Hadn’t had a Cali Cab in a while and this was just what I needed to make me remember all that is good in Napa. A gorgeous deep, concentrated, rich bouquet of dark fruits with amazing balance and silky tannins that are now well integrated. Can’t imagine this getting any better. Left bottle open for 3 hours and by that point the wine didn’t get better which makes me think this is peak drinking for this. 2nd 06 from a case of 5 and once again incredibly good. Still my favorite and most consistent producer.
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A wonderful wine with dark, opulent fruit, notes of blackberry, cherry, cassis, damp earth and leather. Beautifully balanced with soft well integrated tannins, long finish. Paired with grilled dry-aged ribeye steaks with a port wine reduction sauce. A perfect Father's Day gift!
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Another unfortunate bottle, that is becoming all too normal for Schrader. Cork was so loose that when I went to use a Coravin, the cork popped out along with wine. Ok, well, the wine itself was off, VA? EA? Regardless, this isn’t the first. Stewed, pruney, but also a hint of a fortified wine. Not bad, but all six of us felt it was off.
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Friday Night Uptown Brown Bagger (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of black fruit, vanilla, rose petal and something a little cedary/woody. Flavors of chocolate, blueberry and raspberry. Firm and tannic, this could use some time in a decanter to open up. Guessed Napa cab sauv. 92+ pts. (R&R)
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Decanted two hours and it kept improving over the next two we drank it. This is showing beautifully with lush, velvety tannins, opulent redcurrant, earth, licorice, spice. Not a precise wine but it has balance. Truly palate filling and hedonistic yet not over the top like some California Cabs, these are memorable wines for aficionados. I popped this to compare with the wonderful 2007 we drank last week. The flavors here are a bit more of a pastiche, fuzzier and a bit less intense, but still truly enjoyable. These are sexy wines that sneak up on you rather than bowl you over.
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My first Schrader GIII. Decanted for 1.50 hours. Aromas of blackberry, currant, melted chocolate, dusty berry and dark cherry. Flavors of blackberry, currant, cherry, ganache and hint of boysenberry. Ends with a long finish of 40+ seconds with blackberry and currant notes. The tannins on this are incredibly smooth and this does not drink like a 12 year old wine. Foresee a long road ahead for this still. Stands out from the To Kalon bottlings that I have had.
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WOTN! This was an absolute monster. 10 years old and counting and seemed like it was so young. Dark inky look to it, with still muscular tannins. Finish was incredibly long-lasting 45 seconds or longer. Definitively the youngest wine we drank that night, but certainly the most expressive! Beginning to see that Schrader can be laid down for a long time and not lose its muscular feel for a cult Cabernet wine from California. This wine has many more years to age. It's an Iron Fist with a Velvet Glove!
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Layers of delicious dark ripe cherry, anise, and currant with integrated oaky notes on the nose and palate. Culminates in a long finish with well resolved tannins. Spectacular with rib roast!
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Over the top extracted fruit seemed a bit unbalanced to me, nonetheless, a crowd pleaser. The fruit tasted very primal and in need of further maturation and integration.
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I had a rather strange experience with this bottle. I decanted it for about 90 minutes prior to serving. As I decanted the wine I took a small taste just to see where the wine was in its development cycle. The wine was fantastic! Deep, rich, balanced I couldn't wait to serve it when my son arrived for an early Father's Day celebration. When I served it the wine had undergone a drastic change during that 90 minutes. The nose was still beautiful with strong cherry notes but the fruit had nearly disappeared from the palate! The main component was a strong minerality with good acidity and slightly dusty tannins. This wine was not close to the wine I tasted a mere 90 minutes before. The initial taste was in the 96-97 scoring range but the 90 min. old wine was in the 87-89 point range. It was still a very good wine but a major disappointment. This is the second big name Cab that has changed for the worse after a one to one and a half hour decant. The other wine was a 2005 Shafer Hillside Select.
I would recommend that, instead of giving this wine a long decant, you serve it and let it decant in the glass so you can follow it as it opens up.
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Drank after a tasting of six other Cabs and this sets the bar high. Awesome, everything you could want starting with the nose, mouth feel, fruit, finish. Wow.
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Concentrated Cabernet, pushes ripeness right to the edge. At moments, hints of VA, but a fine trade off for the intensity this delivers. Rich layers of black fruit, walking a tight rope between plum and prune. Complicated by coffee and dusty tannin that really is the star of the show here. The tannin. Copious, yet welcome, lending such traction and length that you can enjoy each sip over and over again. GIII has been somewhat lost on me, but TRB has turned this fruit into a really special wine. Schrader never disappoints.
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Had over New Years. Very full bodied and lush, a good wine but a little primary for me. Will it improve with 5 more years of aging? Not sure. Still, if you like this kind of full bodied Napa cab, go for it.
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Unfortunately I am writing this long after I drank it and I wish I could have wrote immediately. Bottom line is this is a stunning with with typical layers of flavor and complexity that you usually find in Schrader. Wish I had more.......
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Decanted for 2 hrs ,served with steak . Best wine I've had this year just outstanding. Dense dark purple color , great nose, dark fruit , smooth, complex and just a great wine from start to finish ,wish I had more because this will age great.
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--- COLOR: Didn't write it down, but probably opaque purple as usual. NOTE: Creme de cassis in the nose, loads of it, burnt marshmallows, brown sugar, tar. Mouth has rich, thick boysenberry and cinnamon. The finish has ripe tannins with massive fruit and a 40+ second finish. Great stuff! A little in your face at the time. Wonder how it's drinking in 2012?
DECANT: 1-2 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.4 OTHER: COST: 130 VALUE: 8.3 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: now - 2020 PAIRING: Ribeye at Ruth's Chris Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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An incredible Napa Cab with densely concentrated fruit framed by mocha notes. Smooth, complex, and absolutely delicious from start to finish. This has the stuffing to age very well but it's absolutely fantastic now.
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Absolutely, pure deliciousness! Not a hard edge to be found on this gorgeous Napa cab. The nose offers a beautiful bouquet of classic, pure Napa fruit with not a whiff of alcohol. On the palate the wine is silky smooth with layer after layer of dark fruit and mocha. Extremely smooth and velvety with a subtle, sweet tannnin structure.
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1/28/2024 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 96 Points
Not quite as good as my last bottle but still on fire! Everything good about rich concentrated California cab. Enjoyed with steak.
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11/26/2023 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 98 Points
Hadn’t had a Cali Cab in a while and this was just what I needed to make me remember all that is good in Napa. A gorgeous deep, concentrated, rich bouquet of dark fruits with amazing balance and silky tannins that are now well integrated. Can’t imagine this getting any better. Left bottle open for 3 hours and by that point the wine didn’t get better which makes me think this is peak drinking for this. 2nd 06 from a case of 5 and once again incredibly good. Still my favorite and most consistent producer.
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6/18/2023 - spendergast Likes this wine: 98 Points
A wonderful wine with dark, opulent fruit, notes of blackberry, cherry, cassis, damp earth and leather. Beautifully balanced with soft well integrated tannins, long finish. Paired with grilled dry-aged ribeye steaks with a port wine reduction sauce. A perfect Father's Day gift!
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10/19/2022 - drcookie wrote:
Used Coravin on the 18th and drank about 40%. Drank the rest next night at Bones wit Steve Greenbaum, Shawn and Lee Braun.
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10/10/2021 - Cow Town Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Another unfortunate bottle, that is becoming all too normal for Schrader. Cork was so loose that when I went to use a Coravin, the cork popped out along with wine. Ok, well, the wine itself was off, VA? EA? Regardless, this isn’t the first. Stewed, pruney, but also a hint of a fortified wine. Not bad, but all six of us felt it was off.
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4/2/2021 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Friday Night Uptown Brown Bagger (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of black fruit, vanilla, rose petal and something a little cedary/woody. Flavors of chocolate, blueberry and raspberry. Firm and tannic, this could use some time in a decanter to open up. Guessed Napa cab sauv. 92+ pts. (R&R)
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9/23/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted two hours and it kept improving over the next two we drank it. This is showing beautifully with lush, velvety tannins, opulent redcurrant, earth, licorice, spice. Not a precise wine but it has balance. Truly palate filling and hedonistic yet not over the top like some California Cabs, these are memorable wines for aficionados. I popped this to compare with the wonderful 2007 we drank last week. The flavors here are a bit more of a pastiche, fuzzier and a bit less intense, but still truly enjoyable. These are sexy wines that sneak up on you rather than bowl you over.
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7/27/2020 - clutj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good but not the outstanding that I expect from Schrader
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4/13/2020 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big cab. Has ten years or more left.
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1/7/2020 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Silky smooth finish, drink now or hold, lots of life left in this wine.
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12/25/2018 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 96 Points
My first Schrader GIII. Decanted for 1.50 hours. Aromas of blackberry, currant, melted chocolate, dusty berry and dark cherry. Flavors of blackberry, currant, cherry, ganache and hint of boysenberry. Ends with a long finish of 40+ seconds with blackberry and currant notes. The tannins on this are incredibly smooth and this does not drink like a 12 year old wine. Foresee a long road ahead for this still. Stands out from the To Kalon bottlings that I have had.
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11/22/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking just beautifully right now. PnP and it was singing. Lush but without being overly fruit forward. Just a classic expression of great Napa cab.
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12/21/2016 - Bcw1989 wrote: 97 Points
WOTN! This was an absolute monster. 10 years old and counting and seemed like it was so young. Dark inky look to it, with still muscular tannins. Finish was incredibly long-lasting 45 seconds or longer. Definitively the youngest wine we drank that night, but certainly the most expressive! Beginning to see that Schrader can be laid down for a long time and not lose its muscular feel for a cult Cabernet wine from California. This wine has many more years to age. It's an Iron Fist with a Velvet Glove!
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3/27/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Layers of delicious dark ripe cherry, anise, and currant with integrated oaky notes on the nose and palate. Culminates in a long finish with well resolved tannins. Spectacular with rib roast!
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12/6/2015 - Roentgen Ray Likes this wine: 93 Points
Over the top extracted fruit seemed a bit unbalanced to me, nonetheless, a crowd pleaser. The fruit tasted very primal and in need of further maturation and integration.
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6/6/2015 - D.Callahan Likes this wine:
I had a rather strange experience with this bottle. I decanted it for about 90 minutes prior to serving. As I decanted the wine I took a small taste just to see where the wine was in its development cycle. The wine was fantastic! Deep, rich, balanced I couldn't wait to serve it when my son arrived for an early Father's Day celebration. When I served it the wine had undergone a drastic change during that 90 minutes. The nose was still beautiful with strong cherry notes but the fruit had nearly disappeared from the palate! The main component was a strong minerality with good acidity and slightly dusty tannins. This wine was not close to the wine I tasted a mere 90 minutes before. The initial taste was in the 96-97 scoring range but the 90 min. old wine was in the 87-89 point range. It was still a very good wine but a major disappointment. This is the second big name Cab that has changed for the worse after a one to one and a half hour decant. The other wine was a 2005 Shafer Hillside Select.
I would recommend that, instead of giving this wine a long decant, you serve it and let it decant in the glass so you can follow it as it opens up.
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1/3/2015 - mkubow wrote: 96 Points
Drank after a tasting of six other Cabs and this sets the bar high. Awesome, everything you could want starting with the nose, mouth feel, fruit, finish. Wow.
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4/26/2014 - Jody Smith wrote:
Concentrated Cabernet, pushes ripeness right to the edge. At moments, hints of VA, but a fine trade off for the intensity this delivers. Rich layers of black fruit, walking a tight rope between plum and prune. Complicated by coffee and dusty tannin that really is the star of the show here. The tannin. Copious, yet welcome, lending such traction and length that you can enjoy each sip over and over again. GIII has been somewhat lost on me, but TRB has turned this fruit into a really special wine. Schrader never disappoints.
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11/10/2013 - Bobc7had Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brilliant
Decanted for 90 minutes.
Tannins nicely integrated, wonderful fruit.
Cali Cab at it's best!
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1/4/2013 - Ki Punwar wrote: 92 Points
Had over New Years. Very full bodied and lush, a good wine but a little primary for me. Will it improve with 5 more years of aging? Not sure. Still, if you like this kind of full bodied Napa cab, go for it.
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2/8/2012 - J-Sho wrote: 97 Points
Unfortunately I am writing this long after I drank it and I wish I could have wrote immediately. Bottom line is this is a stunning with with typical layers of flavor and complexity that you usually find in Schrader. Wish I had more.......
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9/2/2011 - dpadd3206 wrote: 96 Points
Open for over one hour, this is a wine that will rate 98 over time for now only 96. Bottom line killer!
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8/13/2011 - CK6865 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs ,served with steak . Best wine I've had this year just outstanding. Dense dark purple color , great nose,
dark fruit , smooth, complex and just a great wine from start to finish ,wish I had more because this will age great.
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4/24/2011 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Tremendous depth. Tons of fruit in the front, middle and end of this wine. Wonderful finish.
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6/1/2010 - tp096255 wrote: 94 Points
---
COLOR: Didn't write it down, but probably opaque purple as usual.
NOTE: Creme de cassis in the nose, loads of it, burnt marshmallows, brown sugar, tar. Mouth has rich, thick boysenberry and cinnamon. The finish has ripe tannins with massive fruit and a 40+ second finish. Great stuff! A little in your face at the time. Wonder how it's drinking in 2012?
DECANT: 1-2 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.4
OTHER:
COST: 130
VALUE: 8.3
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a
TRY AGAIN: now - 2020
PAIRING: Ribeye at Ruth's Chris
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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11/29/2009 - B Paul wrote: 96 Points
This was outstanding. So much going on here. Dark fruit with a little chocolate. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel and a long finish. 96+
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11/23/2009 - snipes wrote:
A dense dark wine wth layers of dark berries. On the palate toast and cedar with depth of flavors, but still very young. Revisit in 2011.
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8/15/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 97 Points
An incredible Napa Cab with densely concentrated fruit framed by mocha notes. Smooth, complex, and absolutely delicious from start to finish. This has the stuffing to age very well but it's absolutely fantastic now.
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2/27/2009 - PontetCanet wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely, pure deliciousness! Not a hard edge to be found on this gorgeous Napa cab. The nose offers a beautiful bouquet of classic, pure Napa fruit with not a whiff of alcohol. On the palate the wine is silky smooth with layer after layer of dark fruit and mocha. Extremely smooth and velvety with a subtle, sweet tannnin structure.
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