Decanted over cocktails. Showing beautifully with good acid balance and evenhanded dark Stag's Leap fruit, full on the palate without being overdone. Wonderful. Thanks Steve!
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This wine really reminds me of a first growth Bordeaux. Beginning to wonder if it won’t be hitting its stride for another 10 years? Opened a bottle and decanted for over 4 hours before enjoying at Ocean Prime in Naples alongside a 2007 Staglin (Staglin was sensational!). Showed flashes of brilliance at the beginning of the night but was completely closed by the end of dinner. I know this is going to be a rock star but timing is going to be critical. I will probably not open another bottle for at least 5 years. If you only have one or two bottles, put them at the back of your cellar and forget about them for awhile!
Same note as before. This wine is massively tannic and structured. Pitch black color with loads of ripe blue/black fruit, vanilla, and cassis. Needs time.
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Charleston Food & Wine Festival; 3/1/2018-3/3/2018 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): From the northern most point of Stags Leap. Soil is mostly granite. Replanted in 2005 via David Abreu and vines are still growing into themselves. It's prob the youngest tasting of the group of wines. Very tight. A drying tannin. Some freshness in there. Raspberry poking through too. I could be interested to see what it ends up being eventually although not sure it will ever quite hit the elegance level of the Spottswoode right before. Still - second favorite of tasting.
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Deepest, darkest color I’ve seen in years. Beautiful nose, and mouthcoating, but unyielding. Hope it gets better in the next hour (Decanted for 8 hours) but won’t touch another bottle for at least 2 years.
Much better at the end. Reminded me of drinking a first growth way too young. All the proper elements are there but just way too juvenile to truly appreciate it. Can sense where it’s going and can’t wait for it to get there! I will be patiently waiting with all the other bottles I still have.
If you only have a couple of bottles, put them in the back of the cellar for a minimum of 5 years and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Probably will be extraordinary in 15-20 years!
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Decanted for 3 hours. Really big and ridiculously tannic. It has all the characteristics of great Napa wine (extraction, concentration, intensity...) but needs 5 years plus.
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A bit quiet aromatically right after opening. Teriyaki, black cherry, crushed rocks. Silky and weighty texture with powdery tannins. Hangs around for a 60+ seconds. Still ridiculously young.
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This was open all day and the tannins never really calmed down. The nose is absolutely amazing, with fresh flowers, minerals and dark berry fruit exploding out of the glass. On the pallet, it is REALLY coiled up and not yet ready to show it's true colors. Seems like it has a ton of potential, but I'd treat this like a mountain wine and give it 5-10 years before revisiting. Not the Napa immediate gratification wine I've come to love, but something special down the line. Huge range here - 93-98 perhaps. Time will tell.
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Inky blue in the glass. Wonderful nose of dried flowers cassis and other dark fruits. Ripe juicy vibrant fruit bursts from the glass. Fills in nicely mid palate followed by huge dusty tannins. Had this at a restaurant so didn't have the time to properly decant this. With time in glass things started to even out but this is just a baby. Everything is there to be profound. Delicious now but not ready for prime time yet. Hide these for two to three years minimum.
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BT - Probably our favorite of the tasting. The body and structure was stunning in this wine! Dark cocoa and cassis on the nose with a ton of dark berries. Heavy tannins (8.5/10) and full bodied. Long and never ending finish. Easily last 25 to 30 years.
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2016 Bassin's California Barrel Tasting (Mandarin Oriental D.C.): My note simply says, $ no way! Don't get me wrong it's a nice wine and I did taste this late but as 1 of the 2 most expensive wines at the tasting I personally would never consider buying this and I have no idea how this will evolve. No score but fun to say I tried it.
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2/21/2024 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted over cocktails. Showing beautifully with good acid balance and evenhanded dark Stag's Leap fruit, full on the palate without being overdone. Wonderful. Thanks Steve!
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6/13/2022 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much more ready to drink now. Less than an hour of air and it was ready, given that we like our cabs big and burly.
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4/22/2022 - jst914 Likes this wine:
This wine really reminds me of a first growth Bordeaux. Beginning to wonder if it won’t be hitting its stride for another 10 years? Opened a bottle and decanted for over 4 hours before enjoying at Ocean Prime in Naples alongside a 2007 Staglin (Staglin was sensational!). Showed flashes of brilliance at the beginning of the night but was completely closed by the end of dinner. I know this is going to be a rock star but timing is going to be critical. I will probably not open another bottle for at least 5 years. If you only have one or two bottles, put them at the back of your cellar and forget about them for awhile!
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1/2/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
Same note as before. This wine is massively tannic and structured. Pitch black color with loads of ripe blue/black fruit, vanilla, and cassis. Needs time.
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3/13/2020 - Kdickson wrote:
RP 100
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11/24/2019 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young and super tight. After a few hours, started to show itself in a good way. Will sit tight on these for a few more years.
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3/3/2018 - Jackbnielsen wrote: 94 Points
Deep and rich, complex flavours. Very good, but still too expensive for what you get.
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3/2/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Charleston Food & Wine Festival; 3/1/2018-3/3/2018 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): From the northern most point of Stags Leap. Soil is mostly granite. Replanted in 2005 via David Abreu and vines are still growing into themselves. It's prob the youngest tasting of the group of wines. Very tight. A drying tannin. Some freshness in there. Raspberry poking through too. I could be interested to see what it ends up being eventually although not sure it will ever quite hit the elegance level of the Spottswoode right before. Still - second favorite of tasting.
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10/14/2017 - jst914 Likes this wine:
Deepest, darkest color I’ve seen in years. Beautiful nose, and mouthcoating, but unyielding. Hope it gets better in the next hour (Decanted for 8 hours) but won’t touch another bottle for at least 2 years.
Much better at the end. Reminded me of drinking a first growth way too young. All the proper elements are there but just way too juvenile to truly appreciate it. Can sense where it’s going and can’t wait for it to get there! I will be patiently waiting with all the other bottles I still have.
If you only have a couple of bottles, put them in the back of the cellar for a minimum of 5 years and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Probably will be extraordinary in 15-20 years!
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6/24/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Really big and ridiculously tannic. It has all the characteristics of great Napa wine (extraction, concentration, intensity...) but needs 5 years plus.
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4/18/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
A bit quiet aromatically right after opening.
Teriyaki, black cherry, crushed rocks.
Silky and weighty texture with powdery tannins.
Hangs around for a 60+ seconds.
Still ridiculously young.
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4/2/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was open all day and the tannins never really calmed down. The nose is absolutely amazing, with fresh flowers, minerals and dark berry fruit exploding out of the glass. On the pallet, it is REALLY coiled up and not yet ready to show it's true colors. Seems like it has a ton of potential, but I'd treat this like a mountain wine and give it 5-10 years before revisiting. Not the Napa immediate gratification wine I've come to love, but something special down the line. Huge range here - 93-98 perhaps. Time will tell.
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3/26/2017 - Stevenwsims Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bommarito Wine Tasting at the Ritz
Top three at the tasting
Complex fruits, bordering on mysterious.
It got 100 points, but I don't think it's there yet. Forget about this for five years
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2/16/2017 - jaylew1 wrote: 95 Points
Could be 92, could be 98. The stuffing is there. The question is the evolutionary track. We will have to see. Huge potential. Wait 1-2 years minimum.
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2/4/2017 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Inky blue in the glass. Wonderful nose of dried flowers cassis and other dark fruits. Ripe juicy vibrant fruit bursts from the glass. Fills in nicely mid palate followed by huge dusty tannins. Had this at a restaurant so didn't have the time to properly decant this. With time in glass things started to even out but this is just a baby. Everything is there to be profound. Delicious now but not ready for prime time yet. Hide these for two to three years minimum.
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5/14/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 97 Points
BT - Probably our favorite of the tasting. The body and structure was stunning in this wine! Dark cocoa and cassis on the nose with a ton of dark berries. Heavy tannins (8.5/10) and full bodied. Long and never ending finish. Easily last 25 to 30 years.
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5/14/2016 - yeti575rider wrote:
2016 Bassin's California Barrel Tasting (Mandarin Oriental D.C.): My note simply says, $ no way! Don't get me wrong it's a nice wine and I did taste this late but as 1 of the 2 most expensive wines at the tasting I personally would never consider buying this and I have no idea how this will evolve. No score but fun to say I tried it.
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