I am a big fan of Forman. Old school CA cab with great balance. After 90 minutes , delicious layers of red fruit and light oak, almost Bordeaux like. Medium finish-great food wine.
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Deep inky opaque color. Aromas of coffee, cassis, currants and chocolate. Tannic, with wonderful black fruit, cherry cordial, chocolate and vanilla. This was decanted for two hours, rebottled and poured about seven hours later. Made better by being paired with some Flannery hanger steaks…for now without food this needs a very healthy decant. With dinner…at least a four hour decant.
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Needs a year or two. You can drink it now, but decant five hours. Well structured Cali cab. Made in French style. Medium bodied with nice finish. Wine hits the spot for good QPR.
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This is a tough one.....1 our slow ox then 2 hour decant by JA before bringing it to our tasting event. I suspect this one is in a bit of an in between phase right now. Deep purple in the glass. Notes of sage and dandelion early on, which are not my favs and usually found by me in red wines that are evolving through an awkward phase. An hour or 2 later those notes were gone from the nose, replaced by basic Cali Cab notes like graphite, tobacco, etc. Only black fruit on the palate and it seemed that with the passage of time the nose improved but the palate devolved a bit to kind of a one dimensional wall, so the balance or togetherness of this wine seems off a bit right now. All the ingredients are there for a nice wine, but it just seems to be in a funny phase right now. Vacillating through the night between a 92 and 94 so averaging it out to a 93 for the night. Would love to see this bottle with 5+ more years on it.......
Just noticed someone put up a drinking window going out to 2080! I know these wines can age but......that seems a tad too long. I'd feel better if it went to 2040 or 2045.
Addendum: a moderate glass left in the bottle on the counter overnight, no cork so now about 26-27 hours of total air at room temp of 73 degrees between yesterday's decant and all night/today in open bottle. Nose of graphite, tobacco and black currant like fruit. The palate reveals sweet black fruit, drying tannins well displaced throughout the entire mouth not just focused on the tongue. There's a hint of tobacco, graphite and coffee beans. Another well made wine that held up nicely the second day. Easily holds its 93 from last night and I may argue feels in better balance and earning another point so upping my score to a 94 for this one. I still feel there's another couple of points in it for down the road another 5+ years, too. This is extremely good qpr for this level of Napa winemaking and fruit.
Sat open for 45 minutes, then drank at Girasole’s restaurant over next 90 minutes. Fairly smooth with mild tannins. Soft blueberry flavor but not a fruit bomb, someone described it below as Nuanced. Think that’s right description. Wish we could drink over another hour or two that night. Drinking well, but going to wait 2-3 years before we drink last bottle.
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Small US new arrivals tasting hosted by a merchant. Part of a Forman mini-vertical (2012-16). Highest level of intensity in the mini-vertical. A more jam- and confiture-like fruit of , black currant with a touch of menthol and some spice. This brought back the sweet fruit from 2012. That also showed on the palate which came across juicy, sweet and sexy, well-integrated and showing great harmony. A highly enjoyable 2015, ready to go.
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One hour double decant. Very deep magenta color. Cherry, tar, fennel, and floral perfume on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish. Well made, but not my style. Feels a bit over the hill already.
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I decanted the wine for one hour and then went to the restaurant. It was opened an hour later and as it sat in the glass the wine was getting bigger and more balanced. The descriptors from others are accurate. It is medium bodied, pencil shavings, tobacco, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, with integrated and balanced tannins. This is not a fruit bomb, but a classic French style wine with nuance and complexity.
However, in hour 5 this wine took off and gained two points. So, you should give it time. I suggest a 4 hour decant and then serve. The wine is ready to go and the sweet fruit will certainly hold over the next 5 years.
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The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like tobacco, lead pencil, blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Dark ruby fruit - blackberry, dark cherry, currants, and some dark raspberry. Really smooth mid-palate with a nice purity but a lighter profile than expected - medium body. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some spice/licorice and a little mineral/graphite component. However, I thought the finish was somewhat lacking - a little short/not much depth. Decanted for two hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time. In my opinion, in the middle of the 92 to 94 rating from WA. 75% cab sauvignon, 15% cab franc, 5% merlot, and 5% petit verdot.
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Not quite ready yet, but can still be enjoyed now. Classically structured with currant, pepper and some other subtleties coming in. Restrained and classy, but still with power. Give it 3-5 more years if you can.
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This dense and savory wine probably needs more time to come into its own, but it currently tastes backward and heavy, even after several hours of air. Although the wine has an intriguing darkness, it ultimately seemed too meaty and earthy to be that enjoyable, at least to me.
Purplish red in color; medium in body; nose of black cherry, olives (both black and green), baking spices, thyme, and peat moss. Integrated and savory flavors of under-ripe raspberry, grilled flank steak, olive tapenade, pencil shavings (like, really - both the graphite and the dryness), and bay leaf, with a rustic and grainy finish that lacked the acidity to seem even remotely fresh (i.e., the wine just sits in your mouth, like Garfield on a couch). More mossy and olive-driven on second day. Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. 14.9% alcohol. 90-91 at the moment, but it may be better in 2022 or later.
Tastings; 9/19/2019-9/20/2019 (Napa): The 2015 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely gorgeous wine and one of the best wines of the vintage. The 2015 is much more fruit forward than more classically styled Forman wines. Plush red perfumed fruits envelop the senses, while a silky smooth texture that makes this a joy to drink. Drink anytime over the next 30 years. Tasted at the Forman Winery.
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Ric Forman continues to make great wine year in and year out. The 14.9% alcohol listing on the label is deceiving -- there is nothing hot about this wine at all. Balanced and fully integrated. Perhaps a bit more fruit on the finish than one would expect, Forman continues to stay true to the Bordeaux style and has stayed clear of the push towards big, muscular wine. A true classic
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Better with a bit of air, still quite youthful... but there’s enough fruit here to remain approachable. Nice fruit concentration, focused & fine tannins, should develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
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California Dreaming - New Californian arrivals 2019 (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Red and blackcurrant; very fruit pure, cream, sweet spiced, cedar, wet earth. With time it shows a very slight herbaceous note with chocolate. In the mouth it's rich, tightly tannic, lightly spiced and peppery with toasty oak, long. A bit worked for me but very pleasant.
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10/14/2023 - fats1976 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit muted, and very much left bank in style. Herbal notes dominate over slighter chocolate and blackberry.
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6/17/2023 - bobt@teacherstax.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
I am a big fan of Forman. Old school CA cab with great balance. After 90 minutes , delicious layers of red fruit and light oak, almost Bordeaux like. Medium finish-great food wine.
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5/19/2023 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Deep inky opaque color. Aromas of coffee, cassis, currants and chocolate. Tannic, with wonderful black fruit, cherry cordial, chocolate and vanilla. This was decanted for two hours, rebottled and poured about seven hours later. Made better by being paired with some Flannery hanger steaks…for now without food this needs a very healthy decant. With dinner…at least a four hour decant.
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4/26/2023 - Jimaronson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs a year or two. You can drink it now, but decant five hours. Well structured Cali cab. Made in French style. Medium bodied with nice finish. Wine hits the spot for good QPR.
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4/25/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a tough one.....1 our slow ox then 2 hour decant by JA before bringing it to our tasting event. I suspect this one is in a bit of an in between phase right now. Deep purple in the glass. Notes of sage and dandelion early on, which are not my favs and usually found by me in red wines that are evolving through an awkward phase. An hour or 2 later those notes were gone from the nose, replaced by basic Cali Cab notes like graphite, tobacco, etc. Only black fruit on the palate and it seemed that with the passage of time the nose improved but the palate devolved a bit to kind of a one dimensional wall, so the balance or togetherness of this wine seems off a bit right now. All the ingredients are there for a nice wine, but it just seems to be in a funny phase right now. Vacillating through the night between a 92 and 94 so averaging it out to a 93 for the night. Would love to see this bottle with 5+ more years on it.......
Just noticed someone put up a drinking window going out to 2080! I know these wines can age but......that seems a tad too long. I'd feel better if it went to 2040 or 2045.
Addendum: a moderate glass left in the bottle on the counter overnight, no cork so now about 26-27 hours of total air at room temp of 73 degrees between yesterday's decant and all night/today in open bottle. Nose of graphite, tobacco and black currant like fruit. The palate reveals sweet black fruit, drying tannins well displaced throughout the entire mouth not just focused on the tongue. There's a hint of tobacco, graphite and coffee beans. Another well made wine that held up nicely the second day. Easily holds its 93 from last night and I may argue feels in better balance and earning another point so upping my score to a 94 for this one. I still feel there's another couple of points in it for down the road another 5+ years, too. This is extremely good qpr for this level of Napa winemaking and fruit.
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12/3/2022 - Winechat63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sat open for 45 minutes, then drank at Girasole’s restaurant over next 90 minutes. Fairly smooth with mild tannins. Soft blueberry flavor but not a fruit bomb, someone described it below as Nuanced. Think that’s right description. Wish we could drink over another hour or two that night. Drinking well, but going to wait 2-3 years before we drink last bottle.
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10/27/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Small US new arrivals tasting hosted by a merchant. Part of a Forman mini-vertical (2012-16). Highest level of intensity in the mini-vertical. A more jam- and confiture-like fruit of , black currant with a touch of menthol and some spice. This brought back the sweet fruit from 2012. That also showed on the palate which came across juicy, sweet and sexy, well-integrated and showing great harmony. A highly enjoyable 2015, ready to go.
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3/25/2022 - AGELVIS wrote: 90 Points
One hour double decant. Very deep magenta color. Cherry, tar, fennel, and floral perfume on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish. Well made, but not my style. Feels a bit over the hill already.
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2/6/2022 - Jimaronson Likes this wine: 95 Points
I decanted the wine for one hour and then went to the restaurant. It was opened an hour later and as it sat in the glass the wine was getting bigger and more balanced. The descriptors from others are accurate. It is medium bodied, pencil shavings, tobacco, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, with integrated and balanced tannins. This is not a fruit bomb, but a classic French style wine with nuance and complexity.
However, in hour 5 this wine took off and gained two points. So, you should give it time. I suggest a 4 hour decant and then serve. The wine is ready to go and the sweet fruit will certainly hold over the next 5 years.
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1/22/2022 - lucaslabelle wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully. Classic Napa Cabernet that was in a really nice spot.
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1/9/2022 - denniswdern@gmail.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like tobacco, lead pencil, blackberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blackberry and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/22/2021 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby fruit - blackberry, dark cherry, currants, and some dark raspberry. Really smooth mid-palate with a nice purity but a lighter profile than expected - medium body. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some spice/licorice and a little mineral/graphite component. However, I thought the finish was somewhat lacking - a little short/not much depth. Decanted for two hours and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time. In my opinion, in the middle of the 92 to 94 rating from WA. 75% cab sauvignon, 15% cab franc, 5% merlot, and 5% petit verdot.
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7/12/2021 - Rgentile wrote:
no formal note. Decanted for 6+ hours. Smooth, approachable with ripe purple fruits and some dusty earth.
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3/13/2021 - mckillop Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 2015’s are starting to into a dumb phase. Think I am going to wait 4-5 years before I try them again.
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7/18/2020 - gmbdds wrote: 93 Points
Not quite ready yet, but can still be enjoyed now. Classically structured with currant, pepper and some other subtleties coming in. Restrained and classy, but still with power. Give it 3-5 more years if you can.
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3/10/2020 - msuwine wrote: 91 Points
This dense and savory wine probably needs more time to come into its own, but it currently tastes backward and heavy, even after several hours of air. Although the wine has an intriguing darkness, it ultimately seemed too meaty and earthy to be that enjoyable, at least to me.
Purplish red in color; medium in body; nose of black cherry, olives (both black and green), baking spices, thyme, and peat moss. Integrated and savory flavors of under-ripe raspberry, grilled flank steak, olive tapenade, pencil shavings (like, really - both the graphite and the dryness), and bay leaf, with a rustic and grainy finish that lacked the acidity to seem even remotely fresh (i.e., the wine just sits in your mouth, like Garfield on a couch). More mossy and olive-driven on second day. Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. 14.9% alcohol. 90-91 at the moment, but it may be better in 2022 or later.
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12/23/2019 - mckillop Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking very well already. Amazing for a young wine from Forman.
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9/20/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tastings; 9/19/2019-9/20/2019 (Napa): The 2015 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely gorgeous wine and one of the best wines of the vintage. The 2015 is much more fruit forward than more classically styled Forman wines. Plush red perfumed fruits envelop the senses, while a silky smooth texture that makes this a joy to drink. Drink anytime over the next 30 years. Tasted at the Forman Winery.
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8/16/2019 - pepmi wrote: 92 Points
Ric Forman continues to make great wine year in and year out. The 14.9% alcohol listing on the label is deceiving -- there is nothing hot about this wine at all. Balanced and fully integrated. Perhaps a bit more fruit on the finish than one would expect, Forman continues to stay true to the Bordeaux style and has stayed clear of the push towards big, muscular wine. A true classic
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7/28/2019 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better with a bit of air, still quite youthful... but there’s enough fruit here to remain approachable. Nice fruit concentration, focused & fine tannins, should develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
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7/5/2019 - tunaguy Does not like this wine: 87 Points
way too ripe and over the top fruit. almost zinfandel like. guessing there is an audience for this but not for me
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2/16/2019 - chatters wrote:
California Dreaming - New Californian arrivals 2019 (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Red and blackcurrant; very fruit pure, cream, sweet spiced, cedar, wet earth. With time it shows a very slight herbaceous note with chocolate. In the mouth it's rich, tightly tannic, lightly spiced and peppery with toasty oak, long. A bit worked for me but very pleasant.
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