Wonderful mature wine that is exceptional right off the bat. Though cork disintegrated, did not affect the juice one bit. Clearly at peak. Likely can last another 1-3 years at this level before fading. Cheers.
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A beautiful CA wine (65% Cab, 25% Cab Franc and 10% Merlot) made by the late, great Gus Anderson. Mature but still fresh and very much alive, balanced, great purity of fruit, great depth, lovely on the palate and with a long finish. As I have said many times before, this wine is another example of the pleasure that a CA wine provides when one is patient. Sadly, this was my last bottle. Gus, we miss you.
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The 1998's were so trashed on release (as were the 2000's) from California. With a good decade or more these have really fleshed out. I can't help but wonder if they are just more similar to old style Napa. I thought most were not good on release, but drinking this it is drinking quite well today. Purple in color, no sign of age. The nose has dark cherries, cassis, tobacco and a bit of roaster bell pepper. There is a nice complexity and it drinks reasonably young. Very nice showing for this wine.
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Lifted, sweet, compelling Cali Cab bouquet, a melange of new oak, cherries, tar, black tea, and wrigleys gum. Fleshy, sweet and round semi-modern, but with enough grip and acidity to keep it real. Drinking great right now.
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Past Fully mature and probably on the way down. Not much fruit left but plenty of old wine earthy leathery character. You've got to like them pretty old to like this at this point.
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Super smooth and with notes of liquorish in the palette. Little sediment in the bottle. Gorgeous shiny brownish red color. Long palette and plenty of acidity. Could be easily confused with Old World wine. Good complexity
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 6/28/2012 (Casa Racer117): 65% cab sauvignon, 25% cab franc, 10% merlot. Clear deep garnet-blood color. I greatly enjoyed this wine six months ago, but tonight's bottle seemed musty, possibly mildly corked, with notes of dill and green bell pepper obscuring the subdued dark fruit. I thought perhaps it just needed more air, until I learned the bottle was decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Others liked this bottle very much, and ranked it SECOND PLACE tonight.
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- Brick color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a light/medium body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Decanted about an hour. An excellent example of terroir with a balanced nose, a light mid palate and a smooth, but not lingering finish. Overall, well integrated, decanting is essential as an earlier bottle of the same vintage that we did not decant did not show very well.
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New Year's Eve Redux: Wine Spectator Offline, San Diego (San Diego): Decanted at least an hour. Clear medium garnet-blood red. Elegant bouquet of earthy cherries and licorice. Silky, smooth, seamless on the palate. Savory notes of meat and tobacco appearing later. Sophisticated, refined, polished. THIRD PLACE tonight.
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Medium garnet color. Nose of mushrooms, a little bell pepper, plum and dark cherries. Plum and tart cherry flavors on the palate along with some earthy, woodsy notes. Tannins still present and acid is still vibrant so the wine drank like a much younger wine and still has plenty of life left in it. Very impressive effort. This showed even better than my last bottle.
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Cork crumbled upon opening so I strained and decanted. Initial whiff of funk on the nose that blew off after 10 mins or so. Dark ruby color with bricking toward the rim. Nose of plum, black currant, some earthiness and a little cedar cigar box. Some red fruits on the palate along with some of the tobacco and earthiness from the nose. Soft tannins, smooth mouthfeel and finish. The fruit is still there and enjoyable but definitely subdued. You can tell this wine had some age on it and it drank like a mature left bank Bordeaux. Very nice wine but probably time to drink up.
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Dark reddish purple color; nose of cassis, earth, coffee and toast; full body; the sweet tannins are firm but in perfect balance with the concentrated fruit flavors; long finish; I liked this wine from release and think it is perhaps the best 1998 California Cabernet I have tasted; impressive wine and still very inexpensive on the secondary market!
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Opened this by mistake instead of the 1988. Could use some more time, very good, however. Lots of fruit, lots of wood, should be interesting in five years
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3/10/2018 - 1961Vintage wrote: 94 Points
This wine has matured marvelously. This is why patience really makes a difference. Try one and let me know if you agree. Thx Todd!
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11/7/2017 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful mature wine that is exceptional right off the bat. Though cork disintegrated, did not affect the juice one bit. Clearly at peak. Likely can last another 1-3 years at this level before fading. Cheers.
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2/20/2017 - Labrador Likes this wine: 91 Points
A beautiful CA wine (65% Cab, 25% Cab Franc and 10% Merlot) made by the late, great Gus Anderson. Mature but still fresh and very much alive, balanced, great purity of fruit, great depth, lovely on the palate and with a long finish. As I have said many times before, this wine is another example of the pleasure that a CA wine provides when one is patient. Sadly, this was my last bottle. Gus, we miss you.
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6/4/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
The 1998's were so trashed on release (as were the 2000's) from California. With a good decade or more these have really fleshed out. I can't help but wonder if they are just more similar to old style Napa. I thought most were not good on release, but drinking this it is drinking quite well today. Purple in color, no sign of age. The nose has dark cherries, cassis, tobacco and a bit of roaster bell pepper. There is a nice complexity and it drinks reasonably young. Very nice showing for this wine.
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9/7/2015 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Lifted, sweet, compelling Cali Cab bouquet, a melange of new oak, cherries, tar, black tea, and wrigleys gum. Fleshy, sweet and round semi-modern, but with enough grip and acidity to keep it real. Drinking great right now.
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9/19/2013 - grayfont Likes this wine: 90 Points
Past Fully mature and probably on the way down. Not much fruit left but plenty of old wine earthy leathery character. You've got to like them pretty old to like this at this point.
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7/20/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 93 Points
Super smooth and with notes of liquorish in the palette. Little sediment in the bottle. Gorgeous shiny brownish red color. Long palette and plenty of acidity. Could be easily confused with Old World wine. Good complexity
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7/8/2012 - acontos wrote: 92 Points
Decanted. Fantastic nose, lots of dust, medium complexity with present but refined tannins, lingered well. Big cherry in palate.
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6/28/2012 - Javachip wrote:
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 6/28/2012 (Casa Racer117): 65% cab sauvignon, 25% cab franc, 10% merlot. Clear deep garnet-blood color. I greatly enjoyed this wine six months ago, but tonight's bottle seemed musty, possibly mildly corked, with notes of dill and green bell pepper obscuring the subdued dark fruit. I thought perhaps it just needed more air, until I learned the bottle was decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Others liked this bottle very much, and ranked it SECOND PLACE tonight.
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4/15/2012 - ChezAlice wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a light/medium body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Decanted about an hour. An excellent example of terroir with a balanced nose, a light mid palate and a smooth, but not lingering finish. Overall, well integrated, decanting is essential as an earlier bottle of the same vintage that we did not decant did not show very well.
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1/7/2012 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
New Year's Eve Redux: Wine Spectator Offline, San Diego (San Diego): Decanted at least an hour. Clear medium garnet-blood red. Elegant bouquet of earthy cherries and licorice. Silky, smooth, seamless on the palate. Savory notes of meat and tobacco appearing later. Sophisticated, refined, polished. THIRD PLACE tonight.
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2/23/2011 - Rich S wrote: 92 Points
Medium garnet color. Nose of mushrooms, a little bell pepper, plum and dark cherries. Plum and tart cherry flavors on the palate along with some earthy, woodsy notes. Tannins still present and acid is still vibrant so the wine drank like a much younger wine and still has plenty of life left in it. Very impressive effort. This showed even better than my last bottle.
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7/26/2009 - Rich S wrote: 90 Points
Cork crumbled upon opening so I strained and decanted. Initial whiff of funk on the nose that blew off after 10 mins or so. Dark ruby color with bricking toward the rim. Nose of plum, black currant, some earthiness and a little cedar cigar box. Some red fruits on the palate along with some of the tobacco and earthiness from the nose. Soft tannins, smooth mouthfeel and finish. The fruit is still there and enjoyable but definitely subdued. You can tell this wine had some age on it and it drank like a mature left bank Bordeaux. Very nice wine but probably time to drink up.
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1/8/2009 - knelsfk wrote: 95 Points
Dark reddish purple color; nose of cassis, earth, coffee and toast; full body; the sweet tannins are firm but in perfect balance with the concentrated fruit flavors; long finish; I liked this wine from release and think it is perhaps the best 1998 California Cabernet I have tasted; impressive wine and still very inexpensive on the secondary market!
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5/29/2007 - jhuff01 wrote: 95 Points
wow...this wine is drinking great...soft tannins but still lots of structure to last for many years to come...intense nose of dried fruit and tobacco.
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5/11/2005 - bheller wrote: 89 Points
Opened this by mistake instead of the 1988.
Could use some more time, very good, however.
Lots of fruit, lots of wood, should be interesting in
five years
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