Love the balance, poise and restraint that this displays. It has plenty of fruit, but also a healthy amount of earthy character and acidity. Higher toned red and black fruit with cedar and some vanilla.
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A: Deep ruby N: medium+ intensity, lots of red and black currant, red and black cherry, red and black plum, bit of tobacco, vanilla, cedar, wet stones, Rutherford dust, pencil P: dry, med+ acid, med+ tannin, medium alcohol, med+ body, med+ intensity, same on the palate as nose, long finish Q: Outstanding, can drink now but has potential for aging
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Decanted about 1 hour then tasted blind alongside a 2016 Heitz and 2019 Olema for fun. The Frog’s Leap stood was distinct from the others—sophisticated comes to mind. This had the expected trappings of a delicious Rutherford cab with the signature rounded/ plush/dusty tannins very smooth and well integrated. Color leaned more purple than the Heitz with some opacity. On the nose and palate this stayed safe in the black fruits arena. Very well balanced. No heavy oak influence-assuming they don’t use a ton of new oak—same as with the Heitz. We’ll keep this in the neighborhood cellar rotation as well from an excellent year. Both great $50-60 QPRs
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Agree with many others that this is an old style, classic cab. Well balanced and smooth. Cherries and plum, with Oak and vanilla. It had been a while since I had this wine and better than remembered. Ready to enjoy.
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Really like this style of cab. High-toned red and black fruits, cedar, pencil shavings. Full bodied without being overly weighty, and plenty of acidity. Maybe just entering its window for my palate, with 10-15 years of improvement ahead.
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I agree with a lot of the other higher scored reviews here. I drank over the course of 4hrs and continued to improve. I suspect that had I not finished it would have been even better on day two and probably day three. The nose was subtle at first, but became more pronounced w time. Same with the palate - berries/dark fruit w leather and earth. I really enjoyed this. It hasn’t hit its peak by a long shot.
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A good QPR for Napa, very old school. Not a ton on the nose but the fruit is nice and no heat on the finish. There is not a ton of depth and complexity, however. Solid, but not great.
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where did this come from! medium bodied, mixed purple/red fruit, some chocolate, hints of green, fresh acid, some ripe grape tannin, and a long finish with plenty of Rutherford dust. Reminds me of 1970s Napa cabs I've had at Berns. It's been AGES since someone was making $50 Napa cab like this. What a find!
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Classically styled cab. More red-fruited/berries up front, with some plum and blackcurrant in the background. Distinctive green note that integrates with some air.
This needs time, but has the potential to be very good. Drink over the next 5-15 years.
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From 375 Deep purple black, opaque at the core Light dark berry and some cinnamon aroma Plush dark plummy leathery fruit, quite easy to drink, moderately full bodied, round tannins. Certainly enjoyable now, but should hold well with all its stuffing
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On the lighter side and nicely balanced if not somewhat polite. Eucalyptus, pencil and dark chocolate shavings knit together by a thread of non-pyrazine green.
Palate has bits of cherry, lightly spiced, dark chocolate, almond
Finish is subtle and satisfying with characteristic cocoa dust. Chocolate is even more layered on the second day. Some end-tail tannins give this the room to integrate further and merits re-visitation.
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This is very classic Rutherford from another era. Black cherry, red plum, leather and dusty tannin. Just a touch of sweetness to the red fruit, but it has a nice freshness about it. Great today, but this has the makings of an elegant lighter styled cab if you cellar it.
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The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown from Frog's Leap is dark, bold and luscious, with generous dark cherry, plum spice, leather. Forward and supple, the 2016 will drink well right out of the gate, and yet it also has enough freshness to age nicely for a number of years. In 2016, the Cabernet has gorgeous depth to play off a classic, mid-weight sense of structure. This is a positively joyous Cabernet Sauvignon from Frog's Leap.
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Well made, nicely restrained (per the back label...), probably needs a couple more years, still a little jammier than I prefer, but a pleasant surprised for Napa big boy cabs.
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Read a recent note on the 2017 by local wine buddy JCGuthrie, that intrigued me so I grabbed this 2016 to try. Not the same vintage but this is a longtime Napa producer with likely a consistent style. I had the luxury of opening this 3-1/2 hours before dinner, so I did. More air is rarely a negative for young wines. Drank in Reidel BDXs. Color was a semi opaque ruby center with magenta edges. Smoky dark fruit and faint cigar box aromas. I love that the palate shows precision, balance and restraint for a big Napa Cab. This has enough structure to keep it fresh and energetic. Never fat nor sloppy. There are layers of dark complected cherry and raspberry along with dark chocolate, herbs and tobacco leaf. Won't mistake this for BDX but it maximizes its Rutherford setting and does CA proud. 13.8%alc. I'd buy this again. Paid $47 with a coupon. 92pts+
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We opened up and let sit for 1-hour before drinking, had some strong tannin at first but as the wine sat it opened up perfectly. Paired well with pasta dinner. Very smooth, consistent finish.
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Tasting at Frog's Leap: Aromatics of cassis, leather, tobacco, violets and cedar. Broad and elegant, with well-expressed primary fruit and secondary depth. Round fine tannins and very nice depth. Excellent.
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It's been years since I tasted one of these. I really like the '16 but recommend 2-3 years more in the bottle. Red fruits dominate with medium acid, light coffee, a little pepper, and a delicious green streak typical of their style.
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Overall a nice and enjoyable wine but lacking the depth, complexity and layering. Has a bright fruit finish and polish, but as others have noted I fail to see the potential for this to age long-term. The wine did add a bit of weight over it’s two hour drinking window, not decanted.
This seems fairly typical of the half dozen wines I’ve sampled from the 2016 vintage; while the vintage has gotten high ratings overall, Ive find them fairly soft given their recent release. Maybe over the last decade I’ve become accustomed to Tannic fruit bombs, but I don’t see how this can add enough weight to last 7-10 years when there is little evidence of tannins right now.
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This wine is fresh with a mix of red and black currants, accents of tarragon or Thai basil, white pepper, and hints of light coffee. Acidity is elevated relative to other modern Napa cabs and the wine is medium bodied with finely grained tannins. Really enjoyed this.
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Tasted at Frog's Leap winery. Consistent with the house style this is a mid weight classically made Rutherford Cabernet. Bright deep nose of dark cherry and a bit of plum. Similar notes on the palate with moderate tannin and acidity. This has some nice depth and complexity now and a clean bright finish. This drinks well now but given a few more years I expect it will pick up a bit of weight and depth. We also tasted the 12 and 08 which were wonderful. If you're looking for more classically made Cabernet with little oak influence and not over ripe flavors then Frog's Leap is for you. It's also a terrific value especially at the club price of $55. Excellent and recommended.
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I differ (at my ignorant peril) with the other reviews. To me this is a light, delicious, fruity wine, with no depth, complexity, or long distance potential. I surmise that this is the future of climate change wine at their best, delicious but uninteresting. But I like it a lot. Yes I woud prefer an interesting wine, but at this price point ($50) I don't expect that today, and am quite happy with delicious.
To be specific, this is clearly more enjoyable than the Ridge estate cab that I bought for $17 more at a higher priced store last week.
edit: In August 2020, I am again grateful this is available locally, as it is still delicious, and still fruity and uncomplicated. Hard still to imagine any significant depth developing, but well recommended as highly drinkable now.
Exhibiting mostly green qualities on the nose. Medium body in the mouth where there’s a bit of red fruit. Acidity is there but not nearly as much as I would expect for the style. Tannins are fairly light. This might need a few years, but it’s hard to say.
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Great nose almost like a Pinot Noir. Scents of leather, blackberry and mace. Dark fruits at the front with a smooth mid palate. Dry finish that is a bit harsh and acidic. Drinks well with some time in the decanter. This could lay down for a few years.
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3/15/2024 - Marino13412 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional.
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6/18/2023 - td1836 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love the balance, poise and restraint that this displays. It has plenty of fruit, but also a healthy amount of earthy character and acidity. Higher toned red and black fruit with cedar and some vanilla.
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3/18/2023 - tjb12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A: Deep ruby
N: medium+ intensity, lots of red and black currant, red and black cherry, red and black plum, bit of tobacco, vanilla, cedar, wet stones, Rutherford dust, pencil
P: dry, med+ acid, med+ tannin, medium alcohol, med+ body, med+ intensity, same on the palate as nose, long finish
Q: Outstanding, can drink now but has potential for aging
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1/19/2023 - Slwojdyla Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 1 hour then tasted blind alongside a 2016 Heitz and 2019 Olema for fun. The Frog’s Leap stood was distinct from the others—sophisticated comes to mind. This had the expected trappings of a delicious Rutherford cab with the signature rounded/ plush/dusty tannins very smooth and well integrated. Color leaned more purple than the Heitz with some opacity. On the nose and palate this stayed safe in the black fruits arena. Very well balanced. No heavy oak influence-assuming they don’t use a ton of new oak—same as with the Heitz. We’ll keep this in the neighborhood cellar rotation as well from an excellent year. Both great $50-60 QPRs
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12/16/2022 - ExperientialVino Likes this wine: 96 Points
Raspberry, apricot, tobacco, refined.
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8/15/2022 - Fox8868 wrote: 91 Points
Smooth tannins It’s drinking beautifully
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7/23/2022 - Robwild Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agree with many others that this is an old style, classic cab. Well balanced and smooth. Cherries and plum, with Oak and vanilla. It had been a while since I had this wine and better than remembered. Ready to enjoy.
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2/3/2022 - mcktuck wrote: 91 Points
Really like this style of cab. High-toned red and black fruits, cedar, pencil shavings. Full bodied without being overly weighty, and plenty of acidity. Maybe just entering its window for my palate, with 10-15 years of improvement ahead.
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1/15/2022 - drewlaw Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree with a lot of the other higher scored reviews here. I drank over the course of 4hrs and continued to improve. I suspect that had I not finished it would have been even better on day two and probably day three. The nose was subtle at first, but became more pronounced w time. Same with the palate - berries/dark fruit w leather and earth. I really enjoyed this. It hasn’t hit its peak by a long shot.
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10/31/2021 - TomTom wrote:
A good QPR for Napa, very old school. Not a ton on the nose but the fruit is nice and no heat on the finish. There is not a ton of depth and complexity, however. Solid, but not great.
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3/15/2021 - blank blank wrote: 91 Points
where did this come from! medium bodied, mixed purple/red fruit, some chocolate, hints of green, fresh acid, some ripe grape tannin, and a long finish with plenty of Rutherford dust. Reminds me of 1970s Napa cabs I've had at Berns. It's been AGES since someone was making $50 Napa cab like this. What a find!
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2/24/2021 - Hypnos1 wrote:
Delicious not a fruity bomb
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2/22/2021 - Vintoria wrote:
Loved it!
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2/21/2021 - mcktuck Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classically styled cab. More red-fruited/berries up front, with some plum and blackcurrant in the background. Distinctive green note that integrates with some air.
This needs time, but has the potential to be very good. Drink over the next 5-15 years.
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12/27/2020 - cos65 Likes this wine:
From 375
Deep purple black, opaque at the core
Light dark berry and some cinnamon aroma
Plush dark plummy leathery fruit, quite easy to drink, moderately full bodied, round tannins. Certainly enjoyable now, but should hold well with all its stuffing
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12/5/2020 - Charlie N Likes this wine: 91 Points
On the lighter side and nicely balanced if not somewhat polite. Eucalyptus, pencil and dark chocolate shavings knit together by a thread of non-pyrazine green.
Palate has bits of cherry, lightly spiced, dark chocolate, almond
Finish is subtle and satisfying with characteristic cocoa dust. Chocolate is even more layered on the second day. Some end-tail tannins give this the room to integrate further and merits re-visitation.
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11/27/2020 - Breathing007 wrote:
Wouldn’t buy again for over $40 but smooth and good taste 4-5 years in
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10/23/2020 - Rhwinetracker Likes this wine:
Drank over multiple nights with Corvain. Plumb, leather, and fine tannins. Solid. Would get again.
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10/12/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
This is very classic Rutherford from another era. Black cherry, red plum, leather and dusty tannin. Just a touch of sweetness to the red fruit, but it has a nice freshness about it. Great today, but this has the makings of an elegant lighter styled cab if you cellar it.
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10/9/2020 - Mdb1982 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown from Frog's Leap is dark, bold and luscious, with generous dark cherry, plum spice, leather. Forward and supple, the 2016 will drink well right out of the gate, and yet it also has enough freshness to age nicely for a number of years. In 2016, the Cabernet has gorgeous depth to play off a classic, mid-weight sense of structure. This is a positively joyous Cabernet Sauvignon from Frog's Leap.
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10/7/2020 - tastark Likes this wine:
Much better on day 2. Very classically styled Cab. Delicious. Hold 5+ years.
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9/14/2020 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well made, nicely restrained (per the back label...), probably needs a couple more years, still a little jammier than I prefer, but a pleasant surprised for Napa big boy cabs.
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7/31/2020 - johnmfedorko wrote:
A very deep, ruby red like color.....really good wine.
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7/31/2020 - Dagman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young but all of the basics are in place. Needs another 2-3 years.
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7/1/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Read a recent note on the 2017 by local wine buddy JCGuthrie, that intrigued me so I grabbed this 2016 to try. Not the same vintage but this is a longtime Napa producer with likely a consistent style. I had the luxury of opening this 3-1/2 hours before dinner, so I did. More air is rarely a negative for young wines. Drank in Reidel BDXs. Color was a semi opaque ruby center with magenta edges. Smoky dark fruit and faint cigar box aromas. I love that the palate shows precision, balance and restraint for a big Napa Cab. This has enough structure to keep it fresh and energetic. Never fat nor sloppy. There are layers of dark complected cherry and raspberry along with dark chocolate, herbs and tobacco leaf. Won't mistake this for BDX but it maximizes its Rutherford setting and does CA proud. 13.8%alc. I'd buy this again. Paid $47 with a coupon. 92pts+
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4/10/2020 - sweez1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
We opened up and let sit for 1-hour before drinking, had some strong tannin at first but as the wine sat it opened up perfectly. Paired well with pasta dinner. Very smooth, consistent finish.
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1/28/2020 - MattMauldin Likes this wine:
Tasting at Frog's Leap: Aromatics of cassis, leather, tobacco, violets and cedar. Broad and elegant, with well-expressed primary fruit and secondary depth. Round fine tannins and very nice depth. Excellent.
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1/5/2020 - S1 Likes this wine:
It's been years since I tasted one of these. I really like the '16 but recommend 2-3 years more in the bottle. Red fruits dominate with medium acid, light coffee, a little pepper, and a delicious green streak typical of their style.
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12/17/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 90 Points
Overall a nice and enjoyable wine but lacking the depth, complexity and layering. Has a bright fruit finish and polish, but as others have noted I fail to see the potential for this to age long-term. The wine did add a bit of weight over it’s two hour drinking window, not decanted.
This seems fairly typical of the half dozen wines I’ve sampled from the 2016 vintage; while the vintage has gotten high ratings overall, Ive find them fairly soft given their recent release. Maybe over the last decade I’ve become accustomed to Tannic fruit bombs, but I don’t see how this can add enough weight to last 7-10 years when there is little evidence of tannins right now.
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12/17/2019 - poppacork Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is fresh with a mix of red and black currants, accents of tarragon or Thai basil, white pepper, and hints of light coffee. Acidity is elevated relative to other modern Napa cabs and the wine is medium bodied with finely grained tannins. Really enjoyed this.
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10/21/2019 - fdaner wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Frog's Leap winery. Consistent with the house style this is a mid weight classically made Rutherford Cabernet. Bright deep nose of dark cherry and a bit of plum. Similar notes on the palate with moderate tannin and acidity. This has some nice depth and complexity now and a clean bright finish. This drinks well now but given a few more years I expect it will pick up a bit of weight and depth. We also tasted the 12 and 08 which were wonderful. If you're looking for more classically made Cabernet with little oak influence and not over ripe flavors then Frog's Leap is for you. It's also a terrific value especially at the club price of $55. Excellent and recommended.
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8/31/2019 - mathwonk wrote:
I differ (at my ignorant peril) with the other reviews. To me this is a light, delicious, fruity wine, with no depth, complexity, or long distance potential. I surmise that this is the future of climate change wine at their best, delicious but uninteresting. But I like it a lot. Yes I woud prefer an interesting wine, but at this price point ($50) I don't expect that today, and am quite happy with delicious.
To be specific, this is clearly more enjoyable than the Ridge estate cab that I bought for $17 more at a higher priced store last week.
edit: In August 2020, I am again grateful this is available locally, as it is still delicious, and still fruity and uncomplicated. Hard still to imagine any significant depth developing, but well recommended as highly drinkable now.
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5/20/2019 - ONEFIVE wrote:
Exhibiting mostly green qualities on the nose.
Medium body in the mouth where there’s a bit of red fruit. Acidity is there but not nearly as much as I would expect for the style. Tannins are fairly light. This might need a few years, but it’s hard to say.
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5/9/2019 - PTCwinenerds Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great nose almost like a Pinot Noir. Scents of leather, blackberry and mace. Dark fruits at the front with a smooth mid palate. Dry finish that is a bit harsh and acidic. Drinks well with some time in the decanter. This could lay down for a few years.
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