initially concerned about the orange tint on the rim of the glass, but the nose held true -- cinnamon notes with deep black fruit tones, forest floor and cigar box; palette is as delightful as ever, perhaps peaking now, with blackberry and black cherry predominant. Very soft tannins, very well integrated, a massive wine, with plenty of heat and long lingering aftertaste. Enjoy!
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nice garnet color; cigar box, black raspberry must and wet rainforest nose; soft tannins, packed black fruit, tobacco, briar, chocolate notes with a whiff of cinnamon on the long aftertaste. still going strong!
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After a 2 hour decant, the stinger herbal notes mellowed. Fruit was toned down as would be expected of a wine this age. There was still plenty of structure left. Drinking well right now.
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I held this purposely to understand the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon aging process. Clearly fully mature and in decline. Some signs of bricking at the edges, but the core is still, clear deep ruby. Fully developed and mature with pronounced complex aromas and flavors, as the primary fruit is mostly absent, replaced by aromas of spicy jalapeño pepper, smokey leather, dried tomato leaf, ground black currant leaf, dried tobacco, and parched, rocky earth. Vestiges of red currant persist in the background. Surprisingly there is still acid and tannin in support. Weak finish as expected. I’m still holding some “higher end” 2001 Cabs, so we’ll see how they fare!
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P&P through a soriee decanter. A nice amount of dark sediment was present on the bottom of the cork.
COLOR: garnet red ever so slightly cloudy. NOSE: funky, tobacco, cedar TASTE: initial taste reminded me of other bottles of a different vintage. Cedar and tobacco; very balanced in the palate. IMPRESSIONS: I'm a fan of Ardente CS and this 12 year old bottle did not disappoint.
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Following previous advice, I decanted 90 minutes before dinner with a Venturi. I normally don't smell the cork, but the dark color drew me to it and I was surprised at the hint of a special wine.
Pouring from the decanter, an initial smell and taste excited me. A bouquet of blackberries and tobacco, the fruit was muted on tasting, with a long silky finish. By dinner this wine opened up even more. It was a hit along with my wife's pot roast. This wine has matured very well after 27 months in our cellar.
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Poured a taste and wasn't happy, the wine had an off flavor and i was worried that it might be a bad bottle. Came back about an hour later and thankfully it was much improved. So let it breathe.
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Doing just brilliantly. Great fruit, nice dust, tannins resolved, plenty of life left so no rush. Wish I had more of this stuff, especially at the woot price.
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Decanted to allow the sediment to settle. Big aromatic and perfumed nose of dried red currants and cherries, tobacco, leather, spicy cinnamon, and piney, wet earth. Still plenty of balanced and dusty red fruit, and mocha in the mouth; tannins are rounded and well integrated. Great long finish. Enjoy with or without food. Fanatic QPR given the quality and age.
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Dark magenta with a bit of garnet. Soft nose of red fruit, spice and forest. Medium bodied, blackberries, black cherries, pepper, dusty tannins, tobacco, decent acid, and a dark chocolate medium finish. This was a bit bretty on night 1, but is drinking very nicely tonight.
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Lots of earth and dried red fruit here. Decanted half the bottle for 2 hours and drank the other half in glasses every 30 minutes or so. each lot was different but the 2 hour decant was the best. Not as much rich flavor as I hoped for, but still very complex and good.
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PnP. Very slight bricking, but in excellent condition for almost eleven years old. Perfumed. Mature, and complex, displaying mostly dried red fruits and plenty of earthiness and tobacco. There are still slight vestiges of some black fruit but flavors seem to have evolved mostly toward red. Tannins well integrated. Great, long smooth finish. Great find on Woot @ $21 a few months back.
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The nose shows big tobacco, black licorice, and cherry. Sweet and pungent. The palate shows candied cherry, black olive, leather mitt, and dark chocolate. This wine still has a pleasing amount of tannin present especially coming through on the mid palate. Good fruit, balance, and complexity. I am enjoying this wine so much more than the last time. Sad it's my last bottle. Long finish.
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There's nothing like a well aged Cabernet or Bordeaux! Decanted briefly to allow sediment to settle. Signs of bricking as the color is brownish purple. Opens up immediately with aromas of currant, tobacco, sweet dark berries, and some mocha. Tannins are well integrated and the flavors are complex, the palate smooth, but still vibrant for an eleven year old wine. Medium finish. Definitely a great QPR at $21 from Woot and a pleasant surprise. Drinking very well at present but should be consumed over the next two years.
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PnP. Nose has some dark fruit, currant, barn yard funk as others mentioned. Taste is slight dark fruit/cherry, earthy, some spice and a hint of chocolate. Tannins are integrated and the wine overall is very smooth. Color is dark red/brick. Light-Medium finish. Overall it was a decent wine worth trying, but I was not blown away. Also, after the wine had more than a few hours of air, it seemed to get pretty muted at that point and did not have a lot of stuffing left over. I would say drink this now or within the next couple years.
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Earthy, ripe flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plum and cassis. This full bodied wine is well balanced with moderate tannins and a long, expansive finish.
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Nose is amazing. Currant, that barnyard I love, leather, smoke, and eucalyptus. Palate is almost completely devoid of fruit. Earth, lots of black olives, chalk, chocolate, and slight spice. Maybe slight blueberry and I ripe cherry on the fruit side if you really search for it. Strong tannins, dark burgundy with a brick rim. Medium finish. All of this after a 1.5hr decant.
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Took a day to open up. Too overwhelmingly rich and dense upon initial opening. This will definitely benefit from decanting or more time in the bottle. After a day, it opened up and softened to (still rich) layers of cassis, blackberry, plum and black currant.
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Color: Deep crimson with slight bricking. Nose: Floral/capers, kalamata olive, cherry and tea. Palate: The first couple sips had a viscous, palate coating feel which I did not enjoy. This did go away after breathing in the glass for about an hour. Black cherry, ripe plum and tea on the mid-palate which holds through the finish. Still has some tannins holding on.
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8/14/2022 - nfurlong Likes this wine: 93 Points
initially concerned about the orange tint on the rim of the glass, but the nose held true -- cinnamon notes with deep black fruit tones, forest floor and cigar box; palette is as delightful as ever, perhaps peaking now, with blackberry and black cherry predominant. Very soft tannins, very well integrated, a massive wine, with plenty of heat and long lingering aftertaste. Enjoy!
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10/10/2021 - nfurlong Likes this wine: 93 Points
nice garnet color; cigar box, black raspberry must and wet rainforest nose; soft tannins, packed black fruit, tobacco, briar, chocolate notes with a whiff of cinnamon on the long aftertaste. still going strong!
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3/22/2019 - Wineaux67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a 2 hour decant, the stinger herbal notes mellowed. Fruit was toned down as would be expected of a wine this age. There was still plenty of structure left. Drinking well right now.
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7/14/2018 - wmccone54 wrote:
I held this purposely to understand the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon aging process. Clearly fully mature and in decline. Some signs of bricking at the edges, but the core is still, clear deep ruby. Fully developed and mature with pronounced complex aromas and flavors, as the primary fruit is mostly absent, replaced by aromas of spicy jalapeño pepper, smokey leather, dried tomato leaf, ground black currant leaf, dried tobacco, and parched, rocky earth. Vestiges of red currant persist in the background. Surprisingly there is still acid and tannin in support. Weak finish as expected. I’m still holding some “higher end” 2001 Cabs, so we’ll see how they fare!
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5/14/2017 - Santiagogomez wrote:
drink by 2017
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6/23/2016 - nathanbsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
P&P through a soriee decanter. A nice amount of dark sediment was present on the bottom of the cork.
COLOR: garnet red ever so slightly cloudy.
NOSE: funky, tobacco, cedar
TASTE: initial taste reminded me of other bottles of a different vintage. Cedar and tobacco; very balanced in the palate.
IMPRESSIONS: I'm a fan of Ardente CS and this 12 year old bottle did not disappoint.
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2/9/2015 - LaCroix Likes this wine: 92 Points
Following previous advice, I decanted 90 minutes before dinner with a Venturi. I normally don't smell the cork, but the dark color drew me to it and I was surprised at the hint of a special wine.
Pouring from the decanter, an initial smell and taste excited me. A bouquet of blackberries and tobacco, the fruit was muted on tasting, with a long silky finish. By dinner this wine opened up even more. It was a hit along with my wife's pot roast. This wine has matured very well after 27 months in our cellar.
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12/29/2014 - nathanbsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
FANTASTIC!!!!
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12/22/2014 - nathanbsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious Napa Cab!!
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12/17/2014 - klezman wrote:
Delicious aged Napa cab.
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11/7/2014 - joesi16 wrote:
Poured a taste and wasn't happy, the wine had an off flavor and i was worried that it might be a bad bottle. Came back about an hour later and thankfully it was much improved. So let it breathe.
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4/14/2014 - klezman wrote:
Doing just brilliantly. Great fruit, nice dust, tannins resolved, plenty of life left so no rush. Wish I had more of this stuff, especially at the woot price.
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3/15/2014 - ddmhunter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aged very well, awesome QPR
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11/8/2013 - wmccone54 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted to allow the sediment to settle. Big aromatic and perfumed nose of dried red currants and cherries, tobacco, leather, spicy cinnamon, and piney, wet earth. Still plenty of balanced and dusty red fruit, and mocha in the mouth; tannins are rounded and well integrated. Great long finish. Enjoy with or without food. Fanatic QPR given the quality and age.
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10/12/2013 - merryberry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark magenta with a bit of garnet. Soft nose of red fruit, spice and forest. Medium bodied, blackberries, black cherries, pepper, dusty tannins, tobacco, decent acid, and a dark chocolate medium finish. This was a bit bretty on night 1, but is drinking very nicely tonight.
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9/28/2013 - nathanbsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting 9/28/13: Color: burgundy, crimson, brown
Nose: cherry, strong, fingernail polish
Palate: full-bodied, creamy texture, cherry, tart
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8/24/2013 - Aparritz wrote: 90 Points
Lots of earth and dried red fruit here. Decanted half the bottle for 2 hours and drank the other half in glasses every 30 minutes or so. each lot was different but the 2 hour decant was the best. Not as much rich flavor as I hoped for, but still very complex and good.
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8/16/2013 - nathanbsmith wrote: 91 Points
Another fantastic aged Cab from Ardente.
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7/15/2013 - kmays wrote: 91 Points
All the other reviews have it right. Delicious, smooth, complex. Glad I have two bottles.
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6/20/2013 - wmccone54 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Very slight bricking, but in excellent condition for almost eleven years old. Perfumed. Mature, and complex, displaying mostly dried red fruits and plenty of earthiness and tobacco. There are still slight vestiges of some black fruit but flavors seem to have evolved mostly toward red. Tannins well integrated. Great, long smooth finish. Great find on Woot @ $21 a few months back.
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4/30/2013 - Furry Goat Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose shows big tobacco, black licorice, and cherry. Sweet and pungent. The palate shows candied cherry, black olive, leather mitt, and dark chocolate. This wine still has a pleasing amount of tannin present especially coming through on the mid palate. Good fruit, balance, and complexity. I am enjoying this wine so much more than the last time. Sad it's my last bottle. Long finish.
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4/3/2013 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes
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3/31/2013 - Sandydog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberries, aged nicely, smooth
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3/30/2013 - wmccone54 wrote: 91 Points
There's nothing like a well aged Cabernet or Bordeaux! Decanted briefly to allow sediment to settle. Signs of bricking as the color is brownish purple. Opens up immediately with aromas of currant, tobacco, sweet dark berries, and some mocha. Tannins are well integrated and the flavors are complex, the palate smooth, but still vibrant for an eleven year old wine. Medium finish. Definitely a great QPR at $21 from Woot and a pleasant surprise. Drinking very well at present but should be consumed over the next two years.
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3/27/2013 - WABonsaiGuy wrote: 88 Points
Color: brick/maroon
Nose: currant, slight farm, grapey
Mouth: fruity, sharp tannins at first
Finish: smooth, ripe
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3/18/2013 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Nose has some dark fruit, currant, barn yard funk as others mentioned. Taste is slight dark fruit/cherry, earthy, some spice and a hint of chocolate. Tannins are integrated and the wine overall is very smooth. Color is dark red/brick. Light-Medium finish. Overall it was a decent wine worth trying, but I was not blown away. Also, after the wine had more than a few hours of air, it seemed to get pretty muted at that point and did not have a lot of stuffing left over. I would say drink this now or within the next couple years.
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3/1/2013 - cmaldoon wrote: 88 Points
Solid middle fruit middle aged cab. Took 15 min for some bottle age funk to blow off. Not much tannin left in this one. Quite tasty.
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2/3/2013 - nathanbsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy, ripe flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plum and cassis. This full bodied wine is well balanced with moderate tannins and a long, expansive finish.
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12/31/2012 - Jzez1998 wrote: 92 Points
really in a nice place right now. great bottle
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12/25/2012 - Furry Goat wrote: 89 Points
Nose is amazing. Currant, that barnyard I love, leather, smoke, and eucalyptus. Palate is almost completely devoid of fruit. Earth, lots of black olives, chalk, chocolate, and slight spice. Maybe slight blueberry and I ripe cherry on the fruit side if you really search for it. Strong tannins, dark burgundy with a brick rim. Medium finish. All of this after a 1.5hr decant.
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12/24/2012 - citizen1 wrote: 91 Points
QPR ridiculous - $20 for a bottle. Very good California CS
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12/14/2012 - cmaldoon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not as good as the 1997 or 2001 for this bottle but still quite good. More fruit driven than the others.
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11/15/2012 - mqvn wrote:
Took a day to open up. Too overwhelmingly rich and dense upon initial opening. This will definitely benefit from decanting or more time in the bottle. After a day, it opened up and softened to (still rich) layers of cassis, blackberry, plum and black currant.
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11/6/2012 - Ajrod27 wrote:
Color: Deep crimson with slight bricking.
Nose: Floral/capers, kalamata olive, cherry and tea.
Palate: The first couple sips had a viscous, palate coating feel which I did not enjoy. This did go away after breathing in the glass for about an hour. Black cherry, ripe plum and tea on the mid-palate which holds through the finish. Still has some tannins holding on.
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