Had at restaurant, Decanted tableside. No significant sed.No significant bricking. Represented well as a modern style Cali cab. No flaws, mild tannins, gave good structure. Alive and well tonight, good with food.
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Agree with notes from BAM_MAN, perfect description from what we tasted, paired great with peppercorn NY strip steaks. Definitely needed time to open up, but I do think this is about peaked and won't likely get much better with more age.
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A deceptively youthful-looking, semi-opaque magenta in the glass - lightening just at the very edge. Initially tight and austere, this needed a good 90 minutes of air before it finally showed its best. Very expressive and pretty on the nose, offering powerful scents of crushed dark berries, Napa earth and exotic spice. Medium-to-full bodied and so silky in texture. Still shows a surprising abundance of ripe, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit with very good depth and focus. Not 'over-the-hill' at all. This has a lively acidity that gives it a nice, energetic lift, which perfectly complements its mouthwatering fruit. Finishes with good length, along with smooth tannins that are completely integrated. Appealingly fruity, polished and delicious. A very nice, mature Mondavi Oakville from an often overlooked vintage. 50+5+13+16+7=91
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Balanced cab showing fruit with the sweetness and exuberance of its Napa origin, with lead pencil to give this a Left Bank Bordeaux feeling as well. Very good for the money.
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Sultry and sumptuous in style, this conveys a gorgeous bouquet of mountain berries, forest floor, mint, conifer, cedar, and elegant bottle age. Rich, deep, and long in the mouth, with melted tannins, a beautiful middle sweetness, and flavors that are generous, broad, and expansive. Seamless, complex, and sexy. 93++
Much improved over the last year. The alcohol impression's backed off and the wine is balanced with comfortable maturing flavors. Probably about peak but should hold here for years. Would estimate's it's outer drinking about 2021.
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This has held up pretty well. Nice nose of sour cherry, currants, cedar, and spicy oak. On the palate, nice flavors of currants, cherries, hints of spicy oak. Balanced finish with decent grip. Really solid.
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It's not improving since earlier last year (and others before that). It's Mondavi, but feels a bit rustic, not like Mondavi Oakvilles I'm accustomed to.
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Big rich and ripe Cal Cab. Youthfully dark reddish purple color and heady nose of black cherry, blackberry and chocolate. Best to decant--needs air to let the fruit and alcohol come into balance--smells and tastes a bit too potent right off the bat.
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9 years in the bottle and i have to say it ages well, even though this is just the napa entry wine. surprisingly fresh, hidden tannins, great and dark fruit. No wonder I continue to spend $15 on this wine and set it down for years. Highly recommended.
I was a little concerned when I first opened it - thought it was past its prime, but it opened up very nicely to display a rich, full body. Great with Italian meats and fresh mozzarella
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of raspberry, tea and molasses and has flavours of black currant, blackberry, licorice anise, cedar and prune with a medium body.
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My last bottle of 2005 Oakville was like a To/Kalon Reserve! Wowza Almost Black color, Oakville earth and dark fruits, rich opulent finish Wow what a bottle!
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I thought this was awesome right out of the bottle. Vicsous and silky with strong notes of cassis, blood orange and cranberry. Nice acidity, integrated tannins and vanilla custard notes. Nice smooth lingering finish. Great buy
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After about an hour, just what you would hope for from a medium-level California Cab. Opened up nicely. Only one bottle left. My wife thought it was too good a wine for a weeknight butm, hey, I'm not gettting any younger. Good stuff, not great but just what you want on a Monday night.
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Very nice cab, too bad I only bought one bottle. This opened up and gained both depth and weight with 60-90 minutes time in the glass. So I would recommend a decant before you drink it. This is not a hugely concentrated or long wine, but it is nicely balanced at this point. We recently had an '04 Oakville cab as well, and the 04 was a bigger wine with more concentrated dark fruit. But the 05 has more secondary flavors and savory notes, with some nice tobacco and leather and herb. I've very sensitive to heat and did not feel any heat on this wine, even when it warmed to room temp. This and cab has good acidity and modest tannins that give it some nice structure, but it is also pretty smooth.
Overall, really drinking pretty well at this point. If I had more, I would drink them over the next couple of years but I don't think this is going south anytime soon (if cellared well). I hope the 06-09 vintages that are in the cellar are as good as the 04 and 05 overall. This is a good value in Napa Cab.
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This cab has aged nicely. Complimented grilled steak very well. Medium body, dark fruit, and a significant but not overdone oak element. I would not hold on to this one much longer.
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CES Lab Wine Tasting #9 (Home): Drank blind with similarly priced 2005 Napa and Bordeaux wines. This was the group favorite and one near the top in my view as well. Well balanced, with good acidity and tannins. Starting to develop some secondary flavors.
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PnP from perfectly stored bottle from a case purchase. Initially great aromas of red fruits and even perfumed rose flowers. Yes some wood on the nose but sweet oak aroma ( very very nice). Medium body now and is a lot less dark than 3 years ago. Very disappointed in that 60 mins later the aromatics decreased maybe 50%. On the palate the beautiful Oakville fruit is losing its fight with the oak, alcohol and tannins vs. years ago. Short finish w drying tannins. Very disappointed from where this was years ago. Has moved from a wine that you must take another sip to one that is a challenge to sip again with the alcohol and drying tannins and not balance with sweet fruit. Hope it’s an off bottle as I have plenty of the 2007 in the cellar too. Will report back in when drinking w a nice steak. Last reviewed in Dec 2011 and was much better (92)
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Decanted for about 30 mins. Juicy currant fruit, with medium acidity and medium plus body that has some oak on the finish, but little on the nose or early on the palate (unlike earlier bottles). Overall, a nice cab currently drinking well that is a great value at the purchase price. Drinking much better than in 2011.
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Decanted for an hour. Tonight I felt this was still a young wine, with great balance. Black fruit gave way to strawberries as it got air. Long linger. Terrific value.
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Showing heavy oak at this time with dill, cassis, tobacco, menthol and firm tannins. Drinks like a young Bordeaux. There is sufficient fruit for me to believe that this will all integrate in the next 3-8 years
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It has been interesting to watch this wine evolve over the last 3 years. It started as a fruit-forward cab, but then evolved in a more complexe wine with fairly distinct coffee flavors appearing in the palate... unfortunately I don't like coffee! ;) Still an excellent wine though!! I suspect this is at near peak now.
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P&P, paired with pizza and Rose Bowl game. Lots of cassis fruit, with blackberry also. Quite a bit of oak at first, with most of it blowing off after a couple hours. Still quite structured, with decent tannin and a nice acidic cut. Great mouthfeel, almost lush. Nice wine, but the oak detracts somewhat.
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VERY WELL MADE, TANNINS AND FRUIT A JUST RIGHT ALLOW TO BREATHE FOR 20-25 MINUTES TO GET THE FULL EFFECT OF THE WINE. CURRANT AND BERRY FLAVORS BLEND WELL THE THE OAK.
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Went straight to glass. Wonderful dark garnet color. Nose of fruit earth toasty oak and vanilla. Long silky tannins. Oakville continues to shine Had it with and 07 Kathryn Hall and a 2008 Krug great night!!
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Still very nice and overall in a very good place now. Now more food friendly as fruit and oak in harmony. Tannins still very drying and work great with the Pizza and Monday Night Football. Dont think it will get any better...but will stay firm for 5 plus years. Had the 07 Mondavi Oakville too .....still very fruity and well worth the $26.99 and free shipping on the current wineshopper.com deal (an easy 92+ in my style).....just bought a case of the 07's.
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Less oaky than my last bottle from 3/18, but still disappointing in that the fruit is a little masked by the wood. Even with air, it never reached where my bottle from 2/5 was.
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Tasted blind vs. 3 other sub $30 Napa Cabs from 2005 (always one of my buy and hold wines). Nice aromatics. Would have thought it was a Bordeaux blend as it had a smell and taste of Chocolate (Merlot?). Tannins well in line, can tell its been in new oak as the vanilla aroma is prominent…but plenty of dark fruit and non oak derived spices on the palate. Nice drying tannins signal still some life left in it…..but this is in a great place now and don’t see how it can get better. I have had this wine over 12 times non blind and any of the green taste that may have excited in its youth is gone (a good thing for me) and what is left is in a good place.
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Lots of tannin and dark fruit but well balanced. Drank it with some tri tip over 2 hours and it paired well. Should have waited a little longer to open it though. Still tasting young.
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Popped Poured and drank over the next three hours. Deep, black and blue. Wonderful nose of ripe cassis and black cherries. Tannis intergrated nicely with the high alcohal content. Very good.
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Another year in the bottle has done wonders for this wine. Drinking very nicely as the fruit has rounded out filling out the mid-palate that was lacking before. Still somewhat reserved, but a nicely balanced wine that is a fine example of CA cab.
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Consistent notes. I am not sure the previous estimate of 5-10 years will stand up -- I'd suggest a 5 year drinking window. A nice robust wine but probably not too much more development.
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The recession has yieded some positive effects. One of these is the glut of really good wine at really good prices. The 05 Mondavi Oakville is a great example of price to value opprotunity. This wine is very structured with great red cherry, plum and soft fine tannins that are the hallmark of Oakville Cabs. I had a '91 Phelps Insignia Magnum at a party last week that was incredible. This wine is an echo of that throughbred at a fraction of the price.....Of course it is young and will not age like the Phelps, but a great wine with a steak on a Wednesday evening......enjoy the bounty wihle it's here....
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First opened a bottle from the '05 vintage about 18 months ago and was very tannic and slow to open up any at all .. I thought I had run into the first bad vintage of the Oakville bottling as I had very much enjoyed the Oakville (and the Stags Leap) every vintage since 2001.
The good news .. opened a bottle in late December and another in early January and the wine is progressing beautifully. It has improved significantly with the added 18 months showing nice fruits and while its still a bit on the tannic side, it's not at all over-powering, it's just a very powerful, in-your-face bottle of cabernet. An enjoyable finish has developed as well, but as good as it is now another year or two is still called for and after the added time to finish its development, this is going to be another superb Oakville.
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Hennepin Lake Tasting; 10/20/2010-11/12/2010: Mondavi is back in my opinion. The 2007 Napa Cab was really nice and the 06 Reserve has some long term potential. The Oakville was spot on for Napa Cab and features plum, cherry, mineral and oak. Good concentration and balance overall. This should evolve over the next five years. Well done!
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Decanted one hour. Nose of black fruits, mint, sour cherry, cedar, spicy oak. On the palate black currant, sour cherry, mocha, spice, mocha, tobacco. Finishes with dusty tannins and good acidity. This can go for a long time. Drink with a decant or hold. Big time value.
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This wine is aging nicely and while still young, is starting to enter its drinking window. Really nice flavors of dark berry, cassis, spice and oak. Full bodied with drying tannins dominating the still rather firm structure. Decent finish and overall a very nice wine for the $.
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This is coming together... Medium bodied wine, lots of fruits and a fair amount of oak, sweet tannins. Good $30-$40 California cab. Great QPR if you can get it for $25 or less!
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Year in and year out the Oakville cab delivers great QPR. A big wine that was served with KC strip. Nose of dark berries with some spice and the right amount of oak. Great midpalate and a finish that lasts longer than most cabs twice the price. For $25, I should have bought a case. This wine will easily last 5-7 more years.
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Popped and poured, needed about an hour to really shine; garnet colored, medium bodied wine; nose of dark fruits, violets; nicely layered palate of cassis, spice, some oak notes; fine slightly drying tannins on the medium/long finish. IMO this will be even better with another year of cellar time.
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Much more developed than a prior bottle. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. Medium to full bodied with good concentration and a firm structure. Nothing subtle or elegant about this wine. This is basically a fruit bomb with a lot of structure and overall is somewhat clumsy.
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I double-decanted a bottle on Saturday night, but half a bottle remained after multiple other bottles, and a pending 2007 Dow's VP.
I grilled a NY strip tonight and, four days later, this wine was in a great place. Classic dark Napa fruit, spice, herbal notes, and chocolate; elegant mouth-feel with sweet tannins; medium, mouth-coating finish. A fantastic wine for the price. A special thanks to dannyk for helping me procure a few bottles of this wine.
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Dark and dense in the glass. Evolving nose begins with a burst of fruit as bottle is opened, to pleasantly sour Cabernet characteristics to creamy fruit, dust, and oak. Just a fabulous nose. Well balanced with tons of flavor but restrained at the same time. Slight alcohol heat. Light on its feet but concentrated at the same time. Subtle, drying tannins. Wonderful wine!!! Still has plenty of life. Wish I had more, too bad I'm broke.
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Third bottle that I have had over the last 2 years or so. Typically cabernt nose with well integrated flavors of dark berries, oak, and spice box. Tannis are present and firm but well integrated. Drank over 3 days with the second being my favorite. Have a handful more of these and will try again in about a year. A great value at around $30.
Ruby in color and nice red fruit on the nose. Red fruit and earth tones on the palate. Tannins were present, but seemed well integrated. Not the best storage conditions for this particular bottle, so perhaps its a bit more evolved for that reason. Would definitely consider buying again if the price was right.
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Notes of black cherry and currant with distinct pepper. Has some nice structure and elegance but dries out on the finish. A clear step up from lesser Mondavi wines but not the best Mondavi Oakville I've had.
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Deep red, nose is definitely influenced by the wood - lots of spice box, cedar, and then you get to dark berries. Plush, full bodied, lots of tannins, perhaps could have used more filtering or a decant as the wine had a lot of sediment. The taste had dark fruit, a bit of spice, licorice, and a long finish. It changed rapidly as it opened - more fruit at first, more tannins and earthy components later. I used tannins a lot in this review as they were VERY present, maybe a bit intrusive.
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This was a solid bottle with a lot of earth and structure in the nose from the beginning. As it opened up, the tannins started showing and the body filled out to offer some very nice plum and Napa earth. Finish was still a bit tight but should open and balance after a few more years. Age worthy wine!
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Medium dark purple to garnet hues in the glass. This is big. Not empire state building big, but definitely something on lower manhattan like. Nose of oak and nutty black-currant. It is nutty, but you can actually smell nuts. Fairly smooth on the palate, but the concentration of fruit and presence of tannins suggets that this has quite some ways to go. With the abundance of 07s being released, it is good to be able to and find something with a little age on it, and at the same time knowing it still has some ways to go.
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Bought a case based on great experience with 2003 vintage. The 05 has blackberry, currrant, pine, and tobacco on the nose. more black fruit on the palate but thin with dusty tannin and bitter chocolate on the finish. A little off -- bitterness is medicinal as well and not real pleasant. still good. and better on the second day when bitterness receded.
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Textbook Napa Cab at a relatively affordable price ($25). Big dark fruit on the nose backed up with moderate menthol aspects that would normally turn me off but in moderation were enjoyable. Dense on the palate with firm but enjoyable tannins. Considerable oak influence but I liked it. Consistent from bottle to bottle. Outstanding.
I have to disagree with most of the other reviews on this wine. From the minute I opened and decanted, the immediate area was filled with the smell of sweet red fruit and oak. The nose was fresh and alive with red cherry, tobacco and cassis. What struck me the most was the balance of sweet fruit, oak with fine integrated tannins. Very glad I bought a case......This wine is prototypical Oakville, and the grapes sourced from Beckstoffer/ ToKalon make this wine a home run on the Price/Quality scale
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Mineral, olive. Not getting the great tannins and long finish others have commented. Great for the $18 I paid for it, but I actually like the regular Mondavi bottling better.
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Exceptional value. While the CT average is $30ish, we got these for under $20. Even at 30, this is an excellent value. Deep dark color. Initial nose of tar, cigar box, cedar and dark fruit. Smooth on the palate with dark berry fruit, wood, smoke and leather. Lush and delicious, if lacking in complexity and nuance, with firm tannins that suggest at least 5-10 years of development ahead. Very nice finish.
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Medium to full body currant and blackberry fruit, a little thin on the mid-palate, average acidity for a Napa cab, and ending with a 35 sec finish that has a little heat. Not nearly as good as the previous two vintages, but I got this for less than $17 and I'm not complaining.
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Popped and poured and...nothing. I have a head cold and figured it might be me and not the wine. I came back a couple of hours later and was pleasantly surprised. Still not much nose but plenty of dark fruit and noticeable acid and tannin. On day two with leftover short ribs this wine was even better. It definitely needs decanting at this stage and I believe more bottle time. I'll let the rest sit for another year.
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Much thinner than I expected for supposed declassified To-Kalon fruit. Heavy on the oak and the alcohol is very noticeable. Definitely a disappointment, but a decent wine. The remaining bottles will go on my wife's shelf in her Eurocave and I won't buy more.
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Decanted for 2+ hours; a very big wine with mostly dark fruit, oak, and dusty tannins on the nose; seems to have good structure, but the tannins are a bit overwhelming at this point; paired with prime rib. Hold for another 1-2 years or drink with long decant.
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For the first 30-45 minutes it was tight and primary - with the fruit mostly hidden behind a wall of oak, acid and tannin. Opens up after about an hour with black fruits and oak dominating the flavors. Long, but very acidic finish. This wine seems disjointed right now - would expect improvement with more bottle time. Probably an 89 for me right now - but I would expect a higher score in another year or two.
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Brought this wine to a Christmas party where it was popped and poured. It was a little cold and tight but its backbone was there, lots of classic blackberry, currant and bell pepper notes with big furry tannins. This is a big wine that needs a couple of hours in the decanter to show its full potential.
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I liked this wine. The equipment upgrades they made in the early 2000's really show here. It is relatively subtle, not in your face. Everything is here. Plums, violets and leather in the nose. Almost purple color. Plum and cherry fruit laced in chocolate. Layers of subtle complexity, that change almost by the minute in the glass. There is probably a slightly green minerality here, but it works. Total balance, and medium to full bodied. Ripe, noticeable, but not over the top tannins. Long, long finish, cedar and tobacco.
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Very big, maybe on steroids but for the big cab guys this wine will more than satisfy. Needs to open a lot. The tannins are strong the mouth attack is brutal, but when had with a steak, wow. I can't see the 93 that it got but that's being picky, still a great BIG RED.
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Big Red! (Sportsman's): Garnet color. Earthy red fruit nose. Raspberry and cherry fruit. Tart finish. Quite disappointing. Was this wine better in the past or has my tastes changed?
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Popped and poured. Nice nose, cassis, mint, green pepper, red currant, spicy oak. On the palate, sour cherry, red currant, spice, mocha, hint of tobacco. Finishes with dusty tannins and crisp acidity. This is some really good juice for the $17 I paid. Hold or drink with a long decant. Tremendous value and glad to have more of these.
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Paired with Grilled Flank Steak with Grilled tomatoes and goat cheese and green salad. Nice cabernet-heavy profile. Sweet red currant, oak is well integrated, medium(-) tannin level makes this easy to approach now -- and then a medium length lovely dusty to kalon vineyard finish... At the price, this is a steal.
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This is fantastic stuff from one of my favorite areas of Napa. Just the right amount of dust on the finish and it just lingers there. Love it and will look for more.
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Typical Napa cab nose with cassis and a bit of green pepper. Full and round on the palate with bright fruit and a chocolatey finish highlighted by some Rutherford dust. A nicely made wine...no offensive alcohol or oak...and for the price of $25, hard to beat in the QPR department. Next time I open one, I will give it an hour or so in the decanter.
40+5+5+16+16+7=91
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Notes of cassis, green olives and crushed berries. Subtle oak influence on the palate with fine tannins and a decent finish. With time it improved from the initial taste. Picked this up 'on sale' for $22 and at that price, it's quite a good value.
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Dark ruby red. Nose of blackberry and some oak. Black fruit dominates the palate with a long finish and pronounced tannins with a bit of mineral overtone. Nice but give it time.
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Nice dark nose, some red berries and a hint of vanilla. Dark fruit transitions to black licorice with some leather and oak. Nice firm tannins suggest that this wine may last 3-5 more years. The wine was good but it lack a solid mouth feel to make it a 90+ wine. Solid bottle.
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i love this bottle. especially for what i paid for it (which i s a total secret). big black fruit up front smooth through the mid palate and nice firm tannins on the really chocolatey finish. i like this bottle where it is and will probably drink the rest before i should.
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Tasted at winery – bright nose of plum and red cherries with similar flavours on the palate. Medium to full body with medium to high tannin and acidity and a medium length finish. Drink or hold. Very good.
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Up front nose of ripe fruit and slight alcohol. Fine grained, dusty tannin and ripe fruit that are well integrated. It has a sweetness that is not exactly my preferred style. Still very young tasting.
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There's something about this wine I just don't like but I can't put my finger on it. It has all the right characteristics but it just doesn't wow me at any level. Maybe I am expecting too much from Mondavi. On the nose it has beautiful sour cherries, plum and even apple cider with a little hint of smoke. In the mouth the sour cherries and raspberries really comes through with super firm tannins for a CA cab. Finishes moderate with a lot of heat. Not sure what to pair with this wine, it's not exactly pizza wine and certainly not steak wine. So there you have it all the right elements but just does not come together well. Maybe in a few years.
Remember, you don't drink the label.
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Good effort and superb value at $32. Fruit forward, spicy and heavy on the tannins. Could use a few years in da cellar. This is my favorite Mondavi product when the price is considered. They will probably go as fast as the 04's did.
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Good solid Oakville cab. Not overoaked like so many CA cabs. Cassis and a little vanilla on the nose. This has concentration, and even a bit of a spicy character on the palate. All in all, this seems well balanced for food, rather than aiming for points, and I respect that.
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The 2004 Oakville is a great year for Mondavi Cabernet, 2005 is quite young and this is a young tasting, 2 more years may be required before this wine is ready. The nose is rather closed but that will changew ith decanting when this wine is ripe. The pour is very full bodied, dark and inviting. The taste is black fruit with a nice structure and very firm dry tannin. I will need some time to breath and more tasting to come up with a good rating, but a 93 is fair. 93, could be good, needs time
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Needs some time in the cellar. At first this wine was far too weak, little character, very weak finish. Let it sit for a night. Signifcantly improved day two. Much bigger wine the next day, but still a bit too 'soft' for a Mondavi Oakville Cab (right now at least). Firm tannins. Blueberry and oak. Needs at least another year (or three) in the cellar
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Pretty tightly wound at first, but opened up to exhibit firm core of black currant, cassis, socrched earth and toasty oak. Fine tannic finish of dried fruit and minerals . Nice $28 QPR including the 10% discount from K&L.
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Outstanding value. More fruit forward then 2004 if you can believe that. Full flavored with a very nice finish.. Another solid effort. I agree with others that it was better on day 2. A few years of cellaring should really help this wine reach its potential. Considering the price, its a very good value. If you drink it now, decant for 6 hours at least.
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Popped and poured. Jammy fruits with very tight tannins on finish. Fading on day 2. Decent short term potential. A veritable bargain in today's Cali Cab pricing.
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Fall Fest 2008: nose: nicely styled nose of red currants, cedar, loads of red fruits, and even bits of leather
taste: very firm with slight bits of heat along with red currants, dark cherries, black currants, and some leather tones
overall: can use some sideways time to calm down the heat. Very well put together with chewy tannins and a bold dark fruited attack with a black cherry finish
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8/22/2019 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Immediately ready upon opening. Ripe, kirsch-y notes of dark cherry with a touch of pencil shavings and coffee.
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10/16/2018 - mhewitt wrote: 93 Points
My last of 14 bottles and was drinking the best of all. One of the all time best values in Napa cabernet if you can get it at discount pricing.
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9/14/2018 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had at restaurant, Decanted tableside. No significant sed.No significant bricking. Represented well as a modern style Cali cab. No flaws, mild tannins, gave good structure. Alive and well tonight, good with food.
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7/29/2018 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with notes from BAM_MAN, perfect description from what we tasted, paired great with peppercorn NY strip steaks. Definitely needed time to open up, but I do think this is about peaked and won't likely get much better with more age.
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6/3/2018 - KGudek Likes this wine: 92 Points
We like it with our spaghetti meal.
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4/9/2018 - Bam_Man wrote: 91 Points
A deceptively youthful-looking, semi-opaque magenta in the glass - lightening just at the very edge. Initially tight and austere, this needed a good 90 minutes of air before it finally showed its best. Very expressive and pretty on the nose, offering powerful scents of crushed dark berries, Napa earth and exotic spice. Medium-to-full bodied and so silky in texture. Still shows a surprising abundance of ripe, delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit with very good depth and focus. Not 'over-the-hill' at all. This has a lively acidity that gives it a nice, energetic lift, which perfectly complements its mouthwatering fruit. Finishes with good length, along with smooth tannins that are completely integrated. Appealingly fruity, polished and delicious. A very nice, mature Mondavi Oakville from an often overlooked vintage.
50+5+13+16+7=91
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11/9/2017 - johnnyo wrote: flawed
Brett
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7/12/2017 - Garfield Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slightly over the hill.
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2/16/2017 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Agree with KCP that this wine has peaked; soft red fruits, low tannins. Enjoyable but won't improve.
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12/25/2016 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Balanced cab showing fruit with the sweetness and exuberance of its Napa origin, with lead pencil to give this a Left Bank Bordeaux feeling as well. Very good for the money.
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12/6/2016 - kcp Likes this wine: 88 Points
This one has peaked. Hoped it would have a longer curve. I need to drink up.
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11/24/2016 - Baron Slick wrote: 93 Points
Sultry and sumptuous in style, this conveys a gorgeous bouquet of mountain berries, forest floor, mint, conifer, cedar, and elegant bottle age. Rich, deep, and long in the mouth, with melted tannins, a beautiful middle sweetness, and flavors that are generous, broad, and expansive. Seamless, complex, and sexy. 93++
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10/16/2016 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Much improved over the last year. The alcohol impression's backed off and the wine is balanced with comfortable maturing flavors. Probably about peak but should hold here for years. Would estimate's it's outer drinking about 2021.
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4/3/2016 - Capitolhack Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine that has taken well to aging.
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3/6/2016 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has held up pretty well. Nice nose of sour cherry, currants, cedar, and spicy oak. On the palate, nice flavors of currants, cherries, hints of spicy oak. Balanced finish with decent grip. Really solid.
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11/28/2015 - kcp Likes this wine: 89 Points
It's not improving since earlier last year (and others before that). It's Mondavi, but feels a bit rustic, not like Mondavi Oakvilles I'm accustomed to.
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11/25/2015 - johnnyo wrote: 91 Points
Great QPR!
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10/22/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 88 Points
Big rich and ripe Cal Cab. Youthfully dark reddish purple color and heady nose of black cherry, blackberry and chocolate. Best to decant--needs air to let the fruit and alcohol come into balance--smells and tastes a bit too potent right off the bat.
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12/25/2014 - EvanRose wrote: 88 Points
may be a litttle past its prime. a bit tight and acidic, never really opened up
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11/8/2014 - mhewitt wrote: 93 Points
Drinking best ever right now. Unfortunately my last bottle of 13. I need to purchase this wine every year and sit on it.
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11/7/2014 - Rick.Bennett wrote: 92 Points
9 years in the bottle and i have to say it ages well, even though this is just the napa entry wine. surprisingly fresh, hidden tannins, great and dark fruit. No wonder I continue to spend $15 on this wine and set it down for years. Highly recommended.
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11/1/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was a little concerned when I first opened it - thought it was past its prime, but it opened up very nicely to display a rich, full body. Great with Italian meats and fresh mozzarella
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10/26/2014 - ctbob Does not like this wine:
Reminded me why I don't like Napa Valley cabs: over-extracted, pruney, black-fruit dominant, unbalanced... dreadful
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9/19/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 91 Points
A little tight at the opening, but the tannins smooothed out very nicely. Full bodied, with a plum and dark fruit taste, medium to long finish.
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8/2/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, black cherrry flavor, mediuym finish
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3/14/2014 - AdamJP wrote:
Excellent.
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1/16/2014 - AdamJP wrote:
Excellent.
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11/30/2013 - Mendy wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of raspberry, tea and molasses and has flavours of black currant, blackberry, licorice anise, cedar and prune with a medium body.
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11/23/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
Minute amount of sediment. Excellent.
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10/30/2013 - RCBAROLO wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle of 2005 Oakville was like a To/Kalon Reserve! Wowza
Almost Black color, Oakville earth and dark fruits, rich opulent finish
Wow what a bottle!
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8/17/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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8/5/2013 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
I thought this was awesome right out of the bottle. Vicsous and silky with strong notes of cassis, blood orange and cranberry. Nice acidity, integrated tannins and vanilla custard notes. Nice smooth lingering finish. Great buy
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7/27/2013 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Very solid, typical Mondavi Oakville. Good fruit, appropriate oak, delicious.
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6/23/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 92 Points
Tannins have softened beautifully, fruit is still going strong. Only needed 30 mins of air. Sorry this is my last one, these were a great value.
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5/27/2013 - rojoloco Likes this wine: 92 Points
After about an hour, just what you would hope for from a medium-level California Cab. Opened up nicely. Only one bottle left. My wife thought it was too good a wine for a weeknight butm, hey, I'm not gettting any younger. Good stuff, not great but just what you want on a Monday night.
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4/27/2013 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Last bottle. Consistent with my last TN of 12/30/12.
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3/23/2013 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice cab, too bad I only bought one bottle. This opened up and gained both depth and weight with 60-90 minutes time in the glass. So I would recommend a decant before you drink it. This is not a hugely concentrated or long wine, but it is nicely balanced at this point. We recently had an '04 Oakville cab as well, and the 04 was a bigger wine with more concentrated dark fruit. But the 05 has more secondary flavors and savory notes, with some nice tobacco and leather and herb. I've very sensitive to heat and did not feel any heat on this wine, even when it warmed to room temp. This and cab has good acidity and modest tannins that give it some nice structure, but it is also pretty smooth.
Overall, really drinking pretty well at this point. If I had more, I would drink them over the next couple of years but I don't think this is going south anytime soon (if cellared well). I hope the 06-09 vintages that are in the cellar are as good as the 04 and 05 overall. This is a good value in Napa Cab.
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3/7/2013 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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3/3/2013 - westcoastwannabe wrote: 90 Points
This cab has aged nicely. Complimented grilled steak very well. Medium body, dark fruit, and a significant but not overdone oak element. I would not hold on to this one much longer.
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2/23/2013 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 91 Points
CES Lab Wine Tasting #9 (Home): Drank blind with similarly priced 2005 Napa and Bordeaux wines. This was the group favorite and one near the top in my view as well. Well balanced, with good acidity and tannins. Starting to develop some secondary flavors.
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1/7/2013 - enjoywine Likes this wine: 88 Points
PnP from perfectly stored bottle from a case purchase. Initially great aromas of red fruits and even perfumed rose flowers. Yes some wood on the nose but sweet oak aroma ( very very nice). Medium body now and is a lot less dark than 3 years ago. Very disappointed in that 60 mins later the aromatics decreased maybe 50%. On the palate the beautiful Oakville fruit is losing its fight with the oak, alcohol and tannins vs. years ago. Short finish w drying tannins. Very disappointed from where this was years ago. Has moved from a wine that you must take another sip to one that is a challenge to sip again with the alcohol and drying tannins and not balance with sweet fruit. Hope it’s an off bottle as I have plenty of the 2007 in the cellar too. Will report back in when drinking w a nice steak. Last reviewed in Dec 2011 and was much better (92)
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12/30/2012 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for about 30 mins. Juicy currant fruit, with medium acidity and medium plus body that has some oak on the finish, but little on the nose or early on the palate (unlike earlier bottles). Overall, a nice cab currently drinking well that is a great value at the purchase price. Drinking much better than in 2011.
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11/9/2012 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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10/11/2012 - JGinMO wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Tonight I felt this was still a young wine, with great balance. Black fruit gave way to strawberries as it got air. Long linger. Terrific value.
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7/16/2012 - signotim wrote: flawed
badly corked
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6/27/2012 - rmodak wrote: 88 Points
Showing heavy oak at this time with dill, cassis, tobacco, menthol and firm tannins. Drinks like a young Bordeaux. There is sufficient fruit for me to believe that this will all integrate in the next 3-8 years
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5/23/2012 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
It has been interesting to watch this wine evolve over the last 3 years. It started as a fruit-forward cab, but then evolved in a more complexe wine with fairly distinct coffee flavors appearing in the palate... unfortunately I don't like coffee! ;) Still an excellent wine though!! I suspect this is at near peak now.
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4/28/2012 - pkatz wrote: 92 Points
Blind 05-07 Napa Cab tasting. Nice with minty tannins.
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4/26/2012 - webbaker wrote: 89 Points
Drying out, drink up.
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2/27/2012 - AdamJP wrote:
No sediment. Excellent.
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2/16/2012 - europat55 wrote: 87 Points
Not as good as my previous bottles...
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2/11/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 90 Points
Popped & poured - dark purple color with a bit of oak - classic Cali cab with a nice finish
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1/31/2012 - JonGray wrote: 83 Points
beautiful lush cab
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1/24/2012 - TDubois wrote: 84 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Nose of currants and alcohol. Tasted very dry and leathery. Short finish.
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1/15/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 91 Points
Popped & poured - dark purple color with a bit of oak - classic Cali cab with a nice finish
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1/14/2012 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
Low confidence, since opened at party, but seemed tight and tannic at first, fruit started to open up but was gone far too quickly
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1/2/2012 - RPerro wrote: 90 Points
P&P, paired with pizza and Rose Bowl game. Lots of cassis fruit, with blackberry also. Quite a bit of oak at first, with most of it blowing off after a couple hours. Still quite structured, with decent tannin and a nice acidic cut. Great mouthfeel, almost lush. Nice wine, but the oak detracts somewhat.
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12/16/2011 - jperez68 wrote: 91 Points
VERY WELL MADE, TANNINS AND FRUIT A JUST RIGHT ALLOW TO BREATHE FOR 20-25 MINUTES TO GET THE FULL EFFECT OF THE WINE. CURRANT AND BERRY FLAVORS BLEND WELL THE THE OAK.
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12/12/2011 - RCBAROLO wrote: 91 Points
Went straight to glass. Wonderful dark garnet color. Nose of fruit earth toasty oak and vanilla. Long silky tannins. Oakville continues to shine
Had it with and 07 Kathryn Hall and a 2008 Krug great night!!
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12/12/2011 - enjoywine wrote: 90 Points
Still very nice and overall in a very good place now. Now more food friendly as fruit and oak in harmony. Tannins still very drying and work great with the Pizza and Monday Night Football. Dont think it will get any better...but will stay firm for 5 plus years. Had the 07 Mondavi Oakville too .....still very fruity and well worth the $26.99 and free shipping on the current wineshopper.com deal (an easy 92+ in my style).....just bought a case of the 07's.
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12/1/2011 - Brian1970 wrote: 89 Points
Great nose, a bit of a let down on the palate, but softened with time and became very enjoyable. Slightly disjointed finish.
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11/18/2011 - awineo Likes this wine: 90 Points
A good bottle with nice fruit and tannins. I think the "pro's" rate it a little higher than I do.
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11/13/2011 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Less oaky than my last bottle from 3/18, but still disappointing in that the fruit is a little masked by the wood. Even with air, it never reached where my bottle from 2/5 was.
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10/4/2011 - awineo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic Oakville cab. Big and smooth. A good value.
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10/4/2011 - pdadams66 wrote: 89 Points
Excellent napa cab. Fruit and spice, good length. Drinking well now.
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9/18/2011 - enjoywine wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind vs. 3 other sub $30 Napa Cabs from 2005 (always one of my buy and hold wines). Nice aromatics. Would have thought it was a Bordeaux blend as it had a smell and taste of Chocolate (Merlot?). Tannins well in line, can tell its been in new oak as the vanilla aroma is prominent…but plenty of dark fruit and non oak derived spices on the palate. Nice drying tannins signal still some life left in it…..but this is in a great place now and don’t see how it can get better. I have had this wine over 12 times non blind and any of the green taste that may have excited in its youth is gone (a good thing for me) and what is left is in a good place.
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7/22/2011 - pfortier2 wrote: 91 Points
Lots of tannin and dark fruit but well balanced. Drank it with some tri tip over 2 hours and it paired well. Should have waited a little longer to open it though. Still tasting young.
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7/15/2011 - AdamJP wrote:
May be best to let it breathe for half an hour. No sediment. Excellent.
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7/1/2011 - Surfdoc wrote: 87 Points
Hey - you want some wine with that oak?? Ugh...
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5/22/2011 - chad1616 wrote: 88 Points
Nice cab reflecting Oakvlle teroir and mondavi getting the mojo back. For $30 you cant go wrong. Paired well with a tri-tip.
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4/27/2011 - michal wrote:
Very enjoyable and is drinking quite well. Tannins are well integrated. Dark berries on the nose.
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4/11/2011 - pkatz wrote: 91 Points
Assorted Napa Cabs Blind (4/9/11): Nice drinking dark fruit.
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3/19/2011 - masonjp wrote: 91 Points
Popped Poured and drank over the next three hours. Deep, black and blue. Wonderful nose of ripe cassis and black cherries. Tannis intergrated nicely with the high alcohal content. Very good.
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3/18/2011 - vinole wrote: 87 Points
Much oakier than previous bottles, making it less enjoyable.
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2/18/2011 - bonedoc wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind next to '06 robert Craig affinity, which had more fruit and complexity.
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2/7/2011 - signotim wrote: 91 Points
As others have noted, this has come together nicely and is drinking extremely well. Great Super Bowl wine at Tim B's.
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2/5/2011 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Another year in the bottle has done wonders for this wine. Drinking very nicely as the fruit has rounded out filling out the mid-palate that was lacking before. Still somewhat reserved, but a nicely balanced wine that is a fine example of CA cab.
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2/1/2011 - jrobs7777 wrote: 90 Points
Consistent notes. I am not sure the previous estimate of 5-10 years will stand up -- I'd suggest a 5 year drinking window. A nice robust wine but probably not too much more development.
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1/27/2011 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
This is coming together... Medium bodied wine, lots of fruits and a fair amount of oak, sweet tannins. Good California cab.
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1/26/2011 - Bacchusboy wrote: 92 Points
The recession has yieded some positive effects. One of these is the glut of really good wine at really good prices. The 05 Mondavi Oakville is a great example of price to value opprotunity. This wine is very structured with great red cherry, plum and soft fine tannins that are the hallmark of Oakville Cabs. I had a '91 Phelps Insignia Magnum at a party last week that was incredible. This wine is an echo of that throughbred at a fraction of the price.....Of course it is young and will not age like the Phelps, but a great wine with a steak on a Wednesday evening......enjoy the bounty wihle it's here....
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1/5/2011 - calicabnut wrote: 92 Points
First opened a bottle from the '05 vintage about 18 months ago and was very tannic and slow to open up any at all .. I thought I had run into the first bad vintage of the Oakville bottling as I had very much enjoyed the Oakville (and the Stags Leap) every vintage since 2001.
The good news .. opened a bottle in late December and another in early January and the wine is progressing beautifully. It has improved significantly with the added 18 months showing nice fruits and while its still a bit on the tannic side, it's not at all over-powering, it's just a very powerful, in-your-face bottle of cabernet. An enjoyable finish has developed as well, but as good as it is now another year or two is still called for and after the added time to finish its development, this is going to be another superb Oakville.
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12/13/2010 - marshalc wrote: 90 Points
lovely again if a bit less refined at the back end.
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10/27/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Hennepin Lake Tasting; 10/20/2010-11/12/2010: Mondavi is back in my opinion. The 2007 Napa Cab was really nice and the 06 Reserve has some long term potential. The Oakville was spot on for Napa Cab and features plum, cherry, mineral and oak. Good concentration and balance overall. This should evolve over the next five years. Well done!
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10/16/2010 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
this is getting better.
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10/13/2010 - NeuroDoc wrote: 90 Points
dark berry, cassis, tobacco leaf and minerals. medium tannins.
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10/3/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Decanted one hour. Nose of black fruits, mint, sour cherry, cedar, spicy oak. On the palate black currant, sour cherry, mocha, spice, mocha, tobacco. Finishes with dusty tannins and good acidity. This can go for a long time. Drink with a decant or hold. Big time value.
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9/16/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 90 Points
This wine is aging nicely and while still young, is starting to enter its drinking window. Really nice flavors of dark berry, cassis, spice and oak. Full bodied with drying tannins dominating the still rather firm structure. Decent finish and overall a very nice wine for the $.
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9/6/2010 - T.o. wrote: 91 Points
This bottle is still improving.
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8/12/2010 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
This is coming together... Medium bodied wine, lots of fruits and a fair amount of oak, sweet tannins. Good $30-$40 California cab. Great QPR if you can get it for $25 or less!
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7/8/2010 - mattyboy76 wrote: 91 Points
Year in and year out the Oakville cab delivers great QPR. A big wine that was served with KC strip. Nose of dark berries with some spice and the right amount of oak. Great midpalate and a finish that lasts longer than most cabs twice the price. For $25, I should have bought a case. This wine will easily last 5-7 more years.
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6/23/2010 - green-steve wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured, needed about an hour to really shine; garnet colored, medium bodied wine; nose of dark fruits, violets; nicely layered palate of cassis, spice, some oak notes; fine slightly drying tannins on the medium/long finish. IMO this will be even better with another year of cellar time.
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6/19/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
Much more developed than a prior bottle. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. Medium to full bodied with good concentration and a firm structure. Nothing subtle or elegant about this wine. This is basically a fruit bomb with a lot of structure and overall is somewhat clumsy.
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5/23/2010 - hube wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous notes. strong tannins, black fruits, some violets. medium to long finish.
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5/18/2010 - gigabit wrote: 91 Points
I double-decanted a bottle on Saturday night, but half a bottle remained after multiple other bottles, and a pending 2007 Dow's VP.
I grilled a NY strip tonight and, four days later, this wine was in a great place. Classic dark Napa fruit, spice, herbal notes, and chocolate; elegant mouth-feel with sweet tannins; medium, mouth-coating finish. A fantastic wine for the price. A special thanks to dannyk for helping me procure a few bottles of this wine.
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5/17/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Tremendous value
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5/16/2010 - jleg wrote: 93 Points
Dark and dense in the glass. Evolving nose begins with a burst of fruit as bottle is opened, to pleasantly sour Cabernet characteristics to creamy fruit, dust, and oak. Just a fabulous nose. Well balanced with tons of flavor but restrained at the same time. Slight alcohol heat. Light on its feet but concentrated at the same time. Subtle, drying tannins. Wonderful wine!!! Still has plenty of life. Wish I had more, too bad I'm broke.
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4/19/2010 - meatbomb013 wrote: 92 Points
Third bottle that I have had over the last 2 years or so. Typically cabernt nose with well integrated flavors of dark berries, oak, and spice box. Tannis are present and firm but well integrated. Drank over 3 days with the second being my favorite. Have a handful more of these and will try again in about a year. A great value at around $30.
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4/17/2010 - lano wrote: 90 Points
Ruby in color and nice red fruit on the nose. Red fruit and earth tones on the palate. Tannins were present, but seemed well integrated. Not the best storage conditions for this particular bottle, so perhaps its a bit more evolved for that reason. Would definitely consider buying again if the price was right.
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4/16/2010 - gmbdds wrote: 89 Points
Notes of black cherry and currant with distinct pepper. Has some nice structure and elegance but dries out on the finish. A clear step up from lesser Mondavi wines but not the best Mondavi Oakville I've had.
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4/6/2010 - jschmeling wrote: 90 Points
Deep red, nose is definitely influenced by the wood - lots of spice box, cedar, and then you get to dark berries. Plush, full bodied, lots of tannins, perhaps could have used more filtering or a decant as the wine had a lot of sediment. The taste had dark fruit, a bit of spice, licorice, and a long finish. It changed rapidly as it opened - more fruit at first, more tannins and earthy components later. I used tannins a lot in this review as they were VERY present, maybe a bit intrusive.
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3/28/2010 - pagejshawjr wrote: 90 Points
This was a solid bottle with a lot of earth and structure in the nose from the beginning. As it opened up, the tannins started showing and the body filled out to offer some very nice plum and Napa earth. Finish was still a bit tight but should open and balance after a few more years. Age worthy wine!
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3/25/2010 - dannyk8232 wrote: 91 Points
Love it at $20
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3/7/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
Medium dark purple to garnet hues in the glass. This is big. Not empire state building big, but definitely something on lower manhattan like. Nose of oak and nutty black-currant. It is nutty, but you can actually smell nuts. Fairly smooth on the palate, but the concentration of fruit and presence of tannins suggets that this has quite some ways to go. With the abundance of 07s being released, it is good to be able to and find something with a little age on it, and at the same time knowing it still has some ways to go.
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3/7/2010 - smokie wrote: 86 Points
Slightly stewed fruit, quite oaky. Not as much tannins as I expected from this bottling. I hope this comes around. Not bad for $17.
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2/27/2010 - bacchusrg wrote: 88 Points
Nice even balanced not as "big" as I'd hoped!
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2/25/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 90 Points
Went from ok to good on night two.
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2/23/2010 - signotim wrote: 88 Points
Bought a case based on great experience with 2003 vintage. The 05 has blackberry, currrant, pine, and tobacco on the nose. more black fruit on the palate but thin with dusty tannin and bitter chocolate on the finish. A little off -- bitterness is medicinal as well and not real pleasant. still good. and better on the second day when bitterness receded.
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2/22/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 92 Points
Textbook Napa Cab at a relatively affordable price ($25). Big dark fruit on the nose backed up with moderate menthol aspects that would normally turn me off but in moderation were enjoyable. Dense on the palate with firm but enjoyable tannins. Considerable oak influence but I liked it. Consistent from bottle to bottle. Outstanding.
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2/11/2010 - Bacchusboy wrote: 92 Points
I have to disagree with most of the other reviews on this wine. From the minute I opened and decanted, the immediate area was filled with the smell of sweet red fruit and oak. The nose was fresh and alive with red cherry, tobacco and cassis. What struck me the most was the balance of sweet fruit, oak with fine integrated tannins. Very glad I bought a case......This wine is prototypical Oakville, and the grapes sourced from Beckstoffer/ ToKalon make this wine a home run on the Price/Quality scale
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2/5/2010 - bigdomer wrote: 88 Points
Mineral, olive. Not getting the great tannins and long finish others have commented. Great for the $18 I paid for it, but I actually like the regular Mondavi bottling better.
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2/4/2010 - jrobs7777 wrote: 90 Points
Exceptional value. While the CT average is $30ish, we got these for under $20. Even at 30, this is an excellent value. Deep dark color. Initial nose of tar, cigar box, cedar and dark fruit. Smooth on the palate with dark berry fruit, wood, smoke and leather. Lush and delicious, if lacking in complexity and nuance, with firm tannins that suggest at least 5-10 years of development ahead. Very nice finish.
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1/30/2010 - tebrown wrote: 91 Points
Oaky, medium body. Very dark. Dry.
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1/24/2010 - brewking wrote: 87 Points
tart and bitter
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1/18/2010 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Medium to full body currant and blackberry fruit, a little thin on the mid-palate, average acidity for a Napa cab, and ending with a 35 sec finish that has a little heat. Not nearly as good as the previous two vintages, but I got this for less than $17 and I'm not complaining.
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1/12/2010 - ptelgenh wrote: 83 Points
disappointing
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1/10/2010 - MJTed wrote: 86 Points
Hasn't really gone anywhere. Herbal, bell pepper notes dominate fading black fruit and cassis. All in a heavy wrapper of oak and acid.
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1/9/2010 - syrahz wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured and...nothing. I have a head cold and figured it might be me and not the wine. I came back a couple of hours later and was pleasantly surprised. Still not much nose but plenty of dark fruit and noticeable acid and tannin. On day two with leftover short ribs this wine was even better. It definitely needs decanting at this stage and I believe more bottle time. I'll let the rest sit for another year.
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12/20/2009 - CS_pikes wrote: 85 Points
Much thinner than I expected for supposed declassified To-Kalon fruit. Heavy on the oak and the alcohol is very noticeable. Definitely a disappointment, but a decent wine. The remaining bottles will go on my wife's shelf in her Eurocave and I won't buy more.
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12/19/2009 - gigabit wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours; a very big wine with mostly dark fruit, oak, and dusty tannins on the nose; seems to have good structure, but the tannins are a bit overwhelming at this point; paired with prime rib. Hold for another 1-2 years or drink with long decant.
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12/19/2009 - pikemasterflash wrote: 90 Points
Very good QPR but needs time to open
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12/18/2009 - snaff wrote: 84 Points
This was a bit of a disappointment. Thin blackberry notes dominated by chalky tannins and a short, tart finish.
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12/17/2009 - rickspicks wrote:
For the first 30-45 minutes it was tight and primary - with the fruit mostly hidden behind a wall of oak, acid and tannin. Opens up after about an hour with black fruits and oak dominating the flavors. Long, but very acidic finish. This wine seems disjointed right now - would expect improvement with more bottle time. Probably an 89 for me right now - but I would expect a higher score in another year or two.
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12/11/2009 - johnnyo wrote: 90 Points
Brought this wine to a Christmas party where it was popped and poured. It was a little cold and tight but its backbone was there, lots of classic blackberry, currant and bell pepper notes with big furry tannins. This is a big wine that needs a couple of hours in the decanter to show its full potential.
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12/11/2009 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 92 Points
I liked this wine. The equipment upgrades they made in the early 2000's really show here. It is relatively subtle, not in your face. Everything is here. Plums, violets and leather in the nose. Almost purple color. Plum and cherry fruit laced in chocolate. Layers of subtle complexity, that change almost by the minute in the glass. There is probably a slightly green minerality here, but it works. Total balance, and medium to full bodied. Ripe, noticeable, but not over the top tannins. Long, long finish, cedar and tobacco.
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12/7/2009 - Marc the Wine Guy wrote: 90 Points
Very big, maybe on steroids but for the big cab guys this wine will more than satisfy. Needs to open a lot. The tannins are strong the mouth attack is brutal, but when had with a steak, wow. I can't see the 93 that it got but that's being picky, still a great BIG RED.
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11/15/2009 - jonysan wrote: 84 Points
Cork was soaked through. But, when we opened it, it tasted fine. Average for a bulk Napa cab. Medium tannins, subdued fruit, not super enjoyable.
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11/14/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 85 Points
Big Red! (Sportsman's): Garnet color. Earthy red fruit nose. Raspberry and cherry fruit. Tart finish. Quite disappointing. Was this wine better in the past or has my tastes changed?
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11/14/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: flawed
Churchill's: Napa Cabernet (Maumee, OH): Corked. At least I hope so.
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11/14/2009 - jeff nowak wrote:
insert your own joke/play on the word "oakville" here.
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11/9/2009 - GalvezGuy wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Nice nose, cassis, mint, green pepper, red currant, spicy oak. On the palate, sour cherry, red currant, spice, mocha, hint of tobacco. Finishes with dusty tannins and crisp acidity. This is some really good juice for the $17 I paid. Hold or drink with a long decant. Tremendous value and glad to have more of these.
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11/6/2009 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Still a little bit young, but has potential...
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11/5/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 91 Points
Always consistent. At around $22, one of the greates QPR's ever
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11/4/2009 - ews3 wrote: 90 Points
Paired with Grilled Flank Steak with Grilled tomatoes and goat cheese and green salad. Nice cabernet-heavy profile. Sweet red currant, oak is well integrated, medium(-) tannin level makes this easy to approach now -- and then a medium length lovely dusty to kalon vineyard finish... At the price, this is a steal.
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11/3/2009 - winelover1 wrote: 91 Points
This is fantastic stuff from one of my favorite areas of Napa. Just the right amount of dust on the finish and it just lingers there. Love it and will look for more.
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10/24/2009 - jcbrand wrote: 88 Points
A little rough out of the bottle, much better on night 2.
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10/14/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured.
Typical Napa cab nose with cassis and a bit of green pepper. Full and round on the palate with bright fruit and a chocolatey finish highlighted by some Rutherford dust. A nicely made wine...no offensive alcohol or oak...and for the price of $25, hard to beat in the QPR department. Next time I open one, I will give it an hour or so in the decanter.
40+5+5+16+16+7=91
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9/20/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 89 Points
Notes of cassis, green olives and crushed berries. Subtle oak influence on the palate with fine tannins and a decent finish. With time it improved from the initial taste. Picked this up 'on sale' for $22 and at that price, it's quite a good value.
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8/9/2009 - wallstreet wrote:
Mon - Thurs wine with meatballs, pizza, pasta.
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8/9/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Alan described it well - Monday to Thursday wine. I have no much to add.
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6/10/2009 - FPNova wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red. Nose of blackberry and some oak. Black fruit dominates the palate with a long finish and pronounced tannins with a bit of mineral overtone. Nice but give it time.
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5/23/2009 - JJL wrote: 86 Points
Decent cab. Much better than pinot served with it. Still a little heavy on the oak.
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4/26/2009 - ocattorney wrote: 89 Points
Nice dark nose, some red berries and a hint of vanilla. Dark fruit transitions to black licorice with some leather and oak. Nice firm tannins suggest that this wine may last 3-5 more years. The wine was good but it lack a solid mouth feel to make it a 90+ wine. Solid bottle.
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4/17/2009 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 90 Points
i love this bottle. especially for what i paid for it (which i s a total secret). big black fruit up front smooth through the mid palate and nice firm tannins on the really chocolatey finish. i like this bottle where it is and will probably drink the rest before i should.
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4/1/2009 - enos8 wrote: 91 Points
Best value in the cellar. $35 for To Kalon fruit is amazing. This wine is very fruit forward and needs time.
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3/22/2009 - godx wrote: 88 Points
Tasted at winery – bright nose of plum and red cherries with similar flavours on the palate. Medium to full body with medium to high tannin and acidity and a medium length finish. Drink or hold. Very good.
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3/4/2009 - jleg wrote:
Up front nose of ripe fruit and slight alcohol. Fine grained, dusty tannin and ripe fruit that are well integrated. It has a sweetness that is not exactly my preferred style. Still very young tasting.
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2/24/2009 - kietkopelli wrote: 86 Points
There's something about this wine I just don't like but I can't put my finger on it. It has all the right characteristics but it just doesn't wow me at any level. Maybe I am expecting too much from Mondavi. On the nose it has beautiful sour cherries, plum and even apple cider with a little hint of smoke. In the mouth the sour cherries and raspberries really comes through with super firm tannins for a CA cab. Finishes moderate with a lot of heat. Not sure what to pair with this wine, it's not exactly pizza wine and certainly not steak wine. So there you have it all the right elements but just does not come together well. Maybe in a few years.
Remember, you don't drink the label.
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2/20/2009 - MrSwede wrote: 91 Points
Good effort and superb value at $32. Fruit forward, spicy and heavy on the tannins. Could use a few years in da cellar. This is my favorite Mondavi product when the price is considered. They will probably go as fast as the 04's did.
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2/6/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
Good solid Oakville cab. Not overoaked like so many CA cabs. Cassis and a little vanilla on the nose. This has concentration, and even a bit of a spicy character on the palate. All in all, this seems well balanced for food, rather than aiming for points, and I respect that.
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2/4/2009 - OregonWineGeeks wrote: 93 Points
The 2004 Oakville is a great year for Mondavi Cabernet, 2005 is quite young and this is a young tasting, 2 more years may be required before this wine is ready. The nose is rather closed but that will changew ith decanting when this wine is ripe. The pour is very full bodied, dark and inviting. The taste is black fruit with a nice structure and very firm dry tannin. I will need some time to breath and more tasting to come up with a good rating, but a 93 is fair. 93, could be good, needs time
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1/24/2009 - jderiggi wrote: 89 Points
Needs some time in the cellar. At first this wine was far too weak, little character, very weak finish. Let it sit for a night. Signifcantly improved day two. Much bigger wine the next day, but still a bit too 'soft' for a Mondavi Oakville Cab (right now at least). Firm tannins. Blueberry and oak. Needs at least another year (or three) in the cellar
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1/15/2009 - MJTed wrote: 90 Points
Pretty tightly wound at first, but opened up to exhibit firm core of black currant, cassis, socrched earth and toasty oak. Fine tannic finish of dried fruit and minerals . Nice $28 QPR including the 10% discount from K&L.
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1/8/2009 - wallstreet wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding value. More fruit forward then 2004 if you can believe that. Full flavored with a very nice finish.. Another solid effort. I agree with others that it was better on day 2. A few years of cellaring should really help this wine reach its potential. Considering the price, its a very good value. If you drink it now, decant for 6 hours at least.
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11/14/2008 - Wrighty wrote: 89 Points
Maxxium Grand Tasting (Marriot Hotel, Hong Kong): Has no nose. Palate has some blackcurrant and fine tannins.
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10/30/2008 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Jammy fruits with very tight tannins on finish. Fading on day 2. Decent short term potential. A veritable bargain in today's Cali Cab pricing.
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9/25/2008 - MJTed wrote: 88 Points
Pretty tight but full of stuffing. Dark core of fruit, toasty oak and structure that should benefit from additional time. Fairly priced.
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9/23/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 89 Points
Southern Wine and Spirits Fall Fest (Navy Pier - Chicago, IL): Tasted at the 2008 Southern Wine and Spirits Fall Fest at Navy Pier.
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9/23/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 89 Points
Fall Fest 2008: nose: nicely styled nose of red currants, cedar, loads of red fruits, and even bits of leather
taste: very firm with slight bits of heat along with red currants, dark cherries, black currants, and some leather tones
overall: can use some sideways time to calm down the heat. Very well put together with chewy tannins and a bold dark fruited attack with a black cherry finish
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9/21/2008 - mger01 wrote: 93 Points
very full bodied and full of fruit. as it sat for an hour, it began to get dry. very good.
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