I bought this upon release from the winery and it was the last vintage I purchased from the winery. This is clearly a modern napa wine. I can appreciate the gobs of red fruit and flowers, but there's some noticeable alcohol on the finish. I would not hold this further.
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This bottle was a great deal better than the one 2.5 years ago. Delicious. It has evolved in a great way. Rich nose of very dark fruit and tobacco. The palate is viscous, intensely dark flavor with mushrooms,
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Very silk like and well integrated. Opened and aired for 1.5 hours, could have waited longer but it drank well. My notes from June match this bottle and the previous taster in April. White flowers is not something I have ever used as a descriptor but I like it and it works for this wine. Soft tannins and slight bright fruit fades to a full mouth feel. Drink window can be longer but this is in a good spot and I would drink this winter, perhaps with a Prime rib roast?
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Opened and aired for 2 hours. Very tight on opening, the 2 hours in the bottle airing out helped. Very integrated, slight to no tannin, deep fruit with a full mouthfeel. Drink or hold for a couple of years
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Pop and pour, let it sit in glass for about 30 minutes. The fruit is silky, very fine tannins, and there is a lot of white flowers and violets. The floral component and rich fruit makes this a standout wine.
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Consistent notes from January 2016: "This is sitting in a nice spot right now. Rich but balanced. A lot of chocolate covered blue fruit, some tar and smoke. Coating and smooth. Very nice tonight."
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Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): A 3 hour decant (not my choice all you commenters!). The nose is intriguing, but there is definitely some alcohol there. THe palate is thin from a flavor perspective and also alcoholic. Overall, this is on the dark side of cabernet, and I suspect this may have been overdecanted. As a pop and pour 2 years ago, it was much more enjoyable.
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A disappointment. I guess I'm just not a cab guy mostly. It was pleasant, but not as clean as I hoped, compared to something like a Renaissance Cab. And costs more to boot. Seemed to have some oak that mostly turns me off, though I'm not saying it was big oak. Big fruit, not a lot of definition of flavors and a modest nose. No lingering ending...
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Medium bodied. Simple cassis fruit. Gentle tannins on finish. Fairly evolved, this will probably better integrate over the the next year or so. Very nice now- its tough to find many better $50 California Cabs of similar quality.
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Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Seems tight, or this is it, hard to tell. It didn't improve over time in the decanter. Tannins over power the fruit at this point.
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From memory. 14.8% alcohol. Surprisingly, dark ruby color, but lighter colored than expected. The nose was expressive with ample cassis, dark cherry, earth, and flashes of chocolate covered coconut. The palate was stacked with dark fruit, earth, and mineral notes on the finish. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine had excellent acidity and a balanced, rounded mouthfeel. The tannins were well managed and unobtrusive. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle because of its balance and honesty. It was not trying to be a bruiser and came across as a Sugar Ray Leonard wine - poised with balance but surprising power.
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Decanted for two hours prior to drinking. Beautiful nose of red cherries a touch of cocoa, cassis, earth. Great mouthfeel and not over-the-top at all. One word to describe this wine: balance. Everything from the nose to the palate to the finish was completely in check and complimentary of each other. My idea of a solid Napa Cab.
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Pours a little thin ruby in color but with some air really comes alive. Was concerned at first as this was very tight but with a couple hours of air really started to blossom. drink or hold but decant for now.
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a quick decant allowed this to show beautifully. than tannins have softened quite a bit and the wine has fantastic red fruit, cocoa, and just enough backbone to keep the richness in check. not overly complex, but quite enjoyable.
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This is sitting in a nice spot right now. Rich but balanced. A lot of chocolate covered blue fruit, some tar and smoke. Coating and smooth. Very nice tonight.
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Certainly benefitted from pairing with marinated, grilled venison tenderloin but delicious on its own. Slow ox for 6 hours - no decant. Purple, viscous, glassy wine with juicy red and purple fruit. Well balanced. Chocolate and some mellow oak spice and vanilla flavors. Smooth lengthy finish.
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A small pour at a tasting. Pop and pour. This was my favorite wine of the night. Complex, fruity, new world, so floral, fragrant and vibrant. There is slight bell pepper on the finish.
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Similar to my last note, this was good but remains fairly heavy and monolithic. Good purity and cab flavors but lacking in complexity and acidity. Not sure if it will get better or it was just meant to be drunk young, it was great back then.
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This was really enjoyable. A tad bit of oak showing through that took away from a well-balanced wine. Violet on the nose, black fruit on the palate and nose. No hint of alc. I think it's at 14.8 and one would never know. I really like Rudius cabs, but they got a bit expensive for my income. Not Jeff's fault, just my choice of careers. This is certainly ready to drink. Oh, it had a two hour decant.
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I'm really liking the way this is drinking now. Hanasowner, in a note below, suggests this is not quite as full throttle as his/her ideal "big cab". I think that's why I like it. Nicely balanced, with decent acidity, a touch (not a slam) of oak, and some discreet tannins on the finish. Probably not the backbone to be a long term cellar hold, but should continue to evolve favorably for several years. Drinking well now. Hides it's high alcohol very, very well. Good QPR. 92+ points.
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Fairly consistent with my prior tasting note, one change is how smooth the texture has become. THis is in a perfrect drinking window for me right now, delicious!
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Decanted 3 hours. Somewhat closed vs the others we tasted, it was a bit of a mystery to me. Re-bottled after a total of 5 hours in the decanter and then pumped, the last couple of glasses were good two days later but I couldn't help but feeling that I had missed the best part of the show somewhere in between. Maybe this is a 'hold'?
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Drinking fantastic now. Years ago it was much more tannic and less fragrant... but now within an hour it really opens up nicely. We greatly enjoyed this one with ribeye for dinner!
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Initially ripe but this settled down beautifully. Leather, black fruit and espresso. Chewy. However, this was very reticent for a good while. It opened up nicely and lost some of the ripeness overnight. Give this a short decant.
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slow Oed for5 hours then decanted for sediment. Soft n silky elegant napa cab. Med bodied. Dark fruits on palate and nose. Nice mouthfeel. Not over the top. Good typicity. Will be interesting to see what time does for this. Glad I have a few more.
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Dark ruby. The aromatics are truly exceptional. The flavors combine typicity with depth and a touch of suave elegance. Rich, deep and long. It should continue to develop nicely.
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Showing much better than my last bottle. Expressive nose of cedar spice, vanilla, and black currants. Palate is mostly dark fruit, smooth and plush, coating the palate into a moderate finish with a touch of milk chocolate. Just a hint of herbal cab character in the background adds complexity. Meets expectations but doesn't exceed.
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2+ hour decant. No formal notes. Great red currant, cassis, subtle dried black fruit tart, hint of mint, and tannins that are sweet and somewhat integrated at this point. Medium+ finish.
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Decanted 2 hours. Black and red cherry fruit profile. Quite refined and elegant but lacks complexity. Not much going on beyond the initial attack of fruit. Comes over as a little bit thin on the mid palate. Moderate finish with smooth tannins. A bit disappointing.
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Not as good as previous bottles. Did a pop & pour which was probably a mistake as the wine opened as the bottle was being emptied. Bummed that they will no longer ship to me future offerings.
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Betsy and I were both disappointed. Black cherry, chocolate, a hint of mint, and cedar were the main flavors.,,which sounds good, but the wine was lacking in verve, didn't have much of a tannic backbone, and was basically boring. There are plenty of other cabs at this price point that are as good or better, but perhaps this was just an off bottle.
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The wine is a medium ruby red color. The exciting and inviting nose has cassis, mint, warm baking spices, tobacco, black cherries, crushed stone minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, dried herbs, and a touch of earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate spices, cassis, cherries, and dark chocolate hit first followed by minerals and dried herbs on the back end. The finish is very long and seems to linger forever, with the minty note making a brief but appealing appearance. On the young side, but already drinking very nicely. I'm sure additional cellar time will be handsomely rewarded.
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My last bottle of this was crazy good. This not so much. All the complexity lost, this bottle is monolithic with no verve. Granted it is pure, balanced, and exceptionally rich, but gone are the florals, the layers of fruit. Gave it another day of air and remained fallow. Hold.
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Johnny brought this winner to Scoozi with Desmond and Sylvia. Yes! This, though popped and poured, was absolutely singing. Such aromatics. Cult aromas of cassis, leather, graphite, some smoke and cured meat with touches of purple flowers. This had it all going on. The palate is well endowed and balanced even at this young age. Nice integrated tannins, great acidity and the alcohol is barely noticeable. Fantastic finesse and elegance. Absolutely gorgeous. Cannot recommend this enough as it drinks like a $150 Napa Cult Cabernet.
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Slow ox for about 3 hours. Did not take anynotes on this wine as I enoyed it in the hotel after finishing my first 1/2 marathon. I think that it is coming out a little bit as it was closed down the last time I had it.
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Decanted 45 minutes. Beautiful dark purple in the glass. Blackberry, spice, vanilla and mocha in the mouth. Cab franc shows through especially with some nice floral notes in the nose. Nicely balanced wine. Hold.
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After a 4hr drive, this was very disjointed the first 2 hours then finally came together. Sweet black currant nose. Palate is rather round, with seemingly high toned red and black fruits. Moderate finish with a mix of vanilla and milk chocolate.
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6-hour decant, consumed over 3 hours. this was rocking. elegant yet pronounced notes of cassis, blackberry bramble, gamy black cherry, and lots of forest aromas. nothing was out of place or overly obvious. silky in the mouth, where the black fruits oozed beautifully. a long finish that showed just a little oak spice, but more pure and driven fruit supported by present but not overbearing tannin and acid. i didn't get any of the greenness that i experienced with my last bottle. this probably wouldn't stand out in a blind tasting, but it's a very solid and deftly-made wine. if scoring, 93-95, with great potential.
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Popped and poured. Not as expressive or interesting as the first bottle I had. Still a pleasant drink, but lacked the depth and pure fruit from my earlier experience. Might be too young or in a dumb phase, so i will wait much longer for my next bottle.
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Very nice. Had about 1 and a half glasses. Will see if I can stretch it out over 3 nights. Not a big in your face cab but yet still gives up a lot. Easily open for business. Edit . - Couldn't stretch it to 3 nights. finished the 2 1/2 glasses last night. Not as good as the night before, especially chilled. As it got to room temp it got better but still not as good as last night. Ideal time was about 90 minutes after open day 1. Enjoy!
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Decanted 2 hours should have done 4 got better as the night went on , great pour with a great nose still very young will wait a year to pop another one.
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Decanted 3 hours and consumed over 2 days. This seems to have shut down as I could never really coax anything out of it. I only got a touch of the flavors out of this bottle that I had got out of my previous 2. You can tell something is still there just got to wait for it to open back up and show it's stuff again. Don't think it is fair to rate this bottle due to belief it is closed down.
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This wine is much better than last year - age has done its job. Dark and deep dense eggplant in color. Nose of black cherries, cumin and vanilla. Vinaerated into a decanter - ready after two hours. This is a bold Napa profile. lots of fruit, very integrated with massive, yet velvet tannins. Nice, medium body with balance. The acid and heat support a long, fruit filled finish.
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This was a knockout from the start after a pop and pour. Immediately, very floral, violets, perfumed red berries and pomegranate on the nose. Really delivers all you could hope from the nose on the palate. Very feminine and medium bodied, what struck me right away was how much fruit concentration there was while maintaining elegance with superb tannins marrying perfectly with the acid level. A very deft combination of black currant, red cherry, red berry, and florality, with lift, on the palate that also has an inexplicable savory impression. Intricately layered, it draws to a well delineated finish where a bounty of spices come out of nowhere. Acid continues to rein in the tannin, this was really singing with food. While young, this shows very impressive integration of all components and I could only imagine it getting better for longer than I could guess. One of the best Napa Cabs I've had, this isn't for everyone style wise, but is a real gem for those seeking distinction in a sea of valley floor mediocrity.
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This could still use time in the cellar to totaly mesh but this was outstanding and shows real promise to improve further. Palate started with some cranberry, bllod orange aspects but turned darker with air. Tannins are still a bit grainy so better with food. Nice nose and long finish. Could be very graceful when mature.
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Decanted for 2hrs. Nice glowing hew on edge of glass. Both taste and nose had lots of coco and coffe profiles. Deep and rich, long finish and spicy. A very nice cab, will sit on my next one for several more years.
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3 hour decant. served with filet mignon with horseradish cream sauce. good amount of cherry along with coffee notes Some vanilla that receded as it got more air. definitely much more approachable than the 2007 was at the same point. excellent cab. nice mix of traditonal styling with nice ripe california fruit.
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Decanted 2 hours and drank over 3. Amazingly open for such a young wine. Nice expression of a modern style Cab. Black and red fruit on the palate with some dark chocolate and coffee notes. Nice length and feel ( looks really great in the glass) well balanced and no rough edges. Open one now to enjoy the nice primary flavors.
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Wish I bought more. Deep expressive cabernet aromas on nose. Dark red fruits, some chocolate/sweetness with slight oakiness. Some heat and a big tannic, but nice finish. Obviously still young, but quite drinkable at this stage.
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Decanted for 3 hours, Wow nice deep ruby pour with nice nose, dark fruit with hint of cherries still very young will get better with time ,but with this price point tough to beat. Served with steak & can't wait to try this again in a year.
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Decanted for about 90 minutes before having with grilled skirt steak. A lot of dark fruits (plum, blackberry) and coffee at first, along with quite a bit of oak. Really tough to judge this one now - thought it may have been a bit thin on the mid-palate, but the oak really makes it tough to get a read on the other flavors. A bit hot on the finish as well. Pretty good with the food, but a bit rough on its own at this point. These should continue to be held for at least a year.
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3hr decant. Vanilla cream and creme de cassis nose. Palate is lush, acidic, with fine polished tannins. Very concentrated red berries, and cassis, with a mild liquor-like feel and a hint of darker fruit. Plenty of acidity and freshness. Adds an earthy mocha feel on a lengthy tannic finish. Strong effort, but still needs some time to integrate the oak. Much more approachable than the '06 and '07 at this stage but the future is where this will really shine. 92-93 On night 2 was much more integrated but still showing a fair amount of oak.
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This showed more expressive and well rounded than 6 months ago, still a rich, fruity young Cab, sturdy and proportioned, can imagine this improving further. Nice deep pitch with waves of black cherry, mocha, currant and decent lift. 91+
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2 hr decant. Expressive nose of black currant, dark cherries, licorice and cocoa. Medium plus body of blackberry, tart cherry, baking spices, and earth. Long espresso tobacco finish with moderate tannins..
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Currants, chocolate, ripe dark fruits. Palate is very nice with medium body, cranberries, raspberries and some cinnamon. Smooth and slick on the finish turning drying only at the very end. Needs a little time but delicious as is.
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Notes from memory...14.8% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Aromas of minty currant fruit and oak. Full bodied with some noticeable, but fine-grained tannin. Ripe black currant fruit and cedar nuances. Good, but hold off for a bit before consuming.
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Moderate persistence on palate, fine grained but drying tannin. Wine had seeped out of the cork a bit perhaps heat imparted something to this bottle so rating withheld. Tasty, but not profound.
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Kind of random note, 11 days after this was opened. I opened this and had a glass, and, knowing it would be young, assumed I'd have more the next night. However, I corked it and threw it in the cellar and forgot about it until tonight. It was surprisingly good, and I can't say I noticed any oxidation, 11 days later. There was only one glass worth gone, and it was re-corked immediately, but still--this was impressive. Still a big wine, and one that needs big decanting times at this stage, but one that gives big pleasure as well.
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This Napa Cabernet, with a splash of Cab Franc, is from Jeff Ames (who studied under Thomas Brown) of Rudius Wines in Napa Valley. Rudius sources from three different Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards around Napa, two in St. Helena and one in Oakville.
This wine is deep purple, with an enjoyable nose of cola, dark fruits, graphite, and perhaps some light floral hints in there.
In the mouth, this has layers of fruits, flint, spices, and meat, with really nice smooth tannins. The finish moves around to the different areas of the tongue as well, and goes on for 30+ seconds.
At 250 cases though, there isn't much of this wine unfortunately. It's a pretty good buy as far as Napa Cabs go, at a release price of $65 for the 2008 if you got it from the winery. But there were only 110 cases for 2007, and 147 cases for 2006, so the good news is that production for 2008 more than doubled from 2007.
Overall, a tasty, well rounded Cab.
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(3/5) Young and primary but tasty with a good future ahead of it. Sweet fruit on the nose and palate with a bit of vanilla. A fairly big wine but nicely balanced.
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Smooth well integrated, but still in its infancy. Well-balanced effort with quintessential napa cab characteristics. No overt oak, no over the top jamminess, just a well put together wine. Good effort that should gain complexity with age.
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Consistant notes. Had this with a bottle of 08 The Treat. The Rudius had a ton more going on with this bottle w/o being as big and over the top(which I love the treat for). Both wines were double decanted for about 6 hours. Outside of my trip to Napa this past winter this is my wine of the year so far.
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Big plush cab that is well balanced with flavors of black currants, plums and vanilla. That carries through to the finish with nice mouth watering acidity.
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Exceptional wine, with great weight and mouthfeel. I really enjoyed this wine in its' entirety, with nice transition from fruit to acid to tannin....gonna be great for a long time, and so damn good now, need to lock my others in a safe someplace.
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popped around 10 am, poured off a large glass, and let slow ox until 5:30. poured into a decanter at 5:30, poured the first glass at 7:00 and enjoyed over 3 hours.
inky purplish black in the glass. a gorgeous nose of ripe blackberries, flowers, and a hint of vanilla cream. the palate is taut and firm, a little monolithic, with a wall of tannins that barely let the ripe red and black fruits through. the first glass came off a bit green on the finish (perhaps too much cab franc for my liking?), but subsequent glasses showed excellent purity of fruit with very little perception of oak.
this needs a year and a half or two years to settle down before trying again. it's wound up like a spring right now and needs to smooth out before being fully enjoyed.
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A serious cab with a wonderful life ahead of it. Even with 12 hours of decanting it was still not ready but this cab is going to be a beauty with some age that's for sure. Don't try another for at least one year.
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- Purple color with medium forming legs and aromas of black currant, cherry and eucalyptus. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant, licorice anise, coffee and cedar with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a long finish.
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Popped and poured off a glass. Dark fruits, some forest floor and a wonderful hint of chocolate. Great long finish that just keeps going. Day 2 - More dark fruit and it seems this wine has put a little weight on since yesterday. Also some hits of tobacco. Great balance and the wine is just so smooth and continues that super long finish. This wine seems like it will get a lot better so 94++Great job Jeff!
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Tight, structured and balanced. Overall profile would have suggested a high elevation site to me, but I guess that's not the case. The slightest touch of green in the background blows off with minimal air. This is more masculine/structured than some that I put in the "balanced" category, and will reward some rest in the cellar. Right now, equal parts fruit, acid and tannins. I'll put the rest of these away for 5+ years before revisiting. My first vintage of this, and I'm sure it won't be my last. Excellent value assuming it ages the way I think it might. For now, 91-92 points for current drinking. I could see it hitting 95 points with time.
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Everyone really enjoyed this one. Was fairly tight on popping and pouring, but opened up a good amount after about 30 minutes in glass. Could have used a lot more air (overnight in bottle probably would have been ideal as winemaker Jeff Ames suggests), but still great even in it's youth. Glad I have more of these to follow over the years!
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9/19/2021 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
I bought this upon release from the winery and it was the last vintage I purchased from the winery. This is clearly a modern napa wine. I can appreciate the gobs of red fruit and flowers, but there's some noticeable alcohol on the finish. I would not hold this further.
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1/5/2021 - JWG wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was a great deal better than the one 2.5 years ago. Delicious. It has evolved in a great way. Rich nose of very dark fruit and tobacco. The palate is viscous, intensely dark flavor with mushrooms,
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12/11/2020 - jfkwines wrote: 91 Points
Very silk like and well integrated. Opened and aired for 1.5 hours, could have waited longer but it drank well. My notes from June match this bottle and the previous taster in April. White flowers is not something I have ever used as a descriptor but I like it and it works for this wine. Soft tannins and slight bright fruit fades to a full mouth feel. Drink window can be longer but this is in a good spot and I would drink this winter, perhaps with a Prime rib roast?
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6/8/2020 - jfkwines wrote: 91 Points
Opened and aired for 2 hours. Very tight on opening, the 2 hours in the bottle airing out helped. Very integrated, slight to no tannin, deep fruit with a full mouthfeel. Drink or hold for a couple of years
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4/12/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour, let it sit in glass for about 30 minutes. The fruit is silky, very fine tannins, and there is a lot of white flowers and violets. The floral component and rich fruit makes this a standout wine.
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1/19/2020 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Consistent notes from January 2016: "This is sitting in a nice spot right now. Rich but balanced. A lot of chocolate covered blue fruit, some tar and smoke. Coating and smooth. Very nice tonight."
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12/14/2018 - Brian Love wrote: 92 Points
Pleasantly surprised again
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7/31/2018 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
Napa Cabs by Luis - Part II (Jason's House): A 3 hour decant (not my choice all you commenters!). The nose is intriguing, but there is definitely some alcohol there. THe palate is thin from a flavor perspective and also alcoholic. Overall, this is on the dark side of cabernet, and I suspect this may have been overdecanted. As a pop and pour 2 years ago, it was much more enjoyable.
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6/23/2018 - davidsm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed some time to open but quite tasty.
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6/21/2018 - JWG wrote: 88 Points
A disappointment. I guess I'm just not a cab guy mostly. It was pleasant, but not as clean as I hoped, compared to something like a Renaissance Cab. And costs more to boot. Seemed to have some oak that mostly turns me off, though I'm not saying it was big oak. Big fruit, not a lot of definition of flavors and a modest nose. No lingering ending...
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1/30/2018 - Brian Love wrote: 92 Points
Quite enjoyable rounded cab. Feels like has some merlot or the like to create some softness. Surprised at the good QPR.
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12/17/2017 - Rico100 wrote: 92 Points
Great fruit - nice cab.
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10/15/2017 - jimyeni wrote: 90 Points
Maybe an off bottle. Not much personality and a bit hot.
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5/10/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 89 Points
Medium bodied. Simple cassis fruit. Gentle tannins on finish. Fairly evolved, this will probably better integrate over the the next year or so. Very nice now- its tough to find many better $50 California Cabs of similar quality.
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4/2/2017 - cawineaux wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Seems tight, or this is it, hard to tell. It didn't improve over time in the decanter. Tannins over power the fruit at this point.
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3/4/2017 - Meerlust wrote: 92 Points
From memory. 14.8% alcohol. Surprisingly, dark ruby color, but lighter colored than expected. The nose was expressive with ample cassis, dark cherry, earth, and flashes of chocolate covered coconut. The palate was stacked with dark fruit, earth, and mineral notes on the finish. Structurally, this medium-bodied wine had excellent acidity and a balanced, rounded mouthfeel. The tannins were well managed and unobtrusive. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this bottle because of its balance and honesty. It was not trying to be a bruiser and came across as a Sugar Ray Leonard wine - poised with balance but surprising power.
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2/11/2017 - yonster24 wrote:
Decanted for two hours prior to drinking. Beautiful nose of red cherries a touch of cocoa, cassis, earth. Great mouthfeel and not over-the-top at all. One word to describe this wine: balance. Everything from the nose to the palate to the finish was completely in check and complimentary of each other. My idea of a solid Napa Cab.
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12/5/2016 - twelch wrote: 94 Points
Pours a little thin ruby in color but with some air really comes alive. Was concerned at first as this was very tight but with a couple hours of air really started to blossom. drink or hold but decant for now.
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3/28/2016 - kthornton78 wrote:
a quick decant allowed this to show beautifully. than tannins have softened quite a bit and the wine has fantastic red fruit, cocoa, and just enough backbone to keep the richness in check. not overly complex, but quite enjoyable.
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1/12/2016 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking superbly at this time.
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1/8/2016 - jrobs7777 wrote:
This is sitting in a nice spot right now. Rich but balanced. A lot of chocolate covered blue fruit, some tar and smoke. Coating and smooth. Very nice tonight.
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12/31/2015 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 94 Points
Certainly benefitted from pairing with marinated, grilled venison tenderloin but delicious on its own. Slow ox for 6 hours - no decant. Purple, viscous, glassy wine with juicy red and purple fruit. Well balanced. Chocolate and some mellow oak spice and vanilla flavors. Smooth lengthy finish.
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12/3/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
A soft cab with some nice chocolate and red berries. It feels like the tannins are mostly resolved surprisingly. Juicy and delicious.
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10/18/2015 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
A small pour at a tasting. Pop and pour. This was my favorite wine of the night. Complex, fruity, new world, so floral, fragrant and vibrant. There is slight bell pepper on the finish.
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9/8/2015 - kenhoeve wrote: 90 Points
Similar to my last note, this was good but remains fairly heavy and monolithic. Good purity and cab flavors but lacking in complexity and acidity. Not sure if it will get better or it was just meant to be drunk young, it was great back then.
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8/14/2015 - marka wrote: 92 Points
This was really enjoyable. A tad bit of oak showing through that took away from a well-balanced wine. Violet on the nose, black fruit on the palate and nose. No hint of alc. I think it's at 14.8 and one would never know. I really like Rudius cabs, but they got a bit expensive for my income. Not Jeff's fault, just my choice of careers. This is certainly ready to drink. Oh, it had a two hour decant.
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5/17/2015 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
I'm really liking the way this is drinking now. Hanasowner, in a note below, suggests this is not quite as full throttle as his/her ideal "big cab". I think that's why I like it. Nicely balanced, with decent acidity, a touch (not a slam) of oak, and some discreet tannins on the finish. Probably not the backbone to be a long term cellar hold, but should continue to evolve favorably for several years. Drinking well now. Hides it's high alcohol very, very well. Good QPR. 92+ points.
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5/5/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not consumed in a serious setting, but still showing plenty of acidity and tannin--though enjoyable now. medium weight.
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5/2/2015 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Fairly consistent with my prior tasting note, one change is how smooth the texture has become. THis is in a perfrect drinking window for me right now, delicious!
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5/1/2015 - MLD70 Likes this wine:
Decanted 3 hours. Somewhat closed vs the others we tasted, it was a bit of a mystery to me. Re-bottled after a total of 5 hours in the decanter and then pumped, the last couple of glasses were good two days later but I couldn't help but feeling that I had missed the best part of the show somewhere in between. Maybe this is a 'hold'?
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2/16/2015 - hanasowner wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured...has definitely mellowed a bit...fruit is more subtle than I like in a "big" Cab...otherwise very enjoyable with a smooth finish.
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2/7/2015 - Justin B Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking fantastic now. Years ago it was much more tannic and less fragrant... but now within an hour it really opens up nicely. We greatly enjoyed this one with ribeye for dinner!
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1/18/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Initially ripe but this settled down beautifully. Leather, black fruit and espresso. Chewy. However, this was very reticent for a good while. It opened up nicely and lost some of the ripeness overnight. Give this a short decant.
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1/13/2015 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 92 Points
A flavorful Cab in a somewhat riper style. In a good spot know and should hold over the near term.
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12/24/2014 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 93 Points
slow Oed for5 hours then decanted for sediment. Soft n silky elegant napa cab. Med bodied. Dark fruits on palate and nose. Nice mouthfeel. Not over the top. Good typicity. Will be interesting to see what time does for this. Glad I have a few more.
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12/1/2014 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark ruby. The aromatics are truly exceptional. The flavors combine typicity with depth and a touch of suave elegance. Rich, deep and long. It should continue to develop nicely.
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11/22/2014 - mbenz wrote: 90 Points
Nose a bit muted. Some dark fruit on the palate, but a touch tart. Decent.
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11/21/2014 - Brian Love wrote: 92 Points
Very good mid body cab with depth
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10/20/2014 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Showing much better than my last bottle. Expressive nose of cedar spice, vanilla, and black currants. Palate is mostly dark fruit, smooth and plush, coating the palate into a moderate finish with a touch of milk chocolate. Just a hint of herbal cab character in the background adds complexity. Meets expectations but doesn't exceed.
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9/16/2014 - twelch wrote:
Think this is still in a holding pattern. Lots of depth going on in the background but needs some time to flesh out.
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8/31/2014 - Grape Stuff Likes this wine: 90 Points
2+ hour decant. No formal notes. Great red currant, cassis, subtle dried black fruit tart, hint of mint, and tannins that are sweet and somewhat integrated at this point. Medium+ finish.
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2/13/2014 - caeleric wrote: flawed
not overly corked on the nose, but completely void of fruit; just alcohol and acid. followed over two days, then poured it out. gotta be flawed.
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10/25/2013 - Yamadori wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Black and red cherry fruit profile. Quite refined and elegant but lacks complexity. Not much going on beyond the initial attack of fruit. Comes over as a little bit thin on the mid palate. Moderate finish with smooth tannins. A bit disappointing.
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10/15/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not as good as previous bottles. Did a pop & pour which was probably a mistake as the wine opened as the bottle was being emptied. Bummed that they will no longer ship to me future offerings.
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8/4/2013 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
Betsy and I were both disappointed. Black cherry, chocolate, a hint of mint, and cedar were the main flavors.,,which sounds good, but the wine was lacking in verve, didn't have much of a tannic backbone, and was basically boring. There are plenty of other cabs at this price point that are as good or better, but perhaps this was just an off bottle.
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5/19/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 94 Points
The wine is a medium ruby red color. The exciting and inviting nose has cassis, mint, warm baking spices, tobacco, black cherries, crushed stone minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, dried herbs, and a touch of earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate spices, cassis, cherries, and dark chocolate hit first followed by minerals and dried herbs on the back end. The finish is very long and seems to linger forever, with the minty note making a brief but appealing appearance. On the young side, but already drinking very nicely. I'm sure additional cellar time will be handsomely rewarded.
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4/29/2013 - kenhoeve wrote:
My last bottle of this was crazy good. This not so much. All the complexity lost, this bottle is monolithic with no verve. Granted it is pure, balanced, and exceptionally rich, but gone are the florals, the layers of fruit. Gave it another day of air and remained fallow. Hold.
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4/25/2013 - beezer6 wrote: 94 Points
Johnny brought this winner to Scoozi with Desmond and Sylvia.
Yes! This, though popped and poured, was absolutely singing. Such aromatics. Cult aromas of cassis, leather, graphite, some smoke and cured meat with touches of purple flowers.
This had it all going on. The palate is well endowed and balanced even at this young age. Nice integrated tannins, great acidity and the alcohol is barely noticeable. Fantastic finesse and elegance.
Absolutely gorgeous. Cannot recommend this enough as it drinks like a $150 Napa Cult Cabernet.
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4/23/2013 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Consistent notes.
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3/24/2013 - leadpencil wrote: 92 Points
Deep red. Medium-full body. Blackberry, eucalyptus, cedar, tobacco.
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3/24/2013 - RMundell Likes this wine: 93 Points
really nice.
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3/18/2013 - lsnider wrote: 93 Points
Slow ox for about 3 hours. Did not take anynotes on this wine as I enoyed it in the hotel after finishing my first 1/2 marathon. I think that it is coming out a little bit as it was closed down the last time I had it.
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2/24/2013 - deltacop wrote: 92 Points
Best showing of my rudius cabs to date very nice
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1/12/2013 - Taylor56 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 45 minutes. Beautiful dark purple in the glass. Blackberry, spice, vanilla and mocha in the mouth. Cab franc shows through especially with some nice floral notes in the nose. Nicely balanced wine. Hold.
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12/24/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
After a 4hr drive, this was very disjointed the first 2 hours then finally came together. Sweet black currant nose. Palate is rather round, with seemingly high toned red and black fruits. Moderate finish with a mix of vanilla and milk chocolate.
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11/4/2012 - caeleric wrote:
6-hour decant, consumed over 3 hours. this was rocking. elegant yet pronounced notes of cassis, blackberry bramble, gamy black cherry, and lots of forest aromas. nothing was out of place or overly obvious. silky in the mouth, where the black fruits oozed beautifully. a long finish that showed just a little oak spice, but more pure and driven fruit supported by present but not overbearing tannin and acid. i didn't get any of the greenness that i experienced with my last bottle. this probably wouldn't stand out in a blind tasting, but it's a very solid and deftly-made wine. if scoring, 93-95, with great potential.
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10/8/2012 - andolini wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Not as expressive or interesting as the first bottle I had. Still a pleasant drink, but lacked the depth and pure fruit from my earlier experience. Might be too young or in a dumb phase, so i will wait much longer for my next bottle.
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9/28/2012 - J-Sho wrote: 90 Points
Dark in color and lots of dark fruit, cassis, and some oak. Palate moderate but some mildly rough tannins. Moderate complexity and finish.
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9/26/2012 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Had about 1 and a half glasses. Will see if I can stretch it out over 3 nights. Not a big in your face cab but yet still gives up a lot. Easily open for business.
Edit . - Couldn't stretch it to 3 nights. finished the 2 1/2 glasses last night. Not as good as the night before, especially chilled. As it got to room temp it got better but still not as good as last night. Ideal time was about 90 minutes after open day 1. Enjoy!
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9/12/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
This has really smoothed out with a wonderful round mouth feel and outstanding fruit. Exceptional.
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8/2/2012 - CK6865 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours should have done 4 got better as the night went on , great pour with a great nose still very young will wait a year to pop another one.
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5/28/2012 - lsnider wrote:
Decanted 3 hours and consumed over 2 days. This seems to have shut down as I could never really coax anything out of it. I only got a touch of the flavors out of this bottle that I had got out of my previous 2. You can tell something is still there just got to wait for it to open back up and show it's stuff again.
Don't think it is fair to rate this bottle due to belief it is closed down.
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5/13/2012 - DTWOB wrote: 92 Points
This wine is much better than last year - age has done its job. Dark and deep dense eggplant in color. Nose of black cherries, cumin and vanilla. Vinaerated into a decanter - ready after two hours. This is a bold Napa profile. lots of fruit, very integrated with massive, yet velvet tannins. Nice, medium body with balance. The acid and heat support a long, fruit filled finish.
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5/11/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 94 Points
This was a knockout from the start after a pop and pour. Immediately, very floral, violets, perfumed red berries and pomegranate on the nose. Really delivers all you could hope from the nose on the palate. Very feminine and medium bodied, what struck me right away was how much fruit concentration there was while maintaining elegance with superb tannins marrying perfectly with the acid level. A very deft combination of black currant, red cherry, red berry, and florality, with lift, on the palate that also has an inexplicable savory impression. Intricately layered, it draws to a well delineated finish where a bounty of spices come out of nowhere. Acid continues to rein in the tannin, this was really singing with food. While young, this shows very impressive integration of all components and I could only imagine it getting better for longer than I could guess. One of the best Napa Cabs I've had, this isn't for everyone style wise, but is a real gem for those seeking distinction in a sea of valley floor mediocrity.
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5/7/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 93 Points
This could still use time in the cellar to totaly mesh but this was outstanding and shows real promise to improve further. Palate started with some cranberry, bllod orange aspects but turned darker with air. Tannins are still a bit grainy so better with food. Nice nose and long finish. Could be very graceful when mature.
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4/23/2012 - NH WINO wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2hrs. Nice glowing hew on edge of glass. Both taste and nose had lots of coco and coffe profiles. Deep and rich, long finish and spicy. A very nice cab, will sit on my next one for several more years.
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3/19/2012 - Zonk wrote: 92 Points
3 hour decant. served with filet mignon with horseradish cream sauce. good amount of cherry along with coffee notes Some vanilla that receded as it got more air. definitely much more approachable than the 2007 was at the same point. excellent cab. nice mix of traditonal styling with nice ripe california fruit.
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3/3/2012 - glaze3 wrote:
Decanted 2 hours and drank over 3. Amazingly open for such a young wine. Nice expression of a modern style Cab. Black and red fruit on the palate with some dark chocolate and coffee notes. Nice length and feel ( looks really great in the glass) well balanced and no rough edges. Open one now to enjoy the nice primary flavors.
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2/28/2012 - kthornton78 wrote: 93 Points
deep, rich expressions of fruit, coffee, leather. abbreviated note as it was had as part of a tasting with friends. but quite good.
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2/26/2012 - S. Lorin wrote: 92 Points
lovely, coming into its own and more approachable, this wine expresses dark fruit, cherries, and coffee but in a more elegant way then most cabs
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2/25/2012 - andolini wrote: 93 Points
Wish I bought more. Deep expressive cabernet aromas on nose. Dark red fruits, some chocolate/sweetness with slight oakiness. Some heat and a big tannic, but nice finish. Obviously still young, but quite drinkable at this stage.
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2/18/2012 - CK6865 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours, Wow nice deep ruby pour with nice nose, dark fruit with hint of cherries still very young will get better with time ,but with this price point tough to beat. Served with steak & can't wait to try this again in a year.
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1/27/2012 - TomTom wrote: 93 Points
Wow, really nice for being so young. Nice acidity, good structure and restrained fruit. Makes me sorry I passed on the 09.
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1/10/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes before having with grilled skirt steak. A lot of dark fruits (plum, blackberry) and coffee at first, along with quite a bit of oak. Really tough to judge this one now - thought it may have been a bit thin on the mid-palate, but the oak really makes it tough to get a read on the other flavors. A bit hot on the finish as well. Pretty good with the food, but a bit rough on its own at this point. These should continue to be held for at least a year.
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1/8/2012 - pakabear wrote: 94 Points
Consistent notes
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12/18/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
3hr decant. Vanilla cream and creme de cassis nose. Palate is lush, acidic, with fine polished tannins. Very concentrated red berries, and cassis, with a mild liquor-like feel and a hint of darker fruit. Plenty of acidity and freshness. Adds an earthy mocha feel on a lengthy tannic finish. Strong effort, but still needs some time to integrate the oak. Much more approachable than the '06 and '07 at this stage but the future is where this will really shine. 92-93
On night 2 was much more integrated but still showing a fair amount of oak.
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12/17/2011 - silton wrote: 91 Points
This showed more expressive and well rounded than 6 months ago, still a rich, fruity young Cab, sturdy and proportioned, can imagine this improving further. Nice deep pitch with waves of black cherry, mocha, currant and decent lift. 91+
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11/20/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 92 Points
2 hr decant. Expressive nose of black currant, dark cherries, licorice and cocoa. Medium plus body of blackberry, tart cherry, baking spices, and earth. Long espresso tobacco finish with moderate tannins..
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11/18/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Currants, chocolate, ripe dark fruits. Palate is very nice with medium body, cranberries, raspberries and some cinnamon. Smooth and slick on the finish turning drying only at the very end. Needs a little time but delicious as is.
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11/6/2011 - S. Lorin wrote: 90 Points
coffee, mint, diminished fruit, medium bodied, high acidity, lovely texture
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10/30/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
Notes from memory...14.8% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Aromas of minty currant fruit and oak. Full bodied with some noticeable, but fine-grained tannin. Ripe black currant fruit and cedar nuances. Good, but hold off for a bit before consuming.
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10/1/2011 - fisk15 wrote:
Moderate persistence on palate, fine grained but drying tannin. Wine had seeped out of the cork a bit perhaps heat imparted something to this bottle so rating withheld. Tasty, but not profound.
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9/18/2011 - russdan60 wrote: 91 Points
Still young and had a tad too much heat on the end to really be amazing. Tons of potential though.
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9/1/2011 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 92 Points
Right now, this wine is all about potential. Nice red fruits and very balanced. Finish was a bit clipped but still a very nice wine.
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7/10/2011 - MarkC wrote:
Kind of random note, 11 days after this was opened. I opened this and had a glass, and, knowing it would be young, assumed I'd have more the next night. However, I corked it and threw it in the cellar and forgot about it until tonight. It was surprisingly good, and I can't say I noticed any oxidation, 11 days later. There was only one glass worth gone, and it was re-corked immediately, but still--this was impressive. Still a big wine, and one that needs big decanting times at this stage, but one that gives big pleasure as well.
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7/8/2011 - DTWOB wrote: 90 Points
A little too early for this wine. Time on its side will soften the tannins.
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7/4/2011 - wineberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
This Napa Cabernet, with a splash of Cab Franc, is from Jeff Ames (who studied under Thomas Brown) of Rudius Wines in Napa Valley. Rudius sources from three different Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards around Napa, two in St. Helena and one in Oakville.
This wine is deep purple, with an enjoyable nose of cola, dark fruits, graphite, and perhaps some light floral hints in there.
In the mouth, this has layers of fruits, flint, spices, and meat, with really nice smooth tannins. The finish moves around to the different areas of the tongue as well, and goes on for 30+ seconds.
At 250 cases though, there isn't much of this wine unfortunately. It's a pretty good buy as far as Napa Cabs go, at a release price of $65 for the 2008 if you got it from the winery. But there were only 110 cases for 2007, and 147 cases for 2006, so the good news is that production for 2008 more than doubled from 2007.
Overall, a tasty, well rounded Cab.
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6/24/2011 - AZ Cat wrote:
(3/5) Young and primary but tasty with a good future ahead of it. Sweet fruit on the nose and palate with a bit of vanilla. A fairly big wine but nicely balanced.
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6/22/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Smooth well integrated, but still in its infancy. Well-balanced effort with quintessential napa cab characteristics. No overt oak, no over the top jamminess, just a well put together wine. Good effort that should gain complexity with age.
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6/17/2011 - lsnider wrote: 94 Points
Consistant notes. Had this with a bottle of 08 The Treat. The Rudius had a ton more going on with this bottle w/o being as big and over the top(which I love the treat for).
Both wines were double decanted for about 6 hours. Outside of my trip to Napa this past winter this is my wine of the year so far.
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5/21/2011 - silton wrote: 90 Points
Fruit bomb with a fair amount of vanilla. Tasty. Big enough for its britches. Primary now, but drinking pretty well for it.
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5/2/2011 - MCUBEB wrote: 90 Points
Big plush cab that is well balanced with flavors of black currants, plums and vanilla. That carries through to the finish with nice mouth watering acidity.
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4/26/2011 - dannyk8232 wrote: 95 Points
Had to try one.
Exceptional wine, with great weight and mouthfeel. I really enjoyed this wine in its' entirety, with nice transition from fruit to acid to tannin....gonna be great for a long time, and so damn good now, need to lock my others in a safe someplace.
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4/17/2011 - caeleric Likes this wine: 92 Points
popped around 10 am, poured off a large glass, and let slow ox until 5:30. poured into a decanter at 5:30, poured the first glass at 7:00 and enjoyed over 3 hours.
inky purplish black in the glass. a gorgeous nose of ripe blackberries, flowers, and a hint of vanilla cream. the palate is taut and firm, a little monolithic, with a wall of tannins that barely let the ripe red and black fruits through. the first glass came off a bit green on the finish (perhaps too much cab franc for my liking?), but subsequent glasses showed excellent purity of fruit with very little perception of oak.
this needs a year and a half or two years to settle down before trying again. it's wound up like a spring right now and needs to smooth out before being fully enjoyed.
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4/17/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 93 Points
A serious cab with a wonderful life ahead of it. Even with 12 hours of decanting it was still not ready but this cab is going to be a beauty with some age that's for sure. Don't try another for at least one year.
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4/9/2011 - pakabear wrote: 95 Points
- Purple color with medium forming legs and aromas of black currant, cherry and eucalyptus. It's balanced and has flavours of black currant, licorice anise, coffee and cedar with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a long finish.
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4/8/2011 - lsnider wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured off a glass.
Dark fruits, some forest floor and a wonderful hint of chocolate. Great long finish that just keeps going.
Day 2 - More dark fruit and it seems this wine has put a little weight on since yesterday. Also some hits of tobacco. Great balance and the wine is just so smooth and continues that super long finish. This wine seems like it will get a lot better so 94++Great job Jeff!
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4/4/2011 - vanpe003 wrote:
Tight, structured and balanced. Overall profile would have suggested a high elevation site to me, but I guess that's not the case. The slightest touch of green in the background blows off with minimal air. This is more masculine/structured than some that I put in the "balanced" category, and will reward some rest in the cellar. Right now, equal parts fruit, acid and tannins. I'll put the rest of these away for 5+ years before revisiting. My first vintage of this, and I'm sure it won't be my last. Excellent value assuming it ages the way I think it might. For now, 91-92 points for current drinking. I could see it hitting 95 points with time.
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4/2/2011 - Justin B wrote: 94 Points
Everyone really enjoyed this one. Was fairly tight on popping and pouring, but opened up a good amount after about 30 minutes in glass. Could have used a lot more air (overnight in bottle probably would have been ideal as winemaker Jeff Ames suggests), but still great even in it's youth. Glad I have more of these to follow over the years!
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4/2/2011 - Schrader wrote: 96 Points
Tremendous length, seeking more of these, usually don't post notes but this is a producer to keep an eye on.....
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