From Magnum. Was thrilled to see that this bottle held up phenomenally. Still plenty of primary fruit along with some mature cedar and tobacco. Very much a napa cab, though not of the high alcohol viscous type more common today. Really a pleasure to drink. All that said, air wasn't its friend, and after two hours open it started a slow decline towards simplicity (though perhaps it was me and not the wine?!?).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still great. Pure fruit now. A complete bomb. Long finish. Heidi Barrett doing great work and it still pays off. Five years left at least. I have a couple of mags of this left and I am sure it is even better in a mag. Great wine, big fruit, long finish, just decedent. Truly a great wine.
I love the 1997s. Lots of them are good and often go unnoticed. Beringer and Mondavi made good 1997s as did Jones Family and Seavey. A year that is still going strong.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
After some alcohol aromatics blew off, the wine was pretty nice, medium-bodied. Starting to brick in color, the oak was noticeable. Leather, cassis and dried spices.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An opaque wine with an ink black core and bright crimson rims. Opulent and exotic aromas on the nose revealing plums, candied raspberries, cotton candy, dried violets, cedar, Indian spices, with discreet notes of sweet vanilla. Quite youthful on the palate with intense flavors of plums, cassis, redcurrants, refreshing acidity on the mid palate that leads to a medium plus finish filled with notes of chocolate, roasted coffee, cotton candy, vanilla, sweet silky tannins, and sweet spices. Very feminine in character displaying youthful fruit flavors, a definite crowd pleaser.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours; a bit disappointing, as it had a lighter than expected body and a bit of metallic edge to it. Continued to improve though over the course of an hour. Maybe needed more time to open.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine just became more expressive as time went on. Much better 3 hours after opening. Still very expressive, and much better than the vast majority of 1997 Napa Cabs I have had recently. Deep red color, with expressive aromas of deep red cherries, black currant and a hint of mint. The oak was subtle and the finish was very smooth. I was initially disappointed with the wine upon opening, but it really evolved in the glass nicely. Actually should have a few more years left in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice mature cab. Needed a little air time and it peaked after about an hour. Some nice fruit, some green pepper notes and very well balanced. I'd drink up, not enough fruit to last more than a few years and hard to picture it getting any better than it was drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
November 2008 Napa Trip; 11/7/2008-11/10/2008 (Napa): The first of three 97's we did a horizontal of on the trip. Definitely time to drink now, now, now. Needs some time to open but has a great mouthfeel, some red fruit, bell pepper, very smooth tannins. Part of the joy was simply drinking a wine that absolutely felt like it was in the prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and left in decanted all day w stopper on. Yet at dinner it sill took a half hour to reveal itself.Dark concentrated cab with c;assic garrique, lead pencil notes. Getting better. Still has years to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting of a vertical of 92-99 by Mike Nystrand. The 97 had the most first place votes, yet the lesser of the remaining votes so the wine ended up in second place. I found the wine to be clean, furity, great color. I think that this wine would last for another 10+ years. The group had it in second place. All of us guess cabernet as the base for the tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CLONYC 6 - Cultish Cabs (Philip Marie): Now we're talking. A nicely made wine with clear delineated varietal characteristics. Expressive nose of sweet, dark fruit, licorice and tobacco leaf. Smooth entry to a lush wine that shows off nice depth and concentration. Finishes long and complex with a little baking spice on the back end. Not a blockbuster, but a seamless soup to nuts effort.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Prime with Steve&Joyce and Greg Rapoport. Had after our bonarda, malbec tasting experience at Vinisimo and Prime. Double decanted in am. Was still a little tight at dinner, but wine shows itself splendidly with deep cassis dark fruit flavors and persistent finish. If anyone has more recommend waiting 5 more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hous before serving. Rich garnet color. Expressive, dense nose of currants, cinnamon, watermelon bubblegum, and a bit of tobacco. What an ethereal wine in the mouth, medium-to-full bodied but with a lightness that floats it around and coats the palate. The tannin is slighty astringent but is almost wholly swallowed up by the present but unobtrusive oak. Packed with elegant fruit that leads into a complex, Barolo-like finish. Its just a couple of years away from reaching its peak (only bottle - oh well) and has the backbone and structure to stay there for a good many years. 50+5+14+17+9=95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still inky and oaky. Shows some underlying fruit. Overall this one needs serious time to let the oak integrate. Thought maybe the fruit from 1997 would have been powerful enough to handle it better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/21/2021 - alkenjibari wrote:
surprisingly good , holding up well with good fruit and a smooth finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2019 - Alfaro wrote: 96 Points
PnP, great showing!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2018 - OG-Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
From Magnum.
Was thrilled to see that this bottle held up phenomenally. Still plenty of primary fruit along with some mature cedar and tobacco. Very much a napa cab, though not of the high alcohol viscous type more common today. Really a pleasure to drink. All that said, air wasn't its friend, and after two hours open it started a slow decline towards simplicity (though perhaps it was me and not the wine?!?).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last bottle. Probably on downside of peak but still delicious classic Napa Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2018 - Wino101 wrote: flawed
Past it’s prime
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2017 - Quiet Lion wrote:
This bottle appeared slightly oxidized and didn't show as well as the others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Showing beautifully after 90-minute decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle showed beautifully. Paired with 2009 Futo OV to contrast old and new Napa. Classic with remaining primary fruit after 20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2017 - Quiet Lion wrote: flawed
Drinkable but sightly flawed
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fully mature, cedar, chocolate, licorice. Still going strong on second day. Such a well-made wine from great vines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2017 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fully mature excellent Cabernet from a great vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2015 - Larry&Ron wrote: 95 Points
A rich wine with lots of time left to drink. Tar & tobacco.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2015 - MorgantonMichael wrote: 96 Points
Still great. Pure fruit now. A complete bomb. Long finish. Heidi Barrett doing great work and it still pays off. Five years left at least. I have a couple of mags of this left and I am sure it is even better in a mag. Great wine, big fruit, long finish, just decedent. Truly a great wine.
I love the 1997s. Lots of them are good and often go unnoticed. Beringer and Mondavi made good 1997s as did Jones Family and Seavey. A year that is still going strong.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2014 - jhieb wrote: 92 Points
Holding up very well at this stage. Very different to the wines they have released in the last eight years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2014 - winestem wrote: 90 Points
After some alcohol aromatics blew off, the wine was pretty nice, medium-bodied. Starting to brick in color, the oak was noticeable. Leather, cassis and dried spices.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2013 - Gobi wrote: 93 Points
An opaque wine with an ink black core and bright crimson rims. Opulent and exotic aromas on the nose revealing plums, candied raspberries, cotton candy, dried violets, cedar, Indian spices, with discreet notes of sweet vanilla. Quite youthful on the palate with intense flavors of plums, cassis, redcurrants, refreshing acidity on the mid palate that leads to a medium plus finish filled with notes of chocolate, roasted coffee, cotton candy, vanilla, sweet silky tannins, and sweet spices. Very feminine in character displaying youthful fruit flavors, a definite crowd pleaser.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2013 - CGoldfischer wrote:
Brettanomyces from nose to palate. One-note fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2012 - burgboy wrote: 96 Points
Pure decadence. Fully integrated juice even my Francophile bride loved...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2011 - mygrogro wrote: 90 Points
nice forward fruit, dry tannin,
needs 1 hr decanting, smoky finish, kinda disappointing
wasn't as robust as I expected
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2011 - mactheknife wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours; a bit disappointing, as it had a lighter than expected body and a bit of metallic edge to it. Continued to improve though over the course of an hour. Maybe needed more time to open.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2011 - Dangelmaier wrote: 92 Points
It was a great bottle, but I will let my next one age more...great fruit and a long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2010 - jrf wrote: 86 Points
past its prime but still pretty tasty. A recent auction of this bottle at $70 tells the story.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2010 - crooksie wrote: 88 Points
past its prime, should have opened a few years earlier
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2010 - hyperman wrote:
Gift
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2009 - win wrote: 93 Points
This wine just became more expressive as time went on. Much better 3 hours after opening. Still very expressive, and much better than the vast majority of 1997 Napa Cabs I have had recently. Deep red color, with expressive aromas of deep red cherries, black currant and a hint of mint. The oak was subtle and the finish was very smooth. I was initially disappointed with the wine upon opening, but it really evolved in the glass nicely. Actually should have a few more years left in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2008 - mike l. wrote: 92 Points
lovely fruit, tobacco, earth components. well integrated, spicy. best open after 60-90 minutes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2008 - Clarkmeister wrote: 92 Points
Nice mature cab. Needed a little air time and it peaked after about an hour. Some nice fruit, some green pepper notes and very well balanced. I'd drink up, not enough fruit to last more than a few years and hard to picture it getting any better than it was drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2008 - Clarkmeister wrote: 93 Points
November 2008 Napa Trip; 11/7/2008-11/10/2008 (Napa): The first of three 97's we did a horizontal of on the trip. Definitely time to drink now, now, now. Needs some time to open but has a great mouthfeel, some red fruit, bell pepper, very smooth tannins. Part of the joy was simply drinking a wine that absolutely felt like it was in the prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and left in decanted all day w stopper on. Yet at dinner it sill took a half hour to reveal itself.Dark concentrated cab with c;assic garrique, lead pencil notes. Getting better. Still has years to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2007 - jlgnml wrote: 97 Points
Tasting of a vertical of 92-99 by Mike Nystrand. The 97 had the most first place votes, yet the lesser of the remaining votes so the wine ended up in second place. I found the wine to be clean, furity, great color. I think that this wine would last for another 10+ years. The group had it in second place. All of us guess cabernet as the base for the tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
CLONYC 6 - Cultish Cabs (Philip Marie): Now we're talking. A nicely made wine with clear delineated varietal characteristics. Expressive nose of sweet, dark fruit, licorice and tobacco leaf. Smooth entry to a lush wine that shows off nice depth and concentration. Finishes long and complex with a little baking spice on the back end. Not a blockbuster, but a seamless soup to nuts effort.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
At Prime with Steve&Joyce and Greg Rapoport. Had after our bonarda, malbec tasting experience at Vinisimo and Prime. Double decanted in am. Was still a little tight at dinner, but wine shows itself splendidly with deep cassis dark fruit flavors and persistent finish. If anyone has more recommend waiting 5 more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2005 - burningstarIV wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hous before serving. Rich garnet color. Expressive, dense nose of currants, cinnamon, watermelon bubblegum, and a bit of tobacco. What an ethereal wine in the mouth, medium-to-full bodied but with a lightness that floats it around and coats the palate. The tannin is slighty astringent but is almost wholly swallowed up by the present but unobtrusive oak. Packed with elegant fruit that leads into a complex, Barolo-like finish. Its just a couple of years away from reaching its peak (only bottle - oh well) and has the backbone and structure to stay there for a good many years. 50+5+14+17+9=95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2002 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Still inky and oaky. Shows some underlying fruit. Overall this one needs serious time to let the oak integrate. Thought maybe the fruit from 1997 would have been powerful enough to handle it better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment