First bottle of six purchased directly, not decanted. Color is a deep purple, with zero signs of bricking. The nose on this wine! Explosive out of the glass with deep dark fruit, cassis, spice, anise, and minerals. Still somewhat grippy tannins, the wine is full and lush and pleasingly round and robust, with great acidity and plenty of fruit. No rush on this, I'll drink my remaining bottles over the next 5+ years.
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Good, but modest development & probably worth drinking sooner than later. Most notable change vs last tasting several years back is a bit more prominent alcohol on the nose and midpalate. Otherwise, it's a well-done large scale Napa Cab. Vanilla, melted licorice, charcoal, touches of char on the nose. Full bodied, decent supporting acid, tannins modest & shrouded by the weight. Delicious, if a little simple
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We don’t drink many California wines anymore, but we both enjoyed this one. A nice balance of rich, dark fruit, and acidity. A little oak and maybe chocolate. I wish I had a few more.
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Picked up a couple from KL Wines - drinking beautifully, but no doubt will notch a bit higher even if you are more patient. Elegant style and more memorable overall than a number of ‘bigger name’ cabs I tried throughout the week. Well worth it if you can still track these down.
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In my opinion, this wine has come together. Nose of cassis, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, hint of vanilla. Mouth feel is full bodied, perfectly balanced oak - tannin's - ripe fruit. needed an hour to open up.
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Heavy sediment. Medium purple color. Cassis, leather, blueberry, and black cherry fruit.Silky smooth finish. There are no Napa Cabs better at $55. Really good now.
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Decanted 90 minutes served with dinner and finished later in the evening. On the whole this is a fruit driven wine. Red and blue fruits come front and center. Tannins are nicely integrated. Not lush but still big with gobs of fruit. Last of 3 for me but I don't think this is anywhere in decline and the CT drinking window of 2019 is too short.
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Purple in color. 14.5% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red and blue fruits, molten licorice, violets and saddle leather. Big, rich and plush. Tremendous balance and mouth feel. Blueberries, cassis liqueur, currants and graphite on the palate. Silky tannins on an exceptionally long finish. Stunning Cabernet Sauvignon from a fantastic vintage that thoroughly exceeded my lofty expectations. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which, SURPRISINGLY, pretty much resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with POSS a very, VERY slight bitterness to the unoffensive, dusty tannins with an alluring tangy/swtness. For now & making its 15th, poss more. 14.5% ABV; My EXC+.
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Red fruit - cherry, cassis, plus cinnamon nose - classic cab palate showing more red fruit, spices black pepper, soft tannins. Age has evened this out and still is long and tasty, maybe not quite as vibrant as my previous bottle two years ago. Still, a classy California Cab.
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opened and aired for an hour. First glass was kinda flat and we expressed some concern. Drank the rest with a seasoned Rib Eye ad the flavor was greatly enhanced by the steak. i would not say that the wine needed more time but this bottle seemed to find the right spot integration wise along with a steak. The tannins have softened and it held texture and mouth feel while still offering Cabernet depth . Upon looking at our previous experience with this wine, I recommend drinking soon and pair with red meat
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Pop and pour. First 07 RM for us very smooth, almost too smooth.After initial taster, paired with a NY Strip. Held it's own and was even better than the first glass without the steak. However the lack of tannins keeps the wine from a higher score. Drink now as integration is complete and the wine will not get any better but is in a great spot now
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Bought at release ( from mailing list) and stored in 55 degree cellar Still dark purple to the very edge. Decanted 2 hrs. Nose is inviting with dark fruits and no oak showing. Palate follows with a rich silky character with plum, blackberry, hint of smoke and resolving tannins. No oak here either. Layers of interest with a great texture. Great with an almost medium rare filet mignon straight off my grill. A great example of a Napa cab that is starting into a drinking window that should last 5+ years. Balanced interesting not overly oaky and no alcohol burn (14.5%). Not a fruit bomb
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Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): 2 hour decant. The overall profile is a typical TRB cabernet that has pleasant characteristics of modern Napa. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
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Dark red, purple color. The nose surprised me with red-fruited with raspberry notes initially and darker cassis in the background. With air, pipe tobacco made a brief appearance. On the palate, this wine had excellent blackberry, minerals, and floral notes with deft oak adding some complex cocoa notes. There was surprisingly brisk acidity, not overwhelmingly so, that should add to the wine’s ageablilty and food compatibility. Even at age eleven, there was still a tannic backbone. Overall, this was an outstanding wine that was vibrant with ample fruit and structure to stand up to a medium-rare NY strip with a blue cheese crust.
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Dark ruby red with fine sediment. Very well integrated on the nose and palate. Layered nose with notes of dark plums, sweet spices, earthiness and some light herbs. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium plus body. Plush palate with dark stewed fruits, especially plums, damp earth, dark spices, black fruits and a little gritty. Long finish. Drink till 2022.
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This was a pnp and it is still beautifully young and rich. Rounded tannins with minerality that does not overpower.
I clearly do not agree with Spectator's rating. Yes this is a Napa powerhouse but it is not overly fruity. I know it is Cab but the depth in the finish is Cab Franc like.
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Dark ruby red. Well integrated on the nose and palate. Notes of dark plums, some earthiness and spices. Very well balanced but not explosive on the palate. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium to medium plus bodied. Seems odd for an 07. A little like a wetter vintage. A touch of greenery underneath with notes of damp earth, dark berries and balanced acidity. Medium plus to long finish. Drink till 2021.
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still very youthful and not much development 5 years since my last bottle... vey pure fruit, tasty, but at the same time monolithic. paired well with a steak in that slab and a cab way
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Dense and structured napa cab. Black currant, loam, scorched earth with integrated oak spice. Well made. Still primary. Will improve in complexity over 5-10 years.
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Drinking well now, I'd drink now. Blue fruits, deep flavor, tannins well integrated and overall nice balance. Suffered in comparison to more complex competition, but a very very good wine.
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Dark, rich flavors and coatings, nice length, tannins are integrating nicely. Still fruit driven with cassis, blackberry, and black cherry being being predominate with a hint of leather and dust underneath.
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Popped and decanted for about 30 minutes. No formal notes - just going from memory. Well constructed, but didn't find any type of wow factor. Well integrated. Might improve with some further cellar time, but don't think it needs a whole lot more time. The Aston pinot we followed up with was much more interesting.
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Awesome bottle with rich black and blue fruits. Awesome finish with nice soft dusty minerality and milk chocolate. Well balanced and silky. Opened up in about one hour. Nice nose once the alcohol blew off of fruit. At its peak - no reason to wait.
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14.5% abv. Dark ruby with expressive claret aromas. On the palate, cassis, leather and graphite. Exceptionally deep long and rich. Tremendous mouthfeel. TRB had a string of success in 07, and this was no exception. Should continue to improve
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Popped and poured. Dark in color, purple to deep crimson. Big nose. Smell of herbs and candy. Very fruit forward, with dried sweet cherry, blackberry. Some vanilla and eucalyptus. Still a bit sharp to the palate. Silky tannins, with feel of cinnamon. A dense wine but easy to drink. Probably aged long enough. (Had a glass the next day, and held its own.)
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New Years Even 2015 (Kevin and Vicki's): Four years later, and to me, this wine is still an 89. Quite fruity, amped up, perfumed, juicy modern, Pamela Anderson Cali-Cab.
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New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark/purple red color. Decanted for 3 hours. Drank 1 glass over an hour. I tend to agree with with galewskj. There's a lot to like here with a black fruit forward nose of cassis and blackberry, but the palate is fruit forward, extracted, sharp, dense and heavy, pedal to the metal hi octane Cali cab. Those that like that style are going to love this, but it is a bit much for my preference. I do like it more now than four years ago.
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This was pretty good. Decanted for 30 minutes. Drank soft, but with lingering tannins, a mix of red and blue fruit made it a little brighter than typical Napa cab. Lacked the concentration and intensity of great cabs. Enjoyed, was easy drinking, but not a stunner.
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This was really enjoyed and stood up well to prime rib-eyes, but seemed a subdued compared to past bottles and other wines at the table on this night. Good strong cab characteristics that hopefully continue to bloom in the next few years.
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The fruit has toned down on this a bit with some nice secondary notes starting to appear. Don't get me wrong a ton of fruit remaining but just softer. Really developing nicely for my palate.
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Drank with Christmas dinner of beef tenderloin and was a bit outclassed by the meat. Not a bad wine but rather one dimensional with everything tilted toward straightforward currant flavors and a bit of oak. Don't think it really has anywhere else to go. Solid but unexciting.
OMG... Wanted to eat the cork when I smelled it, Deep, ripe blueberries. Massive wine with black fruits and dark chocolate. Finish is long. Full bodied.... Lots if tannin and tons of fruit. Wish I had more if this wine - I'd like to see what five more years in the cellar would do to it. Drank it with a char broiled rib eye. Perfect.
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Drank this two weeks ago, so no detailed note, but this has really come along nicely in the last two years. Less sweet, more complex, and all around more delicious. Terrific.
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Popped and poured. Bold black cherry and plum aromas with some liqueur, dark chocolate and licorice hints. Similar flavor profile with very good balance throughout and very well textured with (almost) old world charm.
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Rich cassis and plum notes. Full bodied, with plenty of sweet fruit. The tannins have begun to be better integrated, making this significantly more approachable than when last tasted~2yrs ago. A nice value in Cali Cab.
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Medium dark ruby. Very aromatic. Very deep and rich with layered flavors. Long aftertaste. A classic and distinctive Napa Cab with bright fruit. Very enjoyable.
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decanted and drunk from about 45 minutes on. Pleasant, well-balanced, nice Calcab. descent nose of dark fruits, adequate aciditiy, tannins well integrated. However, when returning to the last glass about 5 hours later, this had blossomed into something pretty special: less expressive on the nose, but a lingering finish that went on and on. Give it plenty of time.
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a step up from previous bottles as tannins are starting to integrate. This really improved with air. compared to the bevan 09 ontegeny this was more red fruit, cherry and slightly more acidic. both have nice midpalates with a slight gravely finish, while the onegeny had a richer finish with some caramel notes. ontegeny 94
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amazing nose on this wine - tons of blue fruit, a bit tart and tannic - an hour plus in the decanter really improved it - have a few more of the 2007s, will (try and) wait another year or two before opening another one - buy again if I see them
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I had my wife go down and pick up another blind bottle for me, this time I guessed exactly what it was, '07 rivers marie cab. I actually don't think it's as good as the previous bottle, but it is a classic cali cab, easy to guess. Cassis, loads of oak, vanilla and spice. It's very good if you like that style, fruit forward as is most '07 and ready to drink now.
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Layers of refined fruit- balckberries, blueberries combined tranform to depth and texture on the mid palate. Wonderful, long finish (30 seconds-ish). TRB has made a Schrader-lite here?
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Very nice bottle. A bit closed to begin with. Aerated it and it was better but very tannic. An hour later it was slightly better. I think one more year in the bottle will help this one out.
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Nose not as pronounced as I remember it. Dense, quite tannic, chewy mouth feel, the granite and eucalyptus very apparent. Cedar and oak (new french oak barrels). A year has certainly aided this wine. It has more weight. Less heat (see previous note). A easy 92+ for me and potentially higher. Much more satisfying than 15 months ago. Strongly recommend a hour+ decant (always a good idea regardless of what you are opening).
Reviewing other notes post writing above..Grape_ape and emtame comments spot on...think 1-2yrs may be the sweet spot.
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Dark and very young appearing. Nose of dark fruit, cedar and hint of mint. Palate rich, dark fruit (plum, blackberry), cedar, hint of tobacco. Viscous mouthfeel and medium length finish. Still fairly tannic especially early in its out of bottle evolution. I think this wine will go for years. For me it retains a lot more balance than a lot of 2007's I've had. Went well with tomato based risotto dish.
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Decanted 2 hours (seemed to benefit). Deep violet red. Fabulous dark fruit on the nose with some oak, tar and espresso. Plush palate with fine tannins in terrific balance. Good length and depth. Not a lot of complexity, finesse or elegance but two of us flipped over how good this was garlicky potatoes and filets, Nancy thought the fruit was over-the-top. I've had all the CS in the R-M line and this was the first bottle that I thought was truly ready to do 'its job'. Gives me hope for the others.
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Decanted 2 hours, consumed over another 2.5... Big wine, but not over the top, with nice balance. Dark fruits - black currant, blackberry, along with some subtle spices from the oak - which while noticeable, was done in a complimentary way, i.e., not the vanilla / mocha way. Still very youthful with plenty of up front fruit and grippy tannins on the long finish. One quibble is that I wish it had some more complexity to it, perhaps something that a couple more years will bring out. Will definitely wait at least 2 years before having my other bottle.
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Opened my first '07 today. Was a bit sweet (too sweet, frankly) on opening, but the fruit came into balance with 1.5 hrs of air and the wine showed itself to be a very nice modern-styled Napa cab. The fruit was just this side of jammy and my wife loved it. Bottle #2 will probably wait another two years, at which point I expect to see a little more complexity and the fruit a little less dominant.
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Open and decanted. Drinking quite well now. well balanced, medium-plus finish, adequate tannin to suggest it should go longer, but by no means fiercely tannic. 92-93ish
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Another great bottle that is drinking so young. A serious cab that still has lots of tannin. At least 3 possibly five years from its peak. Wait at least two years to drink the next one.
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14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. My relatively short arc across tastings of this wine was pretty interesting. My sixth of six bottles tonight over a 3 year or so period seems to suggest that the Napa bottling is a great candidate for early drinking (which is great). Significantly less sugar on the nose than my first bottle (none at all?). Ripe currant fruit with some caramel-oak components in the finish. Nice Napa Cab.
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From magnum. The bottle is long and tall and impressive from the outside. Big wine that took some time to open. Great depth and a long finish. Wonderful
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This is showing more integration than the last bottle. Fruit is still a little dominating but with a really nice balance of Oak and Tannins. I don’t see any reason this won’t continue to age well for several years. As the fruit continues to soften and integrate with the structure this could become a truly special wine.
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drank it with beef tenderloin. better than the last time i had it. Not as a fruit bomb as i thought it would be (thats agood thing). nice ball\ance between fruit, tannins, and structure. potentially to be better.
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Drank on New Years Eve with Flannery's steaks. Extremely well balanced with a nice richness and good length. I was worried it might be closing up but not this bottle. Just great.
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deep and opaque in color, the nose echoes the rich color. black and red fruits, subtle sweet vanilla and chocolate with a briary herbaceousness. the palate shows complexity with great balance - fruit, sweet tannins, oak influence that seems "just right" with notes of coffee, cocoa and spice.
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The last time I had this, it was probably a 93 pointer. This time, it didn't show quite as well. It seems to lack the structure necessary to give it a higher rating. Still, it was an enjoyable, soft and fruity cabernet that was pretty decent.
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D.C. Dinner for Greg Golec (Toscana Cafe - DC): A very classy Napa cabernet that was drinking incredibly well this night. It had a very classy, cool dark fruit nose with warm spices, subtle oak and cedar. The palate was firm with nice dark fruit, tobacco, violets and spices. Thought the acidity provided nice balance to this medium-bodied Cabernet.
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Have not had this for awhile, I found it drinking well, very balanced wine that is, IMO, much better than the 2008. Paired with a cheese plate watching football, it was perfect...full bodied with nicely integrated oak, a wine to drink now at a good price.
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14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. This seems to have shed some baby fat since I last tasted it, but it still very youthful. Medium full bodied with ripe currant fruit, a suggestion of cocoa and fairly soft tannins. Nice.
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Classic cab nose of dark berry, Solid mouthfeel but expect more from a higher end 07 napa cab .Does not have the length I would hope or the depth I would expect but make no mistake, this is a nice cali cab..very good steak wine...will cut though the fat of a rare+ ribeye. Tannins still tight and a little hot but really....a very nice wine. Going 92 o this but it is a disappointing 92 given the vintage.
Kind of funny reading that back. CT is known as a venue where ratings are very harsh and tight...you see a 90 here you got a very good wine....92 is a solid solid number here....was just hoping for more...have a few more of these to pop and rate so we'll see if it is consistent
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Popped and poured. Deep, dark red and didn't get much on the nose -- probably served a bit too cool. But the first sip was surprisingly rich and pure. Cab fruit, touch of spice, dark cherries with some sweetness, but the balance and smoothness really struck me as I was drinking. Thought tannins were already well resolved, with a long finish. Top notch wine.
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Minneapolis Does a Blind Tasting Part 2 (Tracy's House): Not a wine I will be running out to buy and really not Cab like. Tasted blind. Light nose with spice, floral and raspberry. Palate shows little depth and is comprised mainly of spice and floral notes. Medium finish. Pass.
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Minneapolis Wine Club - Blind Tasting (Tracy's): very dark red color. Nose is cassis, oak, some spice. The palate is medium full, black fruits, with marked and somewhat drying tannins, short on the finish. Disappointing, especially for the price point.
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This definitely gets a WOW. Popped, decanted and then drunk over the next 3 hours at Mortons. This wine oozes red fruit and cassis, with a mocha/chocolate/coffee component in the background if you search for it. Sweet red fruit nose. No direct oak flavor. Did not notice any vanilla. Color is very dark. Surprisingly drinkable despite its youth. The mouth feel on this is wonderfully smooth with your flavor receptors firing well on all cylinders. There's ZERO astringent tanins. Maybe the massive fruit is hiding them, but I can't tell. Some people have expressed the view that the 2007 Cali Cabs will fall apart because of lack of tannic structure. That's a possibility, but it's not a huge concern to me because these are so good now that I expect all but one of them to be gone before the risk of falling apart rears its ugly head. I'll keep one for aging just to see what happens at the end of this decade. PS - both my drinking companion, whose sweet spot is anything made from Nebbiolo that's over 10 years old, and the restaurant manager, gave this wine a wow as well.
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Consumed in anticipation of upcoming 2009 release. Dense ripe CS. Thick chewy tannins. Every adjective my wife and I had for this wine involved some description of size and weight. This will be nice once some of the tannins resolve, and some of this wine's "pointy edges" smooth out with age.
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Very concentrated. Agree with notes below by King Cab. Decadent with abundant black and red fruit. Some cinnamon spice and tons of cassis liquor. Finish goes on and on. While smooth now, the tannins will subside more. Interested to see where this goes in 12-18 months.
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As 2007 Cabs go, I must add this one to my 'like' list. The list is about 4/35 (like/don't care for). This really is similar in profile to the Schraders, and its no wonder now is it? It has a similar nose and approach onto the palate. Where is differs is in its length. There is some reall pretty black and red fruits of cassis, black plums and black cherries with some cola and Creme de Cassis liquor. It has some great structure with a mid to mid-plus weighted wine with some voluptuous mouth-feel.. Tannins are pretty huge, and hidden right now behind some of that fruit cornucopia. There are those rumors out there that you want to believe: The one about the extra Schrader, (or lets call it a 'cut') going into this is not a stretch......
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Popped and poured. Deep, purple/garnet hue. On the nose, the aromas are still quite expressive, with a nice combo of red and black fruits, ripe currant, red bean paste, mocha, and hints of cedar and spice. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit is somewhat muted but still shows excellent notes of black raspberry, cherry, currant & cassis plus hints of cocoa powder, herbs, and vanilla spice from oak. Well-balanced, the acidity keeps this from becoming to flabby. At this point, the tannins are a bit grittier than previous yet overall this wine is still very plush with a moderate-plus close. Definitely a bit more closed than on release, give this one 3-5 years and it should be a beauty.
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Lush front end with velvety mouthfeel -- almost syrah-like and a bit hot, but it benefited greatly from 1-2 hours of air. Give the others a bit more time.
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14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet cocoa and a touch of sweet oak on the nose primarily. Medium full bodied with fairly soft tannins and a round sweet milk chocolate and black currant fruit profile. Tasty.
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OC Blind Wine Crew Does Dinner and Italian (Again!) (Il Barone, Newport Beach CA): This wine seemed over the edge to me tonight. I have good experiences with this wine, then other times I find it too big. The wine showed heat to me on the bouquet tonight and while I liked the fruit, it just seemed to be too big for my britches on this particular evening. I still own a bottle, will hang onto it or drink on a cold night when I want some decadence.
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This was really delicious, I have to admit. Ripe in style, and showing oak, spice and chocolate. Especially chocolate. Gosh, I really hope that is from the soil and the fruit, and not some spoofilation. It worked very well. Held together with good acidity for a ripe-styled Cab.
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Really like this. Beautiful nose of blue berry, dark fruit and mocha. Elegant and complex, its not not your typical cali fruit bomb. Clean fruit up front with graphite, cedar and mocha. Plush without being viscous, oak is still a little too prominent but underlying acidity and silky tannin makes this a delicious wine nevertheless.
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Popped and poured. The nose is really interesting, with classic black currants running through, there's also a good amount of blackberry and then some basil and sage on the back end that I love. Palate is well balanced, black fruits, licorice and toasted oak and has more body then a year ago; it's really coming into it's own. Still a couple years out from it's peak and should last 5-10 years past that.
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14.5% alcohol. Decanted. This is drinking absolutely beautifully. Dark red-purple color. Gorgeously aromatic nose of juicy black fruit, a whiff of oak, rich earth, and a compelling graphite note. In the mouth, plush, focused, and concentrated, with none of the plodding sins of some 2007s. There is a strong core of blue and black fruit, supported by ample spice, graphite, and a bit of oak. Well-structured but still caresses the palate. So easy to drink and so delightful. The best R-M Cab to date. A
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Popped and poured through a wine aerator. This was fascinating juice. Some olive/briney notes up front, with pure dark fruit and a gorgeous, pillowy texture. Even better than the 2006. 94.
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Loads of cocoa and black and blue fruit, both on the nose and the palate. Well integrated for a young wine, but also shows the promise of aging well. Extremely enjoyable. Decent finish.
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Brought this and an old vine Suma to a local restaurant and decided to open this; paired with a pheasant pasta dish. Popped and poured consumed over 3 hours. This is young and needs time; it was significantly more aromatic at 3 hours than up front. Dark currant, blackberry, vanilla, pencil shavings, and some spice on the nose. Taste is BIG fruit forward with cherry, cassis, and blackberry; rich and full then the tannins kick in and carry the flavor for over 90 seconds. Impressive and will undoubtedly calm down with a long decant or after a few years but this really shows potential.
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Nice nose of baking chocolate, black and blue fruits, vanilla laden toasty oak with some cinnamon, nutmeg and baking spice. Rich creamy mouthfeel with fine grain tannins, bottle sweetness, cocoa, more of the black and blue fruits, creme de casis and licorice. Decently sweet and creamy, could use a few years to shake the baby fat and develop a bit.
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Stefania Tasting at The Backyard Bistro! (Bordentown, NJ): For whatever reason, this wine seemed to be a bit closed down to me compared to the 2006 we had earlier. These were opened at the same time, and this one was poured about an hour and a half after the cork was popped. I didn’t actually decant this wine, but maybe we should have. We actually opened this for Paul and Stef to compare it with the 2006, as a lot of people compare this wine to Stefania. In all honesty, I don’t get that, but to each their own. On the nose, this showed some very nice fruit. Lots o dark blackberry, with some cassis, plum, and currants. There was also some oak and mocha notes on the nose, and this wine seemed very young to me. The nose was rounded out by some more herb and spice. On the palate, this wine showed nicely at first. The fruit seemed very subdued and shut down, but there were some jammy hints of raspberry, plum, dark cherries, and fig. There was definitely some creaminess to this wine that wanted to come through, but it just couldn’t do it being so much in it’s youth. Definitely a bit of alcohol and tannin on the finish, and this wine needs some time in the bottle. This ended up sitting on the counter for another hour, and when I came back to visit it, it was very shut down. Not sure if this was perhaps a bad bottle, but the experience was nowhere near what others have stated on this wine. The rest will sleep for several more years before we pop another. No score. Cheers!
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Wine Dinner For The Daughter/Son-In-Law & Their Friends (The Murray Casa): Pulled on spur of the moment, as one of our guests wanted some cab. Paired with a bittersweet dark chocolate flourless cake. Maybe my lamest tasting note ever but I did decant this wine and poured it as the finisher and I remember the wine tasting less oaky and more cab-like than my last experience. Further, I was already a bit pickled after 13 wines before it and so the moral of this lame note, the wine brought some joy to the table, and by god, ain't wine also about this, too? !!!
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Not sure how much this reminded me of Cab, but an excellent beverage especially at the price. Improved over the course of two days. Will hold on for a few more years before trying more.
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Decanted about 5 hours. The nose had dark black fruit and mocha, asian spice and damp earth, and a nice shot of vanilla cream at the end. The palate was rich and thick, with powered cocoa and black currant, blackberry and raspberry, coffee and spice, and a big vanilla finish.
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A bit muted on the nose, very dark in the glass. Smooth, balanced on the palate. Faint oak, cedar, nice cherry/dark red fruit profile. Balance is my lasting impression -- great value and a pleasure to drink.
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Though it's still a baby I had to try this, opened last night at Leila's and paired with a Hanger Steak with Shallots. It delivered, a big full bodied wine that really opened up as the night progressed. Blackberries, Cassis, oak in the background, nice lengthy lingering finiish-lots of potential here for some great drinking.
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I tasted this to try to get a reading as to whether I want more. most of the bottle was consumed using horrible stemware at a byob. over time it opened up to reveal an expressive nose dominated by red and black fruits. tannins were rounded and sufficient to suggest at least mid-term clearing. good balance mediums finish. nice enough wine but young. try again in a couple/few years.
14.5% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet cedar oak nose. Rich attack of ripe red currant fruit with some soft but lingering tannin. Full bodied. Nice showing for this wine. 93ish.
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Too early to rate. As noted by E, very well structured Cab, with an beautiful, silky mouthfeel. Waaay tooooo young though. 3 years away from being ready, at a minimum. Bought 6, should have bought a case!
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The WB board has had some discussion of this wine lately so I thought I'd pop one open. Decanted for a few minutes before drinking. What a wonderful experience. Big, bold fruit, tasted to me like Georges III fruit even though it is touted as Howell Mountain and Oakville. Blackberry, plum, dark cherry, cassis, oak, graphite - beautiful!!! A long finish. This wine really sang!
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Took about an hour to open up, but once it did, this was a tasty drink, and a fine foil to grilled lamb chops. I remember the '04 as having more complexity at this stage, but this has an elegance and roundness that is not typical of most CA cabernet sauvignons. Not to say that it would ever be mistaken for a Bordeaux, but this has a sneaky persistence and subtlety of flavor. Cassis, herbs de provence, cocoa, and black cherry. Moderate but caressing tannins mark the long finish. Should develop well in the short to medium term. Nicely done.
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Great fruit profile of dark cherries, plums and blackberries. This is a young powerful cab that is full of pleasure now but has the right recipe to age beautifully. I bought this as an afterthought when I purchased their pinots and chard. Boy am I glad.
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Thought it would be too young, but after a one hour decant, it was very approachable with a great nose and tremendous dark fruit with coffee and great integrated tannins
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14.5% ABV. Dark garnet opaque in the glass. Right out of the bottle it was showing some sweet oak that rather quickly seemed to turn more caramel and polished oak. Medium full bodied with fairly seamless dark currant fruit. Turning a bit tangy and showing some tannin in the finish. Very good, but it didn't bowl me over quite the way the first bottle did nine months ago.
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After a three hour decant, this vino began to sing. Crystal rim and a deep purple core. Cassis, sage, blackberry, coffee bean, mint and loam. The nose is honestly the best part. I love the delineated and well strewn tannins, which are very soft. At first I thought this was going to be an oak bomb, however, it is not. If the concentration and palate complexity matched the nose, this would be a 95pt+ wine. This is still outstanding and fresh. There's a very well thought out approach to the crafting of this '07. A prudentially nice and clean 30+ second finish. Lovely. Drink 2011 - 2019.
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Oak is overwhelming right now. there is lots of fruit and soft tannin in the background. But for now the creamy mocha oak dominates. Hold will likely improve.
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Inky, dark purple/black color. The palate is packed with dark fruit, well managed oak, and a touch of herbs. The acidity is balanced with well rounded tannins. I really like the length on the finish. Overall, this is an excellent, balanced wine with great fruit and balanced tannins.
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I wanted cab and I got cab. Classic, spicy berry-driven Napa cab with tons of tannin, hints of caramelly oak, and framing acidity. I don't usually go for Napa cabs or 14.5% AbV wines, but this is awfully tasty.
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Popped and poured off small sample for bottle aeration (about 2.5 hours total). Deep, red/purple hue, youthful. Immediately upon pouring this wine exhibits a forward perfume of blackberry, currant & cassis, cedar, and a touch of oak...rather primary, as to be expected, but very appealing in it's freshness. Medium-plus body, nicely concentrated. Serious fruit on the palate, quite upfront and unabashed in it's presentation of fresh blackberries, black cherry, currant paste, and a touch of fig kissed with oak...but while initially appearing as a jammy, modern styled Napa Cabernet, the heightened tannins and medium level of acidity keep the intense flavors shockingly well balanced. In fact, the tannins are quite astringent and chewy on the lengthy finish, and, combined with the acidity, point to an amazing future for this wine. 92 right now, but the potential is there for a 2-4 point increase after 5+ years in the cellar. If drinking now, heed others advice and aerate or decant for a short time. Otherwise, forget you own these...this wine will most certainly shut down.
Quick commentary: Have to give kudos to Rivers-Marie for pricing this Cabernet so realistically...with free shipping to boot on a 6 bottle order. TRB is obviously at the top of his game, can't recommend this wine enough!
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Tight and primary. Needs about 4 hours of air to get a glimpse of what this wine is about. Pure, bright red fruit with great concentration for it's medium frame. Great balance, leaning to the bright side. Light oak treatment that I expect will be completely resolved in another year. Beautiful, talcum and violet aromas accompany a baby powder texture that carries the finish. Not an early drinker, but very approachable with several hours in the decanter. Well constructed and will improve with short to mid term cellaring. Great Cabernet.
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Had to see what this was all about. Pulled the cork about two hours before we went to the restauant, but no decant. The wine was amazingly good. Just loved it. Shared the night with a 2006 Amon Ra that was equal to the task. As the night went on, the tannins came through. By the end, it was a little bitter as well, but my memory is watching everyone at the table saying this is wonderful and grabbing the bottle to see what it was. We're all new fans. Looking forward to the future with RM.
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Maybe even 93 points. Notes from Day 2 - Much better than the bottle I opened up upon arrival, with none of the back-end astringency I noticed on that bottle. Still a bit shy on the nose. Nicely balance and weight on the palate. Cassis, dark fruit. Some tannins on the finish. I don't get the feeling of a lot of structure for long-term aging. I'll drink most of mine between 2012 - 2017.
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So young but still showing great. This cab is drinking so well but should even get better over the next few years. So happy to have five more of these in my wine cellar. An incredible QPR from one of the nicest guys in wine.
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Nice for the price point. Dark fruit seems kind of muddled right now with fine grain tannins that are nicely resolved with a three hour decant. There is some oak that while rather sweet is poking through right now, seems to be a more early drinker and with the right amount of air is fine to consume now.
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This was fantastic. Very flagrant nose of dark dark sweet fruit that flowed right into the mouth. Nice sweet oaked tannins that were not overbearing at all. This is drinking great right now and might be an early drinker for the 07 vintage. Not sure how this will last but I'd say dont' be shy to drink up right now. This was one of the favorites of our tasting that held it's own against some very big dogs.
This is a wine that has stayed with me for days and I cannot wait to open another although I will try my best.
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Should have grabbed some of these from the mail list when offered. This was uniquely good, especially at the price point. Young, deep, dark purple/black, when a huge dark fruit nose. On the palate, it almost reminded me of a Leonetti in the use of sweet oak, giving the fruit a flavor and tactile sensation that is interesting and lip smacking good. Big, brash, but well balanced...you find yourself just going back to it again and again.
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At first I was noticing what I thought was VA. Whatever it was dissipated after 60 minutes. I had this open for a few days and the aromatics changed a bit but never really captured me. Lots of sweet fruit and an somewhat briney quality on the nose. Smell like blackberry syrup and although the oak is there, the wine avoided the milkshake quality I get from things like Molly Dookers. The palate is chocolaty but not soft. The acidity is bracing although it has a unique sweetness. Silly to think of drinking a cab at this young. This is big and ripe. Drying tannins. Not closed but it is angular. Very sweet. Enjoyable for its hedonistic qualities. I wonder if this will peak in 3-4 years or actually develop over the next 12-14. (89-90)
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14.5% ABV. Popped and poured. My friend and wife managed to suck this down pretty quickly, so I didn't get to spend as long with it as I would have liked, but it was deeply colored, mostly opaque in the glass with sweet dark currant fruit and a sweet oak powdered sugar on the nose. Rich and concentrated with ripe but noticeable tannin. Finishes with a touch of cherry sour candy. Really nice. I had feared this would need a decant opened this early, but it actually drank pretty well.
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Used the Audouze method 5 hours prior to serving. Deep dark red color, wonderful nose with black and red fruits, currant, clover, mocha, slight smokiness/creosote. Medium bodied with chewy tannins, a deft oak touch, nice balance and a perfect match with tenderloin in mushroom sauce. Not a hint of heat on the finish. Definitely on the young side but very drinkable and with tremendous potential. Held up well against '04 Quilceda Creek cab.
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Copain Offline @ Fratello's In The South OC (Fratello's Laguna Niguel): As we wrapped up the Copain wines, we eyed Rob's RM Cab, which Frenchenstein had just traded to Rob for Copain to use in the dinner. Out with the cork. As I tasted this wine, which was pop and pour, I do not recall the wine I tasted in June showing this much oak: coffee, mocha and that new oak scent of cologne. The fruit was cherries and milk chocolate, like a Hershey's Bar with fruit. This wine will need some time for the new oak to fade and I won't touch my other bottle until 2011. Clearly CA in style and new world all the way.
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I popped this by accident, sort of - I meant to open the 2006. By comparison, this is noticeably more primary, with darker fruits showing now, and more oak showing, which I expect to integrate well with time. Underneath these elements, the palate shows only moderate tannin - this is by no means unapproachable, just primary and oaky at this stage. After 5 hrs of decant, this does show some juicy plummy fruit that brings you back for another sip and overall has a balance that's similar to the impeccable 06 as well as a nice longish finish of fine dusty tannins. I believe this will be terrific, though I have an open question as to whether I will like this as much as the 06 I liked so much. . Hold off for at least a year, more if you can, and you will be rewarded with more of what this wine can offer. I will be a repeat buyer for every vintage that my budget allows, probably. 92+ to 93 pts
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Couldn't resist popping one...decanted about an hour. Muted nose not giving much. Huge, but soft mouthfeel with rich primary red and black fruit flavors. Loads of oak and tannin on the chocolatey finish. For a wine this huge, really a tight little package, showing impressive stuffing and structure. Going to be stellar in a year or two and drink well for much longer. A real treat.
40+5+5+16+19+8=93+
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Popped and poured during SEC championship/dark ruby with lots of sweet oak and vanilla, still quite primary and dominated by oak. Full bodied and balanced, menthol aromas with cassis. Tannic and young. Good value.
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Subtle but pleasant on the nose, with perfumed cassis and vanilla. Palate is full and relatively precise. Finish is a touch short and there is a slight astringency to the tannins. If this last part resolves, this would be 92-94 points for me.
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Wow--smoking good wine, but waaaaay too young. Nice Cabernet character, but with that TRB component that makes all his wines stand out. Quite tannic, even with several hours of air, this has the stuffing to last a while. Mainly full of fruit right now, it will be interesting to see this wine in 10+ years. Left open for a week, this never showed any oxidation until the end of the week. (PE: 91)
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Rich, expressive nose of ripe dark fruit and aromas of creme brulee and vanilla. Palate is less expressive but finishes with some fine earthy minerally notes.
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Initially opened and poured then poured twice through a Vinturi. Consumed over 4.5 hours. Extremely dark, young and dense. Very dry, tannic and tight, but has a nice core of black fruits and earth. Not very fragrant. Over time it began to open up and clamp of tannins softened slightly. Began to show more fruit with dark coffee/espresso flavors. Needs time to come together. Will taste again in 6-12 months.
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Just bottled this past week so note that as a reference. If this wine remains in the pricing range of the past bottles, I am a buyer. While I don't buy much cab, this wine is pretty nice. At this stage, young but up front richness, with a mix of black and red fruits.
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Yummy. Violets and cherries; wonderful bouquet. has a richness and depth to it. Nice balance between the fruit, the sweetness, the acidity, and the tannins. Delicious.
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8/20/2023 - yinha wrote: 91 Points
Improved further since the last tasting in ‘01. Enjoy now or see how it evolves further on the next 5y
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4/7/2022 - ewhite wrote: 93 Points
First bottle of six purchased directly, not decanted. Color is a deep purple, with zero signs of bricking. The nose on this wine! Explosive out of the glass with deep dark fruit, cassis, spice, anise, and minerals. Still somewhat grippy tannins, the wine is full and lush and pleasingly round and robust, with great acidity and plenty of fruit. No rush on this, I'll drink my remaining bottles over the next 5+ years.
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2/9/2022 - cobbpa wrote: 89 Points
Good, but modest development & probably worth drinking sooner than later. Most notable change vs last tasting several years back is a bit more prominent alcohol on the nose and midpalate. Otherwise, it's a well-done large scale Napa Cab. Vanilla, melted licorice, charcoal, touches of char on the nose. Full bodied, decent supporting acid, tannins modest & shrouded by the weight. Delicious, if a little simple
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12/24/2021 - Outplaying wrote:
We don’t drink many California wines anymore, but we both enjoyed this one. A nice balance of rich, dark fruit, and acidity. A little oak and maybe chocolate. I wish I had a few more.
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2/27/2021 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nicely balanced with currant and plum leading to medium intense finish
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1/9/2021 - yinha Likes this wine: 90 Points
Picked up a couple from KL Wines - drinking beautifully, but no doubt will notch a bit higher even if you are more patient. Elegant style and more memorable overall than a number of ‘bigger name’ cabs I tried throughout the week. Well worth it if you can still track these down.
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10/8/2020 - jc510 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In my opinion, this wine has come together. Nose of cassis, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, hint of vanilla. Mouth feel is full bodied, perfectly balanced oak - tannin's - ripe fruit. needed an hour to open up.
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9/11/2020 - jfkwines wrote: 91 Points
Aired for 2-3 hours. Great pairing with Ribeye. Still vibrantan youthful. Cedar nose with a slight hint of leather.
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5/2/2020 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Heavy sediment. Medium purple color. Cassis, leather, blueberry, and black cherry fruit.Silky smooth finish. There are no Napa Cabs better at $55. Really good now.
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11/3/2019 - jehirsch wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely stunning. Prior comments are spot on about the drinking window- this is just entering peak (with a 60 minute decant).
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10/19/2019 - Bellissimo wrote:
Decanted 90 minutes served with dinner and finished later in the evening. On the whole this is a fruit driven wine. Red and blue fruits come front and center. Tannins are nicely integrated. Not lush but still big with gobs of fruit. Last of 3 for me but I don't think this is anywhere in decline and the CT drinking window of 2019 is too short.
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7/17/2019 - tomlee wrote: 94 Points
Purple in color. 14.5% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red and blue fruits, molten licorice, violets and saddle leather. Big, rich and plush. Tremendous balance and mouth feel. Blueberries, cassis liqueur, currants and graphite on the palate. Silky tannins on an exceptionally long finish. Stunning Cabernet Sauvignon from a fantastic vintage that thoroughly exceeded my lofty expectations. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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6/28/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: "Killer Bar" (#03 for me): "New World" Theme (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: Toasty oak atop RIPE berries; Intensity lurking
P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which, SURPRISINGLY, pretty much resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with POSS a very, VERY slight bitterness to the unoffensive, dusty tannins with an alluring tangy/swtness. For now & making its 15th, poss more. 14.5% ABV; My EXC+.
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5/16/2019 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 93 Points
1.5 hours of air and this is in a very nice place. Solid fruit with well balanced soft tannins. Paired very well with grilled tenderloin.
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5/3/2019 - Richard P Howden wrote: 91 Points
Red fruit - cherry, cassis, plus cinnamon nose - classic cab palate showing more red fruit, spices black pepper, soft tannins. Age has evened this out and still is long and tasty, maybe not quite as vibrant as my previous bottle two years ago. Still, a classy California Cab.
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3/1/2019 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
opened and aired for an hour. First glass was kinda flat and we expressed some concern. Drank the rest with a seasoned Rib Eye ad the flavor was greatly enhanced by the steak. i would not say that the wine needed more time but this bottle seemed to find the right spot integration wise along with a steak. The tannins have softened and it held texture and mouth feel while still offering Cabernet depth . Upon looking at our previous experience with this wine, I recommend drinking soon and pair with red meat
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3/1/2019 - davudvl wrote: 88 Points
Not nearly as good as the previous bottle. Maybe past its prime?
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2/2/2019 - ljl203 wrote: 91 Points
I think it is time to drink up. Smooth, integrated, olive cinnamon notes, superfine tannins. Wish it had more fruit or spice.
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1/6/2019 - JGvine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very solid Cabernet can taste the age in this
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12/6/2018 - jfkwines wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. First 07 RM for us very smooth, almost too smooth.After initial taster, paired with a NY Strip. Held it's own and was even better than the first glass without the steak. However the lack of tannins keeps the wine from a higher score. Drink now as integration is complete and the wine will not get any better but is in a great spot now
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11/25/2018 - BrunelloBob wrote: 91 Points
Auction purchase. PnP, and I'm good with that. Nice nose. Cassis, plum, cinnamon, pepper. Significant tannin balances the fruit. Med+ length. Supper-fine sediment.
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9/3/2018 - ssouth wrote:
Bought at release ( from mailing list) and stored in 55 degree cellar
Still dark purple to the very edge. Decanted 2 hrs. Nose is inviting with dark fruits and no oak showing. Palate follows with a rich silky character with plum, blackberry, hint of smoke and resolving tannins. No oak here either. Layers of interest with a great texture. Great with an almost medium rare filet mignon straight off my grill.
A great example of a Napa cab that is starting into a drinking window that should last 5+ years. Balanced interesting not overly oaky and no alcohol burn (14.5%). Not a fruit bomb
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7/31/2018 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): 2 hour decant. The overall profile is a typical TRB cabernet that has pleasant characteristics of modern Napa. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
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6/12/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a good place. Red and black fruits. Firm tannins. Medium to long finish.
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4/9/2018 - Meerlust wrote: 91 Points
Dark red, purple color. The nose surprised me with red-fruited with raspberry notes initially and darker cassis in the background. With air, pipe tobacco made a brief appearance. On the palate, this wine had excellent blackberry, minerals, and floral notes with deft oak adding some complex cocoa notes. There was surprisingly brisk acidity, not overwhelmingly so, that should add to the wine’s ageablilty and food compatibility. Even at age eleven, there was still a tannic backbone. Overall, this was an outstanding wine that was vibrant with ample fruit and structure to stand up to a medium-rare NY strip with a blue cheese crust.
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2/1/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby red with fine sediment. Very well integrated on the nose and palate. Layered nose with notes of dark plums, sweet spices, earthiness and some light herbs. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium plus body. Plush palate with dark stewed fruits, especially plums, damp earth, dark spices, black fruits and a little gritty. Long finish. Drink till 2022.
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2/1/2018 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark berries and chocolate.
T7.5 F6 B8 F7
This was a pnp and it is still beautifully young and rich. Rounded tannins with minerality that does not overpower.
I clearly do not agree with Spectator's rating. Yes this is a Napa powerhouse but it is not overly fruity. I know it is Cab but the depth in the finish is Cab Franc like.
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12/28/2017 - thalver wrote:
Pleasant, but it doesn't seem to have fulfilled its promise. Sufficient tannin and structure to go longer to see what develops
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12/7/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red. Well integrated on the nose and palate. Notes of dark plums, some earthiness and spices. Very well balanced but not explosive on the palate. Medium tannins (5.5/10) and medium to medium plus bodied. Seems odd for an 07. A little like a wetter vintage. A touch of greenery underneath with notes of damp earth, dark berries and balanced acidity. Medium plus to long finish. Drink till 2021.
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9/30/2017 - Grape_ape wrote:
still very youthful and not much development 5 years since my last bottle... vey pure fruit, tasty, but at the same time monolithic. paired well with a steak in that slab and a cab way
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6/16/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious blackberry, cassis, oak, and spice on the nose and silky palate with soft tannins on the long finish.
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5/1/2017 - D1Harris1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense and structured napa cab. Black currant, loam, scorched earth with integrated oak spice. Well made. Still primary. Will improve in complexity over 5-10 years.
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12/19/2016 - mdaniel wrote: 90 Points
Drinking wonderfully right now.
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11/18/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well now, I'd drink now. Blue fruits, deep flavor, tannins well integrated and overall nice balance. Suffered in comparison to more complex competition, but a very very good wine.
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9/17/2016 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to drink beautifully with similar notes to previous bottle.
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7/17/2016 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Two Rivers Marie in one day? Sure why not.
Dark, rich flavors and coatings, nice length, tannins are integrating nicely. Still fruit driven with cassis, blackberry, and black cherry being being predominate with a hint of leather and dust underneath.
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4/19/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Singing with sweet rich currant, plum and great balance.
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4/1/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and decanted for about 30 minutes. No formal notes - just going from memory. Well constructed, but didn't find any type of wow factor. Well integrated. Might improve with some further cellar time, but don't think it needs a whole lot more time. The Aston pinot we followed up with was much more interesting.
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3/22/2016 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Awesome bottle with rich black and blue fruits. Awesome finish with nice soft dusty minerality and milk chocolate. Well balanced and silky. Opened up in about one hour. Nice nose once the alcohol blew off of fruit. At its peak - no reason to wait.
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1/31/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
14.5% abv. Dark ruby with expressive claret aromas. On the palate, cassis, leather and graphite. Exceptionally deep long and rich. Tremendous mouthfeel. TRB had a string of success in 07, and this was no exception. Should continue to improve
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1/12/2016 - MillerRoad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Dark in color, purple to deep crimson. Big nose. Smell of herbs and candy. Very fruit forward, with dried sweet cherry, blackberry. Some vanilla and eucalyptus. Still a bit sharp to the palate. Silky tannins, with feel of cinnamon. A dense wine but easy to drink. Probably aged long enough. (Had a glass the next day, and held its own.)
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1/1/2016 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
New Years Even 2015 (Kevin and Vicki's): Four years later, and to me, this wine is still an 89. Quite fruity, amped up, perfumed, juicy modern, Pamela Anderson Cali-Cab.
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12/31/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 89 Points
New Years Eve Celebration (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark/purple red color. Decanted for 3 hours. Drank 1 glass over an hour. I tend to agree with with galewskj. There's a lot to like here with a black fruit forward nose of cassis and blackberry, but the palate is fruit forward, extracted, sharp, dense and heavy, pedal to the metal hi octane Cali cab. Those that like that style are going to love this, but it is a bit much for my preference. I do like it more now than four years ago.
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8/12/2015 - meatman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine but much more reserved than I anticipated, especially given the year.
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5/3/2015 - daniel.jay wrote: 91 Points
This was pretty good. Decanted for 30 minutes. Drank soft, but with lingering tannins, a mix of red and blue fruit made it a little brighter than typical Napa cab. Lacked the concentration and intensity of great cabs. Enjoyed, was easy drinking, but not a stunner.
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4/26/2015 - Mike V wrote: 92 Points
Much better than last bottle. Oak has integrated well.
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3/29/2015 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
Decent cabernet. Classic Napa profile.
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3/2/2015 - rralls wrote: 92 Points
Coravin single glass. Very nice cab but not too much crazy going on.
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3/1/2015 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was really enjoyed and stood up well to prime rib-eyes, but seemed a subdued compared to past bottles and other wines at the table on this night. Good strong cab characteristics that hopefully continue to bloom in the next few years.
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2/23/2015 - twelch wrote: 93 Points
The fruit has toned down on this a bit with some nice secondary notes starting to appear. Don't get me wrong a ton of fruit remaining but just softer. Really developing nicely for my palate.
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12/27/2014 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious blackberry, cassis, oak, and spice on the nose and silky palate with soft tannins on the long finish.
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12/25/2014 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Drank with Christmas dinner of beef tenderloin and was a bit outclassed by the meat. Not a bad wine but rather one dimensional with everything tilted toward straightforward currant flavors and a bit of oak. Don't think it really has anywhere else to go. Solid but unexciting.
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12/25/2014 - Outplaying wrote: 90 Points
Soft, fruit forward, modern cab. Dark fruits, some chocolate, slight oak. Easy drinking. Quite a bit of sediment. Ann loved it.
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7/27/2014 - dontime wrote:
Very nice. PNP which didn't do it justice. Really delivered after 90 minutes. If scoring 92-94.
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7/13/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark, rich cab in the modern style. Enjoyable, well made wine. Should continue to develop for a few more years.
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5/16/2014 - John from GR wrote: 93 Points
OMG... Wanted to eat the cork when I smelled it, Deep, ripe blueberries. Massive wine with black fruits and dark chocolate. Finish is long. Full bodied.... Lots if tannin and tons of fruit. Wish I had more if this wine - I'd like to see what five more years in the cellar would do to it. Drank it with a char broiled rib eye. Perfect.
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4/29/2014 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
Drank this two weeks ago, so no detailed note, but this has really come along nicely in the last two years. Less sweet, more complex, and all around more delicious. Terrific.
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1/31/2014 - willison wrote: 91 Points
Deep color. Chewy tannins. Big mouth full of chocolate covered blueberries followed by black licorice. Still tasted a bit young.
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1/30/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Bold black cherry and plum aromas with some liqueur, dark chocolate and licorice hints. Similar flavor profile with very good balance throughout and very well textured with (almost) old world charm.
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1/25/2014 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Rich cassis and plum notes. Full bodied, with plenty of sweet fruit. The tannins have begun to be better integrated, making this significantly more approachable than when last tasted~2yrs ago. A nice value in Cali Cab.
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12/26/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium dark ruby. Very aromatic. Very deep and rich with layered flavors. Long aftertaste. A classic and distinctive Napa Cab with bright fruit. Very enjoyable.
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12/18/2013 - Brunello123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good wine, but still young.
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12/7/2013 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
More acidic and on the red end of the spectrum, tannin is integrating now and drinking better than a bottle opened a year ago.
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11/26/2013 - thalver wrote:
decanted and drunk from about 45 minutes on. Pleasant, well-balanced, nice Calcab. descent nose of dark fruits, adequate aciditiy, tannins well integrated. However, when returning to the last glass about 5 hours later, this had blossomed into something pretty special: less expressive on the nose, but a lingering finish that went on and on. Give it plenty of time.
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10/17/2013 - beau11 wrote: 93 Points
a step up from previous bottles as tannins are starting to integrate. This really improved with air. compared to the bevan 09 ontegeny this was more red fruit, cherry and slightly more acidic. both have nice midpalates with a slight gravely finish, while the onegeny had a richer finish with some caramel notes. ontegeny 94
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10/14/2013 - AngryPrez Likes this wine: 92 Points
amazing nose on this wine - tons of blue fruit, a bit tart and tannic - an hour plus in the decanter really improved it - have a few more of the 2007s, will (try and) wait another year or two before opening another one - buy again if I see them
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9/29/2013 - davudvl wrote: 92 Points
Very dense, dark, and full bodied. Long finish. Lots of fruit and spice.
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9/7/2013 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had my wife go down and pick up another blind bottle for me, this time I guessed exactly what it was, '07 rivers marie cab. I actually don't think it's as good as the previous bottle, but it is a classic cali cab, easy to guess. Cassis, loads of oak, vanilla and spice. It's very good if you like that style, fruit forward as is most '07 and ready to drink now.
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6/1/2013 - ledwards wrote: 94 Points
Layers of refined fruit- balckberries, blueberries combined tranform to depth and texture on the mid palate. Wonderful, long finish (30 seconds-ish). TRB has made a Schrader-lite here?
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2/8/2013 - Rktekt3 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle. A bit closed to begin with. Aerated it and it was better but very tannic. An hour later it was slightly better. I think one more year in the bottle will help this one out.
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2/1/2013 - NTR wrote: 92 Points
Nose not as pronounced as I remember it. Dense, quite tannic, chewy mouth feel, the granite and eucalyptus very apparent. Cedar and oak (new french oak barrels). A year has certainly aided this wine. It has more weight. Less heat (see previous note). A easy 92+ for me and potentially higher. Much more satisfying than 15 months ago. Strongly recommend a hour+ decant (always a good idea regardless of what you are opening).
Reviewing other notes post writing above..Grape_ape and emtame comments spot on...think 1-2yrs may be the sweet spot.
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12/8/2012 - winopops3 wrote: 92 Points
Dark and very young appearing. Nose of dark fruit, cedar and hint of mint. Palate rich, dark fruit (plum, blackberry), cedar, hint of tobacco. Viscous mouthfeel and medium length finish. Still fairly tannic especially early in its out of bottle evolution. I think this wine will go for years. For me it retains a lot more balance than a lot of 2007's I've had. Went well with tomato based risotto dish.
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11/11/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours (seemed to benefit). Deep violet red. Fabulous dark fruit on the nose with some oak, tar and espresso. Plush palate with fine tannins in terrific balance. Good length and depth. Not a lot of complexity, finesse or elegance but two of us flipped over how good this was garlicky potatoes and filets, Nancy thought the fruit was over-the-top. I've had all the CS in the R-M line and this was the first bottle that I thought was truly ready to do 'its job'. Gives me hope for the others.
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11/3/2012 - fisk15 wrote: 90 Points
Needs time, much better on 2nd day
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10/21/2012 - davudvl wrote: 92 Points
A wonderful well balanced Cabernet .
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7/30/2012 - Grape_ape wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours, consumed over another 2.5... Big wine, but not over the top, with nice balance. Dark fruits - black currant, blackberry, along with some subtle spices from the oak - which while noticeable, was done in a complimentary way, i.e., not the vanilla / mocha way. Still very youthful with plenty of up front fruit and grippy tannins on the long finish. One quibble is that I wish it had some more complexity to it, perhaps something that a couple more years will bring out. Will definitely wait at least 2 years before having my other bottle.
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7/24/2012 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Opened my first '07 today. Was a bit sweet (too sweet, frankly) on opening, but the fruit came into balance with 1.5 hrs of air and the wine showed itself to be a very nice modern-styled Napa cab. The fruit was just this side of jammy and my wife loved it. Bottle #2 will probably wait another two years, at which point I expect to see a little more complexity and the fruit a little less dominant.
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7/23/2012 - thalver wrote:
Open and decanted. Drinking quite well now. well balanced, medium-plus finish, adequate tannin to suggest it should go longer, but by no means fiercely tannic. 92-93ish
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7/17/2012 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Another great bottle that is drinking so young. A serious cab that still has lots of tannin. At least 3 possibly five years from its peak. Wait at least two years to drink the next one.
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6/10/2012 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 93 Points
14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. My relatively short arc across tastings of this wine was pretty interesting. My sixth of six bottles tonight over a 3 year or so period seems to suggest that the Napa bottling is a great candidate for early drinking (which is great). Significantly less sugar on the nose than my first bottle (none at all?). Ripe currant fruit with some caramel-oak components in the finish. Nice Napa Cab.
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5/28/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. The bottle is long and tall and impressive from the outside. Big wine that took some time to open. Great depth and a long finish. Wonderful
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5/14/2012 - pedwards wrote: 92 Points
No formal notes taken, but really nice balance and smooth cab. No need to wait to open bottles but an hour decant would be beneficial.
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4/27/2012 - VinoDiver wrote: 92 Points
This is showing more integration than the last bottle. Fruit is still a little dominating but with a really nice balance of Oak and Tannins. I don’t see any reason this won’t continue to age well for several years. As the fruit continues to soften and integrate with the structure this could become a truly special wine.
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1/1/2012 - jeanluc07 wrote: 92 Points
drank it with beef tenderloin. better than the last time i had it. Not as a fruit bomb as i thought it would be (thats agood thing). nice ball\ance between fruit, tannins, and structure. potentially to be better.
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12/31/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Drank on New Years Eve with Flannery's steaks. Extremely well balanced with a nice richness and good length. I was worried it might be closing up but not this bottle. Just great.
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12/10/2011 - dionysis wrote: 94 Points
Tremendous. Really liking this wine.
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12/7/2011 - kthornton78 wrote: 92 Points
deep and opaque in color, the nose echoes the rich color. black and red fruits, subtle sweet vanilla and chocolate with a briary herbaceousness. the palate shows complexity with great balance - fruit, sweet tannins, oak influence that seems "just right" with notes of coffee, cocoa and spice.
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12/3/2011 - Hog Scrotum wrote: 90 Points
The last time I had this, it was probably a 93 pointer. This time, it didn't show quite as well. It seems to lack the structure necessary to give it a higher rating. Still, it was an enjoyable, soft and fruity cabernet that was pretty decent.
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10/26/2011 - 1045grape wrote:
to store
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10/25/2011 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
D.C. Dinner for Greg Golec (Toscana Cafe - DC): A very classy Napa cabernet that was drinking incredibly well this night. It had a very classy, cool dark fruit nose with warm spices, subtle oak and cedar. The palate was firm with nice dark fruit, tobacco, violets and spices. Thought the acidity provided nice balance to this medium-bodied Cabernet.
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10/23/2011 - Ki Punwar wrote: 92 Points
Have not had this for awhile, I found it drinking well, very balanced wine that is, IMO, much better than the 2008. Paired with a cheese plate watching football, it was perfect...full bodied with nicely integrated oak, a wine to drink now at a good price.
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10/19/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. This seems to have shed some baby fat since I last tasted it, but it still very youthful. Medium full bodied with ripe currant fruit, a suggestion of cocoa and fairly soft tannins. Nice.
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9/3/2011 - NTR wrote: 92 Points
Classic cab nose of dark berry, Solid mouthfeel but expect more from a higher end 07 napa cab .Does not have the length I would hope or the depth I would expect but make no mistake, this is a nice cali cab..very good steak wine...will cut though the fat of a rare+ ribeye. Tannins still tight and a little hot but really....a very nice wine. Going 92 o this but it is a disappointing 92 given the vintage.
Kind of funny reading that back. CT is known as a venue where ratings are very harsh and tight...you see a 90 here you got a very good wine....92 is a solid solid number here....was just hoping for more...have a few more of these to pop and rate so we'll see if it is consistent
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8/7/2011 - andolini wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Deep, dark red and didn't get much on the nose -- probably served a bit too cool. But the first sip was surprisingly rich and pure. Cab fruit, touch of spice, dark cherries with some sweetness, but the balance and smoothness really struck me as I was drinking. Thought tannins were already well resolved, with a long finish. Top notch wine.
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8/7/2011 - jeanluc07 wrote: 91 Points
first day so so: acidic and not all together. second day it shined
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8/7/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 88 Points
Minneapolis Does a Blind Tasting Part 2 (Tracy's House): Not a wine I will be running out to buy and really not Cab like. Tasted blind. Light nose with spice, floral and raspberry. Palate shows little depth and is comprised mainly of spice and floral notes. Medium finish. Pass.
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8/7/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful fruit, big opulent wine, but well balanced for an 07 in this style. Finish goes on. Will probably wait a while on the rest.
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8/6/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 88 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club - Blind Tasting (Tracy's): very dark red color. Nose is cassis, oak, some spice. The palate is medium full, black fruits, with marked and somewhat drying tannins, short on the finish. Disappointing, especially for the price point.
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8/4/2011 - J @ y H @ c k wrote: 93 Points
This definitely gets a WOW. Popped, decanted and then drunk over the next 3 hours at Mortons. This wine oozes red fruit and cassis, with a mocha/chocolate/coffee component in the background if you search for it. Sweet red fruit nose. No direct oak flavor. Did not notice any vanilla. Color is very dark. Surprisingly drinkable despite its youth. The mouth feel on this is wonderfully smooth with your flavor receptors firing well on all cylinders. There's ZERO astringent tanins. Maybe the massive fruit is hiding them, but I can't tell. Some people have expressed the view that the 2007 Cali Cabs will fall apart because of lack of tannic structure. That's a possibility, but it's not a huge concern to me because these are so good now that I expect all but one of them to be gone before the risk of falling apart rears its ugly head. I'll keep one for aging just to see what happens at the end of this decade. PS - both my drinking companion, whose sweet spot is anything made from Nebbiolo that's over 10 years old, and the restaurant manager, gave this wine a wow as well.
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8/2/2011 - drycab wrote:
What can I say. It's not that great and I won't take my 2009 Allocation. Oh Well!
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7/30/2011 - mdaniel wrote: 92 Points
Vinturi'd: A wonderfully smooth and structured Napa cab.
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7/25/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Consumed in anticipation of upcoming 2009 release. Dense ripe CS. Thick chewy tannins. Every adjective my wife and I had for this wine involved some description of size and weight. This will be nice once some of the tannins resolve, and some of this wine's "pointy edges" smooth out with age.
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7/16/2011 - Seo wrote: 91 Points
Very concentrated. Agree with notes below by King Cab. Decadent with abundant black and red fruit. Some cinnamon spice and tons of cassis liquor. Finish goes on and on. While smooth now, the tannins will subside more. Interested to see where this goes in 12-18 months.
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6/26/2011 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
As 2007 Cabs go, I must add this one to my 'like' list. The list is about 4/35 (like/don't care for).
This really is similar in profile to the Schraders, and its no wonder now is it? It has a similar nose and approach onto the palate. Where is differs is in its length.
There is some reall pretty black and red fruits of cassis, black plums and black cherries with some cola and Creme de Cassis liquor. It has some great structure with a mid to mid-plus weighted wine with some voluptuous mouth-feel.. Tannins are pretty huge, and hidden right now behind some of that fruit cornucopia. There are those rumors out there that you want to believe: The one about the extra Schrader, (or lets call it a 'cut') going into this is not a stretch......
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6/22/2011 - HenryW wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruit. On the first night the oak was far too prominent. Second night much better balance.
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6/18/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Seems to be closing a bit. Not as open as the last one we had. Got better as the night went on. Need to wait awhile on the next one.
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5/15/2011 - mtavarozzi wrote:
Not a trad Napa cab, more along the line of a overwrought central ca syrah. Wasn't bad, but disappointing.
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5/15/2011 - silton wrote:
What *Vine* said below; not as accessible as upon release, but still very enjoyable, a good QPR, with loads of potential.
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5/14/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured. Deep, purple/garnet hue. On the nose, the aromas are still quite expressive, with a nice combo of red and black fruits, ripe currant, red bean paste, mocha, and hints of cedar and spice. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit is somewhat muted but still shows excellent notes of black raspberry, cherry, currant & cassis plus hints of cocoa powder, herbs, and vanilla spice from oak. Well-balanced, the acidity keeps this from becoming to flabby. At this point, the tannins are a bit grittier than previous yet overall this wine is still very plush with a moderate-plus close. Definitely a bit more closed than on release, give this one 3-5 years and it should be a beauty.
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5/4/2011 - dionysis wrote: 93 Points
Lush front end with velvety mouthfeel -- almost syrah-like and a bit hot, but it benefited greatly from 1-2 hours of air. Give the others a bit more time.
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3/27/2011 - dionysis wrote: 93 Points
Good cab -- not too serious and easy to drink, with lots of red fruit and an underwhelming amount of oak.
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3/13/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Big rich cabernet. Nice balance and somewhat medium complexity. A nice wine but would wait a few years on the next one.
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2/21/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.5% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet cocoa and a touch of sweet oak on the nose primarily. Medium full bodied with fairly soft tannins and a round sweet milk chocolate and black currant fruit profile. Tasty.
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2/19/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
OC Blind Wine Crew Does Dinner and Italian (Again!) (Il Barone, Newport Beach CA): This wine seemed over the edge to me tonight. I have good experiences with this wine, then other times I find it too big. The wine showed heat to me on the bouquet tonight and while I liked the fruit, it just seemed to be too big for my britches on this particular evening. I still own a bottle, will hang onto it or drink on a cold night when I want some decadence.
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2/6/2011 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 92 Points
Notes from memory: Big and polished fruit without being a "bomb". Good dose of earthiness, touch of oak. Well made, good structure, delicious.
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1/27/2011 - herberto wrote: 92 Points
This was really delicious, I have to admit. Ripe in style, and showing oak, spice and chocolate. Especially chocolate. Gosh, I really hope that is from the soil and the fruit, and not some spoofilation. It worked very well. Held together with good acidity for a ripe-styled Cab.
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1/23/2011 - Paul Lin wrote: 91 Points
Red and black fruits, cinnamon and baking spices, molten chocolate cake. Sumptuous yet balanced. Firm acidity.
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1/21/2011 - tripkirby wrote: 95 Points
Really like this. Beautiful nose of blue berry, dark fruit and mocha. Elegant and complex, its not not your typical cali fruit bomb. Clean fruit up front with graphite, cedar and mocha. Plush without being viscous, oak is still a little too prominent but underlying acidity and silky tannin makes this a delicious wine nevertheless.
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1/4/2011 - pakabear wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. The nose is really interesting, with classic black currants running through, there's also a good amount of blackberry and then some basil and sage on the back end that I love. Palate is well balanced, black fruits, licorice and toasted oak and has more body then a year ago; it's really coming into it's own. Still a couple years out from it's peak and should last 5-10 years past that.
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12/4/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
14.5% alcohol. Decanted. This is drinking absolutely beautifully. Dark red-purple color. Gorgeously aromatic nose of juicy black fruit, a whiff of oak, rich earth, and a compelling graphite note. In the mouth, plush, focused, and concentrated, with none of the plodding sins of some 2007s. There is a strong core of blue and black fruit, supported by ample spice, graphite, and a bit of oak. Well-structured but still caresses the palate. So easy to drink and so delightful. The best R-M Cab to date. A
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11/20/2010 - jmull wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured through a wine aerator. This was fascinating juice. Some olive/briney notes up front, with pure dark fruit and a gorgeous, pillowy texture. Even better than the 2006. 94.
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10/30/2010 - willison wrote: 92 Points
Loads of cocoa and black and blue fruit, both on the nose and the palate. Well integrated for a young wine, but also shows the promise of aging well. Extremely enjoyable. Decent finish.
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10/30/2010 - Bellissimo wrote:
Brought this and an old vine Suma to a local restaurant and decided to open this; paired with a pheasant pasta dish. Popped and poured consumed over 3 hours. This is young and needs time; it was significantly more aromatic at 3 hours than up front. Dark currant, blackberry, vanilla, pencil shavings, and some spice on the nose. Taste is BIG fruit forward with cherry, cassis, and blackberry; rich and full then the tannins kick in and carry the flavor for over 90 seconds. Impressive and will undoubtedly calm down with a long decant or after a few years but this really shows potential.
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10/18/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose of baking chocolate, black and blue fruits, vanilla laden toasty oak with some cinnamon, nutmeg and baking spice. Rich creamy mouthfeel with fine grain tannins, bottle sweetness, cocoa, more of the black and blue fruits, creme de casis and licorice. Decently sweet and creamy, could use a few years to shake the baby fat and develop a bit.
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9/11/2010 - markjahnke wrote:
Stefania Tasting at The Backyard Bistro! (Bordentown, NJ): For whatever reason, this wine seemed to be a bit closed down to me compared to the 2006 we had earlier. These were opened at the same time, and this one was poured about an hour and a half after the cork was popped. I didn’t actually decant this wine, but maybe we should have. We actually opened this for Paul and Stef to compare it with the 2006, as a lot of people compare this wine to Stefania. In all honesty, I don’t get that, but to each their own. On the nose, this showed some very nice fruit. Lots o dark blackberry, with some cassis, plum, and currants. There was also some oak and mocha notes on the nose, and this wine seemed very young to me. The nose was rounded out by some more herb and spice. On the palate, this wine showed nicely at first. The fruit seemed very subdued and shut down, but there were some jammy hints of raspberry, plum, dark cherries, and fig. There was definitely some creaminess to this wine that wanted to come through, but it just couldn’t do it being so much in it’s youth. Definitely a bit of alcohol and tannin on the finish, and this wine needs some time in the bottle. This ended up sitting on the counter for another hour, and when I came back to visit it, it was very shut down. Not sure if this was perhaps a bad bottle, but the experience was nowhere near what others have stated on this wine. The rest will sleep for several more years before we pop another. No score. Cheers!
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9/11/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Wine Dinner For The Daughter/Son-In-Law & Their Friends (The Murray Casa): Pulled on spur of the moment, as one of our guests wanted some cab. Paired with a bittersweet dark chocolate flourless cake. Maybe my lamest tasting note ever but I did decant this wine and poured it as the finisher and I remember the wine tasting less oaky and more cab-like than my last experience. Further, I was already a bit pickled after 13 wines before it and so the moral of this lame note, the wine brought some joy to the table, and by god, ain't wine also about this, too? !!!
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8/23/2010 - pll4 wrote: 91 Points
Not sure how much this reminded me of Cab, but an excellent beverage especially at the price. Improved over the course of two days. Will hold on for a few more years before trying more.
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8/17/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 5 hours. The nose had dark black fruit and mocha, asian spice and damp earth, and a nice shot of vanilla cream at the end. The palate was rich and thick, with powered cocoa and black currant, blackberry and raspberry, coffee and spice, and a big vanilla finish.
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8/15/2010 - andolini wrote: 93 Points
A bit muted on the nose, very dark in the glass. Smooth, balanced on the palate. Faint oak, cedar, nice cherry/dark red fruit profile. Balance is my lasting impression -- great value and a pleasure to drink.
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8/8/2010 - Ki Punwar wrote: 93 Points
Though it's still a baby I had to try this, opened last night at Leila's and paired with a Hanger Steak with Shallots. It delivered, a big full bodied wine that really opened up as the night progressed. Blackberries, Cassis, oak in the background, nice lengthy lingering finiish-lots of potential here for some great drinking.
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8/8/2010 - thalver wrote:
I tasted this to try to get a reading as to whether I want more. most of the bottle was consumed using horrible stemware at a byob. over time it opened up to reveal an expressive nose dominated by red and black fruits. tannins were rounded and sufficient to suggest at least mid-term clearing. good balance mediums finish. nice enough wine but young. try again in a couple/few years.
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8/6/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 93 Points
14.5% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet cedar oak nose. Rich attack of ripe red currant fruit with some soft but lingering tannin. Full bodied. Nice showing for this wine. 93ish.
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8/5/2010 - agbailey wrote: 92 Points
Too early to rate. As noted by E, very well structured Cab, with an beautiful, silky mouthfeel. Waaay tooooo young though. 3 years away from being ready, at a minimum. Bought 6, should have bought a case!
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8/3/2010 - E wrote:
young, nowhere near ready to consume...loads of tannin and structure...no oak issue as noted elsewhere...leave at least 3 to 5 years more
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7/25/2010 - bruce61 wrote: 95 Points
The WB board has had some discussion of this wine lately so I thought I'd pop one open. Decanted for a few minutes before drinking. What a wonderful experience. Big, bold fruit, tasted to me like Georges III fruit even though it is touted as Howell Mountain and Oakville. Blackberry, plum, dark cherry, cassis, oak, graphite - beautiful!!! A long finish. This wine really sang!
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7/16/2010 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
Took about an hour to open up, but once it did, this was a tasty drink, and a fine foil to grilled lamb chops. I remember the '04 as having more complexity at this stage, but this has an elegance and roundness that is not typical of most CA cabernet sauvignons. Not to say that it would ever be mistaken for a Bordeaux, but this has a sneaky persistence and subtlety of flavor. Cassis, herbs de provence, cocoa, and black cherry. Moderate but caressing tannins mark the long finish. Should develop well in the short to medium term. Nicely done.
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7/4/2010 - pkbackman wrote: 91 Points
Big Cabernet, in the "fruit-forward" mode I've come to expect in the 2007 vintage. Delicious wine. Happy 4th of July to us!
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7/3/2010 - Bevo wrote: 93 Points
Big, fruity cabernet
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6/26/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 93 Points
Great fruit profile of dark cherries, plums and blackberries. This is a young powerful cab that is full of pleasure now but has the right recipe to age beautifully. I bought this as an afterthought when I purchased their pinots and chard. Boy am I glad.
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6/21/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
See Previous Notes. Decanted for three hours. The cassis, coffee bean and loam were quite evident. A very well made wine.
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6/16/2010 - Acohen wrote: 93 Points
Thought it would be too young, but after a one hour decant, it was very approachable with a great nose and tremendous dark fruit with coffee and great integrated tannins
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6/12/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
14.5% ABV. Dark garnet opaque in the glass. Right out of the bottle it was showing some sweet oak that rather quickly seemed to turn more caramel and polished oak. Medium full bodied with fairly seamless dark currant fruit. Turning a bit tangy and showing some tannin in the finish. Very good, but it didn't bowl me over quite the way the first bottle did nine months ago.
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6/11/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
no formal note. damn good. drinking well if you can stomach some tannin. best in several years time. another winner from trb!
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6/5/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 93 Points
After a three hour decant, this vino began to sing. Crystal rim and a deep purple core. Cassis, sage, blackberry, coffee bean, mint and loam. The nose is honestly the best part. I love the delineated and well strewn tannins, which are very soft. At first I thought this was going to be an oak bomb, however, it is not. If the concentration and palate complexity matched the nose, this would be a 95pt+ wine. This is still outstanding and fresh. There's a very well thought out approach to the crafting of this '07. A prudentially nice and clean 30+ second finish. Lovely. Drink 2011 - 2019.
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5/31/2010 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Black cherry, dark chocolate, long finish, smooth tannins.
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5/23/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: 93 Points
Oodles of dark fruit, cassis, spice, nicely balanced with chewy tannins. Better on day two. Terrific young cab - TRB never fails.
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5/9/2010 - BobS wrote: 90 Points
Very black/inky color while being well balanced.
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4/14/2010 - Mike V wrote: 88 Points
Oak is overwhelming right now. there is lots of fruit and soft tannin in the background. But for now the creamy mocha oak dominates. Hold will likely improve.
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4/10/2010 - Meerlust wrote: 91 Points
Inky, dark purple/black color. The palate is packed with dark fruit, well managed oak, and a touch of herbs. The acidity is balanced with well rounded tannins. I really like the length on the finish. Overall, this is an excellent, balanced wine with great fruit and balanced tannins.
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3/25/2010 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Cannot get enough
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3/15/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 92 Points
Really nice again, but this is clearly very young. So tasty, I have trouble staying away from them, but I will wait on the rest.
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3/1/2010 - CMCLR wrote: 90 Points
Started off with something funky that blew off after ~ 1 hour. Then much better.
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2/9/2010 - j45 wrote:
I wanted cab and I got cab. Classic, spicy berry-driven Napa cab with tons of tannin, hints of caramelly oak, and framing acidity. I don't usually go for Napa cabs or 14.5% AbV wines, but this is awfully tasty.
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2/7/2010 - NotNYC wrote:
Gorgeous. Young. Leave these alone for a good while ~ 2015
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2/7/2010 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Pretty much the same as a month ago. Very tasty stuff, will be interesting to see if it improves at all with some bottle age.
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2/1/2010 - silton wrote: 93 Points
I concur with the consensus below. Cassis and mocha and blackberry and pencil with symmetry and quiet power. A gem.
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1/31/2010 - shaneajohnson wrote:
Very young, tight, and primary, but has all the right stuff to be excellent later on. Wait at least three years before opening another.
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1/17/2010 - *Vine* wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured off small sample for bottle aeration (about 2.5 hours total). Deep, red/purple hue, youthful. Immediately upon pouring this wine exhibits a forward perfume of blackberry, currant & cassis, cedar, and a touch of oak...rather primary, as to be expected, but very appealing in it's freshness. Medium-plus body, nicely concentrated. Serious fruit on the palate, quite upfront and unabashed in it's presentation of fresh blackberries, black cherry, currant paste, and a touch of fig kissed with oak...but while initially appearing as a jammy, modern styled Napa Cabernet, the heightened tannins and medium level of acidity keep the intense flavors shockingly well balanced. In fact, the tannins are quite astringent and chewy on the lengthy finish, and, combined with the acidity, point to an amazing future for this wine. 92 right now, but the potential is there for a 2-4 point increase after 5+ years in the cellar. If drinking now, heed others advice and aerate or decant for a short time. Otherwise, forget you own these...this wine will most certainly shut down.
Quick commentary: Have to give kudos to Rivers-Marie for pricing this Cabernet so realistically...with free shipping to boot on a 6 bottle order. TRB is obviously at the top of his game, can't recommend this wine enough!
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1/17/2010 - Jody Smith wrote: 92 Points
Tight and primary. Needs about 4 hours of air to get a glimpse of what this wine is about. Pure, bright red fruit with great concentration for it's medium frame. Great balance, leaning to the bright side. Light oak treatment that I expect will be completely resolved in another year. Beautiful, talcum and violet aromas accompany a baby powder texture that carries the finish. Not an early drinker, but very approachable with several hours in the decanter. Well constructed and will improve with short to mid term cellaring. Great Cabernet.
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1/17/2010 - deltacop wrote: 94 Points
Had to see what this was all about. Pulled the cork about two hours before we went to the restauant, but no decant. The wine was amazingly good. Just loved it. Shared the night with a 2006 Amon Ra that was equal to the task. As the night went on, the tannins came through. By the end, it was a little bitter as well, but my memory is watching everyone at the table saying this is wonderful and grabbing the bottle to see what it was. We're all new fans. Looking forward to the future with RM.
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1/13/2010 - sdatl wrote: 93 Points
Young, bold, but wow! The classic RM clean fruit and spice with wonderful structure and a long finish. Can't wait to enjoy this over its evolution.
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1/11/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Maybe even 93 points. Notes from Day 2 - Much better than the bottle I opened up upon arrival, with none of the back-end astringency I noticed on that bottle. Still a bit shy on the nose. Nicely balance and weight on the palate. Cassis, dark fruit. Some tannins on the finish. I don't get the feeling of a lot of structure for long-term aging. I'll drink most of mine between 2012 - 2017.
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1/9/2010 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
So young but still showing great. This cab is drinking so well but should even get better over the next few years. So happy to have five more of these in my wine cellar. An incredible QPR from one of the nicest guys in wine.
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1/3/2010 - glaze3 wrote:
Nice for the price point. Dark fruit seems kind of muddled right now with fine grain tannins that are nicely resolved with a three hour decant. There is some oak that while rather sweet is poking through right now, seems to be a more early drinker and with the right amount of air is fine to consume now.
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1/3/2010 - Tubbs wrote:
Needs 3-5 years just to get going IMHO.
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1/1/2010 - twelch wrote: 94 Points
This was fantastic. Very flagrant nose of dark dark sweet fruit that flowed right into the mouth. Nice sweet oaked tannins that were not overbearing at all. This is drinking great right now and might be an early drinker for the 07 vintage. Not sure how this will last but I'd say dont' be shy to drink up right now. This was one of the favorites of our tasting that held it's own against some very big dogs.
This is a wine that has stayed with me for days and I cannot wait to open another although I will try my best.
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1/1/2010 - cadamson wrote: 93 Points
Should have grabbed some of these from the mail list when offered. This was uniquely good, especially at the price point. Young, deep, dark purple/black, when a huge dark fruit nose. On the palate, it almost reminded me of a Leonetti in the use of sweet oak, giving the fruit a flavor and tactile sensation that is interesting and lip smacking good. Big, brash, but well balanced...you find yourself just going back to it again and again.
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12/31/2009 - elamasters wrote:
Big, concentrated wine. Tannins were fine-grained and polished, but it really needs more bottle time to show its best.
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12/28/2009 - jasonh wrote: 90 Points
At first I was noticing what I thought was VA. Whatever it was dissipated after 60 minutes. I had this open for a few days and the aromatics changed a bit but never really captured me. Lots of sweet fruit and an somewhat briney quality on the nose. Smell like blackberry syrup and although the oak is there, the wine avoided the milkshake quality I get from things like Molly Dookers. The palate is chocolaty but not soft. The acidity is bracing although it has a unique sweetness. Silly to think of drinking a cab at this young. This is big and ripe. Drying tannins. Not closed but it is angular. Very sweet. Enjoyable for its hedonistic qualities. I wonder if this will peak in 3-4 years or actually develop over the next 12-14. (89-90)
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12/28/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 94 Points
14.5% ABV. Popped and poured. My friend and wife managed to suck this down pretty quickly, so I didn't get to spend as long with it as I would have liked, but it was deeply colored, mostly opaque in the glass with sweet dark currant fruit and a sweet oak powdered sugar on the nose. Rich and concentrated with ripe but noticeable tannin. Finishes with a touch of cherry sour candy. Really nice. I had feared this would need a decant opened this early, but it actually drank pretty well.
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12/24/2009 - vinocerus wrote: 93 Points
Used the Audouze method 5 hours prior to serving. Deep dark red color, wonderful nose with black and red fruits, currant, clover, mocha, slight smokiness/creosote. Medium bodied with chewy tannins, a deft oak touch, nice balance and a perfect match with tenderloin in mushroom sauce. Not a hint of heat on the finish. Definitely on the young side but very drinkable and with tremendous potential. Held up well against '04 Quilceda Creek cab.
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12/23/2009 - WetRock wrote:
Impromptu Copains at Fratello's (Fratello's San Clemente): Nose of coffee and chocolate. Big sweet rich palate, plush and thick. Not my kinda Cab but I know plenty dig these.
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12/23/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Copain Offline @ Fratello's In The South OC (Fratello's Laguna Niguel): As we wrapped up the Copain wines, we eyed Rob's RM Cab, which Frenchenstein had just traded to Rob for Copain to use in the dinner. Out with the cork. As I tasted this wine, which was pop and pour, I do not recall the wine I tasted in June showing this much oak: coffee, mocha and that new oak scent of cologne. The fruit was cherries and milk chocolate, like a Hershey's Bar with fruit. This wine will need some time for the new oak to fade and I won't touch my other bottle until 2011. Clearly CA in style and new world all the way.
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12/23/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 94 Points
One word...BOMB
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12/21/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
I popped this by accident, sort of - I meant to open the 2006. By comparison, this is noticeably more primary, with darker fruits showing now, and more oak showing, which I expect to integrate well with time. Underneath these elements, the palate shows only moderate tannin - this is by no means unapproachable, just primary and oaky at this stage. After 5 hrs of decant, this does show some juicy plummy fruit that brings you back for another sip and overall has a balance that's similar to the impeccable 06 as well as a nice longish finish of fine dusty tannins. I believe this will be terrific, though I have an open question as to whether I will like this as much as the 06 I liked so much. . Hold off for at least a year, more if you can, and you will be rewarded with more of what this wine can offer. I will be a repeat buyer for every vintage that my budget allows, probably. 92+ to 93 pts
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12/14/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Couldn't resist popping one...decanted about an hour. Muted nose not giving much. Huge, but soft mouthfeel with rich primary red and black fruit flavors. Loads of oak and tannin on the chocolatey finish. For a wine this huge, really a tight little package, showing impressive stuffing and structure. Going to be stellar in a year or two and drink well for much longer. A real treat.
40+5+5+16+19+8=93+
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12/11/2009 - j45 wrote:
Big, brooding and tannic, but brisk and delicious enough to warrant a second glass. I like this much more than R-M's 2006 Cab.
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12/5/2009 - Ki Punwar wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured during SEC championship/dark ruby with lots of sweet oak and vanilla, still quite primary and dominated by oak. Full bodied and balanced, menthol aromas with cassis. Tannic and young. Good value.
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12/1/2009 - Rayburn wrote: 92 Points
This is a damn fine cab, needing some more time to rest, but so yummy after a hour or two in the decanter
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11/29/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Subtle but pleasant on the nose, with perfumed cassis and vanilla. Palate is full and relatively precise. Finish is a touch short and there is a slight astringency to the tannins. If this last part resolves, this would be 92-94 points for me.
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11/14/2009 - MarkC wrote: 93 Points
Wow--smoking good wine, but waaaaay too young. Nice Cabernet character, but with that TRB component that makes all his wines stand out. Quite tannic, even with several hours of air, this has the stuffing to last a while. Mainly full of fruit right now, it will be interesting to see this wine in 10+ years. Left open for a week, this never showed any oxidation until the end of the week. (PE: 91)
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11/14/2009 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Rich, expressive nose of ripe dark fruit and aromas of creme brulee and vanilla. Palate is less expressive but finishes with some fine earthy minerally notes.
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11/10/2009 - Old Sparky wrote: 90 Points
Initially opened and poured then poured twice through a Vinturi. Consumed over 4.5 hours. Extremely dark, young and dense. Very dry, tannic and tight, but has a nice core of black fruits and earth. Not very fragrant. Over time it began to open up and clamp of tannins softened slightly. Began to show more fruit with dark coffee/espresso flavors. Needs time to come together. Will taste again in 6-12 months.
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6/7/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Just bottled this past week so note that as a reference. If this wine remains in the pricing range of the past bottles, I am a buyer. While I don't buy much cab, this wine is pretty nice. At this stage, young but up front richness, with a mix of black and red fruits.
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11/22/2008 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Yummy. Violets and cherries; wonderful bouquet. has a richness and depth to it. Nice balance between the fruit, the sweetness, the acidity, and the tannins. Delicious.
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