1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Noticeably darker, bluer-fruited than the others in the flight. Plush and more rounded fruit profile. Structure still there. Arguably the most youthful of the flight since not all of the fruit is in the desiccated stage. Certainly the most modern of the flight. Called “Pahlmeyer”. Drink now through 2027.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pahlmeyer makes wonderful wines, and this bottle was no exception. It was balanced, rich, mouth-coating with flavors of lovely dark fruit. This was a PNP, so the aromas were non-existent - at least initially. They started to come out after about 45+ minutes. I would suggest caution in one area - be careful when decanting or pouring because the bottle will likely have a great deal of sediment - as this one had. Next time we will decant and give this wine the opportunity to "strut its stuff."
Probably drinking at or just past peak- dark currant, plum and berry, spice and smoke. Voluptuous, smooth, and sexy mouthfeel and just shy of overripe- so all good there. So as a come too lately Burgundy lover, long time Bordeaux drinker, and weaned on 80s, 90s, 2001 and 2002 California cabs ( and Sonoma Coast, ABC, and Oregon pinot) I can clearly define my line in the sand. This is on the side that I enjoy- the 1995 Shafer Hillside - while a tasty and well made wine -not so much, and the 97 Lokoya overripe, too sweet, and too alcoholic- clearly on the other side for me. First world problems!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another wine looked forward to trying. We drank my last bottles of this wine a dozen years ago and was wondering whether I could/should have saved them longer. Unfortunately, the answer is I could/should have, but they were just too damn good. This 750ml bottle showed really well with all the black, red and blue fruits still coming in waves, with touches of Oak, eucalyptus and leather, even if the wine was past its most expressive peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was one of those full tilt, voluminously textured wines from an era where they could be made this way and retain balance. This was served blind in our weekly tasting and shined nicely. I guessed an early 00 Schrader and didn’t feel terrible about that guess. It has hard cherry candy notes on the palate but also some bouquet garni. Reminds me a little of the Bond wines at the time as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnificent. There will certainly be some variation with 1990's Pahlmeyers as they were probably not as coveted or cared for as other Helen Turley wines from the same era, say, the 1997 Colgins or 1997 Bryant Family. But, of the ones I've been able to procure (I only purchased bottles with a high fill level and clean label condition), they've been very good at worst and legendary at best. This particular bottle certainly falls in the "legendary" category. At best, it is certainly among the handful of best wines I've ever had from California.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Did not meet my expectations based on long history enjoying Pahlmeyer PR. Heavy sediment, cork was dry with black stain and nose only fair. Pleasant blackberry notes offset by alcohol burn.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork broke in half. 2 hour decant. Lots of sediment. Certainly not corked. Good nose of red fruits. Powerful palate of red and dark fruits. Still a bit of a tannic bite. I was surprised that a 97 Cal Cab still seemed to have significant life ahead of it. It has been in my cellar (excellent conditions) since 2000.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Curious is this wine was still alive. It is. There is still some fruit and no stewed flavors. The wine is interesting but not necessarily something I want to have for dinner tonight. If you still have one pop it open and see what you think. No point in waiting any longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
90 min decant. Drinking great now and won’t improve with more time but still at least another 5yr. Really great wine and beat another Cali cab despite the lower price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fabulous nose and taste. Perfume aroma with tobacco and earth. Amazing. Rich dark fruit with long silky finish. Idiosyncratic with own personality. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinetasters: 1997 Super Tuscans (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Porty. Sweet and ripe and very opulent fruit on the nose. A slight hint of menthol here as well. The palate has a good mix of green cabernet elements and dusty tones. Very intense; large-scaled wine. The oak is not overdone and there’s a slightly bizarre dill pickle thing here. My 5th, group's 6th.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cork intact and still dark and brooding. Very big, not terribly fruity. In this case, brawn beats finess. Probably would have been better 10 years from now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very big wine at this point. Quite open now and bursting loose with flavors. Not for someone who wants a refined and focused wine but sometimes for me the charm of california cab is when it gets a little sloppy. Getting a big mouthful of berries and spices like a sophisticated sweedish glogg. the nose roars from the glass with very typical cabernet and maybe just a touch too typical with a few secondary hints. Perhaps we are still a few years away from the ideal drinking window but if you need a cali cabernet fix tonight this will do the job.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very ripe fruit (and I mean very ripe), mainly blackberry, but with some suggestion of red berries. Hints of tobacco and sous bois cut through, but in general were subsumed by the ripe fruit. A little volatile on the nose. Thickly textured and mildly cloying. Go figure: a low-acid fruit bomb at 20+ years. Good, but not as good as the 1995 version, which featured less ripe fruit and a little more energy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wish I had more.In a perfect spot now but years to go if you like the older profile. In between an old world and new world style. Fruit and oak are totally blended. Definitely a fruit wine (but not fruity) and you won;t get the barnyard of a bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec from a collection of vineyards including Caldwell, Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch. I decanted the wine for 30 minutes. Crimson in color. 14.7% ABV. Breathtaking nose of cassis liqueur, scorched earth and molten licorice. Incredibly rich and concentrated. Currants, cassis, espresso and dark chocolate on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. Truly about as good as a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine from Napa Valley gets. A timeless wine from an epic era for Pahlmeyer. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
had this for a while in my cellar decided to let it find its way out of the bottle. decanted and drank over 2 hrs. lacked complexity and came across with a tad bit of heat. overall i think the bottle was in good shape. had decent acidity usual suspects for a napa cab with the black fruit component and prunes but no minerality, cedar, tobacco or earth notes to speak of. IE somewhat monolithic. good drinking window, get the feeling this won't improve. decent, nothing special, average finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had the Togni, Pahlmeyer Red and Caymus Special Selection, all in 1997. The Togni had the most classic restrained nose, oozing of old school cab, i.e. herbs, green pepper, black currants. The Pahlmeyer had a slightly deeper nose with another dimension of blueberries from the Merlot, and the Caymus was as always too dense and over the top, i.e. "thick and warm fruit only". On the palate the Togni and Pahlmeyer had a similar density, albeit with a touch more elegance to the Togni. Both had very impressive length. The Togni has really calmed down since my last taste in 2012. I would start drinking these now! Napa cabs from these old school producers age very well indeed!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
opened for more than an hour prior to drinking. A hint of sweet grass, very minty, with cedar and some sweet fruit. Sharp alcohol in the nose that finally dissipated after about 2 hours. Smooth on the palate, but still very powerful and full-bodied.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1 hour decant. This is drinking beautifully right now. Dark red, viscous in the glass. Mouth coating texture and dark fruits, forest floor, all perfectly in balance with medium acid and smooth tannins
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Paolo at Bar Italia NYC, great spot for pasta and corkage friendly...splash decanted and drank over an hour.
From prior notes: "Bright, deep ruby red color, still youthful and vibrant, no bricking. Nose was big right out of the bottle and continued to evolve. Nose of dark fruits, oak, toast. Palate of black fruits, dark cherry, licorice There is a "sweetness" in the mid palate that's unique. Layered and long finish..." Soft Bdx nose with this bottle I picked up more earth notes, truffles and mushroom on the nose. Rich fruit forward profile
Great to revisit this, last tasting from a couple years ago, this is still incredibly youthful. If tasted blind I may have guess it was less than 10 years old...this really opened up after about 20-30 minutes, I would give it a decant on next bottle.
Really great, I think right in its zone. Has held together much better than most of the 97 Napa wines. Will last for a while (IMO) but I don't think it improves much more. Very well made wine from Pahlmeyer, aged beautifully and drinking well
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Drunk over 6 hours. Dark red to rim. Rich nose of red fruits, spice, hint of green, opens to add rich clean earth aromas. Medium body, great balance, still plenty of fruit, tannin and acidity to go many more years, medium long finish. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Impressive '97. Wish I had tried this periodically over the last 19 years to give me perspective for comparison. I can't imagine this will improve with more time. Seems like it's past its peak. Drink it if you have it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A magnum. No flaws. Minimal sediment. Moderate rim variation. Dark, dark ruby garnet color with some orange hue. Soft bordeaux nose and fruit flavors. Low tannin and acid. Mild to medium alcohol. Medium to long finish. Paired perfectly with our pork dish. Very ready to drink. Would think beyond pink just a little bit. Beautiful wine, kudos to Pahlmeyer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For me 12th place, overall ranked at 14th with an average of 92,9.
Concentrated, dark berries, more vanilla than coffee, good acidity, still young, reluctant on the fruit side, fullbodied, a lot of potential, great tannin structure, cassis and cacao in the long finish, 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Shy, reticent nose, but a brutish show-off of a palate. Highly concentrated, hot forest fruit, asian spice, chocolate, coffee, blueberry pancakes, maple syrup too. Very warm, quite young, very large, alcoholic heat in the back. A composed, manufactured wine. Good stuff, but not up my alley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): In the bouquet soft red fruits and a lot of sweet spices. On the palate red fruits and sweet spices as well, some chocolate, but also some pleasant bell pepper. Mild acidity, but beautifully fresh. The tannin is ripe and still youthful. Beautiful wine with still a good future for at least 4+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fresh raspberry, strawberry, thyme and earthy scents open up the medium bodied, soft textured, elegant wine. The finish is all about the sweet, dusty, spicy, black raspberries in the end note.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
California (Private Location): Nose: Very, very fruity (plum, black cherry) with some additional notes of cedar and vanilla. Super young. Palate: In my personal opinion this wines is to big & bold. A shitload of fruit, oak and tannins meet a medium acidity, a lot of power and length. I know theres a lot of potential under the surface but its simply not the stlye of wine I really like. Though its incredible how young this wine shows although its already 18 years old. This can easily age for another 20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ripe California Wines (Private Location): *** Please see this note only in the context of the whole tasting *** Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah Wine: Double decanted Clear deep ruby color, unfiltered. Clean, medium+ youthful nose with lots of red fruit. Some notes of acid drops. Dry, full bodied mighty, powerfull wine with lots of alcohol, acidity and tannins. But the tannins were silky soft and everything was very well integrated so that this wine seemed like a baby elegant giant It is way too young and I would love to drink a good bottle in 10-15 years. It will be brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic juicy Calif Cab, very much in the style of both the vintage and Pahlmeyer overall. Few hard edges, really tasty stuff, went great with a big steak. Can decant ahead of time, but not 100% necessary. This wine has years to go, no decline going on here. Delicious for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor mixing plum and cherries, and with some pepper in the finish. Good balance with a nice mouth-feel and quite long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Soft palate with fine tannins in the finish. Decanted straight from cellar. Needed an hour to warm and open up. Not as good day 2, overnight in the fridge. Definitely on the down side of the drinking curve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unbelievable fruit. Spectacular wine all the way around. Christmas Prime Rib with the 1997 and the 2002 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red. Comparison of the two greatest vintages of the wine IMHO. The 1997 is still strong. Depth and powerful. Pure as wine gets. The wine is so Rich it boggles the mind. Decant, take your time. The wine is good for 10 more years. My Beringer Private Reserves as great wines but their time is running out. The Pahlmeyer is better and longer lived. More rich than most Bordeaux but just as long lived. A spectacular wine from the beginning to the end. If you have the wine save it for a special time. The 2007 will be just as good in the long term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Integrated tannins, smooth. Still loaded with cassis, vanilla,cherry, leather, blueberry. Great mid-palate. Medium finish. Drinking excellently right now. Last bottle. Best bottle. Can't go wrong with that:)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splash decanted for 20 minutes, drank over two hours. Bright, deep ruby red color, still youthful and vibrant, no bricking. Nose was big right out of the bottle and continued to evolve. Nose of dark fruits, oak, toast. Palate of black fruits, dark cherry, licorice There is a "sweetness" in the mid palate that's unique. Layered and long finish
This is a voluptuous wine, impressing my dinner companions who are often quick to dismiss California wines...even against the Grange they kept coming back to it. This was in contention for WOTN against some big competition
A gorgeous wine that is right in its zone - could go 10+ years from here
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aged brick coloring with a bouquet of leathery black fruit and eucalyptus. Palate remains massive even at 17 years with smooth integrated oak, cassis, vanilla, and plenty of black/red fruit. Finish is smooth with a slight alcoholic harshness. One of the best 1997 Napa Cabs out there. Enjoyed with monstrously large rib eyes and delicious roasted potatoes in Napa.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/90222987449
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
pretty full-bodied, alcoholic and ripe. Still pretty tannic after all these years. Minty with potpourri notes. Not bad but could actually use a little more aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Birthday party for a 68 (Stockholm): A full-bodied cabernet (blend?) with large sweet fruit, big ripe tannins, perfectly integrated oak, and elevated alcohol. Obviously not french, it has New World in general and Napa in particular written on its forehead. But which producer? It has freshness and a certain amount of elegance despite its size. A mountain wine? Seems to be approximately ten to twelve years old. Really enjoyable with the tournedos, and easily finished. The label says Pahlmeyer, Napa Valley, cabernet, merlot, petit verdot, cab franc, and malbec. 14.7% ABV.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kelly’s visit – Domestic Cabs, a mini vertical of Harlan (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): If you like a big cult cab with noticeable coconut note, this is the wine for you. Expressive nose of cassis, red fruits, a hint of cherry, coconut, vanilla, butter and caramel. Exceptional concentration, sweet jammy red fruit driven palate impression, mineral, chewy yet extremely silky and fully integrated soft and sweet tannins. This is all about hedonism and decadence. Barry mentioned a hint of la la and I agree. This is like a voluptuous slightly big bone young girl in early twenties, quite curvy, big bosoms and tight butts and thighs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted in the bottle for approximately 3 hours. Wine was still beautiful for its age. Dark fruit and still a hint of tannin that resolved by the end of the main course.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet. Expressive nose of dark fruit with some dried fruit as well and a toasty note, the typical eucalyptus for Napa is not showing though. On the palate very generous, medium-full bodied with sweet fruit and ripe tannins and acidity buffering it. Drank it alongside the Lafite RS 2003 and it did not fall off much. The main difference is the aromatic profile (less Bdx gamy/earthy) and a sweeter mid palate typical for California CabSav. An outstanding wine from Napa. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind. Expressive nose of plum, cherries, dark berries, black currant and some dark chocolate and oak/toast. Hits the palate with layers of fruit, but in a very classy style. Full-bodied, still pretty high but silky tannins and a lower medium acidity. Great length. This is a very beautifully aged Cab blend that still shows a lot of fruit, but also some secondary flavors. It will probably still drink beautifully for a few more years. (95+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oh my! This is a special bottling. Decanted for heavy sediment then back into the bottle to sit for a few hours. Bright and vivacious, ruby color, showing absolutely no signs of age. Intense, muscular nose, but (a bit) more nuanced on the palate. I guess what one would call an extracted wine, but it works to great effect here. (Although two others found it way over the top and stayed with the GPL Bordeaux.) Could see this going for at least another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted initially out of a Riedel cab; was quite a tired disappointment. Switched to the Sommelier glass and WOW what a difference. Fruit is still fresh and vibrant, tannins quite intact, lovely cedar and tobacco with interesting floral notes weaving in and out. Good stuff, and quite the endorsement for busting out the Sommeliers!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hard to say whether this prize fighter is on the decline. It still had significant tannins and took two hours to open up. And, boy, did it open up with some delicious black fruits and vegetables. Tart cherries, prunes, rhubarb. On the other hand, this bottle of the 97 was not as impressive as the one I had a few years ago and mentally rated a 96. It may just be in a dormant period. You takes your time and you takes your chances.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Château Margaux Tasting; 4/19/2013-4/20/2013 (Eltville, Germany): A serious Bordeaux blend, I really like the mid-90ies at Pahlmeyer. Fruit still very present in the nose plus tobacco and cedar. On the palate cassis, dark fruit, silky tannins. All elegance and class.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aged meat and Aged Cabs (Mister Fister's, Chicago IL): Nose: Shows a richer side with tones of licorice, dark red cherries, vanilla, smoke, dark red berries, dark red fruits, and smoke tones. There is good depth to the nose, but it is bordering being overdone.
Taste: Full bodied with silky tannins and medium/low acidity. The tones of licorice, dark red fruits, vanilla, and smoke are on the richer side.
Overall: While this was on the bigger side, it did hold it fairly well. This did get better with air as it was wound up a bit at first.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Superb color. Brilliant bouquet. Since we were at dinner at a restaurant we did not get a chance to decant optimally, therefore slightly tannin-y . Nice complex finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose was a little hot but the heat did not transfer to the palate. Still plenty of power for a 15 year old Napa cab. Nose was overpowered by the heat but some dark fruits and a slight mint aroma was present. The tannins are powerful but integrated at the same time. Plenty of fruit with a moderate finish. Drinking nicely now...not sure how much longer I would hold on to this wine. I would suggest drinking within the next 2-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some initial heat on the nose but it blows away. Nice mix of dark and red fruits--cassis, plum, a little blackberry and blueberry. Also shows nice herbal notes with a little camphor and cedar. I suspect that this is on its downward curve but the fruit has not faded too much.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Love this wine. Very underrated in my opinion. Nicely balanced, hard to mistake for a bordeaux, but clearly not one of the over extracted CA cabs. You can tell the mixture of grapes - wine is beautifully complex and very long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
14.7% alcohol. not decanted, followed in the glass for 4 hours. i've had this wine three times in the last seven months, and this is by far the most expressive bottle. if you like nicely aged napa cab (blend!), this is a primary example of what can develop. i still prefer what i tasted a few years ago in comparison, when the fruit was more forward/prevalent, but this has many merits. the nose was fabulous immediately. cedar, feint chocolate, black licorice. on the palate completely integrated tannin, silky mouthfeel, fine balance, leather, and black raspberry. at this point, based on this bottle, i believe it is at peak, but as experienced, subject to wild bottle variation. my advice is to drink now. why chance it? my last bottle. happy new year!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Looking very youthful in the decanter, medium-dark pomegranate color tinged with violet. Quite reticent on the nose, showing just a bit of stemmy thistle. An interesting profile on the palate, with notes of black pepper, chocolate, oak and menthol; and showing the warm alcohol of the vintage, with minimal structure. This bottle showed signs of a very modern style wine that is already growing awkward, but I would really like to taste this again with a longer decant. Not scored. Brought by M.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just holding on at the end of its life. No tannins, most of the fruit is gone, although some remains. Still pleasant enough to drink, but if you have any, don't wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Taken from own cellar. Decanted an hour. Surprisingly young still. Needs 5-7 years to peak. Telltale milkchocolate and violets and good acidity. Last vintage Helen Turley made and maybe best ever even if I think they are back again since vintage 2005.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
x-pensive winos dinner @ josie's in santa monica. not my bottle, but highly remeniscent of my experience earlier this year, and a poster child for why i have been saying to drink up 97 napa cabs. there is a clear spiral down from younger bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
On opening: nose - tannic. Palette - tannic, medium body, not much fruit. So, left bottle open for 2 and 1/2 hours (slow ox). Palette - fruit has now emerged. Nice fruit, not overbearing. Some interesting flavours, some complexities emerging. Some age related flavours. I do find the age related palette abit strong; not as delicate as many bordeaux wines. It seems as if the wine was abit over extracted when young, which has since aged. But the signs of over extraction are still there. Now scoring 91 to 92. Second day: even better. So overall: strengths - some interesting and complex flavours, and some age related complexities. Weaknesses - too much initial extraction, when the wine was young. This is just not necessary. This would have been a very fine wine now, if the vintners had resisted the American urge to over extract, which resulted in both initial excess tannin (which still remains) and fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is unfolding nicely. Decanted for 45min/an hour and it really began to open up. Still showing lots of primary characteristics. I've been impressed with every "Jayson" I've opened and look forward to more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is now at its peak. Still very firm but the fruit is there to support it. It may, however, get a bit too austere if you wait too long. The tannins may outlive the fruit. But it sure tastes great now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple in color. Medium rim variation. Medium legs. Black currant (cassis), Raisin, Plum. Raisin, Plum. Medium bodied. Polished texture. Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Murky color. Cherry taste, still a bit of tannins, bordeaux style wine. Wine still has time-- maybe 4-5 years. Surprised me how well the wine has developed-- smooth and velvety. Many at the tasting had no idea how much the wine had aged. Popular bottle. Great structure. Worth the purchase.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Holly and Tony's (Wilmington, Delaware): Aromatics of red fruits, slight herbal notes and leather. Slightly tart red and black fruits. The tarter fruit and the dryness had me thinking old world but the slightly noticible alcohol made me think new world. Fine tannins. Nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sampled 1/15/11. When first poured, there was a soft but slightly gritty element to the tannins. After letting sit for an hour, the gritty element (which was just ultra fine sediment) went to the bottle of the bottle. The wine is the best Pahlmeyer I've had. Beautifully layered black and red fruits that are overripe but short of jammy. Vanilla and Chocolate notes also come through and given the smoothness of the wine it reminded me in some respects of a warm icecream sundae with just the right amount of natural fruit toppings. A very interesting wine that is at peak but has another 5 years left in its current top form.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
To my surprise this seems to need some time. Should have decanted for an hour first. Dark cool fruit, still plenty of structure to it. Less flamboyant than I expected. A-/A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark color, good nose. Still drinking well. Open and decanted for about 30 mins. Still plenty of fruit and flavor in this wine although the sediment was beginning to set in on the bottle. Probably best to drink this over the next year or two. A very pleasureable bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about an hour. Massive fruit with velvety tannins. Rich black cherry, cassis, dark fruits, hint of smokiness with silky smoothness and considerable finish. A great wine that still has time for continuing aging potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Getting together with friends: Eucyliptus on the nose. Huge aromas. Nice balance of fruit, tannins, and dryness. There is lots of life left in this. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Birthday Bash with Most of the Family and Close Friends (Chez nous, Napa Yacht Club): Stunning bottle of wine, what a finale! The five grape varietals came from five vineyards in the Napa Valley; Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, Soda Canyon, Wooden Valley and Carneros: Cabernet Sauvignon: 73%, Cabernet Franc: 2%, Merlot 17%, Malbec: 1%, Petit Verdot: 7%. This is a stunning bottle of wine, great presence, mid-palate and long long finish; deep color and complex purple fruits..boysenberry, cassis
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A stunning high end aged and mature Napa cab enjoyed last night at the first Hickory Wine Club meeting of the year as part of a '94 - '98 Pahlmeyer vertical with a '98 Leoville Barton thrown in as a ringer. My WOTF and WOTN. A prime example of how good this vintage was in CA and also of how good these aged Napa cabs can be. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but still really highly recommend this wine. Big, bold, dark and yet incredibly smooth, still fruity yet well structured / balanced / mature, solid oak core, in a great drinking window, great pleasant long lingering aftertaste. Nose of balanced caramelized sugar, dark fruit, blueberry and mininal oak, surprisingly bright. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, typical Napa cassis, dark fruit and tar with development of some black pepper and smoke on the palate later. A great wine, thus far my favorite wine of this still very young year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This showed fantastic promise 5 years ago (97+points) but it has still not delivered on that. It is now drinking very well and is an excellent wine but not as good as it promised. It was the most massive, packed and tannic of all the 97's to start but not any more. I doubt it will be any better but it will live long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured -- we let it open up in the glass for an hour or so. Light aromatics, faint but fragrant nose of red fruit, cherries. Soft, lush, elegant on the palate. Beautifully balanced and smooth. Don't think it will improve much more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum. Just awesome. Black currant, dark cherry and soft fruits with a long finish. Light chocolate and slippery wet stone. Superb balance. Consumed with rack of wild boar. Perfect.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nice bottle which shows some mature notes yet still has lots of soft lovely, mostly red berry fruit. The overall impression was harmonious and soft medium mouth feel with short to medium finish. The nose & texture were the strong components and the flavor complexity and finish lacked esp considering the price of admission. Overall a bit disapointing as I expected more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby color. Blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, currant and leather. Mature Cabernet fruit with not much tannin left to maintain the wine. Nice complex finish. A classy wine from a very nice vintage. Drink up now, this wine will not improve with further bottle age. I personally would have enjoyed this wine more in its youth. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. 14.7% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
not decanted. a very evolved bottle that for the first time in my experience showed like a mid-age bordeaux. heavy secondary nuances, and completely integrated tannin. i must admit i like this better with at least a touch of california in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sadly, opened late in the dinner after dessert and sauternes and our palates were cooked. Much better the 2nd night with dinner. This wine likely has plenty life still ahead of it, but alas, I have no more bottles
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still think this is a wine that impresses most in its youth, but it's undeniably well-made. Early secondaries at this point, but well-balanced, plush and sexy. No rush, but earlier is better with this bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding...again. Continues to impress - cab from CA doesn't get much better. Very rich with notes of smoked brisket and soy. Extremely drinkable now, but will certainly hold for years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
superb. not decanted, but opened in the glass over 30 minutes. due to my careful transport, the temperature was perfect at serving. rich and complex. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
very well balanced wine. tannins are well integrated with complex flavors. no way does it taste like 14.7% alcohol that it is.
tastes more like a 13% alcohol bordeaux.
just not the full-on blockbuster i expected from the praise that parker lavishes on this wine.
i will say this, when i try the wine without swallowing, it feels and tastes really good and complex and glyceriney in the mouth. its just when i actually swallow it, that i realize there's something missing in the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful wine, complex fruits with cassis, plums, and blackberries. "Only" 14.8% alcohol, tannins well balanced but plenty of acid in the backbone..this will last! Great balance and mouthfeel...interesting touch of mint in the midplate and finiish that others have not noted. We did not decant, and there was a bit of funk up front that quickly blew off...decant next time for sure
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intially very off, not corked, nose that dissipated over an hour but left somewhat a barnyard note with little else; the flavor of meat, coco and harsh tannins was not that pleasing I assume a bad bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has a lot going for it, youthful, brooding and still relatively young and tight. It never opened up completely during the evening. We gave it 30 minutes to decanting and it needs more like two hours. Still, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to open these up, maybe in four years or so. Tiight core of tobacco, leather, dark rich fruit. The finish is a little short, and after three hours, the finish reduced further to “none”. Give this a more time, yet I wonder if it will ever open up to the extend that some of the better 97’s are doing so no – maybe not – time will tell.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With bacon-wrapped filet. Outstanding, but even better the second day with leftover beef shortribs. As opposed to many of the Cali '97s that seem to be peaking, this remains youthful and full of dark berry fruit, well-balanced and with a wonderful finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still young. Iky dark, with black currant, wood smoke, eucalyptus, and significant but not unpleasant tannins. If I had another, and I wish I did, I'd hold this classy maturing cab until 2010.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank three of these for our ten-year aniversary with friends...Phenomenal wine. No way this fading, but its definitely in a mature sweet spot. Smooth, tannins resolved, great cassis flavors and a wonderful, exuberant nose. Wish I had more of these....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very much changed since last tasted in July '06. The bright red berry fruit has faded, to be replaced by deep, smoky, roasted plum and earthy, tarry notes. Undoubtedly the Merlot coming to the fore. Still a bold wine, with powerful aromas and flavors, and plenty of backbone to support all the weight. Tannins are supple, but noticeable - I think I'll hold onto my last bottle 'til 2010.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The real deal in Calif Cab. Why don't I buy more Pahlmeyer? For some reason I stopped after the '97 vintage. I guess the run of '98 - '00 and the price increases just knocked me out and I never got going again in '01. A shame. This is a really good bottle of Calif cab (or meritage). Still youthful, but tannins have nicely resolved. Great balance, great length, sexy juice. Can keep for a bunch more years, but really tasty today...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The acidic component of the tannis was perfectly aged off. Rich, full bodied, smooth with a little spice character. Phenomenal nose. Perfect with a shortribs dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(blind, short note from memory) Dark colored. Dark fruits, coffee, a blockbuster with an intellectual side to it. My guess: Napa 2001. The really interesting thing about this wine was that we tasted it against... the exact same wine(!), except from another bottle, another cellar. They showed very differently and even though all guessed both to be Napa Cab, no one guessed them to be the same wine. The best bottle were rated 96, the other 94. Our host believed the best bottle to be the most representative of the wine. Rating: 96 (94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredible! With a few more years, this would have been the hands down wine of the night, but the '94 Bosche from Freemark Abbey just edges it out right now. Very complex, yet tighly interlaced flavors, dominated by blackberry, currant and lingenberry with a dusting of spice and vanilla, are balanced by supple tannins and a long, long finish. This will be a real mind-blower in a few more years!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. This is amazing stuff. Drinking beautifully right now. If there is any knock against this wine, it is that it is hitting peak (vs. the '97 Montelena, which needs more time from 750). But what a beautiful, complex, wonderful peak it is. Gorgeous, complex nose, beautiful midpalate, and a finish to die for. For drinking right now, this is as good as California gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
this wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cab franc, petite verdot, and malbec.
i scored a couple extra of these from scott manlin, so i felt more at ease to burn one. i have really enjoyed this wine on several occasions, but it had been a while since my last taste.
the wine is a clear superior example of the vintage. no worries for 97's based on the performance of this wine tonight. structure and back bone fortified by massive fruit. still tannic. circumstances cut into the decant time, but there was nice development in a relatively short period of time. balance and finesse despite the underlying power. hold or drink with air. highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious well balanced wine. Still showing lots of youthfulness. Aging has soften the tannins making it velvety and smooth on the finish. Still well structed with tons of fruit and highly extracted berry flavors. Really a strong showing wine that is drinking at its peak. Very surprising!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Internet forum group Bordeaux blends tasting no. 1 (@ Klap): Tasted the wine blind. An outstanding wine, that's for sure. First the sweetness meets the taste, then the concentration. It has a long complex aftertaste. Impressive wine but….. compared to a few better Bordeaux it lacked finesse and I scored it not as high as most of you here. Probably tells you more about me than about the wine. But since I make these notes mainly for myself I write it down anyway. After seeing which wine it was I was a bit disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not the best showing of this bottle I have had. Very dark pure color. Beautiful nose currants and flowers. The palate was a little tight opened over 3 hours. Dark fruit early secondary flavors with resolved tannins. I will save the last bottle for a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
outstanding, well rounded, elegant wine -- right out of the bottle or even better decanted for an hour. drank on new years eve with nicks', moritzs and altmans. prime rib, yorkshire pudding. even better with food. drank four bottles. dewey brought a white Bordeaux. drank first with Gravlax.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Extremely dark - black with just a bit of purple; aromas literally jumped from the glass - were deep and filled the nostrils - black currant primarily, but with some short sniffs appearances of hazelnut flavoured coffee, airy floral nuances, and even a hint of blueberry pie; very full on the palate, but the wine eased smoothly - big in texture, coating the mouth with fruit; fruit flavours were so intense they shaded any lingering oak - sweet blackberry and cassis; well knit parts - harmonious - tannins soft and the acidity shows on the structure; very concentrated and pleasing extract here; the finish was very long, with the texture and massive fruit dominating. No hurry to take the next sip as I was able to savour the richness of the finish. This is by far the best California Cab blend I’ve tasted to date - appearing quite youthful, but attractive to drink now and should last for quite a long time. Still a few left in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Lampreia (Seattle, WA): Well, this blew the 1999 Abreu clear off the table. The nose was a little reticent, but the palate made up for that with rich, voluptuous waves of cocoa, mineral, screaming black fruit, ripe yet without too much sweetness. The finish was the highlight, an easy 60 seconds, stunningly long and persistent. This certainly nears the pinnacle of unabashed California cab that is all about waves of sweet, black fruit. Wow, too bad it was the last bottle. It drank *really* well!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hella good. It was better than the USDA prime rib-eye I had it with. Surprisingly little sediment when decanted. Cork in great condition. Based on this bottle, I'd guess the peak to be around 2007/2008.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Killer wine. California meritage done right. Gorgeous big ripe Cabernet supported by a dense bone structure of tannins. Fairly low-acid, but not fat. Gorgeous black fruits and a lovely hint of BBQ spices. Not a bit hot - alcohol well integrated. Can go much longer. I think this wine will eventually become elegant, but with nice fruit all the while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
After my first day's shooting on Saturday (a mostly futile exercise, redeemed only by the blowing away of the cobwebs in spectacular countryside on the Worcestershire/Shropshire borders in the grounds of a gracious Georgian house), time to clear out the freezer for the game. To accompany the scotch beef T bone left over from summer, chargrilled to rare with on the grill with the last of this year's charcoal, what better than a massive California red?.
Decanted and tasted immediately. A rich, almost black colour, showing almost scarlet at the edge. Immediate sensations of caramel, mocha and espresso, giving way to bramble and dark fruits. On the mouth, very rich, dense wine with a great concentration. Still noticeably tannic, taking on tannin with air, this is a splendid wine of great power and strength. I hesitate to venture a drinking window, but great now (with the right food), and clearly many years to go. When later consumed without the steak, much more tannins reveal themselves. 5 years ? 10 years? to the next bottle?.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
To accompany the rack of New Zealand lamb, I chose the 1997 Jayson, Pahlmeyer's blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. These were the barrels that Helen Turley culled in making her choices for the Proprietary Red. Deep, dark colour; aromas a mixture of blackberry, currant and sweet oak; full on the palate ( 14.5% alc.), with fine structure and flavours - blackberry and dark cherry, mingled with some coffee notes, and an element of caramelised sugar; some tannins showing, but they weren't aggressive; extends out to a very long finish, where the fruit lingers. Decanted - revealed considerable sediment. This was as good as the last time I drank this wine. There remain a couple of bottles in the cellar.
We had pretty well finished the Jayson before the cheese and fruit course, so I went down to the cellar to get a second bottle. Decided instead to grab a bottle of the 1997 Pahlmeyer Red, feeling it might be interesting to compare it with the Jayson. More Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine. Didn't decant this one, and proceeded to pour it from the bottle. It was a bit cool, and took a bit of time before the wine began to show itself. Virtually black in colour, and swirled very slowly in the glass, suggesting a pretty full bodied wine (label indicates this is 14.7% alc.); the aromas were full and penetrating - huge dose of black currant up front, but then it showed cappuccino, some caramel, and a few hints of floral; very full-bodied, but rich and smooth as it glided over the palate; full harmony of flavours - cassis, with blackberry and other dark fruits ; as concentrated as any wine I can recall, but all of the parts were in unity, leading on to an extremely long finish, where the cassis seemed to never end. Cheeses were a Felicien - soft, white - magnificent, and an apricot flavoured soft. Seems that Helen Turley knew what she was doing here - this is a near perfect wine. Happy I still have some of this excellent wine in my cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): All eight tasters scored this in the 92-96 range, and this was the wine of the night. This shows some licorice and briar amidst ripe plums. This is so VERY primary, barely a baby right now. Long, spreading, dusty tannins on the finish. This clearly has the most potential of the bunch, but it is a workout right now. All that said, WOW! (Group average 94.125)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Substantial and extrememly ripe. It was fruit forward with rich notes of crushed grape skins, cassis, red berries and subtle oak. Full bodied with a long caressing finish. 96 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
this is a very big blend. you know the 5 grapes: 72% cab, 17% merlot, and the rest petite verdot, cab franc, and malbec. eat your heart out, cinq cepages. but, of course, more expensive. it's my second trial of this wine, and confirms my original opinion that it's worth the price of entry. 14.7% alcohol, full body, rich, almost sensuous mouthfeel. i felt the oak was more integrated with the additional bottle age, and i didn't feel this was an over-ripe fruit bomb the way i have heard other 97's described. i got alot of cassis on the nose. i liked the balance and general acidity. the wine was decanted about 45 minutes before really getting into the tasting period. without question i found this to be an enjoyable wine, but i don't rate it as high as parker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/18/2024 - thesternowl wrote: 93 Points
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Noticeably darker, bluer-fruited than the others in the flight. Plush and more rounded fruit profile. Structure still there. Arguably the most youthful of the flight since not all of the fruit is in the desiccated stage. Certainly the most modern of the flight. Called “Pahlmeyer”. Drink now through 2027.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2023 - Labrador Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pahlmeyer makes wonderful wines, and this bottle was no exception.
It was balanced, rich, mouth-coating with flavors of lovely dark fruit. This was a PNP, so the aromas were non-existent - at least initially. They started to come out after about 45+ minutes. I would suggest caution in one area - be careful when decanting or pouring because the bottle will likely have a great deal of sediment - as this one had.
Next time we will decant and give this wine the opportunity to "strut its stuff."
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/2/2023 - Venice Al Likes this wine:
Probably drinking at or just past peak- dark currant, plum and berry, spice and smoke. Voluptuous, smooth, and sexy mouthfeel and just shy of overripe- so all good there. So as a come too lately Burgundy lover, long time Bordeaux drinker, and weaned on 80s, 90s, 2001 and 2002 California cabs ( and Sonoma Coast, ABC, and Oregon pinot) I can clearly define my line in the sand. This is on the side that I enjoy- the 1995 Shafer Hillside - while a tasty and well made wine -not so much, and the 97 Lokoya overripe, too sweet, and too alcoholic- clearly on the other side for me. First world problems!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2023 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another wine looked forward to trying. We drank my last bottles of this wine a dozen years ago and was wondering whether I could/should have saved them longer. Unfortunately, the answer is I could/should have, but they were just too damn good. This 750ml bottle showed really well with all the black, red and blue fruits still coming in waves, with touches of Oak, eucalyptus and leather, even if the wine was past its most expressive peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2023 - fdub Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank with Lola. Birth year wine for her drinking great by the fire pit!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2022 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
This wine was one of those full tilt, voluminously textured wines from an era where they could be made this way and retain balance. This was served blind in our weekly tasting and shined nicely. I guessed an early 00 Schrader and didn’t feel terrible about that guess. It has hard cherry candy notes on the palate but also some bouquet garni. Reminds me a little of the Bond wines at the time as well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2022 - gsiwak wrote:
Sweet Tanins, nice finish, but not too long. Still has plenty of years 94 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2022 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 98 Points
Magnificent. There will certainly be some variation with 1990's Pahlmeyers as they were probably not as coveted or cared for as other Helen Turley wines from the same era, say, the 1997 Colgins or 1997 Bryant Family. But, of the ones I've been able to procure (I only purchased bottles with a high fill level and clean label condition), they've been very good at worst and legendary at best. This particular bottle certainly falls in the "legendary" category. At best, it is certainly among the handful of best wines I've ever had from California.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2021 - fdub Likes this wine: 97 Points
Love it!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2021 - KillerBs wrote:
95 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2021 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Nose: 92-93, Palate: 92. Felt younger than 23 years old (tasted blind)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2021 - Peech Likes this wine: 93 Points
some smoke, a little riper, and definitely sweet on the palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2021 - dkwins Likes this wine: 91 Points
Did not meet my expectations based on long history enjoying Pahlmeyer PR. Heavy sediment, cork was dry with black stain and nose only fair.
Pleasant blackberry notes offset by alcohol burn.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2020 - Cmainardi wrote: 94 Points
Cork broke in half. 2 hour decant. Lots of sediment. Certainly not corked. Good nose of red fruits. Powerful palate of red and dark fruits. Still a bit of a tannic bite. I was surprised that a 97 Cal Cab still seemed to have significant life ahead of it. It has been in my cellar (excellent conditions) since 2000.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Started off with a dense flavor of berries n the palate. Good color, good feel and good finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2020 - fdub Likes this wine: 97 Points
Simply outstanding. Ripe dark fruits explosive nose and palate with fantastic texture and balance.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2020 - bonedocnine wrote: 88 Points
Curious is this wine was still alive. It is. There is still some fruit and no stewed flavors. The wine is interesting but not necessarily something I want to have for dinner tonight. If you still have one pop it open and see what you think. No point in waiting any longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2019 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very elegant; a bit older style; some acidity; great nose and balance; limited fruit; at its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2019 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 95 Points
90 min decant. Drinking great now and won’t improve with more time but still at least another 5yr. Really great wine and beat another Cali cab despite the lower price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2019 - tinycellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous nose and taste. Perfume aroma with tobacco and earth. Amazing. Rich dark fruit with long silky finish. Idiosyncratic with own personality. Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2019 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Vinetasters: 1997 Super Tuscans (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Porty. Sweet and ripe and very opulent fruit on the nose. A slight hint of menthol here as well. The palate has a good mix of green cabernet elements and dusty tones. Very intense; large-scaled wine. The oak is not overdone and there’s a slightly bizarre dill pickle thing here. My 5th, group's 6th.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2019 - Alongfield Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork intact and still dark and brooding. Very big, not terribly fruity. In this case, brawn beats finess. Probably would have been better 10 years from now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2019 - Trent Walker Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very big wine at this point. Quite open now and bursting loose with flavors. Not for someone who wants a refined and focused wine but sometimes for me the charm of california cab is when it gets a little sloppy. Getting a big mouthful of berries and spices like a sophisticated sweedish glogg. the nose roars from the glass with very typical cabernet and maybe just a touch too typical with a few secondary hints. Perhaps we are still a few years away from the ideal drinking window but if you need a cali cabernet fix tonight this will do the job.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2019 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Very ripe fruit (and I mean very ripe), mainly blackberry, but with some suggestion of red berries. Hints of tobacco and sous bois cut through, but in general were subsumed by the ripe fruit. A little volatile on the nose. Thickly textured and mildly cloying. Go figure: a low-acid fruit bomb at 20+ years. Good, but not as good as the 1995 version, which featured less ripe fruit and a little more energy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2018 - Skip4wine wrote: 97 Points
Wish I had more.In a perfect spot now but years to go if you like the older profile. In between an old world and new world style. Fruit and oak are totally blended. Definitely a fruit wine (but not fruity) and you won;t get the barnyard of a bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2018 - tomlee wrote: 99 Points
73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec from a collection of vineyards including Caldwell, Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch. I decanted the wine for 30 minutes. Crimson in color. 14.7% ABV. Breathtaking nose of cassis liqueur, scorched earth and molten licorice. Incredibly rich and concentrated. Currants, cassis, espresso and dark chocolate on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long. Truly about as good as a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine from Napa Valley gets. A timeless wine from an epic era for Pahlmeyer. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2018 - essenceofreal wrote: 92 Points
had this for a while in my cellar decided to let it find its way out of the bottle. decanted and drank over 2 hrs. lacked complexity and came across with a tad bit of heat. overall i think the bottle was in good shape. had decent acidity usual suspects for a napa cab with the black fruit component and prunes but no minerality, cedar, tobacco or earth notes to speak of. IE somewhat monolithic. good drinking window, get the feeling this won't improve. decent, nothing special, average finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2018 - UTPK wrote:
Had the Togni, Pahlmeyer Red and Caymus Special Selection, all in 1997. The Togni had the most classic restrained nose, oozing of old school cab, i.e. herbs, green pepper, black currants. The Pahlmeyer had a slightly deeper nose with another dimension of blueberries from the Merlot, and the Caymus was as always too dense and over the top, i.e. "thick and warm fruit only". On the palate the Togni and Pahlmeyer had a similar density, albeit with a touch more elegance to the Togni. Both had very impressive length. The Togni has really calmed down since my last taste in 2012. I would start drinking these now! Napa cabs from these old school producers age very well indeed!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2017 - wineduggery Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. If anyone tells you Napa cabs can't age, open a bottle of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/6/2017 - Peech Likes this wine: 93 Points
opened for more than an hour prior to drinking. A hint of sweet grass, very minty, with cedar and some sweet fruit. Sharp alcohol in the nose that finally dissipated after about 2 hours. Smooth on the palate, but still very powerful and full-bodied.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2017 - pjbeans Likes this wine: 94 Points
1 hour decant. This is drinking beautifully right now. Dark red, viscous in the glass. Mouth coating texture and dark fruits, forest floor, all perfectly in balance with medium acid and smooth tannins
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2017 - MC wrote:
From magnum, and my last. This was very good and held up well through dinner but I think past its best years and better to drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2017 - suttonri wrote:
Herbal bramble fruit. Drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Paolo at Bar Italia NYC, great spot for pasta and corkage friendly...splash decanted and drank over an hour.
From prior notes: "Bright, deep ruby red color, still youthful and vibrant, no bricking. Nose was big right out of the bottle and continued to evolve. Nose of dark fruits, oak, toast. Palate of black fruits, dark cherry, licorice There is a "sweetness" in the mid palate that's unique. Layered and long finish..." Soft Bdx nose with this bottle I picked up more earth notes, truffles and mushroom on the nose. Rich fruit forward profile
Great to revisit this, last tasting from a couple years ago, this is still incredibly youthful. If tasted blind I may have guess it was less than 10 years old...this really opened up after about 20-30 minutes, I would give it a decant on next bottle.
Really great, I think right in its zone. Has held together much better than most of the 97 Napa wines. Will last for a while (IMO) but I don't think it improves much more. Very well made wine from Pahlmeyer, aged beautifully and drinking well
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2016 - BJS62 wrote: 98 Points
Outstanding. Absolutely delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2016 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Drunk over 6 hours. Dark red to rim. Rich nose of red fruits, spice, hint of green, opens to add rich clean earth aromas. Medium body, great balance, still plenty of fruit, tannin and acidity to go many more years, medium long finish. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2016 - CabIPA Likes this wine:
Impressive '97. Wish I had tried this periodically over the last 19 years to give me perspective for comparison. I can't imagine this will improve with more time. Seems like it's past its peak. Drink it if you have it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2015 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 98 Points
A magnum. No flaws. Minimal sediment. Moderate rim variation. Dark, dark ruby garnet color with some orange hue. Soft bordeaux nose and fruit flavors. Low tannin and acid. Mild to medium alcohol. Medium to long finish. Paired perfectly with our pork dish. Very ready to drink. Would think beyond pink just a little bit. Beautiful wine, kudos to Pahlmeyer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2015 - PeterH Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow. Great juice. Still young but totally ready to go. Lots of life and persistence. Winner
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big Blind Tasting of 19 Reds from California 1997
For me 12th place, overall ranked at 14th with an average of 92,9.
Concentrated, dark berries, more vanilla than coffee, good acidity, still young, reluctant on the fruit side, fullbodied, a lot of potential, great tannin structure, cassis and cacao in the long finish, 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Shy, reticent nose, but a brutish show-off of a palate. Highly concentrated, hot forest fruit, asian spice, chocolate, coffee, blueberry pancakes, maple syrup too. Very warm, quite young, very large, alcoholic heat in the back. A composed, manufactured wine. Good stuff, but not up my alley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): In the bouquet soft red fruits and a lot of sweet spices. On the palate red fruits and sweet spices as well, some chocolate, but also some pleasant bell pepper. Mild acidity, but beautifully fresh. The tannin is ripe and still youthful. Beautiful wine with still a good future for at least 4+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Fresh raspberry, strawberry, thyme and earthy scents open up the medium bodied, soft textured, elegant wine. The finish is all about the sweet, dusty, spicy, black raspberries in the end note.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2015 - Cmainardi wrote:
Drinking beautifully. Demise not imminent but seems to be at its peak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2015 - m_arcon wrote: 91 Points
California (Private Location): Nose: Very, very fruity (plum, black cherry) with some additional notes of cedar and vanilla. Super young.
Palate: In my personal opinion this wines is to big & bold. A shitload of fruit, oak and tannins meet a medium acidity, a lot of power and length. I know theres a lot of potential under the surface but its simply not the stlye of wine I really like. Though its incredible how young this wine shows although its already 18 years old. This can easily age for another 20 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2015 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ripe California Wines (Private Location): *** Please see this note only in the context of the whole tasting ***
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Wine: Double decanted
Clear deep ruby color, unfiltered. Clean, medium+ youthful nose with lots of red fruit. Some notes of acid drops.
Dry, full bodied mighty, powerfull wine with lots of alcohol, acidity and tannins. But the tannins were silky soft and everything was very well integrated so that this wine seemed like a baby elegant giant
It is way too young and I would love to drink a good bottle in 10-15 years. It will be brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2015 - PeterH wrote: 94 Points
Classic juicy Calif Cab, very much in the style of both the vintage and Pahlmeyer overall. Few hard edges, really tasty stuff, went great with a big steak. Can decant ahead of time, but not 100% necessary. This wine has years to go, no decline going on here. Delicious for what it is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2015 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor mixing plum and cherries, and with some pepper in the finish. Good balance with a nice mouth-feel and quite long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2015 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
Soft palate with fine tannins in the finish. Decanted straight from cellar. Needed an hour to warm and open up. Not as good day 2, overnight in the fridge. Definitely on the down side of the drinking curve.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2014 - 1800kidney wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful wine; but the last bottle ...wouldn't keep any longer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2014 - MorgantonMichael wrote: 98 Points
Unbelievable fruit. Spectacular wine all the way around. Christmas Prime Rib with the 1997 and the 2002 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red. Comparison of the two greatest vintages of the wine IMHO. The 1997 is still strong. Depth and powerful. Pure as wine gets. The wine is so Rich it boggles the mind. Decant, take your time. The wine is good for 10 more years. My Beringer Private Reserves as great wines but their time is running out. The Pahlmeyer is better and longer lived. More rich than most Bordeaux but just as long lived. A spectacular wine from the beginning to the end. If you have the wine save it for a special time. The 2007 will be just as good in the long term.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2014 - onholiday wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Integrated tannins, smooth. Still loaded with cassis, vanilla,cherry, leather, blueberry. Great mid-palate. Medium finish. Drinking excellently right now. Last bottle. Best bottle. Can't go wrong with that:)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
No decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2014 - Beusker wrote: 94 Points
Next to Leoville Las Cases 1999. Held its ground wonderfully. Great comparison.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 97 Points
Dinner in Zurich with CVA and Andrew - Moevenpick 20/20: In Zurich with CVA and Andrew, I brought this as one of my contributions to the evening. Drank alongside a 1970 LaTour, 1971 Grange, 1990 Dominus
Splash decanted for 20 minutes, drank over two hours. Bright, deep ruby red color, still youthful and vibrant, no bricking. Nose was big right out of the bottle and continued to evolve. Nose of dark fruits, oak, toast. Palate of black fruits, dark cherry, licorice There is a "sweetness" in the mid palate that's unique. Layered and long finish
This is a voluptuous wine, impressing my dinner companions who are often quick to dismiss California wines...even against the Grange they kept coming back to it. This was in contention for WOTN against some big competition
A gorgeous wine that is right in its zone - could go 10+ years from here
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2014 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 96 Points
Aged brick coloring with a bouquet of leathery black fruit and eucalyptus. Palate remains massive even at 17 years with smooth integrated oak, cassis, vanilla, and plenty of black/red fruit. Finish is smooth with a slight alcoholic harshness. One of the best 1997 Napa Cabs out there. Enjoyed with monstrously large rib eyes and delicious roasted potatoes in Napa.
http://maxsatisfactionwine.com/post/90222987449
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2014 - aegerter Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Slightly over the hill. Not enough fruit, too much acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2014 - JimN Likes this wine: 95 Points
No change from earlier note and score. Like the first bottle, this wine shows absolutely no signs of age. Has a decade or more ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2014 - Peech Likes this wine: 92 Points
pretty full-bodied, alcoholic and ripe. Still pretty tannic after all these years. Minty with potpourri notes. Not bad but could actually use a little more aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2014 - Finare Vinare wrote: 93 Points
Birthday party for a 68 (Stockholm): A full-bodied cabernet (blend?) with large sweet fruit, big ripe tannins, perfectly integrated oak, and elevated alcohol. Obviously not french, it has New World in general and Napa in particular written on its forehead. But which producer? It has freshness and a certain amount of elegance despite its size. A mountain wine? Seems to be approximately ten to twelve years old. Really enjoyable with the tournedos, and easily finished. The label says Pahlmeyer, Napa Valley, cabernet, merlot, petit verdot, cab franc, and malbec. 14.7% ABV.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Kelly’s visit – Domestic Cabs, a mini vertical of Harlan (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): If you like a big cult cab with noticeable coconut note, this is the wine for you. Expressive nose of cassis, red fruits, a hint of cherry, coconut, vanilla, butter and caramel. Exceptional concentration, sweet jammy red fruit driven palate impression, mineral, chewy yet extremely silky and fully integrated soft and sweet tannins. This is all about hedonism and decadence. Barry mentioned a hint of la la and I agree. This is like a voluptuous slightly big bone young girl in early twenties, quite curvy, big bosoms and tight butts and thighs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2013 - sja61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted in the bottle for approximately 3 hours. Wine was still beautiful for its age. Dark fruit and still a hint of tannin that resolved by the end of the main course.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2013 - dase13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Long decant. Color was deep dark red. Scents were red and black berries. Tastes were consistent with scents, plus integrated smooth tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Dark garnet. Expressive nose of dark fruit with some dried fruit as well and a toasty note, the typical eucalyptus for Napa is not showing though. On the palate very generous, medium-full bodied with sweet fruit and ripe tannins and acidity buffering it. Drank it alongside the Lafite RS 2003 and it did not fall off much. The main difference is the aromatic profile (less Bdx gamy/earthy) and a sweeter mid palate typical for California CabSav. An outstanding wine from Napa. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2013 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Expressive nose of plum, cherries, dark berries, black currant and some dark chocolate and oak/toast. Hits the palate with layers of fruit, but in a very classy style. Full-bodied, still pretty high but silky tannins and a lower medium acidity. Great length. This is a very beautifully aged Cab blend that still shows a lot of fruit, but also some secondary flavors. It will probably still drink beautifully for a few more years. (95+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - JimN Likes this wine: 95 Points
Oh my! This is a special bottling. Decanted for heavy sediment then back into the bottle to sit for a few hours. Bright and vivacious, ruby color, showing absolutely no signs of age. Intense, muscular nose, but (a bit) more nuanced on the palate. I guess what one would call an extracted wine, but it works to great effect here. (Although two others found it way over the top and stayed with the GPL Bordeaux.) Could see this going for at least another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2013 - littlefoot wrote: 94 Points
Tasted initially out of a Riedel cab; was quite a tired disappointment. Switched to the Sommelier glass and WOW what a difference. Fruit is still fresh and vibrant, tannins quite intact, lovely cedar and tobacco with interesting floral notes weaving in and out. Good stuff, and quite the endorsement for busting out the Sommeliers!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2013 - Pipcelot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hard to say whether this prize fighter is on the decline. It still had significant tannins and took two hours to open up. And, boy, did it open up with some delicious black fruits and vegetables. Tart cherries, prunes, rhubarb. On the other hand, this bottle of the 97 was not as impressive as the one I had a few years ago and mentally rated a 96. It may just be in a dormant period. You takes your time and you takes your chances.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points
Château Margaux Tasting; 4/19/2013-4/20/2013 (Eltville, Germany): A serious Bordeaux blend, I really like the mid-90ies at Pahlmeyer. Fruit still very present in the nose plus tobacco and cedar. On the palate cassis, dark fruit, silky tannins. All elegance and class.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Aged meat and Aged Cabs (Mister Fister's, Chicago IL): Nose: Shows a richer side with tones of licorice, dark red cherries, vanilla, smoke, dark red berries, dark red fruits, and smoke tones. There is good depth to the nose, but it is bordering being overdone.
Taste: Full bodied with silky tannins and medium/low acidity. The tones of licorice, dark red fruits, vanilla, and smoke are on the richer side.
Overall: While this was on the bigger side, it did hold it fairly well. This did get better with air as it was wound up a bit at first.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2013 - ahoff wrote: 93 Points
A little past its prime, but very good. Decanted for 1 hour and I think the fruit was gone by the end of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2013 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Somewhat disjointed. Tannins still very prominate. Nice but no great
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2012 - santosh wrote: 95 Points
Superb color. Brilliant bouquet. Since we were at dinner at a restaurant we did not get a chance to decant optimally, therefore slightly tannin-y . Nice complex finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Briefly decanted. Still 94 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - S2 wrote: 91 Points
Nose was a little hot but the heat did not transfer to the palate. Still plenty of power for a 15 year old Napa cab. Nose was overpowered by the heat but some dark fruits and a slight mint aroma was present. The tannins are powerful but integrated at the same time. Plenty of fruit with a moderate finish. Drinking nicely now...not sure how much longer I would hold on to this wine. I would suggest drinking within the next 2-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2012 - S1 wrote: 92 Points
Some initial heat on the nose but it blows away. Nice mix of dark and red fruits--cassis, plum, a little blackberry and blueberry. Also shows nice herbal notes with a little camphor and cedar. I suspect that this is on its downward curve but the fruit has not faded too much.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2012 - MC wrote:
From Magnum. Showed really well, with plenty of fruit and a long finish, but as good as this is at showing ripe Cali Cab off, it is best drunk now. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2012 - rcl1 wrote: 95 Points
Purple in color. Medium rim variation. Medium legs. Black currant (cassis), Plum, Fig. Plum, Fig. Medium bodied. Juicy texture. Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2012 - Edclr wrote: 94 Points
Love this wine. Very underrated in my opinion. Nicely balanced, hard to mistake for a bordeaux, but clearly not one of the over extracted CA cabs. You can tell the mixture of grapes - wine is beautifully complex and very long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2012 - Brett wrote: 96 Points
Great wine....last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
14.7% alcohol. not decanted, followed in the glass for 4 hours. i've had this wine three times in the last seven months, and this is by far the most expressive bottle. if you like nicely aged napa cab (blend!), this is a primary example of what can develop. i still prefer what i tasted a few years ago in comparison, when the fruit was more forward/prevalent, but this has many merits. the nose was fabulous immediately. cedar, feint chocolate, black licorice. on the palate completely integrated tannin, silky mouthfeel, fine balance, leather, and black raspberry. at this point, based on this bottle, i believe it is at peak, but as experienced, subject to wild bottle variation. my advice is to drink now. why chance it? my last bottle. happy new year!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2011 - petitblanc wrote:
Looking very youthful in the decanter, medium-dark pomegranate color tinged with violet. Quite reticent on the nose, showing just a bit of stemmy thistle. An interesting profile on the palate, with notes of black pepper, chocolate, oak and menthol; and showing the warm alcohol of the vintage, with minimal structure. This bottle showed signs of a very modern style wine that is already growing awkward, but I would really like to taste this again with a longer decant. Not scored. Brought by M.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 85 Points
Just holding on at the end of its life. No tannins, most of the fruit is gone, although some remains. Still pleasant enough to drink, but if you have any, don't wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2011 - Divine Gunnar wrote: 97 Points
Taken from own cellar. Decanted an hour. Surprisingly young still. Needs 5-7 years to peak. Telltale milkchocolate and violets and good acidity. Last vintage Helen Turley made and maybe best ever even if I think they are back again since vintage 2005.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - PASimon wrote: 93 Points
This is just a fantastic wine under $50!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2011 - jeff nowak wrote:
x-pensive winos dinner @ josie's in santa monica. not my bottle, but highly remeniscent of my experience earlier this year, and a poster child for why i have been saying to drink up 97 napa cabs. there is a clear spiral down from younger bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2011 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
On opening: nose - tannic. Palette - tannic, medium body, not much fruit. So, left bottle open for 2 and 1/2 hours (slow ox). Palette - fruit has now emerged. Nice fruit, not overbearing. Some interesting flavours, some complexities emerging. Some age related flavours. I do find the age related palette abit strong; not as delicate as many bordeaux wines. It seems as if the wine was abit over extracted when young, which has since aged. But the signs of over extraction are still there. Now scoring 91 to 92. Second day: even better. So overall: strengths - some interesting and complex flavours, and some age related complexities. Weaknesses - too much initial extraction, when the wine was young. This is just not necessary. This would have been a very fine wine now, if the vintners had resisted the American urge to over extract, which resulted in both initial excess tannin (which still remains) and fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2011 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Chocolate covered juice...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2011 - PASimon wrote: 92 Points
This wine is unfolding nicely. Decanted for 45min/an hour and it really began to open up. Still showing lots of primary characteristics. I've been impressed with every "Jayson" I've opened and look forward to more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 96 Points
Cassis, cherries, sweet, silky and elegant. Classic juice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
This wine is now at its peak. Still very firm but the fruit is there to support it. It may, however, get a bit too austere if you wait too long. The tannins may outlive the fruit. But it sure tastes great now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
not decanted. nice secondary notes of tobacco and some chocolate. a little thin on the finish. some question of provenance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2011 - rcl1 wrote: 95 Points
Purple in color. Medium rim variation. Medium legs. Black currant (cassis), Raisin, Plum. Raisin, Plum. Medium bodied. Polished texture. Medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2011 - williamswhine wrote: 95 Points
Murky color. Cherry taste, still a bit of tannins, bordeaux style wine. Wine still has time-- maybe 4-5 years. Surprised me how well the wine has developed-- smooth and velvety. Many at the tasting had no idea how much the wine had aged. Popular bottle. Great structure. Worth the purchase.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Dinner at Holly and Tony's (Wilmington, Delaware): Aromatics of red fruits, slight herbal notes and leather. Slightly tart red and black fruits. The tarter fruit and the dryness had me thinking old world but the slightly noticible alcohol made me think new world. Fine tannins. Nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2011 - GA wrote: 90 Points
1/11 Good blackberry fruit with a strong slightly off balance oak tannic finish. 90 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 97 Points
Sampled 1/15/11. When first poured, there was a soft but slightly gritty element to the tannins. After letting sit for an hour, the gritty element (which was just ultra fine sediment) went to the bottle of the bottle. The wine is the best Pahlmeyer I've had. Beautifully layered black and red fruits that are overripe but short of jammy. Vanilla and Chocolate notes also come through and given the smoothness of the wine it reminded me in some respects of a warm icecream sundae with just the right amount of natural fruit toppings. A very interesting wine that is at peak but has another 5 years left in its current top form.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2010 - MC wrote:
To my surprise this seems to need some time. Should have decanted for an hour first. Dark cool fruit, still plenty of structure to it. Less flamboyant than I expected. A-/A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2010 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 92 Points
Dark color, good nose. Still drinking well. Open and decanted for about 30 mins. Still plenty of fruit and flavor in this wine although the sediment was beginning to set in on the bottle. Probably best to drink this over the next year or two. A very pleasureable bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2010 - ruscabfan wrote: 95 Points
Delicious wine. Nancy and I drank for my birthday.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2010 - vumansky wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Massive fruit with velvety tannins. Rich black cherry, cassis, dark fruits, hint of smokiness with silky smoothness and considerable finish. A great wine that still has time for continuing aging potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful 13 year Cab with lots of deep red fruit left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Getting together with friends: Eucyliptus on the nose. Huge aromas. Nice balance of fruit, tannins, and dryness. There is lots of life left in this. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2010 - 1800kidney Likes this wine: 96 Points
Birthday Bash with Most of the Family and Close Friends (Chez nous, Napa Yacht Club): Stunning bottle of wine, what a finale! The five grape varietals came from five vineyards in the Napa Valley; Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, Soda Canyon, Wooden Valley and Carneros: Cabernet Sauvignon: 73%, Cabernet Franc: 2%, Merlot 17%, Malbec: 1%, Petit Verdot: 7%.
This is a stunning bottle of wine, great presence, mid-palate and long long finish; deep color and complex purple fruits..boysenberry, cassis
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2010 - ikkaariainen wrote: 95 Points
A stunning high end aged and mature Napa cab enjoyed last night at the first Hickory Wine Club meeting of the year as part of a '94 - '98 Pahlmeyer vertical with a '98 Leoville Barton thrown in as a ringer. My WOTF and WOTN. A prime example of how good this vintage was in CA and also of how good these aged Napa cabs can be. Too expensive to be any kind of a reasonable QPR but still really highly recommend this wine. Big, bold, dark and yet incredibly smooth, still fruity yet well structured / balanced / mature, solid oak core, in a great drinking window, great pleasant long lingering aftertaste. Nose of balanced caramelized sugar, dark fruit, blueberry and mininal oak, surprisingly bright. Primary flavors included well balanced oak, typical Napa cassis, dark fruit and tar with development of some black pepper and smoke on the palate later. A great wine, thus far my favorite wine of this still very young year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2009 - gondrik wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding California cab! Lots of well balanced fruit and soft tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Garnet. A velvet wine. Huge, lush and plumy. Tobacco on the finish. Not my preference, but a stylistic choice. Excellent wine. (92)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
This showed fantastic promise 5 years ago (97+points) but it has still not delivered on that. It is now drinking very well and is an excellent wine but not as good as it promised. It was the most massive, packed and tannic of all the 97's to start but not any more. I doubt it will be any better but it will live long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2009 - andolini wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured -- we let it open up in the glass for an hour or so. Light aromatics, faint but fragrant nose of red fruit, cherries. Soft, lush, elegant on the palate. Beautifully balanced and smooth. Don't think it will improve much more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2009 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious, soft, round black cherry fruit, excellent structure, mocha flavors, good length
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2009 - Phin wrote: 97 Points
From magnum. Just awesome. Black currant, dark cherry and soft fruits with a long finish. Light chocolate and slippery wet stone. Superb balance. Consumed with rack of wild boar. Perfect.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2009 - bon vivant wrote: 92 Points
A nice bottle which shows some mature notes yet still has lots of soft lovely, mostly red berry fruit. The overall impression was harmonious and soft medium mouth feel with short to medium finish. The nose & texture were the strong components and the flavor complexity and finish lacked esp considering the price of admission. Overall a bit disapointing as I expected more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. Blackcurrant fruit on the nose. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, currant and leather. Mature Cabernet fruit with not much tannin left to maintain the wine. Nice complex finish. A classy wine from a very nice vintage. Drink up now, this wine will not improve with further bottle age. I personally would have enjoyed this wine more in its youth. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. 14.7% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
not decanted. a very evolved bottle that for the first time in my experience showed like a mid-age bordeaux. heavy secondary nuances, and completely integrated tannin. i must admit i like this better with at least a touch of california in it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2009 - JorgeH wrote: 92 Points
NY Berserkers Dinner @ Café Cortadito (210 E. 3rd St., NYC): Beautiful cedar, tobacco and currants on nose. Minty and warm red fruit with firm tannins on the palate. This is a beauty of a wine and my WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2009 - bundydavis wrote: 93 Points
This wine is drinking beautifully. Smooth fruit and still a hint of oak. Aged to perfection.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2008 - Phin wrote:
Perfect cork. Perfect color, but the finish was deteriorated. Age had caught this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
French Bakery BYO MERITAGE Dinner 8/13/2008; 8/11/2008-8/13/2008 (French Bakery, Kane concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): 8/13 David's wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2008 - Mr T wrote:
Sadly, opened late in the dinner after dessert and sauternes and our palates were cooked. Much better the 2nd night with dinner. This wine likely has plenty life still ahead of it, but alas, I have no more bottles
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2008 - Garfield wrote: 95 Points
Probably the most complete wine I've had the pleasure of tasting. It is drinking perfectly now , and in my opinion, will last at least ten more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2008 - JScott wrote: 94 Points
Still think this is a wine that impresses most in its youth, but it's undeniably well-made. Early secondaries at this point, but well-balanced, plush and sexy. No rush, but earlier is better with this bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2008 - M-driver wrote:
Outstanding...again. Continues to impress - cab from CA doesn't get much better. Very rich with notes of smoked brisket and soy. Extremely drinkable now, but will certainly hold for years to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
superb. not decanted, but opened in the glass over 30 minutes. due to my careful transport, the temperature was perfect at serving. rich and complex. WOTN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2008 - ScottS wrote: 94 Points
California Bordeaux Blends (Backstreet Wine Salon - PHX, AZ): Wonderful nose. Dark reddish purple in color. Full bodied, silky smooth tannins and texture. Purple fruit profile with excellent balance & a 30+ second finish.
50+5+14+17+8=94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2008 - Phin wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Insane. Dark black fruits mouthcoating perfection. Phenomenal balance. Crazy long deep finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 89 Points
raspberry nose with some vanilla. big full wine with more raspberry, tart finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2008 - thalver wrote: 95 Points
expressive nose...the tannins while not fully resolved, are smooth and balanced....drinking very well now, and should hold ....but why wait
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2008 - swazi wrote: 94 Points
very well balanced wine. tannins are well integrated with complex flavors. no way does it taste like 14.7% alcohol that it is.
tastes more like a 13% alcohol bordeaux.
just not the full-on blockbuster i expected from the praise that parker lavishes on this wine.
i will say this, when i try the wine without swallowing, it feels and tastes really good and complex and glyceriney in the mouth. its just when i actually swallow it, that i realize there's something missing in the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2007 - 1800kidney wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful wine, complex fruits with cassis, plums, and blackberries. "Only" 14.8% alcohol, tannins well balanced but plenty of acid in the backbone..this will last! Great balance and mouthfeel...interesting touch of mint in the midplate and finiish that others have not noted. We did not decant, and there was a bit of funk up front that quickly blew off...decant next time for sure
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2007 - bwr wrote: 86 Points
Intially very off, not corked, nose that dissipated over an hour but left somewhat a barnyard note with little else; the flavor of meat, coco and harsh tannins was not that pleasing I assume a bad bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2007 - Mark wrote: 91 Points
This has a lot going for it, youthful, brooding and still relatively young and tight. It never opened up completely during the evening. We gave it 30 minutes to decanting and it needs more like two hours. Still, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to open these up, maybe in four years or so. Tiight core of tobacco, leather, dark rich fruit. The finish is a little short, and after three hours, the finish reduced further to “none”. Give this a more time, yet I wonder if it will ever open up to the extend that some of the better 97’s are doing so no – maybe not – time will tell.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2007 - scw wrote: 95 Points
this was GREAT!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2007 - tacman wrote: 92 Points
With bacon-wrapped filet. Outstanding, but even better the second day with leftover beef shortribs. As opposed to many of the Cali '97s that seem to be peaking, this remains youthful and full of dark berry fruit, well-balanced and with a wonderful finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2007 - babnik wrote:
Still young. Iky dark, with black currant, wood smoke, eucalyptus, and significant but not unpleasant tannins. If I had another, and I wish I did, I'd hold this classy maturing cab until 2010.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2007 - EBoyer wrote: 95 Points
Drank three of these for our ten-year aniversary with friends...Phenomenal wine. No way this fading, but its definitely in a mature sweet spot. Smooth, tannins resolved, great cassis flavors and a wonderful, exuberant nose. Wish I had more of these....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2007 - beaunehead wrote: 95 Points
Very much changed since last tasted in July '06. The bright red berry fruit has faded, to be replaced by deep, smoky, roasted plum and earthy, tarry notes. Undoubtedly the Merlot coming to the fore. Still a bold wine, with powerful aromas and flavors, and plenty of backbone to support all the weight. Tannins are supple, but noticeable - I think I'll hold onto my last bottle 'til 2010.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2007 - PeterH wrote: 96 Points
The real deal in Calif Cab.
Why don't I buy more Pahlmeyer? For some reason I stopped after the '97 vintage. I guess the run of '98 - '00 and the price increases just knocked me out and I never got going again in '01. A shame.
This is a really good bottle of Calif cab (or meritage). Still youthful, but tannins have nicely resolved. Great balance, great length, sexy juice. Can keep for a bunch more years, but really tasty today...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2007 - Phin wrote: 96 Points
The acidic component of the tannis was perfectly aged off. Rich, full bodied, smooth with a little spice character. Phenomenal nose. Perfect with a shortribs dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2006 - gorm wrote: 96 Points
(blind, short note from memory) Dark colored. Dark fruits, coffee, a blockbuster with an intellectual side to it. My guess: Napa 2001. The really interesting thing about this wine was that we tasted it against... the exact same wine(!), except from another bottle, another cellar. They showed very differently and even though all guessed both to be Napa Cab, no one guessed them to be the same wine. The best bottle were rated 96, the other 94. Our host believed the best bottle to be the most representative of the wine. Rating: 96 (94)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2006 - burgcamel wrote: 95 Points
Has all the material to improve. I will wait at least a year before I open another bottle. Took a couple of hours to really open up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2006 - Mr T wrote: 91 Points
Nice, but not as iimpressive as the last bottle. Probably a focus issue plus decanted the other bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/2/2006 - beaunehead wrote: 95 Points
Incredible! With a few more years, this would have been the hands down wine of the night, but the '94 Bosche from Freemark Abbey just edges it out right now. Very complex, yet tighly interlaced flavors, dominated by blackberry, currant and lingenberry with a dusting of spice and vanilla, are balanced by supple tannins and a long, long finish. This will be a real mind-blower in a few more years!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2006 - BeavisCC wrote: 98 Points
Wow. This is amazing stuff. Drinking beautifully right now. If there is any knock against this wine, it is that it is hitting peak (vs. the '97 Montelena, which needs more time from 750). But what a beautiful, complex, wonderful peak it is. Gorgeous, complex nose, beautiful midpalate, and a finish to die for. For drinking right now, this is as good as California gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
14.7% alcohol. napa valley.
this wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cab franc, petite verdot, and malbec.
i scored a couple extra of these from scott manlin, so i felt more at ease to burn one. i have really enjoyed this wine on several occasions, but it had been a while since my last taste.
the wine is a clear superior example of the vintage. no worries for 97's based on the performance of this wine tonight. structure and back bone fortified by massive fruit. still tannic. circumstances cut into the decant time, but there was nice development in a relatively short period of time. balance and finesse despite the underlying power. hold or drink with air. highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2006 - jhngo wrote: 94 Points
Delicious well balanced wine. Still showing lots of youthfulness. Aging has soften the tannins making it velvety and smooth on the finish. Still well structed with tons of fruit and highly extracted berry flavors. Really a strong showing wine that is drinking at its peak. Very surprising!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2006 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Internet forum group Bordeaux blends tasting no. 1 (@ Klap): Tasted the wine blind. An outstanding wine, that's for sure. First the sweetness meets the taste, then the concentration. It has a long complex aftertaste. Impressive wine but….. compared to a few better Bordeaux it lacked finesse and I scored it not as high as most of you here. Probably tells you more about me than about the wine. But since I make these notes mainly for myself I write it down anyway. After seeing which wine it was I was a bit disappointed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2006 - Mike V wrote: 94 Points
Not the best showing of this bottle I have had. Very dark pure color. Beautiful nose currants and flowers. The palate was a little tight opened over 3 hours. Dark fruit early secondary flavors with resolved tannins. I will save the last bottle for a couple more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2005 - boutrosdan wrote:
outstanding, well rounded, elegant wine -- right out of the bottle or even better decanted for an hour. drank on new years eve with nicks', moritzs and altmans. prime rib, yorkshire pudding. even better with food. drank four bottles. dewey brought a white Bordeaux. drank first with Gravlax.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2005 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
Extremely dark - black with just a bit of purple; aromas literally jumped from the glass - were deep and filled the nostrils - black currant primarily, but with some short sniffs appearances of hazelnut flavoured coffee, airy floral nuances, and even a hint of blueberry pie; very full on the palate, but the wine eased smoothly - big in texture, coating the mouth with fruit; fruit flavours were so intense they shaded any lingering oak - sweet blackberry and cassis; well knit parts - harmonious - tannins soft and the acidity shows on the structure; very concentrated and pleasing extract here; the finish was very long, with the texture and massive fruit dominating. No hurry to take the next sip as I was able to savour the richness of the finish. This is by far the best California Cab blend I’ve tasted to date - appearing quite youthful, but attractive to drink now and should last for quite a long time. Still a few left in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2005 - Eric wrote: 97 Points
Dinner at Lampreia (Seattle, WA): Well, this blew the 1999 Abreu clear off the table. The nose was a little reticent, but the palate made up for that with rich, voluptuous waves of cocoa, mineral, screaming black fruit, ripe yet without too much sweetness. The finish was the highlight, an easy 60 seconds, stunningly long and persistent. This certainly nears the pinnacle of unabashed California cab that is all about waves of sweet, black fruit. Wow, too bad it was the last bottle. It drank *really* well!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2005 - scooterams wrote: 93 Points
Hella good. It was better than the USDA prime rib-eye I had it with. Surprisingly little sediment when decanted. Cork in great condition. Based on this bottle, I'd guess the peak to be around 2007/2008.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2004 - Blair Curtis wrote: 96 Points
Killer wine. California meritage done right. Gorgeous big ripe Cabernet supported by a dense bone structure of tannins. Fairly low-acid, but not fat. Gorgeous black fruits and a lovely hint of BBQ spices. Not a bit hot - alcohol well integrated. Can go much longer. I think this wine will eventually become elegant, but with nice fruit all the while.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2004 - CharlesM wrote: 95 Points
After my first day's shooting on Saturday (a mostly futile exercise, redeemed only by the blowing away of the cobwebs in spectacular countryside on the Worcestershire/Shropshire borders in the grounds of a gracious Georgian house), time to clear out the freezer for the game. To accompany the scotch beef T bone left over from summer, chargrilled to rare with on the grill with the last of this year's charcoal, what better than a massive California red?.
Decanted and tasted immediately. A rich, almost black colour, showing almost scarlet at the edge. Immediate sensations of caramel, mocha and espresso, giving way to bramble and dark fruits. On the mouth, very rich, dense wine with a great concentration. Still noticeably tannic, taking on tannin with air, this is a splendid wine of great power and strength. I hesitate to venture a drinking window, but great now (with the right food), and clearly many years to go. When later consumed without the steak, much more tannins reveal themselves. 5 years ? 10 years? to the next bottle?.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2004 - CharlesM wrote: flawed
Corked. :-(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2004 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
To accompany the rack of New Zealand lamb, I chose the 1997 Jayson, Pahlmeyer's blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. These were the barrels that Helen Turley culled in making her choices for the Proprietary Red. Deep, dark colour; aromas a mixture of blackberry, currant and sweet oak; full on the palate ( 14.5% alc.), with fine structure and flavours - blackberry and dark cherry, mingled with some coffee notes, and an element of caramelised sugar; some tannins showing, but they weren't aggressive; extends out to a very long finish, where the fruit lingers. Decanted - revealed considerable sediment. This was as good as the last time I drank this wine. There remain a couple of bottles in the cellar.
We had pretty well finished the Jayson before the cheese and fruit course, so I went down to the cellar to get a second bottle. Decided instead to grab a bottle of the 1997 Pahlmeyer Red, feeling it might be interesting to compare it with the Jayson. More Cabernet Sauvignon in this wine. Didn't decant this one, and proceeded to pour it from the bottle. It was a bit cool, and took a bit of time before the wine began to show itself. Virtually black in colour, and swirled very slowly in the glass, suggesting a pretty full bodied wine (label indicates this is 14.7% alc.); the aromas were full and penetrating - huge dose of black currant up front, but then it showed cappuccino, some caramel, and a few hints of floral; very full-bodied, but rich and smooth as it glided over the palate; full harmony of flavours - cassis, with blackberry and other dark fruits ; as concentrated as any wine I can recall, but all of the parts were in unity, leading on to an extremely long finish, where the cassis seemed to never end. Cheeses were a Felicien - soft, white - magnificent, and an apricot flavoured soft. Seems that Helen Turley knew what she was doing here - this is a near perfect wine. Happy I still have some of this excellent wine in my cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2004 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Really rich & deep. Impressed everyone at the table. Only medium finish but really nice showing for a 2nd.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2003 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does "American Bordeaux Varietals" (plus 1992-1997 Pahlmeyer Red) (Seattle, WA, USA): All eight tasters scored this in the 92-96 range, and this was the wine of the night. This shows some licorice and briar amidst ripe plums. This is so VERY primary, barely a baby right now. Long, spreading, dusty tannins on the finish. This clearly has the most potential of the bunch, but it is a workout right now. All that said, WOW! (Group average 94.125)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 96 Points
Substantial and extrememly ripe. It was fruit forward with rich notes of crushed grape skins, cassis, red berries and subtle oak. Full bodied with a long caressing finish. 96 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2003 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
this is a very big blend. you know the 5 grapes: 72% cab, 17% merlot, and the rest petite verdot, cab franc, and malbec. eat your heart out, cinq cepages. but, of course, more expensive. it's my second trial of this wine, and confirms my original opinion that it's worth the price of entry. 14.7% alcohol, full body, rich, almost sensuous mouthfeel. i felt the oak was more integrated with the additional bottle age, and i didn't feel this was an over-ripe fruit bomb the way i have heard other 97's described. i got alot of cassis on the nose. i liked the balance and general acidity. the wine was decanted about 45 minutes before really getting into the tasting period. without question i found this to be an enjoyable wine, but i don't rate it as high as parker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2003 - JeffGMorris wrote:
Not decanted. Remarkable velvety on the palate with great fruit, balance and finish. Drinking exceptionally well. Good with lamb and filet mignon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/1999 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($40) September 1999 Wine Country: Merlot based blend- built for drinking-silky smooth, not velvety- with minty, spearmint, menthol hints and fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment