Layers of delicious dark ripe cherry, blackberry, and currant with oaky notes on the nose and silky rich palate. Culminates in a long finish with well resolved tannins.
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Bought off the secondary market a few months back. Opened on a whim, first glasses were PnP and decanted and enjoyed over a few hours. I could smell the aromatics from across the room when I poured this into the decanted. Hardly any sediment - definitely a well stored perfect provenance bottle. One of the best wines I've had all year. I could not believe this was 11 years old. My first Schrader and hopefully not my last!
PnP, not as good as the last few bottles. Beautiful aromatics with blackberry, currant, vanilla, anise and slight floral. Rich and complex with blackberry, black currant, vanilla, anise. Silky smooth tannins in a long finish. Appears to be at its peak or starting to decline. Drink up.
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Rich, delicious, very smooth and soft, black cherry fruit with sweetness, cassis flavors mellowed out, excellent structure, ample age, tannins much less, ample finish
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I am a younger new-to-the-wine game consumer. I found this bottle to be excellent really. I couldn’t imagine drinking this young. It’s perfectly balanced with very little heat despite the higher alcohol content. It takes like a 10-year-old Borduex, but with tons of fruit and sass. To me, it’s exactly what a perfect 10-year-old Napa cab should be. I really enjoyed it. To be honest I was expected to be disappointed due to the cost. I was pleasantly surprised and would but it again.
Decanted for three hours before service - six hours might have been closer to the mark. In the glass, a pink meniscus yields quickly to a dark, purplish-black core. On the nose, an almost spicy burst of currants and blueberries (and I mean spicy in the heat sense, not the baking spice sense). On the palate, more currants and blueberries, along with stone fruit, and secondary notes of cocoa and mint, before the tannins take over and hold court through a long, enamel-staining finish. This wine has the goods, but it will take at least another 5-10 years before it begins to fully show them.
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2 hour decant. Beautiful aromatics with blackberry, currant, vanilla, anise and slight floral. rich and complex with layers of flavor showing blackberry, clack currant, vanilla, anise. Silky smooth tannins in a long finish. Could be at its peak, but should hold for some time.
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Double decanted for 2 hours, deep ruby, black cherries with a touch of vanilla & cinnamon, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, drink or hold. It was WOTN against some good competition.
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Magical wine! The first two days, it was a classic To-Kalon wine. Elegant, supple, solid core, but the mute nose. On the third day, the nose appeared. The most exciting thing was turning into a milk chocolate favor! Under the blue fruits, there was a hint of milk chocolate or hot cocoa, which was not pronounced in the first two days. Btw, the wine was still strong. It should be good for at least 10+ years.
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Brought this to Crabtree Kittle House in Chappaqua for my birthday. Decanted about 30 minutes. Some sweetness to start. A hint of tannins. Dark color. Full bodied. Really nice wine. I drank this with steak. It was gone within 90 minutes of opening. Glad I have other 2012's. Love a wine with some age on it. This was fun to drink. Drink now or you can hold for another 5 years.
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Comparison of two Schrader’s last night with dinner. 2012 GIII this T6. Much more reserved and lot of fruit. Tannins have really subsided. Finish was very long a typical of Schrader cabs. Lots of fruit in the mouth and was a better drinking wine than a food wine. Still had lots of life several hours after it was opened. Great wine experience.
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Simply astonishing after a 2 hr decant. No specific notes. No need to wait longer. Speechless! Went between 98-100 depending on the minute. Drank over 2 hrs.
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My first Schrader (other than Double Diamond). Couravin pour, air in glass for 2h. Amazing silky fruit Napa bomb but in this complex and seductive way. Second pour PnP and the tannins are so manageable and well integrated. This thing is a beauty now, why wait! TRB of course, my favorite Napa winemaker!
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Hyde n Chic, Naples: A really good hedonistic Napa cab. Sweet creamy red cherry fruit with excellent depth of flavors and nice balance. A joy to drink. Years of fun ahead, glad I have more.
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100% cab aged 20 months in rare Darnajou French oak barrels. 14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for only about 30 minutes and drank over 2.5 hours. Consistent with my prior note, unbelievably pure, rich fruit. Full bodied and concentrated. Perfectly balanced acidity. Dark berry notes. No cedar or licorice notes. Ready to drink now if you want. Remains among the best Schraders I've had.
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This is a note for a late January tasting. Unbelievably pure, ripe fruit. Ready to drink now if you want. Tiers of flavor with a long finish. The 2011 T6 was disappointing but this is great.
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Well I guess I am not toeing the party line here in that I did not get this one. Only word I could think of during 2-3 glasses was monolithic. Was disappointing in that, while I knew this was going to be big (and was once a fan of these), it just did not have anything to say other than 'look how decadent I am'. Reminded me, when watching the newest episode of Grand Tour of the Hennessey Exorcist Camaro - 1000HP (so wow, that is decadent!), but just try turning the thing (no grace).
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Decanted over cocktails and served. Pure, dark fruit, very simple flavor profile with the single clone 6 including baker's chocolate and cassis. Medium-plus finish. Very enjoyable.
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With a few years on it, it’s much better than the first bottle. Amazing purity, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, boysenberry, incredible cassis and currant flavors through out, cinnamon, clove, licorice, vanilla and perfect balance. This is a classic Napa Cab and drinking well as a PnP. It should last another 10 years easy, but it’s just so damn good right now.
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Schrader silky smooth. Smells like dark fruit, but tastes like bright fruit. No tannins. No mid-palette either. Decant it or not - it does not move much for the first hour. In fact, try putting a paper bag over it - here is a bet it will still taste great.
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Supple and complete. Nose with dark current/berries with notes of dark/bitter chocolate, leather and hint of cedar. Silky on the palate with a long caressing finish. Stunner.
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Seamless, with delicious red and purple flavors that are silky on the palate. For all of the fruit, the wine is perfectly balanced and not at all heavy.
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PnP with initially tart red and purple berry notes and alcohol on the back end. An hour in the decanter yielded ripe and fruity core flavors with plum, red and black licorice, and some vanilla. There was a brief moment where a nice dark chocolate chunk note appeared, but it dissipated fairly quickly.
Overall, I found this wine to be "good." It is crafted well and the purity of fruit seems noteworthy. However, I did find it a bit one note. "Fruity" was the word that kept popppng up, which isn't automatically a deal breaker, but when your talking about a $200+ bottle of wine, it's not what I'm necessarily looking for in a would-be upper echelon Napa Cabernet. This didn't change much over time, maintaining a purple and red fruit profile that lacked dimension.
I drank it. I enjoyed it. It was fine. But it was a 5 out of 10 in the excitement/interest category; I was unfortunately left a little apathetic about this wine in the end.
94-95 points. Needed more complexity overall to compete with other wines in its bracket. Drink now and over the next few years. Not sure time will do much for this wine. I'll hold my remaining bottle for another year or two just to see what happens.
Unbelievable wine! One hour decant. Very lush and fruity. I got alot of vanilla perfume. Heavy body but smooth as silk. Definitely an all time favorite. Cant wait to try more from schrader.
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2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): For those who enjoy a refined version of a "fruit bomb," this opaque crimson, massively-extracted, 100% Cabernet (aged for 20 months in new French oak) is just what the doctor ordered. Black currants, blackberries, dark plum, vanilla and pickling spice reside in a full-bodied, round, seamlessly alcoholic frame. This wine has perhaps the most impressive mid-palate presense of any that I have tasted, and the oak is fully integrated. Long, smooth and fruit-laden on the finish, this is classic-quality Cabernet from the Golden State. It is already drinkable and should be hedonistic for at least another 15 years. Drink now-2030.
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Beautiful fully ripe, and not raisined at all, on both the nose and the palate. If Caymus is pink cotton candy, this is blue. Like walking through a candy factory. Incredibly easy to drink, at first blush this wine comes off as a simple but flawless wine that invites gulping. As the mid palate and finish take hold you see the layers of complexity. This wine is amazingly focused wine before you consider the size of the fruit on the nose and palate. I see no reason to wait, other than to compare how it changes over time. What a wine! PDQ95+
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3/23/2024 - pjhr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Layers of delicious dark ripe cherry, blackberry, and currant with oaky notes on the nose and silky rich palate. Culminates in a long finish with well resolved tannins.
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1/28/2024 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with past notes. Still going strong
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7/28/2023 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bought off the secondary market a few months back. Opened on a whim, first glasses were PnP and decanted and enjoyed over a few hours. I could smell the aromatics from across the room when I poured this into the decanted. Hardly any sediment - definitely a well stored perfect provenance bottle. One of the best wines I've had all year. I could not believe this was 11 years old. My first Schrader and hopefully not my last!
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4/15/2023 - gharter Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP, not as good as the last few bottles. Beautiful aromatics with blackberry, currant, vanilla, anise and slight floral. Rich and complex with blackberry, black currant, vanilla, anise. Silky smooth tannins in a long finish. Appears to be at its peak or starting to decline. Drink up.
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3/18/2023 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious, very smooth and soft, black cherry fruit with sweetness, cassis flavors mellowed out, excellent structure, ample age, tannins much less, ample finish
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3/2/2023 - Phidelt418 Likes this wine: 96 Points
I am a younger new-to-the-wine game consumer. I found this bottle to be excellent really. I couldn’t imagine drinking this young. It’s perfectly balanced with very little heat despite the higher alcohol content. It takes like a 10-year-old Borduex, but with tons of fruit and sass. To me, it’s exactly what a perfect 10-year-old Napa cab should be. I really enjoyed it. To be honest I was expected to be disappointed due to the cost. I was pleasantly surprised and would but it again.
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2/25/2023 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
Way over the top for me. Heavy dark fruits and nothing else.
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1/25/2023 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consostent with past notes
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11/27/2022 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with past notes
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10/12/2022 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with past notes
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10/10/2022 - Some49Dude Likes this wine:
Super well balanced, especially after 10 years. Light tannin and still fruity. Not surprising given the To Kalon provenance . Worth the money!
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10/9/2022 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for three hours before service - six hours might have been closer to the mark. In the glass, a pink meniscus yields quickly to a dark, purplish-black core. On the nose, an almost spicy burst of currants and blueberries (and I mean spicy in the heat sense, not the baking spice sense). On the palate, more currants and blueberries, along with stone fruit, and secondary notes of cocoa and mint, before the tannins take over and hold court through a long, enamel-staining finish. This wine has the goods, but it will take at least another 5-10 years before it begins to fully show them.
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5/30/2022 - gharter Likes this wine: 95 Points
2 hour decant. Beautiful aromatics with blackberry, currant, vanilla, anise and slight floral. rich and complex with layers of flavor showing blackberry, clack currant, vanilla, anise. Silky smooth tannins in a long finish. Could be at its peak, but should hold for some time.
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4/16/2022 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Double decanted for 2 hours, deep ruby, black cherries with a touch of vanilla & cinnamon, med. tannins, long finish; outstanding, drink or hold. It was WOTN against some good competition.
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4/16/2022 - RyanWu Likes this wine: 96 Points
Magical wine! The first two days, it was a classic To-Kalon wine. Elegant, supple, solid core, but the mute nose. On the third day, the nose appeared. The most exciting thing was turning into a milk chocolate favor! Under the blue fruits, there was a hint of milk chocolate or hot cocoa, which was not pronounced in the first two days. Btw, the wine was still strong. It should be good for at least 10+ years.
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3/29/2022 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 96 Points
Black fruit, cedar, pepper, leather, chocolate and layered complexity. A
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3/6/2022 - dhammer53 wrote: 97 Points
Brought this to Crabtree Kittle House in Chappaqua for my birthday. Decanted about 30 minutes. Some sweetness to start. A hint of tannins. Dark color. Full bodied. Really nice wine. I drank this with steak. It was gone within 90 minutes of opening. Glad I have other 2012's. Love a wine with some age on it. This was fun to drink. Drink now or you can hold for another 5 years.
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6/5/2021 - Bcw1989 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Comparison of two Schrader’s last night with dinner. 2012 GIII this T6. Much more reserved and lot of fruit. Tannins have really subsided. Finish was very long a typical of Schrader cabs. Lots of fruit in the mouth and was a better drinking wine than a food wine. Still had lots of life several hours after it was opened. Great wine experience.
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1/7/2021 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 99 Points
Simply astonishing after a 2 hr decant. No specific notes. No need to wait longer. Speechless! Went between 98-100 depending on the minute. Drank over 2 hrs.
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5/7/2020 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 97 Points
My first Schrader (other than Double Diamond). Couravin pour, air in glass for 2h. Amazing silky fruit Napa bomb but in this complex and seductive way. Second pour PnP and the tannins are so manageable and well integrated. This thing is a beauty now, why wait! TRB of course, my favorite Napa winemaker!
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12/15/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hyde n Chic, Naples: A really good hedonistic Napa cab. Sweet creamy red cherry fruit with excellent depth of flavors and nice balance. A joy to drink. Years of fun ahead, glad I have more.
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7/26/2019 - Artbreadman wrote: 96 Points
Superb juice. Not as good as the amazing ‘06 I had the pleasure of trying but what is!
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4/13/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 97 Points
100% cab aged 20 months in rare Darnajou French oak barrels. 14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for only about 30 minutes and drank over 2.5 hours. Consistent with my prior note, unbelievably pure, rich fruit. Full bodied and concentrated. Perfectly balanced acidity. Dark berry notes. No cedar or licorice notes. Ready to drink now if you want. Remains among the best Schraders I've had.
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3/9/2019 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is a note for a late January tasting. Unbelievably pure, ripe fruit.
Ready to drink now if you want. Tiers of flavor with a long finish. The 2011 T6 was disappointing but this is great.
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1/18/2019 - cadamson wrote:
Well I guess I am not toeing the party line here in that I did not get this one. Only word I could think of during 2-3 glasses was monolithic. Was disappointing in that, while I knew this was going to be big (and was once a fan of these), it just did not have anything to say other than 'look how decadent I am'. Reminded me, when watching the newest episode of Grand Tour of the Hennessey Exorcist Camaro - 1000HP (so wow, that is decadent!), but just try turning the thing (no grace).
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1/12/2019 - Acohen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pure decadence with dark sweet currant, chocolate and a lingering finish
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9/5/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted over cocktails and served. Pure, dark fruit, very simple flavor profile with the single clone 6 including baker's chocolate and cassis. Medium-plus finish. Very enjoyable.
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8/19/2018 - pakabear Likes this wine: 98 Points
With a few years on it, it’s much better than the first bottle. Amazing purity, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, boysenberry, incredible cassis and currant flavors through out, cinnamon, clove, licorice, vanilla and perfect balance. This is a classic Napa Cab and drinking well as a PnP. It should last another 10 years easy, but it’s just so damn good right now.
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3/23/2018 - SAS54 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Schrader silky smooth. Smells like dark fruit, but tastes like bright fruit. No tannins. No mid-palette either. Decant it or not - it does not move much for the first hour. In fact, try putting a paper bag over it - here is a bet it will still taste great.
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1/1/2018 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 98 Points
Supple and complete. Nose with dark current/berries with notes of dark/bitter chocolate, leather and hint of cedar. Silky on the palate with a long caressing finish. Stunner.
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11/11/2017 - beau11 wrote: 99 Points
Seamless, with delicious red and purple flavors that are silky on the palate. For all of the fruit, the wine is perfectly balanced and not at all heavy.
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7/4/2017 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
PnP with initially tart red and purple berry notes and alcohol on the back end. An hour in the decanter yielded ripe and fruity core flavors with plum, red and black licorice, and some vanilla. There was a brief moment where a nice dark chocolate chunk note appeared, but it dissipated fairly quickly.
Overall, I found this wine to be "good." It is crafted well and the purity of fruit seems noteworthy. However, I did find it a bit one note. "Fruity" was the word that kept popppng up, which isn't automatically a deal breaker, but when your talking about a $200+ bottle of wine, it's not what I'm necessarily looking for in a would-be upper echelon Napa Cabernet. This didn't change much over time, maintaining a purple and red fruit profile that lacked dimension.
I drank it. I enjoyed it. It was fine. But it was a 5 out of 10 in the excitement/interest category; I was unfortunately left a little apathetic about this wine in the end.
94-95 points. Needed more complexity overall to compete with other wines in its bracket. Drink now and over the next few years. Not sure time will do much for this wine. I'll hold my remaining bottle for another year or two just to see what happens.
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5/10/2017 - Wchatika Likes this wine: 98 Points
Unbelievable wine! One hour decant. Very lush and fruity. I got alot of vanilla perfume. Heavy body but smooth as silk. Definitely an all time favorite. Cant wait to try more from schrader.
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10/29/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black fruit licorice plum and asphalt, great extraction just not as complex as I expected for the price. Still an amazing wine.
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9/12/2016 - pdemaio wrote: 96 Points
Exceptionally lush, yet focused. Amazing fruit. Wonderful body, visceral and alive.
PDQ95+
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4/11/2016 - pdemaio wrote: 96 Points
A great wine. Huge fruit, with terrific backbone, long finish and great balance. Hedonistic and generous.
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11/27/2015 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 98 Points
- Brick color.
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11/23/2015 - Grant_gib wrote: 96 Points
My annual Half price birthday wine this year. Well balanced, superb mouth feel with a super long finish. Black cherry and tar with a silky exterior.
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10/23/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 96 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): For those who enjoy a refined version of a "fruit bomb," this opaque crimson, massively-extracted, 100% Cabernet (aged for 20 months in new French oak) is just what the doctor ordered. Black currants, blackberries, dark plum, vanilla and pickling spice reside in a full-bodied, round, seamlessly alcoholic frame. This wine has perhaps the most impressive mid-palate presense of any that I have tasted, and the oak is fully integrated. Long, smooth and fruit-laden on the finish, this is classic-quality Cabernet from the Golden State. It is already drinkable and should be hedonistic for at least another 15 years. Drink now-2030.
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12/31/2014 - douggator wrote: 96 Points
A wonderful cab, big & rich in a CA style while being well balanced.
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11/4/2014 - pdemaio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful fully ripe, and not raisined at all, on both the nose and the palate. If Caymus is pink cotton candy, this is blue. Like walking through a candy factory. Incredibly easy to drink, at first blush this wine comes off as a simple but flawless wine that invites gulping. As the mid palate and finish take hold you see the layers of complexity. This wine is amazingly focused wine before you consider the size of the fruit on the nose and palate. I see no reason to wait, other than to compare how it changes over time. What a wine!
PDQ95+
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