This wine has aged nicely. Aromas of red fruit and chocolate that follow through to the finish of medium length ending with smooth tannins. The only down side is, no more bottles in the cellar.
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Fairly tight after decanting for 1 hr - it was much better the following day. Very dark color, like black cherry. I get lots of ripe cherries, chocolate and cassis on the nose. Flavors were mostly cherries, blueberries and plums. Medium acidity and tannins. The flavors have a very quick transition to the mid and back palate making it seem a bit thin up front. Not a real long finish, but it was smooth. A good wine to sip or eat with food. Good value @ $12.
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Slightly jammy but dull nose. Green pallette, tannins not well integrated. Maybe a little young. Better with food, but not really worth a repeat for me.
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Dark, purple red with some hint of brown, medium translucency, clear. Purchased at retailer at room temp, decanted and chilled in 40F refrigerator. First taste at 10 min chill, consumed at 30 minutes chill, not a lot of difference between the two. Consumed with very nice pan fried, lightly seasoned, perfectly marbled ribeye. Sauce made of sauteed onion and mushroom, butter and this wine.
Aroma was moderate dark fruits, a little hint of chocolate. This was slightly sweet but not much, light in body, smooth acidity, medium tannins, moderate to light flavor intensity of dark fruits, plum, maybe a hint of tobacco if you reach hard enough. The finish was short.
Ok, this was not an impressive wine for a cab sauv but, it wasn't offensive and would make a decent wine to bring to a fatty dinner with non red drinkers. It went well with the steak and certainly didn't overwhelm it, or the roasted green beans and definitely not the broccoli. $12 for a Tuesday night wine. Chateau Ste. Michelle is always a safe bet and I didn't expect a blockbuster out of this price range. I'd certainly consider using this wine to make my pan sauces.
low 80s
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Fruit forward with notes of dark fruit, plum, currant and dark cherry. Short finish and lacking complexity or score would have been higher. Still great value as usual from Washington cabs.
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Typical black fruit & heavy oak on the nose, couldn't detect much else. Same fruit notes follow through on the tongue, but too much sweetness on top of it. Nicely oaked finish, not much tannins/heat. Still fine for $12, but a major step down from the '03 in my book.
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Fruit forward, sweet, with vanilla and cherry. Nice intensity but missing the rustic cedar and elegance of a higher end wine. Clearly produced for easy, early drinking, there is enough fruit and a hidden tannic support that this could provide pleasure for more than a few years. I don't know when I've had a $15 Cab that actually lived up to being a real Cabernet Sauvignon. This is two notches above those cheap house wines they serve by the glass. If it weren't quite so fruity-oaky, and instead had a more sober cedar-plum I'd rate it higher.
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Broad open nose of black currant, licourice, black cherry, and fresh rolled tobacco leaf. Firm and aggressive chalky tannin encompasses a dark core of chocolate and black cherry. Good length with lingering hints of andes candies! There is an overall bitter overtone to this wine, but not as a flaw, its more a flavor component related to the character of the fruit.
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This began dreadfully. Green, tight, and tannic. It toned down after about 30-45 minutes, but was still rough. The green streak comes off a like the taste of an apple core - bittersweet and raw - and is too overpowering.
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A bit tight initially, with blackberry and earth notes. A touch of spice on the palate along with black currant flavors and firm tannins. A faint chocolate note appeared with air time. Nice value.
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Cherry and plum dominate followed by a touch of fennel and smoky oak on the nose. Lacks any complexity on the midpalate but has decent fruit. Finish is a tad tannic but has nice plum and smoky flavors. Decent value wine.
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Antinori/Chateau St. Michelle: Medium dark maroon. Like the Merlot in this series, this shows plenty of rich chocolate in the aromas (similar cooperage, I imagine). Well balanced but unfortunately short.
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4/16/2011 - vfsi wrote: 89 Points
This wine has aged nicely. Aromas of red fruit and chocolate that follow through to the finish of medium length ending with smooth tannins. The only down side is, no more bottles in the cellar.
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5/3/2009 - nvexplorer wrote: 89 Points
Quite a cab for the price.
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1/21/2009 - spyder47 wrote: 87 Points
Fairly tight after decanting for 1 hr - it was much better the following day. Very dark color, like black cherry. I get lots of ripe cherries, chocolate and cassis on the nose. Flavors were mostly cherries, blueberries and plums. Medium acidity and tannins. The flavors have a very quick transition to the mid and back palate making it seem a bit thin up front. Not a real long finish, but it was smooth. A good wine to sip or eat with food. Good value @ $12.
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12/22/2008 - Wineasaurus Rex wrote: 81 Points
Nothing to write home about. Ok table wine for the price, but flat taste and no real complexity.
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10/2/2008 - mdenigris3 wrote: 77 Points
Slightly jammy but dull nose. Green pallette, tannins not well integrated. Maybe a little young. Better with food, but not really worth a repeat for me.
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9/6/2008 - Egbert wrote:
Dark, purple red with some hint of brown, medium translucency, clear.
Purchased at retailer at room temp, decanted and chilled in 40F refrigerator. First taste at 10 min chill, consumed at 30 minutes chill, not a lot of difference between the two. Consumed with very nice pan fried, lightly seasoned, perfectly marbled ribeye. Sauce made of sauteed onion and mushroom, butter and this wine.
Aroma was moderate dark fruits, a little hint of chocolate.
This was slightly sweet but not much, light in body, smooth acidity, medium tannins, moderate to light flavor intensity of dark fruits, plum, maybe a hint of tobacco if you reach hard enough. The finish was short.
Ok, this was not an impressive wine for a cab sauv but, it wasn't offensive and would make a decent wine to bring to a fatty dinner with non red drinkers. It went well with the steak and certainly didn't overwhelm it, or the roasted green beans and definitely not the broccoli. $12 for a Tuesday night wine. Chateau Ste. Michelle is always a safe bet and I didn't expect a blockbuster out of this price range. I'd certainly consider using this wine to make my pan sauces.
low 80s
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8/15/2008 - drend wrote: 88 Points
Liked a lot.
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8/6/2008 - tnewton wrote: 88 Points
Fruit forward with notes of dark fruit, plum, currant and dark cherry. Short finish and lacking complexity or score would have been higher. Still great value as usual from Washington cabs.
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8/1/2008 - joefouche wrote: 84 Points
Typical black fruit & heavy oak on the nose, couldn't detect much else. Same fruit notes follow through on the tongue, but too much sweetness on top of it. Nicely oaked finish, not much tannins/heat. Still fine for $12, but a major step down from the '03 in my book.
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6/28/2008 - Bret wrote:
Very Good
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6/26/2008 - ParkHill wrote: 88 Points
Fruit forward, sweet, with vanilla and cherry. Nice intensity but missing the rustic cedar and elegance of a higher end wine. Clearly produced for easy, early drinking, there is enough fruit and a hidden tannic support that this could provide pleasure for more than a few years. I don't know when I've had a $15 Cab that actually lived up to being a real Cabernet Sauvignon. This is two notches above those cheap house wines they serve by the glass. If it weren't quite so fruity-oaky, and instead had a more sober cedar-plum I'd rate it higher.
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5/18/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 87 Points
Broad open nose of black currant, licourice, black cherry, and fresh rolled tobacco leaf. Firm and aggressive chalky tannin encompasses a dark core of chocolate and black cherry. Good length with lingering hints of andes candies! There is an overall bitter overtone to this wine, but not as a flaw, its more a flavor component related to the character of the fruit.
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5/7/2008 - cellarbrator wrote: 79 Points
This began dreadfully. Green, tight, and tannic. It toned down after about 30-45 minutes, but was still rough. The green streak comes off a like the taste of an apple core - bittersweet and raw - and is too overpowering.
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5/7/2008 - Big Gun wrote: 85 Points
A quick pick for dinner with grilled steaks. Deep color, but short finish. Decanted, picked up sweet notes.
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4/4/2008 - AllRed wrote:
A bit tight initially, with blackberry and earth notes. A touch of spice on the palate along with black currant flavors and firm tannins. A faint chocolate note appeared with air time. Nice value.
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3/21/2008 - RichardZula wrote:
Double decanted; still could use more sir or time; enough structure to make it pair with food; some nice red fruit underlying its current tightness.
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2/8/2008 - jamscreator wrote: 84 Points
Not much happening on the nose, but this was a pop and pour. Chocolate and black raspberry. Good QPR; finish almost non-existant.
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12/31/2007 - dv002i wrote: 83 Points
Cherry and plum dominate followed by a touch of fennel and smoky oak on the nose. Lacks any complexity on the midpalate but has decent fruit. Finish is a tad tannic but has nice plum and smoky flavors. Decent value wine.
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12/17/2007 - iznakurnozh wrote: 84 Points
Absolutely nothing special; lacks depth and ripeness. Satisfactory palate, dull nose.
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12/2/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 86 Points
Antinori/Chateau St. Michelle: Medium dark maroon. Like the Merlot in this series, this shows plenty of rich chocolate in the aromas (similar cooperage, I imagine). Well balanced but unfortunately short.
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11/29/2007 - ras2006 wrote: 83 Points
Nice fruit and tannin. Good deal for the price (<$12)
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