Excellent. I don't think it gets much better than it is now. Super silky smooth, great resolved flavors all melded together seamlessly. Very Mature. Only caution is be careful with the cork, it is soft and will disintegrate on you.
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Cork disintegrated on opening, The Durant helped a lot. No cork bit contamination.
Reviewed at 1.5 hour mark open. No decant.
Nose shows lots of oak notes. Vanilla, oak spice, high toned and quite attractive. Palate is silky smooth with nicely integrated oak and fruit. Really at peak for my palate. Dark fruit integrated with the vanilla spice oak. Long finish that brings you back for more. Served with a rare T-Bone steak and it was nicely paired.
Would buy again.
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Not the finesse and power of the incredible 03 but this is a very solid vintage. It needs a good decant and it took a while to show, but then it garnered the famous Leonetti integrated oak traits and fine tannins. Silky mouthfeel with a long finish.
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Drinking very well. 1H decant. Rich red fruit, cassis, some graphite, some herbs. Great acidity, integrated tannins, and smooth mouthfeel. Medium to long finish. Still has a lot of life but very good now.
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Bright crimson in color. 14.6% ABV. Stunning nose of black fruits, licorice, scorched earth and leather. Plush, rich and silky. Tremendous structure and concentration. Currants, cassis, black raspberry, chocolate and espresso on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with fine grained tannins. Exceptional Cabernet but I expect nothing less from Leonetti. Best over the next 2-3 years.
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Very nice aged Leonetti with a deep rich cab nose. On the palate the wine unfolds nicely with a lot of red fruit and wood notes up front, well integrated flavors and a nice super smooth mouthfeel with some nice rounded tannins on the long finish.
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N: Smoke slightly atop toast with notes of cherries & undertones of pyrazines; Intensity lurking
P: MF, poss Med, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init frt as it seamlessly evolves into a LONG, beautifully BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannnins. May still improve for a couple of yrs, then approach its 25th? 14.6% ABV; My EXC+/Exceptional-. 96 pts & "Cellar Selection" WE @ $80, 95 Vinous (Tanzer), 94 WA, & 92 WS.
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Dark red with pale edge. Oak is charred and there is also dark berries on the nose. Hugely fruity, concentrated, intense with a mineral edge. The oak is integrated. Finish is shorter than the concentration would lead you to anticipate.
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Decanted for an hour and a half. Red fruit and herbal notes. I would put this on a similar level as a 2nd or 3rd growth quality St. Estephe Bordeaux. Very good and very enjoyable. Definitely has quite a bit of life left. Still a pretty killer wine at this point.
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Purple color with a bouquet and flavor of blackberries and vanilla with hint of raspberries. Tannins integrated but wine a bit tighter than the last bottle. Overall good balance with a moderate finish. Pleasant wine.
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Bday bdx blind tasting - Although it showed well considering it's company I was a little put off by the awkward acidity and a bit of magic marker but it did balance out with time and was very pretty with beautiful florals.
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Wine Two in a single blind flight of five Old and New World 2005 Bordeaux and tributes.
The bouquet featured the appealing perfume of a fine Washington tribute wine, though not especially of Cabernet Sauvignon. Solid, quite polished on the palate, perhaps excessively so, as the wine lacked tannin. Guessed this as Wine Three, the 2005 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red Wine, on account of its perfumed, yet non-variety indicative bouquet, and overall lack of power.
It is holding together well, and it should continue to do so for another five to seven years, maybe ten. Wholly enjoyable now and unlikely to improve 92-93.
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decanted for about an hour. this is gorgeous wine that i never would have guessed is 12 y.o. no bricking of any kind. these is a 20+ year wine easy. would love to check back on this guy in a 5-8 years.
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Dark crimson in color. 14.6% ABV. Sexy nose of red fruits, graphite, coffee and toasty oak. Medium body with great structure and an elegance that is second to none. Cherries, currants, cassis and mint on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with the silkiest of tannins. Breathtaking Cabernet Sauvignon from a wonderful vintage. Drink over the next 4-8 years.
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This bottle is 2005 and today is 2017... I popped this thinking I need to get to it, might be on the down slope.
Appearance and color is very nice and representative ... minor cloudiness... 9/10
Nose is fantastic. I mean real gorgeous bouquet , classic cassis, dark cherry, baking spice and pine needles some fresh cut wood. Strong in a good way. 19/20
Taste is fruit forward but balance not over kill. You smell the oak more than taste it. Heavy cherry scent , good acidity. This is going strong for a 2005! Nice medium-solid lingering finish. 18-19/20.
92+
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This was outstanding. Decanted for about an hour. There was quite a bit of sediment. Good balance of fruit, acidity, and soft tannins with a medium body. Exceeded my expectations and was better than the 03 I had last month.
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Opened for Christmas eve along with an Eminent Domaine Pinot '12. Decanted for 2 hours. The wine was typical earthy Leonetti, soft yet present tanin, the fruit was there but not overpowering. Saved a glass for day 2 and the wine had lost some of it's punch.
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Tasty wine, dark and ripe with loads of nice dark berry and currant fruit. With some air this started to show more oak on the nose, and started to dry out a bit on the palate. Overall though this was ripe with nice crispy acidity and a long sweet finish. Very pure with a little vanilla on the length.
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Purple color with a wonderful bouquet and flavor of cassis and vanilla. Very pure and seamless impression with a caressing mouthfeel. Very long finish. An interesting contrast to its companion wine, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (rated 93), which was all tobacco, leather, and cedar. Leonetti and Quilceda Creek make exceptional Cabernets, among the best in the world.
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Uncorked 2.5 hrs beforehand. Red fruit and baking spice aromas leap from the glass. Lush fruit, vanilla, spice notes. Supple tannins envelop the palate, incredible texture. Fantastic wine, still many years to go.
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Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of cassis followed by restrained herbal notes in the very long finish. Wonderful nuance and balance. Very soft and caressing on the palate. I rated this higher than other raters, but am sticking by my guns.
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This wine is in a great spot right now, if you're willing to decent it for a few hours. Nice dark fruit on the nose, with some secondary aging characteristics starting to come though. On the palate it's a medium to full-bodied effort, with deep dark fruits, good structure, mid-palate and a satisfying and lengthy finish. Really good, but possibly a bit short of what I expected, given its vintage, pedigree and cost.
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this was a pop and pour but it did get to linger in the glasses. the wine was rich and balanced and very enjoyable. It was in good shape; fully ready to drink but it did not appear in any danger of aging out.
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Great concentrated nose of black and red fruit and crushed berries and maybe a little floral or cassis. The palate was soft and plush like a leonetti should be. Very nice integrated fruit, medium complexity and a nice finish. Could use at least a 1 or 2 hour decant. Holding up well.
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Tried in a vertical flight of 2004-2008 Leonetti Cabs. Very aromatic; caramel, vanilla with a hint of cocoa. Bigger mouthfeel than 2004, silky texture but significant acidity remaining. Long finish of berries, smoked meats and spices.
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On day one, this was a bit too tight, so I corked it up to try later. On day two, some of the structure had blown off, but so has some of the nice dark fruits underlying the stout structure upon opening. Nose of bright dark fruits. On the palate, a medium-bodied effort with mostly black fruit, fine-grained tannins, solid acidity and a lengthy finish. Very nice, but I doubt it will improve much from here. Overall, a bit disappointing, considering it's cost and pedigree. Not a good QPR wine.
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Made in a crowd pleasing style. Seductive, attention-grabbing bouquet of fruit blossoms and sweet spices. These same elements come forward on the palate. The palate also shows a pleasant texture with reasonable balance for its flamboyant style. This is a 'pretty' offering; it is not a seriously structured wine and probably not an extended ager. It drinks more like a Merlot - Cabernet Franc blend. An exciting wine to be sure, not a particularly serious one.
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Big sweet fruity and floral nose with some nice secondary spice notes. A very nice wine was overwhelmed with disjoint over the top flavors. Lots of oak. Not bad by any stretch, but so close to great as to make the flaws stand out even more. Good lenth and nice tannis. Just not integrated and balanaced.
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The dutchman turns 30; 3/2/2012-3/3/2012 (Chicago IL): nose: plush and forward nose filled with ripe tones of cherries, oak, blueberries, spice tones and dark red fruits. While there is a forwardness and ripeness to the nose, it is fairly balanced and not on the extracted side.
taste: Full bodied with chewy tannins. Ripe but balanced with plump tones of dark red fruits, oak, red cherries, and some bits of fresh picked berries. Very good depth with the oak being relatively in check.
overall: this was wine #2. The forward quality didn't bother me too much as there was balance to the wine.
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The winery says to let this sit until 2013. I couldnt wait any longer and with 2 in my cellar I figured I'd give this a shot. Its drinking nicely now with a very complex nose that evolves with time in the glass and decanter. First glass after decanting and aerating was tight. Got considerably better with about 30 minutes in the glass and continued to improve from there. Very nice wine with lots of acid, good balance of wood and fruit, and it continued to smooth out over the next couple of hours. One of the better Leonettis I've had. That being said I was more than a little surprised by how short the finish was which was why I only rated it a 91. I'll wait until next January to try my remaining bottle.
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Decanted 30 minutes before drinking. Initally lots of complex tobacco, cedar and fruit, smooth, paired very well with the fried chicken. As it evolved, it became less focused but still was excellent.
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Tanzer 2005 WA Cabernets and Blends (Palace Ballroom, Seattle, WA): Tanzer 2005 WA CABs - flight 4/4 with 05 Abeja Reserve and Leonetti. This was a hard wine to figure. Thick, full wine on the palate with sweet red fruit and very thick tannins. Overall a tasty wine, but a bit muddy in the flavors. It probably has the structure to evolve and resolve, but it wasn't singing tonight. Clearly high in alcohol. High aciity as well, but that didn't come through for me.
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While this was not the best Leonetti i have ever opened, it was indeed quite nice. Toasted oak well integrted with a ripe blackberry and currant taste. Very nice.
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Decanted for 30 min. and drank over the next 3 hours. The cork was minimally saturated although it wasn't very dense and did have some deeper veins in it that could lead to flaws with aging. Opaque, dark garnet hue with no noticable sediment in the bottle. As common with Leonetti Cabs they have a very pleasing, distinct nose. Big smells of red cherries, blackberries and red huckleberries were detectable. This vintage also lacked stronger smells of musky oak which is common in some of the older vintages of Leonetti's, ie: mid to late 90's. Personally, I prefer the modern Leo's that have more fruit and less oak. The midpalate is smooth, restrained and improves slightly with decanting. The finish is of short length and leaves you wishing for more out of the back end. Drink now or over the next few years.
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Dark, deep, and incredibly subtle, this wine’s aroma makes you work pretty hard to define it. Rich notes of fennel, blackcurrant, and just barely ripe black plum make up the core of the aroma, while light hints of raspberry and toasty oak tones open with a spin in the glass.
Like the nose, the palate of this wine is incredibly subtle. It is dominated by dark berry tones, a hint of raspberries and cream, and pipe tobacco. There is a pleasant spiciness and a black stone minerality that add an extra level of depth and structure to the palate. This is a very well integrated wine, with tons of complex, tightly knit together flavors. This is an impressive effort now, but given a few years in the cellar, this wine will evolve beautifully.
This wine suffered from being drunk with some truely amazing wines. Very solid. Price is too high, but the wine is good. Nose is pretty and powerful. Body has nice shape, but lacks excitment.
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Very nice and well aged. Chocolate and fruit on the palate, no real special finish, but a great relaxing wine. I did not catch any oak on the taste at all, leaving me a bit surprised. This vintage seems ready to drink now, as the entire mouth feel was soft and smooth
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Initial taste was very green, but the decant time served this bottle quite well. Wonderful nose, with floral and spice notes, while the flavor was dominated by black berry and cherry flavors, well balanced. Not the best Leonetti I have ever had, but wow, what a nice wine. The tightness seemed to be gone from this wine, I will go through the rest of my 2005's soon.
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Gave this a couple hours in the decanter. Intriguing nose, with a good initial attack of ripe plum and blackberry. I was not as impressed with the midpalate and the finish, which at first turned a bit smokey and herbal in a positive way but quickly became dominated by alcohol and and acid. Still a very good wine, but I was recently floored by the 2006 Leonetti Reserve and I thought this was lacking by comparison.
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Solid wine with lots of intensity and concentration. Big dark fruit, with plum being the strongest. Not too much oak, which I enjoy. Definitelt benefits from some breathing time.
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Well balanced Washington red with some spice and nice longish finish. Did very well with steak. Did not perform at its full capacity until the last glass late in the meal. Needs bottle time or at least 2 hours decanting.
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2005 Washington Cabernet Blind Tasting: Tasted blind as part of an 05 WA Cab tasting. At first the nose had stemmy and green aromas. I wondered if this was a ringer with Cab Franc in it. The nose eventually revealed currant and oak flavors, but the green note was still there. The palate had berry and oak flavors with a green pepper note gaining in intensity through the medium-long finish. I didn't have a guess for this wine other than it was a ringer, but I was very surprised to find out this was a Leonetti Cab.
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Deep red. Lots of fruit and perfume. Raspberries, cassis and violets. Very sweet nose and a bit sweet in the mouth. Lots of tannin and a bit of acid. Very nice young cabernet.
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WineFanatic Washington Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind - Deep ruby, clear throughout. As Coop and Bill noted, this has lots of stuff. Youthful nose of white pepper, loads of red and black fruit, oak as well. Jammy flavours of red and black fruits, some candied fruits. Medium to full body, medium tannins and acidity, medium finish. This needs serious time. Excellent. 90+
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DDinner with clients so apologize for limited notes: was the best of the bunch, big but well balanced, nice dark berry flavor. low to mid 90s. others we had were faust, grgich, paul hobbs, neal, kelly fleming, so in good company but i liked it the best
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After 1.5 hours, this could well have had the most beautiful nose I have have ever encountered. Smooth on the palate, with lots of dark fruit and good structure to improve over time.
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pop and pour and took awhile to come around. Difficult and incomplete showing. Cranberry, pine, smoky cedar for the first hour or so. The wood to fruit ratio seemed a little out of balance. Do you wanna be new world or old? Put on weight and improved as the night wore on... cherries and depth of fruit started to show... but it was all gone at the 2hr mark. Incomplete score, but would be leery about purchasing based on this showing.
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Decanted for about 4 hours before trying and drank with friends and a marinated flank steak. A great combination! Beautiful nose of dark fruits and a bit of wood. Rich and smooth on the palate mostly black fruits with fine-grained tannins. lengthy finish. Medium-full bodied with a excellent structure, indicating it could well be better in a couple of years. Can't wait to try it again, probably in a year or so.
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12/18/2023 - golfhawk wrote: 91 Points
Still holding on but not much left in this one. Has some structure but the fruit is starting to fade.
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11/12/2023 - tannictongue Likes this wine:
Peaked. Drink last bottle NLT 01/24
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12/22/2022 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very well balanced that has softened over the years. Don’t see this getting any better but. Old still last a year or two.
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12/23/2021 - Nbkat8 wrote: 95 Points
Excellent. I don't think it gets much better than it is now. Super silky smooth, great resolved flavors all melded together seamlessly. Very Mature. Only caution is be careful with the cork, it is soft and will disintegrate on you.
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5/16/2021 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Cork disintegrated on opening, The Durant helped a lot. No cork bit contamination.
Reviewed at 1.5 hour mark open. No decant.
Nose shows lots of oak notes. Vanilla, oak spice, high toned and quite attractive.
Palate is silky smooth with nicely integrated oak and fruit. Really at peak for my palate. Dark fruit integrated with the vanilla spice oak. Long finish that brings you back for more.
Served with a rare T-Bone steak and it was nicely paired.
Would buy again.
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3/14/2021 - Nbkat8 wrote: 94 Points
Not the finesse and power of the incredible 03 but this is a very solid vintage. It needs a good decant and it took a while to show, but then it garnered the famous Leonetti integrated oak traits and fine tannins. Silky mouthfeel with a long finish.
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12/31/2020 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 95 Points
I have worked with Master Somm’s that would call this Napa Cabernet. If I wasn’t so familiar with Leonetti, I would too!!!
Happy New Year!
Crazy good with Prime Rib, Au Gratins & caramelized cooked carrots. Stupidly good.
Still youthful. Shows its best in 8-10 years.
The things that gives it away that it’s from Walla Walla are; its round, juicy, grapiness, (with age), moist clay & particularly its volcanic ash.
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12/6/2020 - ClassicSchleg wrote:
Wonderful. Could have gone a few more years. Cork was I good shape but loose (almost pushed it into the bottle)
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1/16/2020 - WizardNeedsFood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well. 1H decant. Rich red fruit, cassis, some graphite, some herbs. Great acidity, integrated tannins, and smooth mouthfeel. Medium to long finish. Still has a lot of life but very good now.
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12/15/2019 - tomlee wrote: 95 Points
Bright crimson in color. 14.6% ABV. Stunning nose of black fruits, licorice, scorched earth and leather. Plush, rich and silky. Tremendous structure and concentration. Currants, cassis, black raspberry, chocolate and espresso on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with fine grained tannins. Exceptional Cabernet but I expect nothing less from Leonetti. Best over the next 2-3 years.
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9/28/2019 - enjoyvino wrote: 93 Points
Very nice aged Leonetti with a deep rich cab nose. On the palate the wine unfolds nicely with a lot of red fruit and wood notes up front, well integrated flavors and a nice super smooth mouthfeel with some nice rounded tannins on the long finish.
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6/28/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#03 for me): "New World" Theme (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 83% C.S., 8% Merlot, 4% Carmenere, 3% C.F., & 2% Malbec from the Mill Creek Upland, Loess (Estate), Seven Hills, & Pepper Bridge Vyds, ALL Walla Walla Valley; "Aged in new & 2nd fill FR & AM oak barrels for 22 mos;" 2,754 cases produced.
N: Smoke slightly atop toast with notes of cherries & undertones of pyrazines; Intensity lurking
P: MF, poss Med, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays in touch with the init frt as it seamlessly evolves into a LONG, beautifully BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannnins. May still improve for a couple of yrs, then approach its 25th? 14.6% ABV; My EXC+/Exceptional-. 96 pts & "Cellar Selection" WE @ $80, 95 Vinous (Tanzer), 94 WA, & 92 WS.
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6/13/2019 - KVM wrote:
Dark red with pale edge. Oak is charred and there is also dark berries on the nose. Hugely fruity, concentrated, intense with a mineral edge. The oak is integrated. Finish is shorter than the concentration would lead you to anticipate.
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11/3/2018 - mbo1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half. Red fruit and herbal notes. I would put this on a similar level as a 2nd or 3rd growth quality St. Estephe Bordeaux. Very good and very enjoyable. Definitely has quite a bit of life left. Still a pretty killer wine at this point.
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9/18/2018 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor of blackberries and vanilla with hint of raspberries. Tannins integrated but wine a bit tighter than the last bottle. Overall good balance with a moderate finish. Pleasant wine.
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9/15/2018 - golfhawk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a little young as the tannins hid some of the black fruits. I will wait for the next bottle and I think it could last another decade.
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11/1/2017 - bajayngo wrote:
Bday bdx blind tasting - Although it showed well considering it's company I was a little put off by the awkward acidity and a bit of magic marker but it did balance out with time and was very pretty with beautiful florals.
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10/29/2017 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Wine Two in a single blind flight of five Old and New World 2005 Bordeaux and tributes.
The bouquet featured the appealing perfume of a fine Washington tribute wine, though not especially of Cabernet Sauvignon. Solid, quite polished on the palate, perhaps excessively so, as the wine lacked tannin. Guessed this as Wine Three, the 2005 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red Wine, on account of its perfumed, yet non-variety indicative bouquet, and overall lack of power.
It is holding together well, and it should continue to do so for another five to seven years, maybe ten. Wholly enjoyable now and unlikely to improve 92-93.
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9/8/2017 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully now. No signs of age. Classic cabernet characteristics with plenty of dark and red fruit, plush mouth feel and a long finish.
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8/27/2017 - wiscgrad wrote: 95 Points
decanted for about an hour. this is gorgeous wine that i never would have guessed is 12 y.o. no bricking of any kind. these is a 20+ year wine easy. would love to check back on this guy in a 5-8 years.
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3/27/2017 - tomlee wrote: 96 Points
Dark crimson in color. 14.6% ABV. Sexy nose of red fruits, graphite, coffee and toasty oak. Medium body with great structure and an elegance that is second to none. Cherries, currants, cassis and mint on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with the silkiest of tannins. Breathtaking Cabernet Sauvignon from a wonderful vintage. Drink over the next 4-8 years.
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3/9/2017 - Wine G Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle is 2005 and today is 2017... I popped this thinking I need to get to it, might be on the down slope.
Appearance and color is very nice and representative ... minor cloudiness... 9/10
Nose is fantastic. I mean real gorgeous bouquet , classic cassis, dark cherry, baking spice and pine needles some fresh cut wood. Strong in a good way. 19/20
Taste is fruit forward but balance not over kill. You smell the oak more than taste it. Heavy cherry scent , good acidity. This is going strong for a 2005! Nice medium-solid lingering finish. 18-19/20.
92+
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3/4/2017 - Bandonista wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Impeccably balanced with suave tannins. Drinking well now. Enjoy
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1/21/2017 - Bladams13 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was outstanding. Decanted for about an hour. There was quite a bit of sediment. Good balance of fruit, acidity, and soft tannins with a medium body. Exceeded my expectations and was better than the 03 I had last month.
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12/26/2016 - tannictongue Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for Christmas eve along with an Eminent Domaine Pinot '12. Decanted for 2 hours. The wine was typical earthy Leonetti, soft yet present tanin, the fruit was there but not overpowering. Saved a glass for day 2 and the wine had lost some of it's punch.
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12/25/2016 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Tasty wine, dark and ripe with loads of nice dark berry and currant fruit. With some air this started to show more oak on the nose, and started to dry out a bit on the palate. Overall though this was ripe with nice crispy acidity and a long sweet finish. Very pure with a little vanilla on the length.
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10/22/2016 - caldocane Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well, but the fruit is dwindling. Wow there is a lot of wood here.
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10/15/2016 - klmarshall Likes this wine: 95 Points
Delicious. Would guess this is peaking now.
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9/25/2016 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Purple color with a wonderful bouquet and flavor of cassis and vanilla. Very pure and seamless impression with a caressing mouthfeel. Very long finish. An interesting contrast to its companion wine, Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (rated 93), which was all tobacco, leather, and cedar.
Leonetti and Quilceda Creek make exceptional Cabernets, among the best in the world.
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6/19/2016 - Hansen73 wrote: 93 Points
Was worried this might be on the edge but was still drinking beautifully! Wonderfully balanced with slight tannins left.
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5/21/2016 - mnewzs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent nice profusion of black fruit well structured and smooth Enjoyed prior to the Billy Joel concert
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3/12/2016 - GA_Seattle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Uncorked 2.5 hrs beforehand. Red fruit and baking spice aromas leap from the glass. Lush fruit, vanilla, spice notes. Supple tannins envelop the palate, incredible texture. Fantastic wine, still many years to go.
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12/17/2015 - mye wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. stood out in a line up of excellent wines.
More approachable than the 2006 Reserve.
Black and blue fruit dominant with hints of vanilla.. big and juicy but plenty of structure to hold up the wine.
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9/7/2015 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 98 Points
Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor of cassis followed by restrained herbal notes in the very long finish. Wonderful nuance and balance. Very soft and caressing on the palate. I rated this higher than other raters, but am sticking by my guns.
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8/3/2015 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This will most likely hold another 5 years at least! Still full of dark red fruit, some nice vanilla, plums, and dry spice.
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6/26/2015 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - blackberry, raspberry, sour nose
Mouth - lovely , fruity and complex, multilayered red and dark fruit punchy, lively, impressive.
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12/25/2014 - ewsds wrote: 92 Points
This wine is in a great spot right now, if you're willing to decent it for a few hours. Nice dark fruit on the nose, with some secondary aging characteristics starting to come though. On the palate it's a medium to full-bodied effort, with deep dark fruits, good structure, mid-palate and a satisfying and lengthy finish. Really good, but possibly a bit short of what I expected, given its vintage, pedigree and cost.
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9/5/2014 - tcosgriff Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Purple color with a bouquet of cardboard. Little if any fruit in evidence, with flavor dominated by tannins and acidity. Possibly an off bottle.
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8/26/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 91 Points
Drinking quite well; paired with big steaks; not sure there is room for improvement but a very enjoyable, jammy Cab
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8/11/2014 - Redteeth wrote:
this was a pop and pour but it did get to linger in the glasses. the wine was rich and balanced and very enjoyable. It was in good shape; fully ready to drink but it did not appear in any danger of aging out.
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7/26/2014 - enjoyvino wrote: 93 Points
Great concentrated nose of black and red fruit and crushed berries and maybe a little floral or cassis. The palate was soft and plush like a leonetti should be. Very nice integrated fruit, medium complexity and a nice finish. Could use at least a 1 or 2 hour decant. Holding up well.
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12/14/2013 - johnnyo wrote: 94 Points
Such a well made wine! Classic notes of luscious cassis, black cherry, anise, pepper, toasted cedar and charred earthiness.
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12/13/2013 - GA_Seattle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tried in a vertical flight of 2004-2008 Leonetti Cabs. Very aromatic; caramel, vanilla with a hint of cocoa. Bigger mouthfeel than 2004, silky texture but significant acidity remaining. Long finish of berries, smoked meats and spices.
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11/9/2013 - ewsds wrote: 90 Points
On day one, this was a bit too tight, so I corked it up to try later. On day two, some of the structure had blown off, but so has some of the nice dark fruits underlying the stout structure upon opening. Nose of bright dark fruits. On the palate, a medium-bodied effort with mostly black fruit, fine-grained tannins, solid acidity and a lengthy finish. Very nice, but I doubt it will improve much from here. Overall, a bit disappointing, considering it's cost and pedigree. Not a good QPR wine.
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8/27/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly rich and flavorful - nice balance of fruit and tannin.
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8/18/2013 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Made in a crowd pleasing style. Seductive, attention-grabbing bouquet of fruit blossoms and sweet spices. These same elements come forward on the palate. The palate also shows a pleasant texture with reasonable balance for its flamboyant style. This is a 'pretty' offering; it is not a seriously structured wine and probably not an extended ager. It drinks more like a Merlot - Cabernet Franc blend. An exciting wine to be sure, not a particularly serious one.
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1/23/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
Big sweet fruity and floral nose with some nice secondary spice notes. A very nice wine was overwhelmed with disjoint over the top flavors. Lots of oak. Not bad by any stretch, but so close to great as to make the flaws stand out even more. Good lenth and nice tannis. Just not integrated and balanaced.
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12/29/2012 - windover99 wrote: 97 Points
Just amazing, The first bottle of 6 that I was waiting to drink. Worth the wait
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4/3/2012 - ChrisinCowiche wrote: 90 Points
Tasted during Taste Washington Quarter Century Seminar
Ruby with Magenta edge. Chocolate/cherry/cola nose. Same flavors on palate. A bit monolithic and direct. Oak still dominant. 90
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3/3/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
The dutchman turns 30; 3/2/2012-3/3/2012 (Chicago IL): nose: plush and forward nose filled with ripe tones of cherries, oak, blueberries, spice tones and dark red fruits. While there is a forwardness and ripeness to the nose, it is fairly balanced and not on the extracted side.
taste: Full bodied with chewy tannins. Ripe but balanced with plump tones of dark red fruits, oak, red cherries, and some bits of fresh picked berries. Very good depth with the oak being relatively in check.
overall: this was wine #2. The forward quality didn't bother me too much as there was balance to the wine.
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1/3/2012 - WaWineFan in TX wrote: 91 Points
The winery says to let this sit until 2013. I couldnt wait any longer and with 2 in my cellar I figured I'd give this a shot. Its drinking nicely now with a very complex nose that evolves with time in the glass and decanter. First glass after decanting and aerating was tight. Got considerably better with about 30 minutes in the glass and continued to improve from there. Very nice wine with lots of acid, good balance of wood and fruit, and it continued to smooth out over the next couple of hours. One of the better Leonettis I've had. That being said I was more than a little surprised by how short the finish was which was why I only rated it a 91. I'll wait until next January to try my remaining bottle.
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11/5/2011 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 30 minutes before drinking. Initally lots of complex tobacco, cedar and fruit, smooth, paired very well with the fried chicken. As it evolved, it became less focused but still was excellent.
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8/15/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Very nice and delicate wine. Complex as it opened. Enjoyed over a few hours and it continued to improve.
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7/24/2011 - timbuk2 wrote: 91 Points
Tanzer 2005 WA Cabernets and Blends (Palace Ballroom, Seattle, WA): Tanzer 2005 WA CABs - flight 4/4 with 05 Abeja Reserve and Leonetti. This was a hard wine to figure. Thick, full wine on the palate with sweet red fruit and very thick tannins. Overall a tasty wine, but a bit muddy in the flavors. It probably has the structure to evolve and resolve, but it wasn't singing tonight. Clearly high in alcohol. High aciity as well, but that didn't come through for me.
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5/3/2011 - B Dub wrote: 91 Points
See my previous note. Same result.
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5/3/2011 - Saul wrote: 91 Points
While this was not the best Leonetti i have ever opened, it was indeed quite nice. Toasted oak well integrted with a ripe blackberry and currant taste. Very nice.
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4/17/2011 - B Dub wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 min. and drank over the next 3 hours. The cork was minimally saturated although it wasn't very dense and did have some deeper veins in it that could lead to flaws with aging. Opaque, dark garnet hue with no noticable sediment in the bottle. As common with Leonetti Cabs they have a very pleasing, distinct nose. Big smells of red cherries, blackberries and red huckleberries were detectable. This vintage also lacked stronger smells of musky oak which is common in some of the older vintages of Leonetti's, ie: mid to late 90's. Personally, I prefer the modern Leo's that have more fruit and less oak. The midpalate is smooth, restrained and improves slightly with decanting. The finish is of short length and leaves you wishing for more out of the back end. Drink now or over the next few years.
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4/9/2011 - mreinitz wrote: 91 Points
Chocolatey oak and ripe red cherries. Very smooth and soft. Enjoyable but definitely unspectacular...not quite as good as I hoped.
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2/18/2011 - Tyler_at_WWD Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, deep, and incredibly subtle, this wine’s aroma makes you work pretty hard to define it. Rich notes of fennel, blackcurrant, and just barely ripe black plum make up the core of the aroma, while light hints of raspberry and toasty oak tones open with a spin in the glass.
Like the nose, the palate of this wine is incredibly subtle. It is dominated by dark berry tones, a hint of raspberries and cream, and pipe tobacco. There is a pleasant spiciness and a black stone minerality that add an extra level of depth and structure to the palate. This is a very well integrated wine, with tons of complex, tightly knit together flavors. This is an impressive effort now, but given a few years in the cellar, this wine will evolve beautifully.
Source: What's Worth Drinking: http://whatsworthdrinking.com/2011/02/18/post-123-exploring-columbia-valley-cabernet-sauvignon-pt-2/
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10/18/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
This wine suffered from being drunk with some truely amazing wines. Very solid. Price is too high, but the wine is good. Nose is pretty and powerful. Body has nice shape, but lacks excitment.
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8/30/2010 - Saul wrote: 92 Points
Very nice and well aged. Chocolate and fruit on the palate, no real special finish, but a great relaxing wine. I did not catch any oak on the taste at all, leaving me a bit surprised. This vintage seems ready to drink now, as the entire mouth feel was soft and smooth
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7/23/2010 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK WWiz WashSt wines at Tuscan Grill.
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7/17/2010 - GA_Seattle wrote: 85 Points
Slightly off / slightly corked. Nice fruit, acidity and structure, but palate was overtaken by musty notes.
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6/16/2010 - Eric wrote:
A muddy nose with some latex paint. An alluring palate with chocolate covered cherries. A nice wine but a bit tedious.
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6/6/2010 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 92 Points
very well balanced. Decanted for 1 hour but could have decanted longer
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5/31/2010 - Saul wrote: 92 Points
Initial taste was very green, but the decant time served this bottle quite well. Wonderful nose, with floral and spice notes, while the flavor was dominated by black berry and cherry flavors, well balanced. Not the best Leonetti I have ever had, but wow, what a nice wine. The tightness seemed to be gone from this wine, I will go through the rest of my 2005's soon.
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5/16/2010 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 90 Points
Gave this a couple hours in the decanter. Intriguing nose, with a good initial attack of ripe plum and blackberry. I was not as impressed with the midpalate and the finish, which at first turned a bit smokey and herbal in a positive way but quickly became dominated by alcohol and and acid. Still a very good wine, but I was recently floored by the 2006 Leonetti Reserve and I thought this was lacking by comparison.
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12/26/2009 - raydawgone wrote: 92 Points
Rich, ripe plums. Silghtly on the tannic side. I suggest keeping this laid down for 3-5 more years, minimum.
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9/12/2009 - ink_junkie wrote: 92 Points
Solid wine with lots of intensity and concentration. Big dark fruit, with plum being the strongest. Not too much oak, which I enjoy. Definitelt benefits from some breathing time.
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6/21/2009 - kennyg wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced Washington red with some spice and nice longish finish. Did very well with steak. Did not perform at its full capacity until the last glass late in the meal. Needs bottle time or at least 2 hours decanting.
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5/14/2009 - spotaha wrote: 93 Points
Pepper, dark fruit wonderful finish and balnced tannins
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4/7/2009 - NomadicEntrepreneur wrote: 92 Points
tabacco, smoky, big. I <3 this wine.
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4/4/2009 - last chance wrote: 90 Points
2005 Washington Cabernet Blind Tasting: Tasted blind as part of an 05 WA Cab tasting. At first the nose had stemmy and green aromas. I wondered if this was a ringer with Cab Franc in it. The nose eventually revealed currant and oak flavors, but the green note was still there. The palate had berry and oak flavors with a green pepper note gaining in intensity through the medium-long finish. I didn't have a guess for this wine other than it was a ringer, but I was very surprised to find out this was a Leonetti Cab.
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2/18/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. Lots of fruit and perfume. Raspberries, cassis and violets. Very sweet nose and a bit sweet in the mouth. Lots of tannin and a bit of acid. Very nice young cabernet.
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2/17/2009 - godx wrote: 90 Points
WineFanatic Washington Offline (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind - Deep ruby, clear throughout. As Coop and Bill noted, this has lots of stuff. Youthful nose of white pepper, loads of red and black fruit, oak as well. Jammy flavours of red and black fruits, some candied fruits. Medium to full body, medium tannins and acidity, medium finish. This needs serious time. Excellent. 90+
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10/14/2008 - sasvino wrote: 93 Points
DDinner with clients so apologize for limited notes: was the best of the bunch, big but well balanced, nice dark berry flavor. low to mid 90s. others we had were faust, grgich, paul hobbs, neal, kelly fleming, so in good company but i liked it the best
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9/10/2008 - grapemaven wrote: 94 Points
After 1.5 hours, this could well have had the most beautiful nose I have have ever encountered. Smooth on the palate, with lots of dark fruit and good structure to improve over time.
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6/23/2008 - lorenzo wrote:
pop and pour and took awhile to come around. Difficult and incomplete showing. Cranberry, pine, smoky cedar for the first hour or so. The wood to fruit ratio seemed a little out of balance. Do you wanna be new world or old? Put on weight and improved as the night wore on... cherries and depth of fruit started to show... but it was all gone at the 2hr mark. Incomplete score, but would be leery about purchasing based on this showing.
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5/18/2008 - ewsds wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 4 hours before trying and drank with friends and a marinated flank steak. A great combination! Beautiful nose of dark fruits and a bit of wood. Rich and smooth on the palate mostly black fruits with fine-grained tannins. lengthy finish. Medium-full bodied with a excellent structure, indicating it could well be better in a couple of years. Can't wait to try it again, probably in a year or so.
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