California Dreaming (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church (VA)): This 1984 vintage exudes cigar box and loads of eucalyptus. Quite alive and smooth, and went very well with the Peking Duck. The alcohol level is 12.8%. Over time in glass, the wine began to fade. Hardly the best of the wines of the evening horizontal, but certainly a pleasure and a revelation for anyone thinking that California Cab is by definition about bigness. :-)
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A bit of chewy tannin remains on the back end. Otherwise a spectactular wine. Tons of fresh fruit remain, classic cedar, graphite and cassis with some red fruits as well. Fairly good length.
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There is nothing really wrong with this wine, it doesn't taste old, and it has no obvious wine making flaws, but it isn't a lot of fun to drink. It is obviously cabernet with cedar and casiss on both the nose and palate, and it is amazingly young given its age, but it is glaringly green-tasting and stuffed with tannins and acidity without the fruit to support it. I don't think this will improve with age, so if you have some, get some unctuous beef or lamb (which the acid will help to tame) and have a wonderful dinner.
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Nose - sweet, peppery, dark, soft black plum, touch of white resin, black olive, barrel char. Smooth/cedar/tobacco/black currant, charcoal, green peppercorn.
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Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Old California Cabernets & Blends (John's Marketplace, Portland, OR): As noted by a previous taster below, this had a bit of musty funk at first. Several other tasters thought it corked. The mustiness blew off, and by the time I revisited this wine an hour later, it was gone completely. I'm again amazed by how young this 25 year-old wine seems. Great fruit, just starting to go into the browner side of maroon. Blackberry, currants and some barnyard funk. So tasty...surprisingly grippy tannins as well, even on my second tasting at the end of the event. What a thrill to drink.
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Poured from a magnum for passover dinner. A wonderful wine. Color was dense purple, but without the vivacity that young wines show in the glass. Nose of smokey liquorice, leather, and herbs. Taste of fully integrated and wonderfully balanced wine with fabulous sweet fruit. Tanins resolved, oak well integrated, but still showing nice structure and mouthfilling sweetness. What a great bottle.
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Deep red ruby color. I would have guessed this to be a 1997 rather than a 1984 cab. The nose was initially a bit musty, but this quickly blew off to reveal a mature Cabernet nose with hints of spice and black currants. On the palate, this tastes like a young Cabernet, certainly not like a 22 year old California cab. The oak, which was worrisome a decade ago, has largely disappeared, but substantial tannins still remain. The saving grace is that there is still a lot of curranty fruit. The wine has a tangy, almost tart, finish. I am going to hold my remaining bottles for another 5 years. It will be fun to try this wine along side the 1984 Dunn Howell Mountain in a decade or so. Crossing my fingers that they both will eventually come around.
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CIGAR BOX, BLACKBERRIES, BLACKCURRENT, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE WITH RICH DEEP FRUIT, BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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With K and Miranda at home at dinner (chicken Cacciatore). Excellent, attractive ruby-purple color, medium depth. Good viscosity. Very pretty nose, with forward spicy, rich fruit, and even the scent of violets. Quite a rich, powerful mouthful of wine. Earthy, oaky, but with a long palate impression and good fruit coming through on the finish. Fine nose, but on the palate there seems to be too little fruit and too much wood. I don't believe time will help--although the obvious fruit in the nose is a good sign. Is the fruit just masked? 5-11-13-6: 85/100
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2/1/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 91 Points
California Dreaming (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church (VA)): This 1984 vintage exudes cigar box and loads of eucalyptus. Quite alive and smooth, and went very well with the Peking Duck. The alcohol level is 12.8%. Over time in glass, the wine began to fade. Hardly the best of the wines of the evening horizontal, but certainly a pleasure and a revelation for anyone thinking that California Cab is by definition about bigness. :-)
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5/22/2014 - Pierre-Yves wrote: 91 Points
Felt quite young expecially after the BV 1981. The fruit is still very present, and quite dark color,. Good balance with nice acidity.
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4/6/2012 - pbjosh wrote:
A bit of chewy tannin remains on the back end. Otherwise a spectactular wine. Tons of fresh fruit remain, classic cedar, graphite and cassis with some red fruits as well. Fairly good length.
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8/8/2010 - PaulH wrote: 86 Points
There is nothing really wrong with this wine, it doesn't taste old, and it has no obvious wine making flaws, but it isn't a lot of fun to drink. It is obviously cabernet with cedar and casiss on both the nose and palate, and it is amazingly young given its age, but it is glaringly green-tasting and stuffed with tannins and acidity without the fruit to support it. I don't think this will improve with age, so if you have some, get some unctuous beef or lamb (which the acid will help to tame) and have a wonderful dinner.
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7/31/2010 - elamasters wrote:
Still drinking very nicely. Lots of fruit still present. Great balance.
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2/4/2010 - yhn wrote: 91 Points
Nose - sweet, peppery, dark, soft black plum, touch of white resin, black olive, barrel char.
Smooth/cedar/tobacco/black currant, charcoal, green peppercorn.
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2/4/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
1984 Cabernets Blindtasted Pt. IV (and last) (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Group's #6 (my #4) – 78 pts; 2, 0, 3, 2 - medium dark red violet color; smoky, ruby Port nose that changes over 20 minutes to an herbaceous, olive nose; mature, tart cassis, cedar, tart plum palate; medium finish
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11/30/2009 - RPerro wrote: 94 Points
Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Old California Cabernets & Blends (John's Marketplace, Portland, OR): As noted by a previous taster below, this had a bit of musty funk at first. Several other tasters thought it corked. The mustiness blew off, and by the time I revisited this wine an hour later, it was gone completely. I'm again amazed by how young this 25 year-old wine seems. Great fruit, just starting to go into the browner side of maroon. Blackberry, currants and some barnyard funk. So tasty...surprisingly grippy tannins as well, even on my second tasting at the end of the event. What a thrill to drink.
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4/13/2006 - SteveHyde wrote:
Poured from a magnum for passover dinner. A wonderful wine. Color was dense purple, but without the vivacity that young wines show in the glass. Nose of smokey liquorice, leather, and herbs. Taste of fully integrated and wonderfully balanced wine with fabulous sweet fruit. Tanins resolved, oak well integrated, but still showing nice structure and mouthfilling sweetness. What a great bottle.
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3/11/2006 - zazim wrote: 92 Points
Deep red ruby color. I would have guessed this to be a 1997 rather than a 1984 cab. The nose was initially a bit musty, but this quickly blew off to reveal a mature Cabernet nose with hints of spice and black currants. On the palate, this tastes like a young Cabernet, certainly not like a 22 year old California cab. The oak, which was worrisome a decade ago, has largely disappeared, but substantial tannins still remain. The saving grace is that there is still a lot of curranty fruit. The wine has a tangy, almost tart, finish. I am going to hold my remaining bottles for another 5 years. It will be fun to try this wine along side the 1984 Dunn Howell Mountain in a decade or so. Crossing my fingers that they both will eventually come around.
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9/22/2002 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
CIGAR BOX, BLACKBERRIES, BLACKCURRENT, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE WITH RICH DEEP FRUIT, BLACK CHERRIES. NICE COMPLEXITY AND MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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1/8/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 85 Points
With K and Miranda at home at dinner (chicken Cacciatore). Excellent, attractive ruby-purple color, medium depth. Good viscosity. Very pretty nose, with forward spicy, rich fruit, and even the scent of violets. Quite a rich, powerful mouthful of wine. Earthy, oaky, but with a long palate impression and good fruit coming through on the finish. Fine nose, but on the palate there seems to be too little fruit and too much wood. I don't believe time will help--although the obvious fruit in the nose is a good sign. Is the fruit just masked? 5-11-13-6: 85/100
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