Deep purple red color. Black cherries, blackberries, black currants, licorice, and chocolate in the nose with hints of espresso and minerals. Rich concentrated fruit in the flavor,, black currants, black currants and plums. Complex, well balanced, full bodied and a long, lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Continues to drink beautifully! Nose with layers of rich blackberry and cassis fruit with spice and chocolate notes finishing with resolving tannins and lovely concentration.
Deep color. Black cherries, blackberries, licorice, and chocolate with hints of minerality in the nose. Black cherries, black currants and plums in the flavor. Nice complexity, well balanced, full bodied and a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aired for 2 hours, then a decant for an hour before sipping. Really is a rounded, soft long finish wine. No minerals, worked splendidly with Peking duck, charsui and a Canto meal. Aged very nicely and don’t think we need to wait more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice color at 18 years old. Blackberries, black currants, coffee, licorice, and hints of floral and minerality in the nose. Rich concentrated fruit in the flavor, black currants, black cherries, plums, blackberries, and chocolate. Nice complexity, well balanced, and a smooth medium to long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, dark colour. Not showing its age. Cherry and hints of tobacco on the nose. Palate is still tight, very fine tannins and some acidity. Should last a fair few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is still drinking great, youngish, powerful, packed with rich black berries, black cherry, and currant notes. Sweet tobacco notes. Surprisingly juicy on the finish (not to say that it's sharp or exactly "bright" acidity, just that it's more than you might expect from a wine this rich). Good for at least another 5 years, but probably more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought from Michel Aboobooboo 8-10 years ago when his palate changed and he decided he liked wimpy wines instead. Still a tannic monster at it approaches leaving its teen years. I used the Durand because of the age but the cork was tight, in perfect condition, and at most 1 mm of wine infusion. Decanted an hour in advance. This bottle has been sitting in the same spot, label up, for about 7 years and there was a lot of sediment stuck to the side, so decant carefully.
Color was dark and impenetrable with no sign of age. I was expecting cherry, but the fruit was notably plum. Fresh plum, not prune-ish at all. My son and I both noted a bit of madeira aroma on the nose when we poured it into the glass after the decant, but it disappeared and did not affect the palate. Seemed odd in light of the decant. The palate was dark fruit, mainly plum with a bit of dark berry. Reported to be a Bordeaux blend (I could not find a 2004 tech sheet but the 2015 is 80% Cab/17%Merlot/3% Petite Verdot), but none of either the horsiness or the leather of a Bordeaux blend of the same age. This was fruit driven without being jammy, easy to drink and velvety smooth (merlot?) despite the fierce tannin (cabernet), and a very light roasted component (the petite verdot?). There was a very light floral component to it. I would say the acidity was higher than everage, but not excessive. Finish was long and the flavor stayed in the mouth well after swallowing. I have one more and based upon the tannin, I think I'll wait 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still not sure what to make of this. No way this is at the end of its window in 2020. Still tannic as hell and hurts my mouth after half a glass. May wind up being outstanding in another 5 years, unless of course the fruit fades and it's all tannin. Obviously big boy, but something off given the window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, nicely balanced with well integrated bright vibrant ripe black cherry and black berry fruits with sprites of cherry cola, notes of vanilla, sweet oak, creme de cassis and spice with slight astringent bright acidity, moderate tangy tannins on the lingering finish.
Old world style California cab. Definitely has a lot left. Delicious. Bordeaux nose nut just a bit more brightness that lets you know it’s Cali. Thick mouthfeel, long on the swallow
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
P: Med, poss MF, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which does QUITE resolve by the balanced finish with ULT a refined, pleasant, bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins; For now (if one can deal with the brief, mid-P structure) & the ff 4 yrs or so. 14.1% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 94 pts WA (4/'14), 92 Vinous (Tanzer), and 91 ea RJonWine & WS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, plum and black cherries. Flavors of boysenberry, plum and black cherry. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I just spent half an hour just smelling it before I tasted. Huge licorice notes, cocoa, perfumey wood smoke, and loads of blackberry compote and spiced plum fruit. In the mouth, it’s still remarkably young and powerful, considering that it’s a 14-year-old cab that was predicted for early drinking by many. Nothing old or pruned about it. Long, powerful, but surprisingly balanced and pretty finish. Not quite the monster it was on release, but it’s big in perhaps even better ways. Like it better than the 2000 Chateau Pavie we had a couple nights ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, everything you could ever want in a mature Cabernet blend; silky smooth, mouth-wateringly good black currant, strawberry and cherry flavors, plus enough tannin and oak to lift this one on the finish but didn’t get in the way at all. Fantastic wine! From 1.5L and not decanted, didn’t need it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still drinking well. Fresh and vibrant with good acidity and structure. Redolent in dark berries, underbrush With sage notes. Refined and nuanced. Well done.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinks like a young Bordeaux, which is fine ... if I wanted Bordeaux. But I didn't. I wanted a big Napa red. Notes of red currents, blackberries, sweet tobacco, cedar, and spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still going strong, this bottle was in really great shape. Robust cherry-berry fruit wrapped up with moderate tannins and some oak at the finish, nice and smooth with enough edge to get your attention. Lovely!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Blackberry, Cassis, Plum, Sweet Oak, Graphite and Smoke. Some additional notes of herbs and grilled meat. Palate: Dense, but opening to show its layers of black fruit, dark raspberry, oak, grilled herbs and minerals. Finish: Studly finish that is so long and dark, but allows mineral, herb and cocoa notes to show nicely.
Similar to my tasting in 2016, but from Magnum and not quite as evolved. This is going to be a very long lived wine that has evolved nicely in 14 yrs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We love this wine, great Cabernet blend. Robust and nuanced, loaded with fruit but plenty of structure and wonderfully balanced. That said, this bottle is not quite up to the past few we have had, it was starting to show some age. Decanted two hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still youthful. No hint of red or burnt orange color; dark as when it was bottled. Full of lively fruit and only modest tannin structure. Some hints of aging notes including black tea.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The mixed reviews got to me and I had to try it for myself. This is great stuff. Still has the fruit that I want in a high quality Howell Mountain Cab blend. Loses a couple points for a slightly harsh finish (though I appear to be alone in this experience / opinion).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking very well right now. Shed much of the fruit that was present in it's youth, but balanced with some secondary flavors developing. Good time to drink, I think I would have liked it a little younger, but it's not near it's end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent California Cab, but not in line with the CT scores or my initial review in 2015. This was originally tasted with Coravin so must have waited too long...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Blackberry, Black Cherry, Kirsch, Chocolate, Eucalyptus and Clove. Dense ripe nose with volume. Palate: Enters with a big burst of cherry, raspberry, berry pie and bursts of acidity. There is a balance of fruit and acid that is almost starting here which make the fruit sj How very pure. Finish: penetrating raspberry, chocolate spice and chwrry skin.
Opened to honor DryCab tonight. Brad posted some glowing reviews of this that inspired me to put a bunch in my cellar. This was the last bottle. RIP.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my notes from three years ago, and doesn't seem to have changed a bit. Good initial flavor, but by the time I drank a glass my mouth was exhausted. And this included an hour of full decanting before drinking, and drinking 2/3 of the bottle over 3 hours, last third next night (under pump). Obviously serious, well made stuff, but either needs another five years or just not balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice ripe intense dark mixed berry flavors with real depth and a black mineral component. Concentrated and smooth in a succulent style. In a good place and ready to drink, but good life left. A well made fruit forward Cali cab. Quite solid.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took this bottle to dinner, as I thought based on the notes, it would be a good candidate for pop-and-pour. It wasn't. Oak dominated the first hour as this was not integrated at all. About one hour after opening, fruit entered the picture, and about 90 minutes in, on our last glass, the fruit pulled even with the oak. On the nose, perfume, black fruit, vanilla. Big and jammy, old-school Pride Mountain-style wine (which his why I bought this back in the day). Plenty of life here. The bottle I had would have improved another five years, at least, with another 15 years of good drinkability ahead of it. If I had the opportunity to decant this for a couple of hours before drinking, it would probably be a 93-94.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted at BB's in Jacksonville. Turns out that Robert Foley is from Ponte Vedra. Locals sitting next to our table were really excited and impressed of our bottle. Anyway, this bottle was slightly better than the first. More cigar box, slightly more meat, and much more black fruits especially after the first hour of decanting. Really wonderful wine with food. Such balanced wine, good QPR. I believe this wine is at its best. Enjoy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little underwhelming for me. I recently had a 2003 Foley Claret that really knocked my socks off. It's good, but lacking depth. I was hoping for more of that glorious fruit and richness. Oh well, moving on to a 2008 Realm To Kalon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
94+ PnP, wasn't sure what to expect as the last bottle openend seemed to be on its decline, but judging from this bottle - it was just flawed. This was fabulous, from start to finish. Just as I like them, this was mostly black fruit, oak was completely integrated, with hint of vanilla, and flavors of lavender, plum, and coffee along with having a touch of pepper. Never know this was an 11 year old Cali Cab by the color - deep purple. Bouquet was stunning, smelled of mountain fruit. Had a nice mid palate and a great finish! Had 1/4 bottle of left for next day, and with just the cork popped in, it drank even more beautifully the next day, just more.. of everything!! Think it crossed over to a 95 pts on day two! So glad I still have 4 more!! If you have them, they are ready to go- only will need a short decant to be open, but a treat if you can can give it some time! Think this easily still has another 5 years !! YUM!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still big and brambly with primary blackberry flavors but this has really come into its own and is drinking quite nicely though with still a few good years ahead of it. Would still decant an hour or two before drinking this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of ripe, black cherry fruit, touch of pepper and barnyard, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, mocha coffee on the mid palate, medium body, very rich tasting with a touch of heat, and a long, long finish. On the downhill side.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful bouquet of rich, dark, sweet fruit with a nice balance of menthol, coffee, vanilla and alcohol. The real excitement takes place on the pallet. The mouthfeel is round and thick; mouth is coated by chewy dusty tannins. Notes of dried herbs, wintergreen, bright red fruit and chocolate. 30 second finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of plum, fig, touch of pepper and barnyard, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, aged cabernet sauvignon taste, hint of Peet's Mocha Java on the mid palate, medium body, tasty and rich, long, long finish. Drink up as it's not getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of currants, plum, fig, and black pepper showing its age and cabernet breeding, more of the same on the palate, hint of mocha, medium body, delicious and almost elegant, long, long finish. Best to enjoy now at it's peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful food wine. Perfect cork, wine only penetrated 1/8" of the cork. Nose was muted upon opening. Fruit remained restraint even when the wine was decanted throughout the 2.5 hour 7-course dinner. Tannins were smooth and integrated. Good amount of acid is present but not over the top which went great even with the lighter tasting foods.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet color, flavors of Black Current, Blackberry and a hint of Raisin. Had hints of some meat, cocoa tobacco and a little white pepper. Seemed just a little bit disjointed and a little over oaked to fruit, dont know if it was just an off bottle ... and IMHO think its in its drinking window and will not improve much more with age, but think easily has another 5+ years. So Glad I have a few more to try again in few months, gorgeous wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful creme de cassis, vanilla, mission fig, black cherry, cocoa powder, with well integrated silky tannins. The finish was long and balanced. Absolutely delightful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
So good! Incredible nose, dark purple, nice concentration with tons of fruit but restrained and not at all over the top. Tannins are well integrated and slightly drying with a very long finish. Exceptional Napa cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What fun, revisiting my note from 3 years ago on this wine where I was less than impressed, this time I called it a Montelena Estate double blind. Anise, licorice, cocoa, mineral, intense currant, very serious stuff. It's young and there's a whiff of EtOH but the concentration and balance make up for it. Great stuff, and far better than I recall.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark in color. Dark chocolate, blue berries, currant and tar and dark coffee (ristretto) notes. Lots of power and multi-layered yet very smooth and long. At the moment still a bit dominated by hard tannins. At the moment at 92-93pts., but one can see the giant waiting to be awaked so I rate the wine with its potential rating of 95-96pts which it will hit in around 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple blue color. Amazing bouquet of Lilacs and cherries and hint of pepper. Full bodied with endless balanced cassis and black fruit wrapped in ripe tannins. Long length and incredibly pleasant finish. Kudos!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and Poured. Still exhibits typical Bob Foley characteristics. Full bodied and smooth with with lots of extracted fruit.Notes of chocolate and tobacco. Long finish with smooth tannins. Obviously very good but again i found myself enjoying this bottle a little less than previous ones. Maybe i am moving away from this style a little. Still in prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop/pour. On the nose dark fruits, smoky oak and licorice. On the palate, rich body with enough acid to lift it up. Oak provides notes of tar and vanilla. There's also a hint of menthol that creeps in on the background. Finish is extremely long and lingering.
The longer this sits in the glass, some light but manageable tannins show on the finish. The acidity becomes a bit more pronounced. Maybe a bit too much so for now. Was going to rate 95 points but dropping a point for now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is drinking well and IMHO eclipsed an '04 Ducru-Beaucaillou drank with the same meal. Loads of aromatics and fruit. Balance and complexity. Still a touch of tannin. Yummy
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is coming into its own. Still showed big and powerful on the first day with characteristic chocolate, blackberry and a touch of anise. The heat dissipated by day 2 showing that this wine still has a ways to go. Drink now or later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours and rebottled. Consistent with previous TN from 2010 although not quite as good as back then. Still shows lots of ripe dark fruit on the nose along with not. Full bodied and well balanced with a smooth texture. Lots of blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry fruit with notes of dark chocolate and tobacco. Long finish with integrated tannins. I would say this wine is still in it's prime drinking window right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is controversial scoring. First impression is mind-blowing. Black as night pour, huge nose and great flavors indicate great potential. But I agree with an earlier comment that after a glass and a half, my mouth was exhausted. Second glass I couldn't taste anything. This is obviously a wine that stands out in a tasting among a dozen competitors each taking a sip or two, but if you're actually drinking a bottle, this needs time. 92 points today, maybe more in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted side by side with 2005. 2004 was amazing. Balanced. Perfect amount of fruit. Zero tannins. One of my favorite bottles in a long time. Not sure it could get much better. Started off with a hint of raisin but was amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum: Drinkin well. Plums, blackberries and dark chocolate. The tannins are starting to resolve but this still shows a lot of youth. It was a big hit at the dinner last night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind. Big nose with chocolate, vegetables, smoke. The palate is lush with ripe cherries, blueberries and some wood. Ripe, smooth finish. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sometimes you want a slutty wine to go with a gorgeous N Y strip steak. Well, this is the one. A big wine, but beautifully balanced with bright fruits, violets and soft tannins. A finish that lingers. I couldn't believe how easily we finished the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfectly integrated with red fruit dominant. No rough edges anywhere. Lovely Bdx-like. We easily finished this at lunch. Not sure of the ABV, but we were not buzzed, so it must have been reasonable. Drank at Arte Cafe on the patio.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Deep black currant, blueberries, tar, raspberries and a touch of pencil. Palate: Dark black cherries, blackberries and cassis. Silky on the palate with a nice touch of cedary oak and graphite notes. Finish: Dark and penetrating with blackberry, raspberry and cassis. Notes of oak and dusty earth.
This is an excellent wine. Very well balanced and showing gorgeous fruit. This has integrated nicely, but has years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich and sumptuous, cassis and cherry, amazingly creamy with a great mouthfeel; only detraction is that it is perhaps a bit hot and heavy with alcohol on the finish. I think the 2002 claret is better, at least right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sweet smoke and espresso with red fruit. Soft tannins. Finish is dominated by sweet red cherry and minty herbs. Reminiscent of red cherry licorice. Drinking very well right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Simply divine wine. Foley's mark is all over this wine. Luscious and elegant and full of fresh red and black fruit. A little tar and cedar box mid palate but a long and persistant finish. Smooth and rounded tannins and this will only get better over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar to other recent notes, drinking spectacularly right now with plenty of tread left on the tires - this is a decadent wine that envelops you in the most positive ways.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Almost backward still - stiff acidity, firm tannins, notable heat would be too much if not for the prodigious, focused fruit. Cassis, candied plum, creamy vanilla, a touch of smoke. Moderately long finish. No one found at the table found it drinkable with food, though interesting to sip. I'll wait at least three more years before opening the next bottle. 91, with potential to improve. I should add, not half as ready or nearly as delicious as the 2003 Claret I had couple months ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smoky oak, blackberry compote, EtOH, iodine nose. Intense, hot palate that is dense, jammy and finishes with a lot of charcoaled oak. Moderately sweet and garish, chocolate ganache, espresso blueberry comes to dominate the vanilla oak, somewhat tamed by food but pretty outrageous wine. Not sure if I like this, but I will say it has good complexity and surprising acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, soapstone, white pepper and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of currants, plums, berries and a bit of cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Comparable to the 2004 Sloan Asterisk, but better. Decanted for a couple of hours and consumed over two days. Black licorice, deep dark fruit, well balanced without a lot of heat. Enough tannin to cellar for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drunk at a BYOB with a SQN Raven Grenache, and preferred to that wine by the three of us. Decanted for 20 minutes, it was a typical Foley monster wine, yet perfectly balanced. Finish lasted about a minute. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have found that expectations can kill a wine. If you are expecting a GREAT wine then you are rarely blown away. The last bottle of 2004 was excellent, and this bottle of 2004 was just as good. A perfect, traditional, full bodied Cali Cab. Well rounded and silky smooth with a long lasting finish. A great QPR at under $100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not as impressive as other Foley Clarets, the '04 was nevertheless excellent, but when you're used to having your socks blown off with 95+ juice, this wasn't quite as fantastic as I had anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not as mindblowing as my previous experience with this wine, but not much is. Blackberry, brambles, smoky cocoa, currant, and spicebox on the nose. The flavors in the mouth have integrated nicely in 4 years, and it's still loaded with black fruit, chocolate, and espresso, and finishes with toasty oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had along with 2003 Hillside select this slightly edged out the Shafer. I think this is hitting its prime right now, don't see where improvement can come with more time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big dark fruit with cocoa, tar and great length. Needed to be decanted for a couple of hours as was very tight when opened but came into its own after about two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Seaquam's (Vancouver, BC): Dark, almost black in the glass. Huge nose on this, black fruit, blueberry jam, vanilla bean, and strawberry coming through on the nose, with a touch of heat. Dense, inky on the palette, showing tobacco, blueberry, dark fruits, and some coffee bean on the long finish. Big, fruit forward, in your face wine. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a very nice bottle of Foley. The chocolate notes that dominated this wine in its youth have receded, the dark fruits are up front and there is just enough acid to make this interesting. Big and bombastic in its youth, it has settled down in to a not-so-big but very delicious wine. Definitely dominated by the fruit but the tannins give it some punch as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruit and tannins in harmony. Black cherry, plum, blueberry, chocolate, all in lovely proportions but not over the top. Restrained elegance. Decanted for two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slightly funky on the nose, with minty, spicy notes joining ripe fruit on the nose. In the mouth, powerful and concentrated, with ripe black fruit and spice. A plush mouth feel that needs a bit more integration to keep the tannins, oak, and acidity in better balance. Solid raw material that needs further time to age and mellow. B+/A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours. Huge nose of superripe black fruit,creosote and tobacco. Thick, unctious texture in the mouth with lots of ripe blackberry, bramble and blueberry with notes of dark chocolate and cedar. Great intensity which persists right through the long finish. I found the tannins to be quite smooth indicating this may be nearing its peak although i imagine it will drink at this level for some time. Definitely typical Foley and a great wine if you like this big, bold style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A really good wine! Big and juicy but not overly so. Dark fruits, dark chocolate and spices make for a really interesting experience. I have several more bottles and look forward to them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is huge! Highly extracted black fruit, dark chocolate, tar and bramble with massive furry tannins and the finish carried on for almost 2 minutes. This wine was decanted 3 hours prior to consumption and I think it could have benefited with 6-8 hours of air. This wine is still quite youthful and clearly has great potential for smoothing the structure with additional bottle aging. Loved this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Massive wine with great structure and fabulous dark fruit with blueberry, blackberry and currant. There was some vanilla but more mocha and layers of fruit with a tremendous finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really nice. Sweet but not over the top fruit. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry and vanilla. Slightly lacking in acidity but other than that it was well balanced. Typical Foley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Went to dinner at Celistino's with my wife, Jamie and Silvia. Jaime was the typical 20 min late so the wine had a chance to open up. Ha... Anyways, full bodied wine with moderate tannins. Very dark in color with about a 20 second finish. All liked the wine but not sure it's worth the $110 price tag. I think the Stewart for quarter the price is just as good. Food was excellent as well even though everyone ordered the same penne with vodka dish except me. Great night. Oh, too stuffed for a cigar!!! Ha.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big and extracted fruit, plenty of oak and tannins. Drank beautifully with a short rib and needed the meat to balance this still very young Claret. A very enjoyable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking beautifully right now. Deep plum color. Heavily perfumed nose with chocolate and graphite, likewise very chocolaty on the palate. We decanted for about three hours and it made a big difference. A very big, full, well-rounded wine without being flabby.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Back in 2007 I thought this wine was fantastic and scored it 94. This time, I did not like it nearly as well. While still showing the same bright fruit, cassis, and chocolate, there was an element of bitterness that was offputting. The tannins were awkward. Bad bottle? I don't think so. I think this wine is is a dumb phase right now. Hold for 2-3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blueberry, boysenberry, and blackberry jam on the nose. Smoke, tobacco, cedar box and strong tannins dominate the palate. This wine makes you stand up and take notice. A little chocolate and espresso bean on the finish. Heavily extracted, but beautifully held together. This is no casual wine. Certainly is not for everyone, and not what I want every night, but a wonderful expression of the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First Growths, etc @ Howard's (Old Greenwich, CT): Very ripe, with blackberry, oak, vanilla and sweet cherry. Up-front and forward, perhaps a bit lacking in structure. While I can appreciate the quality of the fruit, this is just not too my personal tastes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a typical Bob Foley wine. A ripe Cali Cab lover's dream. Intense, extracted, incredibly flavorful, layered and deliciously tannic, this is a hedonist's dream come true. Not as jammy as the 2001 Pride Vintner's Merlot. If you like the style, there are not many better wines than this one.
Típico vino de Bob Foley. Un sueño para los amantes de los Cabernet Californianos. Intenso, con gran extracción, capas y capas de sabor y una tanicidad deliciosa. No tan confitado como el 2001 Pride Vintner's Merlot , pero en ese mismo estilo general. Un vino para hedonistas sin remordimientos. Si le gusta el estilo, no hay muchos vinos mejores que éste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best of wonderful tasting tonight. Intense caramel and burnt leather. The bottle just blossomed after an hour. The nose was as intense as I've seen and the finish complex and long lasting. Very intense structure....this will last another 10-15 years easy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Wines in Colorado (Fort Collins): (Double Blind): I actively disliked this wine. In fact, calling it "wine" is a stretch. It tasted more like concentrated grape juice, pure alcohol and oak all mixed together in a lab. Disjointed, over the top, out of balance, garish and extreme, this is Mondovino monster. I was surprised that some really liked it (these were the same folks that complained of some herbaceousness in the Pipeau 2003! I suggested that they drink alcoholic grape soda to save money... and face). But different strokes and all that. Didn't bother to rate it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark as night in color. Compact nose. Much lighter on the palate than the color indicates. Smooth drinking with great balance. Nice fruit. Everything in the right place.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow-oxed for about 5 hours before tasting. Rich explosive notes of blackberries, cassis, dark cherries, and molten chocolate. Initially quite overpowering, this wine came into perfect balance and really started to strut its stuff after being open about 8 hours. Fine-grained tannins and a polished finish completes this luxuriously indulgent wine. 93-94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great wine. Decanted in am, and was superb out of the bottle. Was unsure of how much air, so I tasted against some with Vinturi Aerator, which stripped the wine of its decadent bouquet, and concentrated flavors. So I rebottled. Opulent cocoa dark berry flavors, fine tannins. Residue on decanting was beautiful fine purple hue.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vanilla mocha on the nose, slight trace of heat initially but was not noticable on the nose after 2 hours. Entry was sweet black fruit and dark baking spice, not terribly complex, turned grapey and plummy (pardon the inane descriptors) on the mid with telltale Foley casis. Finish was mocha grape with sweet tannins. Good wine, but a poor qpr imo
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hedonistic, highly enjoyable wine. Dark fruit, sweet chocolate, espresso and vanilla. Not the most complex wine but who cares -- it's delicious just as it is! Served to a group of non wine drinkers. Not a single person disliked this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice. Opened and let stand for 30 minutes, then consumed over 2 hours. Explosive nose and fruit forward. Raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, toasted oak are main parts. Drinking great now, with a long finish, but expect improvement over time. However, if concentration of fruit and richness is what you like, there is no better time to consume this. Interestingly, the 95 Pichon was a bigger hit at this dinner party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open (but not decanted) for 12 hours ... rich nose of blackberry/cassis. Firm but not overpowering tannins, taste is full of dark blackberry, some leather/dusty flavors, finishing with a kickback of fruit and chocolate/coffee
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Diodn't have a carafe, so popped the cork and let it sit for 45 minutesbut it didn't do it justice. It got better and better in the glass but decanting it would have gotten there sooner and more uniformly. Still a great wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
04 Napa Cabs, plus a few more - Schrader, Merus, Foley, LLC: Maybe this was somewhat of an off bottle, since I've read some great reviews on the wine, or maybe just in an awkward stage. Decanted about an hour and a half. The oak just seemed to dominate the fruit in this wine, rendering it somewhat disjointed. I remembered an exotic mouthfeel the last time I tasted this back in October 07, which didn't show tonight. Hopefully just in a strange place and will someday revert to what I remembered as a great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Currant, Raspberry, Tobacco, Toasty Oak Taste: Gorgeous mix of black fruit, tobacco and pencil lead; Silky mouthfeel; A big wine yet very elegant; Superb length on the finish, balanced. This is drinking beautifully right now. Only minor criticism is slightly aggressive oak treatment. An amazing bottle of vino.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent wine. Tasted head to head with the 2004 Quilceda Creek. Had a fantastic cabernet core, but was a simpler wine than the QC, especially on the nose and finish. Still very well made and would purchase in the future (this was my only one).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine blew away the 02 Dominus and incredibly the 03 Quilceda. It was unamimous among a group of 5. Perhaps the QC was a weak bottle (but it was not corked). Excellent dark fruit and integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not nearly the concentration I would expect, hotter than I would like as the fruit isn't carrying the alcohol. Much more like the 2003 than I would like. Flavors of vanilla and chocolate shake with some coffee and tannins, which is normal, but without the intense fruit to carry them. Let them rest and hopefully they will become something else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Extremely concentrated. Has a brown sugar quality to it that you get in some old vintage ports. I can even feel some fine grained sugary texture to this. Nose is carmelized brown sugar and dark fruits. A little thickly jammy at times but saved by a great sense of elegance and balance that offsets the sweet jammy side.
This is a little sweet for me but admirable. It takes it to the edge and will really shine and evolve with lots of age behind it. I like the 2004 O'Shaughnessey better. This is a bit much for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hours and 45 minutes. Could have been longer. Consistent with previous note (2/27/07). This wine is great and is still young. It has much upside potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good new age claret -- just jumped out of the glass from the moment we tried it, but after an hour or so it really started to shine. Very rich, fruit forward wine, but with ample balance to keep it from drifting into the "overwhelming fruit bomb" category.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): Huge nose of deep, jammy, dark fruits, licorice and cassis. Mouthstaining with tremendous depth and intensity. It continued to evolve and got better, but was accessible from the first glass after a 30 minute decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for over two hours. Intoxicating nose of cedar, berry and leather. Paired with prime rib eyes grilled perfectly by GF. This wine coats every inch of the palate. More complex than I would've expected from a big Napa Cab. Everything is in balance here. Finishes very long. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Seems to have closed up for now, however the wine was opened and decanted last night but not consumed until tonight. I can't begin to assess this as a normal situation for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this was a great bottle, I don't usually consume the $100+ price point but it was a new years eve gift, so take my note as is, overall it was excellent but probably above my palate's ability to fully appreciate: Nose: blackberries, licorice and a lot more, Flavors: full bodied, smooth throughout, sweet cherry and plum on the front, balanced with a vanilla licorice feel on the mid palate, finish has a wonderful cholocate texture, this one will evolve nicely over time, probably a bit early to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was fabulous. Still a bit early. We decated it 3 hours which seemed about right. Robert Foley is very gifted and we were on the receiving end. I will hold the other bottle for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
had at picasso's at bellagio. big bold claret: impressive. decanted for about 2 hrs but i think it need more time. beat out 97 beringer private reserve but i think this wine needs a few more yrs. won't open another for for 2-3 yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big sweet fruit and chocolatey goodness. Nice balance. I wonder if this will improve with age; I'm leaning towards no - just drink up over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2004 Foley Claret is several notches above the 03 that I had the other day but that's to be expected considering the vintages. While I thought the 03 verged on imbalance and over-extraction, the 04 deftly achieves the same power while adding layers of complexity. Darker than the previous vintage, it adds creme de cassis, pine box, and chocolate covered caramels to an arsenal of bright fruit, all framed by smooth sweet tannins. Where the 03 could be interpreted as a bit flabby, the tannins and acidity keeps this one floating on the palate. This wine will continue improving for at least the next 5 years and provide years of enjoyable drinking. 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thanksgiving dinner, 2004 Robert Foley Claret, 2001 D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, 2003 Lewis Cabernet. The Lewis was the most popular and drinking the best tonight. The Foley took about 4-5 hrs to open up. The Foley had very concentrated fruit and big tannins. It reminded me of a more concentrated young Lewis Cab without the smokey oak. This is a great Cabernet but is still young. should wait at least a year followed by alot of decanting before trying another one. 94-95pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine needs some serious decanting. The initial pour was syrupy thick of mocha, caramel, vanilla, and licorice. After 2 hours, it was still unbelievably chewy and rich with glycerin and sweet tannins. I love a huge claret, but I won't open my other bottles for at least 3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I figured I'd pop a nice bottle for my first father's day to accompany a terrific pan seared filet mignon.
TN: Decanted 3 hrs and drank over the next 4. Dark purple in the glass. I know is not going to come off my teeth and lips despite vigorous brushing. This is always fun to explain at work. Anyhow, the nose isn't quite as big as I'd expect displaying mocha, cassis, licorice, and toasty oak. The palate is not for the faint of heart. This highly extracted wine explodes in the mouth with cherries, dark fruits, anise, a bit of chocolate, and prominent tannins while hiding the 14.1% etoh. The tannic finish lasts 45+ seconds. This was probably drank a bit young, but a pleasure none the less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened this up, dbl-decanted, and saved for the following day. The WOTN, this didn't last long. Extraordinary depth of fruit. Drinking well now, the extra day served to round it out nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 2 hr’s. Rich, almost oily nose of plums, blackberry and cassis with some light mineral notes and oak spice that delivers on the power-laden and mouth coating palate along with lightly toasted chocolate. Silky fine and prominent tannins have good structure along with light acidity, this picks up some anise spice on the long, full and slightly tannic finish. Currently, this needs about 3 hr’s in a decanter to open up and hit its prime. This bottle was throwing fairly significant sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted 4 hours...black currant and lead pencil on the nose...signature foley viscosity in the mouth...very tannic on the palate, chalk it up to youth...light on its feet with a very long finish...these wines blow away pride reserves imho...can't believe they are readily available from the winery...94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was ridiculous! Awesome sweet fruit, well integrated oak for such a young wine! I would leave notes but I'm still trying to enjoy that long smooth finish! This bottle is what wet dreams are made of!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Staggering nose loaded with black fruit and creme de cassis, espresso grounds and lots of chocolate. Even after being given fair warning of the wine's power, the palate is still stunning in its power and density. Lavish fruit, chocolate, and delicate caramel notes, with plenty of structure. Long, full finish, with smoky notes over the fruit. It's probably the best California cabernet I've had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I've had and reported on this lovely wine several times, so I'll be brief. This was a below average showing for this bottle on this night. Still deliciously Foley, dark fruits, gestures toward a chocolateness, structured and proportioned but not grippy. Long strong smooth finish. Lacked the palate impact, flashiness and complexity of previous bottles. Why can't they all be stunning? Still a very nice wine, but not at the high reference point I have for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was like liquid heaven...from first sip to next. Amazing softness and subtlety. Decanted 3 hours before drinking and the heavenly juice just flowed. Complex combination of deliciousness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Phenomenal! I had it with braised beef and it was above and beyond the other well regarded wines I drank at the meal. It was decanted for a bit at the restaurant. Very well balanced with hints of sweet chocolate flavors. I'm definitely putting it on my shopping list.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Probably drank too early and didn't give enough time in the decanter (1.5 hours?). Also had some palate fatigue by the time this was served. Lots of structure, tannins, chocolate and coffee notes. A complex wine which I'll revisit after several years under the proper conditions. Just had to try one early.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing when something actually lives up to the hype. Great dark berry nose with supple mouth feel. Bitter chocolate on the long velvety finish. Has the rich ripe fruit style without taking it over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served with Bryan's strip cuts a la JW. What a great showing....best yet. This absolutely needs 3 hours in a decanter to show its' best. Anything less and you are cheating yourself. Got better in the glass as well. There is a deep espresso oak element which mitigates with a lot of air. Rich, deep and complex. This has more intensity than anything else. Dark mocha, blackberry, cassis and graphite are the key flavors. Great structure...at times flashing a little tannic edge, but generally buried under massive fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my second bottle (same notes as before/ maybe a little less) and I keep on thinking "why should I age this wine? could it get any better" I don't think so!!! I can truly say I got my money's worth. ---short and to point---
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose was alive when we opened, but after two hours of decanting it was very muted. Wonderful flavors hiding behind the tannins. Right now I can't see this beeing better than the 2003 Claret. But maybe in time?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two and a half hours, drank over the next hour and a half. On the nose, tons of blackberry, some blueberry, oak, and mocha. On the palate, full-bodied and low acid, with the fruit following the nose with the addition of some cherries, vanilla and mocha carrying through the mid-palate, and some chocolate and oak spice appearing on the long, tannic finish. I knew this would be too young before I opened it, but wanted to see how it was drinking. I will hold additional bottles for a few years before trying again. While it is hard for me to call a low acid wine like this "balanced" it is elegant and even a bit slutty without being overdone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours then an additional hour after poured in the glass. Exceptional wine even though young at the current time. Terrific nose of dark berry, vanilla and slight licorice. On the tongue some dark cherry was evident in addition to the blackberry and blueberry already noted. Tannins were firm and fairly balanced for it's age. Magnificent finish that never ended. I thought about this one all weekend! WOW! This will likely get better with a few years but I enjoyed the heck out of it right now (Everyone at the table loved it)! Exceptional!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Simply phenomenal. Deep, dark chocolate covered berries leapt from the decanter, although the nose shut down after about an hour. After 2+ hours the nose returned and the tannins had slid to the background of some really exciting sweet fruit. The chocolate and toast on the nose retreated to the palate and was replaced by lead and flowers, all the while showing magnificent dark fruit. It shifts seamlessly from the glass to the mouth. The palate is still an inch wide and a mile deep at this point, but you can't help being bowled over by it. It was substantial in the mouth without being heavy, showing waves of velvety dark fruit mingling with smoky mocha. The finish is as persistent as can be. It could have a bit more underlying acidity, that's true. It also was a bit of an attention seeker, somewhat overshadowing some quality meat. Still, a beautiiful, seamless wine that scores huge on the pleasure meter and will for many years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stolen by Airtran or TSA personnel on return flightfrom BWI to Fort Lauderdale, along with 3 99 Masseto's. Masseto, I have had, but I have never exerienced a Robert Foley Claret, or for that matter a Pride Claret. I regret not being among the fortunate few who have. From the CT comments it is truly a great wine. If anyone is in a position to do so, would you please inform the powers that be, at either AirTram or the TSA of the larceny of their personnel!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Strong showing for a wine that is still to young to fully enjoy. All the dark fruit flavors you would expect but has some complexity that's not completely showing up yet. Tannins are significant but are also rather soft. I'll wait a couple of years before I try the next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted wine for @2hours, nose opens with soft fruit, blackberrys, bing cherry,cassis, mineral and on the palate this wine is not overly ripe or viscus but practically perfect with notes of cocoa, wood and florals with a nice finish (wife gave it 100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! The tannins are so big in this it's hard to tell. But I picked up a lot fruit hiding behind the tannins. Give this a couple years and it should be fantastic. Another great Foley effort.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initial notes of black pepper and a very tight & closed palette. It took an hour for this to start to open up and wow, did it ever. Rich dark red cherry with some subtle chocolate opening up. Full tannins on the palette, but drinking very well. Overall NR, due to a very subtle hint of TCA. The fruit managed to come through, but overall I think the bottle is flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very nice showing for this wine. It needed about 2 hours of air to fully express itself. Great depth and dark fruit combination. Blackberry, cassis and graphite lead the way. The espresso notes mitigate with air time but provide a nice backdrop. Solid structure. A great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is pretty good. Out of the gate it is more "watery" than a "typical" CA cab (compared to the rather thick ones that I typically drink) and reserved on the fruit but does seem to thicken up and put forth a bit more fruitiness after an hour or so . It didn't need a long time to open up to be enjoyable-- I thought it tasted fine right out of the gate, but if you have the time you might want to give it an hour or so if you want to bypass the "stingy" phase. It has a nice cherry and/or blackberry nose with shades of pencil lead and a refined complex berry taste with a noticeable cocoa/espresso slightly bitter taste (which mellowed after an hour or so) to it which may bother some but was fine with me. Good but not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Out of the gate an expressive nose of sweet black fruits, smoke and vanillin. After one hour in the decanter the nose has started to clamp up. On the palate, laser focused and pure blackberry fruit made complex with cocoa, cedar and minerals. Fruits are forward, luscious and mouthcoating --- held in balance with young-but-not-assertive tannin. Excellent weight across the mid-palate. Finish got fuller and longer over the course of the next hour. Very, very nice and accessible however I imagine this is awfully young and underdeveloped.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color. At opening a sweet cherry aroma that disappeared in about ten minutes and faded to the background. Lots of graphite and dark berries on the nose. Some overt woody aromas as well. The first hour or 2 shows lead pencil, blackberry and cassis but closes with intense oaky espresso. The espresso and almost charry note is a bit overwhelming to me. This settles down and with about 2 hours of air, presents a beautiful melange of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, lead pencil, light smoke. At about 4 hours of air, the espresso intensity is back and frankly overwhelming my palate. Medium level of tannic grip and nice layered depth to the mouthfeel and finish. Feels like a barrel sample. I like them young, but even I must say this needs some time to integrate. This reminded me of 02 Araujo and 01 Shafer HSS in some odd combination.....can't really back that up but it was my emotional reaction, FWIW. I am giving this credit for the peak experienmce I had between 2-4 hours of air. This is darker, more layered and nuanced than the 03 and I think a better wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/8/2024 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple red color. Black cherries, blackberries, black currants, licorice, and chocolate in the nose with hints of espresso and minerals. Rich concentrated fruit in the flavor,, black currants, black currants and plums. Complex, well balanced, full bodied and a long, lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2024 - PGwineloversf wrote: 93 Points
Still remarkably drinkable out of the bottle. It opened up considerably in the glass. Was it possibly better a couple of years ago? Maybe.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2024 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Continues to drink beautifully! Nose with layers of rich blackberry and cassis fruit with spice and chocolate notes finishing with resolving tannins and lovely concentration.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/25/2023 - jusdavi wrote: 93 Points
good amount of sediment, rounded out and still some fruit. drink up as on the way down
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep color. Black cherries, blackberries, licorice, and chocolate with hints of minerality in the nose. Black cherries, black currants and plums in the flavor. Nice complexity, well balanced, full bodied and a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2023 - Kavine wrote: 94 Points
Aired for 2 hours, then a decant for an hour before sipping. Really is a rounded, soft long finish wine. No minerals, worked splendidly with Peking duck, charsui and a Canto meal. Aged very nicely and don’t think we need to wait more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2023 - Winiac wrote: 94 Points
Thick, ripe and chocolaty, yet has adequate acidity and well preserved structure. Focused flavors and long length. Delicious finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice color at 18 years old. Blackberries, black currants, coffee, licorice, and hints of floral and minerality in the nose. Rich concentrated fruit in the flavor, black currants, black cherries, plums, blackberries, and chocolate. Nice complexity, well balanced, and a smooth medium to long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2022 - Wrighty wrote: 91 Points
Deep, dark colour. Not showing its age. Cherry and hints of tobacco on the nose. Palate is still tight, very fine tannins and some acidity. Should last a fair few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2021 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
This is still drinking great, youngish, powerful, packed with rich black berries, black cherry, and currant notes. Sweet tobacco notes. Surprisingly juicy on the finish (not to say that it's sharp or exactly "bright" acidity, just that it's more than you might expect from a wine this rich). Good for at least another 5 years, but probably more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2021 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought from Michel Aboobooboo 8-10 years ago when his palate changed and he decided he liked wimpy wines instead. Still a tannic monster at it approaches leaving its teen years. I used the Durand because of the age but the cork was tight, in perfect condition, and at most 1 mm of wine infusion. Decanted an hour in advance. This bottle has been sitting in the same spot, label up, for about 7 years and there was a lot of sediment stuck to the side, so decant carefully.
Color was dark and impenetrable with no sign of age. I was expecting cherry, but the fruit was notably plum. Fresh plum, not prune-ish at all. My son and I both noted a bit of madeira aroma on the nose when we poured it into the glass after the decant, but it disappeared and did not affect the palate. Seemed odd in light of the decant. The palate was dark fruit, mainly plum with a bit of dark berry. Reported to be a Bordeaux blend (I could not find a 2004 tech sheet but the 2015 is 80% Cab/17%Merlot/3% Petite Verdot), but none of either the horsiness or the leather of a Bordeaux blend of the same age. This was fruit driven without being jammy, easy to drink and velvety smooth (merlot?) despite the fierce tannin (cabernet), and a very light roasted component (the petite verdot?). There was a very light floral component to it. I would say the acidity was higher than everage, but not excessive. Finish was long and the flavor stayed in the mouth well after swallowing. I have one more and based upon the tannin, I think I'll wait 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2020 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Still not sure what to make of this. No way this is at the end of its window in 2020. Still tannic as hell and hurts my mouth after half a glass. May wind up being outstanding in another 5 years, unless of course the fruit fades and it's all tannin. Obviously big boy, but something off given the window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, nicely balanced with well integrated bright vibrant ripe black cherry and black berry fruits with sprites of cherry cola, notes of vanilla, sweet oak, creme de cassis and spice with slight astringent bright acidity, moderate tangy tannins on the lingering finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/11/birthyear-vintage-wine-for-family.html
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2020 - Big Dog E wrote: 94 Points
Old world style California cab. Definitely has a lot left. Delicious. Bordeaux nose nut just a bit more brightness that lets you know it’s Cali. Thick mouthfeel, long on the swallow
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2019 - travelme Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wineismylife nailed the notes although we differed a bit on the score. Great bottle and I hope to finish my last bottle by years end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#03 for me): "New World" Theme (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Supposedly 95% C.S. & 5% Merlot, typically from mtn vyds
N: Smoky berries with notes of choc
P: Med, poss MF, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which does QUITE resolve by the balanced finish with ULT a refined, pleasant, bitter/swtness to the dusty tannins; For now (if one can deal with the brief, mid-P structure) & the ff 4 yrs or so. 14.1% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 94 pts WA (4/'14), 92 Vinous (Tanzer), and 91 ea RJonWine & WS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of tobacco, plum and black cherries. Flavors of boysenberry, plum and black cherry. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2019 - Acohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big rich with lots of plum, dark fruit and some cocoa notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2019 - pgm Likes this wine: 96 Points
I just spent half an hour just smelling it before I tasted. Huge licorice notes, cocoa, perfumey wood smoke, and loads of blackberry compote and spiced plum fruit. In the mouth, it’s still remarkably young and powerful, considering that it’s a 14-year-old cab that was predicted for early drinking by many. Nothing old or pruned about it. Long, powerful, but surprisingly balanced and pretty finish. Not quite the monster it was on release, but it’s big in perhaps even better ways. Like it better than the 2000 Chateau Pavie we had a couple nights ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2018 - winejnky wrote: 95 Points
Wow, everything you could ever want in a mature Cabernet blend; silky smooth, mouth-wateringly good black currant, strawberry and cherry flavors, plus enough tannin and oak to lift this one on the finish but didn’t get in the way at all. Fantastic wine! From 1.5L and not decanted, didn’t need it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2018 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still drinking well. Fresh and vibrant with good acidity and structure. Redolent in dark berries, underbrush With sage notes. Refined and nuanced. Well done.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2018 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
Drinks like a young Bordeaux, which is fine ... if I wanted Bordeaux. But I didn't. I wanted a big Napa red. Notes of red currents, blackberries, sweet tobacco, cedar, and spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2018 - winejnky wrote: 93 Points
Still going strong, this bottle was in really great shape. Robust cherry-berry fruit wrapped up with moderate tannins and some oak at the finish, nice and smooth with enough edge to get your attention. Lovely!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2018 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Nose: Blackberry, Cassis, Plum, Sweet Oak, Graphite and Smoke. Some additional notes of herbs and grilled meat. Palate: Dense, but opening to show its layers of black fruit, dark raspberry, oak, grilled herbs and minerals. Finish: Studly finish that is so long and dark, but allows mineral, herb and cocoa notes to show nicely.
Similar to my tasting in 2016, but from Magnum and not quite as evolved. This is going to be a very long lived wine that has evolved nicely in 14 yrs.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank nicely after an hour decant. Classic old-school claret. The fruit was not too sweet in this vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2017 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
We love this wine, great Cabernet blend. Robust and nuanced, loaded with fruit but plenty of structure and wonderfully balanced. That said, this bottle is not quite up to the past few we have had, it was starting to show some age. Decanted two hours.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2017 - dfresh wrote: 94 Points
Still youthful. No hint of red or burnt orange color; dark as when it was bottled. Full of lively fruit and only modest tannin structure. Some hints of aging notes including black tea.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2017 - redpine42 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is near perfect. Big fruit and tannins. Opened this in memory Pollo the dog, who passed today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2017 - Whodeyinsea wrote: 94 Points
The mixed reviews got to me and I had to try it for myself. This is great stuff. Still has the fruit that I want in a high quality Howell Mountain Cab blend. Loses a couple points for a slightly harsh finish (though I appear to be alone in this experience / opinion).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2017 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well and will last longer. Berries and minerals. Needs a lot of decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2017 - tava6 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Magnum that drank extremely well. Ate at a Turkish restaurant and was a good pairing with the lamb and beef dishes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2017 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well right now. Shed much of the fruit that was present in it's youth, but balanced with some secondary flavors developing. Good time to drink, I think I would have liked it a little younger, but it's not near it's end.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent California Cab, but not in line with the CT scores or my initial review in 2015. This was originally tasted with Coravin so must have waited too long...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2016 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2016 - RockinCabs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose: Blackberry, Black Cherry, Kirsch, Chocolate, Eucalyptus and Clove. Dense ripe nose with volume. Palate: Enters with a big burst of cherry, raspberry, berry pie and bursts of acidity. There is a balance of fruit and acid that is almost starting here which make the fruit sj
How very pure. Finish: penetrating raspberry, chocolate spice and chwrry skin.
Opened to honor DryCab tonight. Brad posted some glowing reviews of this that inspired me to put a bunch in my cellar. This was the last bottle. RIP.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
My one and only. Will keep my eye out for more. delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2016 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with my notes from three years ago, and doesn't seem to have changed a bit. Good initial flavor, but by the time I drank a glass my mouth was exhausted. And this included an hour of full decanting before drinking, and drinking 2/3 of the bottle over 3 hours, last third next night (under pump). Obviously serious, well made stuff, but either needs another five years or just not balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice ripe intense dark mixed berry flavors with real depth and a black mineral component. Concentrated and smooth in a succulent style. In a good place and ready to drink, but good life left. A well made fruit forward Cali cab. Quite solid.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2016 - WineGold wrote: 92 Points
Took this bottle to dinner, as I thought based on the notes, it would be a good candidate for pop-and-pour. It wasn't. Oak dominated the first hour as this was not integrated at all. About one hour after opening, fruit entered the picture, and about 90 minutes in, on our last glass, the fruit pulled even with the oak. On the nose, perfume, black fruit, vanilla. Big and jammy, old-school Pride Mountain-style wine (which his why I bought this back in the day). Plenty of life here. The bottle I had would have improved another five years, at least, with another 15 years of good drinkability ahead of it. If I had the opportunity to decant this for a couple of hours before drinking, it would probably be a 93-94.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2015 - Javier wrote: 95 Points
Wow!! What a special bottle. Well worth waiting for til New Years Eve. Silky and smooth
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - grafighter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted at BB's in Jacksonville. Turns out that Robert Foley is from Ponte Vedra. Locals sitting next to our table were really excited and impressed of our bottle. Anyway, this bottle was slightly better than the first. More cigar box, slightly more meat, and much more black fruits especially after the first hour of decanting. Really wonderful wine with food. Such balanced wine, good QPR. I believe this wine is at its best. Enjoy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2015 - MattLA Likes this wine: 92 Points
A little underwhelming for me. I recently had a 2003 Foley Claret that really knocked my socks off. It's good, but lacking depth. I was hoping for more of that glorious fruit and richness. Oh well, moving on to a 2008 Realm To Kalon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2015 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
94+ PnP, wasn't sure what to expect as the last bottle openend seemed to be on its decline, but judging from this bottle - it was just flawed. This was fabulous, from start to finish. Just as I like them, this was mostly black fruit, oak was completely integrated, with hint of vanilla, and flavors of lavender, plum, and coffee along with having a touch of pepper. Never know this was an 11 year old Cali Cab by the color - deep purple. Bouquet was stunning, smelled of mountain fruit. Had a nice mid palate and a great finish! Had 1/4 bottle of left for next day, and with just the cork popped in, it drank even more beautifully the next day, just more.. of everything!! Think it crossed over to a 95 pts on day two! So glad I still have 4 more!! If you have them, they are ready to go- only will need a short decant to be open, but a treat if you can can give it some time! Think this easily still has another 5 years !! YUM!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2015 - Mark O wrote: 94 Points
Still fantastic. This wine could easily go 5 more years!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2015 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Still big and brambly with primary blackberry flavors but this has really come into its own and is drinking quite nicely though with still a few good years ahead of it. Would still decant an hour or two before drinking this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of ripe, black cherry fruit, touch of pepper and barnyard, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, mocha coffee on the mid palate, medium body, very rich tasting with a touch of heat, and a long, long finish. On the downhill side.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2015 - dfresh wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful bouquet of rich, dark, sweet fruit with a nice balance of menthol, coffee, vanilla and alcohol. The real excitement takes place on the pallet. The mouthfeel is round and thick; mouth is coated by chewy dusty tannins. Notes of dried herbs, wintergreen, bright red fruit and chocolate. 30 second finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of plum, fig, touch of pepper and barnyard, more of the same on the palate, mouth filling, aged cabernet sauvignon taste, hint of Peet's Mocha Java on the mid palate, medium body, tasty and rich, long, long finish. Drink up as it's not getting better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of currants, plum, fig, and black pepper showing its age and cabernet breeding, more of the same on the palate, hint of mocha, medium body, delicious and almost elegant, long, long finish. Best to enjoy now at it's peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2015 - grafighter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful food wine. Perfect cork, wine only penetrated 1/8" of the cork. Nose was muted upon opening. Fruit remained restraint even when the wine was decanted throughout the 2.5 hour 7-course dinner. Tannins were smooth and integrated. Good amount of acid is present but not over the top which went great even with the lighter tasting foods.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2015 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Garnet color, flavors of Black Current, Blackberry and a hint of Raisin. Had hints of some meat, cocoa tobacco and a little white pepper. Seemed just a little bit disjointed and a little over oaked to fruit, dont know if it was just an off bottle ... and IMHO think its in its drinking window and will not improve much more with age, but think easily has another 5+ years. So Glad I have a few more to try again in few months, gorgeous wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2015 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous California Cab!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Continues to drink beautifully! Perfect match for the bone-in ribeye off the BGE.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2015 - Thief Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful creme de cassis, vanilla, mission fig, black cherry, cocoa powder, with well integrated silky tannins. The finish was long and balanced. Absolutely delightful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2015 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
So good! Incredible nose, dark purple, nice concentration with tons of fruit but restrained and not at all over the top. Tannins are well integrated and slightly drying with a very long finish. Exceptional Napa cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2015 - kanab ram Likes this wine:
Lighter than most RF cabs. It could be the age. Still very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
Silky smooth, a great CS!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Interesting bottle. Started with a hint of a port-like quality and then opened up into a delicious cab blend
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2014 - ledwards wrote: 90 Points
Creme de cassis, vanilla, cocoa dust. Tannins are a bit 'dry'.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
What fun, revisiting my note from 3 years ago on this wine where I was less than impressed, this time I called it a Montelena Estate double blind. Anise, licorice, cocoa, mineral, intense currant, very serious stuff. It's young and there's a whiff of EtOH but the concentration and balance make up for it. Great stuff, and far better than I recall.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2014 - MrWineQ wrote: 90 Points
nice body, still plenty of life left Good fruit, supple tannins. A little austere for all the hype.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2014 - maitredgreg2 wrote: 99 Points
Legendary
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark in color. Dark chocolate, blue berries, currant and tar and dark coffee (ristretto) notes. Lots of power and multi-layered yet very smooth and long. At the moment still a bit dominated by hard tannins. At the moment at 92-93pts., but one can see the giant waiting to be awaked so I rate the wine with its potential rating of 95-96pts which it will hit in around 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2014 - Winiac wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple blue color. Amazing bouquet of Lilacs and cherries and hint of pepper. Full bodied with endless balanced cassis and black fruit wrapped in ripe tannins. Long length and incredibly pleasant finish. Kudos!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2014 - kenv Does not like this wine:
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Muted nose of ripe cherries. Hot, medicinal, burns the tongue. VA? Not rated but me, but WOTN for the group. Go figure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2014 - Yamadori wrote: 91 Points
Popped and Poured. Still exhibits typical Bob Foley characteristics. Full bodied and smooth with with lots of extracted fruit.Notes of chocolate and tobacco. Long finish with smooth tannins. Obviously very good but again i found myself enjoying this bottle a little less than previous ones. Maybe i am moving away from this style a little. Still in prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2014 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Cellar Mini-Disaster; 12/15/2013-1/15/2014 (At Home): Ok. I guess I haven't entirely outgrown this style of wine, particularly when it's this well done.
Pop/pour. On the nose dark fruits, smoky oak and licorice. On the palate, rich body with enough acid to lift it up. Oak provides notes of tar and vanilla. There's also a hint of menthol that creeps in on the background. Finish is extremely long and lingering.
The longer this sits in the glass, some light but manageable tannins show on the finish. The acidity becomes a bit more pronounced. Maybe a bit too much so for now. Was going to rate 95 points but dropping a point for now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2013 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is drinking well and IMHO eclipsed an '04 Ducru-Beaucaillou drank with the same meal. Loads of aromatics and fruit. Balance and complexity. Still a touch of tannin. Yummy
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2013 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
This wine is coming into its own. Still showed big and powerful on the first day with characteristic chocolate, blackberry and a touch of anise. The heat dissipated by day 2 showing that this wine still has a ways to go. Drink now or later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2013 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose with layers of blackberry and cassis fruit with integrated spices and chocolate notes finishing with juicy tannins and lovely concentration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2013 - wino31 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is drinking great now. Thick black and red fruit on the nose, great mouthfeel, long finish, a lot of complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2013 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 94 Points
Perfect illustration of what it shoudl be -- great Cali cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2013 - Mr T wrote:
big wine drunk with father in law's 90th....too warm for me and not really working ...others seemed to like
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
From maggie. Singing from the decanter after a short splash. In a great spot now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2013 - Yamadori wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours and rebottled. Consistent with previous TN from 2010 although not quite as good as back then. Still shows lots of ripe dark fruit on the nose along with not. Full bodied and well balanced with a smooth texture. Lots of blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry fruit with notes of dark chocolate and tobacco. Long finish with integrated tannins. I would say this wine is still in it's prime drinking window right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2013 - dfresh wrote: 95 Points
This wine is in its prime right now and I can't imagine too much more benefit from additional aging. Mesmerizing aromas and a deep rich palette.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2013 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
This is outstanding!; bold yet smooth with plenty of blackberry and black cherry fruit, plush and very dynamic; decanted for 90 minutes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
This is controversial scoring. First impression is mind-blowing. Black as night pour, huge nose and great flavors indicate great potential. But I agree with an earlier comment that after a glass and a half, my mouth was exhausted. Second glass I couldn't taste anything. This is obviously a wine that stands out in a tasting among a dozen competitors each taking a sip or two, but if you're actually drinking a bottle, this needs time. 92 points today, maybe more in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2012 - johnnyo wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic again! Paired excellent with beef short ribs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2012 - BaroloRob wrote: 93 Points
Medium fruit. Nicely balanced. Tannins integrating. Food friendly. Good finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2012 - Sportsbracer wrote: 95 Points
Tasted side by side with 2005. 2004 was amazing. Balanced. Perfect amount of fruit. Zero tannins. One of my favorite bottles in a long time. Not sure it could get much better. Started off with a hint of raisin but was amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2012 - bambam Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum: Drinkin well. Plums, blackberries and dark chocolate. The tannins are starting to resolve but this still shows a lot of youth. It was a big hit at the dinner last night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2012 - daved wrote: 95 Points
complex,muscular, simply amazing!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2012 - Uglypinga wrote: 97 Points
Blind. Big nose with chocolate, vegetables, smoke. The palate is lush with ripe cherries, blueberries and some wood. Ripe, smooth finish. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2012 - Rcorrao wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours. Big. Bold. Amazing. Ripe dark fruit. Settled tannins. Big finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
First since 2009 = nice evolution. Still very fruit forward yet a bit more restrained. pretty great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - ralevine wrote: 94 Points
Love these wines
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Nose of blackberry and currant with spice and chocolate notes on the rich palate finishing with tasty tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2012 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Sometimes you want a slutty wine to go with a gorgeous N Y strip steak. Well, this is the one. A big wine, but beautifully balanced with bright fruits, violets and soft tannins. A finish that lingers. I couldn't believe how easily we finished the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2012 - Colima74 wrote: 93 Points
Perfectly integrated with red fruit dominant. No rough edges anywhere. Lovely Bdx-like. We easily finished this at lunch. Not sure of the ABV, but we were not buzzed, so it must have been reasonable. Drank at Arte Cafe on the patio.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: Deep black currant, blueberries, tar, raspberries and a touch of pencil. Palate: Dark black cherries, blackberries and cassis. Silky on the palate with a nice touch of cedary oak and graphite notes. Finish: Dark and penetrating with blackberry, raspberry and cassis. Notes of oak and dusty earth.
This is an excellent wine. Very well balanced and showing gorgeous fruit. This has integrated nicely, but has years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2012 - Dr. Pato wrote: 89 Points
Not showing well right now. Hot alcohol dominates struggling fruit and tannins kick in as alcohol abates. Hope this can evolve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2012 - jswine15 wrote: 93 Points
great wine, well made, but a bit light on fruit, perhaps its going thru a "dumb" phase
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2012 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
Rich and sumptuous, cassis and cherry, amazingly creamy with a great mouthfeel; only detraction is that it is perhaps a bit hot and heavy with alcohol on the finish. I think the 2002 claret is better, at least right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2012 - nfafoglia wrote: 93 Points
Sweet smoke and espresso with red fruit. Soft tannins. Finish is dominated by sweet red cherry and minty herbs. Reminiscent of red cherry licorice. Drinking very well right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2012 - daved wrote: 93 Points
drinking better than the 02
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2012 - winelover1 wrote: 93 Points
Simply divine wine. Foley's mark is all over this wine. Luscious and elegant and full of fresh red and black fruit. A little tar and cedar box mid palate but a long and persistant finish. Smooth and rounded tannins and this will only get better over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2012 - ADwivedi wrote: 94 Points
RJ reference point tasting (Chez himes): Good color. Excellent nose. No alcoholic taste. Medium finish. Really had it too late to give a better review.😊
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2012 - sirswami wrote: 94 Points
Similar to other recent notes, drinking spectacularly right now with plenty of tread left on the tires - this is a decadent wine that envelops you in the most positive ways.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2012 - paulrc56 wrote: 96 Points
just flat outstanding. could cellar for 3-5 years and continue to age well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2011 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Almost backward still - stiff acidity, firm tannins, notable heat would be too much if not for the prodigious, focused fruit. Cassis, candied plum, creamy vanilla, a touch of smoke. Moderately long finish. No one found at the table found it drinkable with food, though interesting to sip. I'll wait at least three more years before opening the next bottle. 91, with potential to improve. I should add, not half as ready or nearly as delicious as the 2003 Claret I had couple months ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2011 - Mr T wrote:
opened this early to let it burn off some heat but never really got to taste any as it disappeared at the other end of the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Dinner Party w Danny Spring & Jean Marc DeSilva; Spring Keyes & Erica Freshman; and Harold Marcus; 10/14/2011-10/16/2011 (Icon Brickell, 465 Brickell Avenue, #3303, Miami, FL 33131): - Violet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant and violet. It's in total harmony and has flavours of blackberry and black currant with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Double decanted in afternoon, again didn't require more. Weightier than the 98 Jim Barry Armagh, so served after. Another Foley Classic!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2011 - ralevine wrote: 94 Points
Excellent and felt was at its best after 1 hour
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2011 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2011 - phantphant wrote: 96 Points
Amazing. This was terrific on every silky smooth deep level. Can't get enough. Tasted with a 2001 Palhmeyer...both just stood up beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 87 Points
Smoky oak, blackberry compote, EtOH, iodine nose. Intense, hot palate that is dense, jammy and finishes with a lot of charcoaled oak. Moderately sweet and garish, chocolate ganache, espresso blueberry comes to dominate the vanilla oak, somewhat tamed by food but pretty outrageous wine. Not sure if I like this, but I will say it has good complexity and surprising acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
Sacred Cow Rocky Mountain Offline - Day 4 (CAVU Cabin, Hartsel, CO): WIML93
Tasted non blind. Opened and tasted immediately.
Purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, soapstone, white pepper and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of currants, plums, berries and a bit of cherries. Medium acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2011 - Pete North wrote: 94 Points
Comparable to the 2004 Sloan Asterisk, but better. Decanted for a couple of hours and consumed over two days. Black licorice, deep dark fruit, well balanced without a lot of heat. Enough tannin to cellar for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2011 - Brett wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine...last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2011 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Smooth as silk. Still a bit tannic, but the flavors go on forever. Sublime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2011 - wino31 wrote: 97 Points
Drunk at a BYOB with a SQN Raven Grenache, and preferred to that wine by the three of us. Decanted for 20 minutes, it was a typical Foley monster wine, yet perfectly balanced. Finish lasted about a minute. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
I have found that expectations can kill a wine. If you are expecting a GREAT wine then you are rarely blown away. The last bottle of 2004 was excellent, and this bottle of 2004 was just as good. A perfect, traditional, full bodied Cali Cab. Well rounded and silky smooth with a long lasting finish. A great QPR at under $100
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2011 - wino31 wrote: 92 Points
Not as impressive as other Foley Clarets, the '04 was nevertheless excellent, but when you're used to having your socks blown off with 95+ juice, this wasn't quite as fantastic as I had anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2011 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Not as mindblowing as my previous experience with this wine, but not much is.
Blackberry, brambles, smoky cocoa, currant, and spicebox on the nose. The flavors in the mouth have integrated nicely in 4 years, and it's still loaded with black fruit, chocolate, and espresso, and finishes with toasty oak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
Had along with 2003 Hillside select this slightly edged out the Shafer. I think this is hitting its prime right now, don't see where improvement can come with more time in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2011 - phantphant wrote: 83 Points
A big disappointment for this wine. Thin, though smooth. Not much complexity or depth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2011 - Acohen wrote: 92 Points
Big dark fruit with cocoa, tar and great length. Needed to be decanted for a couple of hours as was very tight when opened but came into its own after about two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2011 - MattTM wrote:
Dinner at Seaquam's (Vancouver, BC): Dark, almost black in the glass. Huge nose on this, black fruit, blueberry jam, vanilla bean, and strawberry coming through on the nose, with a touch of heat. Dense, inky on the palette, showing tobacco, blueberry, dark fruits, and some coffee bean on the long finish. Big, fruit forward, in your face wine. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2011 - madeiradog wrote: 94 Points
This was a very nice bottle of Foley. The chocolate notes that dominated this wine in its youth have receded, the dark fruits are up front and there is just enough acid to make this interesting. Big and bombastic in its youth, it has settled down in to a not-so-big but very delicious wine. Definitely dominated by the fruit but the tannins give it some punch as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2010 - Marc McSorley wrote: 93 Points
Very Good, too young
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2010 - ELH wrote: 94 Points
Fruit and tannins in harmony. Black cherry, plum, blueberry, chocolate, all in lovely proportions but not over the top. Restrained elegance. Decanted for two hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
Slightly funky on the nose, with minty, spicy notes joining ripe fruit on the nose. In the mouth, powerful and concentrated, with ripe black fruit and spice. A plush mouth feel that needs a bit more integration to keep the tannins, oak, and acidity in better balance. Solid raw material that needs further time to age and mellow. B+/A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2010 - Yamadori Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Huge nose of superripe black fruit,creosote and tobacco. Thick, unctious texture in the mouth with lots of ripe blackberry, bramble and blueberry with notes of dark chocolate and cedar. Great intensity which persists right through the long finish. I found the tannins to be quite smooth indicating this may be nearing its peak although i imagine it will drink at this level for some time. Definitely typical Foley and a great wine if you like this big, bold style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2010 - Beeg wrote: 90 Points
Had at salad night at Alexanders in SF. It is a little rough around the edges still. Nice nose. Maybe needs another 2 yrs in bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2010 - novicedave wrote: 93 Points
A really good wine! Big and juicy but not overly so. Dark fruits, dark chocolate and spices make for a really interesting experience. I have several more bottles and look forward to them.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 95 Points
This wine is huge! Highly extracted black fruit, dark chocolate, tar and bramble with massive furry tannins and the finish carried on for almost 2 minutes. This wine was decanted 3 hours prior to consumption and I think it could have benefited with 6-8 hours of air. This wine is still quite youthful and clearly has great potential for smoothing the structure with additional bottle aging. Loved this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2010 - Acohen wrote: 95 Points
Massive wine with great structure and fabulous dark fruit with blueberry, blackberry and currant. There was some vanilla but more mocha and layers of fruit with a tremendous finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2010 - bambam wrote: 94 Points
Really nice. Sweet but not over the top fruit. Tastes of blackberry, blueberry and vanilla. Slightly lacking in acidity but other than that it was well balanced. Typical Foley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2009 - chrismez wrote: 95 Points
Went to dinner at Celistino's with my wife, Jamie and Silvia. Jaime was the typical 20 min late so the wine had a chance to open up. Ha... Anyways, full bodied wine with moderate tannins. Very dark in color with about a 20 second finish. All liked the wine but not sure it's worth the $110 price tag. I think the Stewart for quarter the price is just as good. Food was excellent as well even though everyone ordered the same penne with vodka dish except me. Great night. Oh, too stuffed for a cigar!!! Ha.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2009 - Baeyens Cellars wrote: 93 Points
Big and extracted fruit, plenty of oak and tannins. Drank beautifully with a short rib and needed the meat to balance this still very young Claret. A very enjoyable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2009 - CMCLR wrote: 92 Points
A little thinner than I remember
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2009 - nvandyk wrote: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Deep plum color. Heavily perfumed nose with chocolate and graphite, likewise very chocolaty on the palate. We decanted for about three hours and it made a big difference. A very big, full, well-rounded wine without being flabby.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2009 - babnik wrote: 87 Points
Back in 2007 I thought this wine was fantastic and scored it 94. This time, I did not like it nearly as well. While still showing the same bright fruit, cassis, and chocolate, there was an element of bitterness that was offputting. The tannins were awkward. Bad bottle? I don't think so. I think this wine is is a dumb phase right now. Hold for 2-3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2009 - drycab wrote: 94 Points
Need to get a bigger decanter as this mag needed more time open and sitting but was still great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2009 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Blueberry, boysenberry, and blackberry jam on the nose. Smoke, tobacco, cedar box and strong tannins dominate the palate. This wine makes you stand up and take notice. A little chocolate and espresso bean on the finish. Heavily extracted, but beautifully held together. This is no casual wine. Certainly is not for everyone, and not what I want every night, but a wonderful expression of the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 89 Points
First Growths, etc @ Howard's (Old Greenwich, CT): Very ripe, with blackberry, oak, vanilla and sweet cherry. Up-front and forward, perhaps a bit lacking in structure. While I can appreciate the quality of the fruit, this is just not too my personal tastes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2009 - jonphillips wrote: 94 Points
This was really nice! Not too sweet but lively.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2009 - hcampana wrote: 95 Points
This is a typical Bob Foley wine. A ripe Cali Cab lover's dream. Intense, extracted, incredibly flavorful, layered and deliciously tannic, this is a hedonist's dream come true. Not as jammy as the 2001 Pride Vintner's Merlot. If you like the style, there are not many better wines than this one.
Típico vino de Bob Foley. Un sueño para los amantes de los Cabernet Californianos. Intenso, con gran extracción, capas y capas de sabor y una tanicidad deliciosa. No tan confitado como el 2001 Pride Vintner's Merlot , pero en ese mismo estilo general. Un vino para hedonistas sin remordimientos. Si le gusta el estilo, no hay muchos vinos mejores que éste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2009 - tacman wrote: 89 Points
Seemed a bit shut down at first, but started to open up nicely after 3+ hours ... dark fruit and still lots of tannin. Hold for another 2+ years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2009 - phantphant wrote: 97 Points
Best of wonderful tasting tonight. Intense caramel and burnt leather. The bottle just blossomed after an hour. The nose was as intense as I've seen and the finish complex and long lasting. Very intense structure....this will last another 10-15 years easy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2009 - strulock wrote: 95 Points
Jammy red fruit, still heavy tannins, fragrant, raspberry nose, chocolate finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2009 - blanquito wrote:
Blind Wines in Colorado (Fort Collins): (Double Blind): I actively disliked this wine. In fact, calling it "wine" is a stretch. It tasted more like concentrated grape juice, pure alcohol and oak all mixed together in a lab. Disjointed, over the top, out of balance, garish and extreme, this is Mondovino monster. I was surprised that some really liked it (these were the same folks that complained of some herbaceousness in the Pipeau 2003! I suggested that they drink alcoholic grape soda to save money... and face). But different strokes and all that. Didn't bother to rate it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2009 - the godfather wrote: 91 Points
oaky, good but too much money for the quality level
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2009 - JOsgood wrote: 92 Points
Dark as night in color. Compact nose. Much lighter on the palate than the color indicates. Smooth drinking with great balance. Nice fruit. Everything in the right place.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed it even more tonight
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Easy driniking from the get go....our first wine of the night and devoured quickly so no time to see how things developed. Pretty tasty though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2009 - phantphant wrote: 98 Points
Pure sweet nectar. Incredible finish....Notes of leather bouncing off midpalate fruit. One for the ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2009 - CMCLR wrote: 94 Points
I love this stuff. Dense, chewy, and cocoa. Fantastic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2009 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
Slow-oxed for about 5 hours before tasting. Rich explosive notes of blackberries, cassis, dark cherries, and molten chocolate. Initially quite overpowering, this wine came into perfect balance and really started to strut its stuff after being open about 8 hours. Fine-grained tannins and a polished finish completes this luxuriously indulgent wine. 93-94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2009 - budman wrote: 94 Points
Smooth as silk, with the usual Foley cocoa and chocolate notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2009 - MCL wrote: 93 Points
Really excellent with a long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. Decanted in am, and was superb out of the bottle. Was unsure of how much air, so I tasted against some with Vinturi Aerator, which stripped the wine of its decadent bouquet, and concentrated flavors. So I rebottled. Opulent cocoa dark berry flavors, fine tannins. Residue on decanting was beautiful fine purple hue.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2009 - JLL wrote: 92 Points
Vanilla mocha on the nose, slight trace of heat initially but was not noticable on the nose after 2 hours. Entry was sweet black fruit and dark baking spice, not terribly complex, turned grapey and plummy (pardon the inane descriptors) on the mid with telltale Foley casis. Finish was mocha grape with sweet tannins. Good wine, but a poor qpr imo
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Hedonistic, highly enjoyable wine. Dark fruit, sweet chocolate, espresso and vanilla. Not the most complex wine but who cares -- it's delicious just as it is! Served to a group of non wine drinkers. Not a single person disliked this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2009 - Vette Z06 wrote: 96 Points
Three bottles consumed at New Year's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2008 - Mark wrote: 94 Points
Very nice. Opened and let stand for 30 minutes, then consumed over 2 hours. Explosive nose and fruit forward. Raspberry, blackberry, chocolate, toasted oak are main parts. Drinking great now, with a long finish, but expect improvement over time. However, if concentration of fruit and richness is what you like, there is no better time to consume this. Interestingly, the 95 Pichon was a bigger hit at this dinner party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2008 - tacman wrote: 95 Points
Open (but not decanted) for 12 hours ... rich nose of blackberry/cassis. Firm but not overpowering tannins, taste is full of dark blackberry, some leather/dusty flavors, finishing with a kickback of fruit and chocolate/coffee
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2008 - zazoo wrote: 94 Points
So smooth, great now better tomorrow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2008 - drycab wrote: 94 Points
Diodn't have a carafe, so popped the cork and let it sit for 45 minutesbut it didn't do it justice. It got better and better in the glass but decanting it would have gotten there sooner and more uniformly. Still a great wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2008 - Tree512 wrote: 93 Points
Much better than first bottle. Packed with fruit, loads of oak. Representative modern Cal Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2008 - budman wrote: 96 Points
Explosive. Smooth dark fruit. Complex, with a 60 second finish. Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2008 - rsepulve wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2008 - drycab wrote: 96 Points
Decanted over an hour. This stuff just keeps getting better and better. Now it has finesse too!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2008 - dmoritz wrote: 89 Points
04 Napa Cabs, plus a few more - Schrader, Merus, Foley, LLC: Maybe this was somewhat of an off bottle, since I've read some great reviews on the wine, or maybe just in an awkward stage. Decanted about an hour and a half. The oak just seemed to dominate the fruit in this wine, rendering it somewhat disjointed. I remembered an exotic mouthfeel the last time I tasted this back in October 07, which didn't show tonight. Hopefully just in a strange place and will someday revert to what I remembered as a great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2008 - carnyc wrote: 96 Points
Enjoyed with dad on the deck
Nose: Currant, Raspberry, Tobacco, Toasty Oak
Taste: Gorgeous mix of black fruit, tobacco and pencil lead; Silky mouthfeel; A big wine yet very elegant; Superb length on the finish, balanced. This is drinking beautifully right now. Only minor criticism is slightly aggressive oak treatment. An amazing bottle of vino.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2008 - rhalbert wrote: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Tasted head to head with the 2004 Quilceda Creek. Had a fantastic cabernet core, but was a simpler wine than the QC, especially on the nose and finish. Still very well made and would purchase in the future (this was my only one).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2008 - MTC wrote: 97 Points
This wine blew away the 02 Dominus and incredibly the 03 Quilceda. It was unamimous among a group of 5. Perhaps the QC was a weak bottle (but it was not corked). Excellent dark fruit and integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2008 - Tree512 wrote: 88 Points
Not nearly the concentration I would expect, hotter than I would like as the fruit isn't carrying the alcohol. Much more like the 2003 than I would like. Flavors of vanilla and chocolate shake with some coffee and tannins, which is normal, but without the intense fruit to carry them. Let them rest and hopefully they will become something else.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2008 - tacman wrote: 94 Points
tannins are starting to soften nicely and the rich, dark fruit is beautifully balanced ... some day this is going to be a 95+ point wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2008 - Giladog wrote: 90 Points
Good but not worth the price in my opinion. This wine may fit the bill for a great big napa cabernet, but it lacks memorable characteristics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2008 - Dubliner wrote: 93 Points
Still young. Rich fruit and vanilla oak in balanced proportions. Pure and concentrated. Not particularly complex right now. Give it time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2008 - beachnic wrote: 93 Points
Extremely concentrated. Has a brown sugar quality to it that you get in some old vintage ports. I can even feel some fine grained sugary texture to this. Nose is carmelized brown sugar and dark fruits. A little thickly jammy at times but saved by a great sense of elegance and balance that offsets the sweet jammy side.
This is a little sweet for me but admirable. It takes it to the edge and will really shine and evolve with lots of age behind it. I like the 2004 O'Shaughnessey better. This is a bit much for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2008 - Vette Z06 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours and 45 minutes. Could have been longer. Consistent with previous note (2/27/07). This wine is great and is still young. It has much upside potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2008 - CMCLR wrote: 94 Points
Great density and complexity. An incredible bottle of wine- so glad I have a case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2008 - dionysis wrote: 94 Points
Very good new age claret -- just jumped out of the glass from the moment we tried it, but after an hour or so it really started to shine. Very rich, fruit forward wine, but with ample balance to keep it from drifting into the "overwhelming fruit bomb" category.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2008 - cellarbrator wrote: 95 Points
A Celebration (Da Marco, Houston, Texas): Huge nose of deep, jammy, dark fruits, licorice and cassis. Mouthstaining with tremendous depth and intensity. It continued to evolve and got better, but was accessible from the first glass after a 30 minute decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - the godfather wrote: 95 Points
based on some of the notes I have read this might be shuitting down, still very enjoyable though, much better balance than I would have expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for over two hours. Intoxicating nose of cedar, berry and leather. Paired with prime rib eyes grilled perfectly by GF. This wine coats every inch of the palate. More complex than I would've expected from a big Napa Cab. Everything is in balance here. Finishes very long. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2008 - drycab wrote: 93 Points
Seems to have closed up for now, however the wine was opened and decanted last night but not consumed until tonight. I can't begin to assess this as a normal situation for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2007 - sasvino wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this was a great bottle, I don't usually consume the $100+ price point but it was a new years eve gift, so take my note as is, overall it was excellent but probably above my palate's ability to fully appreciate: Nose: blackberries, licorice and a lot more, Flavors: full bodied, smooth throughout, sweet cherry and plum on the front, balanced with a vanilla licorice feel on the mid palate, finish has a wonderful cholocate texture, this one will evolve nicely over time, probably a bit early to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2007 - parathesis wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was fabulous. Still a bit early. We decated it 3 hours which seemed about right. Robert Foley is very gifted and we were on the receiving end. I will hold the other bottle for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2007 - jleggio wrote: 93 Points
had at picasso's at bellagio. big bold claret: impressive. decanted for about 2 hrs but i think it need more time. beat out 97 beringer private reserve but i think this wine needs a few more yrs. won't open another for for 2-3 yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2007 - CMCLR wrote: 95 Points
Awesome. Dense, chewy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2007 - rsepulve wrote: 94 Points
Big sweet fruit and chocolatey goodness. Nice balance. I wonder if this will improve with age; I'm leaning towards no - just drink up over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2007 - babnik wrote: 94 Points
The 2004 Foley Claret is several notches above the 03 that I had the other day but that's to be expected considering the vintages. While I thought the 03 verged on imbalance and over-extraction, the 04 deftly achieves the same power while adding layers of complexity. Darker than the previous vintage, it adds creme de cassis, pine box, and chocolate covered caramels to an arsenal of bright fruit, all framed by smooth sweet tannins. Where the 03 could be interpreted as a bit flabby, the tannins and acidity keeps this one floating on the palate. This wine will continue improving for at least the next 5 years and provide years of enjoyable drinking. 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2007 - beachnic wrote: 94 Points
Thanksgiving dinner, 2004 Robert Foley Claret, 2001 D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, 2003 Lewis Cabernet. The Lewis was the most popular and drinking the best tonight. The Foley took about 4-5 hrs to open up. The Foley had very concentrated fruit and big tannins. It reminded me of a more concentrated young Lewis Cab without the smokey oak. This is a great Cabernet but is still young. should wait at least a year followed by alot of decanting before trying another one. 94-95pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2007 - budman wrote: 94 Points
It may have been better than 94, but I was suffering from palate fatigue.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2007 - rschoemehl wrote: 94 Points
lots of coffee oak and chocolate. check back in 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 94 Points
Took 5 hours to open up, by then most of the bottle was gone. What was left was great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2007 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
WS NYWE Grand Tastings; 10/25/2007-10/26/2007 (Marriott Marquis): Big black fruit nose with a streak of green pepper. Really nice forward rich black fruit on the palate with great structure underneath. Another favorite of the tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2007 - vanpe003 wrote:
Northwoods Wineapalooza; 9/7/2007-9/9/2007 (Boulder Junction, Wisconsin): No dtl'd notes. Marker for 3 day tasting @ Wineapalooza. My #1 for the Saturday evening Cab tasting. Extracted but elegant, nicely balanced for a wine of this style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 94 Points
This wine needs some serious decanting. The initial pour was syrupy thick of mocha, caramel, vanilla, and licorice. After 2 hours, it was still unbelievably chewy and rich with glycerin and sweet tannins. I love a huge claret, but I won't open my other bottles for at least 3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2007 - Phin wrote: 96 Points
smooth, dense, concentrated. stellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2007 - drycab wrote: 97 Points
Got to decant this huge claret. It is at first blush closed and ungiving, but after a couple of hours in the air, it'll knock your socks off.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2007 - pakabear wrote: 92 Points
Nice wine, but without great complexity and balance. Huge extraction, but I've had this similar flavor profile from wines at half the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2007 - RWilkinson wrote: 95 Points
wonderful wine that fills the palate
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2007 - etherscreen wrote:
I figured I'd pop a nice bottle for my first father's day to accompany a terrific pan seared filet mignon.
TN: Decanted 3 hrs and drank over the next 4. Dark purple in the glass. I know is not going to come off my teeth and lips despite vigorous brushing. This is always fun to explain at work. Anyhow, the nose isn't quite as big as I'd expect displaying mocha, cassis, licorice, and toasty oak. The palate is not for the faint of heart. This highly extracted wine explodes in the mouth with cherries, dark fruits, anise, a bit of chocolate, and prominent tannins while hiding the 14.1% etoh. The tannic finish lasts 45+ seconds. This was probably drank a bit young, but a pleasure none the less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2007 - Dubliner wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for four hours, this was still pretty closed. Full bodied, oodles of sweet fruit but oodles, too, of tannins. Needs a few more years..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2007 - budman wrote: 95 Points
Everyone's WOTN. Rich, smooth, and sexy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2007 - CMCLR wrote: 95 Points
Amazing. I'm going to try and buy a few more from the TPC. Pretty tannic, but some time in the bottle will take care of the tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - djs wrote: 94 Points
Manual note written
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Ditto prior note. Bottles essentially identical.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Opened this up, dbl-decanted, and saved for the following day. The WOTN, this didn't last long. Extraordinary depth of fruit. Drinking well now, the extra day served to round it out nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hr’s. Rich, almost oily nose of plums, blackberry and cassis with some light mineral notes and oak spice that delivers on the power-laden and mouth coating palate along with lightly toasted chocolate. Silky fine and prominent tannins have good structure along with light acidity, this picks up some anise spice on the long, full and slightly tannic finish. Currently, this needs about 3 hr’s in a decanter to open up and hit its prime. This bottle was throwing fairly significant sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2007 - olm2000 wrote: 94 Points
decanted 4 hours...black currant and lead pencil on the nose...signature foley viscosity in the mouth...very tannic on the palate, chalk it up to youth...light on its feet with a very long finish...these wines blow away pride reserves imho...can't believe they are readily available from the winery...94+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2007 - thenapalist wrote: 96 Points
This wine was ridiculous! Awesome sweet fruit, well integrated oak for such a young wine! I would leave notes but I'm still trying to enjoy that long smooth finish! This bottle is what wet dreams are made of!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2007 - pgm wrote: 97 Points
Staggering nose loaded with black fruit and creme de cassis, espresso grounds and lots of chocolate. Even after being given fair warning of the wine's power, the palate is still stunning in its power and density. Lavish fruit, chocolate, and delicate caramel notes, with plenty of structure. Long, full finish, with smoky notes over the fruit. It's probably the best California cabernet I've had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2007 - RWilkinson wrote: 97 Points
Many things can be used/said to describe this wine, but when the wives say that they could take this to bed, well there you have it. Great stuff!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 94 Points
I've had and reported on this lovely wine several times, so I'll be brief. This was a below average showing for this bottle on this night. Still deliciously Foley, dark fruits, gestures toward a chocolateness, structured and proportioned but not grippy. Long strong smooth finish. Lacked the palate impact, flashiness and complexity of previous bottles. Why can't they all be stunning? Still a very nice wine, but not at the high reference point I have for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2007 - phantphant wrote: 98 Points
This was like liquid heaven...from first sip to next. Amazing softness and subtlety. Decanted 3 hours before drinking and the heavenly juice just flowed. Complex combination of deliciousness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2007 - HurrahSyrah wrote: flawed
GreenDrazi comes to NC! (Sullivan's- Raleigh, NC): Sigh... I'm still not over how poorly this showed. I want to taste what everyone else is ranting and raving about!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote:
K-B Spring ’07 Allocation Pick-up in Raleigh (Sullivan’s, Raleigh, NC): What a disappointment. Muted nose, hidden fruit and a clipped finish. Clearly an off-bottle. NS
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2007 - jyau wrote: 97 Points
Phenomenal! I had it with braised beef and it was above and beyond the other well regarded wines I drank at the meal. It was decanted for a bit at the restaurant. Very well balanced with hints of sweet chocolate flavors. I'm definitely putting it on my shopping list.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2007 - andolini wrote:
Probably drank too early and didn't give enough time in the decanter (1.5 hours?). Also had some palate fatigue by the time this was served. Lots of structure, tannins, chocolate and coffee notes. A complex wine which I'll revisit after several years under the proper conditions. Just had to try one early.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Amazing when something actually lives up to the hype. Great dark berry nose with supple mouth feel. Bitter chocolate on the long velvety finish. Has the rich ripe fruit style without taking it over the top.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2007 - budman wrote: 96 Points
The real deal. Everyone's favorite over the 02 Insignia. Like Pride on steroids.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2007 - drycab wrote: 99 Points
Absolutely Lavish Claret. Just keeps unfolding and unfolding on the palate.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2007 - Hillbilly wrote: 98 Points
Served with Bryan's strip cuts a la JW. What a great showing....best yet. This absolutely needs 3 hours in a decanter to show its' best. Anything less and you are cheating yourself. Got better in the glass as well. There is a deep espresso oak element which mitigates with a lot of air. Rich, deep and complex. This has more intensity than anything else. Dark mocha, blackberry, cassis and graphite are the key flavors. Great structure...at times flashing a little tannic edge, but generally buried under massive fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2007 - Bryan wrote: 97 Points
This is my second bottle (same notes as before/ maybe a little less) and I keep on thinking "why should I age this wine? could it get any better" I don't think so!!! I can truly say I got my money's worth. ---short and to point---
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 94 Points
Nose was alive when we opened, but after two hours of decanting it was very muted. Wonderful flavors hiding behind the tannins. Right now I can't see this beeing better than the 2003 Claret. But maybe in time?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2007 - SacredCow wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for two and a half hours, drank over the next hour and a half. On the nose, tons of blackberry, some blueberry, oak, and mocha. On the palate, full-bodied and low acid, with the fruit following the nose with the addition of some cherries, vanilla and mocha carrying through the mid-palate, and some chocolate and oak spice appearing on the long, tannic finish. I knew this would be too young before I opened it, but wanted to see how it was drinking. I will hold additional bottles for a few years before trying again. While it is hard for me to call a low acid wine like this "balanced" it is elegant and even a bit slutty without being overdone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2007 - Vette Z06 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted for 2 hours then an additional hour after poured in the glass. Exceptional wine even though young at the current time. Terrific nose of dark berry, vanilla and slight licorice. On the tongue some dark cherry was evident in addition to the blackberry and blueberry already noted. Tannins were firm and fairly balanced for it's age. Magnificent finish that never ended. I thought about this one all weekend! WOW! This will likely get better with a few years but I enjoyed the heck out of it right now (Everyone at the table loved it)! Exceptional!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Excellent nose, great delicious fruit and a wonderful long finsh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
Simply phenomenal. Deep, dark chocolate covered berries leapt from the decanter, although the nose shut down after about an hour. After 2+ hours the nose returned and the tannins had slid to the background of some really exciting sweet fruit. The chocolate and toast on the nose retreated to the palate and was replaced by lead and flowers, all the while showing magnificent dark fruit. It shifts seamlessly from the glass to the mouth. The palate is still an inch wide and a mile deep at this point, but you can't help being bowled over by it. It was substantial in the mouth without being heavy, showing waves of velvety dark fruit mingling with smoky mocha. The finish is as persistent as can be. It could have a bit more underlying acidity, that's true. It also was a bit of an attention seeker, somewhat overshadowing some quality meat. Still, a beautiiful, seamless wine that scores huge on the pleasure meter and will for many years ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
Stolen by Airtran or TSA personnel on return flightfrom BWI to Fort Lauderdale, along with 3 99 Masseto's. Masseto, I have had, but I have never exerienced a Robert Foley Claret, or for that matter a Pride Claret.
I regret not being among the fortunate few who have. From the CT comments it is truly a great wine.
If anyone is in a position to do so, would you please inform the powers that be, at either AirTram or the TSA of the larceny of their personnel!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2007 - burgcamel wrote: 96 Points
Strong showing for a wine that is still to young to fully enjoy. All the dark fruit flavors you would expect but has some complexity that's not completely showing up yet. Tannins are significant but are also rather soft. I'll wait a couple of years before I try the next bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2006 - Bryan wrote: 98 Points
Decanted wine for @2hours, nose opens with soft fruit, blackberrys, bing cherry,cassis, mineral and on the palate this wine is not overly ripe or viscus but practically perfect with notes of cocoa, wood and florals with a nice finish (wife gave it 100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2006 - superuser wrote: 93 Points
Tasty, but way too young--too big right now and a little hot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2006 - Jim wrote:
Big Big Wine, Still not well integrated almost port like in flavor, with chocholate and berry arroma and a very long lingering finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 96 Points
Great sweet fruit on the palate, long lingering finish but very tannic. Delicious now, should be glorious in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2006 - mattiasjansson wrote: 95 Points
Enotria - DeLille / Doyenne tasting (Enotria, Scottsdale): Tannic. Huge. Needs time but will be great. Perfect balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2006 - redpine42 wrote: 97 Points
Wow! The tannins are so big in this it's hard to tell. But I picked up a lot fruit hiding behind the tannins. Give this a couple years and it should be fantastic. Another great Foley effort.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2006 - Mark wrote:
Initial notes of black pepper and a very tight & closed palette. It took an hour for this to start to open up and wow, did it ever. Rich dark red cherry with some subtle chocolate opening up. Full tannins on the palette, but drinking very well. Overall NR, due to a very subtle hint of TCA. The fruit managed to come through, but overall I think the bottle is flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2006 - Hillbilly wrote: 97 Points
A very nice showing for this wine. It needed about 2 hours of air to fully express itself. Great depth and dark fruit combination. Blackberry, cassis and graphite lead the way. The espresso notes mitigate with air time but provide a nice backdrop. Solid structure. A great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2006 - TechnoJohnny wrote: 92 Points
This wine is pretty good. Out of the gate it is more "watery" than a "typical" CA cab (compared to the rather thick ones that I typically drink) and reserved on the fruit but does seem to thicken up and put forth a bit more fruitiness after an hour or so . It didn't need a long time to open up to be enjoyable-- I thought it tasted fine right out of the gate, but if you have the time you might want to give it an hour or so if you want to bypass the "stingy" phase. It has a nice cherry and/or blackberry nose with shades of pencil lead and a refined complex berry taste with a noticeable cocoa/espresso slightly bitter taste (which mellowed after an hour or so) to it which may bother some but was fine with me. Good but not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2006 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Out of the gate an expressive nose of sweet black fruits, smoke and vanillin. After one hour in the decanter the nose has started to clamp up. On the palate, laser focused and pure blackberry fruit made complex with cocoa, cedar and minerals. Fruits are forward, luscious and mouthcoating --- held in balance with young-but-not-assertive tannin. Excellent weight across the mid-palate. Finish got fuller and longer over the course of the next hour. Very, very nice and accessible however I imagine this is awfully young and underdeveloped.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2006 - Hillbilly wrote: 97 Points
Dark purple color. At opening a sweet cherry aroma that disappeared in about ten minutes and faded to the background. Lots of graphite and dark berries on the nose. Some overt woody aromas as well. The first hour or 2 shows lead pencil, blackberry and cassis but closes with intense oaky espresso. The espresso and almost charry note is a bit overwhelming to me. This settles down and with about 2 hours of air, presents a beautiful melange of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, lead pencil, light smoke. At about 4 hours of air, the espresso intensity is back and frankly overwhelming my palate. Medium level of tannic grip and nice layered depth to the mouthfeel and finish. Feels like a barrel sample. I like them young, but even I must say this needs some time to integrate. This reminded me of 02 Araujo and 01 Shafer HSS in some odd combination.....can't really back that up but it was my emotional reaction, FWIW. I am giving this credit for the peak experienmce I had between 2-4 hours of air. This is darker, more layered and nuanced than the 03 and I think a better wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment