Decanted for 4 hours and this was smashing. perfect provenance and it showed. Tobacco, dark fruits, and a bit of leather. Still a bit tannic, this has years on it left, but not sure it will get much better. Classic Cali Cab and this wine went toe to toe with a 1998 VCC which was a smokeshow as well.
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This was absolutely fantastic. I bought a couple of pristine bottles at auction for a low price. This wine tastes like it is in its prime. Great nose of some fruit, leather and earth. Very subtle. The palate is a mix of red and black fruit that doesn’t taste old at all. Not many tertiary notes. The fruit is still here and very fresh. This was tremendous for a 25 year old Napa. Love it.
Rich dark fruit and spices on the nose. A hint of green pepper, plenty of rich cassis, cinnamon, tobacco. Smooth and full bodied, with a long structured finish.
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Smooth with a velvet texture .Classic Cab flavours. No degradation of the wine to the last drop. This is as someone else described ...a four square wine. Length is moderate and complexity of flavours is moderate but it is a pleasurable easy drinking Cab . This has an enticing lingering sweetness that grabs your attention and leaves you wanting more! The14.5% alcohol has melded well with the tannins and fruit and is not noticeable. A testimony to Mondavi,s wine making ability
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this was really nice, no notes but classic old RM Reserve (ie a little four square, but DELICIOUS)... felt like this could go 10 - 15 years more no problem (at least this btl)
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Splash decanted followed over the night. Classic aged Napa cab, blackcurrant and cassis, earthy notes and a bit of dark chocolate on the finish. Fully integrated tannins, medium acidity. Peak classic Napa cab.
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A perfectly matured CS from Napa from a renowned producer. A friend called it right bank Bordeaux, it really didn‘t scream NW. Very classic style, lovely balance and not much influence by the winemaker, just fantastic.
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Aerated and decanted x2 hrs. This bottle has precipitated some sediment, straining is recommended. In the glass this wine presents as a bright garnett, just beginning to edge towards brick. On the nose, red and black fruit. On the palate, plums, ripe strawberries, vanilla, and dark cherries burst forth, followed by more subtle notes of cigar box and crushed flowers. Mouthfeel is luscious, full and syrupy. Fine tannins and balanced acidity are exquisitely integrated, with a long fruit forward finish. Overall impression: this wine is extremely well integrated and is drinking beautifully right now. A delicious example of the 1999 vintage, and surprisingly lush and fruit forward for a cooler vintage of this age . I feel this wine will continue to evolve well for at least another five years, perhaps longer. 93+ pts.
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Dark fruit, plum, and surprisingly strawberry with leather and tobacco. Very nice mouth feel with soft tannins. Nice long finish. Overall elegant but drink now....
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really lovely, was a bit closed when first decanted but opened up slowly but surely over the 2.5 hours we drank it... last sip was the best... kinda wondering if it would get a higher rating if we decanted at noon for dinner drinking... anyway, red to purple fruit, very nice acidity / lift, somewhat simple and without any sense of heaviness or wood... my kinda wine - elegant
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Compared to 2 years ago when I had this last, there's been a lot of oxidation here. The notes seem a little more barbecued and vegetal. A little smoky on the finish. I'm not loving this as much as the bottle a couple of years ago.
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what a fine cab suav this was, def'ly up to the std I find in old RM Reserve... deep red and some darker fruits, great acidity, almost felt like you were smelling it on the palate... tip o the cap to the winemaker of this... going out to find more right now
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seemed a little tight (despite three hours in decanter before drinking, this is made for the long haul... as we drank it I wondered if I should (and as important will?) wait ten years for the others
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absolutely beautiful again... this had a very robust nose (I rarely find a wine that gets me going on the nose, but this was amazing), the palate was at the same time powerful and elegant... felt like it is in its prime, but I suspect I will like it better in 10-12 years... when faded blue jeans kicks in (and the fruit was plenty enough for the 'faded' part to be a good thing, not bad)... drink now with three hour decant or hold and enjoy over the next decade or two
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PnP 2 hours prior to dinner and finding it open and resolved just slow oxed and sipped till dinner in BDX glasses and btl. Cork in great ship, high fill. I purchased this about a year ago. In excellent condition but unsure there is any upside to hanging on to these for more than 2 or 3 years. Semi opaque ruby red color. A mix of lavender and cigar ash on the nose. The palate is classic earlier CA with focus, decent energy and balanced flavors of; red fruit, cassis, lead pencil, mineral, light underbrush and herbs. Not a rock star but it accords itself very well in the pantheon of CA Cabernet. Nothing over the top like too many modern versions by other producers. The well integrated 14.1 alc went unnoticed. Hardly any sediment. 93pts+ / 94pts-
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It needs at least 2 hours of decanting to smooth off the edges. Shows lots of tobacco, black cherry, and tart black fruits. It's still surprisingly young.
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great wine, had the balance of body / fruit with some secondary character / mineral / spice that I like in CA cabs... Bordeaux all too often falls short on the fruit, CA pinot almost always overshoots on the fruit/body... therefore its red burg and older (pre the over-oaking post-2000 period) CA cabs / blends for me
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Had this with Christmas dinner of prime roasted tenderloin with a cabernet reduction sauce. I received this as a gift quite a number of years ago, so I don't know what it cost, but it was generally selling for about $100 at that time. While it was a very good wine, considering its cost and age, I wasn't blown away by it. I have always been a big fan of Mondovi cabernet, but I don't think this wine justifies a price 4 to 5 times their regular Napa cabernet.
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Twenty years on and this wine is still performing pretty well. I don't know where my bottle came from, but I've had it for a while in my cellar. CellarTracker says this wine has a 2014 end date, but I disagree. This wine could go a few more years. The nose didn't offer up much, but the palate was smooth with some fruit. In other words, a typical Cali Cabernet. All things considered, not a bad showing from this wine.
Day 2 and this wine is improving. The color doesn’t show much age but the wine tastes a bit ‘funky’ like a wine with some years behind it. I like it.
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Second Sunday Group: 1999 Napa cabernets (Our house): Blind. Herb and tobacco notes with red frut underneath. A bit thin across the palate. Good red fruit flavors, just lacks presence. I was suprised to see this unveiled as the Mondavi Reserves tend to perform much better for my palate preferences. Perhaps this bottle wasn't the greatest example of this wine. 88+ pts.
My #6, Domino's #1 Group #5, 59 pts
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Dark garnet color, floral nose. Tons of savory umami. Leather, tobacco, cedar pencil and roasted meat. Black fruit and tar. Plenty of tannins; a good twenty years of life lie ahead.
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Having a mini tasting with my grandson, fourth bottle in the series. One of the best in a wonderful period at the winery. Wanted to show the elegance and development. this wine is going strong and is so easy to use to demonstrate aging and elegance.
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This was my last of 2 bottles. Had the last one 2 yrs ago. This wine was a whole different ballgame. Tasted alongside 2006 Montelena Estate Cab, the Mondavi soared. Non-polished in an old-school Napa sort of way (as opposed to the more polished and less interesting Montelena), the earthy and black-fruited flavors come out in spades. Cassis, pencil lead, unripened plum skin, wet firewood, cigar ash, old leather. This wine was replete with complexity and the beautifully supporting acidity was in perfect balance. Previously gritty tannins showed more refinement after 20 yrs of age...and the finish lasted far longer than a minute. Delicious now, I believe it is at an apogee and I wouod drink any bottles right now through 2020 or so. Delicious.
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No way I would have ever guessed this was a 99. Would have thought 06...maybe. It is showing a little bit of age, as I guess you would expect. But this bottle has aged very well. At 20 years old, this wine curveball of the night pulled by Jason! One of my favorites of the night. The entry of this wine definitely shows a hint of age, but only a hint. Lots of blackberry, hint of blueberry, cassis, dark baking chocolate. Little bit of graphite, still with nice tannin on the finish which has started to soften and integrate. A lovely wine.
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Cellar Triage Tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon; 4/14/2019-4/15/2019 (Home): Opened as a benchmark to compare to six other bottles, this is a wine that fully demonstrates the reason aged Cabernet has a mystical reputation. An awesome bottle of wine, fruit, power, intensity, acid balance, weight and soft tannins. Easily has more years. From the ripe but not super ripe period of Cabernet winemaking. 14.5% alcohol.
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Drank this one a few weeks ago at Montebello in Manhattan. I had had the 1995 a year and a half or so ago at Bistro Elephant in Syracuse : it was elegant, divinely so, an eye-opener. The 1999 less so, but still very good. Many may not appreciate it, but Mondavi knows what he's doing....
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Wondered if still drinking well after seeing the time window but believe this ‘99 Reserve could still have rested for another few years and would be fine. Decanted for 6 hours, nice plum fruit, noted but softened tannins, great structure with a tinge of anise as common from Mondavi Reserve. Overall fantastic wine, better than the 2001 Reserve I had two years ago and also last year which I felt was past it’s prime last year. Also 2001 had heavy leather, licorice/fuel accents
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This was my only bottle of this wine, purchased at some unknown time prior to using CT. The bottle has a handwritten price tag of $84 and another saying 20% off on it, suggesting to me that I bought this on close out from a store sometime in the mid 2000’s. This wine has very widely disparate opinions, ranging from quite high scores from the likes of Jancis Robinson and “The World of Fine Wine” yet very low scores from Richard Jennings and John Gilman all of whom I generally respect. CT ratings and commentary also vary widely. 1999 in Napa was a mixed vintage with a cool summer and wet spring but finished with a week long heat spike near harvest. I have found that I tend to really like some wines from this vintage in contrast to many critics, most notably Dominus. This bottle was in pristine condition. I decanted it at 4:30pm and tasted it from about 7pm through 9:30pm and it seemed to still be on the upswing near the end. The wine was an opaque dark garnet with a crimson meniscus and no bricking. The nose has lovely florals of violets and lavender as well as herbs de Provence along with leather, chocolate, cassis and ripe plum. On the palate it is rich with well integrated tannins, some still bright acidity, anise, graphite, the florals, herbs etc from the nose and a very long aftertaste that lasts nearly a minute. This reminds me more of the Cabs I have had from the 1960’s and 1970’s in its elegance and depth of flavor but is higher in alcohol at 14.1% that the wines from that era. It is a big wine but controlled and balanced. It also seems to lack that earthy element Mondavi Reserves have had from earlier vintages. Distinctly Napa in my opinion if tasted blind. I really enjoyed this wine and I think at almost 20 years old it is still not past early adulthood in terms of wine age, so I think it may still improve with more time in a good cellar. It was delicious with a thick cut, medium rare, grilled NY Strip steak.
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Developed and slightly oxidized with hints of Blueberry jam, orange peel, leather and tobacco. It’s herbaceous with cedar, pencil leads and tomato leaf. On the palate it’s still brilliantly fresh with Blackberry, blueberry and chocolate. Long finish with creamy tannins. Again leather, cedar and herbal on the palate. Fancy wine. Pretty excited with how fresh palate still has!
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Great bottle to start the year. W steak from bbq. 1 hour decant. This was fabulous, great mature color, superb powerful but elegant nose. On palate all an aged can can stand for, fruit, elegance, balance, interesting flavors. Great long finish. Yummy - at the top. Would be great to try 10 yrs from now but i wouldn't risk it. People will love this cab.
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Other than needing an AhSo and a Nuance filter these were two excellent wines in their prime. The balance I am holding will be excellent for my youngest grandson’ s birthday in two years.
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The drinking window was 1 hour after opening. No decant. Started to fade after about the third hour. From a 3liter. Great nose. Lots of secondary and tertiary flavors. Good finish but kinda tired.
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A classic, elegant Napa cab; in a great spot now but still good life left in this - amazing. Enticing aromas of red fruit, currant, leather, and earth. Just a pleasure to drink.
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Opened as a backup to the 1984 Opus One last night. Still vibrant and wonderful, in prime. No ullage to speak of (less than 1/8 inch) stored in my cellar since 2002, direct from winery warehouse. Was perfect with the lamb, supple and enhancing the meaty flavors.
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ready for drinking. Leather, raspberries, drenched cherries. Definitely aged. Drink up now. After 2 hours it died and became sour. But it was great up until then.
This bottle showed fantastically well. Seemingly much younger than previous bottles. Dark in colour with an open bouquet of fine cassis, cigar box and a tiny hint of mint. Suave textured palate offering ripe cassis, herbs, oak and superb tannins working well together. Long and very good indeed.
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Really good after an hour of decanting. A balanced Wine with all the subtleties that a good 18 yo Cab should have. While ready to drink, this wine isn’t over the hill. The wine continued to improve as the dinner progressed....
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Decided to open my last bottle for July 4th in honor of Robert Mondavi. Initial funk that blew off after one hour. Earthy, forest floor, mushrooms, raspberry fruits with a hint of plum. Crushed wet dark rose. Wife (served blind) guessed had to be Cabernet but must be old word. Understandable. Very mature but still has life in it. Crushed limestone. Excellent.
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Consistent w/ previous. Stunning youthfulness to this bottling, integrated dark fruits, green herbs, violets, beautifully long and complex. Layered and silky.
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Purchased 2 bottles of this wine at auction in Cincinnati a few years ago. Not sure how it was stored etc. The wine had ups and downs as it was aerated. It had a background funk that I was worried about, but that blew off over the 2 days that we tasted this wine. The wine obviously had structure and pedigree, and the aromas of pencil lead, tobacco leaf, savory mushrooms and cassis were all very apparent. The tannins were mostly resolved, and the supporting acidity was at a "just right" point. The last glass on day 2 was the best glass. I'd still drink this wine in the next 2-3 years.
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Really enjoyed this. Deep ruby color in the glass, slight bricking on the edges. This needed about 20-30 minutes in the decanter to come together. Red fruit on the nose, with that elusive spice box - clove element that comes with aged Cabernet. On the palate there is red fruit, acid, and light, fine tannin all integrated together nicely.
At hours one through three, this really reminded me of a 2005 Ridge Monte Bello we had recently. Sounds crazy but there it is.
No need to wait. Probably another year or two in this prime window it's currently in.
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I brought my sole remaining bottle of this to dinner at our favorite restaurant last weekend. This is in a really good place now. The balance among the fruit, acidity, and tannin (muted, but there) is fantastic.
This bottle had a bit of funk that blew off after about 15 minutes. The dark fruit was there from the outset, but the deeper "umami" of licorice and other flavors that are hard to describe, came alive after about an hour. This is a fantastic wine. I'm convinced that this has a lot of life left and could certainly attain a mark as high as 95pts, if not higher, in another 5-10yrs. No rush to open this if you have any sitting around.
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Purchased at winery. Absolutely stunning. Smooth, soft, and easy to drink. Slightly dusty, still has some power and depth. See previous notes. lots of sediment
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rich ruby color maybe showing slight bricking nice fruity nose black berries and cherry very soft on the tounge aging but still showing nice fruit earthy tones sooth after taste
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Dinner with Dr. Rudo and Perla. Spinnase, Seattle. Commiserating inauguration day. Last bottle. Great bottle. Still had fruit, maybe the most from this case but with air earthy complexity tones were added. Very good structure, nose, full body and finish. Balanced acidity with transparent tannins. Will look for more on auction.
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Rating reflects performance on third day. First day tasted a bit off (musty and bitter tannin) even after 2 hour decant so I corked it up and placed into the fridge. Reopened and warmed two days later and it blossomed immediately into a classic Napa cab with velvety red fruit and a balanced finish that still showed some energy. Nice fruit driven nose. Not huge complexity but some tobacco and mocha -- it really was dominated by a beautiful expression of mature fruit.
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Drank alongside the '97, as well as Brion '02 and Fisher '07.
Much darker than the '97. Deep dark ruby in the glass. Almost opaque. Black fruits, black berries, cassis, rainsins, oak. Clean, dark fruits and berries, cola, oak very much present. Crushed gravel and earth. Med + body, tannins well integrated. Plush mouthfeel, long finish. Wine has life, drinking very well, feels young and vibrant. There is room for further life here. Very very different than the '97, much more earth and darker fruits.
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Napa Cab at its finest. This wine has hit its stride, nose is dark fruit with some earth, palate is pure Napa with a long finish. I have drank other bottles of this wine in the past that didn't drink as well, which leads me to believe now is finally the time with this wine.
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Again these are hit or miss. They are either awesome or horrible basically. This one was outstanding. smooth, silky, well integrated. Red fruits, cedar, baking spices, cola, eucalyptus, menthol. I wish they were all like this. I said Wow on the first sip. Maybe cause I expected to suck.
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What a beauty. Still fresh and young tasting. Classic Napa Cab with nice notes of cedar and dark fruits. Nice balance with a lengthy finish. Great stuff.
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Splash decanted and then served over 45 minutes. Very young tasting for its age. Lots of ripe dark fruit but with nice round tannins and enough acidity to keep light on its feet. Long finish that highlights tobacco, mocha and cedar. Got "smoother" with air and was integrating nicely. Could have scored higher if given more time before finishing. Lots of life left.
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These are really hit and miss. We have drank more than 2 cases of these and you never know what you'll get. Some are amazing and some are very very dry with some very rough edges. This bottle was rough.
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Excellent bottle. Dark purple in color. Nose of fruit, leather, wet wood. Best after 1 hour of being opened. Very soft, smooth, and velvety. Very easy to drink once again. Past its prime but still very enjoyable.
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super nice over four nights, dark color, dark brooding nose with dark fruits and cedar, med- to full-bodied with big luxurious darkish fruits, cedar and some leather, really a fine wine on the larger side for my tastes, again RM cab sauv reserve delivers, dependable and great QPR
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Can't really describe the wine more accurately than the notes provided in previous entries in this thread. One of three tasters picked barnyard. It certainly wasn't garrigue or Burgundian underbrush to my way of thinking.
I seldom drink Napa cabs but this bottle was in lovely condition and on the mark for current drinking. It was far more elegant and balanced than I would have ever expected, not to mention simply delicious. Bravo!
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Bouquet: Very funky, earth, herb, mineral, blackberry, dark plum/prune, smoky toasty oak showing coffee and dark chocolate. Day 2: Very complex, earthy and funky, spice and herb blend (anise, nutmeg, thyme), orange and lemon zest, violets. Palate: Flavor: Citrus attack followed by plum, racy bing cherry with some pie cherry flavors. Finishes with plum, vanilla, milk chocolate. Day 2: Citrus, bright Bing Cherry, with small % of pie chart. Underneath all this this is a creamy chocolate, toasted oak and lively cassis. Comment: One of the best Mondavi wines I've had (excepting Opus 1).
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This is a big wine. Dark color in the glass. First sip is overwhelming without decanting or aeration. Earthy tastes open up to fruity tastes after a few seconds. There are multiple layers of flavors with this wine, aeration opens up the flavors. The long finish has a mild tannins. This wine will keep longer, but i don't this wine will improve any move.
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These bottles really vary from bottle to bottle. We had over 30 bottles and we never know what we are going to get. This bottles was excellent. Very smooth from start to finish. Excellent finish, wasn't over dry like some of these older Mondavi reserves. (see previous tasting notes)
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This wine was the last of six bottles and possibly the best. I was expecting it to be past prime, but it drank beautifully. Decanted at the table, it was soft and elegant.
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Consumed durring a 4 hour long reorganization of my cellar. Found this wine which was supposedly past its' drinking window.. Wrong. Wow 1999 I feel like a lot has changed in winemaking since 1999. Yet this wine is holding up very well. I like this Cab. Prune, Plumb and candied fruits, Medium Body , ruby colored leaning towards brown Hard to believe we have been waiting 16 years to meet.
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Started out with great fruit as the other notes i Have posted but this bottle lost its power after an hour and a half. It also became very very dry. Still drinkable though. Very light in body. Not heavy what so ever. I have gotten these from several different places. They do vary quite a bit.
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Popped and poured, deep ruby hue. Pronounced aromas of cigar box, cassis, plummy fruits, smoked herbs and a touch of roasted red bell pepper. Has a certain elegance in mouth...not light per se yet lithe nonetheless. Black fruits, black currant, tobacco plus a huge impression of crushed stones and minerals in the palate. Drying, chewy tannins on the lengthy close. Reminiscent of a classed-growth Graves and while drinking splendidly right now this has the structure to age effortlessly for years, if not decades. Beautiful Cabernet, a testament to Tim Mondavi.
Quick comment: I'd opt for drinking this in the near term while the fruit is still in sync with the tannins.
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Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Dusty clean chalk nose. Very smooth and integrated. Fruity on the palate. Tannins 6/10. Fruitier than I had expected. Some nice dryness on the finish but not harsh
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Not as powerful as the last bottle but still very good. Lots of mint and eucalyptus on the finish. Seemed a bit more muted this time. lighter and very easy to drink. Just a touch more alcohol on the finish than previous bottles. See previous tasting notes.
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very very nice, round almost luxurious fruit, on the red side, pretty full bodied, good acid and only a bare hint of tannin... this wine was easy drinking and with the oomph (but grapes driven, not 'manufactured' with oak etc) to be nice alone / without food... a crowd pleaser for sure even if not that complex
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Opened 2 of these from the same lot and both were completely different. They both came from the same owc. Seems all 6 of them have a different personalites completely. Both were excellent and tasting notes were consistent with my previous notes on these wines.
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This bottle was very much like an older bordeaux. Not quite as long a finish as the other 99's I have had. But very pleasant, lighter, a bit brighter, and very easy to drink. Lots of floral notes throughout, cherries and raspberries, a little bordeaux funk, old wood, and maybe some dark chocolate.
I always love these Mondavi Reserves.
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NR as it was late in a 10 bottle evening, this didn't get much attention so i would say ok but not earth shattering… might take a more focused test to come up with a view… sorry… also probably suffered from comparison with a '71 Barolo drunk alongside
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Wow. 16 years old and from an average year, this wine was beautiful. Smooth, well balanced, not big and powerful but full of blackberry, cedar, vanilla tobacco under tones, and a nice lingering finish. Actually had to decant for an hour...
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Spectacular wine. Darker in color but not as dark as the 2000 To Kalon. The nose was wonderful. Very much together with power still left for sure. We popped and poured this wine but a 1-2 hour decant would have been perfect. Very smooth and silky as most Mondavi reserve cabs are. Loads of milk chocolate and raspberry jam, some spices, a little mint, and a smooth long finish. Not a massive bruiser, but elegant as always.
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Excellent bottle. Buttery smooth. Great mouth feel. Subtle notes of milk chocolate, dark cherry, a touch of cedar. Just spectacular from beginning to end. 30- 60min decant is fine. These mondavi's are great from the time you pop it to the time you empty it, when ever that may be. We have several cases of 1999-2001 Mondavi Reserves. Every once in a while we open an off bottle but its very rare. These babes always perform and put a smile on everyones faces.
Not a big, huge, massive wine by any means. But delicate, smooth, refined and elegant in every way. Way too easy to over consume these!
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Brought with us to Mark's Prime Steakhouse in downtown Ocala ($15 corkage). This was surprisingly open right from the initial pour, adding even more depth and intensity after a half hour in the decanter. Quite youthful-looking for a wine that is now 16 years old. A deep, semi-opaque crimson in color, lightening slightly at the edge. Very earthy on the nose, with some subtle hints of dark crushed berries and spice. Full-bodied and extremely velvety in texture, but not at all heavy or over-extracted. For its age, this was surprisingly fruity - bursting with luscious raspberry, red currant and blackberry fruit. The texture, depth and intensity on the palate are absolutely amazing. Notes of dried herbs, violets and spice add complexity to the long, graceful finish. The tannins are fully integrated and smooth as silk. Very rich and satisfying, yet also displays a wonderful sense of elegance and finesse. Paired beautifully with our bone-in Ribeye. 50+5+12+18+8=93
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Excellent wine. Popped and poured. Smooth as silk. Everything was well integrated. Spectacular at $70!! very very well balanced. Nice fruit, spices, dark chocolate, so smooth. I think I love each one I open more than the one before. These were direct from original consignor and have been stored perfectly since.
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Magnum, cork was brittle but wine was in great shape. Drank a 2009 along side and the 1999 was much more complex. Really showed the difference in aging. The wine started with mixed reviews but as it opened, it really blossomed and proved its worthiness. Elegant, flavorful and long lasting. Nice wine, large format still had a few years in it.
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Cork crumbled upon opening. Bad omen, right? Nope. Luscious fruit evident from the start, and it was a pnp. Tannins light but still clearly evident. Probably has peaked, so drink up. But still a class leader.
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did not decant, absolutely no fruit initially but some tannins. didn't even have the "funk" I have associated with this vintage. However after 30 - 40 minutes with oxtails and painted hills burger flavors started creeping in which were very good. Will decant and use venturi with my next bottle and have more patience which I think will be rewarded. Score would have probably been higher if I had more wine that night to drink.
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Drinking very well now. Tannins are very well integrated and wine is smooth right after 30 minutes of decanting the wine. Very good, but not distinctive, finish
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Decanted for 30 minutes then enjoyed over the next 2 hours. Deep purple black to a crimson edge. Wonderful nose of dark ripe fruits, casis and kirsch with mild floral elements. A marked tannic yet musty blast on attack mellowing to a long lingering silky finish. I disagree with other tasting notes as there is a lot of life left in this vintage. In fact I am a bit disappointed in not waiting another 2-5 years to open this bottle instead of succumbing to the opinions of those who thought this wine to be past it's prime. I will be sure to take more heed of the drinking windows in the future and less of what folks have to say regarding a wine's prime drinking time.
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- Crimsom color and aromas of cloves and has flavours of strawberry jam - Bunny and Kermite at our house with a Fred's sirloin, zucchini and summer squash with shallots, grilled bread with olive and truffle oil, and finally Kermite's lobster claws.
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So at first i wrote: "To echo previous recent notes, this is certainly not gone but it doesn't feel like its got much life left. Changed back and forth over an hours time, picking up a medicinal note and then shedding it and showing drying tannins on the finish."
However, after another couple hours and having it with food, Korean braised short ribs, this was undoubtedly delicious, the fruit felt a little more fresh, structure was bigger and well balanced, a very nice wine, I'm thinking not over the hill at all, but matures and maybe going through an awkward developmental stage right now. Drink with food.
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Splash decanted and drank over a couple hours. The wine showed best early on in the night and then fell apart as it got more air. Started off very beautiful but unfortunately didn't last.
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This was a pleasant surprise. Very tannic in its youth this has developed nicely over time. Great structure and fleshy fruit mid-palate. Black fruits, coffee grinds, minerals and a touch of oak. Only challenge is a little reticent on the nose and little four square on the finish.
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This was as good as expected day 1, but consumption on day 2 was showing age. This is good for a PnP, but don't let it sit around once it has been opened.
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Nice bouquet on the nose of ripe dark fruits, graphite, and cedar with a nice amber color on the edges. Great balance, still has good structure (although it has reached maturity so drink it now). Finish is long and savory. We paired it with a venison steak and it was delicious!
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This bottle was past its peak. Color is ok, a little coffee-ground sediment that decanted easily, but the nose was that too-old cab note that didn't ever fade away. A bit thin. Fruit had faded a bit into leather and raisin territory.
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Brick color. Nose started with blackberry, then opened up into an earthy tobacco. Very smooth and approachable right now, but may have a couple of years left.
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No detailed notes, but a good bottle. Quite a bit of variation with these. This one is quite young and vibrant. Gives the impression of a wine that has started to settle down, but has years of life left. Still some prominent tannins on the backend, but more than enough fruit and acidity to provide balance. This bottling, given the several sources I acquired it from, is always a crapshoot. The good bottles have been very good, and this is one.
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Drinking real well. Showed much better than 2000 initially in side by side tasting. 2000 eventually caught up. This is ready now and has 1 or 2 years to go.
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drank along side a 97 Phelps Insignia.. this had attractive Mondavi nose and nice balance. less fruit than the insignia but nicely balanced and classic cab
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Outstanding! Popped and poured. Initial nose had a slight band aid/menthol notes that blew off after about 15 minutes then taken over by earthy, black berry and spice. Softened tannins in the front followed by a fully integrated flavors of spice, plum, and light oak in the finish. Previous user notes on milk chocolate finish was spot on. This one could cellar longer, but drinking very well right now.
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Pop and pour. Consumed over 3 hours. The first hour the wine was showing the best. It is starting to hit it's decline and should probably be consumed sooner than later. Bricky color, with a nose of leather, spice, and smoke. Palate is soft with light red fruit.
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Simply fantastic wine. Needed about an hour of air to come alive before providing a dazzling array of aromas in the bouquet. Warm earthy notes intermingle with menthol and eucalyptus; a touch of barnyard and mint follow after time and air. Black fruits and tar on the palate with a well-balanced consistency of fruit, acid and mineral. Tannins are still present but soft with a long lingering finish of milk chocolate that goes on for 60+ seconds. Likely at its peak with a 1-2 hour decant but has the structure for another 4-8 years in the cellar.
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Popped and poured. Outstanding. Likely near peak as I can't imagine it getting much better. Drank right after a decanted 2005 Opus One and this Mondavi blew it away.
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The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Prune, and Horsey. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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Really nice wine, but requires some air to open up (slow-oxed for two to three hours). Very well balanced with a blue fruit profile with hints of pepper, and with mild tannins on the finish with the fruit still lingering. Still think aged Mondavi Reserve wines are among the best values in Napa on the high end. You can age it easily for another 6-10 years, but the wine is drinking nicely now with some air.
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I am sad to report that this wine needs to be consumed quickly. In my opinion, it's best days have passed. The bottle was well stored and the cork was in near perfect shape. I tried it immediately upon opening and found it to be thin like grape juice with a slight Granache like quality. After some air, it picked up some weight but was still flat, lacked any complexity and had almost no finish. After even more time (about two hours now) whatever structure it did have began to fall apart and it became harsh and the alchohol became more prominent. Personally, I think it's time to take a hard look at opening all domestic cabs from the 1990's - certainly 1997's and even 1999's. I have had too many who's best days were behind them lately and a lot of bottle variation too.....both of which will only get worse. (this bottle was from Magnum)
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Opened up thinking that it was going to be on its way down, but was amazed about how balanced it was. Decanted for about 30 minutes prior to drinking it and we finished the bottle over a 2 hour dinner and it was superb towards the end. At least 2-3 years left at peak on these bottles. Cheers!
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Just excellent, drinking well and so young, seems by this bottle to have many years In hand, sleek oaky cassis, dusty tannins, not less than excellent.
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Drank this long-cellared magnum with NYE dinner of beef tenderloin after decanting for about 3.5 hours. The wine opened up very nicely by then though improved with time during our meal. The wine is still garnet colored with some brick starting to show around the edges. Aroma of oak and toast yielding to soft cassis, forest floor and blackberry flavors. Though the tannins have rounded out by now there is still enough structure to the wine to make the traditional cab/filet pairing simply outstanding. Very nice medium to long finish and I'd say the wine is definitely peaking - don't wait too much longer on this one.
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A very solid bottle, but it is beginning to show its age. Starting to brick around the edges and the aromas are a little muted, but the flavor and texture is very solid. I would say maybe another year or two in the bottle so drink it up.
The wine looks Brick colored. It smells like Medium Toast, and Cedar. It tastes like Cherry, Fig, Oak, and Vanilla. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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last one of 12 from the cellar... color has bricked a bit, but fruit is intact and the mineral notes have developed nicely. Really excellent but glad I drank this now vs waiting too long
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Decanted for 2 hours. Currant, cherry, blackberry, plum, tobacco, licorice and leather on the nose. Dark fruit and oaky tannins lead to a long finish. Medium-to-full bodied. Paired with Beef Wellington.
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Bouquet/Aroma: Earthy, initially vegetal (bell pepper), roasted coffee, plum, dark cherry and roasty chocolate. Palate: Fairly creamy, medium body Flavor: Plum, cherry, roast coffee, chocolate. Red currant and raspberry on the finish. Comment: Expected this to be riper than Columbia Crest Reserve '99, which it was but it has a more medium body and plenty of acidity to finish with red fruit.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry, black currant and raisin with a medium/full body. Fleshy texture with a medium finish - This was my last bottle of this wonderful Cab. This does have a lot of fruit and if you have a bottle, drink up.
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PnP and did not take notes. Much softer and smoother than a bottle I had about a year ago. Cassis, black cherry, earth and oak with hints of spice. Medium bodied with smooth tannins, good acidity and a soft texture. Perhaps not quite as rich or complex as other Mondavi Reserves I have enjoyed, but still overall a nice example of a Napa Cab.
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Wonderfully rich, noble nose with hints of eucalyptus. Rich red and black berry fruit on the palate with some menthol. Lovely structure and mouthfeel. Great balance and in its sweet spot. Drinking very well presently.
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Big sweet nose of grapey fruits, soft on the palate, flabby, lacking a backbone. Starting to brown around the rim, mature. Decent drink but probably not worth the wait.
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With a lot of work, and a ton of swirling, this drinks pretty nicely. But in general, it seems quite closed at present, particularly on the nose. While it's started to evolve to some secondary notes, these haven't entirely blossomed yet, at least in this bottle.
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Dinner with Friends (Anvil Club, East Dundee): Aromas of mint, leather, red fruit, florals and plum. Lovely balance, with flavors of red fruit, mint and leather. Long finish. 93+ pts.
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Maturing nicely but still has plenty of develoment time left. Dark dusty fruits, well integrated, and some herbal characteristics. Decent enough for a Napa cab but give me Corison any time.
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San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): Ripe blackcurrants and pipe tobacco flavors. Rather fruit forward, and simple with an integrated palate. Came across as fully mature. Almost a hint of VA on the nose. This was very disappointing given it’s lack of depth and complexity. Surprisingly poor showing in this lineup. Off bottle? 87-89
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Aromatic nose of dates, dried fruits, spicy cigar; cherry and tart red berries play a role too; excellent tannins and acid balance; quite complex with lots of flavor and some oak = quite a flamboyant wine. I'd rate higher but needs more time, and just a bit too aromatic as a result of some heavy oak aging no doubt.
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Just stunning, ready but with years in hand. Complex nose, deep cassis fruit, hint of vanilla oak, liquorice. again very fine cassis on the front palate, habano, top notch mouthfeel. dry complex and long, lovely. 14.5%
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PnP. Lovely, typical Mondavi Reserve. Dark opaque purple with just a bit of brick on the edge. Cassis, black cherry, earth and oak with hints of vanilla and spice. Full bodied with slightly rough tannins, good acidity and an almost chewy texture. Medium + length with a drying finish. Perhaps not quite as rich or complex as other Mondavi Reserves I have enjoyed, but still overall a delicious example of a Napa Cab. Lots of life remaining in this bottle.
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Score: 94 Release Price: $125 Country: California Region: Napa Issue: Jun 30, 2002
Top 100: 2002, Rank: 12
Designation: Cellar Selection
An enormously complex and sophisticated wine that combines great flavors with uncommon finesse. Dark, sleek, rich and polished, with a delicious core of concentrated cola, currant, plum and blackberry. Tremendous finish. Best from 2004 through 2014. 20,000 cases made.
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Nose of dark berries, sweet rhubarb, vanilla and subtle tobacco. Pencil shavings, minerals and bell peppers come through in the finish, along with a bit of black cherry. Very enjoyable bottle with my only mild criticism being a lack of fruit on the finish. Unfortunately, the value equation really doesn't make much sense. Would recommend drinking this over the next 2-3 years.
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Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Beautiful nose with notes of blackberry, plum, herbs, tobacco, black olives, and vanilla. Palate consistent with nose. Long smooth finish with dark fruit and integrated tannins. Paired very well with Greek tenderloin. Overall, a very enjoyable bottle.
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Popped and poured, nice nose of plums, black cherry and earth, the palate was soft and underwelming, with fully intergrated tannins. The finish was short and soft. Based on this bottle, I would drink up!
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This bottle didn't give much on the nose. The palate started with stewed tomatos and a light minerality. It opened up to dark fruit and some chocolate. A nice wine that is in it's prime.
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Plenty of life left. Very savory and a bit coarse upon initial opening, with wet earth, tar, violets, and a hint of bell pepper. Evolved quickly with air time, picking up notes of sweet dark fruits, chocolate, and black olive, while considerably smoothing out in texture. The greenness that seemed evident upon first pour quickly receded. Kept improving over the course of the evening, the best glass was the last. Drink or hold a few more years.
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Past its prime. Disappointing at this point in its life for a "high end Napa reserve", but still showing a little life of aromatic complexity, good texture and decent finish. Tannins fully resolved and acidity is soft.
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good ca. cab. The taste is definately califormnia. I snuck it into a bordeaux tasting (blind) and everyone said it tased "califormia". A nice wine but not worth the price.
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Opened 12/24, took one glass, recorked. Opened again 12/27, very suprised by how alive this was. Nose of blackberries, blueberry, mint, sour cherry, tobacco. Palate repeats the nose. Finishes with niced acidity and sturdy tannins. Hold for at least 2-3 years.
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This bottle has aged more advanced than my last one. Bricking at the rim with notes of roasted nuts, dark cocoa and a little bit of olives. Flavors a a bit out of balanced with the acidity over-running the fruit, a hollow mid-palate and a short finish. Kind of pedestrian.
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Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Nose and flavors of blackberries, cherries, and plums accentuated with mild tobacco notes. Flavors are vibrant with a smooth, long and lingering aftertaste with mild tannins. An outstanding cab that's in its prime.
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Decanted for an hour. Initially muted and somewhat thin on the palate. Much more open and expressive on day two, with secondary flavors, chocolate ans spice, coming through.
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Showing very well now, probably at peak. Refined and balanced with nice notes of red cherry, ripe plum, tobacco, leather, and baking spice. Very pleasant but nothing spectacular.
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CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very tight nose, showing the youth of this wine, sour cherry, spicy oak, mint, olive, vanilla. On the palate sour cherry, black fruit, vanilla, spice, mint. Finishes with nice balance but the fruit is walled off a bit by the tannin. Needs time. Hold for quite a while.
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Surprisingly still and earthy. Doesn't quite sing how good the '99 vintage was. Opens up after a couple of hours decanting, but a far cry from the '94 Mondavi Reserves I've had. Very nice nose on it though.
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not much to say here. on the nose the 1999 Mondavi Reserve is over the hill and vegetal. the palate is thin with a very short finish, and just plain unenjoyable. I could see how a beginning taster might admire this wine for it's secondary aromas of oxidized fruit at this stage and what may be perceived as tobacco, but the aromas are tired and aforementioned tobacco is just bell peppers. If I remember correctly, this retailed at around $100. A bad wine and much worse value.
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open for 2 hours & then 1 hour in a decanter, some sludge in the bottom. Quite thin & boring on the initial opening, but ya boy howdy did it open up. Consumed w/ grilled rib steaks, caprese salad & corn on the cob ... Summer Heaven. Cedar, black olive & cigar w/ an underlying dark fruit , this is the best bottle I have had of this wine & I am not sure I see it getting much better for my taste. I would not want it to lose any more fruit.
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July 2004 at Mondavi Vineyard / Smoothest (best at that time) wine I have ever had! Not big - delicious. Nov 2005 - a bit disappointing - still smooth, but fruit had submerged - less vanilla or fruit bouquet/flavor. Winter 2007 drank several bottles - they were very good but not as great as the magical bottle at the vineyard.
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Taste at Elysian from Green City Market BBQ. Really nice fruit forward qualities. Some earthy more Old World action as well. Palate is well integrated with sweet tannins and a balanced finish. Really nice. Drinking well. Should go another 5 years with ease.
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Soaring nose of barrel spices, black olives and even some meat - this bottle showed much younger and tighter than the prior one I opened, hands off the remaining bottle for 5 years.
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Of the 3 I consume this was by far the most impressive and I would start drinking these now. Nose of cherry, subtle oak, spice, vanilla and plum. What a smooth wine, tannins are in check and shows off cherry, plum, oak, vanilla, spice and leather on medium finish. I was very impressed with this wine and at $60 a steal when I purchased it 5 years ago.
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Still developing and will last for another 10 years. Wonderful nose, great structure, a bit of weed taste which dissipates with time. Full mouth cab flavors with firm structure
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Decanted at 1540 for a dinner party. Initial nose of prunes and cherries. Poured a small taste. Hot. Cherry cough syrup and heat. Really. Long finish that wraps the tongue in warmth. Giving it time... 2050 - wow, what a difference. My WOTN. No heat. Nicely integrated. Olive tapenaude and soft red fruit. Long long finish. Good stuff.
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Drank side by side with a '94 and an '06. Brighter and more similar to younger Napa Cab than the ’94. Less brown in color than the ’94- this one was more ruby-red. Enjoyed the grippy tannins in this wine, which were surprisingly present after 11 years. Complex nose. Surprisingly earthy.
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A nice smooth wine as the tannins have diminished. Good fruit but probably on the decline in my opinion. A very easy to drink wine but maybe missing that something special to make it an outstanding wine.
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Fine tannins, lots of good fruit left and quite a bit of acidity to balance everything. Nose of spice, mint and cedar with accompanying flavors of blackberries, currants and dark plums. Good lengthy smooth finish. Excellent 10 year old.
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Deep blackcurrent colour with a little age showing at the rim. Blackcurrant on the nose too, with blackberriess and chocolate, very attractive. Blackberries and blackcurrant to greet you in the mouth, soft tannins, good balance, some elegance in he fruity mid-palate and a long fruity finish.
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Musty wine cellar nose up front, but that quickly blew off. Decanted for 30-60 minutes. Chalky, persistent nose that reminded me of a visit to the Stags Leap district, with some menthol/eucalyptus and dried tomato as well. Dark chocolate flavors at first. Somewhat bitter after sitting, with green olives and stems, but not in a bad way. Mellow build in the mouth. Well integrated tannins. Looking for more complexity and length (other than bitter char).
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Tasted blind. Great billowy nose, like a cloud of soft red fruits. A bit green/herbal but still ripe and delicious. Don't wait any longer if you have some of this laying down. Drink up!
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Opened and not decanted. Third bottle of the evening. This showed the youngest of the three wines with no signs of aging. Lively, fresh with black and blue berries, faint oak, a slight tannic bite that ends with a citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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A tad better than the last bottle. This one seemed a bit more balanced, fresh and lively. Nice aromas of red fruits with an old world twist as this could easily be mistaken for BDX. Really nice structure and acid that should give this wine may more years of drinking pleasure.
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Mouthwatering Cali Cab aromas of olives, tar, mocha/hot chocolate and tobacco - these same notes work into the fleshy and dense palate. Acidity really picks up with aeration. Plenty of life left, not close to peak.
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1999 Wines - Served Blind @ Conrads: Served blind. A real stand out of the night. Showing all the elements of what I would enjoy in a cab. Secondary earthy leathery smell and flavors but still plenty of fruit. It does seem like everything is in a good place right now. Still some nice tannic bite that keeps it in balance.
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EWG Parties Like It's 1999 (Conrad Greens Abode): Served blind. Fat nose showing traditional Cab notes of greenish cedar, mocha and wood. A real wow of a palate with great complexity and balance. Easy winner of the flight and probably WOTN for most people.
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Really solid bottle of napa cab that is just starting to come around. Nose gives off tons of olives, black tea, fresh ground coffee and dark chocolate. This is all rolled in with hints of dark fruits including blackberries and boysenberries. Palate is very fresh with a nice round mouthfeel and integrated tannins. A touch of dusty mocha with some tobacco and road tar. This wine seems nicely complex with polished tannins and fresh acidity. it should continue to drink well for some time and last another 5+ years.
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Much better Cab than I thought it would be. Taste like old world wine. Dark cheery color and taste. Really nice nose on this wine. Spice and cedar are to be noted as well.
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Very deep and attractive looking, all the signs of bottle age, mature orange tinged rim,/ the nose is deep, mature and complex, ripe cassis and sweet french oak (toasty), herbs, licorice and fine habano (fine and satisfying)/ dry fruit palate , lots of fine acid to offer true balance, (less cassis than other bottles), quite strong cigar, spice and a little licorice, grippy and very long, 14.5% (nodding in the direction of left bank claret) less napa than last bottle, how interesting, tasted as decanted and before dinner.( Note after dinner: given time in the glass the cassis was huge and lovely)
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A quintessential American wine for a quintessential American holiday. Initial pour...powerful rasberry jam and tight. After 15 minutes it rounded out. Silky tannins and good acidity. I could taste the dust in the backgroud. Crushed limestone? After 1 1/2 hours darker fruit emerged but still light and silky. This was a very enjoyable wine. Very harmonious. It is at its peak. I still have 3 bottles left and looking forward to where it is headed.
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Aromas of deli meat & pepperoni. Full bodied, with chewy tannins and red fruit flavors that linger through the finish. So different from the bottle in August that I wonder if this wasn't an off bottle?
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Second bottle in two days, I do not often drink the same wine the next day, but thought it might offer an interesting comparision/ this bottle is less mature but with the same flavour profile on the nose and palate( as you might expect) the toasty vanilla oak more integrated, the cassis as massive as before, but with a cool-fruit edge/ shorter in length I think/ 14.5% same score!!!! (solid wine and as stated before a classic Napa Cab)
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Very nice colour now , lighter but deep looking/ huge nose from the moment the cork was pulled, intense vanilla oak and ripe cassis dominate, some spice and cedar( thanks to bottle age) herbs!/ fine mouthfeel, again the oak and cassis to the fore, quite hot, the quality is here though! / the tannins are well integrated now, this fine wine is both pure and long, at 14.5% (marked down for the heat and vanilla, I can see why others give high points) far from a perfect wine but my wife and I both loved it. Classic Napa cabernet. (note: Label states barrel aged reserve. rather than just reserve? if any one knows why please drop me a message).
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About a year since we drank the last 99 reserve and I happy to say that it's still drinking very well. All of my previous notes still apply. I'm guessing this wine has at a minimum another 5 to 10 years of beautiful drinking. I would recommend decanting for an hour. Enjoy!!!
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Decanted for 2 hours before tasting. A very rich purple/ruby color with some amber on the edges. The nose produced strong aroma's of dark fruits, black cherry, cassis and dust. On the palate the tannins were wonderfully smooth, refined and elegant with more lively acidity than I would have expected given my previous note that this was likely reaching its peak. The flavors were the same as before with black cherry, blueberry, earth, leather and smoke with some oak and vanilla. Pretty complex and balanced with a long finish. I still think this has reached its peak and is drinking wonderfully right now. 50+5+13+18+6=92 pts.
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Slightly opaque dark ruby-purple with a little lightening around the edges. Wonderful nose of olive and cedary notes balanced with sweet, perfumy fruit. Keeps going and develops in complexity. Silky smooth mouth feel bursting with rich fruit and just enough acidity. Slightly bitter at the back of the tongue but works well with some nice toastiness and tannins that are fairly well integrated. Terrific semi-chocolatey finish. The best Mondavi '99 Reserve yet. Seems to have more backbone than previous bottles.
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Needs an hour of air @ a minimum but then , It is a very tasty wine . Dark fruit & chocolate . Much better than previous bottles , I am not sure that this should not be consumed in the near term
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The best of these bottles that we've had yet and I am revising my earlier opinion about the drinking window of this wine based on this bottle. This was outstanding, enjoyed earlier this weekend with good CT wine buddy neighborbill and our spouses for dinner. Bottle opened for four hours although not decanted and the time made a huge difference. Inky black, full bodied, plenty of fruit left with a well balanced burnt oak and tannic core, great aftertaste. Nose floral with underlying dark fruit. Primary flavors consisted of burnt oak, classic Napa cassis, granite and leather with underlying dark fruit. Overall an excellent quintessential Napa cab and when handled appropriately and aerated properly such as was the case with this particular bottle this is just outstanding and this wine has years left to go. Highly recommend this, needs time opened or needs to be decanted, too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR.
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Decanted for 1.5hrs. Deep dark color. Dark red/black currant, plum, and cassis on the nose with a nice dose of wet tobacco and leather on the aromatics. Nice notes of vanilla and smoke as well. Same ripe fruit on the palate with great length and balance of acidity and minerality. Still some good tannin left. Very nice wine.
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Brownish-red color. Nose of faded fruit. Tastes of Tobacco, cigar, earth, with occasional hints of chocolate & faded fruit (like dried shriveled berries that evolve on the long finish). Mint & vanilla also persist on the mid-palate. Good structure with faded tannins. I wouldn't hold this wine much longer.
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August 2009 Too Much Wine (Lake Elmo): Smells/tastes slightly cooked to me, with meat and beef bouillon notes too apparent on both nose and palate. A shame, as the overall palate feel is excellent.
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Excellent wine and drinking very nicely with some additional potential. Exceptional nose of ripe black currant and sweet pepper. Very nice richness and grip on the palate. Clearly excellent fruit and a well=polished wine.
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Not quite up to the par of previous bottles likely on two accounts, likely suffering from bottle shock after being transported to Finland and consumed in a fairly short time period at a dinner with friends and also now clearly starting to be somewhat over the hill with weaker fruit then on previous bottles. Highly recommend drinking up any holdings in a short time period, with three bottles left myself I plan on drinking these up over the course of the next 6 - 12 months. Still a wonderful mature classic Napa cab though. Dark purple color with a pleasant brownish rim, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose balanced and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, black pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine with caveat of needing to drink up holdings shortly but price of reserve too high to be a good QPR - still just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab. Really looking forward to knocking off the remaining bottles.
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Dark ruby color. Bright fruit in the nose. Very fresh smelling. Fairly acidic in the mouth along with notes of ...leather? Tannins are fine and close to resolved. Clean and tasty but lacking in complexity and secondary flavors. This was not a good choice with hamburgers and all of the attendant acidic condiments such as mustard, tomato, etc...
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Panicked when I first opened it, because it smelled like bandaids. That happily blew off almost immediately, revealing layers of cassis, pllum, spice, and smoothly integrated tannins. This was a classic Napa Cab, aged to perfection. It may have another year in it, but its beautifully drinkable now so I wouldn't wait.
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Popped and poured (restaurant). Beautiful purple color with ever so slight bricking on rim. Nose of dark fruit, hints of mineral and leather. Black cherries with nicely integrated oak and hints of dust in the mouth. Very polished wine and beautifully crafted. At peak now through 2011.
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Initial nose of dark fruit. Let decant for 2 hours and served in bordeaux stems with meal of grilled tenderloin and sauteed mushrooms, salad and garlic bread. Wine held up well with dinner. My family thinks I am a pedantic alcohol soaked reviewer, so I will try and keep this simple. I got cherries, oak, and a nice finish. Done. My step brother, who didn't drink any, said it smelled red My father, enjoyed it and got a great father's day buzz. Stay tuned for real review next time I pop a cork.
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Lots of toasty oak, cedar, and cassis on the nose. Red brick color. Fine grained and integrated tannins. Dark fruit flavors balanced with just enough earthiness and acidity to make this wine quite light and fresh on the palate. Medium length finish. Would not hold this one, just drink soon to enjoy it at its maturity.
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I must have caught a good bottle. Great nose, very smooth after 1 hour in the bottle. Paired very nicely with our meal at the Tamarack Lodge in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Drank at high elevation, 8500ft. I wonder if this makes a difference. I have one more we will try in a month or so, closer to sea level.
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Nice color. Nose : Dark fruit and berry with integrated wood. Taste: Seems to be ready to drink now, maybe even getting a bit late. Fruit was nice and there was some earth and wood combined. Medium body with a decent finish. If I had more, I would drink in the next year or so.
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Nose is cool and spicy with a little menthol. Med. body. Finishes dry and tannic with little fruit. A little more acidity than the last bottle, which is nice. More complexity in the nose as it opens up along with more fruit also. Tannins soften up a bit to integrate with fruit. Holds together much longer than the last bottle but is probably on its way down hill. Too bad.
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Opened and let breathe for about 20-30 minutes. Nose was full of dark fruits and smoky wood. Tons of dark licorice on the nose. These themes continued on the palate with a med-long finish. The wine is drinking perfectly now and it is hard to image it getting any better. Tannins are still present but very nicely integrated.A thin mouth feel for a cali cab...but excellent none the less. Very, very well done.
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Starts off with complex nose, a few things happening that I can’t place. Seems to change by the minute. Maybe some roasted coffee, expresso, dark fruits. Med-full body in the mouth. Integrated tannins. Fruit is still fresh tasting with an initial punch that backs off with fine grained tannin coming in. Finishes harmoniously with a nice level of acidity. After about two hours, fruit and acidity really back off, giving way to more tannin. I had my hopes up for this one but the so-so finish does not encourage much more, if any, aging potential.
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Yeah, really good. The last one was corked (or something nasty). Full, fruity wine that is in its prime. Love Mondavi reserve; classic california cab. Always a good representation of the year. Finally, a 99 that is not tanic or harsh; though I have not tried one in a year or two.
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East Bay Offline IV March 25 at The Counter; 3/25/2009-3/26/2009 (Walnut Creek): Opened not decanted. Served at an offline at the Counter in Walnut Creek. I really enjoyed this wine. Fully mature and showing secondary characteristics of smoke, cedar, subtle red fruit that is neither heavy nor light with a feminine finish.. Interesting tastes. Good.
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Very solid, but not spectacular. Blackberry, cedar box, currants and some oak on the nose and palate. Full bodied with elegant tannins. Just a touch off balance it seemed.
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Christmas dinner - gave it a couple of hours to open up and it was worth it. Serious wine with lots of complex notes and a very long finish. A little rough on the edges and it definitely needs time but it was a perfect companion to a beef tenderloin.
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My last bottle. It had been a year since I drank the last one. Tasters here indicated that I should drink up so... Well upon opening it tasted awfully green. Green cedar was my first thought. Then with time the green note faded, eventually left completely. By hour 3 it was sweet and harmonious and pleasant. Very nice indeed. If you have bottles of this that have proper provenance and storage I say that you can wait up to a year or two and if you drink now give it one to two hours of air.
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Opened and decanted for 5 hours. First taste on opening was wow. Powerful, full extraction with good structure and tannin balance. At the 6th hour after opening with dinner. It had mellowed, almost dulled. Surprisingly, the decanting did not improve the taste.
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Based on some the of the other reviews I thought it time to open a bottle as some seem to think it may be reaching a peak. Decanted for 2 hours before tasting. A very rich purple/ruby color with some amber on the edges. The nose revealed very nice and elegant aroma's of dark fruits, black cherry, cassis and dust. The nose was not intense nor was it subdued. It was just right and really dialed in. On the palate the tannins were wonderfully integrated with black cherry, blueberry, earth and smoke while a touch of oak and vanilla really rounded out a nice flavor profile. Very smooth and well balanced and a nice medium finish. I didn't find the finish as long as the 2004 I recently had but it was a bit more elegant and refined than the 04 though the 04 is a bit better overall. This is very well balanced and integrated and I agree with the others who suspect this may be at its peak. I would drink now or hold for no more than 2 more years...I just don't see it getting any better. 50+5+13+17+6 (because I don't think it will last much longer)=91.
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A nice purple ruby color that is bright. This bottle is showing nice age, I get blackberry, blueberry, and cherry on the nose with some cassis and eatthy tones light leather and smokyness. Nice med. body with some well rounded tannins, with some good fruit still left. I am not sure how long this bottle will last I think that it is close to the peak if not just on the back side. Med. finish that made me want more.
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A very good example of the traditional Mondavi style. Elegant and balanced. Strong finish, very nice depth. Don't see it continuing to improve,. though, so drink em up.
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Wonderful mature classic Napa cab, enjoyed last night after an '05 Continuum and '89 Dominus at an informal wine tasting with my boss and the wives. This wine is just so good. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve too high to be a good QPR, looking forwards to trying remaining bottles at intervals. Every bottle just seems to improve - just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab. Looking forward to knocking off the remaining 4 bottles.
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Classic CA Cabernet. Dark purple color, silky on the tongue with a long aftertaste. Aromas of chassis, cherry and smoke and in the taste was those plus a little pepper. Will definitely have again if I am able.
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A classic Cali Cab that we enjoyed without decanting. A medium rust color that gives up a nose of the forest and red fruit. Has a great mouthfeel that surrounds the palate with red currant fruit and a bit of cedar wood on top of medium to fine grained tannins. A medium to long finish. Really a beautiful wine that did improve in the glass. Enjoy!!!
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Smells of burnt rubber. Bad. One of the only wines I have sourced from two places (luckily2 from each place). But, I do not know which one is the other. Two from PC (came from someones cellar, bought two or three years ago). Others from Wine Club on release. Remember to identify, or put in different locations so I know which ones were bad. Oh well. $65 wasted.
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Rated a 92 on opening. Nicely matured and integrated. Fruit and tannins at a pefect balance. Would rate a 90 an hour after opening. Started to get woody but held strong at 89/90.
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Enjoyed earlier tonight with a great steak and raclette dinner with Kim and good friends the Sledges and Gentrys. Had un-decanted but opened and aerating for almost four hours. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve may be too high to be good QPR, looking forwards to trying remaining bottles at intervals. Every bottle seems to be better then the prevous one. Fully agree on this bottle with a comment I made earlier down below when enjoying one of the previous bottles - just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab.
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94 pts - hint of earth and ash, blackberry jam, absolutely delicious. someting that you'd expect from a properly aged first growth of high rating. 4th bottle from a case and drinking better right now than any of the others tasted earlier - clearly coming into it's own but showing no signs of letting up.
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I recently purchasee this bottle @ Sams Club. the wine tasted like plum juice with no pleasing features. I assume the bottle sat in the Sams store too long with no climate control
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A wonderful nose. As it was decanting, it filled the room with dark fruit and leather. But as dinner was served it was a one-note. We waited and waited for it to open up, but it didn't. It was still a pleasent wine, but not enough to seek more out.
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Just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley red. Enjoyed warmed up but un-decanted after spoiled '89 Dominus opened with Kim and good friends neighborbill and Nitin for dinner of grilled lamb, mushrooms and veggies. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste with no off-tones at all. Nose very bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve too high to be good QPR, looking forwards to trying six remaining bottles at intervals.
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Was lucky enough to taste this from someone's cellar last night. The first hour open it did not show much. Then the nose showed currant, coffee and smoked meat. The tannins had a powder like quality that coated the tongue. The palate showed complexity with fruit and secondary characteristics mixing nicely. The finish was several seconds. The take home message with this is decant or at least leave open a while.
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This still has a long way to go. Tannins are strong & up front for the first 90 minutes, after which it mellows & the fruit becomes more apparent. Nicely balanced.
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Wow, this has an amazing smooth and velvety feel to it. Extra long finish with just a nice blend of fruit and oak. Drank the bottle in no time. This baby is ready now and for quite a while ...
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This was good, and improved as we drank it. Started a bit monolithic, and with hints of senescence. Nose was complex, with leather and autumn leaves intermixed with oak and dark fruit. Palate was full bodied and had vanilla oak, sage, vineyard dust, and still plenty of currant, blackberry, and loam. finish was moderate. Not as good as the 99 Insignia, but still very good.
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Splash decanted and poured after 30+ minutes. Still a youthful purple with hints of ruby. Initially, the nose was dominated by a strange, almost meaty funk. This seemed to blow off after some time in glass but returned with my second pour. At any rate, it blew off after a few hours in the decanter and left behind aromas of black fruits with minerals plus hints of vanilla bean. Medium to full body. Black fruits, currant & cassis, bell pepper, cigar box, and other oaky flavors on the palate. Big tannins but they quickly melt away without leaving any astringent feeling. Plus finish. Still seems a little young but also appears to have tremendous life ahead of it
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still feels like it could have miles to go... crazy aromas - from green vegetal to spice to ... well it just kept on changing. if the flavor flattens out and before the alcohol mellows this could be it, but if it gets deeper and smoother - could be looking at something more wonderful a few years down the road.
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My last bottle opened with great friends. I had been looking for a reason to finish this last one. What a wine. Seemless tannins. Red fruit with cassis and a wonderful smokiness or perhaps the telltale cedar that i've read about. The wine was the best of the 3 I've had over the last 2 years. I'm not sure this is going to get any better. Definetly had the profile of a mature cab but very fresh. Wonderful wine.
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Very nice. At the very top of outstanding. Nice and dark, silky and refined. Touches of currant, plum and berries. Long lasting. Almost drank the entire bottle by myself.
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Valentine's dinner with the Mrs. Really a wonderful bottle. Tasting from memory, so just a quick note, seems to need a bit more time. Still nice, 92-93
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deep ruby/purple color, notes of black currants, minerals, and toasty oak, and an elegant, restrained, aromatic profile. In the mouth, there is high tannin, medium body, and excellent concentration.
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Excellent. Dark stewed cherries, smokey oak, vanilla, currant, wet earth. This is a subtle wine that seems more Old World than New. Still maturing, this wine has a very long life ahead of it. I wonder if I have the patience to hold my last bottle until 2014.
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Enjoyed this marvelous wine with my DW at the Capitol Grill in Troy, MI with Veal Chop and Beef Tenderloin dinners. Appearance can be misleading. This deep dense eggplant color did a syrup'y color coating of the Riedel Crystal after a couple of swirls. Slightly tight nose despite the open bottle behind the bar. Unbelievable light and velvet mouth feel despite the pre-sip coating to the glass. Big, bold dark fruits supported by beefy yet gentle tannins, Hints of dark liquorish, oak and vanilla. No heat on the mid palate or finish. In fact the finish may very well be the best feature. Complex layers of flavor with enough strength to sustain conversation. This was a steal at $23.00 per the heavy 6 oz. pour - esp. at the Capitol Grille!
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This wine is too california for my taste. It has all the "parker" attributes: big, succulent, jammy, lots of depth, etc. But for me, it is out of balance and could use a bit more tannin and structure. Parker, as I recall, thought that this wine didnt have enough. Drank it with roast venison, which suited it well.
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Drank with Sima, Jasmine and Thijs with hangar steak in porcini and marrow sauce. Stood up very well to the rich meal. Decanted for 8 hours (more than necessary). It had an interesting aroma of green olives, but not the flavor.
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This wine absolutely requires 1-2 hours of decanting. Very closed and firm on open, but at 1.5 hours, it just opened up and blossomed. I’m sorry that we went through half the bottle at this point – we missed out. Subtle notes of cassis, black-berry, some cocoa and a bit of hard metallic edge, a full and rich feel in the mouth, with a medium length finish that trails with low amounts of vanilla, some oak, and dark berries. The finish is in contrast with the overall light initial nose. This wine is drinking great now, and I suspect will continue for a few more years, but it’s hard to ask (or see) more from it.
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Wine needed to be decanted for at least an hour. Slightly tight but mellowed after an hour or so. A real bordeaux style wine. This wine could be had now or in another year or so. Had this wine with a great steak at Capitol Grill. Tasted by others that evening and they agrred that the wine needed some time to open.
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A great bottle of wine. This was decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Tannins were soft and the wine was like velvet. Everyone really enjoyed this for dinner. I think this wine has about peaked.
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Nice bottle, but not sure worth the rating. Opened 2 hours prior and not decanted. Brownish hue with notes of cedar. Tannins still strong and lovely finish, but not a lot of taste in the mouth. It has some years left so will leave my remaining bottle alone for 3-4 years
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Love this wine. A lot of fruit on the nose with a bit of herbal complexity. Big fruit in the mouth with smooth tannins. Very supple with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. Nice long finish.
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Drank in January '07 with Beef Wellington. The nose was a little musty, strong mushroom notes with a hint of green pepper. I was a little worried, but the fruit in the wine was just fine. It was even a little syrupy upon opening. Very smooth finish, and lightened up very quickly over an hour or two. Probably should be drunk in the next year or two.
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Very happy with this wine. Great aromas of cherry vanilla. Soft mouthfeel and dark fruit. Tannins present, but just add structure and do not detract from the fruit start and long chocolate, spice finish. It's elegance reminded me of a forceful pinot. A previous reviewer compared to Audrey Hepburn - great analogy.
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Opened for Christmas Dinner 2006. Wine is young and developed after about 45 minutes of breathing in the bottle. Fruit has strong currant and berry overtones but is underwhelming. Slightly short in the finish.
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More fresh fruit than the 96 RM PR CS I had a few months later - blueberries and black currants. Medium-bodied. Tannins at a happy place. Raised my respect for Mondavi, which I had been shunning b/c of corporatization. An older-world, elegant style, with finesse - but I like that.
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With Temple, Chris and Stephanie. Decanted for one hour. Out front aromas of black fruit and soft, sweet vanilla. Wonderful texture on the palate. Soft, velvety and seamless. Very good length on the finish. A subtle and elegant wine that was a pleasure to experience. Very Audrey Hepburn.
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With my wife on our Anniversary. Decanted for 1 ½ hours. Right out of the bottle soft tannins, vanilla, black cherry and sweet fruit with hints of dark chocolate and spiciness. Enjoyed with a large Filets, potatoes and asparagus. Absolutely fabulous! I will drink it again in a couple of years!
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After starting out tight, big & round blackberry and black cherry come roaring over the palate. Dark chocolate, cassis, and black licorice notes add a deep complexity woven with toasted oack and muscular, but softened, tannis. Nicely structured and wonderfully round mouthfeel. This wine finishes very well with excellent concentration and length. Very refined.
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Classically made wine with pretty dark cabernet fruits and earthy notes. Hard-structured and coarsely tannic - years from maturity, but should turn out delicious.
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Big disappointment for the vintage. Tight bright black fruit nose with a hint of spicness and a feint green note. Medium bodied lighter tighter red/black fruit. 89 pts. WDC vertical 9/06
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This is a blockbuster Cabernet. The nose is a very deep sapphire with some hues of deep purple. The nose is glorious and yields scents of earthy black cherries and currants. The taste is still unbalanced but very chewy with flavors of currants, black cherries, cassis and cedary fruit. This wine will develop for many years. I agree with Parker on this one.
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This wine is incredible; most of the tannins have softened, and I wouldn't give it much more than two or three years. Right out of the bottle this wine was soft and velvety, yet still able to tell you that it is a cabernet.
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Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): Spicy with some bay leaf. The palate has liqueur-like intensity but is a bit hot with cranberry and sour cherry. I was a tougher grader on this than many others in the group.
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Decnated 15 min. Dark color, nose of pencil shaving and fruit. Rich currant, oak flavor, firm texture with medium length finish. Very satisfying, but still very young, could use another 3-5 years.
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1999 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve WIML89,WA87-88,WS94 Tasted double blind on February 11, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Nose of bell pepper and cassis. Flavors of red cherries, a bit thin. Not very impressive for a wine of this caliber. Yes, I know this is the 1999 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. I know because I brought it and still have two left in the cellar.
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Yankee's vs. A's Tailgate Part (Oakland): Amazingly someone said that they picked this bottle up for $16. A nice Cabernet with some earth tones and new oak flavors. This needed air or much more time in the bottle. Very primary and not showing much.
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Nice nose of currants and mint. Well-structured and full bodied, but still too tannic even with an hour of decanting. It has nice currant fruit and picks up licorice and mint on the midpalate, but then the tannins take over. Hold this one for a few more years. 90+ points.
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Dark color, with glass coating body, but this is not a heavy wine. Subdued in the typical understated style for the Mondavi Reserve. Complex flavors of currants, tobacco leaf, plum, and anise. Still significant tannins to integrate, but the right structure is there. Nice wine, but give it until 2006+. 92 points.
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The wine comes across a slightly bitter, but lots of complexity. Sweet cigar tobacco, underbrush, toast, caramel, green pepper resonate throughout the wine and is supported by a thick red fruit framework. Could be very nice if it sheds the bitterness.
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Tasted at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. tasting bar. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with purple rim. Clean nose, showing very intense black currants, kirsch, cocoa, vanilla and toasted oak. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very nice but quite pricey.
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Tasting. Not as impressive as I recall from last year. Slightly unbalanced with tannins dominating and obscuring th efruit today. Give to at least 2010.
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1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): Tasted twice. Nose of pencil lead. A dry wine with simple dark fruit and black currant notes. Medium bodied. Not an overpowering wine which of course was not what Mondavi was going for. 88-92 range
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This is one dark tannic wine, almost inky. Lots of black currant and plum, notes of minerals, oak and spice. Evolves in the glass becoming silky and seductive.
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Mondavi (and Friends) Tasting (Chicago IL): Tasting. Slightly reticent aromas with more bold fruit with big spice on palate. Firm tannins aren't quite in balance, but lots of raw materials. Hold to 2010 or later. 85% Cabernet.
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3/20/2024 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and this was smashing. perfect provenance and it showed. Tobacco, dark fruits, and a bit of leather. Still a bit tannic, this has years on it left, but not sure it will get much better. Classic Cali Cab and this wine went toe to toe with a 1998 VCC which was a smokeshow as well.
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3/16/2024 - Skymech Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was absolutely fantastic. I bought a couple of pristine bottles at auction for a low price. This wine tastes like it is in its prime. Great nose of some fruit, leather and earth. Very subtle. The palate is a mix of red and black fruit that doesn’t taste old at all. Not many tertiary notes. The fruit is still here and very fresh. This was tremendous for a 25 year old Napa. Love it.
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2/24/2024 - Spar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still had a good amount of fruit. Very balanced and smooth. Not a super powerful wine but went very well with our steaks. Wish I had more.
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1/26/2024 - snaff wrote: 94 Points
Rich dark fruit and spices on the nose. A hint of green pepper, plenty of rich cassis, cinnamon, tobacco. Smooth and full bodied, with a long structured finish.
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12/24/2023 - MJobes wrote: flawed
The first five in the wooden crate were wonderful over the years. Sadly the last one (this one) was over the hill.
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12/21/2023 - snaff wrote: 95 Points
Extremely balanced and in a great place.
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12/5/2023 - Mdb1982 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is amazing!
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11/18/2023 - Pinot Peter Likes this wine:
Smooth with a velvet texture .Classic Cab flavours. No degradation of the wine to the last drop. This is as someone else described ...a four square wine. Length is moderate and complexity of flavours is moderate but it is a pleasurable easy drinking Cab . This has an enticing lingering sweetness that grabs your attention and leaves you wanting more! The14.5% alcohol has melded well with the tannins and fruit and is not noticeable. A testimony to Mondavi,s wine making ability
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11/3/2023 - Mdb1982 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great wine, decanted for 1 hour prior to drinking. Wine got better with more time. Happy to have a few bottles left.
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1/19/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
took to Vegas
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10/3/2022 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
this was really nice, no notes but classic old RM Reserve (ie a little four square, but DELICIOUS)... felt like this could go 10 - 15 years more no problem (at least this btl)
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9/21/2022 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
really really nice, full minus body with lingering (and lovely) acidity... this feels like it has 10 years left at least, dark red fruit
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8/12/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:
Splash decanted followed over the night. Classic aged Napa cab, blackcurrant and cassis, earthy notes and a bit of dark chocolate on the finish. Fully integrated tannins, medium acidity. Peak classic Napa cab.
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5/10/2022 - lolo66 wrote:
a bit more primary than the 90 and 91, but to be expected. In a long list of wines that night, this one was a promising "young'n"
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5/8/2022 - Darkman Likes this wine: 94 Points
A perfectly matured CS from Napa from a renowned producer. A friend called it right bank Bordeaux, it really didn‘t scream NW. Very classic style, lovely balance and not much influence by the winemaker, just fantastic.
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1/8/2022 - Psychescalpel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aerated and decanted x2 hrs. This bottle has precipitated some sediment, straining is recommended. In the glass this wine presents as a bright garnett, just beginning to edge towards brick. On the nose, red and black fruit. On the palate, plums, ripe strawberries, vanilla, and dark cherries burst forth, followed by more subtle notes of cigar box and crushed flowers. Mouthfeel is luscious, full and syrupy. Fine tannins and balanced acidity are exquisitely integrated, with a long fruit forward finish. Overall impression: this wine is extremely well integrated and is drinking beautifully right now. A delicious example of the 1999 vintage, and surprisingly lush and fruit forward for a cooler vintage of this age . I feel this wine will continue to evolve well for at least another five years, perhaps longer. 93+ pts.
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12/26/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
beautiful as always, benefitted a lot from the multi hour decant, at least a decade ahead of nice drinking
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9/6/2021 - adon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit, plum, and surprisingly strawberry with leather and tobacco. Very nice mouth feel with soft tannins. Nice long finish. Overall elegant but drink now....
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4/17/2021 - pinotpounder Likes this wine: 90 Points
90 points
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4/17/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
really lovely, was a bit closed when first decanted but opened up slowly but surely over the 2.5 hours we drank it... last sip was the best... kinda wondering if it would get a higher rating if we decanted at noon for dinner drinking... anyway, red to purple fruit, very nice acidity / lift, somewhat simple and without any sense of heaviness or wood... my kinda wine - elegant
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2/10/2021 - mflesh wrote:
Compared to 2 years ago when I had this last, there's been a lot of oxidation here. The notes seem a little more barbecued and vegetal. A little smoky on the finish. I'm not loving this as much as the bottle a couple of years ago.
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1/31/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
what a fine cab suav this was, def'ly up to the std I find in old RM Reserve... deep red and some darker fruits, great acidity, almost felt like you were smelling it on the palate... tip o the cap to the winemaker of this... going out to find more right now
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12/26/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
seemed a little tight (despite three hours in decanter before drinking, this is made for the long haul... as we drank it I wondered if I should (and as important will?) wait ten years for the others
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11/25/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
absolutely beautiful again... this had a very robust nose (I rarely find a wine that gets me going on the nose, but this was amazing), the palate was at the same time powerful and elegant... felt like it is in its prime, but I suspect I will like it better in 10-12 years... when faded blue jeans kicks in (and the fruit was plenty enough for the 'faded' part to be a good thing, not bad)... drink now with three hour decant or hold and enjoy over the next decade or two
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10/23/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
PnP 2 hours prior to dinner and finding it open and resolved just slow oxed and sipped till dinner in BDX glasses and btl. Cork in great ship, high fill. I purchased this about a year ago. In excellent condition but unsure there is any upside to hanging on to these for more than 2 or 3 years. Semi opaque ruby red color. A mix of lavender and cigar ash on the nose. The palate is classic earlier CA with focus, decent energy and balanced flavors of; red fruit, cassis, lead pencil, mineral, light underbrush and herbs. Not a rock star but it accords itself very well in the pantheon of CA Cabernet. Nothing over the top like too many modern versions by other producers. The well integrated 14.1 alc went unnoticed. Hardly any sediment. 93pts+ / 94pts-
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6/20/2020 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super still
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3/26/2020 - martin_e Likes this wine: 92 Points
It needs at least 2 hours of decanting to smooth off the edges. Shows lots of tobacco, black cherry, and tart black fruits. It's still surprisingly young.
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12/28/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
great wine, had the balance of body / fruit with some secondary character / mineral / spice that I like in CA cabs... Bordeaux all too often falls short on the fruit, CA pinot almost always overshoots on the fruit/body... therefore its red burg and older (pre the over-oaking post-2000 period) CA cabs / blends for me
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12/25/2019 - jepyle Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had this with Christmas dinner of prime roasted tenderloin with a cabernet reduction sauce. I received this as a gift quite a number of years ago, so I don't know what it cost, but it was generally selling for about $100 at that time. While it was a very good wine, considering its cost and age, I wasn't blown away by it. I have always been a big fan of Mondovi cabernet, but I don't think this wine justifies a price 4 to 5 times their regular Napa cabernet.
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12/6/2019 - wythes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Twenty years on and this wine is still performing pretty well. I don't know where my bottle came from, but I've had it for a while in my cellar. CellarTracker says this wine has a 2014 end date, but I disagree. This wine could go a few more years. The nose didn't offer up much, but the palate was smooth with some fruit. In other words, a typical Cali Cabernet. All things considered, not a bad showing from this wine.
Day 2 and this wine is improving. The color doesn’t show much age but the wine tastes a bit ‘funky’ like a wine with some years behind it. I like it.
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11/10/2019 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Second Sunday Group: 1999 Napa cabernets (Our house): Blind. Herb and tobacco notes with red frut underneath. A bit thin across the palate. Good red fruit flavors, just lacks presence. I was suprised to see this unveiled as the Mondavi Reserves tend to perform much better for my palate preferences. Perhaps this bottle wasn't the greatest example of this wine. 88+ pts.
My #6, Domino's #1
Group #5, 59 pts
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7/14/2019 - BrendanMcS wrote: 95 Points
Really delicious. Well balanced and great fruit. Tannins suggest it still has some aging left in it, but it’s drinking really well right now.
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7/14/2019 - BernieMSY wrote: 96 Points
Dark garnet color, floral nose. Tons of savory umami. Leather, tobacco, cedar pencil and roasted meat. Black fruit and tar. Plenty of tannins; a good twenty years of life lie ahead.
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7/4/2019 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Having a mini tasting with my grandson, fourth bottle in the series. One of the best in a wonderful period at the winery. Wanted to show the elegance and development. this wine is going strong and is so easy to use to demonstrate aging and elegance.
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6/15/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 97 Points
This was my last of 2 bottles. Had the last one 2 yrs ago. This wine was a whole different ballgame. Tasted alongside 2006 Montelena Estate Cab, the Mondavi soared. Non-polished in an old-school Napa sort of way (as opposed to the more polished and less interesting Montelena), the earthy and black-fruited flavors come out in spades. Cassis, pencil lead, unripened plum skin, wet firewood, cigar ash, old leather. This wine was replete with complexity and the beautifully supporting acidity was in perfect balance. Previously gritty tannins showed more refinement after 20 yrs of age...and the finish lasted far longer than a minute. Delicious now, I believe it is at an apogee and I wouod drink any bottles right now through 2020 or so. Delicious.
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4/27/2019 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
No way I would have ever guessed this was a 99. Would have thought 06...maybe. It is showing a little bit of age, as I guess you would expect. But this bottle has aged very well. At 20 years old, this wine curveball of the night pulled by Jason! One of my favorites of the night. The entry of this wine definitely shows a hint of age, but only a hint. Lots of blackberry, hint of blueberry, cassis, dark baking chocolate. Little bit of graphite, still with nice tannin on the finish which has started to soften and integrate. A lovely wine.
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4/15/2019 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cellar Triage Tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon; 4/14/2019-4/15/2019 (Home): Opened as a benchmark to compare to six other bottles, this is a wine that fully demonstrates the reason aged Cabernet has a mystical reputation. An awesome bottle of wine, fruit, power, intensity, acid balance, weight and soft tannins. Easily has more years. From the ripe but not super ripe period of Cabernet winemaking. 14.5% alcohol.
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3/26/2019 - Jmf17 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank this one a few weeks ago at Montebello in Manhattan. I had had the 1995 a year and a half or so ago at Bistro Elephant in Syracuse : it was elegant, divinely so, an eye-opener. The 1999 less so, but still very good. Many may not appreciate it, but Mondavi knows what he's doing....
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3/17/2019 - skatman wrote: 92 Points
Wondered if still drinking well after seeing the time window but believe this ‘99 Reserve could still have rested for another few years and would be fine. Decanted for 6 hours, nice plum fruit, noted but softened tannins, great structure with a tinge of anise as common from Mondavi Reserve. Overall fantastic wine, better than the 2001 Reserve I had two years ago and also last year which I felt was past it’s prime last year. Also 2001 had heavy leather, licorice/fuel accents
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2/9/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was my only bottle of this wine, purchased at some unknown time prior to using CT. The bottle has a handwritten price tag of $84 and another saying 20% off on it, suggesting to me that I bought this on close out from a store sometime in the mid 2000’s. This wine has very widely disparate opinions, ranging from quite high scores from the likes of Jancis Robinson and “The World of Fine Wine” yet very low scores from Richard Jennings and John Gilman all of whom I generally respect. CT ratings and commentary also vary widely. 1999 in Napa was a mixed vintage with a cool summer and wet spring but finished with a week long heat spike near harvest. I have found that I tend to really like some wines from this vintage in contrast to many critics, most notably Dominus. This bottle was in pristine condition. I decanted it at 4:30pm and tasted it from about 7pm through 9:30pm and it seemed to still be on the upswing near the end. The wine was an opaque dark garnet with a crimson meniscus and no bricking. The nose has lovely florals of violets and lavender as well as herbs de Provence along with leather, chocolate, cassis and ripe plum. On the palate it is rich with well integrated tannins, some still bright acidity, anise, graphite, the florals, herbs etc from the nose and a very long aftertaste that lasts nearly a minute. This reminds me more of the Cabs I have had from the 1960’s and 1970’s in its elegance and depth of flavor but is higher in alcohol at 14.1% that the wines from that era. It is a big wine but controlled and balanced. It also seems to lack that earthy element Mondavi Reserves have had from earlier vintages. Distinctly Napa in my opinion if tasted blind. I really enjoyed this wine and I think at almost 20 years old it is still not past early adulthood in terms of wine age, so I think it may still improve with more time in a good cellar. It was delicious with a thick cut, medium rare, grilled NY Strip steak.
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2/3/2019 - Filippospat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Developed and slightly oxidized with hints of Blueberry jam, orange peel, leather and tobacco. It’s herbaceous with cedar, pencil leads and tomato leaf. On the palate it’s still brilliantly fresh with Blackberry, blueberry and chocolate. Long finish with creamy tannins. Again leather, cedar and herbal on the palate. Fancy wine. Pretty excited with how fresh palate still has!
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1/26/2019 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Still a great complex wine
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1/8/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
no notes (was in Vegas) but this was outstanding again
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1/1/2019 - MichielV wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle to start the year. W steak from bbq. 1 hour decant. This was fabulous, great mature color, superb powerful but elegant nose. On palate all an aged can can stand for, fruit, elegance, balance, interesting flavors. Great long finish. Yummy - at the top. Would be great to try 10 yrs from now but i wouldn't risk it. People will love this cab.
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12/25/2018 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Other than needing an AhSo and a Nuance filter these were two excellent wines in their prime. The balance I am holding will be excellent for my youngest grandson’ s birthday in two years.
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12/16/2018 - Winokdub wrote: 91 Points
The drinking window was 1 hour after opening. No decant. Started to fade after about the third hour. From a 3liter. Great nose. Lots of secondary and tertiary flavors. Good finish but kinda tired.
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12/2/2018 - bigredPA Likes this wine: 92 Points
A classic, elegant Napa cab; in a great spot now but still good life left in this - amazing. Enticing aromas of red fruit, currant, leather, and earth. Just a pleasure to drink.
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10/27/2018 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened as a backup to the 1984 Opus One last night. Still vibrant and wonderful, in prime. No ullage to speak of (less than 1/8 inch) stored in my cellar since 2002, direct from winery warehouse. Was perfect with the lamb, supple and enhancing the meaty flavors.
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10/6/2018 - scasbeer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still good, but fading fast. If it's in your cellar, it should be in your glass now.
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9/22/2018 - happytom Likes this wine: 93 Points
ready for drinking. Leather, raspberries, drenched cherries. Definitely aged. Drink up now. After 2 hours it died and became sour. But it was great up until then.
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8/29/2018 - libero Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red dark, full body, showing lots of sediment. Armomas of red berries, prunes, tobacco and young leather. It is going down hill very soon.
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7/26/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sexy, elegant, and classy. Great easy to drink to wine for summer. see previous notes.
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7/7/2018 - libero wrote:
Flawed
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7/1/2018 - gcarl wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and consumed over 90+ minutes with steak dinner. DARK in the glass, dark fruit, cedaron the nose. Velvety on the palate with a long finish
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6/29/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular. We love 1999's from Napa. This was so good. See previous notes. Again if you get a well stored bottle they are so good.
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6/2/2018 - petec-s Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle showed fantastically well. Seemingly much younger than previous bottles. Dark in colour with an open bouquet of fine cassis, cigar box and a tiny hint of mint. Suave textured palate offering ripe cassis, herbs, oak and superb tannins working well together. Long and very good indeed.
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5/18/2018 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine dinner and tasting with Tim Mondavi. We tasted Robert Mondavi Reserve '97 and '99, and Continuum '05, '11, and '14.
This was much easier to drink. It smelled great, was a nice deep color or purple and red, and still had fruit and backbone.
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5/7/2018 - Kevnzworld Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really good after an hour of decanting. A balanced Wine with all the subtleties that a good 18 yo Cab should have. While ready to drink, this wine isn’t over the hill.
The wine continued to improve as the dinner progressed....
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4/18/2018 - MJobes Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bad boy is ready to drink!
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4/18/2018 - libero wrote: 91 Points
Others bottles were outstanding. This bottle is just a good wine
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10/22/2017 - WestUAg wrote: 94 Points
Great bottle of wine, dusty...fruit still alive and well balanced.
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10/17/2017 - Steve C Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Very funky for 1 hour but then a mature delight
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7/5/2017 - happytom wrote: 93 Points
Decided to open my last bottle for July 4th in honor of Robert Mondavi. Initial funk that blew off after one hour. Earthy, forest floor, mushrooms, raspberry fruits with a hint of plum. Crushed wet dark rose. Wife (served blind) guessed had to be Cabernet but must be old word. Understandable. Very mature but still has life in it. Crushed limestone. Excellent.
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6/5/2017 - JKelly05 wrote:
Consistent w/ previous.
Stunning youthfulness to this bottling, integrated dark fruits, green herbs, violets, beautifully long and complex. Layered and silky.
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5/14/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
Purchased 2 bottles of this wine at auction in Cincinnati a few years ago. Not sure how it was stored etc.
The wine had ups and downs as it was aerated. It had a background funk that I was worried about, but that blew off over the 2 days that we tasted this wine. The wine obviously had structure and pedigree, and the aromas of pencil lead, tobacco leaf, savory mushrooms and cassis were all very apparent. The tannins were mostly resolved, and the supporting acidity was at a "just right" point. The last glass on day 2 was the best glass. I'd still drink this wine in the next 2-3 years.
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4/22/2017 - jww Likes this wine: 93 Points
deep ruby color
fruity nose
very tight when opened needed 1 1/2 hours to open up
then it was delightful complex flavors smooth finsih
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4/21/2017 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed this. Deep ruby color in the glass, slight bricking on the edges. This needed about 20-30 minutes in the decanter to come together. Red fruit on the nose, with that elusive spice box - clove element that comes with aged Cabernet. On the palate there is red fruit, acid, and light, fine tannin all integrated together nicely.
At hours one through three, this really reminded me of a 2005 Ridge Monte Bello we had recently. Sounds crazy but there it is.
No need to wait. Probably another year or two in this prime window it's currently in.
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4/15/2017 - Haggis Likes this wine: 93 Points
I brought my sole remaining bottle of this to dinner at our favorite restaurant last weekend. This is in a really good place now. The balance among the fruit, acidity, and tannin (muted, but there) is fantastic.
This bottle had a bit of funk that blew off after about 15 minutes. The dark fruit was there from the outset, but the deeper "umami" of licorice and other flavors that are hard to describe, came alive after about an hour. This is a fantastic wine. I'm convinced that this has a lot of life left and could certainly attain a mark as high as 95pts, if not higher, in another 5-10yrs. No rush to open this if you have any sitting around.
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3/26/2017 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased at winery. Absolutely stunning. Smooth, soft, and easy to drink. Slightly dusty, still has some power and depth. See previous notes. lots of sediment
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2/21/2017 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
rich ruby color maybe showing slight bricking
nice fruity nose black berries and cherry
very soft on the tounge aging but still showing nice fruit earthy tones
sooth after taste
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2/4/2017 - Zingrrl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really in a great spot. Fruit soft, tannins just right, earthy, long long finish.
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1/28/2017 - MWes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking amazing. Seemed much more old world than new world. Earth notes, forest floor, etc. A really beautiful, enjoyable wine.
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1/24/2017 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner with Dr. Rudo and Perla. Spinnase, Seattle. Commiserating inauguration day. Last bottle. Great bottle. Still had fruit, maybe the most from this case but with air earthy complexity tones were added. Very good structure, nose, full body and finish. Balanced acidity with transparent tannins. Will look for more on auction.
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12/25/2016 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark berries, smoke, cassis, and plums on the nose. Herbs, dark fruit, and cedar on the palate. Nice finish.
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10/28/2016 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rating reflects performance on third day. First day tasted a bit off (musty and bitter tannin) even after 2 hour decant so I corked it up and placed into the fridge. Reopened and warmed two days later and it blossomed immediately into a classic Napa cab with velvety red fruit and a balanced finish that still showed some energy. Nice fruit driven nose. Not huge complexity but some tobacco and mocha -- it really was dominated by a beautiful expression of mature fruit.
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10/21/2016 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
Drank alongside the '97, as well as Brion '02 and Fisher '07.
Much darker than the '97.
Deep dark ruby in the glass. Almost opaque.
Black fruits, black berries, cassis, rainsins, oak.
Clean, dark fruits and berries, cola, oak very much present. Crushed gravel and earth. Med + body, tannins well integrated. Plush mouthfeel, long finish. Wine has life, drinking very well, feels young and vibrant. There is room for further life here.
Very very different than the '97, much more earth and darker fruits.
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9/19/2016 - mdipietro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really drinking well
Color is just starting to turn brick, fruit is still vibrant
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6/9/2016 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Napa Cab at its finest. This wine has hit its stride, nose is dark fruit with some earth, palate is pure Napa with a long finish. I have drank other bottles of this wine in the past that didn't drink as well, which leads me to believe now is finally the time with this wine.
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5/22/2016 - petec-s wrote: 93 Points
Best bottle yet, very deep and pure Napa cab.
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5/9/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Again these are hit or miss. They are either awesome or horrible basically. This one was outstanding. smooth, silky, well integrated. Red fruits, cedar, baking spices, cola, eucalyptus, menthol. I wish they were all like this. I said Wow on the first sip. Maybe cause I expected to suck.
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4/23/2016 - JOsgood Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a beauty. Still fresh and young tasting. Classic Napa Cab with nice notes of cedar and dark fruits. Nice balance with a lengthy finish. Great stuff.
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3/18/2016 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very old and still brilliant and smooth.
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2/7/2016 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Splash decanted and then served over 45 minutes. Very young tasting for its age. Lots of ripe dark fruit but with nice round tannins and enough acidity to keep light on its feet. Long finish that highlights tobacco, mocha and cedar. Got "smoother" with air and was integrating nicely. Could have scored higher if given more time before finishing. Lots of life left.
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1/17/2016 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good bottle, 2 others corked. Very balanced. A little funk I had in others but it blew off quickly. No one aspect dominant. Very enjoyable.
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12/13/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 83 Points
These are really hit and miss. We have drank more than 2 cases of these and you never know what you'll get. Some are amazing and some are very very dry with some very rough edges. This bottle was rough.
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11/28/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular! Wonderfully soft and so easy to drink. Like and old bordeaux. notes of red fruit, wet cedar, and dust.
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11/15/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent bottle. Dark purple in color. Nose of fruit, leather, wet wood. Best after 1 hour of being opened. Very soft, smooth, and velvety. Very easy to drink once again. Past its prime but still very enjoyable.
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9/19/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
super nice over four nights, dark color, dark brooding nose with dark fruits and cedar, med- to full-bodied with big luxurious darkish fruits, cedar and some leather, really a fine wine on the larger side for my tastes, again RM cab sauv reserve delivers, dependable and great QPR
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9/7/2015 - Beaunedoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Can't really describe the wine more accurately than the notes provided in previous entries in this thread. One of three tasters picked barnyard. It certainly wasn't garrigue or Burgundian underbrush to my way of thinking.
I seldom drink Napa cabs but this bottle was in lovely condition and on the mark for current drinking. It was far more elegant and balanced than I would have ever expected, not to mention simply delicious.
Bravo!
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8/28/2015 - wombat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bouquet: Very funky, earth, herb, mineral, blackberry, dark plum/prune, smoky toasty oak showing coffee and dark chocolate. Day 2: Very complex, earthy and funky, spice and herb blend (anise, nutmeg, thyme), orange and lemon zest, violets.
Palate:
Flavor: Citrus attack followed by plum, racy bing cherry with some pie cherry flavors. Finishes with plum, vanilla, milk chocolate. Day 2: Citrus, bright Bing Cherry, with small % of pie chart. Underneath all this this is a creamy chocolate, toasted oak and lively cassis.
Comment: One of the best Mondavi wines I've had (excepting Opus 1).
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8/17/2015 - Cobraworld wrote:
Me and Dee at barelis
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8/4/2015 - redlegs Likes this wine:
This is a big wine. Dark color in the glass. First sip is overwhelming without decanting or aeration. Earthy tastes open up to fruity tastes after a few seconds. There are multiple layers of flavors with this wine, aeration opens up the flavors. The long finish has a mild tannins. This wine will keep longer, but i don't this wine will improve any move.
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7/18/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
These bottles really vary from bottle to bottle. We had over 30 bottles and we never know what we are going to get. This bottles was excellent. Very smooth from start to finish. Excellent finish, wasn't over dry like some of these older Mondavi reserves. (see previous tasting notes)
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7/5/2015 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 95 Points
hour in a decanter and this was a classic Mondavi beauty... menthol/anise and beautiful fruit
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6/28/2015 - sirwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was the last of six bottles and possibly the best. I was expecting it to be past prime, but it drank beautifully. Decanted at the table, it was soft and elegant.
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6/27/2015 - doctornoah wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous. Elegant. Drinking very well. Restrained for the vintage.
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6/6/2015 - mdstone23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very big cab. It is drinking well now but will age for awhile.
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6/1/2015 - TABauer Likes this wine: 88 Points
Consumed durring a 4 hour long reorganization of my cellar. Found this wine which was supposedly past its' drinking window.. Wrong. Wow 1999 I feel like a lot has changed in winemaking since 1999. Yet this wine is holding up very well. I like this Cab. Prune, Plumb and candied fruits, Medium Body , ruby colored leaning towards brown Hard to believe we have been waiting 16 years to meet.
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6/1/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Started out with great fruit as the other notes i Have posted but this bottle lost its power after an hour and a half. It also became very very dry. Still drinkable though. Very light in body. Not heavy what so ever. I have gotten these from several different places. They do vary quite a bit.
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5/28/2015 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured, deep ruby hue. Pronounced aromas of cigar box, cassis, plummy fruits, smoked herbs and a touch of roasted red bell pepper. Has a certain elegance in mouth...not light per se yet lithe nonetheless. Black fruits, black currant, tobacco plus a huge impression of crushed stones and minerals in the palate. Drying, chewy tannins on the lengthy close. Reminiscent of a classed-growth Graves and while drinking splendidly right now this has the structure to age effortlessly for years, if not decades.
Beautiful Cabernet, a testament to Tim Mondavi.
Quick comment: I'd opt for drinking this in the near term while the fruit is still in sync with the tannins.
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5/20/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cruising the Oceans; 5/17/2015-5/24/2015: Dusty clean chalk nose. Very smooth and integrated. Fruity on the palate. Tannins 6/10. Fruitier than I had expected. Some nice dryness on the finish but not harsh
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5/17/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not as powerful as the last bottle but still very good. Lots of mint and eucalyptus on the finish. Seemed a bit more muted this time. lighter and very easy to drink. Just a touch more alcohol on the finish than previous bottles.
See previous tasting notes.
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5/10/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
very very nice, round almost luxurious fruit, on the red side, pretty full bodied, good acid and only a bare hint of tannin... this wine was easy drinking and with the oomph (but grapes driven, not 'manufactured' with oak etc) to be nice alone / without food... a crowd pleaser for sure even if not that complex
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3/7/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 2 of these from the same lot and both were completely different. They both came from the same owc. Seems all 6 of them have a different personalites completely.
Both were excellent and tasting notes were consistent with my previous notes on these wines.
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2/23/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle was very much like an older bordeaux. Not quite as long a finish as the other 99's I have had. But very pleasant, lighter, a bit brighter, and very easy to drink. Lots of floral notes throughout, cherries and raspberries, a little bordeaux funk, old wood, and maybe some dark chocolate.
I always love these Mondavi Reserves.
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2/16/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
NR as it was late in a 10 bottle evening, this didn't get much attention so i would say ok but not earth shattering… might take a more focused test to come up with a view… sorry… also probably suffered from comparison with a '71 Barolo drunk alongside
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1/23/2015 - tahaus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. 16 years old and from an average year, this wine was beautiful. Smooth, well balanced, not big and powerful but full of blackberry, cedar, vanilla tobacco under tones, and a nice lingering finish. Actually had to decant for an hour...
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1/23/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular wine. Darker in color but not as dark as the 2000 To Kalon. The nose was wonderful. Very much together with power still left for sure. We popped and poured this wine but a 1-2 hour decant would have been perfect. Very smooth and silky as most Mondavi reserve cabs are. Loads of milk chocolate and raspberry jam, some spices, a little mint, and a smooth long finish. Not a massive bruiser, but elegant as always.
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1/15/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent bottle. Buttery smooth. Great mouth feel. Subtle notes of milk chocolate, dark cherry, a touch of cedar. Just spectacular from beginning to end. 30- 60min decant is fine. These mondavi's are great from the time you pop it to the time you empty it, when ever that may be. We have several cases of 1999-2001 Mondavi Reserves. Every once in a while we open an off bottle but its very rare. These babes always perform and put a smile on everyones faces.
Not a big, huge, massive wine by any means. But delicate, smooth, refined and elegant in every way. Way too easy to over consume these!
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1/12/2015 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought with us to Mark's Prime Steakhouse in downtown Ocala ($15 corkage). This was surprisingly open right from the initial pour, adding even more depth and intensity after a half hour in the decanter. Quite youthful-looking for a wine that is now 16 years old. A deep, semi-opaque crimson in color, lightening slightly at the edge. Very earthy on the nose, with some subtle hints of dark crushed berries and spice. Full-bodied and extremely velvety in texture, but not at all heavy or over-extracted. For its age, this was surprisingly fruity - bursting with luscious raspberry, red currant and blackberry fruit. The texture, depth and intensity on the palate are absolutely amazing. Notes of dried herbs, violets and spice add complexity to the long, graceful finish. The tannins are fully integrated and smooth as silk. Very rich and satisfying, yet also displays a wonderful sense of elegance and finesse. Paired beautifully with our bone-in Ribeye.
50+5+12+18+8=93
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1/7/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent wine. Popped and poured. Smooth as silk. Everything was well integrated. Spectacular at $70!! very very well balanced. Nice fruit, spices, dark chocolate, so smooth. I think I love each one I open more than the one before. These were direct from original consignor and have been stored perfectly since.
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1/1/2015 - chuckos77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Magnum, cork was brittle but wine was in great shape. Drank a 2009 along side and the 1999 was much more complex. Really showed the difference in aging. The wine started with mixed reviews but as it opened, it really blossomed and proved its worthiness. Elegant, flavorful and long lasting. Nice wine, large format still had a few years in it.
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11/23/2014 - kingboo wrote: 92 Points
Cork crumbled upon opening. Bad omen, right? Nope. Luscious fruit evident from the start, and it was a pnp. Tannins light but still clearly evident. Probably has peaked, so drink up. But still a class leader.
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11/2/2014 - perlasteve wrote: 90 Points
did not decant, absolutely no fruit initially but some tannins. didn't even have the "funk" I have associated with this vintage. However after 30 - 40 minutes with oxtails and painted hills burger flavors started creeping in which were very good. Will decant and use venturi with my next bottle and have more patience which I think will be rewarded. Score would have probably been higher if I had more wine that night to drink.
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10/5/2014 - Cobraworld wrote:
Me , Jan , Liam and Carmen at Barelis
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10/5/2014 - Cobraworld wrote:
Me, Jan . Liam and Carmen at Bareli's
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10/4/2014 - bkay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well now. Tannins are very well integrated and wine is smooth right after 30 minutes of decanting the wine. Very good, but not distinctive, finish
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9/25/2014 - Cobraworld wrote:
Me and Robb at Bareli's
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9/24/2014 - Bodyfxr wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes then enjoyed over the next 2 hours. Deep purple black to a crimson edge. Wonderful nose of dark ripe fruits, casis and kirsch with mild floral elements. A marked tannic yet musty blast on attack mellowing to a long lingering silky finish. I disagree with other tasting notes as there is a lot of life left in this vintage. In fact I am a bit disappointed in not waiting another 2-5 years to open this bottle instead of succumbing to the opinions of those who thought this wine to be past it's prime. I will be sure to take more heed of the drinking windows in the future and less of what folks have to say regarding a wine's prime drinking time.
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8/9/2014 - petenich wrote:
Engagement Party
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8/4/2014 - SkeBum wrote: 86 Points
Wine started out well, nice nose with decent palate, but fell apart rapidly after being opened and decanted. Really sad.
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7/22/2014 - rshumard wrote:
- Crimsom color and aromas of cloves and has flavours of strawberry jam - Bunny and Kermite at our house with a Fred's sirloin, zucchini and summer squash with shallots, grilled bread with olive and truffle oil, and finally Kermite's lobster claws.
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6/21/2014 - petenich wrote:
Shelby Birthday
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5/25/2014 - Cruzin wrote: 93 Points
So at first i wrote: "To echo previous recent notes, this is certainly not gone but it doesn't feel like its got much life left. Changed back and forth over an hours time, picking up a medicinal note and then shedding it and showing drying tannins on the finish."
However, after another couple hours and having it with food, Korean braised short ribs, this was undoubtedly delicious, the fruit felt a little more fresh, structure was bigger and well balanced, a very nice wine, I'm thinking not over the hill at all, but matures and maybe going through an awkward developmental stage right now. Drink with food.
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3/28/2014 - petenich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really good nose on this bottle....
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3/21/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 91 Points
Splash decanted and drank over a couple hours. The wine showed best early on in the night and then fell apart as it got more air. Started off very beautiful but unfortunately didn't last.
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3/9/2014 - amyaustin wrote: 76 Points
Past it's prime
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3/1/2014 - mclanew Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a pleasant surprise. Very tannic in its youth this has developed nicely over time. Great structure and fleshy fruit mid-palate. Black fruits, coffee grinds, minerals and a touch of oak. Only challenge is a little reticent on the nose and little four square on the finish.
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2/22/2014 - Richonne wrote: 86 Points
Smooth due to aging & enjoyable but a bit past its prime.
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2/22/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
Similar to last bottle; went downhill after being opened for a few hours.
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2/3/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
This was as good as expected day 1, but consumption on day 2 was showing age. This is good for a PnP, but don't let it sit around once it has been opened.
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1/21/2014 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
very nice as expected again big nose dark red color well structured wine
minerally this time and i enjoyed it more than the last bottle
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1/17/2014 - BrianDevany Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice bouquet on the nose of ripe dark fruits, graphite, and cedar with a nice amber color on the edges. Great balance, still has good structure (although it has reached maturity so drink it now). Finish is long and savory. We paired it with a venison steak and it was delicious!
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1/10/2014 - twoamps wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was past its peak. Color is ok, a little coffee-ground sediment that decanted easily, but the nose was that too-old cab note that didn't ever fade away. A bit thin. Fruit had faded a bit into leather and raisin territory.
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12/23/2013 - RudyRangeLegend Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brick color. Nose started with blackberry, then opened up into an earthy tobacco. Very smooth and approachable right now, but may have a couple of years left.
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10/9/2013 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes, but a good bottle. Quite a bit of variation with these. This one is quite young and vibrant. Gives the impression of a wine that has started to settle down, but has years of life left. Still some prominent tannins on the backend, but more than enough fruit and acidity to provide balance. This bottling, given the several sources I acquired it from, is always a crapshoot. The good bottles have been very good, and this is one.
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9/23/2013 - petenich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking real well. Showed much better than 2000 initially in side by side tasting. 2000 eventually caught up. This is ready now and has 1 or 2 years to go.
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8/18/2013 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
drank along side a 97 Phelps Insignia.. this had attractive Mondavi nose and nice balance. less fruit than the insignia but nicely balanced and classic cab
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8/17/2013 - perlasteve wrote: 92 Points
drinking well. good balance of fruit and minimal tannins. some mineral. would go for it now if you have some. may not last this well much longer.
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7/22/2013 - mmoss wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding! Popped and poured. Initial nose had a slight band aid/menthol notes that blew off after about 15 minutes then taken over by earthy, black berry and spice. Softened tannins in the front followed by a fully integrated flavors of spice, plum, and light oak in the finish. Previous user notes on milk chocolate finish was spot on.
This one could cellar longer, but drinking very well right now.
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6/21/2013 - cellar.dweller wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Consumed over 3 hours. The first hour the wine was showing the best. It is starting to hit it's decline and should probably be consumed sooner than later. Bricky color, with a nose of leather, spice, and smoke. Palate is soft with light red fruit.
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5/19/2013 - matthyson wrote: 94 Points
Simply fantastic wine. Needed about an hour of air to come alive before providing a dazzling array of aromas in the bouquet. Warm earthy notes intermingle with menthol and eucalyptus; a touch of barnyard and mint follow after time and air. Black fruits and tar on the palate with a well-balanced consistency of fruit, acid and mineral. Tannins are still present but soft with a long lingering finish of milk chocolate that goes on for 60+ seconds. Likely at its peak with a 1-2 hour decant but has the structure for another 4-8 years in the cellar.
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5/12/2013 - ajweststeyn wrote: 96 Points
Drank with Kurt and Tammy - awesome!
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5/10/2013 - Combo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Outstanding. Likely near peak as I can't imagine it getting much better. Drank right after a decanted 2005 Opus One and this Mondavi blew it away.
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5/7/2013 - andyf Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Prune, and Horsey. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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3/31/2013 - Vstalam wrote: 92 Points
Really nice wine, but requires some air to open up (slow-oxed for two to three hours). Very well balanced with a blue fruit profile with hints of pepper, and with mild tannins on the finish with the fruit still lingering. Still think aged Mondavi Reserve wines are among the best values in Napa on the high end. You can age it easily for another 6-10 years, but the wine is drinking nicely now with some air.
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3/16/2013 - BernieMSY wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine. Fruit fading a bit. Time to drink up
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3/10/2013 - PASimon wrote: 88 Points
I am sad to report that this wine needs to be consumed quickly. In my opinion, it's best days have passed. The bottle was well stored and the cork was in near perfect shape. I tried it immediately upon opening and found it to be thin like grape juice with a slight Granache like quality. After some air, it picked up some weight but was still flat, lacked any complexity and had almost no finish. After even more time (about two hours now) whatever structure it did have began to fall apart and it became harsh and the alchohol became more prominent. Personally, I think it's time to take a hard look at opening all domestic cabs from the 1990's - certainly 1997's and even 1999's. I have had too many who's best days were behind them lately and a lot of bottle variation too.....both of which will only get worse. (this bottle was from Magnum)
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1/24/2013 - rh marcin wrote: 89 Points
- Garnet color - Disappointing body.
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1/18/2013 - Vinicioso Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up thinking that it was going to be on its way down, but was amazed about how balanced it was. Decanted for about 30 minutes prior to drinking it and we finished the bottle over a 2 hour dinner and it was superb towards the end. At least 2-3 years left at peak on these bottles. Cheers!
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1/17/2013 - petec-s wrote: 92 Points
Just excellent, drinking well and so young, seems by this bottle to have many years In hand, sleek oaky cassis, dusty tannins, not less than excellent.
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1/1/2013 - bilnjil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank this long-cellared magnum with NYE dinner of beef tenderloin after decanting for about 3.5 hours. The wine opened up very nicely by then though improved with time during our meal. The wine is still garnet colored with some brick starting to show around the edges. Aroma of oak and toast yielding to soft cassis, forest floor and blackberry flavors. Though the tannins have rounded out by now there is still enough structure to the wine to make the traditional cab/filet pairing simply outstanding. Very nice medium to long finish and I'd say the wine is definitely peaking - don't wait too much longer on this one.
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12/25/2012 - jimmyconroy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Let breathe for 4 hours it was ok. Gave it another 4, it was amazing.
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12/22/2012 - ScubaSommelier Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very solid bottle, but it is beginning to show its age. Starting to brick around the edges and the aromas are a little muted, but the flavor and texture is very solid. I would say maybe another year or two in the bottle so drink it up.
The wine looks Brick colored. It smells like Medium Toast, and Cedar. It tastes like Cherry, Fig, Oak, and Vanilla. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Leathery texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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12/9/2012 - chris_3 wrote: 90 Points
Took an hour to open up then delicious, jammy, dark great aged cab
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12/8/2012 - Rcorrao wrote: 91 Points
Dark and jammy with hints of cedar. Woody and smoky tones. Nose was lacking a bit. Medium finish.
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12/8/2012 - facchair wrote: 88 Points
Drink now
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11/30/2012 - Naso wrote: 89 Points
Good but alas somewhat past it's prime - so drink up
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11/3/2012 - TRS-Wine wrote: 92 Points
last one of 12 from the cellar... color has bricked a bit, but fruit is intact and the mineral notes have developed nicely. Really excellent but glad I drank this now vs waiting too long
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11/2/2012 - cupoverflowing1 wrote: 91 Points
needed an hour to open open, then quite nice... try again next year
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11/1/2012 - jww wrote:
A well made wine but this bottle was not as good as the last one I had 2 years ago not corked or past it's prime just not as interesting
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10/27/2012 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Currant, cherry, blackberry, plum, tobacco, licorice and leather on the nose. Dark fruit and oaky tannins lead to a long finish. Medium-to-full bodied. Paired with Beef Wellington.
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8/29/2012 - wombat wrote: 90 Points
Bouquet/Aroma: Earthy, initially vegetal (bell pepper), roasted coffee, plum, dark cherry and roasty chocolate.
Palate: Fairly creamy, medium body
Flavor: Plum, cherry, roast coffee, chocolate. Red currant and raspberry on the finish.
Comment: Expected this to be riper than Columbia Crest Reserve '99, which it was but it has a more medium body and plenty of acidity to finish with red fruit.
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8/12/2012 - Marc S wrote:
- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, strawberry, black currant and raisin with a medium/full body. Fleshy texture with a medium finish - This was my last bottle of this wonderful Cab. This does have a lot of fruit and if you have a bottle, drink up.
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6/17/2012 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
PnP and did not take notes. Much softer and smoother than a bottle I had about a year ago. Cassis, black cherry, earth and oak with hints of spice. Medium bodied with smooth tannins, good acidity and a soft texture. Perhaps not quite as rich or complex as other Mondavi Reserves I have enjoyed, but still overall a nice example of a Napa Cab.
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5/30/2012 - Cobraworld wrote:
goes great with spicy food
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5/26/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 97 Points
Wonderfully rich, noble nose with hints of eucalyptus. Rich red and black berry fruit on the palate with some menthol. Lovely structure and mouthfeel. Great balance and in its sweet spot. Drinking very well presently.
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5/23/2012 - twoamps wrote: 88 Points
this bottle is ok, but a little thin and hollow. Not remarkable, not nearly as good as other Mondave reserves of similar age.
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4/9/2012 - Mrbuzz wrote: flawed
Something not right with this one...I think it was cooked at some point...prune, sour skin, no character.
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3/17/2012 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 88 Points
Big sweet nose of grapey fruits, soft on the palate, flabby, lacking a backbone. Starting to brown around the rim, mature. Decent drink but probably not worth the wait.
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3/10/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 93 Points
Decant 30 mins. - dark purple color with currant & plum - nice long finish; will let the other bottles sit another year.
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2/19/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
With a lot of work, and a ton of swirling, this drinks pretty nicely. But in general, it seems quite closed at present, particularly on the nose. While it's started to evolve to some secondary notes, these haven't entirely blossomed yet, at least in this bottle.
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2/19/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: flawed
Corked / dead.
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1/30/2012 - lopaka wrote: 92 Points
Dark blueberry and leather concentrated into a great wine.
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1/14/2012 - petec-s wrote: 93 Points
Just wonderful consistent with previous notes.
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1/1/2012 - mibo888 wrote:
- Ruby color with medium forming legs.
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12/25/2011 - heshiegreshie wrote: 93 Points
Christmas dinner with Jo and mom
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12/9/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Friends (Anvil Club, East Dundee): Aromas of mint, leather, red fruit, florals and plum. Lovely balance, with flavors of red fruit, mint and leather. Long finish. 93+ pts.
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12/4/2011 - BillB656 Likes this wine:
Maturing nicely but still has plenty of develoment time left. Dark dusty fruits, well integrated, and some herbal characteristics. Decent enough for a Napa cab but give me Corison any time.
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12/3/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 88 Points
San Antonio Wine Geeks - Double Blind Cali Cabs (Home of Steve T.): Ripe blackcurrants and pipe tobacco flavors. Rather fruit forward, and simple with an integrated palate. Came across as fully mature. Almost a hint of VA on the nose. This was very disappointing given it’s lack of depth and complexity. Surprisingly poor showing in this lineup. Off bottle? 87-89
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10/30/2011 - mdmcgonigal wrote: 89 Points
Dark cherry and cassis aromas. Very balanced but light fruit, fades fast in your mouth
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10/26/2011 - chefandy wrote: 93 Points
This wine is drinking very well right now.
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9/28/2011 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Aromatic nose of dates, dried fruits, spicy cigar; cherry and tart red berries play a role too; excellent tannins and acid balance; quite complex with lots of flavor and some oak = quite a flamboyant wine. I'd rate higher but needs more time, and just a bit too aromatic as a result of some heavy oak aging no doubt.
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9/26/2011 - Max Power wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now.
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9/4/2011 - petec-s wrote: 92 Points
Just stunning, ready but with years in hand. Complex nose, deep cassis fruit, hint of vanilla oak, liquorice. again very fine cassis on the front palate, habano, top notch mouthfeel. dry complex and long, lovely. 14.5%
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8/21/2011 - jsebiri wrote:
fruit has faded here a bit , nice mature bottle of cali cab........good wine
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7/10/2011 - rogerr wrote: 92 Points
Still has fruit! Nicely matured with silky tannins. I wouldn't wait any longer as this has peaked but is still very good.
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7/2/2011 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Lovely, typical Mondavi Reserve. Dark opaque purple with just a bit of brick on the edge. Cassis, black cherry, earth and oak with hints of vanilla and spice. Full bodied with slightly rough tannins, good acidity and an almost chewy texture. Medium + length with a drying finish. Perhaps not quite as rich or complex as other Mondavi Reserves I have enjoyed, but still overall a delicious example of a Napa Cab. Lots of life remaining in this bottle.
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6/26/2011 - Tarokun wrote: 90 Points
Good with steak
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5/29/2011 - perlasteve wrote: 94 Points
Score: 94
Release Price: $125
Country: California
Region: Napa
Issue: Jun 30, 2002
Top 100: 2002, Rank: 12
Designation: Cellar Selection
An enormously complex and sophisticated wine that combines great flavors with uncommon finesse. Dark, sleek, rich and polished, with a delicious core of concentrated cola, currant, plum and blackberry. Tremendous finish. Best from 2004 through 2014. 20,000 cases made.
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4/23/2011 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious with grilled ribeyes, mushrooms. fresh green beans and baked potato
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4/23/2011 - bwaverley wrote: 92 Points
Nose of dark berries, sweet rhubarb, vanilla and subtle tobacco. Pencil shavings, minerals and bell peppers come through in the finish, along with a bit of black cherry. Very enjoyable bottle with my only mild criticism being a lack of fruit on the finish. Unfortunately, the value equation really doesn't make much sense. Would recommend drinking this over the next 2-3 years.
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4/9/2011 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Beautiful nose with notes of blackberry, plum, herbs, tobacco, black olives, and vanilla. Palate consistent with nose. Long smooth finish with dark fruit and integrated tannins. Paired very well with Greek tenderloin. Overall, a very enjoyable bottle.
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4/9/2011 - alamoave wrote: 90 Points
Good. Subtle. Balanced Drink up.
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3/20/2011 - wineguy21 wrote: 89 Points
Drank from magnum. Not a lot going on with this wine, but still smooth and enjoyable. Definitely drink up if you have any.
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3/12/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 88 Points
Still drinking fine, quite cedary, hint of tobacco, nice finish, slightly cloudy colour, drink up by 2012
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2/26/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 88 Points
Very nice and ready to drink up this year
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2/20/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured, nice nose of plums, black cherry and earth, the palate was soft and underwelming, with fully intergrated tannins. The finish was short and soft.
Based on this bottle, I would drink up!
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2/18/2011 - maderay wrote: 89 Points
VG. Spices.
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2/17/2011 - balkmr@hotmail.com wrote: 89 Points
This bottle didn't give much on the nose. The palate started with stewed tomatos and a light minerality. It opened up to dark fruit and some chocolate. A nice wine that is in it's prime.
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2/8/2011 - xtrmjoe wrote: 91 Points
My system (nose mouth finish) /++, Much better than I was expecting it to be, drink now, soft supple tannin, dark berries, spices
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2/7/2011 - DanR wrote: 93 Points
Plenty of life left. Very savory and a bit coarse upon initial opening, with wet earth, tar, violets, and a hint of bell pepper. Evolved quickly with air time, picking up notes of sweet dark fruits, chocolate, and black olive, while considerably smoothing out in texture. The greenness that seemed evident upon first pour quickly receded. Kept improving over the course of the evening, the best glass was the last. Drink or hold a few more years.
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2/2/2011 - Bin242 wrote:
Past its prime. Disappointing at this point in its life for a "high end Napa reserve", but still showing a little life of aromatic complexity, good texture and decent finish. Tannins fully resolved and acidity is soft.
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1/17/2011 - alamoave wrote: 90 Points
Soft, very enjoyable but tannins mostly gone; violets, sandalwood; give it an hour; don't see improvement from here
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1/15/2011 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Very similar tasting notes to previous bottle.
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1/1/2011 - bjs3 wrote: 91 Points
good ca. cab. The taste is definately califormnia. I snuck it into a bordeaux tasting (blind) and everyone said it tased "califormia". A nice wine but not worth the price.
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12/29/2010 - Old Course 72 wrote: 90 Points
Better with additional age.
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12/27/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
Opened 12/24, took one glass, recorked. Opened again 12/27, very suprised by how alive this was. Nose of blackberries, blueberry, mint, sour cherry, tobacco. Palate repeats the nose. Finishes with niced acidity and sturdy tannins. Hold for at least 2-3 years.
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12/25/2010 - slippytoad wrote: 90 Points
Past its peak, a little thin but soft and classic. Pleasant drinking.
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12/24/2010 - Love4Vino wrote:
This bottle has aged more advanced than my last one. Bricking at the rim with notes of roasted nuts, dark cocoa and a little bit of olives. Flavors a a bit out of balanced with the acidity over-running the fruit, a hollow mid-palate and a short finish. Kind of pedestrian.
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12/4/2010 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours. Nose and flavors of blackberries, cherries, and plums accentuated with mild tobacco notes. Flavors are vibrant with a smooth, long and lingering aftertaste with mild tannins. An outstanding cab that's in its prime.
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11/27/2010 - G_H Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ketchup, tomato puree, powerful but very modern
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11/22/2010 - hawk30 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Initially muted and somewhat thin on the palate. Much more open and expressive on day two, with secondary flavors, chocolate ans spice, coming through.
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11/21/2010 - winoj wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic cab out of friend Robert G's cellar. Thanks for bringing!
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11/13/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 92 Points
Showing very well now, probably at peak. Refined and balanced with nice notes of red cherry, ripe plum, tobacco, leather, and baking spice. Very pleasant but nothing spectacular.
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11/12/2010 - Chrisinroch wrote: 91 Points
Very good reliable Aged Cali cab. Nothing spectacular, very soft and drinkable. Drink now, not for aging
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11/6/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 90 Points
CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part Two - Mondavi Vertical (bstumps house in McKinney, Texas): Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, berries and plums. Flavors of berries, plums and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold.
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11/6/2010 - alamoave wrote: 91 Points
Still solid. 30 minute decant. Expected it to be starting down the back side of the slope but not evident.
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11/6/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
CT Texas Offline #2; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Ripe fruit and spice. Modern style but well done. Classy tannins, borderline alcohol.
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11/6/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
CT Texas Offline #2 Oskiwawa Raises The Bar; 11/5/2010-11/6/2010 (McKinney, TX): Very tight nose, showing the youth of this wine, sour cherry, spicy oak, mint, olive, vanilla. On the palate sour cherry, black fruit, vanilla, spice, mint. Finishes with nice balance but the fruit is walled off a bit by the tannin. Needs time. Hold for quite a while.
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11/1/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly still and earthy. Doesn't quite sing how good the '99 vintage was. Opens up after a couple of hours decanting, but a far cry from the '94 Mondavi Reserves I've had. Very nice nose on it though.
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10/24/2010 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
strong fruity aroma of vanil & oak, tannic, full-bodied, structured, 88% CS, very enjoyable, good quality
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10/6/2010 - kanjimoti wrote: 74 Points
not much to say here. on the nose the 1999 Mondavi Reserve is over the hill and vegetal. the palate is thin with a very short finish, and just plain unenjoyable. I could see how a beginning taster might admire this wine for it's secondary aromas of oxidized fruit at this stage and what may be perceived as tobacco, but the aromas are tired and aforementioned tobacco is just bell peppers. If I remember correctly, this retailed at around $100. A bad wine and much worse value.
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10/3/2010 - JDL98136 wrote: 91 Points
Bit thin open, but after an hour in a decanter it opened up nicely. Wonderful notes of fig, chocolate and tobacco. Wish I had more!
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9/26/2010 - signotim wrote: 92 Points
plenty of life in this. nose has aromas of pizza... red sauce and garden veggies. red fruit, cranberry on the palate. silky.
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9/1/2010 - ckinv368 wrote:
Spicy, and beefy with lots and lots of body. A very serious almost borolo-like wine.
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8/29/2010 - JDB Likes this wine: 92 Points
open for 2 hours & then 1 hour in a decanter, some sludge in the bottom. Quite thin & boring on the initial opening, but ya boy howdy did it open up. Consumed w/ grilled rib steaks, caprese salad & corn on the cob ... Summer Heaven.
Cedar, black olive & cigar w/ an underlying dark fruit , this is the best bottle I have had of this wine & I am not sure I see it getting much better for my taste. I would not want it to lose any more fruit.
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8/20/2010 - King JR wrote: 93 Points
July 2004 at Mondavi Vineyard / Smoothest (best at that time) wine I have ever had! Not big - delicious. Nov 2005 - a bit disappointing - still smooth, but fruit had submerged - less vanilla or fruit bouquet/flavor. Winter 2007 drank several bottles - they were very good but not as great as the magical bottle at the vineyard.
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8/6/2010 - winesnob4u wrote: 85 Points
Drink now.. Personallhy I believe its beyond its prime. Not much flavor and seemed to be quite thin.
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7/31/2010 - BigTarheel wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well ... lots of minty dark chocolate and soft black fruits. Tannins are pretty well resolved. I would drink in the next 2 years.
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7/22/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Taste at Elysian from Green City Market BBQ.
Really nice fruit forward qualities. Some earthy more Old World action as well.
Palate is well integrated with sweet tannins and a balanced finish. Really nice. Drinking well. Should go another 5 years with ease.
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7/11/2010 - mouton45 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice, but need to drink up remaining bottles in my cellar over the next year. Went great with grilled ribeye
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5/23/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
Soaring nose of barrel spices, black olives and even some meat - this bottle showed much younger and tighter than the prior one I opened, hands off the remaining bottle for 5 years.
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5/22/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Of the 3 I consume this was by far the most impressive and I would start drinking these now. Nose of cherry, subtle oak, spice, vanilla and plum. What a smooth wine, tannins are in check and shows off cherry, plum, oak, vanilla, spice and leather on medium finish. I was very impressed with this wine and at $60 a steal when I purchased it 5 years ago.
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5/11/2010 - stratego wrote: 88 Points
Nice bottle of wine but not quite the spectacular event that others have seen.
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5/2/2010 - Old Course 72 wrote: 90 Points
Still developing and will last for another 10 years. Wonderful nose, great structure, a bit of weed taste which dissipates with time. Full mouth cab flavors with firm structure
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4/26/2010 - drock25 wrote: 94 Points
fantastic. Going to look for more.
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4/17/2010 - Zingrrl wrote: 93 Points
Decanted at 1540 for a dinner party. Initial nose of prunes and cherries. Poured a small taste. Hot. Cherry cough syrup and heat. Really. Long finish that wraps the tongue in warmth. Giving it time... 2050 - wow, what a difference. My WOTN. No heat. Nicely integrated. Olive tapenaude and soft red fruit. Long long finish. Good stuff.
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4/14/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 90 Points
Drank side by side with a '94 and an '06. Brighter and more similar to younger Napa Cab than the ’94. Less brown in color than the ’94- this one was more ruby-red. Enjoyed the grippy tannins in this wine, which were surprisingly present after 11 years. Complex nose. Surprisingly earthy.
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4/12/2010 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 91 Points
No formal notes since it was at the end of a long meal.
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4/8/2010 - Marc S wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful bottle of Cab. This wine is clearly ready to drink now.
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3/26/2010 - pkimhk wrote: 91 Points
Lovely nose. Still abit backwards. Will never be a full-fledged California cab. But good balance between fruit, minerality and herb and woody flavors.
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3/17/2010 - miller3324 Likes this wine: 88 Points
A nice smooth wine as the tannins have diminished. Good fruit but probably on the decline in my opinion. A very easy to drink wine but maybe missing that something special to make it an outstanding wine.
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2/27/2010 - Love4Vino Likes this wine:
Fine tannins, lots of good fruit left and quite a bit of acidity to balance everything. Nose of spice, mint and cedar with accompanying flavors of blackberries, currants and dark plums. Good lengthy smooth finish. Excellent 10 year old.
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2/16/2010 - tendring wrote: 90 Points
Deep blackcurrent colour with a little age showing at the rim.
Blackcurrant on the nose too, with blackberriess and chocolate, very attractive.
Blackberries and blackcurrant to greet you in the mouth, soft tannins, good balance, some elegance in he fruity mid-palate and a long fruity finish.
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2/11/2010 - djdaqm wrote: 91 Points
Musty wine cellar nose up front, but that quickly blew off. Decanted for 30-60 minutes. Chalky, persistent nose that reminded me of a visit to the Stags Leap district, with some menthol/eucalyptus and dried tomato as well. Dark chocolate flavors at first. Somewhat bitter after sitting, with green olives and stems, but not in a bad way. Mellow build in the mouth. Well integrated tannins. Looking for more complexity and length (other than bitter char).
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2/7/2010 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and not overpowering. Light to medium tannins with a hint of fruit and chocolate.
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1/25/2010 - Jeffreyo wrote: 92 Points
Mature, drink now, well balanced, full bodied, subtle fruit, hint of chocolate
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1/20/2010 - caeleric wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Great billowy nose, like a cloud of soft red fruits. A bit green/herbal but still ripe and delicious. Don't wait any longer if you have some of this laying down. Drink up!
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1/17/2010 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful bottle of Cab that is ready to drink now. Very bordeaux style in taste.
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1/17/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened and not decanted. Third bottle of the evening. This showed the youngest of the three wines with no signs of aging. Lively, fresh with black and blue berries, faint oak, a slight tannic bite that ends with a citrus finish. Good to Very Good.
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1/16/2010 - metcellar wrote: 92 Points
Big, jammy and smooth. Very good.
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1/10/2010 - ike772002 wrote: 90 Points
Medium body, good finish. Not as good as the same bottle I had last year at about this time.
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1/2/2010 - Cunningham wrote:
5/5 Stars
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12/25/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 92 Points
A tad better than the last bottle. This one seemed a bit more balanced, fresh and lively. Nice aromas of red fruits with an old world twist as this could easily be mistaken for BDX. Really nice structure and acid that should give this wine may more years of drinking pleasure.
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12/14/2009 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Mouthwatering Cali Cab aromas of olives, tar, mocha/hot chocolate and tobacco - these same notes work into the fleshy and dense palate. Acidity really picks up with aeration. Plenty of life left, not close to peak.
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12/13/2009 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Conrad’s: Herbs, truffle, amazing bal., silky, balanced, lite on feet. Love it. One of best Cabs I’ve had.
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12/13/2009 - jasonh wrote:
1999 Wines - Served Blind @ Conrads: Served blind. A real stand out of the night. Showing all the elements of what I would enjoy in a cab. Secondary earthy leathery smell and flavors but still plenty of fruit. It does seem like everything is in a good place right now. Still some nice tannic bite that keeps it in balance.
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12/13/2009 - WetRock wrote:
EWG Parties Like It's 1999 (Conrad Greens Abode): Served blind. Fat nose showing traditional Cab notes of greenish cedar, mocha and wood. A real wow of a palate with great complexity and balance. Easy winner of the flight and probably WOTN for most people.
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12/13/2009 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Really solid bottle of napa cab that is just starting to come around. Nose gives off tons of olives, black tea, fresh ground coffee and dark chocolate. This is all rolled in with hints of dark fruits including blackberries and boysenberries. Palate is very fresh with a nice round mouthfeel and integrated tannins. A touch of dusty mocha with some tobacco and road tar. This wine seems nicely complex with polished tannins and fresh acidity. it should continue to drink well for some time and last another 5+ years.
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12/11/2009 - Marc S wrote: 92 Points
Much better Cab than I thought it would be. Taste like old world wine. Dark cheery color and taste. Really nice nose on this wine. Spice and cedar are to be noted as well.
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12/7/2009 - stoll wrote: 94 Points
Really good stuff - perfect combo of good Napa fruit and some age - I can't imagine this getting too much better.
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11/27/2009 - alamoave wrote: 92 Points
Singin'. At peak? Down from here within a year.
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11/27/2009 - petec-s wrote: 93 Points
Very deep and attractive looking, all the signs of bottle age, mature orange tinged rim,/ the nose is deep, mature and complex, ripe cassis and sweet french oak (toasty), herbs, licorice and fine habano (fine and satisfying)/ dry fruit palate , lots of fine acid to offer true balance, (less cassis than other bottles), quite strong cigar, spice and a little licorice, grippy and very long, 14.5% (nodding in the direction of left bank claret) less napa than last bottle, how interesting, tasted as decanted and before dinner.( Note after dinner: given time in the glass the cassis was huge and lovely)
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11/27/2009 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Nice Thanksgiving wine!!
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11/26/2009 - spineguy wrote: 90 Points
Small amount of bret on nose made this more plesant and exiciting then I would have expected. Well integrated. Fair finish.
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11/26/2009 - happytom wrote: 93 Points
A quintessential American wine for a quintessential American holiday. Initial pour...powerful rasberry jam and tight. After 15 minutes it rounded out. Silky tannins and good acidity. I could taste the dust in the backgroud. Crushed limestone? After 1 1/2 hours darker fruit emerged but still light and silky. This was a very enjoyable wine. Very harmonious. It is at its peak. I still have 3 bottles left and looking forward to where it is headed.
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11/22/2009 - AllRed wrote:
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe P's): Aromas of deli meat & pepperoni. Full bodied, with chewy tannins and red fruit flavors that linger through the finish. So different from the bottle in August that I wonder if this wasn't an off bottle?
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11/21/2009 - petec-s wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle in two days, I do not often drink the same wine the next day, but thought it might offer an interesting comparision/ this bottle is less mature but with the same flavour profile on the nose and palate( as you might expect) the toasty vanilla oak more integrated, the cassis as massive as before, but with a cool-fruit edge/ shorter in length I think/ 14.5% same score!!!! (solid wine and as stated before a classic Napa Cab)
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11/20/2009 - petec-s wrote: 92 Points
Very nice colour now , lighter but deep looking/ huge nose from the moment the cork was pulled, intense vanilla oak and ripe cassis dominate, some spice and cedar( thanks to bottle age) herbs!/ fine mouthfeel, again the oak and cassis to the fore, quite hot, the quality is here though! / the tannins are well integrated now, this fine wine is both pure and long, at 14.5% (marked down for the heat and vanilla, I can see why others give high points) far from a perfect wine but my wife and I both loved it. Classic Napa cabernet. (note: Label states barrel aged reserve. rather than just reserve? if any one knows why please drop me a message).
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11/17/2009 - eSchrag wrote: 92 Points
About a year since we drank the last 99 reserve and I happy to say that it's still drinking very well. All of my previous notes still apply. I'm guessing this wine has at a minimum another 5 to 10 years of beautiful drinking. I would recommend decanting for an hour. Enjoy!!!
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10/11/2009 - cbgilmore wrote: 93 Points
Have had this several times in the last 2 months. It is drinking great right now and surprisingly better without decanting.
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10/6/2009 - mghomula wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before tasting. A very rich purple/ruby color with some amber on the edges. The nose produced strong aroma's of dark fruits, black cherry, cassis and dust. On the palate the tannins were wonderfully smooth, refined and elegant with more lively acidity than I would have expected given my previous note that this was likely reaching its peak. The flavors were the same as before with black cherry, blueberry, earth, leather and smoke with some oak and vanilla. Pretty complex and balanced with a long finish. I still think this has reached its peak and is drinking wonderfully right now. 50+5+13+18+6=92 pts.
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9/28/2009 - jleg wrote: 94 Points
Slightly opaque dark ruby-purple with a little lightening around the edges. Wonderful nose of olive and cedary notes balanced with sweet, perfumy fruit. Keeps going and develops in complexity. Silky smooth mouth feel bursting with rich fruit and just enough acidity. Slightly bitter at the back of the tongue but works well with some nice toastiness and tannins that are fairly well integrated. Terrific semi-chocolatey finish. The best Mondavi '99 Reserve yet. Seems to have more backbone than previous bottles.
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9/12/2009 - JDB wrote: 92 Points
Needs an hour of air @ a minimum but then , It is a very tasty wine . Dark fruit & chocolate . Much better than previous bottles , I am not sure that this should not be consumed in the near term
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8/30/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
The best of these bottles that we've had yet and I am revising my earlier opinion about the drinking window of this wine based on this bottle. This was outstanding, enjoyed earlier this weekend with good CT wine buddy neighborbill and our spouses for dinner. Bottle opened for four hours although not decanted and the time made a huge difference. Inky black, full bodied, plenty of fruit left with a well balanced burnt oak and tannic core, great aftertaste. Nose floral with underlying dark fruit. Primary flavors consisted of burnt oak, classic Napa cassis, granite and leather with underlying dark fruit. Overall an excellent quintessential Napa cab and when handled appropriately and aerated properly such as was the case with this particular bottle this is just outstanding and this wine has years left to go. Highly recommend this, needs time opened or needs to be decanted, too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR.
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8/29/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Decanted for 1.5hrs. Deep dark color. Dark red/black currant, plum, and cassis on the nose with a nice dose of wet tobacco and leather on the aromatics. Nice notes of vanilla and smoke as well. Same ripe fruit on the palate with great length and balance of acidity and minerality. Still some good tannin left. Very nice wine.
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8/29/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Matt's second offering. Inky and sweet dark blackberries.
Nice oak and vanilla play. Needed some time to open up, but showed well.
Enjoyable heat on the finish.
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8/29/2009 - WinePT wrote: 91 Points
Brownish-red color. Nose of faded fruit. Tastes of Tobacco, cigar, earth, with occasional hints of chocolate & faded fruit (like dried shriveled berries that evolve on the long finish). Mint & vanilla also persist on the mid-palate. Good structure with faded tannins. I wouldn't hold this wine much longer.
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8/27/2009 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
1999 Cabernet Blind Horizontal (Fleming's Prime, Chicago): Garnet color. Notes of plum & blackberry, with sage and herbs. Excellent balance, with dark fruit and subtle spice flavors on the palate. Long finish. 92-93 pts.
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8/25/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: flawed
August 2009 Too Much Wine (Lake Elmo): Smells/tastes slightly cooked to me, with meat and beef bouillon notes too apparent on both nose and palate. A shame, as the overall palate feel is excellent.
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8/24/2009 - jeffm_fla wrote: 89 Points
good -- not great
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8/22/2009 - BigTarheel wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine and drinking very nicely with some additional potential. Exceptional nose of ripe black currant and sweet pepper. Very nice richness and grip on the palate. Clearly excellent fruit and a well=polished wine.
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8/22/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 90 Points
Not quite up to the par of previous bottles likely on two accounts, likely suffering from bottle shock after being transported to Finland and consumed in a fairly short time period at a dinner with friends and also now clearly starting to be somewhat over the hill with weaker fruit then on previous bottles. Highly recommend drinking up any holdings in a short time period, with three bottles left myself I plan on drinking these up over the course of the next 6 - 12 months. Still a wonderful mature classic Napa cab though. Dark purple color with a pleasant brownish rim, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose balanced and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, black pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine with caveat of needing to drink up holdings shortly but price of reserve too high to be a good QPR - still just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab. Really looking forward to knocking off the remaining bottles.
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8/7/2009 - jleg wrote:
Dark ruby color. Bright fruit in the nose. Very fresh smelling. Fairly acidic in the mouth along with notes of ...leather? Tannins are fine and close to resolved. Clean and tasty but lacking in complexity and secondary flavors. This was not a good choice with hamburgers and all of the attendant acidic condiments such as mustard, tomato, etc...
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8/3/2009 - drdebs wrote: 93 Points
Panicked when I first opened it, because it smelled like bandaids. That happily blew off almost immediately, revealing layers of cassis, pllum, spice, and smoothly integrated tannins. This was a classic Napa Cab, aged to perfection. It may have another year in it, but its beautifully drinkable now so I wouldn't wait.
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7/30/2009 - Dr. Pato wrote: 95 Points
Ready to drink with minimal aeration. Dynamite Cab aromatics. Rich, balanced, and smooth. Long finish.
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7/23/2009 - alamoave wrote: 91 Points
Quite good. Extremely well balanced, with no edges and plenty of fruit. A couple of years to go, but not much longer.
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7/5/2009 - dougie wrote: 90 Points
inconsistent
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6/27/2009 - Taylor56 wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured (restaurant). Beautiful purple color with ever so slight bricking on rim. Nose of dark fruit, hints of mineral and leather. Black cherries with nicely integrated oak and hints of dust in the mouth. Very polished wine and beautifully crafted. At peak now through 2011.
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6/21/2009 - Zingrrl wrote: 91 Points
Initial nose of dark fruit. Let decant for 2 hours and served in bordeaux stems with meal of grilled tenderloin and sauteed mushrooms, salad and garlic bread. Wine held up well with dinner. My family thinks I am a pedantic alcohol soaked reviewer, so I will try and keep this simple. I got cherries, oak, and a nice finish. Done. My step brother, who didn't drink any, said it smelled red My father, enjoyed it and got a great father's day buzz. Stay tuned for real review next time I pop a cork.
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6/20/2009 - bhalljr wrote: 92 Points
Not a bad bottle. Good nose
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6/14/2009 - wineotim wrote: 92 Points
Lots of toasty oak, cedar, and cassis on the nose. Red brick color. Fine grained and integrated tannins. Dark fruit flavors balanced with just enough earthiness and acidity to make this wine quite light and fresh on the palate. Medium length finish. Would not hold this one, just drink soon to enjoy it at its maturity.
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6/12/2009 - bhalljr wrote: flawed
Nose was off. Smelled Funky. Hopefully second bottle will be better.
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5/27/2009 - mutlynch wrote: 93 Points
I must have caught a good bottle. Great nose, very smooth after 1 hour in the bottle. Paired very nicely with our meal at the Tamarack Lodge in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Drank at high elevation, 8500ft. I wonder if this makes a difference. I have one more we will try in a month or so, closer to sea level.
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5/18/2009 - RDHudak wrote: 91 Points
Nice color. Nose : Dark fruit and berry with integrated wood. Taste: Seems to be ready to drink now, maybe even getting a bit late. Fruit was nice and there was some earth and wood combined. Medium body with a decent finish. If I had more, I would drink in the next year or so.
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5/5/2009 - jleg wrote:
Nose is cool and spicy with a little menthol. Med. body. Finishes dry and tannic with little fruit. A little more acidity than the last bottle, which is nice. More complexity in the nose as it opens up along with more fruit also. Tannins soften up a bit to integrate with fruit. Holds together much longer than the last bottle but is probably on its way down hill. Too bad.
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5/2/2009 - BSteffes wrote: 92 Points
Opened and let breathe for about 20-30 minutes. Nose was full of dark fruits and smoky wood. Tons of dark licorice on the nose. These themes continued on the palate with a med-long finish. The wine is drinking perfectly now and it is hard to image it getting any better. Tannins are still present but very nicely integrated.A thin mouth feel for a cali cab...but excellent none the less. Very, very well done.
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4/30/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 90 Points
Medium/dark color, a little lighter around the rim. Nice fruit on the taste with balanced acidity on the finish.
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4/25/2009 - jdvk wrote: 91 Points
Nice fruit, drinking well now.
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4/23/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90. A little better than previous bottles. Drink over the shorter term.
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4/17/2009 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Very nice earth tones!
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4/10/2009 - jleg wrote:
Starts off with complex nose, a few things happening that I can’t place. Seems to change by the minute. Maybe some roasted coffee, expresso, dark fruits. Med-full body in the mouth. Integrated tannins. Fruit is still fresh tasting with an initial punch that backs off with fine grained tannin coming in. Finishes harmoniously with a nice level of acidity. After about two hours, fruit and acidity really back off, giving way to more tannin. I had my hopes up for this one but the so-so finish does not encourage much more, if any, aging potential.
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4/7/2009 - elamasters wrote: flawed
Not much of a nose. Taste was very much like dried herbs, with almost no fruit. Perhaps mildly corked?
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4/3/2009 - dougie wrote: 92 Points
Yeah, really good. The last one was corked (or something nasty). Full, fruity wine that is in its prime. Love Mondavi reserve; classic california cab. Always a good representation of the year. Finally, a 99 that is not tanic or harsh; though I have not tried one in a year or two.
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3/26/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
East Bay Offline IV March 25 at The Counter; 3/25/2009-3/26/2009 (Walnut Creek): Opened not decanted. Served at an offline at the Counter in Walnut Creek. I really enjoyed this wine. Fully mature and showing secondary characteristics of smoke, cedar, subtle red fruit that is neither heavy nor light with a feminine finish.. Interesting tastes. Good.
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3/25/2009 - thirstyman wrote: 91 Points
good fruit. its still got life left in it.
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3/14/2009 - bmarshall wrote: 90 Points
Very solid, but not spectacular. Blackberry, cedar box, currants and some oak on the nose and palate. Full bodied with elegant tannins. Just a touch off balance it seemed.
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2/28/2009 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful nose. Full cab that is ready to drink.
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2/25/2009 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic bottle, deep color and great earth tones.
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2/23/2009 - PJHaveron wrote: 92 Points
Christmas dinner - gave it a couple of hours to open up and it was worth it. Serious wine with lots of complex notes and a very long finish. A little rough on the edges and it definitely needs time but it was a perfect companion to a beef tenderloin.
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2/18/2009 - sleepyhaus wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle. It had been a year since I drank the last one. Tasters here indicated that I should drink up so... Well upon opening it tasted awfully green. Green cedar was my first thought. Then with time the green note faded, eventually left completely. By hour 3 it was sweet and harmonious and pleasant. Very nice indeed. If you have bottles of this that have proper provenance and storage I say that you can wait up to a year or two and if you drink now give it one to two hours of air.
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2/8/2009 - aubsdad wrote: 91 Points
Opened and decanted for 5 hours. First taste on opening was wow. Powerful, full extraction with good structure and tannin balance. At the 6th hour after opening with dinner. It had mellowed, almost dulled. Surprisingly, the decanting did not improve the taste.
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2/7/2009 - mghomula wrote: 91 Points
Based on some the of the other reviews I thought it time to open a bottle as some seem to think it may be reaching a peak. Decanted for 2 hours before tasting. A very rich purple/ruby color with some amber on the edges. The nose revealed very nice and elegant aroma's of dark fruits, black cherry, cassis and dust. The nose was not intense nor was it subdued. It was just right and really dialed in. On the palate the tannins were wonderfully integrated with black cherry, blueberry, earth and smoke while a touch of oak and vanilla really rounded out a nice flavor profile. Very smooth and well balanced and a nice medium finish. I didn't find the finish as long as the 2004 I recently had but it was a bit more elegant and refined than the 04 though the 04 is a bit better overall. This is very well balanced and integrated and I agree with the others who suspect this may be at its peak. I would drink now or hold for no more than 2 more years...I just don't see it getting any better. 50+5+13+17+6 (because I don't think it will last much longer)=91.
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2/4/2009 - moonmanvegas wrote: 92 Points
A nice purple ruby color that is bright. This bottle is showing nice age, I get blackberry, blueberry, and cherry on the nose with some cassis and eatthy tones light leather and smokyness. Nice med. body with some well rounded tannins, with some good fruit still left. I am not sure how long this bottle will last I think that it is close to the peak if not just on the back side. Med. finish that made me want more.
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1/26/2009 - mightykwan wrote: 90 Points
A very good example of the traditional Mondavi style. Elegant and balanced. Strong finish, very nice depth. Don't see it continuing to improve,. though, so drink em up.
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1/4/2009 - tmasta346 wrote: flawed
Bottle was oxidized. Well past prime. Not stored in ideal conditions.
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12/30/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful mature classic Napa cab, enjoyed last night after an '05 Continuum and '89 Dominus at an informal wine tasting with my boss and the wives. This wine is just so good. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve too high to be a good QPR, looking forwards to trying remaining bottles at intervals. Every bottle just seems to improve - just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab. Looking forward to knocking off the remaining 4 bottles.
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12/25/2008 - mclancy10006 wrote: 93 Points
Classic CA Cabernet. Dark purple color, silky on the tongue with a long aftertaste. Aromas of chassis, cherry and smoke and in the taste was those plus a little pepper. Will definitely have again if I am able.
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12/25/2008 - eSchrag wrote: 92 Points
A classic Cali Cab that we enjoyed without decanting. A medium rust color that gives up a nose of the forest and red fruit. Has a great mouthfeel that surrounds the palate with red currant fruit and a bit of cedar wood on top of medium to fine grained tannins. A medium to long finish. Really a beautiful wine that did improve in the glass. Enjoy!!!
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12/21/2008 - dougie wrote: flawed
Smells of burnt rubber. Bad. One of the only wines I have sourced from two places (luckily2 from each place). But, I do not know which one is the other. Two from PC (came from someones cellar, bought two or three years ago). Others from Wine Club on release. Remember to identify, or put in different locations so I know which ones were bad. Oh well. $65 wasted.
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12/20/2008 - wallstreet wrote: 90 Points
Very nice nose, bouquet and had a very long finish. Well worth the price I paid ($69)
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12/13/2008 - JoshuaG wrote: 92 Points
Rated a 92 on opening. Nicely matured and integrated. Fruit and tannins at a pefect balance. Would rate a 90 an hour after opening. Started to get woody but held strong at 89/90.
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12/12/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed earlier tonight with a great steak and raclette dinner with Kim and good friends the Sledges and Gentrys. Had un-decanted but opened and aerating for almost four hours. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste. Nose bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve may be too high to be good QPR, looking forwards to trying remaining bottles at intervals. Every bottle seems to be better then the prevous one. Fully agree on this bottle with a comment I made earlier down below when enjoying one of the previous bottles - just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley cab.
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11/1/2008 - spendergast wrote: 93 Points
Mellow dark fruit, earth, hint of leather, smooth finish, moderate tannins.
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11/1/2008 - BWebb wrote: 94 Points
94 pts - hint of earth and ash, blackberry jam, absolutely delicious. someting that you'd expect from a properly aged first growth of high rating. 4th bottle from a case and drinking better right now than any of the others tasted earlier - clearly coming into it's own but showing no signs of letting up.
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10/23/2008 - bigdomer wrote: 90 Points
I liked it, but expected more from a '99 Mondavi reserve. Perhaps would have benefitted from decanting.
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10/13/2008 - Marc S wrote: 90 Points
A great bottle of bordeaux style wine.
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9/21/2008 - winetexan wrote: flawed
I recently purchasee this bottle @ Sams Club.
the wine tasted like plum juice with no pleasing features.
I assume the bottle sat in the Sams store too long with no climate control
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9/15/2008 - balkmr@hotmail.com wrote: 88 Points
A wonderful nose. As it was decanting, it filled the room with dark fruit and leather. But as dinner was served it was a one-note. We waited and waited for it to open up, but it didn't. It was still a pleasent wine, but not enough to seek more out.
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9/14/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
Just a great and quintessential high-end Napa Valley red. Enjoyed warmed up but un-decanted after spoiled '89 Dominus opened with Kim and good friends neighborbill and Nitin for dinner of grilled lamb, mushrooms and veggies. Dark purple color, very smooth and good mouth feel and long lingering aftertaste with no off-tones at all. Nose very bold and fruit-forward with surprisingly strong terroir on taste balanced by cassis, smoke, grilled meat flavors, pepper and dark cherry. Highly recommend this wine but price of reserve too high to be good QPR, looking forwards to trying six remaining bottles at intervals.
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9/10/2008 - jmd60611 wrote: 90 Points
Nice albeit a lighter style with a nice balance left bank nuance thing going on here
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9/3/2008 - gmbdds wrote: 92 Points
Was lucky enough to taste this from someone's cellar last night. The first hour open it did not show much. Then the nose showed currant, coffee and smoked meat. The tannins had a powder like quality that coated the tongue. The palate showed complexity with fruit and secondary characteristics mixing nicely. The finish was several seconds. The take home message with this is decant or at least leave open a while.
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7/31/2008 - Cellared wrote: 92 Points
this is at it's best Smoother and more flavors of coffee mocha and leather.
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7/19/2008 - Blade wrote: 93 Points
This still has a long way to go. Tannins are strong & up front for the first 90 minutes, after which it mellows & the fruit becomes more apparent. Nicely balanced.
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7/13/2008 - MichelBesner wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this has an amazing smooth and velvety feel to it. Extra long finish with just a nice blend of fruit and oak. Drank the bottle in no time. This baby is ready now and for quite a while ...
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6/26/2008 - mmyette wrote: 92 Points
This was good, and improved as we drank it. Started a bit monolithic, and with hints of senescence. Nose was complex, with leather and autumn leaves intermixed with oak and dark fruit. Palate was full bodied and had vanilla oak, sage, vineyard dust, and still plenty of currant, blackberry, and loam. finish was moderate. Not as good as the 99 Insignia, but still very good.
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6/15/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
PTA Wine Tasting; 6/14/2008-6/15/2008 (Our House - Minnesota): Very typical flavor profile for Mondavi Reserve. Drinking quite well now. Among the top Cabs served this evening.
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6/2/2008 - LeechDogg wrote: 92 Points
Nice smooth wine. Still bright fruit, low tannin, ready to drink!
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5/29/2008 - *Vine* wrote: 94 Points
Splash decanted and poured after 30+ minutes. Still a youthful purple with hints of ruby. Initially, the nose was dominated by a strange, almost meaty funk. This seemed to blow off after some time in glass but returned with my second pour. At any rate, it blew off after a few hours in the decanter and left behind aromas of black fruits with minerals plus hints of vanilla bean. Medium to full body. Black fruits, currant & cassis, bell pepper, cigar box, and other oaky flavors on the palate. Big tannins but they quickly melt away without leaving any astringent feeling. Plus finish. Still seems a little young but also appears to have tremendous life ahead of it
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5/20/2008 - jmd60611 wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking well
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5/19/2008 - Vinomarcus wrote: 90 Points
Very closed, not yielding much, but it had a strong undercurrent of black fruit, spice, cassis, cedar, needs to flesh out.
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5/18/2008 - grrrpor wrote: 91 Points
still feels like it could have miles to go... crazy aromas - from green vegetal to spice to ... well it just kept on changing. if the flavor flattens out and before the alcohol mellows this could be it, but if it gets deeper and smoother - could be looking at something more wonderful a few years down the road.
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5/17/2008 - fdaner wrote: 97 Points
My last bottle opened with great friends. I had been looking for a reason to finish this last one. What a wine. Seemless tannins. Red fruit with cassis and a wonderful smokiness or perhaps the telltale cedar that i've read about. The wine was the best of the 3 I've had over the last 2 years. I'm not sure this is going to get any better. Definetly had the profile of a mature cab but very fresh. Wonderful wine.
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5/17/2008 - harrisxlt@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Drink now! Great wine can only go downhill from here...
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5/13/2008 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Napa-Noma, May 2008: Sweeter nose than the 1998. Sweet tobacco with dark fruit. Approachable. Sappier red currant fruit late. Okay.
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3/30/2008 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Bottle may have been slightly oxidized. Nevertheless, smooth and strong berries upfront with moderate tannin and oak.
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3/23/2008 - Satori wrote: 93 Points
Red fruit, cassis, leather, a little tobacco. Lush mouthfeel. Lingering finish.
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2/25/2008 - MichelBesner wrote: 95 Points
Very nice. At the very top of outstanding. Nice and dark, silky and refined. Touches of currant, plum and berries. Long lasting. Almost drank the entire bottle by myself.
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2/15/2008 - sleepyhaus wrote: 92 Points
Valentine's dinner with the Mrs. Really a wonderful bottle. Tasting from memory, so just a quick note, seems to need a bit more time. Still nice, 92-93
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1/28/2008 - jivey wrote: 91 Points
deep ruby/purple color, notes of black currants, minerals, and toasty oak, and an elegant, restrained, aromatic profile. In the mouth, there is high tannin, medium body, and excellent concentration.
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1/27/2008 - mjayer wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful drink. Fleshy and round while still showing fine tanin and structure.
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1/25/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 90 Points
The classic California wine. I always love its original style. Delicious and nice.
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1/23/2008 - babnik wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Dark stewed cherries, smokey oak, vanilla, currant, wet earth. This is a subtle wine that seems more Old World than New. Still maturing, this wine has a very long life ahead of it. I wonder if I have the patience to hold my last bottle until 2014.
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1/17/2008 - hifiwine wrote: 92 Points
great to drink now
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1/16/2008 - DTWOB wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed this marvelous wine with my DW at the Capitol Grill in Troy, MI with Veal Chop and Beef Tenderloin dinners. Appearance can be misleading. This deep dense eggplant color did a syrup'y color coating of the Riedel Crystal after a couple of swirls. Slightly tight nose despite the open bottle behind the bar. Unbelievable light and velvet mouth feel despite the pre-sip coating to the glass. Big, bold dark fruits supported by beefy yet gentle tannins, Hints of dark liquorish, oak and vanilla. No heat on the mid palate or finish. In fact the finish may very well be the best feature. Complex layers of flavor with enough strength to sustain conversation. This was a steal at $23.00 per the heavy 6 oz. pour - esp. at the Capitol Grille!
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1/15/2008 - Phin wrote: 92 Points
A little more red fruit. Subtle smoke. Not my favorite Mondavi Reserve vintage.
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12/31/2007 - bjs3 wrote: 90 Points
This wine is too california for my taste. It has all the "parker" attributes: big, succulent, jammy, lots of depth, etc. But for me, it is out of balance and could use a bit more tannin and structure. Parker, as I recall, thought that this wine didnt have enough. Drank it with roast venison, which suited it well.
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12/24/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 90 Points
Still bright and fresh, a damn fine example of the slightly more austere mondavi csr's....chocolate and tobacco notes
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11/18/2007 - robinstj wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Sima, Jasmine and Thijs with hangar steak in porcini and marrow sauce. Stood up very well to the rich meal. Decanted for 8 hours (more than necessary). It had an interesting aroma of green olives, but not the flavor.
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9/17/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 89 Points
Drank 4 days ago, so note is a bit fuzzy...Liked it, couldn't have loved it or hated it
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8/17/2007 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
This wine absolutely requires 1-2 hours of decanting. Very closed and firm on open, but at 1.5 hours, it just opened up and blossomed. I’m sorry that we went through half the bottle at this point – we missed out. Subtle notes of cassis, black-berry, some cocoa and a bit of hard metallic edge, a full and rich feel in the mouth, with a medium length finish that trails with low amounts of vanilla, some oak, and dark berries. The finish is in contrast with the overall light initial nose. This wine is drinking great now, and I suspect will continue for a few more years, but it’s hard to ask (or see) more from it.
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8/17/2007 - hifiwine wrote: 93 Points
keeps getting better
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8/12/2007 - Marc S wrote: 93 Points
Wine needed to be decanted for at least an hour. Slightly tight but mellowed after an hour or so. A real bordeaux style wine. This wine could be had now or in another year or so. Had this wine with a great steak at Capitol Grill. Tasted by others that evening and they agrred that the wine needed some time to open.
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7/30/2007 - Marc S wrote: 93 Points
A great bottle of wine. This was decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Tannins were soft and the wine was like velvet. Everyone really enjoyed this for dinner. I think this wine has about peaked.
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7/16/2007 - Monetthecat wrote: 91 Points
Nice bottle, but not sure worth the rating. Opened 2 hours prior and not decanted. Brownish hue with notes of cedar. Tannins still strong and lovely finish, but not a lot of taste in the mouth. It has some years left so will leave my remaining bottle alone for 3-4 years
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6/12/2007 - lskim wrote: 93 Points
Drinking exceptionally well now. Very smooth, soft tannins but still fruit-forward.
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4/22/2007 - SBA Guru wrote: 94 Points
Great wine in its prime. Open and ready, great finish, smooth and velvety. Much like Silver oak Napa.
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3/22/2007 - asiabear wrote: 88 Points
Good color, weak nose. Closed, tight, tannic. Needs time but hard to say whether there's enough fruit.
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2/16/2007 - dcleven wrote: 94 Points
Love this wine. A lot of fruit on the nose with a bit of herbal complexity. Big fruit in the mouth with smooth tannins. Very supple with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. Nice long finish.
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2/1/2007 - sbeeks wrote: 89 Points
First bottle after a wine-free January. Nice, but doesnt show a long life. a bit thin for what should be expected from To-Kalon.
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1/22/2007 - eric42 wrote: 91 Points
Drank in January '07 with Beef Wellington. The nose was a little musty, strong mushroom notes with a hint of green pepper. I was a little worried, but the fruit in the wine was just fine. It was even a little syrupy upon opening. Very smooth finish, and lightened up very quickly over an hour or two. Probably should be drunk in the next year or two.
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1/17/2007 - Zingrrl wrote: 91 Points
Very happy with this wine. Great aromas of cherry vanilla. Soft mouthfeel and dark fruit. Tannins present, but just add structure and do not detract from the fruit start and long chocolate, spice finish. It's elegance reminded me of a forceful pinot. A previous reviewer compared to Audrey Hepburn - great analogy.
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12/27/2006 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
A very nice wine with soft tannins, good structure and a mouthcoating finish. Wine displays nice flavors of spice, berry, currant, plum and currant.
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12/26/2006 - asiabear wrote: 89 Points
Opened for Christmas Dinner 2006. Wine is young and developed after about 45 minutes of breathing in the bottle. Fruit has strong currant and berry overtones but is underwhelming. Slightly short in the finish.
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12/16/2006 - Zingrrl wrote: 93 Points
Drank this over 3 nights. Best on the 2nd night. Like an idiot I didn't keep notes at the time. Just remember it evolving beautifully.
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11/25/2006 - kkazaks wrote: 92 Points
Historical note from July 06.
More fresh fruit than the 96 RM PR CS I had a few months later - blueberries and black currants. Medium-bodied. Tannins at a happy place. Raised my respect for Mondavi, which I had been shunning b/c of corporatization. An older-world, elegant style, with finesse - but I like that.
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11/24/2006 - Bin242 wrote:
With Temple, Chris and Stephanie. Decanted for one hour. Out front aromas of black fruit and soft, sweet vanilla. Wonderful texture on the palate. Soft, velvety and seamless. Very good length on the finish. A subtle and elegant wine that was a pleasure to experience. Very Audrey Hepburn.
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11/19/2006 - ngamer wrote: 93 Points
With my wife on our Anniversary. Decanted for 1 ½ hours. Right out of the bottle soft tannins, vanilla, black cherry and sweet fruit with hints of dark chocolate and spiciness. Enjoyed with a large Filets, potatoes and asparagus. Absolutely fabulous! I will drink it again in a couple of years!
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11/11/2006 - Brett wrote: 89 Points
I was expecting better.
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11/1/2006 - Cavalry19D wrote:
After starting out tight, big & round blackberry and black cherry come roaring over the palate. Dark chocolate, cassis, and black licorice notes add a deep complexity woven with toasted oack and muscular, but softened, tannis. Nicely structured and wonderfully round mouthfeel. This wine finishes very well with excellent concentration and length. Very refined.
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9/22/2006 - psmith wrote:
Classically made wine with pretty dark cabernet fruits and earthy notes. Hard-structured and coarsely tannic - years from maturity, but should turn out delicious.
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9/13/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 86 Points
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Vertical (Wine Discount Center - Chicago IL): Lots of ripe plum and black currant aromas with some cassis. Similar fruit profile on palate wth slightly coarse tannins. Needs time in the cellar, and hopefully this will achieve greater balance.
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9/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 89 Points
Big disappointment for the vintage. Tight bright black fruit nose with a hint of spicness and a feint green note. Medium bodied lighter tighter red/black fruit. 89 pts. WDC vertical 9/06
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8/29/2006 - johnwine wrote: 92 Points
This is a blockbuster Cabernet. The nose is a very deep sapphire with some hues of deep purple. The nose is glorious and yields scents of earthy black cherries and currants. The taste is still unbalanced but very chewy with flavors of currants, black cherries, cassis and cedary fruit. This wine will develop for many years. I agree with Parker on this one.
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7/30/2006 - richard650 wrote: 95 Points
This wine is incredible; most of the tannins have softened, and I wouldn't give it much more than two or three years. Right out of the bottle this wine was soft and velvety, yet still able to tell you that it is a cabernet.
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4/29/2006 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): Spicy with some bay leaf. The palate has liqueur-like intensity but is a bit hot with cranberry and sour cherry. I was a tougher grader on this than many others in the group.
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4/15/2006 - twoamps wrote: 93 Points
lee likes it. subtle and good. goes well with food, which is certainly not the current style. Got several good years left.
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3/18/2006 - Cilantro wrote: 91 Points
Decnated 15 min. Dark color, nose of pencil shaving and fruit. Rich currant, oak flavor, firm texture with medium length finish. Very satisfying, but still very young, could use another 3-5 years.
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2/12/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 89 Points
1999 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve
WIML89,WA87-88,WS94
Tasted double blind on February 11, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Nose of bell pepper and cassis. Flavors of red cherries, a bit thin. Not very impressive for a wine of this caliber. Yes, I know this is the 1999 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. I know because I brought it and still have two left in the cellar.
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9/6/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 90 Points
Yankee's vs. A's Tailgate Part (Oakland): Amazingly someone said that they picked this bottle up for $16. A nice Cabernet with some earth tones and new oak flavors. This needed air or much more time in the bottle. Very primary and not showing much.
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8/26/2005 - jwgauthier wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose of currants and mint. Well-structured and full bodied, but still too tannic even with an hour of decanting. It has nice currant fruit and picks up licorice and mint on the midpalate, but then the tannins take over. Hold this one for a few more years. 90+ points.
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8/15/2005 - wcooper wrote: 93 Points
Delicious with only 30 minutes of decant time. Nice cabernet rustic tones.
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4/28/2005 - ChillyWino wrote: 95 Points
Wow, what a wine. :grin: :grin: Dark in color, rich mouthfull and loads of fruit with hints of currant and cola. Incredibly long finish.
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9/27/2004 - babnik wrote: 92 Points
Dark color, with glass coating body, but this is not a heavy wine. Subdued in the typical understated style for the Mondavi Reserve. Complex flavors of currants, tobacco leaf, plum, and anise. Still significant tannins to integrate, but the right structure is there. Nice wine, but give it until 2006+. 92 points.
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11/7/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 90 Points
The wine comes across a slightly bitter, but lots of complexity. Sweet cigar tobacco, underbrush, toast, caramel, green pepper resonate throughout the wine and is supported by a thick red fruit framework. Could be very nice if it sheds the bitterness.
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10/7/2003 - Double-A wrote:
Not much on the nose right now. Full and curranty palate with vanilla toast flavours. Good balance with ripe tannins and a long elegant finish.
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8/29/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. tasting bar. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with purple rim. Clean nose, showing very intense black currants, kirsch, cocoa, vanilla and toasted oak. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Very nice but quite pricey.
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5/3/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Tasting. Not as impressive as I recall from last year. Slightly unbalanced with tannins dominating and obscuring th efruit today. Give to at least 2010.
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4/7/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): Tasted twice. Nose of pencil lead. A dry wine with simple dark fruit and black currant notes. Medium bodied. Not an overpowering wine which of course was not what Mondavi was going for. 88-92 range
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11/12/2002 - R2-D2 wrote: 93 Points
This is one dark tannic wine, almost inky. Lots of black currant and plum, notes of minerals, oak and spice. Evolves in the glass becoming silky and seductive.
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8/26/2002 - R2-D2 wrote:
No notes
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5/29/2002 - peternelson wrote: 95 Points
Winery: Intense nose, nice bal., t’s, complex.
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4/20/2002 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Mondavi (and Friends) Tasting (Chicago IL): Tasting. Slightly reticent aromas with more bold fruit with big spice on palate. Firm tannins aren't quite in balance, but lots of raw materials. Hold to 2010 or later. 85% Cabernet.
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