Anniversary wine. Has aged well, tannins integrated although the wood is a tad more prominent (still) that I might want. Not super complex, core cab fruit comes through, tasted over 4 days and was excellent each day.
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Bottles in fine shape. Not saddled with the overextraction and torréfaction of a lot of bottles from the vintage. Overperfomed my expectations. Wish I had more bottles kicking around.
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One of the brett years. Its well integrated though. There is just sort of that mashed in sweaty sock and thing on the nose. It sticks out the most when opened and gradually folds in over time. The nose also features some still bright and ripe fruit. Like just passing out of primary into secondary. Hints of tomato behind raspberry, cedar and cassis. The palate is darker in fruit expression with some forest and mineral notes. It comes of a bit hollow with the ripeness of the vintage again rearing its head. But I gotta say this really integrates nicely overnight. The body fills out and the bretty integrates and this becomes another Forman that casts those Bordeaux shadows. I'd give this a vigorous decant at least an hour prior to consumption right now. It's showing more like 15 years old rather than 25. Last night I was just cool with it. Tonight I'm giddy.
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Garnet red, mild bricking; early minutes showing evolving spice, a little menthol,cranberry note; very smooth on the palate, dark plum flavor with menthol & spice notes, very full bodied, low tannin level making for a very smooth finish.
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Slightly higher score than our last tasting five years years ago though similar notes. The 1997 Forman is drinking beautifully at 25 years old and though I don't think it will get any better, there is no rush to drink it now. if you have a well stored bottle, drink over the next three years or so. Still nice color in the bowl with loads of black fruits in the nose and flavor, blackberries, black currants and black cherries with hints of chocolate and licorice and some tobacco in the nose. An elegant wine, very well balanced and a long silky finish. As i wrote five years ago, this wine is much better than the "expert" ratings. They clearly did not see where this wine was going. Maybe even a higher score was merited. Delicious!
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Fully mature. Nose is heavy, concentrated full of blackberries, black currants, cherry and tar. Ona palate wine is suprisingly elegant, medium body with fully integrated sweet tannins, moderate alcohol (13%) and sufficient acidity. A bit fat and friendly style allows to drink alone only for pleasure but would works with heavy meat meals. After 20+ years still holds strong fruit charakter. Testament of greatness of 1997 vintage in Napa.
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If tasted blind, it could be confused with a Bordeaux. Drinking really well now, but plenty of life left. A beautiful, complex wine. Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking.
Still drinking well, but believe it is time to finish this one off......I have 2 bottles left. I agree with other tasting notes that this wine has performed well beyond the Pro ratings.
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Wonderful cabernet aging gracefully with 10 more years still in the bottle. Still great color and rich black fruits with hints of chocolate and licorice. An elegant wine with great balance and a long finish. Very impressive, and performed way beyond the "expert" ratings. I'm very happy I still have one additional bottle in the cellar.
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This is simply a magnificent Cali Cab. Ric didn't jump the shark with other producers in 1997, and as a result 20 years on this wine is aging gracefully. Full, layered aromatics of rich plum fruit, with menthol, tobacco and dried herbs. The palate is concentrated yet light on its feet. Classic Cab notes with layers upon layers of flavor. Still has grippy tannin to match the abundant, but not ripe, fruit. A classic Cali Cab. A half bottle preserved for night two was still going strong. Should hold for a decade+.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & currants with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, herbal notes, some bell pepper notes, mint, olives, licorice, loam, earthy/dusty, coffee grounds, dark cocoa, minerals, spices & a slight hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & seamless, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices, toasty oak & vanilla in the background. Long lingering elegant finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but even at 20 years of age, it should continue with its present plateau of development for several years longer if cellared properly although any further development may be minimal. Based on my experience, Forman Cabs come closest to a Bordeaux in style & structure. This is an absolutely stellar wine; one of the best 1997's too!
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I'd held this bottle for years - caused some family a headache, so waited till my sons visited to try. Excellent wine, complex, old world as it evolves, with wonderful secondary notes. Can probably wait more but no need to. This is a very rewarding wait.
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Smell: blackberries, dark cherries, black currant, tar, delicate sweet. Palete: the same aromas like above plus high accidity, average extract, soft tannins, elegant body. Wine was perfectly aged and integrated. Big pleasure to drink but still intelectual wine.
By the way 2/3 of grapes used in 1997 vintage came from the famous Thorevilos Vineyard owned by David Abreu.
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Continues to drink impressively well. Nose is full with complex aromas of plums, herbs, green pepper and a little dose of funk. The palate has plush fruit with good concentration. Persistent with great length. A consistently strong bottle of wine that's in a long drinking plateau.
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93-94. This was fabulous. Brilliant red with purple hues. Slow ox'd for two hours before consumption. Very lush, ripe nose out of the bottle. Dark fruits with cherry overtones on the palate, with softer notes of graphite and menthol. All of the stuffing is still present, including firm but sweet tannins and long, lovely finish. Hard to imagine it any better, and no signs of decline in this bottle.
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Lovely wine. Hard to peg this as Napa. Would rival some of the top St. Julien Bordeaux 2nd Growths. Still has some very good concentration and hasn't aged much. Very aromatic, powerful aromas of tobacco, forest floor, earthiness, lead pencil, dark berries. Very powerful but very well balanced! Superb!
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For me 6th place, overall ranked at 10th with an average of 94,3.
Concentrated fruits, deep and complex, ripe and silky fine-grained tannins, tertiary notes, very young, at least 10 more years, refreshing acidity, great backbone , long finish, elegant, spicy,mint
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97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Lovely, comfortable sense of rusticity in this wine, campfire, leather boots, dung, dried herbs, roasted meat. Besides that the core is still rich and fruity, cherry-like. Quite bordeaux-like. I really liked its slightly rugged character.
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USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet with red and dark berries, flowers and sweet spices. On the palate full bodied with soft red berry fruits, flowers, beautiful fresh acidity in good balance with some pleasant sweetness. Perfectly soft tannin which still shows youthful. Great wine! No hurry at all.
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Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Beautiful bouquet with ripe and a bit sweet fruits as well as beautiful spiciness. On the palate soft cassis, chocolate, a lot of sweetness, but nicely balanced by good acidity. A concentrated beauty. No doubt completely ready now, but no real hurry either. It will most likely stay on this level for some years.
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Classic Mountain Cabernet. Nose of currants, licorice cedar and tobacco. Palate is pure and medium plus bodied, with more currants, herbs, minerals and earth. Drinking very well but still has time. Solid 93 points, nearly on par with the 01 Cos served alongside it.
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Gorgeous silky and refined texture is the notable feature of this excellent wine. I suspect a bit of American oak and super smooth cassis notes align with a touch of farmyard on the nose, The palate is extremely well constructed and has depth and great interest with nary a hard edge or under-ripe note. Very Californian but very classy. Drinking in early maturity. Not sure if it will improve (although it might) but it tastes excellent at the moment.
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Purple-ruby color; cedar, combo of red and black fruits, hints vanilla; smooth, well integrated tannin with some residual structure, light but clean and crisp fruits. Very good overall, young maturity. 91
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I would have mistaken this blind for a well-made Zinfandel (e.g. Ridge Geyserville or Carlisle). It had strong blueberry fruit that was not too syrupy, and was counterbalanced by a healthy acidity level. Not too heavy in the mouth. But pretty simple.
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Dinner at PDH (PDH): Good wine but blown away by the 87 on the table next to it. Rich ripe nose of dark berry fruit, still quite primary, a bit of graphite. In the mouth the fruit is tarter and more cassisy, and still quite structured, with ripe and fine but substantial tannin. With some time in the glass the wine got a bit disjointed and chunky, with the various components failing to integrate. I think this just needs more time.
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Decanted for an hour. Medium color right to the thin clear rim. Cedar, lead pencil and black licorice dominate the nose and lead to flavors of earthy dark fruit,(perhaps a bit of brett?), with the sappy/cedary note echoed from the aroma. There's a deep core of black fruit liqueur that's layered and nuanced. Powerful and still well structured this is an excellent Napa Cab that is delicious now and should remain so for at least a few more years. Drink now - 2015.
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Looked more like an '07 than a '97. A little mustiness on the nose, but plenty of fruit, as well. Big cassis on the palate, but it was surprisingly overwhelmed by tannins and acid. If I had any more (which I don't), I'd either aerate or let them sit a few more years.
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New World Dinner (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Started with fresh black Cabernet style fruit. Seemed to show some subtlety that I initially thought was from some Merlot in the blend, but now realize was from well-made, well-aged fruit. Perfectly structured, this is really an elegant CA Cab with excellent balance and nuance. Happy to find a 13% CA Cab. This wine lengthened and developed more complexity ove rthe course of several hours, so I think this will keep getting better for at least another 5-10 years.
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Fruit has receded to balance the secondary and tertiary characteristics. Cassis, tobacco, earth, leather on the nose. With light integrated tannins and receded fruit, the acidity dominates the palate. Moderate finish. Solid aged California cab, but also not remarkable.
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Color is ruby red with some bricking; Bright nose with cherry, cassis, a hint of brett; palate shows good structure, could still use a year of integration to be more supple, great fruit, bright and fresh; finish is medium-length, nice. Overall drinking well and almost at peak. Slightly better than the 1996 but overall pretty close. 91-92
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13.0% alcohol. For the third time in 18 months? This wine is off the hook. Just a spectacular Napa Cab that hasn't declined in the least. This is a relentless wine, showing great intensity and concentration but doing so on a weightless frame. It does not get bogged down in any of its elements, instead doing something so unusual for New World Cabernets I've drunk recently -- being powerful while maintaining a sense of grace and place. The wine is contemplative but eminently delightful. Napa Cabernet should all be so good. A
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Haunting nose of dried currant, attractive bell pepper, tobacco leaf and minerals. Palate is medium bodied with fine tannins that are integrated and freshening acidity. Fruit still youthful and pure. Long, penetrating and light on its feet across the palate. Second and third glass better than the first. Wow - this is special. Very Bordeaux-like. Ric Forman knows how to do it right.
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13% alcohol! this is quite simply, outstanding. my friend, roy piper, is a big fan of forman, and i sent him an email extoling the virtues of this wine. it's gotten even better since that message. decanted, and followed in the glass over 4 hours. succulent, fully mature, yet still showing lingering primary fruit (i know!), and revealing tobacco, cedar, deep red and blueberry notes. really, this makes you weep over what has happened to napa cab in the last 10 years. parker should be strung up by his heels, as well as the jack ass winemakers who followed his pathetic lead. beautiful.
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very nice bottle, followed Margaux 83, so it followed a big boy. This wine was big, nice nose, mid palate still demonstrates this wine can last another 10 years. This has a huge finish. Overall its aging very nicely AND it will improve over the next 5 to7 years for sure. A great wine, good QPR as well .Better than most wines twice the price from Napa.
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Nose of deep cedar, forest floor, a bit floral. Very rich. Smooth mouth feel with good cherry fruit. Still a bit of backbone and a touch of off taste (acid, soud) on the otherwise long and nice finish. Would have probably given it a 94 if not for that finish but still a very solid wine. These notes are from tasting the bottle on day two (it was part of our 97-98 comparison tasting).
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Full bodied mature Napa cabernet sauvignon, moderate oak noes that lasts throughout the taste and finish. Deep garnet red color with slight meniscus brown tint. Smooth berry and mocha hints on the tongue. Long finish with full fruit flavor and oak. Very good with lamb dish.
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Drank at Jill's 50th birthday party. Very well integrated and balanced with a solid core of black fruits behind hints of tobacco and saddle leather. Aging nicely but still youthful probably due to large bottle format (magnum). If you have a magnum hold for at least five more years because it still has firm tannins on the finish. Will most likely earn a better score in five to ten years. Great job Ric!
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What a nice surprise. Found in the cellar. Cork in perfect condition. Lots of sediment on the side. Deep dark red. Lots of mature dark fruit, with a host of complex touches: leather, spice, coffee... Very balanced and round in the mouth, rich and yet silky smooth. One of the best Napa '97 Cabs I have tasted in the last few years.
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13.0% alcohol. This is a stunning wine. Not showing any signs of age. Solid red color. A refined bouquet, bursting with cool black currant fruit, cedar, tobacco, and rich earthy notes. In the mouth, this wine is very complete and a picture of class. The flavors are so pure and just dance in harmony together. Each sip reveals the impeccable balance and seemingly endless layers of this wine. Still youthful, but the structure is so refined that you can barely tell it's there. A spectacular wine. A
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Nice cabernet that has mellowed with time -- it was very cloudy almost like a burgundy but had the taste of an aged Bordeaux. Well balanced with soft rpe fruits. BUT I think this wine may be getting past its prime -- time to drink up and enjoy before it is too long.
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Tasting at Vintage Wines in San Diego. Oohing and aching over this wine. I'd have sworn it was a Bordeaux, '00, '03, or '05. Rich dark color, great legs, Bubbles galore at the edge. Very fine. Beautiful nose. Rich, deep Cabernet fruit. Doesn't get much better. Wow! Gorgeous on the palate, too. Balanced and rich. I'd again have sworn it's a left bank Bordeaux. Restrained, elegant, rich and fine. So excellent. Near perfection. 96/100.
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13.0% alcohol. Further along than the Montelena, but still youthful. Dark red color. Amazingly pure bouquet of black fruit, tobacco, and earth. In the mouth, graceful and concentrated. This is just the style of Cab I love. Fruit-forward but not giving up its natural complexity for the sake of it. Balanced, concentrated, and pure, this just unfolds and keeps going. A marathon racer with perfect style. A
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Getting down to the end, really nice at this point but will not improve from here. Excellent buy at the time, complex on the palate, nice nose all around solid cab.
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what a treat , a truly superb bottle of mature cab. the fruit ,the tannins , the nose all were very much in sync......this did the trick . one of the best 1997 cabs i have had in the last 2 or 3 years
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90 points initially. I think this could score another couple of points in several years, as it still strikes me as a bit undeveloped. The nose initially presents as chalky and sweet, sort of like a Valentine's Day heart candy. A bit of time and it picks up some additional mediterranean aromas. The palate doesn't quite match for richness. Medium bodied for a Cali Cab. I can see the comparisons others have made to both Bordeaux and Brunello. Quite old world in style, at least for my taste. Update Day 2 - a better wine this day, with the palate gaining a bit of weight and becoming more complex. On the nose, an interesting note of pine resin that is quite attractive. No longer gives the feeling of a brunello, this is more obviously cab now. Chalky minerality, with a light note of olive on the palate. Some remaining tannins on the finish. I like California cabs on the old side, and for me, this would have the stuffing to age nicely. If I had more, I'd probably hold for 5 years.
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Three bottles over the last 6 months have all shown excellent balance, full nuanced flavors, personality and winemaking skill. As one who favors bordeaux style, forman is my kind of cab. Should easily go another 5 years.
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As Roberto Di Vicenzo once famously said after signing an incorrect scorecard to lose a major, "I'm a big stupid." That's the humbling world of blind winetasting, where speaking personally, I've experienced both incredible success and abject failure. Tonight was one of "those," when I pegged this as a brunello. At least my first thought was a Super Tuscan cab/sangiovese blend. That's in the distantly recognizable ballpark, if you're being generous. Another triumph in stylistic purity for Forman-initially undetectable to me as a New World Wine at all, let alone a California cab. Really hitting its stride right now, elegant black fruits leading a gorgeous attack. There seemed to be jot the right dollop of acidity, which led me astray but speaks volumes about the winemaker's intent here. Always a bellwether. And two weeks ago I was tasting at the winery! Time to go drown my sorrows.
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13% alcohol. i can't remember the last time i had a forman cab. not decanted, my bottle. distinctive nose of leather and feint cigar box. mature fruit dominated by cassis. integrated tannin and oak. smooth and supple, it's a beautifully understated wine of elegance. i believe this is at it's peak, and well stored bottles may still reward some more short term cellaring, but i'm not going to chance it with my other bottle. drink, rather than hold.
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Tasted in double-blind fashion. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense black currant, plum, cardamom and vanilla aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium ripe tannins and primary (youthful) flavors which mirror the nose. Long, smooth finish. This is a ripe wine which still appears to be young. Despite its 11+ year age, it will definitely drink nicely for several more years. Drink now-12/15.
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Day after from memory. Full-throttle cab without being in the least overpowering or offensive. Just roared from the glass with dark berry and cassis aromas with a telltale streak of minerality-rich and satisfying to drink on one of the first really chill nights this year. I had it with a roasted monkfish dish of all things and the tannins had relaxed to the point where it wasn't wholly incompatible. It tasted so good I didn't care.
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As with the rest of the vintage, this has a looser, softer feel, but seems to be one of the few '97's that could reach middle age. Still youthful from my cold cellar.
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Can this be better than a year ago? Tannins resolved and fresh fruit dominates...maybe a touch too much sweetness for a cab but none the less a big treat and very pleasant surprise....this seems to have done much better than many other 97's I purchased.
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TNs: '97 Forman Cab, '98 Banfi BdM Poggio Alle Mura, '00 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Loreto, '01 Remirez de Ganuza, '01 Mas d'en Gil Clos Fontá, '00 Jaboulet Hermitage Pied de Cote, '99 Lafleur Gazin & '04 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos. (Monterrey, Mexico): Judging color was impossible given the poor lighting conditions. This had gorgeous aromatics filled with laser-like black currant, black pepper and roasted coffee. This is obviously from a ripe year and I am thinking it is a Cabernet. I immediately wrote down "Napa Cab?" in my sheet and then had second thoughts after tasting the other wines in the line up and given the very attractive complexity in the aromatics of this wine. I changed my mind primarily due to the very modern, jammy and lavishly oaked wine number 2 which i thought "had to be a New World wine" and Napa was the only category that fit. I should have stuck with my original deduction but didn't. This would continue all night long. Most others thought this was the Brunello di Montalcino. I thought it was a Left bank Bordeaux from a very ripe year (1996?).
I brought this wine, and for the first time at these monthly tastings, the wine I brought was my WOTN. This wine was also the overwhelming WOTN for the group (4 of 5 tasters chose it as their WOTN and the other one gave it 2nd place). I finally made my tasting group prefer a New World wine over several Old World options. This wine is at its prime and offering a very attractive marriage between ripeness and finesse.
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The bottle seems a bit off looking at other tasting notes
the nose is the nest part - a 93+ nose of cherry, olives, leather, just a hint of alc and VA, brunello nose the palatte through doesnt follow through - even though the fruit (black) and minerality are there(as well as bell pepper) it seems to die away on the finish, ending with rather rough tannins and VA, oh well
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this wine impressed the hell out of the group. so young in it's presentation! loved the low (13%) alcohol. man, you don't HAVE to pick super ripe do you? really delicious, and will keep for a long time. excellent.
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3/27/2024 - Stumptown Steve Likes this wine: 90 Points
Anniversary wine. Has aged well, tannins integrated although the wood is a tad more prominent (still) that I might want. Not super complex, core cab fruit comes through, tasted over 4 days and was excellent each day.
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4/30/2023 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
Bottles in fine shape. Not saddled with the overextraction and torréfaction of a lot of bottles from the vintage. Overperfomed my expectations. Wish I had more bottles kicking around.
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3/17/2023 - WetRock wrote:
One of the brett years. Its well integrated though. There is just sort of that mashed in sweaty sock and thing on the nose. It sticks out the most when opened and gradually folds in over time. The nose also features some still bright and ripe fruit. Like just passing out of primary into secondary. Hints of tomato behind raspberry, cedar and cassis. The palate is darker in fruit expression with some forest and mineral notes. It comes of a bit hollow with the ripeness of the vintage again rearing its head. But I gotta say this really integrates nicely overnight. The body fills out and the bretty integrates and this becomes another Forman that casts those Bordeaux shadows. I'd give this a vigorous decant at least an hour prior to consumption right now. It's showing more like 15 years old rather than 25. Last night I was just cool with it. Tonight I'm giddy.
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9/18/2022 - vinojones wrote: 94 Points
Garnet red, mild bricking; early minutes showing evolving spice, a little menthol,cranberry note; very smooth on the palate, dark plum flavor with menthol & spice notes, very full bodied, low tannin level making for a very smooth finish.
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8/7/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slightly higher score than our last tasting five years years ago though similar notes. The 1997 Forman is drinking beautifully at 25 years old and though I don't think it will get any better, there is no rush to drink it now. if you have a well stored bottle, drink over the next three years or so. Still nice color in the bowl with loads of black fruits in the nose and flavor, blackberries, black currants and black cherries with hints of chocolate and licorice and some tobacco in the nose. An elegant wine, very well balanced and a long silky finish. As i wrote five years ago, this wine is much better than the "expert" ratings. They clearly did not see where this wine was going. Maybe even a higher score was merited. Delicious!
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6/16/2022 - Joealex Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fully mature.
Nose is heavy, concentrated full of blackberries, black currants, cherry and tar.
Ona palate wine is suprisingly elegant, medium body with fully integrated sweet tannins, moderate alcohol (13%) and sufficient acidity. A bit fat and friendly style allows to drink alone only for pleasure but would works with heavy meat meals. After 20+ years still holds strong fruit charakter. Testament of greatness of 1997 vintage in Napa.
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5/6/2022 - jmcelroy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful , lovely structure and fruit
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6/1/2019 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
If tasted blind, it could be confused with a Bordeaux. Drinking really well now, but plenty of life left. A beautiful, complex wine. Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking.
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10/8/2018 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking well, but believe it is time to finish this one off......I have 2 bottles left. I agree with other tasting notes that this wine has performed well beyond the Pro ratings.
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10/28/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful cabernet aging gracefully with 10 more years still in the bottle. Still great color and rich black fruits with hints of chocolate and licorice. An elegant wine with great balance and a long finish. Very impressive, and performed way beyond the "expert" ratings. I'm very happy I still have one additional bottle in the cellar.
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9/2/2017 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
This is simply a magnificent Cali Cab. Ric didn't jump the shark with other producers in 1997, and as a result 20 years on this wine is aging gracefully. Full, layered aromatics of rich plum fruit, with menthol, tobacco and dried herbs. The palate is concentrated yet light on its feet. Classic Cab notes with layers upon layers of flavor. Still has grippy tannin to match the abundant, but not ripe, fruit. A classic Cali Cab. A half bottle preserved for night two was still going strong. Should hold for a decade+.
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5/24/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & currants with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, herbal notes, some bell pepper notes, mint, olives, licorice, loam, earthy/dusty, coffee grounds, dark cocoa, minerals, spices & a slight hint of vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & seamless, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices, toasty oak & vanilla in the background. Long lingering elegant finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but even at 20 years of age, it should continue with its present plateau of development for several years longer if cellared properly although any further development may be minimal. Based on my experience, Forman Cabs come closest to a Bordeaux in style & structure. This is an absolutely stellar wine; one of the best 1997's too!
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3/9/2017 - capacious Likes this wine: 94 Points
I'd held this bottle for years - caused some family a headache, so waited till my sons visited to try. Excellent wine, complex, old world as it evolves, with wonderful secondary notes. Can probably wait more but no need to. This is a very rewarding wait.
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10/29/2016 - Joealex wrote: 94 Points
Smell: blackberries, dark cherries, black currant, tar, delicate sweet.
Palete: the same aromas like above plus high accidity, average extract, soft tannins, elegant body. Wine was perfectly aged and integrated. Big pleasure to drink but still intelectual wine.
By the way 2/3 of grapes used in 1997 vintage came from the famous Thorevilos Vineyard owned by David Abreu.
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10/23/2016 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Continues to drink impressively well. Nose is full with complex aromas of plums, herbs, green pepper and a little dose of funk. The palate has plush fruit with good concentration. Persistent with great length. A consistently strong bottle of wine that's in a long drinking plateau.
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5/22/2016 - maxfischer wrote: 93 Points
93-94. This was fabulous. Brilliant red with purple hues. Slow ox'd for two hours before consumption. Very lush, ripe nose out of the bottle. Dark fruits with cherry overtones on the palate, with softer notes of graphite and menthol. All of the stuffing is still present, including firm but sweet tannins and long, lovely finish. Hard to imagine it any better, and no signs of decline in this bottle.
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1/20/2016 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine. Hard to peg this as Napa. Would rival some of the top St. Julien Bordeaux 2nd Growths.
Still has some very good concentration and hasn't aged much. Very aromatic, powerful aromas of tobacco, forest floor, earthiness, lead pencil, dark berries. Very powerful but very well balanced! Superb!
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12/23/2015 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Last bottle of this and it was a beauty. Gorgeous textbook Cali cab of its era. Loved it.
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10/2/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
Big Blind Tasting of 19 Reds from California 1997
For me 6th place, overall ranked at 10th with an average of 94,3.
Concentrated fruits, deep and complex, ripe and silky fine-grained tannins, tertiary notes, very young, at least 10 more years, refreshing acidity, great backbone , long finish, elegant, spicy,mint
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9/26/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Lovely, comfortable sense of rusticity in this wine, campfire, leather boots, dung, dried herbs, roasted meat. Besides that the core is still rich and fruity, cherry-like. Quite bordeaux-like. I really liked its slightly rugged character.
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9/26/2015 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Beautiful bouquet with red and dark berries, flowers and sweet spices. On the palate full bodied with soft red berry fruits, flowers, beautiful fresh acidity in good balance with some pleasant sweetness. Perfectly soft tannin which still shows youthful. Great wine! No hurry at all.
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8/2/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Beautiful bouquet with ripe and a bit sweet fruits as well as beautiful spiciness. On the palate soft cassis, chocolate, a lot of sweetness, but nicely balanced by good acidity. A concentrated beauty. No doubt completely ready now, but no real hurry either. It will most likely stay on this level for some years.
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1/13/2014 - sastewart wrote: 93 Points
Classic Mountain Cabernet. Nose of currants, licorice cedar and tobacco. Palate is pure and medium plus bodied, with more currants, herbs, minerals and earth. Drinking very well but still has time. Solid 93 points, nearly on par with the 01 Cos served alongside it.
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11/16/2013 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous silky and refined texture is the notable feature of this excellent wine. I suspect a bit of American oak and super smooth cassis notes align with a touch of farmyard on the nose, The palate is extremely well constructed and has depth and great interest with nary a hard edge or under-ripe note. Very Californian but very classy. Drinking in early maturity. Not sure if it will improve (although it might) but it tastes excellent at the moment.
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8/24/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Purple-ruby color; cedar, combo of red and black fruits, hints vanilla; smooth, well integrated tannin with some residual structure, light but clean and crisp fruits. Very good overall, young maturity. 91
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8/23/2012 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
I would have mistaken this blind for a well-made Zinfandel (e.g. Ridge Geyserville or Carlisle). It had strong blueberry fruit that was not too syrupy, and was counterbalanced by a healthy acidity level. Not too heavy in the mouth. But pretty simple.
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8/23/2012 - coremill wrote: 89 Points
Dinner at PDH (PDH): Good wine but blown away by the 87 on the table next to it. Rich ripe nose of dark berry fruit, still quite primary, a bit of graphite. In the mouth the fruit is tarter and more cassisy, and still quite structured, with ripe and fine but substantial tannin. With some time in the glass the wine got a bit disjointed and chunky, with the various components failing to integrate. I think this just needs more time.
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5/18/2012 - edjBoca wrote: 92 Points
Really opened up after a few hours. This is a classic old world California Cabernet. It will last a few more years....just adjust the decant time.
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3/20/2012 - jfagan wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Medium color right to the thin clear rim. Cedar, lead pencil and black licorice dominate the nose and lead to flavors of earthy dark fruit,(perhaps a bit of brett?), with the sappy/cedary note echoed from the aroma. There's a deep core of black fruit liqueur that's layered and nuanced. Powerful and still well structured this is an excellent Napa Cab that is delicious now and should remain so for at least a few more years. Drink now - 2015.
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2/4/2012 - Night Train wrote: 88 Points
Looked more like an '07 than a '97. A little mustiness on the nose, but plenty of fruit, as well. Big cassis on the palate, but it was surprisingly overwhelmed by tannins and acid. If I had any more (which I don't), I'd either aerate or let them sit a few more years.
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12/5/2011 - RWCA wrote: 93 Points
Paired with a Filet last night. Very well balanced between fruit and tannins with cherry, cassis on the taste.
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11/5/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
New World Dinner (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Started with fresh black Cabernet style fruit. Seemed to show some subtlety that I initially thought was from some Merlot in the blend, but now realize was from well-made, well-aged fruit. Perfectly structured, this is really an elegant CA Cab with excellent balance and nuance. Happy to find a 13% CA Cab. This wine lengthened and developed more complexity ove rthe course of several hours, so I think this will keep getting better for at least another 5-10 years.
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10/15/2011 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Fruit has receded to balance the secondary and tertiary characteristics. Cassis, tobacco, earth, leather on the nose. With light integrated tannins and receded fruit, the acidity dominates the palate. Moderate finish. Solid aged California cab, but also not remarkable.
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7/4/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Color is ruby red with some bricking; Bright nose with cherry, cassis, a hint of brett; palate shows good structure, could still use a year of integration to be more supple, great fruit, bright and fresh; finish is medium-length, nice. Overall drinking well and almost at peak. Slightly better than the 1996 but overall pretty close. 91-92
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6/26/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
13.0% alcohol. For the third time in 18 months? This wine is off the hook. Just a spectacular Napa Cab that hasn't declined in the least. This is a relentless wine, showing great intensity and concentration but doing so on a weightless frame. It does not get bogged down in any of its elements, instead doing something so unusual for New World Cabernets I've drunk recently -- being powerful while maintaining a sense of grace and place. The wine is contemplative but eminently delightful. Napa Cabernet should all be so good. A
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5/1/2011 - RWCA wrote: 94 Points
Well worth the wait! Opened up very nice, perfect with steak and has a couple more years left.
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4/2/2011 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Haunting nose of dried currant, attractive bell pepper, tobacco leaf and minerals. Palate is medium bodied with fine tannins that are integrated and freshening acidity. Fruit still youthful and pure. Long, penetrating and light on its feet across the palate. Second and third glass better than the first. Wow - this is special. Very Bordeaux-like. Ric Forman knows how to do it right.
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2/27/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 95 Points
13% alcohol! this is quite simply, outstanding. my friend, roy piper, is a big fan of forman, and i sent him an email extoling the virtues of this wine. it's gotten even better since that message. decanted, and followed in the glass over 4 hours. succulent, fully mature, yet still showing lingering primary fruit (i know!), and revealing tobacco, cedar, deep red and blueberry notes. really, this makes you weep over what has happened to napa cab in the last 10 years. parker should be strung up by his heels, as well as the jack ass winemakers who followed his pathetic lead. beautiful.
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1/9/2011 - wallstreet wrote:
very nice bottle, followed Margaux 83, so it followed a big boy. This wine was big, nice nose, mid palate still demonstrates this wine can last another 10 years. This has a huge finish. Overall its aging very nicely AND it will improve over the next 5 to7 years for sure. A great wine, good QPR as well .Better than most wines twice the price from Napa.
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1/1/2011 - AlexHop wrote: 93 Points
Nose of deep cedar, forest floor, a bit floral. Very rich. Smooth mouth feel with good cherry fruit. Still a bit of backbone and a touch of off taste (acid, soud) on the otherwise long and nice finish. Would have probably given it a 94 if not for that finish but still a very solid wine. These notes are from tasting the bottle on day two (it was part of our 97-98 comparison tasting).
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12/24/2010 - wehouck wrote: 93 Points
Full bodied mature Napa cabernet sauvignon, moderate oak noes that lasts throughout the taste and finish. Deep garnet red color with slight meniscus brown tint. Smooth berry and mocha hints on the tongue. Long finish with full fruit flavor and oak. Very good with lamb dish.
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11/14/2010 - Mr. Muga wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Jill's 50th birthday party. Very well integrated and balanced with a solid core of black fruits behind hints of tobacco and saddle leather. Aging nicely but still youthful probably due to large bottle format (magnum). If you have a magnum hold for at least five more years because it still has firm tannins on the finish. Will most likely earn a better score in five to ten years. Great job Ric!
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8/22/2010 - RR47 wrote: 93 Points
What a nice surprise. Found in the cellar. Cork in perfect condition. Lots of sediment on the side. Deep dark red. Lots of mature dark fruit, with a host of complex touches: leather, spice, coffee... Very balanced and round in the mouth, rich and yet silky smooth. One of the best Napa '97 Cabs I have tasted in the last few years.
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8/8/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, nice flavors of black fruits. Long finish. Midpalate seems just a tad light.
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6/29/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
13.0% alcohol. This is a stunning wine. Not showing any signs of age. Solid red color. A refined bouquet, bursting with cool black currant fruit, cedar, tobacco, and rich earthy notes. In the mouth, this wine is very complete and a picture of class. The flavors are so pure and just dance in harmony together. Each sip reveals the impeccable balance and seemingly endless layers of this wine. Still youthful, but the structure is so refined that you can barely tell it's there. A spectacular wine. A
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3/1/2010 - shk5157 wrote: 94 Points
aged to opulent fruit, not overextracted
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2/28/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 90 Points
Nice cabernet that has mellowed with time -- it was very cloudy almost like a burgundy but had the taste of an aged Bordeaux. Well balanced with soft rpe fruits. BUT I think this wine may be getting past its prime -- time to drink up and enjoy before it is too long.
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12/11/2009 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasting at Vintage Wines in San Diego. Oohing and aching over this wine. I'd have sworn it was a Bordeaux, '00, '03, or '05. Rich dark color, great legs, Bubbles galore at the edge. Very fine. Beautiful nose. Rich, deep Cabernet fruit. Doesn't get much better. Wow! Gorgeous on the palate, too. Balanced and rich. I'd again have sworn it's a left bank Bordeaux. Restrained, elegant, rich and fine. So excellent. Near perfection. 96/100.
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12/10/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
13.0% alcohol. Further along than the Montelena, but still youthful. Dark red color. Amazingly pure bouquet of black fruit, tobacco, and earth. In the mouth, graceful and concentrated. This is just the style of Cab I love. Fruit-forward but not giving up its natural complexity for the sake of it. Balanced, concentrated, and pure, this just unfolds and keeps going. A marathon racer with perfect style. A
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9/13/2009 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful mature Cab.
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5/31/2009 - itsallgone wrote: 85 Points
A disappointment...felt the alchohol at the back of the mouth. An earthy tone, not any disernable fruit.
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5/27/2009 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Getting down to the end, really nice at this point but will not improve from here. Excellent buy at the time, complex on the palate, nice nose all around solid cab.
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4/5/2009 - jsebiri wrote: 94 Points
what a treat , a truly superb bottle of mature cab. the fruit ,the tannins , the nose all were very much in sync......this did the trick . one of the best 1997 cabs i have had in the last 2 or 3 years
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2/20/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
90 points initially. I think this could score another couple of points in several years, as it still strikes me as a bit undeveloped. The nose initially presents as chalky and sweet, sort of like a Valentine's Day heart candy. A bit of time and it picks up some additional mediterranean aromas. The palate doesn't quite match for richness. Medium bodied for a Cali Cab. I can see the comparisons others have made to both Bordeaux and Brunello. Quite old world in style, at least for my taste. Update Day 2 - a better wine this day, with the palate gaining a bit of weight and becoming more complex. On the nose, an interesting note of pine resin that is quite attractive. No longer gives the feeling of a brunello, this is more obviously cab now. Chalky minerality, with a light note of olive on the palate. Some remaining tannins on the finish. I like California cabs on the old side, and for me, this would have the stuffing to age nicely. If I had more, I'd probably hold for 5 years.
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1/25/2009 - alamoave wrote: 92 Points
Three bottles over the last 6 months have all shown excellent balance, full nuanced flavors, personality and winemaking skill. As one who favors bordeaux style, forman is my kind of cab. Should easily go another 5 years.
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11/23/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 91 Points
As Roberto Di Vicenzo once famously said after signing an incorrect scorecard to lose a major, "I'm a big stupid." That's the humbling world of blind winetasting, where speaking personally, I've experienced both incredible success and abject failure. Tonight was one of "those," when I pegged this as a brunello. At least my first thought was a Super Tuscan cab/sangiovese blend. That's in the distantly recognizable ballpark, if you're being generous. Another triumph in stylistic purity for Forman-initially undetectable to me as a New World Wine at all, let alone a California cab. Really hitting its stride right now, elegant black fruits leading a gorgeous attack. There seemed to be jot the right dollop of acidity, which led me astray but speaks volumes about the winemaker's intent here. Always a bellwether. And two weeks ago I was tasting at the winery! Time to go drown my sorrows.
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9/21/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours.
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7/24/2008 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
13% alcohol. i can't remember the last time i had a forman cab. not decanted, my bottle. distinctive nose of leather and feint cigar box. mature fruit dominated by cassis. integrated tannin and oak. smooth and supple, it's a beautifully understated wine of elegance. i believe this is at it's peak, and well stored bottles may still reward some more short term cellaring, but i'm not going to chance it with my other bottle. drink, rather than hold.
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7/16/2008 - JScott wrote: 93 Points
Throwing tons of sediment. Dark as night, really no signs of age but showing very well.
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6/20/2008 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion. Bright disc. Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense black currant, plum, cardamom and vanilla aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium ripe tannins and primary (youthful) flavors which mirror the nose. Long, smooth finish. This is a ripe wine which still appears to be young. Despite its 11+ year age, it will definitely drink nicely for several more years. Drink now-12/15.
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5/6/2008 - JScott wrote: 93 Points
How does Ric Forman not get more press? One of the more underrated wine makers in Napa. Drinking beautifully now with fruit to burn.
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2/21/2008 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful nose of crushed red fruits, cedar, smoke, minaral and a long finish not even in the drinking window yet. Very fresh and vibrant.
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12/5/2007 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Consistently good, this bottle seemed very dark and rich.
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11/16/2007 - bevetroppo wrote: 91 Points
Day after from memory. Full-throttle cab without being in the least overpowering or offensive. Just roared from the glass with dark berry and cassis aromas with a telltale streak of minerality-rich and satisfying to drink on one of the first really chill nights this year. I had it with a roasted monkfish dish of all things and the tannins had relaxed to the point where it wasn't wholly incompatible. It tasted so good I didn't care.
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10/29/2007 - Double D wrote: 94 Points
This turned out great, well worth the wait....seems like it still has some years left.
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9/2/2007 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
As with the rest of the vintage, this has a looser, softer feel, but seems to be one of the few '97's that could reach middle age. Still youthful from my cold cellar.
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8/4/2007 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Can this be better than a year ago? Tannins resolved and fresh fruit dominates...maybe a touch too much sweetness for a cab but none the less a big treat and very pleasant surprise....this seems to have done much better than many other 97's I purchased.
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7/22/2007 - Pablo T wrote: 92 Points
Drank from mag. Excellent cab with good fruit.
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5/3/2007 - napaJ6 wrote: 88 Points
Bland, tired, and over the hill. Bottle was in perfect condition and stored properly. Bummer dude.
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12/13/2006 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
TNs: '97 Forman Cab, '98 Banfi BdM Poggio Alle Mura, '00 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Loreto, '01 Remirez de Ganuza, '01 Mas d'en Gil Clos Fontá, '00 Jaboulet Hermitage Pied de Cote, '99 Lafleur Gazin & '04 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos. (Monterrey, Mexico): Judging color was impossible given the poor lighting conditions. This had gorgeous aromatics filled with laser-like black currant, black pepper and roasted coffee. This is obviously from a ripe year and I am thinking it is a Cabernet. I immediately wrote down "Napa Cab?" in my sheet and then had second thoughts after tasting the other wines in the line up and given the very attractive complexity in the aromatics of this wine. I changed my mind primarily due to the very modern, jammy and lavishly oaked wine number 2 which i thought "had to be a New World wine" and Napa was the only category that fit. I should have stuck with my original deduction but didn't. This would continue all night long. Most others thought this was the Brunello di Montalcino. I thought it was a Left bank Bordeaux from a very ripe year (1996?).
I brought this wine, and for the first time at these monthly tastings, the wine I brought was my WOTN. This wine was also the overwhelming WOTN for the group (4 of 5 tasters chose it as their WOTN and the other one gave it 2nd place). I finally made my tasting group prefer a New World wine over several Old World options. This wine is at its prime and offering a very attractive marriage between ripeness and finesse.
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10/4/2006 - Mlermontov wrote: 89 Points
The bottle seems a bit off looking at other tasting notes
the nose is the nest part - a 93+ nose of cherry, olives, leather, just a hint of alc and VA, brunello nose
the palatte through doesnt follow through - even though the fruit (black) and minerality are there(as well as bell pepper) it seems to die away on the finish, ending with rather rough tannins and VA, oh well
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7/23/2006 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Smooth, with tannins resolved, dark fruit not as aromatic as I remember, maybe even slightly medicinal on the nose
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6/14/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 94 Points
this wine impressed the hell out of the group. so young in it's presentation! loved the low (13%) alcohol. man, you don't HAVE to pick super ripe do you? really delicious, and will keep for a long time. excellent.
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5/21/2006 - KellyW wrote: 93 Points
Great stuff. Very complex. Years ahead of it.
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5/2/2006 - BradE wrote:
Very decent. Everyone liked it. I think a good 10 years of life left. Nice nose, very good finish.
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9/4/2005 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Black cherry, tar, earth, and licorice notes. Firm tannins, long finish.
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