2007 Phelps…what can I say? I should have waited another 5-7 years for it to be perfect. Palate enters as ripe, lush, ripe, velvety, slightly candied; strawberries, cherries & progresses into blackberries, black raspberries, black plum & stewed plums. The tannins round but still meaty. It glides effortlessly over the palate. Dark berry cola, charcoal, touch of lead pencil, dark, hearty Indian/Asian spices, some pepper, cedar, mix of fresh & dry tobacco, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, dark, melted chocolate, mocha powder, caramel notes, anise, dry to slightly moist, dark soils, Rutherford dust, mix of dry, soft herbs, dry crushed, limestone minerals, fresh, dark, red, flowers framed in violets/lavender for days, perfect, round, acidity with an incredibly well blended fruit & earth, nice tension and a beautiful finish that lasts minutes. I need another well stored bottle of 07 in 5-7 years. Velvet wrapped in silk. Phelps Napa is so incredible at 15-20 years of age regardless of vintage. This would be closer to 20-22 years plus. Just an hour decant. Might have been better w/ 3 hours or a second day bottle.
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This is my last bottle of this wine from 2007 vintage. Most of what I said in my previous review still stands. The only addition is that the flavor of slightly bitter burnt chocolate, flavor is more pronounced now. Still a very good wine but I think it is time to drink it up.
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Gorgeous Napa cab. Amazing pure fruit, there is a sweet Napa quality but it doesn't feel manipulated. Oak is present but used judiciously. Amazing high tones of eucalyptus or mint. Long finish. Fine tannins. I think this is at peak but can last a few years. I love Phelps cabs. There's something about the purity of the fruit that I find really pleasing. This reminds me some of the 97 insignia, which is high praise from me, that's one of my favorite California wines of all time.
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Initial notes of berry compote, slightly candied, brown sugar, vanilla and coconut. On the palate the fruit is primary flavor so far. Nicely balanced. A couple hours in, more savory and dark notes present, still a lot of fruit as well.
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The legendary 07 vintage. Wine candy with & after Wagyu ribcap.
It’s on its 3-5 year peak cycle.
Candied & just a touch stewed; blackberries, blueberries, dry, dark cherries, creamy raspberries, bramble, pine syrup sap, melted caramel w/ nuts, dark chocolate, mocha powder, eucalyptus, mint, sage, bay leaf, splash of oregano, dark spice w/ some mid heat, dry top soil, rich forest floor, fresh & withering dark florals, lavender, violets, beautiful acidity with fine length, balance & elegantly polished.
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Cork came completely apart, was very dry, but looked like it held as wine as actually still quite fresh. It didn't show super great though, seemed a little out of balance with too much hot fruit, so not sure if some bottle variation still here. Still a nice cab, just not at the expected level. Try 2nd out of 3 sooner than later but wouldn't think it's past peak.
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Quite nice. Medium + weight; fantastic color, deep and inky; has evolved nicely; notes of cocoa and black fruit; alcohol still prevalent; tannins softening. Drink now.
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This showed older than I was expecting. Slight bricking around the rim. Bold nose of red and black fruit, bramble and dry leaves. On the palate can definitely taste the age, with forest floor accompanying blackberry and blackberry liquor. Tannins still very present. Two hours later it came together nicely, with blackberry and bramble on the nose, and blackberry and bramble on the palate. Wife loved this (93+) and I enjoyed it. Bit rustic, bit modern. I'd go 91-92.
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It has been a few years since our last 2007. It has softened some but, still a beast and picked up more florals. The 2007 has shown the consistent quality of the vintage over multiple bottles.
The nose reveals; dark sweet currants, deeply extracted blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, purple fruit blend, blueberries, poached strawberries on the glass edges, anise to black licorice, limestone minerals, steeped fruit teas, sweet tarriness, leathery notes, dry crushed rocks, dry brush, dry herbs, dark liqueur notes, hints of graphite, volcanic minerals, dry top soil, expresso roast, vanilla, light, dark clove, touch of nutmeg, dark chocolate, coco powder, malt in malt balls with dark, withering & candied florals with violets & lavender.
The body is; ruby, lush and full. The tannins are; round, chewy, meaty, dusty and only 50% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance have just hit their stride and still climbing. Dark sweet currants, deeply extracted blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, purple fruit blend, blueberries, plum, poached strawberries on the glass edges, anise to black licorice, limestone minerals, steeped fruit teas, sweet tarriness, leathery notes, dry crushed rocks, moist clay, dry brush, dry herbs, dark liqueur notes, hints of graphite, volcanic minerals, dry top soil, expresso roast, vanilla, light, dark clove, touch of nutmeg, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, coco powder, malt in malt balls, Asian spice, splash of soy sauce, a touch of black pepper, wood plank, withering & candied florals with violets & lavender. The acidity is like a fresh mountain stream. The long finish is; elegant, ripe, ruby, well balanced fruit & earth and persistent for days.
The 07 has 10-20 years of good drinking ahead depending on how you store & enjoy wine.
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This was a check in on the 2007 vintage. The 07 is still very youthful and fresh. It will be another 5 years until I open another. However, it was nicely polished and perfect to close out our main course.
The body is full, lush & thick. The tannins still pronounced, round but, firm, meaty and nicely tarry. The structure & tension say this wine will last another 15-20 years properly stored. The length & balance show the excellent craft of this producer and the quality of the 2007 vintage in Napa.
It showed; very dark currants, heavily extracted. blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, sweet dark tarriness, lots used dark expresso grounds, some graphite, fresh tobacco, pleasant woodiness, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, alluvial soils, nicely layered baking spices, some mid dark spice, incense, light herbs and fresh, dark, red, purple florals. The acidity is round and nicely executed. The long, still big, ruby, lush finish is really beautiful. However, I forward to what the 07 down the road. It will improve and will be worth the wait.
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Quite underwhelming - might have been stored poorly. Got it from the K&L library section. Was overly acidic - felt a bit hot. The age hadn't done anything for it.
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Clear deep purple color. Clean nose of medium plus intensity with aromas of black currant, flint, pencil led, toast, prunes, leather and mushrooms. Wine is fully developed. On the palate it is dry with medium acidity, medium silky tannins, high alcohol, medium plus body medium plus flavor intensity of dried raisins, wet stone, bitter chocolate and cured meat. The finish is medium plus. Very good wine, drink now it is at its peak. Can be aged further but I doubt that it will get much better than it is now
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Pop, decant and pour. Aromas of sandlewood, blackberry, smoke and currant. Flavors of blackberry, cherry, currant and touch of smoke. Ends with a 25 second finish with blackberry and smoke notes. Tasting very young, could have used a long decant.
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N: RIPE, lots of things going on, but tough for ME to parse out beyond noting some pyrazines
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish frt fairly quickly met by a puckerish astringency which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish with notes of spice, a swtness to the dusty tannins, & a very, VERY slight bitterness that SHOULD resolve. NEEDS through '21, I'm guessing, then at least APPROACHING its 20th? An impressive wine JUST hitting its stride? 14.5% ABV; My EXC, with more a distinct poss in several yrs. 91 pts ea WS & Tanzer, 88 WE @ $54, & 16/20 Jancis Robinson.
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Had a dozen '07s over time. Variation is non existent. The entry level cab of 2007 delivers plenty of fruit and well integrated tannin. A "go to" choice in any vintage.
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Good volume and chewy wine. Nose of vanilla and dark Berries with hint of dust. Medium finish. Overall a pleasant experience. A bit on the sweet side for me.
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Checking back in after 3 years. Classic Napa cabernet profile. Noticed a bit of dusty tannins mixed in with the cassis. Nice wine but nothing earth shattering. One more to go. Should have no problem with resting for a while longer.
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Great wine from great year. I have done blinded tastings of the Phelps Napa cabernets and they usually tend to be best between 5-10 years (in my opinion) and then they start losing fruit afterwards. Obviously that can change a bit based on the vintage. 2007 was a great year so this one is drinking great but could also probably keep a few more years. Cassis, fig, graphite. Delicious and great PQR.
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Drinking at peak now, this is excellent. The licorice note is gone and the tannins are well integrated. Seems more classical in style than it did in its youth.
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Dark, opaque ruby-red with a luscious mouthfeel to match. Initial flavor impression is sweet, but moderate, slightly gritty tannins, smooth acidity and a well balanced, reasonably complex profile of dried red & black fruits, wood (oak? cedar?), spice and saddle leather lend a hand to maintain a nicely orchestrated, medium long finish.
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Ripe blackberry and black currant, slight notes of old leather and cigar box, very savory. Beautiful mouthfeel... velvety. Tannins are ripe and have softened. Great balance of fruit, earth, oak, and tannin. I would have guessed the price point to be double or triple what it really is.
I'm happy that we opened this in 2016, but if I stumble across this vintage again in 3 to 5 years, I'm picking up more.
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Classic well balanced Napa Cabernet drinking well. Full bodied, with solid fruit core with cassis, and sweet berry to the fore. There was a slightly bitter off note on the finish which detracted somewhat. In summary, very good but lacking the wow factor or complexity expected at the price point.
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Just had a taste of this tonight. It certainly stood out as new world alongside the Bordeaux we were drinking, but that said it was still very good. A little green streak comes across on the palate with big cassis fruit and new oak and some grippiness on the tannins.
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Quite dark color. Fairly volatile nose, but also with strong oak and currant. Very rich on introduction to the tongue and palate—lots of black (currant and blackberry) fruit with a strong suggestion of chocolate. Definitely a big, mouth-filling wine. “Sweetness” may be from the fruit or it may be from the alcohol. Very tame tannin suggests to me that this wine may have plateaued. Looking forward to having this one with grilled beef, tonight.
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Absolutely stunning. A plethora of aromas hit you from the glass. Dark, crimson color in the glass. Velvety texture that encompasses your entire mouth. Dark fruit in the palate. Continues to evolve over the next hour. Has come together perfectly. Tannins are resolved. Hard to describe how good this wine is right now.
If this cab is great, I can only imagine how awesome the 2007 Insignias are.
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Quite a spectacular wine with a nose that doesn't let you go. Used in monthly wine tasting series and it took 1st among 4 Napa Cabs from 2007 and a mix of Northern CA Cabs from 2007-2009. The nose was full of vanilla, dusty earth, cherries, blackberries, plums, and hints of oak. Each swirl of the glass would take you down a different path, but always ended in a rewardingly pleasant place. The finish was long and wonderfully integrated.
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PnP w/1.5 hr decant. Clear, very few fine bottom sediments. Deep dark purple color, long legs. Intense, mature Napa nose. Med body/texture, med/big weight/depth/complexity. Coffee, mineral, tar, tobacco, wet stone, blue fruit, med tannins mostly resolved. Good balance/integration. Good for years yet. Nothing off. Great value, $42
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Splash decant of about 30 mins. Had with flat iron steak and paired perfectly. Deep garnet in color with good clarity. Dark fruits of plum, blackberry, with hints of cedar and tobacco. Medium weight with long finish. Maintains good balance of dryness and acidity. Drinking wonderfully, velvet smooth with long finish. Outstanding QPR for the $30 I paid for it almost 5 years ago.
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My second to last bottle of this case. Wow, it is really singing. Dark, opaque purple. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, menthol, graphite, cedar, and espresso. Ripe full palate of dark fruit. Excellent length. Integrated oak. Pleasant acidity. Mature tannins.
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Cassis aromas pour out of the decanter, yummy. Decanted for 3 hours and I'm not sure it needs it. Fine tannins but nothing aggressive. Deep maroon color with cassis, dark plum, and light toasted oak flavors. Solid wine, as usual, but not out of this world. Have two more and not worried about more aging, the fruit is prevalent without any signs of aging.
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Solid cab. Nothing to criticize but nothing that took my breath away. Others at the table rated higher. Less extracted than the 06 Craig Mt Veeder but good in its' own way (erhaps a bit more elegant).
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For $40ish bucks, this wine over delivers. At 7yrs old, this wine is bringing it's A game. Supple, sexy, racy - and the dark hanging fruits are there, not much age showing so it's really youthful. We just had the 09 Insignia and this wine was a few steps behind, but showing phenomenally well. A steal. More bottles await but they won't last.
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375ml note after 1 hr decant. Good combination of wood and fruit, maybe a tiny bit hot. Rich, full, luscious fruit, velvety smooth, but with a swish shows good tannin structure and acid remain. From a great vintage this doesn't disappoint.
Judith's Over the Hill and Under the Weather Event (Judith's House): Deep purple red color. PNP, 3oz pour over 80 minutes. Nose is quite good with layered cassis, dark berries, spice, cedar. The palate is dense and full bodied, nice tannin and lovely black fruits of currants and berries, cedar, spice. Medium plus finish. Excellent.
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Very strong, if typical, Mid point Napa Cabernet. Dark plum, blackberry, currant, crushed stone, fine grained tannins. Medium level of opulence, certainly not tight or dried out.
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Enjoyed this again. Lots of dark fruit up front with a finish to make a complete wine. Very balanced. Will hold for a quite a long time, but no need to wait on this.
(drank with friends at WineGate) Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, with medium+ intensity, full of tobacco, toast, black currant and cherry notes, capsicum, fresh jam, complex with a few notes of alcohol. Dense and youthful. Dry, medium body, medium+ intensity, medium+ alcohol (14.50%), medium acidity, tannins medium but round, velvety and warm, black fruits, tobacco and toast, mint, balanced, a few alcohol burns here and there, medium+ length, Fruitbomb Very good to outstanding (89+), with a premium price to match, drinking now with pleasure but can hold
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Dark purple color. Beautiful nose of blueberries, black currant/cassis and some graphite/minerals. On the palate there are again beautiful dark berries and notes of cassis liquor, some caramel and minerals as well as some flowers. Medium-full body (closer to full-bodied) with medium+ very silky tannin and medium acidity adding some freshness. Very good length. Excellent Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from a top-notch producer with the structure to age for a long time. It's not exactly inexpensive anymore, but for Napa Valley this is as good as it gets in this price range. (92+)
decanted for 30 minutes. Very complex, main note was cherry and forestal notes. some hints of mushroom and must with a tannic finish. Fruit explodes with aeration.
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Very nice, classic Cali Cab, a bit short of the Mt. Veeder Cab we had alongside (2005), but this has all the qualities we have become to love - Dark, full bodied with notes of black fruit, plum, coffee, cedar, mocha and vanilla, excellent structure and balance, more fruit forward than the '05 Veeder, silky smooth on the palate with outstanding length, very tasty! (92 Points).
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Similar to previous notes. This wine has settled down and evolved into something special. Dark purple with garnet rim. Nose of blueberry, cedar, graphite, and vanilla. Ripe full palate of blackberry, blueberry, leather, minerals, and integrated oak. Nice acidity. Sweet tannins. Delightful.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dark berries, currants, plums and flowers. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium to tart acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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Similar to previous notes. Almost opaque dark garnet. The nose is still pretty oaky, but the palate is ripe, fruit-forward, balanced, and delicious. Lots of blueberry, blackberry, graphite, vanilla, and minerals. Mouthwatering acidity. Superb length. Youthful tannins. This wine has the structure to age gracefully for many, many years. Will it improve from today? Harder to say. A convincing refutation to those who say that an excellent Napa Cab can't be had for under $50.
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No formal notes, but starting to drink very nicely. This has the fruit and tannin to last for 5-7 more years. Has thrown a lot of sediment, so stand and decant.
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Excellent. Classic Napa Cab. Decanted one hour and had with holiday dinner with neighbors; WOTN. Red fruit with some leather and silky texture, nice medium-long finish, in balance with solid tannins suggest it's not young, not old, drinking great. Can go a long time still though
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Not much to add to 6/10/12 note. Much better integrated than a couple of years ago. Excellent, basic Napa Cab from Phelps. Will likely get better with a couple of more years in the cellar.
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We all really liked this one. Really nice aroma of cassis and leather. Tannins were fine grained and it was wee balanced. Classic cab flavor and a decent finish. Can't say it was a great value but it was worth it and would get it again.
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Open and ready for business. Had this wine alongside '02, '05, '06, '07 and '08 Insignias and an '05 Backus. Very primary, rich red raspberry and some cassis. Very nice offering!
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Pop and pour from cellar temp. This has mellowed considerably since a year and a half ago. The tannins have lowered and though they are slightly less silky and more grippy, overall they definitely reduced. It's not the squid-dark, inky, vintage-one-year-old-port black it once was, the color is starting to diffuse into the lighter red that shows it is past it's infancy. More stuff at the bottom of the bottle. Remains remarkable for the price, some of the heat has gone away (though it still has some bite with air time). The raspberry has turned to blueberry (or maybe blackberry, since the acidity probably has not dropped any).
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Dark ink color with ruby edges. Smooth tannins, long finish. A delight right after corking, but could decant for an hour for complete opening. Paired fantasticly with a nice cave aged cheese.
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Dense ruby with slight hint of red violet. Smells of oak, currant, and mint. It was a little tight at first. Tastes are currant, cherry, earth, and subtle spices. There is some weight here and the tannins are somewhat fierce at this stage. There is some nice acidity and this wine has a lengthy finish.
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This wine is coming along nicely. Pop and pour. Drank out of the glass over the course of 3 hours and opened up significantly. Just beginning to show secondary traits. Tannins lively but relaxed over time. Lots of bluberry and blackberry. Heavy and viscous. Layers. Long finish. All over good.
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Tasted a 375ml bottle with a 2 hour decant. An intense and focused wine. Very tight right out of the bottle. Nose is a mixture of dark and red fruit with mild spice. Palate is chewy and consists of black cherry, cassis, oak, tobacco, wood and spice. Tannins are very much evident. A considerable amount of heat on the tongue and finish. Still requires several more years, hopefully the alcohol will soften in time...
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This was my second bottle and equally impressive. Typical napa fruit forwardness with nice depth. Vanilla, oak, and blueberries are evident. Some tannins still noticeable. Very enjoyable for the price, on sale for $35. Will probably age another 3-7 years easily, but drinking great now
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Dark garnet with purple tint. Nose cedar, cassis, & blackberry. Ripe, full, balanced palate of blackberry, plum, blueberry, and espresso. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. The oak is better integrated now.
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I was very impressed with this cab for the price point. Great value and I look forward to future vintages. I opened bottle about 2 hours prior to drinking. Strong fruit forward, nut very smooth.
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Excellent and smooth considering the alcohol percent and amount of oak. There is more oak than I prefer but is it still within range of adding a net benefit to the wine. The fruit is incredibly dense with a lot of forward flavor, decanting 30-45 min recommended. I was gifted this bottle, and definitely would not pay $50 for it, I would rate CHW lot 247/257 and BV Napa cab as being equal for 2/3 less, this wine just doesn't have anything special about it to live up to the price tag.
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Definitely give it several hours of airtime and discard any sensitivity towards oak. Oak on the nose, palate, finish. But there's also some really great fruit here and this drinks really nicely. Coming around!
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Diacetyl and wood on nose. Diacetyl, wood, and stewed dark fruit on palate. Low acid; alcohol hot on palate. This wine was just terrible. It wasn't oxidized or corked, just terrible. After my friend and I drank half a glass, she remarked that she couldn't drink anymore, so we made mulled wine with it. Avoid.
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1 hr decant. Expressive nose of blackberry, currant, vanilla bean, and sweet tobacco. Medium plus body of blackberry pie, cedar, and herbs. Long smooth finish.
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My current favorite Napa Cab. Did the tasting on the patio at the winery in '06 and have been a big fan ever since. admit that the '05 seemed more elegant than the '07 but we opened up an '07 the other night for friends, brought it up to temperature and ran it through the venturi and it was solid although we finished it before it had a chance to really open up, unfortunately. it was pretty tight. oh well, there's some more in the cellar that will get even better with age. this wine needs to age and breathe and it needs to be paired with a thick, seasoned prime piece of your favorite cut of beef grilled at 700 degrees and served rare! I put it up there with Lewis Cab.
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Le nez est typique de la région: boisé, framboises. En bouche, quelle belle démonstration de puissance et d'élégance à la fois! Fruité, ample, belle structure et pas trop boisé (à mon goût). Finale bien persistance, un très beau vin!
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La robe est sombre. Au nez, on perçoit des notes de petits fruits rouges et noirs (surtout les mûres et les framboises) et plus en retrait des notes vanillées. En bouche, sensation de craie au touché de la langue, explosion de saveurs, le vin est dense. Le vin est bien équilibré et la finale est assez longue. Superbe bouteille! 93-94.
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Color of dark red. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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Heavy use of american oak giving aromas of coconut, smoke, toast and vanilla. Fruit verges on jamminess and is ultra sweet. Palate is overextracted, tannins are chalky. The wine is full blown and dense but lacks elegance. It is made to impress but I doubt its food-friendliness - at least for the time being. Cannot give less than 90 points with such lush fruitiness, but in reality the wine is unbalanced despite its medium-to-high acidity.
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Forward aromatics of black fruit, smoke and toasty oak evident by vanilla and coconut. Ripe and velvety in palate with zesty acidity and firm/ripe tannins. Warm alcohol however leaves a burning sensation. Has the structure and intensity to age.
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PnP served over 2 hours. Dark ruby core, no sign of age. Perfumed currant, grilled herbs, notes of cigar box. Sensibly full-bodied palate with a welcome coolness to the fruit. Gained complexity with airtime, everything remained in proportion keeping this well composed throughout the dinner. Fine tannins and solid purity given an entry-level Cab. The best has yet to come for this wine. Structured, and would not hesitate to bury a bottle and forget about it for a decade or more. Drink thru 2021, 14,5% abv, score: B+/A-
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Oak and slight earth on nose. Still vanilla, chocolate, and dark fruit. Very little tannin grip now, fruity, dense, with no bitterness and medium finish.
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See previous notes (both scored 93). Tonight this wine was not as good as the other two bottles I have had from this case. Seemed disjointed, over-extracted, over-oaked, and over-alcoholic. Bottle variation?
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Dark garnet with medium/heavy viscosity in the glass. Muted nose of dark fruit, earth and tar. Medium/full body with firm tannin. Green, bramble and blueberry on the palate. Secondary cranberry. Medium finish. Grip overwhelms what is on the simple side.
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Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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Surprisingly still open and accessible. P&P and then followed and consumed by the next night. Deep wine with viscous structure. Oak may be a tad much, and holds the wine back just a bit. Asian spice, earth... an absolute mouthful, but not over the top. Should get better with time. The big brother must be an absolute monster!
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Still tight as of tasting but already exhibiting great potential with bold flavors of dark cherry, black tea, matured oak. At this young age there's still a bit of cough syrup features, but disappears after 30 minutes to an hour of aeration, and the tannins are still quite aggressive but this will be great from 2013 to 2020.
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Nose of dried herb and sage and maybe some black licorice, but a bit more fruit on the palate. Deep, rich color, nice finish and good structure. Seems ready to drink now.
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Very young with substantial tannins, this will likely be better (2-3 pts?) with a few years in the cellar. Has a black licorice note that I'm not a big fan if, but that should evolve and integrate with some age, too. Well made.
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Definitely needs time to open up. Color deep violet to ruby. Fairly long legs. A couple hours in the decanter treated this wine nicely. Immediate cassis and wood on the nose. Nice classic cab flavors along with leather as mentioned in the other reviews. Sweetness and vanilla becomes more pronounced over time. Great depth, but tannins grip just a tad too much. With age and mellowing of the tannins, this should be a fantastic wine
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Purple to ruby red. Half a mile deep, fairly hot, seems like it could age about ten years to bring some of the nuances out. Vanilla, dark chocolate, slight oak with cedar. Beneath the smooth tannins lie raspberry and cherry flavors that should improve with intensity and complexity given some age. Long finish (half a mile as opposed to a mile deep), worth keeping around.
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Opened several hours- did not decant. A dense violet color. Nose of cassis with light touches of vanilla and cedar. Rich and balanced on the palate with plenty of currant, blackberry, and anise notes; along with leather, tobacco, and cedar in the depth. Nicely textured. Good stuffing on the middle, finishing with round tannins-full and ripe. Finishes medium with dried herb and cracked pepper notes, along with lingering fruit. A little closed but drinking nicely.
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This has some really good stuffing- rich fruit, lots of structure. A bottle I opened on Thursday is still drinking well Sunday with almost no oxidation. This is probably a 10 year wine, yum!
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great nose of berries, graphite and currant. balanced complexity flavors with just enough tannins to sustain and long finish, a bit pricey but one of the better Napa's at this price range
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I haven't had a bottle of this since last May. Dark purple with a ruby rim. Expressive nose of blackberry, vanilla, cedar, and licorice. Ripe, full palate of blackberry, currant, graphite, menthol, minerals, and espresso. Excellent length. Refreshing acidity. Sweet tannins. Toasty oak that is not overdone. Since May, this wine has emerged as a lovely, balanced, and complex wine.
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This still has a lot of heat even after 3 hours of decanting. I guess this can be left for 2 to 3 years. Dark chocolate and rich dark berries. Not my favorite now but could see it being better in 5 years. Just too young and as some say a monster to lay away.
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Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Enjoyed with Rebecca, Jonathan, Laura and Mike in Atanta.
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Wow! I think I opened this up about a decade too early. This is a monster of a wine. Huge tannins but they blend beautifully. The nose offers great arromas of dark fruit, leather, spice and wonderful vanilla. On the palate it instatly consumes you. Great consintration and that proves it will go the distance. The finish is long but seems to fall apart. I can't wait to revisit this wine in 3-5 years.
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I was kind of excited to dry a respected cab from the 2007 vintage, but this one was a let down. It came with the advertised concentrated fruit and freshness, but beyond that it was so boring... No complexity, pretty plain and finish on short side. Had it from two different bottles and while it worked with the stake for a little while, I just couldn't force myself to finish a second glass. Pass!
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Nice nose, deep plum color and nice legs. On first impression, very firm tannins with fruit, oak, and minerality only on the mid-palate with a strong recapitulation of the tannins on the finish. Once open, the middle layer of fruit and complexity asserts itself and the tannins mellow on the finish. Seems to have a good potential if cellared for a few years but not bad right now. For the price, however, I'm not sure if I'll feature it as one of my standard cellar selections. Cheers.
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This just shows how 2007 was as a growing year. Classic Cab flavors and the signiture Rutherford dust notes throughout the nose and palate. Tannins are present but not overwhelming.
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This wine holds up its end of the bargain with respect to terroir. It was presented in double-blind fashion to our tasting group, having kindly been provided by Ken Johnson. The guesses as to the wine's identity were all nearly spot-on with respect to varietal and appellation. The robe is opaque black/purple. The nose shows quite intense aromas of cassis, vanilla, plums and spice. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big sweet tannins and a creamy mouth feel. The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The finish is long and smooth. Very nice Napa Cabernet which won't be confused with Bordeaux. Drink now-12/20.
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Tasting note from a glass sipped over 3 hours. Bottle opened 1 hour prior. Very, very dark color. A lot of wood on the nose with some floral scents. Exceedingly tight. Wood, blackberry, coal. Did not open up much over the evening. Taut. Not something to drink now. Did I say it was tight? Curious if Craig Williams made this wine?
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Received a case from the winery this week. Opened a bottle out of curiosity. Popped and poured. Tooth staining purple. Nose of currant, graphite and cedar. Ripe palate of cassis, blackberry, espresso, licorice, and toasty oak. Excellent length. Youthful tannins. Refreshing acidity. Beautifully balanced, but not a fully integrated wine. Should be wonderful with a couple of years to settle down.
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Dark fruit with some earth notes. Tannins could use a little more time to mellow out, but still nicely balanced after a good decanting. Give this a few more years in the bottle.
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Carolyn Nichol's Birthday Party (Ladera Ranch, CA): This will be a very good wine. You can drink it now but I think you'll be rewarded for waiting. Dark color and fruit with smoke/oak and big tannis. Good Cali cabernet.
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Drank with Dave and Ronald on a visit from Holland. Very dark complexion with dark fruit smell and hints of sandy soil. Very powerful and smokey palette with lots of fine tannins. Still a baby with a long way to go - save these for at least another 6 months to a year before popping one.
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1/6/2024 - Waedi Likes this wine: 92 Points
In perfect shape and still young.
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10/27/2023 - Windacre in the Slope wrote: 87 Points
Fine. Kind of bland and overly sweet.
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9/4/2023 - PaísDeSabores wrote:
Delightful. Even better on day 2 and 3.
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9/2/2023 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
2007 Phelps…what can I say? I should have waited another 5-7 years for it to be perfect. Palate enters as ripe, lush, ripe, velvety, slightly candied; strawberries, cherries & progresses into blackberries, black raspberries, black plum & stewed plums. The tannins round but still meaty. It glides effortlessly over the palate. Dark berry cola, charcoal, touch of lead pencil, dark, hearty Indian/Asian spices, some pepper, cedar, mix of fresh & dry tobacco, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, dark, melted chocolate, mocha powder, caramel notes, anise, dry to slightly moist, dark soils, Rutherford dust, mix of dry, soft herbs, dry crushed, limestone minerals, fresh, dark, red, flowers framed in violets/lavender for days, perfect, round, acidity with an incredibly well blended fruit & earth, nice tension and a beautiful finish that lasts minutes. I need another well stored bottle of 07 in 5-7 years. Velvet wrapped in silk. Phelps Napa is so incredible at 15-20 years of age regardless of vintage. This would be closer to 20-22 years plus. Just an hour decant. Might have been better w/ 3 hours or a second day bottle.
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12/25/2022 - KP6868 wrote: 94 Points
At peak for sure. Bought as a library release and was my 2nd bottle on Xmas. This hits all the marks for me. Loved it.
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7/15/2022 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
This is my last bottle of this wine from 2007 vintage. Most of what I said in my previous review still stands. The only addition is that the flavor of slightly bitter burnt chocolate, flavor is more pronounced now. Still a very good wine but I think it is time to drink it up.
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5/14/2022 - grossie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous Napa cab. Amazing pure fruit, there is a sweet Napa quality but it doesn't feel manipulated. Oak is present but used judiciously. Amazing high tones of eucalyptus or mint. Long finish. Fine tannins. I think this is at peak but can last a few years.
I love Phelps cabs. There's something about the purity of the fruit that I find really pleasing.
This reminds me some of the 97 insignia, which is high praise from me, that's one of my favorite California wines of all time.
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11/7/2021 - Aztec94 wrote: 92 Points
Initial notes of berry compote, slightly candied, brown sugar, vanilla and coconut. On the palate the fruit is primary flavor so far. Nicely balanced. A couple hours in, more savory and dark notes present, still a lot of fruit as well.
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6/4/2021 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
The legendary 07 vintage. Wine candy with & after Wagyu ribcap.
It’s on its 3-5 year peak cycle.
Candied & just a touch stewed; blackberries, blueberries, dry, dark cherries, creamy raspberries, bramble, pine syrup sap, melted caramel w/ nuts, dark chocolate, mocha powder, eucalyptus, mint, sage, bay leaf, splash of oregano, dark spice w/ some mid heat, dry top soil, rich forest floor, fresh & withering dark florals, lavender, violets, beautiful acidity with fine length, balance & elegantly polished.
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4/27/2021 - andreyd Likes this wine:
Cork came completely apart, was very dry, but looked like it held as wine as actually still quite fresh. It didn't show super great though, seemed a little out of balance with too much hot fruit, so not sure if some bottle variation still here. Still a nice cab, just not at the expected level. Try 2nd out of 3 sooner than later but wouldn't think it's past peak.
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12/21/2020 - mschonholz22 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinkable now
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11/28/2020 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite nice. Medium + weight; fantastic color, deep and inky; has evolved nicely; notes of cocoa and black fruit; alcohol still prevalent; tannins softening. Drink now.
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11/7/2020 - Ralphie1 wrote: 95 Points
Amazing Napa Cab! Aged beautifully! Probably will continue to be great for many years.
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9/13/2020 - Non-sequitur wrote: 91 Points
very nice
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5/28/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote: 92 Points
This showed older than I was expecting. Slight bricking around the rim. Bold nose of red and black fruit, bramble and dry leaves. On the palate can definitely taste the age, with forest floor accompanying blackberry and blackberry liquor. Tannins still very present. Two hours later it came together nicely, with blackberry and bramble on the nose, and blackberry and bramble on the palate. Wife loved this (93+) and I enjoyed it. Bit rustic, bit modern. I'd go 91-92.
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11/15/2019 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
It has been a few years since our last 2007. It has softened some but, still a beast and picked up more florals. The 2007 has shown the consistent quality of the vintage over multiple bottles.
The nose reveals; dark sweet currants, deeply extracted blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, purple fruit blend, blueberries, poached strawberries on the glass edges, anise to black licorice, limestone minerals, steeped fruit teas, sweet tarriness, leathery notes, dry crushed rocks, dry brush, dry herbs, dark liqueur notes, hints of graphite, volcanic minerals, dry top soil, expresso roast, vanilla, light, dark clove, touch of nutmeg, dark chocolate, coco powder, malt in malt balls with dark, withering & candied florals with violets & lavender.
The body is; ruby, lush and full. The tannins are; round, chewy, meaty, dusty and only 50% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance have just hit their stride and still climbing. Dark sweet currants, deeply extracted blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, purple fruit blend, blueberries, plum, poached strawberries on the glass edges, anise to black licorice, limestone minerals, steeped fruit teas, sweet tarriness, leathery notes, dry crushed rocks, moist clay, dry brush, dry herbs, dark liqueur notes, hints of graphite, volcanic minerals, dry top soil, expresso roast, vanilla, light, dark clove, touch of nutmeg, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, coco powder, malt in malt balls, Asian spice, splash of soy sauce, a touch of black pepper, wood plank, withering & candied florals with violets & lavender. The acidity is like a fresh mountain stream. The long finish is; elegant, ripe, ruby, well balanced fruit & earth and persistent for days.
The 07 has 10-20 years of good drinking ahead depending on how you store & enjoy wine.
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9/28/2019 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a check in on the 2007 vintage. The 07 is still very youthful and fresh. It will be another 5 years until I open another. However, it was nicely polished and perfect to close out our main course.
The body is full, lush & thick. The tannins still pronounced, round but, firm, meaty and nicely tarry. The structure & tension say this wine will last another 15-20 years properly stored. The length & balance show the excellent craft of this producer and the quality of the 2007 vintage in Napa.
It showed; very dark currants, heavily extracted. blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, sweet dark tarriness, lots used dark expresso grounds, some graphite, fresh tobacco, pleasant woodiness, crushed dry rocks, limestone minerals, alluvial soils, nicely layered baking spices, some mid dark spice, incense, light herbs and fresh, dark, red, purple florals. The acidity is round and nicely executed. The long, still big, ruby, lush finish is really beautiful. However, I forward to what the 07 down the road. It will improve and will be worth the wait.
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9/23/2019 - John McCabe wrote: 88 Points
Quite underwhelming - might have been stored poorly. Got it from the K&L library section. Was overly acidic - felt a bit hot. The age hadn't done anything for it.
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7/28/2019 - Esteban wrote: 92 Points
Un gros vin mais tout de même très équilibré. Tout le monde a callé Bordeaux dans une dégustation à l'aveugle.
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4/20/2019 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
Clear deep purple color. Clean nose of medium plus intensity with aromas of black currant, flint, pencil led, toast, prunes, leather and mushrooms. Wine is fully developed. On the palate it is dry with medium acidity, medium silky tannins, high alcohol, medium plus body medium plus flavor intensity of dried raisins, wet stone, bitter chocolate and cured meat. The finish is medium plus. Very good wine, drink now it is at its peak. Can be aged further but I doubt that it will get much better than it is now
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3/9/2019 - jebewines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice, smooth, medium/full bodied wine, will even improve over a few more years.
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2/23/2019 - dlcass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Delicious and complete wine. Nice nose, mouthfeel and finish. Delayed entry.
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12/15/2018 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop, decant and pour. Aromas of sandlewood, blackberry, smoke and currant. Flavors of blackberry, cherry, currant and touch of smoke. Ends with a 25 second finish with blackberry and smoke notes. Tasting very young, could have used a long decant.
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9/22/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 09/21/18 + 2 Shared Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK you sooooooo MUCH for engineering this, José & budosyu! :)
Note: Had been open ≈24 hrs
N: RIPE, lots of things going on, but tough for ME to parse out beyond noting some pyrazines
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish frt fairly quickly met by a puckerish astringency which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish with notes of spice, a swtness to the dusty tannins, & a very, VERY slight bitterness that SHOULD resolve. NEEDS through '21, I'm guessing, then at least APPROACHING its 20th? An impressive wine JUST hitting its stride? 14.5% ABV; My EXC, with more a distinct poss in several yrs. 91 pts ea WS & Tanzer, 88 WE @ $54, & 16/20 Jancis Robinson.
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8/31/2018 - kend707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had a dozen '07s over time. Variation is non existent. The entry level cab of 2007 delivers plenty of fruit and well integrated tannin. A "go to" choice in any vintage.
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8/3/2018 - Martin Ferland Likes this wine: 96 Points
Formidable
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5/12/2018 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe cherry. Soft tannins, nice oak. Not very complex but the concentration of fruits with the velvety tannins are great.
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1/1/2018 - rashcar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good volume and chewy wine. Nose of vanilla and dark Berries with hint of dust. Medium finish. Overall a pleasant experience. A bit on the sweet side for me.
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11/19/2017 - brigcampbell wrote:
Checking back in after 3 years. Classic Napa cabernet profile. Noticed a bit of dusty tannins mixed in with the cassis. Nice wine but nothing earth shattering. One more to go. Should have no problem with resting for a while longer.
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10/28/2017 - Thief Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with Dec 2016 note
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10/4/2017 - vintage_whine wrote:
the 40% american oak is showing clearly at the moment, so it's in the phase where a zin drinker might like it
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4/30/2017 - grossie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous big rich structured Napa cab. A little smokey, quite dense, still very very tannic. Needs another 5 years. Potential is huge IMO.
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4/17/2017 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black cherry some fig and preserves with tobacco. Bright acidity and tannins still on the finish. Can go longer in the cellar.
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4/10/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Dark, ripe, some bitterness, medium finish. Well made wine.
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4/6/2017 - EricDilda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking perfectly. Dark cherry, fig, vegetal. Well balanced with mature tanins
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2/18/2017 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistant performer just like prior review
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1/13/2017 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big chewy wine. Tobacco , leather cassis and nice integrated tannins. Super window right now.
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12/18/2016 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious Napa Cap. Cassis, blueberry, sweet tannins with nice mouth feel and finish. Excellent wine for the value.
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12/4/2016 - Thief Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine from great year. I have done blinded tastings of the Phelps Napa cabernets and they usually tend to be best between 5-10 years (in my opinion) and then they start losing fruit afterwards. Obviously that can change a bit based on the vintage. 2007 was a great year so this one is drinking great but could also probably keep a few more years. Cassis, fig, graphite. Delicious and great PQR.
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10/30/2016 - Thief Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderfully balanced fruits, acid and tannin at this stage. Even better now after aging. Delicious!
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9/17/2016 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points
Drinking at peak now, this is excellent. The licorice note is gone and the tannins are well integrated. Seems more classical in style than it did in its youth.
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9/2/2016 - bbakove wrote: 91 Points
Dark, opaque ruby-red with a luscious mouthfeel to match. Initial flavor impression is sweet, but moderate, slightly gritty tannins, smooth acidity and a well balanced, reasonably complex profile of dried red & black fruits, wood (oak? cedar?), spice and saddle leather lend a hand to maintain a nicely orchestrated, medium long finish.
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8/19/2016 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This really has changed over the past two years. Blackberry with tobacco and well integrated tannins. This is drinking beautifully now
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8/15/2016 - Capt Cutlass Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious and in its perfect drinking window. The stellar vintage shines through with lovely depth and concentration without being heavy. Long.
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7/16/2016 - Bloms wrote:
Bill Golden 60th birthday.
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7/4/2016 - Vino Nomad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ripe blackberry and black currant, slight notes of old leather and cigar box, very savory. Beautiful mouthfeel... velvety. Tannins are ripe and have softened. Great balance of fruit, earth, oak, and tannin. I would have guessed the price point to be double or triple what it really is.
I'm happy that we opened this in 2016, but if I stumble across this vintage again in 3 to 5 years, I'm picking up more.
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3/19/2016 - bergkamp10 wrote: 90 Points
Classic well balanced Napa Cabernet drinking well. Full bodied, with solid fruit core with cassis, and sweet berry to the fore. There was a slightly bitter off note on the finish which detracted somewhat. In summary, very good but lacking the wow factor or complexity expected at the price point.
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3/12/2016 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Delicious!! Balance is on the money. Well integrated with dusty fruit; no sappy fruit here. Finish is long and tannins are even.
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2/26/2016 - Capt Cutlass wrote: flawed
Slightly corked but we still drank it as the fruit was there and it paired well with the duck breast.
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2/2/2016 - moega Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple color and a very smooth silky long finish. This is drinking quite nicely right now.
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12/26/2015 - tom_wine wrote:
Quite faded from its original glory. The regular CS isn't a wine for the duration, as I've found now in several vintages.
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12/4/2015 - As-Is Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth silky finish. This has aged very well and is drinking nicely. Pair with red pasta dish or red meat and it will compliment perfectly
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11/11/2015 - Mounty Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice dark cherries with a good oakie balance and some coffee notes.
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10/24/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Just had a taste of this tonight. It certainly stood out as new world alongside the Bordeaux we were drinking, but that said it was still very good. A little green streak comes across on the palate with big cassis fruit and new oak and some grippiness on the tannins.
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10/2/2015 - Bloms wrote: 87 Points
Perhaps in decline. Never really opened up. Tasting a bit like port. Hope it was just a bad bottle.
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8/30/2015 - nkirsch Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice cab. Didn't open much before drinking and it was fine
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8/10/2015 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 90 Points
nothing noteworthy but a decent bottle of wine. mild notes and finish
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7/13/2015 - EMark Likes this wine:
Quite dark color. Fairly volatile nose, but also with strong oak and currant. Very rich on introduction to the tongue and palate—lots of black (currant and blackberry) fruit with a strong suggestion of chocolate. Definitely a big, mouth-filling wine. “Sweetness” may be from the fruit or it may be from the alcohol. Very tame tannin suggests to me that this wine may have plateaued. Looking forward to having this one with grilled beef, tonight.
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3/22/2015 - Wooding Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank both bottles with the family at Ruth's Chris. Delicious
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3/21/2015 - Soyunhp Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolutely stunning. A plethora of aromas hit you from the glass. Dark, crimson color in the glass. Velvety texture that encompasses your entire mouth. Dark fruit in the palate. Continues to evolve over the next hour. Has come together perfectly. Tannins are resolved. Hard to describe how good this wine is right now.
If this cab is great, I can only imagine how awesome the 2007 Insignias are.
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3/15/2015 - up4wine wrote: 93 Points
Quite a spectacular wine with a nose that doesn't let you go. Used in monthly wine tasting series and it took 1st among 4 Napa Cabs from 2007 and a mix of Northern CA Cabs from 2007-2009. The nose was full of vanilla, dusty earth, cherries, blackberries, plums, and hints of oak. Each swirl of the glass would take you down a different path, but always ended in a rewardingly pleasant place. The finish was long and wonderfully integrated.
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3/3/2015 - Barry Notes Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP w/1.5 hr decant. Clear, very few fine bottom sediments. Deep dark purple color, long legs. Intense, mature Napa nose. Med body/texture, med/big weight/depth/complexity. Coffee, mineral, tar, tobacco, wet stone, blue fruit, med tannins mostly resolved. Good balance/integration. Good for years yet. Nothing off. Great value, $42
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3/1/2015 - As-Is Likes this wine: 91 Points
Simply delicious
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2/12/2015 - r4Cali Likes this wine: 93 Points
Splash decant of about 30 mins. Had with flat iron steak and paired perfectly. Deep garnet in color with good clarity. Dark fruits of plum, blackberry, with hints of cedar and tobacco. Medium weight with long finish. Maintains good balance of dryness and acidity. Drinking wonderfully, velvet smooth with long finish. Outstanding QPR for the $30 I paid for it almost 5 years ago.
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1/9/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 92 Points
My second to last bottle of this case. Wow, it is really singing. Dark, opaque purple. Nose of blackberry, blueberry, menthol, graphite, cedar, and espresso. Ripe full palate of dark fruit. Excellent length. Integrated oak. Pleasant acidity. Mature tannins.
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12/26/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Cassis aromas pour out of the decanter, yummy. Decanted for 3 hours and I'm not sure it needs it. Fine tannins but nothing aggressive. Deep maroon color with cassis, dark plum, and light toasted oak flavors. Solid wine, as usual, but not out of this world. Have two more and not worried about more aging, the fruit is prevalent without any signs of aging.
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12/20/2014 - LCHammer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid cab. Nothing to criticize but nothing that took my breath away. Others at the table rated higher. Less extracted than the 06 Craig Mt Veeder but good in its' own way (erhaps a bit more elegant).
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12/6/2014 - Kcoopaz Likes this wine:
Nice
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11/21/2014 - hoppercycles wrote: 93 Points
Typical California Cab. Won't disappoint.
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11/14/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
The last bottle of 07 Phelps Cab. It didn't disappoint. Similar notes as last bottle. Enjoyed on the flight up to Chicago.
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8/14/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
For $40ish bucks, this wine over delivers. At 7yrs old, this wine is bringing it's A game. Supple, sexy, racy - and the dark hanging fruits are there, not much age showing so it's really youthful. We just had the 09 Insignia and this wine was a few steps behind, but showing phenomenally well. A steal. More bottles await but they won't last.
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7/27/2014 - tb76 wrote: 92 Points
375ml note after 1 hr decant. Good combination of wood and fruit, maybe a tiny bit hot. Rich, full, luscious fruit, velvety smooth, but with a swish shows good tannin structure and acid remain. From a great vintage this doesn't disappoint.
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7/5/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Judith's Over the Hill and Under the Weather Event (Judith's House): Deep purple red color. PNP, 3oz pour over 80 minutes. Nose is quite good with layered cassis, dark berries, spice, cedar. The palate is dense and full bodied, nice tannin and lovely black fruits of currants and berries, cedar, spice. Medium plus finish. Excellent.
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6/2/2014 - qcwino wrote:
Decanted for 1 hr. Fairly forgetable wine with a short finish. Tannins are still a little grippy.
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5/19/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 91 Points
Good napa cabernet. Black licorice, rich fruit, smooth. Drinks fine right now.
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1/22/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very strong, if typical, Mid point Napa Cabernet. Dark plum, blackberry, currant, crushed stone, fine grained tannins. Medium level of opulence, certainly not tight or dried out.
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11/18/2013 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed this again. Lots of dark fruit up front with a finish to make a complete wine. Very balanced. Will hold for a quite a long time, but no need to wait on this.
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11/7/2013 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful!!!! Perfectly balanced now.
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10/11/2013 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 89 Points
(drank with friends at WineGate)
Clear, deep ruby color.
Clean, with medium+ intensity, full of tobacco, toast, black currant and cherry notes, capsicum, fresh jam, complex with a few notes of alcohol. Dense and youthful.
Dry, medium body, medium+ intensity, medium+ alcohol (14.50%), medium acidity, tannins medium but round, velvety and warm, black fruits, tobacco and toast, mint, balanced, a few alcohol burns here and there, medium+ length, Fruitbomb
Very good to outstanding (89+), with a premium price to match, drinking now with pleasure but can hold
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10/5/2013 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple color. Beautiful nose of blueberries, black currant/cassis and some graphite/minerals. On the palate there are again beautiful dark berries and notes of cassis liquor, some caramel and minerals as well as some flowers. Medium-full body (closer to full-bodied) with medium+ very silky tannin and medium acidity adding some freshness. Very good length. Excellent Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from a top-notch producer with the structure to age for a long time. It's not exactly inexpensive anymore, but for Napa Valley this is as good as it gets in this price range. (92+)
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10/2/2013 - Arthur4wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice big Napa Valley red. I served it with grilled hanger steak.
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9/15/2013 - tb76 wrote: 91 Points
Needs 30+ minutes of air, opened nicely, medium body, and still moderately tannic. Hold rest for 2 yrs.
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9/6/2013 - garrigue65 wrote: 93 Points
decanted for 30 minutes. Very complex, main note was cherry and forestal notes. some hints of mushroom and must with a tannic finish. Fruit explodes with aeration.
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8/28/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nothing to add to 6/30/13 note. Excellent!
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8/24/2013 - Tarrant wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, classic Cali Cab, a bit short of the Mt. Veeder Cab we had alongside (2005), but this has all the qualities we have become to love - Dark, full bodied with notes of black fruit, plum, coffee, cedar, mocha and vanilla, excellent structure and balance, more fruit forward than the '05 Veeder, silky smooth on the palate with outstanding length, very tasty! (92 Points).
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8/22/2013 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Drank on the flight up to Chicago. Great youth and maturing nicely. Round, supple, what I'm looking for when I... want to drink wine.
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8/9/2013 - dase13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with prior tasting notes. Color of dark red. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins.
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6/30/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to previous notes. This wine has settled down and evolved into something special. Dark purple with garnet rim. Nose of blueberry, cedar, graphite, and vanilla. Ripe full palate of blackberry, blueberry, leather, minerals, and integrated oak. Nice acidity. Sweet tannins. Delightful.
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6/20/2013 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. Opened up to full potential quickly. Great wine for the $. Great color and expression.
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6/4/2013 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of dark berries, currants, plums and flowers. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium to tart acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or continue to hold.
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4/12/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to previous notes. Almost opaque dark garnet. The nose is still pretty oaky, but the palate is ripe, fruit-forward, balanced, and delicious. Lots of blueberry, blackberry, graphite, vanilla, and minerals. Mouthwatering acidity. Superb length. Youthful tannins. This wine has the structure to age gracefully for many, many years. Will it improve from today? Harder to say. A convincing refutation to those who say that an excellent Napa Cab can't be had for under $50.
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4/9/2013 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Nice nose, buttery finish about 30 minutes in. Opened nicely. Really good!!
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4/2/2013 - alr6767 wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes, but starting to drink very nicely. This has the fruit and tannin to last for 5-7 more years. Has thrown a lot of sediment, so stand and decant.
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3/13/2013 - garrigue65 wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well right now. Popped and poured.Well balanced fruit with loamy notes. Tannins smooth out in the glass.
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12/21/2012 - ddingley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent. Classic Napa Cab. Decanted one hour and had with holiday dinner with neighbors; WOTN. Red fruit with some leather and silky texture, nice medium-long finish, in balance with solid tannins suggest it's not young, not old, drinking great. Can go a long time still though
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12/18/2012 - Wink Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not much to add to 6/10/12 note. Much better integrated than a couple of years ago. Excellent, basic Napa Cab from Phelps. Will likely get better with a couple of more years in the cellar.
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11/26/2012 - Jayarr wrote: 91 Points
We all really liked this one. Really nice aroma of cassis and leather. Tannins were fine grained and it was wee balanced. Classic cab flavor and a decent finish. Can't say it was a great value but it was worth it and would get it again.
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11/17/2012 - BMG Wine wrote: 91 Points
Perenniel favorite. Not happy about the inflation ofer the last 10 years but solidly good Cabernet as always.
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11/10/2012 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Open and ready for business. Had this wine alongside '02, '05, '06, '07 and '08 Insignias and an '05 Backus. Very primary, rich red raspberry and some cassis. Very nice offering!
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11/8/2012 - webbaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of depth and fruit, drinking nicely, good value.
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11/2/2012 - Noahc wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour from cellar temp. This has mellowed considerably since a year and a half ago. The tannins have lowered and though they are slightly less silky and more grippy, overall they definitely reduced. It's not the squid-dark, inky, vintage-one-year-old-port black it once was, the color is starting to diffuse into the lighter red that shows it is past it's infancy. More stuff at the bottom of the bottle. Remains remarkable for the price, some of the heat has gone away (though it still has some bite with air time). The raspberry has turned to blueberry (or maybe blackberry, since the acidity probably has not dropped any).
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10/20/2012 - Calhounmi wrote: 92 Points
Dark ink color with ruby edges. Smooth tannins, long finish. A delight right after corking, but could decant for an hour for complete opening. Paired fantasticly with a nice cave aged cheese.
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9/1/2012 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense ruby with slight hint of red violet. Smells of oak, currant, and mint. It was a little tight at first. Tastes are currant, cherry, earth, and subtle spices. There is some weight here and the tannins are somewhat fierce at this stage. There is some nice acidity and this wine has a lengthy finish.
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8/24/2012 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This wine is coming along nicely. Pop and pour. Drank out of the glass over the course of 3 hours and opened up significantly. Just beginning to show secondary traits. Tannins lively but relaxed over time. Lots of bluberry and blackberry. Heavy and viscous. Layers. Long finish. All over good.
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8/11/2012 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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8/5/2012 - lagavulin wrote: 92 Points
Tasted a 375ml bottle with a 2 hour decant. An intense and focused wine. Very tight right out of the bottle. Nose is a mixture of dark and red fruit with mild spice. Palate is chewy and consists of black cherry, cassis, oak, tobacco, wood and spice. Tannins are very much evident. A considerable amount of heat on the tongue and finish. Still requires several more years, hopefully the alcohol will soften in time...
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6/30/2012 - jmcmurtry wrote: 92 Points
VG delish
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6/17/2012 - Emvip wrote: 92 Points
This was my second bottle and equally impressive. Typical napa fruit forwardness with nice depth. Vanilla, oak, and blueberries are evident. Some tannins still noticeable. Very enjoyable for the price, on sale for $35. Will probably age another 3-7 years easily, but drinking great now
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6/10/2012 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet with purple tint. Nose cedar, cassis, & blackberry. Ripe, full, balanced palate of blackberry, plum, blueberry, and espresso. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins. The oak is better integrated now.
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5/26/2012 - The Wine Sherpa wrote: 93 Points
I was very impressed with this cab for the price point. Great value and I look forward to future vintages. I opened bottle about 2 hours prior to drinking. Strong fruit forward, nut very smooth.
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5/18/2012 - rallylizard wrote: 90 Points
Excellent and smooth considering the alcohol percent and amount of oak. There is more oak than I prefer but is it still within range of adding a net benefit to the wine. The fruit is incredibly dense with a lot of forward flavor, decanting 30-45 min recommended. I was gifted this bottle, and definitely would not pay $50 for it, I would rate CHW lot 247/257 and BV Napa cab as being equal for 2/3 less, this wine just doesn't have anything special about it to live up to the price tag.
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5/15/2012 - LDWine wrote:
Chaya veniice
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5/9/2012 - IGN WINESNOB wrote: 90 Points
Very nice. Takes a while to open up to full potential. Always hard to wait. Great wine!
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4/7/2012 - BK29 wrote: 92 Points
Definitely give it several hours of airtime and discard any sensitivity towards oak. Oak on the nose, palate, finish. But there's also some really great fruit here and this drinks really nicely. Coming around!
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3/21/2012 - IGN WINESNOB wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose, buttery finish about 30 minutes in. Opened nicely. With friends...gone!!
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3/15/2012 - ixtx wrote:
Diacetyl and wood on nose. Diacetyl, wood, and stewed dark fruit on palate. Low acid; alcohol hot on palate. This wine was just terrible. It wasn't oxidized or corked, just terrible. After my friend and I drank half a glass, she remarked that she couldn't drink anymore, so we made mulled wine with it. Avoid.
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2/16/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 92 Points
1 hr decant. Expressive nose of blackberry, currant, vanilla bean, and sweet tobacco. Medium plus body of blackberry pie, cedar, and herbs. Long smooth finish.
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2/12/2012 - chriskfla Likes this wine: 93 Points
My current favorite Napa Cab. Did the tasting on the patio at the winery in '06 and have been a big fan ever since. admit that the '05 seemed more elegant than the '07 but we opened up an '07 the other night for friends, brought it up to temperature and ran it through the venturi and it was solid although we finished it before it had a chance to really open up, unfortunately. it was pretty tight. oh well, there's some more in the cellar that will get even better with age. this wine needs to age and breathe and it needs to be paired with a thick, seasoned prime piece of your favorite cut of beef grilled at 700 degrees and served rare! I put it up there with Lewis Cab.
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1/28/2012 - alr6767 wrote:
Slightly closed down at the moment, but the structure and the fruit promises more in a few years.
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12/31/2011 - Surfdoc wrote: 89 Points
Full bodied fruit flavor is rather primary with black currant and toasted oak/asphalt.
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12/30/2011 - rhanke wrote: 91 Points
Dark, black current, aroma nice but fades
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12/27/2011 - maxime3333 wrote: 93 Points
Un bon vieux Cab américain!
Le nez est typique de la région: boisé, framboises. En bouche, quelle belle démonstration de puissance et d'élégance à la fois! Fruité, ample, belle structure et pas trop boisé (à mon goût). Finale bien persistance, un très beau vin!
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12/26/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
La robe est sombre. Au nez, on perçoit des notes de petits fruits rouges et noirs (surtout les mûres et les framboises) et plus en retrait des notes vanillées. En bouche, sensation de craie au touché de la langue, explosion de saveurs, le vin est dense. Le vin est bien équilibré et la finale est assez longue. Superbe bouteille! 93-94.
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12/23/2011 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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12/22/2011 - BHE wrote: 90 Points
Would definitely purchase again.
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12/18/2011 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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12/6/2011 - Stefanos T. wrote: 90 Points
Heavy use of american oak giving aromas of coconut, smoke, toast and vanilla. Fruit verges on jamminess and is ultra sweet. Palate is overextracted, tannins are chalky. The wine is full blown and dense but lacks elegance. It is made to impress but I doubt its food-friendliness - at least for the time being. Cannot give less than 90 points with such lush fruitiness, but in reality the wine is unbalanced despite its medium-to-high acidity.
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12/5/2011 - Dokken wrote: 89 Points
Forward aromatics of black fruit, smoke and toasty oak evident by vanilla and coconut. Ripe and velvety in palate with zesty acidity and firm/ripe tannins. Warm alcohol however leaves a burning sensation. Has the structure and intensity to age.
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12/2/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP served over 2 hours. Dark ruby core, no sign of age. Perfumed currant, grilled herbs, notes of cigar box. Sensibly full-bodied palate with a welcome coolness to the fruit. Gained complexity with airtime, everything remained in proportion keeping this well composed throughout the dinner. Fine tannins and solid purity given an entry-level Cab. The best has yet to come for this wine. Structured, and would not hesitate to bury a bottle and forget about it for a decade or more. Drink thru 2021, 14,5% abv, score: B+/A-
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10/31/2011 - Noahc wrote: 92 Points
Oak and slight earth on nose. Still vanilla, chocolate, and dark fruit. Very little tannin grip now, fruity, dense, with no bitterness and medium finish.
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10/30/2011 - atwkite wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good, but not as balanced as the 99 and 02 yet. Age will help, as the 04 is coming along and the 05 is drinking well.
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10/24/2011 - Wink wrote: 89 Points
See previous notes (both scored 93). Tonight this wine was not as good as the other two bottles I have had from this case. Seemed disjointed, over-extracted, over-oaked, and over-alcoholic. Bottle variation?
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9/24/2011 - christophee wrote: 85 Points
Dark garnet with medium/heavy viscosity in the glass. Muted nose of dark fruit, earth and tar. Medium/full body with firm tannin. Green, bramble and blueberry on the palate. Secondary cranberry. Medium finish. Grip overwhelms what is on the simple side.
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9/12/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite good example of Napa cab. Not for the faint of heart. Rich, extracted dark fruit, very firm tannins, oak on the finish.
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8/28/2011 - Epricha1 wrote: 92 Points
Always a solid wine, this one needs some time...good now and should be better in 3 years.
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8/26/2011 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Consistent with prior tasting notes.
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8/3/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 90 Points
I have had good luck with JP, this one seemed very well balanced with good depth, nice flavor, no noticeable tannins
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7/24/2011 - cbero wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly still open and accessible. P&P and then followed and consumed by the next night. Deep wine with viscous structure. Oak may be a tad much, and holds the wine back just a bit. Asian spice, earth... an absolute mouthful, but not over the top. Should get better with time. The big brother must be an absolute monster!
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7/13/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote: 92 Points
Had a bottle after a 2 week vacation of drinking cheap wine. Glorious nose and flavors. Fine wines really are different.
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7/3/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
Still tight as of tasting but already exhibiting great potential with bold flavors of dark cherry, black tea, matured oak. At this young age there's still a bit of cough syrup features, but disappears after 30 minutes to an hour of aeration, and the tannins are still quite aggressive but this will be great from 2013 to 2020.
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7/3/2011 - Porchino wrote: 89 Points
Not specail
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6/23/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
Nose of dried herb and sage and maybe some black licorice, but a bit more fruit on the palate. Deep, rich color, nice finish and good structure. Seems ready to drink now.
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5/16/2011 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
Very young with substantial tannins, this will likely be better (2-3 pts?) with a few years in the cellar. Has a black licorice note that I'm not a big fan if, but that should evolve and integrate with some age, too. Well made.
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5/16/2011 - DSaeedi wrote: 91 Points
Deep currant fruits, green bell pepper notes. Graphite. A little concentration. Some incense and spice. Lots of acidity. Med plus length.
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5/7/2011 - Brian_74 wrote: 90 Points
Definitely needs time to open up. Color deep violet to ruby. Fairly long legs. A couple hours in the decanter treated this wine nicely. Immediate cassis and wood on the nose. Nice classic cab flavors along with leather as mentioned in the other reviews. Sweetness and vanilla becomes more pronounced over time. Great depth, but tannins grip just a tad too much. With age and mellowing of the tannins, this should be a fantastic wine
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5/5/2011 - As-Is Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wonderful, smooth, rich and delicious
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4/26/2011 - Noahc wrote: 92 Points
Purple to ruby red. Half a mile deep, fairly hot, seems like it could age about ten years to bring some of the nuances out. Vanilla, dark chocolate, slight oak with cedar. Beneath the smooth tannins lie raspberry and cherry flavors that should improve with intensity and complexity given some age. Long finish (half a mile as opposed to a mile deep), worth keeping around.
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4/26/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 92 Points
Opened several hours- did not decant. A dense violet color. Nose of cassis with light touches of vanilla and cedar. Rich and balanced on the palate with plenty of currant, blackberry, and anise notes; along with leather, tobacco, and cedar in the depth. Nicely textured. Good stuffing on the middle, finishing with round tannins-full and ripe. Finishes medium with dried herb and cracked pepper notes, along with lingering fruit. A little closed but drinking nicely.
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4/3/2011 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
This has some really good stuffing- rich fruit, lots of structure. A bottle I opened on Thursday is still drinking well Sunday with almost no oxidation. This is probably a 10 year wine, yum!
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3/30/2011 - farinas Likes this wine: 92 Points
great nose of berries, graphite and currant. balanced complexity flavors with just enough tannins to sustain and long finish, a bit pricey but one of the better Napa's at this price range
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3/27/2011 - Wink wrote: 93 Points
I haven't had a bottle of this since last May. Dark purple with a ruby rim. Expressive nose of blackberry, vanilla, cedar, and licorice. Ripe, full palate of blackberry, currant, graphite, menthol, minerals, and espresso. Excellent length. Refreshing acidity. Sweet tannins. Toasty oak that is not overdone. Since May, this wine has emerged as a lovely, balanced, and complex wine.
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3/24/2011 - sroux wrote: 89 Points
Great nose bold fruit needs a few more years in the cellar
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3/22/2011 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
This still has a lot of heat even after 3 hours of decanting. I guess this can be left for 2 to 3 years. Dark chocolate and rich dark berries. Not my favorite now but could see it being better in 5 years. Just too young and as some say a monster to lay away.
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3/19/2011 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red color. Scents of dark red fruits and slightly floral. Tastes of dark red fruits and tannins. Excellent example of a Napa cab. Enjoyed with Rebecca, Jonathan, Laura and Mike in Atanta.
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3/17/2011 - rerail84 wrote: 90 Points
Wow! I think I opened this up about a decade too early. This is a monster of a wine. Huge tannins but they blend beautifully. The nose offers great arromas of dark fruit, leather, spice and wonderful vanilla. On the palate it instatly consumes you. Great consintration and that proves it will go the distance. The finish is long but seems to fall apart. I can't wait to revisit this wine in 3-5 years.
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3/5/2011 - poekw0 wrote: 91 Points
Excellent after a 5 hour decant. Should get even better over the next few years.
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3/4/2011 - pifcho wrote: 84 Points
I was kind of excited to dry a respected cab from the 2007 vintage, but this one was a let down. It came with the advertised concentrated fruit and freshness, but beyond that it was so boring... No complexity, pretty plain and finish on short side. Had it from two different bottles and while it worked with the stake for a little while, I just couldn't force myself to finish a second glass. Pass!
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2/26/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 91 Points
I have always liked the Phelps cab, and this is no exception, especialy with 07 being such a good year. Mild tannins, great mouthfeel and flavor
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2/18/2011 - Rosdail wrote: 91 Points
Solid wine - though there are others as good for less.
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2/11/2011 - Porchino wrote: 91 Points
Agree with Parker finest regular cuvee from phelps
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1/30/2011 - wehouck wrote:
Needs aging, very tannic, overbearing, can't taste the fruit.
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1/26/2011 - Drink&Trade wrote: 91 Points
Traditional Napa Cab. Tannins are smooth and the fruit has a lot of pop. Enjoyable. Mouth-watering.
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1/16/2011 - Drbacchus wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose, deep plum color and nice legs. On first impression, very firm tannins with fruit, oak, and minerality only on the mid-palate with a strong recapitulation of the tannins on the finish. Once open, the middle layer of fruit and complexity asserts itself and the tannins mellow on the finish. Seems to have a good potential if cellared for a few years but not bad right now. For the price, however, I'm not sure if I'll feature it as one of my standard cellar selections. Cheers.
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1/7/2011 - ggaccione Likes this wine: 80 Points
great for something fatty
Drys the tongue
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11/7/2010 - psoals wrote: 87 Points
tight but has potential to be a solid napa cab.
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10/20/2010 - Berno wrote: 91 Points
This just shows how 2007 was as a growing year. Classic Cab flavors and the signiture Rutherford dust notes throughout the nose and palate. Tannins are present but not overwhelming.
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9/10/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
This wine holds up its end of the bargain with respect to terroir. It was presented in double-blind fashion to our tasting group, having kindly been provided by Ken Johnson. The guesses as to the wine's identity were all nearly spot-on with respect to varietal and appellation. The robe is opaque black/purple. The nose shows quite intense aromas of cassis, vanilla, plums and spice. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big sweet tannins and a creamy mouth feel. The flavors are in line with the nose and the middle palate is solid. The finish is long and smooth. Very nice Napa Cabernet which won't be confused with Bordeaux. Drink now-12/20.
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5/8/2010 - wineward Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasting note from a glass sipped over 3 hours. Bottle opened 1 hour prior. Very, very dark color. A lot of wood on the nose with some floral scents. Exceedingly tight. Wood, blackberry, coal. Did not open up much over the evening. Taut. Not something to drink now. Did I say it was tight? Curious if Craig Williams made this wine?
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5/6/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
Lush and flavorful - a very good wine. This is drinking a little young still - probably should cellar a while or at least decant before drinking.
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5/2/2010 - Wink wrote: 93 Points
Received a case from the winery this week. Opened a bottle out of curiosity. Popped and poured. Tooth staining purple. Nose of currant, graphite and cedar. Ripe palate of cassis, blackberry, espresso, licorice, and toasty oak. Excellent length. Youthful tannins. Refreshing acidity. Beautifully balanced, but not a fully integrated wine. Should be wonderful with a couple of years to settle down.
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4/25/2010 - Bderge wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit with some earth notes. Tannins could use a little more time to mellow out, but still nicely balanced after a good decanting. Give this a few more years in the bottle.
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4/3/2010 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very rhone-like nose, solid bright fruit with a creamy midpalate. Surprisingly light tannins on the finish.
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3/20/2010 - brigcampbell wrote: 90 Points
Carolyn Nichol's Birthday Party (Ladera Ranch, CA): This will be a very good wine. You can drink it now but I think you'll be rewarded for waiting. Dark color and fruit with smoke/oak and big tannis. Good Cali cabernet.
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3/13/2010 - jonwill wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Dave and Ronald on a visit from Holland. Very dark complexion with dark fruit smell and hints of sandy soil. Very powerful and smokey palette with lots of fine tannins. Still a baby with a long way to go - save these for at least another 6 months to a year before popping one.
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