Pulled a special bottle for a friends birthday in South Texas. The lone wine drinkers offering for a group of avid beer, tequila and scotch drinkers. I figured this would hold it's own if anyone decided to adventure across party lines.
What can I say, this is one of the many modern Napa Cuvees that will impress the most avid Silver Oak enthusiast.
94...
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This J Daniel Cuvee 16 was locked up tight a PNP. With some ox in the glass the wine softened up a bit. Still primarily dark bramble fruits and chewy tannins. Not the typically Melka experience of silky plushness that I associate with a "style". A bit more serious than the 15 I opened up shortly after. It will be fun to see were this wine goes as it's a bit muddled and in need of further development.
So after the disappointing experience earlier this week I decide to pull another cork to verify bottle variation.
This bottle had a lot more going for it over the two days consumed. More acid, tannin and the fruit was more round on the palate with no steep fall off on day to from extended ox. With that said I think the drinking window when opening this wine should be same day. I was also encouraged by the winery to do so and they should know!
Split bottle between two days. Day one PNP between two Zalto BDX glasses, recorked/cellar temp with bottle resting on it's side.
Day 1: Dark garnet in color. Nose of espresso, cassis and dark red fruits. Beautifully silky tannins with nice midpalate weight. Long finish. I really enjoyed this wine at PNP. Consumed half bottle over 1.5 hrs.
94
Day 2: OX in the bottle and this wine became a chocolate blueberry milk shake. Not sure what this means!? Residual sugars.. maybe? It's been a while since I've seen a wine do this and it got heavier as we got to the last glass. Had to dump out remainder as it was almost undrinkable. Easy to say disappointed and hope it was just bottle variation. Asking for a friend.... what gives?
Opened and decanted for 4 hours. Showing very well right now. Dark fruits hit the palate immediately with some spice. Incredibly well-integrated on the palate. Very long finish. Time will bring more secondary characteristics, but this is great right now!
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Hard to imagine describing this as a big fruit bomb. Maybe it was a bit early when Niagara tried it. I thought this was well balanced opened nicely on the palate with a very smooth lengthy finish. Blackberry leather and smoothed out tannins. Hmmm. I just ordered more.
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Matter of Taste NYC 2019: I thought this was incredible, and probably best wine of the day (along with the Penfold's Grange). deep purple in color, bursting with wild blueberries, cherries and creme de cassis with notes of cigar tobacco, violets and a touch of forest floor and crushed stone. terrific purity and freshness, well balanced with an incredibly long finish that was memorable. Drinking incredibly well for such a young wine - little alcohol or weight yet a very masculine wine. I believe that this is a blend of Howell Mountain, Oakville and Calistoga fruit - beautifully integrated, and yet I could distinguish each of the elements. A complete intellectual turn on
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20 months 75% new French oak. Big style, tannins a touch astringent, then loads of dark fruit, finishes dry. Lots of heft, and not as tight as others I've seen, but basically goes that way. Mountain fruit influence heavy. Hold for 5+years. Buy their Blueprint if you want value and earlier drinking.
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definitely 'not' IMO a 100-pt wine. Having had quite a few 100 pointers, some come closer to my idea of perfection than others do. I am by no means a professional taster, of course, but this one seems like a big fruit bomb (and I like fruit bombs, especially rich and delicious ones like this one), very much in the Parker style. Again, it's all a matter of preference, but I think many will agree with me that this is a one-note symphony that doesn't leave you humming the overture on your way out of the theatre.
Howell Mt fruit is prominent yet it's concealed in crushed granite, pen ink and grippy tart currants.
I like young wine but this is super shy and totally unlike the young Verite Muse 2015 I had sometime ago while young was absolutely exuberant.
Try again in 2 years or so I guess.
Edit: I tasted the 08 which has 8 years on this. These Lail's need 10+ years in a good cellar. 08 still a tour of force while the 98 I had was over the hill which I'm guessing was more a matter of storage than the wine itself.
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12/12/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pulled a special bottle for a friends birthday in South Texas. The lone wine drinkers offering for a group of avid beer, tequila and scotch drinkers. I figured this would hold it's own if anyone decided to adventure across party lines.
What can I say, this is one of the many modern Napa Cuvees that will impress the most avid Silver Oak enthusiast.
94...
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11/28/2023 - Weiner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very balanced, great depth from start to end.
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10/30/2022 - Weiner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rich, full body cab that pairs well with meat. Has a softness to its rich texture.
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10/6/2022 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 95 Points
This J Daniel Cuvee 16 was locked up tight a PNP. With some ox in the glass the wine softened up a bit. Still primarily dark bramble fruits and chewy tannins. Not the typically Melka experience of silky plushness that I associate with a "style". A bit more serious than the 15 I opened up shortly after. It will be fun to see were this wine goes as it's a bit muddled and in need of further development.
95 Hold
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8/26/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 96 Points
So after the disappointing experience earlier this week I decide to pull another cork to verify bottle variation.
This bottle had a lot more going for it over the two days consumed. More acid, tannin and the fruit was more round on the palate with no steep fall off on day to from extended ox. With that said I think the drinking window when opening this wine should be same day. I was also encouraged by the winery to do so and they should know!
96 day one and 94 day two.
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8/23/2021 - MJP Hou TX wrote: 94 Points
Split bottle between two days. Day one PNP between two Zalto BDX glasses, recorked/cellar temp with bottle resting on it's side.
Day 1: Dark garnet in color. Nose of espresso, cassis and dark red fruits.
Beautifully silky tannins with nice midpalate weight. Long finish. I really enjoyed this wine at PNP. Consumed half bottle over 1.5 hrs.
94
Day 2: OX in the bottle and this wine became a chocolate blueberry milk shake. Not sure what this means!? Residual sugars.. maybe? It's been a while since I've seen a wine do this and it got heavier as we got to the last glass. Had to dump out remainder as it was almost undrinkable. Easy to say disappointed and hope it was just bottle variation. Asking for a friend.... what gives?
88
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10/29/2020 - jkvedar wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted for 4 hours. Showing very well right now. Dark fruits hit the palate immediately with some spice. Incredibly well-integrated on the palate. Very long finish. Time will bring more secondary characteristics, but this is great right now!
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6/12/2020 - Zebra wine wrote:
Robert Parker rating, 100!!!
Drink date, per RP: 2021 - 2051. !!!!!
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4/27/2020 - Swiller368 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hard to imagine describing this as a big fruit bomb. Maybe it was a bit early when Niagara tried it. I thought this was well balanced opened nicely on the palate with a very smooth lengthy finish. Blackberry leather and smoothed out tannins. Hmmm. I just ordered more.
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11/25/2019 - Franken Berry Likes this wine: 99 Points
Matter of Taste NYC 2019: I thought this was incredible, and probably best wine of the day (along with the Penfold's Grange). deep purple in color, bursting with wild blueberries, cherries and creme de cassis with notes of cigar tobacco, violets and a touch of forest floor and crushed stone. terrific purity and freshness, well balanced with an incredibly long finish that was memorable. Drinking incredibly well for such a young wine - little alcohol or weight yet a very masculine wine. I believe that this is a blend of Howell Mountain, Oakville and Calistoga fruit - beautifully integrated, and yet I could distinguish each of the elements. A complete intellectual turn on
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10/4/2019 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had at a tasting and would not buy at $250. Sweet, well made wine but certainly did not wow me, maybe in 5 years
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8/21/2019 - GTFreek wrote:
20 months 75% new French oak. Big style, tannins a touch astringent, then loads of dark fruit, finishes dry. Lots of heft, and not as tight as others I've seen, but basically goes that way. Mountain fruit influence heavy. Hold for 5+years. Buy their Blueprint if you want value and earlier drinking.
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7/7/2019 - Niagara wrote: 95 Points
definitely 'not' IMO a 100-pt wine. Having had quite a few 100 pointers, some come closer to my idea of perfection than others do. I am by no means a professional taster, of course, but this one seems like a big fruit bomb (and I like fruit bombs, especially rich and delicious ones like this one), very much in the Parker style. Again, it's all a matter of preference, but I think many will agree with me that this is a one-note symphony that doesn't leave you humming the overture on your way out of the theatre.
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1/2/2019 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super reticent yet you can tell it has potential.
Howell Mt fruit is prominent yet it's concealed in crushed granite, pen ink and grippy tart currants.
I like young wine but this is super shy and totally unlike the young Verite Muse 2015 I had sometime ago while young was absolutely exuberant.
Try again in 2 years or so I guess.
Edit: I tasted the 08 which has 8 years on this. These Lail's need 10+ years in a good cellar. 08 still a tour of force while the 98 I had was over the hill which I'm guessing was more a matter of storage than the wine itself.
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