - Myownscale wrote: 83 Points
Nose:
Smokey, burnt popcorn, cedar
Palate:
Dark Fruits, Tannic, astringent, lots of wood, burnt popcorn, short finish
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11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Deep red coffee color. Rich concentrated glycerin. Really nice big fruit with balance. 11/04
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