First of these I’ve had…damn Russell!!! I love this balance of maturity and verve here! Drinking very well as a PnP but slow ox helps show depth of fruit (yes this wine gains youth with some time to breathe, like a beautiful woman stretching her legs before a dance. Why did I only buy three of these?!?!
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2 hr slow ox did the trick this time. This was between the ethereal experience two bottles ago and the flawed mess last time. Seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation. This bottle was delicious but past peak. Ripe without being over the top, it lacked the verve I usually find in the EEs. Black cherry, black raspberry and faint blood iron glide over the palate but lacked the complexity I otherwise find in this blend that make it stand out year after year. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed this bottle. One bottle remains that I will drink soon and move on to 13s/14s/15s.
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Hint of TCA on open, hoping it would blow off-but alas after an hour of air, raisins, sherry and wet newspaper were all I could salvage. I’ll call this half corked, but no such thing as half corked, down the drain it went
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After reading the last couple of reviews I decided it was tie to pop this bottle bought on release. One hour decant revealed a full bodied wine with preserved plum flavor. It was a little "tired" or maybe it was me as this was my first bottle following Covid. Thankfully asymptomatic for the most part and a quick 2 week smell and taste recovery. Stored overnight and consumed the balance over two nights. Secondary flavors of bark, fruitcake, mature black fruit, iron, absent of any harsh tannins and freshness, suggest this is likely entering the final stretch of enjoyable years. I would say give this a 3-4 hour decant and drink up!
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Ok, so this bottle screams two words to me very distinctly and without equivocation: "Drink Now." It's a Charleston chewy prune purple drank and all, but it's pushing past its window (at least, this bottle spoke loud and clear to that end). It hasn't tanked by any means, and I find it certainly to be a wine of lovely succulence and modern (like, really modern) hedonism, but I don't think this wine will be developing any "tertiary flavors" beyond ripe, more ripe, and really ripe over extended time. It's already spitting out some balsamic notes that stand to upstage the remaining freshness. Pop yo' corks folks.
This review is for a Magnum (1.5L) that was purchased at retail and not direct from the winery. The wine was opened early Easter morning and Double Decanted (DD), 2 oz removed prior to returning the wine to a cleaned bottle and then the cork was returned. The wine was stored for 10 hours at cellar temperature (55 degrees). Prior to serving, the wine was split evenly between 2 Grassl decanters for 1 hour.
The wine was consumed at approximately 55 degrees out of a Riedel Somm Bordeaux Grand Cru glass and was paired with a Flannery Jorge.
The wine is a Bordeaux blend of 65% Cab Sauvignon and 35% Cab Franc from the Tench and Tin Box vineyards in Oakville. There were 400 cases made.
The color was dark garnet with a violet tint. The aromas were of black fruit, brown spices, tobacco and slightly herbaceous. The palate was of dark cherries, slightly over-ripe blueberries (think blueberry pie), blackberries, allspice and minerality. There was medium acidity. The tannins were silky smooth and well-integrated. The initial sip had noticeable alcohol heat. However, the perception of alcohol eventually dissipated with vigorous swirling. The body was medium to full with a fairly long finish. It did not come across as heavy or jammy. There was good balance.
The wine was drank during a good time of Fruit/Flower hours that began at 2PM with the wine being consumed at 6PM.
My rating today is a 96+ out of a 1.5L. I believe this wine out of a Magnum just entered its early drinking window and has room to improve over the next 5+ years. With a few more years tucked away in the cellar, I believe this wine had the potential to reach the 98/99 point range. If you decide to open a magnum today, I won't recommend a long straight decant, as I think it would lose some of its nuances since its not very tannic. If I was able to do it again but couldn't wait a few more years, I would have started the double decant the night before serving and I would have removed more wine before returning the cork or I would have done a shorter DD with the cork removed and straight decant for approximately 90 minutes. Maybe this would have helped to blow off the initial boozy finish. In addition, the dinner was served outside under deck heaters. The wine temperature was closer to 55 degrees than 59+ degrees. It would probably show slightly better at a warmer temperature.
I agree with many recent CT reviewers that a 750 is probably in the perfect drinking window and is showing slightly better than the larger format. I drink most of my Bevan wines at the 7-10 year marker with a few at 12 years but all out of 750s. This is my first Bevan from Magnum and it presented much younger than expected and definitely has the ability to age much longer. However, it was a beautiful and enjoyable wine today and will always be a memorable cork pulled with my family at Easter Dinner!
Nose - heavenly. Palate - heavenly. Check and check.
No rough edges, no gaps, long finish. 100 easy points all day long. Oak/tannins completely integrated but plenty of backbone—this ain’t going anywhere anytime in the next 3-5 yrs.
Nose-crushed red raspberry and black raspberry and crushed red cherries, blackberry jam, creosote, Asian spice, black tea, intense and powerful without being anywhere near too much, almost like opening a fresh spiced tea bag and taking a deep whiff, except the sense does not wane. I could swirl and smell all day long.
Palate- red and black raspberry, red and black cherry, hint of candied cherries, glycerin/inky feel, tart ripe cherries appearing on the long finish as it warmed
This has settled down into its prime drinking window where the fruit is balanced and not overpowering, for a Bevan wine, I found this elegant, but buxom across the palate. Drank better at 55-60F. I would like to be able to say this evolved over an extended drinking window, but three of us drank this in less than 60 min, including Mrs GT who consumed more than her ‘fair’ share.
If I were to make a wine from Eastern Oakville, this would be it—such a joy to drink —too bad it’s my last. Someone once asked me if Bevan makes long agers. I know they’re good at age 10, but mine keep disappearing before age 11.
From everything I’ve been able to discern, the ‘19 vintage seems to have a lot of parallels with ‘12. I’m going back for more ‘19.
You might be utterly shocked to hear this, but the 2012 Bevan EE is a big, beefy, and slathering mouthful of black smoothie fruit that completely coats the palate and finishes with gushing viscosity and an alcohol-tinged tail. With air, there is some (emphasis on "some") evolution that becomes evident and showcases a bit of cigar and leather nuances, but otherwise this is as you'd expect - black cherry and blackberry pie filling effusively bloating from the core. If this is your jam (literally and figuratively), then party on. If not, well, then it's not...
If you routinely watch The Hangover (the first one, cuz the sequels are… lacking) on TBS at 2AM or buy your liquor at an actual Liquor Store down the street from your house (the kind where the little bell rings when you open their front door), you'll likely be in hog heaven with this wine. The 2012 Bevan is for those who drink (not taste nor sample nor spit). It’s on the other side of the spectrum for me personally at this point.
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Initially popped and poured, then split 50% off and enjoyed the remainder a few days later. This is a dark red flowing to purple wine. On the nose, I get cassis, blackberry, an iron pan, and a smoldering log. In the mouth, this is a rich, expansive, and layered wine. The finish is long with nice black fruit accents. The second half of the bottle was generally similar, although it showed a touch more savory fruit. Overall, this is a deep, dense wine of evident quality; it should have many more years left to go (and improve). 93 points.
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Well its 4 years later and my notes from 2017 are still true today. However the wine has integrated a bit more. This wine is brash, and without apologies. If that's your style, you will love this wine. For this price point I think there are more nuanced wines with greater depth. Will wait another couple years and see how its doing.
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Big, big Cabernet presence balanced by the more mineral cab franc. Decanted for 45 minutes through a pour over coffee filter, with moderate to heavy sediment removed. Ate with steak, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. Excellent!
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Brilliant wine. Concentrated, silky, nice balance despite the richness due to the very fine tannin. This bested the 2012 realm absurd (98) slightly given the better balance.
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If massive, extracted CALI cab's is your thing, then this wine should be in your cellar. After a nice two hour decant, this full-throttled wine was singing on all notes for a long taste profile. The fruit, earth and spices were harmoniously integrated with a rich, but not sharp tannin. This wine paired nicely with a coffee rubbed, ribeye with a side of roasted broccoli and carrots.
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I gave this 2 hours out of the bottle to breathe. Had during and after dinner. Better after dinner not paired with anything. An incredibly dense, concentrated, polished wine with sour cherry notes and a long finish. Perfect acidity level (not elevated).
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Huge does not describe this wine. It's MASSIVE. Deep, dark, bold and extracted fruits. The quality is incredible. It's so big that I'd struggle to pair it as it will dominate almost anything. Some subtle and enjoyable tannins on a very lengthy finish. Wow.
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In a good place. Dark rich extracted blackberries with smooth texture and good overall balance. Nice depth to the fruit concentration and very pretty flavor profile. Hedonistic in style. Yummy
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‘12 vintage. Drinking beautifully. Prior notes of “grilled grape jam” absolutely apply. I kinda expected it to be bigger than it is, but I won’t go so far as to say it’s fading. I have, let’s say, such BIG expectations for Bevan wines that I sometimes expect it to be more flamboyant and opulent than it is or ever was.
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PnP, has been opened several hours. A little closed on the nose but the palate was soft and ready to go. I’ve admittedly been a lover of 12s and this is not exception. Great depth and intensity, plush but integrated and without confection. A reminder that even a few years in the cellar can really reward
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The wine opened up after a few hours of decanting. Black fruit, blueberry, cassis. The complexity is high with lots going on, and the tannins are medium. There is medium to high acidity, but not in an astringent way. This was better on the 2nd day after sitting in the fridge overnight. Really nice wine. 96 points.
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Two hour decant and it needed at least another hour before the alcohol began to subside and the wine began to come together. massive wine that needs at least another five years in the cellar.
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Similar to my tasting note from last year. Progressing very nicely. Decanted two-three hours to really get its glide on. Beautifully weighted, with a flavor expansion that offers a surprisingly balanced array of swirling wild berry fruit. Not hot or boozy the way some Bevans can be. Sexy while still classy. I’m continually reminded that a good Bevan is a great Bevan with some time to settle into itself. Drink now with a decant or hold for another couple of years. Consistently in that 95-97 point range for me.
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So the club I belong to had a steak and seafood night outside under a canopy. My wife and I along with her sister and brother in law, My good friend Michael and his wife attended. We brought three bottles of wine for the 6 of us. 2012 Realm "The Bard", the 2012 Bevans EE Cuvee and the bottle of 2012 Insignia. The Insignia was opened 6 hours in advance, the Bevan's 4 hours and the Realm an hour and a half. The first time they were also tasted at the same times This is the first time I ever tried a bottle of Bevans and OMG this is one great bottle of wine. Dark fruit and hints of pipe tobacco on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, pipe tobacco some charred meat and traces of chocolate. The finish was long wih hints of mints coming through. My friend rated this the best wine of the night. So for him 95+.
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Dark berry flavors come out well with steak that’s been salted well. Drank at the perfect time, I didn’t think it needed any more aging. Already fairly soft tannins.
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3 hr decant but got even better as it was drunk over another 90 min. Nose reminded me of a Pritchard Hill CF. Coffee, blood iron, green herbs/ bay leaf, tea, fresh cut wood, saline, faint chocolate/mocha on the nose. Dominating red berry fruit (cherry/raspberry) with complimentary black fruit of the same variety. Tannins at bay. Long finish, no hard edges. Plenty of acid left makes me think this has plenty of life left. Not as good as my first bottle, but no disappointment either. Complimented a rosemary tenderloin beautifully
Decant for a few hours and you will be handsomely rewarded. PnP is, as with many of Bevan’s concoctions, a bit of a slutty alcohol laced liqueur experience. However, once some good old fashioned O2 inoculates all of the STDs out of this neon light Bangkok window candy, it’s one of the most beautifully unctuous elixirs out there. The black cherry, purple plum, and blackberry flavors interweave gorgeously with subtle bitter ganache and deep cassis notes. Drink now with a decant, or hold for another year or so.
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Folks just adored this wine. PNP and drunk over an hour or so and really hard to express how many superlatives our hosts handed out. I liked the wine but not sure rang my bells quite as much but very very nice and quite smooth and in balance
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Decanted and served. Evolved beautifully over two hours. Stunning blend of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc with all the balance and intensity you would want. With air some charred earth appeared to go along with the precise dark fruit and acid. I like the evolution but decant two hours for a silkier mouth feel.
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I struggled with 99 vs 100 here, but we’re splitting hairs here, let’s go big. 100 pts! 2.5 hr decant. This is a unicorn wine, such a delight. Lovely perfume, smoke, iron, creosote on the nose. Palate had black cherry, black raspberry, raspberries, blood, iron, smoke. Tannins finely integrated. This is Bevan big and definitely Napa but nowhere near overdone. No appreciable oak. Everything integrated and in harmony. This is a wine that epitomizes Eastern Oakville and an example of the best that Tench has to offer.
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Opened to celebrate an unexpected big raise. Needed a 2-4 hr decant. Purple red in color, dark. Such a smooth texturally beautiful wine. Full bodied without you noticing it. Not the most powerful Bevan, but so much grace and finesse. Long finish. Me - 94, Wife - 98
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Previous notes from December 2017 still apply. This is continuing on it path nicely, with seemingly even more room to grow over the next year, as it really started to pick up its pace after a couple of hours of air. I’ll try to hold remaining bottles until mid-2019.
It is not as concentrated or immediately captivating as the 2015 Bevan EE, but it is truly a beautifully pure, balanced, and flavorful wine.
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Second tasting with consistent notes. Bevan has really been knocking it out of the park. As with most 2012, very bright fruit flavors, not all that heavy. Drinking beautifully now. A bit of a twang that I'd expect from a mountain cab.
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It's been over a year since my last bottle. Same as all of my previous notes on this wine except it really showed well from start to finish, with no tannic or heat issues at all. Performed good as a PnP but after 2 hours it really displayed beautifully refined notes of haunting dark berry, asphalt, and bitter chocolate. Awesome texture and mouthfeel. Complete and wholly palate-encompassing, with a seamless delivery of flavors.
96+ points. I'll try to hold my next bottle for a year or so.
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Dark brooding color with a nose of dark blackberry and dark cherry. Medium weight with a focused palette of dark cherry, blackberry, cedar and a touch chocolate. Beautiful fruit forward with years of life, needs to develop secondary flavors. Drink now or be rewarded in 3-5 years.
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See my last score from June 2014 dinner, and we had an interim score of 9.5- in Nov 2014. The wine is not as brash/tannic as it did in 2014 (it threw around 2 ounces of thick sludge this time). There was absolutely no alcohol burn anywhere. That made it more of a 200-lb ballerina that went well with, dang, everything from short rib to pork chops to chicken pot pies at Smitty's in Pasadena. Russel Bevan in a tutu! What an image!
Anniversary dinner with Scudieris and it made the evening very special. Glad I have one more bottle!
PS: 4-hour decant with a few swirls in between. I like to decant the wine, put the cleansed bottle in the freezer with plastic wrap over the top, then right before we leave for dinner I put the wine back in the frozen bottle and it comes to the right temp as we start the meal and throughout. Highly recommended.
4 months since I last had this wine. PnP was very tight and a bit boozy. Raspberry liqueur, black cherry, vanilla, and alcohol. Linear and and a little palate-numbing, with a tannic clamp that muted the core fruit initially. Not astringent or hot in any way, but just very coiled-up; a little chalky on the back end.
A total of 3+ hours in the decanter. The black raspberry and dark chocolate chunk flavors started to come out. The alcohol subsided, allowing the fruit to carry better on through the finish.
Still, I feel and hope as though the best is yet to come...maybe much later than I had anticipated. I will try to hold my remaining bottles until after 2018 (and that might be too early).
95+ point potential in a couple of years.
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It has only been a month since I last had this wine, so same specific notes apply. This really developed some nice chocolate, espresso, and black raspberry liqueur flavors over the course of a few hours.
I tried to really take time to evaluate the EE this time, attempting to not allow food or other influences to interrupt the "pure" flavors coming from this wine. I ended up in the 96-ish point bracket this time. My girl was at 97 points all day long. She loved the silky texture and near-perfect tannin management. I agree, but if there was one complaint, it was amost too seamless. It was so balanced in every way, that it lacked a little personality. I'm likely being too critical, as this was a great showing from a great wine.
96+ points for me, with some upside in a year or so. If you drink now, decant at a cooler cellar temperature (54 degrees) for at least 2-3 hours before consuming.
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Bevan Evaluations; 5/21/2016-6/15/2016: Not too much different from my CT notes in August 2015. This didn't start to really show its stuff until 2+ hours in the decanter. Raspberry liqueur, chocolate covered cherries (not overly sweet), and some subtle spice.
Two things about this wine that were somewhat ironic for me I suppose: First off, I kept wanting more here...more "pow," more verve. A really good wine, but needing just a slight more push. Secondly, this wine was gone before the blink of an eye. We drank it so fast it was almost as if we didn't have a chance to fully enjoy it. So in the end, I have no doubt this was exceptional juice. It was perfectly balanced and a textural dream.
I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I suppose I just wanted a bit more of that Russell Bevan personality from this wine. I wanted more memories from this wine (maybe I'm asking too much). I wanted more identifiable, distinguishing characteristics that would point to something akin to, "Yes, this is a Bevan EE!"
99 points RP? Not seeing that yet. In that 94-95 point range for me, as the quality is superb, but again, is there more hiding in the shadows of what this wine could ultimately be?
Drink now with a few hours in the decanter, or hold for another year or two in hopes it will fatten up some. I'll revisit well into 2017.
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Well wow! Deep inky purple with a sweet berry bouquet and a flavor of blackberries and sweet oak. The wine was notable for its purity and focus, as well as its wonderful balance and very long finish. The EE Cuvee is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, so the latter grape may have added to the fruit. Among the most famous wines that have a high percentage of Cabernet Franc are Cheval Blanc and Ausone, albeit blended with Merlot.
Decanted 6 hours then tasted over the next 24. This is an impressive outing. I'm not generally a big fan of Cabernet Franc, but after 24 hours in the decanter this really opened up. The franc added a nice smokey flavor and the the ripe fruit from the cab really created some nice balance. It was the kind of wine I just couldn't stop drinking. I will buy more.
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Amazing wine! The combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc works very well. A hint of sweet nose is very impressive to me, because it smells like "Honey," which I never found in Napa Cab. Vibrant body and fresh fruit are booming on the palate but not overwhelming. We really can not stop sipping it! Among all of the sexy characters, the most amazing part is lasting. I truly don't have any idea how an elegant and full body wine can have this super long lasting! Most of time, it only appears in super body wines. Although we drank it with 2010 Caymus special selection, Russel's work still shined brighter on both purity side and any other sides! Noteworthy, I left about 50 ml for 24 hours, and the wine is still aromatic and good to drink. What an amazing work! We are all satisfied with Russell's work as usual. This is the wine of the night.
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An outstanding nose of candied licorice, sweet red and black fruits, and subtle spices, the Bevan EE is a winner for sure. On the palate, perfectly balanced blackberry liqueur, blueberry, ripe red raspberry, and baking spices. There is a subtle woodsmoke and molasses BBQ sauce flavor to the finish.
The tannin management (signature Russell Bevan) is phenomenal, with not a harsh edge to be found. The structure is near-perfect, wrapping around the palate with an amazing orchestra of fruit, spice, and wood. Almost as good as the 2012 Sugarloaf.
96+ right now. Drinks great now, but a year or so may prove even better results. Highly recommended.
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--- Unbelievable Wine Dinner at our Home with Victoria and Sharon! --- --- COLOR: Dense/opaque black-purple, almost to the rim NOTE: 1st out of 5 CS/CF-based wines tonight. The following note is after 24 hours in opened bottle: This is like taking the best components of all Bevan CS wines and rolling them into one. I could just sit and smell this bad boy for days. With only the faintest whiff of heat, the nose is like blackberry liqueur poured on hot, cracked granite (reminds me of another winery's style I just love). And it comes with all the cocoa powder, tar, oiled leather, Saigon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, whatever.... The nose is STUPID good in case you didn't catch that. This was also the best wine overall from the moment of PnP, and it's even more sublime after 24 hours. It rolls across the tongue with smooth tannins and sweet black fruits, thick and voluptuous, fully gratifying all on its own or with food. This is sexy and complex. Finish is dominated by dark chocolate and baking spices, but the deep black fruits definitely linger for the last 30+ seconds as well. Amazing. So elegant... Everyone raved about it.
4/16/2024 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Quite outstanding. It showed no signs of decline, could have used another couple of years in the cellar.
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2/25/2024 - sdonahue Likes this wine: 94 Points
starting to fade so I agree with others to drink up. That said this wine opened wonderfully after about 2 hr decant
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10/28/2023 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
First of these I’ve had…damn Russell!!! I love this balance of maturity and verve here! Drinking very well as a PnP but slow ox helps show depth of fruit (yes this wine gains youth with some time to breathe, like a beautiful woman stretching her legs before a dance. Why did I only buy three of these?!?!
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2/26/2023 - Geaux Tigers wrote: flawed
Starting to wonder about longevity of Bevan wines, I’ve had more than my share of bad bottles at 9+ yrs.
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1/28/2023 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 95 Points
2 hr slow ox did the trick this time. This was between the ethereal experience two bottles ago and the flawed mess last time. Seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation. This bottle was delicious but past peak. Ripe without being over the top, it lacked the verve I usually find in the EEs. Black cherry, black raspberry and faint blood iron glide over the palate but lacked the complexity I otherwise find in this blend that make it stand out year after year. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed this bottle. One bottle remains that I will drink soon and move on to 13s/14s/15s.
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1/14/2023 - Geaux Tigers wrote: flawed
Hint of TCA on open, hoping it would blow off-but alas after an hour of air, raisins, sherry and wet newspaper were all I could salvage. I’ll call this half corked, but no such thing as half corked, down the drain it went
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10/21/2022 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
After reading the last couple of reviews I decided it was tie to pop this bottle bought on release. One hour decant revealed a full bodied wine with preserved plum flavor. It was a little "tired" or maybe it was me as this was my first bottle following Covid. Thankfully asymptomatic for the most part and a quick 2 week smell and taste recovery. Stored overnight and consumed the balance over two nights. Secondary flavors of bark, fruitcake, mature black fruit, iron, absent of any harsh tannins and freshness, suggest this is likely entering the final stretch of enjoyable years. I would say give this a 3-4 hour decant and drink up!
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9/9/2022 - csimm wrote:
Ok, so this bottle screams two words to me very distinctly and without equivocation: "Drink Now." It's a Charleston chewy prune purple drank and all, but it's pushing past its window (at least, this bottle spoke loud and clear to that end). It hasn't tanked by any means, and I find it certainly to be a wine of lovely succulence and modern (like, really modern) hedonism, but I don't think this wine will be developing any "tertiary flavors" beyond ripe, more ripe, and really ripe over extended time. It's already spitting out some balsamic notes that stand to upstage the remaining freshness. Pop yo' corks folks.
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4/17/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This review is for a Magnum (1.5L) that was purchased at retail and not direct from the winery. The wine was opened early Easter morning and Double Decanted (DD), 2 oz removed prior to returning the wine to a cleaned bottle and then the cork was returned. The wine was stored for 10 hours at cellar temperature (55 degrees). Prior to serving, the wine was split evenly between 2 Grassl decanters for 1 hour.
The wine was consumed at approximately 55 degrees out of a Riedel Somm Bordeaux Grand Cru glass and was paired with a Flannery Jorge.
The wine is a Bordeaux blend of 65% Cab Sauvignon and 35% Cab Franc from the Tench and Tin Box vineyards in Oakville. There were 400 cases made.
The color was dark garnet with a violet tint. The aromas were of black fruit, brown spices, tobacco and slightly herbaceous. The palate was of dark cherries, slightly over-ripe blueberries (think blueberry pie), blackberries, allspice and minerality. There was medium acidity. The tannins were silky smooth and well-integrated. The initial sip had noticeable alcohol heat. However, the perception of alcohol eventually dissipated with vigorous swirling. The body was medium to full with a fairly long finish. It did not come across as heavy or jammy. There was good balance.
The wine was drank during a good time of Fruit/Flower hours that began at 2PM with the wine being consumed at 6PM.
My rating today is a 96+ out of a 1.5L. I believe this wine out of a Magnum just entered its early drinking window and has room to improve over the next 5+ years. With a few more years tucked away in the cellar, I believe this wine had the potential to reach the 98/99 point range. If you decide to open a magnum today, I won't recommend a long straight decant, as I think it would lose some of its nuances since its not very tannic. If I was able to do it again but couldn't wait a few more years, I would have started the double decant the night before serving and I would have removed more wine before returning the cork or I would have done a shorter DD with the cork removed and straight decant for approximately 90 minutes. Maybe this would have helped to blow off the initial boozy finish. In addition, the dinner was served outside under deck heaters. The wine temperature was closer to 55 degrees than 59+ degrees. It would probably show slightly better at a warmer temperature.
I agree with many recent CT reviewers that a 750 is probably in the perfect drinking window and is showing slightly better than the larger format. I drink most of my Bevan wines at the 7-10 year marker with a few at 12 years but all out of 750s. This is my first Bevan from Magnum and it presented much younger than expected and definitely has the ability to age much longer. However, it was a beautiful and enjoyable wine today and will always be a memorable cork pulled with my family at Easter Dinner!
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4/6/2022 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 100 Points
One hr decant was all it needed.
Nose - heavenly. Palate - heavenly. Check and check.
No rough edges, no gaps, long finish. 100 easy points all day long. Oak/tannins completely integrated but plenty of backbone—this ain’t going anywhere anytime in the next 3-5 yrs.
Nose-crushed red raspberry and black raspberry and crushed red cherries, blackberry jam, creosote, Asian spice, black tea, intense and powerful without being anywhere near too much, almost like opening a fresh spiced tea bag and taking a deep whiff, except the sense does not wane. I could swirl and smell all day long.
Palate- red and black raspberry, red and black cherry, hint of candied cherries, glycerin/inky feel, tart ripe cherries appearing on the long finish as it warmed
This has settled down into its prime drinking window where the fruit is balanced and not overpowering, for a Bevan wine, I found this elegant, but buxom across the palate. Drank better at 55-60F. I would like to be able to say this evolved over an extended drinking window, but three of us drank this in less than 60 min, including Mrs GT who consumed more than her ‘fair’ share.
If I were to make a wine from Eastern Oakville, this would be it—such a joy to drink —too bad it’s my last. Someone once asked me if Bevan makes long agers. I know they’re good at age 10, but mine keep disappearing before age 11.
From everything I’ve been able to discern, the ‘19 vintage seems to have a lot of parallels with ‘12. I’m going back for more ‘19.
100 and never a doubt.
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2/22/2022 - webbaker Likes this wine: 98 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Outstanding wine from an underrated vintage, great depth of fruit.
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1/22/2022 - JAZZ4U wrote: 99 Points
Parker 99 Pts. 65% Cab Sauvignon, 35% Cab Franc. Tin Box and Showket Vineyards respectively. Gorgeous rich fruit forward wine.
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1/8/2022 - csimm wrote:
You might be utterly shocked to hear this, but the 2012 Bevan EE is a big, beefy, and slathering mouthful of black smoothie fruit that completely coats the palate and finishes with gushing viscosity and an alcohol-tinged tail. With air, there is some (emphasis on "some") evolution that becomes evident and showcases a bit of cigar and leather nuances, but otherwise this is as you'd expect - black cherry and blackberry pie filling effusively bloating from the core. If this is your jam (literally and figuratively), then party on. If not, well, then it's not...
If you routinely watch The Hangover (the first one, cuz the sequels are… lacking) on TBS at 2AM or buy your liquor at an actual Liquor Store down the street from your house (the kind where the little bell rings when you open their front door), you'll likely be in hog heaven with this wine. The 2012 Bevan is for those who drink (not taste nor sample nor spit). It’s on the other side of the spectrum for me personally at this point.
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12/30/2021 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially popped and poured, then split 50% off and enjoyed the remainder a few days later. This is a dark red flowing to purple wine. On the nose, I get cassis, blackberry, an iron pan, and a smoldering log. In the mouth, this is a rich, expansive, and layered wine. The finish is long with nice black fruit accents. The second half of the bottle was generally similar, although it showed a touch more savory fruit. Overall, this is a deep, dense wine of evident quality; it should have many more years left to go (and improve). 93 points.
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9/23/2021 - Wine Warrior 1 wrote: 94 Points
Well its 4 years later and my notes from 2017 are still true today. However the wine has integrated a bit more. This wine is brash, and without apologies. If that's your style, you will love this wine. For this price point I think there are more nuanced wines with greater depth. Will wait another couple years and see how its doing.
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2/20/2021 - Jaws4096 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Big, big Cabernet presence balanced by the more mineral cab franc. Decanted for 45 minutes through a pour over coffee filter, with moderate to heavy sediment removed. Ate with steak, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. Excellent!
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2/16/2021 - beau11 wrote:
Brilliant wine. Concentrated, silky, nice balance despite the richness due to the very fine tannin. This bested the 2012 realm absurd (98) slightly given the better balance.
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2/15/2021 - drmarc61 Likes this wine: 98 Points
If massive, extracted CALI cab's is your thing, then this wine should be in your cellar. After a nice two hour decant, this full-throttled wine was singing on all notes for a long taste profile. The fruit, earth and spices were harmoniously integrated with a rich, but not sharp tannin. This wine paired nicely with a coffee rubbed, ribeye with a side of roasted broccoli and carrots.
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1/12/2021 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 97 Points
I gave this 2 hours out of the bottle to breathe. Had during and after dinner. Better after dinner not paired with anything. An incredibly dense, concentrated, polished wine with sour cherry notes and a long finish. Perfect acidity level (not elevated).
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1/8/2021 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge does not describe this wine. It's MASSIVE. Deep, dark, bold and extracted fruits. The quality is incredible. It's so big that I'd struggle to pair it as it will dominate almost anything. Some subtle and enjoyable tannins on a very lengthy finish. Wow.
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12/29/2020 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a good place. Dark rich extracted blackberries with smooth texture and good overall balance. Nice depth to the fruit concentration and very pretty flavor profile. Hedonistic in style. Yummy
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11/20/2020 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
‘12 vintage. Drinking beautifully. Prior notes of “grilled grape jam” absolutely apply. I kinda expected it to be bigger than it is, but I won’t go so far as to say it’s fading. I have, let’s say, such BIG expectations for Bevan wines that I sometimes expect it to be more flamboyant and opulent than it is or ever was.
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10/22/2020 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
PnP, has been opened several hours. A little closed on the nose but the palate was soft and ready to go. I’ve admittedly been a lover of 12s and this is not exception. Great depth and intensity, plush but integrated and without confection. A reminder that even a few years in the cellar can really reward
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10/19/2020 - Sfflyer123 wrote: 96 Points
The wine opened up after a few hours of decanting. Black fruit, blueberry, cassis. The complexity is high with lots going on, and the tannins are medium. There is medium to high acidity, but not in an astringent way. This was better on the 2nd day after sitting in the fridge overnight. Really nice wine. 96 points.
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8/31/2020 - drmarc61 wrote: 96 Points
Two hour decant and it needed at least another hour before the alcohol began to subside and the wine began to come together. massive wine that needs at least another five years in the cellar.
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7/15/2020 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Similar to my tasting note from last year. Progressing very nicely. Decanted two-three hours to really get its glide on. Beautifully weighted, with a flavor expansion that offers a surprisingly balanced array of swirling wild berry fruit. Not hot or boozy the way some Bevans can be. Sexy while still classy. I’m continually reminded that a good Bevan is a great Bevan with some time to settle into itself. Drink now with a decant or hold for another couple of years. Consistently in that 95-97 point range for me.
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7/11/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 95 Points
So the club I belong to had a steak and seafood night outside under a canopy. My wife and I along with her sister and brother in law, My good friend Michael and his wife attended. We brought three bottles of wine for the 6 of us. 2012 Realm "The Bard", the 2012 Bevans EE Cuvee and the bottle of 2012 Insignia. The Insignia was opened 6 hours in advance, the Bevan's 4 hours and the Realm an hour and a half. The first time they were also tasted at the same times
This is the first time I ever tried a bottle of Bevans and OMG this is one great bottle of wine. Dark fruit and hints of pipe tobacco on the nose. The palate was dark berries, plums, pipe tobacco some charred meat and traces of chocolate. The finish was long wih hints of mints coming through. My friend rated this the best wine of the night. So for him 95+.
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7/4/2020 - Opusone99 wrote: 96 Points
Grand vin!
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6/1/2020 - melsdad wrote: 97 Points
Not the full-throttle cab blend it was a few years ago but...still a great bottle of wine. Drink 'em if you have 'em!
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12/15/2019 - Kate Cabernet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark berry flavors come out well with steak that’s been salted well. Drank at the perfect time, I didn’t think it needed any more aging. Already fairly soft tannins.
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11/28/2019 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 95 Points
3 hr decant but got even better as it was drunk over another 90 min. Nose reminded me of a Pritchard Hill CF. Coffee, blood iron, green herbs/ bay leaf, tea, fresh cut wood, saline, faint chocolate/mocha on the nose. Dominating red berry fruit (cherry/raspberry) with complimentary black fruit of the same variety. Tannins at bay. Long finish, no hard edges. Plenty of acid left makes me think this has plenty of life left. Not as good as my first bottle, but no disappointment either. Complimented a rosemary tenderloin beautifully
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11/1/2019 - Red Sox Fan wrote:
Packed with jammy and overripe fruit. Maybe an off bottle.
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9/14/2019 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous wine, with juicy berry and plums back by tobacco and graphite. Drinking well now.
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8/10/2019 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Decant for a few hours and you will be handsomely rewarded. PnP is, as with many of Bevan’s concoctions, a bit of a slutty alcohol laced liqueur experience. However, once some good old fashioned O2 inoculates all of the STDs out of this neon light Bangkok window candy, it’s one of the most beautifully unctuous elixirs out there. The black cherry, purple plum, and blackberry flavors interweave gorgeously with subtle bitter ganache and deep cassis notes. Drink now with a decant, or hold for another year or so.
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7/1/2019 - Mr T wrote:
Folks just adored this wine. PNP and drunk over an hour or so and really hard to express how many superlatives our hosts handed out. I liked the wine but not sure rang my bells quite as much but very very nice and quite smooth and in balance
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3/8/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted and served. Evolved beautifully over two hours. Stunning blend of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc with all the balance and intensity you would want. With air some charred earth appeared to go along with the precise dark fruit and acid. I like the evolution but decant two hours for a silkier mouth feel.
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2/1/2019 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 100 Points
I struggled with 99 vs 100 here, but we’re splitting hairs here, let’s go big. 100 pts!
2.5 hr decant. This is a unicorn wine, such a delight. Lovely perfume, smoke, iron, creosote on the nose. Palate had black cherry, black raspberry, raspberries, blood, iron, smoke. Tannins finely integrated. This is Bevan big and definitely Napa but nowhere near overdone. No appreciable oak. Everything integrated and in harmony. This is a wine that epitomizes Eastern Oakville and an example of the best that Tench has to offer.
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7/28/2018 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened to celebrate an unexpected big raise.
Needed a 2-4 hr decant.
Purple red in color, dark.
Such a smooth texturally beautiful wine. Full bodied without you noticing it. Not the most powerful Bevan, but so much grace and finesse.
Long finish.
Me - 94, Wife - 98
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5/22/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Previous notes from December 2017 still apply. This is continuing on it path nicely, with seemingly even more room to grow over the next year, as it really started to pick up its pace after a couple of hours of air. I’ll try to hold remaining bottles until mid-2019.
It is not as concentrated or immediately captivating as the 2015 Bevan EE, but it is truly a beautifully pure, balanced, and flavorful wine.
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2/11/2018 - webbaker Likes this wine: 98 Points
Second tasting with consistent notes. Bevan has really been knocking it out of the park. As with most 2012, very bright fruit flavors, not all that heavy. Drinking beautifully now. A bit of a twang that I'd expect from a mountain cab.
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12/1/2017 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
It's been over a year since my last bottle. Same as all of my previous notes on this wine except it really showed well from start to finish, with no tannic or heat issues at all. Performed good as a PnP but after 2 hours it really displayed beautifully refined notes of haunting dark berry, asphalt, and bitter chocolate. Awesome texture and mouthfeel. Complete and wholly palate-encompassing, with a seamless delivery of flavors.
96+ points. I'll try to hold my next bottle for a year or so.
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10/3/2017 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark brooding color with a nose of dark blackberry and dark cherry. Medium weight with a focused palette of dark cherry, blackberry, cedar and a touch chocolate. Beautiful fruit forward with years of life, needs to develop secondary flavors. Drink now or be rewarded in 3-5 years.
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4/9/2017 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
See my last score from June 2014 dinner, and we had an interim score of 9.5- in Nov 2014. The wine is not as brash/tannic as it did in 2014 (it threw around 2 ounces of thick sludge this time). There was absolutely no alcohol burn anywhere. That made it more of a 200-lb ballerina that went well with, dang, everything from short rib to pork chops to chicken pot pies at Smitty's in Pasadena. Russel Bevan in a tutu! What an image!
Anniversary dinner with Scudieris and it made the evening very special. Glad I have one more bottle!
PS: 4-hour decant with a few swirls in between. I like to decant the wine, put the cleansed bottle in the freezer with plastic wrap over the top, then right before we leave for dinner I put the wine back in the frozen bottle and it comes to the right temp as we start the meal and throughout. Highly recommended.
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2/19/2017 - shadow wrote: 95 Points
Pomegranate meets espresso, rich but under control,
like a super car with the valet governor on.
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12/26/2016 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
Not as good as the other Bevan '12s
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10/17/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
4 months since I last had this wine. PnP was very tight and a bit boozy. Raspberry liqueur, black cherry, vanilla, and alcohol. Linear and and a little palate-numbing, with a tannic clamp that muted the core fruit initially. Not astringent or hot in any way, but just very coiled-up; a little chalky on the back end.
A total of 3+ hours in the decanter. The black raspberry and dark chocolate chunk flavors started to come out. The alcohol subsided, allowing the fruit to carry better on through the finish.
Still, I feel and hope as though the best is yet to come...maybe much later than I had anticipated. I will try to hold my remaining bottles until after 2018 (and that might be too early).
95+ point potential in a couple of years.
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6/29/2016 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
It has only been a month since I last had this wine, so same specific notes apply. This really developed some nice chocolate, espresso, and black raspberry liqueur flavors over the course of a few hours.
I tried to really take time to evaluate the EE this time, attempting to not allow food or other influences to interrupt the "pure" flavors coming from this wine. I ended up in the 96-ish point bracket this time. My girl was at 97 points all day long. She loved the silky texture and near-perfect tannin management. I agree, but if there was one complaint, it was amost too seamless. It was so balanced in every way, that it lacked a little personality. I'm likely being too critical, as this was a great showing from a great wine.
96+ points for me, with some upside in a year or so. If you drink now, decant at a cooler cellar temperature (54 degrees) for at least 2-3 hours before consuming.
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5/30/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Bevan Evaluations; 5/21/2016-6/15/2016: Not too much different from my CT notes in August 2015. This didn't start to really show its stuff until 2+ hours in the decanter. Raspberry liqueur, chocolate covered cherries (not overly sweet), and some subtle spice.
Two things about this wine that were somewhat ironic for me I suppose: First off, I kept wanting more here...more "pow," more verve. A really good wine, but needing just a slight more push. Secondly, this wine was gone before the blink of an eye. We drank it so fast it was almost as if we didn't have a chance to fully enjoy it. So in the end, I have no doubt this was exceptional juice. It was perfectly balanced and a textural dream.
I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I suppose I just wanted a bit more of that Russell Bevan personality from this wine. I wanted more memories from this wine (maybe I'm asking too much). I wanted more identifiable, distinguishing characteristics that would point to something akin to, "Yes, this is a Bevan EE!"
99 points RP? Not seeing that yet. In that 94-95 point range for me, as the quality is superb, but again, is there more hiding in the shadows of what this wine could ultimately be?
Drink now with a few hours in the decanter, or hold for another year or two in hopes it will fatten up some. I'll revisit well into 2017.
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4/5/2016 - Superjack29 wrote: 96 Points
Special
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4/2/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 98 Points
Well wow! Deep inky purple with a sweet berry bouquet and a flavor of blackberries and sweet oak. The wine was notable for its purity and focus, as well as its wonderful balance and very long finish. The EE Cuvee is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, so the latter grape may have added to the fruit. Among the most famous wines that have a high percentage of Cabernet Franc are Cheval Blanc and Ausone, albeit blended with Merlot.
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3/26/2016 - Cali Fan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Black fruits, inky purple with long legs and an even longer finish. Maybe early but drinking well young.
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11/12/2015 - ews3 wrote: 97 Points
Glorious. Dark berry fruit, charcoal, herbaceousness, licorice, nutmeg, and white pepper. Perfect balance and long finish.
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9/11/2015 - webbaker Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted 6 hours then tasted over the next 24. This is an impressive outing. I'm not generally a big fan of Cabernet Franc, but after 24 hours in the decanter this really opened up. The franc added a nice smokey flavor and the the ripe fruit from the cab really created some nice balance. It was the kind of wine I just couldn't stop drinking. I will buy more.
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9/4/2015 - RyanWu wrote: 96 Points
Amazing wine! The combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc works very well. A hint of sweet nose is very impressive to me, because it smells like "Honey," which I never found in Napa Cab. Vibrant body and fresh fruit are booming on the palate but not overwhelming. We really can not stop sipping it! Among all of the sexy characters, the most amazing part is lasting. I truly don't have any idea how an elegant and full body wine can have this super long lasting! Most of time, it only appears in super body wines. Although we drank it with 2010 Caymus special selection, Russel's work still shined brighter on both purity side and any other sides! Noteworthy, I left about 50 ml for 24 hours, and the wine is still aromatic and good to drink. What an amazing work! We are all satisfied with Russell's work as usual. This is the wine of the night.
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8/21/2015 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
An outstanding nose of candied licorice, sweet red and black fruits, and subtle spices, the Bevan EE is a winner for sure. On the palate, perfectly balanced blackberry liqueur, blueberry, ripe red raspberry, and baking spices. There is a subtle woodsmoke and molasses BBQ sauce flavor to the finish.
The tannin management (signature Russell Bevan) is phenomenal, with not a harsh edge to be found. The structure is near-perfect, wrapping around the palate with an amazing orchestra of fruit, spice, and wood. Almost as good as the 2012 Sugarloaf.
96+ right now. Drinks great now, but a year or so may prove even better results. Highly recommended.
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12/28/2014 - Hebrew Hammer wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color.
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11/28/2014 - rylanreynolds wrote: 98 Points
This wine jumps right out of the bottle upon opening. Tremendous young, tannins already silky, well balanced wine. Perfect with Thanksgiving Dinner!
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11/9/2014 - ClubTerry Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not ready but appears to have serious potential.
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11/4/2014 - redno5 wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes taken just a tasting event with all 2012 Bevan wines. Some very good to excellent with upside potential.
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6/15/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 95 Points
--- Unbelievable Wine Dinner at our Home with Victoria and Sharon! ---
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COLOR: Dense/opaque black-purple, almost to the rim
NOTE: 1st out of 5 CS/CF-based wines tonight. The following note is after 24 hours in opened bottle:
This is like taking the best components of all Bevan CS wines and rolling them into one. I could just sit and smell this bad boy for days. With only the faintest whiff of heat, the nose is like blackberry liqueur poured on hot, cracked granite (reminds me of another winery's style I just love). And it comes with all the cocoa powder, tar, oiled leather, Saigon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, whatever.... The nose is STUPID good in case you didn't catch that. This was also the best wine overall from the moment of PnP, and it's even more sublime after 24 hours.
It rolls across the tongue with smooth tannins and sweet black fruits, thick and voluptuous, fully gratifying all on its own or with food. This is sexy and complex. Finish is dominated by dark chocolate and baking spices, but the deep black fruits definitely linger for the last 30+ seconds as well. Amazing. So elegant... Everyone raved about it.
DECANT: 0-24 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.5+
COST: 150
VALUE: 8.0
TRY AGAIN: now - 2025
CORAVIN'D: no
PRE-POUR LEVEL:
PAIRING:
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