Opened for Father’s Day, with slow cooked shredded beef. Great nose, lots of cherries and ripe berries. Plenty of fruit on the palate, tannins have smoothed out. Long finish. This is drinking exceedingly well now. The CT drinking window is crazy short - this could go a few more years.
It said; 2015-2019. But GOOD is GOOD. Tonight after realizing that this was still sleeping in the Euro Cave, it was decanted and served. Some may call it a waste, as the dinner consisted of only thinly sliced left over pork chops, crackers and cheeses, and Olives. It was our version of a Happy Hour. Great bottle. Great foods. Great fun. Netflix is next.
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Fruit is still holding up well. Noticeable softness, and less of a flourish. Medium to medium short finish. Enjoyable but glad this was my last, as I think it's a bit past peak. But declining gracefully.
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Overall a very enjoyable wine. Great fruit, perfectly balanced, and smooth lush tannins that are quite prevalent in a well-made Sonoma County Cabernet.
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The old adage "good things happen to those that wait", is so true. From the moment that this bottle was opened for decanting, the bouquet filled the air, only to be followed by the color, taste, and the lingering effect of something nearly perfect. Then my eyes started to tear up. Why? I realized that there's only one bottle left.
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Popped and poured by an in law after we had finished a fabulous Methuselah of 2005 insignia. What a shame. Needed at least an hour to open and some good beef and roast potatoes beside it. Coarse but bold like RAF tends to be. Not sure if it needs more age, perhaps.
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Had many bottles of this that I loved. Seemed to be either TCA or some other reason that the bottle was off. Not sure, will have another one soon to see, but haven't had an issue up to now.
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This wine is drinking really well right now. Bright and balanced, dark berries shine through. Long and mellow finish. Bottle opened for about an hour before drinking, no decant needed.
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"Heavenly", is not a word to be used in a wine critique--but it really was. When the taste of the bottle contains all that you could possibly imagine, in my mind it's "Heavenly".
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Generally we really like A. Raf cab (and are head-over-heels for their merlot). However, the 2011 vintage is disappointing. It is an okay cab but overall, pretty forgettable. Past vintages have been MUCH better. At least it is well priced for a CA cab.
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This bottle has matured big time in the many months that I allowed it to take another big time nap. What has bordered on unacceptable, is now giving all the enjoyment that is expected from this first class family vineyard.
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A lean, elegant Sonoma Cab, bright fruit on the attack, like small under ripe currants, with barely any oak spice. It quickly showed greener notes of bay, and eventually bell pepper, though not as extreme as a Cab Franc, just typical cool-climate Cab Sauv. The elegant tannin, and bright acid made this a great pairing for a simply prepared steak, though the weakness of the vintage revealed itself on the finish, which was short and somewhat thin. That said, the elegance and freshness of this Cab was lovely, and I can't wait to try their effort from the stronger vintages of 12 and 13. This will continue to develop over the next five years, though it will never be an opulent or lush bomb of a wine.
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A little on the light and fruity side. Decanted it for an hour and definitely noticed it getting fruitier as it got air. I think it could probably use another year in the bottle but it's *definitely* drinkable now. Enjoying it on its own but *really* enjoying it with a well cooked steak. I wouldn't call this a dry cab, though it's getting drier as it gets more air.
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Popped and poured. While this is very well made and tastes like a Rafanelli effort, I get the feeling it's holding something back. I have another bottle and only time will tell if it's in need of more age or the 2011 vintage was, indeed, a struggle for them as well.
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Decant through aerator. Opened well over next two hours. Coarse Rafanelli texture. Cedar, blackberry, bramble. Nice fruit but still trying to find its blend. Try again in 3 more years when integration may be better.
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Not quite there yet. Bottle was decanted, but not as full of fruit as we have come to expect. This was the first of 6 and with time I expect that this vintage will come around to be better.
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Impressive. Gorgeous full nose of sweet currant fruit, bell pepper, spice and herbs. Palate is medium rich with good suave tannic structure and bright acidity. Restrained but so California and just rocking on all cylinders. The structure is there, but it's drinking wonderfully now with herb and bell pepper adding flavor complexity.
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Popped and poured. No formal notes. Quite green at this stage in its development but the quality is obvious and consistent with their reputation, despite being a tough vintage for the region. Currently lots of green pepper and currants. Some spice box. I expect a few years in the cellar will be very kind to this wine.
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Visceral muscley Cab, with good ripe fruit and rich oak. Too rich oak for my palate. Decanted and paired with roast beef, good pairing. Did not evolve with time, stayed the same after an hour.
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So they say 2011 was a crap year for CA wine but there are exceptions, this being one. Made in a more traditional style it is quaffable right out of the gate. The tannins are a bit jumpy and disjointed but the fruit is solid. This bottle started in a dark resteraunt and is being finished outside, it looks opaque with fine-grained heavy solids. Dark fruited flavors of black currant, black cherry and bramble. There's some menthol leather on the nose and finish. There's a lot of mineral action on the finish.
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2/28/2024 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 88 Points
deep color, typical RAF, at 14 yrs still strong
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6/18/2023 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for Father’s Day, with slow cooked shredded beef. Great nose, lots of cherries and ripe berries. Plenty of fruit on the palate, tannins have smoothed out. Long finish. This is drinking exceedingly well now. The CT drinking window is crazy short - this could go a few more years.
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1/19/2022 - papa bear Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mellow tannis ! Nice dark berry ana cherry tones
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11/15/2020 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
It said; 2015-2019. But GOOD is GOOD. Tonight after realizing that this was still sleeping in the Euro Cave, it was decanted and served. Some may call it a waste, as the dinner consisted of only thinly sliced left over pork chops, crackers and cheeses, and Olives. It was our version of a Happy Hour. Great bottle. Great foods. Great fun. Netflix is next.
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10/11/2020 - ebert wrote: 86 Points
very little fruit and Brett pronounced.
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7/8/2020 - BL44 wrote: 95 Points
Sooooo good!
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6/29/2020 - kristamck Likes this wine: 94 Points
Red fruit, soft tannins, delightful.
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5/4/2020 - Lion King Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delizioso. Weird, this bottle tasted better than the last. Maybe it had something to do with the pasta I had with it.
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4/20/2020 - Lion King wrote: 89 Points
Drinking okay but on the decline. Lacks body and structure, a bit more acidity than I like. Drinkable.
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1/17/2020 - ebert wrote:
Possibly a bad bottle. Strong acid, very little body and noticeable Brett.
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1/8/2020 - Leomania Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit is still holding up well. Noticeable softness, and less of a flourish. Medium to medium short finish. Enjoyable but glad this was my last, as I think it's a bit past peak. But declining gracefully.
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1/7/2020 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 92 Points
typical raf cab, ready to drink
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11/16/2019 - brminz wrote:
A little past its prime. Drink ASAP
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9/2/2019 - Mark Reinhold Likes this wine: 88 Points
Enjoyable but just over the hill at this point, with not much structure remaining.
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9/3/2018 - ebert Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Full of bret
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7/11/2018 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Overall a very enjoyable wine. Great fruit, perfectly balanced, and smooth lush tannins that are quite prevalent in a well-made Sonoma County Cabernet.
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6/3/2018 - SLDESQ wrote: 90 Points
Great all around cab. Well balanced.
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6/1/2018 - SLDESQ wrote: 90 Points
Great. Well balanced. Just all around good cab. Full bodied. Decent tannin and oak.
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3/11/2018 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 92 Points
The old adage "good things happen to those that wait", is so true. From the moment that this bottle was opened for decanting, the bouquet filled the air, only to be followed by the color, taste, and the lingering effect of something nearly perfect. Then my eyes started to tear up. Why? I realized that there's only one bottle left.
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12/25/2017 - drinkinsailor wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured by an in law after we had finished a fabulous Methuselah of 2005 insignia. What a shame. Needed at least an hour to open and some good beef and roast potatoes beside it. Coarse but bold like RAF tends to be. Not sure if it needs more age, perhaps.
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12/17/2017 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 92 Points
One word says it all--UNBELIEVABLE!
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9/2/2017 - aaronfeigin wrote: flawed
Had many bottles of this that I loved. Seemed to be either TCA or some other reason that the bottle was off. Not sure, will have another one soon to see, but haven't had an issue up to now.
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9/1/2017 - csillabu Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is drinking really well right now. Bright and balanced, dark berries shine through. Long and mellow finish. Bottle opened for about an hour before drinking, no decant needed.
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6/25/2017 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
"Heavenly", is not a word to be used in a wine critique--but it really was. When the taste of the bottle contains all that you could possibly imagine, in my mind it's "Heavenly".
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6/2/2017 - Asmiller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Generally we really like A. Raf cab (and are head-over-heels for their merlot). However, the 2011 vintage is disappointing. It is an okay cab but overall, pretty forgettable. Past vintages have been MUCH better. At least it is well priced for a CA cab.
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3/19/2017 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle has matured big time in the many months that I allowed it to take another big time nap. What has bordered on unacceptable, is now giving all the enjoyment that is expected from this first class family vineyard.
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2/18/2017 - scotbry Likes this wine: 93 Points
A Rafanelli never disappoints!
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12/26/2016 - AUsome87 wrote:
Excellent
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9/8/2016 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine:
A lean, elegant Sonoma Cab, bright fruit on the attack, like small under ripe currants, with barely any oak spice. It quickly showed greener notes of bay, and eventually bell pepper, though not as extreme as a Cab Franc, just typical cool-climate Cab Sauv.
The elegant tannin, and bright acid made this a great pairing for a simply prepared steak, though the weakness of the vintage revealed itself on the finish, which was short and somewhat thin. That said, the elegance and freshness of this Cab was lovely, and I can't wait to try their effort from the stronger vintages of 12 and 13. This will continue to develop over the next five years, though it will never be an opulent or lush bomb of a wine.
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9/3/2016 - aaronmphoto Likes this wine: 91 Points
A little on the light and fruity side. Decanted it for an hour and definitely noticed it getting fruitier as it got air. I think it could probably use another year in the bottle but it's *definitely* drinkable now. Enjoying it on its own but *really* enjoying it with a well cooked steak. I wouldn't call this a dry cab, though it's getting drier as it gets more air.
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3/27/2016 - MystMrQ Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tough year for everyone, including Rafanelli. Slightly more vegetal than I'm used to for this wine. Good but short of great.
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3/25/2016 - cpdwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Way too young. Push to 2019 or beyond.
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12/27/2015 - thesternowl wrote:
Popped and poured. While this is very well made and tastes like a Rafanelli effort, I get the feeling it's holding something back. I have another bottle and only time will tell if it's in need of more age or the 2011 vintage was, indeed, a struggle for them as well.
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11/27/2015 - drinkinsailor Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decant through aerator. Opened well over next two hours. Coarse Rafanelli texture. Cedar, blackberry, bramble. Nice fruit but still trying to find its blend. Try again in 3 more years when integration may be better.
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7/5/2015 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not quite there yet. Bottle was decanted, but not as full of fruit as we have come to expect. This was the first of 6 and with time I expect that this vintage will come around to be better.
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5/16/2015 - bbcc66 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. Soft fruit tastes. Medium to light body. Like other tasting note, seemed a bit thin.
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5/11/2015 - kingboo wrote: 89 Points
Very nice, but not overly complex. A little thin mid palate.
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3/24/2015 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Impressive. Gorgeous full nose of sweet currant fruit, bell pepper, spice and herbs. Palate is medium rich with good suave tannic structure and bright acidity. Restrained but so California and just rocking on all cylinders. The structure is there, but it's drinking wonderfully now with herb and bell pepper adding flavor complexity.
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12/25/2014 - thesternowl Likes this wine:
Popped and poured. No formal notes. Quite green at this stage in its development but the quality is obvious and consistent with their reputation, despite being a tough vintage for the region. Currently lots of green pepper and currants. Some spice box. I expect a few years in the cellar will be very kind to this wine.
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11/24/2014 - Glarange Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Visceral muscley Cab, with good ripe fruit and rich oak. Too rich oak for my palate. Decanted and paired with roast beef, good pairing. Did not evolve with time, stayed the same after an hour.
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11/2/2014 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 90 Points
So they say 2011 was a crap year for CA wine but there are exceptions, this being one. Made in a more traditional style it is quaffable right out of the gate. The tannins are a bit jumpy and disjointed but the fruit is solid. This bottle started in a dark resteraunt and is being finished outside, it looks opaque with fine-grained heavy solids. Dark fruited flavors of black currant, black cherry and bramble. There's some menthol leather on the nose and finish. There's a lot of mineral action on the finish.
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10/24/2014 - Lion King Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Will keep for 5-10 more years
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