Magnum #38 of 250. Slight bricking. Only a teaspoon of sediment. Red and black fruits. Sweet Oak. Some dried herbs and touch of hard leather. Near silky smooth.
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Even better than my last bottle. This is aging very nicely and can still go further! The fruit is cherry, red raspberry and black cherry. Some tobacco and oak spice notes. So well balanced and that mellow-ness you get from a 25 year old wine made in a more classic Napa style.
My last note describes this bottle pretty well. Richer and more fruit forward on night one. Almost seemed a bit right and plush. On night two it relaxed and let some more secondary notes like tobacco come to the fore. Impressive pure fruit quality even if it lacks layers. Makes me wonder if this vineyard was a bit young in '95. A strong wine that's aging slowly.
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This had good life left in the fruit and has aged nicely. Some tobacco, flint and subtle earthiness compliment the fruit. Great QPR as purchased on sale from Hartwell during their last stage inventory sell-off. Good stuff.
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This showed depth and layers. Though not necessarily complexity. It was like this fruit could age a long ways as it just got that sort of density. But it doesn't have the kind of depth that leads to an uber complex wine. Impressive though. This unfolded more like top tier Bordeaux even it didn't reach those heights in breadth. No rush I'm guessing.
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Nose of black cherry, black currants and a touch of allspice and earth, same on the palate, big body, delicious tasting, elegant, my last bottle, mouth filling and rich fruit, time to drink up, and a long flavorful finish.
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Opened for our daughter's 21st birthday and really enjoyed it. Some mushroom on the nose but more leather on the palate with a nice smooth medium finish. Medium to heavy bodied, with a little more fruit than I would have expected after 21 years and soft tannins. Very good! (This was a magnum).
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Absolutely delicious. Clean and focused like a New World Cab, complex and fascinating like a Bordeaux. This wine really straddles the divide for me. I don't usually get sentimental about a wine until I reach the last bottle; I've got four left of these and I'm already missing 'em.
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Open That Bottle Night #7 (Frennifer's): Very lively nose, with fruit, spices, and savory smells. The palate is balanced and very compelling. This wine was quite delicious. Wish I'd kept better notes, but fortunately I have another few bottles.
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Still very lively and the fruit was vibrant. Mix of dark and red fruits. Tannins and acids were very good support for the fruit. Silky with long finish. Nice nose that reflected the fruit. Perhaps a bit primary still otherwise the score might have been even higher.
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Pop and pour. Wonderful mature cab with plum and black cherry. Finish was still slightly tannic and dusty. Would not have guessed it was 19 years old. I believe this still has time.
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Deep, bright plum color in the glass, cork broke in half when pulled. On the nose, the wine showed rich black cherry fruit with lovely hints of sweet cranberries and currents, more of the same on the palate, lovely and easy to drink, long elegant finish and aftertaste with beautiful floral notes on the finish, just past its peak, have enjoyed seven bottle of this wine with similar tasting notes,
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Deep, bright plum color in the glass. Opened to enjoy during the last 15 minutes of the Winebid auction. On the nose, the wine showed rich black cherry fruit with lovely hints of sweet cranberries and currents, more of the same on the palate, lovely and easy to drink, great bottle of wine.
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opened for dinner, bright red color, bought at auction, beautiful nose of black cherry fruit, hints of currents, earth, and aged cabernet, more of the same on the palate, rich and mouth filling, long finish, drank over two nights, held up the second night and tasted slightly better!
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This bottle had disaster written all over it. Wine seeping, loose cork, crust all over the cork and neck - yuk! Opened and decanted anyway. This bottle was amazing. Nicely matured with some bricking evident in the glass. Nose wxhibited pine, red fruit and some earthiness. The wine was balanced and silky. Long finish. Nicely supported by beautiful acidity - a true food friendly wine. Fruit was red raspberry and black cherry. Made an Altamura that followed seem like a desset wine.
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Day 2. Perfumed nose of cedar, earth and plums. Great texture with flavors of cassis, plum, and tobacco in a balanced, medium bodied package that beckons you the moment you put the glass down. It always mystifies me when a wine is better on a day other than the one when you pulled the cork. But why overthink it? This is such a nice wine to drink at this moment. Here's to hoping it reappears at auction.
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Decanted 2 hours. I really liked the structure -- solid tannins for a wine this old, with a left bank earthy nose, and subtle CA fruit. My last bottle. I actually think it may improve for another year or two...
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This wine has peaked - if you have any left, drink it up now. A bit brickish in color - understandable with its age - a shut down nose, thin, and flat initially, but after an hour it showed lots of complexity. short finish.
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Dinner With Delyap and the Gang (Vancouver, B.C.): This was in full flight - rocking along. Opened with an earthy, complex funk on the nose. Hard to say this was even Cali Cab. Tasters commented on the Bordeaux-like quality...and a real nice Bordeaux at that. Still quite young with lots of time to go, but already showing some nice complexity. Mouthfilling, full-bodied and just delicious.
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Bottle from the personal cellar of Frank Noble. Bright disc. Opaque ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing very intense cherry, coffee, mint, plum and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as the nose. Long, smooth finish. Beautiful now, but has the stuffing to drink well for many more years.
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9/3/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Magnum #38 of 250. Slight bricking. Only a teaspoon of sediment. Red and black fruits. Sweet Oak. Some dried herbs and touch of hard leather. Near silky smooth.
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7/17/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Even better than my last bottle. This is aging very nicely and can still go further! The fruit is cherry, red raspberry and black cherry. Some tobacco and oak spice notes. So well balanced and that mellow-ness you get from a 25 year old wine made in a more classic Napa style.
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7/6/2021 - WetRock wrote:
My last note describes this bottle pretty well. Richer and more fruit forward on night one. Almost seemed a bit right and plush. On night two it relaxed and let some more secondary notes like tobacco come to the fore. Impressive pure fruit quality even if it lacks layers. Makes me wonder if this vineyard was a bit young in '95. A strong wine that's aging slowly.
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4/25/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
This had good life left in the fruit and has aged nicely. Some tobacco, flint and subtle earthiness compliment the fruit. Great QPR as purchased on sale from Hartwell during their last stage inventory sell-off. Good stuff.
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7/14/2019 - WetRock wrote:
This showed depth and layers. Though not necessarily complexity. It was like this fruit could age a long ways as it just got that sort of density. But it doesn't have the kind of depth that leads to an uber complex wine. Impressive though. This unfolded more like top tier Bordeaux even it didn't reach those heights in breadth. No rush I'm guessing.
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11/2/2018 - DaButtah Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is outrageously delicious. Now owned and vinified under the Realm Moonracer bottling. I'd take this any day of the week.
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9/6/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black cherry, black currants and a touch of allspice and earth, same on the palate, big body, delicious tasting, elegant, my last bottle, mouth filling and rich fruit, time to drink up, and a long flavorful finish.
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9/10/2017 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Fruit more faded but present. Nice secondary/tertiary characteristics. Some left for day 2 and it held up under VinVac
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8/17/2016 - creativ1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened for our daughter's 21st birthday and really enjoyed it. Some mushroom on the nose but more leather on the palate with a nice smooth medium finish. Medium to heavy bodied, with a little more fruit than I would have expected after 21 years and soft tannins. Very good! (This was a magnum).
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1/23/2016 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely delicious. Clean and focused like a New World Cab, complex and fascinating like a Bordeaux. This wine really straddles the divide for me. I don't usually get sentimental about a wine until I reach the last bottle; I've got four left of these and I'm already missing 'em.
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11/22/2015 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 95 Points
Open That Bottle Night #7 (Frennifer's): Very lively nose, with fruit, spices, and savory smells. The palate is balanced and very compelling. This wine was quite delicious. Wish I'd kept better notes, but fortunately I have another few bottles.
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8/7/2015 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Very similar to last year but fruit seemed even more alive. Wonderful 20 year old mature Cab.
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11/14/2014 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still very lively and the fruit was vibrant. Mix of dark and red fruits. Tannins and acids were very good support for the fruit. Silky with long finish. Nice nose that reflected the fruit. Perhaps a bit primary still otherwise the score might have been even higher.
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8/12/2014 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Wonderful mature cab with plum and black cherry. Finish was still slightly tannic and dusty. Would not have guessed it was 19 years old. I believe this still has time.
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2/8/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep, bright plum color in the glass, cork broke in half when pulled. On the nose, the wine showed rich black cherry fruit with lovely hints of sweet cranberries and currents, more of the same on the palate, lovely and easy to drink, long elegant finish and aftertaste with beautiful floral notes on the finish, just past its peak, have enjoyed seven bottle of this wine with similar tasting notes,
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2/3/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, bright plum color in the glass. Opened to enjoy during the last 15 minutes of the Winebid auction. On the nose, the wine showed rich black cherry fruit with lovely hints of sweet cranberries and currents, more of the same on the palate, lovely and easy to drink, great bottle of wine.
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11/13/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
opened for dinner, bright red color, bought at auction, beautiful nose of black cherry fruit, hints of currents, earth, and aged cabernet, more of the same on the palate, rich and mouth filling, long finish, drank over two nights, held up the second night and tasted slightly better!
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7/26/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 95 Points
This bottle had disaster written all over it. Wine seeping, loose cork, crust all over the cork and neck - yuk! Opened and decanted anyway. This bottle was amazing. Nicely matured with some bricking evident in the glass. Nose wxhibited pine, red fruit and some earthiness. The wine was balanced and silky. Long finish. Nicely supported by beautiful acidity - a true food friendly wine. Fruit was red raspberry and black cherry. Made an Altamura that followed seem like a desset wine.
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1/23/2012 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 95 Points
FRIGGIN' DELICIOUS!!!!
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10/21/2011 - Iroyston wrote: 95 Points
Delicious. Full of flavor
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11/24/2010 - Jrscfh wrote: 96 Points
Great flavor. Soft, but not dried out. Funk on nose, slightly sweet.
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9/12/2010 - JJB007 wrote: 96 Points
really good, very good
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5/17/2010 - carnyc wrote: 92 Points
Day 2. Perfumed nose of cedar, earth and plums. Great texture with flavors of cassis, plum, and tobacco in a balanced, medium bodied package that beckons you the moment you put the glass down. It always mystifies me when a wine is better on a day other than the one when you pulled the cork. But why overthink it? This is such a nice wine to drink at this moment. Here's to hoping it reappears at auction.
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10/4/2009 - shelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. I really liked the structure -- solid tannins for a wine this old, with a left bank earthy nose, and subtle CA fruit. My last bottle. I actually think it may improve for another year or two...
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8/8/2009 - jbrekke wrote:
On the downhill slope. enjoyable, but far from profound.
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8/3/2009 - DTWOB wrote: 90 Points
This wine has peaked - if you have any left, drink it up now. A bit brickish in color - understandable with its age - a shut down nose, thin, and flat initially, but after an hour it showed lots of complexity. short finish.
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11/30/2008 - fisk15 wrote: 91 Points
Holding up, band aid flavours that did diminish, or I got used to it. Little bricking, bottle was in good shape.
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1/28/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 94 Points
Dinner With Delyap and the Gang (Vancouver, B.C.): This was in full flight - rocking along. Opened with an earthy, complex funk on the nose. Hard to say this was even Cali Cab. Tasters commented on the Bordeaux-like quality...and a real nice Bordeaux at that. Still quite young with lots of time to go, but already showing some nice complexity. Mouthfilling, full-bodied and just delicious.
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9/1/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Bottle from the personal cellar of Frank Noble. Bright disc. Opaque ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing very intense cherry, coffee, mint, plum and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate, with ample sweet tannins and similar flavors as the nose. Long, smooth finish. Beautiful now, but has the stuffing to drink well for many more years.
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10/9/1999 - MikeATL wrote:
A well made monolithic black fruit tinged vanilla bomb.
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