PNP. Deep dark magenta color. Cassis, dark chocolate, and limestone. Smooth, dry, full bodied, and slightly spicy palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is rich and was much better than my last bottle (last year). Great QPR.
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Nice blend. Primarily plum on the nose. A big wine which benefits from a lot of swirling to open up, but pronounced plum and cassis with enough structure and tannin to balance. Likely better in a couple of years but drinking decently now. Liked better than the 2016.
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Here is an 18 Napa cab that continues to drink well with minimal air and no hard edges. Perhaps it is the blend of 5 varieties, or it’s riveting acidity and sublime minerality that keeps the dark fruit in harmony.
I pulled the cork and let it sit an hour while making dinner lakeside. Always an inky purple color, with a nose of wildflowers and cassis. Blue and red fruits on the palate, intermixed with cedar, tobacco, baker’s chocolates, with a hint of anise. Medium in richness and depth of fruit.
This wine is never a blockbuster, but does a great job of warming up the palate, or closing the night. I love the savory minerality of a good SLD cab. This is such an easy wine to share with friends or drink mid week
An elegant and rich young cabernet. Aromatics are awesome with savory red meat aromas mixed with plum skin and black cherry. In mouth more red cherry than black cherry. Finish is equally rich and laden with acidity. Favorable aging wine ability here.
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Opened up beautifully with a short decant displaying a deep dark magenta color. Elegant and rich mouthfeel, fine grained tannins; blue and black fruits up front with just enough acidity; the richness of the fruit carries to the midpalate with notes of chocolate and toffee. Soft tannins finishing with a mixture of cassis, coffee, cedar and black licorice. This is drinking well right now but will continue to improve over the next few years.
One hour double decant. Deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, Dr. Pepper, and parsley. Smooth, dry palate, with vibrant acidity. Very firm, full tannins on the longish finish,
This is good for the money, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I usually do. It came across as more green than usual this time around.
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Stags’ Leap at its finest… creamy plum to nose. Rich medium minus acidity and tannins, luscious blue/blackberry on front; taste of black fruit carries to midpalate with notes of chocolate, toffee and raspberry, soft tannins finishing with whisps of camphor, cinnamon, cedar, and black licorice. Lovely and will drink well for another 4-6 years.
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PNP. Very deep dark electric ruby magenta color. Dark cocoa, plum, oleander, and subtle grilled lemon on the nose. Very smooth, dry, plush palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
I may have given the score a small increase for value. There are not many better bottles for $60ish.
Beautiful purple color with a rose rim. Blackberries, leather, cigar on the nose. Nice dry wine with cherry and licorice on the palate Heavy acidity and above medium tannins are well balanced with the fruit This wine was better than expected. I'd definitely drink again
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One hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, dark raspberry, violet, blood orange rind, tobacco, and limestone on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Full tannins on the longish finish.
This has pretty good complexity for its price point. Great QPR here.
My second bottle review of this. I noticed more firmness and structure, less ripeness, more elegant than previous years. There's a lot of lift here, lite on its feet, mineral notes too. It reminded me of the '18 Lafon Rochet. I can't wait to open the '18 magic nights.
Beautiful purple, nose is excellent, bright fruit and slight smoke. The palette is well balanced for a young wine Raspberry. Drinking well now and for the next 10yrs.
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Four hour decant. Deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla bean, orange rind, and sarsaparilla on the nose. Dry, brambly, full bodied palate, with fine, effervescent acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is a bit youthful. It’s got a murky, meaty quality that needs cellar time to sort out. It improved over an hour of drinking.
Picked up a couple of bottles of this one on a recent trip to Houston. Decided to try one with the HMCs tonight. Pnp'd into a decanter, tried at about one hour in, but this really needed another 2 hours to come around. Was pretty tight, tannic, and very black to start out. Softened, fruit turned silky and lightened up a bit and it drank quite well from that point. Nice rounded tannins then, dark berries, very well made, so pretty good qpr at around $62/bottle.
After a delightful dinner at a Thai restaurant we went back to my friend's house where he unleashed this beauty. I sniffed and tasted the wine blind- there was no mistaking its origin. I did not take notes but needless to say the initial whiff of aromas gave this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon away. Rich, ripe black berries, Stags Leap earthy dust, menthol, vanilla and spice. The palate was dry and full bodied. Bright California sunshine was evident in the fruit- as were the dusty notes I got on the nose. Tannins were super smooth and well integrated. The acidity was medium and well balanced. The finish on this $75 bottle was long and delicious. A 93 point wine that gets 5 stars from me. You could pair it with a variety of meat dishes but then again you could just sip it and enjoy its purity. Drink till 2030.
First bottle sometime last year. Hard as a rock. Second bottle tasted 5/2021 and still hard as a rock. Good bones, but still impenetrable. Disappointing as I Stag's Leap for its lush, forward character and this one is all structure for now.
One hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Maraschino cherry, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, nutmeg, anise, and tobacco on the nose. Smooth, dry palate, with mouth coating acidity. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
This was a real surprise for me. It really needed an additional hour of air to shine, but it drank really well. I’ve not had much Lede, but now I plan to get more.
Left Bank Bordeaux with a kiss of California sunshine. Really quite lovely on the nose with pure ripe blackberry and red fruit. And a really lively tense acidity as well. Interesting. Graphite and black fruit. Punchy and young as it were.
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Ordered from a restaurant's wine list, this bottle was uncorked and poured by our sommelier, subsequently being enjoyed over two hours. An opaque ruby blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, it flaunts an aromatic profile of blackberries, cassis, graphite, baking spices and savory herbs. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose, adding notes of licorice and toasted oak. The tannins are plentiful but fine-textured and the middle palate is solid. Lengthy and smooth on the back end, this is a delicious Cab that is already quite drinkable. With proper cellaring it should easily reach its fifteenth birthday. Drink now-2033.
Having enjoyed a number of prior vintages, this lacked the complexity and vivid fruit as prior years. Moderate acidity and tannins. Not the typical cab nose, more muted and soft.
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I am a big fan of this wine since 2010 or so. This vintage lacked that "sense of place" texture that I love, so I'm a bit disappointed. I suppose another year or two might help and I'll probably give it another try next year if I find the right price. This was $57.
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4/2/2024 - arilaing Likes this wine:
Really loved this!
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3/16/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP. Deep dark magenta color. Cassis, dark chocolate, and limestone. Smooth, dry, full bodied, and slightly spicy palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is rich and was much better than my last bottle (last year). Great QPR.
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2/29/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
BTG. Black and blue fruit with savory spices. Fat sets off big and fun, less complex as it moves forward.
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12/3/2023 - gstutz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice blend. Primarily plum on the nose. A big wine which benefits from a lot of swirling to open up, but pronounced plum and cassis with enough structure and tannin to balance. Likely better in a couple of years but drinking decently now. Liked better than the 2016.
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8/13/2023 - Franken Berry Likes this wine: 93 Points
Here is an 18 Napa cab that continues to drink well with minimal air and no hard edges. Perhaps it is the blend of 5 varieties, or it’s riveting acidity and sublime minerality that keeps the dark fruit in harmony.
I pulled the cork and let it sit an hour while making dinner lakeside. Always an inky purple color, with a nose of wildflowers and cassis. Blue and red fruits on the palate, intermixed with cedar, tobacco, baker’s chocolates, with a hint of anise. Medium in richness and depth of fruit.
This wine is never a blockbuster, but does a great job of warming up the palate, or closing the night. I love the savory minerality of a good SLD cab. This is such an easy wine to share with friends or drink mid week
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7/4/2023 - tomoem wrote: 92 Points
An elegant and rich young cabernet. Aromatics are awesome with savory red meat aromas mixed with plum skin and black cherry. In mouth more red cherry than black cherry. Finish is equally rich and laden with acidity. Favorable aging wine ability here.
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6/25/2023 - Vailman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up beautifully with a short decant displaying a deep dark magenta color. Elegant and rich mouthfeel, fine grained tannins; blue and black fruits up front with just enough acidity; the richness of the fruit carries to the midpalate with notes of chocolate and toffee. Soft tannins finishing with a mixture of cassis, coffee, cedar and black licorice. This is drinking well right now but will continue to improve over the next few years.
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6/10/2023 - AGELVIS wrote: 91 Points
One hour double decant. Deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, Dr. Pepper, and parsley. Smooth, dry palate, with vibrant acidity. Very firm, full tannins on the longish finish,
This is good for the money, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I usually do. It came across as more green than usual this time around.
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5/28/2023 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice but will let the others sleep if I can.
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5/12/2023 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
So charming and sexy. Sweet fruit. Slightly toasted, yet a cool backbone, very elegant, alreayd quite open.
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4/18/2023 - yelnak wrote: 91 Points
Stags’ Leap at its finest… creamy plum to nose. Rich medium minus acidity and tannins, luscious blue/blackberry on front; taste of black fruit carries to midpalate with notes of chocolate, toffee and raspberry, soft tannins finishing with whisps of camphor, cinnamon, cedar, and black licorice. Lovely and will drink well for another 4-6 years.
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2/10/2023 - BNA_Sommelier Likes this wine: 89 Points
Less complex that expected from this area of Napa and for a 2018.
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1/3/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP. Very deep dark electric ruby magenta color. Dark cocoa, plum, oleander, and subtle grilled lemon on the nose. Very smooth, dry, plush palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
I may have given the score a small increase for value. There are not many better bottles for $60ish.
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12/11/2022 - castle.rob@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful purple color with a rose rim.
Blackberries, leather, cigar on the nose.
Nice dry wine with cherry and licorice on the palate
Heavy acidity and above medium tannins are well balanced with the fruit
This wine was better than expected. I'd definitely drink again
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12/3/2022 - Spowell Likes this wine: 100 Points
Pretty much perfect cab.
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11/4/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
One hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, dark raspberry, violet, blood orange rind, tobacco, and limestone on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Full tannins on the longish finish.
This has pretty good complexity for its price point. Great QPR here.
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10/21/2022 - wineotim wrote: 92 Points
My second bottle review of this. I noticed more firmness and structure, less ripeness, more elegant than previous years. There's a lot of lift here, lite on its feet, mineral notes too. It reminded me of the '18 Lafon Rochet. I can't wait to open the '18 magic nights.
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9/11/2022 - ragtop Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful purple, nose is excellent, bright fruit and slight smoke. The palette is well balanced for a young wine Raspberry. Drinking well now and for the next 10yrs.
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8/19/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Four hour decant. Deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla bean, orange rind, and sarsaparilla on the nose. Dry, brambly, full bodied palate, with fine, effervescent acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is a bit youthful. It’s got a murky, meaty quality that needs cellar time to sort out. It improved over an hour of drinking.
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8/17/2022 - Mark1npt wrote: 93 Points
Picked up a couple of bottles of this one on a recent trip to Houston. Decided to try one with the HMCs tonight. Pnp'd into a decanter, tried at about one hour in, but this really needed another 2 hours to come around. Was pretty tight, tannic, and very black to start out. Softened, fruit turned silky and lightened up a bit and it drank quite well from that point. Nice rounded tannins then, dark berries, very well made, so pretty good qpr at around $62/bottle.
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8/15/2022 - caspernick Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a delightful dinner at a Thai restaurant we went back to my friend's house where he unleashed this beauty. I sniffed and tasted the wine blind- there was no mistaking its origin. I did not take notes but needless to say the initial whiff of aromas gave this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon away. Rich, ripe black berries, Stags Leap earthy dust, menthol, vanilla and spice. The palate was dry and full bodied. Bright California sunshine was evident in the fruit- as were the dusty notes I got on the nose. Tannins were super smooth and well integrated. The acidity was medium and well balanced. The finish on this $75 bottle was long and delicious. A 93 point wine that gets 5 stars from me. You could pair it with a variety of meat dishes but then again you could just sip it and enjoy its purity. Drink till 2030.
https://wp.me/p125DB-2Nl
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7/21/2022 - littlefoot wrote: 90 Points
First bottle sometime last year. Hard as a rock. Second bottle tasted 5/2021 and still hard as a rock. Good bones, but still impenetrable. Disappointing as I Stag's Leap for its lush, forward character and this one is all structure for now.
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6/7/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
One hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Maraschino cherry, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, nutmeg, anise, and tobacco on the nose. Smooth, dry palate, with mouth coating acidity. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
This was a real surprise for me. It really needed an additional hour of air to shine, but it drank really well. I’ve not had much Lede, but now I plan to get more.
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6/2/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Left Bank Bordeaux with a kiss of California sunshine. Really quite lovely on the nose with pure ripe blackberry and red fruit. And a really lively tense acidity as well. Interesting. Graphite and black fruit. Punchy and young as it were.
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3/5/2022 - HixxinSoulard Likes this wine: 85 Points
Very good but standard high-end Cali cab
$80/bottle
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3/4/2022 - HixxinSoulard Likes this wine: 85 Points
Solid cab
One glass in, Normal
$80
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2/9/2022 - Nova5400 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A top notch cabernet under $100 in price. Fruit forward. A lovely blend of grapes with a lot of finesse and polished tannins.
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1/29/2022 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ordered from a restaurant's wine list, this bottle was uncorked and poured by our sommelier, subsequently being enjoyed over two hours. An opaque ruby blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, it flaunts an aromatic profile of blackberries, cassis, graphite, baking spices and savory herbs. Full-bodied, freshly acidic and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it delivers flavors mirroring the nose, adding notes of licorice and toasted oak. The tannins are plentiful but fine-textured and the middle palate is solid. Lengthy and smooth on the back end, this is a delicious Cab that is already quite drinkable. With proper cellaring it should easily reach its fifteenth birthday. Drink now-2033.
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12/23/2021 - NWFL_Revisit wrote: 90 Points
Having enjoyed a number of prior vintages, this lacked the complexity and vivid fruit as prior years. Moderate acidity and tannins. Not the typical cab nose, more muted and soft.
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12/5/2021 - davidandrose wrote:
After the fact and Wellington tonight so no detailed notes, but I do recall enjoying the few sips I had.
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11/10/2021 - CrumbpeckerFarms wrote:
Good but not worth price.
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11/7/2021 - wineotim wrote: 92 Points
I am a big fan of this wine since 2010 or so. This vintage lacked that "sense of place" texture that I love, so I'm a bit disappointed. I suppose another year or two might help and I'll probably give it another try next year if I find the right price. This was $57.
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