A beautiful wine showing wild berries, eucalyptus and matchstick on the nose. Just as enjoyable on the palate. Tannins fully integrated. Easy 5 years left, probably 10. If my cellar wasn't so full I would consider searching for more...and still may.
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Lovely mature Napa Cab, round soft but still lively. Bordeaux like nose of fruit roll ups, strawberry preserves old car and farm funk. Nice mouthfeel, iodine, licorice, spearmint, seaweed, and definitely a umami thing going on, with a fresh ground pepper finish. At 26 years old this is a beauty.
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For my Tastes, absolutely perfect. At 25 years of age the wine has become pale and soft, with a wonderful bouquet of roses, ripe berry compote and a faint whiff of ashes. The palate is sweet and lovely, layered and silky. After about 2 hours the wine started to deteriorate in the glass, so it's a pour and drink wine. Placed 1st in our Napa Cab tasting. This was the last bottle of a case acquired in 1996.
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I bought this bottle about a year ago from K&L. The bottle was in pristine shape. Like the 1985 last weekend, the neck fill today was as high as the day they filled it.
I purchased two bottles. The first, I didn’t post. It had waned. Tonight’s bottle is giving me everything thing I expected when I purchased it.
The nose reveals a little barnyard (v/a) that blew off fairly quickly, slightly baked, stewed & ripe fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, blackberries, black plum, strawberries, dry cranberries, boysenberries & blueberries. Steeped, black tea, dark berry cola, sage, bay leaf, dry, crushed rocks, limestone, anise, some black licorice, soft; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, caramel & liquid mocha, vanilla, dry twigs, understated, mid dark spice, peppery notes, tree bark/sap, mint, rich, dark, slightly sweet earth, dry tobacco & leather with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, some purple & blue flowers weaved into late blooming violets.
The body is just full, fresh & lush. There is still a decent, tarry, slightly chewy tannin structure even after a little over 22 years in bottle. For me, the length, tension and balance are perfect. This bottle has another 5 and perhaps 7 years of good drinking ahead. It’s really delicious tonight. Slightly baked, stewed & ripe fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, blackberries that pop on the palate, black plum, strawberries, dry cranberries, boysenberries & blueberries. Steeped, black tea, dark berry cola, sage, bay leaf, dry, crushed rocks, limestone, sandstone/dry top soil, anise, some black licorice, soft; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, melted, salted caramel, dark baking chocolate & liquid mocha, vanilla, dry twigs, understated, mid dark spice with perfect palate heat, tree bark/sap, mint, savory meats, peppercorns, rich, dark, slightly sweet earth, dry tobacco & leather, French oak barrel shavings, with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, some purple & blue flowers weaved into late blooming violets. The acidity is round, phat & perfect. The long finish is delicious, an elegant lady, well balanced settling into some of the nicest, dark spices I can remember in sometime.
In terms of pleasure, I would give this wine a 94 but, in technical terms, just misses it.
Once again, I really love the 13% ABV. I wish Napa Cabernets had never risen above that level.
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other liked this more than me... it had a nice aged Cali cab flavor profile, but was bigger than expected... perhaps the "bigness" came from a dominant oaky / smokey / ashtray thing that overpowered the solid fruit... this was too much for me, don't like smokey anyway and this had heaps... I might have said 88 or 89... my son and his friend said 91 / 92... my 90 is a compromise... couldn't help but wonder if this was damaged in some small way
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tremendous effort here. old napa cab at its finest. tons of herbs and mint on the nose and good fruit on the palate. 20+ years old and still going strong
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From same bottle as wiscgrad. An absolute stunner: tremendously elegant, but sacrifices nothing in terms of power and complexity. Perfumed nose of camphor, menthol and leather. Bright, juicy, and incredibly intense. The finish hangs for 40-plus seconds.
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Vertical of 96, 95, 94 in that order. Same tasting notes on all three as they were very similar with subtle differences. Double decanted these to help open up a bit and lose the cork. Sour cherry, blackberry, cola, cocoa and leather. Pleasantly surprised by the amount of earth, tobacco, and oak qualities. Although these seem like they’re past their prime, the structure and balance is wonderful. This was my favorite of the vertical. 90-93
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From MAGNUM. The wine took only 30 minutes to fully open. Loads of hard leather, tobacco and cassis with some pencil shavings and dried herbs. Only at the finish did the overripe blackberries emerge. Color was solid, as was fill and cork. Very modest amount of sediment. This Mag had another 5-10 years to go.
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This wine was rocking tonight. 2 bottles, both very consistent. Pop and pour. Loads of fruit, with the perfect amount of structure and round tanin to back it up. Drink now!
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Nice aged California cab. Color dark garnet slightly turbid (cleared after 2 hours of decanting). Lots of dark fruit interlaced with very slight cedar/oak. Tannins integrated. Very long finish. Glad we won half dozen bottles at an auction - great QPR
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Popped and poured, perfect cork. Still youthful reddish purple color. Wine started at cellar temp 55 degrees, and wow at first a very stinky bretty nose greets you. I was worried. Much to my surprise as the wine warmed and took on some O2 the stink either disapated or was overrun by a georgeous cedar, earthy, red currant nose that is sublime, and very bordeaux like. The mouthfeel is still youthful, with supple tannins and a nice balance between tartness and fullness that really paired well with the NY Strip. Long finish. I have 1 bottle left and will hold for an appropriate time to pull. Excellent!
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We loved this wine. Lots of cedar and fruit. We didn't get the menthol that others have reported. This wine was beautifully integrated with soft tannins. After a couple of hours of decanting, the barnyard earthy nose devloped. We did not note any in the first hour. Deep purple with no bricking.
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Two years since my last bottle of this and the tasting notes are nearly identical. The layers of tar, cedar, menthol, and herbs set this apart. Fruit still shining thru on the nose and at mid-palate. Wine is very mature and no longer improving, but if you like structured, mature Napa Cab, this is it! Glad i have one bottle left.
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Cellared since release in my cold cellar. Decanted off 1/2 of the bottle, saving half for later. Nose of dried herbs, menthol, possibly some VA and red fruits. The palate still retains a youthful, tart feel. Tannins are nicely integrated and show up very slightly on the long finish. Drinking well right now.
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Better than the last bottle of this we tried, but it still didin't hold a candle to the '94 Ridge Montebellow that we had alongside it. The nose is good, with plenty of earth, cassis, ripe berry and integrated oak, but the palate was out of whack, with the acidity too prominent. I'd guess it's going over the hill at this point, but it could be just another phase.
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Wow! Cedar, spice, tar, hints of charcoal and menthol and then the ripe fruit, dark and powerful, with perfectly integrated sweet tannins and long finish. One of the best bottles i've drank in a while; it's at its peak, but will be good for years to come.
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2/8/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote: 94 Points
A beautiful wine showing wild berries, eucalyptus and matchstick on the nose. Just as enjoyable on the palate. Tannins fully integrated. Easy 5 years left, probably 10. If my cellar wasn't so full I would consider searching for more...and still may.
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4/24/2021 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Lovely mature Napa Cab, round soft but still lively. Bordeaux like nose of fruit roll ups, strawberry preserves old car and farm funk. Nice mouthfeel, iodine, licorice, spearmint, seaweed, and definitely a umami thing going on, with a fresh ground pepper finish. At 26 years old this is a beauty.
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11/11/2020 - IlonaN wrote: 100 Points
For my Tastes, absolutely perfect. At 25 years of age the wine has become pale and soft, with a wonderful bouquet of roses, ripe berry compote and a faint whiff of ashes. The palate is sweet and lovely, layered and silky. After about 2 hours the wine started to deteriorate in the glass, so it's a pour and drink wine. Placed 1st in our Napa Cab tasting. This was the last bottle of a case acquired in 1996.
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3/20/2020 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
I bought this bottle about a year ago from K&L. The bottle was in pristine shape. Like the 1985 last weekend, the neck fill today was as high as the day they filled it.
I purchased two bottles. The first, I didn’t post. It had waned. Tonight’s bottle is giving me everything thing I expected when I purchased it.
The nose reveals a little barnyard (v/a) that blew off fairly quickly, slightly baked, stewed & ripe fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, blackberries, black plum, strawberries, dry cranberries, boysenberries & blueberries. Steeped, black tea, dark berry cola, sage, bay leaf, dry, crushed rocks, limestone, anise, some black licorice, soft; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, caramel & liquid mocha, vanilla, dry twigs, understated, mid dark spice, peppery notes, tree bark/sap, mint, rich, dark, slightly sweet earth, dry tobacco & leather with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, some purple & blue flowers weaved into late blooming violets.
The body is just full, fresh & lush. There is still a decent, tarry, slightly chewy tannin structure even after a little over 22 years in bottle. For me, the length, tension and balance are perfect. This bottle has another 5 and perhaps 7 years of good drinking ahead. It’s really delicious tonight. Slightly baked, stewed & ripe fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, blackberries that pop on the palate, black plum, strawberries, dry cranberries, boysenberries & blueberries. Steeped, black tea, dark berry cola, sage, bay leaf, dry, crushed rocks, limestone, sandstone/dry top soil, anise, some black licorice, soft; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, melted, salted caramel, dark baking chocolate & liquid mocha, vanilla, dry twigs, understated, mid dark spice with perfect palate heat, tree bark/sap, mint, savory meats, peppercorns, rich, dark, slightly sweet earth, dry tobacco & leather, French oak barrel shavings, with bright, fresh & withering; dark, red, some purple & blue flowers weaved into late blooming violets. The acidity is round, phat & perfect. The long finish is delicious, an elegant lady, well balanced settling into some of the nicest, dark spices I can remember in sometime.
In terms of pleasure, I would give this wine a 94 but, in technical terms, just misses it.
Once again, I really love the 13% ABV. I wish Napa Cabernets had never risen above that level.
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1/13/2019 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 90 Points
other liked this more than me... it had a nice aged Cali cab flavor profile, but was bigger than expected... perhaps the "bigness" came from a dominant oaky / smokey / ashtray thing that overpowered the solid fruit... this was too much for me, don't like smokey anyway and this had heaps... I might have said 88 or 89... my son and his friend said 91 / 92... my 90 is a compromise... couldn't help but wonder if this was damaged in some small way
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7/1/2017 - weinmatt wrote: 90 Points
Unfortunately a little gassed. It was fun to drink though.
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11/11/2016 - wiscgrad wrote: 96 Points
tremendous effort here. old napa cab at its finest. tons of herbs and mint on the nose and good fruit on the palate. 20+ years old and still going strong
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11/10/2016 - Bob Sacamano Likes this wine: 96 Points
From same bottle as wiscgrad. An absolute stunner: tremendously elegant, but sacrifices nothing in terms of power and complexity. Perfumed nose of camphor, menthol and leather. Bright, juicy, and incredibly intense. The finish hangs for 40-plus seconds.
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10/1/2016 - JCGuthrie wrote: 94 Points
Perfectly aged cab. Enjoyed with a tomahawk ribeye with friends. Slight sulfur note, but in a good way. Wish I had more.
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3/27/2016 - qtsam11 wrote: flawed
Oxidized. A shame too. This was probably quite nice in its prime.
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2/22/2016 - shapsplace wrote:
Vertical of 96, 95, 94 in that order. Same tasting notes on all three as they were very similar with subtle differences. Double decanted these to help open up a bit and lose the cork. Sour cherry, blackberry, cola, cocoa and leather. Pleasantly surprised by the amount of earth, tobacco, and oak qualities. Although these seem like they’re past their prime, the structure and balance is wonderful. This was my favorite of the vertical. 90-93
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8/24/2013 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 91 Points
sour cherry lots of ripe red fruits
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6/27/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
From MAGNUM. The wine took only 30 minutes to fully open. Loads of hard leather, tobacco and cassis with some pencil shavings and dried herbs. Only at the finish did the overripe blackberries emerge. Color was solid, as was fill and cork. Very modest amount of sediment. This Mag had another 5-10 years to go.
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2/20/2013 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another well-aged bottle at the end of its drinking window
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1/3/2013 - svpandae wrote: 94 Points
This wine was rocking tonight. 2 bottles, both very consistent. Pop and pour. Loads of fruit, with the perfect amount of structure and round tanin to back it up. Drink now!
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11/18/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 94 Points
Nice aged California cab. Color dark garnet slightly turbid (cleared after 2 hours of decanting). Lots of dark fruit interlaced with very slight cedar/oak. Tannins integrated. Very long finish. Glad we won half dozen bottles at an auction - great QPR
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7/27/2010 - llink wrote:
Popped and poured, perfect cork. Still youthful reddish purple color. Wine started at cellar temp 55 degrees, and wow at first a very stinky bretty nose greets you. I was worried. Much to my surprise as the wine warmed and took on some O2 the stink either disapated or was overrun by a georgeous cedar, earthy, red currant nose that is sublime, and very bordeaux like. The mouthfeel is still youthful, with supple tannins and a nice balance between tartness and fullness that really paired well with the NY Strip. Long finish. I have 1 bottle left and will hold for an appropriate time to pull. Excellent!
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12/26/2009 - jpwines wrote: 94 Points
We loved this wine. Lots of cedar and fruit. We didn't get the menthol that others have reported. This wine was beautifully integrated with soft tannins. After a couple of hours of decanting, the barnyard earthy nose devloped. We did not note any in the first hour. Deep purple with no bricking.
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5/30/2009 - Bobo N wrote: 94 Points
Two years since my last bottle of this and the tasting notes are nearly identical. The layers of tar, cedar, menthol, and herbs set this apart. Fruit still shining thru on the nose and at mid-palate. Wine is very mature and no longer improving, but if you like structured, mature Napa Cab, this is it! Glad i have one bottle left.
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1/6/2008 - llink wrote:
Cellared since release in my cold cellar. Decanted off 1/2 of the bottle, saving half for later. Nose of dried herbs, menthol, possibly some VA and red fruits. The palate still retains a youthful, tart feel. Tannins are nicely integrated and show up very slightly on the long finish. Drinking well right now.
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9/29/2007 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Still a lot of life left in this mature cab. Soft tannins, lots of dark fruit.
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4/8/2007 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Still incredibly young, fruity. Tannins nearly completely integrated. Spicy, with cedar notes. Probably peaking.
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3/23/2007 - IlonaN wrote: 87 Points
Better than the last bottle of this we tried, but it still didin't hold a candle to the '94 Ridge Montebellow that we had alongside it. The nose is good, with plenty of earth, cassis, ripe berry and integrated oak, but the palate was out of whack, with the acidity too prominent. I'd guess it's going over the hill at this point, but it could be just another phase.
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3/13/2007 - Bobo N wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Cedar, spice, tar, hints of charcoal and menthol and then the ripe fruit, dark and powerful, with perfectly integrated sweet tannins and long finish.
One of the best bottles i've drank in a while; it's at its peak, but will be good for years to come.
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11/26/2006 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic aged Cali cab. Cedar, dark fruit, vanilla, and spice.
This wine was everything I had hoped for.
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1/6/2001 - JeffGMorris wrote:
Interesting to try next to the '94. More tannic and closed than the '94. More structure. Still in evolution. Hold for now.
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