This wine is a deep garnet in color with a high level of intensity. The nose is composed of petrol, black cherries, strawberries, caramel, cedar, coffee grounds, walnut, prune, tar, forest floor, game, dried oregano, meat, and it' nutty. This wine is fully developed and has a pronounced intensity of flavor. The palate is consistent with the nose in every way. The acid is medium(-), tannins are medium(-), ABV is medium, the body is medium(+), and the finish is long. This wine is just past it's prime and should be drunk now.
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Stood it up for 24 hours and then opened and immediately decanted. Notes of tobacco, ground stone, milk chocolate and perhaps tar and leather. Let it sit for 2 hours before tasting. Still lots of rd and dark fruit but somewhat difficult to decompose into the individual components IMO, very Bordeaux like with some soft tannins. I think this is close to peaking if not already there. I've had several of these of different vintages over the years no they have never disappointed. Wish I had more
The one bottle I had was gifted to me maybe 10 years ago by a friend. It remained in my cellar at 57 degrees Fahrenheit since and I opened it tonight to complement a steak. I had already consumed two glasses of an inexpensive but robust syrah, so my palate had already seen something bold. On opening this bottle I decanted it. Color: deep purple, garnet, no hints of amber at the edges. Nose was profound with hints of tobacco, anise, roasted root vegetables and a hit of new leather. I waited about five minutes before pouring, the decanter spent time near the hot stove so as to warm up a bit. In the glass, still very full bodied, almost viscous. On the palate I only detected pleasure. This is still a full bodied, round, voluptuous example of claret at it's finest. I drank this wine over the course of two hours and each sip only improved. often times, when I taste a wine that I feel is still evolving, I'll leave some in a glass overnight to taste the next day just to see how it held up and I had every intention on doing this tonight, but I ended up finishing the bottle (with friends). I love to drink old bordeaux, big boys from the old vintages like 82', 86', 89 and 90'; this bottle stood up solidly to many first growths that I drink from those old traditional vintages. As Oscar Wilde once said, there may be no great wines but there are great bottles. i wonder if I went out to find this wine, would I enjoy it as much as I did tonight?
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Very fruit forward, no strong tannins left however excellent, smooth wine much like other reviewers have mentioned. Mid level bordeaux comes to mind. Last bottle but would love to see if it has any legs left.
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Interesting. As a prior review said, was more like a bordeaux. Low tannin, smooth and drank nicely. We tasted it an hour after opened and decanted, and drank it the next day, and it was much better the next day.
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Absolutely remarkable. Our first, and, sadly; our only bottle. Has transitioned from a california cabernet to a french bordeaux. Great nose. Has lost some of its fruit flavors. Had a classic bordeaux nose and flavor. Paired perfectly with a standing rib roast. Hats off to Clos du Val.
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This wine is over the hill. I couldn't even finish my second glass because I ran out of food to pound down with it. I think it would have been fine 3-4 years ago but it's horrible right now.
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Decanted for 1-2 hours, may not have been necessary given where it sits in the drinkability window. I didn't like it on first taste, but warmed to it as teh meal went on.
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The 1997 Clos du Val is a concentrated rich cabernet that is now just starting to show its true self. Lush berry undertones come through wonderfully, has great mouth feel and well integrated cedar and wet wood notes on the finish.
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Started with a bit of a green undertone to the aromas and flavor -- reminded me of some unheralded Bordeaux wines, but finished with a bit of heat from the alcohol. I bet this was better a few years ago, where the fruit could have been more fresh.
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Chris's Birthday Dinner; 5/23/2008-5/24/2008 (Alfreds Steak House San Francisco): This was the sixth wine of the evening so I elected not to score it. However, the notes were consisten with my previous tasting; It also seems to have the legs to age a bit longer but tastes great right now. Hints of green peppercorns and fruit on the nose with dark cherries and walnuts on the palate. It had a nice mouthfeel and was nicely smooth. The finish was nice and long as well.
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Had this wine head to head against a 99' V Sattui Cabernet from Stag's Leap District...V Sattui was better. Overall, the Clos du Val did not deliver, not a full-bodied as I would have liked. Tart flavors with not much of a finish, nicely balanced, but overall, just a good wine, not a great wine.
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Pretty good horse shite stink to begin with which translates directly to flavors in the wine. It was not great, but not wretching level either. After about an hour the wine opened up, the stank more or less disappeared yielding a nose of wet evergreen and anise. Flavors were quite mature, dark plum, wood and fairly strong drying tannin. The wine did not have a long finish, maybe 10 seconds. This was a gift and it is a good bottle of wine but not a special bottle.
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lots of black currant, smells great, was concerned about the wine if it's still good, i believe it can bottleage a few more years. Really great win, yummy good, should have bought more.
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Finished off our last bottle of this wine last night. As a previous taster noted, it is time to drink this wine. Still holding its fruit pretty well but it won't improve any more at this stage. Still a nice cab from a great vintage.
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A really good cabernet. It also seems to have the legs to age a bit longer but tastes great right now. Hints of green peppercorns and fruit on the nose with dark cherries and walnuts on the palate. It had a nice mouthfeel and was nicely smooth. The finish was nice and long as well.
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Boring and completly closed for the first 30 minutes, however she opened up and surprised me a bit. I think shes a bit past prim, as there's a bit of fruit that seems to have dropped out, but the tannins and acidit all seem to balance this mid bodied, mineral, graphitey wine out...Some of everything, not enough of anything...Mellow drinker with little complexities...Fruit, a bit, minerality, actually nice...no real finish
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Second try, this time better. Removed from cellar and let come to room temp, then popped and poured. Nose of aged cab, fruit and herbs. Still lots of fruit in the mouth with a bit of herbal notes, round tannins hold it together.
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If tasting this blind, the nose would lead you to guess 8 to 10 year old Bordeaux. A very nice nose of earth and green olives. Dark but transparent ruby red in the core with a slight fading at the edges but no real bricking. Flavors are slightly subdued but start to show towards the finish when the oak comes in to clean up.
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Enjoyed two bottles of the 1997 last week. Very smooth wine with a great nose. Reaching its peak. Had if with a 97 Caymus Select, and the CDV held its own.
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12/20/2023 - yerrbo wrote:
Deep purple. Nose of flint, currant, cinnamon. Palette: medium acidity, stewed prunes, dark cherry, fully integrated.
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8/9/2022 - Angel Lupercio Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is a deep garnet in color with a high level of intensity. The nose is composed of petrol, black cherries, strawberries, caramel, cedar, coffee grounds, walnut, prune, tar, forest floor, game, dried oregano, meat, and it' nutty. This wine is fully developed and has a pronounced intensity of flavor. The palate is consistent with the nose in every way. The acid is medium(-), tannins are medium(-), ABV is medium, the body is medium(+), and the finish is long. This wine is just past it's prime and should be drunk now.
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7/2/2016 - nmoreilly Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stood it up for 24 hours and then opened and immediately decanted. Notes of tobacco, ground stone, milk chocolate and perhaps tar and leather. Let it sit for 2 hours before tasting. Still lots of rd and dark fruit but somewhat difficult to decompose into the individual components IMO, very Bordeaux like with some soft tannins. I think this is close to peaking if not already there. I've had several of these of different vintages over the years no they have never disappointed. Wish I had more
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2/19/2016 - smackinnonmd@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
The one bottle I had was gifted to me maybe 10 years ago by a friend. It remained in my cellar at 57 degrees Fahrenheit since and I opened it tonight to complement a steak. I had already consumed two glasses of an inexpensive but robust syrah, so my palate had already seen something bold. On opening this bottle I decanted it. Color: deep purple, garnet, no hints of amber at the edges. Nose was profound with hints of tobacco, anise, roasted root vegetables and a hit of new leather. I waited about five minutes before pouring, the decanter spent time near the hot stove so as to warm up a bit. In the glass, still very full bodied, almost viscous. On the palate I only detected pleasure. This is still a full bodied, round, voluptuous example of claret at it's finest. I drank this wine over the course of two hours and each sip only improved. often times, when I taste a wine that I feel is still evolving, I'll leave some in a glass overnight to taste the next day just to see how it held up and I had every intention on doing this tonight, but I ended up finishing the bottle (with friends). I love to drink old bordeaux, big boys from the old vintages like 82', 86', 89 and 90'; this bottle stood up solidly to many first growths that I drink from those old traditional vintages. As Oscar Wilde once said, there may be no great wines but there are great bottles. i wonder if I went out to find this wine, would I enjoy it as much as I did tonight?
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11/28/2014 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and still lively red fruit with fading acidity. Very food friendly with smoothed out tannins.
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11/22/2014 - BeaverBob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well, big bodied, soft, almost voluptuous.
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4/5/2013 - Madkat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nothing formal but tend to agree with the others, great nose and very silky smooth. This wine is not at the end of it's time and is still very fresh.
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11/15/2012 - bobv wrote: 92 Points
Remarkable for it's age. Decanted 3 hours. Found it still very flavorful. Distinctive fruit flavors. Bordeaux like. Even better overnight.x
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9/23/2012 - Winecat wrote: 96 Points
Remarkable nose. Leather, spice and dark berries. Decanted needed time to open. Not a pop and pour. Developed a complex palate.
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7/4/2012 - markan wrote: 91 Points
drank from magnum. still some frut, but lots of leather and fruit. No reason to hold longer
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3/11/2012 - bellabo wrote: 94 Points
Very fruit forward, no strong tannins left however excellent, smooth wine much like other reviewers have mentioned. Mid level bordeaux comes to mind. Last bottle but would love to see if it has any legs left.
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10/25/2011 - bobv wrote: 90 Points
Interesting. As a prior review said, was more like a bordeaux. Low tannin, smooth and drank nicely. We tasted it an hour after opened and decanted, and drank it the next day, and it was much better the next day.
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3/13/2011 - Winecat wrote: 97 Points
perfect. Complex
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12/17/2010 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely remarkable. Our first, and, sadly; our only bottle. Has transitioned from a california cabernet to a french bordeaux. Great nose. Has lost some of its fruit flavors. Had a classic bordeaux nose and flavor. Paired perfectly with a standing rib roast. Hats off to Clos du Val.
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8/13/2010 - brewmanc wrote: 88 Points
a bit thin, needed a lot of air. not worth the money
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5/25/2010 - dmitchell4 wrote: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully with no air needed. Enjoyed withouut food .Very welll integrated.
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3/4/2010 - kietkopelli wrote: 84 Points
This wine is over the hill. I couldn't even finish my second glass because I ran out of food to pound down with it. I think it would have been fine 3-4 years ago but it's horrible right now.
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2/20/2010 - leighhunt wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for 1-2 hours, may not have been necessary given where it sits in the drinkability window. I didn't like it on first taste, but warmed to it as teh meal went on.
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12/26/2009 - pwarms wrote: 90 Points
You either love or hate this one - we enjoyed it - with a standing rib roast and a side of ELF. Though, probably time to consume!
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9/1/2009 - GZ3 wrote: 90 Points
Requires some time to breath. Plenty of fruit and tannins left. A little acidic and fruit had turned from dard to red.
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10/28/2008 - ebharrigan wrote: 93 Points
The 1997 Clos du Val is a concentrated rich cabernet that is now just starting to show its true self. Lush berry undertones come through wonderfully, has great mouth feel and well integrated cedar and wet wood notes on the finish.
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10/11/2008 - anevard wrote: 92 Points
Delicious. Not too sweet and a bit vegetal but nice balance and lots of pleasure with aged steaks on the bbq
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8/30/2008 - TEDL wrote: 88 Points
One of the best (see notes). Our last bottle... :-(
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6/19/2008 - win wrote: 87 Points
Started with a bit of a green undertone to the aromas and flavor -- reminded me of some unheralded Bordeaux wines, but finished with a bit of heat from the alcohol. I bet this was better a few years ago, where the fruit could have been more fresh.
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5/24/2008 - cvvhrn wrote:
Chris's Birthday Dinner; 5/23/2008-5/24/2008 (Alfreds Steak House San Francisco): This was the sixth wine of the evening so I elected not to score it. However, the notes were consisten with my previous tasting; It also seems to have the legs to age a bit longer but tastes great right now. Hints of green peppercorns and fruit on the nose with dark cherries and walnuts on the palate. It had a nice mouthfeel and was nicely smooth. The finish was nice and long as well.
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4/19/2008 - Fozziedoggie wrote: 88 Points
Had this wine head to head against a 99' V Sattui Cabernet from Stag's Leap District...V Sattui was better. Overall, the Clos du Val did not deliver, not a full-bodied as I would have liked. Tart flavors with not much of a finish, nicely balanced, but overall, just a good wine, not a great wine.
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3/22/2008 - guitarguy wrote: 87 Points
Pretty good horse shite stink to begin with which translates directly to flavors in the wine. It was not great, but not wretching level either. After about an hour the wine opened up, the stank more or less disappeared yielding a nose of wet evergreen and anise. Flavors were quite mature, dark plum, wood and fairly strong drying tannin. The wine did not have a long finish, maybe 10 seconds. This was a gift and it is a good bottle of wine but not a special bottle.
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2/5/2008 - ocfriday wrote: 84 Points
Nice when first opened, then quickly lost its pace. Drink now as a first wine - do not botehr to let it open up.
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1/12/2008 - Kellious wrote: 92 Points
lots of black currant, smells great, was concerned about the wine if it's still good, i believe it can bottleage a few more years. Really great win, yummy good, should have bought more.
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12/17/2007 - Maz wrote: 86 Points
Getting a little long in the tooth. Lost a lot of it's fruit. A bit minerally. Still a good bottle but time to drink if you have any in cellar.
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11/7/2007 - Rob MacKay wrote: 87 Points
Finished off our last bottle of this wine last night. As a previous taster noted, it is time to drink this wine. Still holding its fruit pretty well but it won't improve any more at this stage. Still a nice cab from a great vintage.
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10/29/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 85 Points
Drink up as this is shedding fruit and becoming a tad austere...Still a nice wine, but never all that much more than that
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8/4/2007 - Amphictyonis wrote: 85 Points
Flat.
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3/12/2007 - cvvhrn wrote: 91 Points
A really good cabernet. It also seems to have the legs to age a bit longer but tastes great right now. Hints of green peppercorns and fruit on the nose with dark cherries and walnuts on the palate. It had a nice mouthfeel and was nicely smooth. The finish was nice and long as well.
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2/24/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 88 Points
Boring and completly closed for the first 30 minutes, however she opened up and surprised me a bit. I think shes a bit past prim, as there's a bit of fruit that seems to have dropped out, but the tannins and acidit all seem to balance this mid bodied, mineral, graphitey wine out...Some of everything, not enough of anything...Mellow drinker with little complexities...Fruit, a bit, minerality, actually nice...no real finish
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2/12/2007 - codefiant wrote: 94 Points
awesome
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1/12/2007 - dcleven wrote: 89 Points
Second try, this time better. Removed from cellar and let come to room temp, then popped and poured. Nose of aged cab, fruit and herbs. Still lots of fruit in the mouth with a bit of herbal notes, round tannins hold it together.
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12/24/2006 - TEDL wrote: 88 Points
Christmas Dinner. Happy Holidays to all. :-)
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12/2/2006 - TEDL wrote: 87 Points
Drank with some friends at a holiday celebration.
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11/27/2006 - A&B wrote: 85 Points
Bottle possesed quite a lot off brett which put me off a little
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10/31/2006 - dcleven wrote: 85 Points
Nice nose, very pleasant drinking, but not a very long finish. Decanted for an hour. Moderate tannin. Was hoping for a longer finish.
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9/30/2006 - TEDL wrote: 87 Points
Consumed with a pepper steak. Good nose tasted deep berry, smokey. Very consistent thru out consumption.
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9/13/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
If tasting this blind, the nose would lead you to guess 8 to 10 year old Bordeaux. A very nice nose of earth and green olives. Dark but transparent ruby red in the core with a slight fading at the edges but no real bricking. Flavors are slightly subdued but start to show towards the finish when the oak comes in to clean up.
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9/3/2006 - GZ3 wrote: 87 Points
flat, thin, and not representative of the ohter 97's i've tried. it was nice but disappointing.
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2/8/2005 - CoopGolfWine wrote:
Enjoyed two bottles of the 1997 last week. Very smooth wine with a great nose. Reaching its peak. Had if with a 97 Caymus Select, and the CDV held its own.
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