Drank side by side with 1993 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Colour just slightly redder than the Dunn but every bit as intense and bright. Mid-red and red fruit, forward, balsam and cedar wood on the nose. Palate is great example of Napa, rich fruit, balanced, mouth coating. Tannins still present but have to look for them. Long balanced finish. Also love the low alcohol. This is likely at its prime.
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Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Decanted and served. We are big lovers of 90s Napa and this was another nice example until you get to the point of the slightly burnt fruit that robs the wine of elegance and makes it light porty and unbalanced. A good 91 nonetheless but far from the mark of what Napa delivers in that period of time.
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My wife's drunk friend went in my cellar and drank this while I was away from the home. She thought it "tasted old and weird." She is an idiot and if Molly McFall is ever in your home lock your cellar!
Decanted two hours. This has aged well, with a porty nose and velvety acid, cedar, mulled cherry, and old leather on the palate. It doesn't have a lot of nuance but it was probably never a great vintage. Yet it has survived very well.
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Slate and stone initially on the nose with soft floral tones along with cedar and oak. I loved the acidity and dark fruits, and the finish was stout for this 25 year old. It had a velvety viscosity that led to an elegant yet powerful, mouth-coating experience. What a treat at Christmas! (Posted picture)
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This wine is quite lovely, though past it's a bit past its prime. It has a beautiful nose and a deep garnet hue. The fruits on the tongue are a subtle blend of quince and tart cherry with a muted mix of mint and earthy undertones. The finish was lingering and supple. Drink up!
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This was an elegant, well-aged, excellent wine. I sometimes find consuming new world wines on the heels of old world a bit overwhelming with the stylistic differences. Not the case here. We drank after a '98 and an '81 Bordeaux and this showed why aged Napa can compete. A great blend of fruit and leather and spice but not overdone or too in your face. Well enjoyed by all who tried (and surprised a few who couldn't believe Napa could be as elegant).
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Celebrated our 21st Anniversary with wedding year wines. All showed beautifully and were distinctive. The Opus was full of rich stewed fruit, the Hillside Select was powerful and opulent. The Rausan-Segla was the surprise. It was delicious with rose petal on the nose - almost like a Barolo.
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still has some time left, drinking well with 30 min decant, classic HS, fruit still fresh, structured, silky on the palate, nothing subtle about this, not the best vintage but worthy of the name
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Very nice nose of violets and dark plum. Bight clean fruit, and silky smooth with a perfect finish. I was nervous opening this bottle - we have had it for 18 years - but it was outstanding. We drank it next to Arietta '01 and La Jota 1998 Cabernet. It was the best of the group.
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Dark cherry color. Showing some brown on the edges. Ripe dark cherries, plums and cassis dominate the nose with licorice, vanilla and, what I have always felt to be characteristic of Hillside Select, root beer (emphasis on the root). At the twenty-year mark the fruit has quieted and now allows for a nice medley with earth, tree bark and brown sugar. Age has treated this wine well - elegant where it once was racy.
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Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): Mature brick color. Malty nose with hints of green vegetables (peppers). It shows chocolate and is quite elegant but all in all too short for a Hillside. Good wine considering the difficult vintage. Drink now - 2015
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Decanted 2 hours (tons of thick sediment and was a bit closed on opening). Reddish violet. Dark fruits on nose with tobacco, earth, spice. Silky palate with soft tannins, good acidity and a touch of heat. Not heavy or cloying in the least. Good persistence. Complex flavors and a little exciting texturally. Terrific with rib eyes. Must be near peak (probably past), but will hold just fine.
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Another pretty wine, this seems to track what you'd imagine is the evolution of the 1991. Medium red color with perhaps the barest hints of bricking at the edge of the glass. Fragrant nose of cassis and berry fruit, lots of earth notes, and tobacco. In the mouth, an identical mouthfeel to the delicious 1991. Showing a flash more fruit than the 1991 and perhaps a touch more sweetness, with terrific complexity, less leafy and more earthy, with a greater spice and tobacco component. A light acidic bite and long, luxurious finish. Beautiful. A
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checkered storage history; decanted for sediment and cork pieces; opened up over 30min with layered dark currant, berry, then ripe black cherry; some dusty/chalky notes; a little flabby; modest finish; enjoyable but no wow factor.
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i liked this a lot. this cab is ready. enough fruit and layers on the palate to keep you coming back for more. very nice texture. tannins are all but gone. not sure of any benefit to sitting on this one any longer--she sure seems ready. paired well with Kobe flank steak. looking forward to trying other vintages now.
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Very polished, elegant serious cab. Fully mature but not in danger of falling apart any time soon. Perhaps a little short, but great blend of dark fruits, mineral, tobacco. A somewhat lighter style than in blockbuster vintages but a very nice showing.
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One of the candidates for the wine of the night. The wine is in its prime and ready to drink, but no need to rush. Opaque with very little brick, if any; black cherry/berry nose with wood and leather complexity, very subtle, sweetness of the fruit is balanced by great acidity; balance and smoothness best describe this wine; very long finish.
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Roy Hersh Offline - Dominus and Shafer HSS (Vancouver, BC): Ok, now we are in Napa no doubt. Sweet and ripe black and red fruits dominate both the nose and palate. Blackberry, black currant and some tobacco. Quite a bit of heat on the palate. The texture is not as soft and silky as the Dominus wines, but this has a much higher level of concentration and is much heavier on the palate. Besides the heat, it’s quite balanced. Resolved tannins and a lenghty finish. The quality is still very apparent but this isn't a wine that stands out to me. Maybe this needs more time? Very good.
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Estate bottle opened up at the winery's tasting room. This had been open but not decanted for 3 hours prior to tasting. Faded dark fruit, light-to-medium bricking and a soft mouthfeel make this more like a well-aged bordeaux than a calicab. Noted a slight sourness at the end of the finish. This certainly isn't going to improve, and am unsure how long it'll last, but there's no reason to hold on to these for more than a few years. Don't know that I'd decant other than to ferret out the sediment, of which there was quite a bit in several of the glasses.
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Dull brick. Berry scented nose mixed with a bit of earth. The wine feels a bit chunky – there is a porty aspect. I think this might be a tad overdone. Still very good, but tough to compare to the ’91. (91)
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Rick's birthday dinner (Aquarelle (Austin)): This was rather good, but extremely soft. Shorter finish than one would suggest and some of the complexity is missing. It does one thing, namely being an elegant food companion, but it does it extremely well.
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The Wine Summit: Shafer Hillside Select - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 10:45 A.M. (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, AB): Dark mahogany hued ruby – medium rim; bouquet of deep flowing black currant fruit – dried flower petals; nicely styled – some elegance in this wine, although there is some bulk to the wine; fair structure – good mouth feel – balanced wine – lots of black currant fruit; flows from entry through to its attractive finish – lingering fruit – full of harmony. As an aside, we drank this wine on Saturday evening at dinner – paired with Alberta Bison cheeks braised in Port sauce on a celery puree. A terrific partnership ! I told John Shafer that it was another highlight for the meal. He thought this vintage one of their weaker efforts, but it was certainly not weak as an accompaniment to the Bison.
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Poured a glass, then put the rest in a decanter. Consumed over a five hour period. Nose of dark fruit and tobacco. Blackberry and plums in the mouth, gaining complexity over the course of the evening. However, the tannins, throughout the consumption, were astringent (green and harsh). While the fruit blossomed and the midpalate strengthened, they never overcame the harshness of the finish.
I have had this wine on two previous occasions, and neither time showed like this. The only other HSS I have tasted with this tannic profile has been the 2000 (on three different occasions), and I have tasted all vintages from 1990-2001.
Hopefully, this was just an awkward time for the '93. Anyone else tried it recently?
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This wine was holding up very well. Dr.T brought it into town and we met him at Tango Sur with some other CWM. Well integrated and probably at its peak. Creamy red fruit. Soft tannins and a long round finish. A real treat. Confidently hold this for a few more years. 93 points.
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Medium red. Strawberry porridge on the nose. Plummy taste. The structure is somewhat weak and more concentration and complexity could be wished for. Lacks density, but I do like that plummy taste. Medium short finish.
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6/23/2023 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank side by side with 1993 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Colour just slightly redder than the Dunn but every bit as intense and bright. Mid-red and red fruit, forward, balsam and cedar wood on the nose. Palate is great example of Napa, rich fruit, balanced, mouth coating. Tannins still present but have to look for them. Long balanced finish. Also love the low alcohol. This is likely at its prime.
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1/6/2023 - Kepos wrote: 90 Points
a bit rough and slightly unbalanced, came across a bit "porty", maybe already on its way down
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4/2/2022 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at the Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Decanted and served.
We are big lovers of 90s Napa and this was another nice example until you get to the point of the slightly burnt fruit that robs the wine of elegance and makes it light porty and unbalanced. A good 91 nonetheless but far from the mark of what Napa delivers in that period of time.
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12/24/2021 - Desert Cellar wrote:
Past prime
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9/18/2021 - mullins.ryan@gmail.com wrote:
My wife's drunk friend went in my cellar and drank this while I was away from the home. She thought it "tasted old and weird." She is an idiot and if Molly McFall is ever in your home lock your cellar!
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2/13/2021 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted two hours. This has aged well, with a porty nose and velvety acid, cedar, mulled cherry, and old leather on the palate. It doesn't have a lot of nuance but it was probably never a great vintage. Yet it has survived very well.
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10/13/2019 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Honey fruit, great balance; great nose; long finish.
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4/28/2019 - AlexHop Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dusty elegant nose like and old library. Big mouth feel but feminine. Smooth a balanced with a medium long finish. Not much fruit still.
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12/20/2018 - WineWright Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slate and stone initially on the nose with soft floral tones along with cedar and oak. I loved the acidity and dark fruits, and the finish was stout for this 25 year old. It had a velvety viscosity that led to an elegant yet powerful, mouth-coating experience. What a treat at Christmas! (Posted picture)
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11/1/2017 - Gringo Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is quite lovely, though past it's a bit past its prime. It has a beautiful nose and a deep garnet hue. The fruits on the tongue are a subtle blend of quince and tart cherry with a muted mix of mint and earthy undertones. The finish was lingering and supple. Drink up!
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12/8/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
This was an elegant, well-aged, excellent wine. I sometimes find consuming new world wines on the heels of old world a bit overwhelming with the stylistic differences. Not the case here. We drank after a '98 and an '81 Bordeaux and this showed why aged Napa can compete. A great blend of fruit and leather and spice but not overdone or too in your face. Well enjoyed by all who tried (and surprised a few who couldn't believe Napa could be as elegant).
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4/10/2015 - Paradigm Media wrote:
Celebrated our 21st Anniversary with wedding year wines. All showed beautifully and were distinctive. The Opus was full of rich stewed fruit, the Hillside Select was powerful and opulent. The Rausan-Segla was the surprise. It was delicious with rose petal on the nose - almost like a Barolo.
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6/3/2014 - Claretman Likes this wine: 93 Points
still has some time left, drinking well with 30 min decant, classic HS, fruit still fresh, structured, silky on the palate, nothing subtle about this, not the best vintage but worthy of the name
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10/28/2013 - Paradigm Media wrote: 97 Points
Very nice nose of violets and dark plum. Bight clean fruit, and silky smooth with a perfect finish. I was nervous opening this bottle - we have had it for 18 years - but it was outstanding. We drank it next to Arietta '01 and La Jota 1998 Cabernet. It was the best of the group.
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7/11/2013 - unionst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry color. Showing some brown on the edges. Ripe dark cherries, plums and cassis dominate the nose with licorice, vanilla and, what I have always felt to be characteristic of Hillside Select, root beer (emphasis on the root). At the twenty-year mark the fruit has quieted and now allows for a nice medley with earth, tree bark and brown sugar. Age has treated this wine well - elegant where it once was racy.
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7/1/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 89 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Vertical Tasting (Switzerland): Mature brick color. Malty nose with hints of green vegetables (peppers). It shows chocolate and is quite elegant but all in all too short for a Hillside. Good wine considering the difficult vintage. Drink now - 2015
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1/28/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours (tons of thick sediment and was a bit closed on opening). Reddish violet. Dark fruits on nose with tobacco, earth, spice. Silky palate with soft tannins, good acidity and a touch of heat. Not heavy or cloying in the least. Good persistence. Complex flavors and a little exciting texturally. Terrific with rib eyes. Must be near peak (probably past), but will hold just fine.
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7/12/2012 - lpartridge wrote: 96 Points
Awesome...prime time!
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6/7/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
Another pretty wine, this seems to track what you'd imagine is the evolution of the 1991. Medium red color with perhaps the barest hints of bricking at the edge of the glass. Fragrant nose of cassis and berry fruit, lots of earth notes, and tobacco. In the mouth, an identical mouthfeel to the delicious 1991. Showing a flash more fruit than the 1991 and perhaps a touch more sweetness, with terrific complexity, less leafy and more earthy, with a greater spice and tobacco component. A light acidic bite and long, luxurious finish. Beautiful. A
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4/18/2012 - davidwhitedc wrote:
Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): Possible flaw. While some caught TCA, I smelled nothing but burnt oak and burnt molasses. Not sure what was going on with this wine.
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2/25/2012 - allenAchilles wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant full bodied rich cab, drinking at its peak, but fades fairly quickly. At Le Pidgeon in Portland with V & B. Fantastic restaurant.
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7/3/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
checkered storage history; decanted for sediment and cork pieces; opened up over 30min with layered dark currant, berry, then ripe black cherry; some dusty/chalky notes; a little flabby; modest finish; enjoyable but no wow factor.
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12/4/2010 - scollier wrote: 94 Points
i liked this a lot. this cab is ready. enough fruit and layers on the palate to keep you coming back for more. very nice texture. tannins are all but gone. not sure of any benefit to sitting on this one any longer--she sure seems ready. paired well with Kobe flank steak. looking forward to trying other vintages now.
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7/27/2010 - JLeader wrote: 91 Points
Very polished, elegant serious cab. Fully mature but not in danger of falling apart any time soon. Perhaps a little short, but great blend of dark fruits, mineral, tobacco. A somewhat lighter style than in blockbuster vintages but a very nice showing.
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7/25/2010 - Knicksfan wrote: 91 Points
Nice place - soft tannins but well integrated fruit. Drink up
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4/24/2010 - Milos wrote: 95 Points
One of the candidates for the wine of the night. The wine is in its prime and ready to drink, but no need to rush. Opaque with very little brick, if any; black cherry/berry nose with wood and leather complexity, very subtle, sweetness of the fruit is balanced by great acidity; balance and smoothness best describe this wine; very long finish.
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4/24/2010 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Roy Hersh Offline - Dominus and Shafer HSS (Vancouver, BC): Ok, now we are in Napa no doubt. Sweet and ripe black and red fruits dominate both the nose and palate. Blackberry, black currant and some tobacco. Quite a bit of heat on the palate. The texture is not as soft and silky as the Dominus wines, but this has a much higher level of concentration and is much heavier on the palate. Besides the heat, it’s quite balanced. Resolved tannins and a lenghty finish. The quality is still very apparent but this isn't a wine that stands out to me. Maybe this needs more time? Very good.
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12/16/2009 - clayfu wrote: flawed
corked=(
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10/5/2009 - sonakul_t wrote: 92 Points
Fine wine.....very balanced with ripe fruits and very minty after an hour or so.
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10/12/2008 - FakeAccount wrote: 94 Points
Fully integrated and ready to drink. Tannins resolved... this wine is good to go.
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8/24/2008 - Tubbs wrote:
Drinking superbly now, still showing some tannin and so will hold for at least another five years but no need to wait.
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11/9/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Estate bottle opened up at the winery's tasting room. This had been open but not decanted for 3 hours prior to tasting. Faded dark fruit, light-to-medium bricking and a soft mouthfeel make this more like a well-aged bordeaux than a calicab. Noted a slight sourness at the end of the finish. This certainly isn't going to improve, and am unsure how long it'll last, but there's no reason to hold on to these for more than a few years. Don't know that I'd decant other than to ferret out the sediment, of which there was quite a bit in several of the glasses.
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11/4/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Dull brick. Berry scented nose mixed with a bit of earth. The wine feels a bit chunky – there is a porty aspect. I think this might be a tad overdone. Still very good, but tough to compare to the ’91. (91)
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11/2/2007 - mammageorgie wrote: 95 Points
This wine is singing now...very bordeaux-like with none of the nasty tannins from our last tasting more than five years ago
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9/15/2007 - steffenpelz wrote:
Rick's birthday dinner (Aquarelle (Austin)): This was rather good, but extremely soft. Shorter finish than one would suggest and some of the complexity is missing. It does one thing, namely being an elegant food companion, but it does it extremely well.
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7/28/2007 - wineismylife wrote: flawed
Distinct nail polish aroma.
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6/2/2007 - Hank Gillespie wrote:
The Wine Summit: Shafer Hillside Select - Saturday, June 2, 2007 - 10:45 A.M. (The Post Hotel in Lake Louise, AB): Dark mahogany hued ruby – medium rim; bouquet of deep flowing black currant fruit – dried flower petals; nicely styled – some elegance in this wine, although there is some bulk to the wine; fair structure – good mouth feel – balanced wine – lots of black currant fruit; flows from entry through to its attractive finish – lingering fruit – full of harmony. As an aside, we drank this wine on Saturday evening at dinner – paired with Alberta Bison cheeks braised in Port sauce on a celery puree. A terrific partnership ! I told John Shafer that it was another highlight for the meal. He thought this vintage one of their weaker efforts, but it was certainly not weak as an accompaniment to the Bison.
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7/10/2006 - jwgauthier wrote:
Poured a glass, then put the rest in a decanter. Consumed over a five hour period. Nose of dark fruit and tobacco. Blackberry and plums in the mouth, gaining complexity over the course of the evening. However, the tannins, throughout the consumption, were astringent (green and harsh). While the fruit blossomed and the midpalate strengthened, they never overcame the harshness of the finish.
I have had this wine on two previous occasions, and neither time showed like this. The only other HSS I have tasted with this tannic profile has been the 2000 (on three different occasions), and I have tasted all vintages from 1990-2001.
Hopefully, this was just an awkward time for the '93. Anyone else tried it recently?
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12/7/2005 - jwgauthier wrote: 91 Points
Very similar to the 92 to although a bit smoother but less intense fruit and flavors. Drinking well now.
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8/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Plenty of fruit and concentration. A very nice wine, but not the WOW of better vintages such as 94, 96, 97, etc. 8/05
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3/13/2005 - PaulH wrote: 88 Points
Shafer Hillside Select Dinner (Manresa Restaurant, Los Gatos, California USA): No nose, simple palate with black fruits. Thin, and uninteresting. Pretty much universal agreement at the table that this was the worst showing of the night (of 10 HSS vintages).
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1/27/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
This wine was holding up very well. Dr.T brought it into town and we met him at Tango Sur with some other CWM. Well integrated and probably at its peak. Creamy red fruit. Soft tannins and a long round finish. A real treat. Confidently hold this for a few more years. 93 points.
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6/1/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 90 Points
Medium red. Strawberry porridge on the nose. Plummy taste. The structure is somewhat weak and more concentration and complexity could be wished for. Lacks density, but I do like that plummy taste. Medium short finish.
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9/25/1999 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Great Cult Tasting: Soft, elegant rich, creamy Cab fruit. Ready to go. Light on structure, but this is great tasting California style Cabernet.
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