Had a glass through a coravin, dark maroon in color, dark fruit on the nose, the palate was blueberry, blackberry, leather with just a hint of mahogany. Nice long smooth finish. I look forward to opening the bottle later this week.
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New Years Eve - Family Friends and Fun: Ripe cab nose. blackberry, pencil, pepper. mid is ripe and young. sweet fruit dominate but the core is very present - with clean acidity and a bit of a tannic grip. scipy notes in the middle mix well with the black and red fruit. excellent wine!
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This needs time. Ignore the 2014 CT end of optimum drinking window. This has at least 5 years. Decanted and sipped right away. This had mouth drying tannins and the good acidity. toward the end of the 2 hours of sipping with great bone in ribeye, this started to show some oak. Needs time to flesh itself out. Another good wine by Cadence.
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Nice wine. Lovely colour. Nose is a little muted, not distinctive. Very tasty juicy palate, peppery, currant, dark cherry fruit. Delicious long finish. Nose is the let down on this wine.
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Loved this wine tonight. Paired nicely at aqua (el gaucho) with both spicy and more rich foods. Was ready after about 30 minutes in the decanter with an open nose of both fruit and some nice barrel notes with a medium/full body very well integrated tannins and smooth structure. Drinking well now!
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Boo- disappointed in this one. Cork broke in half and then crumbled into the wine. I was able to filter out the cork- but this wine was shot and completely horrible.
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Very nicely balanced. Soft, almost like it was from Margaux, and certainly had the aromatics of something from Margaux. A bit of spice, cherry at times and berries at others. Went very nicely with the leftover Shepherds Pie. THe merlot was doing its job in softening this one. This bottle had a couple of years left.
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This wine was truly lovely. Pop & pour, aerated over a few hours of imbibing.
nose: blueberry, menthol, both of which were wholly surprising to me - it is not often I get blueberry in Cadence wines, and even less often that I enjoy blueberry notes in any wine. But this nose was so well complemented by a familiar underbrush/earthy sensation (which I do find in Cadence wines) that I fully enjoyed the nose. At higher temps, the alcohol was noticeable, but cooler it was totally contained in a lovely nose. Palate: altogether highly concentrated, there were streamlined red tones with lots of unsweetened fruit, yet the wine itself was not bitter or sour. THe long finish of raspberry and blueberry was truly delicious. Subdued yet steady tannin throughout. I loved this wine. 91 is probably low.
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Decanted for about 45 minutes. Nose was still somewhat closed to start. Subsequently evolved to predominately dark fruit with a hint of spice. Nice medium/full body, rich palate with well integrated tannins. Drinking very well now.
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This was drinking beautifully. Decanted for 30 minutes, and it kept getting better in the glass. So much going on; different red and black fruits, cocoa, mineral, spice all woven together.
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Sweet ripe red fruit on the nose. Stony minerality, sweet oak and berry. On the palate, rich red ripe fruit. Substantial oak influence. Grippy tannins. Cocoa. Nice. France vs. US Blind Tasting 6/15/12
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Had with Christmas dinner, standing rib roast. Very good wine, but it didn't meet my expectation. Muted nose and flavor profile. The fruit is there, but it is not complex or multi layered. No other real surprises in he bottle.
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The tasting note proceeding my comments I also found. An interesting wine. A bit like Cab Franc but more complicated. It was bright. At the end of 3 hours had changed ...I will drink my last bottle soon.
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After a double decant and an hour opened in bottle, the 2005 Cadence Ciel du Cheval showed a mix of sour cranberry black cherry with dark chocolate and slate dust. Upon first sip, my palate was assaulted by massive waves of rich raspberry fruit which started out jammy but turned fresh as it left flavors of mint and clove behind. The finish was long with flavors of wild berries. This bottle was so rich yet so balanced that fresh that I could have finished it myself. I love this wine.
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Very nice bottle. The tannins have softened noticeably since the last time I opened one of these maybe a year ago. Light and floral but still with enough weight on the back end to hold it up. Not what I'd call terribly complex, but never disappoints.
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When poured into the decanter it appeared very transparent. Took on much weight and deepened in color in the glass. Beautiful wine. Just when I was at the point of getting sick and bored with Red Mountain fruit, this displayed more of an Andrew Will style, who I think is the best blender in the state. Will hold off on my other two bottles for at least a year, preferably 2 to 4.
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Great wine. Light on the color, but then really surprises with the cherry nose and well integrated structure to the wine. Excellent throughout, nice dark fruit taste with a light hint of vanilla, very pleasant long finish.
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This is in a great place right now. Drinking very smooth. Medium bodied, cherry and red fruit with just a touch of blackberry squeezed in there. I have two more in the cubes which I'll finish off before the end of the year. These are just where I want them. Second half tonight. Enjoy!
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Light ruby color. Very cab franc nose and palate, with cherry fruit and herbal and horsey notes. Medium bodied, with lots of mineral complexity. This is not opulent, but it sure is interesting. Gains significant weight with time in the glass or decanter, and the fruit comes on nicely. 90+
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Tasted at a Metropolitan Grill, with a New York steak. We had this wine decanted immediately upon our arrival, and let some sit in our glasses prior to drinking. Color 2/2: Nothign to justify subtracting points. Poor lighting makes this difficult to call. Bouquet 4/4: The bouquet does exactly what I'm asking for in a big red. It is a complex prelude to the tastes and flavors I'm about to enjoy. I spent 15 minutes just enjoying all the sensations I got out of the smell! Taste 8/10: With well-balanced tannins and fruits, this low acidity wine has a wonderfully approachable presentation with gently filling mouth-feel. It transitions smoothly into a medium weight, complex body, fulfilling the promise of the bouquet with lots of flavors and tastes to ponder and enjoy. The entrancing complexity followed through into the finish, which was just a touch short of perfect (which cost it one point). Had it not lost a shade or two of it's complexity once I started my steak, it would have finished a 9/10 for taste. Overall 3/4: Definitly in the Loved-it category! With a tuscan chicken dish, I think I'd have given it another point. I'll definitly buy a case of this if I see one for $40~$50 per bottle. TOTAL: 17/20
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Fairly light and translucent in color, with a nose of bright red fruits, especially cherry and a bit of strawberry. Very similar on the palate, although it's a lot bigger wine than it appears. This is a wine that really benefits from air. Good structure. Ripe tannins and plenty of acidity (like all Cadence wines), so breathing really helps. Was better on day two than on day one, at least at this stage of its development. If you want to drink it now, it's best to decant it for a few hours first. It has a long life ahead of it, and pretty good potential, best I can tell at this point.
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What an interesting wine. I opened and thought right away that I would be disappointed based on its color which was very light. It also seemed to have a cloudy appearance. I thought of homemade wine right away. But then, the wine. What a nice wine it was. Had over two days. Light drying tannins, Slight sweetness to it, no oak, made me want more. After the second day when I finished the last of it, I was literally thinking of opening up another bottle because I just wanted more. That's when I knew I've fallen in love with another. Good thing with 7 more downstairs. Enjoy!!! I did.
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Purple with clear rim. Vanilla and nutmeg on the nose. Nice sweet tannins, stewed plum, black cherry, and leather on the palate. Luxurious texture. Another great QPR from Washington St.
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Could use some more bottle time. Nose of leather and toasty oak. Good flavors of dark fruits, but they were overshadowed by the tannins at this point. This has the stuffing to be a great wine down the road it just didn't want to play nice tonight. Would purchase again.
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Brad’s: Diving into a cave, vivid leather, tabacco, plums, earth, cassis--super silky entry, concentrated but elegant mth; t’s big but fine; grt start to fin., candied berry fin., classy long ass fin.
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12/10/2022 - sdf Likes this wine:
Past due according to CT but we'll stored and lots of life. Lovely balance and structure. Wish I had more.
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4/20/2017 - markcic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had a glass through a coravin, dark maroon in color, dark fruit on the nose, the palate was blueberry, blackberry, leather with just a hint of mahogany. Nice long smooth finish. I look forward to opening the bottle later this week.
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1/8/2017 - Quiet Lion wrote: 90 Points
Very good Washington Bordeaux blend for the price. Signature blueberries, well balanced.
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10/19/2015 - skifree wrote: 86 Points
Brought to the CT SEA dinner at Ponti. Was disappointed, fruit, heat, and hard tannins dominated. Was it in a shut-down phase?
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1/1/2015 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
New Years Eve - Family Friends and Fun: Ripe cab nose. blackberry, pencil, pepper. mid is ripe and young. sweet fruit dominate but the core is very present - with clean acidity and a bit of a tannic grip. scipy notes in the middle mix well with the black and red fruit. excellent wine!
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9/20/2014 - marka wrote: 90 Points
This needs time. Ignore the 2014 CT end of optimum drinking window. This has at least 5 years. Decanted and sipped right away. This had mouth drying tannins and the good acidity. toward the end of the 2 hours of sipping with great bone in ribeye, this started to show some oak. Needs time to flesh itself out. Another good wine by Cadence.
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3/28/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine. Lovely colour. Nose is a little muted, not distinctive. Very tasty juicy palate, peppery, currant, dark cherry fruit. Delicious long finish. Nose is the let down on this wine.
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1/14/2014 - Big Joe wrote:
It's time has past.
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1/3/2014 - forcumba wrote: 93 Points
Loved this wine tonight. Paired nicely at aqua (el gaucho) with both spicy and more rich foods. Was ready after about 30 minutes in the decanter with an open nose of both fruit and some nice barrel notes with a medium/full body very well integrated tannins and smooth structure. Drinking well now!
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11/29/2013 - dleaf wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. Everything is there.
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9/28/2013 - VinoPKM wrote: flawed
Boo- disappointed in this one. Cork broke in half and then crumbled into the wine. I was able to filter out the cork- but this wine was shot and completely horrible.
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2/17/2013 - marka wrote: 91 Points
Very nicely balanced. Soft, almost like it was from Margaux, and certainly had the aromatics of something from Margaux. A bit of spice, cherry at times and berries at others. Went very nicely with the leftover Shepherds Pie. THe merlot was doing its job in softening this one. This bottle had a couple of years left.
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12/18/2012 - tarheel17 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine was truly lovely. Pop & pour, aerated over a few hours of imbibing.
nose: blueberry, menthol, both of which were wholly surprising to me - it is not often I get blueberry in Cadence wines, and even less often that I enjoy blueberry notes in any wine. But this nose was so well complemented by a familiar underbrush/earthy sensation (which I do find in Cadence wines) that I fully enjoyed the nose. At higher temps, the alcohol was noticeable, but cooler it was totally contained in a lovely nose.
Palate: altogether highly concentrated, there were streamlined red tones with lots of unsweetened fruit, yet the wine itself was not bitter or sour. THe long finish of raspberry and blueberry was truly delicious. Subdued yet steady tannin throughout. I loved this wine. 91 is probably low.
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12/1/2012 - forcumba Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes. Nose was still somewhat closed to start. Subsequently evolved to predominately dark fruit with a hint of spice. Nice medium/full body, rich palate with well integrated tannins. Drinking very well now.
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8/8/2012 - skifree wrote: 93 Points
This was drinking beautifully. Decanted for 30 minutes, and it kept getting better in the glass. So much going on; different red and black fruits, cocoa, mineral, spice all woven together.
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6/15/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 87 Points
Sweet ripe red fruit on the nose. Stony minerality, sweet oak and berry. On the palate, rich red ripe fruit. Substantial oak influence. Grippy tannins. Cocoa. Nice.
France vs. US Blind Tasting 6/15/12
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12/29/2011 - gbbwino wrote: 88 Points
Had with Christmas dinner, standing rib roast. Very good wine, but it didn't meet my expectation. Muted nose and flavor profile. The fruit is there, but it is not complex or multi layered. No other real surprises in he bottle.
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12/26/2011 - emdub wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes.
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6/26/2011 - benny wrote: 91 Points
The tasting note proceeding my comments I also found. An interesting wine. A bit like Cab Franc but more complicated. It was bright. At the end of 3 hours had changed ...I will drink my last bottle soon.
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10/18/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a double decant and an hour opened in bottle, the 2005 Cadence Ciel du Cheval showed a mix of sour cranberry black cherry with dark chocolate and slate dust. Upon first sip, my palate was assaulted by massive waves of rich raspberry fruit which started out jammy but turned fresh as it left flavors of mint and clove behind. The finish was long with flavors of wild berries. This bottle was so rich yet so balanced that fresh that I could have finished it myself. I love this wine.
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10/8/2010 - McBenalds wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle. The tannins have softened noticeably since the last time I opened one of these maybe a year ago. Light and floral but still with enough weight on the back end to hold it up. Not what I'd call terribly complex, but never disappoints.
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9/22/2010 - NPWolfe wrote:
This bottle was just a little off. Not off enough to be bad, but off enough so that the wow was not there.
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9/10/2010 - emdub wrote: 91 Points
When poured into the decanter it appeared very transparent. Took on much weight and deepened in color in the glass. Beautiful wine. Just when I was at the point of getting sick and bored with Red Mountain fruit, this displayed more of an Andrew Will style, who I think is the best blender in the state. Will hold off on my other two bottles for at least a year, preferably 2 to 4.
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7/5/2010 - Saul wrote: 91 Points
Great wine. Light on the color, but then really surprises with the cherry nose and well integrated structure to the wine. Excellent throughout, nice dark fruit taste with a light hint of vanilla, very pleasant long finish.
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6/9/2010 - TexasBob wrote: 88 Points
Cinnamon and clove on the nose. Sweet vanilla with cinnamon and nutmeg. A bit bitter but with nice acids. Pleasant enough.
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6/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote:
Bit subdued on nose, some toast, bieg sweet palate, red fruit, touch of heat, else ok
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3/30/2010 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
This is in a great place right now. Drinking very smooth. Medium bodied, cherry and red fruit with just a touch of blackberry squeezed in there. I have two more in the cubes which I'll finish off before the end of the year. These are just where I want them. Second half tonight. Enjoy!
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2/28/2010 - pgm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light ruby color. Very cab franc nose and palate, with cherry fruit and herbal and horsey notes. Medium bodied, with lots of mineral complexity. This is not opulent, but it sure is interesting.
Gains significant weight with time in the glass or decanter, and the fruit comes on nicely. 90+
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2/7/2010 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
Nice - in a good place right now. Enjoying while watching the super bowl.
Enjoy!
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12/12/2009 - MikeHines wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at a Metropolitan Grill, with a New York steak. We had this wine decanted immediately upon our arrival, and let some sit in our glasses prior to drinking.
Color 2/2: Nothign to justify subtracting points. Poor lighting makes this difficult to call.
Bouquet 4/4: The bouquet does exactly what I'm asking for in a big red. It is a complex prelude to the tastes and flavors I'm about to enjoy. I spent 15 minutes just enjoying all the sensations I got out of the smell!
Taste 8/10: With well-balanced tannins and fruits, this low acidity wine has a wonderfully approachable presentation with gently filling mouth-feel. It transitions smoothly into a medium weight, complex body, fulfilling the promise of the bouquet with lots of flavors and tastes to ponder and enjoy. The entrancing complexity followed through into the finish, which was just a touch short of perfect (which cost it one point). Had it not lost a shade or two of it's complexity once I started my steak, it would have finished a 9/10 for taste.
Overall 3/4: Definitly in the Loved-it category! With a tuscan chicken dish, I think I'd have given it another point. I'll definitly buy a case of this if I see one for $40~$50 per bottle.
TOTAL: 17/20
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11/27/2009 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
Solid 91. Really enjoyed at thanksgiving.
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11/5/2009 - ewsds wrote: 91 Points
Fairly light and translucent in color, with a nose of bright red fruits, especially cherry and a bit of strawberry. Very similar on the palate, although it's a lot bigger wine than it appears. This is a wine that really benefits from air. Good structure. Ripe tannins and plenty of acidity (like all Cadence wines), so breathing really helps. Was better on day two than on day one, at least at this stage of its development. If you want to drink it now, it's best to decant it for a few hours first. It has a long life ahead of it, and pretty good potential, best I can tell at this point.
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8/24/2009 - shadow wrote: 93 Points
solid cab sided blend, tanins present but no in the way, flavors develope nicely over the evening into a rich prune, cherry, spicy delight
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7/27/2009 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
What an interesting wine. I opened and thought right away that I would be disappointed based on its color which was very light. It also seemed to have a cloudy appearance. I thought of homemade wine right away. But then, the wine. What a nice wine it was. Had over two days. Light drying tannins, Slight sweetness to it, no oak, made me want more. After the second day when I finished the last of it, I was literally thinking of opening up another bottle because I just wanted more. That's when I knew I've fallen in love with another. Good thing with 7 more downstairs. Enjoy!!! I did.
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6/13/2009 - ken wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine drinking well now. I expect that it will drink well for the nest 6-8 yrs.
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5/18/2009 - SevenDayMile wrote: 92 Points
Purple with clear rim. Vanilla and nutmeg on the nose. Nice sweet tannins, stewed plum, black cherry, and leather on the palate. Luxurious texture. Another great QPR from Washington St.
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6/28/2008 - ken wrote: 91 Points
Still very youthful and primary. I would leave it another couple of years.
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1/26/2008 - MagnumGourmet wrote:
Could use some more bottle time. Nose of leather and toasty oak. Good flavors of dark fruits, but they were overshadowed by the tannins at this point. This has the stuffing to be a great wine down the road it just didn't want to play nice tonight. Would purchase again.
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12/27/2007 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Brad’s: Diving into a cave, vivid leather, tabacco, plums, earth, cassis--super silky entry, concentrated but elegant mth; t’s big but fine; grt start to fin., candied berry fin., classy long ass fin.
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12/14/2007 - MJTed wrote: 92 Points
Quite tannic, but I love the blueberry fruit, spice and tobacco/toast flavors. Very powerful WA wine.
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