Drank with simple NY strips. Very dark in color. Cork was only stained on the bottom. I decanted off the sediment as there was a fair amount. The nose was fabulous. Blueberry, blackberry, and black cherry along with camphor and eucalyptus notes; some dried violet and a touch of tobacco and damp earth. The palate was still quite intense. The balance was excellent though. Tannins are present, but not really standing in the way of anything. Long and lovely. A killer bottle of this; has years ahead of this in good storage.
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Celebration for Celine at Tenuta/P90: My contribution. Guesses ranged from Pavie to Oz Shiraz, but thought the best guess was Sassicaia based on the sweetness and plummy notes. Showed quite differently from my previous bottle which felt like it didn’t give everything that it had. More expressive and absolutely imperious with air. Deep, dense cherry fruit but with the restraint of an old Napa Cab. With air the Martha’s Vineyard signature of camphor and eucalyptus emerged. Still very fresh and most guessed 10 years younger, glad to have shared the beauty of a Napa Cab with some age.
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Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): Tasted double blind. There is definitely Cabernet in this wine, but from where? It is tannic, but sweet with a tangy ting on the finish. I thought maybe Solaia? But of course, someone brought a knife to a gun fight. Cali Cab. Wow!
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Fantastic new-worlds: My contribution - showed better than the 1991 I brought a couple of months ago. Had a similar restraint and the mint, eucalyptus notes to the last time. Evident power beneath the elegance, this was another beautifully balanced, delicate wine.
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Ready to go in about 20-30 mins. Still has a nice fruit forward taste with pine notes like some other mentioned. Didn’t get much mint but little acid. Paired really well with lamb.
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Second Sunday Group: 1999 Napa cabernets (Our house): Blind. Notes of chocolate, black fruit, evergreen/pine, and eucalyptus. Red fruit on the palate. Softened tannins; terrific weight and texture on the palate. Red fruit carries through the lingering finish.
My #2, Domino's #3 Group #4, 43 pts
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This was terrific now, but certainly could last a long time. Opened 2 hrs before drinking but not decanted (which was a mistake). Tar, mint, eucalyptus - it really has it all with wonderful balance.
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This was a pretty youthful bottle. Never would have guessed it was 20 years old. Blackberries, red cherries, herbs, camphor, earth, smoke, a little graphite, and maybe a touch of eucalyptus (though it was probably the power of suggestion). Tart cherry, blackberry, cranberry, earth, herbs, licorice, minerals, and a hint of aged oak on the palate. Bright acidity, lightly grippy tannins, medium-long finish. Such nice balance. Great with dinner. Wife thought this was the best cab she's had in a long time. Based on this bottle, there's still a long life ahead.
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Drinking beautifully right now. Fruit still very present with bay leaves and eucalyptus noticeable. I think it may have some more time left but sure seem to be drinking in it’s prime right now.
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Incredible vintage of Marthas. This was in an almost perfect spot, dont get me wrong it can go WAY longer, but man was it perfect right now. Blackberry, sage, blackberry, black licorice, smoked wood. Phenomenal.
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This bottle had dependable provenance and it was in a great spot. Some tertiary development on the nose with some bramble and earth. The palate was smooth and silky with resolved tannins. Lifted and bright, great clarity. Intense, tart red fruit and some fresh blood. Just a hint of eucalyptus.
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I can't imagine drinking this wine at a better stage in its development. Definitely has retained its "old school" bona fides both in terms of quality and style. Though you'd be wrong to call it "green," it has that eucalyptus-y herbaceous character in spades that harkens back to better days and is unmistakably Martha's. The acid is firm and carries with it a nice mix of fairly youthful berry and currant flavors, while the tannins speak softly but carry a big stick. It is certainly a food wine and I dare say that what was on our plate was ideal - roasted beef tenderloin, sauteed mushrooms with a splash of Madeira, Sancerre-marinated asparagus, and potatoes mashed by an Irishman. Merry Christmas indeed.
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On the first night this wine, with 3h of aeration, performed much the same as in my previous notes. Pumped down the remaining half bottle. On day two this is a completely different wine! Mineral, oak, graphite and much more intense red and black fruit emerged. Still somewhat lacking in complexity on the nose, but it was a star on the palate. So I'm not sure what this means for the long haul. Since some delicious goodness still appears to be locked inside my last remaining bottle, maybe I should wait a while before opening it. Will see.
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The cork needed some effort to extract with an ah-so. Decanted for 6h+ and sampled continuously throughout. One could tell this was good from the beginning, what a relief after a subpar bottle from this vintage last week. Now this bottle is something else entirely, very smooth spices, succulent red cherries, oak on the nose and palate. Not much intensity or gravitas however. Definitely on the light to medium-bodied side of the spectrum. Mature, starting to fade but not yet faded. Although the bottle was past peak, it was still a pleasure. Tastes great with garlic kielbasa.
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Opened with an ah-so and decanted for 2h. Disjointed and camphoric at first (who really likes moth ball wine?) this did improve steadily over the two hours until it was as ready as it was going to be. Even with 2h in a decanter, the fruit elements in this particular bottle were eroded to the point that oak and acid in the finish tended to dominate. Which is OK but not great with dinner (chinese food btw), but without food this does not qualify as a sipping wine. After four hours, the fruit was completely gone and the wine (in my opinion) really not worth drinking. Overall, pretty disappointing compared with my previous bottle from 10 months ago, and I still have a few more in my collection that I now dread opening. My score is based on the 2-4h window after decanting when the wine was showing its best.
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One of these bottles came out to play tonight, and I dare say it gave a Kapcsandy 2003 and a Favia 2009 Cerro Sur a run for its money. Between this wine and the Favia, I'm not sure which one I really liked more. I think they were both WOTN for different reasons. This wine started out with a funk that was a little bit strange right out of the bottle. A little hay and mushroom that had to die off. For the first 30 minutes, the wine was a little muted with regard to fruit. Lots of glycerine on the palate, but increased as it sat in the decanter. The wine eventually had a nice aged and completely ripe blackberry note that was ever present from front to finish. An herbaceous quality crept in and out throughout the entire experience, and finished rather bold for its age. Very impressed with this bottle. I have quite a bit more of the 2001 that I think I'm MORE impressed with, but this one certainly showed well.
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Decanted for 4 hours, and sampled throughout. At first a bit hot and closed, but with 1-2h it had reached a softer steady state. A faint nose, berries, sandalwood, spices. On the palate ample black fruit, blackberries, sandalwood, and an acid finish. Tannins are almost all gone. This is a full and mature cab, time to drink up.
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ORANGE BROWN ON THE EDGE. PLUMS, BLACK CURRANTS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND HERBAL NOTES. BORDEAUX LIKE, ELEGANT, WITH EARTHINESS AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH. NICE FOOD WINE
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From a 1.5L Magnum #300 after 2 hours decant. This is absolutely divine. It's what every Napa cab should be. Well balanced with flavors of rich cassis, black berries, plum, wet rock, eucalyptus, rose water, cigar box/ spanish cedar. Fine supple tannins and moderate sediment. Finish was 45-60+ seconds and only got better as the wine sat in the glass. This wine just screamed to me finesse and I wish I had more. Truly a memorable bottle. Just absolutely divine!
*Not my typical review layout because I was too wrapped up in the wine to take formal notes
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Enjoyed this wine this afternoon at Debbie and Brad's along with good company. This wine was actually poured alongside a 2010 Gargiulo 575 OVX for which the two are practically neighbors. This wine in its 16 year old youth had plenty of vigor, although I noticed certainly that this wine did not have secondary and tertiary plum and raisin characteristics on the finish that made it particularly welcome at the party. IMO this was the winner of the anthology of 7 wines poured. The wine had a nice dusty rose with cigar box, old leather, and tobacco on the front, with a smoky middle, slightly aged blackberry in the middle, and a smoked cedar and tannic finish that lingered 20-30 seconds and went up into the nostrils. A rather dark version presenting today which was fine by me! Even after 3 hours of bottle decanting, this one was still a bit astringent. Honestly this one didn't have any sediment in the bottle. Still a BABY. Good until 2040 eastily with good cellaring.
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Decanted with Venturi 1hr, nearly 15 years old, over 11 years in the bottle, close to 9 years in my personal (53 degrees) cellared all in the same exact place. Well with all that said this had a rich flowery plum nose, with loads of currants/cassis, plums, cherries, eucalyptus, vanilla, earth and a very smooth integrated finish. Based on this bottle no hurry to consume.
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Initially a little awkward, but really became quite balanced within an hour. Great quality, with a backbone of silky tannins still very present. This will drink great for another 5-10...
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Wines like Martha's Vineyard affirm my faith that California can make as silky and soft wines as those of Bordeaux. If you're looking for a California blockbuster of power and concentration, this isn't the wine for you. Instead this wine is very feminine with finesse and elegance.
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South Charlotte Wine Lovers - Pre and Post Millennium Tasting (Tom and Sue's Casa): No bricking or signs of age. Cork did break in half when opening - but wine was in tact. Mint and Cedar followed by blue and black fruits with a little caramel. Long legs. Maybe a little hot. Biggest tannins on any wine this night. Think could benefit from 5 more years in the cellar to improve a point or two. Classy wine.
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S&E Wine Society - Napa Night (Blind tasting with MOT Scoring) (Our home): Mint/Eucalyptus in the nose and a hint in the mouth too. A nice enticing nose. Lighter on the tannins 5/10 with a bias towards acidity on the palate - maybe a touch out of balance - but not young 'heat' given its age. Smooth with a moderate to short finish. Not as great as I was expecting it to be but a good wine. Not a classic fruit bomb Napa tannin cab.
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Last bottle of the case. So sad. Excellent wine. Eucalyptus nose. Still has some life left it. Fruit is slightly fading though from 1-2 yrs ago. Grap a steak and enjoy!
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We had a remarkable wine experience last night where a group of us drank 10 vintages of Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cab Sauv ('88-'92 and '96-'00). The drag is we accidentally deleted our tasting notes so have to work from memory:
'99 don't remember much about this vintage. Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate.
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Actually, I was a bit disappointed. Not the old school cab I was expected. Outstanding nevertheless, but not wholly different. Maybe I expected too much.
4 on the AF scale.
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drank this right after pnp'd the 2001 heitz martha's, this was better wine for sure, same in all respects but much more fruit (red fruit) to go with the mint and the herbs, same dusty tannins (maybe a little less) and had a touch more brightness / acidity to give it some grip... fantastic, drove home and bought some online, thank god someone still makes old school napa cab without all that OAK
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A bit more tight than the last bottle I opened. These could last for a few more years easily. Wonderful mint nose and herbal palate. As mentioned a bit tannic and needs some food. Overall a great bottle however.
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Brought to Vie by DTRF. Appearance still quite young. Nose and palate of cedar and tar with the tiniest hint of herbal. Still very astringent and in need of food.
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Brought to Ruth's Chris and decanted. Fantastic color with no signs of age. Terrific nose of cedar, mint leaf, and cassis. Smooth, rich wine with enough acidity and tannic bite to counter the buttery ribeye. It was missing the chocolate note this time around but still a classic Heitz Martha.
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Immediately after decanting, this was a simple wine. As in: Dark Cherry + drying tannins = wine. I thought 'Oh oh.' 45 minutes after decanting, I thought 'Well, hello darling.' Amazing and enticing aromas of dark cherry, mint/eucalyptus and black raspberry. This smells fabulous, this tastes fabulous. The dark cherry and black raspberry follow through onto the palate (as well as the mint), with a long, full finish. Tannins are still evident - leading me to think a bit more time wouldn't hurt - but, oh boy is it good today. I'm still thinking about this wine the next day. I wish I had another bottle!
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Deep. opaque ruby color. Wonderful nose of eucalyptus and cassis. This is a huge wine with high-glycerin and a thick texture and delicious cassis and black rasberry fruit. Finishes full but quite tannic with an incredibly strong eucalyptus note that is so characteristic of this great vineyard. This can be drunk tonight but the fruit and power of the wine is almost overwhelming and while it may need time to smooth out and develop further, it is bordering on overripeness and is a bit jammy which is uncharacteristic of this bottling. Not sure what to make of its future. 90?
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Dinner at State Road (MV). AH brought this vino (also had '05 Pisoni and '95 Lynch Bages). Best of evening. Have tasted very few Cali cabs post 1997, and no Heitz post replanted vineyards. Tannins shed, rich, smooth flavors. Nice nose too. In a great place to consume now.....
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From the moment I opened this bottle, I was excited. The nose was absolutely beautiful, displaying rich fruit forward aromas. The wine exhibited a dark garnet rim and the mouth feel was absolutely silk. The finish was just as impressive lasting what seemed like forever.
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Last Offline of the Decade (MLV's & JC's): Liked this much better than last time as the tannins seemed more resolved and the awkward entry was not there. It featured mostly red fruit with medium acidity. A nice CA cab in sort of Old Napa style meets higher extraction.
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Absolutely perfect Cab, drank at Lawry's in xintingde in Shanghai China. I bought this bottle in Hawaii upon release 8 years ago. it traveled the world but was fantastic with the Prime Rib of Lawry's. the Mint nose was 100% perfect, with good balance of fruit and tannins, can never want more from a great wine.
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A bit disappointing given the pedigree of the vineyard, the winery and the vintage. Quite tannic and young, with wonderful Oakville soil notes and dark fruit, but a bit disjointed at this stage. I hope this is going to come together, but this was my only bottle, and I'm not rushing out to buy another. The 1999 Bella Oaks is too brilliant at a third the price.
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I picked up a little bit of the mint thing, but the wine seemed a tad watery to me. I was, however, exhausted, and had eaten some spicy food, so it could be the taster.
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Opened and poured into a decanter for 6 hours. Paired with grilled ribeyes and t-bones. Very youthful wine. Loads of blackcurrant jam and blackberry fruit to go along with the mint and chocolate characteristics which a fellow taster described as a York peppermint patty. Still some rough edges with the tannins but it can definitely be drunk now. My guess is that another 5 years may do wonders. 92 points but with room for growth.
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Dinner at JC and MLV's House: Hard to believe it was 10 years old as the wine is still very dark and the fruit tastes like it was bottled yesterday. Very big and full bodied, with lots of tannins that still need to be resolved. Got a funky, sort of sour fruit flavor on the entry that I didn't like. This definitely needs more time as it was not drinking well right now. Someone at the table had a '74 Martha's a couple of years ago that was great and his hope was that this could blossom with more time, but no one was sure if that would happen given what we tasted tonight.
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After a two hour decant, a wonderfully unique mint leaf aroma emerged. Great fruit and flavor all the way through the finish. Full bodied & round in the mouth. This just screams to be paired with rack of lamb! This has the stuff to last at least another decade. A decadent wine to be sure. (93-95)
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I do not agree with Parker on this wine. The nose is medium bodied and open with scents of red and black cherries, blackberries and mint. The taste is not yet quite balanced with a little too much acid and loads of tannin making the wine somewhat austere like a St. Esteph from Bordeaux. In retrospect I should not have served it last evening because it will in my opinion become more open and opulent with more age.
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Still plenty of life. Took awhile to soften up. Decanting improved greatly. Nice finish, more sophisticated then the typical CA cab. More like a cab based Bordeaux then heavy CA cab.
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Minty black currants, leather, and cigar box on nose. Fruit is a little subtle on the palate with sweet black cherries and some spice. Tightly wound right now with gripping tannins. Probably needs some time to come together and round out.
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WOTN beating out the Nickel & Nickel Vogt Vineyard.
Totally a different profile than the other seven wines tasted this afternoon.
Deep purple in color. Brown hues near the rim showing slight age. Nose is totally GREEN! Slight hints of cherry, but I can't get over the sage, green pepper and mint! Leather too.
Medium body, low tannins. Moderate acidity with a higher level of alcohol. Extremely balanced. Wow, if only I could afford a bottle all for myself...
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EOTC Holiday "Bring Your Favorite" night (My place): I knew what this was, but it was excellent. My WOTN, although there were a number of others close on its heels. Again, a bit too lit to take real notes but I do recall it being classic cali cab with some real potential for aging.
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2005 Fall Vendors Sale (Tokyo American Club): After the obligatory cool mint note and some slightly alcohol-hot plum fruit, the nose goes tightly shut. Other than a bit more mint and some plum and berry fruit, it really doesn't reopen over the five or ten minutes in the glass. Texture is very, very dense with tannins making it extremely dry on entry and exit. There's good roundness and a nicely shifting array of fruit in the midpalate, which shows a fullness that should well outlast the tannin. Finish alternates between sweet oak and plum/ berry fruit. I'm not good at assessing big younger cabs, but this seems to have the stuff.
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3/28/2024 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Drank with simple NY strips. Very dark in color. Cork was only stained on the bottom. I decanted off the sediment as there was a fair amount. The nose was fabulous. Blueberry, blackberry, and black cherry along with camphor and eucalyptus notes; some dried violet and a touch of tobacco and damp earth. The palate was still quite intense. The balance was excellent though. Tannins are present, but not really standing in the way of anything. Long and lovely. A killer bottle of this; has years ahead of this in good storage.
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11/21/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 95 Points
Celebration for Celine at Tenuta/P90: My contribution. Guesses ranged from Pavie to Oz Shiraz, but thought the best guess was Sassicaia based on the sweetness and plummy notes. Showed quite differently from my previous bottle which felt like it didn’t give everything that it had. More expressive and absolutely imperious with air. Deep, dense cherry fruit but with the restraint of an old Napa Cab. With air the Martha’s Vineyard signature of camphor and eucalyptus emerged. Still very fresh and most guessed 10 years younger, glad to have shared the beauty of a Napa Cab with some age.
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11/19/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thanksgiving Mondo Dinner 2023 (Atlanta, GA): Tasted double blind. There is definitely Cabernet in this wine, but from where? It is tannic, but sweet with a tangy ting on the finish. I thought maybe Solaia? But of course, someone brought a knife to a gun fight. Cali Cab. Wow!
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7/29/2023 - astroman Does not like this wine: 92 Points
C & YM Birthday Dinner (Empire Chinese Cuisine): Blind. Left over from dinner 2 days ago. Mint, black tea, corn.
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7/27/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic new-worlds: My contribution - showed better than the 1991 I brought a couple of months ago. Had a similar restraint and the mint, eucalyptus notes to the last time. Evident power beneath the elegance, this was another beautifully balanced, delicate wine.
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5/31/2023 - Cltjkirk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to go in about 20-30 mins. Still has a nice fruit forward taste with pine notes like some other mentioned. Didn’t get much mint but little acid. Paired really well with lamb.
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8/6/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really drinking great now. Classic Martha’s profile, minty, acidic, rounded, just good juice w some nice age.
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11/27/2021 - nedblanders Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking great and still lots of time ahead. Typical Martha’s taste, tannins still strong and grippy that cling to your teeth. Great wine!!!!
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9/13/2021 - iamawineguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank this a few years ago (2017 or 2018) and it was fabulous! It was at its peak, so drink now.
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5/3/2020 - jtvanber wrote: 90 Points
cork bad wine still very strong and delicious
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11/10/2019 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: 1999 Napa cabernets (Our house): Blind. Notes of chocolate, black fruit, evergreen/pine, and eucalyptus. Red fruit on the palate. Softened tannins; terrific weight and texture on the palate. Red fruit carries through the lingering finish.
My #2, Domino's #3
Group #4, 43 pts
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8/25/2019 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Not up to past bottles of MV, with dry earthy dark fruit.
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4/15/2019 - LT98 wrote: 93 Points
This was terrific now, but certainly could last a long time. Opened 2 hrs before drinking but not decanted (which was a mistake). Tar, mint, eucalyptus - it really has it all with wonderful balance.
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2/16/2019 - rmh66 wrote: 92 Points
This was a pretty youthful bottle. Never would have guessed it was 20 years old. Blackberries, red cherries, herbs, camphor, earth, smoke, a little graphite, and maybe a touch of eucalyptus (though it was probably the power of suggestion). Tart cherry, blackberry, cranberry, earth, herbs, licorice, minerals, and a hint of aged oak on the palate. Bright acidity, lightly grippy tannins, medium-long finish. Such nice balance. Great with dinner. Wife thought this was the best cab she's had in a long time. Based on this bottle, there's still a long life ahead.
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2/16/2019 - lorenkreiss Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Fruit still very present with bay leaves and eucalyptus noticeable. I think it may have some more time left but sure seem to be drinking in it’s prime right now.
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1/20/2019 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine: 96 Points
Incredible vintage of Marthas. This was in an almost perfect spot, dont get me wrong it can go WAY longer, but man was it perfect right now. Blackberry, sage, blackberry, black licorice, smoked wood. Phenomenal.
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3/10/2018 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle had dependable provenance and it was in a great spot. Some tertiary development on the nose with some bramble and earth. The palate was smooth and silky with resolved tannins. Lifted and bright, great clarity. Intense, tart red fruit and some fresh blood. Just a hint of eucalyptus.
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12/25/2017 - judgepalmer wrote: 93 Points
I can't imagine drinking this wine at a better stage in its development. Definitely has retained its "old school" bona fides both in terms of quality and style. Though you'd be wrong to call it "green," it has that eucalyptus-y herbaceous character in spades that harkens back to better days and is unmistakably Martha's. The acid is firm and carries with it a nice mix of fairly youthful berry and currant flavors, while the tannins speak softly but carry a big stick. It is certainly a food wine and I dare say that what was on our plate was ideal - roasted beef tenderloin, sauteed mushrooms with a splash of Madeira, Sancerre-marinated asparagus, and potatoes mashed by an Irishman. Merry Christmas indeed.
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9/9/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
On the first night this wine, with 3h of aeration, performed much the same as in my previous notes. Pumped down the remaining half bottle. On day two this is a completely different wine! Mineral, oak, graphite and much more intense red and black fruit emerged. Still somewhat lacking in complexity on the nose, but it was a star on the palate. So I'm not sure what this means for the long haul. Since some delicious goodness still appears to be locked inside my last remaining bottle, maybe I should wait a while before opening it. Will see.
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9/1/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork needed some effort to extract with an ah-so. Decanted for 6h+ and sampled continuously throughout. One could tell this was good from the beginning, what a relief after a subpar bottle from this vintage last week. Now this bottle is something else entirely, very smooth spices, succulent red cherries, oak on the nose and palate. Not much intensity or gravitas however. Definitely on the light to medium-bodied side of the spectrum. Mature, starting to fade but not yet faded. Although the bottle was past peak, it was still a pleasure. Tastes great with garlic kielbasa.
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8/25/2017 - skurtz wrote: 88 Points
Opened with an ah-so and decanted for 2h. Disjointed and camphoric at first (who really likes moth ball wine?) this did improve steadily over the two hours until it was as ready as it was going to be. Even with 2h in a decanter, the fruit elements in this particular bottle were eroded to the point that oak and acid in the finish tended to dominate. Which is OK but not great with dinner (chinese food btw), but without food this does not qualify as a sipping wine. After four hours, the fruit was completely gone and the wine (in my opinion) really not worth drinking. Overall, pretty disappointing compared with my previous bottle from 10 months ago, and I still have a few more in my collection that I now dread opening. My score is based on the 2-4h window after decanting when the wine was showing its best.
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8/25/2017 - mflesh wrote:
One of these bottles came out to play tonight, and I dare say it gave a Kapcsandy 2003 and a Favia 2009 Cerro Sur a run for its money. Between this wine and the Favia, I'm not sure which one I really liked more. I think they were both WOTN for different reasons. This wine started out with a funk that was a little bit strange right out of the bottle. A little hay and mushroom that had to die off. For the first 30 minutes, the wine was a little muted with regard to fruit. Lots of glycerine on the palate, but increased as it sat in the decanter. The wine eventually had a nice aged and completely ripe blackberry note that was ever present from front to finish. An herbaceous quality crept in and out throughout the entire experience, and finished rather bold for its age. Very impressed with this bottle. I have quite a bit more of the 2001 that I think I'm MORE impressed with, but this one certainly showed well.
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4/21/2017 - Rktekt3 wrote: 87 Points
Over the hill.
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12/26/2016 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:
it was good, but the lagrange bdx was better, and 1/3 of the price - goes to show price is no indicator.
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10/8/2016 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours, and sampled throughout. At first a bit hot and closed, but with 1-2h it had reached a softer steady state. A faint nose, berries, sandalwood, spices. On the palate ample black fruit, blackberries, sandalwood, and an acid finish. Tannins are almost all gone. This is a full and mature cab, time to drink up.
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10/1/2016 - brubron wrote:
Darn. This bottle slipped past me in the cellar. It was past prime - weaker and thinner.
Good , for sure, but not the great wine it really is.
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1/9/2016 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
ORANGE BROWN ON THE EDGE. PLUMS, BLACK CURRANTS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND HERBAL NOTES. BORDEAUX LIKE, ELEGANT, WITH EARTHINESS AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH. NICE FOOD WINE
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6/14/2015 - ZachF88 Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a 1.5L Magnum #300 after 2 hours decant. This is absolutely divine. It's what every Napa cab should be. Well balanced with flavors of rich cassis, black berries, plum, wet rock, eucalyptus, rose water, cigar box/ spanish cedar. Fine supple tannins and moderate sediment. Finish was 45-60+ seconds and only got better as the wine sat in the glass. This wine just screamed to me finesse and I wish I had more. Truly a memorable bottle. Just absolutely divine!
*Not my typical review layout because I was too wrapped up in the wine to take formal notes
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3/29/2015 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed this wine this afternoon at Debbie and Brad's along with good company. This wine was actually poured alongside a 2010 Gargiulo 575 OVX for which the two are practically neighbors. This wine in its 16 year old youth had plenty of vigor, although I noticed certainly that this wine did not have secondary and tertiary plum and raisin characteristics on the finish that made it particularly welcome at the party. IMO this was the winner of the anthology of 7 wines poured. The wine had a nice dusty rose with cigar box, old leather, and tobacco on the front, with a smoky middle, slightly aged blackberry in the middle, and a smoked cedar and tannic finish that lingered 20-30 seconds and went up into the nostrils. A rather dark version presenting today which was fine by me! Even after 3 hours of bottle decanting, this one was still a bit astringent. Honestly this one didn't have any sediment in the bottle. Still a BABY. Good until 2040 eastily with good cellaring.
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8/9/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted with Venturi 1hr, nearly 15 years old, over 11 years in the bottle, close to 9 years in my personal (53 degrees) cellared all in the same exact place. Well with all that said this had a rich flowery plum nose, with loads of currants/cassis, plums, cherries, eucalyptus, vanilla, earth and a very smooth integrated finish. Based on this bottle no hurry to consume.
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6/13/2014 - crsprout wrote: 93 Points
Initially a little awkward, but really became quite balanced within an hour. Great quality, with a backbone of silky tannins still very present. This will drink great for another 5-10...
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4/6/2014 - vagabondtippler wrote: 93 Points
Very smooth on the front need with a bit of heat and spice to finish. Feels very luxurious on the mouth.
Seems to pair everything. Didn't get funky with anything we ate.
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3/31/2014 - rcurlee Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wines like Martha's Vineyard affirm my faith that California can make as silky and soft wines as those of Bordeaux. If you're looking for a California blockbuster of power and concentration, this isn't the wine for you. Instead this wine is very feminine with finesse and elegance.
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2/22/2014 - redwiner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking excellent now.
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10/19/2013 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 92 Points
South Charlotte Wine Lovers - Pre and Post Millennium Tasting (Tom and Sue's Casa): No bricking or signs of age. Cork did break in half when opening - but wine was in tact. Mint and Cedar followed by blue and black fruits with a little caramel. Long legs. Maybe a little hot. Biggest tannins on any wine this night. Think could benefit from 5 more years in the cellar to improve a point or two. Classy wine.
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9/20/2013 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
S&E Wine Society - Napa Night (Blind tasting with MOT Scoring) (Our home): Mint/Eucalyptus in the nose and a hint in the mouth too. A nice enticing nose. Lighter on the tannins 5/10 with a bias towards acidity on the palate - maybe a touch out of balance - but not young 'heat' given its age. Smooth with a moderate to short finish. Not as great as I was expecting it to be but a good wine. Not a classic fruit bomb Napa tannin cab.
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8/19/2013 - Food Daddy wrote: 93 Points
Last bottle of the case. So sad. Excellent wine. Eucalyptus nose. Still has some life left it. Fruit is slightly fading though from 1-2 yrs ago. Grap a steak and enjoy!
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5/10/2013 - redwiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took 3 hours to open before it really showed much. Then all was good.
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2/23/2013 - Ornumsi wrote: 92 Points
We had a remarkable wine experience last night where a group of us drank 10 vintages of Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cab Sauv ('88-'92 and '96-'00). The drag is we accidentally deleted our tasting notes so have to work from memory:
'99 don't remember much about this vintage. Has several years left in the bottle. Good dark garnet color. Dark berries, green pepper and mint/eucalyptus palate.
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1/25/2013 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 91 Points
Actually, I was a bit disappointed. Not the old school cab I was expected. Outstanding nevertheless, but not wholly different. Maybe I expected too much.
4 on the AF scale.
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11/2/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes. Signature Eucalyptus note. Gravel also. Excellent!
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8/23/2012 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
drank this right after pnp'd the 2001 heitz martha's, this was better wine for sure, same in all respects but much more fruit (red fruit) to go with the mint and the herbs, same dusty tannins (maybe a little less) and had a touch more brightness / acidity to give it some grip... fantastic, drove home and bought some online, thank god someone still makes old school napa cab without all that OAK
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5/23/2012 - DanTheRhoneFan wrote: 93 Points
A bit more tight than the last bottle I opened. These could last for a few more years easily. Wonderful mint nose and herbal palate. As mentioned a bit tannic and needs some food. Overall a great bottle however.
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5/15/2012 - thelostverse wrote: 92 Points
Brought to Vie by DTRF. Appearance still quite young. Nose and palate of cedar and tar with the tiniest hint of herbal. Still very astringent and in need of food.
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3/4/2012 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
Brought to Ruth's Chris and decanted. Fantastic color with no signs of age. Terrific nose of cedar, mint leaf, and cassis. Smooth, rich wine with enough acidity and tannic bite to counter the buttery ribeye. It was missing the chocolate note this time around but still a classic Heitz Martha.
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3/3/2012 - lee.reiswig wrote: 95 Points
Can't imagine it gets any better than this.
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2/13/2012 - cookiefiend wrote: 94 Points
Immediately after decanting, this was a simple wine. As in: Dark Cherry + drying tannins = wine. I thought 'Oh oh.'
45 minutes after decanting, I thought 'Well, hello darling.' Amazing and enticing aromas of dark cherry, mint/eucalyptus and black raspberry. This smells fabulous, this tastes fabulous. The dark cherry and black raspberry follow through onto the palate (as well as the mint), with a long, full finish. Tannins are still evident - leading me to think a bit more time wouldn't hurt - but, oh boy is it good today.
I'm still thinking about this wine the next day. I wish I had another bottle!
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12/10/2011 - AGenochio wrote: 92 Points
drinking well but took a lot of time to open up. will hold up well for years to come.
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10/23/2011 - dream wrote: 90 Points
Deep. opaque ruby color. Wonderful nose of eucalyptus and cassis. This is a huge wine with high-glycerin and a thick texture and delicious cassis and black rasberry fruit. Finishes full but quite tannic with an incredibly strong eucalyptus note that is so characteristic of this great vineyard. This can be drunk tonight but the fruit and power of the wine is almost overwhelming and while it may need time to smooth out and develop further, it is bordering on overripeness and is a bit jammy which is uncharacteristic of this bottling. Not sure what to make of its future. 90?
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12/11/2010 - bobbubbabs wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at State Road (MV). AH brought this vino (also had '05 Pisoni and '95 Lynch Bages). Best of evening. Have tasted very few Cali cabs post 1997, and no Heitz post replanted vineyards. Tannins shed, rich, smooth flavors. Nice nose too. In a great place to consume now.....
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9/9/2010 - mikep0311 wrote: 95 Points
From the moment I opened this bottle, I was excited. The nose was absolutely beautiful, displaying rich fruit forward aromas. The wine exhibited a dark garnet rim and the mouth feel was absolutely silk. The finish was just as impressive lasting what seemed like forever.
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12/29/2009 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Last Offline of the Decade (MLV's & JC's): Liked this much better than last time as the tannins seemed more resolved and the awkward entry was not there. It featured mostly red fruit with medium acidity. A nice CA cab in sort of Old Napa style meets higher extraction.
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11/25/2009 - helicopterbob wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely perfect Cab, drank at Lawry's in xintingde in Shanghai China. I bought this bottle in Hawaii upon release 8 years ago. it traveled the world but was fantastic with the Prime Rib of Lawry's. the Mint nose was 100% perfect, with good balance of fruit and tannins, can never want more from a great wine.
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11/16/2009 - herberto wrote: 87 Points
A bit disappointing given the pedigree of the vineyard, the winery and the vintage. Quite tannic and young, with wonderful Oakville soil notes and dark fruit, but a bit disjointed at this stage. I hope this is going to come together, but this was my only bottle, and I'm not rushing out to buy another. The 1999 Bella Oaks is too brilliant at a third the price.
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11/11/2009 - dst wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple, inky and earthy.
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10/17/2009 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
I picked up a little bit of the mint thing, but the wine seemed a tad watery to me. I was, however, exhausted, and had eaten some spicy food, so it could be the taster.
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9/27/2009 - mccartykj wrote: 94 Points
Definitely can smell and taste the mint
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7/24/2009 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 92 Points
Opened and poured into a decanter for 6 hours. Paired with grilled ribeyes and t-bones. Very youthful wine. Loads of blackcurrant jam and blackberry fruit to go along with the mint and chocolate characteristics which a fellow taster described as a York peppermint patty. Still some rough edges with the tannins but it can definitely be drunk now. My guess is that another 5 years may do wonders. 92 points but with room for growth.
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5/12/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Heitz Martha's Vineyard vertical 1970 to 1999 (IOD, London): Blackcurrant jam nose, touch of mint, very thick and chocolatey, but with decent freshness, this developed a very attractive smokiness
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2/7/2009 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Dinner at JC and MLV's House: Hard to believe it was 10 years old as the wine is still very dark and the fruit tastes like it was bottled yesterday. Very big and full bodied, with lots of tannins that still need to be resolved. Got a funky, sort of sour fruit flavor on the entry that I didn't like. This definitely needs more time as it was not drinking well right now. Someone at the table had a '74 Martha's a couple of years ago that was great and his hope was that this could blossom with more time, but no one was sure if that would happen given what we tasted tonight.
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10/13/2008 - Hollowleg wrote: 93 Points
After a two hour decant, a wonderfully unique mint leaf aroma emerged. Great fruit and flavor all the way through the finish.
Full bodied & round in the mouth.
This just screams to be paired with rack of lamb!
This has the stuff to last at least another decade.
A decadent wine to be sure. (93-95)
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8/19/2008 - johnwine wrote: 90 Points
I do not agree with Parker on this wine. The nose is medium bodied and open with scents of red and black cherries, blackberries and mint. The taste is not yet quite balanced with a little too much acid and loads of tannin making the wine somewhat austere like a St. Esteph from Bordeaux. In retrospect I should not have served it last evening because it will in my opinion become more open and opulent with more age.
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7/20/2008 - unrelenting wrote: 92 Points
had a week ago. Decent cab, paired well with steak but not much complexity. Definetly not work $110.
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11/2/2007 - mellison wrote: 91 Points
Still plenty of life. Took awhile to soften up. Decanting improved greatly. Nice finish, more sophisticated then the typical CA cab. More like a cab based Bordeaux then heavy CA cab.
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7/12/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 90 Points
Minty black currants, leather, and cigar box on nose. Fruit is a little subtle on the palate with sweet black cherries and some spice. Tightly wound right now with gripping tannins. Probably needs some time to come together and round out.
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6/19/2007 - chrisraub wrote: 87 Points
Very alcoholic. Big bite. A decent cab, but didn’t love it for the money
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1/22/2007 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
California Cabernet Master Seminar/Lecture by Serafin Alvarado (Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago): Napa Cab Lecture - Sefarin Alvarado
Best Napa Cab I've tasted to date.
WOTN beating out the Nickel & Nickel Vogt Vineyard.
Totally a different profile than the other seven wines tasted this afternoon.
Deep purple in color. Brown hues near the rim showing slight age.
Nose is totally GREEN!
Slight hints of cherry, but I can't get over the sage, green pepper and mint!
Leather too.
Medium body, low tannins.
Moderate acidity with a higher level of alcohol.
Extremely balanced.
Wow, if only I could afford a bottle all for myself...
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12/31/2006 - WineForRob wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Strong minty nose followed by dark fruit flavors. Very fruit driven finish with smooth tannins and good length.
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11/18/2006 - WVWine wrote: 88 Points
Very herby. Hard to believe how far this wine has fallen.
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12/3/2005 - trankin wrote: 93 Points
EOTC Holiday "Bring Your Favorite" night (My place): I knew what this was, but it was excellent. My WOTN, although there were a number of others close on its heels. Again, a bit too lit to take real notes but I do recall it being classic cali cab with some real potential for aging.
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9/30/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
2005 Fall Vendors Sale (Tokyo American Club): After the obligatory cool mint note and some slightly alcohol-hot plum fruit, the nose goes tightly shut. Other than a bit more mint and some plum and berry fruit, it really doesn't reopen over the five or ten minutes in the glass. Texture is very, very dense with tannins making it extremely dry on entry and exit. There's good roundness and a nicely shifting array of fruit in the midpalate, which shows a fullness that should well outlast the tannin. Finish alternates between sweet oak and plum/ berry fruit. I'm not good at assessing big younger cabs, but this seems to have the stuff.
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11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple color. Forward aroma of black fruit and licorice. Wild flavors of black fruit and mint. Nicely balanced . Long finish. Nice. 11/04
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