Still quite full bodied. Delicious, robust. Forest floor and coffee aromas. Tannins are far in the background but the structure remains. Flavor of black berry that lingers for a minute. An amazing wine!
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Another great bottle of quintessential California Cabernet. Dark red to rim, blackberry, tobacco on nose, full body, good balance, long finish. Excellent.
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100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV. I let it breathe for 2 hours then drank over next 2. Really needs 3 hours. I agree with other observations of mineral, pebble, leather, cedar notes. A long, juicy (but relatively thin and mildly sour) finish. Probably past its prime at his point. But still enjoyable.
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A taste from a bottle opened by a friend the night before, but the additional aeration caused too much oxidation to make this enjoyable for me: raisiny and a touch sherried.
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Dinner at Trelio (Clovis Ca.): Took awhile for this to show up...still some grippy tannins, nice dark chocolate brownie, mint tobacco spice, raspberry sauce. Sour skins showing more acidity than I would like...good dry graphite powder, cedar spice...aged leather, still showing well. Wish I spent more time on this.
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Consistent with my notes from three years ago. This is middle of the fairway flavor profile. Big, grapey but enough complexity underneath to leave it swishing around your mouth for as long as you want. Long and enjoyable finish. Drank over two nights under pump with no fade. Going strong and could improve still.
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Opened it with some other 96 Napa cabs. Decanted for two hours before drinking. This is a brooding monster of wine at 20 years. Never thought California cab could do that. Checked the bottle again to make sure it was 1996 vintage. It was hard to rate it. Soooo big and powerful! Loads of fruits and very complex. Big in acid and tannins. May hold for 10+ years
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Wow. Pop and pour. Could smell the nose from 3 feet away. Dark friut, cassis, leather, some forest floor. The palate followed suit with amazing deep dark fruit. A wonderful combination of primary fruit and secondary tobacco and leather. Fully round, supple tannins that softly coat the tongue. Finish lasted about 40 seconds. Drank next to an 02 Staglin, and there was no comparison. The mountain fruit was singing. Thankfully, I have one left. No need to hold, drinking perfectly.
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Very good. Better than the last bottle I had. Very smooth and silky with good fruit. Minimal heat, very dark and inky. Excellent bottle for $100! We decanted it for a few hours.
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This was shockingly excellent, and right down the middle of the fairway. All the classic flavors and balance one expects from top flight cab. This totally lives up to highest expectations.
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One can ocassionally come across a California cabernet that has all the hall marks of a rich complex Bordeaux and this wine fulfills that remarkable feat. Not that a Bordeaux has to be the benchmark for a California cab, but so few journey to this level of profound quality. Inky rich purple with a staggering aroma of roses, honeysuckle, blue and blackberry, cardamom, and spice cake. This wine is perfectly balanced with the tannins and acidity in perfect harmony. The mid palate is glorious and the finish is titillating. A precious cargo for any tasting journey and perfect for my son's 25th!
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1996 Cult Cabs: (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind) nose - very primary, like grape skins, or grappa mouth - intensely concentrated, dark fruits with a dribble of olive, relentlessly powerful, deep dark and brooding. Per Mario 'vermouth' Felt like a whole bottle of cabernet condensed into my glass. The only other wine that I have ever tasted like this is Harlan estate, so I went very far out on a limb proudly proclaiming to all this was the Harlan, without a doubt. By now I should know better than to make such proclamations as they are nearly always wrong. This wine needs to slumber but I'm not sure it will get more approachable anytime soon. Really a unique tasting experience, and everyone picked it out as being different from the others. Best comsumed in small sips and paired with air. In a word 'a beast'. Group WOTN and my runner-up, beating out Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Bryant, Schafer, Pahlmeyer.
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I waited until a very special occasion to drink this wine. Overall, the wine was fantastic with a great bouquet and finish after a 3 hour decant. The only negative I would note is it seemed the wine lacked a bit of structure to hold all of the flavor together. I do not know if the structure will improve, or if it beginning to come down. My sense is this wine could be starting to come down a bit and should be enjoyed within the next 2-3 years.
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It is still young both in look and taste. Not much different from 5 years ago. Fresh, delicious and intense. It has some minerality and ash/toast in the end but it is not very complex. But is sure is enjoyable.
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1996 Pride Reserve is packed and stacked with layers of ripe cassis, espresso, and fresh picked, jammy blackberries. This full bodied wine offers an intensity of flavor that does not overwhelm the senses. Balanced and in harmony, this is a solid example of a great California Cabernet that is drinking at its peak. Having tasted this wine young, while its calmed down since it was released, it has not gained much in complexty. There is no reason to hold off from popping a bottle.
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I either I opened this too soon, or missed the curve all together. In a blind tasting, the concentration alone would scream "Napa". This could never be mistaken for a bordeaux but that 's okay because it's not, which is good, especially if you're a unidimensional group interested in variety with a beautiful roast. A nose of dark fruit - concentrated - told us what to expect. A big frame showing specificity sans balance for the first two hours, gradually giving way to a crescendo of 'there really is muscle on the bone'. The mid palate of rich blackberry and casis, and dried cherries gave way to a tart, weathered then tired and acidic finish; or so it seemed. Patience for the end of the finsh showed us all why this wine is revered, and confirms, in my mind, that I opened it 4-5 years too early. 92 now, but look for stellar rewards in 4+ years.
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Impressive bottle but as usual we find it lacking a bit in structure to get the points Parker gave it, but it sure is enjoyable. These wines are certainly to be enjoyed young.
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Truly an extraordinary wine, drinking beautifully at 13, with room to go for years to come. Enjoyed with a superb Italian meal, this juice evolved and improved throughout the evening, with layers of fruit, oak, earth, mocha, leather. Tannins smooth and integrated.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Throwing very little sediment. Deep purple color. Beautiful nose of blueberry, cassis black fruits and more blueberry. Incredible balance and wieght. Great fruit. Really a stunning wine. Hard to believe its a 13 year old wine. Still a baby. I would give this wine another 5+ years. Just drinking so well now though. Enjoyed with Roast Prime Rib
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Delicious but a bit too ingratiating? Good, clean, clear, intense fruit with wonderful aromatics, great acidity but a touch low on tannins. Without that little flaw in the structure it would definitely be at least a 99 point wine. This is something we often find with this wine, especially in comparison with Harlan, Araujo and other wines that have that excellent structure.
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Dark black cherry, slight pink rim color. Beautiful sweet dark berry, mocha, vanilla oak, smoked cedar, raspberry liqueur, slight herb nose. So far....classic Pride! In the mouth.....YOUNG AS EVER! Tannins hit you first, still strong, but the still ooozing sweet wild berry fruit comes through. The flavors are rich...mocha, cedar, raspberry jam, earth dust, pencil lead. Lovely florals and big spice. The tannin does win in the end....showing a little dryness on the finish. Very tasty wine....that tastes young to me...not at all "mature and underwhelming". I think this will age even more. Lookout 20 year retro! 96+pts
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Dinner Party (Jade 1409): Decanted all day. Needed more time. Will wait 10 years on last bottle.Very tight, deep rich intense mountain cabarnet.Ultimately expect further development, but don't think it will ever warrant RP's 99.
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10/2/2020 - kanowsky wrote: 96 Points
Still quite full bodied. Delicious, robust. Forest floor and coffee aromas. Tannins are far in the background but the structure remains. Flavor of black berry that lingers for a minute. An amazing wine!
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4/23/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Another great bottle of quintessential California Cabernet. Dark red to rim, blackberry, tobacco on nose, full body, good balance, long finish. Excellent.
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3/18/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim, blackberry, tobacco on nose, full body, good balance, long finish. Excellent.
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10/29/2019 - mdvillaverde wrote: 94 Points
Similar notes to Aug 2019 tasting. This bottle a bit denser and more concentrated so a bit of an upgrade from last tasting.
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8/18/2019 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV. I let it breathe for 2 hours then drank over next 2. Really needs 3 hours. I agree with other observations of mineral, pebble, leather, cedar notes. A long, juicy (but relatively thin and mildly sour) finish. Probably past its prime at his point. But still enjoyable.
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4/13/2019 - JonnyG wrote: flawed
A taste from a bottle opened by a friend the night before, but the additional aeration caused too much oxidation to make this enjoyable for me: raisiny and a touch sherried.
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3/19/2017 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at Trelio (Clovis Ca.): Took awhile for this to show up...still some grippy tannins, nice dark chocolate brownie, mint tobacco spice, raspberry sauce. Sour skins showing more acidity than I would like...good dry graphite powder, cedar spice...aged leather, still showing well. Wish I spent more time on this.
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2/19/2017 - levinml wrote: 96 Points
Consistent with my notes from three years ago. This is middle of the fairway flavor profile. Big, grapey but enough complexity underneath to leave it swishing around your mouth for as long as you want. Long and enjoyable finish. Drank over two nights under pump with no fade. Going strong and could improve still.
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11/20/2016 - melal41 Likes this wine:
Opened it with some other 96 Napa cabs. Decanted for two hours before drinking.
This is a brooding monster of wine at 20 years. Never thought California cab could do that. Checked the bottle again to make sure it was 1996 vintage.
It was hard to rate it. Soooo big and powerful!
Loads of fruits and very complex. Big in acid and tannins.
May hold for 10+ years
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12/27/2015 - lamitchw Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow. Pop and pour. Could smell the nose from 3 feet away. Dark friut, cassis, leather, some forest floor. The palate followed suit with amazing deep dark fruit. A wonderful combination of primary fruit and secondary tobacco and leather. Fully round, supple tannins that softly coat the tongue. Finish lasted about 40 seconds. Drank next to an 02 Staglin, and there was no comparison. The mountain fruit was singing. Thankfully, I have one left. No need to hold, drinking perfectly.
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7/4/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very good. Better than the last bottle I had. Very smooth and silky with good fruit. Minimal heat, very dark and inky. Excellent bottle for $100! We decanted it for a few hours.
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4/19/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 96 Points
Drank young. Better and less cedary with air. Really nice bottle.
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2/2/2014 - jsebiri wrote:
needed a 1/2 decant , but came around very nicely , delicious
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12/7/2013 - levinml wrote: 96 Points
This was shockingly excellent, and right down the middle of the fairway. All the classic flavors and balance one expects from top flight cab. This totally lives up to highest expectations.
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7/21/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and still tight after an hour. Used Vinturi on 1/2. Better.. Dark brooding liquer like. Very good, but not = to laudatory scores on CT or WA.
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5/20/2013 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 100 Points
One can ocassionally come across a California cabernet that has all the hall marks of a rich complex Bordeaux and this wine fulfills that remarkable feat. Not that a Bordeaux has to be the benchmark for a California cab, but so few journey to this level of profound quality. Inky rich purple with a staggering aroma of roses, honeysuckle, blue and blackberry, cardamom, and spice cake. This wine is perfectly balanced with the tannins and acidity in perfect harmony. The mid palate is glorious and the finish is titillating. A precious cargo for any tasting journey and perfect for my son's 25th!
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3/2/2013 - soyhead wrote: 95 Points
1996 Cult Cabs: (decanted for a few hours and tasted blind)
nose - very primary, like grape skins, or grappa
mouth - intensely concentrated, dark fruits with a dribble of olive, relentlessly powerful, deep dark and brooding.
Per Mario 'vermouth'
Felt like a whole bottle of cabernet condensed into my glass. The only other wine that I have ever tasted like
this is Harlan estate, so I went very far out on a limb proudly proclaiming to all this was the Harlan, without a doubt.
By now I should know better than to make such proclamations as they are nearly always wrong.
This wine needs to slumber but I'm not sure it will get more approachable anytime soon. Really a unique tasting
experience, and everyone picked it out as being different from the others. Best comsumed in small sips and paired with air.
In a word 'a beast'. Group WOTN and my runner-up, beating out Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Bryant, Schafer, Pahlmeyer.
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1/27/2013 - DielTone Likes this wine: 95 Points
I waited until a very special occasion to drink this wine. Overall, the wine was fantastic with a great bouquet and finish after a 3 hour decant. The only negative I would note is it seemed the wine lacked a bit of structure to hold all of the flavor together. I do not know if the structure will improve, or if it beginning to come down. My sense is this wine could be starting to come down a bit and should be enjoyed within the next 2-3 years.
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3/1/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
It is still young both in look and taste. Not much different from 5 years ago. Fresh, delicious and intense. It has some minerality and ash/toast in the end but it is not very complex. But is sure is enjoyable.
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12/7/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
1996 Pride Reserve is packed and stacked with layers of ripe cassis, espresso, and fresh picked, jammy blackberries. This full bodied wine offers an intensity of flavor that does not overwhelm the senses. Balanced and in harmony, this is a solid example of a great California Cabernet that is drinking at its peak. Having tasted this wine young, while its calmed down since it was released, it has not gained much in complexty. There is no reason to hold off from popping a bottle.
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8/7/2010 - punter wrote: 92 Points
I either I opened this too soon, or missed the curve all together. In a blind tasting, the concentration alone would scream "Napa". This could never be mistaken for a bordeaux but that 's okay because it's not, which is good, especially if you're a unidimensional group interested in variety with a beautiful roast. A nose of dark fruit - concentrated - told us what to expect. A big frame showing specificity sans balance for the first two hours, gradually giving way to a crescendo of 'there really is muscle on the bone'. The mid palate of rich blackberry and casis, and dried cherries gave way to a tart, weathered then tired and acidic finish; or so it seemed. Patience for the end of the finsh showed us all why this wine is revered, and confirms, in my mind, that I opened it 4-5 years too early. 92 now, but look for stellar rewards in 4+ years.
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4/18/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 95 Points
Impressive bottle but as usual we find it lacking a bit in structure to get the points Parker gave it, but it sure is enjoyable. These wines are certainly to be enjoyed young.
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3/1/2010 - JDRFoster wrote: 98 Points
Truly an extraordinary wine, drinking beautifully at 13, with room to go for years to come. Enjoyed with a superb Italian meal, this juice evolved and improved throughout the evening, with layers of fruit, oak, earth, mocha, leather. Tannins smooth and integrated.
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12/26/2009 - danisdaman wrote: 99 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Throwing very little sediment. Deep purple color. Beautiful nose of blueberry, cassis black fruits and more blueberry. Incredible balance and wieght. Great fruit. Really a stunning wine. Hard to believe its a 13 year old wine. Still a baby. I would give this wine another 5+ years. Just drinking so well now though. Enjoyed with Roast Prime Rib
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3/6/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Delicious but a bit too ingratiating? Good, clean, clear, intense fruit with wonderful aromatics, great acidity but a touch low on tannins. Without that little flaw in the structure it would definitely be at least a 99 point wine. This is something we often find with this wine, especially in comparison with Harlan, Araujo and other wines that have that excellent structure.
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2/16/2007 - Mrbuzz wrote: 96 Points
Dark black cherry, slight pink rim color. Beautiful sweet dark berry, mocha, vanilla oak, smoked cedar, raspberry liqueur, slight herb nose. So far....classic Pride! In the mouth.....YOUNG AS EVER! Tannins hit you first, still strong, but the still ooozing sweet wild berry fruit comes through. The flavors are rich...mocha, cedar, raspberry jam, earth dust, pencil lead. Lovely florals and big spice. The tannin does win in the end....showing a little dryness on the finish. Very tasty wine....that tastes young to me...not at all "mature and underwhelming". I think this will age even more. Lookout 20 year retro! 96+pts
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7/29/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Dinner Party (Jade 1409): Decanted all day. Needed more time. Will wait 10 years on last bottle.Very tight, deep rich intense mountain cabarnet.Ultimately expect further development, but don't think it will ever warrant RP's 99.
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