When I purchased this in 2009, my tastes were very different. A monster as expected, big fruit and roasty flavors, still evident wood. Hot. (Just way too much damn alcohol.) Overwhelms food. Just not my jam anymore. (Though plenty of jam.) i feel like this has tons of life left, but honestly that’s just a guess since I never drink wines like this. (Open that bottle night, 2022)
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This seemed to mellow since the last bottle. Notes are generally consistent in terms of fruit and secondaries but the wine is more approachable. Still big and bold but showing a softer side.
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The score reflects the average of my experiences with this bottle. Sometimes it was an oaky, hot mess (82) of a big thick wine. Then other times it was big but smooth with a long chocolaty mocha finish (92). Overall, I guess this is a wine I'll stay away from as most of the time it's too big and messy for my taste.
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Wow, this is a big teeth staining wine. The color is inky black. Palate is dense, full bodied with dark berry, mocha, kinda syrupy, thick. Good acidity and silky tannins, it all came together but its also kinda port-like. You won't drink this one fast, sit and sip, it's going to take a while. If you're into this style, I highly recommend.
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This is a great example of a top flight Malbec from Argentina. Yes this is big and rich but it exhibits amazing balance, purity of fruit, and depth of flavor. The nose displays amazing aromatics of mocha, roses, earth and deep black fruits. The palate shows all the depth of a great Napa Cab. In short I really love this wine.
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Huge, dense, black-purple wine that is hard for me to rate. The nose masked to a certain extent by the oak and alcohol even though I decanted the wine for an hour and a half. I am not sensitive to either of these but I don't appreciate the masking of the nose they cause. The second day, after vacuum sealing the bottle and sticking it back in my wine cooler, was better as some of the alcohol blew off enough to let the nose come through a bit more. The nose consisted of plenty of milk chocolate, a touch of floral, maybe lavender, and plenty of dark fruit. The palate showed a continuation of milk chocolate, dark fruit and a slightly pruney or port-like note as well as fine tannins and a medium finish that was truncated by a definite alcohol bite, less noticeable on the second day. The overall impression of the wine was of a huge wine that comes close to being great but seems to miss with a lack of balance and cohesiveness. As jrobs7777 wrote there are things to like in this wine, my wife liked it a lot, but for me there were too many issues to score in the 90s. The price makes this wine hard to justify since there are plenty of big Cali Cabs for that price that find that sweet, balanced spot.
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Slow-O 2 hrs. Inky purple. Aromas of coffee bean, mocha, bramble, hot stones, etoh, blackberry liqueur and vanilla/oak. Full entry, huge mid-palate, with a deep vein of acids that wash it all down only to make room for an extended finish and caressing tannins. Oak will easily outlive the fruit here, drink thru 2014 (read: now). Would recommend an hour in a decanter. 15,2% abv, score: A-
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Very smooth, integrated, and easy-drinking for a big wine. Tannins softer than when tasted a couple of years ago. Long, smooth finish with a creamy mouthfeel. Drink now.
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I'd say this needs more time, but really what this comes down to is personal preference. This is an enormous wine and seems to be proud of the fact. Some more cellaring may smooth it out just a tad and bring out more milk chocolate, but if you like 'em big and bold, a few more years of bottle age is not going to change your opinion of the wine much (you'll still like it) and if you passionately dislike over the top bombs, a few more years of bottle age will not dramatically change your opinion of this wine. There are some things to like about this wine, especially if you are in the right mood for it. This is dark inky wine. My initial whiff was of cough syrup and dark candied black and blue fruit. There was a nip of heat on the nose. After some time in the glass, there was some nice menthol and chocolate blended in. The palate was smooth and rich with very fine tannins. To me, this was candy candy candy. Chocolate covered candy and candied fruit. Still, it could never quite shake the medicinal heat. Nice finish, but clipped a bit by the heat.
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Tanzer nailed it in his review, except for the color, which is opaque purple/black. Way over the top concentrated blue and black fruits, thick and viscous, and a little sweet and smoke at the finish. I might say I've never had a wine so concentrated before, which is admirable, but not sure how to drink this wine. Like tanzer said, it got tiresome to drink and we couldn't even finish the bottle.
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Sampling of 1er Cru White Burgs and Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): This is very good, but I'd like the heat to settle down a little bit. Deep reddish purple color. Heat on the nose which gives way to cigar box, chocolate and dark fruit. Dense and concentrated on the palate. Milk chocolate syrup. Really remarkable. Fine tannins, good balanced acidity. A shade of heat on the medium finish. This is unique juice. Concentrated and delicious, but the heat is just a bit too prevalent for me, right now.
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deep garnet color -- opaque at core. medium(+) intensity nose shows an initial harshness, but that is quickly replaced by warm dark chocolate, coffee grounds, blackberry, and tobacco. The palate tastes like squirting hershey's chocolate syrup into your mouth. Love it! There is some blackberry and blueberry -- but the chocolate syrup is most prominent. Extremely full mouthfeel, with fine, powdery, medium(+) tannins. A long finish shows a little heat.
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Rich fruit - well made wine but a bit cloying. I like this wine and think it is a great example of the best Malbecs. However, I am not so certain the best Malbecs from Argentina are worth the fare. Paul Hobbs - never cheap...
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Open at 1:30. Deep dark raspberry fruit on the bose. Also tastes like Paul Hobbs made it. Rich and mightly massive mid-palate. I would imagine the finish will broaden out as it opens up.
These wines were all tasted together in one night over a period of 10 hours.
2006 Clos La Coutale Chaors, 2006 Catena Malbec, 2005 Catena Cabernet, 2005 Catena Alta Malbec, 2004 Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec, 2006 Bramare Lujan de Cuyo District Cabernet, 2005 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet, 2004 Nicolas Catena Zapata, 2004 Cobos, 2004 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard, 2004 Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard.
In general the feeling was the all of the Catena wines, from top to bottom, are stylistic, elegant, well made and classy to drink. Paul Hobbs’ wines are certainly not chump change though. They are by far flashier and sometimes run the risk of becoming over-done. This was certainly the feeling with the Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec. Here the fruit flavors seemed to be lost in a sea of hedonistic oak treatment.
Speaking of hedonism you can’t find a much greater fruit bomb in this world than the Paul Hobbs Cobos. If you need a gift to impress someone this would certainly do it. But it is, perhaps, hard to drink more than a glass. There is only so much jam on can imbibe.
The exact opposite experience is the Nicolas Catena Zapata. Here is a big wine, yet with such refinement and elegance that the experience of finding the bottom of the bottle justifies its price (around $95). Maybe the experience of drinking five regular Catena Malbecs (around $20 – and an excellent value) would equal one Catena Zapata? A question for another night!
My only critique of Catena is the price on the single vineyards. Why price Adrianna and Nicasia at $91 when their composite, winemaker-built-blend (I have met Jose), Catena Alta, is $40 less? For those savvy few not chasing Parker points this means that the better wine – Catena Alta – is half the price its big boy, body-builder-bottle cousins. At around $50 Catena Alta is frankly a steal. And its carbon footprint it smaller to boot!
And while we are discussing steals, if you can find them, Paul Hobb’s lower tier Argentinean stuff, from the Lujan de Cuyo series (around $35? – Jesus Christ buy this in cases when you see it) to the Cocodrilo or whatever-they-have-decided-to-call-it-series (around $20?) are ridiculous values in and of themselves. Note that the Cabernets from these two tiers are stronger than the Malbecs or Merlots. All of Hobbs’ wines are flashy, ripe fruit in your face, smooth rounded out BOMBS. Don’t bother cellaring them past year three. The acid and tannins just aint there. Instead get sloppy drunk with them now. They are the Lay-Z-Boy chair of the wine world and are too much fun for your own good.
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Very good nose and flavors but it is lacking in structure and deliciousness. Low acid. bought one bottle as a test - will not buy any more. Not worth the steep price in our opinion.
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2/26/2022 - lifeattable Does not like this wine: 84 Points
When I purchased this in 2009, my tastes were very different. A monster as expected, big fruit and roasty flavors, still evident wood. Hot. (Just way too much damn alcohol.) Overwhelms food. Just not my jam anymore. (Though plenty of jam.) i feel like this has tons of life left, but honestly that’s just a guess since I never drink wines like this. (Open that bottle night, 2022)
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1/2/2022 - Kevnzworld wrote: 95 Points
Dark berries, some cinnamon and vanilla on the finish. Subtle tannins and nice tertiary flavors .
Drinking beautifully
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3/7/2018 - Ed Veritas wrote:
Blind tasting March/2018.
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2/17/2016 - mkoss Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs time but this is already a monster big malbec. I'm saving the others for at least 3 more years. Huge!
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9/27/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
This seemed to mellow since the last bottle. Notes are generally consistent in terms of fruit and secondaries but the wine is more approachable. Still big and bold but showing a softer side.
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7/19/2015 - iamandyc wrote: 87 Points
The score reflects the average of my experiences with this bottle. Sometimes it was an oaky, hot mess (82) of a big thick wine. Then other times it was big but smooth with a long chocolaty mocha finish (92). Overall, I guess this is a wine I'll stay away from as most of the time it's too big and messy for my taste.
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11/7/2014 - J2K Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, this is a big teeth staining wine. The color is inky black. Palate is dense, full bodied with dark berry, mocha, kinda syrupy, thick. Good acidity and silky tannins, it all came together but its also kinda port-like. You won't drink this one fast, sit and sip, it's going to take a while. If you're into this style, I highly recommend.
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6/18/2013 - jinks Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous. Drank the remains over 3 days and only improved. This will go the distance.
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3/13/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a great example of a top flight Malbec from Argentina. Yes this is big and rich but it exhibits amazing balance, purity of fruit, and depth of flavor. The nose displays amazing aromatics of mocha, roses, earth and deep black fruits. The palate shows all the depth of a great Napa Cab. In short I really love this wine.
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8/7/2012 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Huge, dense, black-purple wine that is hard for me to rate. The nose masked to a certain extent by the oak and alcohol even though I decanted the wine for an hour and a half. I am not sensitive to either of these but I don't appreciate the masking of the nose they cause. The second day, after vacuum sealing the bottle and sticking it back in my wine cooler, was better as some of the alcohol blew off enough to let the nose come through a bit more. The nose consisted of plenty of milk chocolate, a touch of floral, maybe lavender, and plenty of dark fruit. The palate showed a continuation of milk chocolate, dark fruit and a slightly pruney or port-like note as well as fine tannins and a medium finish that was truncated by a definite alcohol bite, less noticeable on the second day. The overall impression of the wine was of a huge wine that comes close to being great but seems to miss with a lack of balance and cohesiveness. As jrobs7777 wrote there are things to like in this wine, my wife liked it a lot, but for me there were too many issues to score in the 90s. The price makes this wine hard to justify since there are plenty of big Cali Cabs for that price that find that sweet, balanced spot.
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12/2/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 2 hrs. Inky purple. Aromas of coffee bean, mocha, bramble, hot stones, etoh, blackberry liqueur and vanilla/oak. Full entry, huge mid-palate, with a deep vein of acids that wash it all down only to make room for an extended finish and caressing tannins. Oak will easily outlive the fruit here, drink thru 2014 (read: now). Would recommend an hour in a decanter. 15,2% abv, score: A-
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9/3/2011 - KeithSurg wrote: 94 Points
Very smooth, integrated, and easy-drinking for a big wine. Tannins softer than when tasted a couple of years ago. Long, smooth finish with a creamy mouthfeel. Drink now.
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8/12/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 87 Points
Woah. Way too big and not put together. Needs a long time. I hope my other bottle improves
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5/20/2011 - jrobs7777 wrote: 88 Points
I'd say this needs more time, but really what this comes down to is personal preference. This is an enormous wine and seems to be proud of the fact. Some more cellaring may smooth it out just a tad and bring out more milk chocolate, but if you like 'em big and bold, a few more years of bottle age is not going to change your opinion of the wine much (you'll still like it) and if you passionately dislike over the top bombs, a few more years of bottle age will not dramatically change your opinion of this wine. There are some things to like about this wine, especially if you are in the right mood for it. This is dark inky wine. My initial whiff was of cough syrup and dark candied black and blue fruit. There was a nip of heat on the nose. After some time in the glass, there was some nice menthol and chocolate blended in. The palate was smooth and rich with very fine tannins. To me, this was candy candy candy. Chocolate covered candy and candied fruit. Still, it could never quite shake the medicinal heat. Nice finish, but clipped a bit by the heat.
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4/9/2011 - AlanC wrote: 92 Points
Just fantastic! Boysenberry, chocolate, and just yummy dark fruits. Maybe a tad over oaked, but some really splendid fruit.
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2/13/2011 - bonedoc wrote:
Tanzer nailed it in his review, except for the color, which is opaque purple/black. Way over the top concentrated blue and black fruits, thick and viscous, and a little sweet and smoke at the finish. I might say I've never had a wine so concentrated before, which is admirable, but not sure how to drink this wine. Like tanzer said, it got tiresome to drink and we couldn't even finish the bottle.
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1/22/2010 - limule wrote: 95 Points
Daniel , splendide
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10/17/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 91 Points
Sampling of 1er Cru White Burgs and Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): This is very good, but I'd like the heat to settle down a little bit. Deep reddish purple color. Heat on the nose which gives way to cigar box, chocolate and dark fruit. Dense and concentrated on the palate. Milk chocolate syrup. Really remarkable. Fine tannins, good balanced acidity. A shade of heat on the medium finish. This is unique juice. Concentrated and delicious, but the heat is just a bit too prevalent for me, right now.
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10/17/2009 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
deep garnet color -- opaque at core. medium(+) intensity nose shows an initial harshness, but that is quickly replaced by warm dark chocolate, coffee grounds, blackberry, and tobacco. The palate tastes like squirting hershey's chocolate syrup into your mouth. Love it! There is some blackberry and blueberry -- but the chocolate syrup is most prominent. Extremely full mouthfeel, with fine, powdery, medium(+) tannins. A long finish shows a little heat.
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7/2/2009 - EyeDoc wrote: 96 Points
Rich fruit - well made wine but a bit cloying. I like this wine and think it is a great example of the best Malbecs. However, I am not so certain the best Malbecs from Argentina are worth the fare. Paul Hobbs - never cheap...
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5/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Philadelphia Wine Festival (Marriott, Philadelphia PA): viscous chocolate syrup. tannins. This is clearly related to -- and the big brother of -- the Bramare that I have enjoyed... really great wine!
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5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): A lot going on here. Chocolate milk. Dense. Tannic. This will require years of aging.
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11/23/2008 - Francois2020 wrote:
This was very smooth. I haven't had many Malbecs, this was exceptional.
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8/2/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Open at 1:30. Deep dark raspberry fruit on the bose. Also tastes like Paul Hobbs made it. Rich and mightly massive mid-palate. I would imagine the finish will broaden out as it opens up.
These wines were all tasted together in one night over a period of 10 hours.
2006 Clos La Coutale Chaors, 2006 Catena Malbec, 2005 Catena Cabernet, 2005 Catena Alta Malbec, 2004 Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec, 2006 Bramare Lujan de Cuyo District Cabernet, 2005 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet, 2004 Nicolas Catena Zapata, 2004 Cobos, 2004 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard, 2004 Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard.
In general the feeling was the all of the Catena wines, from top to bottom, are stylistic, elegant, well made and classy to drink. Paul Hobbs’ wines are certainly not chump change though. They are by far flashier and sometimes run the risk of becoming over-done. This was certainly the feeling with the Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec. Here the fruit flavors seemed to be lost in a sea of hedonistic oak treatment.
Speaking of hedonism you can’t find a much greater fruit bomb in this world than the Paul Hobbs Cobos. If you need a gift to impress someone this would certainly do it. But it is, perhaps, hard to drink more than a glass. There is only so much jam on can imbibe.
The exact opposite experience is the Nicolas Catena Zapata. Here is a big wine, yet with such refinement and elegance that the experience of finding the bottom of the bottle justifies its price (around $95). Maybe the experience of drinking five regular Catena Malbecs (around $20 – and an excellent value) would equal one Catena Zapata? A question for another night!
My only critique of Catena is the price on the single vineyards. Why price Adrianna and Nicasia at $91 when their composite, winemaker-built-blend (I have met Jose), Catena Alta, is $40 less? For those savvy few not chasing Parker points this means that the better wine – Catena Alta – is half the price its big boy, body-builder-bottle cousins. At around $50 Catena Alta is frankly a steal. And its carbon footprint it smaller to boot!
And while we are discussing steals, if you can find them, Paul Hobb’s lower tier Argentinean stuff, from the Lujan de Cuyo series (around $35? – Jesus Christ buy this in cases when you see it) to the Cocodrilo or whatever-they-have-decided-to-call-it-series (around $20?) are ridiculous values in and of themselves. Note that the Cabernets from these two tiers are stronger than the Malbecs or Merlots. All of Hobbs’ wines are flashy, ripe fruit in your face, smooth rounded out BOMBS. Don’t bother cellaring them past year three. The acid and tannins just aint there. Instead get sloppy drunk with them now. They are the Lay-Z-Boy chair of the wine world and are too much fun for your own good.
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2/12/2008 - phenricsson wrote: 90 Points
Very good nose and flavors but it is lacking in structure and deliciousness. Low acid. bought one bottle as a test - will not buy any more. Not worth the steep price in our opinion.
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