Held up well for a 22 year old. Decanted for an hour and it opened up nicely, rebottled the second half and enjoyed from the bottle on day two. Color is still deep purple, no brick it. Purple fruit and some cedar/cigar box on the nose. Soft fruit on the mid-palate. Medium finish with smooth but present tannins. Held up well… but it may be on its way back down… “if you got’em, smoke’em”
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Oh my. I’m blown away by this - and from a half-bottle to boot!
Credit to Michigan Mostberg, whose note below nailed it simply and perfectly - and my note will therefore seem almost identical. Plagiarism alert!
For a 20 year old wine from a half bottle to be this dark, and rich is wonderful. Dark, ruby in color, all the way to the edges. Cedar, cigar box and dark cherry nose.
Yes again to the perfect secondary medium dark fruit, slightly spicy and grippy finish. And yes, it’s in an incredible place right now, surely drinking at its best for the next few years. What a treat!
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Beautiful dense, ruby color. Cedary, cigar box and dark cherry nose. Perfect secondary medium dark fruit, slightly spicy and grippy finish. In a great spot right now, imagine it wiil remain here for 3-5 yrs. Really a pleasant surprise!
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Delicious and in it's drinking window. Poured this at the in-laws for Father's Day dinner where they served with beef tenderloin. Decanted for about an hour and it paired beautifully. The tannins are smooth, good acidity, the oak has integrated well, and there's still plenty of dark fruit here along with leather and forest floor. What a pleasure this was and well worth the wait. When opening aged wine, one always wonders am I opening it too late? Or too early? I feel we got this one spot on. There's lots of life here still, but tertiary characteristics will likely become more pronounced over the next couple of years.
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I am blown away as to how well this wine has aged. It is still dark and brooding with a ton of fruit. A mature and Napa Cab to be sure, but easily has 5 to 7 more fabulous years to go before the secondary fruit takes over.
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Still a beast and long life ahead. Very intense aromas, enjoyable tertiary notes, touch too much alcohol feel to my liking, which cost it a couple of points. Happy to have tried but will probably try another vintage next before trying another bottle of the 2002!
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At age 20, this wine is drinking like it is more like age ten. Cassis, tilled soil and new leather create a classic Napa Valley Cabernet. Nice aromatics. This wine has at ten years ahead of it. I am always amazed at how great this wine is year after year even with the changes in the winemaker. Great juice.
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I let this wine sit a full day after realizing it wasn’t nearly ready to drink an hour after opening. On day two the earthy and musk notes revealed themselves; a pleasant surprise from my initial glass on day one. The tannins softened a lot and balanced nicely with the acidity. The finish is average, but overall this wine is drinking well at the moment.
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In spite of pristine storage for the life of the bottle, the cork was too dry and fell apart during extraction. A bit of sediment in the bottle. Decanted one hour before pairing with ribeye steaks. A little subdued at first but began to develop further about 90+ minutes after decanting. All of the classic Napa cab notes are there, but overall it didn't hold up to some of the other reserve vintages. Nothing wrong, its good - just not as good as it probably should be considering the price tag that has likely come with it. Drink now or hold.
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Ruby red to deep Garnet. Cassis, plum, blackberry with just a hint of eucalyptus on the beautiful nose. Medium body. Soft tannins at this point balanced by the acidity. It’s aged very nicely. Long finish.
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Decanted briefly and drank over 2 days. An intense, fruity nose full of bramble berry, black currant and black cherry with a light leathery touch and a bit of wet earth giving away some age. Overall still an incredibly youthful appearance. Green fresh herbs, not quite mint but that direction l would say, round off the picture. Lacking harmony on the palate though with a - for want of a better expression - somehow disjointed texture. Tannin mostly smooth while still building structure, though overshadowed by quite sharp acidity. This was my last bottle unfortunately, would love to check back in in 5 or 10 years' time.
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Deep garnet red with ruby hues. Well rounded nose with black currants, leather, spiced herbs, and plums. Medium tannins (6/10) with a medium plus body. Lush and aged palate with dark berries, cigar boxes, earth and spices. Long finish. Drink till 2027.
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The real deal and middle of the fairway for traditional cab lovers. Big, fruity, juicy but with the underlying structure to back it up. A little monolithic after a while keeps the score down, but big boy stuff and deserving of premium pricing.
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This was an awesome bottle of cab that is still singing (probably at its peak). It had great fruit, layers of flavors and dense mouthfeel. Good backbone of tannin and acid kept the finish lively and long. Lots of earthiness, charcoal, chocolate, tobacco notes throughout. Loved it.
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Dark ruby with slight bricking on the edges. Expressive nose shows cassis, dark red berries, graphite, tobacco and hint of forest floor. Superb and silky palate shows mix of sweet dark berries with cocoa, smoke, medium (-) acidity, melting tannins and a long tobacco and wood perfumed finish. Wonderful.
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14.2% abv. Lighter crimson garnet color, clear. Expressive nose of tart red cherry, macerated red fruit, eucalyptus, leaf tobacco and beef pan drippings. Viscous and leggy in glass, red staining of tears. In mouth pleasant aged blue berries, cassis mint and soy sauce. Finishes long with structure, tannins still very present but carry the wine vs block it. A classic aged Napa cab.
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Christmas Eve with Family (St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Drank 1+ glass over 2 hours and finished it off the next night. This was good to begin with and it was better after an hour, but it was a different wine after 24 hours open. Cassis, rose hips, graphite, and blackberry on the nose. The palate is cassis, blackberry liqueur, scorched earth, higher toned, plum and fig. Showing some intensity and a little heat the first night. Tonight this is right in the zone; a beautifully styled cab with no edges and no heat with perfect texture and very plush tannins. The fruit is pure and even, the port-like qualities are gone. Really in strided tonight, this suggests a little more cellar time, maybe a year or two more and this should be at peak. 91+ to 92 day 1, 93pts Day2.
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Still a very deeply coloured pomegranate plum cross with no real bricking or even garnet tones. Nose is soft black currant, fresh mint, pencil shavings, light tar and mesquite charcoal. Quite minty in fact. Very fresh and elegant nose for a 17 year old wine! The palate is full bodied, quite smooth, dry and still has some gritty tannins. Slightly high alcohol but not at all hot. The flavours are red plum, crushed black currant, cedar, chalk, leather and black tea. Comes across as way more rustic on the palate than on the nose and in that sense a bit dichotic. Slight sour cherry note on the finish. Quite interesting.
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I rated this wine fairly high because I have had it before and it was really good. I waited too long to try my last bottle. Cork disintegrated and the wine is past its prime. My bad. Won't do that again.
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A very nice bottle with a deep, earthy nose. Fresh, mInty, basil notes akin to Martha’s Vineyard mint, boysenberry, earthy savory notes that belie the age of the wine. Very fine, drink any time.
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Fully mature. Sweet Portwine notes. Alcohol very present. Too modern and sweet. Unbalanced. Poor bottle as I have liked this wine better in the past. 89/100
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Powerful wine, full of red currants, blackberry, and pencil lead flavors. Strong oak dominates mid=palette, followed by a long silky finish of more spicy fruit and oak flavors. Good wine, a bit oaky for my tastes, needs food like charred steak. Drink now through 2022.
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Much better than the last time I tasted this wine in 2009. The slightly bitter tannins have pretty much resolved leaving a rich, mostly secondary flavor profile with very good acidity and balance. This has become an excellent wine that begs for a big steak to hit its stride
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PnP, tasted over 4 hours. Cork broke in half, but overall in good shape. Much better bottle than bottle tasted in 2017. Ready to drink. Acidity, color, tannins all good, however a little hot. Some oak, but probably not what reviews below indicate. Bigger fruit, but less than typical Napa cab. Should go at least another 5 years. 93
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This was excellent. Mature cab, in a good spot where primary and secondary characteristics are still present and tertiary notes are emerging. Slightly more old Napa than new Napa (which is a plus for my palate). At least this particular bottle, that is. While somewhat ripe and big, this is balanced with reasonable acidity and minerality. All of the usual in Napa cabs with somewhat prominent fruit, plus delicious tobacco, cedar box, and touches of earthiness and minerality. Paired great with steak bavette with bitter greens and potato fondant.
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It is unlike me to hand out high scores, but this was sensational. Right in between it's primary and secondary phases and was perfectly balanced between both. At this age there is bottle variance and I feel blessed to have opened a near-perfect bottle of this vintage. Could definitely go another decade, but is right where I most prefer for a Napa Cab. (we started with an 84 of the same wine - also great, but secondary and nearing the end)
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Some Fine Older Bordeaux and Cabs (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): And now for something completely different - as they say on Monty Python, or maybe, one of these things is not like the other. This was the last red of the night and a totally different style than anything else we'd had. Very big, lots of oak, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, vanilla, sweet and port like. This certainly has a big and extracted style with very ripe fruit - I'm sure the vintage didn't help here - though I think for what it is, it's still good. It doesn't work well after what we've had and there's no doubt this isn't what this group prefers to drink - but there's a lot of people who will love this. It will be interesting to see how this shows with some more age. I am at least curious.
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Others will love this wine but its too ripe, too oaked and too much Alc for me. I'll take pre 2000 CA Cabs from Mondavi, Dunn, Arrowwood and others, any day. For modern CA Cabs I default to Smith Madrone and Mount Eden. Love Corison's wines today but, pricy. Beringer like so many modern producers is way too heavy handed these days. Probably the influence of the Napa point chase.
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Wow...no bad cellaring, heat or bad corks here. Excellent expression of well make CaliCab with some years to go. Blind tasted after a 3 hour decant and there were no surprises. And no hurry to drink up either. Very nice.
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Second of two bottles purchased about ten years ago, and with no idea as to provenance before that. The first bottle, recently, was somewhat oxidized and not very good, so I thought it best to drink up. This bottle was much, much better, while perhaps still showing just a hint of oxidation. Cork was problematic and broke into pieces as well. Regardless, this was actually a lovely bottle of California cabernet, and I suspect properly stored bottles will have plenty of life left. Rich and dense but with enough lift to keep it fresh. Very nice wine.
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Wow, just wow. I sadly drink loads bad wine...Thailand Tax. So to bring on of my kids to BKK and open up after a long rest in the cellar is a treat. Color is perfect, nearly no signs of age.
P&P, just amazing Blueberry compost creme on the nose, some secondary swirls buried, making the nose complex right out the bottle.
The mouthfeel...glycerin, weight, velvet on the palate, tons of red blue fruit on the palate, then loads dried herbs, bit rustic, then an acid wash, fruit, charred barrel. So much going on after opening. This bottle can go another 15 easy.
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In a great place right now. You should probably look to drink in the next year or two. Tasted with the 2001, which was also in peak condition. Excellent wine.
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Cork came out easy and clean. Took a quick taste and it was perfect. Did not need to breathe a second. Put the cork back in and served 3 hrs later. Fresh and full fruit. Fully integrated--no remaining bitter tannins. Deep red, no brown color yet. Went thru all 6L at dinner (lamb in a cumin yogurt sauce). Drink now or for several years. Exceeded expectations.
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This bottle was in excellent condition; cork was perfect. Quite youthful looking, only a tiny bit of bricking in the rim. We opened and let slow ox for 2.5 hrs, and then drank over 2 more hrs. Surprisingly good ( I feared it may be over the hill, but it definitely was not). Classic cab, albeit more youthful than expected - visually, on the nose, and on the palate. Cassis and blackberries, just a touch of vanillin and spices, well integrated and very fine grained tannins. Good balance. Delicious palate and mouthfeel. Paired beautifully with a t-bone steak. Will revisit in 2-3 more yrs. Maybe more tertiary notes will emerge?
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This bottle was in good condition, cork was pristine and came out easy. Very disjointed at first, the wine came together nicely with a short decant. Nose was fairly subtle, some red fruits and oak spice, the palate showing mostly cherry and cassis with some blackberries. Oak spice emerges on the finish with completely integrated tannins that come across slightly dry. Went well with smoked braised short ribs. Mature, the wine is ready to go and should hold for another 5 years or so, although I don't see this wine going past 20 years of age for best enjoyment.
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Was a little worried when I opened this as a little had seeped out of the cork. Others think this is past its peak. I think it's at it's peak. Smooth tannins. Good fruit and a long finish. Color dark red, no brown as I see in other old bottles. Nice legs.
Hurry or don't hurry to finish, it should be good for a couple more years and is quite good now.
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Nice round cab. It does seem to be fading as others have said . Not quite as good as other vintages I have had but still a tasty cab. Drink up. Unlikely to get any better.
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Agree with those that this is on its way down. Fruits are fading. Still a nice drinkable wine, I think it was better a couple of years ago. Was starting to dry out.
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Colors are youthful purple garnet, deeply colored and opaque. Aromas are red berries, cherries, graphite, earth, tea, and currants. The tastes are sweet cherries, sweet pepper, tea, soy, and dry leaves. The tannins are satin like and this wine is drinking very well right now.
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Drinking beautifully. Super smooth tannins and notes of black cherry, spice box, and blackberry. Extremely pleasant and long finish. My lone bottle of this vintage. Running vertical of this has been broken a few times the past year to try some of those that are near or at peak. I think this has another five easily but in my opinion no need to wait and doubt it gets any better. Highly recommended.
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Decanted for 1h. The cork wasn't in great shape but I filtered it into the decanter - all is well. On the nose, sandal wood, berries, a touch of flint. Very expressive, extracted black fruit on the palate, with smooth tannins on the finish. Medium bodied CA cab at its finest. Tonight with linguini and pesto.
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This wine is in its prime and has lots of life to go. Deep concentrated dark fruits, hints of chocolate, cassis, minerals, undertone of bramble. Silky integrated tannins, great structure, elegant.
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Well balanced Cabernet with layers of fruit and structure. This wine was decanted for one hour. It is just starting to hit its stride. This wine has a long life ahead of it.
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Opened to breathe for 1h. On the nose, bell peppers and woodsy earth, but on the palate, this bursts with blackberries, bell peppers, mineral, dark chocolate, with acid and tannin on the finish. Well integrated, smooth, I dare say medium bodied for a California cab (no utensils needed).
After 2-3 hours the vegetal aromas and flavors have subsided in favor of the primary black fruit, cedar, oak, mineral, dark chocolate, and soft tannins. Still acid on the finish. Through it all, remaining a medium bodied wine, no traces of a thick powerhouse developing...
Wow this still has plenty of life yet, no rush to open my remaining bottles. Tonight with braised lamb.
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A flamboyant expression of Cabernet from Napa from a very modern vintage. This has been in my cellar since release, so I decanted it for 2 hours. Creme de cassis and more creme de cassis. Did I say creme de cassis? And oh, maybe a little chocolate, espresso, and some bitter herb on the finish. A big wine both in the front, middle, and back. Huge wine with gobs of delicious fermented Cabernet grapes. My only bottle, so I wish I had waited a few more years.
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Second Sunday Group: 2002 Napa Cabernets (Our house): Plum, dark fruit and subtle floral notes in the bouquet. Plummy dark fruit on the palate. Opens nicely in the glass, revealing red fruit, ripe plums, chocolate and cherry notes. Tannins are quite soft; flavors of vanilla and red fruit with a long, balanced finish.
My #3, Domino's #3 Group #3, 44 pts
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I agree that this is at the top, but it's overrated. I've never been blown away by this wine and I have had the early 90's, '91-'95. Compared say to Mondavi reserve, no contest. 90/91
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My second and last bottle - like others have noted, this is in a good place right now. It was not quite as big and concentrated as I had anticipated, but it was certainly still drinking well. The nose featured cedar, vanilla, a hint of tobacco, roasted coffee, spice, dark fruits, and with time, olive and truffle. In the mouth, the '02 offers a very smooth, silky experience, which likely would've gained weight had we gave it more air time, not to mention a longer finish (which was already quite impressive). I think this is peaking, or perhaps even passed that point, but certainly not in any sort of decline, although I'm not entirely sure how much better it'll get with more cellar time. All in all, very good, but I think I may have enjoyed this better 3.5 years ago when I opened my first bottle.
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Opened, not decanted for about 3 hours. For me, this is in a really good place right now. Deep, rich, penetrating flavors of cassis, earth, leather and tobacco with some hints of raisin or fig creeping about quietly in the backround. There's also some subtle graphite notes making an appearance. The mouthfeel is full and velvety with firmish tannins on the long, satisfying finish. Depending on how you like your cabs, I think this still has a lot of years ahead of it. I'm not typically a Cali Cab fan, but it's hard not to love this wine. It's a well made classic!
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Medium-to-dark ruby color turning transparent at the rim with a nose of warm cardamom, Napa earth, and tobacco over dark berries. The palate is full-bodied with a rich, velvety texture on a structure that's clearly built for the long haul. Flavors of black currant, cigar box, black tea, fig, toasted vanilla have formed perfectly over time to create this wonderfully-balanced and harmonious wine. Finishes long with earthy tones on round, effortless tannins. One of the best I've tasted from this winery. Drink now until 2022.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, berries, cherries and plums. Flavors of berries, plums and raspberries. medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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Garnet and violet-purple color that is slightly hazy and opaque. The aromas are cherry, hints of tar, currants, and some vegetal notes. This needs air and is tight. The tastes are bing cherry, vanilla, sweet spice, menthol, and oaky notes. The tannins are smooth and velvety and the body is medium weighted.
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This wine is RIGHT at the top of the hill right now. Drank BEAUTIFULLY for Thanksgiving. Popped and bottle decanted for about 30 minutes before being served. Nice dark blackberry core with a hint of age on the nose. Poured a medium to full crimson into the glass. Bouquet was magnified while in the glass. Very dark, thick, full. The entry of this wine is ridiculous. Zero acidity, dark blackberry core with age. OPULENT....and I mean OP-U-LENT!!!!! The wine was blackberry, cassis, flint, herbal, floral, all swirling around a perfectly aged blackberry core. The mid-palate actually got much more youthful after 3 hours of slowly sharing this one. The finish has QUITE a bit of tannicity. Tannin are very stiff on this one. I think that this one still has 15 years left at least with proper aging. A treat for sure, and thanks to the qualities of this wine, it went perfectly with cranberries, sweet potato mashed potatoes, turkey, broccoli casserole AND pumpkin pie. Private reserve again for the win! I think the 2008-2021 drink date windows are very accurate.
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Deep dark center, dark red rim with some signs of age. Sweet, dark cherries, stewed plums, black currants, a touch vegetal, creamy, kirsch. Smooth, then some tannin, sweet blueberries, dark red fruit, blackberry jam, good acid, herbs, a little iron, great length. Great Private Reserve, drinking well now.
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Somewhat typical solid to above average new world cab sauv upon open. Color showed a little more age than I expected, but not materially different. Definitely opened up over 2+ hours. Second night, it continued to open up. Solid new world CA Cab that is drinking well now but should last and improve. Not sure if it's worth the price.
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Tavolata's with Rudo and Perla. Multiple pastas including heavy anchovy/garlic spaghetti. Went well. Little disappointed in depth and complexity, but dark fruit and earth, medium tannins and light acidity and somewhat hot on the palate. Medium to long finish. All in all very good, think it will get better and hopefully other submerged flavors will surface in the future. Open another in few years.
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Pop-n-Pour, Prime Rib Dinner with friends, freak'n fantastic! Complex nose of dry Missouri forrest, tobacco, cassis, dark berries, vanilla, spices, palate is full bodied & very elegant, silky texture and tannins, nicely balanced with black fruits, tobacco, spice, this wine just demands to be sipped, savored and pondered.
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Purchased direct from winery and stored under temperature controlled conditions. Did not detect any taint or brett but this wine was virtually devoid of aromatics, fruit or detectable tannins or acidity. Perhaps my expectation of Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet to have more longevity was misplaced. I decanted for several hours and perhaps the wine's positive attributes dissipated during this process. Thus, will not rate this wine.
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Short note from memory. Quite nice and drinking well. Good depth and breadth to its dark fruit, earth and leather flavors. The tannins were still on the firmish side but this is drinking very nicely tonight with a couple of hours of air.
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pretty typical Beringer private reserve--sweet cherry with hints of plum. still in its prime, but a little bit softer more mellow elegance. not a strong finish, but nice layers of complexity.
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I served this in my wine course. Much more restrained than the Plumpjack with some secondary characteristics of leather mingled in with the smoky nose and the mocha finish. Acidity and fruit are substantially reduced, but appropriate for the age.
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Brought this from the best Cali 2002 vintage vs the the worst 2002 Italian vintage Galatrona. To me the Galatrona was better, it's mineral verve distinguished it from the plush BERINGER PR. Smooth black fruits, but not exceptional.
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A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Napa benchmark. Anise, cassis, smoked meat, bitter tannins, blackberry, and hot tar. More restrained than I had hoped but excellent.
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Dark in color. Nose of berries, mint and licorice. In the beginning almost cooked berries but this went away after around one hour. The wine still feels very young and it improved in the glass. There is still good potential in this wine. Decant for two hours or let it rest for another 3-5 yrs. Good stuff! this is the way a Napa Cab should taste.
I am not a Napa Cab fan, but damn this is good. I do like Beringer PR and this didn't disappoint. Deep, dark blackberries, mellow tannins, great nose. Not austere, but not over the top. Perfect with lamb burgers, green beans/sungold tomato/fennel/red onion/beet/Stilton salad, and roasted potatoes.
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Deep ruby color. Nose of black currant, vanilla , chocolate and black cherries. Extremely balanced and smooth. Tannins are very fine. Long finish. This wine has still potential! Wonderful to drink now but more to come in 2-3 years. After drinking the 1978 just a few weeks ago I think this wine can age easily another 20-30 years. Drink - 2030
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Saturated dark purple color with reddish hue on the edges. Very sexy aromas of sweet dark fruits - cherries, plum. There's cigar box and leather too with dark cocoa and vanilla. Softer tannins but the undercurrent of complex flavors and structure is evident. Really outstanding now and no doubt will be much better in a year or two.
A
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Father's Day with Family (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 1 hours, drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. This was still not fully open after the initial decant and slowly emerged over the next hour. Complex nose with dried earth, tobacco, cassis, dark berries, vanilla, briar, and Asian spices. The palate is full bodied and very elegant, silky texture and tannins, nicely balanced with black fruits, tobacco, spice and cedarbox. This wine just begs to be sipped and savored.
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We had this wine with David, Mark and Ann. A dinner of mixed grill. I was disappointed that it did not seem to hold its character. It was lighter than I expected for a Beringer Cab - fruit was restrained, finish not very long.
From Magnum. Had with friends at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Charlotte. PnP. First aromas of saddle leather and little barnyard that quickly blew off with air. After 15 minutes, revealed red fruits, tobacco and a little coffee both on the nose and palate. Tannins are well integrated. Good balance overall. But finish was not as long as I would have liked and as experienced by other reviewers. Absolutely no sediment in the bottle whatsoever which really surprised me. If tasting blind, I probably would have thought this was from Bordeaux vs Napa. I think this is in a good drinking window if you have any left.
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Tasted double blind. Shows young as it is still forward and rich. Quite interesting and complex. Has a nice long finish. Didn't remind of other Beringer Private Reserves and I had no idea what it was.
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Pulled this as something that has been very reliable over the years but this was not as good as the last few. Pop and pour. Maybe needed some more air.
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Aerate to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind. After having had this five or six times since release, I have to think at this point, it's better off as either a PnP or Slow-O for one hour before serviing. If you've got several in the cellar, it might be time to check in on it and see what you think. Nicely balanced, deeply fruited but the tannins in this bottle were a little weak; prolly just some variation.
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Dark intensive red. Nose of caramel, chocolate and herbs. Taste of berries, chocolate. Tannins are present but very well integrated. This wine is just wonderful. Drink now - 2025
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We drank it last night at Baco Mercat in Downtown L.A. out of the Mag. After 20 mins it opened like a liquid jewel. Ruby red, full bodied and incredibly tasty. It will go at max until 2020.
I am glad I have another mag-o!
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Dark intensive red. Nose of licorice and dark fruit. The taste is not your typical Napa Cab. Still way to youg with good potential. Put it away until 2018.
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From 1.5L. This showed beautifully. From cellar, stood bottle for 10 min. Opened and stood for 10 more min. Decanted for 15-20 min (bottle was one of the cleanest I've ever seen), then poured back into bottle to serve at friend's house. Reopened there and let stand for 45 mins, then poured directly from bottle. Beautiful ruby color, not bricking at all. Aroma was soft/feint, of saddle leather, but not really deep/rich. An incredibly pleasant drink right now. There's no rush to open this but, unclear if it will continue to evolve (there isn't a ton of nuance to this, it's pretty straight-forward well made Napa Cab)
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Nice pleasant cali cab flavour without a lot of complexity or finish. Improved alot as it aired in the decNter. Probably needs 2 hours. I enjoyed it but have had better at less than half the price.
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Popped the cork at 1p for a 7p dinner. Consistent tns. I did not enjoy this as much as the bottle from 2 years ago. It seemed to posses more toffee and black currant jam qualities than I prefer and ultimately it proved too linear for me. Seductive nose, yes, interesting beyond its dominant aromas, no. Saved a glass for night #2, hand't budged an inch. Impressive for its power and sultry nature, but not so much for its elegance and class. FWIW, this was put to shame by the 2006 Tabarrini Sagrantino di Montefalco that was served alongside it, the later possessing world class tannins and gushing acids, not to mention, very pure fruit. 14,2% abv, drink thru 2019.
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Took from cellar to a restaurant for a dinner so couldn't decant in advance, and this needed plenty of time. A big Pr.Reserve with good red fruit, some cedar, and coffee notes, but for a 10 year old, complexity was somewhat hidden. This certainly has many years left. Next time will decant early.
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My Classic Trio; 6/17/2012-6/25/2012: Drank straight from the bottle. Light dark fruit and cherry with silky strong tannins - just the way I like it. Quite beautiful, rounded and full bodied. At a peak for drinking with cheese and wine or just by itself. One of the best Napa Cabs I have had in a very long time. (I intend to take on the Caymus Special Selection last in the week to compare)
As the dinner went on, it became slightly less balanced. The sweetness came through and a hint of heat. It came down significantly towards a 92 or 93. I will try some decanted tomorrow night to try to understand this one and what happened.
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Wow!, this is drinking really well right now. The tannis are integrated and smooth, and the fruit is still vibrant. Did not decant, not sure it needs it, but have some left in the bottle to taste later. This will still last in the cellar for many years. This would go perfectly with steak au poivre.
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This was outstanding; almost perfect. Maybe it was just the fact that it followed a horribly corked '99 Lalande, but this could not have been better. Deep ruby color; pronounced nose with notes of black currant, spice box, pencil lead. Full bodied on the palate, with flavor characteristics to match the nose. Rich black fruit. Most impressively, there is an incredible length of 60-90 seconds. Perhaps we just got a bottle in the sweet spot. I know my rating is better than average for this wine, but I could not have been more impressed.
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This was my first Beringer Priv. Reserve. Was given as a gift during the Holidays this past year. We broke open for easter, following several other bottles with the main course. This was the finish, and wow did it deliver!! This had a dark purple ring, and was nearly opaque but had luster! The nose was actually subdued open first open, but slowly opened to reveal blue and blackberry fruit, with hints of dark cocoa maybe a hint of tobacco. Very rich, smooth tannins, that coat the palatte. Nice viscosity, and a very nice finish after 2 hours. I think this bottle is at a really great stage 10 years into its' life! A Votre Sante!
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decanted for approx 2hrs. soft blue/black fruits with leather, dust and some tobacco. aging faster than other 2002s? either way, really classic styled older napa cab. 92pts
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Popped and tasted - little fruit, nice nose. Decanted an hour or a bit less: Some brick at the edges of a deep red. Tight nose, needs time to open up. A bit dusty and leathery in the mouth - tannins are present and forward, but not rough. Fruit is subdued or masked. I expected more from this wine. After two hours decanted I found hints of fruit but not a lot of complexity. might be in a dumb phase or be slightly off. Parker gave it 94 pts and worte lavishly about it. I found none of what he found in the wine. Based o n this bottle I have no idea if it will improve, but I have one left, so will hold it to take a chance.
Popped and poured. With Starla, to Mike's Bacchanalia. Very similar to my previous notes. Tannin more prevalent than fruit. Hold last bottle for few more years and hope it comes around. Got 2 pours in rapid succession. No time to linger at tasting. Maybe not fair to wine.
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Delicious! I think this is now in the prime drinking window. Great nose of red fruit and a bit of cedar. The fruit is still evident, but a bit toned down with some lingering fine tannins and a nice medium to long finish. Enjoy!!!
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Medium red wtih slight brick at the edges. Decanted briefly and smelled at cellar temp: Cassis and blackfruit- no overt vanilla. Cab nose and aromas but still tight...needs to warm slightly and breathe a bit. Quick taste - All cab fruit flavors, firm but smooth tannin in the mouth and finish. After one hour breathing: Some vanilla-oak comes out in the nose, still lots of fruit. In the mouth it shows some of the oak and fruit layers; tannins well integrated and rounded out but still fairly firm. Even, balanced finish. Lacking somewhat in complexity compared to expectations. After two hours: Has opened up in the mouth some more. An old fashioned Napa cab - fruit, light earthiness, plenty of tannin and the oak. It isn't bad at all, but I would have liked some eucalyptus and a bit more minerality. This has plenty of life in it yet. Gets better as it breathes. after 3 hours still improving. This is what Calif cab shoud be, but it could be better.
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Decanted for 2+ hours. Big, bulbous and juicy. This wine was a pleasure to drink and reminds me of the difference between a good wine and a fantastic wine. The nose was fruity. While there was still some alcohol present, the black berries and black raspberries notes dominated. The nose was rounded out by cedar and gentle oak. Very well rounded. As soon as the wine hits the tongue, the fullness and complexity is evident. Berries and a hint of asparagus. While this is a dry wine, the tannins were well integrated and not as "in your face" as some younger wines. The finish is medium length. My cellar runs a little warm so this may have aged a little faster. Definitely worth a try now!
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Smokey, ripe cherries on nose. Opened up nicely over a couple of hours after opening. Ripe, with some rich plum fruits and a slight menthol note. Silky tannins on finish. A really nice bottle, drinking really well right now- at peak?
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of bell pepper, blackberry, black currant and violet. It's in total harmony and has flavours of bell pepper, blackberry, black currant and oak with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - At Arlene and Paul Rogoff's, 9/3/2011. Decanted for 4 hrs with glass stopper. Wine is at it's peak, but should continue to evolve gracefully. I'd forgotten how good BERINGER Private Reserve can be.
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P&P with Don B. aromas of grilled vegetables, fruit, leather, cedar. Big & bold in the mouth but smooth, with tannins integrating well. A bit more acidic in the mouth than I remember from the last tasting. long finish.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Initially a big nose, featuring gamey notes of dark fruits (plums and blackberry), tobacco, leather, spice, roasted herbs, and a touch of cedar (the nose closed up a bit as it sat in the glass though). Huge in the mouth; oily and thick texture, voluptuous and impressively concentrated, showing up-front fruit flavors (mostly plum), complicated by spice and licorice. The finish is long; featuring lingering spicy fruit flavors with vanilla and roasted meats. Drinking very well now, although I think it has about 5 more years of positive evolution.
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Had at a restaurant, which was a mistake since it was room temperature and they poured too much into our glasses. Had a nice nose and lots of oak and some berries, but overall, was a disappointment (especially given the price). Would have liked to have stopped after one half glass and taken the rest home with the leftovers. Lesson learned.
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Incredibly balanced and complex wine. Wonderful nose of dark berries and tobacco. A dilicious richness in the mouth, long and smooth finish. Really great right out of the bottle and continued to maintain the same level. Great start to finish.
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Voluptuous, intense floral nose, followed on the palate with deliciously concentrated dark fruits, cassis, spice and smoky undertones. Hint of chocolate. Mouth filling tannins. Long, fruity finish that wouldn't quit. (Doris - Classy. Very smooth, soft. Cherries, chocolate, cassis. Great wine. 93)
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Tasted blind alongside Phelps Insignia same vintage. This wine has the edge right now - more mature and well integrated. Very typical high quality napa cab. Delicious.
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Dark, brooding, yet bright, with cassis tinged red fruit flavors, pure and delicious. Medium weight and medium bodied, best to hold these a few more years but tasty now. Crisp. Filled out a bit with air.
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After 1 hour decant. Blue/Red Fruit. Deep, touch of mocha, licorice... really drinking well right now. Definitely will last a few more, but likely peaking. Had with leg of lamb and gorgonzola mac and cheese. Wonderful. Very glad to have another in the cellar.
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This bottle was great. It had a fabulous nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, and licorice. The taste was extremely fruit forward with tons of red fruits and a touch of vanilla. The finish, however, was what really sets this wine apart. It really cut through your palate and lasts. Man, I was super-impressed with the quality of this wine. Drink now, but will age for another 10 years.
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Mistake to pop an pour. Oak was intrusive and while this is a big wine the oak was just in the way. It did settle in after a couple of hour - or I got used to the oak. Give these a few more years to show best.
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SUBTLE....from tip of nose to finish... Fruit and acidity at first...after 30 min's....earthy, dirty, masculine, muted fruit and light spices... Theme: Subtle
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Minneapolis Wine Club: Napa Cabernet: At a recent Cab tasting of Napa this wine was the star of the show. Balanced is a great descriptor of this wine along with dust, cherry, spice and raspberry. Everything is solid and the wine possesses a medium to long finish with interesting flavors throughout. If you could get this wine at $60 which a friend did buy a few bottles for long term cellaring.
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Delicious. Consistent notes with others. Cedar, cassis, dark fruits. Opened up after an hour to reveal beautifully balanced wine. This has a great life ahead.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Does Cali Cabs (Gail's House): Dark purple red color. Great nose, lush black currants, blackberry, plum, cedar, tobacco. the palate shows a velvety mouthfeel, great depth and concentration. Very layered, elegant, fine grained tannins, long finish. This is a really nice wine. MY WOTN and group WOTN.
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Expectations are a bitch and this wine, while pretty good, just didn't quite live up to my memory of the wine from the last. Slightly translucent dark garnet in the glass. Red currant and nuances of mocha and vanilla on the nose with an annoying sour oak quality in the background. Medium-full bodied with ripe red and black currant fruit that turns a bit sour and a touch pickle barrel in the finish. Off bottle or this has lost balance over the last year or so. 92ish.
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Drank from a 1/2 bottle - not a ton on the nose; some maple a little bid of dark fruit. Still a big wine - loads of deep, dark color. Good hints of cedar. Medium to long finish. Would seem this still has a lot of life left. Enjoyable.
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Vinturi decanted for aeration 2 hrs. Once the cork is pulled: Vivid aromas leap from the bottle and can't wait for the glass - they begin to fill the room as soon as the cork is pulled. Perfumed currant, red floral, graphite, topsoil and vanilla on the nose, with most following through to the very pure full-bodied palate. This stays in bounds at all times, with silky tannins and wonderfully cool, pure fruit. Recommended, drink thru 2022+, 14,2% abv.
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Quickly approachable from the bottle with a broad, full, front to back richness and surprisingly good length. The fruit is ripe and alive with mild acidity and soft tannins. Opened beautifully after 30 mns in the glass. Drinking quite well now and probably at a peak that will last a few years. Very good - 92
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Cedar and currant nose, very reserved and not at all flamboyant. Medium weight palate, with a nice level of structure and fruit. Nice wine, but nothing truly memorable or outstanding. Could have been the setting, as an outdoor BBQ is not conducive to serious tasting.
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Lots of cedar on the nose and palate, complimented by cherry and cassis flavors, medium bodied with bright & fresh acidity; elegant and lithe tannins, wish I could have waited two more years.
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With Aaron. Dark fruit with some spice and light toast on the nose. Good concentration of fruit, balance and elegance for the PR, but lacking the elegance and clarity expected. Good to Very good QPR.
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Took to dinner, no time to decant, opened and drank after 15-20 minutes in the glass. Additional decanting would have helped greatly as the wine opened throughout dinner. Nose of dark fruit and chocolate. Dark in color, thick and very rich. Fruit forward though soft and reserved with notes of chocolate and cassis. Softer tannins with a long finish.
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Thick and dark in the glass. Massive nose of chocolate and dark fruits. The palate has a lot of weight, some mocha, smoke and a little cinnamon. Some nice fruit with moderate ripeness. Still tannic and certainly improves with air. This has legs for a long time. Very good wine.
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Decanted, still took 5 hours to open up and was still improving after 6. Big, rich mouth feel, loaded with fruit, cassis, black currants, dark choclate. Huge mid-palate with silky tannis on the finish. Will be drinking great for many years.
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I normally love this wine but this was really flawed. Nose of alcohol, shoe polish and prunes. Palate is thin and hot. Cork was perfect so my guess is that this was heat damaged somewhere along the way.
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Opened 45 min prior to drinking (did not decant). took a while to open up...finally did 2 or 3 hours later. Starting to smooth out, could use another few years.
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Nice cab, balanced. Nose was restrained. Dark red ink color. Dark fruit, cedar, even tannins, resolving into a fine finish. Very enjoyable, though not exceptional for the price. Drank from 375ml without decanting.
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is it physically possible to put more black licorce in a wine? Sexy nose of sweet oak, cassis and baking spices. Everyone thought this was an 07' vintage. I guess I keep my cooler very cold!!!!!!!
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Decanted for 2 hours. Seemed a bit closed to me, with restrained notes of dark fruit on the nose. On the palate, more dark fruit, cedar, creme de cassis and well integrated tannins. Smooth finish.
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The color denotes a well aged wine a lovely scarlett to purple. The nose is black and red fruit with a touch of loam. The taste is sweet smoothness with complexity of fruit, tannins and oak. The finish is long full of tannin. This is the best Californian cab I’ve had in while. It’s crisp, memorable and well crafted.
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Elegant and balanced, while at the same time showing good concentration. Comes across as straddling classic Napa styling and the more modern, fruit forward style. On the notes, traditional cab starting to show early signs of secondary development. On the palate, refined/balanced. More complexity than the Steinhauer also opened, but shares obvious lineage, including the slightest hint of brambles in the background. This is joined by a chocolate/cassis note I didn't notice as much with the Steinhauer.
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Incredible bouquet and palate: Exotic nose of red & black fruits, violets, and french vanilla. Deeply concentrated fruit that unwinds layer after layer coats the palate. Great earth, lively acidity and nuances of graphite make this wine very intriguing. Lengthy (50 second) sleek finish.
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Dark eggplant color, totally closed. Just a hint of fruit on the nose and palate. Structure and balance are good. Give at least 5 more years. Could warrant higher score in future
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Decanted for approximately 2 hours. Beautiful, expressive nose right out of the gate - deep, complex and powerful. The same theme continued on the palate, which was loaded with complex, dark fruity notes, a touch of cedar, beautiful purity, and no hint of alcohol. Long, powerful finish. As the wine warmed up to room temperature over the two hours that the bottle lasted, the wine improved. By the end of the night, this was one of my favorite cabernet-based wines of the year.
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Color and body show that this is just past it's prime. The drink was good, very approachable after opening the bottle. Soft with nice light fruit and earth flavors. Should hold up for another 12 to 18 months but won't get any better.
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Cabernet Smackdown (Steve T's, Vernon Hills IL): nose: real pungent and balanced nose of anise, oak, dark red cherries, and black currants. Fairly bold nose with a real good richness to it and good depth. Not giving up a whole lot at this time, but has a real presence about it
taste: Real pretty and elegant medium/full feel with good rich tannins that aren't overbearing, but certainly there. Well balanced tones of herbs, menthol, anise, dark red cherries and black currants all balance out well together
overall: Quite young right now. Certainly has a sense of itself and needs more time to let it all fully come together. It is drinking quite well right now, but should improve and it was right in the pack of the blind wines
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Spicy casis nose, excellent structure, good spine of acidity and decent finish are offset by slightly bitter tanins. Works well with steaks but not too well as a solo act.
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Maybe my tastes are changing and moving more towards Bordeaux and away from California. I know this is still relatively young, but the oak seemed heavy handed even after hours in the decanter. I'll hang onto my remaining bottles for at least another 2-3 years and try again. I've always liked Beringer reserve in the past and hope this was a fluke.
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This wine has had a day of air. It has a medium purple color. The nose is dominated by a sweet cigar smoke. The taste starts with dark mixed berry mash, and there's some slight cherry. The wine still holds plenty of tannins. The medium long finish is all about the sweet berries.
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A tad closed at first which was right out of the bottle. After some air time this wine really opened up and became extremely fragrant. Nose gives off a perfume like sweet toasted oak, cigar shavings, blueberries, boysenberries and pomegranate. Smoked kirsch, sweet vanilla and minerals are all present. On the palate is a very soft and rich mouthfeel with tobacco, spice box, red fruits and polished tannins. This could use a few more years to integrate but it is drinking very nicely right now.
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14.2% ABV. On opening this was slightly cool and reticent. After a few minutes of warming up this was showing open dark currant fruit with a nice mineral ribbon running through it. Slight cedar mocha. Rather soft and approachable. Nice complexity and balance. Drinking very well.
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I have to agree with the last review. This wine is in a really bad place right now. I have had this wine several times and have absolutely loved it. The last time I had it, I thought the bottle was off but not corked. I had it again tonight and the same thing happened. A ton of alcohol and just not drinking well. A huge disappointment.
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This has just gotten terrible. Sweet oak and medium red fruit on the nose. Palate is pure oak on the attack with thick oaky tannins hiding the fruit. Tail end has some coffee and burnt oak... I liked this closer to release, now I'm glad this is my last one.
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Very rich and distinctive style, with layers of ripe currant, leather, tobacco, and herbs. Gains depth on the finish, where the flavors run deep and long. Tannins are firm and well-integrated. Excellent wine, hard not to guzzle. - JD96
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Very enoyable. Fruit forward, big juicy cab. Still drinking young, but the tannins are nice and smooth. Lots of bright cherry and currant, chocolate, and sweet spices. Nose and flavors similar, smooth and full bodied. All around just good stuff.
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CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Another very good Cali Cab even though I am not too keen on the styling of the wine. Toasty oak on the nose, all rather rich and heady, with lots of sweet dark fruit underneath and sprinkles of spice above. Sweet, perfumy palate, with just tons and tons of blackcurrant and a little smoky oak. All very nicely resolved and balanced though, it just a little too sweet for my tastes. Finish was a tad shortish for all the power on the palate, but it had a nice linger of rich fruit, coffee and toffee notes. Very good now, should be even better with time as the oak integrates and the fruit tones down and develops complexity.
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An outstanding cab. Beautiful black fruit and earthy tones on opening. Decanted for two hours and this wine was just outstanding. A long velvet finish, very smooth.
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Decanted for an hour and served at 60 degrees. Very nice color. On the nose, berries and good oak with a tad bit of vanilla. Tastes of a plum/cherry "plerry" with good amounts of heat and oak that leads to a long finish.
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A bit fatter and less-precise than the 2001 recently tasted. Held up well on day two, especially with strip steaks, truffled mashed potatos, and hen-of-the woods mushrooms sauteed with butter and basil.
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What a great bottle of wine, even as a pop and pour. Nose possesses sweet black fruits, crushed graham, minerality and a touch of oak. Palate is silky, balanced and luscious. Loads of creamy fruit, vanilla and toasty oak.
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Right out of the bottle the nose becomes instantly seductive. Loads of shaved cocoa, black chocolate, mocha and sweet cream fill the senses. Nose becomes more layered with air intertwining red raspberries, boysenberries, creamy vanilla oak and spice. Palate is a tad tighter than the nose but very plush and silky. Huge creamy raspberries, toasty oak and Asian spice control the flavor profile. Nice full body that coats the palate and is very lush all the way through. Hints of ginger, nutmeg and tobacco are also present to give this wine another layer of complexity. Such a nice wine with impeccable balance, not flabby in any way and structure that integrates beautifully with the fruit. This is a classic cabernet that is not over extracted in any way and showing no signs of heat. Drinks great now and will probably continue to for the next 10+
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Beautiful crystal dark cranberry color. Nose of creamy, yeasty wood. Palate shows lots of creamy wood, cherry, pomegranate, and alcohol. Good length. A little bitter and disjointed this time, but nice with hearty food.
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This a huge wine that is surprisingly smooth and light on its feet. Although there was some heat coming through on the nose, it still had wonderfully powerful aromas of dark currants, licorice and cedar. This wine fills and coats the mouth, but the fruit is so powerful that it overcomes the substantial tannins. On the palate great flavors of creme de cassis, dark berries, currants, toasty oak and dark chocolate. Very primary right now, but I am very curious to see what kind of secondary characteristics this will develop down the road. Tasted from a 375ml bottle bought at K&L wines.
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From split: Great straight out of the gate. Red & Black fruit soft & mouth filling. Nice overall with good balance and smooth tannins -Still all primary at a great place right now. Liked it better than the 97 we had 2 weeks ago.
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Beautiful this time. Great fruit, classy wood that smooths out the hot alcohol. I don't know if this will last and develop great complexity, but it's very enjoyable now and could hold for a couple years.
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This is a big wine. On the first night it was very good but just a little heavy on the oak. There is a fair amount of acid in this wine also but it is in balance. On the second night things were a little more integrated. The oak was gone. Dark chocolate.
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An alltogether lovely wine. Quite youthful appearance, with a dark purple core turning more ruby-garnet at the edges; no signs of amber. A very primary and fruit-driven bouquet, offering up scents of cassis, blackberry, anise and lilly. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, with an impressive mid-palate, good concentration and round mouthfeel. Long finish, with vevlety tannins and a classic structure. On par with the 1994?
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Popped and poured. It really opened up after around 15 minutes. Nice, full, fruit forward body. The tannins are fairly soft but provide good structure. I think this wine is in a good place right now.
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There is no way that this wine would have such a high CT rating but for Parker's review. It is a fairly ordinary California cabernet. it is not huge. The tannins are not particularly tough; indeed, this wine is medium-bodied and drinkable now, though it would benefit from more aging. There is very little here beyond blackberries/cassis, vanilla oak, and a little smoke.
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Color is lighter than I expected. Bouquet of vanilla, smoky cedar planks, and cacao. Loads of alcohol and HUGE tannins! Full-bodied and deep in complexity. Overall, a great wine, but drank younger than I expected for a 6 year-old wine. Rating is based on how it drinks now and does not reflect its potential. Has the structure to support further development for another 5-7 years.
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Beautiful fruit, very firm tannins and considerable alcohol heat. Hard to know if this will benefit from aging or if the alcohol will come to dominate.
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We drank this with grilled steak on 1/29/08. It had medium heavy legs and a deep vibrant purple color. On the nose was a musty forest floor, mushrooms, spice, vanilla, cherry & raspberry. On the palate were very mellow vanilla, spice, mushroom, raspberry and cherry flavors. The fruit was especially subdued. This was well balanced with ample tannins…very dry and astringent...but not too bad.
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Popped and poured. Surprisingly light ruby color - the cork was hardly stained and I can see through the wine. On the nose, oaky vanilla, cedar and lots of dark chocolate - fruit is shy, but there is a fullness and sweetness that is very nice. Palate follows, with red fruits, chocolate and oak - midpalate is smooth and there are balanced spicy tannins on the finish, along with some sour cherries. This is a really nice wine - although it is lighter than I expected, it still has nice extraction and complexity, with the tannic structure that should allow it to age for awhile. 5+13+17+7
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Opened with Mayo's Julie's Block, 2002. A little disappointed with this wine as it seemed to be a bit dull on the finish. No real spark and the tannins seemed to be a bit lacking. Good fruit up front with cigar box and leather, mild nose and a medium finish. The favorite at the table was definitely the Mayo. I did expect more from this.
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Wonderful opened up for about an hour than a hard pour for another 30 minutes, splended balance, cherry, currant, soft oak and cedar, with hints of smoky finish, firm tanins and will continue to develop. Will continue to enjoy . This wine rarely disapoints.
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Very dark and dense color. Rich nose of dark cherry, wood, smoke, tobacco, with buttery wood on the palate. Very elegant, with smooth tannins and great acidity for food. Long, sweet, mineral finish. Became quite awkward after being open for an hour and warming to room temperature. Best at cellar temp and undecanted. This may be best drunk young.
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Decanted. Tried after 60 minutes. First thing I noticed was an aroma of sulphur, which distracted me. First taste was nice - Medium body, dark fruits, fine tannins, and well integrated oak that was barely noticeable. Nice finish. Tried again after waiting another 2 hours. Unfortunately, the sulphur had not blown off and was still noticeable on the nose. In the mouth it was similar to my first experience. Decided to let it open for another few hours. At this point the sulphur had seemingly gone away. Nose had definitely developed into something a ittle more special - Focused aromas of blackberries, vanilla, tar & cedar. Palate was similar to my earlier tastings although a distinct note of black licorice was now evident. By now the rest of this bottle was accompanying our dinner of grilled beef tenderloin - no brainer, was a perfect match. Paid $69.00 for this, definitely worth it for that price. I'm going sit on my extra for another 2 years...IMO, could use some extra time. This wine really reminded me of the regular 2002 Napa bottling. The only real difference was the extended finish, which I thought was the best part of this wine. The sulphur aroma detracted from the overall experience.
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Very familiar with this wine, but first for this vintage. As always, it was elegant and rich, with lots of cherry and bright fruit. This followed up the 1988 Spotswoode, and it was a strong switch.
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Either I just don't like these wines or this is too young and or needs a couple hour decant to take down the octane a bit. I just find them overwhelming. This was open for an hour or 2 but not decanted adn probably around 65 degrees. I will leave the others alone for a while
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No detailed notes, but another great btl enjoyed Saturday afternoon on the pontoon at Jeff's annual ER outing. Great wine, great venue...sometimes it all comes together! Rate 92-94pts.
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Deep rich aromas of sweet cassis with hints of oak. Excellent concentration on the palate, finishing long on fine tannins. Needs more time in either a decanter or years in the bottle. Opened up and smoothed out quite a bit after 4 hours open in the bottle, no decant. An hour or two decant should serve this very well. Nevertheless, I think add'l bottle age will improve the score.
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Aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate transition to rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate as ripe supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish. It is a fruit-forward, softer, more flamboyant, already seductive effort displaying gorgeous notes of chocolaty creme de casis, some spicy, high quality, toasty oak, a rich, plush, savory, expansive mid-palate, and a long heady finish. From 2007 tasting: * Wonderful luscious fruit * Cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate aromas * Rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate * Supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish
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Wildfire Wine Ambassador Dinner (Mon Ami Gabi - Chicago, IL): September '07 Wine Ambassador Dinner @ Mon Ami Gabi. A huge wine in the glass. Deep currant. Awesome color extraction. An intense smoked meat nose coupled with blackberries, roasted espresso and minerals. Tons of oak in this wine. Lots of reactivity with the steak au poive. Still needs some time to soften up. Tannins are enormous in this blockbuster. Ends with a chewy mouth coating 45 second finish.
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This wine continues to be one of my favorites and a HUGE crowd pleaser. Not quite as balanced as the '01 but it delivers beautiful dark fruits behind fine chalky tannins. I have no doubt patience will be rewarded but it drinks very well now. If you've never had the pleasure of a Beringer PR... do yourself a favor. With a little effort, there is no trouble finding them for sale well under $100
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Beautiful dark, clear ruby color. Cedar, cocoa, spice and coffee in the nose, as well as abundant dark fruit. Great depth of flavor, nice, fine tannin and a lingering fruity finish. The best of the lot.
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Drank with Lamb ... Very much a bordeaux style without the extremely heavy body of some high end California cabs ... this is a beatiful bottle of wine that will not realize its potential for about another five years ... I will wait to open my other two bottles then.
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Excellent cab.Full bodied and rich with good finish, Drank over four days. Improved over this time. Should improve with more years, but still quite open now.
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Great nose right out of the bottle, pop n' pour. A little light, but very fruit forward with a hint of lead. No, and I repaeat, no sediment.
Now it has been open for 4 hours. It has really settled down into fruitful "sharp (but not in a bad way), cali cab. The mouth feel has picked up significantly from a few hours ago. Black fruits, lead and meat flavors. Very well worth the price.
Let it sleep for another 5 years.
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I guess the typical cult-style Cab from Napa. Loads of fruit, loads of oak, and loads of $$$ Not to say overrated, but definitely overpriced. Very extracted fruit on the palate. Cassis, toasty vanilla, chocolate, lush tannin structure and low acidity. It's a very good bottle, but there's better out there, especially for the money. 90-92
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Tasted with the component wines (Bancroft Ranch, Steinhauer Ranch, St. Helena Home, & Marston Vineyards) and the '97, '95, & '87 Private Reserve. In short this will be a fantastic bottle of wine but PLEASE give it at least until 2015 to develop. Your patience will be richly rewarded. This is a very big wine that needs time to develop. At the moment it drinks nice, but why waste $100 on nice? These wines are built to age (nicely balanced with enough acids to go the distance). The '87 had lots of fresh fruit with PLENTY of life left in it. Let this baby rest!
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Softer and more accesible than the 2001. Great fruit, some chocolate notes and a nice finish. Smooth tannins allow it to be consumned now but this should continue to open up and improve. Very nice. 93+
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Drank with Ruben. I much prefer the 2001. This is a fine effort but does not have the complexity and depth of the 2001. I will drink now-it does not seem to have long aging potential.
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Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA): Unbeliveable wine. Exotic nose of red/black fruits, violets, and french vanilla. Deeply concentrated fruit that unwinds in layer after layer of flavors. Long 50 second finish. One of the best wines of the evening. Ed Sbragia was wonderful to talk to and is obviously on top of his game with this wine.
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à la propriété Beau nez fin, élevage présent mais d'une belle qualité. Texture crémeuse, très bel équilibrem finesse. Un Cabernet de très belle facture, long en bouche, encore vanillé mais aucun doute sur son avenir. 91 pts
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Getting back to the last bit of the bottle remaining from Friday. Mint and blackberry notes. Tannins have softened, but are still noticeable. Dark fruit flavors and a long finish, with a bit of an alcoholic bite on the back end. Depending on your palate, 92-94.
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Picked up two bottles today at our local Sam's Club and popped one open to see if I should go back for more. Opened and poured two glasses and the rest right into the decanter. Deep inky/garnet color, opaque at the center. Notes of cassis, mint, beef blood and black cherries. Full bodied, with good weight and structure. Firm, sweet and chewy tannins greet you along with plums, cocoa powder and blackberries. Finish lasts for over 30 seconds. After three hours in the glass (yes, I am a patient man), the mint note was more prominent and the fruit has fleshed out a bit. Vacuvinned half a bottle for tomorrow night. Preliminary score - 93.
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3/30/2024 - Ecoenophile wrote: 90 Points
Held up well for a 22 year old. Decanted for an hour and it opened up nicely, rebottled the second half and enjoyed from the bottle on day two. Color is still deep purple, no brick it. Purple fruit and some cedar/cigar box on the nose. Soft fruit on the mid-palate. Medium finish with smooth but present tannins. Held up well… but it may be on its way back down… “if you got’em, smoke’em”
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1/15/2024 - Wamrod wrote: 95 Points
Oh my. I’m blown away by this - and from a half-bottle to boot!
Credit to Michigan Mostberg, whose note below nailed it simply and perfectly - and my note will therefore seem almost identical. Plagiarism alert!
For a 20 year old wine from a half bottle to be this dark, and rich is wonderful. Dark, ruby in color, all the way to the edges. Cedar, cigar box and dark cherry nose.
Yes again to the perfect secondary medium dark fruit, slightly spicy and grippy finish. And yes, it’s in an incredible place right now, surely drinking at its best for the next few years. What a treat!
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10/7/2023 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful dense, ruby color. Cedary, cigar box and dark cherry nose. Perfect secondary medium dark fruit, slightly spicy and grippy finish. In a great spot right now, imagine it wiil remain here for 3-5 yrs. Really a pleasant surprise!
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6/18/2023 - winespine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious and in it's drinking window. Poured this at the in-laws for Father's Day dinner where they served with beef tenderloin. Decanted for about an hour and it paired beautifully. The tannins are smooth, good acidity, the oak has integrated well, and there's still plenty of dark fruit here along with leather and forest floor. What a pleasure this was and well worth the wait. When opening aged wine, one always wonders am I opening it too late? Or too early? I feel we got this one spot on. There's lots of life here still, but tertiary characteristics will likely become more pronounced over the next couple of years.
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5/20/2023 - MadDog2020 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Lovely smooth. Still
Some fruit. But end is coming before long.
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4/26/2023 - MOCGator wrote: 96 Points
I am blown away as to how well this wine has aged. It is still dark and brooding with a ton of fruit. A mature and Napa Cab to be sure, but easily has 5 to 7 more fabulous years to go before the secondary fruit takes over.
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4/1/2023 - Mr T wrote:
PNP after finishing first botttle. To my taste, a little bit overly ripe and porty but friends seemed to happily enjoy
I would
Drink up
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2/24/2023 - Wineallover wrote: 91 Points
Still a beast and long life ahead. Very intense aromas, enjoyable tertiary notes, touch too much alcohol feel to my liking, which cost it a couple of points. Happy to have tried but will probably try another vintage next before trying another bottle of the 2002!
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2/20/2023 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted briefly. Robust, well-aged classic Napa Cab showing beautifully with red fruit profile, integrated acid and tannins, plenty of life left.
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11/27/2022 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 95 Points
At age 20, this wine is drinking like it is more like age ten. Cassis, tilled soil and new leather create a classic Napa Valley Cabernet. Nice aromatics. This wine has at ten years ahead of it. I am always amazed at how great this wine is year after year even with the changes in the winemaker. Great juice.
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9/4/2022 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice mature Napa Cabernet. Previous notes indicated that there was too much oak, that seems to have now integrated.
Nose was decent showing musty red fruit, tobacco, pencil lead, faint cedar oak.
In the mouth, abundant red/dark cherry, plum, tobacco, earth, faint oak notes. Nice balance and just enough acidity to keep it from feeling cloying.
In a very good drinking window now at 20 years of age. Not seeing any upside to holding any longer.
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4/18/2022 - DesMarteau wrote: 94 Points
Great …give 30 mins …approachable.
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3/16/2022 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Covolo's 2002 Napa Cab tasting (Casa Covolo): Finished 5 of 8 in tasting of 2002 napa cabs.
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2/8/2022 - WineWallGuy wrote:
Consumed at 2/9/22 CA Wine Dinner at Townhouse with BOG
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2/2/2022 - cliffkol wrote: 94 Points
Bright forward aromas of mature fruits, leather, bramble. Tannins are totally resolved, but obvious. Excellent depth, concentrated mature red fruits, elegant, feminine, silky. Long, juicy finish.
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1/1/2022 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
I still like Beringer, especially from excellent vintages. Middle of the fairway and still going strong. Not much upside, so drink anytime.
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11/30/2021 - cliffkol wrote: 94 Points
Dark, deep, brooding aromas and flavors. On point, wonderful.
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10/22/2021 - Ecoenophile wrote: 92 Points
Started a bit closed down (after 45 minute decant)... but softened over the next couple of hours. Still holding up nice for a 19-year old bottle.
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8/16/2021 - Coach C. Likes this wine: 91 Points
I let this wine sit a full day after realizing it wasn’t nearly ready to drink an hour after opening. On day two the earthy and musk notes revealed themselves; a pleasant surprise from my initial glass on day one. The tannins softened a lot and balanced nicely with the acidity. The finish is average, but overall this wine is drinking well at the moment.
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8/6/2021 - kend707 Likes this wine: 91 Points
At this stage BCPR needs a five hour decant to be enjoyed. I would not buy the current going price for this wine. If owned, drink up.
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7/30/2021 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright red fruit nose with candied red fruit and a long mouth feel. Yum!
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3/27/2021 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 90 Points
In spite of pristine storage for the life of the bottle, the cork was too dry and fell apart during extraction. A bit of sediment in the bottle. Decanted one hour before pairing with ribeye steaks. A little subdued at first but began to develop further about 90+ minutes after decanting. All of the classic Napa cab notes are there, but overall it didn't hold up to some of the other reserve vintages. Nothing wrong, its good - just not as good as it probably should be considering the price tag that has likely come with it. Drink now or hold.
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1/9/2021 - NuTricks wrote: 93 Points
Ruby red to deep Garnet. Cassis, plum, blackberry with just a hint of eucalyptus on the beautiful nose. Medium body. Soft tannins at this point balanced by the acidity. It’s aged very nicely. Long finish.
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11/7/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted briefly and drank over 2 days. An intense, fruity nose full of bramble berry, black currant and black cherry with a light leathery touch and a bit of wet earth giving away some age. Overall still an incredibly youthful appearance. Green fresh herbs, not quite mint but that direction l would say, round off the picture. Lacking harmony on the palate though with a - for want of a better expression - somehow disjointed texture. Tannin mostly smooth while still building structure, though overshadowed by quite sharp acidity. This was my last bottle unfortunately, would love to check back in in 5 or 10 years' time.
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11/6/2020 - cab blends wrote: 91 Points
Friday light tasting (Home with Greg): NOT blind:
Secondary nose and flavors definitely come through. Lots of tree bark.
Tannins are still moderately high but not as balanced as the 2013. L:ess rounded. Not sure if this is the age or just the vintage.
HL4 FD 3 fi 4/5
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11/6/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 95 Points
Deep garnet red with ruby hues. Well rounded nose with black currants, leather, spiced herbs, and plums. Medium tannins (6/10) with a medium plus body. Lush and aged palate with dark berries, cigar boxes, earth and spices. Long finish. Drink till 2027.
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10/31/2020 - bankermd wrote: 95 Points
Exceeded my expectations. Great fruit, but excellent structure and balance made this a terrific bottle
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10/9/2020 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Casual flight and mix dinner; 10/9/2020-10/10/2020 (Home): NOT blind
Cherry tobacco and classic
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7/29/2020 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
The real deal and middle of the fairway for traditional cab lovers. Big, fruity, juicy but with the underlying structure to back it up. A little monolithic after a while keeps the score down, but big boy stuff and deserving of premium pricing.
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7/24/2020 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was an awesome bottle of cab that is still singing (probably at its peak). It had great fruit, layers of flavors and dense mouthfeel. Good backbone of tannin and acid kept the finish lively and long. Lots of earthiness, charcoal, chocolate, tobacco notes throughout. Loved it.
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6/6/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark ruby with slight bricking on the edges. Expressive nose shows cassis, dark red berries, graphite, tobacco and hint of forest floor. Superb and silky palate shows mix of sweet dark berries with cocoa, smoke, medium (-) acidity, melting tannins and a long tobacco and wood perfumed finish. Wonderful.
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5/15/2020 - eadsaaron Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent, with black cherry, boysenberry, anise, tobacco. Full body, long finish.
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4/12/2020 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 94 Points
14.2% abv. Lighter crimson garnet color, clear. Expressive nose of tart red cherry, macerated red fruit, eucalyptus, leaf tobacco and beef pan drippings. Viscous and leggy in glass, red staining of tears. In mouth pleasant aged blue berries, cassis mint and soy sauce. Finishes long with structure, tannins still very present but carry the wine vs block it. A classic aged Napa cab.
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3/12/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Cassis and sous bois around vibrant core of tart acid and firm tannins. A beautiful mature Napa Cab in classic style.
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12/24/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Eve with Family (St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Drank 1+ glass over 2 hours and finished it off the next night. This was good to begin with and it was better after an hour, but it was a different wine after 24 hours open. Cassis, rose hips, graphite, and blackberry on the nose. The palate is cassis, blackberry liqueur, scorched earth, higher toned, plum and fig. Showing some intensity and a little heat the first night. Tonight this is right in the zone; a beautifully styled cab with no edges and no heat with perfect texture and very plush tannins. The fruit is pure and even, the port-like qualities are gone. Really in strided tonight, this suggests a little more cellar time, maybe a year or two more and this should be at peak. 91+ to 92 day 1, 93pts Day2.
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9/18/2019 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still a very deeply coloured pomegranate plum cross with no real bricking or even garnet tones. Nose is soft black currant, fresh mint, pencil shavings, light tar and mesquite charcoal. Quite minty in fact. Very fresh and elegant nose for a 17 year old wine! The palate is full bodied, quite smooth, dry and still has some gritty tannins. Slightly high alcohol but not at all hot. The flavours are red plum, crushed black currant, cedar, chalk, leather and black tea. Comes across as way more rustic on the palate than on the nose and in that sense a bit dichotic. Slight sour cherry note on the finish. Quite interesting.
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7/1/2019 - hawkeye54 wrote: 94 Points
PNP. Holding up very nicely. Rich fruit and nice acidity to go with it. Glad I waited.
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6/15/2019 - wildmang666 wrote: 94 Points
I rated this wine fairly high because I have had it before and it was really good. I waited too long to try my last bottle. Cork disintegrated and the wine is past its prime. My bad. Won't do that again.
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6/9/2019 - Sievvy wrote: 94 Points
Great Cab, Jammy chewy, cassis, forest fruits and a tiny bit of glycerin and tannins all evolved. Nice smooth finish. Lovely to drink
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5/29/2019 - Hrdisilvio Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would buy!
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4/23/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Deep, oaky classic Napa Cab with plenty of acid and mature tannins.
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3/23/2019 - cos82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful juice! Still very fresh, balanced and smooth with no tannin. Cassis and blackberry on the palate with some cedar, earth and spice.
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2/14/2019 - TSTEW22 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Still showing so much fruit. Velvety tannins. Had with bone in filets. Heaven.
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1/2/2019 - guitarguy wrote: 93 Points
A very nice bottle with a deep, earthy nose. Fresh, mInty, basil notes akin to Martha’s Vineyard mint, boysenberry, earthy savory notes that belie the age of the wine. Very fine, drink any time.
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12/25/2018 - colorflavorlocking Does not like this wine: 80 Points
waddle waddle waddle. corpulent. not at all balanced. very sweet.
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11/5/2018 - Wine_lvr wrote: 89 Points
Fully mature. Sweet Portwine notes. Alcohol very present. Too modern and sweet. Unbalanced. Poor bottle as I have liked this wine better in the past. 89/100
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11/3/2018 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This drinks well after about 2 hours in the decanter. It will never be much better due to the vintage, but is very good.
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10/6/2018 - AEROSMITH wrote: 92 Points
great flavor and color but drink up
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9/3/2018 - dpohlman Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is still very good, but it's time to drink any remaining bottles.
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8/31/2018 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Powerful wine, full of red currants, blackberry, and pencil lead flavors. Strong oak dominates mid=palette, followed by a long silky finish of more spicy fruit and oak flavors. Good wine, a bit oaky for my tastes, needs food like charred steak. Drink now through 2022.
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6/11/2018 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better than the last time I tasted this wine in 2009. The slightly bitter tannins have pretty much resolved leaving a rich, mostly secondary flavor profile with very good acidity and balance. This has become an excellent wine that begs for a big steak to hit its stride
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5/24/2018 - lebo9968@gmail.com Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Cork split in half on open. Surprised how much browning there was. Seemed past its prime.
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3/30/2018 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP, tasted over 4 hours. Cork broke in half, but overall in good shape. Much better bottle than bottle tasted in 2017. Ready to drink. Acidity, color, tannins all good, however a little hot. Some oak, but probably not what reviews below indicate. Bigger fruit, but less than typical Napa cab. Should go at least another 5 years. 93
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3/10/2018 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was excellent. Mature cab, in a good spot where primary and secondary characteristics are still present and tertiary notes are emerging. Slightly more old Napa than new Napa (which is a plus for my palate). At least this particular bottle, that is. While somewhat ripe and big, this is balanced with reasonable acidity and minerality. All of the usual in Napa cabs with somewhat prominent fruit, plus delicious tobacco, cedar box, and touches of earthiness and minerality. Paired great with steak bavette with bitter greens and potato fondant.
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2/15/2018 - Mark Brandon Likes this wine: 96 Points
It is unlike me to hand out high scores, but this was sensational. Right in between it's primary and secondary phases and was perfectly balanced between both. At this age there is bottle variance and I feel blessed to have opened a near-perfect bottle of this vintage. Could definitely go another decade, but is right where I most prefer for a Napa Cab. (we started with an 84 of the same wine - also great, but secondary and nearing the end)
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2/12/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Some Fine Older Bordeaux and Cabs (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): And now for something completely different - as they say on Monty Python, or maybe, one of these things is not like the other. This was the last red of the night and a totally different style than anything else we'd had. Very big, lots of oak, blackberry, blackberry liqueur, vanilla, sweet and port like. This certainly has a big and extracted style with very ripe fruit - I'm sure the vintage didn't help here - though I think for what it is, it's still good. It doesn't work well after what we've had and there's no doubt this isn't what this group prefers to drink - but there's a lot of people who will love this. It will be interesting to see how this shows with some more age. I am at least curious.
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2/12/2018 - chablis28 wrote:
Others will love this wine but its too ripe, too oaked and too much Alc for me. I'll take pre 2000 CA Cabs from Mondavi, Dunn, Arrowwood and others, any day. For modern CA Cabs I default to Smith Madrone and Mount Eden. Love Corison's wines today but, pricy. Beringer like so many modern producers is way too heavy handed these days. Probably the influence of the Napa point chase.
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1/3/2018 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 94 Points
Wow...no bad cellaring, heat or bad corks here. Excellent expression of well make CaliCab with some years to go. Blind tasted after a 3 hour decant and there were no surprises. And no hurry to drink up either. Very nice.
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12/31/2017 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Second of two bottles purchased about ten years ago, and with no idea as to provenance before that. The first bottle, recently, was somewhat oxidized and not very good, so I thought it best to drink up. This bottle was much, much better, while perhaps still showing just a hint of oxidation. Cork was problematic and broke into pieces as well. Regardless, this was actually a lovely bottle of California cabernet, and I suspect properly stored bottles will have plenty of life left. Rich and dense but with enough lift to keep it fresh. Very nice wine.
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12/31/2017 - tplskylrk wrote:
Wow, just wow. I sadly drink loads bad wine...Thailand Tax. So to bring on of my kids to BKK and open up after a long rest in the cellar is a treat. Color is perfect, nearly no signs of age.
P&P, just amazing Blueberry compost creme on the nose, some secondary swirls buried, making the nose complex right out the bottle.
The mouthfeel...glycerin, weight, velvet on the palate, tons of red blue fruit on the palate, then loads dried herbs, bit rustic, then an acid wash, fruit, charred barrel. So much going on after opening. This bottle can go another 15 easy.
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12/24/2017 - Bigtuna wrote: 90 Points
Somewhat of a disappointing bottle. Good cork and properly stored, but taste was off from prior bottles.
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11/11/2017 - Nekodab wrote: 96 Points
So smooth
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10/27/2017 - Steve C Cooper Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect time to drink...fully matured.
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10/8/2017 - Mr T wrote:
Excellent and in a good spot
Nicely mature and well balanced
93-94
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8/29/2017 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great place right now. You should probably look to drink in the next year or two. Tasted with the 2001, which was also in peak condition. Excellent wine.
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8/5/2017 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork came out easy and clean. Took a quick taste and it was perfect. Did not need to breathe a second. Put the cork back in and served 3 hrs later. Fresh and full fruit. Fully integrated--no remaining bitter tannins. Deep red, no brown color yet. Went thru all 6L at dinner (lamb in a cumin yogurt sauce). Drink now or for several years. Exceeded expectations.
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7/2/2017 - vintage61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very dark eggplant, still young, accessible but prevalent tannins
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5/28/2017 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was in excellent condition; cork was perfect. Quite youthful looking, only a tiny bit of bricking in the rim. We opened and let slow ox for 2.5 hrs, and then drank over 2 more hrs. Surprisingly good ( I feared it may be over the hill, but it definitely was not). Classic cab, albeit more youthful than expected - visually, on the nose, and on the palate. Cassis and blackberries, just a touch of vanillin and spices, well integrated and very fine grained tannins. Good balance. Delicious palate and mouthfeel. Paired beautifully with a t-bone steak. Will revisit in 2-3 more yrs. Maybe more tertiary notes will emerge?
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5/28/2017 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was in good condition, cork was pristine and came out easy. Very disjointed at first, the wine came together nicely with a short decant. Nose was fairly subtle, some red fruits and oak spice, the palate showing mostly cherry and cassis with some blackberries. Oak spice emerges on the finish with completely integrated tannins that come across slightly dry. Went well with smoked braised short ribs. Mature, the wine is ready to go and should hold for another 5 years or so, although I don't see this wine going past 20 years of age for best enjoyment.
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5/26/2017 - DMET wrote: 89 Points
over the hill. nose was initially excellent as was fiest taste. carmel, tobacco and blackberry. after about 1 hour it turned thin and sharp. too bad.
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5/2/2017 - D3S Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine, nice nose, fruit and medium finish with great balance. Much better than prior bottles from a few years ago.
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3/25/2017 - redpine42 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Was a little worried when I opened this as a little had seeped out of the cork. Others think this is past its peak. I think it's at it's peak. Smooth tannins. Good fruit and a long finish. Color dark red, no brown as I see in other old bottles. Nice legs.
Hurry or don't hurry to finish, it should be good for a couple more years and is quite good now.
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3/16/2017 - rojoloco Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice round cab. It does seem to be fading as others have said . Not quite as good as other vintages I have had but still a tasty cab. Drink up. Unlikely to get any better.
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3/8/2017 - gew71walsh wrote: 88 Points
Agree with those that this is on its way down. Fruits are fading. Still a nice drinkable wine, I think it was better a couple of years ago. Was starting to dry out.
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2/4/2017 - ericjabel wrote: 92 Points
Stellar. @ end of drinking window. Fading fast
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2/3/2017 - SteveVermeer wrote: 87 Points
Drank from a half bottle and it showed. Starting to get a little raisiny, drink the half bottles soon.
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12/27/2016 - sleepyhaus wrote:
This bottle tasted a bit tired. Will drink the remaining bottle sooner rather than later.
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10/23/2016 - Tarpon222 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent in all respects - color, nose, body.......
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10/22/2016 - Tarpon222 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent in all respects - color, nose, body.......
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10/12/2016 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Colors are youthful purple garnet, deeply colored and opaque. Aromas are red berries, cherries, graphite, earth, tea, and currants. The tastes are sweet cherries, sweet pepper, tea, soy, and dry leaves. The tannins are satin like and this wine is drinking very well right now.
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9/23/2016 - travelme Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Super smooth tannins and notes of black cherry, spice box, and blackberry. Extremely pleasant and long finish. My lone bottle of this vintage. Running vertical of this has been broken a few times the past year to try some of those that are near or at peak. I think this has another five easily but in my opinion no need to wait and doubt it gets any better. Highly recommended.
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7/3/2016 - gr8r84u wrote: 94 Points
Sublime
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6/4/2016 - lebo9968@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black licorice, tar, dark fruits. Very nice. A little hot.
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6/4/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1h. The cork wasn't in great shape but I filtered it into the decanter - all is well. On the nose, sandal wood, berries, a touch of flint. Very expressive, extracted black fruit on the palate, with smooth tannins on the finish. Medium bodied CA cab at its finest. Tonight with linguini and pesto.
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4/18/2016 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
This wine is in its prime and has lots of life to go. Deep concentrated dark fruits, hints of chocolate, cassis, minerals, undertone of bramble. Silky integrated tannins, great structure, elegant.
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4/1/2016 - Oldmanzin wrote: 95 Points
Well balanced Cabernet with layers of fruit and structure. This wine was decanted for one hour. It is just starting to hit its stride. This wine has a long life ahead of it.
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3/5/2016 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good Calif Cab. drinking well right now
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1/10/2016 - Mr T wrote:
Pretty solid big ripe cab...definitely liked better than my prior note.
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1/1/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for 1h. On the nose, bell peppers and woodsy earth, but on the palate, this bursts with blackberries, bell peppers, mineral, dark chocolate, with acid and tannin on the finish. Well integrated, smooth, I dare say medium bodied for a California cab (no utensils needed).
After 2-3 hours the vegetal aromas and flavors have subsided in favor of the primary black fruit, cedar, oak, mineral, dark chocolate, and soft tannins. Still acid on the finish. Through it all, remaining a medium bodied wine, no traces of a thick powerhouse developing...
Wow this still has plenty of life yet, no rush to open my remaining bottles. Tonight with braised lamb.
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8/8/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A flamboyant expression of Cabernet from Napa from a very modern vintage. This has been in my cellar since release, so I decanted it for 2 hours. Creme de cassis and more creme de cassis. Did I say creme de cassis? And oh, maybe a little chocolate, espresso, and some bitter herb on the finish. A big wine both in the front, middle, and back. Huge wine with gobs of delicious fermented Cabernet grapes. My only bottle, so I wish I had waited a few more years.
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8/2/2015 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2002 Napa Cabernets (Our house): Plum, dark fruit and subtle floral notes in the bouquet. Plummy dark fruit on the palate. Opens nicely in the glass, revealing red fruit, ripe plums, chocolate and cherry notes. Tannins are quite soft; flavors of vanilla and red fruit with a long, balanced finish.
My #3, Domino's #3
Group #3, 44 pts
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7/9/2015 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
I agree that this is at the top, but it's overrated. I've never been blown away by this wine and I have had the early 90's, '91-'95. Compared say to Mondavi reserve, no contest. 90/91
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4/30/2015 - D3S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than last bottle from four years ago. Smooth, silky tannins with nice black fruit and long finish. 93 points
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4/27/2015 - Apollo5710 wrote: 93 Points
My second and last bottle - like others have noted, this is in a good place right now. It was not quite as big and concentrated as I had anticipated, but it was certainly still drinking well. The nose featured cedar, vanilla, a hint of tobacco, roasted coffee, spice, dark fruits, and with time, olive and truffle. In the mouth, the '02 offers a very smooth, silky experience, which likely would've gained weight had we gave it more air time, not to mention a longer finish (which was already quite impressive). I think this is peaking, or perhaps even passed that point, but certainly not in any sort of decline, although I'm not entirely sure how much better it'll get with more cellar time. All in all, very good, but I think I may have enjoyed this better 3.5 years ago when I opened my first bottle.
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4/13/2015 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened, not decanted for about 3 hours. For me, this is in a really good place right now. Deep, rich, penetrating flavors of cassis, earth, leather and tobacco with some hints of raisin or fig creeping about quietly in the backround. There's also some subtle graphite notes making an appearance. The mouthfeel is full and velvety with firmish tannins on the long, satisfying finish. Depending on how you like your cabs, I think this still has a lot of years ahead of it. I'm not typically a Cali Cab fan, but it's hard not to love this wine. It's a well made classic!
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2/28/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 96 Points
Medium-to-dark ruby color turning transparent at the rim with a nose of warm cardamom, Napa earth, and tobacco over dark berries. The palate is full-bodied with a rich, velvety texture on a structure that's clearly built for the long haul. Flavors of black currant, cigar box, black tea, fig, toasted vanilla have formed perfectly over time to create this wonderfully-balanced and harmonious wine. Finishes long with earthy tones on round, effortless tannins. One of the best I've tasted from this winery. Drink now until 2022.
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1/7/2015 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, berries, cherries and plums. Flavors of berries, plums and raspberries. medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink with air or hold.
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12/10/2014 - hackey37 wrote: 90 Points
Garnet and violet-purple color that is slightly hazy and opaque. The aromas are cherry, hints of tar, currants, and some vegetal notes. This needs air and is tight. The tastes are bing cherry, vanilla, sweet spice, menthol, and oaky notes. The tannins are smooth and velvety and the body is medium weighted.
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11/27/2014 - mflesh Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine is RIGHT at the top of the hill right now. Drank BEAUTIFULLY for Thanksgiving. Popped and bottle decanted for about 30 minutes before being served. Nice dark blackberry core with a hint of age on the nose. Poured a medium to full crimson into the glass. Bouquet was magnified while in the glass. Very dark, thick, full. The entry of this wine is ridiculous. Zero acidity, dark blackberry core with age. OPULENT....and I mean OP-U-LENT!!!!! The wine was blackberry, cassis, flint, herbal, floral, all swirling around a perfectly aged blackberry core. The mid-palate actually got much more youthful after 3 hours of slowly sharing this one. The finish has QUITE a bit of tannicity. Tannin are very stiff on this one. I think that this one still has 15 years left at least with proper aging. A treat for sure, and thanks to the qualities of this wine, it went perfectly with cranberries, sweet potato mashed potatoes, turkey, broccoli casserole AND pumpkin pie. Private reserve again for the win! I think the 2008-2021 drink date windows are very accurate.
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11/21/2014 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep dark center, dark red rim with some signs of age.
Sweet, dark cherries, stewed plums, black currants, a touch vegetal, creamy, kirsch.
Smooth, then some tannin, sweet blueberries, dark red fruit, blackberry jam, good acid, herbs, a little iron, great length.
Great Private Reserve, drinking well now.
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11/7/2014 - Fusions33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consumed from a half bottle and was still holding up great. No notes taken.
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9/19/2014 - lebo9968@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Somewhat typical solid to above average new world cab sauv upon open. Color showed a little more age than I expected, but not materially different. Definitely opened up over 2+ hours. Second night, it continued to open up. Solid new world CA Cab that is drinking well now but should last and improve. Not sure if it's worth the price.
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8/30/2014 - Ralph_ wrote: 95 Points
Wow! A very good cabernet. But the price performance is average....
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5/23/2014 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tavolata's with Rudo and Perla. Multiple pastas including heavy anchovy/garlic spaghetti. Went well. Little disappointed in depth and complexity, but dark fruit and earth, medium tannins and light acidity and somewhat hot on the palate. Medium to long finish. All in all very good, think it will get better and hopefully other submerged flavors will surface in the future. Open another in few years.
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3/28/2014 - Alfaro wrote: 93 Points
Pop-n-Pour, Prime Rib Dinner with friends, freak'n fantastic! Complex nose of dry Missouri forrest, tobacco, cassis, dark berries, vanilla, spices, palate is full bodied & very elegant, silky texture and tannins, nicely balanced with black fruits, tobacco, spice, this wine just demands to be sipped, savored and pondered.
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3/22/2014 - oenophilemoose wrote:
Purchased direct from winery and stored under temperature controlled conditions. Did not detect any taint or brett but this wine was virtually devoid of aromatics, fruit or detectable tannins or acidity. Perhaps my expectation of Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet to have more longevity was misplaced. I decanted for several hours and perhaps the wine's positive attributes dissipated during this process. Thus, will not rate this wine.
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3/16/2014 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short note from memory. Quite nice and drinking well. Good depth and breadth to its dark fruit, earth and leather flavors. The tannins were still on the firmish side but this is drinking very nicely tonight with a couple of hours of air.
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3/12/2014 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points
Good, with nearly fully resolved tannins in this 375ml. Still, I was looking a little more depth from this well regarded vintage.
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2/15/2014 - richshoes Likes this wine: 93 Points
more robust than first time I had it...sweet, layers of berry, cassis, and rust...soft wine but still firm in the mouth.
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2/8/2014 - richshoes Likes this wine: 93 Points
pretty typical Beringer private reserve--sweet cherry with hints of plum. still in its prime, but a little bit softer more mellow elegance. not a strong finish, but nice layers of complexity.
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2/1/2014 - juffer Likes this wine: 94 Points
I served this in my wine course. Much more restrained than the Plumpjack with some secondary characteristics of leather mingled in with the smoky nose and the mocha finish. Acidity and fruit are substantially reduced, but appropriate for the age.
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1/17/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brought this from the best Cali 2002 vintage vs the the worst 2002 Italian vintage Galatrona. To me the Galatrona was better, it's mineral verve distinguished it from the plush BERINGER PR. Smooth black fruits, but not exceptional.
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11/28/2013 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Napa benchmark. Anise, cassis, smoked meat, bitter tannins, blackberry, and hot tar. More restrained than I had hoped but excellent.
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11/28/2013 - Chipxh wrote:
Delish after opening corked 92 dominus
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10/27/2013 - VancDarkstar wrote:
Good drinking now! American Holds up!
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9/3/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark in color. Nose of berries, mint and licorice. In the beginning almost cooked berries but this went away after around one hour. The wine still feels very young and it improved in the glass. There is still good potential in this wine. Decant for two hours or let it rest for another 3-5 yrs. Good stuff! this is the way a Napa Cab should taste.
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8/3/2013 - Al Ehrhardt wrote:
I am not a Napa Cab fan, but damn this is good. I do like Beringer PR and this didn't disappoint. Deep, dark blackberries, mellow tannins, great nose. Not austere, but not over the top. Perfect with lamb burgers, green beans/sungold tomato/fennel/red onion/beet/Stilton salad, and roasted potatoes.
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7/21/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby color. Nose of black currant, vanilla , chocolate and black cherries. Extremely balanced and smooth. Tannins are very fine. Long finish. This wine has still potential! Wonderful to drink now but more to come in 2-3 years. After drinking the 1978 just a few weeks ago I think this wine can age easily another 20-30 years. Drink - 2030
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7/8/2013 - WDK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium ruby and slight bricking good structure carried the fruit to a long balanced finish.
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6/25/2013 - Rojo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Saturated dark purple color with reddish hue on the edges. Very sexy aromas of sweet dark fruits - cherries, plum. There's cigar box and leather too with dark cocoa and vanilla. Softer tannins but the undercurrent of complex flavors and structure is evident. Really outstanding now and no doubt will be much better in a year or two.
A
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6/20/2013 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep colour, excellent depth of fruit with cassis, cherries and dust. Great length and balance. Drinking very well now.
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6/16/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Father's Day with Family (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 1 hours, drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. This was still not fully open after the initial decant and slowly emerged over the next hour. Complex nose with dried earth, tobacco, cassis, dark berries, vanilla, briar, and Asian spices. The palate is full bodied and very elegant, silky texture and tannins, nicely balanced with black fruits, tobacco, spice and cedarbox. This wine just begs to be sipped and savored.
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5/13/2013 - JSPuskar wrote: 85 Points
We had this wine with David, Mark and Ann. A dinner of mixed grill. I was disappointed that it did not seem to hold its character. It was lighter than I expected for a Beringer Cab - fruit was restrained, finish not very long.
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5/13/2013 - Jeffreycohen41 wrote: 93 Points
Wow - very smooth - and definitely ready to drink
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5/11/2013 - RR47 wrote: 93 Points
Had this late in the evening, no notes. But everyone loved the nose, balance, finish.
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5/4/2013 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Magnum. Had with friends at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Charlotte. PnP. First aromas of saddle leather and little barnyard that quickly blew off with air. After 15 minutes, revealed red fruits, tobacco and a little coffee both on the nose and palate. Tannins are well integrated. Good balance overall. But finish was not as long as I would have liked and as experienced by other reviewers. Absolutely no sediment in the bottle whatsoever which really surprised me. If tasting blind, I probably would have thought this was from Bordeaux vs Napa. I think this is in a good drinking window if you have any left.
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5/3/2013 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
Tasted double blind. Shows young as it is still forward and rich. Quite interesting and complex. Has a nice long finish. Didn't remind of other Beringer Private Reserves and I had no idea what it was.
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5/1/2013 - Whine-oh wrote: 91 Points
From memory, a 375. Elegant napa cab in a good place, but lots of life too. Good compliment to grilled meat. Drink or hold
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4/12/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:
Pulled this as something that has been very reliable over the years but this was not as good as the last few. Pop and pour. Maybe needed some more air.
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3/29/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Aerate to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind. After having had this five or six times since release, I have to think at this point, it's better off as either a PnP or Slow-O for one hour before serviing. If you've got several in the cellar, it might be time to check in on it and see what you think. Nicely balanced, deeply fruited but the tannins in this bottle were a little weak; prolly just some variation.
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3/21/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 94 Points
Dark intensive red. Nose of caramel, chocolate and herbs. Taste of berries, chocolate. Tannins are present but very well integrated. This wine is just wonderful. Drink now - 2025
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3/2/2013 - jdinkin1 wrote: 93 Points
Drank after 1999. This one still showed tannins and had grip that gave it wonderful structure. Could hold up for another 5 years. Very good.
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2/22/2013 - PBM wrote:
"OMG this wines delicious." From my wife. I agree. Classic, classic, classic cali napa cab. NOT over the top...a perfectly balanced wine.
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2/18/2013 - Bachus Maling wrote: 93 Points
We drank it last night at Baco Mercat in Downtown L.A. out of the Mag. After 20 mins it opened like a liquid jewel. Ruby red, full bodied and incredibly tasty. It will go at max until 2020.
I am glad I have another mag-o!
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12/19/2012 - macawmom&dad wrote: 95 Points
Aged well, drinking perfectly. Deep color, flavor and balance
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12/9/2012 - levinml Likes this wine:
Nice Saturday night drinking from 375ml. Full, round, fruity but balanced. Middle of the fairway.
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12/6/2012 - Bon and Nate wrote:
Served with Italian sausages.
Bon: It just keeps going!
Nate: Heavy, voluptuous.
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11/9/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
Dark intensive red. Nose of licorice and dark fruit. The taste is not your typical Napa Cab. Still way to youg with good potential. Put it away until 2018.
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10/25/2012 - nortonnose wrote: 93 Points
From 1.5L. This showed beautifully. From cellar, stood bottle for 10 min. Opened and stood for 10 more min. Decanted for 15-20 min (bottle was one of the cleanest I've ever seen), then poured back into bottle to serve at friend's house. Reopened there and let stand for 45 mins, then poured directly from bottle. Beautiful ruby color, not bricking at all. Aroma was soft/feint, of saddle leather, but not really deep/rich. An incredibly pleasant drink right now. There's no rush to open this but, unclear if it will continue to evolve (there isn't a ton of nuance to this, it's pretty straight-forward well made Napa Cab)
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10/6/2012 - grjas wrote: 90 Points
Nice pleasant cali cab flavour without a lot of complexity or finish. Improved alot as it aired in the decNter. Probably needs 2 hours. I enjoyed it but have had better at less than half the price.
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9/2/2012 - DNeamand wrote: 93 Points
2 hr stand. On the nose deep ripe fruit Oak and tobacco. A great complexity smooth initially with a long smooth finish. Not aggressive Very plesent
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8/18/2012 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Popped the cork at 1p for a 7p dinner. Consistent tns. I did not enjoy this as much as the bottle from 2 years ago. It seemed to posses more toffee and black currant jam qualities than I prefer and ultimately it proved too linear for me. Seductive nose, yes, interesting beyond its dominant aromas, no. Saved a glass for night #2, hand't budged an inch. Impressive for its power and sultry nature, but not so much for its elegance and class. FWIW, this was put to shame by the 2006 Tabarrini Sagrantino di Montefalco that was served alongside it, the later possessing world class tannins and gushing acids, not to mention, very pure fruit. 14,2% abv, drink thru 2019.
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7/19/2012 - cliffkol wrote:
BON: Loved this wine
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7/14/2012 - RR47 wrote: 93 Points
Took from cellar to a restaurant for a dinner so couldn't decant in advance, and this needed plenty of time. A big Pr.Reserve with good red fruit, some cedar, and coffee notes, but for a 10 year old, complexity was somewhat hidden. This certainly has many years left. Next time will decant early.
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6/18/2012 - cab blends wrote: 96 Points
My Classic Trio; 6/17/2012-6/25/2012: See my notes from yesterday - consistent and agree for me this is great with cheese or just enjoying by itself.
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6/17/2012 - cab blends wrote: 97 Points
My Classic Trio; 6/17/2012-6/25/2012: Drank straight from the bottle. Light dark fruit and cherry with silky strong tannins - just the way I like it. Quite beautiful, rounded and full bodied. At a peak for drinking with cheese and wine or just by itself. One of the best Napa Cabs I have had in a very long time. (I intend to take on the Caymus Special Selection last in the week to compare)
As the dinner went on, it became slightly less balanced. The sweetness came through and a hint of heat. It came down significantly towards a 92 or 93. I will try some decanted tomorrow night to try to understand this one and what happened.
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6/4/2012 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
From .375. P&Pd.
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6/3/2012 - G-Man555 wrote: 96 Points
Wow!, this is drinking really well right now. The tannis are integrated and smooth, and the fruit is still vibrant. Did not decant, not sure it needs it, but have some left in the bottle to taste later. This will still last in the cellar for many years. This would go perfectly with steak au poivre.
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5/29/2012 - M5 wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine...any occasion.
Beringer continues to deliver.
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4/27/2012 - James B wrote: 95 Points
This was outstanding; almost perfect. Maybe it was just the fact that it followed a horribly corked '99 Lalande, but this could not have been better. Deep ruby color; pronounced nose with notes of black currant, spice box, pencil lead. Full bodied on the palate, with flavor characteristics to match the nose. Rich black fruit. Most impressively, there is an incredible length of 60-90 seconds. Perhaps we just got a bottle in the sweet spot. I know my rating is better than average for this wine, but I could not have been more impressed.
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4/13/2012 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
This was my first Beringer Priv. Reserve. Was given as a gift during the Holidays this past year. We broke open for easter, following several other bottles with the main course. This was the finish, and wow did it deliver!! This had a dark purple ring, and was nearly opaque but had luster! The nose was actually subdued open first open, but slowly opened to reveal blue and blackberry fruit, with hints of dark cocoa maybe a hint of tobacco. Very rich, smooth tannins, that coat the palatte. Nice viscosity, and a very nice finish after 2 hours. I think this bottle is at a really great stage 10 years into its' life! A Votre Sante!
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4/1/2012 - Sethbo11 wrote: 92 Points
Very soft and supple with little tannin.
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3/9/2012 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Third verse same as the 1st.
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3/4/2012 - spineguy wrote: 91 Points
Good to consume now. Concentrated. Some finesse. Black fruit. Difficult to discern layers but they are there. Good finish. Better after some air time.
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2/23/2012 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
These 10 year of BPR wines are in a great window. Sexy and just showing secondary chacteristics. Lots of dark berry and silky tannin.
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2/15/2012 - konadog wrote:
decanted for approx 2hrs. soft blue/black fruits with leather, dust and some tobacco. aging faster than other 2002s? either way, really classic styled older napa cab. 92pts
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1/5/2012 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote: 86 Points
Popped and tasted - little fruit, nice nose. Decanted an hour or a bit less:
Some brick at the edges of a deep red. Tight nose, needs time to open up. A bit dusty and leathery in the mouth - tannins are present and forward, but not rough. Fruit is subdued or masked. I expected more from this wine.
After two hours decanted I found hints of fruit but not a lot of complexity. might be in a dumb phase or be slightly off.
Parker gave it 94 pts and worte lavishly about it. I found none of what he found in the wine. Based o n this bottle I have no idea if it will improve, but I have one left, so will hold it to take a chance.
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12/31/2011 - vintage61 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. With Starla, to Mike's Bacchanalia. Very similar to my previous notes. Tannin more prevalent than fruit. Hold last bottle for few more years and hope it comes around. Got 2 pours in rapid succession. No time to linger at tasting. Maybe not fair to wine.
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12/15/2011 - ronaldo wrote: 92 Points
Deep red, rich leather, currant, blackberry & lead. A very full bodied cab that will be much better in 5+ years.
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11/26/2011 - cliffkol wrote:
94 again, and Consistent with 6/1/2011 notes.
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11/5/2011 - MOCGator wrote: 95 Points
The best Beringer reserve of the decade. Deep. Rich. Balanced. 2002 was my favorite Napa vintage.
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11/3/2011 - eSchrag wrote: 92 Points
Delicious! I think this is now in the prime drinking window. Great nose of red fruit and a bit of cedar. The fruit is still evident, but a bit toned down with some lingering fine tannins and a nice medium to long finish. Enjoy!!!
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9/28/2011 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Medium red wtih slight brick at the edges. Decanted briefly and smelled at cellar temp: Cassis and blackfruit- no overt vanilla. Cab nose and aromas but still tight...needs to warm slightly and breathe a bit. Quick taste - All cab fruit flavors, firm but smooth tannin in the mouth and finish.
After one hour breathing: Some vanilla-oak comes out in the nose, still lots of fruit. In the mouth it shows some of the oak and fruit layers; tannins well integrated and rounded out but still fairly firm. Even, balanced finish. Lacking somewhat in complexity compared to expectations.
After two hours: Has opened up in the mouth some more. An old fashioned Napa cab - fruit, light earthiness, plenty of tannin and the oak. It isn't bad at all, but I would have liked some eucalyptus and a bit more minerality. This has plenty of life in it yet.
Gets better as it breathes. after 3 hours still improving. This is what Calif cab shoud be, but it could be better.
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9/21/2011 - SteelerWineGuy wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours. Big, bulbous and juicy. This wine was a pleasure to drink and reminds me of the difference between a good wine and a fantastic wine. The nose was fruity. While there was still some alcohol present, the black berries and black raspberries notes dominated. The nose was rounded out by cedar and gentle oak. Very well rounded. As soon as the wine hits the tongue, the fullness and complexity is evident. Berries and a hint of asparagus. While this is a dry wine, the tannins were well integrated and not as "in your face" as some younger wines. The finish is medium length. My cellar runs a little warm so this may have aged a little faster. Definitely worth a try now!
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9/14/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Smokey, ripe cherries on nose. Opened up nicely over a couple of hours after opening. Ripe, with some rich plum fruits and a slight menthol note. Silky tannins on finish. A really nice bottle, drinking really well right now- at peak?
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9/5/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of bell pepper, blackberry, black currant and violet. It's in total harmony and has flavours of bell pepper, blackberry, black currant and oak with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - At Arlene and Paul Rogoff's, 9/3/2011. Decanted for 4 hrs with glass stopper. Wine is at it's peak, but should continue to evolve gracefully. I'd forgotten how good BERINGER Private Reserve can be.
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9/3/2011 - jinks wrote: 92 Points
P&P with Don B. aromas of grilled vegetables, fruit, leather, cedar. Big & bold in the mouth but smooth, with tannins integrating well. A bit more acidic in the mouth than I remember from the last tasting. long finish.
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8/20/2011 - bryon m wrote: 92 Points
Drinking great, good color and ody. Soft from the start, nice balance of fruit and oak. Able to last another 3 years.
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7/22/2011 - Apollo5710 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Initially a big nose, featuring gamey notes of dark fruits (plums and blackberry), tobacco, leather, spice, roasted herbs, and a touch of cedar (the nose closed up a bit as it sat in the glass though). Huge in the mouth; oily and thick texture, voluptuous and impressively concentrated, showing up-front fruit flavors (mostly plum), complicated by spice and licorice. The finish is long; featuring lingering spicy fruit flavors with vanilla and roasted meats. Drinking very well now, although I think it has about 5 more years of positive evolution.
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7/18/2011 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points
Still on the young side, but very drinkable. Dark, smooth, rich. Excellent wine; my rating may even be a point or two low.
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7/6/2011 - iwadasn wrote: 88 Points
Had at a restaurant, which was a mistake since it was room temperature and they poured too much into our glasses. Had a nice nose and lots of oak and some berries, but overall, was a disappointment (especially given the price). Would have liked to have stopped after one half glass and taken the rest home with the leftovers. Lesson learned.
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7/1/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Incredibly balanced and complex wine. Wonderful nose of dark berries and tobacco. A dilicious richness in the mouth, long and smooth finish. Really great right out of the bottle and continued to maintain the same level. Great start to finish.
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6/1/2011 - cliffkol wrote: 94 Points
Voluptuous, intense floral nose, followed on the palate with deliciously concentrated dark fruits, cassis, spice and smoky undertones. Hint of chocolate. Mouth filling tannins. Long, fruity finish that wouldn't quit. (Doris - Classy. Very smooth, soft. Cherries, chocolate, cassis. Great wine. 93)
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5/13/2011 - jinks wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind alongside Phelps Insignia same vintage. This wine has the edge right now - more mature and well integrated. Very typical high quality napa cab. Delicious.
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5/8/2011 - ginfizz wrote: 93 Points
Dark, brooding, yet bright, with cassis tinged red fruit flavors, pure and delicious. Medium weight and medium bodied, best to hold these a few more years but tasty now. Crisp. Filled out a bit with air.
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4/23/2011 - Mark Brandon wrote: 94 Points
After 1 hour decant. Blue/Red Fruit. Deep, touch of mocha, licorice... really drinking well right now. Definitely will last a few more, but likely peaking. Had with leg of lamb and gorgonzola mac and cheese. Wonderful. Very glad to have another in the cellar.
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4/14/2011 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 91 Points
Surprising good. Drank from 375ml. Good color, deep rich taste. 91+
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3/26/2011 - jonradus wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was great. It had a fabulous nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, and licorice. The taste was extremely fruit forward with tons of red fruits and a touch of vanilla. The finish, however, was what really sets this wine apart. It really cut through your palate and lasts. Man, I was super-impressed with the quality of this wine. Drink now, but will age for another 10 years.
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3/14/2011 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
Mistake to pop an pour. Oak was intrusive and while this is a big wine the oak was just in the way. It did settle in after a couple of hour - or I got used to the oak. Give these a few more years to show best.
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3/11/2011 - Porchino wrote: 92 Points
a lot more flavor than 04 reserve a cherry finish
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3/6/2011 - SteveHoch wrote: flawed
definitely had that barnyard corked flaw. what a bummer.
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2/25/2011 - M5 wrote: 93 Points
SUBTLE....from tip of nose to finish...
Fruit and acidity at first...after 30 min's....earthy, dirty, masculine, muted fruit and light spices...
Theme: Subtle
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2/17/2011 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 90 Points
Solid enough cab - drank from a 1/2 bottle.
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2/1/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club: Napa Cabernet: At a recent Cab tasting of Napa this wine was the star of the show. Balanced is a great descriptor of this wine along with dust, cherry, spice and raspberry. Everything is solid and the wine possesses a medium to long finish with interesting flavors throughout. If you could get this wine at $60 which a friend did buy a few bottles for long term cellaring.
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1/30/2011 - hawkeye54 wrote: 94 Points
Delicious. Consistent notes with others. Cedar, cassis, dark fruits. Opened up after an hour to reveal beautifully balanced wine. This has a great life ahead.
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1/29/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Does Cali Cabs (Gail's House): Dark purple red color. Great nose, lush black currants, blackberry, plum, cedar, tobacco. the palate shows a velvety mouthfeel, great depth and concentration. Very layered, elegant, fine grained tannins, long finish. This is a really nice wine. MY WOTN and group WOTN.
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1/7/2011 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
At Hawks restaurant with Joel & Kathy Grey. Wine decanted. & wonderful.
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12/31/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
Expectations are a bitch and this wine, while pretty good, just didn't quite live up to my memory of the wine from the last. Slightly translucent dark garnet in the glass. Red currant and nuances of mocha and vanilla on the nose with an annoying sour oak quality in the background. Medium-full bodied with ripe red and black currant fruit that turns a bit sour and a touch pickle barrel in the finish. Off bottle or this has lost balance over the last year or so. 92ish.
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12/31/2010 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 91 Points
Drank from a 1/2 bottle - not a ton on the nose; some maple a little bid of dark fruit. Still a big wine - loads of deep, dark color. Good hints of cedar. Medium to long finish. Would seem this still has a lot of life left. Enjoyable.
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12/22/2010 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 96 Points
Took to Citizen hotel restaurant, Grange with Morgy & Mike, JEK & Daley. Wine decanted & excellent at it's peak
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11/6/2010 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Vinturi decanted for aeration 2 hrs. Once the cork is pulled: Vivid aromas leap from the bottle and can't wait for the glass - they begin to fill the room as soon as the cork is pulled. Perfumed currant, red floral, graphite, topsoil and vanilla on the nose, with most following through to the very pure full-bodied palate. This stays in bounds at all times, with silky tannins and wonderfully cool, pure fruit. Recommended, drink thru 2022+, 14,2% abv.
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11/6/2010 - naimthattune wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding and ready to drink. Best bottle I've had to date.
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10/4/2010 - punter wrote: 92 Points
Quickly approachable from the bottle with a broad, full, front to back richness and surprisingly good length. The fruit is ripe and alive with mild acidity and soft tannins. Opened beautifully after 30 mns in the glass. Drinking quite well now and probably at a peak that will last a few years. Very good - 92
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10/3/2010 - mtkutzman@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Home very nice. Still tannic
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9/5/2010 - llink wrote:
Cedar and currant nose, very reserved and not at all flamboyant. Medium weight palate, with a nice level of structure and fruit. Nice wine, but nothing truly memorable or outstanding. Could have been the setting, as an outdoor BBQ is not conducive to serious tasting.
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8/24/2010 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
Lots of cedar on the nose and palate, complimented by cherry and cassis flavors, medium bodied with bright & fresh acidity; elegant and lithe tannins, wish I could have waited two more years.
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7/25/2010 - hawkeye54 wrote: 93 Points
impressive, but still young. will wait another year.
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7/24/2010 - Double D Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich, ripe, slightly drying, nose of vanilin and flowers
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7/23/2010 - Bin242 wrote:
With Aaron. Dark fruit with some spice and light toast on the nose. Good concentration of fruit, balance and elegance for the PR, but lacking the elegance and clarity expected. Good to Very good QPR.
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6/19/2010 - afu wrote: 92 Points
Took to dinner, no time to decant, opened and drank after 15-20 minutes in the glass. Additional decanting would have helped greatly as the wine opened throughout dinner. Nose of dark fruit and chocolate. Dark in color, thick and very rich. Fruit forward though soft and reserved with notes of chocolate and cassis. Softer tannins with a long finish.
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5/18/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Thick and dark in the glass. Massive nose of chocolate and dark fruits. The palate has a lot of weight, some mocha, smoke and a little cinnamon. Some nice fruit with moderate ripeness. Still tannic and certainly improves with air. This has legs for a long time. Very good wine.
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5/3/2010 - RWINO wrote: 94 Points
Decanted, still took 5 hours to open up and was still improving after 6. Big, rich mouth feel, loaded with fruit, cassis, black currants, dark choclate. Huge mid-palate with silky tannis on the finish. Will be drinking great for many years.
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4/19/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: flawed
I normally love this wine but this was really flawed. Nose of alcohol, shoe polish and prunes. Palate is thin and hot. Cork was perfect so my guess is that this was heat damaged somewhere along the way.
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4/3/2010 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened 45 min prior to drinking (did not decant). took a while to open up...finally did 2 or 3 hours later. Starting to smooth out, could use another few years.
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3/23/2010 - Cal Bear wrote: 89 Points
Nice cab, balanced. Nose was restrained. Dark red ink color. Dark fruit, cedar, even tannins, resolving into a fine finish. Very enjoyable, though not exceptional for the price. Drank from 375ml without decanting.
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3/19/2010 - robertgoulet wrote: 91 Points
is it physically possible to put more black licorce in a wine? Sexy nose of sweet oak, cassis and baking spices. Everyone thought this was an 07' vintage. I guess I keep my cooler very cold!!!!!!!
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3/8/2010 - Berno wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. I think I should have waited another year or two, though.
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3/6/2010 - wdb001 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Seemed a bit closed to me, with restrained notes of dark fruit on the nose. On the palate, more dark fruit, cedar, creme de cassis and well integrated tannins. Smooth finish.
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2/26/2010 - stlwinelush wrote: 94 Points
excellent, long finish, hints of cassis, slight tobacco, dark fruit....
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2/14/2010 - OregonWineGeeks wrote: 95 Points
The color denotes a well aged wine a lovely scarlett to purple. The nose is black and red fruit with a touch of loam. The taste is sweet smoothness with complexity of fruit, tannins and oak. The finish is long full of tannin. This is the best Californian cab I’ve had in while. It’s crisp, memorable and well crafted.
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1/29/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Elegant and balanced, while at the same time showing good concentration. Comes across as straddling classic Napa styling and the more modern, fruit forward style. On the notes, traditional cab starting to show early signs of secondary development. On the palate, refined/balanced. More complexity than the Steinhauer also opened, but shares obvious lineage, including the slightest hint of brambles in the background. This is joined by a chocolate/cassis note I didn't notice as much with the Steinhauer.
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12/31/2009 - VinLancaster wrote: 93 Points
Incredible bouquet and palate: Exotic nose of red & black fruits, violets, and french vanilla. Deeply concentrated fruit that unwinds layer after layer coats the palate. Great earth, lively acidity and nuances of graphite make this wine very intriguing. Lengthy (50 second) sleek finish.
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12/22/2009 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 89 Points
Very solid Cab but overpriced based on others from same vintage. Really opened up after a 3 hour decant.
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12/6/2009 - burgbob wrote: 90 Points
smooth and ready to drink, lacking complexity
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11/26/2009 - CookWino wrote:
Contrary to other tasting notes, this bottle drank beautifully. 30 Min open, not even decanted.
THis was a gift and simply delicious.
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11/21/2009 - vintage61 wrote: 90 Points
Dark eggplant color, totally closed. Just a hint of fruit on the nose and palate. Structure and balance are good. Give at least 5 more years. Could warrant higher score in future
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11/15/2009 - Greg W wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for approximately 2 hours. Beautiful, expressive nose right out of the gate - deep, complex and powerful. The same theme continued on the palate, which was loaded with complex, dark fruity notes, a touch of cedar, beautiful purity, and no hint of alcohol. Long, powerful finish. As the wine warmed up to room temperature over the two hours that the bottle lasted, the wine improved. By the end of the night, this was one of my favorite cabernet-based wines of the year.
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11/14/2009 - bryon m wrote: 91 Points
Color and body show that this is just past it's prime. The drink was good, very approachable after opening the bottle. Soft with nice light fruit and earth flavors. Should hold up for another 12 to 18 months but won't get any better.
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11/6/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Cabernet Smackdown (Steve T's, Vernon Hills IL): nose: real pungent and balanced nose of anise, oak, dark red cherries, and black currants. Fairly bold nose with a real good richness to it and good depth. Not giving up a whole lot at this time, but has a real presence about it
taste: Real pretty and elegant medium/full feel with good rich tannins that aren't overbearing, but certainly there. Well balanced tones of herbs, menthol, anise, dark red cherries and black currants all balance out well together
overall: Quite young right now. Certainly has a sense of itself and needs more time to let it all fully come together. It is drinking quite well right now, but should improve and it was right in the pack of the blind wines
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9/22/2009 - D.Callahan wrote: 87 Points
Spicy casis nose, excellent structure, good spine of acidity and decent finish are offset by slightly bitter tanins. Works well with steaks but not too well as a solo act.
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9/16/2009 - J. Maltzer wrote:
Rich burgundy color. Deep, complex nose. Balanced tannins. Notes of tobacco, smokey oak, cassis and chocolate. Hits the mid-palate and extends laterally. Long, balanced finish. Very nice.
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9/14/2009 - g-man wrote: 88 Points
Maybe my tastes are changing and moving more towards Bordeaux and away from California. I know this is still relatively young, but the oak seemed heavy handed even after hours in the decanter. I'll hang onto my remaining bottles for at least another 2-3 years and try again. I've always liked Beringer reserve in the past and hope this was a fluke.
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9/7/2009 - ajaffee wrote: 91 Points
This wine has had a day of air. It has a medium purple color. The nose is dominated by a sweet cigar smoke. The taste starts with dark mixed berry mash, and there's some slight cherry. The wine still holds plenty of tannins. The medium long finish is all about the sweet berries.
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9/6/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 92 Points
A tad closed at first which was right out of the bottle. After some air time this wine really opened up and became extremely fragrant. Nose gives off a perfume like sweet toasted oak, cigar shavings, blueberries, boysenberries and pomegranate. Smoked kirsch, sweet vanilla and minerals are all present. On the palate is a very soft and rich mouthfeel with tobacco, spice box, red fruits and polished tannins. This could use a few more years to integrate but it is drinking very nicely right now.
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9/5/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 94 Points
14.2% ABV. On opening this was slightly cool and reticent. After a few minutes of warming up this was showing open dark currant fruit with a nice mineral ribbon running through it. Slight cedar mocha. Rather soft and approachable. Nice complexity and balance. Drinking very well.
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9/4/2009 - atapley wrote:
I have to agree with the last review. This wine is in a really bad place right now. I have had this wine several times and have absolutely loved it. The last time I had it, I thought the bottle was off but not corked. I had it again tonight and the same thing happened. A ton of alcohol and just not drinking well. A huge disappointment.
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8/28/2009 - pakabear wrote: 75 Points
This has just gotten terrible. Sweet oak and medium red fruit on the nose. Palate is pure oak on the attack with thick oaky tannins hiding the fruit. Tail end has some coffee and burnt oak... I liked this closer to release, now I'm glad this is my last one.
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8/6/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 96 Points
Very rich and distinctive style, with layers of ripe currant, leather, tobacco, and herbs. Gains depth on the finish, where the flavors run deep and long. Tannins are firm and well-integrated. Excellent wine, hard not to guzzle. - JD96
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8/4/2009 - KWC3141 wrote: 91 Points
Very enoyable. Fruit forward, big juicy cab. Still drinking young, but the tannins are nice and smooth. Lots of bright cherry and currant, chocolate, and sweet spices. Nose and flavors similar, smooth and full bodied. All around just good stuff.
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7/3/2009 - gr8r84u wrote: 94 Points
Excellent right out of the bottle!
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6/20/2009 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Another very good Cali Cab even though I am not too keen on the styling of the wine. Toasty oak on the nose, all rather rich and heady, with lots of sweet dark fruit underneath and sprinkles of spice above. Sweet, perfumy palate, with just tons and tons of blackcurrant and a little smoky oak. All very nicely resolved and balanced though, it just a little too sweet for my tastes. Finish was a tad shortish for all the power on the palate, but it had a nice linger of rich fruit, coffee and toffee notes. Very good now, should be even better with time as the oak integrates and the fruit tones down and develops complexity.
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6/11/2009 - GWE wrote: 96 Points
An outstanding cab. Beautiful black fruit and earthy tones on opening. Decanted for two hours and this wine was just outstanding. A long velvet finish, very smooth.
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4/22/2009 - bsumoba wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour and served at 60 degrees. Very nice color. On the nose, berries and good oak with a tad bit of vanilla. Tastes of a plum/cherry "plerry" with good amounts of heat and oak that leads to a long finish.
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4/12/2009 - bryon m wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine, does not need too much air after opening. This was a very dry with light fruit and matching oak flavors. Easy to drink and very enjoyable.
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4/10/2009 - suttonri wrote: 87 Points
A bit fatter and less-precise than the 2001 recently tasted. Held up well on day two, especially with strip steaks, truffled mashed potatos, and hen-of-the woods mushrooms sauteed with butter and basil.
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4/1/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 92 Points
What a great bottle of wine, even as a pop and pour. Nose possesses sweet black fruits, crushed graham, minerality and a touch of oak. Palate is silky, balanced and luscious. Loads of creamy fruit, vanilla and toasty oak.
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3/21/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 94 Points
Right out of the bottle the nose becomes instantly seductive. Loads of shaved cocoa, black chocolate, mocha and sweet cream fill the senses. Nose becomes more layered with air intertwining red raspberries, boysenberries, creamy vanilla oak and spice. Palate is a tad tighter than the nose but very plush and silky. Huge creamy raspberries, toasty oak and Asian spice control the flavor profile. Nice full body that coats the palate and is very lush all the way through. Hints of ginger, nutmeg and tobacco are also present to give this wine another layer of complexity. Such a nice wine with impeccable balance, not flabby in any way and structure that integrates beautifully with the fruit. This is a classic cabernet that is not over extracted in any way and showing no signs of heat. Drinks great now and will probably continue to for the next 10+
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3/7/2009 - pmilnes wrote:
Given to Bill for his 60th!
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2/22/2009 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful crystal dark cranberry color. Nose of creamy, yeasty wood. Palate shows lots of creamy wood, cherry, pomegranate, and alcohol. Good length. A little bitter and disjointed this time, but nice with hearty food.
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12/7/2008 - Lucky96 wrote: 90 Points
Nice, pretty wine, with typical CA freshness and fruit. Lacking in depth and complexity that would push it up the rating scale.
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11/22/2008 - fineterroir wrote: 93 Points
This a huge wine that is surprisingly smooth and light on its feet. Although there was some heat coming through on the nose, it still had wonderfully powerful aromas of dark currants, licorice and cedar. This wine fills and coats the mouth, but the fruit is so powerful that it overcomes the substantial tannins. On the palate great flavors of creme de cassis, dark berries, currants, toasty oak and dark chocolate. Very primary right now, but I am very curious to see what kind of secondary characteristics this will develop down the road. Tasted from a 375ml bottle bought at K&L wines.
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11/11/2008 - bon vivant wrote: 93 Points
From split: Great straight out of the gate. Red & Black fruit soft & mouth filling. Nice overall with good balance and smooth tannins -Still all primary at a great place right now. Liked it better than the 97 we had 2 weeks ago.
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11/10/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful this time. Great fruit, classy wood that smooths out the hot alcohol. I don't know if this will last and develop great complexity, but it's very enjoyable now and could hold for a couple years.
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11/4/2008 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
This is a big wine. On the first night it was very good but just a little heavy on the oak. There is a fair amount of acid in this wine also but it is in balance. On the second night things were a little more integrated. The oak was gone. Dark chocolate.
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8/11/2008 - craigflan wrote:
Bottle was skunked.
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6/21/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 92 Points
Lite, good nose, not much fruit or complexity.
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6/15/2008 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
An alltogether lovely wine. Quite youthful appearance, with a dark purple core turning more ruby-garnet at the edges; no signs of amber. A very primary and fruit-driven bouquet, offering up scents of cassis, blackberry, anise and lilly. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, with an impressive mid-palate, good concentration and round mouthfeel. Long finish, with vevlety tannins and a classic structure. On par with the 1994?
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6/5/2008 - zblang wrote: 91 Points
What a great bottle of wine. THese are singing now with a slight decant, but will certainly hold there own for a few years to come
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5/17/2008 - mblaine wrote: 90 Points
Tight tannins. Should sit for another 5-10 years before drinking. Lots of fruit on the nose. Long finish.
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5/14/2008 - bilge316 wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. It really opened up after around 15 minutes. Nice, full, fruit forward body. The tannins are fairly soft but provide good structure. I think this wine is in a good place right now.
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5/10/2008 - jhngo wrote: 91 Points
Great wine. Very silky smooth with good firm tannins and great mouthfeel.
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5/10/2008 - Go RedSox wrote:
I agree with rmalloy. There is nothing to this wine.
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5/5/2008 - rmalloy wrote: 88 Points
There is no way that this wine would have such a high CT rating but for Parker's review. It is a fairly ordinary California cabernet. it is not huge. The tannins are not particularly tough; indeed, this wine is medium-bodied and drinkable now, though it would benefit from more aging. There is very little here beyond blackberries/cassis, vanilla oak, and a little smoke.
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4/26/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: flawed
From .375 ml purchased at K&L and was sorely dissapointed.
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4/12/2008 - brich wrote: 93 Points
Very delicious and totally drinkable. A very nice, full of character wine for the price.
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3/23/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose, tight on the palate, more time?
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3/2/2008 - storres28 wrote: 91 Points
Color is lighter than I expected. Bouquet of vanilla, smoky cedar planks, and cacao. Loads of alcohol and HUGE tannins! Full-bodied and deep in complexity. Overall, a great wine, but drank younger than I expected for a 6 year-old wine. Rating is based on how it drinks now and does not reflect its potential. Has the structure to support further development for another 5-7 years.
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2/9/2008 - petitblanc wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful fruit, very firm tannins and considerable alcohol heat. Hard to know if this will benefit from aging or if the alcohol will come to dominate.
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1/29/2008 - garambler wrote: 91 Points
We drank this with grilled steak on 1/29/08. It had medium heavy legs and a deep vibrant purple color. On the nose was a musty forest floor, mushrooms, spice, vanilla, cherry & raspberry. On the palate were very mellow vanilla, spice, mushroom, raspberry and cherry flavors. The fruit was especially subdued. This was well balanced with ample tannins…very dry and astringent...but not too bad.
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1/14/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 92 Points
Lots of oak when first opened. Hints of licorce.
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12/29/2007 - DLT wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Surprisingly light ruby color - the cork was hardly stained and I can see through the wine. On the nose, oaky vanilla, cedar and lots of dark chocolate - fruit is shy, but there is a fullness and sweetness that is very nice. Palate follows, with red fruits, chocolate and oak - midpalate is smooth and there are balanced spicy tannins on the finish, along with some sour cherries. This is a really nice wine - although it is lighter than I expected, it still has nice extraction and complexity, with the tannic structure that should allow it to age for awhile. 5+13+17+7
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12/26/2007 - DaveW wrote: 84 Points
Opened with Mayo's Julie's Block, 2002. A little disappointed with this wine as it seemed to be a bit dull on the finish. No real spark and the tannins seemed to be a bit lacking. Good fruit up front with cigar box and leather, mild nose and a medium finish. The favorite at the table was definitely the Mayo. I did expect more from this.
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12/24/2007 - mvkajsk wrote: 92 Points
Very nice - balanced with rich fruit and firm tannins.
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12/14/2007 - The Wine Guy wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful opened up for about an hour than a hard pour for another 30 minutes, splended balance, cherry, currant, soft oak and cedar, with hints of smoky finish, firm tanins and will continue to develop. Will continue to enjoy . This wine rarely disapoints.
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12/7/2007 - tbdman wrote: 92 Points
Smoky, structured and balanced. Very nice. Would recommend.
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12/4/2007 - Double-A wrote:
Dese, currant, vanilla and bakers chocolate nose. Rich and assertive with solid flavours and balance; long finishing with approachable tannins.
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11/30/2007 - petitblanc wrote: 93 Points
Very dark and dense color. Rich nose of dark cherry, wood, smoke, tobacco, with buttery wood on the palate. Very elegant, with smooth tannins and great acidity for food. Long, sweet, mineral finish. Became quite awkward after being open for an hour and warming to room temperature. Best at cellar temp and undecanted. This may be best drunk young.
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11/5/2007 - *Vine* wrote: 92 Points
Decanted. Tried after 60 minutes. First thing I noticed was an aroma of sulphur, which distracted me. First taste was nice - Medium body, dark fruits, fine tannins, and well integrated oak that was barely noticeable. Nice finish.
Tried again after waiting another 2 hours. Unfortunately, the sulphur had not blown off and was still noticeable on the nose. In the mouth it was similar to my first experience.
Decided to let it open for another few hours. At this point the sulphur had seemingly gone away. Nose had definitely developed into something a ittle more special - Focused aromas of blackberries, vanilla, tar & cedar. Palate was similar to my earlier tastings although a distinct note of black licorice was now evident. By now the rest of this bottle was accompanying our dinner of grilled beef tenderloin - no brainer, was a perfect match.
Paid $69.00 for this, definitely worth it for that price. I'm going sit on my extra for another 2 years...IMO, could use some extra time. This wine really reminded me of the regular 2002 Napa bottling. The only real difference was the extended finish, which I thought was the best part of this wine. The sulphur aroma detracted from the overall experience.
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10/27/2007 - JimN wrote: 92 Points
Very familiar with this wine, but first for this vintage. As always, it was elegant and rich, with lots of cherry and bright fruit. This followed up the 1988 Spotswoode, and it was a strong switch.
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10/21/2007 - Mr T wrote:
Either I just don't like these wines or this is too young and or needs a couple hour decant to take down the octane a bit. I just find them overwhelming. This was open for an hour or 2 but not decanted adn probably around 65 degrees. I will leave the others alone for a while
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10/15/2007 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes, but another great btl enjoyed Saturday afternoon on the pontoon at Jeff's annual ER outing. Great wine, great venue...sometimes it all comes together! Rate 92-94pts.
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10/12/2007 - WineLover26 wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding.....
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10/12/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Deep rich aromas of sweet cassis with hints of oak. Excellent concentration on the palate, finishing long on fine tannins. Needs more time in either a decanter or years in the bottle. Opened up and smoothed out quite a bit after 4 hours open in the bottle, no decant. An hour or two decant should serve this very well. Nevertheless, I think add'l bottle age will improve the score.
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10/1/2007 - Winetree wrote: 94 Points
Aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate transition to rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate as ripe supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish. It is a fruit-forward, softer, more flamboyant, already seductive effort displaying gorgeous notes of chocolaty creme de casis, some spicy, high quality, toasty oak, a rich, plush, savory, expansive mid-palate, and a long heady finish.
From 2007 tasting: * Wonderful luscious fruit * Cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate aromas * Rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate * Supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish
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9/17/2007 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Wildfire Wine Ambassador Dinner (Mon Ami Gabi - Chicago, IL): September '07 Wine Ambassador Dinner @ Mon Ami Gabi.
A huge wine in the glass. Deep currant. Awesome color extraction.
An intense smoked meat nose coupled with blackberries, roasted espresso and minerals.
Tons of oak in this wine. Lots of reactivity with the steak au poive.
Still needs some time to soften up. Tannins are enormous in this blockbuster.
Ends with a chewy mouth coating 45 second finish.
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9/13/2007 - gr8r84u wrote:
This wine continues to be one of my favorites and a HUGE crowd pleaser. Not quite as balanced as the '01 but it delivers beautiful dark fruits behind fine chalky tannins. I have no doubt patience will be rewarded but it drinks very well now. If you've never had the pleasure of a Beringer PR... do yourself a favor. With a little effort, there is no trouble finding them for sale well under $100
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9/12/2007 - hcampana wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful dark, clear ruby color. Cedar, cocoa, spice and coffee in the nose, as well as abundant dark fruit. Great depth of flavor, nice, fine tannin and a lingering fruity finish. The best of the lot.
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7/14/2007 - b2emarkets wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Lamb ... Very much a bordeaux style without the extremely heavy body of some high end California cabs ... this is a beatiful bottle of wine that will not realize its potential for about another five years ... I will wait to open my other two bottles then.
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5/30/2007 - ancient one wrote: 94 Points
Excellent cab.Full bodied and rich with good finish, Drank over four days. Improved over this time. Should improve with more years, but still quite open now.
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5/11/2007 - WStucker wrote: 92 Points
Great nose right out of the bottle, pop n' pour. A little light, but very fruit forward with a hint of lead. No, and I repaeat, no sediment.
Now it has been open for 4 hours. It has really settled down into fruitful "sharp (but not in a bad way), cali cab. The mouth feel has picked up significantly from a few hours ago. Black fruits, lead and meat flavors. Very well worth the price.
Let it sleep for another 5 years.
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4/6/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 90 Points
I guess the typical cult-style Cab from Napa. Loads of fruit, loads of oak, and loads of $$$ Not to say overrated, but definitely overpriced. Very extracted fruit on the palate. Cassis, toasty vanilla, chocolate, lush tannin structure and low acidity. It's a very good bottle, but there's better out there, especially for the money. 90-92
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2/21/2007 - PSirah Tampa wrote: 96 Points
Tasted with the component wines (Bancroft Ranch, Steinhauer Ranch, St. Helena Home, & Marston Vineyards) and the '97, '95, & '87 Private Reserve. In short this will be a fantastic bottle of wine but PLEASE give it at least until 2015 to develop. Your patience will be richly rewarded. This is a very big wine that needs time to develop. At the moment it drinks nice, but why waste $100 on nice? These wines are built to age (nicely balanced with enough acids to go the distance). The '87 had lots of fresh fruit with PLENTY of life left in it. Let this baby rest!
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2/6/2007 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Softer and more accesible than the 2001. Great fruit, some chocolate notes and a nice finish. Smooth tannins allow it to be consumned now but this should continue to open up and improve. Very nice. 93+
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12/15/2006 - gr8r84u wrote: 98 Points
AMAZING! WOTN at our company holiday party. Well balanced, fine tannins, great fruit flavor.
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12/8/2006 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Needs another 3 years, but decant for a bit and really opens up. Nice chocolate and coffee smells!
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11/13/2006 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
Tasted at a retail tasting. Cedar, tobacco, and cigar box. Reminds me of a stuffy cigar lounge. 87-88.
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11/5/2006 - MTC wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Ruben. I much prefer the 2001. This is a fine effort but does not have the complexity and depth of the 2001. I will drink now-it does not seem to have long aging potential.
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10/19/2006 - GolferChris wrote: 96 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA): Unbeliveable wine. Exotic nose of red/black fruits, violets, and french vanilla. Deeply concentrated fruit that unwinds in layer after layer of flavors. Long 50 second finish. One of the best wines of the evening. Ed Sbragia was wonderful to talk to and is obviously on top of his game with this wine.
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10/9/2006 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
à la propriété
Beau nez fin, élevage présent mais d'une belle qualité. Texture crémeuse, très bel équilibrem finesse. Un Cabernet de très belle facture, long en bouche, encore vanillé mais aucun doute sur son avenir. 91 pts
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10/7/2006 - hifiwine wrote: 95 Points
exactly what Parker says
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9/12/2006 - mj3putt wrote:
Los Angeles Mortons
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8/6/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 92 Points
Very drinkable full bodied Cab. Velvety finish.
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6/19/2006 - AllRed wrote:
Getting back to the last bit of the bottle remaining from Friday. Mint and blackberry notes. Tannins have softened, but are still noticeable. Dark fruit flavors and a long finish, with a bit of an alcoholic bite on the back end. Depending on your palate, 92-94.
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6/16/2006 - AllRed wrote:
Picked up two bottles today at our local Sam's Club and popped one open to see if I should go back for more. Opened and poured two glasses and the rest right into the decanter. Deep inky/garnet color, opaque at the center. Notes of cassis, mint, beef blood and black cherries. Full bodied, with good weight and structure. Firm, sweet and chewy tannins greet you along with plums, cocoa powder and blackberries. Finish lasts for over 30 seconds. After three hours in the glass (yes, I am a patient man), the mint note was more prominent and the fruit has fleshed out a bit. Vacuvinned half a bottle for tomorrow night. Preliminary score - 93.
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5/9/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 94 Points
Spring Wine Tasting. Not as well rounded as the 2001, but also not as many tannins and very drinkable now.
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4/19/2006 - odu83 wrote: 94 Points
Awesome, so drinkable now.
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