Proper cellaring makes all the difference. This is fantastic. Brought to blind tasting and everyone guessed Bordeaux. Fruit is still amazing even 5 hours after opening. Wish I had more. Another 5 years of prime drinking if well cellared. P.S. this is not the first vintage of Cardinale.
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Chris Carpenter's 1st ever.. yes the iconic 1st vintage of this cuvée, and it seems this high ratio of Merlot hasn't been used since.
73% Cab and 27% Merlot, from Jackson owned Mt Veeder, Keyes (Howell M), Alexander Mountain Est, and other purchased fruit.
There's still some blackfruit remaining after 20+ years, medium+ acidity and oddly heat too. Balsamico, raisins and fig too. Silky finish.
Found a fun interview with head winemaker Chris Carpenter.. If you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, which would it be and why? And what’s your death-row bottle? "If I’m choosing one of my wines, it would be Cardinale – only because I know the amount of right brain effort that goes into each vintage and reflecting on that as I drink it brings me right back to the blending sessions. Right before I pass, a giant pint of Guinness stout."
Napa County 73%, Sonoma County 27% 🍇 Cab Sauv 73%, Merlot 27% ⏲️ 100% new French oak.
Amazing.. thanks for the treat brother LMC, at the Napa Cult wines dinner curated by R and organised by LN. What an evening!
14 Oct 2023 Napa Cult Wine dinner at Stoked, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Opened and poured directly from the bottle. Youthful tannins, black fruit,leather and tobacco. Looking at the older tasting notes, it is hard to believe we are talking about the same wine.
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This is significantly better than the bottle I opened 11 months ago - more fresh, more intense, more ethereal (5/18 - 92 points). Whatever the reason (e.g., provenance, bottle variation, randomness), this bottle is clearly a great wine: energetic, integrated, and delicious. It delivers layered fruit in a graceful package, like the best Cardinale wines can do - and few 18-year old Napa Cabernets can.
Cherry red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry, warm gravel, bay leaf, and fresh herbs. Tastes of blueberry, cherry tart, eucalyptus, and leather, with a finish that goes on and on. This has none of the prune or plum notes from the other bottle, and the finish is more round and lingering. 14.2% alcohol. Blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. The vineyard sources are 27% Howell Mountain, 20% To Kalon, 19% Veeder, 14% Knights Valley (Peter Michael Les Pavots), 13% Alexander Valley, and 7% Stagecoach. Drink now.
Very much a Bordeaux style wine. Opened, poured into a decanter and immediately began drinking at a restaurant. Earthy, forest floor, cedar and leather. A very interesting wine but styled much different that the current Cardinale. 2001 was also the last year that fruit from Sonoma was incorporated.
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This is a great old style Napa wine that I really like. Im less of a fan of the new style Napa wines. This was very Bordeaux like. A little musty and dusty upon opening. Wine really came together with in 15-30 min of being in the glass. Very good. Some say its past its prime but I think that depends on what taste your going for. I like a more well aged wine much better so this was excellent for me.
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This well-aged Cabernet is past its peak, but it's still intriguing on its descent into old age. Red brick in color, medium in body, nose of plum, baking spices, and gravel. Fully integrated tastes of sour cherry, prune, leather, and cedar, with a silky but brief finish that resembles a Pinot Noir more than anything else (not in a bad way). 14.2% alcohol. Blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. This was unchanged over an hour of air.
I was interested to see how this blend has changed over time, given that this vintage included a decent amount of valley floor fruit (20%), fruit from outside Napa (27%), and a high amount of Merlot (27%). This many years out, it can be hard to connect how it was made with how it is drinking, but it's clear this has aged well - but should be drunk now. In terms of vineyards, the blend is 27% Howell Mountain, 20% To Kalon, 19% Veeder, 14% Knights Valley (Peter Michael Les Pavots), 13% Alexander Valley, and 7% Stagecoach.
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Time has not been kind to this premium Napa blend. While there was some concentration at first, it quickly morphed into oaky bones. If drinking, do not decant.
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This is a big wine. Drank along side the 2001 Caymus Special Selection and 2001 Rubicon. The Caymus was more elegant and better balanced. The Rubicon, while excellent got a bit lost. The Cardinale needs time. At least several more years in the bottle but excellent fruit and finish - just a big wine.
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Very Bordeaux like. Dark reddish purple color, lite nose. Black olives, tobacco, subtle, fleeting, fruit. A European, elegant style and still drinking very well. 90.6 Points
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Very Bordeaux like character. Tobacco, prune, mint and leather nose gives way to soft palate of European plum, boysenberry and kirsch. Lots of sediment. Probably at peak.
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Atlanta Wine School Reserve Tasting (Atlanta Wine School): After a 1999 Brunello fruit jumped in your face. Big, vanilla, concentrated cherry (sweet cherry) on nose. Cherry / black cherry & licorice on palate. Well structured wine with tannins to handle the fruit and this did not taste like an 11 year old Napa wine. Long finish. 92+
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Popped and poured but enjoyed over two hours. Took 20 min to open but quickly became delicious mouth filling layers and layers of rich ripe fruit. fully integrated and beautiful expression of CA cabernet at it's best.
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Everything I would want in a California Cab. Balanced with all aspects playing nicely together and it got better and better as it took air. This fully filled my mouth with with deep cherries and chocolat laced with a hint of leather. The finish goes on and on. Color is magnificent. One taste and we put away the dinner plans and got out some bread with blue veined cheese and just wallowed for a while!
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Great wine! Very Bordeaux like and smooth as silk. Not a huge nose and a relatively short finish but still very enjoyable. At it's prime right now and it you like a refined cab this is for you. Wish I had a few more bottles. 93 pts
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Better than most Bdx, much the same notes as last time. Very refined, balanced but not much on the nose. Best as a standalone rather than a meal accompaniment.
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Very nice and well balanced for a young cab. tasty, lots of cassis, touch of violet, tobacco and licorice. long ripe tannins balanced by vibrant acidity, i very much enjoyed this juice.
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Very elegant, structured cab. Decanted for an hour and started singing. blackberry tobacco attack with great midpalate and long long finish. Impressive juice.
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2/15/2024 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Proper cellaring makes all the difference. This is fantastic. Brought to blind tasting and everyone guessed Bordeaux. Fruit is still amazing even 5 hours after opening. Wish I had more. Another 5 years of prime drinking if well cellared. P.S. this is not the first vintage of Cardinale.
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10/14/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Chris Carpenter's 1st ever.. yes the iconic 1st vintage of this cuvée, and it seems this high ratio of Merlot hasn't been used since.
73% Cab and 27% Merlot, from Jackson owned Mt Veeder, Keyes (Howell M), Alexander Mountain Est, and other purchased fruit.
There's still some blackfruit remaining after 20+ years, medium+ acidity and oddly heat too. Balsamico, raisins and fig too. Silky finish.
Found a fun interview with head winemaker Chris Carpenter.. If you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, which would it be and why? And what’s your death-row bottle?
"If I’m choosing one of my wines, it would be Cardinale – only because I know the amount of right brain effort that goes into each vintage and reflecting on that as I drink it brings me right back to the blending sessions. Right before I pass, a giant pint of Guinness stout."
Napa County 73%, Sonoma County 27%
🍇 Cab Sauv 73%, Merlot 27%
⏲️ 100% new French oak.
Amazing.. thanks for the treat brother LMC, at the Napa Cult wines dinner curated by R and organised by LN. What an evening!
14 Oct 2023
Napa Cult Wine dinner at Stoked, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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9/19/2020 - tommydiesel wrote: 90 Points
Opened and poured directly from the bottle. Youthful tannins, black fruit,leather and tobacco. Looking at the older tasting notes, it is hard to believe we are talking about the same wine.
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4/1/2019 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
This is significantly better than the bottle I opened 11 months ago - more fresh, more intense, more ethereal (5/18 - 92 points). Whatever the reason (e.g., provenance, bottle variation, randomness), this bottle is clearly a great wine: energetic, integrated, and delicious. It delivers layered fruit in a graceful package, like the best Cardinale wines can do - and few 18-year old Napa Cabernets can.
Cherry red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry, warm gravel, bay leaf, and fresh herbs. Tastes of blueberry, cherry tart, eucalyptus, and leather, with a finish that goes on and on. This has none of the prune or plum notes from the other bottle, and the finish is more round and lingering. 14.2% alcohol. Blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. The vineyard sources are 27% Howell Mountain, 20% To Kalon, 19% Veeder, 14% Knights Valley (Peter Michael Les Pavots), 13% Alexander Valley, and 7% Stagecoach. Drink now.
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1/1/2019 - Zhart Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very much a Bordeaux style wine. Opened, poured into a decanter and immediately began drinking at a restaurant. Earthy, forest floor, cedar and leather. A very interesting wine but styled much different that the current Cardinale. 2001 was also the last year that fruit from Sonoma was incorporated.
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10/20/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a great old style Napa wine that I really like. Im less of a fan of the new style Napa wines. This was very Bordeaux like. A little musty and dusty upon opening. Wine really came together with in 15-30 min of being in the glass. Very good. Some say its past its prime but I think that depends on what taste your going for. I like a more well aged wine much better so this was excellent for me.
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5/30/2018 - msuwine wrote: 92 Points
This well-aged Cabernet is past its peak, but it's still intriguing on its descent into old age. Red brick in color, medium in body, nose of plum, baking spices, and gravel. Fully integrated tastes of sour cherry, prune, leather, and cedar, with a silky but brief finish that resembles a Pinot Noir more than anything else (not in a bad way). 14.2% alcohol. Blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. This was unchanged over an hour of air.
I was interested to see how this blend has changed over time, given that this vintage included a decent amount of valley floor fruit (20%), fruit from outside Napa (27%), and a high amount of Merlot (27%). This many years out, it can be hard to connect how it was made with how it is drinking, but it's clear this has aged well - but should be drunk now. In terms of vineyards, the blend is 27% Howell Mountain, 20% To Kalon, 19% Veeder, 14% Knights Valley (Peter Michael Les Pavots), 13% Alexander Valley, and 7% Stagecoach.
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2/19/2017 - Redrum Likes this wine: 96 Points
Midnight black. Unstable, magnetic nose. Etremely balanced, indistinguishable from top flight bordeaux. Wonderful wine.
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1/31/2017 - Quiet Lion wrote: 91 Points
Time has not been kind to this premium Napa blend. While there was some concentration at first, it quickly morphed into oaky bones. If drinking, do not decant.
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1/1/2017 - Miami_wine_guy Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Magnum. Very nice.
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8/5/2015 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
BLACK RASPBERRIES, BLACK CHERRIES, LICORICE, CHOCOLATE, AND WOOD. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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7/19/2014 - Eags25 wrote: 91 Points
This is a big wine. Drank along side the 2001 Caymus Special Selection and 2001 Rubicon. The Caymus was more elegant and better balanced. The Rubicon, while excellent got a bit lost. The Cardinale needs time. At least several more years in the bottle but excellent fruit and finish - just a big wine.
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7/3/2014 - Yack Man wrote: 91 Points
Very Bordeaux like. Dark reddish purple color, lite nose. Black olives, tobacco, subtle, fleeting, fruit. A European, elegant style and still drinking very well. 90.6 Points
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2/13/2014 - WDSteers wrote: 92 Points
Very Bordeaux like character. Tobacco, prune, mint and leather nose gives way to soft palate of European plum, boysenberry and kirsch.
Lots of sediment. Probably at peak.
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1/1/2013 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent time to drink it. Balance is wonderful and still has more time to soften out the tannins.
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3/8/2012 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Atlanta Wine School Reserve Tasting (Atlanta Wine School): After a 1999 Brunello fruit jumped in your face. Big, vanilla, concentrated cherry (sweet cherry) on nose. Cherry / black cherry & licorice on palate. Well structured wine with tannins to handle the fruit and this did not taste like an 11 year old Napa wine. Long finish. 92+
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1/7/2012 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK At Peter's Hlwd Wine Society 2001 CA Cab Tasting, most of them were still a bit young. this one still tight.
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4/9/2011 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured but enjoyed over two hours. Took 20 min to open but quickly became delicious mouth filling layers and layers of rich ripe fruit. fully integrated and beautiful expression of CA cabernet at it's best.
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2/24/2011 - TJAND wrote: 93 Points
Everything I would want in a California Cab. Balanced with all aspects playing nicely together and it got better and better as it took air. This fully filled my mouth with with deep cherries and chocolat laced with a hint of leather. The finish goes on and on. Color is magnificent. One taste and we put away the dinner plans and got out some bread with blue veined cheese and just wallowed for a while!
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10/27/2010 - Cody Short wrote: 93 Points
Great wine! Very Bordeaux like and smooth as silk. Not a huge nose and a relatively short finish but still very enjoyable. At it's prime right now and it you like a refined cab this is for you. Wish I had a few more bottles. 93 pts
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6/30/2010 - Double D wrote: 95 Points
Better than most Bdx, much the same notes as last time. Very refined, balanced but not much on the nose. Best as a standalone rather than a meal accompaniment.
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5/18/2010 - blewis1041 wrote: 94 Points
Tremendous bottle. Very French, but without the super earth. I'd say the best of both worlds. Buy it if you can get it for $100 or less.
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9/23/2009 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Mature enough now to my taste, seems like a more refined Bordeaux style rather than a Calif fruit bomb.Very nice.
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4/6/2007 - bdenuyl wrote: 94 Points
Excellent! Very deep and rich with great balance. It was younger and had more structure than I expected. Drinking well now with an hour of decanting.
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11/3/2005 - Myownscale wrote: 85 Points
Nose:
Like a good bordeaux
Palate:
Tannic, good fruits, a little too tight, didn't open well.
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8/7/2005 - Koods wrote:
Very nice and well balanced for a young cab. tasty, lots of cassis, touch of violet, tobacco and licorice. long ripe tannins balanced by vibrant acidity, i very much enjoyed this juice.
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11/8/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Another favorite. Full body. Lipsmacking fruit notes of currant and cassis. Dry finish. 92 points.
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10/29/2004 - Koods wrote: 94 Points
Very elegant, structured cab. Decanted for an hour and started singing. blackberry tobacco attack with great midpalate and long long finish. Impressive juice.
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