Sadly past it's prime with a funk on the nose that blew off after 30 mins. There was some sour prune at first, but that went away too. Should have opened it 5 years ago.
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Well, I have no back from the dead, or even middling, reviews. This took about 1/2 an hour to shine and did it! Deep cedar underpinnings, amazing depth on the nose with smokey dark fruits and a pine forest element. Very full-bodied without being obvious or ponderous. Gets better and better. Uniquely impressive--no wonder Gallo bought them after this! Long finish, perfect acidity and deeply satisfying. A real Grand Cru.
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A Lazarus wine that came back from the dead. Had an off taint when I opened it, so I put in back in the refrigerator to check later. A week later and it is fine! Opaque in color. Blackberry and black currant in the nose. 15 years old, it remains brightly acidic and firmly tannic, but with smoothed edges, dry but not mouth striping. Unlike the ultra polished, fruity, and softer Napa wines, this is much more similar to Bordeaux, though richer, juicier, and more open. Shows the influence of coming from a high altitude mountain versus the valley floor.
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Rich in color with strong herbaceous aromas. Full body with some velvet to chew on and a defined acid backdrop. A bold wine exhibiting red fruit at it's core with vegetation undertones. The finish linger a bit. A bit out of whack and uninteresting.
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2005 Cali cabs tasting; 9/12/2009-9/14/2009 (NYC): Tasted single blind. Tasty, nice acidity, bright red fruits. Juicy sweet tannins on the palate, with a lighter style. Fave so far. 92+. Guessed it was the Karl Lawrence, but this was the Martini Monte Rosso.
Not surprisingly, this was the most open - as the only 01 thrown into a bunch of 05s.
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I think the Wine Advocate had it right when it said that this cab could use more cellaring. It's powerful, with an inky/purple color and a strong saddle smell. The tannins are sharp and a bit rough on the tongue, but there's still terrific structure and fruit and full body in the mouth. It's my only bottle, alas.
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Not what I was expecting from an 01 cab. Very old world style. Monolithic with little fruit and muted oak. Decanted for 3 hours with hardly any improvment.
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10/10/2021 - Backdoctor wrote: 88 Points
Sadly past it's prime with a funk on the nose that blew off after 30 mins. There was some sour prune at first, but that went away too. Should have opened it 5 years ago.
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10/24/2018 - Arturoonwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well, I have no back from the dead, or even middling, reviews. This took about 1/2 an hour to shine and did it! Deep cedar underpinnings, amazing depth on the nose with smokey dark fruits and a pine forest element. Very full-bodied without being obvious or ponderous. Gets better and better. Uniquely impressive--no wonder Gallo bought them after this! Long finish, perfect acidity and deeply satisfying. A real Grand Cru.
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6/8/2016 - Mossrose wrote: 93 Points
A Lazarus wine that came back from the dead. Had an off taint when I opened it, so I put in back in the refrigerator to check later. A week later and it is fine! Opaque in color. Blackberry and black currant in the nose. 15 years old, it remains brightly acidic and firmly tannic, but with smoothed edges, dry but not mouth striping. Unlike the ultra polished, fruity, and softer Napa wines, this is much more similar to Bordeaux, though richer, juicier, and more open. Shows the influence of coming from a high altitude mountain versus the valley floor.
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2/19/2014 - Al Khalfan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent nose! Starts out dull but packs a punch after 10 minutes decanting
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12/26/2009 - GreatLibations wrote: 85 Points
Rich in color with strong herbaceous aromas. Full body with some velvet to chew on and a defined acid backdrop. A bold wine exhibiting red fruit at it's core with vegetation undertones. The finish linger a bit. A bit out of whack and uninteresting.
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9/14/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
2005 Cali cabs tasting; 9/12/2009-9/14/2009 (NYC): Tasted single blind. Tasty, nice acidity, bright red fruits. Juicy sweet tannins on the palate, with a lighter style. Fave so far. 92+. Guessed it was the Karl Lawrence, but this was the Martini Monte Rosso.
Not surprisingly, this was the most open - as the only 01 thrown into a bunch of 05s.
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4/2/2008 - samer wrote: 88 Points
I think the Wine Advocate had it right when it said that this cab could use more cellaring. It's powerful, with an inky/purple color and a strong saddle smell. The tannins are sharp and a bit rough on the tongue, but there's still terrific structure and fruit and full body in the mouth. It's my only bottle, alas.
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10/24/2007 - pakabear wrote: 80 Points
Wood, wood and oh yeah wood! Casis liquor is the dominant flavor, with a bunch of sour cherry's... this is just not a great wine.
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9/29/2007 - bwk wrote: 87 Points
Tannic, complex with very long finish.
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11/17/2006 - hiltondg wrote: 85 Points
Not what I was expecting from an 01 cab. Very old world style. Monolithic with little fruit and muted oak. Decanted for 3 hours with hardly any improvment.
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