My last bottle of the 1997 reserve and really went out on a high note. Previous bottle was really falling off, but this one was superb. Perfect cork, fresh flavors with some secondary notes emerging. Held on throughout the night and was still quite lovely on day two. As other tasters say, drink now -- but very happy this bottle had developed so well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sadly, the 1997 Whitehall reserve is falling off, although still shows some of its former greatness. Perfumed nose with lots of high-toned red fruit, followed by a muted, slightly secondary palate with emerging notes of truffle and dark earth, souring into old shoe leather on the finish. Recently drank a 2001 Reserve and a 2001 NV, and both are in considerably better shape and look to hold on for a few more years. This one, I'd drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My last bottle after a long and fun run. Slightly ruby at the edge. Nose is smokey, mushroom, and forest floor. On the palate hints of strawberry, lavender(?) with tannins totally resolved. Very delicate palate. Still intriguing but would drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
really nice drink but TIME TO DRINK UP... this has been a favorite for the last 6-8 years, but the recent bottles (including this one -- my last) haven't hadn't that little edge / acidity / lift that made it sooooo good in the last decade... I also gifted my last bottle of '95, and should get a report on that soon... anyway, I wish I know what Cali cabs from the 2000's I should be buying to get this experience (or my 90's Lokoya experiences) over the next decade of drinking... not sure Whitehall did as well in the 2000's... anyway, thanks Whitehall Lane C/S Reserve... mighty fine over time
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Spark in Seoul with pasta carbonara and truffle fries. The cork broke in half. This bottle has lots of secondary flavors. Just enough fruit with great balance. Seems to be at the end of its optimal drinking window. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The cork was not perfect but the wine was excellent. Fully integrated tannin with very nice aged cabernet tastes. Just enough fruit. Think this wine is still at peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st bottle had a problem with cork. A bit funky but got notably better with air. 91pt. 2nd bottle had a perfect cork. 93+. At peak. Drinking very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
was absolutely awesome, only problem for this bottle is it came right after the '95 version which ROCKED the world... great fruit and not fading, elegant (i.e. not heavy at all) mouthfeel for a wine with powerful fruit... delicious (fyi, the '95 before it scored a 95, one shy of the highest rating I've ever given)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was just sublime with totally integrated tannins but with plenty of dark fruit still bursting thru. Totally in balance with a wonderful mouthfeel and finish Only one bottle left and will definately pick some more up if available. Perfect place now, no need to wait any longer. Just a steal at $50
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
really very fine, at peak but should last another 5 years, this is large scaled but with class, red deep red / dark red fruit, glycerin mouthfeel, tannins totally receded but enough acid to avoid being soft, not hot at all, very very smooth... this will please your crowd for sure... I liked it slightly better on night two
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
my July '14 note applies but this was just a little softer and simpler, and made me think it is time to drink up, could be bottle variation but I won't take the chance with my last three bottles, interestingly it was almost better on day two (unusual for a wine I suspect is on the decline) but wine is a mystery
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed this excellent California Cab at a Chaine testing dinner. It was a great match with a beautifully-prepared filet. Popped and poured. Dark fruit (extracted but not to its detriment), great color, graphite, balanced, rich, good length. It coats the mouth as only a big, beautiful Cali Cab can do. This wine is just hitting its stride and has good years ahead of it. This was my last bottle; I wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pleasant nose of chocolate, ripe black berries. Does not taste that great, still concentrated but superficial, one dimension, no depth. Typical of ultra ripe grapes, over extracted which does not age well. Slight remains of oak, which improves the experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
absolutely beautiful, walked the line between big Cali fruit and secondary flavor profile like a champ, therefor enjoyed by all at Miller's annual July 3rd party, red fruit profile, lighter (rather than darker side) with great acid and some spice and a touch of graphite… lovely
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Winter evening at the Hartstone, this bottle purchased directly from their tasting room pours a solid ruby to clear. Deep, dark aromas of pencil lead, dusty blackberry and currant compote, a hint of cedar and hypothetical blend of black and red licorice. Very structured, resolved tannins lead to a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. A superb complex bottle drinking quite well at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needs some decanting to open up. A bit piercing in its taste profile. Hasn't softened much over the years. I can see why WS had to revise the rating down on this from a original 97 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped, poured, followed over two hours. Just out of the bottle, this exhibited good fruit, some tertiary development and complexity, but it immediately went into a tannic, closed phase for about 30 minutes. Then, it slowly came out to play, but went back and forth without fully opening. I get the feeling there is more tertiary development struggling to get out. It seems to have enough fruit, acidity and tannin to develop further. This was my only bottle, but I am guessing this is in a phase between what it was and what it will be. I sense there is more in there waiting to resolve and unwind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and filter into a decanter. Drank over the course of 2 plus hours with a steak. Started out a bit tight, but could tell it was going to open up nicely, which it did in about 45 mins. Drank very smoothly with great dark fruits and well intergrated tannins. Decent length finish. Should last another 5 yrs. Beat out, very slightly, a 97 pride claret.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about 30 minutes and rebottled. Classic Napa cabernet nose featuring cassis with some leather and cigar box. Nice initial attack of blackcurrant but this faded somewhat quickly and there weren't many secondary characteristics. This just seemed to peter out quite quickly after the initial entry. This bottle was not flawed but, as an auction purchase, i think it was probably a little below par therefore no rating. Showed glimpses of how good this wine was a few years ago or what it still might be with a properly stored bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Youthful and spirited reserve Napa Cabernet with shining bright maroon color and deep, perfumed red berry fruit. Mixes potent dark cherry and distinct cassis with a backdrop of menthol and spice. Superb balance and structure integrity are maintained in this well made red wine. A wonderful midpalate with touches of coffee lead to a long, detailed, slightly oaked finish. The second evening an element of mint was introduced. Not showing any signs of fading, drink now through 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is one of the few wines I have reviewed 5 days later and swear I could still taste it. Gorgeous wine from start to finish. No signs of bricking, just a nice deep ruby with some magenta at the rim. Enticing nose of ripe black cherry, leather, vanilla, and cigar box. Ultra smooth all the way through the palate with red plum, black cherry, cigar box, all riding on a subtle background of vanilla and cedar with a deep savory character. Sticky and lovely finish of dried cherry and leather with soft and resolved tannins. There is just enough fruit and acid to keep this one lively and I would recommend drinking over the very near term. A brilliant effort that is all too rare in Napa at this age. Bravo!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
wine needed a decent amount of air time (about 1 1/2 hrs) and started to really show its true colors. While not a blockbuster of a wine, it is a great example of a good 97 Napa Cab with all that fruit forwardness, but tannin's and alcohol have muted so much. A good solid bottle, recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wish I would have drunk these in 2008, when they seemed to be perfect. But still might tasty - you'll really impress others with the tastiness of this great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner for Juan and Theresa (Our house): Decanted 2 hours (and needed it as was closed on opening). Expressive nose of red and dark berries, earth, cedar, and a hint of licorice/spice. Medium plus intensity fruit with vibrant flavors matching the nose. Some complexity and nice texture with soft tannins and focused, but light acidity, giving a pleasing but softish, silky texture that did feature some mineral. Medium length with medium complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In my opinion it is past its peak (I gave it my only 100 rating about 2 years ago) but still drinking quite well. Elegant - just the tannin backbone has weakened a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
One amazing wine. Deep purple without the browning at the edje that you would expect from a 12 year old wine. An wonderful nose of black cherry, plumb, cedar and leather. Decanted at a BYO to remove the sediment, but the decanter was too small. Wine continued to open up and get better over the next couple of hours. I am sad that I only have one more left. 95 pts without a question and can ealisy be debated that it is 97 or 98, depending on your version of perfection.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
definitely time to drink up...will probably hang on for awhile but past its best. fruit has faded, which is usually the time I like as secondary flavors come to the forefront, but secondary flavors are not around so wine while solid it is missing a driving force...also think it has lost some of its size and length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great -- this was has been saved for awhile and it was worth the wait. The nose bursts with ripe fruit espically ripe raspberries but the taste is a great combination of ripe fruit, silky texture and a lingering taste of soft fruit that stays in the mouth for minutes after the sip. Wish all wine was this good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and poured. Dark ruby color and a wonderful nose of blackberry & spice. While not showing the power and body it displayed in my last tasting ('04 & 98 pts) this is still a very nice wine - now softer, almost silky smooth and medium bodied. The currant, blackberry and oak notes are still clear but the more subtle spice, anise and vanilla tones noted in prior tasting have largely faded.
This wine is fully mature and past it's peak drinking window but still a treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tear, sniffle, sniffle. The last bottle we rated 100. Absolutely a perfect wine. We waited to open one on our anniversary again - oops! The power of this wine is now gone. Drink up and hope for the best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 90 mins prior. Showing integrated subtle red fruit and currant on the mid-palate but somewhat off putting herbaceous with strong celar, vanilla and eucalyptus on the finish. Re-visited 24 hours later and the finish was much more smooth. Definitely drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still a big (but now soft, at least in terms of tannins) cab, with plenty of distinctly American oak and nice fruit. While the tannins have continued to soften since I had my last bottle a few years ago, I still sensed a somewhat stronger than expected "heat" characteristic (despite the "just" 14.2% advertised alcohol and decade of age). Clearly a stellar wine, that big Napa cab fans will still love, and it's becoming a bit Bordeaux-like in some ways, but I think it's probably peaked. Drink up with a smile on your face!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gorgeous nose that says “everything California cab cab has to offer” to my nose of Tar, cedar, dark fruits, gorgeous palette long complex finish that last for 60 sec.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
double blind. it was easy to pick up the american oak component, which imparted strong vanilla to me, and the wine was lovely as a total package. very elegant and smooth tannin. seemingly always a crowd favorite, but not as lush as a bottle tasted late last year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Your Happy Wine (Mark): Tasted double blind. Blackberry, pencil lead, blackcurrant and anise on the palate. Beautiful balance. Full bodied. Classical old world style. Complex with a nice elegance on the finish. My guess was a Bordeaux blend from Pauillac. Wow was I ever wrong. Looking back the American oak should have tipped me off. Impressive as always. Why don't I buy more Whitehall Lane? Brought by Josh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautifully crafted cabernet that is just reaching its prime. Dark cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of vanilla and dust. Dark fruit on the nose with tobacco and slight leather notes. With food it was a point or two higher.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Plum, cassis, cedar, and sweet herbs on the nose. The palate was rich and lush, with red fruit, strawberry pie, plum, and the beginnings of tobacco and leather. A bit of a dry/austere streak on the finish otherwise this would've rated even higher. Update: with food, this got even better, and I was surprised that a couple of hours of air brought out more subtleties, and made the overall experience more rich and lush. Wow--amazing wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My one and only 100 point wine. Simply put - perfection. Silky smooth bursting with both dark fruits, red fruits and a little tannin finish. I have three bottles left and will get after these soon. While these may have another year or two, I can not imagine them being as good as they are right now. Had at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba with several tapas plates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful nose of fresh blueberry, plum, anise, cedar, earth and a hint of truffles. Perfectly integrated oak with sweet tannins on a silky explosion finish that lasted for minutes. Get the feeling this has plenty of like left but how do you keep your hands off it? Top notch Cal Cab that consistently stands up against top bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
GWC Holiday Dinner 2007 (Mistral Restaurant, Seattle): One of the best 97's I have had: Plenty of eucyluptus on the nose and a little bandaid on the back. Such a plush, full and beautiful wine that had tremendous depth, richness and texture. The wine finished full, long and with a velvety--well deserving of its praise at release.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted November 9, 2007. No formal notes. Opened and served immediately. Man this wine has hit it's stride. Solid from beginning to end, almost elegant in style at this point. I'd recommend drinking over the short term. No reason to hold in my opinion. Sadly my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Earthy graphite nose with slight bret smell. Some would say complex I would say old. Had some red berry fruit and a nice mouth feel. More bordeux in style than Napa. Tannins had mosetly faded but had some life left. Enjoyed this wine as a change of pace but it is not my favorite style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blackberry, chocolate, pencil lead, earth and raspberry. Incredible mid palate depth with a terrific finish that lingers with you. Impeccably well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cedar, leather, blueberry, pepper and a distinctive terror (Earth) character that screams Whitehall. Absolutely drinking like silk in a glass! Aged perfect. Continue to be amassed how these wine age. Buy any Reserve label with confidence!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I bought two bottles of this on a whim, never tasted them since. We grabbed a bottle for pairing with filet mignon at Wills Fargo in Carmel Valley. In a word...spectacular! However, upon opening the bottle, the wine was initially muted. It didn't take 15 minutes in the glass to start singing. Plenty of life in this great bottle. Saving my last for a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice nose of currant, fruit and spice. Followed by a mouthful of fruit, predominantly blackberry, with mocha, and vanilla. The tannins were nicely integrated and not prominent. Certainly has reached maturity. An excellent wine. Time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holiday Dinner Party (Josh): From magnum. Deep, rich blackcurrant nose. Smells of tar and petrol. Beautiful fruit with well integrated oak. Black cherries. Earthy. Tiny bit of VA. Great finish. Way too young. The 750 we had several weeks ago was much better evolved.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dang, this is good stuff. Initially the nose was pretty expressive, offering up hints of boldness, with some spiced fruit and a bit of cedar box. On the palate, the first sip left me hoping for more, and it only required a little bit of time to get there. After 30 minutes, this wine started to sing. Strawberry on the attack, morphing to currants and hints of tea (I think this wine is just starting to really show secondary flavors - will be interesting to taste in 2-5 years). The mouthfeel is still quite voluptuous. Tannins are still noticeable, but not out of balance. The finish is nicely rounded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Significantly different experience than the last bottle I had a few months ago. While far from being a bad bottle of wine, it lacked the punch and power of the previous bottle, and was definitely overshadowed by both the Abreu and the Turley Ueberroth Zin. Fairly typical Cab aromas - cedar, fruits, a hint of vanilla - followed by straightforward strawberry, currant, and blueberry notes on the palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent color, very deep, very clear purple. Initially VERY oaky, however the oak mellowed with time. Very sweet with the right amount of tannin, (too sweet for my tastes). This wine is all fruit, all blackberry - so much so I half expected to be picking seeds from between my teeth. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of California cabernet and this wine did not change my point of view. On the other hand, this was a well made, nicely balanced expression of a California cabernet. Quite pleasing wine for relaxing by the fire - 92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nothing against Bob, but I think he missed the mark on this one. This wine was gorgeous in the glass, with dark purple/ruby colors, and an expressive nose that showed cedar, sage, currant, and other spices. In the mouth the wine was rich and deep - strawberry, currant, other berries, spice, hints of coffee and well-integrated tannins and wood (i.e., there was no overt oak at all). Easily on par with the '95, I hope this bottle isn't an anomaly and that the rest are as good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the first time I tried this highly rated (at least by WS) wine and had high hopes. Deep, dark color. Closed nose, initially reveals nothing but after about an hour one could coax some dark fruit and vanilla aromas from the glass. Not a big wine, it’s narrowly focused with chocolate, spice, mocha and a bit of currant making up a short finish. This wine has closed down. I’ll be waiting at least 3 more years to open the next one. 90 points and hopefully more... someday.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the biggest surprise for me. Nose of crushed grape skins. Bitter red fruit and licorice notes. This was the only wine I attempted to guess the varietal and correctly said California Cab but then I thought this was the easiest one to peg. 88.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/7/2024 - Mitch683 wrote: 100 Points
Great
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pronounced nose with notes of fig, prune, cassis, toast. Medium acidity and medium tannin. Tannin is velvety and smooth. Finish is short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2022 - Tim336 wrote: 94 Points
My last bottle of the 1997 reserve and really went out on a high note. Previous bottle was really falling off, but this one was superb. Perfect cork, fresh flavors with some secondary notes emerging. Held on throughout the night and was still quite lovely on day two. As other tasters say, drink now -- but very happy this bottle had developed so well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2021 - Tim336 wrote: 89 Points
Sadly, the 1997 Whitehall reserve is falling off, although still shows some of its former greatness. Perfumed nose with lots of high-toned red fruit, followed by a muted, slightly secondary palate with emerging notes of truffle and dark earth, souring into old shoe leather on the finish. Recently drank a 2001 Reserve and a 2001 NV, and both are in considerably better shape and look to hold on for a few more years. This one, I'd drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2020 - g-man wrote: 90 Points
My last bottle after a long and fun run. Slightly ruby at the edge. Nose is smokey, mushroom, and forest floor. On the palate hints of strawberry, lavender(?) with tannins totally resolved. Very delicate palate. Still intriguing but would drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
really nice drink but TIME TO DRINK UP... this has been a favorite for the last 6-8 years, but the recent bottles (including this one -- my last) haven't hadn't that little edge / acidity / lift that made it sooooo good in the last decade... I also gifted my last bottle of '95, and should get a report on that soon... anyway, I wish I know what Cali cabs from the 2000's I should be buying to get this experience (or my 90's Lokoya experiences) over the next decade of drinking... not sure Whitehall did as well in the 2000's... anyway, thanks Whitehall Lane C/S Reserve... mighty fine over time
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2020 - Rbtrage wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Spark in Seoul with pasta carbonara and truffle fries. The cork broke in half. This bottle has lots of secondary flavors. Just enough fruit with great balance. Seems to be at the end of its optimal drinking window. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2020 - Rbtrage wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as previous bottles but still a very lovely cabernet to enjoy with or without food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2019 - Rbtrage wrote: 93 Points
The cork was not perfect but the wine was excellent. Fully integrated tannin with very nice aged cabernet tastes. Just enough fruit. Think this wine is still at peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2019 - Rbtrage wrote: 93 Points
Excellent again!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2019 - Rbtrage wrote: 92 Points
1st bottle had a problem with cork. A bit funky but got notably better with air. 91pt. 2nd bottle had a perfect cork. 93+. At peak. Drinking very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
was absolutely awesome, only problem for this bottle is it came right after the '95 version which ROCKED the world... great fruit and not fading, elegant (i.e. not heavy at all) mouthfeel for a wine with powerful fruit... delicious (fyi, the '95 before it scored a 95, one shy of the highest rating I've ever given)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
excellent again... at peak but I suspect still 3-5 years left... see previous notes for more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Cali Cabs 2005 and Older (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Drank a small glass over an hour in a flight with a ’97 Martin Ray and a ’97 Mondavi. Love this, drinking great, lovely dark fruit, full bodied, plush, very fresh still. My wine of the flight. 93+pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2019 - grumi62 wrote: 91 Points
still very good, elegant, many different flavors
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2018 - g-man wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was just sublime with totally integrated tannins but with plenty of dark fruit still bursting thru.
Totally in balance with a wonderful mouthfeel and finish
Only one bottle left and will definately pick some more up if available. Perfect place now, no need to wait any longer. Just a steal at $50
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2016 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
really very fine, at peak but should last another 5 years, this is large scaled but with class, red deep red / dark red fruit, glycerin mouthfeel, tannins totally receded but enough acid to avoid being soft, not hot at all, very very smooth... this will please your crowd for sure... I liked it slightly better on night two
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2016 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
my July '14 note applies but this was just a little softer and simpler, and made me think it is time to drink up, could be bottle variation but I won't take the chance with my last three bottles, interestingly it was almost better on day two (unusual for a wine I suspect is on the decline) but wine is a mystery
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2016 - gvanscoy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2015 - Labrador Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed this excellent California Cab at a Chaine testing dinner. It was a great match with a beautifully-prepared filet. Popped and poured. Dark fruit (extracted but not to its detriment), great color, graphite, balanced, rich, good length. It coats the mouth as only a big, beautiful Cali Cab can do. This wine is just hitting its stride and has good years ahead of it. This was my last bottle; I wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2015 - gejohnston Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine in a great place. Cork was in perfect condition.
Anniversary dinner, married in 97.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2015 - GFWeaver wrote: 92 Points
Gary & Katy brought this... Really nice considering the age. Obviously waning, but very nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2015 - E1855 wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant nose of chocolate, ripe black berries. Does not taste that great, still concentrated but superficial, one dimension, no depth. Typical of ultra ripe grapes, over extracted which does not age well. Slight remains of oak, which improves the experience.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 94 Points
absolutely beautiful, walked the line between big Cali fruit and secondary flavor profile like a champ, therefor enjoyed by all at Miller's annual July 3rd party, red fruit profile, lighter (rather than darker side) with great acid and some spice and a touch of graphite… lovely
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2014 - Senso-beak wrote: 95 Points
Winter evening at the Hartstone, this bottle purchased directly from their tasting room pours a solid ruby to clear. Deep, dark aromas of pencil lead, dusty blackberry and currant compote, a hint of cedar and hypothetical blend of black and red licorice. Very structured, resolved tannins lead to a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. A superb complex bottle drinking quite well at the moment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2013 - Bgrahamdc wrote: 91 Points
Last of case. What a fantastic 13 year journey with this juice. Transitioned beautifully. On last leg but still delicious .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2013 - Thebigbaby wrote: 92 Points
Amazing!!! Perfectly aged and ready to drink. At its prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Nice concentration, long finish. Packed with earthy dark fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Needs some decanting to open up. A bit piercing in its taste profile. Hasn't softened much over the years. I can see why WS had to revise the rating down on this from a original 97 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - rsbeck wrote: 91 Points
Popped, poured, followed over two hours. Just out of the bottle, this exhibited good fruit, some tertiary development and complexity, but it immediately went into a tannic, closed phase for about 30 minutes. Then, it slowly came out to play, but went back and forth without fully opening. I get the feeling there is more tertiary development struggling to get out. It seems to have enough fruit, acidity and tannin to develop further. This was my only bottle, but I am guessing this is in a phase between what it was and what it will be. I sense there is more in there waiting to resolve and unwind.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2012 - sgamiz wrote: 94 Points
What a great bottle of wine !!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2012 - Bgrahamdc wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose with bright fruit for a 14 year old Napa cab. No need to decant. Believe this wine is on the decline and slightly past it's peak. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2011 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Great bottle....last bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - bruinesq84 wrote: 93 Points
Pop and filter into a decanter. Drank over the course of 2 plus hours with a steak. Started out a bit tight, but could tell it was going to open up nicely, which it did in about 45 mins. Drank very smoothly with great dark fruits and well intergrated tannins. Decent length finish. Should last another 5 yrs. Beat out, very slightly, a 97 pride claret.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2011 - Yamadori wrote:
Decanted for about 30 minutes and rebottled. Classic Napa cabernet nose featuring cassis with some leather and cigar box. Nice initial attack of blackcurrant but this faded somewhat quickly and there weren't many secondary characteristics. This just seemed to peter out quite quickly after the initial entry. This bottle was not flawed but, as an auction purchase, i think it was probably a little below par therefore no rating. Showed glimpses of how good this wine was a few years ago or what it still might be with a properly stored bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2011 - wine maestro wrote: 92 Points
Youthful and spirited reserve Napa Cabernet with shining bright maroon color and deep,
perfumed red berry fruit. Mixes potent dark cherry and distinct cassis with a backdrop
of menthol and spice. Superb balance and structure integrity are maintained in this well
made red wine. A wonderful midpalate with touches of coffee lead to a long, detailed,
slightly oaked finish. The second evening an element of mint was introduced. Not showing
any signs of fading, drink now through 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2011 - kenhoeve wrote: 94 Points
This is one of the few wines I have reviewed 5 days later and swear I could still taste it. Gorgeous wine from start to finish. No signs of bricking, just a nice deep ruby with some magenta at the rim. Enticing nose of ripe black cherry, leather, vanilla, and cigar box. Ultra smooth all the way through the palate with red plum, black cherry, cigar box, all riding on a subtle background of vanilla and cedar with a deep savory character. Sticky and lovely finish of dried cherry and leather with soft and resolved tannins. There is just enough fruit and acid to keep this one lively and I would recommend drinking over the very near term. A brilliant effort that is all too rare in Napa at this age. Bravo!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2011 - wallstreet wrote:
wine needed a decent amount of air time (about 1 1/2 hrs) and started to really show its true colors. While not a blockbuster of a wine, it is a great example of a good 97 Napa Cab with all that fruit forwardness, but tannin's and alcohol have muted so much. A good solid bottle, recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2011 - AccaDacca wrote: 93 Points
Still quite tasty and still holding its own. Medium body classic Calif cab. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2010 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was a year or two past peak. Structure and flavors weakened. Still tasty but obviously weakened. Fingers crossed for next one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2010 - Mallards wrote: 94 Points
Wish I would have drunk these in 2008, when they seemed to be perfect. But still might tasty - you'll really impress others with the tastiness of this great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2010 - JJB007 wrote: 94 Points
really, really good- this wine was perfect from a when to drink standpoint
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 93 Points
Dinner for Juan and Theresa (Our house): Decanted 2 hours (and needed it as was closed on opening). Expressive nose of red and dark berries, earth, cedar, and a hint of licorice/spice. Medium plus intensity fruit with vibrant flavors matching the nose. Some complexity and nice texture with soft tannins and focused, but light acidity, giving a pleasing but softish, silky texture that did feature some mineral. Medium length with medium complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2009 - Mallards wrote: 93 Points
In my opinion it is past its peak (I gave it my only 100 rating about 2 years ago) but still drinking quite well. Elegant - just the tannin backbone has weakened a bit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2009 - Dtjohnson wrote: 95 Points
One amazing wine. Deep purple without the browning at the edje that you would expect from a 12 year old wine. An wonderful nose of black cherry, plumb, cedar and leather. Decanted at a BYO to remove the sediment, but the decanter was too small. Wine continued to open up and get better over the next couple of hours. I am sad that I only have one more left. 95 pts without a question and can ealisy be debated that it is 97 or 98, depending on your version of perfection.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2009 - JBVino wrote:
definitely time to drink up...will probably hang on for awhile but past its best. fruit has faded, which is usually the time I like as secondary flavors come to the forefront, but secondary flavors are not around so wine while solid it is missing a driving force...also think it has lost some of its size and length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2009 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 96 Points
Great -- this was has been saved for awhile and it was worth the wait. The nose bursts with ripe fruit espically ripe raspberries but the taste is a great combination of ripe fruit, silky texture and a lingering taste of soft fruit that stays in the mouth for minutes after the sip. Wish all wine was this good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2009 - CMz wrote: 92 Points
Opened and poured. Dark ruby color and a wonderful nose of blackberry & spice. While not showing the power and body it displayed in my last tasting ('04 & 98 pts) this is still a very nice wine - now softer, almost silky smooth and medium bodied. The currant, blackberry and oak notes are still clear but the more subtle spice, anise and vanilla tones noted in prior tasting have largely faded.
This wine is fully mature and past it's peak drinking window but still a treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2009 - Mallards wrote: 89 Points
Tear, sniffle, sniffle. The last bottle we rated 100. Absolutely a perfect wine. We waited to open one on our anniversary again - oops! The power of this wine is now gone. Drink up and hope for the best.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2009 - Scruff wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 90 mins prior. Showing integrated subtle red fruit and currant on the mid-palate but somewhat off putting herbaceous with strong celar, vanilla and eucalyptus on the finish. Re-visited 24 hours later and the finish was much more smooth. Definitely drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2008 - CalMoJo wrote: 98 Points
Exceptional. It was our last bottle of this wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2008 - 2loyal wrote: 93 Points
Still a big (but now soft, at least in terms of tannins) cab, with plenty of distinctly American oak and nice fruit. While the tannins have continued to soften since I had my last bottle a few years ago, I still sensed a somewhat stronger than expected "heat" characteristic (despite the "just" 14.2% advertised alcohol and decade of age). Clearly a stellar wine, that big Napa cab fans will still love, and it's becoming a bit Bordeaux-like in some ways, but I think it's probably peaked. Drink up with a smile on your face!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2008 - wallstreet wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine. very smooth , fruity, aged well. Long finish....did I say long finish?? has with veal chop and paired extremely well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2008 - jivey wrote: 97 Points
Gorgeous nose that says “everything California cab cab has to offer” to my nose of Tar, cedar, dark fruits, gorgeous palette long complex finish that last for 60 sec.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 93 Points
Blind night- MY house (My house): vanilla, cassias, leather, cedar. nice bright fruit on the mouth with good balance and a nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
double blind. it was easy to pick up the american oak component, which imparted strong vanilla to me, and the wine was lovely as a total package. very elegant and smooth tannin. seemingly always a crowd favorite, but not as lush as a bottle tasted late last year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Your Happy Wine (Mark): Tasted double blind. Blackberry, pencil lead, blackcurrant and anise on the palate. Beautiful balance. Full bodied. Classical old world style. Complex with a nice elegance on the finish. My guess was a Bordeaux blend from Pauillac. Wow was I ever wrong. Looking back the American oak should have tipped me off. Impressive as always. Why don't I buy more Whitehall Lane? Brought by Josh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2008 - Taylor56 wrote: 93 Points
A beautifully crafted cabernet that is just reaching its prime. Dark cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of vanilla and dust. Dark fruit on the nose with tobacco and slight leather notes. With food it was a point or two higher.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2008 - MarkC wrote: 96 Points
Plum, cassis, cedar, and sweet herbs on the nose. The palate was rich and lush, with red fruit, strawberry pie, plum, and the beginnings of tobacco and leather. A bit of a dry/austere streak on the finish otherwise this would've rated even higher. Update: with food, this got even better, and I was surprised that a couple of hours of air brought out more subtleties, and made the overall experience more rich and lush. Wow--amazing wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2008 - Mallards wrote: 100 Points
My one and only 100 point wine. Simply put - perfection. Silky smooth bursting with both dark fruits, red fruits and a little tannin finish. I have three bottles left and will get after these soon. While these may have another year or two, I can not imagine them being as good as they are right now. Had at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba with several tapas plates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2007 - JoshuaG wrote: 95 Points
Excellent. Paired with rack of elk. Wish I had more. Unfortunately this was the last bottle in the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2007 - jivey wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful nose of fresh blueberry, plum, anise, cedar, earth and a hint of truffles. Perfectly integrated oak with sweet tannins on a silky explosion finish that lasted for minutes. Get the feeling this has plenty of like left but how do you keep your hands off it? Top notch Cal Cab that consistently stands up against top bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2007 - BradA wrote: 94 Points
GWC Holiday Dinner 2007 (Mistral Restaurant, Seattle): One of the best 97's I have had:
Plenty of eucyluptus on the nose and a little bandaid on the back. Such a plush, full and beautiful wine that had tremendous depth, richness and texture. The wine finished full, long and with a velvety--well deserving of its praise at release.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Really fine cabernet hitting on all cylinders. Wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93.
Tasted November 9, 2007. No formal notes. Opened and served immediately. Man this wine has hit it's stride. Solid from beginning to end, almost elegant in style at this point. I'd recommend drinking over the short term. No reason to hold in my opinion. Sadly my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2007 - win wrote: 93 Points
At Half Moon Bay with friends at the Ritz Carlton. Minimal notes. Really started to open up over time. 92-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2007 - WineForRob wrote: 85 Points
Earthy graphite nose with slight bret smell. Some would say complex I would say old. Had some red berry fruit and a nice mouth feel. More bordeux in style than Napa. Tannins had mosetly faded but had some life left. Enjoyed this wine as a change of pace but it is not my favorite style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Blackberry, chocolate, pencil lead, earth and raspberry. Incredible mid palate depth with a terrific finish that lingers with you. Impeccably well balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2007 - jivey wrote: 96 Points
Cedar, leather, blueberry, pepper and a distinctive terror (Earth) character that screams Whitehall. Absolutely drinking like silk in a glass! Aged perfect. Continue to be amassed how these wine age. Buy any Reserve label with confidence!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2007 - JoshuaG wrote:
very nice. Has life left. I would wait another year to finish off
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2007 - zinslurpie wrote: 95 Points
I bought two bottles of this on a whim, never tasted them since. We grabbed a bottle for pairing with filet mignon at Wills Fargo in Carmel Valley. In a word...spectacular! However, upon opening the bottle, the wine was initially muted. It didn't take 15 minutes in the glass to start singing. Plenty of life in this great bottle. Saving my last for a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2007 - Brett wrote: 93 Points
Great earthy tones, dark color and wonderful nose. Just the thing after a day on the slopes! This easily has another 7-8 years worth of life.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2007 - Mallards wrote: 96 Points
As always, an outstanding bottle. Consumed New Years Eve after decanting for an hour. A perfect accompaniment to a steak and some bacon cheese grits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2007 - peterjanderson wrote: 94 Points
Nice nose of currant, fruit and spice. Followed by a mouthful of fruit, predominantly blackberry, with mocha, and vanilla. The tannins were nicely integrated and not prominent. Certainly has reached maturity. An excellent wine. Time to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Holiday Dinner Party (Josh): From magnum. Deep, rich blackcurrant nose. Smells of tar and petrol. Beautiful fruit with well integrated oak. Black cherries. Earthy. Tiny bit of VA. Great finish. Way too young. The 750 we had several weeks ago was much better evolved.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 97 Points
G7 (Jeff): Great wine. Everytime I have this I think why don't I buy more of this? Holds it's own against any of the great '97 cults.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2006 - MarkC wrote: 93 Points
Dang, this is good stuff. Initially the nose was pretty expressive, offering up hints of boldness, with some spiced fruit and a bit of cedar box. On the palate, the first sip left me hoping for more, and it only required a little bit of time to get there. After 30 minutes, this wine started to sing. Strawberry on the attack, morphing to currants and hints of tea (I think this wine is just starting to really show secondary flavors - will be interesting to taste in 2-5 years). The mouthfeel is still quite voluptuous. Tannins are still noticeable, but not out of balance. The finish is nicely rounded.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2005 - MarkC wrote: 89 Points
Significantly different experience than the last bottle I had a few months ago. While far from being a bad bottle of wine, it lacked the punch and power of the previous bottle, and was definitely overshadowed by both the Abreu and the Turley Ueberroth Zin. Fairly typical Cab aromas - cedar, fruits, a hint of vanilla - followed by straightforward strawberry, currant, and blueberry notes on the palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2004 - Tubbs wrote: 92 Points
Excellent color, very deep, very clear purple. Initially VERY oaky, however the oak mellowed with time. Very sweet with the right amount of tannin, (too sweet for my tastes). This wine is all fruit, all blackberry - so much so I half expected to be picking seeds from between my teeth. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of California cabernet and this wine did not change my point of view. On the other hand, this was a well made, nicely balanced expression of a California cabernet. Quite pleasing wine for relaxing by the fire - 92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2004 - MarkC wrote: 95 Points
Nothing against Bob, but I think he missed the mark on this one. This wine was gorgeous in the glass, with dark purple/ruby colors, and an expressive nose that showed cedar, sage, currant, and other spices. In the mouth the wine was rich and deep - strawberry, currant, other berries, spice, hints of coffee and well-integrated tannins and wood (i.e., there was no overt oak at all). Easily on par with the '95, I hope this bottle isn't an anomaly and that the rest are as good!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2003 - babnik wrote: 90 Points
This was the first time I tried this highly rated (at least by WS) wine and had high hopes. Deep, dark color. Closed nose, initially reveals nothing but after about an hour one could coax some dark fruit and vanilla aromas from the glass. Not a big wine, it’s narrowly focused with chocolate, spice, mocha and a bit of currant making up a short finish. This wine has closed down. I’ll be waiting at least 3 more years to open the next one. 90 points and hopefully more... someday.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
This was the biggest surprise for me. Nose of crushed grape skins. Bitter red fruit and licorice notes. This was the only wine I attempted to guess the varietal and correctly said California Cab but then I thought this was the easiest one to peg. 88.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment