Allowed to breathe in glass one hour. Clear inky garnet-black color. Lovely notes of black fruit (both fresh and freshly baked) and fruit liqueur, nutmeg, cardamom, anise, vanilla, spicy oak, forest floor. Youthful, robust, full body with some noticeable alcoholic heat.
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Big body and slightly heavy on the pallette. We had wonderful meaty ribs with this wine and my husband insists it smells like and tastes like dark bing cherries without the sweetness of summer and just a slight hint of mature pepper. True it's not complex but it is very pleasant and a good compliment to the meal. Not past it's peak and definitely ready to drink now.
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Drank at a wine tasting. Perfectly cellared example. Fresh and vibrant. Huge white pepper nose red fruit earth mushroom, quite muscular but beautifully balanced. Seems to blow the 10 year California wine rule out the door.
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Slightly more integrated than the last bottle I consumed. Smoke, wood, cedar, oak, coffee and blackberries predominate in this wine. Shortish finish and moderate complexity. It was good, but I expect more from this maker (first vintage w/ Mark Herold as winemaker), at this price point, and from this vintage. Drink now.
88 points; purchased from Winebid.com for $34.50 on 12/5/2011
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Drank over 1.5 hours. I really want to rate this highly, since I love Kamen, but it's just working for me like the Kamens I've had in the past. Muted nose of blueberry, other dark fruit, and some oak. Wasn't as balanced on the mid-palate or the finish as the other vintages I've had. Some tannins left, so perhaps all hope is not gone. Fruit is fairly reserved. It just never came together. I would drink any bottles you have now. I have one more, so I'll update if something changes with that one.
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used a vinturi for pouring. Tried to compare with and without even though we knew which was was. The wine was a dark red with a better nose from the vinturi poured glass. The taste was almost the same with both. No long finish as the wine was rather linear. This was better than my first bottle. I'm interested to see if time (either cellar or decanting) makes this any better.
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This is written the second night and is a 180 degree reversal of last night's impressions. Last night the wine was closed, almost skunky on the nose, dull on the palate and uninteresting overall. Second night the nose is tar, tobacco, earth and minimal fruit, but in the mouth it is as good as any like aged second growth and better than many, Plenty of fruit, still some oak, and a very fine finish. Good stuff--sorry I drank half the bottle last night.
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Our bottle was great, best cab I've had in a while (admittedly not drinking this price point...) Still dark, firm core of fruit with nose of tar/lead/earth. Not overly oaky, but strong backbone of the wine stands up to the noticeable oak. Ate with chateaubriand/madeira sauteed portobellos and lemon steamed asparagus with hollandaise for valentine's at home. Decanted three hours.
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Fantastic wine. A big cab with a classic nose and huge taste, with distinctive note of sweet, ripe berry on the finish. More fruit than oak. Find more.
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Grippy and a bit green this was heavy and sullen overall. Bit tart with a weak midpalate this just wasn't very expressive. Not horrible but not something you look forward to drinking. Not going anywhere anytime soon.
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From 5L. Dark fruits and heavily toasted oak - overly ripe, porty profile despite straight-from-the-winery provenance. Sweet and pruney, with VA evident. Not my style at all.
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enjoyable bottle, good dark fruit. I remember maybe one glass out of this mag, it disappeared fast and the only other person drinking was a drunk friend
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spice, currant and cedar. Fruit has greaty diminished. Drinking good now. Third bottle I have had of this, 2 needed to be drank now and 1 could have gone another 5 years. I would suggest drinking now.
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WIML88,WA89,NOWS Tasted March 24, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Dark garnet color, clear hue throughout. Nose of dark fruits, plum, melted licorice but just a little to much “hotness”. Flavors remind me of cigar box (yep, I know it’s an aroma) along with some plum, black currant and wet earth. If this wine was selling at half its’ current price I’d recommend it as a good value play. Pass instead.
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1/4/2019 - Javachip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass one hour. Clear inky garnet-black color. Lovely notes of black fruit (both fresh and freshly baked) and fruit liqueur, nutmeg, cardamom, anise, vanilla, spicy oak, forest floor. Youthful, robust, full body with some noticeable alcoholic heat.
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1/4/2019 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Magnum. This has held up for a few days so I'm calling this still in its drinking window.
Simple fruit flavors but nice notes of spices and some pepper really carry it along. I would seek out this wine again.
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6/25/2018 - lolo66 wrote:
A bit past its prime. Some stewed plums and balsamic notes. Very dark. Not much acidity but still tannins. Velvet tones.
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11/14/2015 - lshraibati Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big body and slightly heavy on the pallette. We had wonderful meaty ribs with this wine and my husband insists it smells like and tastes like dark bing cherries without the sweetness of summer and just a slight hint of mature pepper. True it's not complex but it is very pleasant and a good compliment to the meal. Not past it's peak and definitely ready to drink now.
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9/7/2013 - Ralphie1 wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Still has good fruit.
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12/21/2012 - Food Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at a wine tasting. Perfectly cellared example. Fresh and vibrant. Huge white pepper nose red fruit earth mushroom, quite muscular but beautifully balanced. Seems to blow the 10 year California wine rule out the door.
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7/4/2012 - Raja wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely loved it! Perfectly aged. Although medium finish, nice body, wonderful nose, and velvety tannins.
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2/14/2012 - smcilhen wrote: 88 Points
Slightly more integrated than the last bottle I consumed. Smoke, wood, cedar, oak, coffee and blackberries predominate in this wine. Shortish finish and moderate complexity. It was good, but I expect more from this maker (first vintage w/ Mark Herold as winemaker), at this price point, and from this vintage. Drink now.
88 points; purchased from Winebid.com for $34.50 on 12/5/2011
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1/6/2012 - smcilhen wrote: 86 Points
Drank over 1.5 hours. I really want to rate this highly, since I love Kamen, but it's just working for me like the Kamens I've had in the past. Muted nose of blueberry, other dark fruit, and some oak. Wasn't as balanced on the mid-palate or the finish as the other vintages I've had. Some tannins left, so perhaps all hope is not gone. Fruit is fairly reserved. It just never came together. I would drink any bottles you have now. I have one more, so I'll update if something changes with that one.
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2/1/2010 - rjayson wrote: 88 Points
used a vinturi for pouring. Tried to compare with and without even though we knew which was was. The wine was a dark red with a better nose from the vinturi poured glass. The taste was almost the same with both. No long finish as the wine was rather linear. This was better than my first bottle. I'm interested to see if time (either cellar or decanting) makes this any better.
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12/11/2009 - jbro wrote: 94 Points
This is written the second night and is a 180 degree reversal of last night's impressions. Last night the wine was closed, almost skunky on the nose, dull on the palate and uninteresting overall. Second night the nose is tar, tobacco, earth and minimal fruit, but in the mouth it is as good as any like aged second growth and better than many, Plenty of fruit, still some oak, and a very fine finish. Good stuff--sorry I drank half the bottle last night.
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10/3/2009 - curtr wrote: 88 Points
Much better bottle. Balanced.
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8/26/2009 - curtr wrote: 87 Points
A bit lean.
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3/1/2009 - curtr wrote: 88 Points
Drinking well now out of 375ml.
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2/18/2009 - Maz wrote: 88 Points
OK Cab but not great value for the $50 price point I paid. A bit on the overripe side for my taste. Good tannins and finish.
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2/15/2009 - eschwet wrote: 93 Points
Our bottle was great, best cab I've had in a while (admittedly not drinking this price point...) Still dark, firm core of fruit with nose of tar/lead/earth. Not overly oaky, but strong backbone of the wine stands up to the noticeable oak. Ate with chateaubriand/madeira sauteed portobellos and lemon steamed asparagus with hollandaise for valentine's at home. Decanted three hours.
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12/21/2008 - zeke26 wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic wine. A big cab with a classic nose and huge taste, with distinctive note of sweet, ripe berry on the finish. More fruit than oak. Find more.
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11/11/2008 - WetRock wrote:
Grippy and a bit green this was heavy and sullen overall. Bit tart with a weak midpalate this just wasn't very expressive. Not horrible but not something you look forward to drinking. Not going anywhere anytime soon.
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10/29/2008 - htiffen wrote:
Heavy, rich, not very interesting. Short finish. Tooold?
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5/31/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 87 Points
cedar and toasty oak. falling apart a bit with notes of raisins. had from 5l. showed far worse than some mags I had awhile back
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5/27/2008 - psmith wrote:
From 5L. Dark fruits and heavily toasted oak - overly ripe, porty profile despite straight-from-the-winery provenance. Sweet and pruney, with VA evident. Not my style at all.
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11/4/2007 - zimmy07 wrote: 90 Points
enjoyable bottle, good dark fruit. I remember maybe one glass out of this mag, it disappeared fast and the only other person drinking was a drunk friend
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3/17/2007 - zimmy07 wrote: 91 Points
spice, currant and cedar. Fruit has greaty diminished. Drinking good now. Third bottle I have had of this, 2 needed to be drank now and 1 could have gone another 5 years. I would suggest drinking now.
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3/24/2005 - wineismylife wrote: 88 Points
WIML88,WA89,NOWS
Tasted March 24, 2005 at an offline so brief comments only. Opened and served immediately in Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glasses. Dark garnet color, clear hue throughout. Nose of dark fruits, plum, melted licorice but just a little to much “hotness”. Flavors remind me of cigar box (yep, I know it’s an aroma) along with some plum, black currant and wet earth. If this wine was selling at half its’ current price I’d recommend it as a good value play. Pass instead.
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