The wine has held up beautifully. Excellent balance with delicious fruit, long soft velvety finish and no negatives. Very happy it has held up since I still have two bottles in my cellar.
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My boss opened this wonderful bottle for our Christmas party. Nice dark color with beautifully integrated tannins. I got notes of plum, vanilla, cassis, and some great fruit on the palate. This was a terrific wine and such great QPR for its time. Unfortunately, costs continue to increase on these so haven’t been buying for a bit.
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Writing a week later. Looked really pretty with a very bright rim and wouldn’t have guessed it was unfiltered. Almost no sediment and what was there stuck to the bottle. The fruit was plush and red with a good structure. The half bottle I saved for night two was just as good.
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Incredible dark inky coloring. Amazing nose of black berry, cassis, plum followed by vanilla sweetness. Tannins non0-existent with smoothness on both the front and back palate. Still young and lively.
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I was surprised by the amount of fruit for a 2007. Initially tons of raspberry on the nose and tart red fruit on the palate. After decanting for an hour, the fruit mellowed, but still stronger than expected for the year. Nice vanilla, herb, black olive and tannins were lush. Note: We opened a half bottle. Interested to see how the full bottle we have compares.
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Wine night serving 2008 Lyeth Chronology Grand Reserve, 2007 Justin Isosceles & 2007 Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered, each decanted 1 hour. All 3 were very good and enjoyed by all but definitely all are starting to decline. If you have I recommend drinking ASAP. Unanimously it was determined the best overall and well put together order of best to least best is as listed above.
This was slightly frustrating to drink. I have had before and was really looking forward to opening up such a great vintage. It was good but just didn’t meet my expectations. It is a very solid, smooth, rich wine dark in color with only light tannins remaining. Flavors of both black and sour cherry, leather and an earthy finish.
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Amazing. Still crazy after all these years.....not many California wines can hold up so well. Smooth finish with just the right amount of tannins left, but perfectly balance with just enough fruit. I have several of these in my cellar going back to 2002. Was afraid to pop one of those ( took to a dinner party) and and disappoint my dinner companions, so I took the 2007. But it was so promising, the 2002 will be with me at then ext dinner for sure.
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this bottle was still pretty fresh, still fresh oak but not an oaky wine. Big, rich, smooth, just enough structure and complexity to be a serious wine. Good but nothing particularly special.
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Nothing bad about it, but also nothing special. I probably should have let it sit for a little while. Got 1 more, which I will probably drink sooner than later.
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Drinking quite beautifully now. Sure it could have gone many more years, but no need to wait. It paired very well with manchego cheese and then, an hour later, flat iron Steaks.
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Opened for 90 minutes, cork in excellent condition, full nose, rich, black cherry and pepper, with a long finish. Probably could have waited a few more years.
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Whenever I think about purging Isosceles from the cellar, we have a night like this where dinner is something spicy (Italian sausage and peppers). This bottle was deep garnet in color. Robust, full bodied and full of dark blue and black fruit with a hint of tar, clove and pepper. Still some grippy tannins left on the finish making this a great accompaniment to spicy fare.
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Omg! Two bottles, two states, same day!!! This bottle less tannic and a bit dead but not as Oaked so there's hope over the next hour or so. Well suited w rye bagels and scallion cream cheese and New Zealand smoked salmon. Also went well earlier w coffe and organic sugar.
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Love this wine. Still goin' long and strong! Admittedly a bit hot on the nose but the remaining tannins and bright fruit on the initial palate r spectacular! Some r bothered by the over oak vanilla but I am ok w a b+ finish subsequent to an a+ mid palate experience. Omg the purity of the left bank blend is top notch.
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Big, full, robust, representative of the Isosceles style. Full of dark fruit, cinnamon, clove and a hint of pepper. Full bodied with a long finish. Still drinking well although unlikely to get better.
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Probably the best of the bottles to date. Decanted about 60 minutes. Full bodied smooth integrated black and blue fruit. Tannins and alcohol more integrated than I remember. Good finish.
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Still benefits significantly from air. Average nose. Inky purple. Pleasant integrated and somewhat muted black and blue fruit but still a full bodied wine. Decent finish.
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Recently consumed a 2013 Justin wine so popped this. Let breathe for over 90 minutes. Purple black hues. Very nice nose. Rich blue and black fruit that is quite complex and interesting. Don't really notice much alcohol or tannins but stands up to food. Good finish.
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Showing very well right now. Concentrated dark fruits smooth tannins and acidity. A bit more length on the finish would be nice but all together an excellent wine that paired great with prime rib dinner.
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This wine is wonderful. The nose has pine bark, black cherry, and vanilla bean. It is beautifully balanced on the palate with just the right amount of everything: creamy oak, black cherry, vanilla and leather. The tannins are softened giving a plush silky mouth feel with a long finish.
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This followed a 2010 Robert Foley Cab, both consumed with grilled ribeyes and various vegetable sides. The Isosceles was not opened long before drinking, but it was great from the gate. Fully mature (drink this year or next) and a lively balance of red and black fruits with fully integrated tannins. All preferred the Isoceles to the Foley, which was smooth, deep, and pleasant but lacked the verve of the Isosceles.
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Soft and buttery on the nose belies an explosive fruit bomb. Dark fruit, wood, mulch, cinnamon, and more totally cover every crevice of the mouth. Big and beautiful.
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Flat out delicious, and at it's peak. I will consume my final bottle of seven within the next year or so, but this is drinking beautifully now, better than it has ever been (and it's always been excellent).
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After cellaring for several years, this wine was even better than I remembered. The powerful signature bouquet and velvet texture both still present and made re-experiencing this remind me while I was a member at Justin for more than 10 years!
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This is right in its drinking window, tar and cedar on first approach and the soft warm leather leads to dark fruit and soft tannins in a medium finishing length. I would say another year, at the most.
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tasted side by side (not blind) with Silver Oak Napa 2007 and a Match Butterdragon Hill Napa 2004. While not as complex and more fruit forward than the other wines, this Justin was equally enjoyable. Drinking well now, no decanting, tasted with and without an incredibly aged rib eye.
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C'est bon mais c'est trop cher. Un peu sucré (noix de coco?). Encore une fois il y avait un dépôt important dans la bouteille. Deux jours plus tard le vin était encore bon.
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Bit of a disappointment given the price point. Turnbull shows much better for less. But still a good wine that stands up well to steak. Good balance and fruit. Just not the depth or complexity that price point would suggest.
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Possibly the most approachable Isoscles I have had. Deep indigo in color. Nicely balanced with mocha, raspberry and a hint of cherry n the palate. Well integrated tannins and a medium length finish highlighted by a touch of sweetness. I have had numerous vintages of Isosceles, many older than this and they often seem like they have not quite reached their optimal drinking window. This was in its sweet spot.
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Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, black berry and black cherry with a red berry tone, hints of sweet mocha and anise and a touch of sweet oak on the back palate with soft tannins provide easy approachable sipping.
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Deep indigo color. Spicy, pepper on the nose. Deep, dark fruit on the palate, largely sour cherry and black raspberry. This is evolving well and the overtones of creosote have diminished significantly in favor of fruit.
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solid but not great wine. Enjoyed with pizza. Was expecting a bit more. Tannins and structure were just fine but fruit was lacking a bit and disappointing. For the processor expected more
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Hitting its stride nicely and consistent with prior tastings of this wine. Deep indigo color. Nose of dark berries, creosote and spice. Opens with blackberry and clove. Huge mouthfill and a lingering finish.
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With grilled strip steak, and Salt & Vinegar potatoes. Dark Garnet, good color to the rim, almost opaque. Sweet nose, blueberry, cloves. Dry, some acid, medium body, a touch of fennel, medium long finish, tannins not noticeable. Nice wine.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and red currant. It tastes like black pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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My bottle was very slightly corked, but was still drinkable.
Decanted and aerated for 30 minutes before drinking. Starting to show slight signs of age in the color. Surprisingly a lot of depth on the nose, with smells of beef stew, blackberries, menthol, and cooking spices. I mistook it for a Brunello without knowing what it was. On the palate it has lots of fruit concentration, which is balanced well with acidity. The alcohol is nicely integrated. Tannins are not particularly high. Not the most complex glass of wine on the palate, and the length wasn't remarkable, but very pleasant to drink. Left a glass out overnight, covered by only a napkin, and it held up well.
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Deep indigo color. Opens huge on the palate with blackberry and creosote but quickly evolves to reveal raspberry, blueberry, tea and clove. Complex wine needing a bit more time to resolve tannins.
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Decanted 1 hour and drank over the next 3. This was signing at hour 3 so a decant is definitely in order.
Poured a dark mahogany and with nice aromatics. Nose was blackberry, bicycle inner tube and sweet earth. On the palate was blue fruit compote, baking spice, compost and wet forest. Med + body with balanced acidity and tannins. The mouth feel on this was amazing: soft, round and luscious.
This is definitely in its prime. Drink now and enjoy.
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This February is my month of "first timers": wines from my cellar that I've never tried before. Tonight, it's this Justin Pasa Robles blend and it's exceptional. Dark purple rim to rim, with a strong body and massive legs. The nose is filled with fall berries and wild flowers. On the palate, the immediate and powerful perception is chocolate. Melted chocolate. Very fine chocolate with high cacao content. Cassis, spices and tannins are all along for the ride, but in the back seat. Chocolate is in the drivers seat all night long.
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Drat. Pop and pour was a mistake, but it was the only wine I had brought to dinner. This is a big wine that needs air and time or else the fruit and oak can overwhelm. What little I had left on day 2 was much improved. NR..
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The low end of excellence. Well made, and a nice fruit forward profile with integrated tannins, but not very interesting to drink. This should be stable for a few years, but I don't figure on seeing much improvement.
Mom & dad were out for a visit & decided to try a mini-vertical of Justin Iscosceles since they're fans and members of the wine club. Tried the '06, '07 & '08 over 3 consecutive nights. The '06 and '07 (to us) clearly better than the '08 which seemed a bit too young yet, as well as a touch lighter and a bit more tart. A little more earth on the '06 with possibly some extra thickness to the '07.
Color: Deep/dark ruby -> medium ruby rim. Nice bouquet of cedar, chocolate, caramel and berries. Excellent balance with a soft, velvety texture. Nicely rounded - full bodied and (like the '06) very approachable now.
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I've always enjoyed Justin Isoceles and this vintage was no different. Tannis were mellow and fruit soft on the nose and palate. Probably at it's peak about a year or two ago so I would drink up any remaining bottles.
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Deep, inky appearance. Prominent black and blue fruit aromas are buried under earthy elements of scorched earth, treated cedar, and garrigue. Succulent and concentrated flavors of black currants, dried currants, blackberries, and touches of chocolate and anise-like spice. Oak is noticeable but hardly detracting. Good length, depth, structure, and balance. A big wine that is still evolving in the bottle.
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This is not my favorite vintage of Isosceles, but it's still a great wine. Always enjoyable. I agree with Vaynerchuk that it's a bit of an oak bomb. Too much so. I think there's a beautiful wine being masked a little bit there, but it is still immensely enjoyable and the oak probably gives it a broader appeal. I'd love to have this wine with 25% less time in oak. Gobs of dark fruit, really concentrated wine. Coats the glass. Nice long finish that has a little bit of earth to it that I'd like to get more of earlier. You can't go wrong with Isosceles, but this year is not the pinnacle. I will drink the rest of this as I don't see it improving considerably over time.
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Ouvert le soir du Superbowl 47. Carafé une grosse heure. Beaucoup de fruits mûrs, cassis surtout, notes de tabac sucré, texture assez grasse, tannins agréables. Dans le cellier depuis une couple d'années, la bouteille présentait un important dépôt. Bien apprécié par tous mais pas nécessairement un bon RQP. J'ai l'impression que ce vin est dans ses belles années.
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Blackberry and boysenberry; packed with fruit. Maybe a little too much fruit and not enough savory and mineral notes; it can be a little tiring, but this is certainly in the Paso Robles style. I like Justin wines, but they often leave me wishing they were a bit more subtle. Nice wine, but I wish it were ten or fifteen bucks less by the bottle.
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Disappointing for an '07, even for Paso Robles. One dimensional with no meaningful nose, uninspiring fruit and indiscernable finish. VPR not favorable. Take a pass.
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Outstanding wine with great structure. Lots of different flavors experienced including blackberries, cocoa, and smoke. Deep purple color observed. Drank after 1 hour decanting.
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Big but vibrant dark berries with some cherry and other red fruit. Very nicely balanced and vibrant after little air time. Similar overall flavor profile as previous vintages, but not quite as big and chewy. Certainly plenty of ageability left and perhaps I got a more developed bottle, but this is drinking pretty well right now.
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Deep, opaque, purple color. Nose full of berry and smoke. On the palate, a blend of currant, black cherry and graphite. Consistent with other vintages of Isosceles I have enjoyed. Drank side by side with a 2006 Flinders Run Shiraz. Somewhat surprisingly the Shiraz fared better being a bit more fruit filled and better balanced. I suspect the Isosceles will benefit from some additional age.
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Drank this and and 2009 Isosceles with some friends. Both were excellent but I preferred the 2007 while my friends preferred the younger and more fruit forward 2009.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 6/28/2012 (Casa Racer117): 88% cab sauvignon, 8% cab franc, 4% merlot. Decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Clear dark garnet black color. Fantastic bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, cloves, and toast. Powerful, full-bodied, but seamless and well-balanced, with long finish. Youthful but approachable now. FIRST PLACE tonight by unanimous vote.
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After being thoroughly unimpressed by the '08, I was worried about this. I should not have been. Decanted 2 hours before dinner. Big dark wine with black currant, berries, tea. Smooth balanced body. Very nice.
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I was surprised by the amount of sediment. The aroma and taste were excellent. This was my first bottle of the case and I'm looking forward to drinking the rest. Very nice wine!
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Had this wine for my birthday. Decanted for about an hour. In my opinion its an old world style. Didnt find this to be a fruit bomb but instead thought it had more bordeaux style balance and restrain. Dark fruit on both the nose and pallete with nice acidity and bitter chocolate on the end. Expected this wine to have a longer finish than it did. (maybe 15 seconds).However I did enjoy the wine but if you are into more of fruit bomb style then I recommend the regular Justin Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Dark crimson in the glass; subtle nose of berry compote. Enjoyable now but young, and a bit hot; I think there is room for improvement with more bottle age. Nicely made, no off notes, but nothing that says wow to me at this point.
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Point rating considers price too. While I would not say I was disappointed, I would call this well below other prior Isosceles vintages I have had. It was simply "good" & not worth $50. I have enjoyed others cabs & blends much more outta '07.
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Dark to medium-dark garnet. Nose of blackberry jam and oaky spice. Blackberry and cherry fruits dominate, but not quite a bomb. Well balanced with tannins and spice (dried tea leaves and some white pepper), but maybe a tad more oak than what I like to see. An engaging wine.
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Notes were a patchwork of blackberry and currant but held together by a note that was hard to place but in the stone/mineral frequency (perhaps graphite or flint?). This was a fine structured wine with a solid palate and a strong finish but in my view it doesn't live up to the attention and price point. It just appears to be playing within the safety zone of new world tastes and trends of the moment. This will easily please most crowds, but with all the comparison to a Bordeaux by Justin, why not just man up and get the real thing?
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Was expecting more from this Cab blend. Nice medium dark color, very soft nose. Pretty tight at first but opened up in the glass over the hour. Maybe should have waited another couple years on this. Fairly well balanced with nice acid/tannins. Certainly not overoaked. Medium finish. Not overwhelmed, but a decent blend. Not a good QPR for me though, have had much better for the price of $50.00.
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Good balance; cabernet sauvignon (88%) predominates in the flavor; berry flavor with a bit of bitterness and tobacco; opened well within 30 minutes; sustained finish.
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This wine is simply divine. Justin Isosceles always ranks as one of our favorites. Has some smoked paprika on the nose, which I absolutely love and paired with peppercorn tenderloin beautifully.
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Tasted immediately after opening. We had planned to drink something else this evening but it turned out to be a disappointment. Since it is Valentine's Day, the Isosceles got thrown into the breach. This is more like it. Excellent and fits the occasion beautifully.
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This Bordeaux blend from Paso Robles is a great bottle of wine. However, it wasn\'t quite as good as I expected, and given all the hype I was expecting a slight bit more richness! This is not a bold wine, very soft in style but also a slight bit tannic. it took a while to open and decanting clearly helped. Initially a bit closed on the nose but when it did open, there was plenty of dark black currant fruit with hints of chocolate flavor on the palate. This wine is fairly well balanced and is not overpowering at either mid palate or on the finish. Definitely want to try again.
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Brought this wine to a group "blind tasting", competing with many $150+ bottles, and this bottle was the winner. This group is a "fruit forward", massive Napa cab drinking group.
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Great modern Cali Bordeaux blend with plenty of Paso fruit and chewy tannins to make it scrumptious. The ONLY complaint i have is that is has some of that darned artifical juice flavor stuck in there that one often sees with less expensive, mass produced modern reds. Otherwise would have probably scored this a 93. I don't know what creates that artificial taste for me, but it is sadly appearing to become more prevalent in today's wines. Justin/Deborah - PLEASE PLEASE take that artificial flavor out of future releases!
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Actually drunk by mistake when I went to the cellar to grab an everyday Justin Cab. Nice depth, good fruit, will need to cellar another bottle for a few years to see how it ages.
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Yet another tasty bottle of this fine Bordeaux blend. Intense purple with ruby red edges I caught aromas of baked berry fruit, spice and liquorice on the nose. The palate is rich and full show yet further fruit chatacter with well integrated wood. Good structure. Nice peppery finish.
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One of the best wines I have had in a long time. No need to wait like a Bordeaux wine. Drink it now. Goes perfect with steak and a nice lightly spicy sauce. Tastes of dark berries and a hint of oak. Great nose (tobacco?) definitely would buy again. In fact, I already have a other bottle in my cellar
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Been wanting to try this for a long time, wish I'd had it sooner. Tastes older than it is, nice berry overtones, won't wait long too have it again. Very, very nice.
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Very well crafted. Complex nose, hints of dark fruit, with a touch of Paso sweetness, but restrained by flint and cigar box. Generous floral quality. Initial sip reinforces the dark fruits. Mouthfeel and finish reveal a very complex wine, carefully constructed to show layers of fruit with a soft finish. In fact, the velvety finish might be the most noticeable aspect of this. Fantastic with a steak.
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What an exceptional blend! Full-bodied with the deep, dark fruit that is so characteristic of Paso Robles. I followed it with a bottle of Armida Il Campo. It was the only thing that would have followed so well. This was among the top blends in this price range, to include Anthology from Conn Creek, Relentless from Shafer, and Generations from Charles Krug.
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Tasted with 12 Napa cabs and this Paso wine was a top third effort, at a much better price. Burgundy color, less purple than many of the other efforts. Cherry and vanilla hints on the nose with a little pine to add depth. Taste was very smooth and relatively balanced for such a young wine. I felt is was one of the most approachable wines tasted. Cherry, plum, and vanilla along with some spice tones. Nice tannins carry it into the finish. Wine was a little hot.
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My experience is very much in line with Rich S (see three reviews before this one). Opened a 1/2 bottle with a nice chicken & Salad meal. Not a huge California wine fan, compared to the palate I have for old world stuff, and I truly did find this wine showing strong oak but, again, with enough acidity, body, hints of aok/vanilla, mocha, shrub herbs, and enough red & black fruit expression that I thoroughly enjoyed this. Getting my hands on a few more 1/2 bottles so I don't have to brek open full bottles (of which I have about 4!). :-)
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Had a bottle of this last night at a steakhouse. Dark purple color. Loads of blackberry jam and black currant on the nose with a strong helping of vanilla and toasty oak notes. More of the same on the palate with creme de cassis flavors, some vanilla, mocha and roasted coffee on the back end. The oak treatment is a bit on the aggresive side but there is so much fruit and enough acid that everything comes together very well. Long, smooth finish with no trace of heat. Drinking well right now but I think this will age nicely. I will look to pick up a bottle or two for the cellar.
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Popped and poured... would decant for two hours next time. Tannins started out very strong and the wine was very tight upon opening. 30 minutes of air softened the tannins a bit and opened up dark berry, subtle herbs, and white pepper. My notes were poor beyond that.
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Gonna need some time for all the stuffing to knit together. Tanins not quite as fine as the '06 but still loaded w/ripe bing cherry,black fruits along with the usual lush mouth feel.
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One of the better young Isosceles I have had in a number of years. Still carries a bit of oak on the nose and palate, but it's really smooth texture, vanilla notes and bright acidic fruit that is making this a very nice wine right now. Little tobacco, sage and spicy heat follow nicely through the finish. This I believe will age beautifully.
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Still very young but there's a lot of good complexity here. Went great with a prime rib. I think the 2016 date on the drinking window is too conservative. This one will still be good for several years after that. Let this wine sit, I think it will be incredible in 5-10.
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Tried on vacation in Santa Cruz, CA. Drank with Chris, Kelly, Bill, and Niko. Enjoyed with Tri-tip marinated in Bloody Mary mix. Popped and poored at room temp - Fantastic wine! Spicy nose, dark fruit - no heat at all Rich and long. I will look for this - glad it's still available.
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The Big Red Wines of Paso Robles (The Wine Country, Signal Hill, CA): Very fragrant Cab with some noticeable vanilla aromas. On the palate, big up front fruit, well-integrated oak, good acidity and a long finish. Nicely balanced. Well made wine. I liked this very much, though, I wouldn't pull the trigger at $50.
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Wine Warehouse Grand Tasting. Nose of red cherry fruit, dust, and a baked tart, more of the same on the palate, needs 3 years to peak, well made, touch on the dry side for me, small amount of soft tannins present hurt the score, medium body, and medium/long finish.
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BIL opened at a First Communion celebration. Very good, excellent fruit on the nose, just enough tannins, and tremendous, smooth finish. Damn nice bottle of wine, better than prior vintages. Could be a higher rating, was a sub-optimal tasting setting, will return with additional thoughts after the Justin Dinner at Sullivan's in Naperville next week (optimal setting).
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Not a bad bottle of wine by any means, just not what I tend to look for in wine. Nose was spicy and alcoholic. Nice brambly berry fruit. Palate is medium+ bodied with moderate acidity. Again the alcohol taking charge from front to back palate. Not my style.
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Best Isosceles since 2001 and reminds me a bit of the 1997 (to the extent I can remember). THe tannins are smooth and structured with dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate and subtle cinnamon and tobacco. You can drink this now (after a minimum one hour decanting), but I think the rewards for waiting will be great!
3/21/2023 - Dancingsams Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very deep, rich red. Full bodied. Still retains tannins. Smooth
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1/6/2023 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine has held up beautifully. Excellent balance with delicious fruit, long soft velvety finish and no negatives. Very happy it has held up since I still have two bottles in my cellar.
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12/12/2022 - travelme wrote: 94 Points
My boss opened this wonderful bottle for our Christmas party. Nice dark color with beautifully integrated tannins. I got notes of plum, vanilla, cassis, and some great fruit on the palate. This was a terrific wine and such great QPR for its time. Unfortunately, costs continue to increase on these so haven’t been buying for a bit.
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12/4/2022 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Writing a week later. Looked really pretty with a very bright rim and wouldn’t have guessed it was unfiltered. Almost no sediment and what was there stuck to the bottle. The fruit was plush and red with a good structure. The half bottle I saved for night two was just as good.
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5/20/2022 - vinolovers wrote: 94 Points
Incredible dark inky coloring. Amazing nose of black berry, cassis, plum followed by vanilla sweetness. Tannins non0-existent with smoothness on both the front and back palate. Still young and lively.
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11/25/2021 - tdskier Likes this wine: 92 Points
This yeear sad to say almost gone. Still nice dark fruit and lasting through the whole bottle.
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1/3/2021 - The Ponderosa Wine Room Likes this wine:
I was surprised by the amount of fruit for a 2007. Initially tons of raspberry on the nose and tart red fruit on the palate. After decanting for an hour, the fruit mellowed, but still stronger than expected for the year. Nice vanilla, herb, black olive and tannins were lush. Note: We opened a half bottle. Interested to see how the full bottle we have compares.
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12/13/2020 - DenverGreek Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine night serving 2008 Lyeth Chronology Grand Reserve, 2007 Justin Isosceles & 2007 Muga Rioja Reserva Unfiltered, each decanted 1 hour. All 3 were very good and enjoyed by all but definitely all are starting to decline. If you have I recommend drinking ASAP. Unanimously it was determined the best overall and well put together order of best to least best is as listed above.
This was slightly frustrating to drink. I have had before and was really looking forward to opening up such a great vintage. It was good but just didn’t meet my expectations. It is a very solid, smooth, rich wine dark in color with only light tannins remaining. Flavors of both black and sour cherry, leather and an earthy finish.
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11/27/2020 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking beautifully - aging gently and smoothly
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8/9/2020 - Heimanator Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always good
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3/7/2020 - Nsm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still very good. Fruit declining but probably not a game ended for this one. Nice texture.
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3/7/2020 - jmh st louis Likes this wine: 90 Points
The fruit is Falling off.
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1/19/2020 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still in its youth. Fresher tasting but still medium to full bodied. Good dose of sweetish ripe fruits … red berries, cassis. Ripe tannins.
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7/15/2019 - bob elen wrote: 95 Points
Amazing. Still crazy after all these years.....not many California wines can hold up so well. Smooth finish with just the right amount of tannins left, but perfectly balance with just enough fruit. I have several of these in my cellar going back to 2002. Was afraid to pop one of those ( took to a dinner party) and and disappoint my dinner companions, so I took the 2007. But it was so promising, the 2002 will be with me at then ext dinner for sure.
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1/27/2019 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful again with a big fruity and ripe profile and velvety structure.
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12/2/2018 - lovemycab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour. Tannins have softened and there is some fruit still there, but just nothing special. Could do better for the price.
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9/24/2018 - hankj wrote: 90 Points
this bottle was still pretty fresh, still fresh oak but not an oaky wine. Big, rich, smooth, just enough structure and complexity to be a serious wine. Good but nothing particularly special.
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8/6/2018 - mshellow wrote: 90 Points
Nothing bad about it, but also nothing special. I probably should have let it sit for a little while. Got 1 more, which I will probably drink sooner than later.
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8/4/2018 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
No formal notes taken but just silky smooth and delicious cabernet. Ripe, dark red berry fruit, cassis and a little chocolate, toasty oak.
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4/22/2018 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking quite beautifully now. Sure it could have gone many more years, but no need to wait. It paired very well with manchego cheese and then, an hour later, flat iron Steaks.
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1/14/2018 - KeithSorem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened for 90 minutes, cork in excellent condition, full nose, rich, black cherry and pepper, with a long finish. Probably could have waited a few more years.
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10/29/2017 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 88 Points
Whenever I think about purging Isosceles from the cellar, we have a night like this where dinner is something spicy (Italian sausage and peppers). This bottle was deep garnet in color. Robust, full bodied and full of dark blue and black fruit with a hint of tar, clove and pepper. Still some grippy tannins left on the finish making this a great accompaniment to spicy fare.
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10/12/2017 - Deryl Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has aged beautifully. Drinking well now.
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9/17/2017 - beej Likes this wine:
Omg!
Two bottles, two states, same day!!!
This bottle less tannic and a bit dead but not as Oaked so there's hope over the next hour or so.
Well suited w rye bagels and scallion cream cheese and New Zealand smoked salmon.
Also went well earlier w coffe and organic sugar.
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9/17/2017 - beej Likes this wine:
Love this wine.
Still goin' long and strong!
Admittedly a bit hot on the nose but the remaining tannins and bright fruit on the initial palate r spectacular!
Some r bothered by the over oak vanilla but I am ok w a b+ finish subsequent to an a+ mid palate experience.
Omg the purity of the left bank blend is top notch.
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6/29/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of a solid but not spectacular wine. Probably could expect more from and '07 that has been sitting for 8-9 years.
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5/26/2017 - wconnolly wrote: 88 Points
Big, full, robust, representative of the Isosceles style. Full of dark fruit, cinnamon, clove and a hint of pepper. Full bodied with a long finish. Still drinking well although unlikely to get better.
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5/9/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Probably the best of the bottles to date. Decanted about 60 minutes. Full bodied smooth integrated black and blue fruit. Tannins and alcohol more integrated than I remember. Good finish.
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5/1/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still benefits significantly from air. Average nose. Inky purple. Pleasant integrated and somewhat muted black and blue fruit but still a full bodied wine. Decent finish.
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3/7/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with in-laws. Decanted 90 minutes.Enjoyable full bodied wine with robust black and blue fruit. Still showing some alcohol. Big finish.
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2/20/2017 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Recently consumed a 2013 Justin wine so popped this. Let breathe for over 90 minutes. Purple black hues. Very nice nose. Rich blue and black fruit that is quite complex and interesting. Don't really notice much alcohol or tannins but stands up to food. Good finish.
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12/24/2016 - Tonester Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing very well right now. Concentrated dark fruits smooth tannins and acidity. A bit more length on the finish would be nice but all together an excellent wine that paired great with prime rib dinner.
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10/21/2016 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry and vanilla, cola, well balanced.
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10/8/2016 - johnny1206 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark cherry aromas and taste. Good mouthfeel and finish. Very nice wine.
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9/2/2016 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is wonderful. The nose has pine bark, black cherry, and vanilla bean. It is beautifully balanced on the palate with just the right amount of everything: creamy oak, black cherry, vanilla and leather. The tannins are softened giving a plush silky mouth feel with a long finish.
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8/21/2016 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Good ripe fruit with good and well balanced frame of tannin and acidity. Still not much secondary flavors.
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6/5/2016 - prism wrote: 92 Points
This followed a 2010 Robert Foley Cab, both consumed with grilled ribeyes and various vegetable sides. The Isosceles was not opened long before drinking, but it was great from the gate. Fully mature (drink this year or next) and a lively balance of red and black fruits with fully integrated tannins. All preferred the Isoceles to the Foley, which was smooth, deep, and pleasant but lacked the verve of the Isosceles.
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4/25/2016 - beej Likes this wine:
Soft and buttery on the nose belies an explosive fruit bomb.
Dark fruit, wood, mulch, cinnamon, and more totally cover every crevice of the mouth.
Big and beautiful.
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4/18/2016 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
As always great. Nicely structured, balanced with the right amount of fruit, oak, acid and tannins.
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4/15/2016 - prism wrote: 92 Points
Flat out delicious, and at it's peak. I will consume my final bottle of seven within the next year or so, but this is drinking beautifully now, better than it has ever been (and it's always been excellent).
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2/14/2016 - gmglass Likes this wine: 95 Points
After cellaring for several years, this wine was even better than I remembered. The powerful signature bouquet and velvet texture both still present and made re-experiencing this remind me while I was a member at Justin for more than 10 years!
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2/7/2016 - amflinn wrote: 91 Points
Lovely wine but felt it is slowly on the decline.
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1/30/2016 - Parrothead72 wrote: flawed
Believe the wine had turned and I simply waited too long.
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11/15/2015 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Lots of sediment. Fantastic wine that just keeps getting better.
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10/17/2015 - WineSteeler wrote:
Always a good bottle
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9/26/2015 - rwerner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. Wonderful flavors of chocolate, leather, coffee which extend into a long finish with soft tannins
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9/17/2015 - g money Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is right in its drinking window, tar and cedar on first approach and the soft warm leather leads to dark fruit and soft tannins in a medium finishing length. I would say another year, at the most.
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9/13/2015 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
tasted side by side (not blind) with Silver Oak Napa 2007 and a Match Butterdragon Hill Napa 2004. While not as complex and more fruit forward than the other wines, this Justin was equally enjoyable. Drinking well now, no decanting, tasted with and without an incredibly aged rib eye.
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7/14/2015 - difran Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coravined. Still intact. Nose: Heat, oak, leather, smoked meat. Color: deep ruby, brick edges. Clarity medium. Med acidity. Medium plus body.
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7/11/2015 - Tige wrote: 88 Points
C'est bon mais c'est trop cher. Un peu sucré (noix de coco?). Encore une fois il y avait un dépôt important dans la bouteille. Deux jours plus tard le vin était encore bon.
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6/20/2015 - elevwine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bit of a disappointment given the price point. Turnbull shows much better for less. But still a good wine that stands up well to steak. Good balance and fruit. Just not the depth or complexity that price point would suggest.
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5/23/2015 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Possibly the most approachable Isoscles I have had. Deep indigo in color. Nicely balanced with mocha, raspberry and a hint of cherry n the palate. Well integrated tannins and a medium length finish highlighted by a touch of sweetness. I have had numerous vintages of Isosceles, many older than this and they often seem like they have not quite reached their optimal drinking window. This was in its sweet spot.
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5/23/2015 - rmcnees wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby colored, medium to full bodied, black berry and black cherry with a red berry tone, hints of sweet mocha and anise and a touch of sweet oak on the back palate with soft tannins provide easy approachable sipping.
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5/2/2015 - ACR16719 Likes this wine: 94 Points
fabulous
peak drink
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5/2/2015 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Fruit forward, well integrated tannins, sweet red and blue fruit, a little thin in the mid-palate, medium finish.
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3/22/2015 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep indigo color. Spicy, pepper on the nose. Deep, dark fruit on the palate, largely sour cherry and black raspberry. This is evolving well and the overtones of creosote have diminished significantly in favor of fruit.
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3/6/2015 - gfm10 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice Bordeaux blend. Drank very well from the beginning. Medium body. Still had nice dark color and legs. Great with Italian dinner.
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2/22/2015 - lovemycab wrote: 90 Points
solid but not great wine. Enjoyed with pizza. Was expecting a bit more. Tannins and structure were just fine but fruit was lacking a bit and disappointing. For the processor expected more
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2/12/2015 - xuaeinw wrote: 89 Points
Mature above average cab. Should probably drink soon.
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1/26/2015 - ddingley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very impressive. Big black fruit with some savory woodsmoke, rich and long. Very smooth, probably at peak
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1/18/2015 - PSMB wrote: 89 Points
It smells like black pepper and forest floor. The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. Earthy taste and slightly oaky.
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1/9/2015 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still rich and concentrated, but flavors are more savory than primary fruit.
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1/1/2015 - wconnolly wrote: 90 Points
Hitting its stride nicely and consistent with prior tastings of this wine. Deep indigo color. Nose of dark berries, creosote and spice. Opens with blackberry and clove. Huge mouthfill and a lingering finish.
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12/30/2014 - rralls wrote:
Jackson's 21st B-Day.
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12/25/2014 - PSMB wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/8/2014 - bjschmitt Likes this wine: 89 Points
With grilled strip steak, and Salt & Vinegar potatoes.
Dark Garnet, good color to the rim, almost opaque.
Sweet nose, blueberry, cloves.
Dry, some acid, medium body, a touch of fennel, medium long finish, tannins not noticeable. Nice wine.
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10/10/2014 - ACR16719 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry and red currant. It tastes like black pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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9/28/2014 - Mjurgaitis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine drinking at its peak now.
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9/22/2014 - difran Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well balanced. Dark, full bodied. Nicely aged. Drinking very well now. Oak has subsided, but present.
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9/14/2014 - djdaqm wrote: flawed
My bottle was very slightly corked, but was still drinkable.
Decanted and aerated for 30 minutes before drinking. Starting to show slight signs of age in the color. Surprisingly a lot of depth on the nose, with smells of beef stew, blackberries, menthol, and cooking spices. I mistook it for a Brunello without knowing what it was. On the palate it has lots of fruit concentration, which is balanced well with acidity. The alcohol is nicely integrated. Tannins are not particularly high. Not the most complex glass of wine on the palate, and the length wasn't remarkable, but very pleasant to drink. Left a glass out overnight, covered by only a napkin, and it held up well.
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8/24/2014 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep indigo color. Opens huge on the palate with blackberry and creosote but quickly evolves to reveal raspberry, blueberry, tea and clove. Complex wine needing a bit more time to resolve tannins.
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8/13/2014 - aaronl3182 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour and drank over the next 3. This was signing at hour 3 so a decant is definitely in order.
Poured a dark mahogany and with nice aromatics. Nose was blackberry, bicycle inner tube and sweet earth. On the palate was blue fruit compote, baking spice, compost and wet forest. Med + body with balanced acidity and tannins. The mouth feel on this was amazing: soft, round and luscious.
This is definitely in its prime. Drink now and enjoy.
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8/6/2014 - Tom Myers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great and getting better!
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5/3/2014 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Loose cork; pushed in, some trouble. Popped and poured. Improved with an hour or so of air. Nice rolling tannins. Rich fruit, and delicious.
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5/3/2014 - Oldeswabie wrote:
Beautiful taste when it hits the mouth. Tastes better if decanted and left to open a few minutes.
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4/15/2014 - jsherdc Likes this wine: 88 Points
Blackberry jam. Smooth but very disappointing. 88/89.
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4/5/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 92 Points
A contestant for WOTN. Big ripe fruit, mainly raspberry and rep plum. Balanced with chocolate and light coffee tones. Lush and delicious.
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2/4/2014 - JMLoree Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Not sure what is wrong with this lot of Isoceles; however, I am about ready to toss my last three bottles. This was mud-like and foul.
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2/3/2014 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
This February is my month of "first timers": wines from my cellar that I've never tried before. Tonight, it's this Justin Pasa Robles blend and it's exceptional. Dark purple rim to rim, with a strong body and massive legs. The nose is filled with fall berries and wild flowers. On the palate, the immediate and powerful perception is chocolate. Melted chocolate. Very fine chocolate with high cacao content. Cassis, spices and tannins are all along for the ride, but in the back seat. Chocolate is in the drivers seat all night long.
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12/26/2013 - Ann&Wayne Likes this wine: 92 Points
4 of us drank it VERY SLOWLY enjoying every rich swallow.
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12/22/2013 - Justinwine wrote: 91 Points
the right time to drink this wine is now. The fruit is there for the loving.
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12/3/2013 - StainedGlass wrote:
Drat. Pop and pour was a mistake, but it was the only wine I had brought to dinner. This is a big wine that needs air and time or else the fruit and oak can overwhelm. What little I had left on day 2 was much improved. NR..
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10/22/2013 - prism wrote: 90 Points
The low end of excellence. Well made, and a nice fruit forward profile with integrated tannins, but not very interesting to drink. This should be stable for a few years, but I don't figure on seeing much improvement.
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10/10/2013 - BVal wrote: 92 Points
Mom & dad were out for a visit & decided to try a mini-vertical of Justin Iscosceles since they're fans and members of the wine club. Tried the '06, '07 & '08 over 3 consecutive nights. The '06 and '07 (to us) clearly better than the '08 which seemed a bit too young yet, as well as a touch lighter and a bit more tart. A little more earth on the '06 with possibly some extra thickness to the '07.
Color: Deep/dark ruby -> medium ruby rim. Nice bouquet of cedar, chocolate, caramel and berries. Excellent balance with a soft, velvety texture. Nicely rounded - full bodied and (like the '06) very approachable now.
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9/5/2013 - tc from santee wrote: 88 Points
No where near the quality levels of the 05 or o6's. Drink it now and enjoy this Med bodied blend that has a short finish and is beginning to fade.
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8/11/2013 - MyWineTutor Likes this wine: 89 Points
I've always enjoyed Justin Isoceles and this vintage was no different. Tannis were mellow and fruit soft on the nose and palate. Probably at it's peak about a year or two ago so I would drink up any remaining bottles.
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7/7/2013 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Deep, inky appearance. Prominent black and blue fruit aromas are buried under earthy elements of scorched earth, treated cedar, and garrigue. Succulent and concentrated flavors of black currants, dried currants, blackberries, and touches of chocolate and anise-like spice. Oak is noticeable but hardly detracting. Good length, depth, structure, and balance. A big wine that is still evolving in the bottle.
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6/13/2013 - rcurlee Likes this wine: 93 Points
great ballance, wonderful fruit, not overly tannic, very drinkable now, nice and lush, a great value Cali Bordeaux blend
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5/25/2013 - Castle Peak wrote: 92 Points
Never disappoints. Wonderful package of berry fruits, oak, leather, violets and vanilla.
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4/2/2013 - jpleedy wrote: 91 Points
This is not my favorite vintage of Isosceles, but it's still a great wine. Always enjoyable. I agree with Vaynerchuk that it's a bit of an oak bomb. Too much so. I think there's a beautiful wine being masked a little bit there, but it is still immensely enjoyable and the oak probably gives it a broader appeal. I'd love to have this wine with 25% less time in oak. Gobs of dark fruit, really concentrated wine. Coats the glass. Nice long finish that has a little bit of earth to it that I'd like to get more of earlier. You can't go wrong with Isosceles, but this year is not the pinnacle. I will drink the rest of this as I don't see it improving considerably over time.
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3/10/2013 - jhieb wrote: 90 Points
Loads of blackberry, boysenberry, sugar, vanilla, and some sugar. Great fruit, but just too sweet.
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2/3/2013 - Tige Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ouvert le soir du Superbowl 47. Carafé une grosse heure. Beaucoup de fruits mûrs, cassis surtout, notes de tabac sucré, texture assez grasse, tannins agréables. Dans le cellier depuis une couple d'années, la bouteille présentait un important dépôt. Bien apprécié par tous mais pas nécessairement un bon RQP. J'ai l'impression que ce vin est dans ses belles années.
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1/28/2013 - JJamba wrote: 87 Points
The nose was very fruit foward. The focus was lost a bit in the mid with a loose grip as it finished.
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1/26/2013 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Blackberry and boysenberry; packed with fruit. Maybe a little too much fruit and not enough savory and mineral notes; it can be a little tiring, but this is certainly in the Paso Robles style. I like Justin wines, but they often leave me wishing they were a bit more subtle. Nice wine, but I wish it were ten or fifteen bucks less by the bottle.
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12/3/2012 - JMLoree Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Disappointing for an '07, even for Paso Robles. One dimensional with no meaningful nose, uninspiring fruit and indiscernable finish. VPR not favorable. Take a pass.
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11/23/2012 - jy_wine wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding wine with great structure. Lots of different flavors experienced including blackberries, cocoa, and smoke. Deep purple color observed. Drank after 1 hour decanting.
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11/17/2012 - cstir wrote: 92 Points
Excellent; immediate enjoyment on opening; good balance and complex red fruit flavor; lasting finish.
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10/20/2012 - jdinkin1 wrote: 91 Points
Ready to drink. Nice structure. Good with buffalo rib eye. If you have no tried buffalo with cab you need to do it.
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9/11/2012 - Castle Peak wrote: 93 Points
Wine of the night with a smorgy of tri tip, lamb and salmon.
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8/1/2012 - Grillgod wrote: 93 Points
Big but vibrant dark berries with some cherry and other red fruit. Very nicely balanced and vibrant after little air time. Similar overall flavor profile as previous vintages, but not quite as big and chewy. Certainly plenty of ageability left and perhaps I got a more developed bottle, but this is drinking pretty well right now.
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7/27/2012 - wconnolly wrote: 88 Points
Deep, opaque, purple color. Nose full of berry and smoke. On the palate, a blend of currant, black cherry and graphite. Consistent with other vintages of Isosceles I have enjoyed. Drank side by side with a 2006 Flinders Run Shiraz. Somewhat surprisingly the Shiraz fared better being a bit more fruit filled and better balanced. I suspect the Isosceles will benefit from some additional age.
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7/20/2012 - Iceman611 wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular meritage. One of my favorite isosceles.
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7/7/2012 - jfpwine wrote: 88 Points
Very green aroma. Smooth palate with a vegetal finish. I just can't get into his wine. Decanted for 1 hour. The 06 was much better.
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6/29/2012 - Pbuschur Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank this and and 2009 Isosceles with some friends. Both were excellent but I preferred the 2007 while my friends preferred the younger and more fruit forward 2009.
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6/28/2012 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 6/28/2012 (Casa Racer117): 88% cab sauvignon, 8% cab franc, 4% merlot. Decanted and re-bottled at least an hour before serving. Clear dark garnet black color. Fantastic bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, cloves, and toast. Powerful, full-bodied, but seamless and well-balanced, with long finish. Youthful but approachable now. FIRST PLACE tonight by unanimous vote.
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6/28/2012 - Racer117 wrote: 93 Points
After being thoroughly unimpressed by the '08, I was worried about this. I should not have been. Decanted 2 hours before dinner. Big dark wine with black currant, berries, tea. Smooth balanced body. Very nice.
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6/8/2012 - Pbuschur Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was surprised by the amount of sediment. The aroma and taste were excellent. This was my first bottle of the case and I'm looking forward to drinking the rest. Very nice wine!
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5/3/2012 - Cuellar's Cellar wrote: 92 Points
- Brick color and aromas of black pepper and has flavours of black currant - Drinking tonight. Taste great and worth the wait.
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4/28/2012 - Madkat wrote: 92 Points
Just really good stuff.
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4/20/2012 - hammie1234 wrote: 92 Points
Really beautiful blend... fruity, stylish, and great finish
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4/11/2012 - The Lonz wrote: 90 Points
Had this wine for my birthday. Decanted for about an hour. In my opinion its an old world style. Didnt find this to be a fruit bomb but instead thought it had more bordeaux style balance and restrain. Dark fruit on both the nose and pallete with nice acidity and bitter chocolate on the end. Expected this wine to have a longer finish than it did. (maybe 15 seconds).However I did enjoy the wine but if you are into more of fruit bomb style then I recommend the regular Justin Cabernet Sauvignon.
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4/8/2012 - prism wrote: 90 Points
Dark crimson in the glass; subtle nose of berry compote. Enjoyable now but young, and a bit hot; I think there is room for improvement with more bottle age. Nicely made, no off notes, but nothing that says wow to me at this point.
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3/26/2012 - Chefthome wrote:
Gave as birthday gift to Jerry
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2/20/2012 - gfm10 wrote: 94 Points
great bordeaux blend wine. full-bodied with great fruit and tannins.
great paso wine!
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2/12/2012 - jad1964 wrote: 89 Points
Point rating considers price too. While I would not say I was disappointed, I would call this well below other prior Isosceles vintages I have had. It was simply "good" & not worth $50. I have enjoyed others cabs & blends much more outta '07.
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11/24/2011 - StainedGlass wrote: 91 Points
Dark to medium-dark garnet. Nose of blackberry jam and oaky spice. Blackberry and cherry fruits dominate, but not quite a bomb. Well balanced with tannins and spice (dried tea leaves and some white pepper), but maybe a tad more oak than what I like to see. An engaging wine.
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10/22/2011 - Brian1970 wrote: 91 Points
Warm, intense Bordeaux blend with soft California edges. Dark red fruits, lush inviting nose, silky tannins, a touch of cocoa oak.
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10/9/2011 - EdmondDantes wrote: 89 Points
Notes were a patchwork of blackberry and currant but held together by a note that was hard to place but in the stone/mineral frequency (perhaps graphite or flint?). This was a fine structured wine with a solid palate and a strong finish but in my view it doesn't live up to the attention and price point. It just appears to be playing within the safety zone of new world tastes and trends of the moment. This will easily please most crowds, but with all the comparison to a Bordeaux by Justin, why not just man up and get the real thing?
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9/26/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 90 Points
Nice cocoa, plum and cedar nose. Big fruited palate with vanilla mocha finish.
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9/15/2011 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RUSSK Outer Limits Trade Tasting at Marriott HBeach. One of my favs from the whole tasting.
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9/7/2011 - Sethbo11 wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding wine. Rich and lush and exceptionally balanced. I'd give it 1-2 pts more if the finish were a little longer. Very pure dark fruit.
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9/3/2011 - RClinton Likes this wine: 88 Points
Was expecting more from this Cab blend. Nice medium dark color, very soft nose. Pretty tight at first but opened up in the glass over the hour. Maybe should have waited another couple years on this. Fairly well balanced with nice acid/tannins. Certainly not overoaked. Medium finish. Not overwhelmed, but a decent blend. Not a good QPR for me though, have had much better for the price of $50.00.
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8/28/2011 - Castle Peak wrote: 93 Points
This Iso is coming along nicely. Balances fruit, oak, tannins, floral accents and smoky chocolate flavors. This a great bottle of wine.
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7/10/2011 - cstir wrote: 92 Points
Good balance; cabernet sauvignon (88%) predominates in the flavor; berry flavor with a bit of bitterness and tobacco; opened well within 30 minutes; sustained finish.
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6/4/2011 - Cuellar's Cellar wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color. It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body with a long finish - Pretty dam good. Needed to breath for an hour.
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5/14/2011 - dcasper wrote: 88 Points
A really nice cab blend, filled with tons of fruit. Still young but worthy.
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4/6/2011 - 3marinerfans wrote: 95 Points
This wine is simply divine. Justin Isosceles always ranks as one of our favorites. Has some smoked paprika on the nose, which I absolutely love and paired with peppercorn tenderloin beautifully.
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2/22/2011 - Jaqbqwk wrote: 99 Points
Wow is all I can say!
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2/20/2011 - chad1616 wrote: 90 Points
Good but needed a full hour to open, this guys is still way too young right now.
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2/14/2011 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
Tasted immediately after opening. We had planned to drink something else this evening but it turned out to be a disappointment. Since it is Valentine's Day, the Isosceles got thrown into the breach. This is more like it. Excellent and fits the occasion beautifully.
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2/13/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 92 Points
had a tallulah,s wine bar in Birmingham, excellent again. Rich, smooth, great 07 Napa cab
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1/17/2011 - wmccone54 wrote: 90 Points
This Bordeaux blend from Paso Robles is a great bottle of wine. However, it wasn\'t quite as good as I expected, and given all the hype I was expecting a slight bit more richness! This is not a bold wine, very soft in style but also a slight bit tannic. it took a while to open and decanting clearly helped. Initially a bit closed on the nose but when it did open, there was plenty of dark black currant fruit with hints of chocolate flavor on the palate. This wine is fairly well balanced and is not overpowering at either mid palate or on the finish. Definitely want to try again.
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1/15/2011 - WineKV wrote: 95 Points
Brought this wine to a group "blind tasting", competing with many $150+ bottles, and this bottle was the winner. This group is a "fruit forward", massive Napa cab drinking group.
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1/12/2011 - Myrtle wrote: 91 Points
Great modern Cali Bordeaux blend with plenty of Paso fruit and chewy tannins to make it scrumptious. The ONLY complaint i have is that is has some of that darned artifical juice flavor stuck in there that one often sees with less expensive, mass produced modern reds. Otherwise would have probably scored this a 93. I don't know what creates that artificial taste for me, but it is sadly appearing to become more prevalent in today's wines. Justin/Deborah - PLEASE PLEASE take that artificial flavor out of future releases!
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1/10/2011 - Atwellian wrote: 90 Points
Actually drunk by mistake when I went to the cellar to grab an everyday Justin Cab. Nice depth, good fruit, will need to cellar another bottle for a few years to see how it ages.
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1/10/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 92 Points
excellent blend, tasted more like a California cab than a bordeaux blend, delicious, dark fruits. katie loved it, wished I had more.
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12/30/2010 - jamieirving wrote: 89 Points
Yet another tasty bottle of this fine Bordeaux blend. Intense purple with ruby red edges I caught aromas of baked berry fruit, spice and liquorice on the nose. The palate is rich and full show yet further fruit chatacter with well integrated wood. Good structure. Nice peppery finish.
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12/29/2010 - Eswannie wrote: 93 Points
One of the best wines I have had in a long time. No need to wait like a Bordeaux wine. Drink it now. Goes perfect with steak and a nice lightly spicy sauce. Tastes of dark berries and a hint of oak. Great nose (tobacco?) definitely would buy again. In fact, I already have a other bottle in my cellar
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12/28/2010 - dchorton wrote: 92 Points
Been wanting to try this for a long time, wish I'd had it sooner. Tastes older than it is, nice berry overtones, won't wait long too have it again. Very, very nice.
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12/13/2010 - JasonG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very well crafted. Complex nose, hints of dark fruit, with a touch of Paso sweetness, but restrained by flint and cigar box. Generous floral quality. Initial sip reinforces the dark fruits. Mouthfeel and finish reveal a very complex wine, carefully constructed to show layers of fruit with a soft finish. In fact, the velvety finish might be the most noticeable aspect of this. Fantastic with a steak.
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12/9/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 89 Points
Smooth, dark, ripe but not candied, some smoke and a hint of earth. Not mind-blowing but well done. Could use a little more brightness on the finish.
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11/28/2010 - oeno8105 wrote:
What an exceptional blend! Full-bodied with the deep, dark fruit that is so characteristic of Paso Robles. I followed it with a bottle of Armida Il Campo. It was the only thing that would have followed so well. This was among the top blends in this price range, to include Anthology from Conn Creek, Relentless from Shafer, and Generations from Charles Krug.
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11/27/2010 - MooGooGai wrote:
Liked it
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11/21/2010 - Grenik wrote: 92 Points
Tasted with 12 Napa cabs and this Paso wine was a top third effort, at a much better price. Burgundy color, less purple than many of the other efforts. Cherry and vanilla hints on the nose with a little pine to add depth. Taste was very smooth and relatively balanced for such a young wine. I felt is was one of the most approachable wines tasted. Cherry, plum, and vanilla along with some spice tones. Nice tannins carry it into the finish. Wine was a little hot.
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11/17/2010 - compiq wrote: 90 Points
Probably needs more time but compared it with the '06 on the same evening and it was eminently more drinkable
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10/24/2010 - slywka7 wrote: 91 Points
Better balance than the regular Cab bottling with nice red and black fruits, chocolate and some toasty oak. This was tasty even if a tad expensive.
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10/17/2010 - MoTheMan wrote: 93 Points
My experience is very much in line with Rich S (see three reviews before this one).
Opened a 1/2 bottle with a nice chicken & Salad meal. Not a huge California wine fan, compared to the palate I have for old world stuff, and I truly did find this wine showing strong oak but, again, with enough acidity, body, hints of aok/vanilla, mocha, shrub herbs, and enough red & black fruit expression that I thoroughly enjoyed this. Getting my hands on a few more 1/2 bottles so I don't have to brek open full bottles (of which I have about 4!). :-)
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10/14/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
West Coast Tasting (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Blue fruit doused in creamy dark chocolate.
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9/29/2010 - Rich S wrote: 93 Points
Had a bottle of this last night at a steakhouse. Dark purple color. Loads of blackberry jam and black currant on the nose with a strong helping of vanilla and toasty oak notes. More of the same on the palate with creme de cassis flavors, some vanilla, mocha and roasted coffee on the back end. The oak treatment is a bit on the aggresive side but there is so much fruit and enough acid that everything comes together very well. Long, smooth finish with no trace of heat. Drinking well right now but I think this will age nicely. I will look to pick up a bottle or two for the cellar.
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9/18/2010 - tsimons wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured... would decant for two hours next time. Tannins started out very strong and the wine was very tight upon opening. 30 minutes of air softened the tannins a bit and opened up dark berry, subtle herbs, and white pepper. My notes were poor beyond that.
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8/21/2010 - MoreWinePlease wrote:
Gonna need some time for all the stuffing to knit together. Tanins not quite as fine as the '06 but still loaded w/ripe bing cherry,black fruits along with the usual lush mouth feel.
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7/4/2010 - cabdrinker wrote: 92 Points
One of the better young Isosceles I have had in a number of years. Still carries a bit of oak on the nose and palate, but it's really smooth texture, vanilla notes and bright acidic fruit that is making this a very nice wine right now. Little tobacco, sage and spicy heat follow nicely through the finish. This I believe will age beautifully.
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6/28/2010 - cbauer135 wrote: 93 Points
Still very young but there's a lot of good complexity here. Went great with a prime rib. I think the 2016 date on the drinking window is too conservative. This one will still be good for several years after that. Let this wine sit, I think it will be incredible in 5-10.
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6/22/2010 - enovino wrote: 94 Points
Tried on vacation in Santa Cruz, CA. Drank with Chris, Kelly, Bill, and Niko. Enjoyed with Tri-tip marinated in Bloody Mary mix. Popped and poored at room temp - Fantastic wine! Spicy nose, dark fruit - no heat at all Rich and long. I will look for this - glad it's still available.
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6/8/2010 - Polliard wrote: 77 Points
Needs to lay down at least 6 months
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5/22/2010 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
The Big Red Wines of Paso Robles (The Wine Country, Signal Hill, CA): Very fragrant Cab with some noticeable vanilla aromas. On the palate, big up front fruit, well-integrated oak, good acidity and a long finish. Nicely balanced. Well made wine. I liked this very much, though, I wouldn't pull the trigger at $50.
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5/5/2010 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Warehouse Grand Tasting. Nose of red cherry fruit, dust, and a baked tart, more of the same on the palate, needs 3 years to peak, well made, touch on the dry side for me, small amount of soft tannins present hurt the score, medium body, and medium/long finish.
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4/26/2010 - Black Pearl wrote: 92 Points
BIL opened at a First Communion celebration. Very good, excellent fruit on the nose, just enough tannins, and tremendous, smooth finish. Damn nice bottle of wine, better than prior vintages. Could be a higher rating, was a sub-optimal tasting setting, will return with additional thoughts after the Justin Dinner at Sullivan's in Naperville next week (optimal setting).
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3/26/2010 - jjclips2 wrote: 86 Points
Not a bad bottle of wine by any means, just not what I tend to look for in wine. Nose was spicy and alcoholic. Nice brambly berry fruit. Palate is medium+ bodied with moderate acidity. Again the alcohol taking charge from front to back palate. Not my style.
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3/22/2010 - bwaverley wrote: 94 Points
Same as earlier review - let this one decant a bit longer and more sweet fruit came forward, along with a touch of vanilla.
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3/21/2010 - bwaverley wrote: 94 Points
Best Isosceles since 2001 and reminds me a bit of the 1997 (to the extent I can remember). THe tannins are smooth and structured with dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate and subtle cinnamon and tobacco. You can drink this now (after a minimum one hour decanting), but I think the rewards for waiting will be great!
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2/20/2010 - brigcampbell wrote:
Paso for Sam's 75th Birthday; 2/19/2010-2/21/2010 (Paso Robles, California): no score, but this could be a terrific wine in 5 years. sweet cherry with cinnamon/nutmeg. yes this is what's on the tasting notes from justin but it's true. certainly could be a 92+
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