Drinking well. Mix of black and red fruit is still prominent, with nice spice notes and a touch of leather. Still developing and has some time ahead. Nice acidity. Biggest thing that detracts is some heat late on the midpalate that makes for a less than smooth transition into a nice finish. The finish also shows some heat, but outweighed by a nice dark chocolate covered cherry note. Shows nice class and disappointed this is my last bottle.
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My notes from May 12, 2016 still apply. This was a terrific wine from a wonderful vintage. This was our last Keever 2005 in our cellar. I wish we had more, as this is a very enjoyable wine that has aged very well.
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Very deep dark crimson color. Terrific nose with essence of dried figs, coffee, black pepper, mint, pencil lead and loam. Flavorful layers of mint, cassis, dried figs, cinnamon, toast and cherries. Wonderful wine that has improved with cellaring.
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Flavorful. Lots of crunchy/chewy tannins that slightly obscure the substantial fruit. Some alcohol showing. Not quite as good or harmonious as the last couple of these that I had.
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Not terribly impressed...this wine i figured just needed a bit more time to blossom...well 10yrs in and not much has changed...average, expensive Cali cab
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Well structured and drinking very well. This is in a solid place right now and shows no sign of going anywhere. The fruit is starting to give way to secondary notes. There is mild bricking around the edges. The blue fruit has given way to cherry, cassis, spice and leather. Smooth and concentrated. Slightly clipped finish.
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This wine keeps improving developing more warm secondary flavors while keeping some strength and big, but manageable tannins. If the fruit holds out, this will keep getting better. I really didn't like this when it was young and questioned whether it would ever get better, but it is proving me wrong.
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Picked this up for a song under $20 at auction a couple of years ago. Outstanding. Still has a lot of life in it, but is great at this age and didn't need any decanting. Some strawberry and mocha on the nose. Well balanced with a long finish. Wish I had more.
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This wine appears to be turning the corner. Enjoyed it quite a bit with a veal dish. It's a savory wine with touches of chocolate, licorice and beef, not much sweetness on the palate, and because of this, it was much better with food than without. Not in danger of dying in the immediate future so I'll try another next year.
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I really want to like it, but I have been consistently underwhelmed by this wine. A few weeks after receiving it a couple of years ago, it was just incredibly tannic and in a dumb phase. A year ago, at an event at a restaurant, it was better, with your typical cab profile, maybe some tobacco, if I recall correctly. A few weeks ago, this second bottle of mine saw much tannin resolution, but noticeable heat on the palate that built with aeration. Fruit and flavor profile was fine, but if it wasn't the tannins, it was the alcohol, and I don't see it improving with time. Not worth the $80/bottle all-in cost back in the day.
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This really stacked up well and is in a nice spot. Blue fruit, chocolate and oak on nose. Nice deep dark cherry on palate with chocolate, licorice, black pepper and nice bellow oak. Good tannins, but they are definitely in a good spot and it would be surprising if this developed a lot more beyond what it is today. Nice concentration on palate, good development and very nice finish. You could do a lot worse. A well balanced, easy drinking Cali Cab.
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Not too dark but very complex with raspberry, light oak, licorice and a hint of old english floor boards from the turn of the century (you can actually taste a little bit of the hard scrabble child labor!). Seriously, it's a nice effort and actually worth visiting if you make it out to Napa.
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Intense black cherry and rich boysenberry fruit headline a lively and compelling bouquet along with roasted coffee, bell pepper, cocoa and gingerbread flavors adding considerable complexity. This is dense and concentrated on the palate but rather harsh tannins kick in on a wood laden, peppery finish. This wine gives the impression of hidden potential but I am not certain how much?
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Drank over 3 hours, didn't change much over time. This is what you would think of as a straight forward ripe fruity napa cab. A big nose of ripe baked strawberry and plum fruit rollup with hints of five spice and a lil heat. A very fruit forward palate with tightly wound tannins that aren't as substantial as the Realm Tempest but still very prominent. A very short finish with a strong (but short) green streak and prominent alcohol presence
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Very good. Deep dark color. Bold nose of plum, sour cherry, vanilla, maple syrup, cedar and herbs. Very solid nose. Good thick wine, but where it came up a little short was that it lacked a little density and complexity on the mid palate. Moderate finish. There is good structure here and this should drink well for several years.
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Since I will be on the road for the next couple of weeks, I wanted to pop something to send me on my way. Wow, did I score. This has improved unbelievably since my earlier review. The nose is simply amazing right out of the bottle, and only builds throughout the night. It has that nose that makes me want to sniff all night. On the palate, the wine is big, tanic, and yet the underlying fruit is starting to emerge. This is a very serious wine. Huge and powerful, with plenty of underlying fruit. While still quite tannic, it already is on its way to being a superb wine. Stay steady, and hold on for a few years. This is going to be a show stopper. I think Jeff Nowak and Vino Me nailed it in their earlier reviews.
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Halloween night #3. After a slightly sub-par Merus 2005 and an exceptional Page the Stash 2003, the Keever Cab 2005 was being attempted for the third time. The first two experiences were tannic heat bombs, even with an hour of decanting. This bottle had 4 hours to gear up, and I think we made progress. This time it was much less tannic, the heat being controlled to allow the fruit to be experienced. Not a bad bottle at all.
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my friend otto (ebob RIP) was such a strong proponent of the 04 that i bought some 05s, after learning the 04s had dried up in the market. i think this is a celia wine? anyway, all reviews diss the 05 after the 04, so i wasn't expecting much out of this. decanted, and it helped. jeez, i like this wine. it's a little tannic, but the structure isn't so firm that some very pleasant fruit is compromised. i'll recommend a year or two of cellaring for optimum drinking.
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Super dark crimson color. Opaque and dense. The nose gives very little: cola, blackberry and camphor. The palate has a sweet profile that is packed 10 deep with black fruits of blackberry, black plum, cassis, & black cherry cola. Slightly angular and four square. Big chewy tannins and maybe a wee bit of oak popping its head up. This is a black hole of a cabernet for sure. Good structure. A decent finish and Bobs you uncle...sort of. A well made wine indeed, but I can see it not being everyone's cup 'o tea. It's more loud and noisy and could use a little refinement & class. Time may help, but I would hate to see what fruit is here go south in that time.
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Cuvee Offline Dinner (Cuvee Restaurant, Napa, California): This was brought to the Napa offline at Cuvee on Monday by a freind of Powells from the ebob board. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow. This was a young tannic beast which definitely could use some time or at least some decanting to show its best. The ripeness of the valley floor and quality of the 2005 vintage shown in this wine. Loaded with ripe fruit. Notes of blackberry, cassis, currant and some meatines. Full bodied. 92-93 points.
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Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Color was very dark, deep ruby , almost black from the bottle, it was very attractive and everyone loved it. On the nose, dark fruit, plum even cherry. On the pallet, fruit forward without being full of plums, complex black fruits, spice of pepper and maybe nutmeg Texture was smooth and supple,silky. Finish good was moderately long.
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Phenomenal nose, really pure concentration...yet all of the great parts did not come together for me. There seemed to be a streak of acidity from the fruit that offset the finish.
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Deep ruby color, slight purple tint. Aromatic nose of plum, cassis, spice. Medium body, balanced acidity, subtle tannins, similar flavors of cassis, plums, graphite, soft oak, subtle tannins. Tasting well now, suspect will evolve for a few years, but not long-term.
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9/17/2022 - Hoddick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good wine that is starting to fade
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8/22/2022 - cooker315 wrote:
Wow, still so good! Could see enjoying 5 or 10,years from now. Fruit is good, tannins solid.
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6/6/2022 - Hoddick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good bottle of juice. Starting to fade.
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12/24/2019 - winestem Likes this wine: 90 Points
Amazing, but still excellent! Youthful, even! No bricking, and cedar-y and dark fruit-y! Here’s to a slightly colder than normal storage!
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9/29/2018 - dalipton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aged really nicely.
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7/22/2018 - dalipton wrote: flawed
Was not drinkable...#sad
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7/11/2017 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well. Mix of black and red fruit is still prominent, with nice spice notes and a touch of leather. Still developing and has some time ahead. Nice acidity. Biggest thing that detracts is some heat late on the midpalate that makes for a less than smooth transition into a nice finish. The finish also shows some heat, but outweighed by a nice dark chocolate covered cherry note. Shows nice class and disappointed this is my last bottle.
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3/17/2017 - Neilrothmd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank and was surprised as to how well it held up. Grest nose, palate and finish. Loved it
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1/6/2017 - spectrumphoto wrote: 95 Points
Keever is always a crowd pleaser. This wine has aged extremely well.
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10/31/2016 - Snag One Likes this wine: 92 Points
My notes from May 12, 2016 still apply. This was a terrific wine from a wonderful vintage. This was our last Keever 2005 in our cellar. I wish we had more, as this is a very enjoyable wine that has aged very well.
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5/12/2016 - Snag One Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very deep dark crimson color. Terrific nose with essence of dried figs, coffee, black pepper, mint, pencil lead and loam. Flavorful layers of mint, cassis, dried figs, cinnamon, toast and cherries. Wonderful wine that has improved with cellaring.
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2/20/2016 - spectrumphoto wrote: 94 Points
Getting a touch soft but still a wow wine
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6/22/2015 - tfharris Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking nicely.
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4/5/2015 - Topper wrote: 89 Points
Flavorful. Lots of crunchy/chewy tannins that slightly obscure the substantial fruit. Some alcohol showing. Not quite as good or harmonious as the last couple of these that I had.
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1/27/2015 - wa2ofd wrote: 86 Points
Not terribly impressed...this wine i figured just needed a bit more time to blossom...well 10yrs in and not much has changed...average, expensive Cali cab
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9/30/2014 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Well structured and drinking very well. This is in a solid place right now and shows no sign of going anywhere. The fruit is starting to give way to secondary notes. There is mild bricking around the edges. The blue fruit has given way to cherry, cassis, spice and leather. Smooth and concentrated. Slightly clipped finish.
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9/8/2014 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
This wine keeps improving developing more warm secondary flavors while keeping some strength and big, but manageable tannins. If the fruit holds out, this will keep getting better. I really didn't like this when it was young and questioned whether it would ever get better, but it is proving me wrong.
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5/4/2014 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
In a really nice place right now. nose shows lots of licorice, spicebox, and dark fruits. palate is still quite fruit-focused with integrated tannins.
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3/29/2014 - kbhiggins wrote: 90 Points
Picked this up for a song under $20 at auction a couple of years ago. Outstanding. Still has a lot of life in it, but is great at this age and didn't need any decanting. Some strawberry and mocha on the nose. Well balanced with a long finish. Wish I had more.
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1/23/2014 - Topper wrote: 91 Points
This wine appears to be turning the corner. Enjoyed it quite a bit with a veal dish. It's a savory wine with touches of chocolate, licorice and beef, not much sweetness on the palate, and because of this, it was much better with food than without. Not in danger of dying in the immediate future so I'll try another next year.
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12/23/2011 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
nice, but not up to the level of corra. dark fruit and coffee. tannins are integrating well, but this is still developing.
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4/9/2011 - flentvall wrote: 85 Points
I really want to like it, but I have been consistently underwhelmed by this wine. A few weeks after receiving it a couple of years ago, it was just incredibly tannic and in a dumb phase. A year ago, at an event at a restaurant, it was better, with your typical cab profile, maybe some tobacco, if I recall correctly. A few weeks ago, this second bottle of mine saw much tannin resolution, but noticeable heat on the palate that built with aeration. Fruit and flavor profile was fine, but if it wasn't the tannins, it was the alcohol, and I don't see it improving with time. Not worth the $80/bottle all-in cost back in the day.
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3/27/2011 - cooker315 wrote: 90 Points
Nice bouquet of dark fruit, big wine with big tannins. There is better value for money...will try again in a year or two.
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12/11/2010 - jrobs7777 wrote: 93 Points
This really stacked up well and is in a nice spot. Blue fruit, chocolate and oak on nose. Nice deep dark cherry on palate with chocolate, licorice, black pepper and nice bellow oak. Good tannins, but they are definitely in a good spot and it would be surprising if this developed a lot more beyond what it is today. Nice concentration on palate, good development and very nice finish. You could do a lot worse. A well balanced, easy drinking Cali Cab.
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6/19/2010 - jwebtx wrote:
throwing sediment and ready to drink pop & pour.
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2/13/2010 - phlegls wrote: 91 Points
good for the vintage -
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1/9/2010 - jjtarnow wrote: 90 Points
Not too dark but very complex with raspberry, light oak, licorice and a hint of old english floor boards from the turn of the century (you can actually taste a little bit of the hard scrabble child labor!). Seriously, it's a nice effort and actually worth visiting if you make it out to Napa.
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8/17/2009 - Oxenham wrote: 88 Points
Intense black cherry and rich boysenberry fruit headline a lively and compelling bouquet along with roasted coffee, bell pepper, cocoa and gingerbread flavors adding considerable complexity. This is dense and concentrated on the palate but rather harsh tannins kick in on a wood laden, peppery finish. This wine gives the impression of hidden potential but I am not certain how much?
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8/6/2009 - hudamang wrote: 89 Points
too tight right now but probably will never be worth the price. :(
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8/5/2009 - clayfu wrote: 88 Points
Drank over 3 hours, didn't change much over time. This is what you would think of as a straight forward ripe fruity napa cab. A big nose of ripe baked strawberry and plum fruit rollup with hints of five spice and a lil heat. A very fruit forward palate with tightly wound tannins that aren't as substantial as the Realm Tempest but still very prominent. A very short finish with a strong (but short) green streak and prominent alcohol presence
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8/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
Really enjoyed this. Lots of dark fruit, tightly wound tannins, and a long finish. Drank in a social setting, no formal note.
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6/13/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 89 Points
Very good. Deep dark color. Bold nose of plum, sour cherry, vanilla, maple syrup, cedar and herbs. Very solid nose. Good thick wine, but where it came up a little short was that it lacked a little density and complexity on the mid palate. Moderate finish. There is good structure here and this should drink well for several years.
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4/11/2009 - A&C wrote:
Consumed by a large group, so no review. People, however, commented that this was WOTN.
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2/24/2009 - A&C wrote: 94 Points
Since I will be on the road for the next couple of weeks, I wanted to pop something to send me on my way. Wow, did I score. This has improved unbelievably since my earlier review. The nose is simply amazing right out of the bottle, and only builds throughout the night. It has that nose that makes me want to sniff all night. On the palate, the wine is big, tanic, and yet the underlying fruit is starting to emerge. This is a very serious wine. Huge and powerful, with plenty of underlying fruit. While still quite tannic, it already is on its way to being a superb wine. Stay steady, and hold on for a few years. This is going to be a show stopper. I think Jeff Nowak and Vino Me nailed it in their earlier reviews.
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12/25/2008 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
What a great find. This was wonderful. Great fruit. Nice balance. Decanted for 2 hours. Open for business.
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11/1/2008 - greekwineaux wrote: 91 Points
Halloween night #3. After a slightly sub-par Merus 2005 and an exceptional Page the Stash 2003, the Keever Cab 2005 was being attempted for the third time. The first two experiences were tannic heat bombs, even with an hour of decanting. This bottle had 4 hours to gear up, and I think we made progress. This time it was much less tannic, the heat being controlled to allow the fruit to be experienced. Not a bad bottle at all.
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10/19/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 91 Points
my friend otto (ebob RIP) was such a strong proponent of the 04 that i bought some 05s, after learning the 04s had dried up in the market. i think this is a celia wine? anyway, all reviews diss the 05 after the 04, so i wasn't expecting much out of this. decanted, and it helped. jeez, i like this wine. it's a little tannic, but the structure isn't so firm that some very pleasant fruit is compromised. i'll recommend a year or two of cellaring for optimum drinking.
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8/23/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
Cali Winemakers Offline - Barrett, Browne, Kurtzman, Melka and Masyczek (Brentwood, CA): Ripe yet elegant, this is a Cabernet that is more on the red fruit side of the spectrum. Notes of red currants, cherries, Red Vines, crushed minerals, and brown spices. The acidity seems a bit strong, but this is a very nice wine nonetheless.
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7/19/2008 - King Cab wrote: 90 Points
Super dark crimson color. Opaque and dense. The nose gives very little: cola, blackberry and camphor. The palate has a sweet profile that is packed 10 deep with black fruits of blackberry, black plum, cassis, & black cherry cola. Slightly angular and four square. Big chewy tannins and maybe a wee bit of oak popping its head up. This is a black hole of a cabernet for sure. Good structure. A decent finish and Bobs you uncle...sort of. A well made wine indeed, but I can see it not being everyone's cup 'o tea. It's more loud and noisy and could use a little refinement & class. Time may help, but I would hate to see what fruit is here go south in that time.
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6/28/2008 - Phin wrote: 89 Points
2.5 hour decant. Medium body. Red fruit, bit acidic. Licorice.
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5/17/2008 - wcacern wrote: 92 Points
Extreme CULT Cabernet (Sam & Harry's Restaurant @ Newport Beach Marriott sponsored by LearnAboutWine): berries, red fruit, cherries, plum, strawberry, spice box, wet hay, cedar, cocoa, and a hint of vanilla. great balance of nice tart fruit.
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3/14/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
Cuvee Offline Dinner (Cuvee Restaurant, Napa, California): This was brought to the Napa offline at Cuvee on Monday by a freind of Powells from the ebob board. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Wow. This was a young tannic beast which definitely could use some time or at least some decanting to show its best. The ripeness of the valley floor and quality of the 2005 vintage shown in this wine. Loaded with ripe fruit. Notes of blackberry, cassis, currant and some meatines. Full bodied. 92-93 points.
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2/2/2008 - EMichels wrote: 91 Points
Wine Exchange - Silver Oak Day: Chocolate nose; Good depth; Builds on finish
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12/26/2007 - jcurl wrote: 92 Points
Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Color was very dark, deep ruby , almost black from the bottle, it was very attractive and everyone loved it. On the nose, dark fruit, plum even cherry. On the pallet, fruit forward without being full of plums, complex black fruits, spice of pepper and maybe nutmeg Texture was smooth and supple,silky. Finish good was moderately long.
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12/15/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 90 Points
Phenomenal nose, really pure concentration...yet all of the great parts did not come together for me. There seemed to be a streak of acidity from the fruit that offset the finish.
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12/5/2007 - bogrumpus wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby color, slight purple tint. Aromatic nose of plum, cassis, spice. Medium body, balanced acidity, subtle tannins, similar flavors of cassis, plums, graphite, soft oak, subtle tannins. Tasting well now, suspect will evolve for a few years, but not long-term.
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