Excellent. Very balanced; rich luscious fruit; soft tannins in the finish (stood upright for 6 weeks and decanted); no noticeable brown in the rim. Very youthful - many years left. Bottle No. 12,434.
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Mature velvety, dark fruits (black and red), plum, some heat with hints of leather and maybe a touch of tobacco. Would have been curious to taste this five years ago. At its peak or on way down but a ton of life left with fruit still at the forefront. Nice wine.
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A really nice, mature Napa Cab. Tannins fully resolved and revealing a complex profile of red fruits, cherries, tobacco, leather. A pleasure but I honestly don't see this getting any better. Drink now.
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I had a bottle last night with friends and the wine seemed to have a lot of youth in it. This 100% Cab is not a fruit bomb like a Caymus so set your expectations towards a Bordeaux left bank experience. The color was dark garnet and the nose was forest floor. This is not a sweet wine but a well crafted, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon for the purist. The palette had nuances of black coffee, cassis, and unsweetened blackberry. The finish was about 30 seconds and the tannins are well structured with mild acidity. We tasted this side by side with an Insignia of the same year and that seemed like a fruit bomb in comparison; go figure! I think this wine is in its window of opportunity and I am guessing this should hold up being a tightly wound CS for another 5 years
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Much improved from my last review. Needs to decant some. Took to dinner and first taste was delish, but 30min to 1 hour in, this wine sang. Tannins are still present but softened enough to be quite integrated. Lots of dark fruit flavors, with an amazing finish. Had this with "Whole Hog" Dinner at Oliveto in Oakland and it went spectacularly. Well done. 2 bottles left - yum
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Better then I expecred, great depth of flavors and concentration without going over the top. Well balanced dark chocolate, deep black cherry fruits and sweet tannins. Smooth and inviting giving lots of pleasure.
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$100 bottle tasting (Home): Inky purple color, opaque, almost black. Sweet vanilla nose with a little wet forest. Warm, rich cherry flavors and smooth profile. Layers of cherry, blueberry. Medium/long finish. A lot of balance for such a powerful wine. It has a lot of time left. This was the favorite wine of the night. 50+5+13+17+9=94
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Good, but interesting start. Muted nose and different first taste. Opened a bit halfway through first and only glass. Will revisit day 3...Day 3 was really good. Great finish, seems these are best when opened a while, but really good!!
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Very good, but not as great as I expected. Opened two hours before consumption, and was 3rd bottle of the night. Certainly the star, but did not crush it like I thought it would. It was elegant, with some leather and tobacco notes. Tannins had softened and the fruit was still there. But the finish was much simpler than I had anticipated. This was way better than the 1997 Backus that I had a short while ago and was a huge disappointment. But not the stellar wine I have enjoyed so many times. I still have every vintage from 1995 to date in my cellar (no 1998 as it was not produced), but maybe I should start tasting some of these. The 2001 just got rerated by Parker to 97+, so maybe I will start with one of those and see what is right. There is a battle between Parker and Spectator on several of these wines. So far, Spectator is probably closer to reality, but I know the quality of these wines, so still am confident these are outliers!
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Brought BYOB to Jimmy G's new restaurant. No detailed notes. Overall impression: an almost perfect Cab, maybe just a hair too oaky. Luscious ripe fruit. Intense without being overextracted. Amazing length. Mouthwatering acidity. Integrated tannins. Beautiful balance. Preferred by most over the '04 Mouton Rothschild.
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The bottle for us and the first slap across the nose was loaded with berries and crushed fruit aromas. Maybe a touch of currant and other spices like vanilla or a banana smell. In the might it was rich and chewy but oh so smooth. It was surprisingly smooth considering we did not allow it to breath too long. Maybe some cinnamon and cocoa and a slight earthly taste to it. Enjoyed this at Hanna's in RSM CA.
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Best Cab of the year for me thus far. Plush, balanced and elegant. In perfect form at this age for those who like the vibrant dark fruit to star the show.
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Dark inky color - full bodied - rich, full, complex, finely integrated ripe bark berry fruits, hints of currant turn to touch of dried tobacco ending in whisper of sweet vanilla and burnt sugar caramel on a long silky smooth chewy finish.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Tantalizing nose of crushed ripe red berries and a touch of vanilla. Ripe red fruit palate with excellent depth to the flavors. Tannins are very soft on the back end. This wine is in a fantastic place right now for those of you that still want to taste the youth but get a peek at the potential. Overall very similar to the 02 Sloan and 02 Shafer HSS I had last week.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Massive, big bold fruit in every way. Some minty interesting spice comes through behind vanilla, chocolate, plums and prunes. Finish shows some slight signs of nuance, otherwise this is really a bit one dimensional.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Culty personality. Menthol, freshly fallen pine needles, anise super extracted black fruit. New World styling, robust dark chocolate, prunes - a monster of a wine. Masculine but still showing excellent acid structure with a lush balanced mouth feel. A really young wine - a blockbuster. Really long complex finish.
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Still youthful but with an hour in the decanter this was nice...though still a tannic--continued to settle for another hour. Cream Cassis and spice box with nice fruit. ROund mouth feel that was initially harsh but gave way to silky tannins.
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Tough call. Better than Laube says, but for the price, not a value in wine at all. This wine is medium to full bodied, with balance and austere tannin. It is not overwhelming, nor especially long. For a wine retailing for 200 a bottle, it was not the least bit overwhelming. Got the club discount on my lot, but not the best money I've spent on wine.
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12/27/2023 - pellejeros519 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic. Great dark hue, blackberry and tobacco aroma, medium body and very enjoyable finish. Still has room to run.
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12/29/2020 - jonwill Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking at its peak right now, tannins are fully resolved, silky smooth and attenuated dark fruits and cherry.
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11/20/2020 - Bruce 1er wrote: 91 Points
Big; Dark. Intense. Brooding. Earthy, tobacco, coffee, plums. Bottle 12432.
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8/2/2020 - Ranndy wrote: 90 Points
Decant for at least two hours before drinking. Very good aroma of Bock cherries.
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5/18/2020 - Bruce 1er wrote: 95 Points
Excellent. Very balanced; rich luscious fruit; soft tannins in the finish (stood upright for 6 weeks and decanted); no noticeable brown in the rim. Very youthful - many years left. Bottle No. 12,434.
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4/12/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature velvety, dark fruits (black and red), plum, some heat with hints of leather and maybe a touch of tobacco. Would have been curious to taste this five years ago. At its peak or on way down but a ton of life left with fruit still at the forefront. Nice wine.
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3/18/2020 - zinnut wrote: 92 Points
A really nice, mature Napa Cab. Tannins fully resolved and revealing a complex profile of red fruits, cherries, tobacco, leather. A pleasure but I honestly don't see this getting any better. Drink now.
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12/25/2019 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened three hours before dinner. Dark fruit on the nose. The palate was dark berries, tobacco and tree bark. Finish was moderate to long.
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11/28/2019 - spartap Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a beautiful wine - powerful but balanced. Could age for another 5 years but excellent now.
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9/7/2019 - Bruce 1er wrote: 95 Points
Rich, complex, vibrant. Dark. Stone fruits, berries. Delicious. Second tasting.
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9/30/2018 - aquaman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanter for 1 hour.
Sweet that is the verdict. Even for cali wine lovers.
But over all still good. Let it breath more to get ride of the sweet smell.
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9/3/2018 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
An outstanding cab. Still lots of fruit, drinking like a much younger wine.
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6/10/2018 - Brett wrote: 97 Points
Simply fantastic!
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4/29/2018 - aerosol Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had a bottle last night with friends and the wine seemed to have a lot of youth in it. This 100% Cab is not a fruit bomb like a Caymus so set your expectations towards a Bordeaux left bank experience. The color was dark garnet and the nose was forest floor. This is not a sweet wine but a well crafted, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon for the purist. The palette had nuances of black coffee, cassis, and unsweetened blackberry. The finish was about 30 seconds and the tannins are well structured with mild acidity. We tasted this side by side with an Insignia of the same year and that seemed like a fruit bomb in comparison; go figure! I think this wine is in its window of opportunity and I am guessing this should hold up being a tightly wound CS for another 5 years
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11/26/2017 - GiWineDoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine!
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3/17/2017 - Brett wrote: 96 Points
Great wine, love it!
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12/24/2016 - redpine42 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Having a cab with some wagyu steaks. The tanins are perfect. Nice fruit. Finish is weak or I'd score it higher.
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5/15/2016 - Livermore Dan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent wine with wonderful nose. I expected more complex flavors on the palate, but still quite delicious.
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4/21/2016 - AlexHop Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Not great. A little sour and not wonderful flavors. Good nose.
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3/5/2016 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice. Really bitter at first but it opened up. Not really showy through.
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3/5/2015 - psusfca Likes this wine: 96 Points
Much improved from my last review. Needs to decant some. Took to dinner and first taste was delish, but 30min to 1 hour in, this wine sang. Tannins are still present but softened enough to be quite integrated. Lots of dark fruit flavors, with an amazing finish. Had this with "Whole Hog" Dinner at Oliveto in Oakland and it went spectacularly. Well done. 2 bottles left - yum
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4/20/2014 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better then I expecred, great depth of flavors and concentration without going over the top. Well balanced dark chocolate, deep black cherry fruits and sweet tannins. Smooth and inviting giving lots of pleasure.
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2/6/2014 - Brett wrote: 94 Points
Great wine
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1/25/2014 - Grenik Likes this wine: 94 Points
$100 bottle tasting (Home): Inky purple color, opaque, almost black. Sweet vanilla nose with a little wet forest. Warm, rich cherry flavors and smooth profile. Layers of cherry, blueberry. Medium/long finish. A lot of balance for such a powerful wine. It has a lot of time left. This was the favorite wine of the night. 50+5+13+17+9=94
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10/22/2013 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Very good wine, ready to drink.
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5/9/2013 - Brett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine!!
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4/12/2013 - Brett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic wine!!
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12/27/2012 - IGN WINESNOB wrote: 92 Points
Good, but interesting start. Muted nose and different first taste. Opened a bit halfway through first and only glass. Will revisit day 3...Day 3 was really good. Great finish, seems these are best when opened a while, but really good!!
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4/7/2012 - psusfca wrote: 93 Points
Very good, but not as great as I expected. Opened two hours before consumption, and was 3rd bottle of the night. Certainly the star, but did not crush it like I thought it would. It was elegant, with some leather and tobacco notes. Tannins had softened and the fruit was still there. But the finish was much simpler than I had anticipated. This was way better than the 1997 Backus that I had a short while ago and was a huge disappointment. But not the stellar wine I have enjoyed so many times. I still have every vintage from 1995 to date in my cellar (no 1998 as it was not produced), but maybe I should start tasting some of these. The 2001 just got rerated by Parker to 97+, so maybe I will start with one of those and see what is right. There is a battle between Parker and Spectator on several of these wines. So far, Spectator is probably closer to reality, but I know the quality of these wines, so still am confident these are outliers!
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1/11/2012 - Brett wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle of wine!!
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11/26/2011 - Wink wrote: 97 Points
Brought BYOB to Jimmy G's new restaurant. No detailed notes. Overall impression: an almost perfect Cab, maybe just a hair too oaky. Luscious ripe fruit. Intense without being overextracted. Amazing length. Mouthwatering acidity. Integrated tannins. Beautiful balance. Preferred by most over the '04 Mouton Rothschild.
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8/18/2011 - ewineguy wrote: 92 Points
The bottle for us and the first slap across the nose was loaded with berries and crushed fruit aromas. Maybe a touch of currant and other spices like vanilla or a banana smell. In the might it was rich and chewy but oh so smooth. It was surprisingly smooth considering we did not allow it to breath too long. Maybe some cinnamon and cocoa and a slight earthly taste to it. Enjoyed this at Hanna's in RSM CA.
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7/30/2011 - 2p8h wrote: 97 Points
Best Cab of the year for me thus far. Plush, balanced and elegant. In perfect form at this age for those who like the vibrant dark fruit to star the show.
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5/28/2011 - Mobthird wrote: 95 Points
needed some time to open, but delightful
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2/23/2011 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Really nice cool balance; Great nose with an edge; Beautiful balance
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1/14/2011 - Brett wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding
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12/19/2010 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark inky color - full bodied - rich, full, complex, finely integrated ripe bark berry fruits, hints of currant turn to touch of dried tobacco ending in whisper of sweet vanilla and burnt sugar caramel on a long silky smooth chewy finish.
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11/19/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Tantalizing nose of crushed ripe red berries and a touch of vanilla. Ripe red fruit palate with excellent depth to the flavors. Tannins are very soft on the back end. This wine is in a fantastic place right now for those of you that still want to taste the youth but get a peek at the potential. Overall very similar to the 02 Sloan and 02 Shafer HSS I had last week.
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10/9/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Massive, big bold fruit in every way. Some minty interesting spice comes through behind vanilla, chocolate, plums and prunes. Finish shows some slight signs of nuance, otherwise this is really a bit one dimensional.
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10/9/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Culty personality. Menthol, freshly fallen pine needles, anise super extracted black fruit. New World styling, robust dark chocolate, prunes - a monster of a wine.
Masculine but still showing excellent acid structure with a lush balanced mouth feel. A really young wine - a blockbuster. Really long complex finish.
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10/9/2010 - psmith wrote:
Flashy dark fruits and vanilla oak. Culty feel. Graphite. Fine tannins. Plenty of body. Nice - probably better than the Insignia this year.
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7/20/2010 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 90 Points
Certainly a right and proper cab... but not $150 worth. I think these were better in the mid to late '90s.
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1/20/2008 - Maverick wrote: 93 Points
Still youthful but with an hour in the decanter this was nice...though still a tannic--continued to settle for another hour. Cream Cassis and spice box with nice fruit. ROund mouth feel that was initially harsh but gave way to silky tannins.
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7/15/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 97 Points
Best cab so far this year. Full body, great fruit with a silky smooth finish.
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11/27/2006 - mmyette wrote: 89 Points
Tough call. Better than Laube says, but for the price, not a value in wine at all. This wine is medium to full bodied, with balance and austere tannin. It is not overwhelming, nor especially long. For a wine retailing for 200 a bottle, it was not the least bit overwhelming. Got the club discount on my lot, but not the best money I've spent on wine.
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