Dinner at Union Square Cafe with Alastair, first time at the new location.US had been my go-to place in the old spot for great food and corkage friendly, excited to be back. Somm decanted this and a Charnu PNV next to each other. Drank this one first
From prior notes:"Medium garnet color, some bricking. Nose showing cherry, cedar, smoke, earth. Palate of dark raspberry, graphite, iron. Medium weight and finish."
This one showing more age than last bottle. Still expressive but moving to a secondary phase. Still plush in a right bank way, this bottle was starting to dry out some on the mid palate. Medium weight and finish. Would drink over the next few years
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Brought this to dinner at Anton's in Lambertville, NJ. With Neeta and Manoj. Classic, old school and corkage friendly place. Bottle was opened, slow oxed for about 2 hours prior to drinking
Medium garnet color, some bricking. Nose showing cherry, cedar, smoke, earth. Palate of dark raspberry, graphite, iron. Medium weight and finish.
Elegant, Bdx styleded win. Nicely aged at this point. Wine is well into a seconday phase and drinking well. Would drink over next 2-4 years
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Got 2 of these on Winebid. I agree completely with those who say if tasted blind they would likely say Bordeaux. This reminded me of a great Right Bank St Emillion. Loads of nuanced smoke and leather intermingled with red fruit. Bricking around the edges in color but still vibrant. I will not wait to drink the next one. Best in the next 1-3 years. Amazing new world wine!
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A beauty. Great nuance and complexity. Brambly blackberries with earth, tobacco and licorice. Smoke and graphite. Good underlying acidity. A slightly drying finish.
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Two and a half years since my last review- still great. This needs about 90 minutes to open up. Very reminiscent of Bordeaux. Will be challenging to pick new world in a blind tasting. Should continue to hold for 5 plus years. Very nice balance and finish. Overall a complete wine.
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Coravin sample for virtual tasting with Garth. Subtle nose of sandalwood and mineral on the nose. The palate has more refined red fruit, more smooth oak, minerals. Smooth. Almost old world.
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My last bottle and it was amazingly tight upon opening.
12 hours later my assessment remains the same. True 30+ year wine. Iron, earth, pencil shavings, raspberries and all the other stuff mentioned in my previous review.
I have some 2015's and I have no idea if I can cellar them like they deserve to.
Best similar Cab analogy I can think of is what a perfect 2013 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red would be like but with 10+ years of age on it.
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Not as good as I remember it being years ago. As others pointed out, the wine it a bit muted. Still an enjoyable bottle but not at the caliber I expected.
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Somewhat muted compared to other vintages I’ve enjoyed. I suspect this is simply going through a closed phase, and suggest giving it another couple of years.
PNP. Initially tight and muted. Cranberry tobacco on the palate Hour two, the wine evolved and gained some complexity Orange peel tobacco forest floor leather with some red fruit, but a little hot. Past it’s prime imo based on this bottle.
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Palate is soft, simple and short...with an emphasis on short.
What happened to the fruit?? Although, seems younger than 17 years of age, showing a little tertiary beginning but the fruit has faded. No depth, no layers. I get some gravel (Pauillac-lite), some smoke, cinnamon. licorice. I get a little oak. Thin almost watery texture. However, no hard edges, its easy to drink but just drops off on the quick finish. Good but no wow factor. 3 left, will wait a couple years to crack another.
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Finally a La Joie that's ready to drink! 15 and 07 and probably any vintage in between forget about it.
Blueberries, darjeeling tea, tobacco, leather, pencil shavings and mint on the nose. All that and iron, white truffle with impressive texture, grip and authority on the palate.
This baby is just opening up and is truly a 30+ year wine.
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This is nicely integrated and I thing at its prime. I would not let it go longer. The secondary flavors have started (for those who like that the. Keep it cellared - i do not).
The finish lingers with tannins rustiness and moderate dryness.
N5 B7 T7 fr.6 F8
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Perfect wine for Father’s Day. Deep garnet red with a hint of ruby in the middle and a touch brick on the edges. Can definitely sense the age of this wine on the nose with notes of smoked cherries, forest floor, tobacco, truffles, plums, cinnamon and black currants. Full bodied with medium tannins (6.5/10) and seems younger than 16 years on the palate. Supple texture and layered palate with notes of dark sweet spices, forest floor, cigar box, red berries, gravel and a touch smoky. Very sophisticated and lush too. The perfect in between of Bordeaux structure and acidity with the new world suppleness and flavors. Drink till 2028.
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Haven’t had this since I bought, too bad only have this one. Explosive fruit, balanced, firm tannins. We decanted for half hour. This wine could easily go another 6-8 years.
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We bought this direct from Verite in 2005 and have had it properly cellared since then. This is a beautiful and big wine. However, it really needs time to open up prior to being enjoyed, as it was very tanic. We decanted this and it was not properly ready until almost 5 hours later, at which point it was amazing. Interestingly there were very few dregs in the bottle.
This could easily be cellared for 5+ years or more, but why wait and chance it? We also had a La Muse and Le Desire from the same vintage, a few months ago, and they were starting to peak.
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Drank at 60th birthday dinner at Rye. Decanted as soon as we got there so at least an hour before drinking. Really high end profile and crowd pleaser. Big, deep, dark with low acid and long finish. Could get better still, but really great now.
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Decanted for 1h at Wigwam in Chicago. A lovely Ca cab blend, and while it is supposedly modeled after a Bdx, this wine shone through as New World through and through. Muted perfumy nose, velvety red fruit, mineral notes, faint tannins. Hefty. WOTN, enjoyed by all. Tonight with filet and grilled asparagus.
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As before, absolutely singing. Needs at least a couple of hours in the decanter to emerge. A real Bordeaux-like Sonoma red with lively tannin that merges beautifully with the fruit. Many, many years ahead of this, but why wait.
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Toward the more soft and elegant end of California blends. Nose was a little reticent with currant, coffee notes. Medium bodied, soft, Bordeaux like structure. Would have liked this to be a little more expressive but overall a nice, enjoyable bottle.
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Popped and aerated 30 minutes in a wide bowl classic decanter. A beautiful dark ruby color with only minimal signs of browning / ageing. Captivating nose of wild violets, cedar, cherry, aged leather, and cassis. Very Bordeaux like- Pomerol - on the nose. Picking up hints of menthol after a bit. Nice rich mouthfeel and well integrated tannin at this juncture. May still have 10 years left in the tank. Silky, refined, and elegant. Would have scored higher if not for the price point / value ratio.
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Popped and drunk Nice dark garnet color. Little tight on the start. Does have some Bordeaux qualities especially masculine aspects. Minerals, a bit gamey, black currant, cherry, cedar, tobacco, and a little heat on the nose. Flavors red currant, strawberries, black truffles,tobacco a tiny bitterness similar to dried flowers. Long finish. Nice mouth feel. Tannins are still very strong. In my opinion should probably drink in 5-10 years. Seems to be in a transition right now. Still a very nice wine.
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Decanted for two hours. I tasted this immediately after decanting - it was Bordeaux-like but lacking fruit and complexity. After 2 hours everything changed. Intense, pure, with berries and flowers. Beautifully integrated, with a long, long finish, this wine is in a perfect place right now.
In Zurich at Moevenpick 20/20. Dinner with CVA and Benoit. This was my contribution, I like to bring CA wines to my European friends to expand their palates...Decanted about 30 minutes and drank next to a 98 Gaja Sperrs.
Consistent with prior notes - still drinking very young. Nose of cherry/cedar and chocolate. Smooth and integrated palate - dark berries, plums, blueberry...
Really good but not as much "wow" factor as prior bottles. May be that it needed more time to open. Will see how other bottles evolve
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CAVALLI DINNER WITH FRIENDS (Cavalli, Ocean Drive, Miami Beach): Decanted for 2 hours, and put corked bottle back in Cave for another 2 before travelling to Cavalli - PERFECT! The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), mineral, cedar, lead pencil and violet. The body is full. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Mark's wine(me). Alex and Maria had recently visited with Vigneron Pierre Seillan at Kendall-Jackson tasting room. I had recently rediscovered(thankfully) my missing Verite's upon the movement of my wines.
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Rich blood-red color to the rim, no signs of aging. Nose was cherry, earth, cedar, chocolate. Palate was dark berries, plums, blueberry, cassis, cedar. Smooth mouth-feel, plush on mid palate. Tannins are integrated. Drinks well but will hold for a while.
Bordeaux/Calif wine done well - elegant and restrained. Higher Merlot content makes this lean towards Pomerol in style. Verite has been a consistently great wine, IMO. Bought these bottles at auction for ~$125, the price for recent vintages at release has gotten ahead of itself.
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Decanted 1 hour light purple Very subtle nose. Acid a bit high. Seems still young. Raspberry and chocolate. Lots of chocolate on the nose. A bit of alcohol. Strawberry milk chocolate nose. I like it, but it is a very subtle cab.
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2nd time I have had this wine and loved it again. A nice change up from all of the super heavy full bodied red blends and cabs. It is certainly full body, but there is a great elegance and subtlety to this wine. Loaded and balanced out with ripe red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, and full of complexities when the second round of fruit and earth components hit, in addition to the silkyness. Smooth and rich mid-palate into and equally smooth finish. Might have scored this higher had it not been paired with some really heavy wines before. A great wine but overpriced.
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Decanted three hours before drinking. Deep crimson in color. Sweet in the nose and palate - strawberries. A little edgy, but with a long tail. So much fruit - blackberries, plum other dark fruit. I love this wine. Even at twelve years old, it is probably too soon to drink this wine - wait five more years. Lots of life left in this bad boy.
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Needs about half an hour to open up to a beautiful nose of red berries, strawberries, and oak. Lovely elegance on the palate, fine soft tannins, reminds me of a Pomerol with new world touch but with finese of a great Pomerol. Dark red berries on the finish and a long fresh juicy finish. Very good.
Very classy appearance with excellent clarity, a deep ruby core and some pink on the rims. Upon serving fragrant aromas of cassis and dried fruit emerge almost filling up the room. On the palate this medium to full bodied wine reveals a smooth and silky texture. Impressive complexity of flavors with interwoven layers of raspberries, plum, cedar and chocolate. The tannins are abundant and wonderfully ripe and soft, leading to a long velvety finish. A truly wonderful bouquet! Drink over the next 15 years.
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From a 750ml with evidence of minor seepage, although cork was 85% and holding quite well. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but the high quality cork saved this wine as it was not corked at all. Perhaps excessive heat in transport? (I live in Texas after all.) Excellent fill level considering it was not cellar stored. On the open it was massive, broad-shouldered, fairly tannic, earthy, full of licorice and tobacco, and not unlike a big, powerful Bordeaux or, say, the 2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots which is pretty far on the muscular end of California wine. Time for major decanting, folks - I was glad that I opened it around lunch. Drank half the bottle after 8 hours in decanter and it was starting to show the fruit and finesse that I was hoping to find, but it still wasn't where I wanted it to be. At 11 PM the slightly more than half full bottle was recorked and put back in the Eurocave to slumber overnight. The next day around 1 PM I uncorked it again. Wow! Supple fruit, lovely mouthfeel (not heavy at all), and great balance were the reward for my patience. My mother and friends loved it. I loved it. In my view, many drinkers do not properly decant these huge wines (Saxum, PM Les Pavots, Verite, big zins, etc.). If you are going to drink this wine at all, I would recommend committing to at least 8 hours of decanting. I have one more to drink for Christmas and can hardly wait.
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At Michael Mina's in Las Vegas. Second wine, drank after an 01 Grange. Was decanted for about 20 minutes, a little tight in the beginning but opened up nicely over 45 minutes. Order would have been better switched, but we were having grilled chicken so it worked out.
Rich, red/inky color. Nose was cherry, cedar, earth, cedar, cigar box. The Bordeaux/Paulliac style comes through with the pencil/lead on the nose. Palate resembles the nose with a rich mid palate and long finish. Dark fruits, blueberries and cassis.
This is a spectacular wine, getting right into its zone but probably has a long life ahead. Elegant, restrained, balance of power and finesse. What the Cali/Bordeaux blend strives for (a/la Dominus)
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Pierre never seizes to amaze with his ability to make such incredibly balanced, approachable, and low alcoholic wines. Simply the best in California hands down!!!
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ELEGANT WINE WITH LAYERS AND LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY, DEEP BLACK CHERRY FRUIT, CURRANTS, LEATHER, COFFEE, AND FLORAL NOTES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. LONG FINISH.
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The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Blueberry, and Cedar. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long. Used Vinturi when decanting, and then let breathe in decanter for 1 hour. Needed it and perhaps more. It is built to last!
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Extremely good, refined and very balanced with fantastic finish. Should age for another 5 years but I would be surprised if it gets much better. One of the best Calicab blends I have had this year.
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Athens Wine Event, August 2012; 8/25/2012-8/26/2012 (Athens, Greece): Decanted for 30 minutes but decanting has very little impact at this stage. The wine is young ( not harsh though ) and much like we wouldn't open a 2005 pauillac we should have opened this. Wine feels tight wound around a sweet core and with a bit of unintegrated oak and a dense glossy dark red colour.This is more of a pomerol ( Joie is supposed to be in the a Pauillac style) in the level of extraction,fruit density and chewy silky tannin but in anyway it needs a good 5 more years (maybe 10?) for this to get into its drinking window. Has a lot of potential but for the moment its a lowly 92-93 for us
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Cherries and pencil lead on nose. Nicely aging, as the fruit and tannins in this have begun to recede. A demure, dare I say elegant Cali cab. It's a shame the prices for this wine have gotten so out of control.
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Clear Garnet red with some brick colours starting to show. Clean nose of leather, cassis, and some earth. The age really brought some interesting nuances to the nose. Dry, smooth tannins, med+ acidity, med body, leather, cassis, and some herbs on palate. Nice length. Got better as night went on. At first was worried that it was past its prime, or that it may not have been stored properly, but the wine surprised us all by end of night. Wish I had another bottle to test this theory.
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Man I tell you, when I started the bottle I proclaimed that it was the best young Cali. wine I've had in a couple of years. It began with mashed sour red cherries, a beguiling creamy nose, and a long clean finish that reminded me of how some of the old style Cali. wines used to taste. Rather quickly the wine closed up and showed some pretty firm structure and a little of the heat from the alcohol showed through. I drank this for two days. I cannot make a judgement as to its future as I have no experience with older bottles. My guess though is that the wine might improve.
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Decanted for 1 hour and tasted, and tasted the next day. Extremely smooth and soft with tons of tart fruit. Still has good tannins on the finish. This wine was overpowered by a few syrahs at dinner.
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Back, Back in the USofA (StrEat Restaurant, Austin, Texas): An opaque, mellow, fleshy, dark garnet colored wine. Medium tannins, very little earth. Black fruits, cherry, rose, menthol, old leather and eucalyptus notes were widely noted. Acidic brightness, heat and shortness of finish as well. One taster said: “structure [is] there, but not talking”; another said s/he wouldn’t have picked it out as a Cabernet Sauvignon. “Short for flavors,” said another. This wine and the 2002 “Le Desir” were runners-up for two of our three tasting groups.
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The nose is quite intensively black-fruit and married with the dark inky color, you know you are in for a full throttle wine. Interestingly, the mid-palate is more nuanced than you would guess......tobacco, herbs, a touch of earth are well integrated with the cassis and blackberry fruit, and its all tied together with firm but rich tannins. The finish is a good 60 seconds, and leaves the mouth eager for the next taste. Overall, a really enjoyable, extremely well constructed wine.
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ELEGANT WINE WITH CHOCOLATE, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND SOME EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND BLACKCURRANT IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Pauillac style. Still has nice red berry. Earthy nose. Nice age on it, providing still exuberant fruit tones with good tannin integration. Nice herbal tones and spice. - Tasted at Marché Bacchus 9/16/10
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14.2% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. Light tobacco, French oak, and a touch of mocha on the nose. Rich, somewhat tannic with dark currant fruit. Reminds me a bit of St. Emilion. This is pretty good but disappointing. The glass I saved for the next day was pretty much unchanged. 92ish. Neutral for the price and reputation.
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At first this was VERY DISAPPOINTING... but, we just left it in a decanter until the next day and it was very good. For the money there is a lot better wine, but I am hoping to hold it for a while and see where it goes. Got a few more.
Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #3; 9/11/2009-9/12/2009: Opaque purple/black colour. Aromas of vanilla, chocolate, cassis, and black licorice. Full-bodied, spicy, with vanilla, blackberry, and alcohol notes. Moderate-length finish, ~30s, with cassis and vanilla. Very nice, but unfortunately a step or two behind the phenomenal wines that preceded it - including 1989 Chave Hermitage and 1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle.
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Wine Guy Weekend Chez Doktas Take 3; 9/11/2009-9/13/2009 (Collingwood, Ontario): I am probably not doing a huge service to this wine given that we were fully getting palate fatigue or maybe the wine didn't fit in with the rest but is was a more modern style, notes of cherry cheesecake and vanilla on the nose. More morello cherry notes on the palate which was lush and dense. Needs more time I guess to come around. Medium finish.
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Another very well made wine, probably about 5 years or so too early in drinking. Tight, but good nose of tobacco, coffee and dark fruit. Very smooth, and only a bit more than medium bodied on the palate. Perfectly put together, just somewhat shutdown, hoping it would someday give the 'wow' factor -- or will it just remain a very well made wine without that something extra to make it stand above the others?
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Deep ruby color. Black fruit on the nose. Tastes of cherry, blueberry and anise. Firm, teeth gripping tannins. Nicely balanced with good freshness. Elegant finish. 14.2% alcohol.
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What a nice wine! Typical cab aromas of currant and green pepper with other dark fruits emerging with air. Vanilla, chocolate and spicy oak. Elegant and well balanced. Tannins kick in on the back end of the finish. Drinking well now but has many years left.
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Deep, dark, thick wine. Some spice, figs, tobacco, and just a little menthol on the nose. Surprisingly restrained on the palate considering the color, consistency, and nose.
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Rich nose--black cherries, figs, brown sugar, spices, chocolate. Palate is a treat as well if less flamboyant, with a fine chocolaty finish. Soft tannins. Low acidity.
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Beautiful Purple Color. Nose was a bit more muted than I expected. Decanted for 45 mins, maybe could have used more. Good amount of black fruit and vanilla with spice on the finish. Though I found this bottle to be flatter than others I have had. It didn't pop out of the glass like it has done for me in the past. The 2003 I have had displayed more life with a longer finish. Regardless, this was a beautifully elegant and well balanced wine.
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Not showing that much right now. Could this be in a dormant phase? Cassis and coffee on the nose, tobacco and black fruit on the palate. This has the potential to be extraordinary...it is fat without being flabby...but it's not strutting it's stuff right now. Hold another 2-3 years.
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Terrific, with cassis, black cherry, roasted coffee beans, and silky but pronounced tannins. Bordeaux-like in structure and restraint. Will be interesting to see how this ages....It's really delicious, but I'm curious if, with 5-6 years or more of age it will compare to something like a Ridge Montebello (with a well-proven ability to improve in bottle).
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Good balance, an elegant wine. However the sweet vanilla oak is over-powering at this stage and detracts heavily from the wine. If the oak can work itself out this will be a very good wine in time.
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Dinner party with Roberta & David Errenreich, and Joyce & Steve Rapaport. Served with cheese course. Decanted for 2 hours in am, and again 2 hours before serving. Enjoyable, dark intense wine, but still a little closed. The epiphany came the next day, and agian the next.There was about 6 ounces left in the open decanter, and it was much more evolved the next day, and resisted vinegarization the following day. A wine worth salting away and waiting on, despite its drinkability now.
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A pleasant wine, but nothing of "black truffles, scorched earth, tobacco leaves, blackberry and cassis liqueur, and notions of minerals as well as acacia flowers" Robert Parker devined in this relatively ordinary red table wine. The aromas from the glass were pleasant, but not multidimensional. The finish was short, and the wine was seemingly tight. I drank this from my large Schott Zwiesel Bordeaux glasses, and gave it plenty of air. I've grown increasingly disappointed with Parker's breathless ravings of wines he extols as "nearly perfect", often finding them merely ordinary. It is possible that this wine needs more time, is shut down, needs more aeration, etc., but it really was a disappointment.
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($130) Jess Jackson Three Terroirs Tasting: My French is horrible, but apparently this wine is pronounced as "La Jewaa" as in "The Joy." Smoky, touch of roasting coffee on the nose. More dense with sweet cassis currant fruit. Good. Somewhat monolithic.
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Great wine with a deep purple color and heavy full body. Like all the Verite offerings, this one if very Bordeaux like. Aromas of dark berries, earth, mineral, violets and a palate of dark fruits, cassis, earth, minerals, dark chocolate. Very long finish. Outstanding structure which is very old world as opposed to the new world style of wine. Should really start to drink good around 2015, but I would not be surprised to see this one hold up 20+ years after as well. Great wine, 97+ points.
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Dennis' summer tasting: Dark and dense red. Nose of very intense and dark black berries and sweet wood. In the mouth it is surprisinly light and airy. A great marriage of elegance and intensity seldom seen in Napa. But the next two wines in this set just made this one seem as a wimp. 94+.
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smell... bordeaux, bordeaux written all over. very earthy, burnt wood (oak), peppery. wine needs alot of time to open. please decant. taste was very smooth and lush, big tannins, long finish. another year or 2+ this will be great.
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Great wine. Very smooth with great dark blackberry flavors. Little more bite than the Desir. Very good now will probably be better in a couple years. I would drink the Desir now and the Joie later.
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At Prime 112 w Ernie & Selma Specarelli. Decanted for 6 hours, needed it.Perhaps more. My prior note is still applicable, an extraordinary wine. Only fault is a restrained nose. But with time this will be sublime. I was fortunate to add 6 bottles today from the Morrell Auction, which inspired me to open this one.
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5/22/2023 - CR lawrence wrote: 95 Points
The 2002 Verite La Joie was special last evening… soft / very pleasant. Glad to have one last bottle to share sometime soon!
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4/16/2023 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Union Square Cafe with Alastair, first time at the new location.US had been my go-to place in the old spot for great food and corkage friendly, excited to be back. Somm decanted this and a Charnu PNV next to each other. Drank this one first
From prior notes:"Medium garnet color, some bricking. Nose showing cherry, cedar, smoke, earth. Palate of dark raspberry, graphite, iron. Medium weight and finish."
This one showing more age than last bottle. Still expressive but moving to a secondary phase. Still plush in a right bank way, this bottle was starting to dry out some on the mid palate. Medium weight and finish. Would drink over the next few years
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4/8/2023 - CCGCCG Likes this wine: 98 Points
Spectacular.
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9/7/2022 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Brought this to dinner at Anton's in Lambertville, NJ. With Neeta and Manoj. Classic, old school and corkage friendly place. Bottle was opened, slow oxed for about 2 hours prior to drinking
Medium garnet color, some bricking. Nose showing cherry, cedar, smoke, earth. Palate of dark raspberry, graphite, iron. Medium weight and finish.
Elegant, Bdx styleded win. Nicely aged at this point. Wine is well into a seconday phase and drinking well. Would drink over next 2-4 years
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5/27/2022 - Jd6725 wrote: flawed
Seemed cooked.
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7/22/2021 - jsmd wrote: 95 Points
Got 2 of these on Winebid. I agree completely with those who say if tasted blind they would likely say Bordeaux. This reminded me of a great Right Bank St Emillion. Loads of nuanced smoke and leather intermingled with red fruit. Bricking around the edges in color but still vibrant. I will not wait to drink the next one. Best in the next 1-3 years. Amazing new world wine!
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3/27/2021 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
A beauty. Great nuance and complexity. Brambly blackberries with earth, tobacco and licorice. Smoke and graphite. Good underlying acidity. A slightly drying finish.
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11/25/2020 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
Two and a half years since my last review- still great. This needs about 90 minutes to open up. Very reminiscent of Bordeaux. Will be challenging to pick new world in a blind tasting. Should continue to hold for 5 plus years. Very nice balance and finish. Overall a complete wine.
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11/12/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravin sample for virtual tasting with Garth. Subtle nose of sandalwood and mineral on the nose. The palate has more refined red fruit, more smooth oak, minerals. Smooth. Almost old world.
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3/22/2020 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 100 Points
My last bottle and it was amazingly tight upon opening.
12 hours later my assessment remains the same. True 30+ year wine. Iron, earth, pencil shavings, raspberries and all the other stuff mentioned in my previous review.
I have some 2015's and I have no idea if I can cellar them like they deserve to.
Best similar Cab analogy I can think of is what a perfect 2013 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red would be like but with 10+ years of age on it.
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1/9/2020 - SonnyChiba wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as I remember it being years ago. As others pointed out, the wine it a bit muted. Still an enjoyable bottle but not at the caliber I expected.
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8/18/2019 - Hamersly wrote: 94 Points
Somewhat muted compared to other vintages I’ve enjoyed. I suspect this is simply going through a closed phase, and suggest giving it another couple of years.
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7/18/2019 - Kevnzworld wrote: 92 Points
PNP.
Initially tight and muted.
Cranberry tobacco on the palate
Hour two, the wine evolved and gained some complexity
Orange peel tobacco forest floor leather with some red fruit, but a little hot. Past it’s prime imo based on this bottle.
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5/28/2019 - j@$0n p€++y wrote: 89 Points
One hour decant.
Garnet red, little to no bricking.
Somewhat muted nose of dark fruits and mocha.
Palate is soft, simple and short...with an emphasis on short.
What happened to the fruit?? Although, seems younger than 17 years of age, showing a little tertiary beginning but the fruit has faded. No depth, no layers. I get some gravel (Pauillac-lite), some smoke, cinnamon. licorice. I get a little oak. Thin almost watery texture. However, no hard edges, its easy to drink but just drops off on the quick finish. Good but no wow factor. 3 left, will wait a couple years to crack another.
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4/19/2019 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 100 Points
Finally a La Joie that's ready to drink! 15 and 07 and probably any vintage in between forget about it.
Blueberries, darjeeling tea, tobacco, leather, pencil shavings and mint on the nose. All that and iron, white truffle with impressive texture, grip and authority on the palate.
This baby is just opening up and is truly a 30+ year wine.
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6/17/2018 - cab blends wrote: 94 Points
Muted nose with oak bark coming through.
This is nicely integrated and I thing at its prime. I would not let it go longer. The secondary flavors have started (for those who like that the. Keep it cellared - i do not).
The finish lingers with tannins rustiness and moderate dryness.
N5 B7 T7 fr.6 F8
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6/17/2018 - Millennial Drinkers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfect wine for Father’s Day. Deep garnet red with a hint of ruby in the middle and a touch brick on the edges. Can definitely sense the age of this wine on the nose with notes of smoked cherries, forest floor, tobacco, truffles, plums, cinnamon and black currants. Full bodied with medium tannins (6.5/10) and seems younger than 16 years on the palate. Supple texture and layered palate with notes of dark sweet spices, forest floor, cigar box, red berries, gravel and a touch smoky. Very sophisticated and lush too. The perfect in between of Bordeaux structure and acidity with the new world suppleness and flavors. Drink till 2028.
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5/4/2018 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
45 min in decanter and this was opened and singing. Certainly in prime. Good balance and finish. This should hold for another decade.
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5/3/2018 - Fftjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Haven’t had this since I bought, too bad only have this one. Explosive fruit, balanced, firm tannins. We decanted for half hour. This wine could easily go another 6-8 years.
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4/12/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and sumptuous - lots of blackberry and blueberry balanced by earthy smokey notes.
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3/5/2018 - sbeeks wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic.
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2/15/2018 - QuinJean Likes this wine: 95 Points
We bought this direct from Verite in 2005 and have had it properly cellared since then. This is a beautiful and big wine. However, it really needs time to open up prior to being enjoyed, as it was very tanic. We decanted this and it was not properly ready until almost 5 hours later, at which point it was amazing. Interestingly there were very few dregs in the bottle.
This could easily be cellared for 5+ years or more, but why wait and chance it? We also had a La Muse and Le Desire from the same vintage, a few months ago, and they were starting to peak.
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3/11/2017 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
Drank at 60th birthday dinner at Rye. Decanted as soon as we got there so at least an hour before drinking. Really high end profile and crowd pleaser. Big, deep, dark with low acid and long finish. Could get better still, but really great now.
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2/12/2017 - CJM wrote: 88 Points
Cloudy deep garnet, with slight rim browning. Leather, tar, toasted oak. Medium acids, low tannins. Cedar. Short balanced finish
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1/22/2017 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Banana, licorice, tangerine, great sweetness, tremendously long. Awesome stuff
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1/19/2017 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1h at Wigwam in Chicago. A lovely Ca cab blend, and while it is supposedly modeled after a Bdx, this wine shone through as New World through and through. Muted perfumy nose, velvety red fruit, mineral notes, faint tannins. Hefty. WOTN, enjoyed by all. Tonight with filet and grilled asparagus.
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5/30/2016 - peterk Likes this wine: 94 Points
As before, absolutely singing. Needs at least a couple of hours in the decanter to emerge. A real Bordeaux-like Sonoma red with lively tannin that merges beautifully with the fruit. Many, many years ahead of this, but why wait.
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5/14/2016 - sdezutti wrote: 93 Points
Toward the more soft and elegant end of California blends. Nose was a little reticent with currant, coffee notes. Medium bodied, soft, Bordeaux like structure. Would have liked this to be a little more expressive but overall a nice, enjoyable bottle.
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9/20/2015 - turtlexlax Likes this wine:
!
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8/8/2015 - drdan8 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and aerated 30 minutes in a wide bowl classic decanter. A beautiful dark ruby color with only minimal signs of browning / ageing. Captivating nose of wild violets, cedar, cherry, aged leather, and cassis. Very Bordeaux like- Pomerol - on the nose. Picking up hints of menthol after a bit. Nice rich mouthfeel and well integrated tannin at this juncture. May still have 10 years left in the tank. Silky, refined, and elegant. Would have scored higher if not for the price point / value ratio.
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5/11/2015 - ttriant Likes this wine: 92 Points
drink in 3-5 years. 2018-20
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2/2/2015 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and drunk
Nice dark garnet color.
Little tight on the start. Does have some Bordeaux qualities especially masculine aspects. Minerals, a bit gamey, black currant, cherry, cedar, tobacco, and a little heat on the nose. Flavors red currant, strawberries, black truffles,tobacco a tiny bitterness similar to dried flowers. Long finish. Nice mouth feel. Tannins are still very strong. In my opinion should probably drink in 5-10 years. Seems to be in a transition right now. Still a very nice wine.
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1/18/2015 - peterk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours. I tasted this immediately after decanting - it was Bordeaux-like but lacking fruit and complexity. After 2 hours everything changed. Intense, pure, with berries and flowers. Beautifully integrated, with a long, long finish, this wine is in a perfect place right now.
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11/25/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
In Zurich at Moevenpick 20/20. Dinner with CVA and Benoit. This was my contribution, I like to bring CA wines to my European friends to expand their palates...Decanted about 30 minutes and drank next to a 98 Gaja Sperrs.
Consistent with prior notes - still drinking very young. Nose of cherry/cedar and chocolate. Smooth and integrated palate - dark berries, plums, blueberry...
Really good but not as much "wow" factor as prior bottles. May be that it needed more time to open. Will see how other bottles evolve
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5/17/2014 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
CAVALLI DINNER WITH FRIENDS (Cavalli, Ocean Drive, Miami Beach): Decanted for 2 hours, and put corked bottle back in Cave for another 2 before travelling to Cavalli - PERFECT!
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), mineral, cedar, lead pencil and violet. The body is full. The wine has bright texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity. Mark's wine(me).
Alex and Maria had recently visited with Vigneron Pierre Seillan at Kendall-Jackson tasting room. I had recently rediscovered(thankfully) my missing Verite's upon the movement of my wines.
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5/9/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 95 Points
Valerie and her girlfriends - great dinner and tasting in our cellar! (Cellars at Chez Walker): Drank after the 97 Lail J Daniel. Short splash decant, does better with a couple hours to open but still great.
Rich blood-red color to the rim, no signs of aging. Nose was cherry, earth, cedar, chocolate. Palate was dark berries, plums, blueberry, cassis, cedar. Smooth mouth-feel, plush on mid palate. Tannins are integrated. Drinks well but will hold for a while.
Bordeaux/Calif wine done well - elegant and restrained. Higher Merlot content makes this lean towards Pomerol in style. Verite has been a consistently great wine, IMO. Bought these bottles at auction for ~$125, the price for recent vintages at release has gotten ahead of itself.
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5/9/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hour
light purple Very subtle nose.
Acid a bit high. Seems still young. Raspberry and chocolate. Lots of chocolate on the nose. A bit of alcohol. Strawberry milk chocolate nose. I like it, but it is a very subtle cab.
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5/9/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 95 Points
2nd time I have had this wine and loved it again. A nice change up from all of the super heavy full bodied red blends and cabs. It is certainly full body, but there is a great elegance and subtlety to this wine. Loaded and balanced out with ripe red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, and full of complexities when the second round of fruit and earth components hit, in addition to the silkyness. Smooth and rich mid-palate into and equally smooth finish. Might have scored this higher had it not been paired with some really heavy wines before. A great wine but overpriced.
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5/9/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted three hours before drinking. Deep crimson in color. Sweet in the nose and palate - strawberries. A little edgy, but with a long tail. So much fruit - blackberries, plum other dark fruit. I love this wine. Even at twelve years old, it is probably too soon to drink this wine - wait five more years. Lots of life left in this bad boy.
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12/20/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
Holiday dinner party at our house - Chris/Stephanie, Franceso/Francesca. It's Christmas...time to open the good stuff for the guests...:): Consistent with prior notes, this is a really elegant wine. 2 bottles, no detectable variation. Decanted 2 hours prior to dinner - takes at least 30 minutes to open. Had with first 2 courses - Valerie's apple and squash soup soup and my truffle risotto. Bordeaux/Calif style made for a nice pairing - dark berries, plums, blueberry, cedar. Tannins sweet and integrated.
Excellent - right in its zone. My guess, should be in a great place for 5-8 more years
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11/21/2013 - Mingmong wrote: 94 Points
Needs about half an hour to open up to a beautiful nose of red berries, strawberries, and oak. Lovely elegance on the palate, fine soft tannins, reminds me of a Pomerol with new world touch but with finese of a great Pomerol. Dark red berries on the finish and a long fresh juicy finish. Very good.
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11/2/2013 - Wineguy76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very classy appearance with excellent clarity, a deep ruby core and some pink on the rims. Upon serving fragrant aromas of cassis and dried fruit emerge almost filling up the room. On the palate this medium to full bodied wine reveals a smooth and silky texture. Impressive complexity of flavors with interwoven layers of raspberries, plum, cedar and chocolate. The tannins are abundant and wonderfully ripe and soft, leading to a long velvety finish. A truly wonderful bouquet! Drink over the next 15 years.
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9/2/2013 - edwilley3 wrote: 96 Points
From a 750ml with evidence of minor seepage, although cork was 85% and holding quite well. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but the high quality cork saved this wine as it was not corked at all. Perhaps excessive heat in transport? (I live in Texas after all.) Excellent fill level considering it was not cellar stored. On the open it was massive, broad-shouldered, fairly tannic, earthy, full of licorice and tobacco, and not unlike a big, powerful Bordeaux or, say, the 2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots which is pretty far on the muscular end of California wine. Time for major decanting, folks - I was glad that I opened it around lunch. Drank half the bottle after 8 hours in decanter and it was starting to show the fruit and finesse that I was hoping to find, but it still wasn't where I wanted it to be. At 11 PM the slightly more than half full bottle was recorked and put back in the Eurocave to slumber overnight. The next day around 1 PM I uncorked it again. Wow! Supple fruit, lovely mouthfeel (not heavy at all), and great balance were the reward for my patience. My mother and friends loved it. I loved it. In my view, many drinkers do not properly decant these huge wines (Saxum, PM Les Pavots, Verite, big zins, etc.). If you are going to drink this wine at all, I would recommend committing to at least 8 hours of decanting. I have one more to drink for Christmas and can hardly wait.
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5/7/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 96 Points
At Michael Mina's in Las Vegas. Second wine, drank after an 01 Grange. Was decanted for about 20 minutes, a little tight in the beginning but opened up nicely over 45 minutes. Order would have been better switched, but we were having grilled chicken so it worked out.
Rich, red/inky color. Nose was cherry, cedar, earth, cedar, cigar box. The Bordeaux/Paulliac style comes through with the pencil/lead on the nose. Palate resembles the nose with a rich mid palate and long finish. Dark fruits, blueberries and cassis.
This is a spectacular wine, getting right into its zone but probably has a long life ahead. Elegant, restrained, balance of power and finesse. What the Cali/Bordeaux blend strives for (a/la Dominus)
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3/6/2013 - erikes Likes this wine: 99 Points
Pierre never seizes to amaze with his ability to make such incredibly balanced, approachable, and low alcoholic wines. Simply the best in California hands down!!!
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3/2/2013 - buckeye76 wrote: 97 Points
ELEGANT WINE WITH LAYERS AND LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY, DEEP BLACK CHERRY FRUIT, CURRANTS, LEATHER, COFFEE, AND FLORAL NOTES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. LONG FINISH.
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2/23/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Blueberry, and Cedar. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long.
Used Vinturi when decanting, and then let breathe in decanter for 1 hour.
Needed it and perhaps more. It is built to last!
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12/24/2012 - sjdoc Likes this wine:
very even wine with dark fruits, even tannins.
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11/15/2012 - alamoave wrote: 94 Points
Extremely good, refined and very balanced with fantastic finish. Should age for another 5 years but I would be surprised if it gets much better. One of the best Calicab blends I have had this year.
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8/26/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Athens Wine Event, August 2012; 8/25/2012-8/26/2012 (Athens, Greece): Decanted for 30 minutes but decanting has very little impact at this stage. The wine is young ( not harsh though ) and much like we wouldn't open a 2005 pauillac we should have opened this. Wine feels tight wound around a sweet core and with a bit of unintegrated oak and a dense glossy dark red colour.This is more of a pomerol ( Joie is supposed to be in the a Pauillac style) in the level of extraction,fruit density and chewy silky tannin but in anyway it needs a good 5 more years (maybe 10?) for this to get into its drinking window. Has a lot of potential but for the moment its a lowly 92-93 for us
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12/31/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 91 Points
Cherries and pencil lead on nose. Nicely aging, as the fruit and tannins in this have begun to recede. A demure, dare I say elegant Cali cab. It's a shame the prices for this wine have gotten so out of control.
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12/26/2011 - otisabdul wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic wine. Elegant, restrained, integrated, lengthy. Great balance of fruit and structure. Drinking well now.
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8/24/2011 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Clear Garnet red with some brick colours starting to show. Clean nose of leather, cassis, and some earth. The age really brought some interesting nuances to the nose. Dry, smooth tannins, med+ acidity, med body, leather, cassis, and some herbs on palate. Nice length. Got better as night went on. At first was worried that it was past its prime, or that it may not have been stored properly, but the wine surprised us all by end of night. Wish I had another bottle to test this theory.
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8/24/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 90 Points
Man I tell you, when I started the bottle I proclaimed that it was the best young Cali. wine I've had in a couple of years. It began with mashed sour red cherries, a beguiling creamy nose, and a long clean finish that reminded me of how some of the old style Cali. wines used to taste. Rather quickly the wine closed up and showed some pretty firm structure and a little of the heat from the alcohol showed through. I drank this for two days. I cannot make a judgement as to its future as I have no experience with older bottles. My guess though is that the wine might improve.
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7/24/2011 - rralls wrote: 94 Points
Well refined and a touch lighter than some of the other cabs it was against.
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7/24/2011 - sterin wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and tasted, and tasted the next day. Extremely smooth and soft with tons of tart fruit. Still has good tannins on the finish. This wine was overpowered by a few syrahs at dinner.
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6/11/2011 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Back, Back in the USofA (StrEat Restaurant, Austin, Texas): An opaque, mellow, fleshy, dark garnet colored wine. Medium tannins, very little earth. Black fruits, cherry, rose, menthol, old leather and eucalyptus notes were widely noted. Acidic brightness, heat and shortness of finish as well. One taster said: “structure [is] there, but not talking”; another said s/he wouldn’t have picked it out as a Cabernet Sauvignon. “Short for flavors,” said another. This wine and the 2002 “Le Desir” were runners-up for two of our three tasting groups.
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5/25/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Pascal's Double Blind Tasting Dinner (Pascal's, Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables): Mark Friedman's wine.
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3/12/2011 - huntly wrote: 94 Points
The nose is quite intensively black-fruit and married with the dark inky color, you know you are in for a full throttle wine. Interestingly, the mid-palate is more nuanced than you would guess......tobacco, herbs, a touch of earth are well integrated with the cassis and blackberry fruit, and its all tied together with firm but rich tannins. The finish is a good 60 seconds, and leaves the mouth eager for the next taste. Overall, a really enjoyable, extremely well constructed wine.
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12/19/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hrs. Still tannic. Good dark fruit, but may need more time/ Yesterday's 99 La Muse was better.
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11/17/2010 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
ELEGANT WINE WITH CHOCOLATE, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND SOME EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE WITH BLACK CHERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND BLACKCURRANT IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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10/2/2010 - vegasoenophile wrote: 94 Points
Pauillac style. Still has nice red berry. Earthy nose. Nice age on it, providing still exuberant fruit tones with good tannin integration. Nice herbal tones and spice.
- Tasted at Marché Bacchus 9/16/10
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7/20/2010 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 92 Points
14.2% ABV. Mostly opaque dark garnet in the glass. Light tobacco, French oak, and a touch of mocha on the nose. Rich, somewhat tannic with dark currant fruit. Reminds me a bit of St. Emilion. This is pretty good but disappointing. The glass I saved for the next day was pretty much unchanged. 92ish. Neutral for the price and reputation.
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2/28/2010 - ldorf wrote: 90 Points
At first this was VERY DISAPPOINTING... but, we just left it in a decanter until the next day and it was very good. For the money there is a lot better wine, but I am hoping to hold it for a while and see where it goes. Got a few more.
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9/11/2009 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #3; 9/11/2009-9/12/2009: Opaque purple/black colour. Aromas of vanilla, chocolate, cassis, and black licorice. Full-bodied, spicy, with vanilla, blackberry, and alcohol notes. Moderate-length finish, ~30s, with cassis and vanilla. Very nice, but unfortunately a step or two behind the phenomenal wines that preceded it - including 1989 Chave Hermitage and 1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle.
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9/11/2009 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
Wine Guy Weekend Chez Doktas Take 3; 9/11/2009-9/13/2009 (Collingwood, Ontario): I am probably not doing a huge service to this wine given that we were fully getting palate fatigue or maybe the wine didn't fit in with the rest but is was a more modern style, notes of cherry cheesecake and vanilla on the nose. More morello cherry notes on the palate which was lush and dense. Needs more time I guess to come around. Medium finish.
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7/24/2009 - profiler54 wrote: 92 Points
Off sulfer nose, decent fruit and balance.. didn't take copious notes ..this wine didn't show well in a field of 16 wines
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4/19/2009 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Another very well made wine, probably about 5 years or so too early in drinking. Tight, but good nose of tobacco, coffee and dark fruit. Very smooth, and only a bit more than medium bodied on the palate. Perfectly put together, just somewhat shutdown, hoping it would someday give the 'wow' factor -- or will it just remain a very well made wine without that something extra to make it stand above the others?
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4/17/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Nice surprise. Meat juice, blue/Red fruits, mushroom with good tannins and long finish. Continued to open up in the glass.
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4/17/2009 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Black fruit on the nose. Tastes of cherry, blueberry and anise. Firm, teeth gripping tannins. Nicely balanced with good freshness. Elegant finish. 14.2% alcohol.
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2/13/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 94 Points
What a nice wine! Typical cab aromas of currant and green pepper with other dark fruits emerging with air. Vanilla, chocolate and spicy oak. Elegant and well balanced. Tannins kick in on the back end of the finish. Drinking well now but has many years left.
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1/9/2009 - gotapex wrote: 93 Points
Deep, dark, thick wine. Some spice, figs, tobacco, and just a little menthol on the nose. Surprisingly restrained on the palate considering the color, consistency, and nose.
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1/5/2009 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Dec 5, 2008 nice but not that nice
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9/28/2008 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Rich nose--black cherries, figs, brown sugar, spices, chocolate. Palate is a treat as well if less flamboyant, with a fine chocolaty finish. Soft tannins. Low acidity.
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9/14/2008 - greghart1 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful Purple Color. Nose was a bit more muted than I expected. Decanted for 45 mins, maybe could have used more. Good amount of black fruit and vanilla with spice on the finish. Though I found this bottle to be flatter than others I have had. It didn't pop out of the glass like it has done for me in the past. The 2003 I have had displayed more life with a longer finish. Regardless, this was a beautifully elegant and well balanced wine.
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8/6/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 93 Points
Not showing that much right now. Could this be in a dormant phase? Cassis and coffee on the nose, tobacco and black fruit on the palate. This has the potential to be extraordinary...it is fat without being flabby...but it's not strutting it's stuff right now. Hold another 2-3 years.
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5/7/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: flawed
Sulfur/reduced. Awful.
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3/8/2008 - Danny Joe wrote: 89 Points
Deep dark purple. bold nose. Very nice wine with lots of leather, forest floor and black and red fruits. Long finish.
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1/12/2008 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Terrific, with cassis, black cherry, roasted coffee beans, and silky but pronounced tannins. Bordeaux-like in structure and restraint. Will be interesting to see how this ages....It's really delicious, but I'm curious if, with 5-6 years or more of age it will compare to something like a Ridge Montebello (with a well-proven ability to improve in bottle).
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12/7/2007 - pakabear wrote: 91 Points
Good balance, an elegant wine. However the sweet vanilla oak is over-powering at this stage and detracts heavily from the wine. If the oak can work itself out this will be a very good wine in time.
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10/19/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Dinner party with Roberta & David Errenreich, and Joyce & Steve Rapaport. Served with cheese course. Decanted for 2 hours in am, and again 2 hours before serving. Enjoyable, dark intense wine, but still a little closed. The epiphany came the next day, and agian the next.There was about 6 ounces left in the open decanter, and it was much more evolved the next day, and resisted vinegarization the following day. A wine worth salting away and waiting on, despite its drinkability now.
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10/10/2007 - rael007 wrote: 89 Points
A pleasant wine, but nothing of "black truffles, scorched earth, tobacco leaves, blackberry and cassis liqueur, and notions of minerals as well as acacia flowers" Robert Parker devined in this relatively ordinary red table wine. The aromas from the glass were pleasant, but not multidimensional. The finish was short, and the wine was seemingly tight. I drank this from my large Schott Zwiesel Bordeaux glasses, and gave it plenty of air. I've grown increasingly disappointed with Parker's breathless ravings of wines he extols as "nearly perfect", often finding them merely ordinary. It is possible that this wine needs more time, is shut down, needs more aeration, etc., but it really was a disappointment.
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9/5/2007 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($130) Jess Jackson Three Terroirs Tasting: My French is horrible, but apparently this wine is pronounced as "La Jewaa" as in "The Joy." Smoky, touch of roasting coffee on the nose. More dense with sweet cassis currant fruit. Good. Somewhat monolithic.
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8/13/2007 - Renegade wrote: 97 Points
Great wine with a deep purple color and heavy full body. Like all the Verite offerings, this one if very Bordeaux like. Aromas of dark berries, earth, mineral, violets and a palate of dark fruits, cassis, earth, minerals, dark chocolate. Very long finish. Outstanding structure which is very old world as opposed to the new world style of wine. Should really start to drink good around 2015, but I would not be surprised to see this one hold up 20+ years after as well. Great wine, 97+ points.
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7/7/2007 - gorm wrote: 94 Points
Dennis' summer tasting: Dark and dense red. Nose of very intense and dark black berries and sweet wood. In the mouth it is surprisinly light and airy. A great marriage of elegance and intensity seldom seen in Napa. But the next two wines in this set just made this one seem as a wimp. 94+.
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4/22/2007 - errestaurants wrote: 92 Points
smell... bordeaux, bordeaux written all over. very earthy, burnt wood (oak), peppery. wine needs alot of time to open. please decant. taste was very smooth and lush, big tannins, long finish. another year or 2+ this will be great.
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2/14/2007 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Good, but the real fine tannins make my mouth clintch. Flavor is not as intense as I feel it should be and the nose is some what quiet as well.
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12/26/2006 - WineForRob wrote: 95 Points
Great wine. Very smooth with great dark blackberry flavors. Little more bite than the Desir. Very good now will probably be better in a couple years. I would drink the Desir now and the Joie later.
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11/18/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
At Prime 112 w Ernie & Selma Specarelli. Decanted for 6 hours, needed it.Perhaps more. My prior note is still applicable, an extraordinary wine. Only fault is a restrained nose. But with time this will be sublime. I was fortunate to add 6 bottles today from the Morrell Auction, which inspired me to open this one.
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7/11/2006 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Pierre Seillan (Vigneron K-J: Verite(Napa); Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum(Tuscany); and Ch.'s Lassegue and Vignot(St Emillon) (DUO, Miami): At Pierre Seillan wine dinner @ DUO, Miami. Decanted 3 hours before serving. WOTN. Wonderful complex palate and finish, bouquet restrained now, but an extraordinary wine that is amazingly quite approachable now. Have 3, and am ordering 6 more tomorrow.
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12/12/2005 - Mike V wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Too young the last glass was by far the best.
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