Decanted for 2.5 hours. Drank with ribeye steak and roasted vegetables. The aroma on this bottle was absolutely stellar, creamy and lightweight and swimming in black fruit with a hint of cassis. My palate detected plum, dark chocolate, and hung meat. And yet the lightness of it blew us away. Not thin, but like clouds. The coating in my mouth after a sip lasted for a minute, dry and soft and not at all tight.
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The bouquet is all Welch’s grape juice when I was 8 years old. This went down fast and smooth. Still very tasty but a slightly lesser experience than prior bottle. For me, how I experience a Bevan wine is like which side of the bed you woke up on - always tasty, but sometimes the fruit roll up flavors rock out, sometimes they leave you happy but wanting a bit more to think about. Tonight was the latter but only the gods know why.
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Luscious Bevan goodness. Ontogeny always great value, this with age is a modestly smoother and refined proposition. Still rich and deep blue fruits but a bit of a doyenne as a Bevan ages. Really nice.
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Perfectly stored since release. Medium to full bodied, beautifully fresh with black cherry, boysenberry, cedar & graphite, and well integrated. Minimal soft tannins, and a 30 second finish. No complaints here.
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Day 1, it’s clear than my last bottle of this had something weird going on with the green astringent finish as this bottle does not. Very nice. Day 2 (overnight in the fridge), the green finish is back. Still pretty good and drinkable, but I’m convinced there is something a bit weird about this vintage of Ontogeny as I’ve had a real mixed bag of experiences with this ranging from excellent to undrinkable.
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Ripe fruit followed by A LOT of green notes on the finish. Artificial/chemical tasting. I usually love Bevan wines and I don't remember this at all from the last time I tried this wine 2 years ago, so I am assuming this is a flawed bottle.
Very flat and muted on opening so decided to decant. After 2 hrs, it became more muscular, with the fruit taking a back seat to the luxurious barrel notes of baking spices and dark chocolate. Medium bodied with black and ripe red fruit profile. Like CSIMM mentioned, it had a streak of green (like fresh herbs) and felt bit boozy like a quality sherry (Oloroso). Finishes short and with more of the green notes. Seems like the high percentage of Cab Franc/PV is taking over with the green elements. Nice wine, but the fruit was more muted than I would have expected and didn't have the usual richness of a Bevan, especially in light of the 2012 vintage. Entering its mature years and pairs best with food.
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Because I’ve reviewed this wine a ton of times, I’ll simply add that there were slight pyrazine and green peppercorn flavors that came from this bottle. Overall, a flavorful creature indeed, but in a more restrained and tame/controlled way (by Bevan standards, at least) due to some noticeable acid and slight chemical notes that surround the otherwise purple-red core. A kiss of heat on the finish also poked through. Save the next bottle for 2022+.
Rich, concentrated black and fruits with a long finish. Almost over the top but not quite. Some heat on the finish. The first glass was very smooth and hedonistic. The second glass was too warm and the heat was overpowering and the finish became bitter.
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Rich ripe black fruits with a smooth sensual texture. Surprisingly soft and supple give the high percentage of petite verdot. Don’t see this improving, but this will hold for years to come.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, touch of bell pepper and roasted herbs. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, currant, touch of raspberry and hint of chocolate. Ends with a big mouth coating finish of 40+ seconds with currant notes. These Bevan wines are big and bombastic but certainly well made.
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PnP but tasted throughout ~1.5 hours. Recent reviews hold true- great wine with an even better QPR. Knock out of a wine that is in its peak window with a good like ahead to enjoy. Drink now and later as the wine has just entered its prime.
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Same as last year. Performs like a champ after a few hours of air. I’ll try to hold another 8-12 months just to really optimize its drinking window. The 2012 vintage was a huge success from Bevan across a number of fronts. The Ontogeny is a very fine representation of the 2012 lineup, especially as the “base” model of the Bevan family.
Good to go now, but whispers of alcohol still keep the flavors on the finish riding just a little high and linear. A splitting hairs critique no question, but something worth noting for those looking to find that precise happy spot on this particular wine. For me, I’ll try again in 2020+.
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This stunning wine has incredible fruit, rich structure, and a mouthfeel that is as good as it gets. Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of black cherry, cedar, graphite, and menthol. Tastes of blackberry, gravel, and vanilla, with tastes that just keep coming - blueberry, milk chocolate, and black licorice also appear - and a finish that is silky and integrated. Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.7% alcohol. Decant an hour or so, as it just gets more silky and chocolatey with air (in short: so, so good).
This is easily in the same league as the 2013, if not better - one of the all-time great $100 Napa Cabernets. (A category in which I'd include the 2012 Realm Bard, the 2015 Myriad GIII, and probably a bunch of others I'm forgetting.) This is Bevan at his best - incredible fruit, stunning integration, and just delicious. Drink now or in next few years. 96+.
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My first impression out of the bottle is that this is exceptional. Big fruit, big structure, but laser focused and very fine tannins. Going to let this open up for a few hours and see how it evolves as it’s clearly still quite young, but even out of the bottle I think this is still super enjoyable.
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The overwhelming vanilla/oak, Caymus type of flavor was a HUGE disappointment for this caliber wine. Had this wine 3 years ago and it was fantastic with the vanilla hidden or not there. This recent experience only accentuated the vanilla, not aging well and would give away or sell this wine rather than drink again.
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Same as 8 months ago. Drinking solid on PnP, with some slight acidic constriction on the back end with the initial pull. Improved/deepened more with some air in the glass. Good now, but I’ll try to hold my next bottle for another 12 months if I can help it just to see if/how it evolves in bottle. This may have even more upside after a year or two. 95-96+ points.
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Tasted 12 13 & 14. The 12 is drinking beautifully. Most impressive at this price point, too bad the price had to go up so much. It's RP's fault. Wish I had more.
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A great showing. One of the best Ontogenys I’ve had. The 2012 vintage is THE vintage for Ontogeny without a doubt. All previous notes apply. Service was PnP (which was perfect - no decant recommended) at 54 degrees. Wonderfully concentrated and drinking well above its price point. This particular display of flavor and sophistication could compete with wines twice its price. Kicked out a little sediment toward the end. 95-96 points. Drink now and over the next 3+ years
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Decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Aromas of plum, blackberry, green pepper, violets and touch of earth. Nose really has a lot going on. Flavors of chocolate and blackberry but I think this has a case of VA. Will update as the night goes on.
Put half the bottle away for day 2. Aromas are pretty consistent. This is night and day better than yesterday. Still the blackberry and chocolate but now with currant, iron and earth. Ends with a chocolate and blackberry infused finish of 40+ seconds.
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Drank for my birthday. So well integrated right now -- far, far more than the 2014 ontogeny we drank a few months ago. The high petit verdot adds a meatiness and acid. Quite unique among Russel's lineup. Gobs of dark rich fruit, long finish, spice. Paired well with a buffalo filet Mignon. As csimm mentioned, ready to go on PnP.
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The cruise continues! Night eight aboard the Allure of the Seas and since the Special Selection has already been finished and the Opus is too young we ran downstairs to grab this beauty out of the suitcase.
Deep and dark ruby red. Deep and layered nose with tobacco, spices, vanilla, dark floral notes, black currants, cassis and a touch of scorched earth. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) with a full body. Smooth attack on the palate but very powerful with solid acidity and strong backbone. Layered with vanilla, cinnamon and dark spices with a strong dark black cherry undertone throughout. Long finish. Big powerful wine with a decade or more left in it and will only get even better with time. Drink till 2030. (95+)
We decided we needed to celebrate this vacation with my parents so we brought along the first high-end bottle of wine we purchased back in 2014 when we went into Total Wine and met Victoria. So glad we did!
PnP, Dark black and blue fruits, licorice, camphor, great extraction with a bit of vanilla on the finish. Great silky texture, balance and length. Very good Russell.
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Same as my previous notes from 01/23/2017. Scrap the decant and stick with PnP. This doesn't need extra air or any kind of extended decant in my opinion. The air it gets in the glass is just fine. Colder temperature was also preferred.
Too much air and increased temperature (65+ degrees/room temp) brought out a bit of a grapey quality from this wine (a rounded Merlot-esque profile) of which I was less a fan. PnP was ideal.
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Decided to check in on the '12. Lovely nose on open, decanted 3.5 hrs and drank over 30 min....it was that good. Tannins and petit verdot have integrated nicely. Mineral earth driven with purple fruit. Simply lovely.
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Family get together at my parents. Purple fruit - blueberry, blackberry, currants, dark raspberry, and a little plum. Fairly rich and a little sweet. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth and full flavors of dark berries and a little spice. However, I thought the finish was underwhelming - fairly short and not much depth. Sourced from the Tench vineyard, Tin Box, Two Dogs and Sugarloaf Mountain. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the one hour decant. In all, a nice wine but I guess I expected more in light of Parker's 99 rating. In my opinion, more so in line with the WS rating of 94. 65% cab, 25% petit verdot, and 10% cab franc. Drank next to a 2014 Carter Beckstoffer 3 Kings cab which was quite a bit better in my opinion - bigger/fuller fruit, longer/deeper finish, etc..
Bevan and Huet (and watching the Final Four) (Home): Wow. What a great showing for this bottle. Pop and pour. This was singing from the get go, but improved a bit with air. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, tobacco, leather, slight blueberries and bit of spice. On the palate, this is lush and delicious. Each sip demands another. Hard to slow down. Lots of lush cassis, some blueberries, hints of oak and earth. Seamless. Long finish. This is a big, lush, delicious Napa cab. If you don't like those, don't drink this. If you do, you should love this.
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Fabulous Super Bowl wine! Went well with everything from hot wings, wood fired pizza, nachos, carmel corn and chocolate cup cakes. Not sure how to improve on this one.
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NOW we are back in business with this wine! On 5/8/2016 I had the 2012 Ontogeny and it was extremely tight and fairly unforgiving. I was a bit worried this was going into a prolonged transitional phase, as its tannic, tight display was a departure from when I had it back in November of 2015. But now, this was much more how I remembered it over a year ago on 11/26/2015.
With just a splash decant (and improving over the course of two additional hours in a decanter), this was singing with beautiful black and purple fruit, black licorice, black slate, purple plum, dark black and red currant, black raspberry liqueur, freshly stripped vanilla bean, and asphalt. I actually prefer this to Bevan's SVD wines. In this case, the sum of the parts is much better than the segmented, single components of some of the other wines individually. And at half the price of the SVDs, it's a no brainer.
After a total of three hours of air, it developed a hint of sweetness on the finish. I actually enjoyed it and didn't count it as a flaw necessarily, but it did become more prominent with additional air. Acid seemed a little low after a chuck of air-time. Ironically, a whisper of bitterness came at the end with the sweetness, as consumption of a little sediment from the bottom of the bottle skewed the flavors slightly.
At the end of the day, the perfect service seemed to be at about the 1-1.5 hour mark in a decanter at 54 degrees. My experience before this made me think this needed more time, but consumption today told me it was ready to go now. Oh, the unpredictability of wine!?! Well, what I can say at this brief flash of time, is that this wine is open for business. Enjoy now with a quick decant. 96-97 points.
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Pretty well balanced with just enough tannin to keep it honest. Rich dark berries and a longer finish. Definitely decant for a couple of hours - I drank the first bottle too soon, letting it rest paid dividends. A solid buy, paired it perfectly with a well Cajun Ribeye.
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3 hr decant drank over 3 hrs. Petit Verdot is dominating right now. Some hot notes early but drank well when served < 60F. Lavender, violets on the nose. Purple fruits on the palate with a little milk chocolate and spice cake showing up late. True Napa style, but needs more time. 93 for now, but more potential with a little aging.
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Big and rich, dark blue and black fruits, sweet tannins, licorice, camphor and squid ink. This is truly an amazing wine that keeps you wanting the next sip, again well done Russell.
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Lacking in complexity, but rich quality fruit. Pure blue and blackberry with well integrated tannins. Alcohol is not noticeable but a bit of vanilla on the nose. Drink from now on.
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Memorial Day get together; 5/28/2016-5/29/2016: What a crowd pleaser! Opened and slow ox for 3-4 hours ahead of time. I did not try it as a pop and poor, but did sample it at two hours. At that point, it was amazing. By 3–4 hours it was truly something special. It was decadent yet complex. There was a lot of core fruit flavors, both red the predominately blue/black. Milk chocolate in the middle with a very long finish.
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PnP with coiled-up flavors of purple berry and black licorice notes. A good dose of alcohol and a tart aftertaste that made me wonder if this bottle was flawed. This threw off my palate in a way that Rivers-Marie Cabernets sometimes worry me on initial PnP. Usually after a couple of hours, they unfold and often reveal totally different animals.
2+ hours in the decanter and this started to improve. It took nearly 3 hours in the decanter before it came out in a way that I was more familiar with. The typical Ontogeny flavor profile emerged, with some black licorice and river rock to compliment the dark berry core fruit.
This was not the 97 points I last remembered, and more in line with the 94 points I had previously rated this wine. I'm going to hold this wine for a while, at least until 2017++. If you happen to open now, decant for at least 4 hours.
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PnP at dinner at Ivy By The Shore. Could tell from the expressive nose we were in for a treat. Berry compote and flowers mostly. Was a bit worried about the minimal time we decanted (maybe 15 minutes) but this wine was open for business right out of the gate. Great upfront fruit - no mistaking this for anything but a Napa cab - or more accurately mostly cab - but not a fruit bomb. Backbone to last. I loved it. Look forward to trying it again down the road. I would not be surprised to see it get even better.
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Blind Post-Christmas Lunch Tasting: I served this double blind at lunch. Pop n' pour. My 5 lunch companions all easily guessed Napa Valley of high pedigree -- though many were thinking it was ~5 years older given the level of integration. Purple to dark inky purple in the glass. Nose shows rich, overt blackberry and plum fruit, with wet tobacco and toasted herbs. Palate is at one richly fruited and elegant. Polished sweet plum fruit, dark chocolate and spice. This is wonderfully integrated and incredibly long. A delicious and indulgent Napa wine that would show well with any cult producers.
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Similar to all of my notes on this wine in terms of flavor profile, but I bumped this up a number of points to 97. Slow O2 for two hours this time around, which absolutely allowed for it to transform into a rich, unctuous red. Every bit as complex as the prior experiences, but this time a total voluminous evolution... rich and flavorful, with a finish that clocked over 60 seconds!
Either wait a couple of years, or decant for a hour or two. Fantastic!
Tied for #1 WOTN with a 2010 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée. Both were outstanding. Also drank alongside a 2009 Lewis Reserve Cabernet and a 2007 Switchback Ridge Cabernet.
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Still holds similar to my previous CT notes from 8/8/15 and 7/4/15. No decant this time; PnP at cellar temperature, with that distinct cool black fruit, black licorice, and and minerality. Less of the coffee note this time around. Was not able to decant this time (which it would have certainly benefited from), but 30 minutes swirling in the glass opened and warmed it up a bit.
Still needs a couple of years.
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A step up from a bottle a few weeks ago. What a delicious wine. Purple in color. A nose of cassis, some oak, leather with great depth. Juicy ripe fruit on the palate. Reminds me of the 07 Shafer 1.5. There is depth but its not about the complexity. Smooth and easy to drink, but interesting as well. Drank without food and the bottle was drained between my wife (and mostly) me, very quickly.
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Tasted after a 2009 Boswell Jacquelynn Cab. Nose of macerated fruit, intense palate but not overly jammy. Didn't quite get the minerality in this that I have found in previous vintages of ontogeny. Slight hollow spot towards the finish that left it just a step behind the Boswell. It will be interesting to taste this wine again in another few years as I suspect it will get more interesting over that time.
Edit: I just had the left overs after it sat out on the counter overnight. That hollow spot is gone, and the finish goes on and on. Just a hint of heat at the end but a gorgeous wine.
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Peppierre, Saxum, Swift, &Bevan (Our home): I really liked this, but not at the RP99 point level. Perhaps we should have given it air, or maybe after the other wines, it was more restrained. A victim of expectations? In any event, glad I have more to revisit. That said, this was outstanding. The nose has cassis, dark cherries, graphites, some brown tobacco and spice. On the palate, it is open with a wonderful texture. Lots of black raspberries, dark cherries, some oak and spice. Complex. Juicy acidity. Russell's wines always drink so well young, and in 2012, such an open vintage, this seems to be singing even at this stage. Wish we had saved some for day 2, but the bottle went quickly.
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Similar notes as 7/4/15. At the request of friends (as I think this still needs a couple of years to fully integrate), opened a bottle and decanted an hour. Served at the cooler side of cellar temperature in the cellar itself (54 degrees), which made the experience of drinking it a little deeper and brooding (cool purple and black fruits, licorice, coffee, and a bit of earth dominated), which I actually enjoyed a hair more than past times having drunk this wine a half-dozen times or so. Fun to play around with this wine, so if you have a case or so, go for it. If not, stand by for a couple of years. I find most Bevan BDX blends to start really singing 2 years or so after release.
The 2012 Ontogeny was WOTN when tasted alongside a 2010 Myriad Napa Cabernet and a 2010 Myriad Spring Mountain Cabernet.
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Tasted multiple times over the course of the last few months. Give this at least an hour decant to truly give it a chance to express itself (even then, it needs more time). A bit reserved on the nose, with cool purple and black fruit. On the palate: Dark currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, coffee, cassis, spice, and subtle clove flavors. After a few hours decanted, additional notes of coffee bean and cacao came forward. Finish was smooth, but just a little clipped (only because it is a bit of an infant). If you only have a bottle or two, wait at least two years so it can fully open up.
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Drank along side with a 07 William cole. While the William Cole was great, this wine was the WOTN. It was big and powerful, silky and smooth with lots of dark red and blue fruits. My only regret is sharing it with so many people who will now be ordering thsis amazing wine.
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Crazy evolution of this wine over 4 hours. I opened the bottle and the nose was vegetal, stems, and a little cork. I was fearful that it was flawed. The taste was tight and very high in tannins. After an hours it began to open up and at the 4 hour mark it was wonderful. Lots of dark fruits, mocha, candied cherries, and it had a long finish. This is a great wine to enjoy now with a decant for an hour or two, or I imagine it will be stellar in a few years right out of the bottle.
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Opened by Parcival at Simo. This was a pleasant surprise with dark fruit, violet and mocha on the nose and palate. Very approachable for such a young one. Liked this enough to sign up for the mailing list. Beautiful.
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Opened by Parcival. Inky opaque color with notes of chocolate, blue and black fruit and violets. Tannins are firm, but fine and sweet. Flavors of cassis and dark fruit, cocoa nibs and rose water. Very classy. 94+ pts.
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Decanted for 8.5 hours. Inky purple. How such a full-bodied, concentrated, skyscraper of a wine remains so graceful and ethereal on the palate, I do not know, but this Ontogeny pulls it off. Cassis, dark chocolate, coffee, and blueberry preserves were just a few of the myriad flavors that would wax and wane on the palate and through the minute long finish, accompanied by beautiful fine tannins. A striking acidity rounded it all out, leaving the inside of my cheeks buzzing. Truly a delight, it will be tough to exert the willpower to not drink the rest of my bottles for another couple of years. No doubt young now, this will be truly mind-boggling good in a few more years. 98+
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Heard so much about this wine purchased several bottles and popped one last weekend. Completely agree with last review. Upon opening it smacked me in the face (not necessarily a bad thing) but after a four hour decant and then back in bottle for another two before served with dinner it began to calm down considerably. Fully agree it has the stuffing for age and it will be fun experiencing this wine's "ontogeny" over the next several years.
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Hard to provide a score as this wine turned a 180 over a 6 hour period. Upon pulling the cork the wine was an immense fruit bomb with overwhelming blackcurrant and blue fruit aromatics which only intensified in the mouth. Hardly no acidity or tannic structure which left me feeling like I was drinking the after effect of a snowcone and not wine. Well, the wine certainly changed and started to mellow out and deliver a softer blue fruit to dark cherry flavor with piercing acidity and hard tannins as the night progressed. Couple the tasting note with a deep dark purple to black color and thick density, this wine has an aging structure and once allowed to develop, should be an interesting wine to try again a few years down the line.
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Full-throttle and hedonistic. The nose is crammed full of cassis and other blue and black fruit backed by graphite, espresso, vanillin and lavender. An unmistakeable, monstrous Napa fruit bomb. Every time you feel a hint of heat creeping up, it lays down a blanket of gorgeous, full, velvety, seamless tannins. This is quite approachable now, but really deserves a few more years.
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Decanted about 6 hours, consumed over the next 24. An impressive wine indeed. Gobs of rich fruit, hard tannins. Needs some cellar time, could score several points higher with appropriate cellar time. What a fantastic offering at this price. Buy it if you find it.
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I saw the Parker 99 rating so I bought 2 bottles and decided to open them both within a few days of each other, just to be safe. ;) We decanted 2 hours. Lots of fruit, great finish. It's big and chewy, with a seemingly perfect level of tannins. I don't think it warrants a 99, but it's still a delicious wine. I'm giving it a 96 but I feel there is definitely a 2-3 point upside in the next 3-5 years. Buy it (if you can find some) and hold.
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Ok, this is very very young. Started with 4-5 hour decant, and still way too much oak. After about 12 hours of decant its showing true character. Its very smooth. Will continue on tomorrow. I get the feeling this need to sit a few years before really being consumed.
--- Unbelievable Wine Dinner at our Home with Victoria and Sharon! --- --- COLOR: Opaque purple w/garnet-purple rim NOTE: This may have been a flawed bottle, not sure, so no rating. Also, it was just bottled a few months ago. The nose was overwhelmingly green stems/vegetal/oak, like under-ripe Cab Francs I've had. This bottle was still 2/3rds full after the evening and I rated it #5 out of 5 CS/CF-based wines tonight. Hopefully I can try it again in a few years and either get a good bottle or an integrated one. This wine didn't budge with a 24 hour decant.
DECANT: 0 - 24 GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 8.0 if I had to put a score, but it's not fair to do that. COST: 75 VALUE: n/a TRY AGAIN: 2017 - 2023 CORAVIN'D: PRE-POUR LEVEL: PAIRING: ---
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4/9/2023 - do_itforthewine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank for a Easter/Birthday celebration.
Wine was signing upon opening. Did not disappoint.
Glad I have another bottle.
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4/30/2022 - John III Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hours. Drank with ribeye steak and roasted vegetables. The aroma on this bottle was absolutely stellar, creamy and lightweight and swimming in black fruit with a hint of cassis. My palate detected plum, dark chocolate, and hung meat. And yet the lightness of it blew us away. Not thin, but like clouds. The coating in my mouth after a sip lasted for a minute, dry and soft and not at all tight.
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4/16/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 94 Points
The bouquet is all Welch’s grape juice when I was 8 years old. This went down fast and smooth. Still very tasty but a slightly lesser experience than prior bottle. For me, how I experience a Bevan wine is like which side of the bed you woke up on - always tasty, but sometimes the fruit roll up flavors rock out, sometimes they leave you happy but wanting a bit more to think about. Tonight was the latter but only the gods know why.
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2/17/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 95 Points
Luscious Bevan goodness. Ontogeny always great value, this with age is a modestly smoother and refined proposition. Still rich and deep blue fruits but a bit of a doyenne as a Bevan ages. Really nice.
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1/22/2022 - yasha Likes this wine: 96 Points
great wine ! open for two hours and was great
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10/24/2021 - sdonahue Likes this wine: 96 Points
fabulous. Really mellowing nicely. Will continue to improve.
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9/6/2021 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. I think 2012 is underrated, this wine smelled of perfume, soft tannins like most 2012’s. Wish I had more
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1/22/2021 - PJHaveron Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent
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10/29/2020 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfectly stored since release. Medium to full bodied, beautifully fresh with black cherry, boysenberry, cedar & graphite, and well integrated. Minimal soft tannins, and a 30 second finish. No complaints here.
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8/16/2020 - joshabramson wrote:
Day 1, it’s clear than my last bottle of this had something weird going on with the green astringent finish as this bottle does not. Very nice.
Day 2 (overnight in the fridge), the green finish is back. Still pretty good and drinkable, but I’m convinced there is something a bit weird about this vintage of Ontogeny as I’ve had a real mixed bag of experiences with this ranging from excellent to undrinkable.
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8/6/2020 - joshabramson wrote:
Ripe fruit followed by A LOT of green notes on the finish. Artificial/chemical tasting. I usually love Bevan wines and I don't remember this at all from the last time I tried this wine 2 years ago, so I am assuming this is a flawed bottle.
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6/27/2020 - Eye Drink Reds wrote: 91 Points
Very flat and muted on opening so decided to decant. After 2 hrs, it became more muscular, with the fruit taking a back seat to the luxurious barrel notes of baking spices and dark chocolate. Medium bodied with black and ripe red fruit profile. Like CSIMM mentioned, it had a streak of green (like fresh herbs) and felt bit boozy like a quality sherry (Oloroso). Finishes short and with more of the green notes. Seems like the high percentage of Cab Franc/PV is taking over with the green elements. Nice wine, but the fruit was more muted than I would have expected and didn't have the usual richness of a Bevan, especially in light of the 2012 vintage. Entering its mature years and pairs best with food.
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6/19/2020 - csimm wrote:
Because I’ve reviewed this wine a ton of times, I’ll simply add that there were slight pyrazine and green peppercorn flavors that came from this bottle. Overall, a flavorful creature indeed, but in a more restrained and tame/controlled way (by Bevan standards, at least) due to some noticeable acid and slight chemical notes that surround the otherwise purple-red core. A kiss of heat on the finish also poked through. Save the next bottle for 2022+.
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3/1/2020 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, concentrated black and fruits with a long finish. Almost over the top but not quite. Some heat on the finish. The first glass was very smooth and hedonistic. The second glass was too warm and the heat was overpowering and the finish became bitter.
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1/2/2020 - Cullens wrote:
Also had with the 08 which I would rank slightly better. Assume this will peak for my palate in 2022-24
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11/16/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich ripe black fruits with a smooth sensual texture. Surprisingly soft and supple give the high percentage of petite verdot. Don’t see this improving, but this will hold for years to come.
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7/17/2019 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, touch of bell pepper and roasted herbs. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, currant, touch of raspberry and hint of chocolate. Ends with a big mouth coating finish of 40+ seconds with currant notes. These Bevan wines are big and bombastic but certainly well made.
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7/7/2019 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP but tasted throughout ~1.5 hours. Recent reviews hold true- great wine with an even better QPR. Knock out of a wine that is in its peak window with a good like ahead to enjoy. Drink now and later as the wine has just entered its prime.
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6/19/2019 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. Outstanding wine at this price point.
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4/25/2019 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Same as last year. Performs like a champ after a few hours of air. I’ll try to hold another 8-12 months just to really optimize its drinking window. The 2012 vintage was a huge success from Bevan across a number of fronts. The Ontogeny is a very fine representation of the 2012 lineup, especially as the “base” model of the Bevan family.
Good to go now, but whispers of alcohol still keep the flavors on the finish riding just a little high and linear. A splitting hairs critique no question, but something worth noting for those looking to find that precise happy spot on this particular wine. For me, I’ll try again in 2020+.
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2/3/2019 - msuwine wrote: 96 Points
This stunning wine has incredible fruit, rich structure, and a mouthfeel that is as good as it gets. Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of black cherry, cedar, graphite, and menthol. Tastes of blackberry, gravel, and vanilla, with tastes that just keep coming - blueberry, milk chocolate, and black licorice also appear - and a finish that is silky and integrated. Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.7% alcohol. Decant an hour or so, as it just gets more silky and chocolatey with air (in short: so, so good).
This is easily in the same league as the 2013, if not better - one of the all-time great $100 Napa Cabernets. (A category in which I'd include the 2012 Realm Bard, the 2015 Myriad GIII, and probably a bunch of others I'm forgetting.) This is Bevan at his best - incredible fruit, stunning integration, and just delicious. Drink now or in next few years. 96+.
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1/5/2019 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 94 Points
Yes, I have had better bottles. But at what price? Double, triple? This is a great wine, and one I would take all day for the price.
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10/21/2018 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
My first impression out of the bottle is that this is exceptional. Big fruit, big structure, but laser focused and very fine tannins. Going to let this open up for a few hours and see how it evolves as it’s clearly still quite young, but even out of the bottle I think this is still super enjoyable.
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8/25/2018 - George C ATLANTA Does not like this wine: 86 Points
The overwhelming vanilla/oak, Caymus type of flavor was a HUGE disappointment for this caliber wine. Had this wine 3 years ago and it was fantastic with the vanilla hidden or not there. This recent experience only accentuated the vanilla, not aging well and would give away or sell this wine rather than drink again.
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8/23/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Same as 8 months ago. Drinking solid on PnP, with some slight acidic constriction on the back end with the initial pull. Improved/deepened more with some air in the glass. Good now, but I’ll try to hold my next bottle for another 12 months if I can help it just to see if/how it evolves in bottle. This may have even more upside after a year or two. 95-96+ points.
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7/4/2018 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted 12 13 & 14. The 12 is drinking beautifully. Most impressive at this price point, too bad the price had to go up so much. It's RP's fault. Wish I had more.
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1/23/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
A great showing. One of the best Ontogenys I’ve had. The 2012 vintage is THE vintage for Ontogeny without a doubt. All previous notes apply. Service was PnP (which was perfect - no decant recommended) at 54 degrees. Wonderfully concentrated and drinking well above its price point. This particular display of flavor and sophistication could compete with wines twice its price. Kicked out a little sediment toward the end. 95-96 points. Drink now and over the next 3+ years
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12/16/2017 - JEP007 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Probably opened too early. No fireworks, tasted like a tier two cab, longing for more liftoff.
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12/3/2017 - jrsobeck wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. Big nose, very fruity, smooth finish. A little too fruit forward but a solid wine.
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11/18/2017 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Aromas of plum, blackberry, green pepper, violets and touch of earth. Nose really has a lot going on. Flavors of chocolate and blackberry but I think this has a case of VA. Will update as the night goes on.
Put half the bottle away for day 2. Aromas are pretty consistent. This is night and day better than yesterday. Still the blackberry and chocolate but now with currant, iron and earth. Ends with a chocolate and blackberry infused finish of 40+ seconds.
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9/29/2017 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank for my birthday.
So well integrated right now -- far, far more than the 2014 ontogeny we drank a few months ago.
The high petit verdot adds a meatiness and acid. Quite unique among Russel's lineup.
Gobs of dark rich fruit, long finish, spice.
Paired well with a buffalo filet Mignon.
As csimm mentioned, ready to go on PnP.
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9/10/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 95 Points
The cruise continues! Night eight aboard the Allure of the Seas and since the Special Selection has already been finished and the Opus is too young we ran downstairs to grab this beauty out of the suitcase.
Deep and dark ruby red. Deep and layered nose with tobacco, spices, vanilla, dark floral notes, black currants, cassis and a touch of scorched earth. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) with a full body. Smooth attack on the palate but very powerful with solid acidity and strong backbone. Layered with vanilla, cinnamon and dark spices with a strong dark black cherry undertone throughout. Long finish. Big powerful wine with a decade or more left in it and will only get even better with time. Drink till 2030. (95+)
We decided we needed to celebrate this vacation with my parents so we brought along the first high-end bottle of wine we purchased back in 2014 when we went into Total Wine and met Victoria. So glad we did!
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7/28/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP, Dark black and blue fruits, licorice, camphor, great extraction with a bit of vanilla on the finish. Great silky texture, balance and length. Very good Russell.
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7/12/2017 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Same as my previous notes from 01/23/2017. Scrap the decant and stick with PnP. This doesn't need extra air or any kind of extended decant in my opinion. The air it gets in the glass is just fine. Colder temperature was also preferred.
Too much air and increased temperature (65+ degrees/room temp) brought out a bit of a grapey quality from this wine (a rounded Merlot-esque profile) of which I was less a fan. PnP was ideal.
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7/1/2017 - webbaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Multiple tastings with consistent notes. No wonder the price went way up.
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5/12/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decided to check in on the '12. Lovely nose on open, decanted 3.5 hrs and drank over 30 min....it was that good. Tannins and petit verdot have integrated nicely. Mineral earth driven with purple fruit. Simply lovely.
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4/22/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Family get together at my parents. Purple fruit - blueberry, blackberry, currants, dark raspberry, and a little plum. Fairly rich and a little sweet. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth and full flavors of dark berries and a little spice. However, I thought the finish was underwhelming - fairly short and not much depth. Sourced from the Tench vineyard, Tin Box, Two Dogs and Sugarloaf Mountain. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the one hour decant. In all, a nice wine but I guess I expected more in light of Parker's 99 rating. In my opinion, more so in line with the WS rating of 94. 65% cab, 25% petit verdot, and 10% cab franc. Drank next to a 2014 Carter Beckstoffer 3 Kings cab which was quite a bit better in my opinion - bigger/fuller fruit, longer/deeper finish, etc..
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4/2/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 99 Points
Bevan and Huet (and watching the Final Four) (Home): Wow. What a great showing for this bottle. Pop and pour. This was singing from the get go, but improved a bit with air. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, tobacco, leather, slight blueberries and bit of spice. On the palate, this is lush and delicious. Each sip demands another. Hard to slow down. Lots of lush cassis, some blueberries, hints of oak and earth. Seamless. Long finish. This is a big, lush, delicious Napa cab. If you don't like those, don't drink this. If you do, you should love this.
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2/6/2017 - lucaslabelle wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful wine. Decanted for about 2 hours. Great depth and concentration.
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2/5/2017 - Castle Peak wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous Super Bowl wine! Went well with everything from hot wings, wood fired pizza, nachos, carmel
corn and chocolate cup cakes. Not sure how to improve on this one.
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1/23/2017 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
NOW we are back in business with this wine! On 5/8/2016 I had the 2012 Ontogeny and it was extremely tight and fairly unforgiving. I was a bit worried this was going into a prolonged transitional phase, as its tannic, tight display was a departure from when I had it back in November of 2015. But now, this was much more how I remembered it over a year ago on 11/26/2015.
With just a splash decant (and improving over the course of two additional hours in a decanter), this was singing with beautiful black and purple fruit, black licorice, black slate, purple plum, dark black and red currant, black raspberry liqueur, freshly stripped vanilla bean, and asphalt. I actually prefer this to Bevan's SVD wines. In this case, the sum of the parts is much better than the segmented, single components of some of the other wines individually. And at half the price of the SVDs, it's a no brainer.
After a total of three hours of air, it developed a hint of sweetness on the finish. I actually enjoyed it and didn't count it as a flaw necessarily, but it did become more prominent with additional air. Acid seemed a little low after a chuck of air-time. Ironically, a whisper of bitterness came at the end with the sweetness, as consumption of a little sediment from the bottom of the bottle skewed the flavors slightly.
At the end of the day, the perfect service seemed to be at about the 1-1.5 hour mark in a decanter at 54 degrees. My experience before this made me think this needed more time, but consumption today told me it was ready to go now. Oh, the unpredictability of wine!?! Well, what I can say at this brief flash of time, is that this wine is open for business. Enjoy now with a quick decant. 96-97 points.
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1/14/2017 - Randito Likes this wine: 98 Points
WOTN. Dark blackberry and blue fruit with cassis, vanilla and polished fine grain tannins. This wine is balanced and ready now.
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11/11/2016 - jonnyoro wrote: 98 Points
Damn fine in every way ... much more integrated and balanced than last tasted in 2014. Wow.
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10/25/2016 - TMcCormack Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pretty well balanced with just enough tannin to keep it honest. Rich dark berries and a longer finish. Definitely decant for a couple of hours - I drank the first bottle too soon, letting it rest paid dividends. A solid buy, paired it perfectly with a well Cajun Ribeye.
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9/10/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 93 Points
3 hr decant drank over 3 hrs. Petit Verdot is dominating right now. Some hot notes early but drank well when served < 60F. Lavender, violets on the nose. Purple fruits on the palate with a little milk chocolate and spice cake showing up late. True Napa style, but needs more time. 93 for now, but more potential with a little aging.
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9/10/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big and rich, dark blue and black fruits, sweet tannins, licorice, camphor and squid ink. This is truly an amazing wine that keeps you wanting the next sip, again well done Russell.
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7/30/2016 - Mrp2008 wrote: 95 Points
Lacking in complexity, but rich quality fruit. Pure blue and blackberry with well integrated tannins. Alcohol is not noticeable but a bit of vanilla on the nose. Drink from now on.
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5/29/2016 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Memorial Day get together; 5/28/2016-5/29/2016: What a crowd pleaser! Opened and slow ox for 3-4 hours ahead of time. I did not try it as a pop and poor, but did sample it at two hours. At that point, it was amazing. By 3–4 hours it was truly something special. It was decadent yet complex. There was a lot of core fruit flavors, both red the predominately blue/black. Milk chocolate in the middle with a very long finish.
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5/8/2016 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
PnP with coiled-up flavors of purple berry and black licorice notes. A good dose of alcohol and a tart aftertaste that made me wonder if this bottle was flawed. This threw off my palate in a way that Rivers-Marie Cabernets sometimes worry me on initial PnP. Usually after a couple of hours, they unfold and often reveal totally different animals.
2+ hours in the decanter and this started to improve. It took nearly 3 hours in the decanter before it came out in a way that I was more familiar with. The typical Ontogeny flavor profile emerged, with some black licorice and river rock to compliment the dark berry core fruit.
This was not the 97 points I last remembered, and more in line with the 94 points I had previously rated this wine. I'm going to hold this wine for a while, at least until 2017++. If you happen to open now, decant for at least 4 hours.
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2/20/2016 - Fid Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP at dinner at Ivy By The Shore. Could tell from the expressive nose we were in for a treat. Berry compote and flowers mostly. Was a bit worried about the minimal time we decanted (maybe 15 minutes) but this wine was open for business right out of the gate. Great upfront fruit - no mistaking this for anything but a Napa cab - or more accurately mostly cab - but not a fruit bomb. Backbone to last. I loved it. Look forward to trying it again down the road. I would not be surprised to see it get even better.
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12/26/2015 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Blind Post-Christmas Lunch Tasting: I served this double blind at lunch. Pop n' pour. My 5 lunch companions all easily guessed Napa Valley of high pedigree -- though many were thinking it was ~5 years older given the level of integration. Purple to dark inky purple in the glass. Nose shows rich, overt blackberry and plum fruit, with wet tobacco and toasted herbs. Palate is at one richly fruited and elegant. Polished sweet plum fruit, dark chocolate and spice. This is wonderfully integrated and incredibly long. A delicious and indulgent Napa wine that would show well with any cult producers.
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12/14/2015 - Hebrew Hammer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Traded to VS
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11/26/2015 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Similar to all of my notes on this wine in terms of flavor profile, but I bumped this up a number of points to 97. Slow O2 for two hours this time around, which absolutely allowed for it to transform into a rich, unctuous red. Every bit as complex as the prior experiences, but this time a total voluminous evolution... rich and flavorful, with a finish that clocked over 60 seconds!
Either wait a couple of years, or decant for a hour or two. Fantastic!
Tied for #1 WOTN with a 2010 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée. Both were outstanding. Also drank alongside a 2009 Lewis Reserve Cabernet and a 2007 Switchback Ridge Cabernet.
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11/16/2015 - ClubTerry Likes this wine: 97 Points
Smooth
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10/20/2015 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Still holds similar to my previous CT notes from 8/8/15 and 7/4/15. No decant this time; PnP at cellar temperature, with that distinct cool black fruit, black licorice, and and minerality. Less of the coffee note this time around. Was not able to decant this time (which it would have certainly benefited from), but 30 minutes swirling in the glass opened and warmed it up a bit.
Still needs a couple of years.
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10/10/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
A step up from a bottle a few weeks ago. What a delicious wine. Purple in color. A nose of cassis, some oak, leather with great depth. Juicy ripe fruit on the palate. Reminds me of the 07 Shafer 1.5. There is depth but its not about the complexity. Smooth and easy to drink, but interesting as well. Drank without food and the bottle was drained between my wife (and mostly) me, very quickly.
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9/19/2015 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted after a 2009 Boswell Jacquelynn Cab. Nose of macerated fruit, intense palate but not overly jammy. Didn't quite get the minerality in this that I have found in previous vintages of ontogeny. Slight hollow spot towards the finish that left it just a step behind the Boswell. It will be interesting to taste this wine again in another few years as I suspect it will get more interesting over that time.
Edit: I just had the left overs after it sat out on the counter overnight. That hollow spot is gone, and the finish goes on and on. Just a hint of heat at the end but a gorgeous wine.
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8/29/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Peppierre, Saxum, Swift, &Bevan (Our home): I really liked this, but not at the RP99 point level. Perhaps we should have given it air, or maybe after the other wines, it was more restrained. A victim of expectations? In any event, glad I have more to revisit. That said, this was outstanding. The nose has cassis, dark cherries, graphites, some brown tobacco and spice. On the palate, it is open with a wonderful texture. Lots of black raspberries, dark cherries, some oak and spice. Complex. Juicy acidity. Russell's wines always drink so well young, and in 2012, such an open vintage, this seems to be singing even at this stage. Wish we had saved some for day 2, but the bottle went quickly.
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8/8/2015 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Similar notes as 7/4/15. At the request of friends (as I think this still needs a couple of years to fully integrate), opened a bottle and decanted an hour. Served at the cooler side of cellar temperature in the cellar itself (54 degrees), which made the experience of drinking it a little deeper and brooding (cool purple and black fruits, licorice, coffee, and a bit of earth dominated), which I actually enjoyed a hair more than past times having drunk this wine a half-dozen times or so. Fun to play around with this wine, so if you have a case or so, go for it. If not, stand by for a couple of years. I find most Bevan BDX blends to start really singing 2 years or so after release.
The 2012 Ontogeny was WOTN when tasted alongside a 2010 Myriad Napa Cabernet and a 2010 Myriad Spring Mountain Cabernet.
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7/18/2015 - ledwards wrote: 91 Points
Very big. Quality material but stills needs time to integrate all that is going on here.
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7/4/2015 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Tasted multiple times over the course of the last few months. Give this at least an hour decant to truly give it a chance to express itself (even then, it needs more time). A bit reserved on the nose, with cool purple and black fruit. On the palate: Dark currant, blackberry, blueberry, mocha, coffee, cassis, spice, and subtle clove flavors. After a few hours decanted, additional notes of coffee bean and cacao came forward. Finish was smooth, but just a little clipped (only because it is a bit of an infant). If you only have a bottle or two, wait at least two years so it can fully open up.
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6/27/2015 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank along side with a 07 William cole. While the William Cole was great, this wine was the WOTN. It was big and powerful, silky and smooth with lots of dark red and blue fruits. My only regret is sharing it with so many people who will now be ordering thsis amazing wine.
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6/22/2015 - newkid17 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crazy evolution of this wine over 4 hours. I opened the bottle and the nose was vegetal, stems, and a little cork. I was fearful that it was flawed. The taste was tight and very high in tannins. After an hours it began to open up and at the 4 hour mark it was wonderful. Lots of dark fruits, mocha, candied cherries, and it had a long finish. This is a great wine to enjoy now with a decant for an hour or two, or I imagine it will be stellar in a few years right out of the bottle.
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5/5/2015 - El Tej wrote: 95 Points
Violets, crushed rocks, blackberries, approachable tannins. Good to go right now with a short decant
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4/28/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Parcival at Simo. This was a pleasant surprise with dark fruit, violet and mocha on the nose and palate. Very approachable for such a young one. Liked this enough to sign up for the mailing list. Beautiful.
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4/28/2015 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Parcival. Inky opaque color with notes of chocolate, blue and black fruit and violets. Tannins are firm, but fine and sweet. Flavors of cassis and dark fruit, cocoa nibs and rose water. Very classy. 94+ pts.
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2/15/2015 - gorvetzi Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 8.5 hours. Inky purple. How such a full-bodied, concentrated, skyscraper of a wine remains so graceful and ethereal on the palate, I do not know, but this Ontogeny pulls it off. Cassis, dark chocolate, coffee, and blueberry preserves were just a few of the myriad flavors that would wax and wane on the palate and through the minute long finish, accompanied by beautiful fine tannins. A striking acidity rounded it all out, leaving the inside of my cheeks buzzing. Truly a delight, it will be tough to exert the willpower to not drink the rest of my bottles for another couple of years. No doubt young now, this will be truly mind-boggling good in a few more years. 98+
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1/30/2015 - jeffkuan wrote: 90 Points
Took a long time to open up. Over four hours. Very nice afterwards but not probably worth the price.
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1/23/2015 - jeffkuan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice red. Took 4 plus hours to open up. Hard to say it was worth the money.
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1/15/2015 - Pcrage wrote:
Heard so much about this wine purchased several bottles and popped one last weekend. Completely agree with last review. Upon opening it smacked me in the face (not necessarily a bad thing) but after a four hour decant and then back in bottle for another two before served with dinner it began to calm down considerably. Fully agree it has the stuffing for age and it will be fun experiencing this wine's "ontogeny" over the next several years.
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1/10/2015 - jda8600 wrote:
Hard to provide a score as this wine turned a 180 over a 6 hour period. Upon pulling the cork the wine was an immense fruit bomb with overwhelming blackcurrant and blue fruit aromatics which only intensified in the mouth. Hardly no acidity or tannic structure which left me feeling like I was drinking the after effect of a snowcone and not wine.
Well, the wine certainly changed and started to mellow out and deliver a softer blue fruit to dark cherry flavor with piercing acidity and hard tannins as the night progressed. Couple the tasting note with a deep dark purple to black color and thick density, this wine has an aging structure and once allowed to develop, should be an interesting wine to try again a few years down the line.
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12/19/2014 - shaftlet wrote: 96 Points
Full-throttle and hedonistic. The nose is crammed full of cassis and other blue and black fruit backed by graphite, espresso, vanillin and lavender. An unmistakeable, monstrous Napa fruit bomb. Every time you feel a hint of heat creeping up, it lays down a blanket of gorgeous, full, velvety, seamless tannins. This is quite approachable now, but really deserves a few more years.
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12/6/2014 - soyhead wrote:
poured for me by the ever so generous Dale. fruit forward bitter cranberry, some heat. young. not blown away.
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12/4/2014 - webbaker Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted about 6 hours, consumed over the next 24. An impressive wine indeed. Gobs of rich fruit, hard tannins. Needs some cellar time, could score several points higher with appropriate cellar time. What a fantastic offering at this price. Buy it if you find it.
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11/15/2014 - bignbold Likes this wine: 96 Points
I saw the Parker 99 rating so I bought 2 bottles and decided to open them both within a few days of each other, just to be safe. ;) We decanted 2 hours. Lots of fruit, great finish. It's big and chewy, with a seemingly perfect level of tannins. I don't think it warrants a 99, but it's still a delicious wine. I'm giving it a 96 but I feel there is definitely a 2-3 point upside in the next 3-5 years. Buy it (if you can find some) and hold.
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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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11/3/2014 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely needs 10 hours of decant time. Not a whole lot to say. Big and jammy with heat on the finish. Needs time to even out.
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10/26/2014 - Spook16 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ok, this is very very young. Started with 4-5 hour decant, and still way too much oak. After about 12 hours of decant its showing true character. Its very smooth. Will continue on tomorrow. I get the feeling this need to sit a few years before really being consumed.
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6/15/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine:
--- Unbelievable Wine Dinner at our Home with Victoria and Sharon! ---
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COLOR: Opaque purple w/garnet-purple rim
NOTE: This may have been a flawed bottle, not sure, so no rating. Also, it was just bottled a few months ago. The nose was overwhelmingly green stems/vegetal/oak, like under-ripe Cab Francs I've had. This bottle was still 2/3rds full after the evening and I rated it #5 out of 5 CS/CF-based wines tonight. Hopefully I can try it again in a few years and either get a good bottle or an integrated one. This wine didn't budge with a 24 hour decant.
DECANT: 0 - 24
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 8.0 if I had to put a score, but it's not fair to do that.
COST: 75
VALUE: n/a
TRY AGAIN: 2017 - 2023
CORAVIN'D:
PRE-POUR LEVEL:
PAIRING:
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