Really nicely aged wine with life left. Beautiful color to the rim. Very smooth and balanced. Held up well for 2 days and started falling apart on day #3. Beautiful black cherry and plum fruit. Secondary flavors are nuanced and subtle. "Pretty" is the best way to describe it.
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Corked with extreme earthiness and muted fruits; there seems to be lots of unresolved structure which may support a much longer drinking window than currently shown.
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I thought this would be ready, but it is not. After 24 hours it is still tannic and primary. It is starting to show its stuff, but if you just want dense fruit backed by oak it can come at a far lower price. My rating reflects drinking now. I expect much better in about five years. The underlying acidity tells me that this wine wine will have a long drinking window.
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Better than the bottle I had 6 months ago. The nose was berries and mocha. The palate was berries, tobacco, mocha and earth almost felt like I was drinking an aged Graves . The finish was longer than the last time. Served with a simple roast chicken. A really enjoyable bottle of wine. Unfortunately the last of a half case I bought many years ago.
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Two and a half years since I last tried a bottle and I believe it has improved. I opened the bottle around 3 hours before dinner. This is a nice wine with berries on the nose, The palate is dark berries, tobacco and mocha. The finish was moderate to long.
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Purple colored and showing the barest bit of age along the rim. Nose is a bit musty with purple and red fruit. On the palate, flavors of raspberry, blackberry, cassis and boysenberry — imagine liquified fruit leather. Tannins are fine grained and seemingly melt into the wine with aeration. Acid is medium and body is medium+; overall this wine is nicely balanced and easy to drink with no alcohol poking out. In a nice window.
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Dark and brooding, a balance between charcoal-earthiness and deep dark fruit. Leather, light menthol, plum, blackberry, blueberry, spice. Good tannic structure, excellent finish. A big and serious wine. Give it a couple hours of air and/or another year in the bottle.
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On PnP, I found that the gritty tannins and Rutherford dust completely overwhelmed any other aspect of this wine. With some air and probably more importantly, it warming up from cellar temp, the gritty tannins and dust resolved some to show dark blackberry fruit. Worth mentioning that Georges III is not my favorite vineyard.
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Unfortunately our last bottle, because this was fantastic. Fruit fragrance just explodes out of the glas upon pouring, little decanting required. Mouthfeel is beautiful and balanced. Enjoy this for at least another two years, this is in its prime right now.
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Well made wine that is drinking really well - doubt it will improve as fruit is just at the right place to create balance. Body is almost medium but with a nice silky touch. Blue fruited with a touch of dust. Not that complex but also not oaky and a very nice complement to food. Fruit driven nose. Nice QPR.
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Delicious Rutherford Cab. Dark red in the glass with little or no bricking on the rim . . .
Nice bright red fruit on the nose, with some spiciness. Cellar temp or warmer seems like the sweet spot.
Strong tannic backbone on the tip of the tongue continuing with and followed by the red fruit, with classic Rutherford dust. The flavor lingers for a long time . . . Umm-mmmm!
Really great now and still on the upswing.
Great job, Eric!!!
Wish I had more and will push the 11-13 BGIII 3-pack I got on one of the previous BD’s to the back of the cellar as this wine just gets better with age.
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Drank well over two days. Fruit forward - cassis / BlackBerry. Not sweet or extracted. Green tobacco. Cedar. Tannins a bit gritty. Balanced acidity. +body and finish
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This is a very earthy wine. The cork had a distinct odor, so much so that the table believed it to be corked - which it was not. It's simply an earthy wine, needs time to open up but not one of my favorite wines. In fairness, others at my table really enjoyed the wine. Aromas of cherry, cola, and violet. Flavors of dark berries and cherry. Nice tannic structure. You should decant for at least an hour before enjoying.
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The second bottle of our dinner and we had to pnp. This is a nice wine with berries on the nose, The palate is dark berries, tobacco and mocha. The finish is nice with a slight hint of olive coming through. Next time I will plan better and either slow ox for 6 or 7 hours or decant.
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Totally agree with earlier review about this being young. We fail d to decant adequately and the tannins overwhelm the fruit. Will be patient with this.
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Just a young pup really. 5 hr decant allowed it to really open up to a brooding black/dark red fruited wine accompanied by a firm tannic grip and nice acidity prove this to be a well made wine and a fine steward of this great vineyard. Long life ahead and glad to have more.
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Drinking well now with black currant and raspberry along side integrating medium tannins & acid. Straightforward Napa cab and well made. Good now and should easily age though its 10th possibly 15th birthday.
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Very consistent with prior bottles, great cassis and graphite flavors, some dark chocolate and flintiness. Overall, great balance and not at all lacking in rich flavors. Should continue to age beautifully.
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Wonderfully open still. Great flavor of both dark cassis and tobacco, with a wonderful graphite undertone. What a great cab for cooler weather enjoyment. The nose is a sublime mix of an olive and blackberry bramble mix, with hints of charred beef. It's a big winner from this often overripe vintage.
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Nose of blackberry, some blueberry, lots of graphite balancing out a full body. Great structure, slight heat blows off quickly. Seems to be drinking at peak. Great wine.
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Good QPR. Opened for two hours, dark fruit on the nose, the palate was blackberry, tobacco, olive and mocha, the finish is long and brought out a flavor that I can only describe as banana leaf. Most enjoyable. I think had I decanted it for a 6-7 hours the score would have been higher.
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Ruby in color. The nose has nice cassis, a bit of graphite, slight hay note. On the palate, this is very good. Not real ripe but nothing green either. Cassis, slight blueberry, hints of licorice. Nice texture. Starting to show some complexity. Didn't really change much on day 2. No hurry. Nice value in a Cab of this pedigree.
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Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blue and black fruit - blueberry, black cherry, and black berry, baking spice, and undertones of tobacco and shoe leather - exceptional in it's combination of high volume and complexity. Palate: Full bodied, ripe red, blue, and black fruit attack, with good acidic balance and a very nice mid-palate spice kick, flavors build in intensity thru the mid-palate all the way thru the back-end, borderline over-powering, but does keep in check. Finish: Lengthy sense of luscious ripe dark fruit and spice. This is seriously good wine.
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Loren nailed this below, but this bottle just wasn't giving up much on the palate. My last note was an off bottle, this is nothing like it. That being said, I let this breath for 2 hours and honestly this presents as completely closed. A small taste on opening was rough but showed some fruit and herb. Now it is all graphite and tannin with cassis. Others note it's drinking well and I believe its bottle variation. This bottle needed 5 years to shape up.
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A bunch of wines at dinner with Friends (Taste): This is getting there. Best showing yet for this wine but still young and needs time or air. Showed much better after an hour of being opened and poured IMO. Purple in color. The nose has cassis leather and a bit of graphite. Full bodied. On the palate, this has depth. With air, a nice complexity comes out. Nice balance. Still some oak showing, but it seems to be integrating very nicely with the fruit. Another couple of years to full maturity I think. Lovely wine.
Came out of the shoot running. Big fruit, some rough edges, still a bit on the tannic side but approachable now. Would wait another year before trying another.
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Unlike a previous great bottle, this one was overripe and pruney with a port like finish. I can't make sense of it.
Day 2- Inexplicably, this came around and lost all the pruneyness. Honestly have no idea how that happens. Similar to my previous note, however, with quite a bit less energy.
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Really fantastic cabernet. Decanted for an hour and rested in bottle for another. Only got a small pour as it was shared 8 ways. Deep "dusty" cherry profile with a bit of black fruit. Silky tannins. A bit of green pepper in the background. Will probably wait 3 years to open my other one.
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45 min decant, earthy nose upon opening, red fruit, tobacco, earth, faint green pepper. This was showing rally nice complexity for such a young wine. Really liked this and look forward to my remaining 2 bottles, but will wait a year or two until opening the next.
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WOTN. Quite honestly better than both the 2009 Mondavi Reserve and the 2009 Robert Foley Cabernet. Much more advanced profile with lots of red currant, red berries, tobacco and leather. Extremely good culminating with a long finish. Consistent with prior bottles.
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If you want to see what a short decant can do, don't. PnP on this will give you a very interesting wine and make you wonder if it is just going to be a little green and/or angular. Within an hour all of that was gone. Turned into a bigger napa cab firing on all the fruit cylinders.
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Showing more restraint than the previous bottle, but still enjoyable. It showed vanilla and cheery compote on the nose, with a nice mouthful of chocolate covered cherries and zesty plums. A clipped finish diminished the overall taste though and that extra oomph I remembered from my prior bottle was lacking.
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Others like this more than me, a bit angular and harsh upon opening. Seems like their might be a good to great wine there one day, but I'm checking back in a few years.
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PnP (first mistake, but could not be helped, was not my bottle), served non-blind. Youthful but pure nose, nothing spoofed here. Aromas of bright blackberries, cassis fruit, and cigar wrapper get a nice punch of strawberry and anise, adding another level of interest. Flavors have yet to fully develop, but the build appears clean and correct. This was the final bottle of the night and did not show that well because it followed a 30+ yr old Mayacamas Cab Sauv, and several French reds (no BDX), plus, as I've said, did not get the aeration it deserved. I'd likely sit on these for at least 3-4 years to allow for better integration and flavor development. Still, it's nothing I'd purchase for myself. The 14,6% abv is mostly integrated at this stage. Drink thru 2023
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Decanted for over an hour. An absolutely stunning and outstanding example of Napa Cabernet at its best. Classy and elegant, this really reflects the terroir of Napa and why the Cabernets can be so very good. See my October 2013 tasting notes for details.
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Decanted for approx an hour but this really didn't start to shine until 2-3 hours in; dark purple in color; upon the decant, lovely nose of dark baked fruits, cassis, leather, and alcohol; initial palate was full of blackberry, dark plum, cassis, kirsch, and a bit of heat but it left entirely after a couple of hours, then streaks of smooth mocha and coffee layered themselves nicely; angular tannins in the first hour which smoothed and sweetened after time; medium weight, moderate acidity with a long, extremely creamy finish.
The key to this wine appears to be a decant of at least 2-3 hours. This is an outstanding single vineyard wine from a terrific vineyard. Eric did a great job with this production.
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Quality juice. Deep garnet. Nose of black and some red fruits. Medium acidity, enough to keep it interesting. Tannins that came out to play an hour in. This has aging potential.
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Previous reviews have nailed it. I really enjoyed this wine with dinner and it only got better as the night went on. I'm looking forward to my next bottle and I think the wine will only get better with a couple of years on it.
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Previous reviews of this have been right on. Drank over two nights. NOSE: Creamy just oil-leather, plums, vanilla, blackcurrant, black cherries, and crushed stone. PALATE: Similar flavor characteristics as already mentioned. Medium acid medium-plus body, medium-to-medium-plus tannins but very well integrated and soft, long length. Drinking wonderfully right now. It's big enough that it will certainly age for some time to come, but I wouldn't feel bad about opening this now. Went great with various cheeses and charcuterie, and also with a dry-aged ribeye.
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Grand champion wine from last bottle. No formal notes from last weekend, but full, lush, nice structure, just the right amount of weight. Easy drinking now
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Wow, what a great find on the Last Bottle! Echo all the prior comments, but King Cab nailed it! Decanted for almost two hours. Big, intoxicating Cabernet nose followed by flavors of sweet vanilla, black spicy berry, plums, cassis, dark cherry, along with some evolving tobacco, and toffee, underscored with a smooth, rich balanced structure. Mostly primary at this juncture, but showing significant future upside. Great accompaniment to a grilled ribeye steak. Outstanding now, but will only improve for the next 10-15 years. First of six, but wish I had bought a case! :-(
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Initially the nose showed some heat but it blew away quickly. After about 30 minutes and a aerator funnel this is singing. Nose of sweet black cassis infused with cardamom, soy and brambly blackberries. Very interesting. Palate show an intense purity with a nicely structured framework. Fantastic array of black & red fruits with cassis leading the way. Hints of caramel, black cherries, kirsch-royal and more tease the palate in a very playful way. Balance is well-done with tannins slightly edgy but promises greatness with a few years in the bottle to which I will do with the balance of my bottles. I certainly get the lineage of site here and I am loving the near mind-boggling note of creaminess running right down the middle. Consider yourself lucky if you own some and unlucky if you don't; that can still be rectified. Room for a few more points in there too.
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Deep purple in the glass on the pop and pour. Nose has some initial alcohol on it mixed with red fruit. But its the palate where this shines. Lots of tobacco and barnyard with lively acidity but moderated with some vanilla bean. Fruit is predominantly black fruit with some red fruit showing through. Lots of tannin on the back end which will integrate nicely over the next few years. Long finish which clamps down on the back end with serious tannins. Restrained but pleasurable. Prefer this much more than the 2008.
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Beautiful wine. Bottle is in full stride within 20 minutes of opening. Wonderful bramble on the nose along with spicy blue-fruit. Palate is pretty full-throttle, but does not veer into prune territory. Gentle tannins and not a ton of acidity, but still cuts through food decently. Pretty lengthy finish, with a little oak.
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Very promising in an early stage of development, showing a restrained note at this time that loosens up very nicely after about six hours under air. Creosote nose of rich black cherry reduction, with strong tobacco and currants on the front and some phatty vanilla crème brulee on the finish. The balance on this wine is surprising considering how big most '09s have been to date. Kudos to a fine job from this winemaking team indeed.
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Finally some pure Napa cab that is not amp'd up to be something it is not. Dark plum, black cherry, cassis, before some roasted herbs and fresh black currant kick in prior to a sweet tannin minty finish. This is very well done with the structure and fruit in good harmony. Although there is a wee bit of drying tannin on the finish (it is Rutherford after all), they are sweet and do not obscure. While perfectly fine on its own, a little food goes a long way in bringing out additional layers. Some black olive and bam, this is singing a savory song. Age-worthy. Very approachable and will only get better. If you like them young it doesn't get much better but this has that stuffing for the perfect 10 year window. My best cab buy ever.
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know this is young but I couldn't resist - restrained, elegant nose on initial pour - touch of anise/minerality - smooth and easy to drink, drying tannins - slightly on the fruity/sweet side, but not overly so - really enjoyed this, glad I have a few more in the cellar to taste over the next several years to see it develop.
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12/10/2023 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last bottle, a wonderful journey to maturity for this labeling
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5/8/2022 - BurnsCT wrote:
Very nice. 5/22
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12/7/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nicely aged wine with life left. Beautiful color to the rim. Very smooth and balanced. Held up well for 2 days and started falling apart on day #3. Beautiful black cherry and plum fruit. Secondary flavors are nuanced and subtle. "Pretty" is the best way to describe it.
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8/15/2021 - wmccone54 wrote: flawed
Corked with extreme earthiness and muted fruits; there seems to be lots of unresolved structure which may support a much longer drinking window than currently shown.
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1/31/2021 - pape du neuf Likes this wine: 90 Points
I thought this would be ready, but it is not. After 24 hours it is still tannic and primary. It is starting to show its stuff, but if you just want dense fruit backed by oak it can come at a far lower price.
My rating reflects drinking now. I expect much better in about five years.
The underlying acidity tells me that this wine wine will have a long drinking window.
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12/21/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better than the bottle I had 6 months ago. The nose was berries and mocha. The palate was berries, tobacco, mocha and earth almost felt like I was drinking an aged Graves . The finish was longer than the last time. Served with a simple roast chicken. A really enjoyable bottle of wine. Unfortunately the last of a half case I bought many years ago.
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11/10/2020 - maxmanx wrote:
I didn't get a taste but the crowd really enjoyed it.
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8/2/2020 - wine247365 Likes this wine: 93 Points
bigger-bodied, plush tannins, classic cassis, light pencil shavings, 2ndary flavors, peaking, but will easily taste good into 2024 and perhaps beyond.
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5/23/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two and a half years since I last tried a bottle and I believe it has improved. I opened the bottle around 3 hours before dinner. This is a nice wine with berries on the nose, The palate is dark berries, tobacco and mocha. The finish was moderate to long.
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2/7/2020 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Continues to improve in both depth and complexity. Rock on!
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6/19/2019 - PolarBear22 wrote:
Great Cabernet.
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5/20/2019 - CMN wrote: 92 Points
Purple colored and showing the barest bit of age along the rim. Nose is a bit musty with purple and red fruit. On the palate, flavors of raspberry, blackberry, cassis and boysenberry — imagine liquified fruit leather. Tannins are fine grained and seemingly melt into the wine with aeration. Acid is medium and body is medium+; overall this wine is nicely balanced and easy to drink with no alcohol poking out. In a nice window.
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4/1/2019 - maxmanx wrote:
PnP. This is very good- intense, extracted but really good. Still good after being opened 3 days.
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2/16/2019 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark and brooding, a balance between charcoal-earthiness and deep dark fruit. Leather, light menthol, plum, blackberry, blueberry, spice. Good tannic structure, excellent finish. A big and serious wine. Give it a couple hours of air and/or another year in the bottle.
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2/7/2019 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
On PnP, I found that the gritty tannins and Rutherford dust completely overwhelmed any other aspect of this wine. With some air and probably more importantly, it warming up from cellar temp, the gritty tannins and dust resolved some to show dark blackberry fruit. Worth mentioning that Georges III is not my favorite vineyard.
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2/3/2019 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unfortunately our last bottle, because this was fantastic. Fruit fragrance just explodes out of the glas upon pouring, little decanting required. Mouthfeel is beautiful and balanced. Enjoy this for at least another two years, this is in its prime right now.
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1/31/2019 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well made wine that is drinking really well - doubt it will improve as fruit is just at the right place to create balance. Body is almost medium but with a nice silky touch. Blue fruited with a touch of dust. Not that complex but also not oaky and a very nice complement to food. Fruit driven nose. Nice QPR.
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1/16/2019 - Frabjous Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious Rutherford Cab. Dark red in the glass with little or no bricking on the rim . . .
Nice bright red fruit on the nose, with some spiciness. Cellar temp or warmer seems like the sweet spot.
Strong tannic backbone on the tip of the tongue continuing with and followed by the red fruit, with classic Rutherford dust. The flavor lingers for a long time . . . Umm-mmmm!
Really great now and still on the upswing.
Great job, Eric!!!
Wish I had more and will push the 11-13 BGIII 3-pack I got on one of the previous BD’s to the back of the cellar as this wine just gets better with age.
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8/31/2018 - scott w wrote: flawed
Corked damn
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6/13/2018 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
The tannins were just a touch gritty, but this was otherwise a very nice cab that showed its Rutherford origins very well.
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6/8/2018 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Take her to warp speed Captain. This wine is now really flying! superb effort and at price point even better vs other G3 wines.
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5/11/2018 - jhemming Likes this wine:
Drank well over two days. Fruit forward - cassis / BlackBerry. Not sweet or extracted. Green tobacco. Cedar. Tannins a bit gritty. Balanced acidity. +body and finish
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1/14/2018 - Tym4wine wrote: 89 Points
This is a very earthy wine. The cork had a distinct odor, so much so that the table believed it to be corked - which it was not. It's simply an earthy wine, needs time to open up but not one of my favorite wines. In fairness, others at my table really enjoyed the wine. Aromas of cherry, cola, and violet. Flavors of dark berries and cherry. Nice tannic structure. You should decant for at least an hour before enjoying.
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9/23/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
The second bottle of our dinner and we had to pnp. This is a nice wine with berries on the nose, The palate is dark berries, tobacco and mocha. The finish is nice with a slight hint of olive coming through. Next time I will plan better and either slow ox for 6 or 7 hours or decant.
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7/18/2017 - John4 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great bottle and nice example of Napa cabernet under $40.
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6/25/2017 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Totally agree with earlier review about this being young. We fail d to decant adequately and the tannins overwhelm the fruit. Will be patient with this.
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4/12/2017 - rcmccall Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just a young pup really. 5 hr decant allowed it to really open up to a brooding black/dark red fruited wine accompanied by a firm tannic grip and nice acidity prove this to be a well made wine and a fine steward of this great vineyard. Long life ahead and glad to have more.
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3/1/2017 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow has this wine developed. Super rich and great finesse. Nicely bundled.
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2/7/2017 - bconly Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice with steak. Decanted 3 hours and that was the right move for sure.
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2/7/2017 - David_T wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well now with black currant and raspberry along side integrating medium tannins & acid. Straightforward Napa cab and well made. Good now and should easily age though its 10th possibly 15th birthday.
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12/5/2016 - fredfromny wrote: 93 Points
Wine is starting to hit stride. Voluptuous fruit with firm backbone and luxurious finish. Will wait 3 years for next bottle.
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11/2/2016 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very consistent with prior bottles, great cassis and graphite flavors, some dark chocolate and flintiness. Overall, great balance and not at all lacking in rich flavors. Should continue to age beautifully.
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10/28/2016 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderfully open still. Great flavor of both dark cassis and tobacco, with a wonderful graphite undertone. What a great cab for cooler weather enjoyment. The nose is a sublime mix of an olive and blackberry bramble mix, with hints of charred beef. It's a big winner from this often overripe vintage.
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8/9/2016 - takk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of blackberry, some blueberry, lots of graphite balancing out a full body. Great structure, slight heat blows off quickly. Seems to be drinking at peak. Great wine.
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7/19/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good QPR. Opened for two hours, dark fruit on the nose, the palate was blackberry, tobacco, olive and mocha, the finish is long and brought out a flavor that I can only describe as banana leaf. Most enjoyable. I think had I decanted it for a 6-7 hours the score would have been higher.
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3/7/2016 - konadog wrote: 91 Points
black and blue fruits with a bit of black olive.
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11/30/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Ruby in color. The nose has nice cassis, a bit of graphite, slight hay note. On the palate, this is very good. Not real ripe but nothing green either. Cassis, slight blueberry, hints of licorice. Nice texture. Starting to show some complexity. Didn't really change much on day 2. No hurry. Nice value in a Cab of this pedigree.
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11/14/2015 - prasm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blue and black fruit - blueberry, black cherry, and black berry, baking spice, and undertones of tobacco and shoe leather - exceptional in it's combination of high volume and complexity. Palate: Full bodied, ripe red, blue, and black fruit attack, with good acidic balance and a very nice mid-palate spice kick, flavors build in intensity thru the mid-palate all the way thru the back-end, borderline over-powering, but does keep in check. Finish: Lengthy sense of luscious ripe dark fruit and spice. This is seriously good wine.
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10/23/2015 - kenhoeve Likes this wine:
Loren nailed this below, but this bottle just wasn't giving up much on the palate. My last note was an off bottle, this is nothing like it. That being said, I let this breath for 2 hours and honestly this presents as completely closed. A small taste on opening was rough but showed some fruit and herb. Now it is all graphite and tannin with cassis. Others note it's drinking well and I believe its bottle variation. This bottle needed 5 years to shape up.
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8/2/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A bunch of wines at dinner with Friends (Taste): This is getting there. Best showing yet for this wine but still young and needs time or air. Showed much better after an hour of being opened and poured IMO. Purple in color. The nose has cassis leather and a bit of graphite. Full bodied. On the palate, this has depth. With air, a nice complexity comes out. Nice balance. Still some oak showing, but it seems to be integrating very nicely with the fruit. Another couple of years to full maturity I think. Lovely wine.
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8/1/2015 - blaine wrote:
Drinking very well, alas my last bottle...
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6/19/2015 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 92 Points
Came out of the shoot running. Big fruit, some rough edges, still a bit on the tannic side but approachable now. Would wait another year before trying another.
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12/23/2014 - kenhoeve wrote:
Unlike a previous great bottle, this one was overripe and pruney with a port like finish. I can't make sense of it.
Day 2- Inexplicably, this came around and lost all the pruneyness. Honestly have no idea how that happens. Similar to my previous note, however, with quite a bit less energy.
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11/28/2014 - swivel112 wrote: flawed
Badly corked
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8/26/2014 - Zonk wrote: 92 Points
Really fantastic cabernet. Decanted for an hour and rested in bottle for another. Only got a small pour as it was shared 8 ways. Deep "dusty" cherry profile with a bit of black fruit. Silky tannins. A bit of green pepper in the background. Will probably wait 3 years to open my other one.
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8/11/2014 - Grape_ape Likes this wine:
45 min decant, earthy nose upon opening, red fruit, tobacco, earth, faint green pepper. This was showing rally nice complexity for such a young wine. Really liked this and look forward to my remaining 2 bottles, but will wait a year or two until opening the next.
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7/6/2014 - PSUSteve wrote:
Decanted for 90 minutes and drank over the next 90. Black fruit with a mineral streak. Tannins are well integrated.
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6/7/2014 - wmccone54 wrote:
WOTN. Quite honestly better than both the 2009 Mondavi Reserve and the 2009 Robert Foley Cabernet. Much more advanced profile with lots of red currant, red berries, tobacco and leather. Extremely good culminating with a long finish. Consistent with prior bottles.
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6/5/2014 - 321Nomad wrote: 87 Points
Seemingly soft initially, but then notes of oak presented themselves and spoiled my enjoyment.
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3/15/2014 - ToddS Likes this wine:
If you want to see what a short decant can do, don't. PnP on this will give you a very interesting wine and make you wonder if it is just going to be a little green and/or angular. Within an hour all of that was gone. Turned into a bigger napa cab firing on all the fruit cylinders.
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2/12/2014 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 91 Points
Showing more restraint than the previous bottle, but still enjoyable. It showed vanilla and cheery compote on the nose, with a nice mouthful of chocolate covered cherries and zesty plums. A clipped finish diminished the overall taste though and that extra oomph I remembered from my prior bottle was lacking.
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2/8/2014 - Jeffgwhite wrote: 85 Points
Old world cab with a barnyard finish. I would suggest for steaks and let it sit for bit open. Not an everyday wine for just a glass...just too bold.
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1/30/2014 - fine137 wrote: 90 Points
Others like this more than me, a bit angular and harsh upon opening. Seems like their might be a good to great wine there one day, but I'm checking back in a few years.
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1/26/2014 - Petiger wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hrs
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1/21/2014 - jfont123 wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Great on day 1 but fantastic on day 2.
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1/17/2014 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP (first mistake, but could not be helped, was not my bottle), served non-blind. Youthful but pure nose, nothing spoofed here. Aromas of bright blackberries, cassis fruit, and cigar wrapper get a nice punch of strawberry and anise, adding another level of interest. Flavors have yet to fully develop, but the build appears clean and correct. This was the final bottle of the night and did not show that well because it followed a 30+ yr old Mayacamas Cab Sauv, and several French reds (no BDX), plus, as I've said, did not get the aeration it deserved. I'd likely sit on these for at least 3-4 years to allow for better integration and flavor development. Still, it's nothing I'd purchase for myself. The 14,6% abv is mostly integrated at this stage. Drink thru 2023
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1/11/2014 - wmccone54 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for over an hour. An absolutely stunning and outstanding example of Napa Cabernet at its best. Classy and elegant, this really reflects the terroir of Napa and why the Cabernets can be so very good. See my October 2013 tasting notes for details.
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12/31/2013 - tcufletch wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for approx an hour but this really didn't start to shine until 2-3 hours in; dark purple in color; upon the decant, lovely nose of dark baked fruits, cassis, leather, and alcohol; initial palate was full of blackberry, dark plum, cassis, kirsch, and a bit of heat but it left entirely after a couple of hours, then streaks of smooth mocha and coffee layered themselves nicely; angular tannins in the first hour which smoothed and sweetened after time; medium weight, moderate acidity with a long, extremely creamy finish.
The key to this wine appears to be a decant of at least 2-3 hours. This is an outstanding single vineyard wine from a terrific vineyard. Eric did a great job with this production.
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12/16/2013 - Lessthanzero Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quality juice. Deep garnet. Nose of black and some red fruits. Medium acidity, enough to keep it interesting. Tannins that came out to play an hour in. This has aging potential.
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11/29/2013 - swivel112 wrote: 92 Points
Big rich cab with good acidity keeping things in balance. Very easy drinking as we drank with just some light appetizers. It was a crowd favorite.
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11/19/2013 - John4 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Previous reviews have nailed it. I really enjoyed this wine with dinner and it only got better as the night went on. I'm looking forward to my next bottle and I think the wine will only get better with a couple of years on it.
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11/18/2013 - TheWinedown Likes this wine: 94 Points
Previous reviews of this have been right on. Drank over two nights. NOSE: Creamy just oil-leather, plums, vanilla, blackcurrant, black cherries, and crushed stone. PALATE: Similar flavor characteristics as already mentioned. Medium acid medium-plus body, medium-to-medium-plus tannins but very well integrated and soft, long length. Drinking wonderfully right now. It's big enough that it will certainly age for some time to come, but I wouldn't feel bad about opening this now. Went great with various cheeses and charcuterie, and also with a dry-aged ribeye.
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10/28/2013 - blaine Likes this wine:
Grand champion wine from last bottle. No formal notes from last weekend, but full, lush, nice structure, just the right amount of weight. Easy drinking now
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10/19/2013 - wmccone54 wrote: 93 Points
Wow, what a great find on the Last Bottle! Echo all the prior comments, but King Cab nailed it! Decanted for almost two hours. Big, intoxicating Cabernet nose followed by flavors of sweet vanilla, black spicy berry, plums, cassis, dark cherry, along with some evolving tobacco, and toffee, underscored with a smooth, rich balanced structure. Mostly primary at this juncture, but showing significant future upside. Great accompaniment to a grilled ribeye steak. Outstanding now, but will only improve for the next 10-15 years. First of six, but wish I had bought a case! :-(
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10/4/2013 - King Cab wrote: 93 Points
Initially the nose showed some heat but it blew away quickly. After about 30 minutes and a aerator funnel this is singing. Nose of sweet black cassis infused with cardamom, soy and brambly blackberries. Very interesting. Palate show an intense purity with a nicely structured framework. Fantastic array of black & red fruits with cassis leading the way. Hints of caramel, black cherries, kirsch-royal and more tease the palate in a very playful way. Balance is well-done with tannins slightly edgy but promises greatness with a few years in the bottle to which I will do with the balance of my bottles. I certainly get the lineage of site here and I am loving the near mind-boggling note of creaminess running right down the middle. Consider yourself lucky if you own some and unlucky if you don't; that can still be rectified. Room for a few more points in there too.
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8/1/2013 - cwiebe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Comparable to previous bottle. Wish I had more.
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7/22/2013 - Seo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep purple in the glass on the pop and pour. Nose has some initial alcohol on it mixed with red fruit. But its the palate where this shines. Lots of tobacco and barnyard with lively acidity but moderated with some vanilla bean. Fruit is predominantly black fruit with some red fruit showing through. Lots of tannin on the back end which will integrate nicely over the next few years. Long finish which clamps down on the back end with serious tannins. Restrained but pleasurable. Prefer this much more than the 2008.
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7/21/2013 - cwiebe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Bottle is in full stride within 20 minutes of opening. Wonderful bramble on the nose along with spicy blue-fruit. Palate is pretty full-throttle, but does not veer into prune territory. Gentle tannins and not a ton of acidity, but still cuts through food decently. Pretty lengthy finish, with a little oak.
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7/16/2013 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very promising in an early stage of development, showing a restrained note at this time that loosens up very nicely after about six hours under air. Creosote nose of rich black cherry reduction, with strong tobacco and currants on the front and some phatty vanilla crème brulee on the finish. The balance on this wine is surprising considering how big most '09s have been to date. Kudos to a fine job from this winemaking team indeed.
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7/3/2013 - fredfromny Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice fruit well crafted some vanilla and tobacco with long luxurious finish.
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6/11/2013 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
Finally some pure Napa cab that is not amp'd up to be something it is not. Dark plum, black cherry, cassis, before some roasted herbs and fresh black currant kick in prior to a sweet tannin minty finish. This is very well done with the structure and fruit in good harmony. Although there is a wee bit of drying tannin on the finish (it is Rutherford after all), they are sweet and do not obscure. While perfectly fine on its own, a little food goes a long way in bringing out additional layers. Some black olive and bam, this is singing a savory song. Age-worthy. Very approachable and will only get better. If you like them young it doesn't get much better but this has that stuffing for the perfect 10 year window. My best cab buy ever.
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11/3/2012 - AngryPrez wrote: 90 Points
know this is young but I couldn't resist - restrained, elegant nose on initial pour - touch of anise/minerality - smooth and easy to drink, drying tannins - slightly on the fruity/sweet side, but not overly so - really enjoyed this, glad I have a few more in the cellar to taste over the next several years to see it develop.
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