Delicious expression of this wine. Lots of cassis and eucalyptus, softened structure, some red currant too, and really ready for business, perhaps in contrast to the 94 Dalla Valle that needs more time
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Purchased on release and stored well. Dusty red-purple color. Scent of plum and wood spice. Smooth and balanced palate with plum flavors, red raspberry, a touch of chocolate and a bit of wood. Fully integrated. Not very complex, but drinking very nicely and at a long slowly declining plateau. Smooth medium length finish. Went well with a prime reverse seared tenderloin on Christmas Eve.
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Double decanted. Cork crumbled. Wow. This is such a fine example of what aged Napa Cabernet can deliver in spades. Light bricking at rim, cassis, saddle leather, tobacco. Tannins still noticable and present to balance this wine. Not flabby, beautiful at 26 years old. Bravo.
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Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Plummy, jammy, but with some cassis and cedary notes, slightly oxidised, a little sweet spice, almost a little dill pickle note. Juicy and surprisingly fresh on the palate - it's still very much in the 'ripe cabernet' style though with ripe blackcurrant, some alcohol heat, cedar, textured tannins but it is balanced and rather nice. The best of the Stag's Leaps on taste for me. Nice.
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Dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the nose. Smooth dark fruits, dark cherries, chocolate. Bright berry flavors on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, good acidity, great balance. Finishes very long with dark berries and bittersweet chocolate. Becomes elegant with some air. I'd decant this gently about an hour in advance and drink it for the foreseeable future. Lovely, mature cab and it's not heading south anytime soon.
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I bought this wine in '98 and have held it in my cellar since then. I think 2 cases in all. I've been slowly drinking it since then. Bought some '94 montelena at the same time. I believe I'm all out of both. The Fay definitely outlasted the montelena although both have been fantastic all along. The Fay still has some nice fruit remnants with a mellowed but discernable acidic finish. Nice ruby edges and faint stewed prunes as one would hope for from a fine old dame like this.
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Realy surprised by all the low ratings from 2012... wine was sleeping? I HAVE seen it before. Just opened this seconds ago and the nose is quite fabulous. More extravagantly barnyardy than typical Stag's Leap, more like Oakville, which very well may be as I don't know where FAY comes from. The nose is getting more stunning between each sentence typed. Fruit is definitely showing secondary characteristics- of course- but the palate reads more 1997 or even '99 than '94. Glad I have several of these left. Gads it's now showing a hint of Martha's Vineyard. Great juice.
EDIT: THANKS and cheers to chcook and bestdamncab for the comments and elucidation- it's not always easy to find out which appellations some vineyards occupy tho in this case it was slightly inexcusable laziness on my part!
2009 Red Burgundy, a first look: Another blind "cellar raid" wine for the night. Excellent aged cabernet with some unusual notes that made some of us wonder what it was. Dark fruits, herbal, round and powerful. An excellent wine that is aging well.
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red garnet. Nose of a graanche-based Chateauneuf du Pape. Red raspberry jam and winter spices. Odd for a Cab from Cali. Not bad. Taste was similar but faded quickly in the mouth. Too bad. It was a middling granache based Ch9P, but not Cali Cab. Again, not bad, just odd. This was the S.L.V.
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Very classic-dark cherries,herbs,cedar,leather on a deep balanced rocking nose. Very layered and balanced palate of plums,cherries,mint,cedar,leather into a long finish. This was rocking out of the bottle and seems to really be in it's sweet spot.
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This is one stunning wine and drinking so beautifully right now. Nose of casis, dark berries, and fresh herbs. This wine thoroughly coats the palate like velvet. Notes of cedar, leather, berries and plumb. Finish was long and polished. Classic pre 2000 cabernet that is right up my alley.
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1994 Cali Cabs (David Burke's Primehouse, Chicago IL): nose: lovely and well layered nose filled with great tones of menthol, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar, herbs and some bits of currants. Great depth and coming off as fairly mature right now
taste: polished and silky medium/full feel with good supporting tannins and elegant tones of mint, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar and currants with a slight bit of herbs. Well layered on the palate as well
overall: This is a lovely wine. Its mature, but doesn't seem to be in any real danger of going anywhere for a while. Very aromatic that is more on the subtle side rather than in your face. This is a textbook classic cali cab
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1994 Napa Cabernets at David Burke's Primehouse (David Burke's Primehouse): We started on the Cabs with this wine. Probably the best evolved and most ready of the seven that we poured. The traditional cab flavors were there along with a eucalyptus and mintiness that made it quite interesting. Great bottle of wine.
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This is the Fay. Garnet. Nose intially had VA, then sur maturite then an older Cab. All within 1 minute! Kinda odd/different. Mouth was closer to a middle aged Cal Cab. Good, different.
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Anyone have another I can buy? The kind of wine you miss before the glass is empty. In perfect form, with a touch of peet! If I had another I would not wait.
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Very smooth and tasty. Well resolved, ready to drink. Fruit and structure in balance, with a moderate finish. Slight mint on the finish, very enjoyable to drink.
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delicious! fruit bomb with plenty of (probably american oak) vanilla at first but had extremely long spicy nutmeg finish; approachable tannins but has cellaring potential
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4/8/2022 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Delicious expression of this wine. Lots of cassis and eucalyptus, softened structure, some red currant too, and really ready for business, perhaps in contrast to the 94 Dalla Valle that needs more time
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1/5/2022 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP into Schott Zwiesel tasting glass (“Flower” day): Medium garnet with large amount of deposits.
Soy and oxidative notes. Nail polish and VA. Good condition given the ageing in cellar.
Silky tannins. 92-93 points.
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10/9/2021 - LenzWine Likes this wine:
Did not have high hopes based on the age, but was pleasantly surprised. Still had some freshness and power. Super enjoyable.
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12/24/2020 - Pinotfanbg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Purchased on release and stored well. Dusty red-purple color. Scent of plum and wood spice. Smooth and balanced palate with plum flavors, red raspberry, a touch of chocolate and a bit of wood. Fully integrated. Not very complex, but drinking very nicely and at a long slowly declining plateau. Smooth medium length finish. Went well with a prime reverse seared tenderloin on Christmas Eve.
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10/30/2020 - SCM Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted. Cork crumbled. Wow. This is such a fine example of what aged Napa Cabernet can deliver in spades. Light bricking at rim, cassis, saddle leather, tobacco. Tannins still noticable and present to balance this wine. Not flabby, beautiful at 26 years old. Bravo.
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7/15/2020 - chatters wrote:
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Plummy, jammy, but with some cassis and cedary notes, slightly oxidised, a little sweet spice, almost a little dill pickle note. Juicy and surprisingly fresh on the palate - it's still very much in the 'ripe cabernet' style though with ripe blackcurrant, some alcohol heat, cedar, textured tannins but it is balanced and rather nice. The best of the Stag's Leaps on taste for me. Nice.
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1/17/2020 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the nose. Smooth dark fruits, dark cherries, chocolate. Bright berry flavors on the mid-palate. Smooth tannins, good acidity, great balance. Finishes very long with dark berries and bittersweet chocolate. Becomes elegant with some air. I'd decant this gently about an hour in advance and drink it for the foreseeable future. Lovely, mature cab and it's not heading south anytime soon.
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9/24/2016 - seg424 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A beautiful matured wine.
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7/3/2016 - tomimeson wrote: 91 Points
Nicely balanced.
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5/28/2016 - norsktorsk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose, showing age but none the less quite nice. Finish short. Would not hold any longer.
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5/18/2015 - bottlewasher wrote: 96 Points
I bought this wine in '98 and have held it in my cellar since then. I think 2 cases in all. I've been slowly drinking it since then. Bought some '94 montelena at the same time. I believe I'm all out of both. The Fay definitely outlasted the montelena although both have been fantastic all along. The Fay still has some nice fruit remnants with a mellowed but discernable acidic finish. Nice ruby edges and faint stewed prunes as one would hope for from a fine old dame like this.
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2/10/2015 - littlefoot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Realy surprised by all the low ratings from 2012... wine was sleeping? I HAVE seen it before. Just opened this seconds ago and the nose is quite fabulous. More extravagantly barnyardy than typical Stag's Leap, more like Oakville, which very well may be as I don't know where FAY comes from. The nose is getting more stunning between each sentence typed. Fruit is definitely showing secondary characteristics- of course- but the palate reads more 1997 or even '99 than '94. Glad I have several of these left. Gads it's now showing a hint of Martha's Vineyard. Great juice.
EDIT: THANKS and cheers to chcook and bestdamncab for the comments and elucidation- it's not always easy to find out which appellations some vineyards occupy tho in this case it was slightly inexcusable laziness on my part!
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6/8/2012 - LeChapeau wrote: 92 Points
2009 Red Burgundy, a first look: Another blind "cellar raid" wine for the night. Excellent aged cabernet with some unusual notes that made some of us wonder what it was. Dark fruits, herbal, round and powerful. An excellent wine that is aging well.
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4/30/2012 - JBVino wrote:
Dissappointing... clearly past it's best
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3/16/2012 - HamishR wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyable, medium weight, quite Bordeaux-like in character, fruit drying out a bit, ready to drink
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12/24/2011 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 88 Points
red garnet. Nose of a graanche-based Chateauneuf du Pape. Red raspberry jam and winter spices. Odd for a Cab from Cali. Not bad. Taste was similar but faded quickly in the mouth. Too bad. It was a middling granache based Ch9P, but not Cali Cab. Again, not bad, just odd. This was the S.L.V.
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5/22/2011 - HamishR wrote: 88 Points
Nicely balanced, medium weight, good fruit, decent length. OK
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12/15/2010 - HamishR wrote: 88 Points
Lovely, medium deep colour, medium weight, balanced, mature. Drink soon.
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5/21/2010 - LeatherPalate wrote: 93 Points
Very classic-dark cherries,herbs,cedar,leather on a deep balanced rocking nose.
Very layered and balanced palate of plums,cherries,mint,cedar,leather into a long finish.
This was rocking out of the bottle and seems to really be in it's sweet spot.
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5/17/2010 - cabdrinker wrote: 96 Points
This is one stunning wine and drinking so beautifully right now. Nose of casis, dark berries, and fresh herbs. This wine thoroughly coats the palate like velvet. Notes of cedar, leather, berries and plumb. Finish was long and polished. Classic pre 2000 cabernet that is right up my alley.
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5/17/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
1994 Cali Cabs (David Burke's Primehouse, Chicago IL): nose: lovely and well layered nose filled with great tones of menthol, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar, herbs and some bits of currants. Great depth and coming off as fairly mature right now
taste: polished and silky medium/full feel with good supporting tannins and elegant tones of mint, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar and currants with a slight bit of herbs. Well layered on the palate as well
overall: This is a lovely wine. Its mature, but doesn't seem to be in any real danger of going anywhere for a while. Very aromatic that is more on the subtle side rather than in your face. This is a textbook classic cali cab
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5/17/2010 - Steve Jones wrote: 93 Points
1994 Napa Cabernets at David Burke's Primehouse (David Burke's Primehouse): We started on the Cabs with this wine. Probably the best evolved and most ready of the seven that we poured. The traditional cab flavors were there along with a eucalyptus and mintiness that made it quite interesting. Great bottle of wine.
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12/25/2009 - cstir wrote: 90 Points
Smooth on opening with good structure but not overpowering; dark currant flavor; pleasant but not sustained finish.
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3/12/2008 - jivey wrote: 87 Points
Lean and a bit green with grafite, pepper and fried fruits/herbs. Not what I remembered.
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12/22/2007 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 91 Points
This is the Fay. Garnet. Nose intially had VA, then sur maturite then an older Cab. All within 1 minute! Kinda odd/different. Mouth was closer to a middle aged Cal Cab. Good, different.
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8/27/2006 - redsauced wrote: 93 Points
Anyone have another I can buy? The kind of wine you miss before the glass is empty. In perfect form, with a touch of peet! If I had another I would not wait.
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4/20/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Drink up.
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1/23/2005 - BradA wrote: 92 Points
Fragrent, full bodied-- a delicious wine.
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11/19/2002 - JeffJo wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth and tasty. Well resolved, ready to drink. Fruit and structure in balance, with a moderate finish. Slight mint on the finish, very enjoyable to drink.
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1/24/1998 - SadEdjo wrote:
delicious! fruit bomb with plenty of (probably american oak) vanilla at first but had extremely long spicy nutmeg finish; approachable tannins but has cellaring potential
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