It’s been a decade and some since we had this ( Papies 93) and frankly on this occasion although of a similar rating it also felt a bit tired something we do see with many hot vintages of 90s Napa. 1994 is one that has that for the not so classicists in their style too. It was indeed a solid wine but really we wanted more even if we don’t adjust for the price. 93 at best.
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TN: Nose shows some floral notes surrounded by earth and tobacco with hints of spice and leather. Palate starts with silky smooth tannins that glide over palate. Mid-palate shows cherry, red currant, earth and sweet tobacco, with hints of Mocha and spice. This wine shows a great balance between fruit and tertiary goodness, i.e., a perfect spot for my palate. Will likely drink the next bottle sooner than later. Easy 96 for me! Glad I opened this one!
Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Dark yet light red floral notes, aromatic cedar notes, damp red-fruited forest floors, a really subtle hint of mushrooms growing nearby, and amazingly pure, dark red cherries with a vivid intensity, almost prickly.
P: The purity of dark red fruits show beautifully on the palate as well, dark and intense yet somehow maintains a class act. Tobacco leaves, some underlying tar and matching cedar from the nose. A faded but beautiful graphite note, like an old note scribbled on parchment years ago, and dried, snapped twigs on the finish, along with some steeped tea.
Amazing how day 2 showed more tertiary notes, but they recede and go back into hiding, as if it never happened in the first place. What type of black magic is this?? Resolve and integration at its finest.
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The cork was perfect along with the fill. Initially the wine was warm fruited and compact, peaking in intensity with a short finish, but a little air seemed to depress some of the midpalate punch and lengthen the finish. At 1 hour, it was at its very best. Singing with cherry and brown sugar, a hint of fig. After the 2nd hour, it seemed to fall apart a bit, and with new tasters there were guesses of amarone and other observations of overripe fruit. In other words, this didn’t hold together all that well, and I would not decant, pour from the bottle, and buy a cooler vintage next time.
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I enjoy building a lineup when hosting friends for dinner. I've been working through a stash of 90's Eisele and this 97 did not disappoint! Select cuts of Ribeye, NY Strip & Filet with a robust salad of roasted beets, sweet potato, pistachio over spring mix & crumbled goat cheese. Balsamic vinaigrette.
Suenen OIRY BdB Grand Cru (Base Vintage 2018)
1997 Araujo Eisele
2016 Corra Melanson Vineyard
2018 Produttori del Barbaresco
This particular bottle of 97 Eisele was in a great spot. The use of a Durand left the cork completely intact. Of the recent 92, 95, 96 & 98 this bottle falls right in line with 95. Beautiful sweet silky tannins. Notes of tobacco, white pepper, espresso carry the red fruit across the palate.
Plenty of life left and will continue to age effortlessly.
95
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From Magnum. Slow Ox for 1 hour. The wine took another hour to fully open in this format. Blackberries, black cherries, some red fruits, eucalyptus, dried herbs, tobacco and minerals. Long, fine and very smooth tannins. Elegant wine. This Magnum would have been just as wonderful 2 years from now.
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"Guy's Night": Aged Napa (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Very dark purple/red color. Drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Flighted with a '95 Spottswoode. Creme de cassis, blackberry compote, sweet violets, sweet brown sugar, chocolate. The palate is big, Port like, creamy texture, creme de cassis, ripe blackberry, lots of glycerin, chocolate, velvety, and plush. 92+pts.
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Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Another stellar wine in an awesome lineup! This wine was easily my number 3 wine, slightly behind the 1996 Heitz Martha, and the 1996 Abreu MR. I absolutely loved this wine, it has a great nose, and an even better palate, filled with plenty of youthful fruit. I am shocked that it shows so well and youthful after a quarter of century! This wine had the most fruit of all the wines tasted, and hence one of my favorites. Whenever you can balance fruit and tertiary flavors, you have a winner in my book, and I don't penalize a wine for leaning more on the fruit side, as I believe (at least for my palate) fruit is the most important component!
This wine showed a floral nose with lots of dark and red fruit (cherry and blackberries), vanilla, cocoa, bramble and tobacco, with hints of cedar. Palate was remarkable with Cassis, currants, blackberry and cherry, some chocolate notes, wrapped in earth, tobacco, mushroom and tapenade, with hints of sweet toast oak, coupled with silky tannins and a smooth medium finish. Glad I have 3 more of these! 94+ to 95, and squarely in my wheelhouse!
Guys night - Napa (Joe's house): See "DRINKINGWINE" for treatment. This strikes me as a slightly more modern style, although there's plenty of complexity to enjoy. There was a fair amount of vanilla oak, and the wine has a large profile. Tobacco, chocolate, coffee and earth.
Even better than in march: super Cab! Strong, youthful, full bodied, super concentrated. A textbook Californian Cabernet in a mature stage: opulent and silky. Very complex spectrum of aromas but all in balance and harmony, kind of a Buddha-wine. Wow.
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PNP. It took less than 10 minutes to fully open. Dark, ripe fruit that still is holding strong, but the tannins are drying out a bit on the finish. I would drink up now. A-
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Super lush and opulent Cabernet, performing excellent in its 25th year! Dark red color. Voluptuous nose consuming all your attention for the complex bouquet of currants, dark berries, cherries, vanilla, delicate notes of smoke and tobacco. Wonderfully balanced, round, silky palate. Long finish showing very elegant silky tannins and leaving you with a feeling of complete harmony. Wonderful. No signs of decline.
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Big fruity juicy wine. Blackcurrant and cassis. Tannins almost entirely buried in the background. Complex flavors with wet earth, black olives and mushrooms. Long juicy finish.
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This was slow ox'd for about 4 hours. A nose of black fruits, cassis, cedar and earth. The palate was plus but not over extracted. Blackfruits, dusty earth and integrated silky tannins. This was great!
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Nose: plum, berry, christmas spice and chocolate shavings. Pushed ripeness, but never hitting the rasin notes of other 97s. Palate: Such rich nuance and excellent palate feel. Tobacco, dark berries, cherry and smoke with a bit of oaky vanilla.
Denancted for 30. A small amount of sediment. Nose of red cherry, light tobacco, licorice. Surprised at how much fruit is still present. Silky smooth tannins. This wine is amazing, but could easily go another 5+ in this condition. Cork was a little brittle, but bottle and wine condition was excellent.
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Tasted blind. Lovely nose with a mix of dark and red fruit, licorice, dark cherries, and violets. Medium acidity with quite resolved tannins, velvety mouthfeel, again red and dark cherries, and some sweeter fruit notes towards the back of the palate. Nice finish. Drinking very well right now and very interesting to try it!
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Bottle in great shape with perfect cork. Nice freshness and acidity, with beautiful complex red and black fruit. Light on its feet but with plenty of depth of flavor. Tannins are very fine and perfectly integrated. Signature Eisele complexity with olives, mushrooms and prunes.
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Decanted and poured. Color has dark pink and orange-y tints, yellow edges. Nose is earthy and a bit smoky, old world vibe. Mouth feel is very dry, palate is pencil lead, wood, smoke, some secondary strawberry, surprising absence of fruit. Really highlights the importance of vintage, as the 1999 and 2008 vintages are two of my favorite bottles, and this one is underwhelming.
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Another venison stew, and another perfectly matched mature Cab. Still have snow in the mountains so it all seems appropriate. Lovely bottle and drinking just right.
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Drank this with a venison stew last night. Another delicious mature cab- deep in color with no sign of aging, soft and well rounded but still balanced. It was certainly time, and we enjoyed every drop.
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Mature Cali Cab with black cherry, black raspberry, tea and grilled herbs. Did well with grilled rib eyes. Soft tannins, generous nose, great integration of flavors.
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The '97 Eisele has reached and stretched a tad beyond its peak. The cork fell apart, yet the aromatics of this gorgeous mature cab revealed notes of cherry, cranberry, mocha, eucalyptus, and a hint of cedar. Very little sediment, on the palate the wine packed a good amount of fruit upfront and through the mid-palate, but lacked weight and with a very disappointing finish compared to previously and other cults from the 97 vintage. Tannins resolved and only a hint of acidity. Enjoyable.
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What a beautiful wine! We enjoyed this elegant wine after a great dinner at GWFins in NOLA. It had great color and wonderful depth. The nose was good, but it was better on the palate - rich and luscious fruit (dark and some red) - and a finish that was lovely. It proves,yet again, that, if you are patient, CA wines will reward you.
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First visit to Cafe Matisse (Friends House + Cafe Matisse): This is the best version of this wine I've ever had. Love 90's Napa and while I'm sometimes a bit skeptical of the '97s which haven't always held up, this was very much going strong. Darker red fruits and a black licorice component. It was quite expressive. And opened up with time (we pnp'ed and in retrospect realized a decant might have helped). Beautiful wine.
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I purchased on release from the winery and have had two other bottles over the years, this was my last. It was exceptional. Tremdously smooth but with nice fruit and structure.
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Black cherries, licorice, chocolate, and a hint of cloves in the nose. Blackberries, plums, currants, and black cherries in the flavor. well balanced, medium full body, and a medium to long finish. Would have merited a higher score had it shown more complexity.
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Dark ruby color, some signs of separation, core color still youthful. Nose of black cherry, tobacco. Palate was showing dark fruits, blackcurrant, cedar, licorice and charcoal. Classic Eisele vineyard signature, some sweetness through the mid palate. Medium mouthfeel and long finish.
Nice balance of elegance and fruit, this is in a very good spot right now, fully mature, tannins resolved and drinking beautifully. Well stored bottles should have a good life ahead of them but I don;t think it improves much from here. Great stuff...
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PNP. cork soft but perfect seal. color showing age. no details but this is firing on all cylinders. rich and dense, with developing secondaries but plenty of fruit in there and not a rough edge to be found. outstanding example of CA cabernet and drinking beautifully
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No sign of bricking. Opaque garnet throughout. This is a big wine, highly extracted fruit. After 19 years the taste of tea (oak) is still strong. Phelps had such a deft hand with the Eisele vineyard when they owned it. Alas. Deeply saturated fruit including berries, black cherry, and tidal waves of licorice. Still untamed tannin. Needs time to settle down and meld. Do not try again until there is plenty of sediment, perhaps in 2021+.
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Black fruit, notes of espresso, dark chocolate and vanilla with background spice. Very fresh and still showing good power, I like where it is now expect it will drink nicely for at least 5 more years.
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Last of 3 bottles. Cork was only 1/4" soaked. Aroma of cedar, cigar box and earth were very apparent upon opening. Decanted for about an hour, no change on the nose. Silky smooth tannins, good amount of acid, but a little less fruit just enough to tell me that this is on the right side from the top of the bell curve. Drink and toast this great vintage and wonderful effort from Araujo.
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This wine came from our personal cellar and we took it to a restaurant to celebrate my birthday. If you're holding on to a '97, I'd say drink up. My wine drank beautifully from the minute we opened the bottle. A brilliant, deep garnet color. A lush bouquet on the nose and red berries on the palate. The tannins are all smoothed out and it still had some depth and a nice finish. Let's just say that this wine didn't demand a lot from me, yet it delivered a really enjoyable experience.
We decanted about 3/4 of the bottle and the wine didn't change much over the course of dinner. We drank the last glass the next day with lunch and it was terrific.
My husband disagrees, yet I stand firm that this well could be the top for the '97. Perhaps I"m making it up because I so enjoyed this wine and want to drink more. I have another bottle in the cellar and would love nothing more than to open it this weekend.
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Dinner after HDH Tasting (The Duck Inn - Chicago IL): Ripe black plum and berries, liqueur hints, espresso and dark chocolate. Good overall balance. Most likely no upside from here. Better than another bottle from a few months ago.
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Lacking the depth and concentration of the best vintages, this fully mature wine offers a tobacco, olive, blackberry and earthy nose. Medium/full bodied, soft and fresh, there is no reason to age this any longer.
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Brief tasting note. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Very forward aromas dark black fruit supplemented with casiss, lead pencil, and cedar notes. Very ripe blackberry fruit with excellent balance. The wine finishes short of my expectations for a 1997 Cali cab. Unsure if this will age gracefully from here. Drink Now. 93 Pts.
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Slight bricking at the edges and fruit is mature. What impressed most from this wine was a lengthy minerality starting at the mid-palate and continuing through the finish.
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Decanted at Spago for about an hour. Perfect balance of fruit, tannins and acid. Finish is much shorter than what I remember from the last bottle. However, the last bottle was decanted much longer. Will wait for few more years before I open my last bottle of this vintage.
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Not the best 97 Napa that I have tried, but certainly not a bad wine. Quite elegant for a Napa, good ripeness and balance, at a great place to drink, for me not enough punch for a Napa.
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Wines Served at Shiva (Northbrook, IL): Ripe black fruit, liqueur hints, vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso. Enough structural support to keep the ripe character in balance and even-keeled. Probably no upside from here.
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Overripe, "grapey," heat, medium finish. Barely tasted like Cabernet. Bought at release by me and stored properly since. We actually didn't even finish the bottle.
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Drank from magnum. One of the purest expressions of Cali cab fruit I have had in a long time. Masculine, yet refined. Laser like fruit focus with a true sense of terroir. A classic wine from a classic vintage. Has at least a decade of life left if not more.
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American Belle 2nd Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. Nose of tar, coffee and dark berries. The wine is long, powerful, quite rich and shows an immense potential. The wine is very elegant, nice balance and long. Flavors of Coffee and Caramel start to emerge. A superb wine. No hurry to drink
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Dark ruby, purple w lightening at the edges of the glass. Nose and palate of moderately concentrated purple/black fruits, ripe, slightly sweet (as a napa cab should) w a little heat in the back (surprising given the label says 13.8%, although could be inaccurate). Enjoyable, better w/out food than with salmon, Osso bucco, truffle pasta. Don't hold, drink next year or two as I think the fruit will fade and the heat will take over.
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This blew a 2002 Insignia away for its symmetry and purity of flavor. Striking on both the nose and palate. Was the universal WOTN. Would buy again for a special occasion. 2hr decant
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Lush fruit and a nice finish right out of the bottle. Faded just a bit with some air, but overall very nice and the favorite of a few. Would be drinking now. A-
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Tobacco and leather dominate the nose upon first opening, but on the palate in addition to the foregoing are blackberries, cedar Oak and hints of tar. The wine took only about 30 minutes in the glass to fully open.
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A brooding dark wine with a ink black core and youthful ruby red rims, you can sense this is a big wine by the charming aromas that jump form the glass. The initial aromas show candied cherries, raspberries, plums, currants, licorice, cedar, dried flowers, eucalyptus, hints of well integrated sweet vanilla, crushed stones, and Indian spices. It caresses the palate with its smooth texture while revealing gobs of dark cherries, plums, blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate, followed by great acidity on the mid palate with small hints of licorice. A full bodied wine with a moderate to long lasting finish, silky well integrated tannins, filled with dark fruits, currants, cloves, anise, cinnamon, and some sweet vanilla. While the fruit flavors are clean, focused, and take a predominate role, the wine still manages to keep a balance making it quite drinkable.
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PnP about an ounce upon opening where I found its wonderful fragrance of red fruits, licorice and meat. Color has no sign of bricking. Initial taste of red fruits and spices. Decanted the rest of the bottle for 6 hours, rebottled, recorked and drank at Osteria Mozza for my 45th bday celebration. Fruit, tannins and acid are incredibly balance. This wine is pure and silky. Secondary notes of earth and black pepper. Finish is long, very long. This wine is simply amazing. Glad to open one out of the three...might drink another one for my 46th.
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What I hoped would be a wonderful bottle of wine for our anniversary dinner was corked. Luckily, I always bring back-up and the next bottle of the same wine was wonderful, although I believe additional cellar time should show improvement.
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This phenomenal wine is drinking very well, but not showing its full potential quite yet. Gobs of dried red fruits, strawberries, black cherries in a deeply saturated and voluptuous body. Heady aromas. But it still needs time to develop tertiary flavors. This will last for decades, no hurry, but hard to keep the corks in the bottles. Simply wonderful. If you are cellaring a few bottles, you should open one and take a peek.
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N: menthol, licorice, spices, cassis, floral notes P: Balanced. Incredibly silky. Black cherry, earth. F: long
An amazing bottle of Cab. One of the best I've tasted. Perfectly balanced. Silky mouthfeel. Still packs a lot of fruit. I can't imagine this getting any better!
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Total bummer. There was something off on this bottle - certainly slight TCA which wasn't actually terrible, but definitely something that didn't capture the essence to what I heard this wine is all about. Drank most the bottle nevertheless and the odor never went away even after 4 hours. Grrrr.
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P n P , needed a bit of a decant as the 2nd glass was wide open, it was aerated for two hours. Outstanding nose, mouthfeel, flavor, I wish I had written more. In a Perfect window now.
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Fabulous. PnP. Deep and rich medium body. Distinct mint and Indian spices. Enticing nose. A bit modern in style but an amazing California cab. Improved over 2 hours. Drink now.
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Opened, decanted and served. No need for long decanting. Shows its age on the colour but still a dark core persists. Old school, classical California. Light on the oak and extraction , 13.5% alc. Light to medium nose, still red fruit, some licorice and light touches of herbs. On the palate it is still very much alive but not the opera singer the 2001 is and in general felt at the right age to drink. Very elegant and very enjoyable. 93/93+ and drink at will.
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Perfect cork upon opening. Decanted half-hour. Average legs in the glass, expected to be more pronounced with this age but shows there is still room to develop. Initial nose has bold spice and hinted at the structure to come. Flavors of black current, basis, berries, earthy qualities, deep spices such as pepper. Very well balanced: deep fruit/earthy undertones/low acidity while still retaining some tannins. Great drinking now and will still develop somewhat for the next few years before peaking in 2015 to 2016 or so.
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What a great style of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Refined, elegant, supple, yet ripe, concentrated and in balance, licorice, black cherry, earth, coffee and blackberry aromas work perfectly with the plush, ripe wine. This is drinking at or close to the peak. I would not wait to pop a bottle.
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This one was open for business. Tell-tale California Cabernet nose of dark and red fruits, as well as a hint of olive and spices. On the palate, the tannins are fully integrated with black cherry and dark fruit flavors dominating the mid-palate with a peppery finish. A little hint of alcohol at the end prevents a higher score, but doesn't greatly detract from the wine.
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Mildly corked. Moments before it was poured down the drain, a wad of Saran wrap was tossed into a glass pitcher, vigorously swirled and allowed to sit for a few minutes. Immediately afterward, the Saran wrap was removed. At this point, the majority of the TCA had been removed, but not enough to make this wine show the way it was meant to. Notwithstanding all of that, this was still pretty enjoyable, and, interestingly, the TCA became less noticeable with each successive glass, not more so, the way it usually does. Honestly, one of the few times Saran wrap has ever made a positive (read: noticeable) difference. Thanks to beachrooster for cracking it!
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Tasted blind: Intensive, clear ruby in color. The nose reminded of lavage and had some madeira notes to it. Surprisingly it still felt young so it does not appear that it was a too warm stored bottle. Anyway the wine in the glass was not representative for a 1997 Araujo Eisele...final verdict...flawed bottle. Retaste
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I am not so good at pointing out specific smells and flavors so forgive me. For me this wine is a remarkable expression of cabernet. 13.5% alcohol, almost unimaginably low in the modern age. Fragrant and floral like a great French wine without the funk that I find unappealing. Not syrupy, but still pure. It stands in a space between the modern greats and the classical French examples. For me this is pretty close to the pinnacle. Sorry I only had one.
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Had the 1994 Opus and 1997 Araujo together tonight and both were fabulous. The Opus was softer and just a touch better (surprised) tonight while the Araulo tasted young and vibrant.
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Dinner with Bart & Daphne Araujo (Summer Palace, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong): Deep red, near-transparent in colour. More open and evolved but less intense nose than the 2002 that preceded it......this has nice notes of wet autumn woodlands combined with still-fresh oak....a nose that is clean-cut but that also grows in precise, lean and understated complexity. The palate is fresh, vibrant, with more evident acidity on the front end, an attractive black pepper mid palate and with a nice dried prune and peach stone finish. This has an exceptionally precise front, mid and end palate that shows the quality and precision of the wine-maker. Great length and a vibrant resonance inside the head on the finish that just grows and grows. Very light, feminine mouthfeel.......very more-ish. I may have underscored this coming in the shadow of the supreme 2002.
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Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. Big cherry pie and vanilla aromas. The palate was packed with big cherry flavors. This had a great mouthfeel and a long finish. I was impressed with this wine, but really enjoyed the complexity of the 97 Leonetti next to this. The 97 Araujo honestly tasted like a much younger wine than any of the others in this flight. I’ve had the 98 Elisle and the 01 before, but this was the best bottle from Araujo that I have ever had. This was my second favorite of the flight, and was very close to being my favorite.
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Wineflock - High End California Cabs from the 2000s (Ken's): Flight #4 - There had to be something off about this bottle - this couldn't have fallen off a cliff this quickly... Opaque red with crimson edges. Sour cherry nose with a bit of must. Thin awkward red fruit with rusty notes.
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Blind High-end Cali Cab Tasting (Ken's Place): Dark ruby. Nose shows dull and older with cumin and tomato. Palate seems thin. Shocking to see this as over-the-hill. Hopefully just a bad bottle. Groups 4 of 4.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A somewhat muted nose, with notes of black fruit, leather and spice. Medium-bodied with a nice texture, but with a touch of astringency on the slightly short finish. Much more austere than previous examples, so probably a less than perfect bottle.
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Not a big wine - a bit delicate, in fact. Red fruit shows great freshness at age 12, with nice balance of acidity. Oak is well integrated (and I'm a tough critic of overoaked Cabs.) This took some time after decanting before it really sang. A very pretty wine and very pleasant to drink. Not sure it can justify its cost, but on an absolute scale it is very nice.
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This was an unbelivable bottle of wine. Such finesse. Ruby color. Smells of berries, casis, and cedar that would not quit. Medium finish. This was a classic.
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This wine is drinking perfectly (whew!) - just like a 10-year old CS should. Nice complexity, plenty of red fruit (hints of tobacco and spice) and a lovely smooth finish. Glad I waited on these.
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1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Fine, ripe red cherry and cassis fruit. Well resolved palate with fine tannins and great purity. Almost a bit fruit heavy and lacking a bit in structure, but still very nice. Rated 17/20.
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At Chez Bruce, London Full ruby-red. Nice tannins and structure, but as opposed to the other comments I found that it was still restrained and actually not at its best stage, I would advise to wait for a few years (it is my taste). Enough has been said on the dark fruits, wood, tabacco, mint etc ... Too me it will achieve a better mark in a few years
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A purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim. Notes of ripe dark fruits, herbs and leather. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a generous texture and fine structure; a lengthy and well-delineated finish.
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Dark brick red colour. This has an amazing complex flavour profile showing earth, smoke, herbs, spices, cassis, and red fruits with some leathery and gamey notes adding a sauvage element that reminds me of the Araujo Syrah. Medium to full bodied in the mouth with lots of intense fruit layered among savoury earthy, leathery and herbal elements, fairly smooth tannins and a plush mouthfeel. Long, rich finish.
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Soft and fairly mature with lovely cassis and plum flavors with a hint of dill. Elegant and good with food. Finishes with nice spicy complexity. Not a great vintage for Araujo but open and crowd-pleasing.
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Still youthful in appearance, with a strong purple core, turning ruby-red towards the edges. A noble bouquet, offering up scents of ripe dark fruits, blueberries and cedary spice. Medium-bodied, with good structure, and fairly lush mouthfeel; in this regard, more in common with a classic Bordeaux than the "typical" fruit-bomb California Cabernet. A long, full finish; went exceptionally well with the food. This is very much my style of wine; Nicole and I liked it immensely.
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Double decanted approx. 2 hrs. prior to consumption. This wine is hitting on all cylinders. The nose is highly perfumed - just leaps out of the glass with notes of plums, chocolate, baking spices, etc. Everything is perfectly balanced on the palate, with lots of still powerful fruit, ripe tannins, and just the right amount of acidity, yet it has taken on a certain elegance at this point as well. While the nose and finish are excellent, the finish is even better, as it just goes on and on - a perfect mixture of power and finesse. I love where this wine is right now - not in any danger of fading, but how can it be much better?
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GWC Holiday Dinner 2007 (Mistral Restaurant, Seattle): I have not had this vintage (just 94 and 95), but wow--what a wine! Complex in the glass with swirling aromas of mocha, dark fruit and a twinge of currant. A pleasureable wine that is smooth, full and finishes long on the palate.
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Beautifully complex 10 year old cab drinking at its peak. Dark fruits galore, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, and a touch of mint and flowers. Silky texture. Nicely balanced. Long finish. I don't imagine this will fade anytime soon, but I wouldn't expect it to get much better either.
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Slightly faded edges. Powerful nose of thick blackberries and alcohol. A very elegant Eisele Vineyard with very ripe, almost chocolaty fruit and a complex finish. The alcohol is a bit pronounced and the wine lacks some of the breed and typicity of the vineyard. Still, its a very charming vintage for the wine.
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Fabulous and perfectly aged Napa Cab that's rather ripe and earthy (the vintage?) but slips down the throat like pure velvet. Classic flavors of ripe aged cassis, blackberries, violets, smoky eucapyptus and minerals. A very elegant and classy cab that has plenty of ripe fruit but is not chocolaty and over the top so it has aged beautifully.
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Dinner with Evan Lobel & Friends with Lobel's Meats; 4/14/2007-4/15/2007 (The house of Jeff and Fran Kadish in Croton, New York): One of 5 magnums I recently purchased at auction (thanks John Kapon), this is the best bottle of the '97 I've ever tasted. Medium-bodied and made in a very sleek, elegant style with very ripe and delicious flavors of blackcurrant and violets with a hint of eucalyptus that build to a very long and finely concentrated finish. I've never thought the '97 was among the best Eisele Vineyard Cabs being a little alcoholic and unstructured but this bottle was stupendous Napa Cabernet. Lastly, Evan served his pan-fried Wagyu Rib Eye steaks which were not to be believed and created yet another fabulous food/wine pairing this evening. 95
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Fine black ruby color with the slightest fading on the rim. Gorgeous, complex nose of ripe cassis, blackberries and mocha. Needed a good hour out of the cellar to open up and start to show itself. Then very complex and delicious with strong chocolate-mocha flavors along with cassis and sweet blackberries. Not a huge Araujo but rather made in a sleek, ripe and elegant style. Finishes quite long, complex and spicy but with a bite of acidity at the very end that suprises. The complex fruit flavors are absolutely the essence of pure Napa fruit and the acidity late either indicates a flaw or that the wine needs some more time. Worth having around over the next few years to find out.
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G7 (Jeff): Nose of chalky cherry fruit. Very tannic at first but after a few hours it became bearable. Not showing very much fruit. Nice finish. Needs some more time IMO.
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Araujo Eisele Vineyard Tasting (Bentley Hotel London): 93CS, 4CF, 3PV, 13.8% alc, 2710 cases Deeper hue, inky. More intensity to the nose, blackcurrent and sour cherry, even fresh garlic?. Sweeter style but still that lush smooth texture, tannins more noticable than other wines, but quite smooth and rounded, wood tannin? Lacks subtlety, more showy and flash, I am sure many will prefer this. Tannic finish.
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The finest, most perfect cabernet I have ever known. Timing is perfect right now. Strong nose of toasted sugars (vanilla and caramel), powerful dark fruits (grapes, blackberries and cherries) and superbly balanced tannins. Have never given another wine the vaunted 100 score, not even the 97 Banfi Poggio All'Oro we had at the same meal.
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Anniversary Week Wines; 11/6/2005-11/9/2005: Drank on anniversary weekend. Dinner at Ruth's Chris - worst experience ever at this restaurant, which we've always enjoyed in the past (at other locations). Weak wine service (even with $30 corkage), steaks were decent at best - we'll avoid this location in the future. However, the night was saved by the wine. Not decanted. Drinking beautifully right now. Elegance and power wrapped up into one. Loads of fruit, but not overpoweringly so. Definitely now on the elegant side, but lots of life left in it, as the finish is long and powerful. If it's not at its peak, it sure seems close, as I really enjoyed this wine tonight.
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Wow! Great wine. I've had the 1996 numerous times before this and have been mildly disappointed. So I was surprised to taset how good this wine really is. Soft and supple with great flow on the palate. Had a lot of other wines at lunch so didn't take detailed notes. Easily the best wine I've had all year.
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A very fine wine. All the complexities you would expect from a wine of this caliber and price. Truly a fantastic and enjoyable wine for a special occasion. Brought by Larry to the Best Cellar.
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Decanted 2 hours. Matched with Grilled Rib Eye w/ Cajun Dry Rub and Herb Butter Sauce. Improved with time in the decanter. Excellent balance, medium bodied with a nice finish. This could improve some additional cellar time, but I do not not expect it to be a long time ager. QPR no, but an elegant, excellent wine nonetheless.
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For the price, it was disappointing. It was still an excellent wine but I could not help but compare it to the 2001 Neal Family Napa Cab that I had a few weeks ago and only sells for $45. This wine was better than the 1998 Araujo Eisele Cab that I had a year or 2 ago. Rich and full bodied with round ripe fruit notes and firm tannins. Just coming into its own but can be easily cellared longer. I did not take any formal notes but it was delicious. Just not $235 delicious of the restaurant wine list. 92+ points.
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Really wonderful cali cab. Very rich, dark and fruit forward. Just a notch below the 94 Shafer Hillside in intensity. Certainly will age, but drinking just fine now. 94 pts. 12/31/03
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Ivy: Med purple-red color; bright; nose of lush rasp., blkberry, blueberries, light oak & cedar; the most silky smooth mouthfeel ever; delicate, structured; beautiful fin., liquid silk; Not a fruit bomb, but very refined and complex.
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1/2/2024 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
It’s been a decade and some since we had this ( Papies 93) and frankly on this occasion although of a similar rating it also felt a bit tired something we do see with many hot vintages of 90s Napa. 1994 is one that has that for the not so classicists in their style too. It was indeed a solid wine but really we wanted more even if we don’t adjust for the price. 93 at best.
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12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
Sweet fruit with some backbone but not really interesting.
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10/21/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Marvin (WineBurrowingWombat) Visits Minnesota; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Jason's House): This was a wine that lived up to the hype of the vintage! Delicious! This wine is in a perfect place for my palate.
TN: Nose shows some floral notes surrounded by earth and tobacco with hints of spice and leather. Palate starts with silky smooth tannins that glide over palate. Mid-palate shows cherry, red currant, earth and sweet tobacco, with hints of Mocha and spice. This wine shows a great balance between fruit and tertiary goodness, i.e., a perfect spot for my palate. Will likely drink the next bottle sooner than later. Easy 96 for me! Glad I opened this one!
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10/21/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Dark yet light red floral notes, aromatic cedar notes, damp red-fruited forest floors, a really subtle hint of mushrooms growing nearby, and amazingly pure, dark red cherries with a vivid intensity, almost prickly.
P: The purity of dark red fruits show beautifully on the palate as well, dark and intense yet somehow maintains a class act. Tobacco leaves, some underlying tar and matching cedar from the nose. A faded but beautiful graphite note, like an old note scribbled on parchment years ago, and dried, snapped twigs on the finish, along with some steeped tea.
Amazing how day 2 showed more tertiary notes, but they recede and go back into hiding, as if it never happened in the first place. What type of black magic is this?? Resolve and integration at its finest.
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6/30/2023 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
The cork was perfect along with the fill. Initially the wine was warm fruited and compact, peaking in intensity with a short finish, but a little air seemed to depress some of the midpalate punch and lengthen the finish. At 1 hour, it was at its very best. Singing with cherry and brown sugar, a hint of fig. After the 2nd hour, it seemed to fall apart a bit, and with new tasters there were guesses of amarone and other observations of overripe fruit. In other words, this didn’t hold together all that well, and I would not decant, pour from the bottle, and buy a cooler vintage next time.
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4/1/2023 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 95 Points
I enjoy building a lineup when hosting friends for dinner. I've been working through a stash of 90's Eisele and this 97 did not disappoint! Select cuts of Ribeye, NY Strip & Filet with a robust salad of roasted beets, sweet potato, pistachio over spring mix & crumbled goat cheese. Balsamic vinaigrette.
Suenen OIRY BdB Grand Cru (Base Vintage 2018)
1997 Araujo Eisele
2016 Corra Melanson Vineyard
2018 Produttori del Barbaresco
This particular bottle of 97 Eisele was in a great spot. The use of a Durand left the cork completely intact. Of the recent 92, 95, 96 & 98 this bottle falls right in line with 95. Beautiful sweet silky tannins. Notes of tobacco, white pepper, espresso carry the red fruit across the palate.
Plenty of life left and will continue to age effortlessly.
95
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12/10/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
From Magnum. Slow Ox for 1 hour. The wine took another hour to fully open in this format. Blackberries, black cherries, some red fruits, eucalyptus, dried herbs, tobacco and minerals. Long, fine and very smooth tannins. Elegant wine. This Magnum would have been just as wonderful 2 years from now.
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7/28/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
"Guy's Night": Aged Napa (Joe & Khem's Place, Mpls): Very dark purple/red color. Drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Flighted with a '95 Spottswoode. Creme de cassis, blackberry compote, sweet violets, sweet brown sugar, chocolate. The palate is big, Port like, creamy texture, creme de cassis, ripe blackberry, lots of glycerin, chocolate, velvety, and plush. 92+pts.
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7/28/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Another stellar wine in an awesome lineup! This wine was easily my number 3 wine, slightly behind the 1996 Heitz Martha, and the 1996 Abreu MR. I absolutely loved this wine, it has a great nose, and an even better palate, filled with plenty of youthful fruit. I am shocked that it shows so well and youthful after a quarter of century! This wine had the most fruit of all the wines tasted, and hence one of my favorites. Whenever you can balance fruit and tertiary flavors, you have a winner in my book, and I don't penalize a wine for leaning more on the fruit side, as I believe (at least for my palate) fruit is the most important component!
This wine showed a floral nose with lots of dark and red fruit (cherry and blackberries), vanilla, cocoa, bramble and tobacco, with hints of cedar. Palate was remarkable with Cassis, currants, blackberry and cherry, some chocolate notes, wrapped in earth, tobacco, mushroom and tapenade, with hints of sweet toast oak, coupled with silky tannins and a smooth medium finish. Glad I have 3 more of these! 94+ to 95, and squarely in my wheelhouse!
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7/28/2022 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Guys night - Napa (Joe's house): See "DRINKINGWINE" for treatment. This strikes me as a slightly more modern style, although there's plenty of complexity to enjoy. There was a fair amount of vanilla oak, and the wine has a large profile. Tobacco, chocolate, coffee and earth.
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7/21/2022 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Even better than in march: super Cab! Strong, youthful, full bodied, super concentrated. A textbook Californian Cabernet in a mature stage: opulent and silky. Very complex spectrum of aromas but all in balance and harmony, kind of a Buddha-wine. Wow.
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4/23/2022 - MC wrote:
PNP. It took less than 10 minutes to fully open. Dark, ripe fruit that still is holding strong, but the tannins are drying out a bit on the finish. I would drink up now. A-
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3/11/2022 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Super lush and opulent Cabernet, performing excellent in its 25th year! Dark red color. Voluptuous nose consuming all your attention for the complex bouquet of currants, dark berries, cherries, vanilla, delicate notes of smoke and tobacco. Wonderfully balanced, round, silky palate. Long finish showing very elegant silky tannins and leaving you with a feeling of complete harmony. Wonderful. No signs of decline.
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2/12/2022 - nywine68 wrote: 95 Points
Big fruity juicy wine. Blackcurrant and cassis. Tannins almost entirely buried in the background. Complex flavors with wet earth, black olives and mushrooms. Long juicy finish.
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12/20/2021 - Rgentile wrote: 94 Points
This was slow ox'd for about 4 hours. A nose of black fruits, cassis, cedar and earth. The palate was plus but not over extracted. Blackfruits, dusty earth and integrated silky tannins. This was great!
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11/17/2021 - fatcabbie Likes this wine: 99 Points
Absolutely stunning. If you don’t like full blown California Cab this ain’t for you.
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11/16/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 81 Points
This is disaster - black fruit, new car smell. Warmth on the palate. Absolutely nothing of interest here.
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11/11/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Upside surprise of the night.
Nose: plum, berry, christmas spice and chocolate shavings. Pushed ripeness, but never hitting the rasin notes of other 97s. Palate: Such rich nuance and excellent palate feel. Tobacco, dark berries, cherry and smoke with a bit of oaky vanilla.
Lovely for 1997
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9/4/2021 - wdcwineguys Likes this wine: 94 Points
Denancted for 30. A small amount of sediment. Nose of red cherry, light tobacco, licorice. Surprised at how much fruit is still present. Silky smooth tannins. This wine is amazing, but could easily go another 5+ in this condition. Cork was a little brittle, but bottle and wine condition was excellent.
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5/3/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Lovely nose with a mix of dark and red fruit, licorice, dark cherries, and violets. Medium acidity with quite resolved tannins, velvety mouthfeel, again red and dark cherries, and some sweeter fruit notes towards the back of the palate. Nice finish. Drinking very well right now and very interesting to try it!
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10/31/2020 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Bottle in great shape with perfect cork. Nice freshness and acidity, with beautiful complex red and black fruit. Light on its feet but with plenty of depth of flavor. Tannins are very fine and perfectly integrated. Signature Eisele complexity with olives, mushrooms and prunes.
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8/9/2020 - FoinZap wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and poured. Color has dark pink and orange-y tints, yellow edges. Nose is earthy and a bit smoky, old world vibe. Mouth feel is very dry, palate is pencil lead, wood, smoke, some secondary strawberry, surprising absence of fruit. Really highlights the importance of vintage, as the 1999 and 2008 vintages are two of my favorite bottles, and this one is underwhelming.
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4/21/2020 - datorr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another venison stew, and another perfectly matched mature Cab. Still have snow in the mountains so it all seems appropriate. Lovely bottle and drinking just right.
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4/4/2020 - datorr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank this with a venison stew last night. Another delicious mature cab- deep in color with no sign of aging, soft and well rounded but still balanced. It was certainly time, and we enjoyed every drop.
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11/17/2019 - madalyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
beautiful mature cab
great wine
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8/2/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Consistent. Last pour was the best. All dark fruit. Finish that’ll haunt your dreams
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7/4/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Mature Cali Cab with black cherry, black raspberry, tea and grilled herbs. Did well with grilled rib eyes. Soft tannins, generous nose, great integration of flavors.
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7/4/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
At peak. Dark blue fruit, less dusty than the Ch. Margaux. Love it. Blackberry
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11/15/2018 - passion4wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
The '97 Eisele has reached and stretched a tad beyond its peak. The cork fell apart, yet the aromatics of this gorgeous mature cab revealed notes of cherry, cranberry, mocha, eucalyptus, and a hint of cedar. Very little sediment, on the palate the wine packed a good amount of fruit upfront and through the mid-palate, but lacked weight and with a very disappointing finish compared to previously and other cults from the 97 vintage. Tannins resolved and only a hint of acidity. Enjoyable.
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9/30/2018 - Labrador Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a beautiful wine!
We enjoyed this elegant wine after a great dinner at GWFins in NOLA.
It had great color and wonderful depth. The nose was good, but it was better on the palate - rich and luscious fruit (dark and some red) - and a finish that was lovely.
It proves,yet again, that, if you are patient, CA wines will reward you.
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7/28/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
First visit to Cafe Matisse (Friends House + Cafe Matisse): This is the best version of this wine I've ever had. Love 90's Napa and while I'm sometimes a bit skeptical of the '97s which haven't always held up, this was very much going strong. Darker red fruits and a black licorice component. It was quite expressive. And opened up with time (we pnp'ed and in retrospect realized a decant might have helped). Beautiful wine.
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4/17/2018 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
A Capella (My place): Took a while to open up but then was incredible. Black berries, licorice, eucalyptus, very long and elegant
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12/29/2017 - railgunner Likes this wine: 98 Points
I purchased on release from the winery and have had two other bottles over the years, this was my last. It was exceptional. Tremdously smooth but with nice fruit and structure.
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12/10/2017 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rounded currant, cherry jam, toast and earth nose. Full, soft and warming palate. Red fruit and earth finish.
4/5
*Sampled from 375mL bottle
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9/9/2017 - Alongfield Likes this wine: 95 Points
The cork was perfect. The wine was opulent and seductive - simply really good. I do think it as peaked or is slight past peak. Wonderful experience.
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4/8/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black cherries, licorice, chocolate, and a hint of cloves in the nose. Blackberries, plums, currants, and black cherries in the flavor. well balanced, medium full body, and a medium to long finish. Would have merited a higher score had it shown more complexity.
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3/19/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
BYO dinner with Ray/Shaun/CVA/Fabian - Bordeaux and "ABC" Whites... (The Milling Room - NYC): This one brought by Ray, splash decanted and drank through balance of the night.
Dark ruby color, some signs of separation, core color still youthful. Nose of black cherry, tobacco. Palate was showing dark fruits, blackcurrant, cedar, licorice and charcoal. Classic Eisele vineyard signature, some sweetness through the mid palate. Medium mouthfeel and long finish.
Nice balance of elegance and fruit, this is in a very good spot right now, fully mature, tannins resolved and drinking beautifully. Well stored bottles should have a good life ahead of them but I don;t think it improves much from here. Great stuff...
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12/11/2016 - chcook Likes this wine:
PNP. cork soft but perfect seal. color showing age. no details but this is firing on all cylinders. rich and dense, with developing secondaries but plenty of fruit in there and not a rough edge to be found. outstanding example of CA cabernet and drinking beautifully
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12/8/2016 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent! Smooth, good fruit, balanced tannins!
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11/5/2016 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
What a beauty! Such elegance and lightness coupled with so much flavor intensity. While still very young, it is just so much fun to drink right now!
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11/3/2016 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
No sign of bricking. Opaque garnet throughout. This is a big wine, highly extracted fruit. After 19 years the taste of tea (oak) is still strong. Phelps had such a deft hand with the Eisele vineyard when they owned it. Alas. Deeply saturated fruit including berries, black cherry, and tidal waves of licorice. Still untamed tannin. Needs time to settle down and meld. Do not try again until there is plenty of sediment, perhaps in 2021+.
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3/6/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Black fruit, notes of espresso, dark chocolate and vanilla with background spice. Very fresh and still showing good power, I like where it is now expect it will drink nicely for at least 5 more years.
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1/30/2016 - grafighter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last of 3 bottles. Cork was only 1/4" soaked. Aroma of cedar, cigar box and earth were very apparent upon opening. Decanted for about an hour, no change on the nose. Silky smooth tannins, good amount of acid, but a little less fruit just enough to tell me that this is on the right side from the top of the bell curve. Drink and toast this great vintage and wonderful effort from Araujo.
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1/8/2016 - BeeAlexandra Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine came from our personal cellar and we took it to a restaurant to celebrate my birthday. If you're holding on to a '97, I'd say drink up. My wine drank beautifully from the minute we opened the bottle. A brilliant, deep garnet color. A lush bouquet on the nose and red berries on the palate. The tannins are all smoothed out and it still had some depth and a nice finish. Let's just say that this wine didn't demand a lot from me, yet it delivered a really enjoyable experience.
We decanted about 3/4 of the bottle and the wine didn't change much over the course of dinner. We drank the last glass the next day with lunch and it was terrific.
My husband disagrees, yet I stand firm that this well could be the top for the '97. Perhaps I"m making it up because I so enjoyed this wine and want to drink more. I have another bottle in the cellar and would love nothing more than to open it this weekend.
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12/3/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Dinner after HDH Tasting (The Duck Inn - Chicago IL): Ripe black plum and berries, liqueur hints, espresso and dark chocolate. Good overall balance. Most likely no upside from here. Better than another bottle from a few months ago.
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9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Lacking the depth and concentration of the best vintages, this fully mature wine offers a tobacco, olive, blackberry and earthy nose. Medium/full bodied, soft and fresh, there is no reason to age this any longer.
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6/11/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Araujo Dinner, Mostly Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard (Milwalky Trace - Libertyville IL): In 97/98/99/00 flight. Very nice black fruit and spice, entirely age appropriate. I just found this slightly hollow in the middle, with just moderate length and concentration. Others enjoyed this more than I did tonight.
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12/24/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Still rocking now at 17 years young. Very pleasant surprise - still maintaining dark fruit but very soft tannin. A winner!
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12/22/2014 - ccpowers wrote:
Best Benchmark Napa Cab
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10/15/2014 - charleshetzel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brief tasting note. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Very forward aromas dark black fruit supplemented with casiss, lead pencil, and cedar notes. Very ripe blackberry fruit with excellent balance. The wine finishes short of my expectations for a 1997 Cali cab. Unsure if this will age gracefully from here. Drink Now. 93 Pts.
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9/12/2014 - bigdogflow wrote: 88 Points
slight cork taint. Disappointing.
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8/31/2014 - ledwards wrote: 93 Points
Slight bricking at the edges and fruit is mature. What impressed most from this wine was a lengthy minerality starting at the mid-palate and continuing through the finish.
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7/19/2014 - grafighter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted at Spago for about an hour. Perfect balance of fruit, tannins and acid. Finish is much shorter than what I remember from the last bottle. However, the last bottle was decanted much longer. Will wait for few more years before I open my last bottle of this vintage.
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6/22/2014 - Pacalet Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not the best 97 Napa that I have tried, but certainly not a bad wine. Quite elegant for a Napa, good ripeness and balance, at a great place to drink, for me not enough punch for a Napa.
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4/3/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wines Served at Shiva (Northbrook, IL): Ripe black fruit, liqueur hints, vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso. Enough structural support to keep the ripe character in balance and even-keeled. Probably no upside from here.
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3/1/2014 - bonedoc wrote: 88 Points
Overripe, "grapey," heat, medium finish. Barely tasted like Cabernet. Bought at release by me and stored properly since. We actually didn't even finish the bottle.
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1/25/2014 - rdsboca Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank from magnum. One of the purest expressions of Cali cab fruit I have had in a long time. Masculine, yet refined. Laser like fruit focus with a true sense of terroir. A classic wine from a classic vintage. Has at least a decade of life left if not more.
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1/6/2014 - shaferguy91 wrote: 95 Points
No decant.
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1/2/2014 - sjdcellar wrote: 82 Points
bottle was definitely past its prime - light at the edges and the fruit is almost completely missing.
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11/12/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 95 Points
American Belle 2nd Edition (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Deep in color. Nose of tar, coffee and dark berries. The wine is long, powerful, quite rich and shows an immense potential. The wine is very elegant, nice balance and long. Flavors of Coffee and Caramel start to emerge. A superb wine. No hurry to drink
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11/7/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby, purple w lightening at the edges of the glass. Nose and palate of moderately concentrated purple/black fruits, ripe, slightly sweet (as a napa cab should) w a little heat in the back (surprising given the label says 13.8%, although could be inaccurate). Enjoyable, better w/out food than with salmon, Osso bucco, truffle pasta. Don't hold, drink next year or two as I think the fruit will fade and the heat will take over.
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8/30/2013 - bmartz1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just loads of complexity - earthy, tobacco notes along with spice. Tasted like it easily has 5yrs before starting to show age.
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8/8/2013 - h2ofowler55 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This blew a 2002 Insignia away for its symmetry and purity of flavor. Striking on both the nose and palate. Was the universal WOTN. Would buy again for a special occasion. 2hr decant
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7/28/2013 - MC wrote:
Lush fruit and a nice finish right out of the bottle. Faded just a bit with some air, but overall very nice and the favorite of a few. Would be drinking now. A-
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7/19/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tobacco and leather dominate the nose upon first opening, but on the palate in addition to the foregoing are blackberries, cedar Oak and hints of tar. The wine took only about 30 minutes in the glass to fully open.
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6/25/2013 - Gobi wrote: 94 Points
A brooding dark wine with a ink black core and youthful ruby red rims, you can sense this is a big wine by the charming aromas that jump form the glass. The initial aromas show candied cherries, raspberries, plums, currants, licorice, cedar, dried flowers, eucalyptus, hints of well integrated sweet vanilla, crushed stones, and Indian spices. It caresses the palate with its smooth texture while revealing gobs of dark cherries, plums, blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate, followed by great acidity on the mid palate with small hints of licorice. A full bodied wine with a moderate to long lasting finish, silky well integrated tannins, filled with dark fruits, currants, cloves, anise, cinnamon, and some sweet vanilla. While the fruit flavors are clean, focused, and take a predominate role, the wine still manages to keep a balance making it quite drinkable.
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1/29/2013 - grafighter Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP about an ounce upon opening where I found its wonderful fragrance of red fruits, licorice and meat. Color has no sign of bricking. Initial taste of red fruits and spices. Decanted the rest of the bottle for 6 hours, rebottled, recorked and drank at Osteria Mozza for my 45th bday celebration. Fruit, tannins and acid are incredibly balance. This wine is pure and silky. Secondary notes of earth and black pepper. Finish is long, very long. This wine is simply amazing. Glad to open one out of the three...might drink another one for my 46th.
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1/22/2013 - ASG24 wrote: flawed
What I hoped would be a wonderful bottle of wine for our anniversary dinner was corked. Luckily, I always bring back-up and the next bottle of the same wine was wonderful, although I believe additional cellar time should show improvement.
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12/17/2012 - Lipsman wrote: 96 Points
This phenomenal wine is drinking very well, but not showing its full potential quite yet. Gobs of dried red fruits, strawberries, black cherries in a deeply saturated and voluptuous body. Heady aromas. But it still needs time to develop tertiary flavors. This will last for decades, no hurry, but hard to keep the corks in the bottles. Simply wonderful. If you are cellaring a few bottles, you should open one and take a peek.
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9/7/2012 - BuffaloLou wrote: 95 Points
N: menthol, licorice, spices, cassis, floral notes
P: Balanced. Incredibly silky. Black cherry, earth.
F: long
An amazing bottle of Cab. One of the best I've tasted. Perfectly balanced. Silky mouthfeel. Still packs a lot of fruit. I can't imagine this getting any better!
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7/27/2012 - ZARDO wrote: 95 Points
Very nice - no signs of aging
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6/11/2012 - Whinojb wrote: flawed
Total bummer. There was something off on this bottle - certainly slight TCA which wasn't actually terrible, but definitely something that didn't capture the essence to what I heard this wine is all about. Drank most the bottle nevertheless and the odor never went away even after 4 hours. Grrrr.
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6/9/2012 - jfkwines wrote: 97 Points
P n P , needed a bit of a decant as the 2nd glass was wide open, it was aerated for two hours. Outstanding nose, mouthfeel, flavor, I wish I had written more. In a Perfect window now.
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5/27/2012 - plitton wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous. PnP. Deep and rich medium body. Distinct mint and Indian spices. Enticing nose. A bit modern in style but an amazing California cab. Improved over 2 hours. Drink now.
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5/26/2012 - quickturn wrote: flawed
Corked
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5/1/2012 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Opened, decanted and served. No need for long decanting.
Shows its age on the colour but still a dark core persists. Old school, classical California. Light on the oak and extraction , 13.5% alc. Light to medium nose, still red fruit, some licorice and light touches of herbs. On the palate it is still very much alive but not the opera singer the 2001 is and in general felt at the right age to drink. Very elegant and very enjoyable. 93/93+ and drink at will.
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4/18/2012 - davidwhitedc wrote: flawed
Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): Flawed. Terrible VA.
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3/17/2012 - smankin wrote: 95 Points
Perfect cork upon opening. Decanted half-hour. Average legs in the glass, expected to be more pronounced with this age but shows there is still room to develop. Initial nose has bold spice and hinted at the structure to come. Flavors of black current, basis, berries, earthy qualities, deep spices such as pepper. Very well balanced: deep fruit/earthy undertones/low acidity while still retaining some tannins. Great drinking now and will still develop somewhat for the next few years before peaking in 2015 to 2016 or so.
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3/15/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
What a great style of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Refined, elegant, supple, yet ripe, concentrated and in balance, licorice, black cherry, earth, coffee and blackberry aromas work perfectly with the plush, ripe wine. This is drinking at or close to the peak. I would not wait to pop a bottle.
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2/23/2012 - runandshoot wrote: 95 Points
This one was open for business. Tell-tale California Cabernet nose of dark and red fruits, as well as a hint of olive and spices. On the palate, the tannins are fully integrated with black cherry and dark fruit flavors dominating the mid-palate with a peppery finish. A little hint of alcohol at the end prevents a higher score, but doesn't greatly detract from the wine.
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1/12/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote: flawed
Mildly corked. Moments before it was poured down the drain, a wad of Saran wrap was tossed into a glass pitcher, vigorously swirled and allowed to sit for a few minutes. Immediately afterward, the Saran wrap was removed. At this point, the majority of the TCA had been removed, but not enough to make this wine show the way it was meant to. Notwithstanding all of that, this was still pretty enjoyable, and, interestingly, the TCA became less noticeable with each successive glass, not more so, the way it usually does. Honestly, one of the few times Saran wrap has ever made a positive (read: noticeable) difference. Thanks to beachrooster for cracking it!
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1/12/2012 - Beachrooster wrote: flawed
Corked - used Siran wrap to see if it would help. It actually helped a little, but still a poor example of this wine.
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1/6/2012 - Wine_lvr wrote: flawed
Tasted blind: Intensive, clear ruby in color. The nose reminded of lavage and had some madeira notes to it. Surprisingly it still felt young so it does not appear that it was a too warm stored bottle. Anyway the wine in the glass was not representative for a 1997 Araujo Eisele...final verdict...flawed bottle. Retaste
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11/11/2011 - jaylew1 wrote: 98 Points
I am not so good at pointing out specific smells and flavors so forgive me. For me this wine is a remarkable expression of cabernet. 13.5% alcohol, almost unimaginably low in the modern age. Fragrant and floral like a great French wine without the funk that I find unappealing. Not syrupy, but still pure. It stands in a space between the modern greats and the classical French examples. For me this is pretty close to the pinnacle. Sorry I only had one.
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10/31/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 97 Points
Really a blockbuster of a wine. In perfect shape, lush, rich, great finish. Everything you could want in a cab.
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7/9/2011 - sjdcellar wrote: 97 Points
After 3 hours of decant this was awesome. Menthol, cassis and dark cherries. Holds up extremely well after 14 years.
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4/1/2011 - AFulk wrote: 94 Points
Menthol on nose, nice mouthfeel, red and black fruits on palate, slight earthiness on finish
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3/7/2011 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Had the 1994 Opus and 1997 Araujo together tonight and both were fabulous. The Opus was softer and just a touch better (surprised) tonight while the Araulo tasted young and vibrant.
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5/28/2010 - WVWine wrote: 92 Points
Starting to fade on the edges. Could mistake for a bordeaux. Soft smells of berries and licorice ,
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5/11/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Bart & Daphne Araujo (Summer Palace, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Hong Kong): Deep red, near-transparent in colour. More open and evolved but less intense nose than the 2002 that preceded it......this has nice notes of wet autumn woodlands combined with still-fresh oak....a nose that is clean-cut but that also grows in precise, lean and understated complexity. The palate is fresh, vibrant, with more evident acidity on the front end, an attractive black pepper mid palate and with a nice dried prune and peach stone finish. This has an exceptionally precise front, mid and end palate that shows the quality and precision of the wine-maker. Great length and a vibrant resonance inside the head on the finish that just grows and grows. Very light, feminine mouthfeel.......very more-ish. I may have underscored this coming in the shadow of the supreme 2002.
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4/27/2010 - Rupert wrote:
Yet again, fine, fresh and vigorous and showing little sign of age
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4/19/2010 - Ricky99 wrote: 95 Points
against two previous bottles that were severely flawed, I had low expectations...
this was beautiful
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4/10/2010 - last chance wrote: 95 Points
Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. Big cherry pie and vanilla aromas. The palate was packed with big cherry flavors. This had a great mouthfeel and a long finish. I was impressed with this wine, but really enjoyed the complexity of the 97 Leonetti next to this. The 97 Araujo honestly tasted like a much younger wine than any of the others in this flight. I’ve had the 98 Elisle and the 01 before, but this was the best bottle from Araujo that I have ever had. This was my second favorite of the flight, and was very close to being my favorite.
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1/1/2010 - winefool wrote:
Wineflock - High End California Cabs from the 2000s (Ken's): Flight #4 - There had to be something off about this bottle - this couldn't have fallen off a cliff this quickly... Opaque red with crimson edges. Sour cherry nose with a bit of must. Thin awkward red fruit with rusty notes.
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1/1/2010 - Nanda wrote: flawed
Blind High-end Cali Cab Tasting (Ken's Place): Dark ruby. Nose shows dull and older with cumin and tomato. Palate seems thin. Shocking to see this as over-the-hill. Hopefully just a bad bottle. Groups 4 of 4.
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1/1/2010 - psmith wrote:
Blind Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): VA. Dull flavors and tannins. Strange superposition of youthful fruit and older notes. Seems cooked. M80/G87.6
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8/11/2009 - tbabes wrote: 88 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A somewhat muted nose, with notes of black fruit, leather and spice. Medium-bodied with a nice texture, but with a touch of astringency on the slightly short finish. Much more austere than previous examples, so probably a less than perfect bottle.
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7/19/2009 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
Not a big wine - a bit delicate, in fact. Red fruit shows great freshness at age 12, with nice balance of acidity. Oak is well integrated (and I'm a tough critic of overoaked Cabs.) This took some time after decanting before it really sang. A very pretty wine and very pleasant to drink. Not sure it can justify its cost, but on an absolute scale it is very nice.
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5/29/2009 - WVWine wrote: 97 Points
This was an unbelivable bottle of wine. Such finesse. Ruby color. Smells of berries, casis, and cedar that would not quit. Medium finish. This was a classic.
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5/23/2009 - Knicksfan wrote: 94 Points
This wine is drinking perfectly (whew!) - just like a 10-year old CS should. Nice complexity, plenty of red fruit (hints of tobacco and spice) and a lovely smooth finish. Glad I waited on these.
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4/28/2009 - psmith wrote:
1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Fine, ripe red cherry and cassis fruit. Well resolved palate with fine tannins and great purity. Almost a bit fruit heavy and lacking a bit in structure, but still very nice. Rated 17/20.
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4/27/2009 - Ricky99 wrote: flawed
cooked, burnt black toast
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4/1/2009 - dchouk wrote: 92 Points
At Chez Bruce, London
Full ruby-red. Nice tannins and structure, but as opposed to the other comments I found that it was still restrained and actually not at its best stage, I would advise to wait for a few years (it is my taste).
Enough has been said on the dark fruits, wood, tabacco, mint etc ... Too me it will achieve a better mark in a few years
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12/13/2008 - GA wrote: 93 Points
12/08 Concentrated dark fruit and broad structured finsih - balanced but back-ended and still young. 93 pts.
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12/6/2008 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
A purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim. Notes of ripe dark fruits, herbs and leather. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a generous texture and fine structure; a lengthy and well-delineated finish.
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11/17/2008 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Dark brick red colour. This has an amazing complex flavour profile showing earth, smoke, herbs, spices, cassis, and red fruits with some leathery and gamey notes adding a sauvage element that reminds me of the Araujo Syrah. Medium to full bodied in the mouth with lots of intense fruit layered among savoury earthy, leathery and herbal elements, fairly smooth tannins and a plush mouthfeel. Long, rich finish.
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11/14/2008 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Soft and fairly mature with lovely cassis and plum flavors with a hint of dill. Elegant and good with food. Finishes with nice spicy complexity. Not a great vintage for Araujo but open and crowd-pleasing.
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9/7/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Wonderful nose, lush black cherry fruit and a terrific long elegant finish. Drink or hold.
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3/28/2008 - Jack wrote: 95 Points
Very soft and lush when first opened. After a couple of hours it developed some really nice flavors.
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3/23/2008 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Still youthful in appearance, with a strong purple core, turning ruby-red towards the edges. A noble bouquet, offering up scents of ripe dark fruits, blueberries and cedary spice. Medium-bodied, with good structure, and fairly lush mouthfeel; in this regard, more in common with a classic Bordeaux than the "typical" fruit-bomb California Cabernet. A long, full finish; went exceptionally well with the food. This is very much my style of wine; Nicole and I liked it immensely.
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12/31/2007 - Greg W wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted approx. 2 hrs. prior to consumption. This wine is hitting on all cylinders. The nose is highly perfumed - just leaps out of the glass with notes of plums, chocolate, baking spices, etc. Everything is perfectly balanced on the palate, with lots of still powerful fruit, ripe tannins, and just the right amount of acidity, yet it has taken on a certain elegance at this point as well. While the nose and finish are excellent, the finish is even better, as it just goes on and on - a perfect mixture of power and finesse. I love where this wine is right now - not in any danger of fading, but how can it be much better?
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12/8/2007 - BradA wrote: 95 Points
GWC Holiday Dinner 2007 (Mistral Restaurant, Seattle): I have not had this vintage (just 94 and 95), but wow--what a wine! Complex in the glass with swirling aromas of mocha, dark fruit and a twinge of currant. A pleasureable wine that is smooth, full and finishes long on the palate.
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12/6/2007 - rsepulve wrote: 96 Points
Beautifully complex 10 year old cab drinking at its peak. Dark fruits galore, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, and a touch of mint and flowers. Silky texture. Nicely balanced. Long finish. I don't imagine this will fade anytime soon, but I wouldn't expect it to get much better either.
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11/24/2007 - dream wrote: 89 Points
Slightly faded edges. Powerful nose of thick blackberries and alcohol. A very elegant Eisele Vineyard with very ripe, almost chocolaty fruit and a complex finish. The alcohol is a bit pronounced and the wine lacks some of the breed and typicity of the vineyard. Still, its a very charming vintage for the wine.
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8/6/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous and perfectly aged Napa Cab that's rather ripe and earthy (the vintage?) but slips down the throat like pure velvet. Classic flavors of ripe aged cassis, blackberries, violets, smoky eucapyptus and minerals. A very elegant and classy cab that has plenty of ripe fruit but is not chocolaty and over the top so it has aged beautifully.
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7/17/2007 - tommydiesel wrote: 99 Points
Out with the kids at Lastrada.This is as good as it gets! Cherry and plum, great structure and balance and that...finish. Bravo!
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7/17/2007 - cortoncharlie wrote: 92 Points
Dark, minty and herbal. Still needs time to evolve.
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4/15/2007 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Evan Lobel & Friends with Lobel's Meats; 4/14/2007-4/15/2007 (The house of Jeff and Fran Kadish in Croton, New York): One of 5 magnums I recently purchased at auction (thanks John Kapon), this is the best bottle of the '97 I've ever tasted. Medium-bodied and made in a very sleek, elegant style with very ripe and delicious flavors of blackcurrant and violets with a hint of eucalyptus that build to a very long and finely concentrated finish. I've never thought the '97 was among the best Eisele Vineyard Cabs being a little alcoholic and unstructured but this bottle was stupendous Napa Cabernet. Lastly, Evan served his pan-fried Wagyu Rib Eye steaks which were not to be believed and created yet another fabulous food/wine pairing this evening. 95
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4/13/2007 - winestem wrote: 90 Points
Somewhat light-bodied, but a nice finish that left the tongue buzzing. Currant, oak and a little spice with a good bouquet.
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3/13/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Fine black ruby color with the slightest fading on the rim. Gorgeous, complex nose of ripe cassis, blackberries and mocha. Needed a good hour out of the cellar to open up and start to show itself. Then very complex and delicious with strong chocolate-mocha flavors along with cassis and sweet blackberries. Not a huge Araujo but rather made in a sleek, ripe and elegant style. Finishes quite long, complex and spicy but with a bite of acidity at the very end that suprises. The complex fruit flavors are absolutely the essence of pure Napa fruit and the acidity late either indicates a flaw or that the wine needs some more time. Worth having around over the next few years to find out.
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11/27/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 94 Points
G7 (Jeff): Nose of chalky cherry fruit. Very tannic at first but after a few hours it became bearable. Not showing very much fruit. Nice finish. Needs some more time IMO.
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5/31/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 93 Points
Araujo Eisele Vineyard Tasting (Bentley Hotel London): 93CS, 4CF, 3PV, 13.8% alc, 2710 cases
Deeper hue, inky. More intensity to the nose, blackcurrent and sour cherry, even fresh garlic?. Sweeter style but still that lush smooth texture, tannins more noticable than other wines, but quite smooth and rounded, wood tannin? Lacks subtlety, more showy and flash, I am sure many will prefer this. Tannic finish.
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3/3/2006 - BonzelCassie wrote: 100 Points
The finest, most perfect cabernet I have ever known. Timing is perfect right now. Strong nose of toasted sugars (vanilla and caramel), powerful dark fruits (grapes, blackberries and cherries) and superbly balanced tannins. Have never given another wine the vaunted 100 score, not even the 97 Banfi Poggio All'Oro we had at the same meal.
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2/10/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
Ripe and powerful, but not as sweet / syrupy as expected – really nice. (17.5)
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11/7/2005 - Greg W wrote: 96 Points
Anniversary Week Wines; 11/6/2005-11/9/2005: Drank on anniversary weekend. Dinner at Ruth's Chris - worst experience ever at this restaurant, which we've always enjoyed in the past (at other locations). Weak wine service (even with $30 corkage), steaks were decent at best - we'll avoid this location in the future. However, the night was saved by the wine. Not decanted. Drinking beautifully right now. Elegance and power wrapped up into one. Loads of fruit, but not overpoweringly so. Definitely now on the elegant side, but lots of life left in it, as the finish is long and powerful. If it's not at its peak, it sure seems close, as I really enjoyed this wine tonight.
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8/9/2005 - mnh wrote:
Good deep color. Complexity on nose and palate. Not a blockbuster however.
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7/5/2005 - Jay A wrote: 98 Points
Wow! Great wine. I've had the 1996 numerous times before this and have been mildly disappointed. So I was surprised to taset how good this wine really is. Soft and supple with great flow on the palate. Had a lot of other wines at lunch so didn't take detailed notes. Easily the best wine I've had all year.
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6/10/2005 - bleiwejm wrote:
A very fine wine. All the complexities you would expect from a wine of this caliber and price. Truly a fantastic and enjoyable wine for a special occasion. Brought by Larry to the Best Cellar.
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4/9/2005 - Blue Oval wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Matched with Grilled Rib Eye w/ Cajun Dry Rub and Herb Butter Sauce. Improved with time in the decanter. Excellent balance, medium bodied with a nice finish. This could improve some additional cellar time, but I do not not expect it to be a long time ager. QPR no, but an elegant, excellent wine nonetheless.
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3/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Rich bright blackcurrent aroma. Black fruits and coffee on the palate, but still somewhat tight. 93 pts. eBob tasting 3/05
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12/11/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Kensington Wine Tasting, Before and During Auction (The Pump Room - Chicago IL): Wine tasting. Aromas of red and black fruit with some cedar and tobacco elements. Ripe cross-section of fruit flavors, everything balanced and integrated, but a bit one-dimensional and simple towards the finish.
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11/20/2004 - skim wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Anthony's - Lamb
Medium bodied wine with little changes over the night. Earthy, mineral flavors.
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11/8/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
For the price, it was disappointing. It was still an excellent wine but I could not help but compare it to the 2001 Neal Family Napa Cab that I had a few weeks ago and only sells for $45. This wine was better than the 1998 Araujo Eisele Cab that I had a year or 2 ago. Rich and full bodied with round ripe fruit notes and firm tannins. Just coming into its own but can be easily cellared longer. I did not take any formal notes but it was delicious. Just not $235 delicious of the restaurant wine list. 92+ points.
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12/31/2003 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Really wonderful cali cab. Very rich, dark and fruit forward. Just a notch below the 94 Shafer Hillside in intensity. Certainly will age, but drinking just fine now. 94 pts. 12/31/03
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7/23/2002 - peternelson wrote: 99 Points
Ivy: Med purple-red color; bright; nose of lush rasp., blkberry, blueberries, light oak & cedar; the most silky smooth mouthfeel ever; delicate, structured; beautiful fin., liquid silk; Not a fruit bomb, but very refined and complex.
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