Similar notes as previous tastings. Deep purple/red color. Lots of black fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black currants, and black cherries in the nose with licorice and tobacco and hints of chocolate and leather. Black cherries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries and plums in the flavor. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, nice acidity, complex, medium to long silky finish. An elegant wine drinking very well right now and for several years to come.
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Deep ruby red color. Needed 20 -30 minutes in the first glass to open up and show its depth and breadth. Rich berry fruit, licorice and tobacco with hints of chocolate and leather in the nose. Lots of black and blue fruits in the flavor, black cherries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries and plums. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, complex, medium to long silky finish.Drinking very well right now.
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Still a 99. This wine is amazing. Maybe we’re not bougie enough to shame a ‘Napa Fruit bomb’? But me and the lady found this to be nearing perfection. Definitely fruity and complex with a gorgeous balance of med-heavy body, gentle tannins, mild acidity, and moderate alcohol. At 15 years old, it is still gloriously dark plum in color and bright in taste. Some beautiful sediment at the bottom shows its age. No decanting necessary. Although it only got more delicious through the course of our 1 hr meal. If you’re patient enough to wait, could be worth it. Straight from our cellar to our table and into our glass. So delicious! Anything from Scarecrow is so tempting to drink immediately, since that is completely doable, but this is a reminder that maybe I should hold onto my bottles a little longer before I enjoy these delights.
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Big but not overwhelming, truly delicious with lamb loin chops and a mushroom risotto. The wine looks crimson colored with a mushroomy aroma, although that might have been influenced by the risotto. The body is medium/full with silky texture and medium finish, low acidity. Truly excellent.
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Nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, cola, vanilla, spices, espresso, light herbs, dark chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn, light alcohol and leather.
Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, figs, tobacco, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Well balanced with a great mouthfeel. Complex and interesting. Elegant, rich and fruit forward.
This 14 year old is drinking very nicely right out of the bottle, and better with air. Tannins show up after 2 hours in the decanter, and bring in nice structure.
Does not drink like a 14 year old at all, and feels much younger. Will continue to age nicely in the next few years. Feels like it is nearing its peak. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.
Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine to have with good friends. This is a gorgeous wine.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (85% new) French oak barrels for 16 months.
15.2% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$225.
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A big wine. Not too sweet. I definitely think it needs time in the Cantor. It is the color of ink. Not as smooth as the Scarecrow flagship wine. It is coarse compared to that.
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Consistent with a few years ago. Dark and not at all sweet. Almost like a cross between a cab and a syrah with black fruit and hints of tobacco and olive. Quite compelling wine.
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Pretty amazing wine. Took out for a 15th anniversary (didn't have any 2008s left!) and it didn't disappoint. About where I would want to drink them and a touch old for my wife (but still "incredibly delicious"). This is showing the more complex flavors of green olive, cedar, dense red meat in addition to the core of black and blue fruits. A delicious, hypothetical blend of Rutherford and Oakville. Continues to change in the glass over 2 hours. Pretty stunning for a 14 year old wine.
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It’s time to drink these. Quick pop and pour here and it was showing it age. Ripe dark fruit, vanilla, cassis…. Murky dense texture and fading structure. This lost to a 2007 Rubicon and Martha’s Vineyard.
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deep inky purple color, nose of subdued plum and berry, spicy oak, quiet and calm, on the palate smooth- almost silky- plum and blackberry fruit that remains stubbornly primary, spicy oak that is slightly prominent, solid mid-palate, low key finish of good length, with time in glass this emerged as a cool and restrained Cabernet, the wine itself remains youthful but with the growing prominence of the oak I would personally opt to drink this in the next few years.
***+, ready to go and drink soon.
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Delicious. Drank from decanter, but didn't really need any time. Wonderful, rich juice. In the right place for me, but still drinks much younger than its 13 years.
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Purchased on release and amazingly I was able to hold this for nearly a decade. Paid off as it showed beautiful, expansive fruit but not overdone, a big Napa cab indeed but everything in good balance
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(Day 2): dark purple. Fruit forward (blackberry most prominent) nose with cigar box, and coffee. Tannins well integrated by day 2 and the dark fruit is succulent on the mid palate. Acidity a bit high. Below average finish.
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Decanted for an hour and served with a beautifully marbled ribeye. Explosive nose, dense, rich, with a lovely, long finish. No hint of heat to my palate.
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This needed about an hour or two of air to show its stuff. Lots of blue fruit. Tannins are enjoyable. Acidity is there to carry it. Enjoyable now but can definitely hold onto this.
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Served blind Dark purple with a ruby rim, looks like densely extracted new world cab. Ripe and polished, with integrated oak. Lots of black currant fruit, softened vanilla, with the impression that it was rather lactic on release. At first sniff, I thought stags leap, maybe Shafer 1.5, with about 10 years. Not far off I suppose. This held up well over several hours. Delicious if a little monochromatic. Drink or hold
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Served blind, second day sample. Super dense and extracted, with just a hint of heat on the nose. Concentrated black currant, spice and coffee notes that I've only experienced to this degree with Scarecrow wines, but thought it could have been a Stages Leap as well. Wonderful nuance mixed a powerful wine. Just a hint of heat and bit of dried/raisin on the fruit hints at maturity. (R thumbs down)
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Liteitonfire stated it perfectly with his 6/20 comment. Just a simple remark. -No flare My comment on the wine-eeh. Maybe my bottle was flawed. If the fruit was driving a car, for me, the car veered and was halfway off the road. Dave
Great night: 2010 Araujo, 2010 Napa Valley Reserve, 2007 Hundred Acre Ancient, 2009 Scarecrow, 2009 m etain, 2002 Insignia, 2012 Morlet Estate, 2003 Haut Brion.
Ok now this bottle was on a different level than the previous a few weeks ago (bottle variation?). In a perfect drinking window as the soft round tannins complemented the beautiful red and black fruits to this wines pinnacle. I don’t think this wine will improve but it’s drinking beautiful right now.
Awfully pretty wine, the fruit and tannins are in balance, though there is a lot of both. Very nice with leg of lamb. While this is a second wine for this maker, it tastes like a first to me.
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Decanted and opened up over few hours. Initial impressions were overwhelmingly of oak and some salinity and soy sauce notes. Jammy fruit on the nose but still oak dominated. Fruit is muted on the palate, with wood, petrol, smoke, tobacco, forest notes. Became more balanced over a few hours with the fruit expressing itself more but not my favorite due to the oak.
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Big, overripe overextracted fruit, a bit gooey and oaky. Well-made, but obviously not to my liking. Fun tasting with the Insignia, Pichon Lalande and Gaffeliere. EWG 10 (or rather 20) years on dinner.
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Decanted and served. Ready to go right away. It has the medium body of Scarecrow with a touch of the magic spice. Seamless. This isn't a super cheap second wine but it's impressive and probably worth the price if you like this style, which I do very much. Delicious without being overpowering in the least.
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Opened and gave a short one hour decant..hungry and thirsty after full day of hurricane Dorian prep...1st nite was tannic and a bit harsh...score reflects tonites excellent showing...maybe we are more relaxed as storm stays offshore or maybe it opened up after more air time in the bottle as we cooked dinner...IMO give this a lot of air and it will reward you; 1st of 4.
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This wine had its moments for me...It went through stages of I like it, I hate you because you're average and expensive, to WOW, to I was right the first time...
It started out behaving like an average California wine under an Explosive nose that was just smoking...It was filled with cassis, and lilac with some alcohol heat...Then it started unfurling. First of all, it was very light on its feet and never sweet. It was definitely wearing some high alcohol, but never offensive. But as it bloomed, it started throwing char and violets and reminded me of a big young St. Emilion from 2005...It became racy, tight, and substantially lengthy in finish. It had me shaking my head a couple of times until it started getting softer through the last 1/4 of the bottle and a little less interesting...I have some left, I will try it again later today. Would say this is definitely a DRINK and definitely needs a 2 hour rest before reaching good zone.
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Dark purple wine, dark fruit, some plum and lots of oak on the nose. The mouth is smooth and lush, only medium fruit. Hot finish. A big, extracted wine. Well made but I found it unbalanced, not a great QPR.
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Super disappointing. Decanted for 5 hours, was super excited to pair with fillet. While it paired better with food than on its own, tasted over extracted with not a lot of complexity. Horrible QPR. Have had a few of these prior (other vintages) and always loved them. Hoping it was an issue with the bottle.
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Really big wine and definitely was one of the wines people were talking about. Competed for attention with lots of different wines. Tasted after opened for about an hour after popping the cork. This wine has lots and lots of years left in it.
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Popped and poured. This is a dark-purple wine with tongue-staining capacity and some modest sediment. On the nose, there is some heat, black currant, oak notes, and dark chocolate (a bit more oak?). The mouth is smooth and lush, with some medium red fruit. The finish is sweet and reflects the hot note from the nose. Overall, this is a big and extracted wine, one that is well-made, but at least for me seems a bit lopsided. 91 points.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, mint, cherry and iron. Flavors of blackberry, mocha, iron, dusty berry, and mineral. Ends with a big finish of 40+ seconds with blackberry and iron notes. This is a huge wine and fantastic for a second wine. Some second wines are a joke but although this is expensive, it really delivers the character of the first wine and that unique experience of it.
Dark and brooding. Inky purple. This is a huge wine with tons of fruit, oak, alcohol, tannin, vanilla, cedar. Black and red fruit are there but hard to get to through all the wood and wood accents. Very California in style. 15.5% alcohol and its not masked by anything. Particular style and someone's style - just not mine. Hasnt really settled down over the last 5 years. Maybe needs another 20 to integrate.
Post-Christmas Blinds (Chez Nanda): Served double blind and rather late in the night, and following a slew of old world, traditional wines. With one sniff (and actually just by holding the bottle) you knew this was new world A.F. Big rich dense plum fruit with oak spice and some cedar, tobacco accents lurking beneath the huge fruit. The palate is rich, thick and dense with chewy tannins to match the fruit. Bottle was opened a good 8+ hours before tasting. Extraordinarily big relative to what I usually drink -- fans of the style could probably add 5-7 points to my score.
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Blinds at Rich's (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. It's obvious that this is a high quality wine, but as a matter of taste, this really just doesn't do it too much. Laced with far too much alcohol, oak, and black currant extract, this is pretty much a Trumpian expression of Napa cab: more crass than class. I did pick this out as modern California cabernet.
Decanted 3+ hours. Delicious and strong but enjoyable tannins (YMMV). Could still use more time given it had more to open even with the decant time. Bitter chocolate, espresso, blackberries.
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Keowee Wine Mixer; 12/2/2017-12/3/2017 (Seneca, SC): This was the only wine that was not tasted blind, but it was enjoyed amongst some of the Napa heavyweights. For me, this was the wine of the night and came in at a lower price point than many of the other wines tasted. It is a major tannic bomb, but not overly extracted and oaky like some of the others were. I thought it was extremely complex and had a great full bodied long finish. I am convinced this wine could improve over the next 10 years to allow for the tannins to integrate. I definitely will look to acquire some regardless of the vintage.
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Wonderful nose. There was a super long finish with this vintage. Really shows the scarecrow characteristics. Always reminds me of how good they make their wines! Very dark almost black in appearance. Lots of fruits and still very fruit forward. Tannins were very prominent, but beginning to decline. Delicious wine.
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Bottle decanted for two hours and drank over the following hour. Fruity. Perhaps a little too sweet and extracted for my taste, but still a fine Napa cab. Will be curious to see if this develops further with another 2-3 years.
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Medium ruby, many fast tears. Subtle light aromas, red cherry, blackberry, light oak. Subtle, elegant tannins, medium plus finish. Beautiful, well made wine. #pnv2017.
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Dinner at Trelio (Clovis Ca.): The sweetness has tamed since the last time I had this....drinking REALLY nicely! Firm tannins...good dryness with the spicy oak...dusty, licorice, juicy dark fruits, graphite powder....I really liked this!
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Fabulous! Decanted 4 hrs, and it needed it. Tannins well integrated into this dark beauty. Wood, spice box, cedar, black fruits, hint of reds. 45 second finish. Too bad I had to share with others.
Spectacular aromatics and massive flavors. Needs time to open up then "wow," what a beautiful experience. I would say this is just approaching its drinking window with years ahead of it. Hold for now. Beautiful!
Quite a change from the '82 Latour but a solid wine nonetheless; very dark and extracted with an opaque core and bright violet rim; nose is super compact and exploding with cassis, sweet compote, blackberry, graphite, burning embers, faint bay leaf, integrated vanilla, smoke, and damson plum; palate is similar to the nose in flavor and style, hedonistic and pleasurable but a dense core with tense structure where the fruit acts as a buffer; superbly extracted and a great Napa Cabernet.
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A full rich dark fruit nose presented itself in a mature manner. Surprise-the nose did not indicate the wine needed two or three years for the tannins to settle down. Wine just beginning to integrate. Will wait two to three years to open next bottle.
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Slow ox for an hour and a half in bottle. Drank over a couple of hours.
Nose screams Rutherford Dust. Also notes of pencil lead. Minimal fruit on the nose. Palate needed another hour to come around - was a little sharp at first. Then it really started to strut and show black fruits. Strong backbone on this guy. Tannins still noticeable. Long, lingering finish.
This went head-to-head for me with the 2012 Lail as WOTN. Totally different wines, but both fantastic. This was more masculine, the Lail was more luscious and layered.
Re-corked and revisited on Day 2. This held up the best of all of the "leftovers" from Day 1. Still had the "it" factor. Will see what time does with my last bottle and hold for at least a few years.
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Drank at wine dinner at The Palm in Beverly Hills. 5th of 5. This is a big step down from the flagship 2009. Was last of 5 bottles so by that time I'm not going to pretend I remember it well. Waitress was cute. I remember that better.
Unfortunate circumstance around this bottle. It was my "backup" bottle at a dinner just in case my '75 Lafite was off, which thankfully it wasn't. But the staff at the restaurant took it upon themselves (they thought the 75 was no good, but never experienced old Bordeaux apparently) to open the bottle. They gave me the bottle (opened) after the bottle of Sauternes was opened and desserts nearly finished. Total screw up. I had a taste at home later that night and it was really strong, tannic, intense. Tried it again the following (Saturday) afternoon and it had improved quite a bit, mellowing out, showing its berry fruit and touches of vanilla. It got even better later that night. The following day, I tried it again around 8pm and it had started to go the other way, but was showing several different notes and still quite nice. Powerhouse of a wine. Has plenty of time for cellar dwelling. Enjoy in 8-10 years.
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This starts off nice, with a ripe, medium bodied layer of fruit. But the finish has notes with a dry, sour/tart cherry sensation in the end note that some people are going to like less than others. This is probably not a wine to age.
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Very big nose of big dark fruits, oak, some spearmint and hints of floral. Very elegant on the palate with a silky long finish. I was pretty impressed with this showing.
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Intensely deep purple in the glass. Cassis, currant, cedar and tobacco. Very dark and brooding. Finishing with a bit of raisin. Delicious, but not a style for the timid.
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I appreciate the opportunity to drink this wine. This wine, however, is indicative of everything wrong with California wines. This was nearly impossible to drink. Overly extracted and massive. Frankly, i wanted to water this down. I don't see how this could age in any reasonable way. There is not a food in the world that would pair with this wine. Not rated.
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I have had this previously and liked it much better 94+. Not sure if this bottle was messed up or what. I hope it washy where I purchased it from because I bought 6 bottles after my first taste. This one had much less nose and far less finish than first bottle I had. I also was not as impressed with the tannins. Seemed to be missing. I hope my next bottle imitates my first and not this one.
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Decanted for 4 hours. This wine is showing lots of dark red fruit with a medium to heavy feel on the palate. Hints of smoke, tobacco, and cassis add nice complexity to the fruit. Soft tannins on the finish make this approachable early.
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Lovely, sleek dark and blue fruit on the nose with a bit of mint and oak. Forward and voluptuous on the palate. Great integration and purity. Big in the mouth but elegant fruit. Long finish with a touch of heat.
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Opened, decanted and let breathe for 2 hours... nice, inky color with hints of ruby (appropriate for the Tin Man). Very smooth and drinkable - tannins a bit hot for the first glass or 2, but REALLY came into its own by about the 5th hour open. Love this wine now, but could use a couple of years. Wish I had more.
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Dinner with the Gilchoa's; 2/16/2014-2/18/2014 (My House): This was one racy superstar!! Lots of mint and spearmint on the initial pour. Some green oak that was strange to experience but it quickly dissipated. Once this wine settled in it was ripe, juicy and full throttled. Lots of stuff going on here. If you are classic wine drinker this is surely not your cup of tea, speaking of tea I picked some of that up too. Ripe red fruits and some boysenberry stewed fruits and a nice long but drying finish. Give this 5-7 years and visit again. My WOTN
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Amazing wine, and I really, really wanted to wait, but just couldn't. Special occasion called for special wine. Decanted for 1 hour, then small pours in large glasses... so nice. Dark purple/ink color - exactly how you would expect a classic California Cab to look. Really jam filled, lots of raspberry and blackberry and very long-lasting on the tongue. Could have decanted longer and I'm guessing would have been even better and more complex hours later. Hold on to these if you have them, they are going to get even better!
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Solid. Big and Bold. Classic Cali Cab. Really good for a second label. Def benefits from some air and some time but even popped and poured this was really nice. Bet it gets a lot better with continued age. 93+
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The nose bursts of dark fruit, cedar and tobacco. Currant and dark fruit on the palette. Smooth and well integrated tannins. The finish is nice and long. Fantastic!!
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Haven't had one of these in a while, but this bottle didn't seem anywhere near as fruit forward as the last one in Feb. These might be starting to go into a closed phase. The oak and tannins were more prominent than the last bottle, and those flavors seemed like they stayed in the foreground over the few hours I followed it.
On the other hand, previous bottles have been decanted far longer. NR on this bottle.
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I just didn't get it. It didn't taste off, it just wasn't good. No complexity or anything interesting at all, just young fruit. Pretty disappointing. Hopefully time will do something to this wine.
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Pop and pour. This is a voluptuous wine with lots of dark fruit. Very juicy with a medium weight on the palate. Smooth finish with light tannin. Impressive for a second label.
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This was a huge disappointment. I decanted the bottle for over two hours (with periodic tasting sips to see how it was coming along) and it just never opened up and was miserably thin, with a nasty heat on the back-end. I have 3 other bottles, so I will give them some time in the cellar before popping open another one. I've changed my initial rating to an NR.
This was a stunner. Removed from wine fridge and left corked for an hour. Corked and let breathe for 20-30 mins and poured a splash. 94 immediately. Pure Rutherford dust. Even better by dinner (95), and by the end of dinner was absolutely breathtaking (96). Complete. Balanced. Nuanced. Tannins had some grip. Certainly has the stuff to age well; that said, will be hard for me to leave my other bottle of 09 lying down for long. It is drinking that well right now. Will try to find more.
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Showing very well. Makes me think of Napa; I really need to make a trip again soon.
I'm not finding the buttery note I did previously, which I'm ok with. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, flowers, vanilla. In the mouth there's a baking spice edge mixed in, reminds me of a blueberry/blackberry cobbler or something...I almost get cinnamon at times.
Great with Aged Prime NY Strip steaks for Valentines Day!
There's a backbone here, and the tannins still going strong, big, smooth, but still grip...Going to have to sit on a few bottles of this, I think it could be very interesting at 10+ years old...
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This was young but great. Pulled from cellar, let warm for an hour, popped and decanted for one hour. Had with prime rib Christmas dinner. Extremely dark color, almost black, beautiful. Nose of black fruit, straw flowers, and vanilla. Good mouthfeel, not like 07 Scarecrow, but very nice. Velvety, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, some leather, complex dark fruits, some current. Nice long finish. Four of us killed two bottles in an hour. I'll try to wait a couple of years before I open the next one.
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exceptional, still a bit young, hyper-blended the wine and it made a huge difference, softened it quite a bit, like adding 10 years to it. Complex structure, soft tannins, long finish, highly recommended. Could easily age another 10-15 years
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At The Plumed Horse. Decanted about 1 hr. dark, deep color. Smooth mouthfeel. Fruits very evident. Tannins integrated, but optimally needs another year+ of cellaring, although enjoyable now.
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Deep maroon, almost black. Viscous. Jammy nose, cassis, vanilla, spicy, clove. Opulent, velvety mouthfeel, like a reduction, dense. Big fruit, blackberry, vanilla, cedar, some sweetness but balanced. Smooth, peppery finish along with some heat. Definitely young, should be more interesting in a few years. A special wine.
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What a great 2nd wine from a great winery. Amazing as most of the 2009's were from Napa. An hour decant may have been a little shy, but still drank remarkably. Looking forward to the future with these wines.
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Wonderful wine. Great bouquet from the start. Lots of dark fruit I got some floral notes as it opened up. Tannins were OK at first and definitely became more silky as it opened up. Not as complexed as some but has a nice finish and lingered long on the palate. I was surprised and very pleased.
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Still consistent with previous notes. Ripe black fruits, very fruit forward, just shy of overripe I think, I get a hint of port now. Still those creamy almost buttery notes to me too. Tannins still quite present, and grip.
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nose - baking spice mouth - ripe round jammy fruit with velvety tannin, made in a very much ready to drink now style. Nice wine, though I much prefered the 2009 scarecrow itself which i though had better richness and depth.
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Exactly how I like my cabernet... big, lush, complex, dark fruit (but not jammy). Wow this is a stunner. Will get better with time. If you must open it give it a few hours to open, but I highly recommend cellaring. Enjoy this gem.
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Black cassis, a hint of licorice-tar but with clear ripe, dark fruit leanings and toast; dense with good balance, good earthy component, loamy almost with very fine grippy tannins in the warm finish.
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Wine Night/Baby Shower: Notes are pretty consistent, but this bottle seemed a little muted to me. Not sure if it's me, the bottle, or the other wines we had with it, but I'm dropping it a point. Edged out by the 08 Kathryn Hall in our lineup.
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Decanted about an hour and a half before having with pasta, but did have some in between. This didn't actually do too much for me - seemed pretty straightforward with some dark fruit. Does have some cigar / tobacco aromas.
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Big cab nose with chocolate currants, some oak and some underbrush. The palate is medium in weight with chocolate, beef, dark berries and some herbs reminiscent of sage. Drying vanilla laden tannins. Needs some time but it's delicious.
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At a wine tasting - no decant - This is a huge wine, beautiful ruby in color. Not nearly as opaque as the wine suggests. Nose of vanilla, cassias, darker fruits. While being this broad, still retains class. Does have a slight sting of ethanol on the nose, but none on the palate. Palate is cool, chocolate, smoky, creamy, cherry - integrated and well structured. I thought this wine was superb. Was very different than the other Cabs. Not something I would choose to drink frequently, was a treat to experience.
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drank alongside 2005 Ridge MB. nose of rich berries, vanilla, espresso and dark chocolate. the nose suggests you are in store for a sweet fruit bomb on the palate, but there is nice acidity and tannin to stand up to the fruit with herbs and minerals in the background. i think this is still painfully young and look forward to the other bottle in a few years. but certainly fun now...
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Birthwholeday Wine Night :): Consistent with the last bottle from New Years. This one had a longer decant on it, but still the big, fruit forward, creamy Napa Cab I remember. I'd say drink these in the next decade, don't think they're built for the long run.
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Very dark and silky pure fruit....boysenberry, cherry, plum, raspberry...wonderful sweet, graphite powder feel. I am one for NOT liking too much sweetness in my Calif Cabs...and this starts out that way....but although the fruit is very ripe and sweet, it has enough backbone structure and dryness to balance it well. I really like it when I get that cold steel, graphite powder...and this has that. Creamy vanilla oak, cherry cordials, dried currants, blueberry liqueur, nice white florals.....tight silky tannins, mineral spice....but does I'm afraid, have some heat to it(15.2). That takes away from the pureness for me, and just gives you that little cringe in the finish. Tasty as hell...and seems to be an ager....if that alc can integrate to balance...this would be at least 4pts higher. Fun packaging too!
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Outstanding wine, while very young shows a lot of potential to be a classic. Lots of tannin that began to settle down after an hour in the decanter. Drank over dinner at Gordon Ramsay NYC for 15 yr Ann. Kept getting better through evening with best sip being the lady at 2 hr mark. Will TRY to hold last bottle for 5-10 years.
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Opened late Friday and finished today. Deep dark sweet nose with cherry and chocolate. Palate is a bit loose not a strong structure. Lacks strong acidity to stand up to the oak and massive fruit.
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Several months and many bottles have passed since my first review of this wine and it still holds true... Bold, expressive and complex. Perhaps to the point that some may find it too much... I find it utterly enjoyable, almost decadent.. Can't wait to see what the future holds.
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- Slow forming legs with a medium body. Smooth texture - Opened it for several hours. It's soo young but elegant and complex. It's a stunner now but really a shame not to give it the time it needs
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Everything some people hate about Napa, but I love. Big, bold, flamboyant, knock out. The tannins kick in at the very end, but I have no idea where this wine will go over the next 10 years. Worth sampling now but if this improves it could fetch 100pts in 2022. WOTN for 2 of the 3.
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This really is a wonderful wine that will get better with time. We decanted for 2 hours...We thoroughly enjoyed this. Have 5 left....but will hold for now...
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What a huge hit. Lingering palate of ripe fruits of rasberry and dark blueberry finishing with smooth vanilla. The second burst of flavor for me was impressive. This wine was fighting to get out of the bottle it was so good.
Decided to try one based on recent positive notes. Decanted for a couple of hours prior to tasting. Expressive, complex nose of red fruit, spice, vanilla and caramel. Palate is similar to nose with pretty cherry and raspberry. Enjoyable now, but also has tannins to support mid-term aging. As good of a "second" wine as I've had.
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I am excited to see how this continues to age. Tannins are high but it is still very well balanced with a long finish. I'm glad I have several more bottles to see how it matures
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New Years 2012; 12/31/2011-1/1/2012: My wine of the night for New Years. This is a big, fruit filled, smooth, buttery, rich bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon goodness. Huge dark fruit and spice flavors, with big tannins to match, but the two are in harmony and well balanced with each other. Decanted, but not for too long before drinking, I think this could easily pop and pour well.
Amazing that it's so young. I think I'll be securing some more of this wine, since I stupidly only bought part of my allocation of it upon release. This is only going to get better...
With the quality of the 09 Etain, I'm now very much looking forward to the 09 Scarecrow release in the next couple months...
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Huge. Decant for 40-50 minutes min. Wine was so astringent on the opening poor it nearly turned my tongue inside out. Massive tannins and tremendous fruit balance perfectly. Theres alot going on with this wine. Wish I could find 6-12 bottles to stash away.
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Wow...this is some seriously good wine. The richest purple color I've ever seen. Tannic and a little tight,but it opens up some with air. Amazing fruit, a little dusty, and maybe a little bit of tobacco and mint in the back. I would hold it for at least another year before opening another bottle, but I think it is going to be really good.
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This is going higher with a few years in the bottle. Can't even imagine how huge the '09 Scarecrow will be, because this second wine is packed and stacked like a German pillbox.
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2 hour decant. Taking one for the team on this one as it was one day removed from the truck. Split a 4 pack with 2 others so we wanted to open the odd bottle out. WOW!! This wine is very young but it is just bursting with goodness. It shows such raw power in a very elegant way that is amazing. I can only imagine how its big sister will be. The finish is silky smooth for such a young wine. Amazing!
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4/26/2024 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar notes as previous tastings. Deep purple/red color. Lots of black fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black currants, and black cherries in the nose with licorice and tobacco and hints of chocolate and leather. Black cherries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries and plums in the flavor. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, nice acidity, complex, medium to long silky finish. An elegant wine drinking very well right now and for several years to come.
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2/14/2024 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby red color. Needed 20 -30 minutes in the first glass to open up and show its depth and breadth. Rich berry fruit, licorice and tobacco with hints of chocolate and leather in the nose. Lots of black and blue fruits in the flavor, black cherries, blackberries, black currants, blueberries and plums. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, complex, medium to long silky finish.Drinking very well right now.
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1/30/2024 - Baxterna Likes this wine: 99 Points
Still a 99. This wine is amazing. Maybe we’re not bougie enough to shame a ‘Napa Fruit bomb’? But me and the lady found this to be nearing perfection. Definitely fruity and complex with a gorgeous balance of med-heavy body, gentle tannins, mild acidity, and moderate alcohol. At 15 years old, it is still gloriously dark plum in color and bright in taste. Some beautiful sediment at the bottom shows its age. No decanting necessary. Although it only got more delicious through the course of our 1 hr meal. If you’re patient enough to wait, could be worth it. Straight from our cellar to our table and into our glass. So delicious! Anything from Scarecrow is so tempting to drink immediately, since that is completely doable, but this is a reminder that maybe I should hold onto my bottles a little longer before I enjoy these delights.
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12/24/2023 - Lodi Rob Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big but not overwhelming, truly delicious with lamb loin chops and a mushroom risotto. The wine looks crimson colored with a mushroomy aroma, although that might have been influenced by the risotto. The body is medium/full with silky texture and medium finish, low acidity. Truly excellent.
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7/4/2023 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark ruby in color with a reddish/ brick rim.
Nose of blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, cola, vanilla, spices, espresso, light herbs, dark chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn, light alcohol and leather.
Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, figs, tobacco, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, coffee, chocolates and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Well balanced with a great mouthfeel. Complex and interesting. Elegant, rich and fruit forward.
This 14 year old is drinking very nicely right out of the bottle, and better with air. Tannins show up after 2 hours in the decanter, and bring in nice structure.
Does not drink like a 14 year old at all, and feels much younger. Will continue to age nicely in the next few years. Feels like it is nearing its peak. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.
Good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine to have with good friends. This is a gorgeous wine.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (85% new) French oak barrels for 16 months.
15.2% alcohol by volume.
94 points.
$225.
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6/18/2023 - apg23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A big wine. Not too sweet. I definitely think it needs time in the Cantor. It is the color of ink. Not as smooth as the Scarecrow flagship wine. It is coarse compared to that.
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6/16/2023 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with a few years ago. Dark and not at all sweet. Almost like a cross between a cab and a syrah with black fruit and hints of tobacco and olive. Quite compelling wine.
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4/12/2023 - R&R Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pretty amazing wine. Took out for a 15th anniversary (didn't have any 2008s left!) and it didn't disappoint. About where I would want to drink them and a touch old for my wife (but still "incredibly delicious"). This is showing the more complex flavors of green olive, cedar, dense red meat in addition to the core of black and blue fruits. A delicious, hypothetical blend of Rutherford and Oakville. Continues to change in the glass over 2 hours. Pretty stunning for a 14 year old wine.
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12/26/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
It’s time to drink these. Quick pop and pour here and it was showing it age. Ripe dark fruit, vanilla, cassis…. Murky dense texture and fading structure. This lost to a 2007 Rubicon and Martha’s Vineyard.
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11/5/2022 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deep inky purple color, nose of subdued plum and berry, spicy oak, quiet and calm, on the palate smooth- almost silky- plum and blackberry fruit that remains stubbornly primary, spicy oak that is slightly prominent, solid mid-palate, low key finish of good length, with time in glass this emerged as a cool and restrained Cabernet, the wine itself remains youthful but with the growing prominence of the oak I would personally opt to drink this in the next few years.
***+, ready to go and drink soon.
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10/10/2022 - cavedivr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious. Drank from decanter, but didn't really need any time. Wonderful, rich juice. In the right place for me, but still drinks much younger than its 13 years.
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9/30/2022 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. No formal note
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12/5/2021 - KimbleJett wrote:
- Garnet color with a medium finish - Different finish-minerAL
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10/2/2021 - soyhead wrote:
Purchased on release and amazingly I was able to hold this for nearly a decade. Paid off as it showed beautiful, expansive fruit but not overdone, a big Napa cab indeed but everything in good balance
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10/1/2021 - Coach C. Likes this wine: 92 Points
(Day 2): dark purple. Fruit forward (blackberry most prominent) nose with cigar box, and coffee. Tannins well integrated by day 2 and the dark fruit is succulent on the mid palate. Acidity a bit high. Below average finish.
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4/23/2021 - peterk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour and served with a beautifully marbled ribeye. Explosive nose, dense, rich, with a lovely, long finish. No hint of heat to my palate.
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4/18/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 90 Points
Yes this is a lot of hype. High alcohol low complexity high price.
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3/27/2021 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine:
This needed about an hour or two of air to show its stuff. Lots of blue fruit. Tannins are enjoyable. Acidity is there to carry it. Enjoyable now but can definitely hold onto this.
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3/1/2021 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Served blind Dark purple with a ruby rim, looks like densely extracted new world cab. Ripe and polished, with integrated oak. Lots of black currant fruit, softened vanilla, with the impression that it was rather lactic on release. At first sniff, I thought stags leap, maybe Shafer 1.5, with about 10 years. Not far off I suppose. This held up well over several hours. Delicious if a little monochromatic. Drink or hold
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2/28/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Served blind, second day sample. Super dense and extracted, with just a hint of heat on the nose. Concentrated black currant, spice and coffee notes that I've only experienced to this degree with Scarecrow wines, but thought it could have been a Stages Leap as well. Wonderful nuance mixed a powerful wine. Just a hint of heat and bit of dried/raisin on the fruit hints at maturity.
(R thumbs down)
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2/27/2021 - cos65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fairly dense inky purple.
Sweet, very ripe black currant fruit.
No hard edges, very easy to enjoy.
An easy party favorite.
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10/22/2020 - Les Kangas wrote: 97 Points
Worth the wait. Gave it about an hour air and it became better after two. Reidel cab glasses with t-bone. Very fruit forward, but we like that.
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8/17/2020 - vintage1949 wrote: 90 Points
Liteitonfire stated it perfectly with his 6/20 comment. Just a simple remark. -No flare My comment on the wine-eeh. Maybe my bottle was flawed. If the fruit was driving a car, for me, the car veered and was halfway off the road. Dave
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8/4/2020 - Salle67 wrote:
Sålde på auktion
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7/11/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great night: 2010 Araujo, 2010 Napa Valley Reserve, 2007 Hundred Acre Ancient, 2009 Scarecrow, 2009 m etain, 2002 Insignia, 2012 Morlet Estate, 2003 Haut Brion.
Ok now this bottle was on a different level than the previous a few weeks ago (bottle variation?). In a perfect drinking window as the soft round tannins complemented the beautiful red and black fruits to this wines pinnacle. I don’t think this wine will improve but it’s drinking beautiful right now.
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6/20/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 92 Points
No notes. PNP. Enjoyable but disappointed? Nice wine but...
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5/4/2020 - Rico100 wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful fruit and balance.
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3/12/2020 - JGinMO wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic wine, still quite youthful. Overpowering for food, but its just fine standing alone, thank you.
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12/30/2019 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Awfully pretty wine, the fruit and tannins are in balance, though there is a lot of both. Very nice with leg of lamb. While this is a second wine for this maker, it tastes like a first to me.
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12/28/2019 - andolini wrote: 89 Points
Decanted and opened up over few hours. Initial impressions were overwhelmingly of oak and some salinity and soy sauce notes. Jammy fruit on the nose but still oak dominated. Fruit is muted on the palate, with wood, petrol, smoke, tobacco, forest notes. Became more balanced over a few hours with the fruit expressing itself more but not my favorite due to the oak.
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12/8/2019 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Big, overripe overextracted fruit, a bit gooey and oaky. Well-made, but obviously not to my liking. Fun tasting with the Insignia, Pichon Lalande and Gaffeliere. EWG 10 (or rather 20) years on dinner.
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10/5/2019 - Clrv wrote: 92 Points
Similar tasting notes to last bottle. Still needs 1.5 hrs to open up
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9/30/2019 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful cab. Nicely structured. Tannins still present but smoothed out a bit.
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9/20/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted and served. Ready to go right away. It has the medium body of Scarecrow with a touch of the magic spice. Seamless. This isn't a super cheap second wine but it's impressive and probably worth the price if you like this style, which I do very much. Delicious without being overpowering in the least.
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9/2/2019 - gesusser Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and gave a short one hour decant..hungry and thirsty after full day of hurricane Dorian prep...1st nite was tannic and a bit harsh...score reflects tonites excellent showing...maybe we are more relaxed as storm stays offshore or maybe it opened up after more air time in the bottle as we cooked dinner...IMO give this a lot of air and it will reward you; 1st of 4.
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7/14/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
This wine had its moments for me...It went through stages of I like it, I hate you because you're average and expensive, to WOW, to I was right the first time...
It started out behaving like an average California wine under an Explosive nose that was just smoking...It was filled with cassis, and lilac with some alcohol heat...Then it started unfurling. First of all, it was very light on its feet and never sweet. It was definitely wearing some high alcohol, but never offensive. But as it bloomed, it started throwing char and violets and reminded me of a big young St. Emilion from 2005...It became racy, tight, and substantially lengthy in finish. It had me shaking my head a couple of times until it started getting softer through the last 1/4 of the bottle and a little less interesting...I have some left, I will try it again later today. Would say this is definitely a DRINK and definitely needs a 2 hour rest before reaching good zone.
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3/11/2019 - cfulbright Likes this wine: 95 Points
Highly extracted? Yes. Over-extracted? I don't think so, but of course it is a matter of taste and to each his/her own.
Big dark fruit nose, full mouth feel, very soft tannin at this point. Probably high alcohol but not "hot". Long finish.
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12/31/2018 - Maphill01 wrote:
Dark purple wine, dark fruit, some plum and lots of oak on the nose. The mouth is smooth and lush, only medium fruit. Hot finish. A big, extracted wine. Well made but I found it unbalanced, not a great QPR.
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12/25/2018 - EM_MB wrote: 86 Points
Super disappointing. Decanted for 5 hours, was super excited to pair with fillet. While it paired better with food than on its own, tasted over extracted with not a lot of complexity. Horrible QPR. Have had a few of these prior (other vintages) and always loved them. Hoping it was an issue with the bottle.
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9/6/2018 - mikemboutiquewines wrote: 91 Points
Good wine, but not worth anywhere near the price. Over-extracted and one dimensional.
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6/19/2018 - psyrah Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big wine, rich, lots of time left, went great with steak.
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5/6/2018 - Bcw1989 wrote: 94 Points
Really big wine and definitely was one of the wines people were talking about. Competed for attention with lots of different wines. Tasted after opened for about an hour after popping the cork. This wine has lots and lots of years left in it.
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3/18/2018 - whitmanlholt wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is a dark-purple wine with tongue-staining capacity and some modest sediment. On the nose, there is some heat, black currant, oak notes, and dark chocolate (a bit more oak?). The mouth is smooth and lush, with some medium red fruit. The finish is sweet and reflects the hot note from the nose. Overall, this is a big and extracted wine, one that is well-made, but at least for me seems a bit lopsided. 91 points.
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2/18/2018 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, mint, cherry and iron. Flavors of blackberry, mocha, iron, dusty berry, and mineral. Ends with a big finish of 40+ seconds with blackberry and iron notes. This is a huge wine and fantastic for a second wine. Some second wines are a joke but although this is expensive, it really delivers the character of the first wine and that unique experience of it.
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2/11/2018 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 88 Points
Dark and brooding. Inky purple. This is a huge wine with tons of fruit, oak, alcohol, tannin, vanilla, cedar. Black and red fruit are there but hard to get to through all the wood and wood accents. Very California in style. 15.5% alcohol and its not masked by anything. Particular style and someone's style - just not mine. Hasnt really settled down over the last 5 years. Maybe needs another 20 to integrate.
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12/27/2017 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Post-Christmas Blinds (Chez Nanda): Served double blind and rather late in the night, and following a slew of old world, traditional wines. With one sniff (and actually just by holding the bottle) you knew this was new world A.F. Big rich dense plum fruit with oak spice and some cedar, tobacco accents lurking beneath the huge fruit. The palate is rich, thick and dense with chewy tannins to match the fruit. Bottle was opened a good 8+ hours before tasting. Extraordinarily big relative to what I usually drink -- fans of the style could probably add 5-7 points to my score.
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12/27/2017 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
Blinds at Rich's (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. It's obvious that this is a high quality wine, but as a matter of taste, this really just doesn't do it too much. Laced with far too much alcohol, oak, and black currant extract, this is pretty much a Trumpian expression of Napa cab: more crass than class. I did pick this out as modern California cabernet.
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12/13/2017 - DBunk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3+ hours. Delicious and strong but enjoyable tannins (YMMV). Could still use more time given it had more to open even with the decant time. Bitter chocolate, espresso, blackberries.
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12/3/2017 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 96 Points
Keowee Wine Mixer; 12/2/2017-12/3/2017 (Seneca, SC): This was the only wine that was not tasted blind, but it was enjoyed amongst some of the Napa heavyweights. For me, this was the wine of the night and came in at a lower price point than many of the other wines tasted. It is a major tannic bomb, but not overly extracted and oaky like some of the others were. I thought it was extremely complex and had a great full bodied long finish. I am convinced this wine could improve over the next 10 years to allow for the tannins to integrate. I definitely will look to acquire some regardless of the vintage.
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11/28/2017 - tava6 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Upon opening... great bouquet.. mid palette was a bit neutral After decanting an hour... opened up. Paired with Strip steak. Excellent.
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11/4/2017 - Bcw1989 wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful nose. There was a super long finish with this vintage. Really shows the scarecrow characteristics. Always reminds me of how good they make their wines! Very dark almost black in appearance. Lots of fruits and still very fruit forward. Tannins were very prominent, but beginning to decline. Delicious wine.
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9/10/2017 - MLwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bottle decanted for two hours and drank over the following hour. Fruity. Perhaps a little too sweet and extracted for my taste, but still a fine Napa cab. Will be curious to see if this develops further with another 2-3 years.
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6/11/2017 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Wonderful Cab. Decanted for 2 hours. Smooth. Good fruit.
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2/26/2017 - Brett wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine.
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2/23/2017 - SpeedyPete Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium ruby, many fast tears.
Subtle light aromas, red cherry, blackberry, light oak.
Subtle, elegant tannins, medium plus finish. Beautiful, well made wine. #pnv2017.
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8/25/2016 - GA Likes this wine: 92 Points
8/16 sweet dog fruit with rounded long lasting firm tannin. 94 pts
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5/29/2016 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner at Trelio (Clovis Ca.): The sweetness has tamed since the last time I had this....drinking REALLY nicely! Firm tannins...good dryness with the spicy oak...dusty, licorice, juicy dark fruits, graphite powder....I really liked this!
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5/21/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 97 Points
Fabulous! Decanted 4 hrs, and it needed it. Tannins well integrated into this dark beauty. Wood, spice box, cedar, black fruits, hint of reds. 45 second finish. Too bad I had to share with others.
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4/22/2016 - WineWright Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular aromatics and massive flavors. Needs time to open up then "wow," what a beautiful experience. I would say this is just approaching its drinking window with years ahead of it. Hold for now. Beautiful!
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3/29/2016 - Dnathanson wrote: 89 Points
Rich, but a bit too rustic and acidic for my taste. I hope it will mellow out in a few years.
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10/21/2015 - risaacs Likes this wine:
So much better than my last bottle.
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10/10/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite a change from the '82 Latour but a solid wine nonetheless; very dark and extracted with an opaque core and bright violet rim; nose is super compact and exploding with cassis, sweet compote, blackberry, graphite, burning embers, faint bay leaf, integrated vanilla, smoke, and damson plum; palate is similar to the nose in flavor and style, hedonistic and pleasurable but a dense core with tense structure where the fruit acts as a buffer; superbly extracted and a great Napa Cabernet.
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10/2/2015 - Teejay3726 wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Can't wait to see where this goes next year.
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9/6/2015 - vintage1949 wrote: 92 Points
A full rich dark fruit nose presented itself in a mature manner. Surprise-the nose did not indicate the wine needed two or three years for the tannins to settle down. Wine just beginning to integrate. Will wait two to three years to open next bottle.
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6/20/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 96 Points
Slow ox for an hour and a half in bottle. Drank over a couple of hours.
Nose screams Rutherford Dust. Also notes of pencil lead. Minimal fruit on the nose. Palate needed another hour to come around - was a little sharp at first. Then it really started to strut and show black fruits. Strong backbone on this guy. Tannins still noticeable. Long, lingering finish.
This went head-to-head for me with the 2012 Lail as WOTN. Totally different wines, but both fantastic. This was more masculine, the Lail was more luscious and layered.
Re-corked and revisited on Day 2. This held up the best of all of the "leftovers" from Day 1. Still had the "it" factor. Will see what time does with my last bottle and hold for at least a few years.
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5/21/2015 - Fid wrote:
Drank at wine dinner at The Palm in Beverly Hills. 5th of 5. This is a big step down from the flagship 2009. Was last of 5 bottles so by that time I'm not going to pretend I remember it well. Waitress was cute. I remember that better.
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5/9/2015 - pjgruber wrote: 88 Points
Early
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5/7/2015 - Dasher wrote: 95 Points
It took about an hour to open up and it was amazinging.
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4/30/2015 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sumptuous and forthright. A pleasure to drink.
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3/4/2015 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Unfortunate circumstance around this bottle. It was my "backup" bottle at a dinner just in case my '75 Lafite was off, which thankfully it wasn't. But the staff at the restaurant took it upon themselves (they thought the 75 was no good, but never experienced old Bordeaux apparently) to open the bottle. They gave me the bottle (opened) after the bottle of Sauternes was opened and desserts nearly finished. Total screw up. I had a taste at home later that night and it was really strong, tannic, intense. Tried it again the following (Saturday) afternoon and it had improved quite a bit, mellowing out, showing its berry fruit and touches of vanilla. It got even better later that night. The following day, I tried it again around 8pm and it had started to go the other way, but was showing several different notes and still quite nice. Powerhouse of a wine. Has plenty of time for cellar dwelling. Enjoy in 8-10 years.
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2/15/2015 - beau11 wrote: 96 Points
Lots of fruit but great balance.
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1/17/2015 - Clrv wrote: 93 Points
Tannins have settled a bit now. Still needs a hour decant to come alive. Black fruit and oak with a longer tobacco finish.
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10/31/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
This starts off nice, with a ripe, medium bodied layer of fruit. But the finish has notes with a dry, sour/tart cherry sensation in the end note that some people are going to like less than others. This is probably not a wine to age.
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10/20/2014 - CabIsKing wrote: 95 Points
Very big nose of big dark fruits, oak, some spearmint and hints of floral. Very elegant on the palate with a silky long finish. I was pretty impressed with this showing.
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10/12/2014 - ssspore Likes this wine: 94 Points
The bouquet was a bit muted. Floral notes, hint of tobacco, some wood chips. Finish was great.
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10/5/2014 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at Oxy Car McCain Dinner
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9/29/2014 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Intensely deep purple in the glass. Cassis, currant, cedar and tobacco. Very dark and brooding. Finishing with a bit of raisin. Delicious, but not a style for the timid.
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9/18/2014 - ericindc Does not like this wine:
I appreciate the opportunity to drink this wine. This wine, however, is indicative of everything wrong with California wines. This was nearly impossible to drink. Overly extracted and massive. Frankly, i wanted to water this down. I don't see how this could age in any reasonable way. There is not a food in the world that would pair with this wine. Not rated.
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8/22/2014 - H Crenshaw wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Very fruit driven with a finish that comes off with a hint of raisins. Has good flavor but just a touch overripe for my palate.
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6/15/2014 - BrianV Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine opened beautifully. Sweet and silky taste that got better and better as the night went by. Sophisticated yet gentle to the tongue. Awesome wine.
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4/8/2014 - ssspore Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have had this previously and liked it much better 94+. Not sure if this bottle was messed up or what. I hope it washy where I purchased it from because I bought 6 bottles after my first taste. This one had much less nose and far less finish than first bottle I had. I also was not as impressed with the tannins. Seemed to be missing. I hope my next bottle imitates my first and not this one.
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4/5/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. This wine is showing lots of dark red fruit with a medium to heavy feel on the palate. Hints of smoke, tobacco, and cassis add nice complexity to the fruit. Soft tannins on the finish make this approachable early.
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3/29/2014 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic bottle....really needs another 5 years to be at its best.
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3/17/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Lovely, sleek dark and blue fruit on the nose with a bit of mint and oak. Forward and voluptuous on the palate. Great integration and purity. Big in the mouth but elegant fruit. Long finish with a touch of heat.
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3/4/2014 - andymcmahon1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened, decanted and let breathe for 2 hours... nice, inky color with hints of ruby (appropriate for the Tin Man).
Very smooth and drinkable - tannins a bit hot for the first glass or 2, but REALLY came into its own by about the 5th hour open. Love this wine now, but could use a couple of years. Wish I had more.
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2/18/2014 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dinner with the Gilchoa's; 2/16/2014-2/18/2014 (My House): This was one racy superstar!! Lots of mint and spearmint on the initial pour. Some green oak that was strange to experience but it quickly dissipated. Once this wine settled in it was ripe, juicy and full throttled. Lots of stuff going on here. If you are classic wine drinker this is surely not your cup of tea, speaking of tea I picked some of that up too. Ripe red fruits and some boysenberry stewed fruits and a nice long but drying finish. Give this 5-7 years and visit again. My WOTN
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1/19/2014 - andymcmahon1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing wine, and I really, really wanted to wait, but just couldn't. Special occasion called for special wine.
Decanted for 1 hour, then small pours in large glasses... so nice. Dark purple/ink color - exactly how you would expect a classic California Cab to look. Really jam filled, lots of raspberry and blackberry and very long-lasting on the tongue. Could have decanted longer and I'm guessing would have been even better and more complex hours later. Hold on to these if you have them, they are going to get even better!
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1/15/2014 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Luscious and fruity- very big.
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12/25/2013 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid. Big and Bold. Classic Cali Cab. Really good for a second label. Def benefits from some air and some time but even popped and poured this was really nice. Bet it gets a lot better with continued age. 93+
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12/20/2013 - sjdcellar wrote: 93 Points
sexy wine - lots of dark fruits, and a rich but not overpowering coffee flavor. incredibly smooth.
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11/14/2013 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
Chocolate jumps out. Wonderful wine with room to grow. Wait a few years.
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11/12/2013 - NomadicEntrepreneur wrote: 94 Points
Tannic, needs to be decanted for 3 hours or more
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10/19/2013 - ajfret01 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The nose bursts of dark fruit, cedar and tobacco. Currant and dark fruit on the palette. Smooth and well integrated tannins. The finish is nice and long. Fantastic!!
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10/19/2013 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic
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10/10/2013 - phlegls wrote: 95 Points
Joey's 10th at Jakes - um good
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10/7/2013 - wineberg wrote:
Pop 'n decant, followed over 3 hours. 15.2% ABV
Haven't had one of these in a while, but this bottle didn't seem anywhere near as fruit forward as the last one in Feb. These might be starting to go into a closed phase. The oak and tannins were more prominent than the last bottle, and those flavors seemed like they stayed in the foreground over the few hours I followed it.
On the other hand, previous bottles have been decanted far longer. NR on this bottle.
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9/13/2013 - risaacs wrote:
I just didn't get it. It didn't taste off, it just wasn't good. No complexity or anything interesting at all, just young fruit. Pretty disappointing. Hopefully time will do something to this wine.
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8/25/2013 - Ilikadajuice Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and let sit for an hour. Smooth and velvty from first sip. The wine has complexity and depth. A fine botttle of wine.
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8/5/2013 - CTmark wrote: 96 Points
Very impressive! Huge, massive, black fruits, smooth as velvet.
I’m going to try to hold my other bottle for at least 5 years.
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7/27/2013 - cellar.dweller wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. This is a voluptuous wine with lots of dark fruit. Very juicy with a medium weight on the palate. Smooth finish with light tannin. Impressive for a second label.
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5/8/2013 - 64 Squares wrote:
This was a huge disappointment. I decanted the bottle for over two hours (with periodic tasting sips to see how it was coming along) and it just never opened up and was miserably thin, with a nasty heat on the back-end. I have 3 other bottles, so I will give them some time in the cellar before popping open another one. I've changed my initial rating to an NR.
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4/30/2013 - ageverett Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was a stunner. Removed from wine fridge and left corked for an hour. Corked and let breathe for 20-30 mins and poured a splash. 94 immediately. Pure Rutherford dust. Even better by dinner (95), and by the end of dinner was absolutely breathtaking (96). Complete. Balanced. Nuanced. Tannins had some grip. Certainly has the stuff to age well; that said, will be hard for me to leave my other bottle of 09 lying down for long. It is drinking that well right now. Will try to find more.
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3/5/2013 - Clrv wrote:
Traded for Saxum
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2/15/2013 - winelover206 wrote: 97 Points
absolutely incredible cabernet. Stands up against the very best Napa has to offer.
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2/14/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 4+ hours. 15.2% ABV
Showing very well. Makes me think of Napa; I really need to make a trip again soon.
I'm not finding the buttery note I did previously, which I'm ok with. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, flowers, vanilla. In the mouth there's a baking spice edge mixed in, reminds me of a blueberry/blackberry cobbler or something...I almost get cinnamon at times.
Great with Aged Prime NY Strip steaks for Valentines Day!
There's a backbone here, and the tannins still going strong, big, smooth, but still grip...Going to have to sit on a few bottles of this, I think it could be very interesting at 10+ years old...
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1/27/2013 - jaxpaj wrote: 96 Points
Exactly what a great wine should be. Never disappoints
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1/7/2013 - sjolna wrote: 91 Points
Very young, overly ripe, big fruit, short finish.
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12/25/2012 - jcurl Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was young but great. Pulled from cellar, let warm for an hour, popped and decanted for one hour. Had with prime rib Christmas dinner. Extremely dark color, almost black, beautiful. Nose of black fruit, straw flowers, and vanilla. Good mouthfeel, not like 07 Scarecrow, but very nice. Velvety, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, some leather, complex dark fruits, some current. Nice long finish. Four of us killed two bottles in an hour. I'll try to wait a couple of years before I open the next one.
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12/8/2012 - laelops Likes this wine: 95 Points
exceptional, still a bit young, hyper-blended the wine and it made a huge difference, softened it quite a bit, like adding 10 years to it. Complex structure, soft tannins, long finish, highly recommended. Could easily age another 10-15 years
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12/8/2012 - old tractor Likes this wine: 95 Points
At The Plumed Horse. Decanted about 1 hr. dark, deep color. Smooth mouthfeel. Fruits very evident. Tannins integrated, but optimally needs another year+ of cellaring, although enjoyable now.
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12/7/2012 - Cphofmann Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep maroon, almost black. Viscous. Jammy nose, cassis, vanilla, spicy, clove. Opulent, velvety mouthfeel, like a reduction, dense. Big fruit, blackberry, vanilla, cedar, some sweetness but balanced. Smooth, peppery finish along with some heat. Definitely young, should be more interesting in a few years. A special wine.
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11/22/2012 - dross811 wrote: 97 Points
All around incredible wine.
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11/14/2012 - JHumps Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a great 2nd wine from a great winery. Amazing as most of the 2009's were from Napa. An hour decant may have been a little shy, but still drank remarkably. Looking forward to the future with these wines.
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10/29/2012 - jasonkle wrote: 97 Points
Incredible wine. Light, but incredible flavors. As smooth a wine as you will taste.
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10/15/2012 - ssspore wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful wine. Great bouquet from the start. Lots of dark fruit I got some floral notes as it opened up. Tannins were OK at first and definitely became more silky as it opened up. Not as complexed as some but has a nice finish and lingered long on the palate. I was surprised and very pleased.
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10/5/2012 - wineberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Friday Night Wine Night 10/5: 12+ hour decant.
Still consistent with previous notes. Ripe black fruits, very fruit forward, just shy of overripe I think, I get a hint of port now. Still those creamy almost buttery notes to me too. Tannins still quite present, and grip.
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8/26/2012 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
nose - baking spice
mouth - ripe round jammy fruit with velvety tannin, made in a very much ready to drink now style. Nice wine, though I much prefered the 2009 scarecrow itself which i though had better richness and depth.
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8/25/2012 - davej95 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Exactly how I like my cabernet... big, lush, complex, dark fruit (but not jammy). Wow this is a stunner. Will get better with time. If you must open it give it a few hours to open, but I highly recommend cellaring. Enjoy this gem.
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8/23/2012 - Niagara wrote: 95 Points
This is serious wine. Better than the first wine in '09. Just fantastic.
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8/16/2012 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Black cassis, a hint of licorice-tar but with clear ripe, dark fruit leanings and toast; dense with good balance, good earthy component, loamy almost with very fine grippy tannins in the warm finish.
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8/11/2012 - wineberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine Night/Baby Shower: Notes are pretty consistent, but this bottle seemed a little muted to me. Not sure if it's me, the bottle, or the other wines we had with it, but I'm dropping it a point. Edged out by the 08 Kathryn Hall in our lineup.
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7/22/2012 - Clrv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at dinner party. Still one of my favorites. Similar tasting notes as my previous bottle.
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7/19/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about an hour and a half before having with pasta, but did have some in between. This didn't actually do too much for me - seemed pretty straightforward with some dark fruit. Does have some cigar / tobacco aromas.
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6/30/2012 - phlegls wrote: 95 Points
Gave it a 3 hour decant - and drank over the next 3 with a Kobe New York - Doesn't get much better - Great stuff
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6/12/2012 - jeffm_fla wrote: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Not a plush fruit bomb, but much more subtle and complex. Outstanding
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6/2/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Big cab nose with chocolate currants, some oak and some underbrush. The palate is medium in weight with chocolate, beef, dark berries and some herbs reminiscent of sage. Drying vanilla laden tannins. Needs some time but it's delicious.
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5/25/2012 - pilot360 wrote: 95 Points
At a wine tasting - no decant -
This is a huge wine, beautiful ruby in color. Not nearly as opaque as the wine suggests. Nose of vanilla, cassias, darker fruits. While being this broad, still retains class. Does have a slight sting of ethanol on the nose, but none on the palate. Palate is cool, chocolate, smoky, creamy, cherry - integrated and well structured. I thought this wine was superb. Was very different than the other Cabs. Not something I would choose to drink frequently, was a treat to experience.
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5/25/2012 - kthornton78 wrote: 93 Points
drank alongside 2005 Ridge MB. nose of rich berries, vanilla, espresso and dark chocolate. the nose suggests you are in store for a sweet fruit bomb on the palate, but there is nice acidity and tannin to stand up to the fruit with herbs and minerals in the background. i think this is still painfully young and look forward to the other bottle in a few years. but certainly fun now...
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5/19/2012 - wineberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Birthwholeday Wine Night :): Consistent with the last bottle from New Years. This one had a longer decant on it, but still the big, fruit forward, creamy Napa Cab I remember. I'd say drink these in the next decade, don't think they're built for the long run.
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5/17/2012 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very dark and silky pure fruit....boysenberry, cherry, plum, raspberry...wonderful sweet, graphite powder feel. I am one for NOT liking too much sweetness in my Calif Cabs...and this starts out that way....but although the fruit is very ripe and sweet, it has enough backbone structure and dryness to balance it well. I really like it when I get that cold steel, graphite powder...and this has that. Creamy vanilla oak, cherry cordials, dried currants, blueberry liqueur, nice white florals.....tight silky tannins, mineral spice....but does I'm afraid, have some heat to it(15.2). That takes away from the pureness for me, and just gives you that little cringe in the finish. Tasty as hell...and seems to be an ager....if that alc can integrate to balance...this would be at least 4pts higher. Fun packaging too!
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4/20/2012 - cabwiz wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding wine, while very young shows a lot of potential to be a classic. Lots of tannin that began to settle down after an hour in the decanter. Drank over dinner at Gordon Ramsay NYC for 15 yr Ann. Kept getting better through evening with best sip being the lady at 2 hr mark. Will TRY to hold last bottle for 5-10 years.
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3/31/2012 - fdub wrote: 91 Points
Opened late Friday and finished today. Deep dark sweet nose with cherry and chocolate. Palate is a bit loose not a strong structure. Lacks strong acidity to stand up to the oak and massive fruit.
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3/26/2012 - jaxpaj wrote: 97 Points
A tremendously deep and rich nose. This may end up being the #1 wine for Napa 2009.
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3/20/2012 - Cblakejordan wrote: 97 Points
Several months and many bottles have passed since my first review of this wine and it still holds true... Bold, expressive and complex. Perhaps to the point that some may find it too much... I find it utterly enjoyable, almost decadent.. Can't wait to see what the future holds.
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3/19/2012 - davej95 wrote: 96 Points
- Slow forming legs with a medium body. Smooth texture - Opened it for several hours. It's soo young but elegant and complex. It's a stunner now but really a shame not to give it the time it needs
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2/25/2012 - jaxpaj wrote: 96 Points
Everything some people hate about Napa, but I love. Big, bold, flamboyant, knock out. The tannins kick in at the very end, but I have no idea where this wine will go over the next 10 years. Worth sampling now but if this improves it could fetch 100pts in 2022. WOTN for 2 of the 3.
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2/14/2012 - ltadd wrote: 94 Points
This really is a wonderful wine that will get better with time. We decanted for 2 hours...We thoroughly enjoyed this. Have 5 left....but will hold for now...
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1/14/2012 - HBvino wrote: 97 Points
What a huge hit. Lingering palate of ripe fruits of rasberry and dark blueberry finishing with smooth vanilla. The second burst of flavor for me was impressive. This wine was fighting to get out of the bottle it was so good.
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1/14/2012 - B Paul wrote: 94 Points
Decided to try one based on recent positive notes. Decanted for a couple of hours prior to tasting. Expressive, complex nose of red fruit, spice, vanilla and caramel. Palate is similar to nose with pretty cherry and raspberry. Enjoyable now, but also has tannins to support mid-term aging. As good of a "second" wine as I've had.
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1/13/2012 - Clrv Likes this wine: 92 Points
I am excited to see how this continues to age. Tannins are high but it is still very well balanced with a long finish. I'm glad I have several more bottles to see how it matures
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1/11/2012 - JJB007 wrote: 98 Points
it's very very good
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12/31/2011 - wineberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
New Years 2012; 12/31/2011-1/1/2012: My wine of the night for New Years. This is a big, fruit filled, smooth, buttery, rich bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon goodness. Huge dark fruit and spice flavors, with big tannins to match, but the two are in harmony and well balanced with each other. Decanted, but not for too long before drinking, I think this could easily pop and pour well.
Amazing that it's so young. I think I'll be securing some more of this wine, since I stupidly only bought part of my allocation of it upon release. This is only going to get better...
With the quality of the 09 Etain, I'm now very much looking forward to the 09 Scarecrow release in the next couple months...
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12/31/2011 - Cblakejordan Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge. Decant for 40-50 minutes min. Wine was so astringent on the opening poor it nearly turned my tongue inside out. Massive tannins and tremendous fruit balance perfectly. Theres alot going on with this wine. Wish I could find 6-12 bottles to stash away.
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11/23/2011 - dross811 wrote: 97 Points
Exceptional cabernet with such so much flavor and still a smooth finish. Very pleasantly surprised at how good this wine tasted.
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11/4/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote: 94 Points
Wow...this is some seriously good wine. The richest purple color I've ever seen. Tannic and a little tight,but it opens up some with air. Amazing fruit, a little dusty, and maybe a little bit of tobacco and mint in the back. I would hold it for at least another year before opening another bottle, but I think it is going to be really good.
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10/29/2011 - Niagara wrote: 94 Points
This is going higher with a few years in the bottle. Can't even imagine how huge the '09 Scarecrow will be, because this second wine is packed and stacked like a German pillbox.
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10/15/2011 - lsnider wrote: 95 Points
2 hour decant. Taking one for the team on this one as it was one day removed from the truck. Split a 4 pack with 2 others so we wanted to open the odd bottle out. WOW!! This wine is very young but it is just bursting with goodness. It shows such raw power in a very elegant way that is amazing. I can only imagine how its big sister will be. The finish is silky smooth for such a young wine. Amazing!
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