The biggest flaw with this wine was tasting it side by side with the 2006 Pride Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Still very good on it's own, just didn't have the oomph of the Reserve Cabernet. Still very nice plum and black cherry fruit with chocolate in the nose and flavor. The Merlot gave it a much softer mouthfeel. The claret was medium to full bodied with nice complexity, structure and balance. A very nice food wine like it's counterpart with a long finish. This wine is also in a good place right now.
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Lower nose on this, cherry compote, rich, concentrated, reduction sauce, good lift tangy black cherry, slight candied cherry, plush. My 3rd place of the bunch. Group. ranked this at #11 of 13. Probably because it was less aromatic. DD Napa Cabs blind at Michaels
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Pnp, then slow ox in glass. Dark mountain fruit, chocolate, subdued yet noticeable soft tannin. opulent, medium to full bodied. No secondary terroir or herbal flavors. Best after 1-2 hours. This is a slow evolving wine as it didn't vary from the last time I had this. This was my 3rd bottle in the past couple years. Impressive!
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Pnp, then slow ox in glass. Dark mountain fruit, chocolate, opulent mouthfeel, full bodied, sediment at end. Not much secondary terroir flavors. Best after open for 3 hours. This is a slow evolving wine as it didn't vary from the last time I had this 2 years ago.
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Not the best example of Claret, e.g. compared to the excellent 2008 vintage. I assume there may be a chance that it is caused by bottle variation. Fully mature, but the well-developed fresh structure suggests it can age further. Wine exhibits overripe plumb, blackberry, hints of raspberry with some licorice. But there is a clear misbalance between the bouquet and flavor components, which makes tasting experience not overly pleasant
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An excellent producer and wine maker, Sally Johnson. This was an auction wine purchase. Flavors of this wine are pronounced and dense. Milk chocolate, dark fruit, cassis, blueberry. Smooth, long finish, 15.2 abv a little too high for this wine. Decanted for 2.5 hr. This wine still has 5 to 10 years of life. Wonderful experience and wine.
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Much improved since last bottle. This was given a 2 + hour decant which it needed; Really nice structure & finish..rich smooth and in its drinking window
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Drinking great now. Incredible nose and very long finish. Massive fruit concentration, but it has layers secondary notes to enjoy as it sits in the glass. Loved this wine!
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Short decant not nearly enough and while we vacuumed sealed it and reopened the next night, it just never seemed to have opened up.good, but expensive for what it is now; hold them as it is potentially a better wine than now showing
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Decanted for 30 min., then rebottled for ride to restaurant. Opened 30 min later, drank over 1.5 hours. Smooth & delicious, got even better with air. Rich fruit, nice balance. Greatly enjoyed by all. Of course last glass was the best.
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PnP. 1st half of bottle was somewhat tight, but still a nice Pride nose and big fruit taste. 24 hours later after storing 2nd half of bottle in a cold fridge, wine was better, smoother and still a full fruit bouquet. Has time to further develop and mature.
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Pretty red garnet. Nose was Pride, but taken down a notch-spices, black fruits. Taste was smooth, nice with a steak dinner. Definitely Pride, but more mellow than the Cab reserves, or even the regular Cabs.
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Beautifully made wine but not as impressed with it as previously tasted. Ambiance of the setting in which wine was drunk highly influenced the experience of the wine when first tasted.
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Great nose as soon as it was opened, but put in the decanter for 2 hours and served with marinated pork loin. The decanting did the wine a lot of good. Still shows young. No bricking at the edge. Aromas of black fruit, cocoa, cassis and tobacco. Starting to develop some complexity. The flavors mirrored the nose with some anise in the long smooth finish. The tannin is still there for backbone, but it is very smooth. Great now, but should only improve with a few more years.
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While still young, this claret exhibits all reasons why Pride Mtn is so sought after. Well integrated merlot/cab, lasting finish, wonderful fruit, nice weight on the plate.
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Cocoa, cedar and mint on the nose, dark chocolate and dark fruit on the palate, hints of tobacco and licorice with a creaminess throughout with balanced tannins and a very long finish, one of my favorites!
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PnP. 1st half bottle was somewhat tight, but still a nice Pride nose and big fruit taste. 2nd half of bottle was much better. Still tight on the finish, so it has time to further develop and mature.
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I give this the same score as the Foley '03 Claret that was served immediately following this at Thanksgiving, even though the consensus was that it was edged out by the Foley. Great fruit, finish,etc., but not quite as complex as the Foley -- maybe in a few years? Both were decanted for 2 hours.
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we had this at a restaurant (from our cellar) - popped and poured - it was sensational. deep dark fruits, chocolate, cassis, everything good about mountain fruit...
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15.2% ABV. Decanted briefly. Dark garnet, pretty much opaque in the glass. Reticent nose of oak, cocoa, and cedar. Full bodied with dark currant fruit and a suggestion of chocolate. Finishes a little raw and rough. Pretty good.
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Telepan-nyc--no formal notes--typical Pride--powerful and ripe with massive waves of fruit coming thru. Alchohol wasnt an issue as it seems to have settled in and the tannins were silky and well integrated. One thing we really picked up on--esp after the 2nd hour in the decanter--a chocolate backbone that really added another layer of richness to this wine and matched seemlessly with our dessert. Very nice bottle
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15.2% ABV. Dark garnet, somewhat translucent in the glass. Polished oak nose tinged with mocha and light mint. Full bodied with dark currant fruit and a suggestion of dark chocolate. Finishes with some lively acidity and a little bit of raw oak. The Merlot in the blend seems dominant. Very good. We tasted this alongside an '06 Larkmead Solari and this wine held its own, but ultimately I prefer the Solari, even if they are somewhat different expressions (and of course different blends and terroirs).
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This was outstanding. Nose of ripe and lush berry fruit and butter! Mouthfeel was full bodied, demonstrating cassis, strawberry, vanilla nuances, and a string backbone of fruit with sage and brown spice. Finish was long and the tannins were balanced and velvetine.
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Barrel sample. A blend of 60 Merlot and 40 Cabernet, this wine shows a rich, full body with seamless tannins and tremendous purity. A nose of blackcurrant, red and blue fruits, espresso roast, mocha and coffee. Herbs and flowers lurk in the background - this wine needs time. This is a 20+ year wine and will likely be drinkable within a year or two of release. (93-94)
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Tasted final blend in barrel just before bottling. Deep chocolate, cherry cola, with sandy tannins and well integrated acid at this early stage. High alch, like all Pride mountain wines, but will come together really nicely one bottled and rested for a couple years.
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3/21/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The biggest flaw with this wine was tasting it side by side with the 2006 Pride Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Still very good on it's own, just didn't have the oomph of the Reserve Cabernet. Still very nice plum and black cherry fruit with chocolate in the nose and flavor. The Merlot gave it a much softer mouthfeel. The claret was medium to full bodied with nice complexity, structure and balance. A very nice food wine like it's counterpart with a long finish. This wine is also in a good place right now.
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2/8/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lower nose on this, cherry compote, rich, concentrated, reduction sauce, good lift tangy black cherry, slight candied cherry, plush. My 3rd place of the bunch. Group. ranked this at #11 of 13. Probably because it was less aromatic. DD Napa Cabs blind at Michaels
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11/24/2022 - Jimy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Good structure, fine tannins, plenty of fruit (I taste black cherry) on the finish.
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3/13/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pnp, then slow ox in glass. Dark mountain fruit, chocolate, subdued yet noticeable soft tannin. opulent, medium to full bodied. No secondary terroir or herbal flavors. Best after 1-2 hours. This is a slow evolving wine as it didn't vary from the last time I had this. This was my 3rd bottle in the past couple years. Impressive!
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2/1/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pnp, then slow ox in glass. Dark mountain fruit, chocolate, opulent mouthfeel, full bodied, sediment at end. Not much secondary terroir flavors. Best after open for 3 hours. This is a slow evolving wine as it didn't vary from the last time I had this 2 years ago.
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9/21/2020 - martin_e wrote: 87 Points
Not the best example of Claret, e.g. compared to the excellent 2008 vintage. I assume there may be a chance that it is caused by bottle variation.
Fully mature, but the well-developed fresh structure suggests it can age further. Wine exhibits overripe plumb, blackberry, hints of raspberry with some licorice. But there is a clear misbalance between the bouquet and flavor components, which makes tasting experience not overly pleasant
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6/15/2020 - tedcholl wrote: 94 Points
An excellent producer and wine maker, Sally Johnson. This was an auction wine purchase. Flavors of this wine are pronounced and dense. Milk chocolate, dark fruit, cassis, blueberry. Smooth, long finish, 15.2 abv a little too high for this wine. Decanted for 2.5 hr. This wine still has 5 to 10 years of life. Wonderful experience and wine.
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11/19/2018 - gesusser Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much improved since last bottle. This was given a 2 + hour decant which it needed; Really nice structure & finish..rich smooth and in its drinking window
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9/21/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking great now. Incredible nose and very long finish. Massive fruit concentration, but it has layers secondary notes to enjoy as it sits in the glass. Loved this wine!
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8/5/2018 - WVWine Likes this wine: 96 Points
An amazing magnum of Pride. Very smooth with deep blueberries tastes and smells. At a great time to drink.
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4/15/2018 - gesusser Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short decant not nearly enough and while we vacuumed sealed it and reopened the next night, it just never seemed to have opened up.good, but expensive for what it is now; hold them as it is potentially a better wine than now showing
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2/1/2018 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 30 min., then rebottled for ride to restaurant. Opened 30 min later, drank over 1.5 hours. Smooth & delicious, got even better with air. Rich fruit, nice balance. Greatly enjoyed by all. Of course last glass was the best.
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7/1/2016 - patwjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP. 1st half of bottle was somewhat tight, but still a nice Pride nose and big fruit taste. 24 hours later after storing 2nd half of bottle in a cold fridge, wine was better, smoother and still a full fruit bouquet. Has time to further develop and mature.
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2/20/2016 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Soft, very elegant, flavors well integrated, flawless.
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8/16/2015 - juicejammer Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Another disappointing showing for a Reserve Claret. Better than the '05 but not by much. Oak dominates.
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5/9/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is really drinking well now. Nice merlot/cab blend with silky tannins and soft finish.
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4/11/2015 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty red garnet. Nose was Pride, but taken down a notch-spices, black fruits. Taste was smooth, nice with a steak dinner. Definitely Pride, but more mellow than the Cab reserves, or even the regular Cabs.
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3/12/2015 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Beautifully made wine but not as impressed with it as previously tasted. Ambiance of the setting in which wine was drunk highly influenced the experience of the wine when first tasted.
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7/26/2014 - gharter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great nose as soon as it was opened, but put in the decanter for 2 hours and served with marinated pork loin. The decanting did the wine a lot of good. Still shows young. No bricking at the edge. Aromas of black fruit, cocoa, cassis and tobacco. Starting to develop some complexity. The flavors mirrored the nose with some anise in the long smooth finish. The tannin is still there for backbone, but it is very smooth. Great now, but should only improve with a few more years.
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9/22/2013 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great mountain fruit as always. Great tannins, still many years left.
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9/1/2013 - Amerique wrote: 97 Points
Rich, delicious, full-bodied, sweet, black cherry fruit with cassis and tobacco flavors, excellent structure, absolutely gorgeous, long finish
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6/23/2013 - BrianMc Likes this wine: 94 Points
While still young, this claret exhibits all reasons why Pride Mtn is so sought after. Well integrated merlot/cab, lasting finish, wonderful fruit, nice weight on the plate.
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3/26/2013 - Vetluver Likes this wine: 98 Points
Cocoa, cedar and mint on the nose, dark chocolate and dark fruit on the palate, hints of tobacco and licorice with a creaminess throughout with balanced tannins and a very long finish, one of my favorites!
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2/5/2013 - patwjr Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP. 1st half bottle was somewhat tight, but still a nice Pride nose and big fruit taste. 2nd half of bottle was much better. Still tight on the finish, so it has time to further develop and mature.
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11/28/2011 - wino31 wrote: 95 Points
I give this the same score as the Foley '03 Claret that was served immediately following this at Thanksgiving, even though the consensus was that it was edged out by the Foley. Great fruit, finish,etc., but not quite as complex as the Foley -- maybe in a few years? Both were decanted for 2 hours.
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6/27/2011 - sjdcellar wrote: 97 Points
we had this at a restaurant (from our cellar) - popped and poured - it was sensational. deep dark fruits, chocolate, cassis, everything good about mountain fruit...
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3/29/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
15.2% ABV. Decanted briefly. Dark garnet, pretty much opaque in the glass. Reticent nose of oak, cocoa, and cedar. Full bodied with dark currant fruit and a suggestion of chocolate. Finishes a little raw and rough. Pretty good.
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12/30/2010 - CMCLR wrote: 94 Points
Silky smooth. Very, very good mouthfeel- very balanced.
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11/9/2010 - slmshdyms wrote: 93 Points
Telepan-nyc--no formal notes--typical Pride--powerful and ripe with massive waves of fruit coming thru. Alchohol wasnt an issue as it seems to have settled in and the tannins were silky and well integrated. One thing we really picked up on--esp after the 2nd hour in the decanter--a chocolate backbone that really added another layer of richness to this wine and matched seemlessly with our dessert. Very nice bottle
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6/3/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 93 Points
15.2% ABV. Dark garnet, somewhat translucent in the glass. Polished oak nose tinged with mocha and light mint. Full bodied with dark currant fruit and a suggestion of dark chocolate. Finishes with some lively acidity and a little bit of raw oak. The Merlot in the blend seems dominant. Very good. We tasted this alongside an '06 Larkmead Solari and this wine held its own, but ultimately I prefer the Solari, even if they are somewhat different expressions (and of course different blends and terroirs).
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12/13/2009 - mmyette wrote: 95 Points
This was outstanding. Nose of ripe and lush berry fruit and butter! Mouthfeel was full bodied, demonstrating cassis, strawberry, vanilla nuances, and a string backbone of fruit with sage and brown spice. Finish was long and the tannins were balanced and velvetine.
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7/17/2009 - Eric Guido wrote: 93 Points
Focus driven cherry fruit. Blueberry, spice box. Elegant yet… voluptuous.
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11/14/2008 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Barrel sample. A blend of 60 Merlot and 40 Cabernet, this wine shows a rich, full body with seamless tannins and tremendous purity. A nose of blackcurrant, red and blue fruits, espresso roast, mocha and coffee. Herbs and flowers lurk in the background - this wine needs time. This is a 20+ year wine and will likely be drinkable within a year or two of release. (93-94)
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11/11/2008 - Hershey in CA wrote:
Tasted final blend in barrel just before bottling. Deep chocolate, cherry cola, with sandy tannins and well integrated acid at this early stage. High alch, like all Pride mountain wines, but will come together really nicely one bottled and rested for a couple years.
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