Day 2 - deep blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla essence and hint-of-cherry aromas followed by exceptional balance, silky mouthfeel and long weightless finish. Taste memory of a warm vintage Left Bank 3rd growth. Regrettably, last bottle in the cellar - I clearly drank these too soon.
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Beautiful wine at the 20-year mark. Up front blackberry, black cherry, and dark plum fruit profile. Mid-palate notes of cocoa, spice, licorice, minerals, and toasty oak. Nice acidity still, smooth tannins, and nice long finish. So good now, but no rush.
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Great bottle of wine as part of an aged wine dinner with a variety of different bottles this one was in the middle of the pack and still have a great body and some complexity repaired this one with some vegetable courses, and it held up extremely well.
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Subsequent notes on this wine from close to six years ago. Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of maturing ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, cherries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, mint, cocoa, cedar & tobacco notes, minerals, spices & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with dark cocoa, herbs, minerals, spices & oak/vanilla in the background. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 18 years of age, it is close to its peak of development. Although it should continue to hold at its current plateau, I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging.
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This wine really fell flat for me. We served it at the end of a blind tasting, and expected it to have a bit more umph, given it's 14.8% alcohol and Napa origin. On the nose there was some plum. On the palate, it didn't have much acidity, and the tannins were gone, but without leaving behind any complexity or character to the wine. It just came across as a soft, bland, and cheap wine (and compared quite evenly with a $20 cabernet from Lodi that was served before it).
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Opened two hours before tasting. No visual signs of age. Terrific nose - currants and a hint of charcoal. Plums, currants, and a little tobacco on the palate. Extremely rich with a polished, luxurious texture. Tannins are still present, but it's very well balanced right now. Finish was good, but not commensurate with its other, more stellar attributes. Probably just starting to hit its stride.
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Deep, dark garnet in color; almost opaque with no signs of aging. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex & evolving, ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty, mint & dark cocoa, cedar & tobacco notes, dried herbs, minerals, spices & some vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, complex & lush, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with dark cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices, mint & vanilla in the background. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing and it should continue to develop further with additional aging. A wonderful Napa Cabernet full of rich ripe fruit combined with depth & structure.
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Decanted 1/2hr, rich Aussie like sweet blackberry, dark cherry, tart plum, tart currants, hints of chocolate. This bottle seemed a bit disjointed, though there was plenty of fruit. Paired with Veal Parmigiana.
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Opened and poured into big-ass Bordeaux glasses about 90 minutes before tasting. Dark purple with a huge nose - cassis, plums and graphite. Huge on the palate, as well - mostly primary flavors. Plenty of viscosity, with a very good finish, but everything (including the meal) was almost overwhelmed by the tannins (even after another couple hours in the glass). I'd say it needs another three or four years to balance out and develop some secondary flavors.
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From a 375....muted nose upon opening. Opened up once put through a Vinturi into the decanter and allowed to breathe a little. Extremely enjoyable once it opened up with notes of blueberry, forest floor, and crushed rocks. My one and only bottle. Recommended to others although I might drink it soon.
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Tight and acidic upon opening, but an hour in the decanter helped the wine settle down and mellow out. Nonetheless, the nose was quite restrained, displaying shy notes of blackberries, damp soil, dried tobacco leaves, and crushed granite. The palate was similarly narrow and restrained. Quite a surprise, since the 2003 I drank just last month was showing a lot more fruit than this.
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From magnum. Decanted for about an hour. Very secondary flavor: leather, chocolate, herbs. Some fruit but way in the background. This was good, but would likely have been much better 5 years ago. Drink now.
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From Magnum. This is fabulous! Just keeps opening and giving back. Fine leather and hints of berries, spices, really smoothed out tannins but still there indicated long life still ahead.Great depth. shows the typicity of the grape and exemplifies the structure and power that cab should have. A real treat.
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Just a beautiful wine, drinking great right now. Nose of black fruits and leather. Tannic but with good acidity and great mouthfeel. Still has years to mature.
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Very nice, elegant wine. Had with grilled rib roast. Tannins laying down. Will drink my last bottle in 2-3 years. Dark fruits, tobacco, pepper. Only let breath 30-40 minutes. Should have been longer as it improved over the open period. Still good after 5 hrs.
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Brought to Plumpjack in Squaw for dinner with a group. Also brought the Southing Pinot. This was a nice cab, but much more tame than i expected. Didn't change much through decanting. Soothing pepper, mild fruit. Finished quickly, but was a nice pairing with the pork loin.
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Beautiful nose thats drifts out of the glass. Rich on the palate with dark cherry, plum, black currant with a hint of spice. The tannins have mellowed sufficiently (very tannic on first try back in 08) and the acidity is darn near perfect. This wine is showing both grace and balance and i have no regrets drinking it now.
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Beautiful bouquet jumped out of the bottle when I gave the cork its final pull. Restrained and measured, with a slight peppery after note. Disagree with those who refer to it as "fruit bomb". Nice change of pace from the "big" CA cabs. Hints of cherries and tobacco followed by bits of vanilla and raisin. A lovely wine.
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Better than the last bottle....let breath for 2-3 hours. The plum and currant flavors seem more pronounced than the last bottle, and the smooth, long finish remains
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Decanted and tasted, big dark plum, dark chocolate, currants, cassis, vanilla through out the nose and palate. Very rich and concentrated, drinking well now, with several years ahead of this yummy cab.
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Rich plum and spice flavors, nose is muted spice. This is slightly thin, and the flavors could be more complex, but the flavor is long and very smooth. Nice wine with food.
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More cherry and light berry than I recall in an earlier bottle. Nice and smooth but a bit thin. Got markedly better as it warmed up and was better with food than on its own.
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pop and pour - cork was soaked half way. dark fruits, smooth finish - not overly sweet, but a hint of sweetness on the finish. Not a lot of structure or complexity. went well with steak.
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This is still very young but the tanins have mellowed to the point where gobs of fruit are bursting through witha healthy dose of oak. Unfortunately this was my last bottle but if I'd hold off another couple of years and this should be beautifull.
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Kaplowy! Fruit bomb with rich dark fruit, medium acidity, and long smooth finish. Serious sipping wine bordering on a port it has so much fruit. Needs to sit another year or two to mellow out. The nose is a la mike Tyson.
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Nice nose, a well defined meniscus with Tina Turner legs. Elements of tobacco, berries and coco, and a smooth finish. This cab is a winner, . . . . . . very nice!
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Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia (prima): Nose - roast coffee. Mouth - dark berry, plum, licorice, juicy sweet fruit but possibly a touch thin texturally. A hint of spice on the finish. A lovely start to the evening
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Deep, sweet cassis. Shows vanilla without excessive oak. Mouthfeel almost unctuous. Fine tannins provide pleasant grip. Throwing some sediment. Fine drinking now but could improve with cellaring.
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Highly recommend decanting. I didn't have time to decant so I ran it through that silly Vinturi device I got for Christmas. Funny thing is, I think it actually worked. Intense blue and black fruit with hefty oak and medium to heavy tannins. Rich and dense.
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Decanted this for 4 hours before drinking with a steak dinner, which raised my score about 2 or 3 points. While not as good as the '02, this wine is better than a lot of the notes here would have one believe. Mostly black currant/cassis and cedar with just a hint of herb at this early stage, but that should be expected. Lighter weight that you would expect from this vintage. I did not find this astringent or overly tannic as others obviously have. Very good, but not great.
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Wine Club SF California Cabs (San Francisco): At at tasting at The Wine Club in SF. Quick notes: very dark tastes; somewhat flat tasting with roasted meat notes; ends with a dry finish. Fair.
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very dark in color, bouqet jumped from the bottle when opened. I was excited to see what this one could do. Decanted for one hour and the bottle shut down. No nose and the fruit faded. one dimensional, a bit tart boring
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Unlike some others, I really enjoyed this wine. I've had the opportunity to have the '94 and '95 Etude recently, and compared to that reference point, it looks like the '04 will be in the same class in another 5 years or so. Very heady and ripe; fruit forwardness. Some heat and oak as well, but not enough to take away from the enjoyment. Long finish too. Nice.
Still in decanter 24 hours later, it's really mellowed into a typical Etude. Still plenty of ripe fruit with hints of cigar box and some earth. Tannic backbone still there too. 92-93.
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Decanted for dinner. Drank this over the course of about 4 hours from opening. The nose shows overextracted fruit and didn't really change.,...some menthol notes as well. In the mouth, more super extracted fruit, but it's very alcoholic as well. Noticeable herbal notes there too. This lacks any sort of tannic backbone to balance the fruit. After an hour, I figured it'd show better with more time, but it never improved. A very disappointing bottle given its reputation and price tag. A major pass. You can get this flavor profile in bottles under $20.
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Perhaps the problem was that I had a Mount Eden Cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains, a wine that is made like an old world Bordeaux with outstanding structure and a wine that should have no problems lasting and evolving over 40+ years. Unfortunately after having that wine the '04 Etude seemed to really lack in structure and seemed like it was really lacking something. It is a good ready to drink now wine, but I do not see this one lasting more then 5 to 7 years. I am not sure if it will imrove much.
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This is a jammy, fruit-forward wine. This is a darkly coloured cab. The tongue is treated to a complex broth of cedar and chocolate and leather and tobacco and sour cherry. The finish goes on and on. What this wine lacks, however, is an elegant harmony. It would also overpower almost any dish, save wild game and red meat. This wine should continue to evolve over the next 5 or so years. Word to the wise, decant for at least an hour (this comes from a person who thinks that people tend to overly decant wine).
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Attractive and exceedingly ripe with dusty blackcurrant, herbs, licorice and a touch of raisin and tobacco. Fresh and lively. Moderately complex. Firmly structured with a powerfull push of vibrant dark fruit and a hint of mocha on the finish.
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Cabernet: New Releases (Wine Exchange in Orange, CA): Very dark red violet. Exotic spices thrown on top of conventional baking spices, along with mixed herbs: this is one highly seasoned nose (perhaps courtesy of some highly seasoned oak)! Sweet entry, then dries somewhat mid-palate, with a bready/oaky finish. I didn't expect such a flashily dressed wine from Tony Soter.
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Tasted at the winery in late August. Maybe richer and more structured than even the classic 2002, this has everything I love in Etude's cab: rich, layered currant, baking spice, chocolate and tobacco notes.
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3/16/2024 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Day 2 - deep blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla essence and hint-of-cherry aromas followed by exceptional balance, silky mouthfeel and long weightless finish. Taste memory of a warm vintage Left Bank 3rd growth. Regrettably, last bottle in the cellar - I clearly drank these too soon.
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2/27/2024 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine at the 20-year mark. Up front blackberry, black cherry, and dark plum fruit profile. Mid-palate notes of cocoa, spice, licorice, minerals, and toasty oak. Nice acidity still, smooth tannins, and nice long finish. So good now, but no rush.
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12/25/2023 - Night Train Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took to a Christmas dinner party, so no detailed notes. 2007 Quilceda Creek was WOTN, but the Etude held up just fine.
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9/15/2023 - Jeffmiller42 wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle of wine as part of an aged wine dinner with a variety of different bottles this one was in the middle of the pack and still have a great body and some complexity repaired this one with some vegetable courses, and it held up extremely well.
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1/28/2023 - Deadhead wrote: 92 Points
This really exceeded my expectations. No formal notes, but it was delightful. The fruits, and acid, are well balanced.
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1/27/2022 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Subsequent notes on this wine from close to six years ago. Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of maturing ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, cherries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty & floral notes, mint, cocoa, cedar & tobacco notes, minerals, spices & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with dark cocoa, herbs, minerals, spices & oak/vanilla in the background. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but at 18 years of age, it is close to its peak of development. Although it should continue to hold at its current plateau, I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging.
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1/13/2020 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big wine, deep and rich with lots of fruit and tannins. Not ready. Give it another 10 years.
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10/28/2019 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine really fell flat for me. We served it at the end of a blind tasting, and expected it to have a bit more umph, given it's 14.8% alcohol and Napa origin. On the nose there was some plum. On the palate, it didn't have much acidity, and the tannins were gone, but without leaving behind any complexity or character to the wine. It just came across as a soft, bland, and cheap wine (and compared quite evenly with a $20 cabernet from Lodi that was served before it).
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4/20/2019 - ATL wrote:
Clearly California. Probably would be well like by those who like the style, I'm just not one of them.
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8/6/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 2 hours before pouring. Delicious, black fruit, chocolate, cedar, tannin. Enjoyed with steak.
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7/15/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened two hours before tasting. No visual signs of age. Terrific nose - currants and a hint of charcoal. Plums, currants, and a little tobacco on the palate. Extremely rich with a polished, luxurious texture. Tannins are still present, but it's very well balanced right now. Finish was good, but not commensurate with its other, more stellar attributes. Probably just starting to hit its stride.
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6/26/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich fruit flavors with soft tannin, not yet fully mature, but delicious.
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6/25/2017 - Eags25 wrote: 90 Points
Elegant and well balanced.
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5/30/2017 - Eags25 wrote: 88 Points
May be past its peak.
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10/17/2016 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color; almost opaque with no signs of aging. Forward, fragrant & attractive nose of complex & evolving, ripe fruit aromas of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty, mint & dark cocoa, cedar & tobacco notes, dried herbs, minerals, spices & some vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, complex & lush, ripe fruit flavors of blackberries, dark cherries & cassis with dark cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices, mint & vanilla in the background. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing and it should continue to develop further with additional aging. A wonderful Napa Cabernet full of rich ripe fruit combined with depth & structure.
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4/18/2016 - nschmidt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Bistro 18. Dark fruit and more tannin than I expected. A tasty treat but not the classic Cal Cab.
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12/25/2015 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite elegant, knitted dark fruits, oak, vanilla, anise, a little smoke, graphite
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7/11/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1/2hr, rich Aussie like sweet blackberry, dark cherry, tart plum, tart currants, hints of chocolate. This bottle seemed a bit disjointed, though there was plenty of fruit. Paired with Veal Parmigiana.
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1/15/2015 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
with prime rib at the Palace
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12/23/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and poured into big-ass Bordeaux glasses about 90 minutes before tasting. Dark purple with a huge nose - cassis, plums and graphite. Huge on the palate, as well - mostly primary flavors. Plenty of viscosity, with a very good finish, but everything (including the meal) was almost overwhelmed by the tannins (even after another couple hours in the glass). I'd say it needs another three or four years to balance out and develop some secondary flavors.
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12/14/2014 - travelme Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a 375....muted nose upon opening. Opened up once put through a Vinturi into the decanter and allowed to breathe a little. Extremely enjoyable once it opened up with notes of blueberry, forest floor, and crushed rocks. My one and only bottle. Recommended to others although I might drink it soon.
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7/12/2014 - Paul Lin wrote: 85 Points
Tight and acidic upon opening, but an hour in the decanter helped the wine settle down and mellow out. Nonetheless, the nose was quite restrained, displaying shy notes of blackberries, damp soil, dried tobacco leaves, and crushed granite. The palate was similarly narrow and restrained. Quite a surprise, since the 2003 I drank just last month was showing a lot more fruit than this.
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7/4/2013 - jonradus wrote: 87 Points
From magnum. Decanted for about an hour. Very secondary flavor: leather, chocolate, herbs. Some fruit but way in the background. This was good, but would likely have been much better 5 years ago. Drink now.
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4/23/2013 - @ethanfries wrote:
From Magnum. This is fabulous! Just keeps opening and giving back. Fine leather and hints of berries, spices, really smoothed out tannins but still there indicated long life still ahead.Great depth. shows the typicity of the grape and exemplifies the structure and power that cab should have. A real treat.
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2/11/2013 - Sternmat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a beautiful wine, drinking great right now. Nose of black fruits and leather. Tannic but with good acidity and great mouthfeel. Still has years to mature.
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1/21/2013 - RWCA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent wine. Still full bodied, tannins have mellowed as with my earlier review. Don't think it will improve much more.
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12/25/2012 - Janstan wrote: 90 Points
We all guessed a Syrah, disappointing to find it a syrah although it was great. A label mix up?
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9/21/2012 - RWCA wrote: 90 Points
Excellent dark fruit still remaining. Tannins have mellowed from earlier bottles.
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6/16/2012 - Koiwrangler wrote:
Fine wine rich fruit
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5/29/2012 - Janstan wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, elegant wine. Had with grilled rib roast. Tannins laying down. Will drink my last bottle in 2-3 years. Dark fruits, tobacco, pepper. Only let breath 30-40 minutes. Should have been longer as it improved over the open period. Still good after 5 hrs.
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9/13/2011 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 89 Points
Muted aromatics show notes of coffee, dark fruits, and has a roasted character to it. The tannins are a little rough, and not quite ripe.
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8/28/2011 - Zintastic wrote: flawed
Brought to Plumpjack in Squaw for dinner with a group. Also brought the Southing Pinot. This was a nice cab, but much more tame than i expected. Didn't change much through decanting. Soothing pepper, mild fruit. Finished quickly, but was a nice pairing with the pork loin.
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8/11/2011 - dcasper wrote: 90 Points
excellent surprise. not a long finish but excellent dark fruit on the nose and high alcohol based mid.
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7/9/2011 - Mlawrence wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose thats drifts out of the glass. Rich on the palate with dark cherry, plum, black currant with a hint of spice. The tannins have mellowed sufficiently (very tannic on first try back in 08) and the acidity is darn near perfect. This wine is showing both grace and balance and i have no regrets drinking it now.
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4/3/2011 - iwadasn wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful bouquet jumped out of the bottle when I gave the cork its final pull. Restrained and measured, with a slight peppery after note. Disagree with those who refer to it as "fruit bomb". Nice change of pace from the "big" CA cabs. Hints of cherries and tobacco followed by bits of vanilla and raisin. A lovely wine.
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4/1/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last bottle....let breath for 2-3 hours. The plum and currant flavors seem more pronounced than the last bottle, and the smooth, long finish remains
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3/13/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and tasted, big dark plum, dark chocolate, currants, cassis, vanilla through out the nose and palate. Very rich and concentrated, drinking well now, with several years ahead of this yummy cab.
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1/28/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 90 Points
Rich plum and spice flavors, nose is muted spice. This is slightly thin, and the flavors could be more complex, but the flavor is long and very smooth. Nice wine with food.
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12/24/2010 - Cricket05 wrote:
Xmas eve 2010
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11/27/2010 - awise45 wrote: 91 Points
More cherry and light berry than I recall in an earlier bottle. Nice and smooth but a bit thin. Got markedly better as it warmed up and was better with food than on its own.
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8/21/2010 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Full bodied and mix of dark fruits, long finish. Had with steaks -- wonderful match.
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7/31/2010 - thirstyman wrote:
pop and pour - cork was soaked half way. dark fruits, smooth finish - not overly sweet, but a hint of sweetness on the finish. Not a lot of structure or complexity. went well with steak.
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7/10/2010 - g-man wrote: 92 Points
This is still very young but the tanins have mellowed to the point where gobs of fruit are bursting through witha healthy dose of oak. Unfortunately this was my last bottle but if I'd hold off another couple of years and this should be beautifull.
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6/18/2010 - neo2eno Likes this wine: 89 Points
Kaplowy! Fruit bomb with rich dark fruit, medium acidity, and long smooth finish. Serious sipping wine bordering on a port it has so much fruit. Needs to sit another year or two to mellow out. The nose is a la mike Tyson.
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3/7/2010 - Yack Man wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose, a well defined meniscus with Tina Turner legs. Elements of tobacco, berries and coco, and a smooth finish. This cab is a winner, . . . . . . very nice!
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12/18/2009 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia (prima): Nose - roast coffee.
Mouth - dark berry, plum, licorice, juicy sweet fruit but possibly a touch thin texturally. A hint of spice on the finish. A lovely start to the evening
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12/13/2009 - elbosco wrote: 93 Points
Deep, sweet cassis. Shows vanilla without excessive oak. Mouthfeel almost unctuous. Fine tannins provide pleasant grip. Throwing some sediment. Fine drinking now but could improve with cellaring.
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4/21/2009 - Will5304 wrote: 93 Points
After being open in bottle for about 5 hours, the wine was stunning
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1/8/2009 - ptelgenh wrote: 92 Points
Highly recommend decanting. I didn't have time to decant so I ran it through that silly Vinturi device I got for Christmas. Funny thing is, I think it actually worked. Intense blue and black fruit with hefty oak and medium to heavy tannins. Rich and dense.
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11/15/2008 - T-Mac wrote: 91 Points
Decanted this for 4 hours before drinking with a steak dinner, which raised my score about 2 or 3 points. While not as good as the '02, this wine is better than a lot of the notes here would have one believe. Mostly black currant/cassis and cedar with just a hint of herb at this early stage, but that should be expected. Lighter weight that you would expect from this vintage. I did not find this astringent or overly tannic as others obviously have. Very good, but not great.
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11/6/2008 - Phin wrote: 93 Points
Cellar temp is key to keeping this from becoming a red hot blob. Good plum and cassis that held through the finsh. Decent body and finish.
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9/20/2008 - rael007 wrote: 88 Points
Hot. 15% alcohol and less than subtle tanins caved this one. Some pleasant aromas, fruit underneath the wave of booze, but this just lacks finesse.
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8/10/2008 - jtabor wrote: 92 Points
Nose: some funk. Less full than I expected. Flavor: Incredibly astringent with spicy tannins everywhere. Some greenness. Finish: Tannic.
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8/9/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Wine Club SF California Cabs (San Francisco): At at tasting at The Wine Club in SF. Quick notes: very dark tastes; somewhat flat tasting with roasted meat notes; ends with a dry finish. Fair.
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8/9/2008 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
already open with cassis and plum fruit; a bit of menthol and mint; despite the good fruit, has some leanness;
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7/27/2008 - brewking wrote: 86 Points
very dark in color, bouqet jumped from the bottle when opened. I was excited to see what this one could do. Decanted for one hour and the bottle shut down. No nose and the fruit faded. one dimensional, a bit tart
boring
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4/7/2008 - hiltondg wrote: 93 Points
Unlike some others, I really enjoyed this wine. I've had the opportunity to have the '94 and '95 Etude recently, and compared to that reference point, it looks like the '04 will be in the same class in another 5 years or so. Very heady and ripe; fruit forwardness. Some heat and oak as well, but not enough to take away from the enjoyment. Long finish too. Nice.
Still in decanter 24 hours later, it's really mellowed into a typical Etude. Still plenty of ripe fruit with hints of cigar box and some earth. Tannic backbone still there too. 92-93.
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4/4/2008 - winenewb068 wrote: 81 Points
Decanted for dinner. Drank this over the course of about 4 hours from opening. The nose shows overextracted fruit and didn't really change.,...some menthol notes as well. In the mouth, more super extracted fruit, but it's very alcoholic as well. Noticeable herbal notes there too. This lacks any sort of tannic backbone to balance the fruit. After an hour, I figured it'd show better with more time, but it never improved. A very disappointing bottle given its reputation and price tag. A major pass. You can get this flavor profile in bottles under $20.
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3/29/2008 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Huge; Sweet; Tongue pricking; Too much; All relative
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1/27/2008 - Renegade wrote: 80 Points
Perhaps the problem was that I had a Mount Eden Cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains, a wine that is made like an old world Bordeaux with outstanding structure and a wine that should have no problems lasting and evolving over 40+ years. Unfortunately after having that wine the '04 Etude seemed to really lack in structure and seemed like it was really lacking something. It is a good ready to drink now wine, but I do not see this one lasting more then 5 to
7 years. I am not sure if it will imrove much.
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10/28/2007 - Gringo wrote: 92 Points
This is a jammy, fruit-forward wine. This is a darkly coloured cab. The tongue is treated to a complex broth of cedar and chocolate and leather and tobacco and sour cherry. The finish goes on and on. What this wine lacks, however, is an elegant harmony. It would also overpower almost any dish, save wild game and red meat. This wine should continue to evolve over the next 5 or so years. Word to the wise, decant for at least an hour (this comes from a person who thinks that people tend to overly decant wine).
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9/30/2007 - Oxenham wrote: 91 Points
Attractive and exceedingly ripe with dusty blackcurrant, herbs, licorice and a touch of raisin and tobacco. Fresh and lively. Moderately complex. Firmly structured with a powerfull push of vibrant dark fruit and a hint of mocha on the finish.
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9/22/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 88 Points
Cabernet: New Releases (Wine Exchange in Orange, CA): Very dark red violet. Exotic spices thrown on top of conventional baking spices, along with mixed herbs: this is one highly seasoned nose (perhaps courtesy of some highly seasoned oak)! Sweet entry, then dries somewhat mid-palate, with a bready/oaky finish. I didn't expect such a flashily dressed wine from Tony Soter.
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9/20/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at the winery in late August. Maybe richer and more structured than even the classic 2002, this has everything I love in Etude's cab: rich, layered currant, baking spice, chocolate and tobacco notes.
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8/8/2007 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
Napa Winery Tour (Larkmead, Cliff Lede, Neal, Ladera, Etude & more): More prominent oak than the other Etude cabs, but bold black fruits to back it up, with smooth merlot-like chocolately tannins and finish of 40+ seconds. Excellent wine.
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