Looking back on my last TN, I underestimated this wine. Now getting to the end of its drinking window, the tertiary flavors have come out to play. Lots of leather and tobacco. But a great core of fruit - ripe plum. Really great drink.
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In my cellar since release. Decanted and poured late at a family gathering. Very dark opaque garnet with little to no sign of age. 15.2% ABV shows a little on the nose and palate. Dark berry fruit and bramble notes as well. Smooth and easy to drink though intense without food late in the evening. Needs a steak or braised meat dish to really sing in my view.
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On the downslope? Maybe but still a great wine in it's prime. I love the Reserve and it never fails to deliver. Not as fruit forward as it was early but mellowed with great structure in it mature stage. Enjoying with a a home made stew and it was delish. Good stuff Maynard
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This was completely difference from my last bottle 3 years ago. This seemed like 5 years old instead of 15 years old. There was tons of fruit, body and structure. It was big. The ample sweet tannins and acidity helped hold it all together and added life to the finish. There was chocolate, coffee and tobacco notes. A fun bottle.
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Beautiful nose of ripe fresh berries with terrific dark fruit that coats the palate. Notes of coffee, cigar box, cassis and milk chocolate with a finish that lingers for 30+ seconds. Well made wine that is drinking perfectly right now.
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Football payoff wine for me. Cork stained very dark and held up. Absolutely no bouquet upon opening. Fruit subdued, but as it spent the next six or so hours in various stages of opening in glass, fruit emerged. Very nice wine and needs time to breathe/decant. Sadly, i forgot to take the rest home with me to try another day. Was in no way faded and impressed me with the vibrant fruit. Recommended and should age at least 5 more years.
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An herbal quality on the nose and palate. Dark fruited with nice fine tannins and good acidity. Medium body with long finish. Some tobacco and cedar. Was at its best with food.
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Classic big, fruity CA cab. Lots of plum and cassis. It started off all fruit, but with great integrated tannins. As time went on it became more muted. Second day was not as good as the first, so it is probably nearing the end of its plateau. Maybe another 3 / 4 years. Reasonable QPR for this complexity of wine.
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Popped and Poured. Opens up pretty quickly at this stage of its' evolution. Nice, almost Bordeaux style nose of cassis and some cigar box. Doesn't have the intensity of past years but there is still plenty of ripe blue and black fruit in the profile. Shows secondaries of coffee grounds, cigar box and some cedar. The finish is still fairly long and the tannins are full integrated at this point. Holding up very well. Sadly this was my last bottle. It would have been nice to follow this wine through full maturity since it seems it should drink nicely for maybe another 10 years.
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This is fabulous and very special. Reminds me of Harlan. Deep concentrated with real depth of flavors and quite polished. Worth the effort to seek out. Very sadly my last bottle. I need more!
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Decanted for about an hour and a half. Drank over the next 1.5 hours. This wine never found its sweet spot for me. Fruit seems be have dissipated, though you do pick up secondary flavors. This was my only bottle, but I also wonder if this is more on the downhill side of its life. Good bottle nonetheless, but not for the price point. Wish I would have drank this sooner.
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I love the Beau Vigne Reserve. Although not an inexpensive wine, the QPR is usually quite good because of the taste. I might have gone to 93-94, but right out of the bottle the flavors were somewhat muted. Air didn't really help much. And it wasn't any fuller the next day. This suggests to me that the wine MIGHT BE (not is) on a downward trend. Quite good wine, but I'm kind of glad it was the last '06 in our cellar.
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Lovely wine. 2 hour decant then consumed over next 2 hours. Initially a delightful nose which became more muted as the evening progressed. Excellent structure and fruit but still a touch hot. Firm tannins softened a bit in hour 3. I suspect a few years more cellaring will reveal a wine worthy of higher 90's. Very very nice.
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Decanted for 90 minutes and put back in the bottle. Soft tannins , nice fruit not a bruiser, but a supple wine. Held up well with dinner of lamb and duck. Show prettier than a 2001 Dunn. Not better just not as brawny.
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Decanted 2 hours and rebottled. Nose is bursting with aromas of black raspberry and cassis. Tremendous attack of ripe black and blue fruits including blackcurrant and black raspberry. Notes of tobacco and leather. Very smooth and refined texture with no fall off in intensity as the wine moves across the palate. Long finish with moderate tannins and notes of black tea. I had hoped this had improved since my last bottle 2 years ago. However, i wouldn't say this bottle was better than the last so maybe this wine is at its' peak. Still an outstanding effort and worth the $90 price tag.
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Double decanted ahead of time. Super rich and extracted. Dark purple/black color. Black raspberries, black cherries, blackberries, chocolate, dark roast espresso, beautiful new leather, cigar box. Classic cult Napa styling. Well done but not over the top by inches. Nice acidity, great grip. Chewy fleshy wine with massive but just resolving tannin structure. We both really liked this wine. Went well with the food but really this is a cocktail wine. Long lingering finish. I suppose this is worth the coin, it's certainly up there with other cults in the price range - maybe should be more like $75 not $100. Would like to try their Juliet. Nice experience.
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Everyone agreed at spring campout that this was the wine of the night except me. The price is a bit steep but you get what you pay for sometimes -- I got a wine that everyone thought was great. For me though, it was a bit musty on the nose. This seemed to diminish over time and much improve. In thinking over it, I probably should have opened this more than 20 minutes before pouring and also decanted. Wont happen again. In any case the wine for me is still coming together but I am borderline concerned about the must being a sign of either poor preservation or inageable wine. Either way, I still generally prefer to avoid 2006 napa cab and this one at a hundred bucks and high ratings did nothing to change my mind. Alas.
A great wine. From the fresh, berry filled nose to the long finish, this is an elegant, very smooth wine. I will serve it to the most discriminating guest. Everyone who tasted thought it was very, very elegant. The berry flavors were strong and changing, but seamless as they did so. This is my favorite Ca. wine.
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Opened and left to breathe in the bottle for 3 hours. Lots of blueberry and a little tobacco on the nose. Full bodied and dense in the mouth with tons of black fruit with notes of tobacco, leather and dark chocolate. 45 second finish with smooth tannins. This is extremely rich and smooth with restrained power. Tremendous effort which, while very approachable now. should improve further over the next few years. It has already improved considerably since its release a couple of years ago.
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Man, what a powerful wine. It began with a ripe fruity nose and the first taste was like berry jam. A couple of people who tasted it said that you could almost chew the wine. It had great tastes, well integrated and a super finish which was kind of woody. It was everything I look for in a wine. Most heartly recommended.
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Final Four Blind Knockout (matt's house, highland park IL): nose: great big and rich nose filled with black berries, dark red cherries, dark raspberries, and a good amount of black currants and some hints of cedar. As it opens up more, it becomes a lot more expressive and balanced.
taste: great medium/full feel with expressive, rich, and deep dark tones of black berries, dark red cherries, and black currants with tones of cedar on the back end. Surprising medium/low tannins
overall: this is a beautiful wine at this young stage. Very expressive with excellent depth and very polished right now
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I can't add much to 911s note, but to say that we didn't give it the air they did and it remained pretty primary throughout, but one gets the sense that in 5-10 years this could be one of the best Cali Cabs one has ever had. I would advise buying, but not opening, this wine.
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Outstanding bottle. So good I bought a case at a price I consider a steal! RP's assessment is spot on. The tannins in this dark wine are really soft enough to enjoy now. Needs an hour or two exposed to oxygen. Steadily improving, opening and changing as it's open. I've been tasting it over the last 4+ hours and still find something new in terms of nuance. Lots of black fruit, cigar box, lead pencil, menthol. Tremendously long finish.
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12/11/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
May have waited a bit too long to drink. Not bad, but not spectacular.
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9/11/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not sure this rocked me - solid, not as good as some reviews.
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2/25/2023 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Looking back on my last TN, I underestimated this wine. Now getting to the end of its drinking window, the tertiary flavors have come out to play. Lots of leather and tobacco. But a great core of fruit - ripe plum. Really great drink.
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12/26/2022 - oldwines wrote: 92 Points
In my cellar since release. Decanted and poured late at a family gathering. Very dark opaque garnet with little to no sign of age. 15.2% ABV shows a little on the nose and palate. Dark berry fruit and bramble notes as well. Smooth and easy to drink though intense without food late in the evening. Needs a steak or braised meat dish to really sing in my view.
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11/26/2022 - sdonahue Likes this wine: 93 Points
seemed very fresh and fruit forward still after 15 years in bottle. Not as refined as my last one
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11/15/2021 - sdonahue Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of best wines I have ever tasted
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10/28/2021 - Vitis Maximus Likes this wine: 93 Points
On the downslope? Maybe but still a great wine in it's prime. I love the Reserve and it never fails to deliver. Not as fruit forward as it was early but mellowed with great structure in it mature stage. Enjoying with a a home made stew and it was delish.
Good stuff Maynard
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2/23/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was completely difference from my last bottle 3 years ago. This seemed like 5 years old instead of 15 years old. There was tons of fruit, body and structure. It was big. The ample sweet tannins and acidity helped hold it all together and added life to the finish. There was chocolate, coffee and tobacco notes. A fun bottle.
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9/2/2019 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful nose of ripe fresh berries with terrific dark fruit that coats the palate. Notes of coffee, cigar box, cassis and milk chocolate with a finish that lingers for 30+ seconds. Well made wine that is drinking perfectly right now.
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1/20/2019 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Football payoff wine for me. Cork stained very dark and held up. Absolutely no bouquet upon opening. Fruit subdued, but as it spent the next six or so hours in various stages of opening in glass, fruit emerged. Very nice wine and needs time to breathe/decant. Sadly, i forgot to take the rest home with me to try another day. Was in no way faded and impressed me with the vibrant fruit. Recommended and should age at least 5 more years.
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5/1/2018 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
An herbal quality on the nose and palate. Dark fruited with nice fine tannins and good acidity. Medium body with long finish. Some tobacco and cedar. Was at its best with food.
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9/23/2017 - gesusser Likes this wine: 93 Points
1st of 3....One hour decant not enuff. Deep,rich cab..nice finish... needed more time as the last glass was the best...no rush to drink the rest
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1/25/2017 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic big, fruity CA cab. Lots of plum and cassis. It started off all fruit, but with great integrated tannins. As time went on it became more muted. Second day was not as good as the first, so it is probably nearing the end of its plateau. Maybe another 3 / 4 years. Reasonable QPR for this complexity of wine.
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11/2/2016 - Yamadori Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and Poured. Opens up pretty quickly at this stage of its' evolution. Nice, almost Bordeaux style nose of cassis and some cigar box. Doesn't have the intensity of past years but there is still plenty of ripe blue and black fruit in the profile. Shows secondaries of coffee grounds, cigar box and some cedar. The finish is still fairly long and the tannins are full integrated at this point. Holding up very well. Sadly this was my last bottle. It would have been nice to follow this wine through full maturity since it seems it should drink nicely for maybe another 10 years.
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1/6/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is fabulous and very special. Reminds me of Harlan. Deep concentrated with real depth of flavors and quite polished. Worth the effort to seek out. Very sadly my last bottle. I need more!
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12/25/2015 - flwinos wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour and a half. Drank over the next 1.5 hours. This wine never found its sweet spot for me. Fruit seems be have dissipated, though you do pick up secondary flavors. This was my only bottle, but I also wonder if this is more on the downhill side of its life. Good bottle nonetheless, but not for the price point. Wish I would have drank this sooner.
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12/18/2015 - kennyd Likes this wine: 92 Points
I love the Beau Vigne Reserve. Although not an inexpensive wine, the QPR is usually quite good because of the taste. I might have gone to 93-94, but right out of the bottle the flavors were somewhat muted. Air didn't really help much. And it wasn't any fuller the next day. This suggests to me that the wine MIGHT BE (not is) on a downward trend. Quite good wine, but I'm kind of glad it was the last '06 in our cellar.
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12/24/2014 - Pcrage wrote: 94 Points
Lovely wine. 2 hour decant then consumed over next 2 hours. Initially a delightful nose which became more muted as the evening progressed. Excellent structure and fruit but still a touch hot. Firm tannins softened a bit in hour 3. I suspect a few years more cellaring will reveal a wine worthy of higher 90's. Very very nice.
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12/27/2013 - Mr T wrote:
tasty big cab
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6/3/2013 - deschmehl wrote: 95 Points
On the balcony of our cruise ship to Alaska, in Glacier Bay
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4/10/2013 - jfkwines wrote:
Decanted for 90 minutes and put back in the bottle. Soft tannins , nice fruit not a bruiser, but a supple wine. Held up well with dinner of lamb and duck. Show prettier than a 2001 Dunn. Not better just not as brawny.
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3/30/2013 - Mr T wrote:
Nice big cab....good balance between gushing fruit and too much structure....nice wine..not cheap
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11/10/2012 - Yamadori wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours and rebottled. Nose is bursting with aromas of black raspberry and cassis. Tremendous attack of ripe black and blue fruits including blackcurrant and black raspberry. Notes of tobacco and leather. Very smooth and refined texture with no fall off in intensity as the wine moves across the palate. Long finish with moderate tannins and notes of black tea. I had hoped this had improved since my last bottle 2 years ago. However, i wouldn't say this bottle was better than the last so maybe this wine is at its' peak. Still an outstanding effort and worth the $90 price tag.
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5/3/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted ahead of time. Super rich and extracted. Dark purple/black color. Black raspberries, black cherries, blackberries, chocolate, dark roast espresso, beautiful new leather, cigar box. Classic cult Napa styling. Well done but not over the top by inches. Nice acidity, great grip. Chewy fleshy wine with massive but just resolving tannin structure. We both really liked this wine. Went well with the food but really this is a cocktail wine. Long lingering finish. I suppose this is worth the coin, it's certainly up there with other cults in the price range - maybe should be more like $75 not $100. Would like to try their Juliet. Nice experience.
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9/6/2011 - rxlaw95 wrote: 92 Points
Very well made and good but for me I still get some wet cardboard on the nose. Just don't see a 95 on this one, but maybe it's just my palette.
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4/16/2011 - rxlaw95 wrote: 96 Points
Everyone agreed at spring campout that this was the wine of the night except me. The price is a bit steep but you get what you pay for sometimes -- I got a wine that everyone thought was great. For me though, it was a bit musty on the nose. This seemed to diminish over time and much improve. In thinking over it, I probably should have opened this more than 20 minutes before pouring and also decanted. Wont happen again. In any case the wine for me is still coming together but I am borderline concerned about the must being a sign of either poor preservation or inageable wine. Either way, I still generally prefer to avoid 2006 napa cab and this one at a hundred bucks and high ratings did nothing to change my mind. Alas.
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3/7/2011 - gondrik Likes this wine: 95 Points
so far from ready to drink...needs a decade or two. has the stuff for great development.
Revise my drinkability estimate! This is now drinking wonderfully.
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12/29/2010 - franco rosso wrote: 96 Points
A great wine. From the fresh, berry filled nose to the long finish, this is an elegant, very smooth wine. I will serve it to the most discriminating guest. Everyone who tasted thought it was very, very elegant. The berry flavors were strong and changing, but seamless as they did so. This is my favorite Ca. wine.
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11/27/2010 - Yamadori wrote: 95 Points
Opened and left to breathe in the bottle for 3 hours. Lots of blueberry and a little tobacco on the nose. Full bodied and dense in the mouth with tons of black fruit with notes of tobacco, leather and dark chocolate. 45 second finish with smooth tannins. This is extremely rich and smooth with restrained power. Tremendous effort which, while very approachable now. should improve further over the next few years. It has already improved considerably since its release a couple of years ago.
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10/30/2010 - franco rosso wrote: 97 Points
Man, what a powerful wine. It began with a ripe fruity nose and the first taste was like berry jam. A couple of people who tasted it said that you could almost chew the wine. It had great tastes, well integrated and a super finish which was kind of woody. It was everything I look for in a wine. Most heartly recommended.
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9/17/2010 - WineSnob7 wrote: 94 Points
Big nose, does not take long to open up. Big and balanced, love it!!
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8/29/2010 - Remitrom wrote:
Really liked the bottle we had!
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12/30/2009 - Phin wrote: 95 Points
Needs tons of air (cellar time really), better day 2. Super black fruit with flavors of coffee, chocolate and lead pencil. Rich.
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12/24/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Two words - Liquid Velvet! Incredible wine!!! Tons of fruit with a super, long finish.
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4/4/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 94 Points
Final Four Blind Knockout (matt's house, highland park IL): nose: great big and rich nose filled with black berries, dark red cherries, dark raspberries, and a good amount of black currants and some hints of cedar. As it opens up more, it becomes a lot more expressive and balanced.
taste: great medium/full feel with expressive, rich, and deep dark tones of black berries, dark red cherries, and black currants with tones of cedar on the back end. Surprising medium/low tannins
overall: this is a beautiful wine at this young stage. Very expressive with excellent depth and very polished right now
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1/30/2009 - vintage72 wrote: 92 Points
WAY too young. Decanted for over two hours and was still tight as nails with a steak. Going to give this a beauty rest for a few years.
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1/27/2009 - jaylew1 wrote: 95 Points
I can't add much to 911s note, but to say that we didn't give it the air they did and it remained pretty primary throughout, but one gets the sense that in 5-10 years this could be one of the best Cali Cabs one has ever had. I would advise buying, but not opening, this wine.
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1/20/2009 - 911SCracer wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding bottle. So good I bought a case at a price I consider a steal! RP's assessment is spot on. The tannins in this dark wine are really soft enough to enjoy now. Needs an hour or two exposed to oxygen. Steadily improving, opening and changing as it's open. I've been tasting it over the last 4+ hours and still find something new in terms of nuance. Lots of black fruit, cigar box, lead pencil, menthol. Tremendously long finish.
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