Ruby color fading to brown. Throwing lots of sediment. Decanted for three hours. Concentrated bouquet of red fruits. Medium body with mellow tannins and restrained acidity. Iron-like minerality and funky gravel notes typical of Renaissance. Moderate finish. Not a stand-alone drinker. Gulp with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
really well crafted wine. I expected much less based on the reviews, but if you like old world wines this was a great hit. With traditional alcohol (~13.5% if I remember right) this had a nice aged bouquet and medium body with ripe dark red fruits (mulberry and blackberry) with a medium finish. Enough acidity and tannins to still last a few more years, but obviously not gaining anything else at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm shocked by the low ratings. I know the American palate has become accustomed to a lot of fruit, depth of currant/cassis/other dark fruits that assault the palate, but this came across much more restrained, refined, and well made. I definitely had a good bottle, which helped, and for $30 I'm not sure why anyone would ever go out and buy a current release of Mondavi (disclaimer, I had the '97 Mondavi which I will put up shortly...94 points and spectacular). This is really solid stuff, but the shortish finish and the lack of depth/complexity took 2 points of the score. 89+ as it was better on Day 2, and has room to mature/improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little bit of brownish colour, perfectly to be expected, from its age. After being open about a day, the nose is expansive. On the palate, the tannins are mellow, again from age, and are not chewy. There is some good flavour. But the flavour is a bit tangy, suggesting that this wine is ready to drink. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than expected given the price and the fact that this older (2000) vintage was being pushed by a wine club. Nicely aged for a cab now quite smooth on the palate. The expected berries on the nose and palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On opening, a little frizzante and hard. Opened well after about an hour of air and came together quite nicely, elegant. Drink now with extended airing, or cellar for decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unfortunately this vintage of the basic cabernet doesn't seem to have the supple, ready-to-drink approachability that the '99 did when I first had it. This is still too intense with primary fruit to warrant opening now for my tastes. (You'd certainly never suppose it to be 10 years old.) It's red-fruited but very thick and dense, and unlike some other Renaissance bottlings that behave that way when first opened, it doesn't mellow much or turn more claret-like with decanting. This will need some time in the cellar if it's ever going to approach Renaissance's usual standard, but I'm pretty certain it'll get there since it had already started to mellow and show some restraint in the leftovers the next day (which had amazingly resisted oxidation even in a room-temperature decanter).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This blueberry, blackberry, and espresso-scented Cab is still incredibly fresh and young, particularly by California standards. Rich, dark, and dense. The acidity is low and the fine-grained tannins coat the tongue. It's not syrupy or baked or overripe, though. Needs time; the flavors here are still primary. Organically grown grapes from granitic, high-elevation (1700'-2300') vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, 70 miles NE of Sacramento.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/15/2022 - dubdub wrote:
On the nose ripe, dark fruit, wet rock. In the mouth plum, cedar, decent grip. Medium finish with characteristic flint, iron notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2017 - mvande21 wrote: 87 Points
Ruby color fading to brown. Throwing lots of sediment. Decanted for three hours. Concentrated bouquet of red fruits. Medium body with mellow tannins and restrained acidity. Iron-like minerality and funky gravel notes typical of Renaissance. Moderate finish. Not a stand-alone drinker. Gulp with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2016 - floating_cellar wrote: 91 Points
really well crafted wine. I expected much less based on the reviews, but if you like old world wines this was a great hit. With traditional alcohol (~13.5% if I remember right) this had a nice aged bouquet and medium body with ripe dark red fruits (mulberry and blackberry) with a medium finish. Enough acidity and tannins to still last a few more years, but obviously not gaining anything else at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2013 - witsend23903 wrote: 91 Points
Nice burgundy color. Notes of blackberry, tobacco and spice with moderate finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2012 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 87 Points
Mineral, gravel, some fruit, decent mouth feel but lacks depth and long term interest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2012 - RyanJames wrote: 89 Points
I'm shocked by the low ratings. I know the American palate has become accustomed to a lot of fruit, depth of currant/cassis/other dark fruits that assault the palate, but this came across much more restrained, refined, and well made. I definitely had a good bottle, which helped, and for $30 I'm not sure why anyone would ever go out and buy a current release of Mondavi (disclaimer, I had the '97 Mondavi which I will put up shortly...94 points and spectacular). This is really solid stuff, but the shortish finish and the lack of depth/complexity took 2 points of the score. 89+ as it was better on Day 2, and has room to mature/improve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2012 - Ombibulous wrote: 84 Points
A little bit of brownish colour, perfectly to be expected, from its age. After being open about a day, the nose is expansive. On the palate, the tannins are mellow, again from age, and are not chewy. There is some good flavour. But the flavour is a bit tangy, suggesting that this wine is ready to drink. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2011 - rgprints wrote: 88 Points
Much better than expected given the price and the fact that this older (2000) vintage was being pushed by a wine club. Nicely aged for a cab now quite smooth on the palate. The expected berries on the nose and palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2011 - BailliSacks Likes this wine:
On opening, a little frizzante and hard. Opened well after about an hour of air and came together quite nicely, elegant. Drink now with extended airing, or cellar for decades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Unfortunately this vintage of the basic cabernet doesn't seem to have the supple, ready-to-drink approachability that the '99 did when I first had it. This is still too intense with primary fruit to warrant opening now for my tastes. (You'd certainly never suppose it to be 10 years old.) It's red-fruited but very thick and dense, and unlike some other Renaissance bottlings that behave that way when first opened, it doesn't mellow much or turn more claret-like with decanting. This will need some time in the cellar if it's ever going to approach Renaissance's usual standard, but I'm pretty certain it'll get there since it had already started to mellow and show some restraint in the leftovers the next day (which had amazingly resisted oxidation even in a room-temperature decanter).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2008 - dubdub wrote: 89 Points
Dark fruit on the nose blends with aromas of fragrant woods. Wine is still very tight with flavours of pencil, cassis. Needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - Wicker Parker wrote:
This blueberry, blackberry, and espresso-scented Cab is still incredibly fresh and young, particularly by California standards. Rich, dark, and dense. The acidity is low and the fine-grained tannins coat the tongue. It's not syrupy or baked or overripe, though. Needs time; the flavors here are still primary. Organically grown grapes from granitic, high-elevation (1700'-2300') vineyards in the Sierra Foothills, 70 miles NE of Sacramento.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2007 - Lainie wrote: 78 Points
Smells like grape soda, refermentation aromas. Overpriced at $30. Poor package.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment