See my notes on this from 12/31/2021. One of the best “Rock Block” wines I have tasted. Parker have this a 95 which is no surprise given the big fruit forward profile. Will it last til 2029…probably but I don’t think it will improve between now and then.
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I love the Rock Block series. Each one is different by design. This opened with a nose of ripe raspberry and cherry which was indicative of what was to come. This was full of bright red fruit, a hint of cedar and a touch of licorice. This was full bodied, very fruit forward, not mysterious or brooding. After breathing for 60 to 90 minutes, this still had an astringency to it. But after 2 hours the astringency blew off to reveal a smooth, nicely balanced wine. The experience at 2 hours, leads me to believe this is not going to improve any so drink up.
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After about an hour of air... Dark fruit, cassis, graphite, wet stone, some ripe raspberrie and black cherry, with a touch of black licorice and dark chocolate. Full body, dense and powerful on the nose. Tannins are soft but prevalent, lingering into the extended finish. Acidity and alcohol are in check. There is more brightness than richness in this wine. Overall, delicious now and improves with air. I can only imagine how much upside there is here. Drink now for the youthful character or hold for another 5+ years to let this develop further.
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Similar to my previous notes in terms of specific flavor profile; just more advanced in expansion and depth (since having it 3 years ago). This was a dark and concentrated wine. Huge black berry fruit but controlled with formidable tannins and frame. Not astringent or as tight as back in 2017, but it threw off a decent amount of sediment and heat. Air helped. Still working on integration. I’ll try to save my remaining bottle until after 2023+.
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Drank over the course of about 6 hours. Lots of cassis, black fruit and graphite on the nose. It was very layered and had a lot to offer, although it didn’t really develop anything new over the course of the night. Good tannins held it together.
Had about half a glass left over and tried it in the morning. All the tannins were gone and it was very smooth. Still minerality on the nose but the black fruit was gone and replaced by bright cherry notes.
Was a very nice wine, you can drink it now or give it probably another 3 years. After that it will probably start to flatten out and lose the depth.
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Had after an amazing 2007 Lede Imagine Rhapsody and it suffered a tad in comparison because it never quite completely blossomed (but it was getting there) before we finished it. Much like the 2007, but a bit lighter and tighter this night. Towards the end of the night it was becoming layered, complex, fragrant and long. This was approaching awesome...
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Lots happening with this wine now. Super nose of blue fruits almost making time think overripe but not so on the palate. Smooth mouth feel and soft tannins. New world on the nose and more old world in the mouth. Beautiful!
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Revisited this wine for my daughters 25th birthday. What a lovely, multi dimensional wine. As others have said, deep, dark and delicious. Full bodied, terrific length, dark fruit (cassis, blackberry), nice mineral and graphite elements. Oak and a hint of mint emerges after an hour. Alcohol still present, but not overwhelming. Nicely done, wish I had more
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I agree with what others have said. This is a very dark, rich and power wine, that sets itself apart from stags leap district and other AVA designates I have tried from this winery. I thought that it drank quite well -dense, powerful, well integrated tannins, alcohol is receding. Dark blue fruits, hints of charcoal, asphalt, and graphite, oak present was not overwhelming. Still not at its peak, but delicious
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Big legs, oaky nose, lightly peppery or spicy. Large and deep, complex and robust. Early acidity, with cherry and candied strawberry. Dry effects on finish, needs time to open up and mature, worthy of a nice cellaring.
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Unlike the 2014 Scarlett Love I had about a month ago, the 2012 edition here is approachable with a significant amount of air. All of these Rock Block wines are just huge, built to last and are very well made. They are NOT the immediately approachable valley floor Napa cabs that I enjoy on release, but they certainly make you feel comfortable buying and cellaring them. These will not fall apart in the next 15 years, and certainly may be 25-30 year wines.
I really love this 2012 edition. It is very broad shouldered, super dark in the glass and presents with a huge, concentrated and still a bit chalky core of blackberries, black licorice, black tar and lots of mineral and earthy elements. Shows considerable backbone, but the tannins are a bit more giving than a couple years ago. Really great deep, dark and brooding layers of fresh black fruit coming at you. Still a little rough around the edges. A very long finish. It has yet to hit the fully integrated and elegant phase of life, but I have no doubt it will with time. A bit heavy now. Lots and lots of upside.
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Same as all of my other notes. On PnP, this was tight. Notes of dark black currant, black licorice, and asphalt. It needed about two hours to open up. With air, fascinating flavors of cacao, dark black raspberry, and black slate added to the black fruit/currant profile.
95+ points this go-around. I'll hold my remaining bottles until after 2019 just to see what comes of any further potential transformation/integration in bottle. Certainly won't disappoint for those considering opening a bottle now (with a decant), but waiting another year or so could prove beneficial.
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Found this at a nice price in the secondary market so I decided to give it a shot in light of Parker's 95 rating. Dark blue and black fruit - blueberry, blackberry, currants, and dark raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth/concentration and purity. Fairly rich. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but at a nice drinking point after the decant. 90% cab, 9% merlot, and 1% petit verdot.
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Ready to drink now, tannins, acid (what's left) and fruit fully integrated, wouldn't wait more than a few years. A bit typical of sweet cali cab: 15%+ abv, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, oak. Don't get me wrong - a very, very nice cab but nothing extraordinary (which I'm still searching for).
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Similar to all of my other previous notes. PnP was a little tight, but it advertised itself right away as a big boy wine. Balled-up black raspberry, black currant, black asphalt, and some bitter chocolate.
After an hour+ in the decanter, this thing exploded into a rich, complex behemoth. Almost totally black in color, with dark, black fruit completely coating the palate. Black everything! Cool black asphalt (like a freshly paved road right after it rains), black chocolate, deep black raspberry, black currant (though not raisiny at all), black slate, and some hints of clove on the back end.
It was at its most complex after about two hours in the decanter. My only criticism is that after about four hours of open air, it began to come off a touch heavy. I'll blame some of that on palate fatigue, but the wine's frame was indeed starting to shift a bit after being significantly exposed to air for multiple hours. This is the first time I experienced this "heaviness." I didn't mind it necessarily, but it was noticeable.
I think this will age fine, but for my taste, I'll plan to consume these within the next two-three years. 96 rock solid points at its apex (I might be underscoring by a point). Toward the very last sips, it slipped just a little for me. However, still a phenomenal wine overall in my opinion. The QPR on club release is outstanding given the exceptional quality in bottle.
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Well geez, this is absolutely amazing right now. Previous notes apply, but this has really evolved into just a staggeringly great wine. Extremely dark fruit with tremendous structure (this can definitely age). Unreal complexity and length that really is off the charts. A full bodied beast of a wine that has many, many good years ahead of it, but drinks fantastic right now with a few hours in the decanter. Incredibly well done.
Best rock block wine I can remember. Fantastic rich, dark fruit that is balanced nicely with minerals and acidity. Full bodied, but not sweet. Tannins grip initially, but soften and allow a silky texture to the finish. Wish I had more of this.
Similar to my notes on 2/12/2016. Just an amazing bottle of wine and a comparatively good QPR among the realms of high-class Napa Cabernets.
Tight initially, but with a total of four hours in the decanter at 54 degrees, this wine was really firing on all cylinders. Still needs some time. 95+ points all day long for me. Complex, nuanced, layered...all the good things you would want in a dark, black fruit and mineral-driven cabernet.
Definitely NOT a red currant, cherry, red licorice, tobacco type of Cabernet. This is all about black and blue fruit, wet slate, limestone, asphalt, tar, dark roast coffee bean, and black licorice. I had this vision of walking through a dark, cold, dripping wet cave; somewhat of a medieval or gothic experience for me. (Not sure what exactly that means, but that was the thought that kept crossing my mind). I loved it. My preference is certainly with the black fruit Cabernets; so, know that my bias lies there. Fans of red fruit Cabernets should probably pass on this.
For me, it was "beautiful!" (pardon the pun). Looking forward to trying the 2013 version of this wine - "Stardust Heaven."
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Dinner with Petaluma Wine Group (Risibisi): Big, rich, round. Very dark fruit. Smooth, silky. Beautiful wine. Coffee and a bit of prune. Seamless. A huge Napa wine pushing the boundaries of richness. Excellent.
Cliff Lede Tasting (Napa): Tasted at Cliff Lede alongside the 2012 Stags Leap, 2013 Stags Leap, and 2013 High Fidelity.
Similar to my previous CT notes. This truly is one of the highlights of the Cliff Lede lineup, especially given the QPR. I bumped this up a point to a 95, with even more upside in the coming years. This time with the Beautiful Generation, the black licorice and black berry notes really enveloped the mid-palate nicely (even more so than I remembered in previous tastings). Some wet slate and graphite minerality appeared on the back end to set the stage for a layered and nuanced finish, holding interest even further. 95+
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I am going to agree with Csimm1161 -- this wine needs some time. But WOW, what a ton of promise this wine shows! You can literally smell the Stag's Leap terroir when you pour this bottle into the decanter. The Rutherford dust is as present as ever. There is also an intense boysenberry and blue fruit nose that is pretty intoxicating. The tannins are still VERY present in this wine, even after a 2hr decant and another 2hrs of slow ox. They started to calm down some after another hour at dinner, but this wine needs some time to fully integrate. I think this will be tremendous in 2-3 years and completely live up to the 95pt rating from Parker. This is great juice -- very different from the hedonistic cabs I also love from TRB/Mike Smith etc. It is powerful yet elegant, with some aging in need. It shows excellent depth and complexity, along with strong mid-pallet concentration and a big, fat finish. The tannins obscure this somewhat, but I think this wine is headed for big things. Love the QPR here.
Tasted at Cliff Lede alongside the 2012 BTK, Howell Mountain, and High Fidelity. The Beautiful Generation was a clear #2, overshadowed only marginally by the BTK. All wines were double-decanted with a Vinturi four hours before my tasting.
The 2012 Beautiful Generation was still very black licorice heavy (which is not necessarily a bad thing), with additional notes of black and purple berry fruits, black currant, dark chocolate, and cassis. There was a faint hit of violets on the back end.
Good texture, but definitely still young, with a slight talc-like clamp on the finish. The mid-palate was softer and more round, which I attributed to the 9% Merlot component of this wine. Like Petit Verdot, Merlot can sometimes throw off an otherwise great Cabernet. My hope is that over the next two years or so of bottle integration, the "round" part of this wine actually subsides, and the Cabernet component comes more to the forefront.
Overall a good wine, but I would still recommend holding until 2017.
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Initial PnP with tight, restrained notes of deep red and purple berries, dark red currant, black cherry, red licorice, cassis, and wood spice. Finished with a subtle chalky grip, nicely clamping on the finish.
Still a youngster, but the tannin management and teeth-staining texture are notable and worthy of praise. With air, licorice notes became more prominent (pleasantly so). It never shed itself completely of the talc-like tannins at the moment, but acidity and alcohol were not distracting at all, especially for such a young Cabernet. Overall a good balance considering its youth, with still some integration to work out over the next 2-3 years.
2 hours in the decanter really softened this wine out nicely. Well constructed and layered 2012 Cabernet. Hold until 2017 or decant for 1-2 hours. 93-94 at this stage.
DAY 2 UPDATE: Stored in bottle at 54 degrees for 24 hours. The dustiness of the tannins was a little more prevalent at first, but once it warmed up in the glass (and with some swirling), it became approachable. A more seemingly black profile on day two, with dark berry fruit and black licorice at the forefront. A hint of tobacco leaf and residual alcohol pushed through on the back end. Texture and mouthfeel were a little more silky on day one.
Still in that 93+ range by the second day. Needs some good 'ol fashioned time in bottle for integration (over just aeration). Hold until 2017.
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Huge wine, so rich and almost overripe as a lot of 2012 Napa cabs seem to be, but this keeps it together nicely. Very complex on the nose and palate and needed serious air time to be drinkable. Will be great in time. 92-93+.
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Rich dark currant, violet and creamy notes, in a nicely balanced package with just enough restraint. This is quite lovely and very easy to enjoy with about an hour of airing.
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2/28/2022 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 92 Points
See my notes on this from 12/31/2021. One of the best “Rock Block” wines I have tasted. Parker have this a 95 which is no surprise given the big fruit forward profile. Will it last til 2029…probably but I don’t think it will improve between now and then.
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12/31/2021 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
I love the Rock Block series. Each one is different by design. This opened with a nose of ripe raspberry and cherry which was indicative of what was to come. This was full of bright red fruit, a hint of cedar and a touch of licorice. This was full bodied, very fruit forward, not mysterious or brooding. After breathing for 60 to 90 minutes, this still had an astringency to it. But after 2 hours the astringency blew off to reveal a smooth, nicely balanced wine. The experience at 2 hours, leads me to believe this is not going to improve any so drink up.
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5/13/2021 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
After about an hour of air...
Dark fruit, cassis, graphite, wet stone, some ripe raspberrie and black cherry, with a touch of black licorice and dark chocolate.
Full body, dense and powerful on the nose. Tannins are soft but prevalent, lingering into the extended finish. Acidity and alcohol are in check. There is more brightness than richness in this wine.
Overall, delicious now and improves with air. I can only imagine how much upside there is here. Drink now for the youthful character or hold for another 5+ years to let this develop further.
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2/27/2021 - Buckeyewino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine opened up nicely after ~1 hr decant
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5/20/2020 - ejca Likes this wine:
Very good
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5/17/2020 - csimm wrote:
Similar to my previous notes in terms of specific flavor profile; just more advanced in expansion and depth (since having it 3 years ago). This was a dark and concentrated wine. Huge black berry fruit but controlled with formidable tannins and frame. Not astringent or as tight as back in 2017, but it threw off a decent amount of sediment and heat. Air helped. Still working on integration. I’ll try to save my remaining bottle until after 2023+.
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5/9/2020 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fruit bomb as before. Lush full bodied tannins less noticeable. Long finish.
Drink now or over the next 5 years
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4/8/2020 - Winiac wrote: 93 Points
Extracted, concentrated and balanced. Spicy with blueberry and cassis flavors. Average acid and velvety tannins. Medium length and pleasant finish.
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4/4/2020 - rrasmuss Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank over the course of about 6 hours. Lots of cassis, black fruit and graphite on the nose. It was very layered and had a lot to offer, although it didn’t really develop anything new over the course of the night. Good tannins held it together.
Had about half a glass left over and tried it in the morning. All the tannins were gone and it was very smooth. Still minerality on the nose but the black fruit was gone and replaced by bright cherry notes.
Was a very nice wine, you can drink it now or give it probably another 3 years. After that it will probably start to flatten out and lose the depth.
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1/25/2020 - YankeeRobio wrote: 96 Points
Incredibly sexy wine. Plush, black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, bittersweet chocolate, espresso, sweet tar. Great wine
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7/10/2019 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had after an amazing 2007 Lede Imagine Rhapsody and it suffered a tad in comparison because it never quite completely blossomed (but it was getting there) before we finished it. Much like the 2007, but a bit lighter and tighter this night. Towards the end of the night it was becoming layered, complex, fragrant and long. This was approaching awesome...
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6/23/2019 - SonnyChiba wrote: 90 Points
Nice Napa wine, nothing spectacular but solid. Rich but not over the top. Still a tad boring though.
*Survived the heat stroke.
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5/14/2019 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purple to the rim. Black fruits on the nose. A fruit bomb up front Drying tannins across the palate To a long finish.
Try agai in two years
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5/2/2019 - Claudey wrote:
Very fruity American style cab. No sign of ageing.
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12/31/2018 - ProTravelr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lots happening with this wine now. Super nose of blue fruits almost making time think overripe but not so on the palate. Smooth mouth feel and soft tannins. New world on the nose and more old world in the mouth. Beautiful!
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12/1/2018 - Franken Berry wrote: 95 Points
Revisited this wine for my daughters 25th birthday. What a lovely, multi dimensional wine. As others have said, deep, dark and delicious. Full bodied, terrific length, dark fruit (cassis, blackberry), nice mineral and graphite elements. Oak and a hint of mint emerges after an hour. Alcohol still present, but not overwhelming.
Nicely done, wish I had more
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7/30/2018 - Franken Berry wrote: 94 Points
I agree with what others have said. This is a very dark, rich and power wine, that sets itself apart from stags leap district and other AVA designates I have tried from this winery. I thought that it drank quite well -dense, powerful, well integrated tannins, alcohol is receding. Dark blue fruits, hints of charcoal, asphalt, and graphite, oak present was not overwhelming. Still not at its peak, but delicious
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3/19/2018 - Justinneal654 wrote: 93 Points
Big legs, oaky nose, lightly peppery or spicy. Large and deep, complex and robust. Early acidity, with cherry and candied strawberry. Dry effects on finish, needs time to open up and mature, worthy of a nice cellaring.
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3/15/2018 - ProTravelr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredibly smooth and silky with a beautiful nose of blue fruit but lacking much flavor.
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3/7/2018 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unlike the 2014 Scarlett Love I had about a month ago, the 2012 edition here is approachable with a significant amount of air. All of these Rock Block wines are just huge, built to last and are very well made. They are NOT the immediately approachable valley floor Napa cabs that I enjoy on release, but they certainly make you feel comfortable buying and cellaring them. These will not fall apart in the next 15 years, and certainly may be 25-30 year wines.
I really love this 2012 edition. It is very broad shouldered, super dark in the glass and presents with a huge, concentrated and still a bit chalky core of blackberries, black licorice, black tar and lots of mineral and earthy elements. Shows considerable backbone, but the tannins are a bit more giving than a couple years ago. Really great deep, dark and brooding layers of fresh black fruit coming at you. Still a little rough around the edges. A very long finish. It has yet to hit the fully integrated and elegant phase of life, but I have no doubt it will with time. A bit heavy now. Lots and lots of upside.
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11/19/2017 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 93 Points
deep, dark and delicious. still with tannic power to withstand cellaring. Probably in it's prime in another 3-4 years
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8/4/2017 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Same as all of my other notes. On PnP, this was tight. Notes of dark black currant, black licorice, and asphalt. It needed about two hours to open up. With air, fascinating flavors of cacao, dark black raspberry, and black slate added to the black fruit/currant profile.
95+ points this go-around. I'll hold my remaining bottles until after 2019 just to see what comes of any further potential transformation/integration in bottle. Certainly won't disappoint for those considering opening a bottle now (with a decant), but waiting another year or so could prove beneficial.
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6/16/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Found this at a nice price in the secondary market so I decided to give it a shot in light of Parker's 95 rating. Dark blue and black fruit - blueberry, blackberry, currants, and dark raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth/concentration and purity. Fairly rich. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but at a nice drinking point after the decant. 90% cab, 9% merlot, and 1% petit verdot.
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5/26/2017 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to drink now, tannins, acid (what's left) and fruit fully integrated, wouldn't wait more than a few years. A bit typical of sweet cali cab: 15%+ abv, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, oak. Don't get me wrong - a very, very nice cab but nothing extraordinary (which I'm still searching for).
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12/4/2016 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Similar to all of my other previous notes. PnP was a little tight, but it advertised itself right away as a big boy wine. Balled-up black raspberry, black currant, black asphalt, and some bitter chocolate.
After an hour+ in the decanter, this thing exploded into a rich, complex behemoth. Almost totally black in color, with dark, black fruit completely coating the palate. Black everything! Cool black asphalt (like a freshly paved road right after it rains), black chocolate, deep black raspberry, black currant (though not raisiny at all), black slate, and some hints of clove on the back end.
It was at its most complex after about two hours in the decanter. My only criticism is that after about four hours of open air, it began to come off a touch heavy. I'll blame some of that on palate fatigue, but the wine's frame was indeed starting to shift a bit after being significantly exposed to air for multiple hours. This is the first time I experienced this "heaviness." I didn't mind it necessarily, but it was noticeable.
I think this will age fine, but for my taste, I'll plan to consume these within the next two-three years. 96 rock solid points at its apex (I might be underscoring by a point). Toward the very last sips, it slipped just a little for me. However, still a phenomenal wine overall in my opinion. The QPR on club release is outstanding given the exceptional quality in bottle.
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11/18/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Well geez, this is absolutely amazing right now. Previous notes apply, but this has really evolved into just a staggeringly great wine. Extremely dark fruit with tremendous structure (this can definitely age). Unreal complexity and length that really is off the charts. A full bodied beast of a wine that has many, many good years ahead of it, but drinks fantastic right now with a few hours in the decanter. Incredibly well done.
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10/8/2016 - djinc01 wrote: 92 Points
Still so young
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7/24/2016 - KeithSurg wrote: 95 Points
Best rock block wine I can remember. Fantastic rich, dark fruit that is balanced nicely with minerals and acidity. Full bodied, but not sweet. Tannins grip initially, but soften and allow a silky texture to the finish. Wish I had more of this.
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5/14/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Similar to my notes on 2/12/2016. Just an amazing bottle of wine and a comparatively good QPR among the realms of high-class Napa Cabernets.
Tight initially, but with a total of four hours in the decanter at 54 degrees, this wine was really firing on all cylinders. Still needs some time. 95+ points all day long for me. Complex, nuanced, layered...all the good things you would want in a dark, black fruit and mineral-driven cabernet.
Definitely NOT a red currant, cherry, red licorice, tobacco type of Cabernet. This is all about black and blue fruit, wet slate, limestone, asphalt, tar, dark roast coffee bean, and black licorice. I had this vision of walking through a dark, cold, dripping wet cave; somewhat of a medieval or gothic experience for me. (Not sure what exactly that means, but that was the thought that kept crossing my mind). I loved it. My preference is certainly with the black fruit Cabernets; so, know that my bias lies there. Fans of red fruit Cabernets should probably pass on this.
For me, it was "beautiful!" (pardon the pun). Looking forward to trying the 2013 version of this wine - "Stardust Heaven."
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4/28/2016 - MRichman wrote:
Dinner with Petaluma Wine Group (Risibisi): Big, rich, round. Very dark fruit. Smooth, silky. Beautiful wine. Coffee and a bit of prune. Seamless. A huge Napa wine pushing the boundaries of richness. Excellent.
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2/12/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Cliff Lede Tasting (Napa): Tasted at Cliff Lede alongside the 2012 Stags Leap, 2013 Stags Leap, and 2013 High Fidelity.
Similar to my previous CT notes. This truly is one of the highlights of the Cliff Lede lineup, especially given the QPR. I bumped this up a point to a 95, with even more upside in the coming years. This time with the Beautiful Generation, the black licorice and black berry notes really enveloped the mid-palate nicely (even more so than I remembered in previous tastings). Some wet slate and graphite minerality appeared on the back end to set the stage for a layered and nuanced finish, holding interest even further. 95+
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1/8/2016 - evaena wrote:
$95 from cliff lede
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1/8/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I am going to agree with Csimm1161 -- this wine needs some time. But WOW, what a ton of promise this wine shows! You can literally smell the Stag's Leap terroir when you pour this bottle into the decanter. The Rutherford dust is as present as ever. There is also an intense boysenberry and blue fruit nose that is pretty intoxicating. The tannins are still VERY present in this wine, even after a 2hr decant and another 2hrs of slow ox. They started to calm down some after another hour at dinner, but this wine needs some time to fully integrate. I think this will be tremendous in 2-3 years and completely live up to the 95pt rating from Parker. This is great juice -- very different from the hedonistic cabs I also love from TRB/Mike Smith etc. It is powerful yet elegant, with some aging in need. It shows excellent depth and complexity, along with strong mid-pallet concentration and a big, fat finish. The tannins obscure this somewhat, but I think this wine is headed for big things. Love the QPR here.
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11/21/2015 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Cliff Lede Tasting (Napa): Similar to my CT notes on 11/3/15.
Tasted at Cliff Lede alongside the 2012 BTK, Howell Mountain, and High Fidelity. The Beautiful Generation was a clear #2, overshadowed only marginally by the BTK. All wines were double-decanted with a Vinturi four hours before my tasting.
The 2012 Beautiful Generation was still very black licorice heavy (which is not necessarily a bad thing), with additional notes of black and purple berry fruits, black currant, dark chocolate, and cassis. There was a faint hit of violets on the back end.
Good texture, but definitely still young, with a slight talc-like clamp on the finish. The mid-palate was softer and more round, which I attributed to the 9% Merlot component of this wine. Like Petit Verdot, Merlot can sometimes throw off an otherwise great Cabernet. My hope is that over the next two years or so of bottle integration, the "round" part of this wine actually subsides, and the Cabernet component comes more to the forefront.
Overall a good wine, but I would still recommend holding until 2017.
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11/3/2015 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Initial PnP with tight, restrained notes of deep red and purple berries, dark red currant, black cherry, red licorice, cassis, and wood spice. Finished with a subtle chalky grip, nicely clamping on the finish.
Still a youngster, but the tannin management and teeth-staining texture are notable and worthy of praise. With air, licorice notes became more prominent (pleasantly so). It never shed itself completely of the talc-like tannins at the moment, but acidity and alcohol were not distracting at all, especially for such a young Cabernet. Overall a good balance considering its youth, with still some integration to work out over the next 2-3 years.
2 hours in the decanter really softened this wine out nicely. Well constructed and layered 2012 Cabernet. Hold until 2017 or decant for 1-2 hours. 93-94 at this stage.
DAY 2 UPDATE: Stored in bottle at 54 degrees for 24 hours. The dustiness of the tannins was a little more prevalent at first, but once it warmed up in the glass (and with some swirling), it became approachable. A more seemingly black profile on day two, with dark berry fruit and black licorice at the forefront. A hint of tobacco leaf and residual alcohol pushed through on the back end. Texture and mouthfeel were a little more silky on day one.
Still in that 93+ range by the second day. Needs some good 'ol fashioned time in bottle for integration (over just aeration). Hold until 2017.
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10/25/2015 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very young, but already outstanding. The score will very likely increase over time, this has many years of aging capability in it.
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8/31/2015 - SethHeller Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark fruits makes this a medium-to-heavy weight cab. Nice now likely amazing after a few years.
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6/18/2015 - rsct2001 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best of the many tastings at the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway. Big and jammy but with such elegance. Worth every penny.
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5/28/2015 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Huge wine, so rich and almost overripe as a lot of 2012 Napa cabs seem to be, but this keeps it together nicely. Very complex on the nose and palate and needed serious air time to be drinkable. Will be great in time. 92-93+.
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4/22/2015 - Jeff Layman wrote:
Nice
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4/21/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Rich dark currant, violet and creamy notes, in a nicely balanced package with just enough restraint. This is quite lovely and very easy to enjoy with about an hour of airing.
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