WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Remarkably primary and youthful. Chocolate and ripe black fruit dominates here, with a higher toned vanilla note on the nose that becomes better integrated with some swirling. It's ripe, dense, still rather tannic, but very enjoyable with the roasted quail.
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Tastes like a 5 year old Cabernet, seriously. Super classic Napa Cabernet. Black currant, black cherry, cedar, violets, anise, graphite, and brown sugar. The only sign of its age is a bit of leather and tobacco. Great balance between the fruit and savory elements. A bit of an austere finish but overall an excellent wine that is much more youthful than expected.
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At 15+ years of age this is beautiful. Give it a pass through the Vinturi on opening or 60-90 mins air. Fantastic, complex, rich, dark fruit, juuussst a touch of sweetness, elegant spiciness, warm not hot, mellow, softest tannins. Suggest drinking now (if I had more I would) though it should hold for a few more years.
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Beautiful nose of anise, espresso, and black cherry. The type of wine where the nose brings enjoyment. Very good on the palate. Right now it feels like the attack has more oomph than the finish, probably better a couple of years back or potentially a few years from now where the attack and finish are closer in weight. That said, it was a beautiful wine for this Sunday evening and I had no regrets opening.
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Once again this was sensational. Gorgeous ripe plum, blackberry and dark cherry fruit with excellent balance. Spice, Cedar, Graphite and stone/mineral notes as well. This comes across as a Napa/Graves hybrid at the very highest level. Satisfying, complex and rich.
This was the first vintage for Corra, and a completely different fruit source than what would make up later wines. It is certainly special, and has evolved beautifully. Not sure how long I can keep myself from opening the last bottle.
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Incredible. Still the best Corra to date. Youthful. Viscous. Well balanced. The menthol note framed by darker fruit and a core of a touch of dark chocolate and maybe some orange peel. A stunner of a wine with years to go. Only one bottle left ... will try to hold for a period of time.
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A week later, revisit. Great from PnP, and consistent on the oak and mocha on nose (from PnP). Reached a good balance over about 2 hours. Consistent with previous notes: pretty long finish, lots of fruit on the palate from PnP and I agree that some more bitterness on secondary/spice tastes added later in the evening. (Ceder and peppers?)
I do think that 94+ or 95 is a very good score if only for the great balance of earthy notes, not overwhelming on the oak, and the pretty long finish. Also, the vote of the glass by dinner participants was pretty clear towards the corra '04. Hence, a nice choice. Hesitated to give it the 95 last week, but I think I will now.
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Great from PnP though it was at start more oak and mocha on the nose. I think it balanced well over the 2-2.5 hours we drank it (With dinner). Enjoyable taste, pretty long finish, lots of fruit on the palate from PnP and I agree that some more bitterness on secondary/spice tastes added later in the evening. At that point, the earthy notes also came closer to 'main stage'. I found it very enjoyable and not as strong on the oak/toast notes as others voted (but I would say it was stronger @ PnP). Clearly, a wine that enjoys a full dinner.
Now, I do see some (more) variation in the scores of others than I forecasted, and I am somewhat surprised. But, during dinner, the vote with the glass was pretty clear. I actually felt bad for the other wine coravin'd alongside ('93 ACV). I was almost asked to do a 'refill'. We ended up giving it a pretty high score for a Sat. night wine with casual dinner at home (~95 maybe even 95 plus) but now I would like to taste it again in few days. I was not expecting the score variation I see, so I'm just curious...
(Note: Coravin about 40% of the bottle)
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Hot damn, this wine is perfect. This is exactly my favorite red wine, or at least my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, sumptuous, well balanced fruit and tannin, lingering suggestion of sweetness without being sweet…just outstanding. Needs about 20-30 minutes of decanting to get going.
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Blind Tasting Challenge (Tribeca Wine Merchants): Obvious oak upfront, with sweet coconut framing very ripe, black cassis fruit showing some cedary development. Fleshy and silky at first, with the oak showing more in the midplate, quite dense. The macerated blackberry fruit profile is a little overripe for me, but it's not sweet and the acidity is there, and there's just a hint of alcohol on the finish that shows an interesting herbal note. I guessed Rioja due to what seemed like American oak.
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Nice wine. Decanted an hour or so and enjoyed over another couple hours. Does not overwhelm, but hits all cylinders nicely. Probably at its peak so drink your bottles in the next couple years.
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Decanted 1 hour Dusty, chocolate, butter, caramel, a bit oak, vanilla nose a bit of heat. Plum chocolate, tea, boysenberry flavors. Soil earth type nose quite unique. Nice stuff but still seems really young. The alcohol is a bit more than I like, but overall good wine. I have an 05 which I will try to give at least a couple more years.
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Corra Vertical: Corra Vertical tasting. Very pretty, with lots of Mocha on the nose. After an hour or so it develops an interesting bitterness near the finish, before it smooths into great length.
On day 2 it has lost lots of fruit and is a little bit off balance. It is still a wonderful wine but has fallen from WOTD pedestal.
This was an amazing wine. Think we opened it at the right time. Let it breathe for an hour and it was harmonious. Dark red color. Minimal bricking. Started with a lot of earthy notes on the nose (crushed rock; mushroom). Fruit really showed on the mid-palette, but this was not a fruit bomb by any means. Medium-long finish that lingered perfectly. Gorgeous wine.
I don't know if the fruit has faded with age or if it was just the '04 vintage. This reminds me of a good Bordeaux. Touches of dust, mineral and steal cover the aged fruit. Tannins are still there and the finish has cigar with a little heat. Not my traditional preferred style but a good wine.
Splash decant. Fruit forward and balanced. The wine kept getting better as the night went on. It was peaking at 3 hours, but is most definitely a new world Cali Cab! Still, I would have enjoyed it more in the $85.00 range. At $139.00, it's pass for me as there are better choices available.
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Nose of chocolate covered cherries, some citrus rind and a hint of smoke. The palate is medium bodied with a similar profile as the nose but great acidic lift. Still tightly coiled in the mid palate but clearly with enough stuffing to keep evolving. Great wine.
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Splash decant - could have used more to reach extraordinary but still outstanding. Noted some plum and milk chocolate. Fresh and lively. Wonderful balance.
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Wine of the night up against a 2007 Frank Family Reserve and 2005 Hobbs Beckstoffer-Crane Cab. This one was singing both on the nose and on the palate. It was lush upon entry and held together through a long finish. This is a new world cab yet balanced and layered. Fully resolved with no rough edges. The fruit is the star. Drink up.
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Saturday Night Wine Tasting (Throyd's - Lansdowne): This continues to deliver at the highest level. Even though I still have several bottles left, I may need to go get more -- it is extremely youthful. dark fruit, chocolate, black cherry. where this shines the brightest is the way that the tannins are so smooth and well integrated. Medium (+) finish shows not even a hint of heat. This is a delicious wine and solidifies that I will buy the 09.
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Nose: Perfumed nose of Blackberry, Cherry, Red Licorice, baking spices and some gorgeous floral notes. Sweet oak blends in after an hour or so open. Palate: Mid-weight Cab that enters with intense crushed blackberries, currant, raspberry and black cherry. Some notes of cocoa powder and white flowers develop on the mid palate and a caramel/nutmeg note is there as well. Slight minerality in there as well. Finish: Long and detailed with many layers.
Even better than the last bottle opened. One of the best CA Cabs I have opened at home.
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Oh yea. This is still one of the better $100-$125 CA Cabs out there. Just look at the other reviews.... Look at the cost of the wines this is compared to.
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hmmm. it may be time to open some other vintages, so that i can get a confirmation on the fluidity of quality, because this debut is fantastic. not decanted, but you can; however, i didn't experience much evolution in the glass over 4 hours. per a previous note, i hold to the opinion that it is not a long term ager, yet i believe it will maintain it's good drinking plateau for a few more years. so, we're at seven...drink or hold for 3 more years, maybe 2 more if you want to push it. 14.5% alcohol. no heat. powerful fruit, not spoofilated. one of the best 04's i've tasted, but as a comparison, a recent colgin IX trumped this. nevertheless, highly recommended.
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I brought this bottle to a local steak house tonight. Decanted and enjoyed over 2 1/2 hours. The cork was holding up really well and only minimally saturated a couple of millimeters. The cork was stained a medium, dense red hue. This wine should age well and is solidly built. The color was of a dark ruby red with minimal light transmission. Great nose of ripe, red, Bing cherries, red currants and light notes of red licorice. Enjoyable, structured, fruity midpalate with a finish of moderate length. This is a quality Napa Cab that definately has red fruit flavors compared to some Napa Cabs that have dark, bitter currant flavors. I actually enjoy both styles...
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Dinner at The Kitchen (Rivers Marie, SQN, Corra & others) (The Kitchen - Sacramento): Nose: Sweet Cherry, Red Plum, Blackberry, Cocoa and Slight Floral Perfume. The nose is huge showing the pritchard hill fruit nicely, but has the cocoa/"rutherford dust" elements as well dark garnet in the glass with brighter red colors at the rim. Palate: Medium weight and not over bearing. Red and black fruit elements throughout the midpalate. Very soft tanins, powdery cocoa, exotic berry flavors and nice oak that is slightly cedary. Not at all cloying and nicely balanced with acidic tones in the berries. Finish: Very long and bright ending with cocoa, red licorice and more cherries. Lingers for over a minute.
The Kitchen - Sacramento
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Ruby-brick in color, showing just a little age. A mildly sweaty, leathery nose, with notes of spice and currant. Bright, black cherry flavors made for a lovely mid-palate.
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Fantastic gorgeous balanced wine that even the white wine drinkers wanted some of and enjoyed....Mother's day dinner with lamb chops and just everything you could hope for. very ripe, rich full etc and yet light on its feet and not alcoholic or heavy.....cheap? No, but a great wine. 96 points
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A nice bottle of wine, but fairly standard for this class of cali cabernet. Plush, great fruit and flavor, but not really special or unique. I love this kind of wine, but it's getting to be a crowded field.
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Tasted in St Helena with Celia. Decanted from 375ml. This is simply terrific. Drinking very well. Very rich. Cherry fruit, cocoa with round, smooth tannins and well integrated oak. Sadly, I don't have any of this vintage. Wish I did!
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Both of these were right there with the first bottle I had. Darker fruits, espresso and chocolate. Plenty of fruit on the palate, but nicely balanced. No overwhelming tannins. Wish I had more.
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Corra Vertical 04-06 (McClure House - San Diego): Brought the goods again. Absolutely decadent. Big nose of chocolate covered cherry, mocha, cedar, menthol and a hint of darker fruit. After some time in the glass, there is a nutty character as well. The fruit core here is outstanding. Excellent concentration. Big cherry and chocolate on the palate. Very lush. Incredibly good finish. Mouthwatering wine. Tremendous.
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Sampling of 1er Cru White Burgs and Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): This is an absolutely exceptional wine. I've only had the 04, but I have the 05 and 06 sitting in the cellar and I can only hope those vintages continue to bring the goods. This is the third time I've had the 04 and it has definitely shown some development. Not as big and overpowering with fruit. Deep red color. Cherry, chocolate, raspberry and gobs of red fruit. Dense with good weight. Rich and coating. Very fine tannins framed by a touch of wood. Exceptional finish that builds and goes on and on.
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medium intensity garnet color is not as deep as the keever. a beautiful and classy nose, with a fruit core of black currant, raspberry, and red cherry backed up by some nice cedar, chocolate, and pencil lead notes. Tons of berry fruit on the palate, with raspberry and blackberry most prominent, but there is a depth of flavors supporting this and avoiding it becoming a fruit bomb -- graphite, white pepper, and clove. medium velvety tannins crescendo through the midpalate and into a long, DELICIOUS finish. I am going through these too fast! Consistently wonderful wine!
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Unfortunately when tasted next to the scarecrow this is harder to appreciate. To be honest the approach is very similar to the Scarecrow, dark and heavy, black fruit with red fruits and chocolate playing a major role. It is very similar and has tremendous balance and structure but it doesn’t quite have the depth or uniqueness that the Scarecrow brings. Like sitting next to two tremendous women only one of them drinks wine and reads books while the other drinks manhattans and reads People magazine. If you met corra by herself you’d be floored by the talent. Still tremendous it’s just hard in this flight to score it a classic. 94 points, awesome, but the Scarecrow has to outweigh.
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95+ This need a lot of air time. I would probably rate my first glass a 91-92. Dark powerful and full of fruit. This could definitely use a bit more time sideways. Tremendous though. Once it opened up fully this is just an amazing, earthmoving cab. Dark Purple and heavy nose of dark fruits, some sweet spices, and chocolate. A bit lighter on the palate but the flavors are the same with maybe a touch of blue and red fruit. Great balance, well integrated with the exception that it is just a touch hot (very hot when first opened) this may need 4-5 hours decanting to show perfectly at this point. Wait at least another year or two for this.
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my bottle. pop and pour near the end of the night to fill in for a couple of corked wines; i didn't have any 01s in my storage lockers. this stole the show. consistent notes with my recent tasting, but couldn't follow as closely. richly textured, young calicab. delicious.
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14.5% alcohol. decanted, but the wine was good from the first sip. it has displayed almost no developmental nuances in the glass. my first taste of this, which has become almost an instant icon based on bulletin board and CT! multiple notes; and it is a very tasty wine. i can see how it would win every offline event it's placed in because the wine is open, delicious, and beautifully balanced. however, it has very little complexity/aging potential, so enjoy it in it's exuberent youth. the tannins are super sweet and the midpalate doesn't possess alot of structural oomph. medium body, and a soft, almost delicately lingering finish. once it's primary fruit fades, this wine will be toast.
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Once again, this brought the goods. Big thick and deep colored wine. Huge nose of cherry liqueur, bread dough and blue fruit. The wine hits you at the outset with big fruit but everything is well balanced. It continues developing on the mid-palate with cherries and blueberries mixing with cassis, some subtle spices and earth. The finish is long and fruity. A stellar wine and I'm excited to drink our final two bottles.
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Outstanding. Intense concentration of red and black cherry comes through on the nose and palate. Some spice, and a finish that wouldn't quit -- easily 30 seconds. Tannins, alcohol and oak were all well integrated.
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Blind California Cabernet Tasting: Holy cow! This is a huge wine. Consensus first or second in our tasting of 10 Cali Cabs. New world style all the way. Deep red color but a tinge of brown around the edges. Opaque and concentrated. The nose was big. Cherry, syrup, brown sugar, white pepper. A big wine on the palate. Well concentrated, fills the mouth. There is some sweetness to this as the fruit mixes with a tough of oak and cedar along with some minerals. Well integrated tannins for a wine this young. Cherry was dominant, but there were some nice secondary notes. The finish is long ... long. This is an incredible first effort and I really look forward to enjoying my other 2004s. Will be very curious to taste the 05s to see if it holds up to this initial release.
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Nose: Tobacco, Mint, Dark Chocolate, Currant, Raspberry; Ripe and Jammy; Big and Explosive Taste: Raspberry, Currant, Tobacco, a hint of Vaniila, Graphite; Surprisingly restrained and elegant; the nose "fakes you out" a bit; Great purity of fruit; Strikingly balanced at this young point in its life; Grew progressively darker and put on a little weight as the night wore on which speaks to its bright future; Just superb.
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I didnt want to drink this but I really wanted it. Wonderful nose of berries and licorice and plums. Supple mouth feel with subtle chocolately oak and plums extend to a flawless finish. good stuff.
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Incredible after an hour of decanting. Had it stopped there it would have rated higher. After about the 3 hour point, my wife and I both started to feel a slight bit of heat. Still a very good wine and I'm looking forward to tasting the other bottles.
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Wow, this is a really nicely balanced wine. Quite dark with rich cassis fruit, but not weight or sense of heat or alcolhol, just a big solid but not overly tannic structure. Really, all that I would want in a Cali cab, other than a lower price. I'm sure that this will age nicely, but it is delicious now, and probably even better day 2
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This is a fantastic wine. Decanted about an hour prior to drinking. Wish I decanted longer as this wine continued to evolve and get better the longer it had to open up. Ripe dark fruits on the nose, with vanilla and coconut. Seamless palate with very long finish. Excellent first effort by Corra.
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Decanted for 4 hours and then enjoyed with steaks. On opening the nose was seductive and an occasional sniff every 30 minutes or so while decanting showed this wine to open up more as time passed. Dark color in the glass with a nose that showed mixed dark fruits. On the palate more dark fruit, a little chocolate and vanilla. Great mouth feel with almost chewy tannins. This showed really well for such a baby. We can't wait to open another bottle in a year or so and I expect it to rate even higher then.
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My goodness, this is an awesome wine. Upon opening, if someone told me this was '05 Pape Clement, I would have believed him. Excellent bouquet, flavor, texture, and balance. Tightens up with aeration, but when revisited, it appeared to benefit from extended decanting (4+ hours) (96-97pts easy).
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Has gained some weight since last time has an extraordinary flavor profile of some red fruit that I cant identify. It is like a light cherry raspberry flavor without any tartness. Delicious bottle of wine.
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Wow! Absolutely amazing wine. Incredible balance and integration, especially for such a young wine. Explosive nose hits you right as you open the bottle. Medium/heavy body. Long finish.
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Holy S#&!. That is some beautiful wine. I have not been this blown away with a napa cab in quite some time. An absolute blockbuster. Perfect balance and a never ending finish. Blueberries, cassis, chocolate, and a host of other flavors unwind into perfect harmony. I just wish I could find more. A truly special wine.
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Great inaugural release. Strong aromas of black currant and black cherry with those flavors extending into the midpalate where the supple fruit has some oak added into the mix. The finish is long and well integrated and a pleasure to drink. Tannins build with air and I will give the rest some time.
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3/7/2024 - salil wrote: 91 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): Remarkably primary and youthful. Chocolate and ripe black fruit dominates here, with a higher toned vanilla note on the nose that becomes better integrated with some swirling. It's ripe, dense, still rather tannic, but very enjoyable with the roasted quail.
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3/7/2024 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC 2004 California Cab Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Double-decanted around 2pm.] Dark chocolate and blackberry nose. Rich, expansive, complex. Gorgeous.
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3/2/2021 - brettay wrote: 92 Points
Tastes like a 5 year old Cabernet, seriously. Super classic Napa Cabernet. Black currant, black cherry, cedar, violets, anise, graphite, and brown sugar. The only sign of its age is a bit of leather and tobacco. Great balance between the fruit and savory elements. A bit of an austere finish but overall an excellent wine that is much more youthful than expected.
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3/13/2020 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 96 Points
At 15+ years of age this is beautiful.
Give it a pass through the Vinturi on opening or 60-90 mins air.
Fantastic, complex, rich, dark fruit, juuussst a touch of sweetness, elegant spiciness, warm not hot, mellow, softest tannins.
Suggest drinking now (if I had more I would) though it should hold for a few more years.
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11/18/2018 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful nose of anise, espresso, and black cherry. The type of wine where the nose brings enjoyment. Very good on the palate. Right now it feels like the attack has more oomph than the finish, probably better a couple of years back or potentially a few years from now where the attack and finish are closer in weight. That said, it was a beautiful wine for this Sunday evening and I had no regrets opening.
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2/11/2018 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
Once again this was sensational. Gorgeous ripe plum, blackberry and dark cherry fruit with excellent balance. Spice, Cedar, Graphite and stone/mineral notes as well. This comes across as a Napa/Graves hybrid at the very highest level. Satisfying, complex and rich.
This was the first vintage for Corra, and a completely different fruit source than what would make up later wines. It is certainly special, and has evolved beautifully. Not sure how long I can keep myself from opening the last bottle.
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1/1/2018 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Incredible. Still the best Corra to date. Youthful. Viscous. Well balanced. The menthol note framed by darker fruit and a core of a touch of dark chocolate and maybe some orange peel. A stunner of a wine with years to go. Only one bottle left ... will try to hold for a period of time.
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2/13/2016 - odds Likes this wine: 95 Points
A week later, revisit. Great from PnP, and consistent on the oak and mocha on nose (from PnP). Reached a good balance over about 2 hours. Consistent with previous notes: pretty long finish, lots of fruit on the palate from PnP and I agree that some more bitterness on secondary/spice tastes added later in the evening. (Ceder and peppers?)
I do think that 94+ or 95 is a very good score if only for the great balance of earthy notes, not overwhelming on the oak, and the pretty long finish. Also, the vote of the glass by dinner participants was pretty clear towards the corra '04. Hence, a nice choice. Hesitated to give it the 95 last week, but I think I will now.
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2/6/2016 - odds Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great from PnP though it was at start more oak and mocha on the nose. I think it balanced well over the 2-2.5 hours we drank it (With dinner). Enjoyable taste, pretty long finish, lots of fruit on the palate from PnP and I agree that some more bitterness on secondary/spice tastes added later in the evening. At that point, the earthy notes also came closer to 'main stage'. I found it very enjoyable and not as strong on the oak/toast notes as others voted (but I would say it was stronger @ PnP). Clearly, a wine that enjoys a full dinner.
Now, I do see some (more) variation in the scores of others than I forecasted, and I am somewhat surprised. But, during dinner, the vote with the glass was pretty clear. I actually felt bad for the other wine coravin'd alongside ('93 ACV). I was almost asked to do a 'refill'. We ended up giving it a pretty high score for a Sat. night wine with casual dinner at home (~95 maybe even 95 plus) but now I would like to taste it again in few days. I was not expecting the score variation I see, so I'm just curious...
(Note: Coravin about 40% of the bottle)
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9/6/2015 - huevosconvino Likes this wine: 97 Points
Hot damn, this wine is perfect. This is exactly my favorite red wine, or at least my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, sumptuous, well balanced fruit and tannin, lingering suggestion of sweetness without being sweet…just outstanding. Needs about 20-30 minutes of decanting to get going.
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8/13/2015 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Blind Tasting Challenge (Tribeca Wine Merchants): Obvious oak upfront, with sweet coconut framing very ripe, black cassis fruit showing some cedary development. Fleshy and silky at first, with the oak showing more in the midplate, quite dense. The macerated blackberry fruit profile is a little overripe for me, but it's not sweet and the acidity is there, and there's just a hint of alcohol on the finish that shows an interesting herbal note. I guessed Rioja due to what seemed like American oak.
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2/20/2015 - Cycle Man Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine. Decanted an hour or so and enjoyed over another couple hours. Does not overwhelm, but hits all cylinders nicely. Probably at its peak so drink your bottles in the next couple years.
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11/16/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour
Dusty, chocolate, butter, caramel, a bit oak, vanilla nose a bit of heat.
Plum chocolate, tea, boysenberry flavors. Soil earth type nose quite unique. Nice stuff but still seems really young. The alcohol is a bit more than I like, but overall good wine. I have an 05 which I will try to give at least a couple more years.
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11/8/2014 - huevosconvino Likes this wine:
Damn good.
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8/9/2014 - S1 Likes this wine:
Corra Vertical: Corra Vertical tasting. Very pretty, with lots of Mocha on the nose. After an hour or so it develops an interesting bitterness near the finish, before it smooths into great length.
On day 2 it has lost lots of fruit and is a little bit off balance. It is still a wonderful wine but has fallen from WOTD pedestal.
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7/15/2014 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was an amazing wine. Think we opened it at the right time. Let it breathe for an hour and it was harmonious. Dark red color. Minimal bricking. Started with a lot of earthy notes on the nose (crushed rock; mushroom). Fruit really showed on the mid-palette, but this was not a fruit bomb by any means. Medium-long finish that lingered perfectly. Gorgeous wine.
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6/13/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
Consistently delightful
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5/2/2013 - jaxpaj wrote: 93 Points
I don't know if the fruit has faded with age or if it was just the '04 vintage. This reminds me of a good Bordeaux. Touches of dust, mineral and steal cover the aged fruit. Tannins are still there and the finish has cigar with a little heat. Not my traditional preferred style but a good wine.
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3/28/2013 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Very enjoyable. Impressive. Last bottle and I wish I had more but now on to the 05s.
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3/9/2013 - RJurman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Splash decant. Fruit forward and balanced. The wine kept getting better as the night went on. It was peaking at 3 hours, but is most definitely a new world Cali Cab! Still, I would have enjoyed it more in the $85.00 range. At $139.00, it's pass for me as there are better choices available.
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2/4/2013 - jaxpaj wrote: 92 Points
Mineral, tobacco, and a touch of dust. Maybe an off bottle?
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1/21/2013 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Nose of chocolate covered cherries, some citrus rind and a hint of smoke. The palate is medium bodied with a similar profile as the nose but great acidic lift. Still tightly coiled in the mid palate but clearly with enough stuffing to keep evolving. Great wine.
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11/4/2012 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Drinking beautifully
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10/20/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 94 Points
Splash decant - could have used more to reach extraordinary but still outstanding. Noted some plum and milk chocolate. Fresh and lively. Wonderful balance.
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4/22/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 95 Points
Wine of the night up against a 2007 Frank Family Reserve and 2005 Hobbs Beckstoffer-Crane Cab. This one was singing both on the nose and on the palate. It was lush upon entry and held together through a long finish. This is a new world cab yet balanced and layered. Fully resolved with no rough edges. The fruit is the star. Drink up.
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4/17/2012 - ToddS wrote:
Didn't get any specific flaws in this bottle, but it was definitely an under performer compared to previous bottles. Quite muted.
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2/15/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
really beautiful now. Great balance, long finish, soft tannins, lots of fruit and chocolate and ...loved it
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2/11/2012 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Saturday Night Wine Tasting (Throyd's - Lansdowne): This continues to deliver at the highest level. Even though I still have several bottles left, I may need to go get more -- it is extremely youthful. dark fruit, chocolate, black cherry. where this shines the brightest is the way that the tannins are so smooth and well integrated. Medium (+) finish shows not even a hint of heat. This is a delicious wine and solidifies that I will buy the 09.
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1/7/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
Nose: Perfumed nose of Blackberry, Cherry, Red Licorice, baking spices and some gorgeous floral notes. Sweet oak blends in after an hour or so open. Palate: Mid-weight Cab that enters with intense crushed blackberries, currant, raspberry and black cherry. Some notes of cocoa powder and white flowers develop on the mid palate and a caramel/nutmeg note is there as well. Slight minerality in there as well. Finish: Long and detailed with many layers.
Even better than the last bottle opened. One of the best CA Cabs I have opened at home.
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11/20/2011 - ToddS wrote: 94 Points
Oh yea. This is still one of the better $100-$125 CA Cabs out there. Just look at the other reviews.... Look at the cost of the wines this is compared to.
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11/14/2011 - unrelenting wrote: 94 Points
phenomenal structure but the flavor profile is so great, it's tough to put this down any longer. hot but not too hot.
[Racquet C of C]
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9/22/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
hmmm. it may be time to open some other vintages, so that i can get a confirmation on the fluidity of quality, because this debut is fantastic. not decanted, but you can; however, i didn't experience much evolution in the glass over 4 hours. per a previous note, i hold to the opinion that it is not a long term ager, yet i believe it will maintain it's good drinking plateau for a few more years. so, we're at seven...drink or hold for 3 more years, maybe 2 more if you want to push it. 14.5% alcohol. no heat. powerful fruit, not spoofilated. one of the best 04's i've tasted, but as a comparison, a recent colgin IX trumped this. nevertheless, highly recommended.
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9/18/2011 - Acohen wrote: 94 Points
Big and rich with great berry, cassis and lots of really well integrated tannins. Had a strong mid palate and a great long finish
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6/10/2011 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
Dark cherry fruit is most prominent -- stiull extremely primary, this shows little sign of development.
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4/30/2011 - B Dub wrote: 94 Points
I agree with my previous posting.
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4/8/2011 - B Dub wrote: 94 Points
I brought this bottle to a local steak house tonight. Decanted and enjoyed over 2 1/2 hours. The cork was holding up really well and only minimally saturated a couple of millimeters. The cork was stained a medium, dense red hue. This wine should age well and is solidly built. The color was of a dark ruby red with minimal light transmission. Great nose of ripe, red, Bing cherries, red currants and light notes of red licorice. Enjoyable, structured, fruity midpalate with a finish of moderate length.
This is a quality Napa Cab that definately has red fruit flavors compared to some Napa Cabs that have dark, bitter currant flavors. I actually enjoy both styles...
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11/13/2010 - RockinCabs wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at The Kitchen (Rivers Marie, SQN, Corra & others) (The Kitchen - Sacramento): Nose: Sweet Cherry, Red Plum, Blackberry, Cocoa and Slight Floral Perfume. The nose is huge showing the pritchard hill fruit nicely, but has the cocoa/"rutherford dust" elements as well dark garnet in the glass with brighter red colors at the rim. Palate: Medium weight and not over bearing. Red and black fruit elements throughout the midpalate. Very soft tanins, powdery cocoa, exotic berry flavors and nice oak that is slightly cedary. Not at all cloying and nicely balanced with acidic tones in the berries. Finish: Very long and bright ending with cocoa, red licorice and more cherries. Lingers for over a minute.
The Kitchen - Sacramento
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7/11/2010 - Tom_B wrote: 90 Points
Ruby-brick in color, showing just a little age. A mildly sweaty, leathery nose, with notes of spice and currant. Bright, black cherry flavors made for a lovely mid-palate.
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7/11/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Tasted blind at an offline. Quick notes: pretty wine; a little musty; dark fruit and dry citrus;. Good to Very Good.
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5/17/2010 - Mr T wrote:
Fantastic gorgeous balanced wine that even the white wine drinkers wanted some of and enjoyed....Mother's day dinner with lamb chops and just everything you could hope for. very ripe, rich full etc and yet light on its feet and not alcoholic or heavy.....cheap? No, but a great wine. 96 points
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5/9/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
A nice bottle of wine, but fairly standard for this class of cali cabernet. Plush, great fruit and flavor, but not really special or unique. I love this kind of wine, but it's getting to be a crowded field.
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2/17/2010 - zinfidel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted in St Helena with Celia. Decanted from 375ml. This is simply terrific. Drinking very well. Very rich. Cherry fruit, cocoa with round, smooth tannins and well integrated oak. Sadly, I don't have any of this vintage. Wish I did!
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1/1/2010 - ToddS wrote:
Both of these were right there with the first bottle I had. Darker fruits, espresso and chocolate. Plenty of fruit on the palate, but nicely balanced. No overwhelming tannins. Wish I had more.
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12/27/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 96 Points
Corra Vertical 04-06 (McClure House - San Diego): Brought the goods again. Absolutely decadent. Big nose of chocolate covered cherry, mocha, cedar, menthol and a hint of darker fruit. After some time in the glass, there is a nutty character as well. The fruit core here is outstanding. Excellent concentration. Big cherry and chocolate on the palate. Very lush. Incredibly good finish. Mouthwatering wine. Tremendous.
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10/17/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 95 Points
Sampling of 1er Cru White Burgs and Cali Cabs (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): This is an absolutely exceptional wine. I've only had the 04, but I have the 05 and 06 sitting in the cellar and I can only hope those vintages continue to bring the goods. This is the third time I've had the 04 and it has definitely shown some development. Not as big and overpowering with fruit. Deep red color. Cherry, chocolate, raspberry and gobs of red fruit. Dense with good weight. Rich and coating. Very fine tannins framed by a touch of wood. Exceptional finish that builds and goes on and on.
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10/17/2009 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
medium intensity garnet color is not as deep as the keever. a beautiful and classy nose, with a fruit core of black currant, raspberry, and red cherry backed up by some nice cedar, chocolate, and pencil lead notes. Tons of berry fruit on the palate, with raspberry and blackberry most prominent, but there is a depth of flavors supporting this and avoiding it becoming a fruit bomb -- graphite, white pepper, and clove. medium velvety tannins crescendo through the midpalate and into a long, DELICIOUS finish. I am going through these too fast! Consistently wonderful wine!
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8/28/2009 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
City Line Church Thailand Team Wine Tasting I - NoVA (Northern Virginia): Delicious --- soft red fruit, chocolate, really soft tannins that fill the mouth with a velvet touch. medium-long finish.
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5/5/2009 - Maine wine guy wrote: 95 Points
Celia opened this in a split for us at Keever. I couldn't keep my nose out of it. Brilliant wine with a long life ahead.
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3/24/2009 - KWC3141 wrote: 94 Points
Unfortunately when tasted next to the scarecrow this is harder to appreciate. To be honest the approach is very similar to the Scarecrow, dark and heavy, black fruit with red fruits and chocolate playing a major role. It is very similar and has tremendous balance and structure but it doesn’t quite have the depth or uniqueness that the Scarecrow brings. Like sitting next to two tremendous women only one of them drinks wine and reads books while the other drinks manhattans and reads People magazine. If you met corra by herself you’d be floored by the talent. Still tremendous it’s just hard in this flight to score it a classic. 94 points, awesome, but the Scarecrow has to outweigh.
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2/26/2009 - KWC3141 wrote: 95 Points
95+ This need a lot of air time. I would probably rate my first glass a 91-92. Dark powerful and full of fruit. This could definitely use a bit more time sideways. Tremendous though. Once it opened up fully this is just an amazing, earthmoving cab. Dark Purple and heavy nose of dark fruits, some sweet spices, and chocolate. A bit lighter on the palate but the flavors are the same with maybe a touch of blue and red fruit. Great balance, well integrated with the exception that it is just a touch hot (very hot when first opened) this may need 4-5 hours decanting to show perfectly at this point. Wait at least another year or two for this.
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1/25/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Peter Pratt's 2009 Cali Cab Table (Yorktown, NY): Lots of fruit. I liked this. Young and big.
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1/21/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
my bottle. pop and pour near the end of the night to fill in for a couple of corked wines; i didn't have any 01s in my storage lockers. this stole the show. consistent notes with my recent tasting, but couldn't follow as closely. richly textured, young calicab. delicious.
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1/17/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
14.5% alcohol. decanted, but the wine was good from the first sip. it has displayed almost no developmental nuances in the glass. my first taste of this, which has become almost an instant icon based on bulletin board and CT! multiple notes; and it is a very tasty wine. i can see how it would win every offline event it's placed in because the wine is open, delicious, and beautifully balanced. however, it has very little complexity/aging potential, so enjoy it in it's exuberent youth. the tannins are super sweet and the midpalate doesn't possess alot of structural oomph. medium body, and a soft, almost delicately lingering finish. once it's primary fruit fades, this wine will be toast.
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12/25/2008 - jrobs7777 wrote: 95 Points
Once again, this brought the goods. Big thick and deep colored wine. Huge nose of cherry liqueur, bread dough and blue fruit. The wine hits you at the outset with big fruit but everything is well balanced. It continues developing on the mid-palate with cherries and blueberries mixing with cassis, some subtle spices and earth. The finish is long and fruity. A stellar wine and I'm excited to drink our final two bottles.
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12/6/2008 - ews3 wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding. Intense concentration of red and black cherry comes through on the nose and palate. Some spice, and a finish that wouldn't quit -- easily 30 seconds. Tannins, alcohol and oak were all well integrated.
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12/6/2008 - jrobs7777 wrote: 95 Points
Blind California Cabernet Tasting: Holy cow! This is a huge wine. Consensus first or second in our tasting of 10 Cali Cabs. New world style all the way. Deep red color but a tinge of brown around the edges. Opaque and concentrated. The nose was big. Cherry, syrup, brown sugar, white pepper. A big wine on the palate. Well concentrated, fills the mouth. There is some sweetness to this as the fruit mixes with a tough of oak and cedar along with some minerals. Well integrated tannins for a wine this young. Cherry was dominant, but there were some nice secondary notes. The finish is long ... long. This is an incredible first effort and I really look forward to enjoying my other 2004s. Will be very curious to taste the 05s to see if it holds up to this initial release.
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9/30/2008 - gotapex wrote: 96 Points
Stunning, everytime I open one. Balanced, powerful, supple, and complex. Evolves as it gets more air.
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8/23/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 94 Points
Cali Winemakers Offline - Barrett, Browne, Kurtzman, Melka and Masyczek (Brentwood, CA): Notes of baked bread, cassis, mocha latte, red clay, crushed rocks, and sweet tobacco. Rich and mouthfilling and creamy on the palate. My notes say "Everything you want in a new world Cab." I think that pretty much says it all. My WOTN. 94-95 points.
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8/12/2008 - carnyc wrote: 96 Points
Nose: Tobacco, Mint, Dark Chocolate, Currant, Raspberry; Ripe and Jammy; Big and Explosive
Taste: Raspberry, Currant, Tobacco, a hint of Vaniila, Graphite; Surprisingly restrained and elegant; the nose "fakes you out" a bit; Great purity of fruit; Strikingly balanced at this young point in its life; Grew progressively darker and put on a little weight as the night wore on which speaks to its bright future; Just superb.
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8/7/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
I didnt want to drink this but I really wanted it. Wonderful nose of berries and licorice and plums. Supple mouth feel with subtle chocolately oak and plums extend to a flawless finish. good stuff.
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7/15/2008 - Phin wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Medium - full body. Strong red cassis. Well balanced with long finish.
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6/15/2008 - elnido wrote: 98 Points
This is an exceptional wine, a truly magical masterpiece by Celia Masyczek. Decanted and enjoyed after two hours.
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5/21/2008 - RJonesUSC wrote: 92 Points
Incredible after an hour of decanting. Had it stopped there it would have rated higher. After about the 3 hour point, my wife and I both started to feel a slight bit of heat. Still a very good wine and I'm looking forward to tasting the other bottles.
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5/13/2008 - Mr T wrote:
Wow, this is a really nicely balanced wine. Quite dark with rich cassis fruit, but not weight or sense of heat or alcolhol, just a big solid but not overly tannic structure. Really, all that I would want in a Cali cab, other than a lower price. I'm sure that this will age nicely, but it is delicious now, and probably even better day 2
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4/25/2008 - dmoritz wrote: 96 Points
This is a fantastic wine. Decanted about an hour prior to drinking. Wish I decanted longer as this wine continued to evolve and get better the longer it had to open up. Ripe dark fruits on the nose, with vanilla and coconut. Seamless palate with very long finish. Excellent first effort by Corra.
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4/19/2008 - dawhitworth wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and then enjoyed with steaks. On opening the nose was seductive and an occasional sniff every 30 minutes or so while decanting showed this wine to open up more as time passed. Dark color in the glass with a nose that showed mixed dark fruits. On the palate more dark fruit, a little chocolate and vanilla. Great mouth feel with almost chewy tannins. This showed really well for such a baby. We can't wait to open another bottle in a year or so and I expect it to rate even higher then.
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3/23/2008 - MarkLA wrote:
My goodness, this is an awesome wine. Upon opening, if someone told me this was '05 Pape Clement, I would have believed him. Excellent bouquet, flavor, texture, and balance. Tightens up with aeration, but when revisited, it appeared to benefit from extended decanting (4+ hours) (96-97pts easy).
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3/14/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Has gained some weight since last time has an extraordinary flavor profile of some red fruit that I cant identify. It is like a light cherry raspberry flavor without any tartness. Delicious bottle of wine.
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3/2/2008 - gotapex wrote: 96 Points
Wow! Absolutely amazing wine. Incredible balance and integration, especially for such a young wine. Explosive nose hits you right as you open the bottle. Medium/heavy body. Long finish.
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2/14/2008 - phlegls wrote: 97 Points
OMG - Glad I have 7 left but will let rest for a couple years
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2/11/2008 - jcl5050 wrote: 99 Points
Holy S#&!. That is some beautiful wine. I have not been this blown away with a napa cab in quite some time. An absolute blockbuster. Perfect balance and a never ending finish. Blueberries, cassis, chocolate, and a host of other flavors unwind into perfect harmony. I just wish I could find more. A truly special wine.
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12/10/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 94 Points
Great inaugural release. Strong aromas of black currant and black cherry with those flavors extending into the midpalate where the supple fruit has some oak added into the mix. The finish is long and well integrated and a pleasure to drink. Tannins build with air and I will give the rest some time.
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