Nose initially very rubbery and poopy but eventually (~1 hour) it blew off to reveal cherries, raspberries, crushed rocks. Palate is really juicy, tons of acidity, ripe red cherries, Worcestershire sauce, a little thin, decent finish. Couldn't really get any of the "typical" Cab Sauv notes. It's definitely starting to lose its balance though so you should drink up I think.
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I knew this was a winner from the moment I pulled the cork, which was in perfect shape- still tough, pliable, and soaked less than than inch.
Pours clear translucent garnet, and while the core is not the vibrant purple of a young wine, the rim is amazingly youthful appearing. Very little browning/bricking on the rim.
Aromas are clearly moving into the tertiary zone, but aren't fully there. Sweet black cherries, kirsch, raspberry preserves, graphite, cedar wood, pipe tobacco, turned earth. This has all the aromas you want in a nice cab- but it's all gentle. The word suave comes to mind.
Red fruits, sweet black cherries in the mouth at first. Then come the aged notes of graphite and cedar, tobacco, leather, and a freshly plowed field. The body has lightened with age, I'd say medium to medium minus, tannins are sanded down to powder, The finish is long, complex, so pleasant.
Exactly what you look for in an aged Napa cab; gentle, suave, Bordeaux-esque in all the best ways but still retaining fresh sunny fruit. Some may find it a little lacking in weight and body, and I could see that; this isn't a wine to go with a tomahawk steak. Better with roasted chicken or mushrooms. Perhaps this wine was at its very best a few years ago, but damn it's so pleasant now..
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Blood orange and garnet in color with loads of sediment and bricking. Nose is very tawny-like with notes of prune, candied orange, cacao bean, sassafras, toffee, ginger, and barnyard hay. The palate is refined with flavors of black plum, fig, prune, Luxardo cherries, mushroom, blood orange, balsamic strawberry, black pepper, leather, dried oregano and parsley, bittersweet chocolate, olive, and wet stone. The body is complex but not full. Tannins are well integrated and finish is medium-long. Wow, what a treat!
This is a good test for whether someone does or doesn't like old Napa cabernet. It's not one of those great bottles that almost anyone is going to like, nor is a tired old thing that will only be admired by a few for the novelty of its age. There is a good amount of dark berry fruit, wrapped in the cedar character of an old Napa cabernet. The finish is smooth and comfy, as most of the tannins have resolved, yet the wine still has adequate shape to it. The wine doesn't have those extra layers of complexity you would expect in a top shelf cabernet of this age, but it is overall a charming experience for those who like the character of older wines.
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Deep, burnt Siena appearance. Floral bouquet of red fruit, gardenia, conifer, leather, soy sauce, cigar box, and pastille. Dusty, elegant, black fruit palate. Balsamic vinegar and Kalamata olive give way to a touch of sea shell on the long, delicate finish. Old school California cabs are a sheer pleasure to drink. What a treat.
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Very enjoyable. Flavors a bit faded but very smooth and balanced. Light brick color. Medium mouthfeel. Slightly over the hill but drinking beautifully.
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Deep ruby color was uniform and impressive for a 24 year old cabernet. Subtle nose of dark, mixed red fruit. Still good fruit evident and a nice balance with fully resolved tannins and a medium finish.
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Since there might be some question about the current drinkability of this wine I thought I'd add a comment. We consumed two bottles and both had life. While not a lot of finish there were cetainly fruit left and the balance was quite nice. I'd recommend enjoying the wine now. We don't have any more bottles. Wish we did.
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Wow. Talk about btl variance. This one is drinking quite well. Perfumed nose, with none of the funk found with the earlier bottle. Palate has more fruit than the prior bottle, against cedar/wood. Medium body and finish. Appealing stuff.
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Over the hill, funky nose, acidic. Objectively, its bad. But...nostalgia kicks in. I used to love this wine in the late 80's early 90's and somehow, there's still a hint of its original character left. Like the favorite faded, ripped, and thread-bare flannel shirt, there is a certain comfort in this bottle that transcend objective evaluation.
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The 1986 William Hill Reserve CS wasn’t bad, with a strong herbal/eucalyptus component and soft, black fruit. The tannin kicks in on the finish, diminishing the harmony.
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ORANGE ON THE EDGE. RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND LICORICE. FLAVOR MATCHED THE NOSE WITH DEEP JAMMY FRUIT.MED T LNG FNSH.ACTUALLY LIVELIER THAN RECENT BOTTLES.
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10/13/2023 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose initially very rubbery and poopy but eventually (~1 hour) it blew off to reveal cherries, raspberries, crushed rocks. Palate is really juicy, tons of acidity, ripe red cherries, Worcestershire sauce, a little thin, decent finish. Couldn't really get any of the "typical" Cab Sauv notes. It's definitely starting to lose its balance though so you should drink up I think.
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9/11/2023 - NoahCap wrote:
I knew this was a winner from the moment I pulled the cork, which was in perfect shape- still tough, pliable, and soaked less than than inch.
Pours clear translucent garnet, and while the core is not the vibrant purple of a young wine, the rim is amazingly youthful appearing. Very little browning/bricking on the rim.
Aromas are clearly moving into the tertiary zone, but aren't fully there. Sweet black cherries, kirsch, raspberry preserves, graphite, cedar wood, pipe tobacco, turned earth. This has all the aromas you want in a nice cab- but it's all gentle. The word suave comes to mind.
Red fruits, sweet black cherries in the mouth at first. Then come the aged notes of graphite and cedar, tobacco, leather, and a freshly plowed field. The body has lightened with age, I'd say medium to medium minus, tannins are sanded down to powder, The finish is long, complex, so pleasant.
Exactly what you look for in an aged Napa cab; gentle, suave, Bordeaux-esque in all the best ways but still retaining fresh sunny fruit. Some may find it a little lacking in weight and body, and I could see that; this isn't a wine to go with a tomahawk steak. Better with roasted chicken or mushrooms. Perhaps this wine was at its very best a few years ago, but damn it's so pleasant now..
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4/26/2018 - wynlvr wrote: 92 Points
Pure California Cabernet, full of fruit and drinking beautifully
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12/28/2017 - William.Smyth Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good fruit lingering palate
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3/8/2016 - ZachF88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blood orange and garnet in color with loads of sediment and bricking. Nose is very tawny-like with notes of prune, candied orange, cacao bean, sassafras, toffee, ginger, and barnyard hay. The palate is refined with flavors of black plum, fig, prune, Luxardo cherries, mushroom, blood orange, balsamic strawberry, black pepper, leather, dried oregano and parsley, bittersweet chocolate, olive, and wet stone. The body is complex but not full. Tannins are well integrated and finish is medium-long. Wow, what a treat!
https://feinwein.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/tasting-1986-william-hill-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon/
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3/4/2014 - Counselor Chris wrote: 90 Points
This is a good test for whether someone does or doesn't like old Napa cabernet. It's not one of those great bottles that almost anyone is going to like, nor is a tired old thing that will only be admired by a few for the novelty of its age. There is a good amount of dark berry fruit, wrapped in the cedar character of an old Napa cabernet. The finish is smooth and comfy, as most of the tannins have resolved, yet the wine still has adequate shape to it. The wine doesn't have those extra layers of complexity you would expect in a top shelf cabernet of this age, but it is overall a charming experience for those who like the character of older wines.
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2/5/2014 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Deep, burnt Siena appearance. Floral bouquet of red fruit, gardenia, conifer, leather, soy sauce, cigar box, and pastille. Dusty, elegant, black fruit palate. Balsamic vinegar and Kalamata olive give way to a touch of sea shell on the long, delicate finish. Old school California cabs are a sheer pleasure to drink. What a treat.
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6/26/2012 - toontune wrote: 89 Points
Consistent. Nice.
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5/13/2012 - toontune wrote: 89 Points
Well aged.
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5/4/2012 - bolger wrote:
- Brick color with slow forming legs.
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3/16/2011 - vintagemurray wrote: 88 Points
Very enjoyable. Flavors a bit faded but very smooth and balanced. Light brick color. Medium mouthfeel. Slightly over the hill but drinking beautifully.
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5/13/2010 - vine20 wrote: 89 Points
Deep ruby color was uniform and impressive for a 24 year old cabernet. Subtle nose of dark, mixed red fruit. Still good fruit evident and a nice balance with fully resolved tannins and a medium finish.
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1/1/2010 - kleinahoe wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful, smooth, balanced, still some good fruit.
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4/15/2009 - gripNsip wrote: flawed
Completely soaked cork. While drinkable, not showing the stuff previous comments suggest. Wine bid purchase.
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2/25/2009 - Senior wrote: 91 Points
We drank the last two bottles. Very nice. Fully mature. It won't get better but if it's been kept well, still terrific.
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5/6/2008 - dccc wrote: 89 Points
Since there might be some question about the current drinkability of this wine I thought I'd add a comment. We consumed two bottles and both had life. While not a lot of finish there were cetainly fruit left and the balance was quite nice. I'd recommend enjoying the wine now. We don't have any more bottles. Wish we did.
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4/28/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
Wow. Talk about btl variance. This one is drinking quite well. Perfumed nose, with none of the funk found with the earlier bottle. Palate has more fruit than the prior bottle, against cedar/wood. Medium body and finish. Appealing stuff.
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4/26/2007 - vanpe003 wrote: 80 Points
Over the hill, funky nose, acidic. Objectively, its bad. But...nostalgia kicks in. I used to love this wine in the late 80's early 90's and somehow, there's still a hint of its original character left. Like the favorite faded, ripped, and thread-bare flannel shirt, there is a certain comfort in this bottle that transcend objective evaluation.
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10/9/1999 - MikeATL wrote:
The 1986 William Hill Reserve CS wasn’t bad, with a strong herbal/eucalyptus component and soft, black fruit. The tannin kicks in on the finish, diminishing the harmony.
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1/3/1999 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
ORANGE ON THE EDGE. RICH FRUIT IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND LICORICE. FLAVOR MATCHED THE NOSE WITH DEEP JAMMY FRUIT.MED T LNG FNSH.ACTUALLY LIVELIER THAN RECENT BOTTLES.
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8/7/1997 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
DEEP BERRY FRUIT, LEATHER, AND CIGAR BOX NOSE WITH JAMMY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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