Some sediment on the bottle. Spicy and concentrated. Red fruit and integrated oak with vanilla. Full body and medium to long length and pleasant finish. Better than the previous bottle.
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PnD let air for 2hrs. Nice fruit a bit elegant and perhaps thin. Did not live up to expectations and not nearly as good as the Havens Bourriquot that was consumed alongside it.
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4 years later, cork again broke on extraction with little effort. Wine was still solid, not much benefit from additional age though, a bit of oak showing, but no secondary or tertiary characteristics. Just kind of middle of the road, monolithic...
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I'm giving a slightly higher rating due to how interesting and unique this wine is. At first I thought it was disjointed, but after several hours i realized it's just the unique profile. Huge nose of eucalyptus, saline and dark fruit that carrys over to the palate with a high acid tart salinity masking some still considerable tannins. A big dark complex wine, but that salinity acidic component is dominant. I enjoyed it overall.
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PnP. This had some considerable tannic weight that did soften with air. I liked it both early and late. Big black fruit, charcoal, chocolate. Somehow I expected this to be more old world, but I agree with D.T.: This is Napa.
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Aromas of black fruits (black currant/blackberry/black cherry), red licorice and a bit of herbs. The aromas match, and add a bit of red fruit and a fair amount of earth towards the finish. Classic Napa structure with medium acid, medium+ tannins and a medium finish. The structural elements are still integrating. Drinking well now with air, it may age a bit more and will likely least a minimum of 5 more years.
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Huge nose on opening. Decanted for two hours and drank over the next two hours. Poured ruby with burnt orange hues. Significant bricking. This was slightly disjointed and may need more time. Black fruit with chocolate. Harsh mid palate with deeper finish but seemed old at the end.
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A large framed, but noticeably complex Merlot. Intriguing nose of seaweed, dark chocolate, herbs and blackberry. Dark fruited attack with significant weight. No hardness to the structure, rather smooth with integrated oak notes. Finishes with dark chocolate and black fruits. This is in a nice place now, though plenty of fruit to see it through to a more tertiary phase. The alcohol does come off as a bit high, though it is not a real distraction given the various points of interest in this wine.
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Cork broke on extraction then second half pushed in when trying to salvage... had about 20 minutes to breathe prior to consumption.. initially wine had a pretty hollow mid palate with a short finish.. primarily red fruit flavors.. a bit of tannix grip... filled out a bit over time and improved, but did not live up to expections... was expecting a more complex, more old world styled wine.. this was kind of basic and a little lacking given the mid-palate and finish... I'm a bit unsure if it was a bit closed and needed more time, or if it was just mediocre... will wait a couple years on remaining bottle.
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Limited aromas of red fruit. Very smooth on the palate. Gentle flavors of plum, red cherry, and well integrated cedar. Gripping on the finish, but the tannins are not overpowering. Feels tight after an hour decant, should open up more in an hour or so.
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Should have read the other tasting notes before I opened it. Needed much more time than I had given it. At first, the nose was very dark, really dark. It had an exceptional taste but the finish fell off a cliff. After about an hour this opened up nicely where the nose was much more blue/red fruits and the finish was much stronger. Not sure the score actually represents the potential here..
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I was apprehensive reading some of the notes, but this is a very good wine. Dark fruit flavors, great body, big tannins that integrate well, nice complexity with lots of interesting subtle flavors to go along the the serious fruit. Excellent with steak. You can tell the pedigree.
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Popped and poured, should have decanted. Was wonderful with prime rib roast. Dark fruits in perfect balance. Calling all old world fans, focus item. I'm looking for more...AM
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Saturday Afternoon Tasting (German Village, Columbus, Ohio): color: dark, rich, youthful cabernet color. nose: cassis liqueur, sweet oak, blueberry. palate: tannic. oaked. fruit character hidden by youthful oak and tannic character. toasted herb and scorched earth. somewhat savory. drinkable now, but needs more time. decent character and weight.
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Did not decant and I think it needed to be, dark red color, oak and floral on nose, lush plums with some leather and tobacco on palate, good length. Not worth the $35 I paid.
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Good bottle - an assault of oak on the nose with plumy Merlot flavors and eucalyptus notes. Very lush on the palate with good depth and length. Nice wine but wouldn't buy again at the price point.
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This did not meet expectations at all. Kind of hollow. Not much going on at all. Perhaps it needed more time in the decanter. We drank half the bottle and moved onto something else. Not worth it.
But it is wine, so by definition its "good"
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This Bordeaux blend comes from carneros where weather is cooler. Aerated for two hours. Nose reminiscent of right bank wines. Good balance, restrained (for California), good structure and midpalate. Dark and red fruit, earth, leather and tobacco.
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92+? This took much longer to open up, ~3 hours. Very primary for the first few hours then in the last 30mins really started singing. Dark ripe red fruit balanced with nice tannins and wonderful mouth feel. Drank with grilled Skirt Steak and fries. Great pairing. I will buy this again, the type of Cab blend I really like...AM
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Distinct sandalwood/leather aspect out of bottle - might have guessed some syrah content blindly; soft cab notes protrude after aereation, but there is some blur with the merlot; refined austerity, but no accompanying depth of character, an uncomfortable line between smooth and lifeless is narrowly avoided; brief finish. 50/5/11/15/8
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This wine has a lot going on, and is better than most Napa reds IMO. Ripe fruit with BALANCE is what separates this from others. Full mouth feel, soft baking spices and anise. A nice very mild greenness that lends to complexity. This is just a baby, will develop secondary flavors over the next 5-7+ years. Pair with red meats and other full flavored dishes...AMM
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The 2005 is smooth, rich and harmonious, with black fruit and currant flavors joined by meat, pepper and spices . Full-bodied, focused, concentrated and persistent, ending with chewy tannins. JD92+
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Sadly uninteresting. One of those moments when you think you are about to taste a really nice classic Cali Cab, to find that the fruit is not expressive. I certainly did not pour this down the drain, it was still enjoyable, but when you are drinking a decent vintage of a quality producer, you tend to look forward to a mouthful of fruit and a nice nose. The nose was there, but it went into the world of nothingness quickly. Would not buy again.
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Avery big wine. dark in color. decanted for an hour but should have given it more time. very slow to open up. First wine I ever had that had a hint of sea salt and was surprised. Did not initially enjoy this but found myself wanting more and more. very addictive.
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This will be love or hate: briney, seaweed aromas and flavors upfront. I'm liking it, a real day at the beach in So. California (complete with tar). Eucalyptus, tar, oak spice, blackberry and raspberry aromas as well. Layered on the palate with plum, brine and then mocha on the finish. Nice juicy acidity. Quite tannic actually, though they are sneaky, kind of woven into the wine. At any rate, the tannins clamp down on the finish. Like the layering here. Does have a bit of heat. Weird flavor profile--enjoyed this immensely. Great Merlot, seems it will benefit from age due to tightness on finish, definitely old world/new world play here.
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Nose: Pickle brine. Maybe a bit of a pine forest note as well. A little musk, a little heat. Taste: Tastes kinda briney as well. Some saltiness/minerality on the approach, maybe also a note of violet, pickles on the midpalate. Short finish. A little chalk on the on the mouthfeel, not too tannic. either still young/tight or just not showing well.
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{ST} Not decanted, and it definitely should have been. Color dark ruby, medium-full body. Intense nose of focused mountain berries and flowers, cassis, tobacco, and major oak. A beautiful bouquet and the best part of this experience, but the oak is sticking out. Big wine on the palate with dark fruit and earth, but the components seem disjointed. Did not enjoy the finish at all, which was tight, oak showing very obviously, and the 14.7abv burning on the tail end. Drinking this blind I would guess the price point is 20-25, not 50. Can't believe this is the same wine GV gave a 94.
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maybe I'm just drinking this too young. I preferred an earlier bottle and gave it a good upside. This one I found more overblown, oaky, very tannic, vegetal and not particularly fun to drink over 2 nights. I have a couple of bottles left and I think I'll avoid them for several years. Perhaps this will turn into some more.
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Copious sweet dark fruit, with a chocolatey edge. Quite ripe and sweet, but not at all cloying or overdone. Soft mouthfeel with good length. Not quite sure what I'd eat with this, but the quality level here was thrilling for a wine-bar by-the-glass selection (at Juicy Wine Co. on Milwaukee Ave.) Very impressed. 91.
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Dark but not opaque, purple-red. Nothing jumps out on the nose. Herbal mostly at this point with a little heat. The GF says tar and I get some of that -- I like tar, she doesn't. A little green pepper but not a problem. Better in the mouth, rich, medium to full-bodied but good acid, firm but not overwhelming tannins. The acid cuts through the ripe fruit. Finish shows substantial tannins but they're not totally mouth puckering. Some smokiness and lovely and yummy ripe plum, a bit of anise and Med spices. Nice finish, smooth and somewhat elegant.
I'm betting this wine improves over the next 5 years and turns into something pretty nice if not exceptional. Got better over the course of the evening. The 2005 vintage was cool and foggy in Carneros so the green notes that Ian found aren't surprising. But maybe the ripeness (come on, 14.7%) is tempered by the acid. At $60, the suggested retail, this is big time pass. At $19 I'm going back for 6 bottles to drink over the next 5-10 years.
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11/5/2020 - Reblin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well. Ample fruit, rounded with vanilla and oak. Lengthy finish. A fair amount of sediment.
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1/27/2019 - stevenjstein Likes this wine:
Well-balanced. Good fruit, but not overripe, with a decent acid backbone. Still holding up well and probably has a least a few good years left.
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1/26/2019 - Watcher900 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent. Heavy floral notes, along with hints of vanilla. Tannins well integrated resulting in a very smooth wine. Shame it’s the last I have.
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2/18/2018 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Some sediment on the bottle. Spicy and concentrated. Red fruit and integrated oak with vanilla. Full body and medium to long length and pleasant finish. Better than the previous bottle.
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7/29/2017 - Halfeel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle from the cellar - Still very good.
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7/28/2017 - df1962 wrote: 88 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs. Nice fruit a bit elegant and perhaps thin. Did not live up to expectations and not nearly as good as the Havens Bourriquot that was consumed alongside it.
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6/12/2017 - Grape_ape wrote: 89 Points
4 years later, cork again broke on extraction with little effort. Wine was still solid, not much benefit from additional age though, a bit of oak showing, but no secondary or tertiary characteristics. Just kind of middle of the road, monolithic...
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6/10/2017 - gquigs Likes this wine: 88 Points
Enjoyed it, different than the norm. Dark fruit, saline.
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1/16/2017 - Winiac wrote: 88 Points
Opens up very oaky and even bitter, but gets better after 2 hours of decanting and practically was phenomenal the next day!
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2/14/2016 - SCMeyer Likes this wine: 90 Points
I'm giving a slightly higher rating due to how interesting and unique this wine is. At first I thought it was disjointed, but after several hours i realized it's just the unique profile. Huge nose of eucalyptus, saline and dark fruit that carrys over to the palate with a high acid tart salinity masking some still considerable tannins. A big dark complex wine, but that salinity acidic component is dominant. I enjoyed it overall.
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2/11/2016 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
PnP. This had some considerable tannic weight that did soften with air. I liked it both early and late. Big black fruit, charcoal, chocolate. Somehow I expected this to be more old world, but I agree with D.T.: This is Napa.
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1/29/2016 - David_T Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aromas of black fruits (black currant/blackberry/black cherry), red licorice and a bit of herbs. The aromas match, and add a bit of red fruit and a fair amount of earth towards the finish. Classic Napa structure with medium acid, medium+ tannins and a medium finish. The structural elements are still integrating. Drinking well now with air, it may age a bit more and will likely least a minimum of 5 more years.
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4/12/2015 - PSUSteve wrote: 90 Points
Huge nose on opening. Decanted for two hours and drank over the next two hours. Poured ruby with burnt orange hues. Significant bricking. This was slightly disjointed and may need more time. Black fruit with chocolate. Harsh mid palate with deeper finish but seemed old at the end.
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12/21/2014 - bkay Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well now. Decanted for 5 hours and really enjoyed it. Tannins well integrated and wine has decent finish
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2/1/2014 - Cabfrancophile Likes this wine: 89 Points
A large framed, but noticeably complex Merlot. Intriguing nose of seaweed, dark chocolate, herbs and blackberry. Dark fruited attack with significant weight. No hardness to the structure, rather smooth with integrated oak notes. Finishes with dark chocolate and black fruits. This is in a nice place now, though plenty of fruit to see it through to a more tertiary phase. The alcohol does come off as a bit high, though it is not a real distraction given the various points of interest in this wine.
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3/30/2013 - Grape_ape wrote: 89 Points
Cork broke on extraction then second half pushed in when trying to salvage... had about 20 minutes to breathe prior to consumption.. initially wine had a pretty hollow mid palate with a short finish.. primarily red fruit flavors.. a bit of tannix grip... filled out a bit over time and improved, but did not live up to expections... was expecting a more complex, more old world styled wine.. this was kind of basic and a little lacking given the mid-palate and finish... I'm a bit unsure if it was a bit closed and needed more time, or if it was just mediocre... will wait a couple years on remaining bottle.
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12/31/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Limited aromas of red fruit. Very smooth on the palate. Gentle flavors of plum, red cherry, and well integrated cedar. Gripping on the finish, but the tannins are not overpowering. Feels tight after an hour decant, should open up more in an hour or so.
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11/30/2012 - bablues wrote: 90 Points
Should have read the other tasting notes before I opened it. Needed much more time than I had given it. At first, the nose was very dark, really dark. It had an exceptional taste but the finish fell off a cliff. After about an hour this opened up nicely where the nose was much more blue/red fruits and the finish was much stronger. Not sure the score actually represents the potential here..
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10/29/2012 - pkatz wrote: 92 Points
I was apprehensive reading some of the notes, but this is a very good wine. Dark fruit flavors, great body, big tannins that integrate well, nice complexity with lots of interesting subtle flavors to go along the the serious fruit. Excellent with steak. You can tell the pedigree.
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4/9/2012 - AMM3RD wrote:
Popped and poured, should have decanted. Was wonderful with prime rib roast. Dark fruits in perfect balance. Calling all old world fans, focus item. I'm looking for more...AM
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3/31/2012 - njc2o wrote: 86 Points
Saturday Afternoon Tasting (German Village, Columbus, Ohio): color: dark, rich, youthful cabernet color. nose: cassis liqueur, sweet oak, blueberry. palate: tannic. oaked. fruit character hidden by youthful oak and tannic character. toasted herb and scorched earth. somewhat savory. drinkable now, but needs more time. decent character and weight.
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2/3/2012 - jfaulk wrote: 79 Points
Not much going on. Disjointed with no complexity.
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1/13/2012 - gajalaa wrote: 87 Points
Did not decant and I think it needed to be, dark red color, oak and floral on nose, lush plums with some leather and tobacco on palate, good length. Not worth the $35 I paid.
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12/22/2011 - soyhead wrote: 82 Points
nose - floral and herbal
mouth - thin, yet tannic, fleeting berry fruit. in a dumb phase or perhaps an off bottle.
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12/5/2011 - Jack O'Brien wrote: 89 Points
Good bottle - an assault of oak on the nose with plumy Merlot flavors and eucalyptus notes. Very lush on the palate with good depth and length. Nice wine but wouldn't buy again at the price point.
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11/12/2011 - halprewitt wrote: 92 Points
good with food
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10/3/2011 - pkbackman wrote: 84 Points
This did not meet expectations at all. Kind of hollow. Not much going on at all. Perhaps it needed more time in the decanter. We drank half the bottle and moved onto something else. Not worth it.
But it is wine, so by definition its "good"
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9/9/2011 - Eugene wrote: 91 Points
This Bordeaux blend comes from carneros where weather is cooler. Aerated for two hours.
Nose reminiscent of right bank wines.
Good balance, restrained (for California), good structure and midpalate.
Dark and red fruit, earth, leather and tobacco.
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4/10/2011 - popasq wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful napa cab.
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4/2/2011 - AMM3RD wrote: 92 Points
92+? This took much longer to open up, ~3 hours. Very primary for the first few hours then in the last 30mins really started singing. Dark ripe red fruit balanced with nice tannins and wonderful mouth feel. Drank with grilled Skirt Steak and fries. Great pairing. I will buy this again, the type of Cab blend I really like...AM
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1/22/2011 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 89 Points
Distinct sandalwood/leather aspect out of bottle - might have guessed some syrah content blindly; soft cab notes protrude after aereation, but there is some blur with the merlot; refined austerity, but no accompanying depth of character, an uncomfortable line between smooth and lifeless is narrowly avoided; brief finish. 50/5/11/15/8
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1/22/2011 - rjrausch wrote: 86 Points
Not great. Drinkable, but not enjoyable. My wife liked it but I wasn't impressed.
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12/2/2010 - AMM3RD wrote: 92 Points
This wine has a lot going on, and is better than most Napa reds IMO. Ripe fruit with BALANCE is what separates this from others. Full mouth feel, soft baking spices and anise. A nice very mild greenness that lends to complexity. This is just a baby, will develop secondary flavors over the next 5-7+ years. Pair with red meats and other full flavored dishes...AMM
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11/15/2010 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 92 Points
The 2005 is smooth, rich and harmonious, with black fruit and currant flavors joined by meat, pepper and spices . Full-bodied, focused, concentrated and persistent, ending with chewy tannins. JD92+
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11/7/2010 - laxman wrote: 88 Points
Sadly uninteresting. One of those moments when you think you are about to taste a really nice classic Cali Cab, to find that the fruit is not expressive. I certainly did not pour this down the drain, it was still enjoyable, but when you are drinking a decent vintage of a quality producer, you tend to look forward to a mouthful of fruit and a nice nose. The nose was there, but it went into the world of nothingness quickly. Would not buy again.
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10/24/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 89 Points
A nose of dark fruit, dark amber in color. A smooth, medium to full bodied blend, plum, red currants, earthy with right amount of oak.
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10/3/2010 - merlot78 wrote: 89 Points
Avery big wine. dark in color. decanted for an hour but should have given it more time. very slow to open up. First wine I ever had that had a hint of sea salt and was surprised. Did not initially enjoy this but found myself wanting more and more. very addictive.
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9/19/2010 - Cabfrancophile wrote: 90 Points
This will be love or hate: briney, seaweed aromas and flavors upfront. I'm liking it, a real day at the beach in So. California (complete with tar). Eucalyptus, tar, oak spice, blackberry and raspberry aromas as well. Layered on the palate with plum, brine and then mocha on the finish. Nice juicy acidity. Quite tannic actually, though they are sneaky, kind of woven into the wine. At any rate, the tannins clamp down on the finish. Like the layering here. Does have a bit of heat. Weird flavor profile--enjoyed this immensely. Great Merlot, seems it will benefit from age due to tightness on finish, definitely old world/new world play here.
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9/4/2010 - oog wrote: 84 Points
Nose: Pickle brine. Maybe a bit of a pine forest note as well. A little musk, a little heat. Taste: Tastes kinda briney as well. Some saltiness/minerality on the approach, maybe also a note of violet, pickles on the midpalate. Short finish. A little chalk on the on the mouthfeel, not too tannic. either still young/tight or just not showing well.
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8/8/2010 - bkadlec wrote: 90 Points
let it breath! luscious red.
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5/22/2010 - Vinacull wrote: 85 Points
{ST} Not decanted, and it definitely should have been. Color dark ruby, medium-full body. Intense nose of focused mountain berries and flowers, cassis, tobacco, and major oak. A beautiful bouquet and the best part of this experience, but the oak is sticking out. Big wine on the palate with dark fruit and earth, but the components seem disjointed. Did not enjoy the finish at all, which was tight, oak showing very obviously, and the 14.7abv burning on the tail end. Drinking this blind I would guess the price point is 20-25, not 50. Can't believe this is the same wine GV gave a 94.
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1/30/2010 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
dark fruit nose
mouth - perfumed, tight, minerality noted, needs time
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1/26/2010 - neurovino wrote: 91 Points
Nice blend with power, but not overbearing. Tasted day 1, but drank day 2 and it was better than when initially popped.
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10/11/2009 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Soft, slightly sweet, medium-bodied delicious black cherry fruit, elegant, bordeaux blend, little chocolate flavors, good structure
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9/10/2009 - ChrisBeacham wrote: 85 Points
maybe I'm just drinking this too young. I preferred an earlier bottle and gave it a good upside. This one I found more overblown, oaky, very tannic, vegetal and not particularly fun to drink over 2 nights. I have a couple of bottles left and I think I'll avoid them for several years. Perhaps this will turn into some more.
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7/24/2009 - jmull wrote: 91 Points
Copious sweet dark fruit, with a chocolatey edge. Quite ripe and sweet, but not at all cloying or overdone. Soft mouthfeel with good length. Not quite sure what I'd eat with this, but the quality level here was thrilling for a wine-bar by-the-glass selection (at Juicy Wine Co. on Milwaukee Ave.) Very impressed. 91.
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6/15/2009 - ChrisBeacham wrote: 89 Points
Dark but not opaque, purple-red. Nothing jumps out on the nose. Herbal mostly at this point with a little heat. The GF says tar and I get some of that -- I like tar, she doesn't. A little green pepper but not a problem. Better in the mouth, rich, medium to full-bodied but good acid, firm but not overwhelming tannins. The acid cuts through the ripe fruit. Finish shows substantial tannins but they're not totally mouth puckering. Some smokiness and lovely and yummy ripe plum, a bit of anise and Med spices. Nice finish, smooth and somewhat elegant.
I'm betting this wine improves over the next 5 years and turns into something pretty nice if not exceptional. Got better over the course of the evening. The 2005 vintage was cool and foggy in Carneros so the green notes that Ian found aren't surprising. But maybe the ripeness (come on, 14.7%) is tempered by the acid. At $60, the suggested retail, this is big time pass. At $19 I'm going back for 6 bottles to drink over the next 5-10 years.
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