From a Magnum, I was very worried about this one once I removed it from the cellar and realized the cork was completely soaked thru. However, I was able to remove it in one piece (thanks Durand), and the wine seemed to be okay. After about 2 hours, the funk blew off and a very lovely mature Napa cab emerged. Dark fruits (blackberry, black currant), cocoa powder, some earthy notes (leather and forest floor). The tannins are gone and the wine doesn't have too much acid left, but it held up well over the entire night (about 6 hours... I didn't decant and there was minimum sediment so I was glad I didn't).
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Deep ruby core, bricking red/orange on the rim. This is old school, juicy, but youthfully dry. The cherry, black raspberry, and red currant fruit is secondary to the woodsy, earthy notes of conifer, pencil shavings, and cigar box. Hints of basement must reminds you this is an older vintage. It took about two hours before it started to open up, giving air a chance to soften its rougher edges and revealing secondary and tertiary complexities. I can see this improving over the next 5 years and may eventually garner a higher score. Rack it.
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A brown, rusty red edge with an overall hazy appearance. A fairly big and concentrated alcoholic nose w/spice, oak, and dark cherry. Tannins and cherry on the front of the mouth, then quickly fading away to nothing; very lean and thin. Fruit became a little more prominent with time in the glass and wine improved with food, but this wine is definitely past its prime.
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Big fruity nose with Cassis and just a hint of mint and green pepper. Purple at the core with very slight bricking at the edges. Cedar and dark fruit on the palate with some unresolved tannins. This is still quite young and should continue to evolve for several more years. Very nice.
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Not decanted, pop-and-pour, then consumed over 3 hours. Very slight bricking, floral nose with cherry, with faint cherry still dominating the well-integrated fruit and leather flavors. Very enjoyable. Still has a few years of life remaining.
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Opened - not decanted - and consumed over 4 hours. Nice coloring, no bricking, a little green apple and lavendar on the nose. Still slightly tannic, some fading cherry fruit and licorice. Nice even finish, if rather thin, lasting 20+ seconds. Pleasant and still capable of lasting 3+ years, but again, unlikely to improve.
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11/2/2023 - Doctor Vyd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Faint fruit on the nose and pleasant smooth and strong finish We gave this a 90 at first but it just kept tasting even better as it opened!
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3/14/2016 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a Magnum, I was very worried about this one once I removed it from the cellar and realized the cork was completely soaked thru. However, I was able to remove it in one piece (thanks Durand), and the wine seemed to be okay. After about 2 hours, the funk blew off and a very lovely mature Napa cab emerged. Dark fruits (blackberry, black currant), cocoa powder, some earthy notes (leather and forest floor). The tannins are gone and the wine doesn't have too much acid left, but it held up well over the entire night (about 6 hours... I didn't decant and there was minimum sediment so I was glad I didn't).
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3/8/2014 - Wine12345 wrote: 81 Points
Sorry to say, but this wine is well past it's prime.
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11/11/2013 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby core, bricking red/orange on the rim. This is old school, juicy, but youthfully dry. The cherry, black raspberry, and red currant fruit is secondary to the woodsy, earthy notes of conifer, pencil shavings, and cigar box. Hints of basement must reminds you this is an older vintage. It took about two hours before it started to open up, giving air a chance to soften its rougher edges and revealing secondary and tertiary complexities. I can see this improving over the next 5 years and may eventually garner a higher score. Rack it.
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12/3/2009 - Drankthewholebottle wrote:
This is kinda like chewing on some dirty, chewy leather. I don't know, but I'm just not into it.
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11/1/2009 - snowstrm wrote: 87 Points
A brown, rusty red edge with an overall hazy appearance. A fairly big and concentrated alcoholic nose w/spice, oak, and dark cherry. Tannins and cherry on the front of the mouth, then quickly fading away to nothing; very lean and thin. Fruit became a little more prominent with time in the glass and wine improved with food, but this wine is definitely past its prime.
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5/19/2009 - bwillia wrote: 94 Points
Big fruity nose with Cassis and just a hint of mint and green pepper. Purple at the core with very slight bricking at the edges. Cedar and dark fruit on the palate with some unresolved tannins. This is still quite young and should continue to evolve for several more years. Very nice.
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9/23/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Not decanted, pop-and-pour, then consumed over 3 hours. Very slight bricking, floral nose with cherry, with faint cherry still dominating the well-integrated fruit and leather flavors. Very enjoyable. Still has a few years of life remaining.
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11/25/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Opened - not decanted - and consumed over 4 hours. Nice coloring, no bricking, a little green apple and lavendar on the nose. Still slightly tannic, some fading cherry fruit and licorice. Nice even finish, if rather thin, lasting 20+ seconds. Pleasant and still capable of lasting 3+ years, but again, unlikely to improve.
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