Looks like it's been nearly 3 years, give or take, since I pulled the last one - and this one is drinking appreciably better right from the pop-n-pour. I'm getting more structure, more fruit, more depth than I noted last time - though the tannins are soft in this bottle as well. So maybe it was just in a dumb phase before?
In any event, this bottle is doing surprisingly well with my "leftover from last night's grill out" dinner. Well, not so well with the homemade brick-oven maple baked beans (as expected), but perfectly fine with the grass-fed burger, and to my surprise, very well with some early season corn on the cob slathered in butter and Old Bay. (Who knew - aged Cab and Old Bay??).
Given the softness on the backend, I still think I'll try to drink my final bottle within the next year or so ...
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Color - Medium to dark Garnet no signs of aging. Nose - Boysenberries, Dark Berries Palate - Fruit forward, smooth tannins up front. Did not hold up in glass after setting for 5 minutes began to fall apart and lose its fruit. Waited too long to drink, surprising should have lasted much longer. stored at 57 degrees, 60% humidity not sure what's going on.
Excellent cab. Decanted it 3 hours. Nice core fruit with great depth and balance. It drank like a 3 digit cabernet. Nice long sweet finish. Plenty of life left although I think it was at peak. I would expect a gentle slope downward but probably very nice over the next 5 years. If you have a bottle, no rush to open it.
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Nice. Didn't match up real well with the white cheeses I was snacking on while cooking, but it's doing great with my sous vide bison strip steak. Gave it an hour decant (and it was probably 2 - 2.5 hrs by the time I got to the bison steak). Whether due to the cellar time or the decant, it's reasonably soft (mellowing tannins), moderate fruit, well-balanced, with some herbal and/or eucalyptus notes showing through (which seems to be the characteristic that clashed with the cheese, but is fine with the bison.) I'm liking it, but I'm not sure it's going to develop much more in the cellar, just doesn't have much complexity. I'll probably target my other two bottles for consumption in the next year or two.
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Soooo good. My suspicions about the last bottle were answered with a huge smile; as it was as good as the rest--if not better. All of the fruits imaginable, with a deep lingering after taste, were expected; and they were. I wished that the 6 bottles would have lasted longer--so be it.
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Decanted for 30 mins. Medium crimson color. Nose of ripe, slightly jammy blackberry and black cherry, a bit of vanilla, toasted oak, blackberry liquor. Not really any secondary or tertiary aromas at this point. Similar flavors on the palate with a mostly fruit driven, slightly candied flavor profile. Medium acid and tannin. Pretty smooth mouthfeel but almost finishes with a hint of sweetness or oak that I didn't love at first but with additional air, seemed to integrate a bit more. Tasty, well made cabernet but missing some complexity.
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We experienced the same thing others have that recently opened a bottle. Green flavors with no fruit and nothing to enjoy. Very disappointed in this vintage based on this bottle. We are huge fans of A. Rafanelli wines and have many vintages still in cellar, so I hope this was a one-off.
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Popped and poured. Green notes on the nose and palate. Fruit and tannins are muted. Not enjoyable. I'll let it breath for a few hours and update my notes if the wine improves. Ok, it's been a few hours and the wine is getting better. The fruit is up front finally and all of the green notes have faded. My group says the wine is acidic in the current phase. I'll keep updating.
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Fine cab -- PNP 1st night, enjoyed with steak; lovely nose. Sealed and pumped out air, and still good after 2 days. Should keep a couple more years, but V.G. now.
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How good? Soooooo good! The bottle opened in the shortest amount of time. The dark heavy fruit was exploding as it hit your tongue. A wonderful drinking experience really doesn't say it all...but I'll leave it go at that.
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I know they're known for the zin, but this cab is darn tasty. It's big and rich, and was drinking well after a 3 hour decant. Seems like many years ahead of this one as well.
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Felt like this was a great representation of their house style, if you can call it that. Very pure, rich notes of blackberry, mocha, spice and toast with great depth but elegant at the same time. It had a good lean backbone of acidity that broadened with air.
It was not a great pairing for our boar ragu pasta however, the fruit flavors were just too much for the braised meat. But we had some dark chocolate chewy cookies that were a surprising match for it. Mid-term wine, probably another 2 years would be perfect to cellar.
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Young fruity and with lots of oak still to integrate. Yet as with many of the Rafanelli cabs a delicious future in store if you can wait a few years. Not a long term cellar hold. I'd hazard a guess it will peak sometime in the next 3-5 years.
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Cranberries on the nose, this is focused, with a foundation of acidity holding on to cassis, currants, black cherry and spice, lean and intense, really fleshes out with air, killer match with rib eye steak
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5/4/2024 - Adventr.us wrote: 92 Points
Looks like it's been nearly 3 years, give or take, since I pulled the last one - and this one is drinking appreciably better right from the pop-n-pour. I'm getting more structure, more fruit, more depth than I noted last time - though the tannins are soft in this bottle as well. So maybe it was just in a dumb phase before?
In any event, this bottle is doing surprisingly well with my "leftover from last night's grill out" dinner. Well, not so well with the homemade brick-oven maple baked beans (as expected), but perfectly fine with the grass-fed burger, and to my surprise, very well with some early season corn on the cob slathered in butter and Old Bay. (Who knew - aged Cab and Old Bay??).
Given the softness on the backend, I still think I'll try to drink my final bottle within the next year or so ...
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7/30/2023 - Bomb Cellar wrote: 90 Points
Needs hours to open up.
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11/16/2022 - Jamul Wino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Color - Medium to dark Garnet no signs of aging.
Nose - Boysenberries, Dark Berries
Palate - Fruit forward, smooth tannins up front. Did not hold up in glass after setting for 5 minutes began to fall apart and lose its fruit. Waited too long to drink, surprising should have lasted much longer. stored at 57 degrees, 60% humidity not sure what's going on.
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10/2/2022 - Bomb Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully. Lots of life left in this one.
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6/4/2022 - unc0rked Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent cab. Decanted it 3 hours. Nice core fruit with great depth and balance. It drank like a 3 digit cabernet. Nice long sweet finish. Plenty of life left although I think it was at peak. I would expect a gentle slope downward but probably very nice over the next 5 years. If you have a bottle, no rush to open it.
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9/26/2021 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Spot on CA Cab in a style I enjoy. Just a bit if herbaceousness, not too extracted and not “fruity” in any way. Thoroughly enjoyable to drink.
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9/25/2021 - Adventr.us wrote: 90 Points
Nice. Didn't match up real well with the white cheeses I was snacking on while cooking, but it's doing great with my sous vide bison strip steak. Gave it an hour decant (and it was probably 2 - 2.5 hrs by the time I got to the bison steak). Whether due to the cellar time or the decant, it's reasonably soft (mellowing tannins), moderate fruit, well-balanced, with some herbal and/or eucalyptus notes showing through (which seems to be the characteristic that clashed with the cheese, but is fine with the bison.) I'm liking it, but I'm not sure it's going to develop much more in the cellar, just doesn't have much complexity. I'll probably target my other two bottles for consumption in the next year or two.
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5/23/2021 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soooo good. My suspicions about the last bottle were answered with a huge smile; as it was as good as the rest--if not better. All of the fruits imaginable, with a deep lingering after taste, were expected; and they were. I wished that the 6 bottles would have lasted longer--so be it.
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1/10/2021 - Rich S wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 30 mins. Medium crimson color. Nose of ripe, slightly jammy blackberry and black cherry, a bit of vanilla, toasted oak, blackberry liquor. Not really any secondary or tertiary aromas at this point. Similar flavors on the palate with a mostly fruit driven, slightly candied flavor profile. Medium acid and tannin. Pretty smooth mouthfeel but almost finishes with a hint of sweetness or oak that I didn't love at first but with additional air, seemed to integrate a bit more. Tasty, well made cabernet but missing some complexity.
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10/13/2020 - akeenan wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Well balanced. Decanted for an hour. Very very smooth
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8/23/2020 - One Percenter Does not like this wine: 80 Points
We experienced the same thing others have that recently opened a bottle. Green flavors with no fruit and nothing to enjoy. Very disappointed in this vintage based on this bottle. We are huge fans of A. Rafanelli wines and have many vintages still in cellar, so I hope this was a one-off.
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7/22/2020 - Leomania Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely. No notes taken.
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6/8/2020 - akeenan wrote: 87 Points
Generally love this wine but this was light and almost too sweet with no depth or body
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3/23/2020 - PinotPaul Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful Cab. Great value.
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3/14/2020 - ebert wrote: 87 Points
Dominated by oak flavors
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7/26/2019 - JeffNy1 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Popped and poured. Green notes on the nose and palate. Fruit and tannins are muted. Not enjoyable. I'll let it breath for a few hours and update my notes if the wine improves. Ok, it's been a few hours and the wine is getting better. The fruit is up front finally and all of the green notes have faded. My group says the wine is acidic in the current phase. I'll keep updating.
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5/26/2019 - Avogirl wrote:
Celebration wine
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4/6/2019 - daveste Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fine cab -- PNP 1st night, enjoyed with steak; lovely nose. Sealed and pumped out air, and still good after 2 days. Should keep a couple more years, but V.G. now.
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8/1/2018 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 90 Points
Less interesting on day 2
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6/14/2018 - daveste Likes this wine: 89 Points
PNP, a mistake -- 1st day rather bitter and undeveloped, 3rd day oxidized. Decant!
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5/31/2018 - tamfrezo Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good Cab but lacked real flavors.
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1/6/2018 - tamfrezo Likes this wine: 90 Points
perfect
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12/12/2017 - ebert Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice balance but oak is a bit overpowering now.
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10/6/2017 - Charlie.Gail Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful bouquet; smooth, long finish. A quality wine. Glad that I have 2 more bottles.
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5/20/2017 - Lion King Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect balance of fruit (black and blue berries and cherries) and smoothness.
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4/16/2017 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
How good? Soooooo good! The bottle opened in the shortest amount of time. The dark heavy fruit was exploding as it hit your tongue. A wonderful drinking experience really doesn't say it all...but I'll leave it go at that.
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4/13/2017 - wirelesswine Likes this wine: 91 Points
I know they're known for the zin, but this cab is darn tasty. It's big and rich, and was drinking well after a 3 hour decant. Seems like many years ahead of this one as well.
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12/23/2016 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Felt like this was a great representation of their house style, if you can call it that. Very pure, rich notes of blackberry, mocha, spice and toast with great depth but elegant at the same time. It had a good lean backbone of acidity that broadened with air.
It was not a great pairing for our boar ragu pasta however, the fruit flavors were just too much for the braised meat. But we had some dark chocolate chewy cookies that were a surprising match for it. Mid-term wine, probably another 2 years would be perfect to cellar.
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10/30/2016 - Barnaby33 wrote:
Young fruity and with lots of oak still to integrate. Yet as with many of the Rafanelli cabs a delicious future in store if you can wait a few years. Not a long term cellar hold. I'd hazard a guess it will peak sometime in the next 3-5 years.
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5/31/2016 - Fred44 wrote: 75 Points
Tannic, cooked stew.
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2/14/2016 - BHP1994 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious wine. Many years to go but so good, why wait?
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2/6/2016 - whits wrote: 91 Points
Cranberries on the nose, this is focused, with a foundation of acidity holding on to cassis, currants, black cherry and spice, lean and intense, really fleshes out with air, killer match with rib eye steak
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6/5/2015 - tamfrezo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect Cab wonderful flafours
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6/5/2015 - tamfrezo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent Cab so full of flavors!
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