Been a minute, so checking in here, and this is holding up better than I'd hoped actually. Dense coloring with lightly bricking garnet edges. Aromas of dark fruits, earth, licorice, dark chocolate, damp leaves, dried spice drawer, and a touch of eucalyptus. Medium body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark fruits, dark chocolate, licorice, and clove. Good with a burger tonight.
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Wish I had a cellar full of this. It took a few years of waiting but it was really worth it. Finished my last bottle tonight with a terrific porterhouse steak, roasted steakhouse potatoes with garlic and rosemary. Also had fresh steamed spinach with excellent balsamic vinegar. The wine was perfect with the entire meal.
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Blinds with Joel (Home (Noe st)): (blind) med minus ruby, slight garnet at the rim N: Medium plus intensity, moderate development - tamari intense black fruit - blackcurrant, blackberry. = slightly dried notable pyrazines presenting as stewed green peppers and slight menthol there's a hint of jamminess to this - slight overripeness. slight usage of new oak. - faint cinnamon, baking spices. smoked meat on the nose. P: Dry, Medium plus body, elevated alcohol - 14% elevated acid medium tannins - rounded with age.
Pyrazinic new world reds. chilean carmenere chilean cab coonawarra cab
Has a bit of heft and fruit and alcohol, so I’m guessing Coonawarra Cab, 2006.
My last bottle. Just opened this bottle a few minutes ago, so we'll see... First impression: Still very good, perhaps a little less fruit, dry, with a little more tannin. Overall, still very good.
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Has only gotten better with additional age. Be sure to decant and filter as there's a fair amount of sediment. Continued to improve over the two days since the bottle was opened. Wish I could find more of this wine.
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In the 9 months or so since I last tried this wine, it has mellowed a bit and is still very good with a robust meal like grilled steak with garlic herb butter, etc. Second night I can taste more of the dark fruit and the finish has improved - very nice even by itself. I still have a couple of bottles of this and wish I could find more. Don't forget to decant this wine, if for no reason other than filtering the sediment from the bottle.
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Really good first and second night, not so much on third. Be sure to decant and filter. The decant will open up the wine and there is some sediment in the bottle. Otherwise, an excellent cab to have with any robust meal.
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Almost a year since I tried this wine. It has only improved. Excellent value - wish I could find more at the same price I paid when I bought this wine back in 2011. Had half this bottle with a great grilled t-bone with roasted asparagus and roasted red potatoes with garlic and parmesan yesterday. Finished the bottle tonight with a salad with roasted chicken breast tonight. I did filter the decant the wine as there was some sediment.
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Menthol on the nose; black cherry and plum with light peppery/tobacco spice on the finish. Smooth with decent acidity, and easy to drink. Not a blockbuster, but good for the price.
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Well balanced, with plenty of acid and fine, dusty tannins in proportion. Herbs and baking spice with secondary flavors erupting ever so gently over the course of 2 days.
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A bit thin on the finish. It lacks structure. The alcohol is probably modest in this bottle, but the thinness overly expresses the alcohol. This might get better with time, but not much better.
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Not a big fan of this wine. Came off as pretty lean for my palate. Quite tight tannin, red fruit in the background, some earth notes. My dislike likely has more to do with my preference in CS than a flaw in the wkne's style.
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PnP. Dark in the glass. Nose of dark ripe fruit, menthol, chocolate. On the palate very fruit forward but not overtly so. Sweet dark fruit, tart cherry, cola. Smooth mouthfeel with a long finish of tannin, vanilla, tart fruit.
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Nice nose of darker fruits, leather, and light wood. Super elegant and silky body with great weight and a nice backbone with super fine tannins. Long finish. Great balance, enjoyable to drink. 90+
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Notes of cherry and blue fruit with a swirl of caramel. Plenty of dried cherry with a mix of tobacco and hints of tea. Still a little tight and could probably be well served by another year in the cellar.
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Consistent descriptors from my last review but I'm somehow enjoying it much more this go round. The earthy, soil driven nose is fantastic, and great dark fruit on the palate. Drank by candlelight during and after hurricane Sandy.
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Had this wine a number of times and this was the best bottle of the bunch. Drank with friends and went well with grilled chicken and burgers. Pleasant fruity nose. More tannins and backbone than I remember in previous bottles. Nice dark fruit flavors with some acidity.
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Very nice nose. Nice flavors of plum, mocha, black berry. A friend thought it had a spicy note. Seemed a little light and lacking of depth. Almost seemed more pleasing on the nose than the palate.
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Popped and poured. After 30 minutes in the glass, a very pleasing nose of chocolate, baking spice, red fruit, cherry cola, menthol. Mouthfeel is lush with well integrated tannins. Taste of tart red cherry and black fruits, with oak on the long finish.
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This wine keeps getting better and better the longer it ages...not that 2007 is old but it seemed most were a little disappointed with this wine a year or so ago
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Summary: This is a fundamentally well made wine with absolutely nothing special about it.
Pop and vinturi.
Color solid, deep high clarity purplish red
Nose: bright cherry, sweet strawberry, slight bell pepper, hint of oak
Palate: definitely cherry, very slight green flavor similar to parsley, and oak. Tasty but straightforward.
Feel: smooth almost no tannin, medium acidity
Overall: nice balance but even simpler than I remembered. Still very tasty but unfortunate when it could be soooo much more. Additionally, with no tannin left, this wine will not go much longer in my mind.
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Dark berry & cherry flavor, some spice and oak. Decanted for less than 30 minutes and drank firm but smoothly. Had a glass left 6 days later and it drank beautifully. Still a nice finish, plenty of dark fruit and a touch of mint.
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Opaque bright crimson with just a touch of purple remaining, on the pop and pour this is very tight. With a couple hours of air, opens up to show bright red fruits with just a little bit of jamminess and a breath of mint and dust. On the palate, there is still plenty of fruit and decently strong, medium-grained tannins. There are not many secondary flavors, and this is a little too one-dimensional to be great, but it has substance and is very easy drinking. At the $25 nominal purchase price, this would be a good value. Given that I had half-price vouchers from Lot18, this was a steal.
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Wonderful. Expressive nose, with fresh fruit and sage. Full mouthfeel with smooth tannins. Dark red shows some sign of age. Benefits from vigorous aeration and time, becoming even more expressive aromatically
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Very deep burgundy to purple in color with crimson at the edges. Somewhat angular, sharp and tannic on the pop; it smoothes out a great deal with a bit of air into a restrained, old world leaning cab. Nose of soil, blackberry, and after some air time, a bit of a floral, lavender element--primarily a terroir-driven nose though, which was quite enjoyable. Blackberry, black cherry and some oak spice round out the palate. The finish is a bit short, though, and it's honestly not terribly complex. I enjoyed it though, with the nose being my favorite part overall. Not blowing me away but good.
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this is the third bottle and so far this one had the least going on - still very good though. Some cherry blackberry mixed with vanilla on the nose and it follows through with some nice sour cherry/blueberry and has really nice acid but this bottle was a touch lighter and less full than previous ones
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My notes seem to echo those of Grape Ape...really disappointed even at the lot 18 price. PnP, and sipped without food. Harsh would be a good one word description. Bitter and vegetal, was disliked by all that tried it. Had it side by side with the 2004 Turnbull Cabernet, and it was no contest. Turnbull by TKO...Have another bottle and I hope it was better than this one
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A very nice cab. Still a bit young but is drinking nicely. Dark red fruit, cherry on the nose. On the palette, full bodied, mouthfilling fruit, integrated tannins, nice acidity. On the finish the tannins show up a bit but not at all overwhelming. Has enough acidity to keep them from being overbearing. Medium finish with oak, vanilla and chocolate.
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Very solid and taste WA cab- very happy and went well with steak and roasted potatoes. Let air for about 2.5-3 hours before consuming. Good ripe fruits and very smooth drinking. I did not try this upon opening- but very balance and no noticeable alc. or heat. Missing the complexity to score higher than an 88-89 points. But awesome deal from Lot18 and a great QPR for what I paid -$5 for 2 bottles.
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This was very nice, stylish, and well built. Lots of tannins and it really is begging for time in the cellar. Seems to be made from some great fruit, and some complexity there too.
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Very aromatic upon opening. After about 45 minutes, it toned down a little bit. The aroma reminds me of berries, the sweet and ripe kinds. On the palate, smooth wine with dark fruit, slightly sweet being in the forefront faded into some tartness and some slight bitter taste. The finish lingered on for a while. Much better after 1 hour or so.
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Took to Cancun with is and it was stellar. Much more fruit than the first bottle we opened a month or two back. Lovely initial hit of cherry with some nice depth and finish.
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Nice wine just seemed a little thin, soft subtle flavors. Maybe this is due to the fact that I recently have been drinking some big fruit wines. Overall nice wine paired better with food than on its own.
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This was pretty harsh and unbalanced on the pop and pour, lot of alcohol showing as well, vapors and literally kind of burned the throat... did come more into balance over time, but still mediocre at best, not drinking at its "original" price point for sure... somehow in the back of my mind, I feel like this was an off bottle though. Will wait a while before trying another.
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A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark amber in color. A smooth, medium to full bodied Cab, with blackberry, black cherry, herbs and licorice, drinking really well now, an elegant wine, would of rated higher if it had more tannins to show aging potential.
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Quite a bit darker-fruited than the Seven Hills merlot tasted before it - blackcurrants, oak and some perfume on the nose. Palate feels a bit extracted, with some spice, more purple-fruited than I recall in previous vintages. A bit of bitterness shows, I like this less than past reds I've tasted from L'Ecole. Still a good wine, but not my favorite style. 88-90.
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Winery comments on this wine: This complex and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the diversity of terroir in the Walla Walla Valley; vineyards planted in windblown loess (the Estate Seven Hill Vineyard and Loess Vineyard), ice-age flood silts (Va Piano Vineyard and Pepper Bridge Vineyard) and basalt river rock (Yellow Jacket Vineyard). These prestigious vineyards are certified sustainable and Salmon Safe. Each vineyard lot was hand harvested ripe and gently crushed into one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The must was inoculated with yeast and punched down by hand during fermentation to maximize fruit extraction. When fermentation was complete or the winemakers were otherwise satisfied with the level of tannin and flavor extract, the must was gently pressed. After settling, the wine was racked to 100% small oak barrels with approximately 40% new oak, and then barrel-aged 22 months with five rackings. This wine's composition is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and features a 14.5% alcohol percentage.
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3/22/2023 - juneau bob wrote:
Licorice flavor is pronounced. Still drinking nicely.
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8/29/2020 - jhkey wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful aged Cabernet. peaking. Drink now.
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1/12/2020 - NoWineWiz Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nice blend of blueberry, cherry, black raspberry, earthiness, & mocha, mild tannins and long finish.
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5/24/2018 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 90 Points
Been a minute, so checking in here, and this is holding up better than I'd hoped actually. Dense coloring with lightly bricking garnet edges. Aromas of dark fruits, earth, licorice, dark chocolate, damp leaves, dried spice drawer, and a touch of eucalyptus. Medium body, acid, and finish, with flavors of dark fruits, dark chocolate, licorice, and clove. Good with a burger tonight.
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2/12/2017 - Bill1100 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wish I had a cellar full of this. It took a few years of waiting but it was really worth it. Finished my last bottle tonight with a terrific porterhouse steak, roasted steakhouse potatoes with garlic and rosemary. Also had fresh steamed spinach with excellent balsamic vinegar. The wine was perfect with the entire meal.
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11/18/2016 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Both bottles were top notch. Enjoyed, smooth.
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11/14/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 85 Points
Blinds with Joel (Home (Noe st)): (blind)
med minus ruby, slight garnet at the rim
N: Medium plus intensity,
moderate development - tamari
intense black fruit - blackcurrant, blackberry. = slightly dried
notable pyrazines presenting as stewed green peppers and slight menthol
there's a hint of jamminess to this - slight overripeness.
slight usage of new oak. - faint cinnamon, baking spices.
smoked meat on the nose.
P:
Dry,
Medium plus body,
elevated alcohol - 14%
elevated acid
medium tannins - rounded with age.
Pyrazinic new world reds.
chilean carmenere
chilean cab
coonawarra cab
Has a bit of heft and fruit and alcohol, so I’m guessing Coonawarra Cab, 2006.
2007 Walla Walla cab, 14.5%
l'Ecole no. 41
40% new french.
85 - a bit hot/alcoholic for me.
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3/16/2016 - JPH104 Does not like this wine:
Restrained, dusty, dark fruit on the nose. Reasonable enough. Oak and heat overwhelming on the back end. Tough to drink. Down the drain.
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1/30/2016 - ras2006 Likes this wine: 89 Points
My last bottle. Just opened this bottle a few minutes ago, so we'll see... First impression: Still very good, perhaps a little less fruit, dry, with a little more tannin. Overall, still very good.
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1/13/2016 - Bill1100 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Has only gotten better with additional age. Be sure to decant and filter as there's a fair amount of sediment. Continued to improve over the two days since the bottle was opened. Wish I could find more of this wine.
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7/5/2015 - Bill1100 Likes this wine: 91 Points
In the 9 months or so since I last tried this wine, it has mellowed a bit and is still very good with a robust meal like grilled steak with garlic herb butter, etc. Second night I can taste more of the dark fruit and the finish has improved - very nice even by itself. I still have a couple of bottles of this and wish I could find more. Don't forget to decant this wine, if for no reason other than filtering the sediment from the bottle.
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4/10/2015 - Winiac wrote: 88 Points
Pretty good wine with good fruit and balance but bit hollow and lacked oomph.
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1/3/2015 - ras2006 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent cab - this bottle was even better than the last one I tried - unfortunately, I have just 1 bottle left.
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10/8/2014 - Bill1100 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really good first and second night, not so much on third. Be sure to decant and filter. The decant will open up the wine and there is some sediment in the bottle. Otherwise, an excellent cab to have with any robust meal.
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3/10/2014 - Bill1100 wrote: 91 Points
Almost a year since I tried this wine. It has only improved. Excellent value - wish I could find more at the same price I paid when I bought this wine back in 2011. Had half this bottle with a great grilled t-bone with roasted asparagus and roasted red potatoes with garlic and parmesan yesterday. Finished the bottle tonight with a salad with roasted chicken breast tonight. I did filter the decant the wine as there was some sediment.
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1/22/2014 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Menthol on the nose; black cherry and plum with light peppery/tobacco spice on the finish. Smooth with decent acidity, and easy to drink. Not a blockbuster, but good for the price.
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11/27/2013 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyed by all.
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10/24/2013 - domco wrote:
One of C's favorites. Great weeknight wine.
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9/21/2013 - circadumonde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well balanced, with plenty of acid and fine, dusty tannins in proportion. Herbs and baking spice with secondary flavors erupting ever so gently over the course of 2 days.
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8/11/2013 - fournet wrote: 89 Points
Tried with Coravin device tonight. There is a lot of bottle variation in this wine. This bottle was less thin that previous.
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7/7/2013 - ras2006 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice balance with good fruit and tannin. Just as good the 2nd night.
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5/21/2013 - fournet wrote: 87 Points
A bit thin on the finish. It lacks structure. The alcohol is probably modest in this bottle, but the thinness overly expresses the alcohol. This might get better with time, but not much better.
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5/5/2013 - KyleMittskus wrote: 87 Points
Not a big fan of this wine. Came off as pretty lean for my palate. Quite tight tannin, red fruit in the background, some earth notes. My dislike likely has more to do with my preference in CS than a flaw in the wkne's style.
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5/1/2013 - Bill1100 wrote: 91 Points
It's been over a year since I had any of this wine, and it has only improved with age. Refer to my tasting notes from 2011.
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3/18/2013 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Dark in the glass. Nose of dark ripe fruit, menthol, chocolate. On the palate very fruit forward but not overtly so. Sweet dark fruit, tart cherry, cola. Smooth mouthfeel with a long finish of tannin, vanilla, tart fruit.
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3/13/2013 - dpolivy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose of darker fruits, leather, and light wood. Super elegant and silky body with great weight and a nice backbone with super fine tannins. Long finish. Great balance, enjoyable to drink. 90+
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2/28/2013 - Coupe 60 wrote:
Donated to Everett Family Charity Auciton
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2/10/2013 - corkscrews wrote: 90 Points
Easy drinker, good value.
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2/9/2013 - VinoPKM wrote: 89 Points
Very similar notes too last time. Balanced and food friendly wine. Easy drinking and very tasty.
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11/17/2012 - tourette wrote: 91 Points
Drinking much better than a year ago. Well worth the $10 I paid. Wish I could find it again for that price.
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11/16/2012 - bkrup wrote: 90 Points
Notes of cherry and blue fruit with a swirl of caramel. Plenty of dried cherry with a mix of tobacco and hints of tea. Still a little tight and could probably be well served by another year in the cellar.
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11/10/2012 - domco wrote: 90 Points
Very good, back to what we expect... an off bottle last time it seems. Drinking very well right now.
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11/10/2012 - AccaDacca wrote: 88 Points
Some cherry along with dark fruit, a little earth. Balanced with little oak or bite. Medium finish, nice for $22.
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10/30/2012 - studleytrey wrote: 91 Points
Consistent descriptors from my last review but I'm somehow enjoying it much more this go round. The earthy, soil driven nose is fantastic, and great dark fruit on the palate. Drank by candlelight during and after hurricane Sandy.
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10/5/2012 - prof b wrote: 91 Points
big fruit now, but balanced and quite nice. hold.
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9/21/2012 - Isdaddy wrote: 91 Points
Had this wine a number of times and this was the best bottle of the bunch. Drank with friends and went well with grilled chicken and burgers. Pleasant fruity nose. More tannins and backbone than I remember in previous bottles. Nice dark fruit flavors with some acidity.
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8/18/2012 - corkscrews wrote: 90 Points
Similiar to last note, just a great buy.
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7/30/2012 - Oregon Pinot wrote: 91 Points
last one from my cellar.....what a fine cab
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6/30/2012 - rbb100 wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable Cab; has potential to get even better.
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5/28/2012 - Isdaddy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice nose. Nice flavors of plum, mocha, black berry. A friend thought it had a spicy note. Seemed a little light and lacking of depth. Almost seemed more pleasing on the nose than the palate.
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5/16/2012 - AccaDacca wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant everyday cab. Nice balance, little to no oak.
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5/7/2012 - BradboBaggins Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really tasty after a 2 hour decant.
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4/26/2012 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. After 30 minutes in the glass, a very pleasing nose of chocolate, baking spice, red fruit, cherry cola, menthol. Mouthfeel is lush with well integrated tannins. Taste of tart red cherry and black fruits, with oak on the long finish.
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4/11/2012 - domco wrote: 87 Points
Didn't find it quite as good as usual, but still very solid. C found it a bit tart.
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4/1/2012 - kahuna75 wrote: 90 Points
This wine keeps getting better and better the longer it ages...not that 2007 is old but it seemed most were a little disappointed with this wine a year or so ago
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2/20/2012 - Bill1100 wrote: 91 Points
Another 91 - glad I have 6 bottles left!
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1/23/2012 - cmaldoon wrote: 89 Points
Summary: This is a fundamentally well made wine with absolutely nothing special about it.
Pop and vinturi.
Color solid, deep high clarity purplish red
Nose: bright cherry, sweet strawberry, slight bell pepper, hint of oak
Palate: definitely cherry, very slight green flavor similar to parsley, and oak. Tasty but straightforward.
Feel: smooth almost no tannin, medium acidity
Overall: nice balance but even simpler than I remembered. Still very tasty but unfortunate when it could be soooo much more. Additionally, with no tannin left, this wine will not go much longer in my mind.
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12/24/2011 - diane.forgy@dianeforgy.com wrote: 89 Points
Dark berry & cherry flavor, some spice and oak. Decanted for less than 30 minutes and drank firm but smoothly. Had a glass left 6 days later and it drank beautifully. Still a nice finish, plenty of dark fruit and a touch of mint.
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12/11/2011 - sjkm Likes this wine:
Very good
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12/10/2011 - Phredd wrote: 89 Points
Opaque bright crimson with just a touch of purple remaining, on the pop and pour this is very tight. With a couple hours of air, opens up to show bright red fruits with just a little bit of jamminess and a breath of mint and dust. On the palate, there is still plenty of fruit and decently strong, medium-grained tannins. There are not many secondary flavors, and this is a little too one-dimensional to be great, but it has substance and is very easy drinking. At the $25 nominal purchase price, this would be a good value. Given that I had half-price vouchers from Lot18, this was a steal.
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11/18/2011 - Isdaddy wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant but didn't stand out.
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11/14/2011 - schwank wrote:
I was bad and did not take notes, but this was a very tasty bottle for the money.
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10/17/2011 - Grape_ape wrote: 89 Points
have had progressively better experiences vs my initial bottle of this.
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10/16/2011 - topher2411 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful. Expressive nose, with fresh fruit and sage. Full mouthfeel with smooth tannins. Dark red shows some sign of age. Benefits from vigorous aeration and time, becoming even more expressive aromatically
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10/10/2011 - VanVino wrote: 94 Points
Great dark fruit. Well structured.
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9/25/2011 - studleytrey wrote: 89 Points
Very deep burgundy to purple in color with crimson at the edges. Somewhat angular, sharp and tannic on the pop; it smoothes out a great deal with a bit of air into a restrained, old world leaning cab. Nose of soil, blackberry, and after some air time, a bit of a floral, lavender element--primarily a terroir-driven nose though, which was quite enjoyable. Blackberry, black cherry and some oak spice round out the palate. The finish is a bit short, though, and it's honestly not terribly complex. I enjoyed it though, with the nose being my favorite part overall. Not blowing me away but good.
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9/5/2011 - Oregon Pinot wrote: 90 Points
Dark cherry fruit and a solid warm cab flavor. Peppery indicating above average alcohol Still young and will do well with further cellaring
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8/21/2011 - kahuna75 wrote: 88 Points
this is the third bottle and so far this one had the least going on - still very good though. Some cherry blackberry mixed with vanilla on the nose and it follows through with some nice sour cherry/blueberry and has really nice acid but this bottle was a touch lighter and less full than previous ones
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8/19/2011 - Coupe 60 wrote: 83 Points
My notes seem to echo those of Grape Ape...really disappointed even at the lot 18 price. PnP, and sipped without food. Harsh would be a good one word description. Bitter and vegetal, was disliked by all that tried it. Had it side by side with the 2004 Turnbull Cabernet, and it was no contest. Turnbull by TKO...Have another bottle and I hope it was better than this one
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7/23/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very nice cab. Still a bit young but is drinking nicely. Dark red fruit, cherry on the nose. On the palette, full bodied, mouthfilling fruit, integrated tannins, nice acidity. On the finish the tannins show up a bit but not at all overwhelming. Has enough acidity to keep them from being overbearing. Medium finish with oak, vanilla and chocolate.
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7/11/2011 - cmaldoon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and Poured
Color: Deep Cherry red, some sediment
Nose: Bright red fruit - Fresh cherry, red currant, tart blackberry, oak, hints of cedar and peppercorn.
Palate: Builds smoothly from a soft start to mouthwatering acidity in a sweep of cherry and red plum backed by pepper and a hint of licorice.
Finish: A fair amount of medium to sharp tannins that give way to a lingering vanilla oak flavor which is pleasant and not overpowering.
After vinturi plus an hour of air the observations hold. The nose is a bit deeper and the tannins a touch smoother.
This wine has good concentration and decent complexity on the back end. The front end is simple or my score would abe a point or two higher. 91
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6/8/2011 - VinoPKM wrote: 88 Points
Very solid and taste WA cab- very happy and went well with steak and roasted potatoes. Let air for about 2.5-3 hours before consuming. Good ripe fruits and very smooth drinking. I did not try this upon opening- but very balance and no noticeable alc. or heat. Missing the complexity to score higher than an 88-89 points. But awesome deal from Lot18 and a great QPR for what I paid -$5 for 2 bottles.
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5/29/2011 - tourette wrote: 90 Points
This was very nice, stylish, and well built. Lots of tannins and it really is begging for time in the cellar. Seems to be made from some great fruit, and some complexity there too.
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5/19/2011 - NathanT wrote:
Very aromatic upon opening. After about 45 minutes, it toned down a little bit. The aroma reminds me of berries, the sweet and ripe kinds. On the palate, smooth wine with dark fruit, slightly sweet being in the forefront faded into some tartness and some slight bitter taste. The finish lingered on for a while. Much better after 1 hour or so.
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5/16/2011 - ksteiner wrote: 89 Points
Very dry on the palate. Nice dry wine alone.
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4/30/2011 - prof b Likes this wine: 90 Points
corkscrew's review sums it up. excellent cab, especially for the money. tannins are pretty minimal, not sure about aging.
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4/26/2011 - jktaylor wrote: 92 Points
Took to Cancun with is and it was stellar. Much more fruit than the first bottle we opened a month or two back. Lovely initial hit of cherry with some nice depth and finish.
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4/19/2011 - ClubTerry wrote: 88 Points
Nice wine just seemed a little thin, soft subtle flavors. Maybe this is due to the fact that I recently have been drinking some big fruit wines. Overall nice wine paired better with food than on its own.
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4/10/2011 - Grape_ape wrote: 85 Points
This was pretty harsh and unbalanced on the pop and pour, lot of alcohol showing as well, vapors and literally kind of burned the throat... did come more into balance over time, but still mediocre at best, not drinking at its "original" price point for sure... somehow in the back of my mind, I feel like this was an off bottle though. Will wait a while before trying another.
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3/30/2011 - ptevans wrote: 87 Points
Medium body, soft tannins, drinking well now.
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3/11/2011 - corkscrews wrote: 90 Points
A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark amber in color. A smooth, medium to full bodied Cab, with blackberry, black cherry, herbs and licorice, drinking really well now, an elegant wine, would of rated higher if it had more tannins to show aging potential.
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3/2/2011 - pkbackman wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was rocking right after a pop and pour. Loaded with red and blue fruit.
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3/2/2011 - jimitt01 wrote: 89 Points
Pop & Pour, nice dark fruit on the nose. Has opened up with time. Glad I got a case. This particular bottle had a lot of sediment.
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2/1/2011 - amateurwino wrote: 89 Points
Quite a bit darker-fruited than the Seven Hills merlot tasted before it - blackcurrants, oak and some perfume on the nose. Palate feels a bit extracted, with some spice, more purple-fruited than I recall in previous vintages. A bit of bitterness shows, I like this less than past reds I've tasted from L'Ecole. Still a good wine, but not my favorite style. 88-90.
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1/25/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 91 Points
Rich red and black berry fruit. On the palate, some lovely violet tones with rich cassis. Smooth and velvety wine.
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1/20/2011 - Bill1100 wrote:
Winery comments on this wine: This complex and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the diversity of terroir in the Walla Walla Valley; vineyards planted in windblown loess (the Estate Seven Hill Vineyard and Loess Vineyard), ice-age flood silts (Va Piano Vineyard and Pepper Bridge Vineyard) and basalt river rock (Yellow Jacket Vineyard). These prestigious vineyards are certified sustainable and Salmon Safe. Each vineyard lot was hand harvested ripe and gently crushed into one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The must was inoculated with yeast and punched down by hand during fermentation to maximize fruit extraction. When fermentation was complete or the winemakers were otherwise satisfied with the level of tannin and flavor extract, the must was gently pressed. After settling, the wine was racked to 100% small oak barrels with approximately 40% new oak, and then barrel-aged 22 months with five rackings. This wine's composition is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and features a 14.5% alcohol percentage.
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1/3/2011 - bwillia wrote: 88 Points
Opened this way too early! It is all baby fat now and needs about three years to settle down. Nice potential though, Patience!
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10/24/2010 - ELSandIF wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied, smooth, ripe red fruits
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