All of the elegance of a French wine with no surprises. Deep rich boysenberry and raspberry notes persist with mouth-filling delicious fully softened tannins.
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Very dark red/purple color with a 1cm bricked edge. PNP, drank a glass over 3 hours and another the following day. Had this last 2 years ago. This bottle was every bit as good as the last. The nose greats you with bramly blackberry and black raspberry, sweet wood notes, tobacco and dried earth, hints of vanillin; gradually there's a savory side that emerges with a roasted meat note. The palate boasts a full bodied yet light on its feet character, dark, dark fruits, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, spice and pepper, deep and layered fruit, great velvety texture, very long and polished tannins. Loved it. Got better through the evening and it held it's own with the '99 Montelena.
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- Brick color - Still holding up well. The dark fruit and smooth mouth feel was extraordinary. Slight earthiness was a nice base for the fruit. Wonderful finish!
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I find myself struggling with many Napa wines, which while rich and deep, and with all the winemaking bells and whistles applied, to my mind still struggle to provide the balance and complexity that warrant their steep price tag.
Well this does. Don’t get me wrong it’s still firmly in the hedonist camp with the fruit and oak ramped up to 11, but there’s a lot going on and the secondarily characteristics really help round this out to something extremely tasty.
On the nose, black fruits, vanilla, smoke and roast, Asian spices and a palpable hit of alcohol fumes.
On the palate the blackberry, vanilla and roasted spices carry through but intermingled is a lovely milk and mint chocolate mid palate that really brings it together into a sumptuous mouthful with a acidic kick at the end to bring it back into balance
Based on this bottle it’s holding up nicely but with the alcohol on the nose and the firm acidity on the finish I wouldn’t wait and hold. But then as mentioned I’m very far from a Napa expert so take my advice in this context.
(Had with the recipe in the book, but my better half took away the leftovers before I could take a photo. But anyway the wine is too rich for this dish. It needs a big piece of steak to do it justice)
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Totally agree with Rocknroller; a beautiful wine. Fuller bodied and richer than the 08 Napanook we paired it with. Curiously the two wine both developed and changed rankings relative to each other the evening. Although it was difficult to compare ratings, I preferred the Napanook with the meal (pork ribs) as I preferred the somewhat livelier acidity. I think the CT drinking window is about right. Two wonderful wines made up nicely for a total lack of fish on the WI opener. But, who''s complaining.
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The Opener 2021 (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red/purple color, no bricking, 1mm clear edge. PNP, drank a couple glasses over 3 hours. I got this bottle specifically with my dad in mind and to drink up at the lake. It seemed like a gorgeous day for the opener was the perfect opportunity to open it. I expected a big, fruit driven wine. The nose on first entry was all of that with gorgeous brambly blackberry and lively black currants, but the development over the next 15 to 20 minutes was more unexpected with an otherwordly truly damp forest floor nose with vacillating fine leather and saddle leather, funk, cinnamon, wood spice and an enticingly aromatic minty-eucalyptus note. What a wonderful nose. The palate starts off with the same burst of pretty black fruits, then quickly settles and harmonizes with the all that great earthen beauty, mint, leather, blue fruits, pepper and wood spices. The 14.8% ABV is completely contained with merely an inkling of it being mildly liqueurish at times. The texture is sleek and not overt and the tannins are polished and ripe. This is in a great spot right now. My dad adored this wine, so that's good enough for me.
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Valentine's wine for Mrs Knurd & I. Aromas of strawberries and red currants on the decant with no free sediment (all fully adhered to the side and shoulder). The fruit does fade after a bit and bell pepper pyrazines start to emerge as the more primary component of the nose. Its an odd transition, as the palate retains smoky red currants as the primary note, backed by some oak char and caramel, with a fade to bell pepper on the quick finish. Tannins provide great depth to the mid-palate: semi-spicy cigar tobacco, similar to what I get out of a Cameroon wrapper, with some cigar box Spanish cedar mixed in, with the tannin really providing the majority of the structure at this point. I thought it went better with the cacao nibs we had with dessert than it did with with the meal, simple salt and pepper seasoned petite filets. It has some nice aged characteristics but even in an aged wine I want more overall acidic structure if being billed as in its drinking window. As for the pyrazines, I do not mind the added palate complexity, however I prefer that it is not the the final note in my brain after each sip. B+ (88) evaluation for me, and definitely not a re-buy at $140 (JJB).
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Superb. One hour decant, necessary due to disintegrated cork. Filtered into decanter and consumed over 3 hours. Ever-changing, perhaps slightly sleepy but turning into fruit bomb after an hour. Second hour more subtle but a whole-mouth experience. Third hour seems to decline a bit. Great effort likely at or near peak.
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Decanted one hour before first tasting. Nose of cherry pie, cassis, pencil lead, fresh herbs, and cellar air.
On the palate, very bright in the beginning with an overabundance of cherry and acidity--obviously showing plenty of backbone. An hour later it had settled beautifully, with silky tannins and balanced flavors. 92+
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PNP. Drank over three hours. Fruit forward and straddling the line of being over extracted. However I believe it's pretty well balanced with nice acidity and integrated tannins. Tastes good on it's own, but better with my NY strip. Unfortunately I have to say it was not worth the money paid or the Ten years in my cellar.
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A long decant of about 4 hours, this is a big Cali cab, with heat on the nose that is drenched in dark fruit, cloves and chocolate. The palate is large and extracted, with a good balance of tannins and acidity, with oak time clearly jumping out of the blackberry, chocolate and light earth notes. A big mouthfeel that is almost chewy and a typically long finish that a wine this focused has going for it. If you pair this with food go with something rich, this will overwhelm a lot of what you might put on your plate.
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Avery good and very full Cab. Decant this for a bit before drinking as it retains its hotness if you don’t. Minerals and dark berries on the nose. It’s big on the pallet. Tiny bit of earth with a mineral like taste that you would smell after a light rain. A bing cherry mix is there as well and something else I can’t place. It has a nice finish that doesn’t linger too long but long enough. I would love to drink again.
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This was much better than the last bottle. Beautiful fruit on the nose and palate, modern but far from overblown, aged beautifully bringing out silky qualities, in a good spot.
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Nose: Opens with a bold nose of dark cherry, raspberry and rutherford dust with leather. As it evolved many other sexy spice and red fruited tones became intermixed. Palate: Beautifully silky palate feel with glossy red fruited edges. Black cherry, mint, charcoal, Chinese five spice and gravel. Finish: Carries a long dark cherry, dusty raspberry, leather and smokey plum. Very complete.
This was a fantastic Staglin, and confirms my continued enjoyment of the largely overlooked 2005 vintage in Napa. Decanting required as others have noted.
Light Ruby with med, slow tears. Nose has medium plus aromas of blackberry, black cherry and lovely prunes. Soft tannins, still good acid, tastes of vanilla and toasty. A solid wine from a great producer.
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Nose: blackberry, boysenberry and caramel Taste: blackberry, cork, tobacco, dark chocolate. This got way better after an hour of opening up. It had a long finish and wayyy better with time
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As seems to be the case with our experience with Staglin wines, this one as well exhibited silky tannins, medium body and fruit, and overall, a gracious presentation. Not bold, not extravagant, just elegant.
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I can't mark this as flawed, but something tells me the cork/seal was less than perfect; this didn't have the freshness and verve I was expecting and looking forward to. I will say it seems to be built quite well, with everything in good proportion, but tonight's bottle came across as something that should have been (ideally) consumed 3 or 4 years ago. Looking forward to another bottle...in the interest of science, of course. 14,8% abv (resolved)
PnP, served non-blind.
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Nose: blackberry jam, butterscotch, hint of mint Taste: mint, blackberry, incredibly smooth. Just a huge wine with a long finish. I'm glad we waited to drink this one.
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Drank at Bourbon Steak in LA. This wine was so decadent with steak. Rich, plush, velvety and it never faded over a couple hours. So much better than the last '01s we drank. I never know what to expect from Staglin. When its good, it's really good. When its not, it has enough fruit but lacks the complexity/wow factor.
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Dark, in between purple and blood red in color. Big fruit, big oak on the nose. Aromas of smoked meat, cinnamon and blueberries. In the mouth, dry, medium acidity and tannin. Really great balance and medium finish. This is drinking quite well.
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In such a great place right now. Layers of flavors that seemed to evolve in the glass. Very typical of a 2005 Napa Cabernet which are all getting toward the end of their peak, however this has a long way to go.
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Tremendous wine. At a very good place now - balanced - smooth with good mouthfeel. A very elegant and refined finish. Not the least bit alcoholic. Certainly reminds me of classic California Cabernet before the fruit bomb era.
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A rich, intriguing offering from Staglin. This is like milk from the gods. My last bottle of the 05 juice. Intense aromatics delivering balance fruit and acid with a lingering finish. Classic Rutherford. Plenty of stuffing left if you want to wait a few years.
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- Slow forming legs and aromas of prune, violet and dusty. It's balanced and has flavours of prune, raspberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a medium finish.
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Held up nicely s with dinner of braised short ribs, without being too overpowering. For a wine with this much alcohol, I wasn't getting the raw heat that would make it an unpleasant accompaniement. Had another glass, or so, a while after the food, and it had smoothed itself a little more. Cherries, smoke, and just enough of a follow-through to make you want some more, but not right this minute..I enjoyed it.
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Decanted for over two hours and finally a Staglin wine is starting to emerge! It needs a lot more time in the bottle apparently to come to grips with itself! The tannins are still too froward to let anything else really strutt its stuff. I hope this integrates as I have a bunch!
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Napa Valley Masterclass with Greg Sherwood MW @ Handford Wines. Big fruit big wine big body.. spotting a trend here? 15% alchohol. Very earthy wine with a lots of parallel with a ig bordeaux (only more fwd). Still young though. Now would i pay £200 for this wine.... nah..
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Absolutely boring! What fruit there was is tart and fleeting. This is hopefully in a dumb phase as if it is at it's peak, It'd better be used as a tie-dye colorant. The wine was decanted for 2 hours and served with roasted cornish game hens (which I didn't eat) and Weber grilled beef rib bones, rice and broccolli. This took an hour to consume one glass as it had nothing going for it other than it was in my glass and I needed something to wash down the food! Kept some for tonight and will edit this note appropriately.
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Decanted 3 hours. Initially thin and reticent. Fortunately, put on considerable weight with air and became a beautiful if still young wine. Liqueur like aromas of currant and blackberry, earthy and smokey, and mineral. Nice presence and length. I expect this wine to improve with a few years of bottle age. 92+
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Disappointing. A favorite vintner and their always solid cabernet was less than expected. Nose was of alcohol and only got slightly better after an hour of decanting. Fruit was solid but horribly overpriced for the modest effort. I saved a glass for the following day and it was slightly improved but not outstanding.
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A little thinner than the 04 or 03, this wine showed berry, cassis and toasty oak nuances on the nose. Mouthfeel was medium to full bodied, and the finish was moderate. Underwhelmed, given the price point.
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6/9/2023 - mk42 Likes this wine: 95 Points
All of the elegance of a French wine with no surprises. Deep rich boysenberry and raspberry notes persist with mouth-filling delicious fully softened tannins.
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5/13/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Very dark red/purple color with a 1cm bricked edge. PNP, drank a glass over 3 hours and another the following day. Had this last 2 years ago. This bottle was every bit as good as the last. The nose greats you with bramly blackberry and black raspberry, sweet wood notes, tobacco and dried earth, hints of vanillin; gradually there's a savory side that emerges with a roasted meat note. The palate boasts a full bodied yet light on its feet character, dark, dark fruits, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, spice and pepper, deep and layered fruit, great velvety texture, very long and polished tannins. Loved it. Got better through the evening and it held it's own with the '99 Montelena.
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1/13/2023 - JCaress wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular. Drinking well, great fruit. Complete mouthfeel. As good as a California Cab as exists.
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12/3/2022 - gabird wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color - Still holding up well. The dark fruit and smooth mouth feel was extraordinary. Slight earthiness was a nice base for the fruit. Wonderful finish!
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10/16/2022 - Brucie69 wrote: 93 Points
I find myself struggling with many Napa wines, which while rich and deep, and with all the winemaking bells and whistles applied, to my mind still struggle to provide the balance and complexity that warrant their steep price tag.
Well this does. Don’t get me wrong it’s still firmly in the hedonist camp with the fruit and oak ramped up to 11, but there’s a lot going on and the secondarily characteristics really help round this out to something extremely tasty.
On the nose, black fruits, vanilla, smoke and roast, Asian spices and a palpable hit of alcohol fumes.
On the palate the blackberry, vanilla and roasted spices carry through but intermingled is a lovely milk and mint chocolate mid palate that really brings it together into a sumptuous mouthful with a acidic kick at the end to bring it back into balance
Based on this bottle it’s holding up nicely but with the alcohol on the nose and the firm acidity on the finish I wouldn’t wait and hold. But then as mentioned I’m very far from a Napa expert so take my advice in this context.
(Had with the recipe in the book, but my better half took away the leftovers before I could take a photo. But anyway the wine is too rich for this dish. It needs a big piece of steak to do it justice)
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12/11/2021 - gabird wrote: 94 Points
AIC
Depth and richness are prevalent from first sip. Spice/dark fruit holding well. Love it!
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9/26/2021 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sweet resolved tannins. Fruit still present but taking a back seat to secondary flavors. Definitely not a Napa cab bomb…much more nuanced
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5/3/2021 - robertgf wrote: 93 Points
Totally agree with Rocknroller; a beautiful wine. Fuller bodied and richer than the 08 Napanook we paired it with. Curiously the two wine both developed and changed rankings relative to each other the evening. Although it was difficult to compare ratings, I preferred the Napanook with the meal (pork ribs) as I preferred the somewhat livelier acidity. I think the CT drinking window is about right. Two wonderful wines made up nicely for a total lack of fish on the WI opener. But, who''s complaining.
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5/1/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
The Opener 2021 (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red/purple color, no bricking, 1mm clear edge. PNP, drank a couple glasses over 3 hours. I got this bottle specifically with my dad in mind and to drink up at the lake. It seemed like a gorgeous day for the opener was the perfect opportunity to open it. I expected a big, fruit driven wine. The nose on first entry was all of that with gorgeous brambly blackberry and lively black currants, but the development over the next 15 to 20 minutes was more unexpected with an otherwordly truly damp forest floor nose with vacillating fine leather and saddle leather, funk, cinnamon, wood spice and an enticingly aromatic minty-eucalyptus note. What a wonderful nose. The palate starts off with the same burst of pretty black fruits, then quickly settles and harmonizes with the all that great earthen beauty, mint, leather, blue fruits, pepper and wood spices. The 14.8% ABV is completely contained with merely an inkling of it being mildly liqueurish at times. The texture is sleek and not overt and the tannins are polished and ripe. This is in a great spot right now. My dad adored this wine, so that's good enough for me.
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2/14/2021 - WineKnurd wrote: 88 Points
Valentine's wine for Mrs Knurd & I. Aromas of strawberries and red currants on the decant with no free sediment (all fully adhered to the side and shoulder). The fruit does fade after a bit and bell pepper pyrazines start to emerge as the more primary component of the nose. Its an odd transition, as the palate retains smoky red currants as the primary note, backed by some oak char and caramel, with a fade to bell pepper on the quick finish. Tannins provide great depth to the mid-palate: semi-spicy cigar tobacco, similar to what I get out of a Cameroon wrapper, with some cigar box Spanish cedar mixed in, with the tannin really providing the majority of the structure at this point. I thought it went better with the cacao nibs we had with dessert than it did with with the meal, simple salt and pepper seasoned petite filets. It has some nice aged characteristics but even in an aged wine I want more overall acidic structure if being billed as in its drinking window. As for the pyrazines, I do not mind the added palate complexity, however I prefer that it is not the the final note in my brain after each sip. B+ (88) evaluation for me, and definitely not a re-buy at $140 (JJB).
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10/12/2020 - tcbrown Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb. One hour decant, necessary due to disintegrated cork. Filtered into decanter and consumed over 3 hours. Ever-changing, perhaps slightly sleepy but turning into fruit bomb after an hour. Second hour more subtle but a whole-mouth experience. Third hour seems to decline a bit. Great effort likely at or near peak.
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6/8/2020 - timdrex wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour before first tasting. Nose of cherry pie, cassis, pencil lead, fresh herbs, and cellar air.
On the palate, very bright in the beginning with an overabundance of cherry and acidity--obviously showing plenty of backbone. An hour later it had settled beautifully, with silky tannins and balanced flavors. 92+
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12/6/2019 - nkromberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Part of a 2003 / 2004 / 2005 vertical on my birthday. This seemed to be the best.
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1/20/2019 - Mortgage92 Likes this wine: 94 Points
very nice and quite enjoyable. This wine has another 5 years in it (maybe more). Smooth long finish,.
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11/26/2018 - hawkeye54 wrote: 91 Points
PNP. Drank over three hours. Fruit forward and straddling the line of being over extracted. However I believe it's pretty well balanced with nice acidity and integrated tannins. Tastes good on it's own, but better with my NY strip. Unfortunately I have to say it was not worth the money paid or the Ten years in my cellar.
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5/19/2018 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 91 Points
A long decant of about 4 hours, this is a big Cali cab, with heat on the nose that is drenched in dark fruit, cloves and chocolate. The palate is large and extracted, with a good balance of tannins and acidity, with oak time clearly jumping out of the blackberry, chocolate and light earth notes. A big mouthfeel that is almost chewy and a typically long finish that a wine this focused has going for it. If you pair this with food go with something rich, this will overwhelm a lot of what you might put on your plate.
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5/18/2018 - Mostholy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Avery good and very full Cab. Decant this for a bit before drinking as it retains its hotness if you don’t. Minerals and dark berries on the nose. It’s big on the pallet. Tiny bit of earth with a mineral like taste that you would smell after a light rain. A bing cherry mix is there as well and something else I can’t place. It has a nice finish that doesn’t linger too long but long enough. I would love to drink again.
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2/1/2018 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was much better than the last bottle. Beautiful fruit on the nose and palate, modern but far from overblown, aged beautifully bringing out silky qualities, in a good spot.
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7/23/2017 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was good but wasn't outstanding as many staglins have been for us. 2 hour decant helped open it up.
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7/11/2017 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: Opens with a bold nose of dark cherry, raspberry and rutherford dust with leather. As it evolved many other sexy spice and red fruited tones became intermixed.
Palate: Beautifully silky palate feel with glossy red fruited edges. Black cherry, mint, charcoal, Chinese five spice and gravel.
Finish: Carries a long dark cherry, dusty raspberry, leather and smokey plum. Very complete.
This was a fantastic Staglin, and confirms my continued enjoyment of the largely overlooked 2005 vintage in Napa. Decanting required as others have noted.
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2/23/2017 - SpeedyPete Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light Ruby with med, slow tears. Nose has medium plus aromas of blackberry, black cherry and lovely prunes. Soft tannins, still good acid, tastes of vanilla and toasty. A solid wine from a great producer.
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1/13/2017 - ewasowicz wrote: 97 Points
Nose: blackberry, boysenberry and caramel
Taste: blackberry, cork, tobacco, dark chocolate. This got way better after an hour of opening up. It had a long finish and wayyy better with time
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11/18/2016 - mk42 wrote: 92 Points
Classic Staglin cab. The years have softened, but not diminished the tannins.
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4/12/2016 - timdrex Likes this wine: 92 Points
As seems to be the case with our experience with Staglin wines, this one as well exhibited silky tannins, medium body and fruit, and overall, a gracious presentation. Not bold, not extravagant, just elegant.
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10/31/2015 - Tim Heaton wrote:
I can't mark this as flawed, but something tells me the cork/seal was less than perfect; this didn't have the freshness and verve I was expecting and looking forward to. I will say it seems to be built quite well, with everything in good proportion, but tonight's bottle came across as something that should have been (ideally) consumed 3 or 4 years ago. Looking forward to another bottle...in the interest of science, of course. 14,8% abv (resolved)
PnP, served non-blind.
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11/14/2014 - ewasowicz wrote: 97 Points
Nose: blackberry jam, butterscotch, hint of mint
Taste: mint, blackberry, incredibly smooth. Just a huge wine with a long finish. I'm glad we waited to drink this one.
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8/21/2014 - REWindsor wrote: 91 Points
Decent staglin. Red fruits with nice spice. Good extraction with a medium finish. Bot as good as some other stains. Could be bottle variation.
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5/11/2014 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Bourbon Steak in LA. This wine was so decadent with steak. Rich, plush, velvety and it never faded over a couple hours. So much better than the last '01s we drank. I never know what to expect from Staglin. When its good, it's really good. When its not, it has enough fruit but lacks the complexity/wow factor.
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12/23/2013 - Winiac wrote: 92 Points
Delicious fruit and silky mouthfeel. Spicy with good structure and sweet tannins. Has delicious factor. Medium length and pleasant finish.
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11/23/2013 - Kitebrian Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, in between purple and blood red in color. Big fruit, big oak on the nose. Aromas of smoked meat, cinnamon and blueberries. In the mouth, dry, medium acidity and tannin. Really great balance and medium finish. This is drinking quite well.
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10/5/2013 - heurung66 wrote:
drinking very well, excellent balance
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7/27/2013 - bablues wrote: 93 Points
In such a great place right now. Layers of flavors that seemed to evolve in the glass. Very typical of a 2005 Napa Cabernet which are all getting toward the end of their peak, however this has a long way to go.
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7/4/2013 - JCaress wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well, improved throughout the evening. Superb finish. Dark boysenberry. No tannins. Great cab.
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4/17/2013 - RudigerVT wrote: 95 Points
Formidable balance of power and finesse. This is a serious wine, but still makes me laugh to think about it. Wonderful.
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1/12/2013 - EyeDoc wrote: 94 Points
Tremendous wine. At a very good place now - balanced - smooth with good mouthfeel. A very elegant and refined finish. Not the least bit alcoholic. Certainly reminds me of classic California Cabernet before the fruit bomb era.
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12/24/2012 - ptelgenh Likes this wine: 93 Points
A rich, intriguing offering from Staglin. This is like milk from the gods. My last bottle of the 05 juice. Intense aromatics delivering balance fruit and acid with a lingering finish. Classic Rutherford. Plenty of stuffing left if you want to wait a few years.
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11/22/2012 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 93 Points
Big cabernet, but beautifully refined. Probably could use a few more years in the cellar, but great right now.
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11/5/2012 - Billiken wrote: 92 Points
Love this wine. Great fruit, great nose.
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2/16/2012 - Dgilden wrote: 92 Points
- Slow forming legs and aromas of prune, violet and dusty. It's balanced and has flavours of prune, raspberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a medium finish.
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9/4/2011 - timdrex wrote: 91 Points
This wine will benefit from several more years of cellaring.
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6/23/2010 - camacu wrote: 90 Points
Held up nicely s with dinner of braised short ribs, without being too overpowering. For a wine with this much alcohol, I wasn't getting the raw heat that would make it an unpleasant accompaniement. Had another glass, or so, a while after the food, and it had smoothed itself a little more. Cherries, smoke, and just enough of a follow-through to make you want some more, but not right this minute..I enjoyed it.
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1/8/2010 - 1230 Sacramento wrote:
terrific!!!
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12/26/2009 - drycab wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for over two hours and finally a Staglin wine is starting to emerge! It needs a lot more time in the bottle apparently to come to grips with itself! The tannins are still too froward to let anything else really strutt its stuff. I hope this integrates as I have a bunch!
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11/18/2009 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Napa Valley Masterclass with Greg Sherwood MW @ Handford Wines.
Big fruit big wine big body.. spotting a trend here? 15% alchohol. Very earthy wine with a lots of parallel with a ig bordeaux (only more fwd). Still young though.
Now would i pay £200 for this wine.... nah..
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6/23/2009 - drycab wrote: 82 Points
Absolutely boring! What fruit there was is tart and fleeting. This is hopefully in a dumb phase as if it is at it's peak, It'd better be used as a tie-dye colorant. The wine was decanted for 2 hours and served with roasted cornish game hens (which I didn't eat) and Weber grilled beef rib bones, rice and broccolli. This took an hour to consume one glass as it had nothing going for it other than it was in my glass and I needed something to wash down the food!
Kept some for tonight and will edit this note appropriately.
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1/2/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Initially thin and reticent. Fortunately, put on considerable weight with air and became a beautiful if still young wine. Liqueur like aromas of currant and blackberry, earthy and smokey, and mineral. Nice presence and length. I expect this wine to improve with a few years of bottle age. 92+
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12/28/2008 - JCaress wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing. A favorite vintner and their always solid cabernet was less than expected. Nose was of alcohol and only got slightly better after an hour of decanting. Fruit was solid but horribly overpriced for the modest effort. I saved a glass for the following day and it was slightly improved but not outstanding.
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11/23/2008 - mmyette wrote: 91 Points
A little thinner than the 04 or 03, this wine showed berry, cassis and toasty oak nuances on the nose. Mouthfeel was medium to full bodied, and the finish was moderate. Underwhelmed, given the price point.
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