Magnum. In a good drinking window now (I find that Martini Napa Cab is best around 7-10 years). Smooth tannins, well integrated. Coffee and cherry notes.
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On the night I opened, I was thinking maybe it had run out of gas; it was flat and static with muted fruit. I returned to the bottle two nights later and there was significant improvement. The black fruit profile shone through, and there was impressive depth and structure. Plenty of time left here, I will likely wait a year before popping another. Really enjoyed it.
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Magnum, probably drank too early. Tannins still harsh, not the smooth coffee/cherry I’ve had from the 2014 vintage. Personally would wait about 3-5 more years (for the Magnum). 750mL may develop a little faster. Usually I’m a big fan of this cuvée, but this particular bottle just didn’t speak my language!
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Absolutely solid juice here, getting better by the year. I’d love to blind taste this against the big $$ junk and see what happens. Fabulous wine for the $$$ Drink now and it will really pop in 2024-6
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Pleasant CS blend. Mid body. Silk on the palate. But somehow got too much of sun and alcohol which compresses the scale of complexity. Hope it will improve, but not sure. There is more value for same price on the market.
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Beautiful aromas of cassis, plum, mint and black cherry. Palate is the same with subtle oak spice , vanilla, molasses,herbs, and blackberry. All backed by soft tannins and medium acidity. The first taste had a dry finish but after a few minutes it turned soft and nice. You can tell the winemaker walked a fine line by making sure it didn't become too jammy and 6 years of bottle age tamed the oak.15% ABV? What 15% , they did a fantastic job covering it up.
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A delicious winewhich punches above its weight. Like the 17' similar notes.
It is rich & quite aromatic for a Cabernet. In mouth the wine delivers blackberry fruit with plum, anise, tobacco leaf and chocolate. The mid palette is its strong point as the sweet fruits are allowed to be experienced without the restraint of tannin. The finish disappoints as the fruit quickly fades.
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Easy drinking with fair oak treatment probably covering the alcohol content, but nicely done. Flavors of cloves, spices and dark berries. A bit one dimensional at time, but good acidity and balance make this a crowd pleasure for sure.
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This was a tuff one, The other wine was so much different that this had no chance. The other wine was a 13 Baer Ursa, fabulous. After the Baer was gone this was decent.
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Nicely drinking, though quite high in alcohol and to my taste very oaky. Notes of cloves, spices and dark berries, quite assertive on the palate. Missing some lightness and balance, probably lack of acidity, but still a concentrated effort worth the experience.
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Very fruity nose. Lots of red fruit. Palate is nice and big. Great mouthfeel and lots of fruits on the palate too. This wine continues to impress and I think it’s still one of the best value Napa cabs out there.
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Vinturied into decant, consumed over several hours. This will not offend anyone, pretty solid down the middle, and pleasant enough to keep you sipping after dinner. I like to see the old schoolers still making decent wine at a fair tariff. Drink now thru 2024.
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Plump, luscious, and structured, this kept growing and evolving from the get go. Black currant, baking spices, and cocoa powder notes show depth and concentration amid a full body and a sapid, succulent cut. Really nice at the 2+ hour mark. Lots of potential here.
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True to varietal and appellation, begins with scents of cedar wood, berry and cherry, full bodied, dusty tannin, balanced acid, the palate shows textbook flavors of cassis, blackberry jam, currant and licorice, the finish holds on to the tongue for some extra time, really a benchmark at this price point, has structure to age but drinking well now, had with bison meat loaf with steak sauce drizzle
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Black cherries, mocha, cassis, oak. After a 4-5 hour decant it opened well. Possibly the best vintage for this classic $25-$30 napa cab. Good now, plenty of time to hold for 10 or more years.
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Taste CA Wines (San Diego Wine Co.): Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: CREAMY oak atop RIPE berries, rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it fairly seamlessly leads into a LONG, BALANCED finish with a potentially elegant tangy/swtness to the firming, DUSTY tannins. NEEDS through '21, poss '22, then at least approaching its 10th. VERY nicely done! My EXC, & I'd certainly not rule out eventually even higher for QPR for this "pricey" AVA. [This vendor's $29.99 puts it in the TOP 10% of wine-searcher's numerous postings!]
Note: Also tasted on 7/20 & 8/3/19 with similar TNs.
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This is a very nice wine. But it is really all about value, especially on restaurant wine lists. At St Elmo’s steak house in Indy, where the list had about a hundred cabs many over 300.00 this was 63.00. When you are ordering for a table and don’t want to spend other people’s money, this is always an excellent choice. PnP sat in glass for about 20 minutes. Drinking well now, it shows some complexity already. Smooth tannins, good acidity it stood up to the delicious ribeye. Dark fruit, clove, spice. Never the best wine on the list (not even close) but always the best value. And when you have a wide range of wine sophistication at the table, this will satisfy everyone palette and wallet.
N: Slightly closed; Ripe berries slightly atop vanilla with notes of pyrazines?
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the DUSTY tannins. While this MIGHT be approachable now with food, it DESERVES/ needs through '20, quite poss '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more? Shows > structure than MOST Napa Cabs in its price range. 15.1% ABV; My EXC. Moreover, in the 2x I've now tasted this, I've overheard NOTHING but + comments from others! [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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The bottle, a Napa Valley Cabernet from Louis M. Martini tumbled headlong off the rack before I could grasp it—most of it instantly lost save for a glass which I ran through a filter. It’s a classic Napa Cab, totally opaque with a violet rim and glass-staining legs followed by heady aromas and flavors of blueberries, black currant, espresso, clove, and vanilla bean. Full-bodied and neatly trussed in sueded tannins that are still grippy at this stage in its development, it’s approachable now with decanting and will reward patience for those who can cellar it for another five to ten years. 15.1% AVB | Sample
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P: MF body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) fairly quickly met by astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by the LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with hints of swtness to the DUSTY tannins. NEEDS through '20, quite poss '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more? Shows > structure than MOST Napa Cabs in its price range. 15.1% ABV; My EXC-/EXC, the higher arguably for QPR/cellar-worthiness?
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Bunch of Samples: Medium purple color. The nose is sweet and inviting , with plums, black currants and fig paste, and notes of cedar, cocoa, coffee and scorched earth. Full-bodied with a bold presence on the palate, smooth tannins but they provide some grip, medium acidity. Flavors of juicy dark plums and blackberries (deep but the fruit has a nice tangy edge). Notes of cocoa, cedar, coffee grounds and mint add complexity. A nice warm, slightly earth aesthetic. This is really pleasant yet complex — Louis Martini’s Napa Cab is killer for the price.
I had this wine a couple weeks ago, and remember it being incredibly nuanced, with some exotic Napa-ish flavors. This bottle, OTOH, seemed to be a straight-up cab, with a richer, slightly bigger frame than their Alexander Valley version.
10/22/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine: 91 Points
USA 2013 tasting by Sander (By SS @ De Ertepeller in Papendrecht): Beautiful dark berries in the bouquet. On the palate elegant and juicy with good fresh acidity and slightly sticky tannin. Good length. Elegant wine.
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8/29/2023 - jusuf wrote: 90 Points
Too juicy. Too dense. American Cab that saw too much sun. OK to drink but nothing to recommend.
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8/27/2023 - cabsrgreat wrote: 93 Points
Magnum. In a good drinking window now (I find that Martini Napa Cab is best around 7-10 years). Smooth tannins, well integrated. Coffee and cherry notes.
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1/21/2023 - astifors Likes this wine: 92 Points
At opening, power, oak, complexity and tannic.
Decanting for three hours before dinner. To be cont.
After 3 hour and beyond a bold, bold CS appeared. Dry and fruity which gives a massive appearance. Perfect to accompany game.
+3 yrs of potential development and probably 5-6 yrs left to drink?
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1/16/2023 - Mr. Brisket Likes this wine: 92 Points
On the night I opened, I was thinking maybe it had run out of gas; it was flat and static with muted fruit. I returned to the bottle two nights later and there was significant improvement. The black fruit profile shone through, and there was impressive depth and structure. Plenty of time left here, I will likely wait a year before popping another. Really enjoyed it.
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12/28/2022 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Didn't take notes - really enjoyed this. Excellent QPR, especially for a Napa Cabernet. Food friendly and good fruit. 92+/-
would buy again.
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8/5/2022 - cabsrgreat wrote: 87 Points
Magnum, probably drank too early. Tannins still harsh, not the smooth coffee/cherry I’ve had from the 2014 vintage. Personally would wait about 3-5 more years (for the Magnum). 750mL may develop a little faster. Usually I’m a big fan of this cuvée, but this particular bottle just didn’t speak my language!
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8/4/2022 - wino121 wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely solid juice here, getting better by the year.
I’d love to blind taste this against the big $$ junk and see what happens.
Fabulous wine for the $$$
Drink now and it will really pop in 2024-6
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5/18/2022 - jusuf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pleasant CS blend. Mid body. Silk on the palate. But somehow got too much of sun and alcohol which compresses the scale of complexity. Hope it will improve, but not sure. There is more value for same price on the market.
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3/27/2022 - Jonnhy99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful aromas of cassis, plum, mint and black cherry. Palate is the same with subtle oak spice , vanilla, molasses,herbs, and blackberry. All backed by soft tannins and medium acidity. The first taste had a dry finish but after a few minutes it turned soft and nice. You can tell the winemaker walked a fine line by making sure it didn't become too jammy and 6 years of bottle age tamed the oak.15% ABV? What 15% , they did a fantastic job covering it up.
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2/20/2022 - tomoem wrote: 89 Points
A delicious winewhich punches above its weight. Like the 17' similar notes.
It is rich & quite aromatic for a Cabernet. In mouth the wine delivers blackberry fruit with plum, anise, tobacco leaf and chocolate. The mid palette is its strong point as the sweet fruits are allowed to be experienced without the restraint of tannin. The finish disappoints as the fruit quickly fades.
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1/2/2022 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Still evolving, still terrific for the $$.
Rebuy.
Drink now thru 2024-6 easy
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11/29/2021 - junetoaugust Likes this wine: 88 Points
Easy drinking with fair oak treatment probably covering the alcohol content, but nicely done. Flavors of cloves, spices and dark berries. A bit one dimensional at time, but good acidity and balance make this a crowd pleasure for sure.
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11/1/2021 - wino121 wrote: 90 Points
This was a tuff one,
The other wine was so much different that this had no chance.
The other wine was a 13 Baer Ursa, fabulous.
After the Baer was gone this was decent.
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10/11/2021 - Jlflynn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good!
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9/4/2021 - comlaw Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 60 minutes. Big Cab with lots of dark fruit, strong tannins and some spice. excellent QPR.
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7/10/2021 - Willi Vinotti wrote: 87 Points
Nicely drinking, though quite high in alcohol and to my taste very oaky. Notes of cloves, spices and dark berries, quite assertive on the palate. Missing some lightness and balance, probably lack of acidity, but still a concentrated effort worth the experience.
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4/19/2021 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Still very young.
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3/25/2021 - Tpairing wrote: 91 Points
Tasty red berries - red currant. Not a fruit bomb but a balanced wine in every way.
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1/3/2021 - Mark van Delft wrote: 89 Points
Cedar, oak, black currant, clove, fig, prune, blackberry, full body, lacking the acidity that makes old world wines better balanced.
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12/17/2020 - cabsrgreat wrote: 90 Points
Pnp. Still very tannic at this stage, even after breathing. A good wine but not as enjoyable as the 2014. Maybe try again in 2022?
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12/14/2020 - alabunka wrote: 89 Points
very good wine - we enjoyed it.....
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12/8/2020 - ColinR wrote: 94 Points
Crimson-black; intense cassis, blueberries, earth, vanilla, cedar, tar; black currant syrup, blackberries, cocoa, glycerin, creamy, full body, balanced acidity, firm ripe tannins, lingering finish.
Yummy cassis with earthy and oaky complexity. Youthful but 14.5% alcohol goes down smooth. What fully ripened Cab Sauv tastes like. Good QPR.
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12/5/2020 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love this mass production juice. Suck the fake out out slurrrrrp.
Smith Wollensky steakhouse London (wish I was in the US
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10/17/2020 - PaulWilson00 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Louis Martini never lets me down. Always a great staple to have in the cellar or on the rack.
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10/10/2020 - BrendanMcS wrote: 92 Points
Very fruity nose. Lots of red fruit. Palate is nice and big. Great mouthfeel and lots of fruits on the palate too. This wine continues to impress and I think it’s still one of the best value Napa cabs out there.
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9/26/2020 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Solid juice here, buy and cellar 2-3 more years for the optimum window.
This is great wine for $29-
Drink now thru 2025
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8/12/2020 - wino121 wrote: 90 Points
Vinturied into decant, consumed over several hours.
This will not offend anyone, pretty solid down the middle, and pleasant enough to keep you sipping after dinner.
I like to see the old schoolers still making decent wine at a fair tariff.
Drink now thru 2024.
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7/8/2020 - actx wrote: 92 Points
$29 at Costco and at this price is a great wine. Much fuller and refined than the Sonoma variant. Lots of tannins, cedar and dark fruits.
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6/6/2020 - GLaf wrote: 87 Points
Acheté aux USA - non disponible SAQ. Note de petits fruits très mûrs, presque compotés, tannins souples.
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5/18/2020 - FredericoWines wrote: 91 Points
A balanced Napa Cabernet with excellent QPR, paid less than $20.
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5/17/2020 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
1 hour decant
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5/11/2020 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 90 Points
From magnum
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3/25/2020 - familydoc wrote:
big berries! delicious, gritty tannins, nice finish, this was a great value
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3/3/2020 - Baron Slick wrote: 93 Points
Plump, luscious, and structured, this kept growing and evolving from the get go. Black currant, baking spices, and cocoa powder notes show depth and concentration amid a full body and a sapid, succulent cut. Really nice at the 2+ hour mark. Lots of potential here.
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2/17/2020 - whits wrote: 90 Points
True to varietal and appellation, begins with scents of cedar wood, berry and cherry, full bodied, dusty tannin, balanced acid, the palate shows textbook flavors of cassis, blackberry jam, currant and licorice, the finish holds on to the tongue for some extra time, really a benchmark at this price point, has structure to age but drinking well now, had with bison meat loaf with steak sauce drizzle
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2/3/2020 - Tomportwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
It would be wonderful if not so jammy. Nice dusty tannins, pleasant acidity, dark fruit. soft echo of oak, a little minerality. good drink for $20.
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1/26/2020 - MMiazga Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black cherries, mocha, cassis, oak. After a 4-5 hour decant it opened well. Possibly the best vintage for this classic $25-$30 napa cab. Good now, plenty of time to hold for 10 or more years.
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1/25/2020 - srh Likes this wine:
Taste CA Wines (San Diego Wine Co.): Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: CREAMY oak atop RIPE berries, rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking?
P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it fairly seamlessly leads into a LONG, BALANCED finish with a potentially elegant tangy/swtness to the firming, DUSTY tannins. NEEDS through '21, poss '22, then at least approaching its 10th. VERY nicely done! My EXC, & I'd certainly not rule out eventually even higher for QPR for this "pricey" AVA. [This vendor's $29.99 puts it in the TOP 10% of wine-searcher's numerous postings!]
Note: Also tasted on 7/20 & 8/3/19 with similar TNs.
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12/1/2019 - Hana Likes this wine: 95 Points
잔당감 약간
좋았음
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11/26/2019 - TobinGunvalson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oak, Vanilla, black fruit notes, menthol, smoke.
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11/25/2019 - shaferguy91 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Good and a good value.
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10/17/2019 - JS1056 wrote: 90 Points
This is a very nice wine. But it is really all about value, especially on restaurant wine lists. At St Elmo’s steak house in Indy, where the list had about a hundred cabs many over 300.00 this was 63.00. When you are ordering for a table and don’t want to spend other people’s money, this is always an excellent choice.
PnP sat in glass for about 20 minutes. Drinking well now, it shows some complexity already. Smooth tannins, good acidity it stood up to the delicious ribeye. Dark fruit, clove, spice.
Never the best wine on the list (not even close) but always the best value.
And when you have a wide range of wine sophistication at the table, this will satisfy everyone palette and wallet.
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8/3/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 4 *shared* bottles] from 08/02/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Slightly closed; Ripe berries slightly atop vanilla with notes of pyrazines?
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the DUSTY tannins. While this MIGHT be approachable now with food, it DESERVES/ needs through '20, quite poss '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more? Shows > structure than MOST Napa Cabs in its price range. 15.1% ABV; My EXC. Moreover, in the 2x I've now tasted this, I've overheard NOTHING but + comments from others! [Check with this vendor if interested in their very COMPETITIVE price.]
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7/24/2019 - Christine Havens Likes this wine: 93 Points
The bottle, a Napa Valley Cabernet from Louis M. Martini tumbled headlong off the rack before I could grasp it—most of it instantly lost save for a glass which I ran through a filter. It’s a classic Napa Cab, totally opaque with a violet rim and glass-staining legs followed by heady aromas and flavors of blueberries, black currant, espresso, clove, and vanilla bean. Full-bodied and neatly trussed in sueded tannins that are still grippy at this stage in its development, it’s approachable now with decanting and will reward patience for those who can cellar it for another five to ten years. 15.1% AVB | Sample
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7/20/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 10 *shared* bottles] from 07/19/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Dan, THANK you for sharing this bottling which I'd not tried since their '14. :)
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
N: Smoke/toast atop ripe berries; Intensity lurking?
P: MF body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) fairly quickly met by astringent pucker which somewhat resolves by the LONG, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with hints of swtness to the DUSTY tannins. NEEDS through '20, quite poss '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more? Shows > structure than MOST Napa Cabs in its price range. 15.1% ABV; My EXC-/EXC, the higher arguably for QPR/cellar-worthiness?
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7/11/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Bunch of Samples: Medium purple color. The nose is sweet and inviting , with plums, black currants and fig paste, and notes of cedar, cocoa, coffee and scorched earth. Full-bodied with a bold presence on the palate, smooth tannins but they provide some grip, medium acidity. Flavors of juicy dark plums and blackberries (deep but the fruit has a nice tangy edge). Notes of cocoa, cedar, coffee grounds and mint add complexity. A nice warm, slightly earth aesthetic. This is really pleasant yet complex — Louis Martini’s Napa Cab is killer for the price.
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7/2/2019 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
I had this wine a couple weeks ago, and remember it being incredibly nuanced, with some exotic Napa-ish flavors. This bottle, OTOH, seemed to be a straight-up cab, with a richer, slightly bigger frame than their Alexander Valley version.
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6/5/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Spot on Napa Cabernet. Smell fruit and structure. Lots of structure.
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5/15/2019 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 89 Points
A little heavy alcohol on the nose...will benefit from a couple years in the cellar.....otherwise nice grape for $30.00
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