Still in great shape, lots of shroomy, leathery tertiary notes; a kiss of sweetness to the finish but not oxidized/madeirized or in any other way on the downhill slope. Had with roast beef and all were thrilled.
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Consumed on its own in Riedel Bdx stems. Quite a nice surprise. Classic CA cab with excellent balance, good dark fruit, integrated tannin, adequate acidity, tiny touch of eucalyptus. Youthful still. Perhaps not the most complex, but very nice overall presentation and a pleasure to drink. Would likely have been even better with a nice steak.
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A beautiful expression of cabernet sauvignon. My second Cab from Renaissance, this 1999 was full of flavor and tannins. All sorts of dark berries, leather, oak with tannins still providing structure and a very long finish. The wines aroma was full of fruit and age. Easily could wait another 5 years, but drink now for a delicious experience.
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Renaissance Cabernet wine from the late 90's are really still in their early evolution by my thinking. The complete synthesis of stone and fruit exhibited by this bottle is staggering and a superb example of the varietal form from this remote appellation. With another 10 or 20 years, I imagine this will silken up on the mouthfeel. Currently, it is mouth-puckering with its blue-red fruit up front followed through by tobacco, tar, and soupy stone. As per usual, the bouquet evolves in the glass, providing a transparent, thought-provoking experience with every lift.
Very interesting experience to try this wine at this age. Color is fresh and beautiful. (Hypothetical) blind I think I’d know it’s new world, old-ish... has a touch of VA ... I’m not sure I’d guess this as cab, though. Tannins are basically gone/resolved, and the fruit- while bright- is fading.
Not what I want every night, but a really interesting and worthwhile experience
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A sight past peak, it has hollowed with time. Perhaps was intense, now more whispers. Hints of freshness remain alongside plenty of dried fruit, smoke, animal, blood, with slight balsamic and reduction aspects. 1st of 2 bottles.
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Short decant. Purple with some bricking. Fresh red fruit notes. Medium body. Nicely integrated tannins. Medium length finish. Throwing a lot of sediment. This is one of the more approachable Gideon Beinstock wines I've sampled.
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Dark purple and slightly muddy. Nose of red and purple berries with an appealing herbal note. Flavors of purple berries and herbs with well-integrated tannins. Restrained and elegant; a beautiful version of Cabernet. 13%abv.
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This wine is still holding its own. Some bricking, but not yet orange in coloration. Hints of bright fruits, chocolate, with a medium graphite finish. No decanting necessary.
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Well matured cab sav. Lots of dark fruit and some animail notes, leather, tobacco and vanilla even some chocolate. Relatively long aftertaste. I think this wine might have passed its peak, but it is certainly still a good glass of wine. Very pleasant and good QPR
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Decanted and began to drink within half an hour. Smells pretty delicious - tart red cherries and raspberries, concentrated but not overripe, with black pepper, black tea, meat broth, and fleeting notes of pine resin and hoisin. Tastes similar, with fresh red fruit being the dominant flavor, along with blackberry, peppery radishy spice, and a bit of savory meat broth. Tea, pine, and mineral earth develop in a medium length finish. Excellent acidity keeps it fresh and quite drinkable. Tannins are medium strength, grippy but fairly smooth. A good general sense of purity. Quite tasty and a good value at $27.
However, with about 1.5-2 hours in the decanter, it's losing freshness - still tasty, developing nicely in some ways, but the fresh, vibrant fruit seems fragile. Decanting may have been a bad idea, apart from getting rid of the sediment. Maybe decant and drink fast.
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Initially, tobacco, earth, and currant flavors. After 3 hrs in decanter, wine firms up and gains depth. Aromas of black cherries, currants, tobacco, cedar, and earth. Flavors follow with beautiful fruit throughout the midpalate and driving to the finish of fruit, tannins, and earth. Initially tasted a bit old but now with more air, still very youthful. Mid-weight texture. Really nice acids. Just amazingly enjoyable.
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Nice aged cab. This was better than the last bottle I opened a couple of months ago. Very nice aged cab. Drinking well. Loses a bit of the fruit and structure as it is opened for a longer period of time, but nice on first pour. Lots of sediment and unfiltered variety. Good wine and nice value to try an aged california cab. Picked it up on K&L in Fall 2013.
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Drank this with Meredith and Janet. From memory, nice acidity with litheness and lightness. Tannins are mostly resolved. Fruit was definitely in background. Still nicely done.
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Even after careful decanting & filtering this unfiltered wine has an opaqueness to its purple/garnet colour. Minerals, fruit & herbs in aroma. Certainly this needs to be drunk but there is still a nice freshness to the red fruit and herbyness. Shades of chocolate too. Acidity & tannins in good balance. All in all, an enjoyable North American CabSauv.
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Splash decanted through a Vinturi to remove sediment. Smells of damp basement, small amount of black fruits, earth. and wet mushroom. Silky soft with notes of dark plum, black truffles, graphite and blackberry. Tastes like 20 years old Bordeaux. Really great stuff. Added note: completly lost all fruit overnight. Rather undrinkable on day 2.
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Upright for 24 hrs, then decanted. After 1 hr in decanter, just beautiful aromas of tart red fruits, currants, tobacco, mushrooms, earth. Palate follows with an elegant mouthfeel and great acidity. Amazing to have such lightness. Aromas became more lively and intense after ~2 hours in decanter. Just lovely stuff.
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Neither plum nor brick in color, but not really either. It certainly has a more youthful appearance than its nose or palate reflect. Nothing is sharp or focused about the flavors in this wine: some plum, some cassis, some mocha, some rosemary, and yeah, some raisin. It’s not too old, but it’s nothing to get worked up over. But the wine is more about texture than flavor at this point. Just shy of flabby, it’s soft, fleshy mouthfeel coats and wraps the palate with a near velvet like feel. It’s a satisfying if little bit naughty mouthfeel. Yet, the flavors bump around like awkward geeks a school mixer. Some gains of sediment n the last couple of pours. 13.5% alc. With pan seared New York strip steak and mushroom ragout. In its prime this might have rated higher, but now the highest it can hope to achieve is Recommended with reservations.
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Classically styled CA cab with tons of finesse. Great balance and length with nice earth and fruit integration. I'm curious to see where this goes with more bottle time but it is an absolute treat right now.
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Drinking just beautifully right now. The acidity has harmonized gently into the wine's structure and blackcurrant fruit profile; the brothiness has sublimated into savoriness; the tarry tannins have relaxed into a deeper shade of mellow, with only a hint of their previous rusticity. The dynamic range is wide and the wine floats almost effortlessly across the palate, with a silken texture that you could never mistake for oak-driven polish. At least as lovely on the second night as on the first.
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For some reason this bottle held up better then a few others that I had. Light Leather and spice, fruit in the back. Tannin was very soft and pleasant. I wonder if this bottle was the exception or if the wine went over a hump in the aging process. Last bottle I had was almost a year ago and was no as good.
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Wow. Deep and dark in color and medium full in body, this wine is soft, svelte and silky in texture yet still maintains some grip on the finish. The nose is both sweet and savory with beef broth and cloves standing out. Palate follows suit with dark berries peeking in on the front of the palate and the mid and rear showing big broth and clove flavors. The finish is also soft, leaving thoughts of broth and clove but showing an interesting stoniness, and maybe a 30 second linger. Beautiful aged California cab.
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Wish I had a few more. To get a 11 year old Cab Sauv for $20 that still has great life to it is a deal to me. Some red fruit, tobacco notes, a little dirt and a medium finish. Nice stuff. Be wary, bc this thing is carrying plenty of sediment.
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Fantastic with Lamb..perfect and really displays the taste of this appelation.. hard to describe why , but I found a kinship with other wines from this area.. especially a 2002 Syrah from the same site, but different winery,
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I bought this as a flier, I was out of town and out of wine, the owner said these bottles were not released until 07 and that it was very good. What store owner ever taliks you out of buying one of their wnes? Anyway, we did not finish the bottle, lacking
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Agree w salil below. This had qualities reminiscient of a Nebbiolo with a rustic old world feel to it that is probably compliments of being 10 yrs old. Thought this was a really tasty bottle and I'm happy i have one more.
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color: deep purple, med+ intensity, tears stained nose: med+ nose, very intense concentrated ripe red/black fruit such as black currant, blackberries, vanilla (oak), tea leaves, palate: dry, acid med tannin med+ and drying astringent tannins, body med, alc high 14.5 up, finish ... a bit drying ...
Style note: A full bodied New World wine with lots of ripe fruit that can pair well with a steak. Good intensity, great marks for concentrated fruit, lacks finesse. Possibley a 2007 Napa or N. CA cab ...
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Very much like the last bottle I had. Remarkable stuff, still bearing more resemblance to an older Nebbiolo than a Cabernet with its tarry savouriness, gravelly earthiness and restrained red fruit.
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Last bottle. > 1 hr. in decanter. Translucent garnet-purple. Aromas of currants, casis, leather, earth and fresh green leaves. Nice elegant palate of tobacco, earth, mild currant, cassis, mushrooms, and spices. Beautiful long finish of fruit, herbs, earth, and leather that lingers beautifully in the mouth. Great acidity and complexity and yet so light on its feet.
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Tremendously expressive Cabernet. A flavor profile of a wine triple the price. Great nose, with some vegital qualities, earthiness and a little funk. Tannins are smooth as silk with structure depth and length. Highly recommend you use a sieve or cheesecloth to remove all the sediment from the bottle. Great QPR if you paid what I paid.
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Crazy stuff. It's hard to place this as a Californian Cabernet with the wild tarry, herbal and faintly oxidative aromatic elements here. With time the oxidative elements clear up and this becomes increasing Northern Italian like, showing ripe fig and red fruited flavours combined with tar, savoury earth and lots of exotic spicy notes. It's remarkably light and elegant in the mouth with really bright acidity that keeps it very fresh and precise, a touch volatile at times but certainly very interesting and fun to follow with time.
Shows the terrior well, and is not made-up with too much oak, Which is impressive, because this is not grown in "traditional" wine country. Maybe that should change.
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Nose of ripe dark fruit..cherry, blackberry along w/chocolate and leather. Full bodied w/flavors of dark cherry and mocha, but this seems tired and heading on the down slide. A couple left in the cellar, will drink soon. The case of '95 cab seemed to hold much better than the '99's...drink up.
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Popped and poured, drinking out of Oregon Riedel pinot stemware. Nose of euculyptus, dark fruits and deep chocolate. A full bodied wine, w/chocolate and mint flavors.and the first Renaissance cab, from my cellar, that tastes tired...and on the down side of its life. Have a couple more of these, will drink soon. Kind of surprised as these wines typically have a long life, and have been a cult favorite of mine.
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I've had the 2000 of this quite a few times and like it, but I really like the '99. I get a nice mix of plum and blueberry, with a nice light touch on the palate, a tiny bit of good funk on the nose and a satisfying finish. To me this drinks like well-made bordeaux with a little age. It's great to see California Cab done with this deft a hand. It's not over-oaked, overpowering or overly-made.
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Showing well right out of the gate, with plenty of tannin-bearing structure that's balanced by nimble acidity. The nose is quite intense, with star anise, stone, nutmeg, tarragon, and raspberry aromas. On the palate it's silky and brothy and just a bit tannic, and it has excellent length and presence at midpalate. Cool in the mouth rather than hot, and it has a reasonable 13.5% abv. Per my last note, I still think this would benefit further from holding just a few more years (but not many).
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At first roughly tannic, with a good decant this turns silky. The spicy nose of pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg presages an equally spicy palate that's complimented by black fruits, stone, and earthy broth. The structure is very firm thanks to both the rustic tannins and the prominent acidity. Good balance, length, and character, but it needs a few years to gain complexity.
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Juicy, thick, chewy, somewhat rustic. Good concentration and depth with plum and black cherry. Brambly, wild, and lightly candied on finish. Ready to drink, but not declining anytime soon. Not the last word in complexity, but has a nice note of maturity. Good, but no bargain at around $30. B-
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Clos Saron and Renaissance with Gideon Bienstock (Trestle on Tenth): Makes me ashamed I'd always ignored the standard cabernet in favor of the prestige bottlings here. Unlike the special bottlings, the standard '99 is totally ready to drink, suave and svelte in mouthfeel with intense stony minerality and a savory brothiness balancing the sweetness of the bluish fruit. A great intro to Renaissance because it shows the inimitable character of the vineyard in an exceptionally drinkable package.
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Decanted for 1.5 hrs. Garnet, slighty cloudy in color. High toned, Tart Plums, Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Cedar, Leather, Earth aromas. Tart black plums, cherries, cassis, leather, lead pencil, and earth with minty/eucalyptus taste and some tannic grip on the finish. Long finish. Medium bodied. Smooth. Elegant and well balanced. Incredibly light stepped and great acidity for a CA cab. 13.5% ABV.Long finish.
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This bottle was an outstanding wine. Very dark, chewy, heavyw/ lots of setiment, rich with berry & fruit. However, it is the first of five that were deemed above average or even good! Can't wait to see what the rest of the case will bring!
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2/20/2023 - wormfarmer Likes this wine:
Still in great shape, lots of shroomy, leathery tertiary notes; a kiss of sweetness to the finish but not oxidized/madeirized or in any other way on the downhill slope. Had with roast beef and all were thrilled.
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12/1/2020 - NYC_Maenad Likes this wine:
Consumed on its own in Riedel Bdx stems. Quite a nice surprise. Classic CA cab with excellent balance, good dark fruit, integrated tannin, adequate acidity, tiny touch of eucalyptus. Youthful still. Perhaps not the most complex, but very nice overall presentation and a pleasure to drink. Would likely have been even better with a nice steak.
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12/24/2018 - The Bronx Wine Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful expression of cabernet sauvignon. My second Cab from Renaissance, this 1999 was full of flavor and tannins. All sorts of dark berries, leather, oak with tannins still providing structure and a very long finish. The wines aroma was full of fruit and age. Easily could wait another 5 years, but drink now for a delicious experience.
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12/18/2018 - z_willus_d wrote: 93 Points
Renaissance Cabernet wine from the late 90's are really still in their early evolution by my thinking. The complete synthesis of stone and fruit exhibited by this bottle is staggering and a superb example of the varietal form from this remote appellation. With another 10 or 20 years, I imagine this will silken up on the mouthfeel. Currently, it is mouth-puckering with its blue-red fruit up front followed through by tobacco, tar, and soupy stone. As per usual, the bouquet evolves in the glass, providing a transparent, thought-provoking experience with every lift.
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10/19/2018 - Jahull03 wrote:
Very interesting experience to try this wine at this age. Color is fresh and beautiful. (Hypothetical) blind I think I’d know it’s new world, old-ish... has a touch of VA ... I’m not sure I’d guess this as cab, though. Tannins are basically gone/resolved, and the fruit- while bright- is fading.
Not what I want every night, but a really interesting and worthwhile experience
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7/21/2018 - aero wrote: 89 Points
A sight past peak, it has hollowed with time. Perhaps was intense, now more whispers. Hints of freshness remain alongside plenty of dried fruit, smoke, animal, blood, with slight balsamic and reduction aspects. 1st of 2 bottles.
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2/24/2018 - mvande21 wrote: 89 Points
Short decant. Purple with some bricking. Fresh red fruit notes. Medium body. Nicely integrated tannins. Medium length finish. Throwing a lot of sediment. This is one of the more approachable Gideon Beinstock wines I've sampled.
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12/22/2017 - CMN wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple and slightly muddy. Nose of red and purple berries with an appealing herbal note. Flavors of purple berries and herbs with well-integrated tannins. Restrained and elegant; a beautiful version of Cabernet. 13%abv.
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4/2/2016 - Steelestack Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is still holding its own. Some bricking, but not yet orange in coloration. Hints of bright fruits, chocolate, with a medium graphite finish. No decanting necessary.
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7/26/2015 - ekenneth wrote: 92 Points
Very nice cab with a little age.
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7/1/2014 - Kaerhoeg wrote: 89 Points
Well matured cab sav. Lots of dark fruit and some animail notes, leather, tobacco and vanilla even some chocolate. Relatively long aftertaste. I think this wine might have passed its peak, but it is certainly still a good glass of wine. Very pleasant and good QPR
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1/15/2014 - Beerzebub Likes this wine:
Decanted and began to drink within half an hour. Smells pretty delicious - tart red cherries and raspberries, concentrated but not overripe, with black pepper, black tea, meat broth, and fleeting notes of pine resin and hoisin. Tastes similar, with fresh red fruit being the dominant flavor, along with blackberry, peppery radishy spice, and a bit of savory meat broth. Tea, pine, and mineral earth develop in a medium length finish. Excellent acidity keeps it fresh and quite drinkable. Tannins are medium strength, grippy but fairly smooth. A good general sense of purity. Quite tasty and a good value at $27.
However, with about 1.5-2 hours in the decanter, it's losing freshness - still tasty, developing nicely in some ways, but the fresh, vibrant fruit seems fragile. Decanting may have been a bad idea, apart from getting rid of the sediment. Maybe decant and drink fast.
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1/5/2014 - James Kim wrote: 92 Points
Initially, tobacco, earth, and currant flavors. After 3 hrs in decanter, wine firms up and gains depth. Aromas of black cherries, currants, tobacco, cedar, and earth. Flavors follow with beautiful fruit throughout the midpalate and driving to the finish of fruit, tannins, and earth. Initially tasted a bit old but now with more air, still very youthful. Mid-weight texture. Really nice acids. Just amazingly enjoyable.
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1/4/2014 - pa81 Likes this wine:
Nice aged cab. This was better than the last bottle I opened a couple of months ago. Very nice aged cab. Drinking well. Loses a bit of the fruit and structure as it is opened for a longer period of time, but nice on first pour. Lots of sediment and unfiltered variety. Good wine and nice value to try an aged california cab. Picked it up on K&L in Fall 2013.
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5/13/2013 - James Kim wrote: 90 Points
Drank this with Meredith and Janet. From memory, nice acidity with litheness and lightness. Tannins are mostly resolved. Fruit was definitely in background. Still nicely done.
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4/27/2013 - christyler Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very appealing and open from the beginning - showing its age but not at all tired. Beautiful cabernet that was less about the fruit.
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4/15/2013 - thunderfly wrote: 80 Points
I didn't write the notes right away, but I remember it being very average at best.
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3/8/2013 - gazinho Likes this wine: 88 Points
Even after careful decanting & filtering this unfiltered wine has an opaqueness to its purple/garnet colour.
Minerals, fruit & herbs in aroma.
Certainly this needs to be drunk but there is still a nice freshness to the red fruit and herbyness. Shades of chocolate too.
Acidity & tannins in good balance.
All in all, an enjoyable North American CabSauv.
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2/26/2013 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Splash decanted through a Vinturi to remove sediment. Smells of damp basement, small amount of black fruits, earth. and wet mushroom. Silky soft with notes of dark plum, black truffles, graphite and blackberry. Tastes like 20 years old Bordeaux. Really great stuff. Added note: completly lost all fruit overnight. Rather undrinkable on day 2.
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1/6/2013 - James Kim wrote: 92 Points
Upright for 24 hrs, then decanted. After 1 hr in decanter, just beautiful aromas of tart red fruits, currants, tobacco, mushrooms, earth. Palate follows with an elegant mouthfeel and great acidity. Amazing to have such lightness. Aromas became more lively and intense after ~2 hours in decanter. Just lovely stuff.
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12/18/2012 - timewithwine wrote:
Neither plum nor brick in color, but not really either. It certainly has a more youthful appearance than its nose or palate reflect. Nothing is sharp or focused about the flavors in this wine: some plum, some cassis, some mocha, some rosemary, and yeah, some raisin. It’s not too old, but it’s nothing to get worked up over. But the wine is more about texture than flavor at this point. Just shy of flabby, it’s soft, fleshy mouthfeel coats and wraps the palate with a near velvet like feel. It’s a satisfying if little bit naughty mouthfeel. Yet, the flavors bump around like awkward geeks a school mixer. Some gains of sediment n the last couple of pours. 13.5% alc. With pan seared New York strip steak and mushroom ragout. In its prime this might have rated higher, but now the highest it can hope to achieve is Recommended with reservations.
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11/9/2012 - closdupapes wrote: 69 Points
Sour. Not too old- just turned. Was a gift- maybe too much heat.
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11/3/2012 - tyvoodoo wrote:
Classically styled CA cab with tons of finesse. Great balance and length with nice earth and fruit integration. I'm curious to see where this goes with more bottle time but it is an absolute treat right now.
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9/22/2012 - Koluda wrote: 89 Points
A surprisingly different - and better - experience than the last bottle I had.
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8/22/2012 - Wicker Parker wrote:
Drinking just beautifully right now. The acidity has harmonized gently into the wine's structure and blackcurrant fruit profile; the brothiness has sublimated into savoriness; the tarry tannins have relaxed into a deeper shade of mellow, with only a hint of their previous rusticity. The dynamic range is wide and the wine floats almost effortlessly across the palate, with a silken texture that you could never mistake for oak-driven polish. At least as lovely on the second night as on the first.
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4/8/2012 - V1ceroy wrote: 85 Points
For some reason this bottle held up better then a few others that I had. Light Leather and spice, fruit in the back. Tannin was very soft and pleasant. I wonder if this bottle was the exception or if the wine went over a hump in the aging process. Last bottle I had was almost a year ago and was no as good.
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1/20/2012 - Socrates wrote:
Wow. Deep and dark in color and medium full in body, this wine is soft, svelte and silky in texture yet still maintains some grip on the finish. The nose is both sweet and savory with beef broth and cloves standing out. Palate follows suit with dark berries peeking in on the front of the palate and the mid and rear showing big broth and clove flavors. The finish is also soft, leaving thoughts of broth and clove but showing an interesting stoniness, and maybe a 30 second linger. Beautiful aged California cab.
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9/7/2011 - Sauvyfan wrote: flawed
flawed
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2/27/2011 - jcha24 wrote:
Wish I had a few more. To get a 11 year old Cab Sauv for $20 that still has great life to it is a deal to me. Some red fruit, tobacco notes, a little dirt and a medium finish. Nice stuff. Be wary, bc this thing is carrying plenty of sediment.
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2/22/2011 - mrfroopy wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic with Lamb..perfect and really displays the taste of this appelation.. hard to describe why , but I found a kinship with other wines from this area.. especially a 2002 Syrah from the same site, but different winery,
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1/30/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 79 Points
I bought this as a flier, I was out of town and out of wine, the owner said these bottles were not released until 07 and that it was very good. What store owner ever taliks you out of buying one of their wnes? Anyway, we did not finish the bottle, lacking
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1/15/2011 - jcha24 wrote:
Agree w salil below. This had qualities reminiscient of a Nebbiolo with a rustic old world feel to it that is probably compliments of being 10 yrs old. Thought this was a really tasty bottle and I'm happy i have one more.
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1/11/2011 - awinestory wrote: 83 Points
Tasted blind ...
color: deep purple, med+ intensity, tears stained
nose: med+ nose, very intense concentrated ripe red/black fruit such as black currant, blackberries, vanilla (oak), tea leaves,
palate: dry, acid med tannin med+ and drying astringent tannins, body med, alc high 14.5 up, finish ... a bit drying ...
Style note: A full bodied New World wine with lots of ripe fruit that can pair well with a steak. Good intensity, great marks for concentrated fruit, lacks finesse. Possibley a 2007 Napa or N. CA cab ...
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12/19/2010 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Very much like the last bottle I had. Remarkable stuff, still bearing more resemblance to an older Nebbiolo than a Cabernet with its tarry savouriness, gravelly earthiness and restrained red fruit.
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11/22/2010 - James Kim wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle. > 1 hr. in decanter. Translucent garnet-purple. Aromas of currants, casis, leather, earth and fresh green leaves. Nice elegant palate of tobacco, earth, mild currant, cassis, mushrooms, and spices. Beautiful long finish of fruit, herbs, earth, and leather that lingers beautifully in the mouth. Great acidity and complexity and yet so light on its feet.
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9/30/2010 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tremendously expressive Cabernet. A flavor profile of a wine triple the price. Great nose, with some vegital qualities, earthiness and a little funk. Tannins are smooth as silk with structure depth and length. Highly recommend you use a sieve or cheesecloth to remove all the sediment from the bottle. Great QPR if you paid what I paid.
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9/22/2010 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Crazy stuff. It's hard to place this as a Californian Cabernet with the wild tarry, herbal and faintly oxidative aromatic elements here. With time the oxidative elements clear up and this becomes increasing Northern Italian like, showing ripe fig and red fruited flavours combined with tar, savoury earth and lots of exotic spicy notes. It's remarkably light and elegant in the mouth with really bright acidity that keeps it very fresh and precise, a touch volatile at times but certainly very interesting and fun to follow with time.
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3/20/2010 - jdkru wrote: 90 Points
Shows the terrior well, and is not made-up with too much oak, Which is impressive, because this is not grown in "traditional" wine country. Maybe that should change.
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2/14/2010 - cabrnay wrote: 84 Points
Too thin and tart for me. No soul.
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1/16/2010 - James Kim wrote:
Gave to Young Jo and Dave on 1/16/10.
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10/24/2009 - wineaboutit wrote: 85 Points
Nose of ripe dark fruit..cherry, blackberry along w/chocolate and leather. Full bodied w/flavors of dark cherry and mocha, but this seems tired and heading on the down slide. A couple left in the cellar, will drink soon. The case of '95 cab seemed to hold much better than the '99's...drink up.
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9/4/2009 - wineaboutit wrote: 84 Points
Popped and poured, drinking out of Oregon Riedel pinot stemware. Nose of euculyptus, dark fruits and deep chocolate. A full bodied wine, w/chocolate and mint flavors.and the first Renaissance cab, from my cellar, that tastes tired...and on the down side of its life. Have a couple more of these, will drink soon. Kind of surprised as these wines typically have a long life, and have been a cult favorite of mine.
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7/20/2009 - ekenneth wrote: 92 Points
I've had the 2000 of this quite a few times and like it, but I really like the '99. I get a nice mix of plum and blueberry, with a nice light touch on the palate, a tiny bit of good funk on the nose and a satisfying finish. To me this drinks like well-made bordeaux with a little age. It's great to see California Cab done with this deft a hand. It's not over-oaked, overpowering or overly-made.
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5/19/2009 - Wicker Parker wrote:
Showing well right out of the gate, with plenty of tannin-bearing structure that's balanced by nimble acidity. The nose is quite intense, with star anise, stone, nutmeg, tarragon, and raspberry aromas. On the palate it's silky and brothy and just a bit tannic, and it has excellent length and presence at midpalate. Cool in the mouth rather than hot, and it has a reasonable 13.5% abv. Per my last note, I still think this would benefit further from holding just a few more years (but not many).
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4/19/2009 - Wicker Parker wrote:
At first roughly tannic, with a good decant this turns silky. The spicy nose of pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg presages an equally spicy palate that's complimented by black fruits, stone, and earthy broth. The structure is very firm thanks to both the rustic tannins and the prominent acidity. Good balance, length, and character, but it needs a few years to gain complexity.
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4/16/2009 - MRichman wrote:
Juicy, thick, chewy, somewhat rustic. Good concentration and depth with plum and black cherry. Brambly, wild, and lightly candied on finish. Ready to drink, but not declining anytime soon. Not the last word in complexity, but has a nice note of maturity. Good, but no bargain at around $30.
B-
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3/8/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 92 Points
Color: Garnet with the lightest band of rose at the edge, very pretty colors
Nose: Currants, cherry, clove and spice
Palate: Cherry, licorice, currant, stew plum, sweet and fine tannins, great acidity, showing nice at this age. Very Bordeaux like.
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11/7/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 95 Points
Clos Saron and Renaissance with Gideon Bienstock (Trestle on Tenth): Makes me ashamed I'd always ignored the standard cabernet in favor of the prestige bottlings here. Unlike the special bottlings, the standard '99 is totally ready to drink, suave and svelte in mouthfeel with intense stony minerality and a savory brothiness balancing the sweetness of the bluish fruit. A great intro to Renaissance because it shows the inimitable character of the vineyard in an exceptionally drinkable package.
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9/29/2008 - James Kim wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hrs. Garnet, slighty cloudy in color. High toned, Tart Plums, Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Cedar, Leather, Earth aromas. Tart black plums, cherries, cassis, leather, lead pencil, and earth with minty/eucalyptus taste and some tannic grip on the finish. Long finish. Medium bodied. Smooth. Elegant and well balanced. Incredibly light stepped and great acidity for a CA cab. 13.5% ABV.Long finish.
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5/8/2008 - cabrnay wrote: 87 Points
I thought it was a little bitter, yet my wife liked it better then the 99 ch montelena which she thought was a little bitter :-)
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2/14/2008 - potness wrote:
This bottle was an outstanding wine. Very dark, chewy, heavyw/ lots of setiment, rich with berry & fruit. However, it is the first of five that were deemed above average or even good! Can't wait to see what the rest of the case will bring!
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1/23/2008 - chidmf wrote: 84 Points
This was OK. Nothing special.
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8/7/2007 - Lainie wrote: 85 Points
Sweet, balanced, not very interesting. Tasted at Cork Dorks Meritage.
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7/12/2007 - Lainie wrote: 77 Points
A veggie, swampy character. Reduced? Low alc at 12.7%. Package is amateur. Overpriced at $30.
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12/8/2006 - redsauced wrote: 89 Points
Really nice, balanced sophisticated juice. Not overpowering.
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