Slightly cloudy crimson ruby. Spiced crabapples, black pepper, and raspberries on the nose. Dense and chewy with red cherry, sweet black plums, cassis, kirsch, strawberry notes. Delicious.
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Group dinner with Marvin (The Kenwood): My experience with Chappellet is that they tend to be chewy and dense. This was no exception. We wondered if this was a bit past peak.
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Friendly get-together - Big CA Wines!: Nice wine at a good price point. This is typical CA Cab for me, a good amount of fruit, it is slightly lacking in acid and tannins. I can see why some would call this out of balance, but to me, it was a nice wine, just slightly lacking in complexity and tertiary flavors for a wine this age. I am starting to think 2007 was over-hyped, and not as great a vintage as critics first stated...I have been underwhelmed with most 2007 Napa wines so far.
This wine shows black and red fruit (blackberry and cherry) with hints of cocoa and oak....some heat is coming through, and I fear this will only get worse. A solid 91, but I wouldn't want to speculate on drinking or holding....would be nicer of everything integrates better, but not sure it will.
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Dinner with Marvin (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Followed a small glass over an hour. Green pepper, black cherry, cassis, underbrush, wood and alcohol showing. Felt this was coming apart, so I gotta believe this is on this is on the down slope. Drink up.
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Dry and firm cassis bouquet, the palate has good power, grip and tension, lots of black fruit, cassis, sweet spices, dark chocolate and creamy espresso. Hints of vanilla stemming from time in French oak casks but a couple of hours in a carafe does this good and oakiness becomes less prominent. Still grippy tannins which suits the slightly robust (and alcoholic) character, I guess for refinement you have to go for the Pritchard Hill. Nice spicy finish. This is still very much intact and has years left in it, 91 points.
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PnP at a restaurant, and was ready to go. I would actually avoid decanting this wine at this stage as there was minimal sediment. Lush red fruit, mostly cherry, a bit on the sweet side with fully resolved tannins and enough acidity to keep it from getting flabby. Seems to me to be near the end of its window, as the structure is likely to give before the fruit. I have not been a big fan of the 07 Napa vintage for aging, but this has held up better than most, and is still a very enjoyable pour.
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Dark red, almost black. Full body with well integrated tannins. Mouth coating texture featuring black cherry. A big wine that can be enjoyed with or without a meal. Aging nicely. My last bottle so will savour it slowly via Coravin.
November 23 update: pulled the cork after the first glass didn’t last through dinner
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Classic Napa Cab. Some oak on initial opening that integrated after an hour of air. Full of fruit, not showing any signs of age other than the tannins are fully resolved - still dark to the rim. Can drink now or hold for many years.
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Slightly less structure and slightly less complexity than a bottle only five months ago. No reason to downgrade it, however. Mostly plums on the nose and on the palate, along with baking spices (no tobacco this time). Rich and full-bodied. Excellent finish, where the plums are joined by a lighter, almost citrus-like fruit. No imminent danger of going downhill.
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Drinking quite nicely right now. A good deal of blackberries, black cherries, rounded out by a nice helping of dark chocolate. Firm, though far from overbearing, tannins evolve through the finish. Has at least five more years of life.
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Brought from cellar to BEA in NYC. Good not great. I had high expectations from this bottle give the winery, the vintage and the comments below. But it was ho-hum. Nothing wrong but nothing stood out other than it felt fully mature, no hard edges. 90-91 pts.
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This has definitely, finally entered its prime drinking window. Previous bottles (including one only about six weeks ago) were solid, but not all that exciting. This one was exciting, and it was my WOTN at a small party. Compared to earlier bottles, this had decent fruit but beaucoup tobacco and baking spices. Great nose, decent body, and a very good finish. Even though I paid $45 and change for it, it's a terrific value.
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Very beautiful, dark ruby color. Dark fruity nose. Quintessential Napa Valley cassis on the tongue. Then I get the “rustic” things that suggest leather or dustiness. Still some very big tannins. That and associated acid makes me feel that this wine is still on an upward slope. So, while I am enjoying it, tonight, anybody who has it in their cellar needn’t feel they have to rush to open this.
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Big hit at a party. Compared to a bottle almost four months ago, it was comparably rich and balanced. However, this one showed more complexity, with hints of tobacco and baking spices. May still be improving. Not exactly cheap, but it's still a terrific value.
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Did a 2007 Pritchard Hill tasting. Paired with burgers then continued to assess over 4 hours.
Dark red. Medium complexity, nicely tart, tobacco, dark cherry, plum and a young wine tannic finish. More developed than the other wines in the tasting. Although not as complex it showed nicely.
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Much more plum, a more simple version of the Chappellet PH. Great QPR, much more advanced age wise than PH, further along. Baking spices. Cocoa nib city. Earth.
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No signs of age. Nice Napa Cab nose. Black and blue fruits, with just a hint of vanilla. Fairly rich and viscous, with a solid finish. Beautifully balanced right now. However, it was sorely lacking in "Wow" factor. In other words, a textbook Napa Cab, but nothing to get excited about.
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Perfect time to drink. Still has a element of berry fruit but then the pallet turns to the rocky Pritchard hill soil and the soften tannins just pleasure the mouth
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Lab dinner at Gate House. This bottle was very well liked and better than I remember my previous bottles. Still loads of fruit here, but this was drinking very smoothly. Tannins are mostly resolved. Not a lot of complexity here but it is delicious.
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Opened and finished previously Coravined bottle. Held up perfectly well. This is a big Cali Cab with great Dark fruit, excellent balance, and a big finish. In a good drinking window, tannins support the fruit but have softened but has many years to go before it fades. Terrific Cab at a very fair price.
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We opened this last night with a few friends and while I had a small glass late in the night, I don't remember much about it. Half the bottle sat on the counter overnight without a cork in it and I stuck a cork in it when I realized this morning that there was still wine in the bottle. Tonight the wine is showing well. It is rich but doesn't cross the line for me. It is not too heavy and there is a good amount of acid. The fruit is dark in tone with some coffee accents. Still showing primary fruit mostly. I liked this more than I expected and am happy to have a couple more.
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I don't know, seemed like it was substantial, deep, long, all those good things. I just don't remember it tasting great. So maybe lacking a bit of fruit.
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Excellent wine, very smooth drinking and went exceptionally well with our grilled steaks. This wine has nice complexity and balance with silky smooth tannins.
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Dark red. Started off with big time tannins , but after two hours they softened some. Initially also had steminess, then the palate was dominated by black fruit, big time blueberries, and a tart finish. Surprised how young this was. Will give my other two bottles more time.
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My first bottle of the 2007. Dark opaque garnet. Nose of blackberry, stewed prunes, graphite, licorice, cedar, and vanilla. Full palate of dense dark fruit: blackberry, currant, and black licorice. Superb length. refreshing acidity. Sweet tannins. Unobtrusive oak. Drinking well, but structured to last 2 decades.
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Nose - mostly fumes Mouth - big fruit, could even be called unctuous, sweet oak / dried coconut overtones. Had on the heels of a very dry brunello thus helping me see the residual sugar in this bottling. Nice enough, needs air, not quite my style but would be a real crowd pleaser
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The first bottle of this I have opened, and I was pleased with the result. Well structured, with an ample amount of tannins and acidity present to balance out the fruit, which is less ripe and forward than many other Napa producers. Drinking excellent now and should hold well for at least another 5 years. Well done.
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bought this bottle back in 2010 and it was perfectly ready for action when i popped it open last night. deep cherry and currant aromatics — can tell that it's a pretty extracted juice, but it retains suavity... not over the top, not just a stuffed shirt. oak is well-integrated. chocolatey tannins. altogether, cabernet sauvignon that is typical in the best sense of the word. had with grilled flank steak and an inordinate of zucchini that my wife had grown.
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First glass showed much alcohol. Second glass opened up more, and by the fourth it was in gear. So, I guess surprising to me because I thought it would be old and tired, which it wasn't. IN fact, I wanted more from it - more fruit, more power. Maybe needs more time to fully open up?
This was open for three hours by the time I got to it. My wife had already finished a couple of glasses. She looked at me both knowingly and like she had committed a crime when I took the first sip. This was just bubbling with opulent aromas of red fruit - pomegranate, black cherry, maraschino cherry and goji, backed by a veil of smoke. Rich entry. So flavorful. Black cherry, woven with black currant and seasoned with sage. I loved the purity of the fruit. This seemed to gain some grip over time, which portends well for a long life. This is the best wine I've had in a while. Truly outstanding. 94
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Started out very weak and thin. However it opened up (though very slowly) and the last few sips were the best. Black fruits, bramble, tight but not overly tannic a finish. A little suggestion of citrus (orange) on the finish. Wish it had showed a little earlier.
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Agree with SpoochMan's note on 9/5/14. Perhaps I was expecting a lot more because 4 years ago it seemed to be very promising, this wine was ho-hum or in a dumb phase. It was a bit one dimensional, nothing really stood out, ordinary to say the least, just a good California Cab with a short finish.
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Still extremely youthful with a ton of black and a bit of red fruit. Needs to sit up for sometime as there is considerable sediment. Lovely at this stage and can only get better.
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Quite nice. Dark Fruit is still rather plush and tannins are somewhat resolved - gave this about 1 1/2 hours aeration and it opened further through dinner and into the evening. First 07 opened. I'm in no rush to finish 5 remaining bottles.
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Sweet cherries and dark fruit. Deep and limited at first with a dull ceiling but brightens significantly with air. Good midpalate presence. A quick, heavy explosion with a long, quiet, earthy, tobacco tail.
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Showing mostly black fruit in a slightly jammy way with softened but still present structure and a touch of oak and heat on the finish. This is a very drinkable and well made wine for sure, though slightly disappointing in it's lack of complexity or differentiation, at least at this stage. Perhaps just needs more time or a longer decant.
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Decanted for 2 hours. This is an excellent wine and a fantastic value for a Napa cabernet. I would recommend letting it sit for several years. It will only get better with age.
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Women in Wine - Mike G and Nola visit Cleveland; 9/27/2014-9/29/2014 (A Restaurant on Lee Road): This started a bit rough but with air, it opened up. The nose is slightly bitter and the acidity out of whack. With some air it shows nice cassis fruit with a bit of tobacco. On the palate, this drinks different from many 07's. Not as ripe, but not a problem. Mostly cassis with a touch of boysenberry. Medium tannins. Nice finish.
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Decanted 4 hours. A wonderful Napa Cab that is still youthful, but with some heat.. Blackberry jam and black pepper on the nose and palate. Cedar notes and medium tannic finish. Drank now for its youthfulness or hold for 3 to 5 years.
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Good, but not mind blowing, but good quality all around. A little earthy and lacking the fruit I prefer. Quality stuff and good price, but not sure I'd go out of my way for this?
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I think we liked this better last time- had this following a 2000 Grand Pontet so unfair. The Chappellet is a well made wine, but too similar to too many other Napa wines. Doesn't disappoint, doesn't distinguish. Lots of time left tho so maybe it will improve but not sure the stuff is there.
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Surprisingly not as good as we remembered. Decanted for 2+ hours. Very earthy and lacked a memorable finish. One more bottle left to try in a year or two.
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Drank right after the '06 BV Tapestry Reserve. This was a bit more serious than the other wine - more concentration and weight, more backward perhaps and needing more time, but really showing some great pedigree and complexity. One of the better wines from this excellent vintage that I wish I had loaded up more on.
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I often mention value in my notes but Chappellet redefines the term with this terrific wine. Nice nose of dark cherry, plum, licorice and sweet oak. Explosive palate echoing the nose with layers of complex fruit and added mineral notes evolving over time. Big time structure, but drinking well right now. Everything in great balance with a long complex finish. When I make it to Napa, Chappellet is first on my list to visit for sure!
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and raspberry. It tastes like chocolate, dust and blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.
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Opened with no decant. Enjoyed this again with Prime Rib. Love the nose of this wine. Drinking well but still has tannins that should get absorbed in the next few years. I like this wine but when I think of the vintage this came from, it should be better. 91
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Consistent with notes of 5/28/2012. This bottle showed a little more mocha, but the overall plum, currant and tobacco flavors were still there. Quite good.
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tight at first with tart berries and sour cherries;after 1-2 hours began open up with some softness and long flavors on the palate with little vanilla or oak;drink with a decant or hold
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Must be drinking too much Pritchard Hill as this wasn't as good as we remembered. Palette is smooth and reasonably long, but the nose left us wanting more.
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Very good....not great....lots of dark fruit....and some oak and licorice....but the velvet mouthfeel and depth of flavor layering aren't present ....still solid and not a disappointment
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Dark. No funky acid chemical/oak thingy that I had been seeing in many Chapp's a few years back... thankfully. Nice rich black fruit nose, some charry oak. This carries onto the palate. Black fruit palate, tight tannins, drawing my mouth, even on day II. This is still young? Some bakers chocolate. This is easy drinking, nice, not complex. A real mountain fruit Cali wine from a great year for the valley floor , but not sure that extended to the mountain. If you are looking for that mystical 07 beauty this is not it. Solid wine making, excellent mountain fruit, years ahead of it. Complexity and development ahead? Jury seems to be undecided.
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good structure and balance ... drank really well. heavier than one would expect and just at the right drinking wave right now. might get better but not by much ... enjoy soon
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Still feel there's lots of potential but still young and very dominated by charred oak and dirt. Very dark and opaque with a cloudiness. Very dense and almost gritty. Was finally starting to come together after 5 hours in decanter. Also dark chocolate notes. Not sure I'll live long enough for this to mature.
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Fairly simple cab drinkable now will benefit from time. Had a glass the first night and finished the next and clearly improved. A good steak wine. For the price a good value
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This wine is interesting. Has no edges. Polished. Fruit flavors and aromas. Rounded tannins. Acidity correct. However, wine is dull in its current stage. Has no surprising element. And look, I like wines from this producer.
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Prior bottle was definitely off. This was much more like the first bottle we consumed. Aromas and flavors consistent with that bottle but tannins in check. Delicious.
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Would add to my last note, that this Cab has gained nice weight, body and structure in the last 10 months from my last tasting. The tannins have integrated with the dark fruit creating better complexity and a longer, more powerful finish.
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Solid bottle, and very well made. Nice deep purple color. Nose is fresh and lively at this point, with curant and purple florals. Some graphite and mild tobacco. Palate is smooth and luxurious. Lots of crushed berry and mild cocoa. Almost jammy. nice quality bottle. wish we had another!
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An Evening of Chappellet 1/25/2013 2003 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 90 30 mins decant drinking wonderfully still youthful amazing wine 2004 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 91 lush 30 mins decanted mouth coating red fruit gentle wine 2005 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 93 Home Run WOTN - wow fruit structure and mojo 2006 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee - 88 Solid mellow cuvee more oak than fruit 2007 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 92 Outstanding - some citrus? But a long finish...great nose 2008 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee - 90 Delightful probably right in the peak of drinking window 2008 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 91 - Big wine, red fruit, cider, vanilla....love this wine 2010 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee "Cervantes" 87 - Tannic needs a longer decant or cellar nap still enjoyable
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pnp. tons of oak spice on the nose, but i like that, so it worked for me. tannin poking out, and even though i'm not savvy enough to distinguish fruit tannin from wood tannin, i would suspect wood tannin based on the pronounced oak on the nose. plenty of gooey black fruits on the palate and finish, with more vanilla and caramel stuff going through the finish. i really liked it, but as more of a cocktail/crowd-pleaser than a thinking man's wine. 90-92, with another 5 years of great drinking left.
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Just had a small glass after opening for our Christmas wine tasting. Currant with a note of blackberry. Maybe a tiny bit more oak on the palate than I would like. Good but not standing out in any particular way.
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Drank in a horizontal with 2 other '07 CS. While this wine came in 3rd, it was a great wine with smoothness and balance. It's realitive light finish was what held this wine back from the others. We don't see this wine improving much more from further aging.
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A bit disappointed as I'd hoped for something a bit bigger; anyway it did improve after about 3 hours (decanted) showing smooth sweet tannin and dark fruits. Still an enjoyable and lovely wine, but not my personal style.
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This wine is in a great spot, entering its early drinking window. Pop and pour through vinturi. nice ripe red fruits, oak was there but not overwhelming and came off more as cedar than vanilla.Nice mix of ripe fruit while still being somewhat restrained. Crazy QPR.
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For chappellet and 2007 vintage, I must admit this was a disappointing effort. Clearly could use some more time in the bottle, the 2007 signature offering was hot and tight - alcohol was apparent and the fruit was dark and tightly wound. I suspect this wine would be better with at least several more years in the bottle; however, the difference between this and the 2006 signature is vast. I am a HUGE chappellet fan - too bad this wine is off the mark.
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Its been about a year since my last rating, medium to full bodied, still fruit forward with blue/black fruit dominant, good structure and probably will improve for a few more years. Low 90s -S
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pnp, consumed over 3 hours. i thought this was really good. not a show-stopper, but just a solid cab drinking really well right now. lots of mocha, blackcurrant, dusty blackberry, and oak spice. silky in the mouth and not heavy, with lots of red fruit. medium-length finish played out the aromas and flavors, with the fruit turning a bit darker than the flavors in the mouth. if scoring, 90-92. i think this will last for another 8-10 years, though i'm not sure it will be any better than it is today.
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This is coming along really nice. Great expression of cabernet fruit, with tannins quite firm but not overpowering. Dark chocolate and black stone fruit showing big right now, and a hint of espresso hanging around the back. My gut tells me this grape juice is going to shut down in the next few months and sleep for a couple of years. Clearly there is a long life ahead of this fine wine.
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Currant and faint herb notes. I get a little heat on the aromatics but not too bad. Though not overly impressed when first opened the wine improved over a couple hours and was at its best when we finished it. There is pretty good structure in the wine and it should drink well for 6-8 years.
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Drank at Memorial Day B-BQ and pasta party so limited notes. We were taken aback by how nice this wine was, surely deserving of a more quiet occasion to open. Full, ripe plum and currant flavors are balanced by earthy, tarry notes and silky tannins. Good long finish. Next one to be opened with steak.
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Decanted 1 hour. Nose of cedar and dark fruits. The palate was fairly primary black and red fruit. A little heat on the finish. Not what I typically expect from this wine.
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This wine shows nice development in the almost six months since last tasted.
Popped and let breathe standing up in the cellar, then warm to 62 degrees for tasting.
The initial pour reveals dark inky black wine with lots of legs, and a wonderful nose of spice and loam and dark cherry fruit.
On the palate, the dark cherry fruit continues with dark dusty cocoa powder and baking spices on the back of the tongue. There is still quite a bit of tannic grip on the finish, with the fruits and tannins dancing together for quite some time.
Hold until >= 2013
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3+ hour decant. Opaque garnet color with lightening edges. Notes of cassis, lavender, currant and cedar throughout. The fruit is ripe on the palate yet still backwards. The oak notes expand with cedar, espresso and cocoa. There's a nice silky tea note throughout. It drinks polished and plush with fine tannins that are very firm. The finish is dry and with good length along with plenty more dark fruit and oak. It's enjoyable at this stage, but tight overall and centered around black fruit and oak. The depth and length is there, and I could see this maybe developing a little more with oak integration- give another couple of years.
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My second bottle in this case and it has improved a lot in 9 months. Very well balanced wine, not a fruit-forward type, but more earthly notes and went well with our meal. We are excited that this wine is definitely improving as it ages.
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Dark fruits, cherry-like, cassis, a touch of spice and nicely integrated, this wine needs at least 30 minutes of decanting to fully enjoy. Really enjoyed sipping this wine over a flank steak. Tremendous value for a California Cab.
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Very pronounced and gritty tannins when first opened. Took two hours or so to really open up. Classic dark fruits, cassis and dark cherry, on the pallet. A decent amount of oak, but well integrated and not overwhelming. A real nice cab for the money.
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Opened three hours prior to consumption. Classic Cali Cab on the nose with dark fruit, leather and oak. Smooth in the mouth with flavors of blackberry, plum, leather and some dust. Nicely done, although could benefit for additional cellar time. If scoring - 91-92.
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Presents in the glass with a vibrant ruby red; quite leggy. Nose of black cherry and other dark fruits with an agreeable spiciness tickling my vomeronasal organ. Dino can be heard snorking faintly in the background.
Wonderful soft mouthfeel as the fruits roll over the palate and the spiciness lingers on the finish, with a hint of almond nuttiness as well.
91+
Drink or hold; will continue to develop nicely for at least several more years.
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1 hr decant. Expressive nose of black cherry, black raspberry, tobacco and cedar. medium plus palate of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and tobacco. Medium plus finish.
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Burst of dark cherry crashes into the oak tannins. Got more leather out of this bottle than previous too. Needs time to get all the components on the same page to approach really top notch.
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Wow, this wine is big & young! Ran the bottle through the Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours - had a glass with a chili-rubbed grilled new york strip. Knock you over with black fruit, and I mean big fruit! I pick-up a heavy richness that needs some age to integrate properly. Medium to high acidity, powerful tannins. A little too hot for my palate. Everything is too big and over-powering here to taste with much detail. Decanted another 2 hours - had 1/2 glass. Starting to calm down. Tannins mellowing. Alcohol still there. Just starting to develop some layers and build a little character. There is a nuanced wine hiding in there somewhere. I will try another glass tomorrow, but honestly this wine is just a big, young brute right now. I wouldn't touch this for another 5 years in the cellar. Keep in mind though, my palate typically prefers a more subdued approach. It could be that all this power may actually be fairly balanced. If that is the case, this is going to be a stunner down the road. I am going to say 89++
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Ultra fine tannins. Black cherry & currant, finished off with a rich, vanilla beam creaminess. With a year of additional cellar time, the layers of complexity really entered a new realm. One of the top CA cab QPRs.
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Shared with Ray on day 2. The purple Color and viscosity was strong. Nose of black currant, leather, and oak is all there. This has evolved since our last tasting. The focused fruit has broadened a bit, and added more fleshy quality on the palate. Day one, I felt there was alot of blueberry fruit and novel spice. Day 2, there are some secondary meat flavors, with more character and length on the finish. A very nice Cabernet at this point, and clearly has life left in the bottle. I would still say hold.
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A youthful CS that is exceptionally balanced and smooth drinking at this point in its life. A compote of black raspberry and fig with pencil lead, subtle essence of baking spices and smooth tannins that coats your mouth with an amalgamation of all its flavor. Drink now or within the next 5 years.
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WCC 2007 Napa Cabernet Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Double decanted at 8am.] This is more what I was expecting. Richer and more full bodied than the first 2. Complex and delicious with a long tasty finish. Day 2: Silky sweet black fruit. A really delicious wine. 94 points.
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Chappellet Vertical 2000-2008 (The Twelves, West Grove PA): This wine, as with the others was popped and poured and may not have received the air time it needed to show its best. For me it was pretty simple. Lots of black fruits, a little spicey and some noticible alcohol. My least favorite of the flight but it may just need some time.
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Juicy young fruit. Darker. Currant. Some plum. Some blackcurrant. Light violets. Tannic. I am not a fan of the juiciness of this wine. Not refined fruit. Perhaps too young. Seems a little off balanced.
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4 hour decant really rounds out the fruit and sweetens the tannin. The wine is dry and satisfying. Sneaked a drink before decanting and really enjoyed the concentration in the first glass. Black cherry fruit a little green pepper and anise. Paired nicely with short ribs.
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Good potential for a mid-range cab. Real good night one as fruit shines and nice cab nose with vanilla. Disjointed day 2 as the structure became sour and intrusive. Came together again on day 3. Young and not quite outstanding yet -- a bit one dimensional.
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Very strong showing. Great nose of cassis. Good fruit and tannins that add interest without excessive pucker. Better than the '06 (friend's bottle not as well stored?) tonight.
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i'm not going to rate this wine right now because i think i caught it in an awkward phase. popped and poured off two good-sized glasses 1 hour before consuming, and enjoyed over two days. day 1 the wine was very tight and a little hot, but you could tell the fruit was peeking out trying to come through. the fruit i got was more red than black, and i got some hot stone/brick as well. the mouth was satisfyingly grapey and plummy, but not tremendously powerful. and the finish didn't add anything interesting. day 2 was a little more open knit, but the heat was still pronounced. i'll stay away from this for 6 months to a year before opening another.
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Opened, no decant. Much much better than last year when released. Very smooth and balanced for such a young wine. Should go for another 5 years at least. Not a long term ager I don't think.
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Almost black in color. Great concentrated nose of pure cherry, intense balck raspberry, dark chocolate and subtle oak. Rich and mouth coating on the palate with more ripe red and dark fruits but not over the top. Vanilla, creame de cassis, and integated oak all play nicely together with the fruit. 20 second finish. Had with beef tenderloin. Excellent QPR.
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This was a bit different that the last bottle. While the chocolate aromas were still there, leather and cigar box now worked their way in; flavors focused on cherries, cola and mocha with notes of dried herbs. What seemed to be missing from the last bottle was everything being tied together; the flavors, the oak and the tannins seemed a bit disconnected. Maybe the last bottle was accelerated in age somehow. We'll have to wait for the next bottle to see. Had with prime rib.
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Decanted for one hour. Beautiful nose of red and black fruit - like strawberries and blackberries combined, with just a hint of vanilla and cedar. The palate is reflective of the nose, starting with blackberry, currant, and vanilla on the start, with a hint of strawberry on the mid-palate, and a very silky and long finish. IMO, this is better than the 2006. Great stuff.
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Decanted about 90 minutes. A bit tannic and astringent at first but that blew off to reveal a very pure, balanced, fruit-driven wine. Perfect with peppery strips, although a bit overshadowed by a 2007 Rivers-Marie Cab opened at the same time. 91.
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This wine is killer! Haven't had a bottle of this in almost one year. It is maturing fast!. We had it tonight with garlic-rubbed T-bones and asparagus .
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Very pleasant to drink, but I felt like it was missing something. Distinctively silky on the palate, medium finish. But I don't think there's enough tannin. Can't put my finger on it, but there's something missing here.
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Well balanced with plenty of lackberry, fruits, soft tannin and long finish. I usually do not agree with professional rating but in this one I think it is great.
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First, I'll start by saying I'm usually not someone to be at the top end of the scoring spectrum for any given wine. I didn't look at the tasting notes before I popped this bottle. My wife and I both got the "wow factor" from this bottle. Chocolate and cherry pie are prevalent on the nose and palate. Lots of fruit with well integrated oak and tannins.
Needless to say, I was a bit surprised by some of the lower scores given comparable wines of this style and price. Maybe my bottle aged in accelerated manner (popped & poured), and this might be a sign of things to come for those storing it in proper cellars. But this was a delicious wine where everything just seemed to be so balanced. Yet still had enough backbone that it could go for another 3-5 years (at least based on this bottle).
I had noted a score of 94 in my head and contemplated lowering it after seeing I would be the high end. But not to be swayed by the masses, I'm going to keep this at 94. Also, no day 2 tasting as we polished it off in one night. It was singing that good.
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black cherry, berry nose; much of the fruit forward style; taste better as time goes; much better second day; next time, need to decant atleast 4 hours; 9 left; still like the lewelling and the Karl Lawrence better.
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Nice pritchard hill cab. Nose: Blackberries, Blueberry, Cassis and some nice cocoa powder. Oak showing early on but a 3hr decant helped it integrate nicely. Plate: Medium/Full bodied feel with nice silky tanins. A well made wine with Black Cherry, Currant and Blueberry Jam in the mouth some sweet spices as well. Finish: Hint of Red Fruit in the finish, cigar and cocoa powder flavors linger as well.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Silky, smooth tannins with layers of structure. Blackberry, black cherry, & eldeberry with creme de cassis. Drinking well now and will get better in 3-5 years.
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Solid effort. Predominantly Cab Sauv blended with Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cab Franc to give this wine solid complexity, character and structure. Needed 2 hours of decanting to hit its stride! Just disappointed our local distributors have marked this wine up 30% more than other markets.
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Mmmhmm, impression only but I really like this for the price - and it could easily fight up in cost class to maybe a $60 bottle or so (from Napa). Rich cedary nose with red fruits and a nice round palate fortified with plenty of tannin and even-handed acidity to balance it all out.
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Dark Garnet Red, and very dark with only little light passing at the edge. Has interesting camphor note, attribute to the oak and green bell pepper. The Blackberry and plum behind that. Frontal attack releases more black berries and cherry, maybe some evergreen as well. No smoke on my palate. The tannins are gripping but fine at this point. If I can wait, then would love to see this sit for 2-3 years in the cellar. I think the fruit would become richer and fuller. This was a great pair with bacon-wrapped filet. Finish lasts for a good 30-45 sec. Solid Cab for this price point, and would encourage others to explore more of this winery and this vintage.
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Very impressive stuff, even at this early stage. Another solid, early-drinking 2007 CA cab sauv that delivers on ripe fruit, some nice secondary aromatic and flavor nuances, and a balanced touch of oak with silky tannins and moderate acidity to guide everything along. This one was all about black and blue fruits, some baking spice, and cocoa powder. I loved it!
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Very good purity of fruit and well concentrated. The tannins appear to be well integrated even though this is much too young. It will benefit from another 3 to 5 years in the bottle. Decant if drinking now.
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Less sweet in style than the Groth tasted shortly before; like the Mountain Cuvee, this is fairly dense. Quality of the 07 vintage shows- and I like this better than previous vintages of this cab, which were too oaky for me. 91-92
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Incredibly tight right now. Deep dark color, plenty of fruit, though somewhat restrained at thus time, tannins with backbone enough to allow this wine to age five to ten years, if not longer. I'll buy a case and lay it down for a while. Has the potential to be a classic cab.
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This is very good cabernet and a testiment to the great 2007 vintage. Nice moutain blackfruit flavors with good balance and finish. One dimensional, but probably the best domestic $20 cab I have ever had. (rivaled only by the 2007 Justin Paso Robles cab.) Buy up!
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May get as good as the '06 but the tannin needs a couple years to integrate. Beautiful mountain red and black fruits with the oak in support. Lush, rich mouth feel. Smells good too!
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Second bottle of 9. I am a little confused with this wine. I had the 2 bottles a couple of weeks apart and the tasting notes were completely different. Bottle #1 (92pts) started the night with this and used the venturi: huge, thick, dark cab. Beautiful long legs and nose of dark fruit and tanned leather. So heavy I pushed the glass aside and saved it for dinner. Silky tannins, plush dark fruit, hints of vanilla, oak and mocha. Long lasting finish. Bottle #2 (89pts) popped and poured. If anything it leaned toward the thin side and was very closed. Didn't have any depth or finish. Second glass was better and I could start to find a bit of the characteristics I saw in the first but still muted. I will absolutely give the next bottle a proper decanting.
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Tasting note from memory a week ago. Really nice classic cab flavors, open an ready for business with some good underlying structure. I think this could improve with a couple years, although its ready now. Definitely would buy again, especially in good vintages.
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Great cab for the price point, solid fruit on the front typical black berry and plum, medium body with hints of dark chocolate in the midpalate, finish has very good staying power hints of vanilla. Good complexity and structure to age for a few more years and should continue to get better with time. Low 90s. -S
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Dark in color with nose of dark red fruit, current and a bit of mocha. Very well balanced and complex with some grppy tannins present. Nice moderate finish. This is still young and the tannins should soften over the next year. Imagine score will increase with my next note.
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Nice enjoyable. I think this is a nice price point for this wine which is a middle weight. I had half one night and the other half the next night out to dinner. Night two was the winner. As its such a young wine the extra time open did this up nice. It also let me know that I want to give my other bottles some time in the cellar. I'd repurchase, except I don't need to. Enjoy!
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no notes taken. Thought this was a fairly textbook cab. Nothing overly intriguing or special at this point but a very nicely made, balanced wine nonetheless. Hopefully it matures into something even better.
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Not as complex as the 06 but it is still a baby. Black currant and oak on the nose with primary black fruit flavors in the mouth. Hugely tannic with great length on the finish
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Dark crimson color with a complex nose of dark cherry, chocolate, and smoke. The palate is rich and peaks in the middle with a core of ripe, dark berries, bitter chocolate, loads of spice and ginger-like sensation; packed with minerals and integrated tannins in a well-structured, long, and velvety finish. This is a winner! Drink from 2012 to 2022.
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Popped and poured. Dark, youthful purple hue. Initially there is a touch of VA tinged with alcohol on the nose with some notes of fruit. After about an hour or so the aromas open and expand to include blackberry, creme de cassis, earth, and a touch of funky vegetal notes. Medium-plus body, quite plush with nice concentration. Youthful and primary, with tiers of black & blue fruits on the palate tinged with vanilla bean, toast, and oak on the close. Tannins are certainly present but show refined and smooth on the finish. Needs a good 12-14 months to integrate a bit further but is very tasty right now (should age well for many years). Although undoubtedly modern in style, there's an underlying elegance to the 2007 Chappellet that's not so apparent in other recent vintages such as the 2006.
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Beautifully open nose for such a young wine.Nose of plum, assorted berries, a little licorice, herbs, cherries, and currant. Palate is still a little young. Tannins have by no means resolved, but opened up nicely with a decant. On the palatae flavors of plum, purple fruits, lots of cherry, and a little milk chocolate as discussed. This is great stuff. 07 is living up to the hype.
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A beautiful, young Cab. Wide open nose has loads of primary currants, herbs and bell pepper. Palate is rich and chewy with gritty tannins providing terrific mouthfeel and balance to the full-bodied fruit. Medium-long flavorful finish.
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Very dark color. Nose of black fruit. On the palate there is sweet black cherries and currant with notes of chocolate and vanilla. This ends with medium finish. Nice wine that was easy to drink.
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This was a little more refined and expressive than the Freemark, Mondavi, Oroppas, St Clement c/s, and Trilogy. More complex and a little more high toned, by comparison. Still fairly typical Napa fruit profile. Oak not too strong. Give it some time. I will say for the price I might be more interested in a few of the other wines I listed. It seems to me that so many of these wines taste similar.
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Christmas Cabs and Syrahs (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had spicy chocolate, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and vanilla. The palate was soft and rich. with espresso, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and a spicy finish.
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Was a little drunk by the time I dipped into this one. I remember great depth of color and concentration in the glass. Classic young Cabernet flavors and aromas. I was surprised at how much this was giving for being so young. The finish was medium length and very pleasing. A great value, and while it will age, I don't know if it will be any better than it is right now. Glad I have more!
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Well, after back vintage Corison and 2006 Groth Reserve this comes across as kinda sweet wood and plain. But context does matter me thinks. Those wines are twice the price and this is still delicious at $38. Big and gutsy and roasty toasty.
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Works incredibly well at its $39 price. Could easily be $20 to $40 higher. Pretty darn youthful right now -- grippy with lots of stuffing. I just gotta so I had to go in. But waiting at least three more months (or three years) will only make it better.
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Outstanding. Needed some time to open up, but shortly after pulling the cork, my friends and I were blown away. Huge mouthfeel of big tannins and evident oak. Tremendous balance from start to finish. The bottle should be great down the road, so if anyone has a spare laying around the house, HOLD IT!!!!!
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Note written on day 2. Deep ruby color. Ripe black cherries, pine sap and tobacco notes on the nose. Big fruit on the palate, with primary flavors of sweet cherries and milk chocolate, turning oakier and darker on the finish. Big and rich, this has excellent ripeness and concentration, yet it's not clumsy or unbalanced. Drinking great now, this has 5-10+ years of improvement ahead. A real winner and as solid a QPR as you'll see in Napa Cab these days.
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Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma): Very fruit forward nose of black cherry, wild berries and cassis. Round rich palate of red fruits and vanilla. Finish is medium length and complexity adding density with mocha and earth notes hanging on. Really nice accessible Cab for now.
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Seems to be more ripe than the '06. Silky tannins with good concentration. I really like this wine, but a first it appeared a tad ripe for me. After a couple of hours in the decanter, the fruit calmed down and some acidity came through providing a necessary balance. Well made and i think it will evolve with a few years. Solid QPR. Drew Barrymore (fleshy, fun and just a touch of romance).
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Cabernet Finale (Wine Exchange. Orange, CA): Drank as part of a Cab Sauv tasting and it had been decanted for several hours. Interesting nose of bubble gum, warm spice, cherry and even roses. At first I didn't like it, but warmed up to it. Good concentration. Medium tannins, and length of about 20 seconds. Fairly layered, and a decent wine if you can get past the initial smell of Bubbaliscious gum.
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4/2/2024 - wino121 wrote: 94 Points
Not sure it gets much better,
Balanced fruit to oak, absolutely seamless thru to finish.
I’d drink it now..
Thru 2027 for optimal experience.
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7/23/2023 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly cloudy crimson ruby. Spiced crabapples, black pepper, and raspberries on the nose. Dense and chewy with red cherry, sweet black plums, cassis, kirsch, strawberry notes. Delicious.
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7/16/2023 - rustyRudy wrote: flawed
Corked
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12/24/2022 - awever Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wieder eine perfekte Flasche, noch lange nicht am Ende.
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11/12/2022 - galewskj wrote: 87 Points
Group dinner with Marvin (The Kenwood): My experience with Chappellet is that they tend to be chewy and dense. This was no exception. We wondered if this was a bit past peak.
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11/11/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine weekend in the Twin Cities; 11/10/2022-11/12/2022 (Where the frosty air is refreshing.. kind of): N: Dark red and black currants, fruited oak, and deep earth but still a kick of heat.
P: Tons of ripe, really dark red and black fruits, deep running earth and still that bit of heat on the finish.
Can't remember the last time I've tasted a Chappellet but this was a pleasant surprise. The damn heat though..
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11/11/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Friendly get-together - Big CA Wines!: Nice wine at a good price point. This is typical CA Cab for me, a good amount of fruit, it is slightly lacking in acid and tannins. I can see why some would call this out of balance, but to me, it was a nice wine, just slightly lacking in complexity and tertiary flavors for a wine this age. I am starting to think 2007 was over-hyped, and not as great a vintage as critics first stated...I have been underwhelmed with most 2007 Napa wines so far.
This wine shows black and red fruit (blackberry and cherry) with hints of cocoa and oak....some heat is coming through, and I fear this will only get worse. A solid 91, but I wouldn't want to speculate on drinking or holding....would be nicer of everything integrates better, but not sure it will.
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11/11/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 88 Points
Dinner with Marvin (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Followed a small glass over an hour. Green pepper, black cherry, cassis, underbrush, wood and alcohol showing. Felt this was coming apart, so I gotta believe this is on this is on the down slope. Drink up.
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9/24/2022 - awever Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ein großer Napa CS, der noch lange nicht am Ende ist, immer noch mit ganz viel Frucht , Dichte, Länge, macht enormen Spaß
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7/12/2022 - wino121 wrote: 91 Points
Mid life, still showing nice fruit notes, oak starting to take hold, nice wine.
Drink now thru 2025
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2/25/2022 - Lype wrote:
Dry and firm cassis bouquet, the palate has good power, grip and tension, lots of black fruit, cassis, sweet spices, dark chocolate and creamy espresso. Hints of vanilla stemming from time in French oak casks but a couple of hours in a carafe does this good and oakiness becomes less prominent. Still grippy tannins which suits the slightly robust (and alcoholic) character, I guess for refinement you have to go for the Pritchard Hill. Nice spicy finish. This is still very much intact and has years left in it, 91 points.
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12/31/2021 - Dustonthebottle wrote: 90 Points
Opened NYE. Finished next day. Muted fruit. Probably a little past prime.
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7/3/2021 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
PnP at a restaurant, and was ready to go. I would actually avoid decanting this wine at this stage as there was minimal sediment. Lush red fruit, mostly cherry, a bit on the sweet side with fully resolved tannins and enough acidity to keep it from getting flabby. Seems to me to be near the end of its window, as the structure is likely to give before the fruit. I have not been a big fan of the 07 Napa vintage for aging, but this has held up better than most, and is still a very enjoyable pour.
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2/17/2021 - JSolo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Soft tannins.
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10/19/2020 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red, almost black.
Full body with well integrated tannins.
Mouth coating texture featuring black cherry.
A big wine that can be enjoyed with or without a meal.
Aging nicely. My last bottle so will savour it slowly via Coravin.
November 23 update: pulled the cork after the first glass didn’t last through dinner
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11/29/2019 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nice Cabernet for grilled tenderloin.
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11/24/2019 - LCHammer wrote: 87 Points
Agree with Acohen, fruit is muted at this point and I find it less enjoyable. Was probably 90+ a few years ago but I recommend drinking now.
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12/27/2018 - jeffjohnsonjj@hotmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Classic Napa Cab. Some oak on initial opening that integrated after an hour of air. Full of fruit, not showing any signs of age other than the tannins are fully resolved - still dark to the rim. Can drink now or hold for many years.
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8/19/2018 - Hamilton1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than the bottle I had several years ago- it has come together nicely now.
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4/9/2018 - Acohen Likes this wine: 88 Points
More mature than expected with less fruit and more leather and tobocca
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2/24/2018 - Night Train Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slightly less structure and slightly less complexity than a bottle only five months ago. No reason to downgrade it, however. Mostly plums on the nose and on the palate, along with baking spices (no tobacco this time). Rich and full-bodied. Excellent finish, where the plums are joined by a lighter, almost citrus-like fruit. No imminent danger of going downhill.
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1/18/2018 - ArizonaWineGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking quite nicely right now. A good deal of blackberries, black cherries, rounded out by a nice helping of dark chocolate. Firm, though far from overbearing, tannins evolve through the finish. Has at least five more years of life.
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1/16/2018 - vinomex wrote:
Brought from cellar to BEA in NYC. Good not great. I had high expectations from this bottle give the winery, the vintage and the comments below. But it was ho-hum. Nothing wrong but nothing stood out other than it felt fully mature, no hard edges. 90-91 pts.
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12/1/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last of a Coravined bottle. Showing worse for the wear from being coravined too many times. Still has some good chocolate and plum. Enjoyable
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11/12/2017 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine never disappoints. Operates way above price point (given Napa cab prices, I'm not sure how much this means).
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10/7/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has definitely, finally entered its prime drinking window. Previous bottles (including one only about six weeks ago) were solid, but not all that exciting. This one was exciting, and it was my WOTN at a small party. Compared to earlier bottles, this had decent fruit but beaucoup tobacco and baking spices. Great nose, decent body, and a very good finish. Even though I paid $45 and change for it, it's a terrific value.
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9/12/2017 - EMark Likes this wine:
Very beautiful, dark ruby color. Dark fruity nose. Quintessential Napa Valley cassis on the tongue. Then I get the “rustic” things that suggest leather or dustiness. Still some very big tannins. That and associated acid makes me feel that this wine is still on an upward slope. So, while I am enjoying it, tonight, anybody who has it in their cellar needn’t feel they have to rush to open this.
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9/9/2017 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
lovely deep fruit, still has a good life.
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8/26/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big hit at a party. Compared to a bottle almost four months ago, it was comparably rich and balanced. However, this one showed more complexity, with hints of tobacco and baking spices. May still be improving. Not exactly cheap, but it's still a terrific value.
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8/22/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Did a 2007 Pritchard Hill tasting. Paired with burgers then continued to assess over 4 hours.
Dark red. Medium complexity, nicely tart, tobacco, dark cherry, plum and a young wine tannic finish. More developed than the other wines in the tasting. Although not as complex it showed nicely.
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8/21/2017 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much more plum, a more simple version of the Chappellet PH. Great QPR, much more advanced age wise than PH, further along. Baking spices. Cocoa nib city. Earth.
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8/4/2017 - dpohlman Likes this wine: 92 Points
this has aged very nicely, and is perfect for drinking right now!
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5/18/2017 - lirvingham wrote: 93 Points
Amazing. Perfect Cali cab at a reasonable price
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5/7/2017 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
No signs of age. Nice Napa Cab nose. Black and blue fruits, with just a hint of vanilla. Fairly rich and viscous, with a solid finish. Beautifully balanced right now. However, it was sorely lacking in "Wow" factor. In other words, a textbook Napa Cab, but nothing to get excited about.
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4/13/2017 - bdander wrote: 95 Points
Perfect time to drink. Still has a element of berry fruit but then the pallet turns to the rocky Pritchard hill soil and the soften tannins just pleasure the mouth
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10/23/2016 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lab dinner at Gate House. This bottle was very well liked and better than I remember my previous bottles. Still loads of fruit here, but this was drinking very smoothly. Tannins are mostly resolved. Not a lot of complexity here but it is delicious.
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9/13/2016 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Continues to please . . .
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7/26/2016 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank with grad students at GRC. No detailed notes. This cab was very solid but not spectacular in any way
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7/21/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened and finished previously Coravined bottle. Held up perfectly well. This is a big Cali Cab with great Dark fruit, excellent balance, and a big finish. In a good drinking window, tannins support the fruit but have softened but has many years to go before it fades. Terrific Cab at a very fair price.
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7/3/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aromatic dark fruit nose. Ripe Bing cherry, minerals, soft tannins, vanilla , this is a big wine, long finish. Not over acidified.
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7/3/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid core of blueberry fruit, smooth tannins, nice vanilla. Solid well built Cabernet. Good QPR.
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6/1/2016 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 91 Points
Short decant. This showed very well. Blue fruit profile. Tannins were well integrated. Nice finish.
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5/28/2016 - Outplaying wrote:
We opened this last night with a few friends and while I had a small glass late in the night, I don't remember much about it. Half the bottle sat on the counter overnight without a cork in it and I stuck a cork in it when I realized this morning that there was still wine in the bottle. Tonight the wine is showing well. It is rich but doesn't cross the line for me. It is not too heavy and there is a good amount of acid. The fruit is dark in tone with some coffee accents. Still showing primary fruit mostly. I liked this more than I expected and am happy to have a couple more.
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5/27/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Good authority though the intensity is off center.
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4/13/2016 - Wine Poor wrote: 90 Points
A lot going on with this wine. More herbal than fruit forward. Decanted
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3/30/2016 - levinml wrote: 90 Points
I don't know, seemed like it was substantial, deep, long, all those good things. I just don't remember it tasting great. So maybe lacking a bit of fruit.
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2/2/2016 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully balanced with a taste of berries, chocolate and smooth tannis. Long finish too.
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1/6/2016 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent wine, very smooth drinking and went exceptionally well with our grilled steaks. This wine has nice complexity and balance with silky smooth tannins.
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1/6/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red. Started off with big time tannins , but after two hours they softened some. Initially also had steminess, then the palate was dominated by black fruit, big time blueberries, and a tart finish. Surprised how young this was. Will give my other two bottles more time.
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12/30/2015 - richardkim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackcurrant and dark fruits, with hints of graphite. The fruit is still very primary at this age, and tannins are fine.
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10/26/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first bottle of the 2007. Dark opaque garnet. Nose of blackberry, stewed prunes, graphite, licorice, cedar, and vanilla. Full palate of dense dark fruit: blackberry, currant, and black licorice. Superb length. refreshing acidity. Sweet tannins. Unobtrusive oak. Drinking well, but structured to last 2 decades.
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10/15/2015 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Consistent notes with last time. Well made, lots going on, but taste is just OK. May yet get better with a few more years. No rush.
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9/26/2015 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - mostly fumes
Mouth - big fruit, could even be called unctuous, sweet oak / dried coconut overtones. Had on the heels of a very dry brunello thus helping me see the residual sugar in this bottling. Nice enough, needs air, not quite my style but would be a real crowd pleaser
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9/20/2015 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
The first bottle of this I have opened, and I was pleased with the result. Well structured, with an ample amount of tannins and acidity present to balance out the fruit, which is less ripe and forward than many other Napa producers. Drinking excellent now and should hold well for at least another 5 years. Well done.
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8/24/2015 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
Drinking really well at this point, and deftly bridges old school Napa and new. I'll definitely be looking to add more of this wine to the cellar.
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8/21/2015 - ledwards wrote: 95 Points
Possibly the best value in the marketplace for pedigreed cabernet. Classic and incredibly well balanced. Outstanding right niow.
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8/21/2015 - Acohen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely cab that is in a great place right now with currant, blueberry, cocoa and a great finish
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8/7/2015 - frank hertz Likes this wine: 94 Points
bought this bottle back in 2010 and it was perfectly ready for action when i popped it open last night. deep cherry and currant aromatics — can tell that it's a pretty extracted juice, but it retains suavity... not over the top, not just a stuffed shirt. oak is well-integrated. chocolatey tannins. altogether, cabernet sauvignon that is typical in the best sense of the word. had with grilled flank steak and an inordinate of zucchini that my wife had grown.
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6/20/2015 - Rollerball wrote:
Loads of dark up-front fruit here. Sweet, lush, and velvety. Seems less precise than what I remember of prior bottles.
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5/25/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
First glass showed much alcohol. Second glass opened up more, and by the fourth it was in gear. So, I guess surprising to me because I thought it would be old and tired, which it wasn't. IN fact, I wanted more from it - more fruit, more power. Maybe needs more time to fully open up?
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5/23/2015 - swade wrote: 94 Points
This was open for three hours by the time I got to it. My wife had already finished a couple of glasses. She looked at me both knowingly and like she had committed a crime when I took the first sip. This was just bubbling with opulent aromas of red fruit - pomegranate, black cherry, maraschino cherry and goji, backed by a veil of smoke. Rich entry. So flavorful. Black cherry, woven with black currant and seasoned with sage. I loved the purity of the fruit. This seemed to gain some grip over time, which portends well for a long life. This is the best wine I've had in a while. Truly outstanding. 94
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5/20/2015 - jimmyrice14 wrote: 92 Points
Sorry this was my last one of this vintage. Fantastic.
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4/18/2015 - Gianni13 wrote: 91 Points
Started out very weak and thin. However it opened up (though very slowly) and the last few sips were the best. Black fruits, bramble, tight but not overly tannic a finish. A little suggestion of citrus (orange) on the finish. Wish it had showed a little earlier.
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4/4/2015 - vinomex wrote: 89 Points
Agree with SpoochMan's note on 9/5/14. Perhaps I was expecting a lot more because 4 years ago it seemed to be very promising, this wine was ho-hum or in a dumb phase. It was a bit one dimensional, nothing really stood out, ordinary to say the least, just a good California Cab with a short finish.
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3/14/2015 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
Still extremely youthful with a ton of black and a bit of red fruit. Needs to sit up for sometime as there is considerable sediment. Lovely at this stage and can only get better.
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2/9/2015 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite nice. Dark Fruit is still rather plush and tannins are somewhat resolved - gave this about 1 1/2 hours aeration and it opened further through dinner and into the evening. First 07 opened. I'm in no rush to finish 5 remaining bottles.
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2/8/2015 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Black cherry and chocolate. Long finish, smooth tannins.
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2/1/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Sweet cherries and dark fruit. Deep and limited at first with a dull ceiling but brightens significantly with air. Good midpalate presence. A quick, heavy explosion with a long, quiet, earthy, tobacco tail.
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1/17/2015 - TKS9 wrote: 90 Points
Showing mostly black fruit in a slightly jammy way with softened but still present structure and a touch of oak and heat on the finish. This is a very drinkable and well made wine for sure, though slightly disappointing in it's lack of complexity or differentiation, at least at this stage. Perhaps just needs more time or a longer decant.
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12/21/2014 - BordeauxMN wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. This is an excellent wine and a fantastic value for a Napa cabernet. I would recommend letting it sit for several years. It will only get better with age.
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9/27/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Women in Wine - Mike G and Nola visit Cleveland; 9/27/2014-9/29/2014 (A Restaurant on Lee Road): This started a bit rough but with air, it opened up. The nose is slightly bitter and the acidity out of whack. With some air it shows nice cassis fruit with a bit of tobacco. On the palate, this drinks different from many 07's. Not as ripe, but not a problem. Mostly cassis with a touch of boysenberry. Medium tannins. Nice finish.
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9/26/2014 - David_T wrote: 90 Points
Cocoa and red currant aromas. Notes of cocoa, earth and red currant on the palate. Light acidity and medium tannins.
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9/5/2014 - SpoochMan wrote: 89 Points
Coravin Taste-off: 2007 Napa Cabs (Conn Valley Reserve, Groth Reserve, Kamen, Lewelling Wight Vineyard, and Chappellet Signature): The nose here is rather closed, with some dark fruits but not a whole lot else. One the palate, this is dark-fruited and tastes like a fairly generic $25-30 cab. It's a bit too low in acidity, and I'm really not getting much at all in the way of secondary notes. It's solid but not exciting at all.
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9/1/2014 - Bob in NC wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 4 hours. A wonderful Napa Cab that is still youthful, but with some heat.. Blackberry jam and black pepper on the nose and palate. Cedar notes and medium tannic finish. Drank now for its youthfulness or hold for 3 to 5 years.
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8/17/2014 - MOCGator wrote: 92 Points
Very solid. As good as the 07 Pritchard hill.
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7/22/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic california cab. Love their wines. No specific notes. Good QPR
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7/17/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purple. Consumed at busy pre family wedding get together, so no serious tasting notes.
More spice and complexity than the Caymus. Went quickly.
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6/25/2014 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Good, but not mind blowing, but good quality all around. A little earthy and lacking the fruit I prefer. Quality stuff and good price, but not sure I'd go out of my way for this?
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6/6/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 89 Points
I think we liked this better last time- had this following a 2000 Grand Pontet so unfair. The Chappellet is a well made wine, but too similar to too many other Napa wines. Doesn't disappoint, doesn't distinguish. Lots of time left tho so maybe it will improve but not sure the stuff is there.
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5/24/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
an excellent wine, and an excellent value. A well balanced, well structured CS, showing the benefit of location and history.
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4/3/2014 - WI WineLover wrote: 88 Points
Surprisingly not as good as we remembered. Decanted for 2+ hours. Very earthy and lacked a memorable finish. One more bottle left to try in a year or two.
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3/1/2014 - flwinos wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes before consumption. Opened up even more with more air. Really drinking well right now. Wish I had more of this.
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2/24/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Drank right after the '06 BV Tapestry Reserve. This was a bit more serious than the other wine - more concentration and weight, more backward perhaps and needing more time, but really showing some great pedigree and complexity. One of the better wines from this excellent vintage that I wish I had loaded up more on.
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1/20/2014 - SCMeyer Likes this wine: 93 Points
I often mention value in my notes but Chappellet redefines the term with this terrific wine. Nice nose of dark cherry, plum, licorice and sweet oak. Explosive palate echoing the nose with layers of complex fruit and added mineral notes evolving over time. Big time structure, but drinking well right now. Everything in great balance with a long complex finish. When I make it to Napa, Chappellet is first on my list to visit for sure!
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1/18/2014 - Laszkiewicz Likes this wine: 89 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and raspberry. It tastes like chocolate, dust and blackberry. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.
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1/15/2014 - RDHudak wrote: 90 Points
Got better and better with a decant. Dark fruit, cedar and earth. Very nice, but quite young. 90-91
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1/1/2014 - Lakersguy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened with no decant. Enjoyed this again with Prime Rib. Love the nose of this wine. Drinking well but still has tannins that should get absorbed in the next few years. I like this wine but when I think of the vintage this came from, it should be better. 91
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12/30/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with notes of 5/28/2012. This bottle showed a little more mocha, but the overall plum, currant and tobacco flavors were still there. Quite good.
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12/16/2013 - bugdoced wrote: 91 Points
tight at first with tart berries and sour cherries;after 1-2 hours began open up with some softness and long flavors on the palate with little vanilla or oak;drink with a decant or hold
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12/15/2013 - cookie7 wrote: 90 Points
Coravin - day 1. Mocha and chocolate on the nose. Plums and sweet tannins on the palate. Nice wine but a bit short on the finish.
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12/8/2013 - lirvingham Likes this wine: 90 Points
Must be drinking too much Pritchard Hill as this wasn't as good as we remembered. Palette is smooth and reasonably long, but the nose left us wanting more.
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12/7/2013 - ivsimler Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fantastic wine. I you have it, its still great, if you see some, buy it. Drink now or store a while. Your choice. Neither will disappoint.
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11/26/2013 - CCestaro wrote: 91 Points
Very good....not great....lots of dark fruit....and some oak and licorice....but the velvet mouthfeel and depth of flavor layering aren't present ....still solid and not a disappointment
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8/14/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
Dark. No funky acid chemical/oak thingy that I had been seeing in many Chapp's a few years back... thankfully. Nice rich black fruit nose, some charry oak. This carries onto the palate. Black fruit palate, tight tannins, drawing my mouth, even on day II. This is still young? Some bakers chocolate. This is easy drinking, nice, not complex. A real mountain fruit Cali wine from a great year for the valley floor , but not sure that extended to the mountain. If you are looking for that mystical 07 beauty this is not it. Solid wine making, excellent mountain fruit, years ahead of it. Complexity and development ahead? Jury seems to be undecided.
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8/9/2013 - mdfuller wrote: 91 Points
good structure and balance ... drank really well. heavier than one would expect and just at the right drinking wave right now. might get better but not by much ... enjoy soon
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8/5/2013 - iamandyc wrote: 89 Points
Still feel there's lots of potential but still young and very dominated by charred oak and dirt. Very dark and opaque with a cloudiness. Very dense and almost gritty. Was finally starting to come together after 5 hours in decanter. Also dark chocolate notes. Not sure I'll live long enough for this to mature.
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7/30/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 89 Points
Fairly simple cab drinkable now will benefit from time. Had a glass the first night and finished the next and clearly improved. A good steak wine. For the price a good value
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6/8/2013 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Still young and big. Probably shouldn't score cause this could wind up really good or never come around, but lots of potential.
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6/7/2013 - LFCHALA wrote: 89 Points
This wine is interesting. Has no edges. Polished. Fruit flavors and aromas. Rounded tannins. Acidity correct. However, wine is dull in its current stage. Has no surprising element. And look, I like wines from this producer.
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5/12/2013 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prior bottle was definitely off. This was much more like the first bottle we consumed. Aromas and flavors consistent with that bottle but tannins in check. Delicious.
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5/6/2013 - Lakersguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well now. Great fruit and a good wine for the money. Glad I have a few left.
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4/7/2013 - vancouvermatt wrote: 93 Points
Wow, it's really come into its own. Very youthful, complex, and powerful, with boats of black currant and blueberry fruit.
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2/18/2013 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would add to my last note, that this Cab has gained nice weight, body and structure in the last 10 months from my last tasting. The tannins have integrated with the dark fruit creating better complexity and a longer, more powerful finish.
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2/16/2013 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Solid bottle, and very well made. Nice deep purple color. Nose is fresh and lively at this point, with curant and purple florals. Some graphite and mild tobacco. Palate is smooth and luxurious. Lots of crushed berry and mild cocoa. Almost jammy. nice quality bottle. wish we had another!
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2/10/2013 - xboomer wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this very good Cab.
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1/31/2013 - redman77 wrote: 92 Points
An Evening of Chappellet 1/25/2013
2003 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 90 30 mins decant drinking wonderfully still youthful amazing wine
2004 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 91 lush 30 mins decanted mouth coating red fruit gentle wine
2005 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 93 Home Run WOTN - wow fruit structure and mojo
2006 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee - 88 Solid mellow cuvee more oak than fruit
2007 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature - 92 Outstanding - some citrus? But a long finish...great nose
2008 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee - 90 Delightful probably right in the peak of drinking window
2008 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 91 - Big wine, red fruit, cider, vanilla....love this wine
2010 Chappellet Vineyard Mountain Cuvee "Cervantes" 87 - Tannic needs a longer decant or cellar nap still enjoyable
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1/18/2013 - caeleric Likes this wine:
pnp. tons of oak spice on the nose, but i like that, so it worked for me. tannin poking out, and even though i'm not savvy enough to distinguish fruit tannin from wood tannin, i would suspect wood tannin based on the pronounced oak on the nose. plenty of gooey black fruits on the palate and finish, with more vanilla and caramel stuff going through the finish. i really liked it, but as more of a cocktail/crowd-pleaser than a thinking man's wine. 90-92, with another 5 years of great drinking left.
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12/20/2012 - JPH104 wrote:
Oak a bit prominent but not overpowering. Smooth and pleasant but lacks some backbone and complexity.
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12/16/2012 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Just had a small glass after opening for our Christmas wine tasting. Currant with a note of blackberry. Maybe a tiny bit more oak on the palate than I would like. Good but not standing out in any particular way.
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11/17/2012 - Bob in NC wrote: 90 Points
Drank in a horizontal with 2 other '07 CS. While this wine came in 3rd, it was a great wine with smoothness and balance. It's realitive light finish was what held this wine back from the others. We don't see this wine improving much more from further aging.
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11/17/2012 - EJKIII wrote: 90 Points
Previous reviews are right on. Good, but not great bottle.
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11/7/2012 - danren95 wrote: 90 Points
A bit disappointed as I'd hoped for something a bit bigger; anyway it did improve after about 3 hours (decanted) showing smooth sweet tannin and dark fruits. Still an enjoyable and lovely wine, but not my personal style.
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11/1/2012 - Zonk wrote: 92 Points
This wine is in a great spot, entering its early drinking window. Pop and pour through vinturi. nice ripe red fruits, oak was there but not overwhelming and came off more as cedar than vanilla.Nice mix of ripe fruit while still being somewhat restrained. Crazy QPR.
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10/27/2012 - 46and2 wrote: 87 Points
For chappellet and 2007 vintage, I must admit this was a disappointing effort. Clearly could use some more time in the bottle, the 2007 signature offering was hot and tight - alcohol was apparent and the fruit was dark and tightly wound. I suspect this wine would be better with at least several more years in the bottle; however, the difference between this and the 2006 signature is vast. I am a HUGE chappellet fan - too bad this wine is off the mark.
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10/22/2012 - sasvino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Its been about a year since my last rating, medium to full bodied, still fruit forward with blue/black fruit dominant, good structure and probably will improve for a few more years. Low 90s -S
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10/11/2012 - caeleric wrote:
pnp, consumed over 3 hours. i thought this was really good. not a show-stopper, but just a solid cab drinking really well right now. lots of mocha, blackcurrant, dusty blackberry, and oak spice. silky in the mouth and not heavy, with lots of red fruit. medium-length finish played out the aromas and flavors, with the fruit turning a bit darker than the flavors in the mouth. if scoring, 90-92. i think this will last for another 8-10 years, though i'm not sure it will be any better than it is today.
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9/2/2012 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 90 Points
This is coming along really nice. Great expression of cabernet fruit, with tannins quite firm but not overpowering. Dark chocolate and black stone fruit showing big right now, and a hint of espresso hanging around the back. My gut tells me this grape juice is going to shut down in the next few months and sleep for a couple of years. Clearly there is a long life ahead of this fine wine.
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9/2/2012 - Outplaying wrote:
Currant and faint herb notes. I get a little heat on the aromatics but not too bad. Though not overly impressed when first opened the wine improved over a couple hours and was at its best when we finished it. There is pretty good structure in the wine and it should drink well for 6-8 years.
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7/28/2012 - HBvino wrote: 91 Points
Enjoy that Pritchard Hill fruit. Incredibly dark color.
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7/17/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent wine. Elegant and tasty. This is a great producer with a great wine
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6/29/2012 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 91 Points
a good ca cab ... nothing spectacular but everything to just about everybody ... one of those wines that nobody could complain about ...
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6/24/2012 - flwinos wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well after about 60 - 90 minutes in the decanter. Cherry and baking spice abound on the palate.
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6/15/2012 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid wine for the price, not as good as the hype, but worth the price. Very mercurial.
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5/28/2012 - danielbleier wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Memorial Day B-BQ and pasta party so limited notes. We were taken aback by how nice this wine was, surely deserving of a more quiet occasion to open. Full, ripe plum and currant flavors are balanced by earthy, tarry notes and silky tannins. Good long finish. Next one to be opened with steak.
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5/27/2012 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Very good fruit. Outshowed Zero-One's Wild Sky Cab from Walla Walla of the same vintage.
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5/23/2012 - cawineaux wrote: 84 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nose of cedar and dark fruits. The palate was fairly primary black and red fruit. A little heat on the finish. Not what I typically expect from this wine.
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5/11/2012 - Frabjous Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine shows nice development in the almost six months since last tasted.
Popped and let breathe standing up in the cellar, then warm to 62 degrees for tasting.
The initial pour reveals dark inky black wine with lots of legs, and a wonderful nose of spice and loam and dark cherry fruit.
On the palate, the dark cherry fruit continues with dark dusty cocoa powder and baking spices on the back of the tongue. There is still quite a bit of tannic grip on the finish, with the fruits and tannins dancing together for quite some time.
Hold until >= 2013
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5/11/2012 - MattMauldin wrote: 91 Points
3+ hour decant. Opaque garnet color with lightening edges. Notes of cassis, lavender, currant and cedar throughout. The fruit is ripe on the palate yet still backwards. The oak notes expand with cedar, espresso and cocoa. There's a nice silky tea note throughout. It drinks polished and plush with fine tannins that are very firm. The finish is dry and with good length along with plenty more dark fruit and oak. It's enjoyable at this stage, but tight overall and centered around black fruit and oak. The depth and length is there, and I could see this maybe developing a little more with oak integration- give another couple of years.
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5/5/2012 - Bob in NC wrote:
Notes silimiar to 7/2/2011. Still a youthful Cab with several good years left to go.
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4/30/2012 - jfont123 wrote: 91 Points
Delicious bottle
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4/21/2012 - dstraub wrote: 92 Points
My second bottle in this case and it has improved a lot in 9 months. Very well balanced wine, not a fruit-forward type, but more earthly notes and went well with our meal. We are excited that this wine is definitely improving as it ages.
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4/15/2012 - Schiffy wrote: 91 Points
Dark fruits, cherry-like, cassis, a touch of spice and nicely integrated, this wine needs at least 30 minutes of decanting to fully enjoy. Really enjoyed sipping this wine over a flank steak. Tremendous value for a California Cab.
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4/1/2012 - tp096255 wrote: 91 Points
Wally's California All-Stars 2012
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3/25/2012 - umass98som wrote: 91 Points
Very pronounced and gritty tannins when first opened. Took two hours or so to really open up. Classic dark fruits, cassis and dark cherry, on the pallet. A decent amount of oak, but well integrated and not overwhelming. A real nice cab for the money.
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3/23/2012 - dontime wrote:
Opened three hours prior to consumption. Classic Cali Cab on the nose with dark fruit, leather and oak. Smooth in the mouth with flavors of blackberry, plum, leather and some dust. Nicely done, although could benefit for additional cellar time. If scoring - 91-92.
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2/24/2012 - mmoss wrote: 90 Points
Very dark in color, dark fruit, solid tannins. Impressed on the rounded just very slightly oaky finish.
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2/19/2012 - Mgarfin wrote: 90 Points
It was rough at first but after breathing it softened up. Not as much fruit as I expected but still quite good. Needs more time.
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12/23/2011 - Frabjous wrote: 91 Points
A very tasty cab.
Presents in the glass with a vibrant ruby red; quite leggy. Nose of black cherry and other dark fruits with an agreeable spiciness tickling my vomeronasal organ. Dino can be heard snorking faintly in the background.
Wonderful soft mouthfeel as the fruits roll over the palate and the spiciness lingers on the finish, with a hint of almond nuttiness as well.
91+
Drink or hold; will continue to develop nicely for at least several more years.
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11/21/2011 - brianofthevine wrote: 90 Points
Black cherry and chocolate. Mocha notes, nice finish.
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11/15/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 90 Points
1 hr decant. Expressive nose of black cherry, black raspberry, tobacco and cedar. medium plus palate of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and tobacco. Medium plus finish.
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11/9/2011 - Hamilton1 wrote: 90 Points
More red fruit than anticipated. Good, but not worth the hype or the money.
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10/30/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes. This did not impress as much as earlier bottle. Still very nice though.
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10/2/2011 - HBvino wrote: 91 Points
Burst of dark cherry crashes into the oak tannins. Got more leather out of this bottle than previous too. Needs time to get all the components on the same page to approach really top notch.
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9/23/2011 - djlevin wrote: 89 Points
Wow, this wine is big & young! Ran the bottle through the Vinturi and decanted for 2 hours - had a glass with a chili-rubbed grilled new york strip. Knock you over with black fruit, and I mean big fruit! I pick-up a heavy richness that needs some age to integrate properly. Medium to high acidity, powerful tannins. A little too hot for my palate. Everything is too big and over-powering here to taste with much detail. Decanted another 2 hours - had 1/2 glass. Starting to calm down. Tannins mellowing. Alcohol still there. Just starting to develop some layers and build a little character. There is a nuanced wine hiding in there somewhere. I will try another glass tomorrow, but honestly this wine is just a big, young brute right now. I wouldn't touch this for another 5 years in the cellar. Keep in mind though, my palate typically prefers a more subdued approach. It could be that all this power may actually be fairly balanced. If that is the case, this is going to be a stunner down the road. I am going to say 89++
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9/1/2011 - ksgill wrote: 91 Points
Cigar on the nose, red fruit on the palate. Quite nice.
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8/1/2011 - raydawgone wrote: 95 Points
Ultra fine tannins. Black cherry & currant, finished off with a rich, vanilla beam creaminess. With a year of additional cellar time, the layers of complexity really entered a new realm. One of the top CA cab QPRs.
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7/3/2011 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Shared with Ray on day 2. The purple Color and viscosity was strong. Nose of black currant, leather, and oak is all there. This has evolved since our last tasting. The focused fruit has broadened a bit, and added more fleshy quality on the palate. Day one, I felt there was alot of blueberry fruit and novel spice. Day 2, there are some secondary meat flavors, with more character and length on the finish. A very nice Cabernet at this point, and clearly has life left in the bottle. I would still say hold.
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7/2/2011 - Bob in NC wrote: 90 Points
A youthful CS that is exceptionally balanced and smooth drinking at this point in its life. A compote of black raspberry and fig with pencil lead, subtle essence of baking spices and smooth tannins that coats your mouth with an amalgamation of all its flavor. Drink now or within the next 5 years.
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6/30/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC 2007 Napa Cabernet Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Double decanted at 8am.] This is more what I was expecting. Richer and more full bodied than the first 2. Complex and delicious with a long tasty finish.
Day 2: Silky sweet black fruit. A really delicious wine. 94 points.
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6/20/2011 - Zonk wrote: 91 Points
2 hour decant, still not giving up a ton. Fruit more on the red end of the spectrum, very well balanced. Don't think it will be as good as the 06.
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6/17/2011 - BinVA wrote: 89 Points
Just ok, nothing special going on.
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6/12/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Chappellet Vertical 2000-2008 (The Twelves, West Grove PA): This wine, as with the others was popped and poured and may not have received the air time it needed to show its best. For me it was pretty simple. Lots of black fruits, a little spicey and some noticible alcohol. My least favorite of the flight but it may just need some time.
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5/28/2011 - Xtriguy wrote: 90 Points
A very approachable '07. More finess than i have seen in many wines from that vintage. Very balanced, not overwhelming in any way. Subtle tannins.
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5/16/2011 - DSaeedi wrote: 90 Points
Juicy young fruit. Darker. Currant. Some plum. Some blackcurrant. Light violets. Tannic. I am not a fan of the juiciness of this wine. Not refined fruit. Perhaps too young. Seems a little off balanced.
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5/1/2011 - HBvino wrote: 93 Points
Harmonious mix of intense dark cherry and black fruit. Subtle tannins. Looking forward to the next bottle.
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4/23/2011 - bowempe wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant really rounds out the fruit and sweetens the tannin. The wine is dry and satisfying. Sneaked a drink before decanting and really enjoyed the concentration in the first glass. Black cherry fruit a little green pepper and anise. Paired nicely with short ribs.
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4/19/2011 - Mike Mann wrote: 92 Points
bold cab, good nose, lots of vanilla, deep color, also fruit full flavor of blackberries ,,, excellent
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3/21/2011 - JDB wrote: 90 Points
Yum, grip it & rip it, pop & pour no need to decant , it is very tasty right from the get go. This shows 07 off in a great way
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3/10/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 89 Points
Good potential for a mid-range cab. Real good night one as fruit shines and nice cab nose with vanilla. Disjointed day 2 as the structure became sour and intrusive. Came together again on day 3. Young and not quite outstanding yet -- a bit one dimensional.
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2/27/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 93 Points
Very strong showing. Great nose of cassis. Good fruit and tannins that add interest without excessive pucker. Better than the '06 (friend's bottle not as well stored?) tonight.
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2/21/2011 - caeleric Likes this wine:
i'm not going to rate this wine right now because i think i caught it in an awkward phase. popped and poured off two good-sized glasses 1 hour before consuming, and enjoyed over two days. day 1 the wine was very tight and a little hot, but you could tell the fruit was peeking out trying to come through. the fruit i got was more red than black, and i got some hot stone/brick as well. the mouth was satisfyingly grapey and plummy, but not tremendously powerful. and the finish didn't add anything interesting. day 2 was a little more open knit, but the heat was still pronounced. i'll stay away from this for 6 months to a year before opening another.
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12/27/2010 - Lakersguy wrote: 92 Points
Opened, no decant. Much much better than last year when released. Very smooth and balanced for such a young wine. Should go for another 5 years at least. Not a long term ager I don't think.
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12/26/2010 - xboomer wrote: flawed
Something was wrong with this bottle. Had to throw it away.
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12/25/2010 - Tuffdawg wrote: 92 Points
Almost black in color. Great concentrated nose of pure cherry, intense balck raspberry, dark chocolate and subtle oak. Rich and mouth coating on the palate with more ripe red and dark fruits but not over the top. Vanilla, creame de cassis, and integated oak all play nicely together with the fruit. 20 second finish. Had with beef tenderloin. Excellent QPR.
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12/24/2010 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was a bit different that the last bottle. While the chocolate aromas were still there, leather and cigar box now worked their way in; flavors focused on cherries, cola and mocha with notes of dried herbs. What seemed to be missing from the last bottle was everything being tied together; the flavors, the oak and the tannins seemed a bit disconnected. Maybe the last bottle was accelerated in age somehow. We'll have to wait for the next bottle to see. Had with prime rib.
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12/24/2010 - thaskins wrote: 88 Points
Just didn't do it for me..very tight without a fruitful burst.
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11/28/2010 - dk0s0v3c wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour. Beautiful nose of red and black fruit - like strawberries and blackberries combined, with just a hint of vanilla and cedar. The palate is reflective of the nose, starting with blackberry, currant, and vanilla on the start, with a hint of strawberry on the mid-palate, and a very silky and long finish. IMO, this is better than the 2006. Great stuff.
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11/20/2010 - jmull wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 90 minutes. A bit tannic and astringent at first but that blew off to reveal a very pure, balanced, fruit-driven wine. Perfect with peppery strips, although a bit overshadowed by a 2007 Rivers-Marie Cab opened at the same time. 91.
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10/26/2010 - Doc Martin wrote: 93 Points
This wine is killer! Haven't had a bottle of this in almost one year. It is maturing fast!. We had it tonight with garlic-rubbed T-bones and asparagus .
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10/23/2010 - cbauer135 wrote: 88 Points
OK but didn't have the bold flavor of strong dark berries and undertones of cigar and wood that I tend to like from my Napa cabs. Good but not great.
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10/11/2010 - 97edwardc wrote: 88 Points
Very pleasant to drink, but I felt like it was missing something. Distinctively silky on the palate, medium finish. But I don't think there's enough tannin. Can't put my finger on it, but there's something missing here.
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9/28/2010 - Rochester wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced with plenty of lackberry, fruits, soft tannin and long finish. I usually do not agree with professional rating but in this one I think it is great.
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9/18/2010 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
First, I'll start by saying I'm usually not someone to be at the top end of the scoring spectrum for any given wine. I didn't look at the tasting notes before I popped this bottle. My wife and I both got the "wow factor" from this bottle. Chocolate and cherry pie are prevalent on the nose and palate. Lots of fruit with well integrated oak and tannins.
Needless to say, I was a bit surprised by some of the lower scores given comparable wines of this style and price. Maybe my bottle aged in accelerated manner (popped & poured), and this might be a sign of things to come for those storing it in proper cellars. But this was a delicious wine where everything just seemed to be so balanced. Yet still had enough backbone that it could go for another 3-5 years (at least based on this bottle).
I had noted a score of 94 in my head and contemplated lowering it after seeing I would be the high end. But not to be swayed by the masses, I'm going to keep this at 94. Also, no day 2 tasting as we polished it off in one night. It was singing that good.
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9/7/2010 - jeanluc07 wrote: 92 Points
black cherry, berry nose; much of the fruit forward style; taste better as time goes; much better second day; next time, need to decant atleast 4 hours; 9 left; still like the lewelling and the Karl Lawrence better.
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9/6/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Was nice, but it followed an '06 Joseph Phelps which we thought was a little better.
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9/6/2010 - winelover1 wrote: 92 Points
Awesome Cab...Smooth and elegant...
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8/17/2010 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes. Lots of mountain fruit, very pure. Oak is well balanced. A little hot on the backend. Would recommend.
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8/11/2010 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Nice pritchard hill cab. Nose: Blackberries, Blueberry, Cassis and some nice cocoa powder. Oak showing early on but a 3hr decant helped it integrate nicely. Plate: Medium/Full bodied feel with nice silky tanins. A well made wine with Black Cherry, Currant and Blueberry Jam in the mouth some sweet spices as well. Finish: Hint of Red Fruit in the finish, cigar and cocoa powder flavors linger as well.
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8/10/2010 - BinVA wrote: 88 Points
Nothing special came out of this bottle. Good. Hopefull for the next two over time.
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7/31/2010 - raydawgone wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Silky, smooth tannins with layers of structure. Blackberry, black cherry, & eldeberry with creme de cassis. Drinking well now and will get better in 3-5 years.
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7/16/2010 - Al-Vino wrote: 91 Points
Solid effort. Predominantly Cab Sauv blended with Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cab Franc to give this wine solid complexity, character and structure. Needed 2 hours of decanting to hit its stride! Just disappointed our local distributors have marked this wine up 30% more than other markets.
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7/10/2010 - pkbackman wrote: 90 Points
This was a great wine, but overshadowed on this day by the '07 Match Butterdragon.
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7/8/2010 - Squirreljam wrote:
Mmmhmm, impression only but I really like this for the price - and it could easily fight up in cost class to maybe a $60 bottle or so (from Napa). Rich cedary nose with red fruits and a nice round palate fortified with plenty of tannin and even-handed acidity to balance it all out.
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7/6/2010 - vinomex wrote:
Great young cab with lots of potential. Drinking well already. No formal notes.
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7/5/2010 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
Dark Garnet Red, and very dark with only little light passing at the edge. Has interesting camphor note, attribute to the oak and green bell pepper. The Blackberry and plum behind that. Frontal attack releases more black berries and cherry, maybe some evergreen as well. No smoke on my palate. The tannins are gripping but fine at this point. If I can wait, then would love to see this sit for 2-3 years in the cellar. I think the fruit would become richer and fuller. This was a great pair with bacon-wrapped filet. Finish lasts for a good 30-45 sec. Solid Cab for this price point, and would encourage others to explore more of this winery and this vintage.
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6/27/2010 - sdwineguru wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet; ripe mint, berry, wood nose; good Cabernet extra; mid to high-viscosity; rich, long finish. A little hot, though (14.5 alcohol).
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6/13/2010 - caeleric Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very impressive stuff, even at this early stage. Another solid, early-drinking 2007 CA cab sauv that delivers on ripe fruit, some nice secondary aromatic and flavor nuances, and a balanced touch of oak with silky tannins and moderate acidity to guide everything along. This one was all about black and blue fruits, some baking spice, and cocoa powder. I loved it!
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5/15/2010 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
Very good purity of fruit and well concentrated. The tannins appear to be well integrated even though this is much too young. It will benefit from another 3 to 5 years in the bottle. Decant if drinking now.
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5/11/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Less sweet in style than the Groth tasted shortly before; like the Mountain Cuvee, this is fairly dense. Quality of the 07 vintage shows- and I like this better than previous vintages of this cab, which were too oaky for me. 91-92
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5/9/2010 - GA wrote: 91 Points
5/10 Dark cherry - chocolate coffee - young - good concentration - rough thru the mid-palate. 91 pts.
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5/6/2010 - ivsimler wrote: 89 Points
A little young yet. Too many tannins and not well rounded fruit. I'm sure it will age up like the rest of Chappellet cabs..
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5/4/2010 - signotim wrote: 92 Points
at Montrio in Monterey. needs more time but excellent structure, flavors in balance, nice silky mouthfeel.
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4/21/2010 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 89 Points
Incredibly tight right now. Deep dark color, plenty of fruit, though somewhat restrained at thus time, tannins with backbone enough to allow this wine to age five to ten years, if not longer. I'll buy a case and lay it down for a while. Has the potential to be a classic cab.
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4/18/2010 - brian przyzycki wrote: 90 Points
This is very good cabernet and a testiment to the great 2007 vintage. Nice moutain blackfruit flavors with good balance and finish. One dimensional, but probably the best domestic $20 cab I have ever had. (rivaled only by the 2007 Justin Paso Robles cab.) Buy up!
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4/15/2010 - MoreWinePlease wrote: 91 Points
May get as good as the '06 but the tannin needs a couple years to integrate. Beautiful mountain red and black fruits with the oak in support. Lush, rich mouth feel. Smells good too!
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4/13/2010 - jaxpaj wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle of 9. I am a little confused with this wine. I had the 2 bottles a couple of weeks apart and the tasting notes were completely different. Bottle #1 (92pts) started the night with this and used the venturi: huge, thick, dark cab. Beautiful long legs and nose of dark fruit and tanned leather. So heavy I pushed the glass aside and saved it for dinner. Silky tannins, plush dark fruit, hints of vanilla, oak and mocha. Long lasting finish. Bottle #2 (89pts) popped and poured. If anything it leaned toward the thin side and was very closed. Didn't have any depth or finish. Second glass was better and I could start to find a bit of the characteristics I saw in the first but still muted. I will absolutely give the next bottle a proper decanting.
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3/29/2010 - mplasker wrote: 89 Points
Full body cabernet. Easy to drink. Great color and bouquet.
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3/26/2010 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Tasting note from memory a week ago. Really nice classic cab flavors, open an ready for business with some good underlying structure. I think this could improve with a couple years, although its ready now. Definitely would buy again, especially in good vintages.
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3/25/2010 - scelliott99 wrote: 93 Points
Drinks great young. Dark fruit and oak dominate, as expected, but subtle undertones hint at what will develop over time.
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3/24/2010 - sasvino wrote: 92 Points
Great cab for the price point, solid fruit on the front typical black berry and plum, medium body with hints of dark chocolate in the midpalate, finish has very good staying power hints of vanilla. Good complexity and structure to age for a few more years and should continue to get better with time. Low 90s. -S
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3/21/2010 - VinoJestes wrote:
So good, very drinkable.
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3/5/2010 - J-Sho wrote: 93 Points
Dark in color with nose of dark red fruit, current and a bit of mocha. Very well balanced and complex with some grppy tannins present. Nice moderate finish. This is still young and the tannins should soften over the next year. Imagine score will increase with my next note.
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3/3/2010 - Fredpug wrote: 90 Points
slight smoke and oak up front, blackberry, plum, subtle vanilla on a smooth, lasting finish
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2/22/2010 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
Nice enjoyable. I think this is a nice price point for this wine which is a middle weight. I had half one night and the other half the next night out to dinner. Night two was the winner. As its such a young wine the extra time open did this up nice. It also let me know that I want to give my other bottles some time in the cellar. I'd repurchase, except I don't need to.
Enjoy!
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2/13/2010 - JOliver wrote: 90 Points
no notes taken. Thought this was a fairly textbook cab. Nothing overly intriguing or special at this point but a very nicely made, balanced wine nonetheless. Hopefully it matures into something even better.
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2/10/2010 - Flav333 wrote: flawed
Corked. Went to Winery to pick up our latest order and they replaced the corked bottle with a new one, no problem.
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2/10/2010 - WineForRob wrote: 92 Points
Not as complex as the 06 but it is still a baby. Black currant and oak on the nose with primary black fruit flavors in the mouth. Hugely tannic with great length on the finish
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2/5/2010 - ArizonaWineGuy wrote: 91 Points
I think this has good potential.
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2/2/2010 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark crimson color with a complex nose of dark cherry, chocolate, and smoke. The palate is rich and peaks in the middle with a core of ripe, dark berries, bitter chocolate, loads of spice and ginger-like sensation; packed with minerals and integrated tannins in a well-structured, long, and velvety finish. This is a winner! Drink from 2012 to 2022.
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1/24/2010 - *Vine* wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Dark, youthful purple hue. Initially there is a touch of VA tinged with alcohol on the nose with some notes of fruit. After about an hour or so the aromas open and expand to include blackberry, creme de cassis, earth, and a touch of funky vegetal notes. Medium-plus body, quite plush with nice concentration. Youthful and primary, with tiers of black & blue fruits on the palate tinged with vanilla bean, toast, and oak on the close. Tannins are certainly present but show refined and smooth on the finish. Needs a good 12-14 months to integrate a bit further but is very tasty right now (should age well for many years). Although undoubtedly modern in style, there's an underlying elegance to the 2007 Chappellet that's not so apparent in other recent vintages such as the 2006.
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1/21/2010 - hrl wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully open nose for such a young wine.Nose of plum, assorted berries, a little licorice, herbs, cherries, and currant. Palate is still a little young. Tannins have by no means resolved, but opened up nicely with a decant. On the palatae flavors of plum, purple fruits, lots of cherry, and a little milk chocolate as discussed. This is great stuff. 07 is living up to the hype.
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1/20/2010 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
A beautiful, young Cab. Wide open nose has loads of primary currants, herbs and bell pepper. Palate is rich and chewy with gritty tannins providing terrific mouthfeel and balance to the full-bodied fruit. Medium-long flavorful finish.
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1/20/2010 - DanH wrote: 92 Points
Awesome
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1/15/2010 - MCUBEB wrote: 88 Points
Very dark color. Nose of black fruit. On the palate there is sweet black cherries and currant with notes of chocolate and vanilla. This ends with medium finish. Nice wine that was easy to drink.
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1/2/2010 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 91 Points
This was a little more refined and expressive than the Freemark, Mondavi, Oroppas, St Clement c/s, and Trilogy. More complex and a little more high toned, by comparison. Still fairly typical Napa fruit profile. Oak not too strong. Give it some time. I will say for the price I might be more interested in a few of the other wines I listed. It seems to me that so many of these wines taste similar.
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12/26/2009 - mmurry wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Cabs and Syrahs (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had spicy chocolate, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and vanilla. The palate was soft and rich. with espresso, blackberry, cherry, smoke, and a spicy finish.
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12/19/2009 - caeleric wrote: 92 Points
Was a little drunk by the time I dipped into this one. I remember great depth of color and concentration in the glass. Classic young Cabernet flavors and aromas. I was surprised at how much this was giving for being so young. The finish was medium length and very pleasing. A great value, and while it will age, I don't know if it will be any better than it is right now. Glad I have more!
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12/16/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Its darn good at $38.
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12/15/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well, after back vintage Corison and 2006 Groth Reserve this comes across as kinda sweet wood and plain. But context does matter me thinks. Those wines are twice the price and this is still delicious at $38. Big and gutsy and roasty toasty.
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12/12/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Works incredibly well at its $39 price. Could easily be $20 to $40 higher. Pretty darn youthful right now -- grippy with lots of stuffing. I just gotta so I had to go in. But waiting at least three more months (or three years) will only make it better.
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12/12/2009 - fayboys wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding. Needed some time to open up, but shortly after pulling the cork, my friends and I were blown away. Huge mouthfeel of big tannins and evident oak. Tremendous balance from start to finish. The bottle should be great down the road, so if anyone has a spare laying around the house, HOLD IT!!!!!
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12/10/2009 - KevinS wrote: 92 Points
Note written on day 2. Deep ruby color. Ripe black cherries, pine sap and tobacco notes on the nose. Big fruit on the palate, with primary flavors of sweet cherries and milk chocolate, turning oakier and darker on the finish. Big and rich, this has excellent ripeness and concentration, yet it's not clumsy or unbalanced. Drinking great now, this has 5-10+ years of improvement ahead. A real winner and as solid a QPR as you'll see in Napa Cab these days.
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11/8/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma): Very fruit forward nose of black cherry, wild berries and cassis. Round rich palate of red fruits and vanilla. Finish is medium length and complexity adding density with mocha and earth notes hanging on. Really nice accessible Cab for now.
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11/8/2009 - TomTom wrote: 92 Points
Seems to be more ripe than the '06. Silky tannins with good concentration. I really like this wine, but a first it appeared a tad ripe for me. After a couple of hours in the decanter, the fruit calmed down and some acidity came through providing a necessary balance. Well made and i think it will evolve with a few years. Solid QPR. Drew Barrymore (fleshy, fun and just a touch of romance).
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10/3/2009 - djdaqm wrote: 90 Points
Cabernet Finale (Wine Exchange. Orange, CA): Drank as part of a Cab Sauv tasting and it had been decanted for several hours. Interesting nose of bubble gum, warm spice, cherry and even roses. At first I didn't like it, but warmed up to it. Good concentration. Medium tannins, and length of about 20 seconds. Fairly layered, and a decent wine if you can get past the initial smell of Bubbaliscious gum.
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