Revisiting an old friend, 3 hour decant, rich nose of dark fruit, flavors exhibit cassis, cedar, blackberry. Has aged quite nicely since my first bottle 13 (really?) years ago. Still shows lively fruit flavors. Really enjoyed this one.
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Still drinking beautifully, aromas of cassis and blackberry, light touch of oak, beautiful, clear deep red/garnet color with no bricking. A classic Napa Cabernet with palate of cassis, blackberry, graphite, and oak, all in balance on a medium+ weight frame. Just enough smooth, silky tannins to hold it all together on a medium+ finish. Elegant, straightforward Cab, in Mondavi’s restrained style, still fresh. One left in the cellar, probably will hold for another 6-12 months before it fades.
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Nothing like older Mondavi cabs, which tended to age gracefully on a "Bordeaux-like" trajectory, with secondary and tertiary characteristics coming to the forefront after time in the cellar.
Instead, this vintage remains very linear, and not all that much different from my initial experience with it a decade ago. Sure, a little rounded out, rough edges gone. But other than that, this is essentially the same wine I drank back then. It's not a bad bottle of wine. My low score today reflects the lack of evolution.
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I bought 6 of these for 19.95 way back in the day. It was delicious young. Closed down for awhile. But it is now in its mature phase and drinking nicely. Solid deep purple/garnet no bricking. Nice nose of cassis some pencil lead. Body has medium plus dark fruits with enough acid left for a medium plus finish. One left. Drink now or wait a few years but my sense is the secondary expression will not develop further before the fruit fades.
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Good deep garnet color still. Deep red, not much brick or purple. Nice nose of cassis, dry cherry, crushed dried rose petals. Med body, med minus acid, dark fruit, some oak, plenty of tannin left. I suspect this has gotten better the last 13 years. A nice surprise and a wine that has aged well. Drinks great and not over the hill.
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Variable notes on this. Some say its past its prime. Decanted to remove residues. Deep ruby color. Smells of cassis and plums, cedar. Opens up nicely in the glass. Taste of cassis, mature plums, cedar, slight tobacco. Sweet, medium plus intensity. A little heavy on the alcohol (15.5%) Slightly short.
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N: RIPE berries with undertones of pyrazines & notes of smoke
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish, blk olive frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a fairly elegant tangy/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff for now & through '23? 15.5% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 89 pts winealign.com + other scores/medals on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg. [As of late Sept '19, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $19.99]!
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Still showing solid quality fruit in classic Napa cab style from a great vintage elevating this well above original price point. Ready to drink with softened but still firm tannins and pleasing mouthfeel. Core of cassis and dark chocolate, real crowd-pleaser among many higher end options at the party.
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Last of 3 bottles purchased in 2010, others scored 88 and 90. Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, red and blue fruit - cherry and plum, bacon fat, leather, and hints of Asian spice - this has matured nicely. Palate: Medium-full bodied, dark fruit - cassis and plum - and Asian spice attack, leather and menthol notes appear thru the mid-palate, up-front fruit persists nicely thru the back-end where earthy notes join in. Finish: Medium length dominated by dark fruit, spice and earth. I believe I caught this near it's peak - everything is in balance, quite a pleasant surprise.
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Found this bottle rummining through my cellar forgot about these as I have two more bottles. Wet cellars aromas gave way with some vigorous swirling, the palate was quit rich, ripe and dark, with blackberries, dark currants, cassis, black cherry, the finish is full of oak. Last tasted in 2012, cellared since late 2009.
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better than my previous bottles. More typical napa cab flavors and profiles. Decanted for 1.5 hours and drank over the next 3 hour. At the end of the bottle it had a lot of metallic flavors. Glad these are no longer taking up space in my cooler...
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Second of my three bottles and it was a similar experience than my first bottle. Seems this wine is past its peak and I second LECHAPEAU‘s note. I will not wait on drinking up my last bottle, maybe I will get lucky and it will be good. To the other people holding the over 2k bottles, start drinking!
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Had higher hopes for this one. Either it's past its prime, or it just never had it to begin with. A decent cab, but nothing special. I'll be drinking up my remaining bottles.
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Your first impression is the still-bracing tannins with a screech of acidity, especially in the finish. That's followed by iodine and some hollowed out plums. The rest of the wine just falls apart on the palate. Cellar stored since release, this is, unfortunately, over the hill. (= Pass)
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Right on the limit. If you have some drink them is my advice. Bought 6 and one was faulty the rest were delicious but starting to get to the end of thier life in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade a little.
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Right on the limit. If you have some drink them is my advice. Bought 6 and one was faulty the rest were delicious but starting to get to the end of thier life in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade a little.
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Sunday Group: Mini-Horizontals- Mondavi, Dominus & Chappellet (Mike's): Double blind. Has a greenish overtone with mocha, red and black fruit and floral notes underneath. Fine-grained tannins are soft and approachable, with dark fruit and currant flavors. The greenish notes turn more towards eucalyptus as it sits. lovely black currant fruit. 91-92 pts.
My #2, Domino's #9 Group #9, 77 pts
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Fairly aromatic on the nose with some secondary character. Much the same on the palate. Fairly mature, probably has a few years left. Not a long term ager, but very pleasant now. Great QPR at the $18 original purchase price.
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Similar experience to WONDERSOFWINE. Muted and dusty is the theme of this wine. Oh, add disappointment. Decanted for a little over two hours. At first the wine had a typical napa nose and typical napa flavor with some darker characteristics. Throughout dinner (venison meatloaf) the wine lost its nose and became dusty and tannic. Not sure what to do with my remaining bottles. I see that there are still a lot of people holding onto this wine so maybe I will as well. Or maybe I had an off bottle and there is some bottler variation. No score this time around...but if I had to enter one, 85...
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Even with decanting, the first day it was totally rough. Almost poured it out. Next day, it was drinkable, but just barely. What a disappointment for such a good year.
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This Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as "dusty" muted fruit with some earthy notes. With more aeration this improved upon its initial impression. I ended up liking it although it may be beyond its prime time.
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Shows lovely bottle age on the blackberry, currant, and wood spice bouquet. Wisps of rosemary, dust, and hard candy. Fruity on entry, then turns savory, deep, and brooding, flaunting a rich texture, plush tannin, and black fruit and cassis flavors. Excellent length, density, and complexity. A very complete wine. 90+
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This wine reminded me what a great aging grape Cabernet Sauvignon really is. In pedigree, nothing special coming out of the cellar 9 years after its bottling. Reputable, historic producer, but a high production wine, not the reserve bottling. But there it was in the glass, reminding me of a nicely aged Margaux. Simply gorgeous, prominent aromas reminiscent of leather, rosemary and nutmeg. A lovely, approachable, savory palate ... beautifully balanced across the vectors of sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness. Not a steak wine, but great with medium-body table fare, like pork, duck or the wild rice and roast chicken soup we had. Given the nose profile, lamb would probably work well too.
Age your reds well, and this is your reward!
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On day 2: Blackberry, plum, raisin, dark chocolate, vanilla, earth, medium tannin, nice structure. Noting that the fruit was brighter on day 1 at 1 hr after opening and it liked being paired with grilled steak. A good bottle of wine for $20 + 5-7 years in the basement.
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Nose rich in blackcurrant, blackberries, vanilla and soil. Very straight forward Cali cab. Medium+ mouth feel with smooth tannins and lots of fruit on the palate. Good balance and drinking very well now. This was a notch below a previous bottle I had of this vintage.
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A nice typical Mondavi Cali cab that's doing very well right now. Plenty of great smooth fruit and probably a good many years left to go. Wish I'd bought more.
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positive surprise, a very good Napa Cab - right time to drink, why wait! nose a little bit shy, but drinking with still a lot of dark fruits, well-balanced
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Aroma jumped out of decanter well before I tasted. Classic cab and classic Mondavi. Well melded nose and flavors and very balanced finish. Yummy. I bought 16, but only have four left now. I think this will last a long time so I had better slow down.
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Was actually very surprised, $25 bottle that drank like a big boy. Agreed with other notes, this is not a good candidate for PnP... definitely needed a good 2 hrs decant, before the rough edge tannins started to soften, and even on day 2, was drinking large. Red and Black fruit with a very acceptable entry and mid, with a decent finish. Glad a few more, think this might even have potential for a point increase in a few years. Wish I had bought more!!!
Great bottle of wine. This is really not a pop and pour. At first the wine tastes thin. After sitting in the bottle for an hour the wine starts to come to life, but you taste some rough edges / tannins. Then after 75 minutes in a decanter it blossoms. Red fruit that is silky smooth. Really nice. This wine will last a long time. Parker says drink through 2019 - 2024, and I believe he is right.
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Decanted. Pours Mahogany to the edge. Initial nose of cherry candy, tastes of plums with darker fruits in the background. Smooth finish. Nice, but not memorable to start. Only began to come into its own at 2-3 hours with red cherry, raspberry and a hint of strawberry. A hint of Rutherford fruit in the background. At 4 hours, the nose begins to show some perfume. Blend of 86% Cab Sauv,, 8% Merlot, 4% Cab Franc, 1% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec. All add a bit of complexity. Very good QPR at $21.00. This has a lot of life left. Leave for another few years and/or decant for 2-3 hours minimum if opened sooner.
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What I expect from Mondavi Napa from a good year. Good value for everyday drinking. Good balance and a little complexity in a grapy profile. At $22 I'll continue to buy these for weekday drinking.
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Deep, rich, well-balanced, with some complexity and spiciness, and somewhat better acidity and less pronounced (or at least less objectionable to us) sweetness than our prior bottle. And this was our last bottle – too bad!
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A Cali-Cab that certainly punches above its weight. Dark red/purple with ample legs in the glass. Herbal, woodsy notes in the bouquet with an abundance of dark pit fruits on the palate, alongside of fresh cranberries and cassis. A wisp of mint at the back end that carries over into the finish, along with some more woodland notes. Very satisfying, especially at its under-$15 purchase price.
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Rich red to the edge. Very young looking. Still shy after 2 hours in decanter. Open after 3. Black fruit, licorice, cassis and a hint of Rutherford fruit. Tastes of rich black fruit with good balance and a trace of tannin. Medium finish. Classic Napa bottle from Mondavi. This has life ahead, but should be allowed to open up in a decanter. Excellent QPR at $21.00.
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My last 07. This was a great vintage and a heck of a deal for the $18 I paid for these. However, this wine is starting to decline a little in my opinion. If I had any more I would definitely DRINK UP. They are not going to get better.
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Blackberry, cassis, vanilla with a hint of cedar. Decanted 1 hour as when splash decanted the fruit was closed and wine was very hot. After decant, wine displayed a popping of the fruit, velvety tannins, mild acidity. Very little wood at all. Much better than bottle consumed a year ago.
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Very nice wine at this point. Aging certainly helped. Classic Napa cab flavors, very smooth now, full body but not heavy with nice mouth feel. Finishes with soft dry tannins.
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Good everyday drinker and reasonable value (for a Napa Cab anyway), but nothing in particular stands out. May mellow out a bit with time, but flavors were not particularly outstanding.
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Steak Dinner with Friends (My Place): Open & ready to go. Red fruit, vanilla, black cherries on the nose and palate. Creamy texture, sweet fruit. Full finish, nice for this style & price, in pretty good balance.
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I consider this to be the best bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for under $20 year in and year out. I typically buy 6+ bottles of every vintage and put them away for a few years, and then start drinking them when they are b/w 5 to 7 years old. The '07 is a really nice wine. After 30 minutes in the decanter all I tasted were tannins and too much dark fruit. The wine started to come together after 90 minutes in the decanter. The tannins / rough edges were gone, and you tasted a mix of fruit, leather and cedar. This wine hasn't even started to stretch its legs. I have 7 bottles left, and will probably not have another bottle until 2015.
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Dark ruby. Cassis and black currant scent. Dark fruits, high alcohol does not bother me. Overall this cab is well balanced and continous to develop nicely and is easily liked, especially when paired with tender strips of beef. As previously noted, At this stage I find this vintage far superior to newer vintages such ad 09 and 10.
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Wonderful cab with plenty of life left, maybe a bit early but still a very good bottle. Dark fruit is prominent and the tannins are refined. Went great with a leg of lamb.
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Dark garnet red. Nose with plums, dark forest fruit, blackberries, digestive biscuits, vanilla and baking spices. Medium+ mouth feel with smooth tannins and lots of fruit on the palate. Great balance and drinking very well now. Good buy
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A solid Cali cab from an old favorite winery. For a non-premium cab, this Mondavi "house wine" "punches well above it's weight". It's an enjoyable red, with plenty of stuffing, cassis and ripe berries, deep red color. A hint of oak in the nose. A very nice wine for it's qpr. It might even age a bit more in the next year or two, but is more than ready to drink at present. If you didn't buy a case of this wine a few years ago, it's likely long disappeared from the local wine shop's shelves. The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), vanilla, light toast and geranium.
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This cab has developed nicely and at this stage, far superior to newer vintages such ad 09 and 10. Dark fruits. Well integrated slight tannins. Cassis..
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Really glad I held on to a couple of these. Drinking at its peak right now, it was aromatic and tasty right out of the bottle. Varietally correct with very nice, lush fruits. This a good, full-bodied Napa cab that shows surprising complexity and will likely please all drinkers. Pair with a good steak.
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Decanted for 45min. This wine has settled down a bit from my last bottle 2 years ago; the alcohol and tannins are not as intense as before...flavors are very well integrated and a smooth finish; plenty of fruit still there.
I would venture to believe that this wine is now getting close to it's peak (2014/2015?), but will continue be pleasant for several more years after that.
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I was stunned to read some of the so-so reviews of this wine. In my mind, this wine is a terrific way to enjoy a $35 wine for 20 bucks. Blackberry preserves and spice just bursting from the glass, with perfect tannins. I suppose it still has some aging potential, but perfect right now to preserve its fruitiness, which is its charm. Just loved by all five who tasted.
The best showing I've had of this. Quite surprising with its good balance, round fruit and nice finish. All you could ask for from a <$20 cab and really hitting its stride now. Much better than my last bottle in June 2012.
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Vertical tasting - 07, 08, 10. 08 seemed to be the favorite for most of the people. All were good, age worthy, color and clarity were perfect. I still think the best wine for the money.
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Our last bottle, and getting better on Day two. Definitely rich, ripe, and filled with blackberry compote, bitter cocoa, and baking spice. A bit lethargic on day one, this gained significant energy with air overnight. Full bodied and textured, with finishing cedar, tobacco, dried sweet berries, and soft tannins. Enjoyable but unremarkable. Drink or Hold.
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Nothing wrong here, especially mid $20s Napa Cab. Not overly tannic, drinkable now with good flavors, but not going anywhere down in the next 3-5 years. Not fashionable, but good.
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Did the trick with hamburgers and unfortunately didn't last long as a few took big pours. Some evidence of aging, but still plenty of fruit and a nice finish.
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Low end offering from Mondavi Napa and sadly unmemorable. Deft nose and finish and did not improve over the days after opening. Had loftier expectations, lower QPR than desired.
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This is a very limited range wine. This bottle had an aroma of menthol and the flavor of cherry cough syrup. There is a flat finish with no range or complexity. Overall this is not a very well crafted daily drinker. Not disappointed this is my last bottle.
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Much evolved from the last tasting. Waves of sweet raspberry and currant, rose petal and spices on the nose; rich fruit on tasting with hardly any tannins after 2 hours decant. Creamy like many other higher priced Napa Cabs. Lengthy finish and great value for a mid-$20 Cabernet.
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Fantastic from 30 minutes to 2 hours - and hence the generous rating. After the 2 hour mark it took on a sour note and lost all of its manliness. A tale of two wines... Perfect pairing with beef stew. Excellent QPR for $17.
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Having passed the five year mark, this seemed like it should be open for business. A very limited nose after two hours in the glass giving off a bit of raisin paste and briar. A reasonable if unremarkable cabernet with smoky oak, cassis, and blackberry. Very little complexity, and a short modestly chalk filled finish.
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Lush, dark fruited aromas of plum, vanilla, and warm baking spice. The palate isn't overtly candied, but is nevertheless ripe in style, with rich dark berries overlying vanilla bean and cedar. A bit of forest floor emerges on the finish. This is enjoyable with nice balance, if a bit standard. Should continue to improve with age. R&M 86
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I opened this bottle yesterday and finished it today. Yesterday was great with aromas of dark fruit like currents and blackberries. Today it reminds me of my grandmothers preserves. Remember when you got to open a new bottle of preserves and you would sit there and smell it and then spread it on freshly toasted bread. I'm teetering between B+ and A-. Next time I will use the tasting note assistant. Today I will just thank Robert Mondavi Winery for the memories.
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A totally decent, varietally typical cab which at $16 at Costco is a fine bargain wine for a mid-week pour or party where quantity is needed but you don't want to serve some swill
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It has been 10 months since I last visited this wine. It is in a great place now. Black fruits, nice back-end, and overall good balance. Excellent QPR @$20.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of tobacco, black pepper and licorice anise. It's balanced with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Really opened up after 1/2 hour of decanting. On top of tasting good, this bottling always presents an excellent value. You can never go wrong with this one. No, it's not the Reserve or even the Oakville, but it's undeniably Mondavi.
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leather and blueberry pie on the nose. Follows up with Chocolate, blueberries, pencil and oak on the palate. OK length with soft tannins. Medium to full body, but lacks some acidity to balance it completely. The oak is at this stage not well enough integrated.
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Nice enough bottle of wine. Good red and black fruits in nice balance. Somewhat tannic, but not overly so. The one big flaw is the alcohol was poking out quite a bit. Hopefully this is something that will resolve with some more age, but we will see whether the fruit can hold up that long.
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Did not decant. Improved over 2 hour drinking window. Suggest decant. Varietal profile shows up in this wine. Blackberry, cassis, and cedar/vanilla. Cedar was very prominent, as was the heat, until 1 hour had passed. Fell more into balance, but was light on the acidity. Nice wine that I hope will improve in a 2+years.
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All I can say is ho hum! While competently made there is nothing to get excited about here - a little fruit, some structure, not much tannins. Not bad, just boring
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Still a bit young, with some tannin and a liitle alcohol stealing from the fruit and keeping it from optimal balance. I still expect this to turn out nicely, it's just not in its prime window yet. About a year or two away.
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Excellent varietal character. Substantial tannins lead to a slight cocoa finish. Slightly hot on the finish but everything else is so positive, that is easy to overlook.
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Aromas of red currant, black cherry, chocolate and oak. Similar flavors as the nose though a bit more oak taking the place of the chocolate. Medium tannins and light acidity. The biggest surprise and one of the biggest enjoyments was the length/boldness of the finish- longer and bolder than expected. One of the better Napa cabs I've had in the $20 price point in the past year.
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Deep purple core with a ruby rim. This wine is very young for being nearly 5 years old. Nose includes cassis, blackberry and plum with hints of herbs vanilla cedar and maybe graphite. The nose betrays the slight addition of merlot and Cabernet franc or Verdot In the mouth The tannins still jump out at you with their sandy texture, and the alcohol is a bit pronounced the taste still matches the aromas. blackberries, cassis a bit of minerality and with almost in your face tannins and an pH level near the low end of the spectrum guessing right around a 3. Long pleasant finish slightly overwhelmed by lingering tannins but coffee makes an appearance hear as well. Would put this at a full bodied wine but the acid level lowers that a bit. This wine seems able to take another 10 years to mellow out the tannins and alcohol to quiet and develop the bouquet quite a bit. If you have this bottle I definitely recommend not opening it for at least another year or two to allow everything to integrate. If you pop and pour allow at least two hours for it to breathe and you will reveal more layers. For my first mass produced 2007 Cabernet from Napa, and my first Mondavi in about a decade. I am not thoroughly disappointed it just needs time. 2013 to 2020+ This might turn into a 92+ wine easily if you have the patience
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The wine offered black currant, blackberry, plum, bell pepper and chocolate on the nose. The palate reflected the nose pretty well as the wine showed black currant, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, some spices and chocolate on the palate. The chewy wine had good length. The alcohol was a little out of balance and the wine was not distinctively complex, but other than that this fruit-driven Cab was well-made and turned out to be an extremely enjoyable middle-of-the-week wine. Would buy again. 88+
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rating 89 or 90 as some bottles are better than others. For $20 you can not really beat it. fragrant nose and medium tannins. opens up nicely to moderate cherry fruit and medium long finish. great with steak or pork. good qpr
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Brought to dinner at friends home and we had agreed to only drink wines below $20 for this dinner. This was the 2nd Bottle of the night following a Franciscan NV 07 and this was much preferred. Blackberries, plum, vanilla and oak. Superb bottle of wine at this price point.
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Very jammy red fruit on the nose, a bit harsh and jumbled on the palate with a significant hit of raspberry jam on entry. Full bodied, but lacking focus mid-palate. Letting it air out for a few hours only diminished the harshness, but didn't show more focus. If I had another bottle I probably wouldn't touch it until 2018, but I wouldn't be surprised if the time would just turn the sharpness into flab with continued lack of focus. Drink 2017-2020.
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Decanted about a half hour and continued to improve for another half hour in the glass. Riper than my last bottle with the oak more in the forefront but with some nice acidity and smooth tannins to balance it out. Great QPR at $18, especially for Napa cab.
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Consumed as part of the First Annual 49ers Playoff $20 '07 Napa Cab Shoot-Out. Relatively underwhelming - spicy notes, green pepper. Wouldn't buy again.
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I find it really tough to find really good $20 Cali-Cabs and this is another example. It was too oaky, a bit hot and disjointed. Not a wine that makes me want to rush out and buy some more.
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This wine is very good and was enjoyed by all. It needs at least a couple hours open. This wine was consumed over 2 days and it did improve on day 2 with the fruit and oak more in balance. A nice QPR if you can still find the 07.
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1 hr decant. Expressive nose of plums, blackberry, cedar and vanilla. Medium plus body of blackberry, plum, tobacco and mocha. Medium plus slightly drying finish.
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Found this one to be a good value. Bought it on sale for $19/bottle.
Aromatics: Showing a mixture of currents, violets, vanilla, tobacco, anise, herbs and some loamy soil. Palate: Grainy tannins show up first and help structure the flavors of crushed black currents, chocolate cover plums, vanilla and sweet earth notes.
Conclusion: Very enjoyable with above average complexity and texture for its price point. The oak and heat is a bit over the top, but if your drinking Cali wines that's just the norm these days.
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Drinking very well right now, had a bottle six months ago and was only 88 or so. Lots of flavors going on, blackberries balanced with light oak, almost no heat. Decanted one hour. Drink now, might have another year or two but probably not structured enough to go too long beyond that.
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Red Cherry color - can "almost" see through it. Nose is relatively quiet, with predominantly cherry notes. Wine is bolder in the mouth with red/black cherry blending nicely. Texture is smooth an relatively refined for this young wine. This lacks the complexity of many great california cabernets but this is a stand out, I think, in its price point. Medium finish with no after bite.
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A very good wine, but it under achieved. On release, I heard a lot about this wine. I suppose it could have shut down, be a less than stellar bottle, yada yada, but I hoped for more. The nose has nice cassis but a fair amount of oak. On the palate, one dimensional. Not the ripe fruit that I was expecting from 07 and not really interesting. Still more oak than I would like. I certainly wouldn't age with hope this will develop. I paid $25 on "sale" in Ohio. Nothing to suggest this wine is in that category for my tastes. At $15, it would be worth it, but I still would be a buyer.
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Clear dark inky fuschia-garnet. Decanted and served. Initially the bouquet showed muted, stewed fruit with sharp notes of grilled meat and shoe polish. But after two hours this finally gave way to a nice profile of sweet black plums and blackberries with red licorice and extinguished campfire. Paired well with grilled rack of lamb. Give this at least a 2 hour decant.
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Popped and poured, dark garnet color, nice nose, classic Napa / classic Mondavi, nice berries and cherries on the palate, medium finish - now will decant - better after 1 hour, a bit smoother but some heat on the palate now, nice cab for the $17 I paid for it, I would buy more.
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Nothing to write home about. The good news is that I only paid $17 per bottle; the bad news is that I have three more bottles left....which I will probably give away as gifts.
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i don't get the strong sentinments in the notes. This is your run of the mill napa cab, at low price point but with consistent high quality production. Not much to rag on. Unless you don't like oak of course. 88-89.
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At the Grey Bear Summer BBQ we opened a magnum of Chateau Cantemerle, a bottle of Mondavi 07 Napa Cab and Stonestreet 1994 Cab. The French wine was drinking perfectly - soft, light fruit and mineral flavors. The Mondavi was more fruit forward and robust in flavors, the wine was less soft but very good. The Stonestreet had held up well, good color and weight, slight fruit flavors and aan easy finish - very enjoyable!
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Still a fruit forward Napa cab. The finish is limited, but considering the price it performs reasonably well. Would buy this again. We decanted and I do think a decant helps.
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Nice dark fruit, cocoa and char. Deep and balanced and definitely Napa, but it took an aerator and 3 hours in a decanter to get there. Keep it sideways for a while longer. It's going good places. Edit: Hmm... Second night after some more air this started to fall apart and showed syrupy fruit and alcohol a little too much.
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I had this wine at the Gaylord in Dallas and directly from my cellar. I was equally unimpressed with both. The nose is null and void and the fruit is under-riped plum. This is drinkable but not enjoyable. Save the money for a better 2007 Napa Cab.
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Benefits from several hours decanting. Crowd-pleasing Cab, well made, extremely fresh, fantastic mouthfeel. Rich vanilla nose leads to classic notes of mountain herbs, cassis, and bright cherry.
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However, I continue to insist there is bottle variation on this wine and vintage. The bottle my wife and I enjoyed on May 31st, was a superior one from 2 cases we got last month. All and all, a very well made, satisfying, and affordable wine right now; look forward to our next 12 bottles....
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$18. somewhat vegetable nose when I first poured in the decanted. Let it sit for 2 hrs. Opened up to reveal nice dark frut and subtle oak. Paired well with my grilled ribeye. nice acidity with a subtle vanilla finish. Good go to Napa cab for under $20.
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Really enjoyed this; nice dark fruit and nicely balanced. Planned to have it with steak but I actually found it to be fine on its own. Definitely buy again at $20
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Popped and poured. Label staining, deep violet/red hue. On the nose, this Cabernet shows nice aromas of ripe black fruits, cassis & currant, hints of cedar, and toasted oak. Medium-plus body, showing a little more concentrated than previous. Flavors on the palate certainly still seem primary for the most part, with earthy, ripe fruit notes of blackberry and black cherry. However, the flavors are slightly overwhelmed by the tannins, which seem to have emerged in force compared to release. Still a great Cab but one that appears to be shutting down...based on this bottle, would be best to cellar for at least another 6 months before opening again.
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Had to open another bottle of this. Same notes aplpy but I seemed to get much more alcohol and tarty tannins on the finish in this bottle. Just seems to me it could use a couple more years of rest.
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The 15.5% alc dominates the nose and makes it difficult to distinguish what's there. It's got character on the palate with blackcurrant and plum, but even there it's somewhat unbalanced.
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First, the 2007 Cabernets from California are hard to beat. Was a little skeptical of a Mondavi, but it was pretty good. Dark garnet in color, there is black cherry and plum on the nose. Fruit on the palate, and velvety smooth at this price point. We enjoyed this (quite a bit) with chocolate cake (with chocolate iciing).
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Very nice dark red color, nose is good, lots of berries, grapes with a bit of earthy smell, vanilla and a bit of floral smell. Tannic is generally very good, and overall excellent wine. It will be better if it is stored for another 2-3 years.
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Consistently good! There seems to be some bottle variation but on the good side. Last night we open another bottle of this wine which tasted more like the “reserve”. It shows a solid plum color, with an elegant viscosity; on the nose dark berries, mostly plum and blueberries with a hint of leather and tobacco; on the palate a balanced and concentrated taste with a midrange velvety finish.
This wine definitely will mature to become a jewel with at least a couple of years of cellaring time. In particularly, this bottle was splendid…we still have ½ a case and just ordered another case for an average price of $18.45 a bottle. To be honest, I never bought so much of the same wine at one time. But I did not want to miss the opportunity to continue to enjoy this wonderful wine….
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Can’t go wrong with this! Dark burgundy color with a mid-hi density, showing an aromatic bouquet mostly on the dark berries side with a fruit forward taste with solid tannins. It also shows a bold character and a harmonious balance with a great potential to age for at least five more years; elegant finish. I just got a case at less than $19 a bottle, don’t miss it; fairly priced even at $20: good QPR.
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Wine Festival Tasting Room, quick notes. Nose dominated by rich black cherry and dark plum. Rich palate of blackberry, blueberry, oak, and dark cherry. Palate is quite one dimensional. Medium, dry finish.
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Opened at 10am, wife used some for cooking then vacuum pumped and placed in refer. Removed at 4:30 and allowed to warm to room temp for a couple of hours. No notes taken but my impression was while balanced and tasty, the med- body was a little thin, especially on the finish where dusty tannins took over. Pleasant and soft but nothing more than an inexpensive weekday wine. Decent QPR. Not scored due to circumstances
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Nice bottle of wine. Notes of ripe blackberry with hints of cassis, balanced by a gentle touch of toasted oak. Nice acidity and relatively firm tannins soften with time...a bit of heat on initial open blows off. This really comes together with air, but for my palate is lacking the complexity and balance of prior vintages. Still an excellent wine, not to mention a thrifty buy.
Drink now and over the next six years. 88+
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Well done. Really hits its stride after being exposed to air for about an hour. Supple tannins and a very smooth, clean wine. Those that don't like it are probably put off by high alcohol wine (I think this is 15.5%). This is America. Be a man.
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PnD at noon yesterday. Plans changed so I sealed in vacuum decanter and put in fridge until 4pm today. Let it warm up for 3 hours and poured a glass. Very dark dense purple with a slight bit of red at the rim. Big brambly cassis vanilla and smoky nose. Medium(+) weight with polished tannins. Plummy cassis cedar coffee and vanilla flavors. Not as OTT as Caymus, and a lot less money but it makes you wonder if Napa Valley is a style rather than a place. It is balanced enough that I would like to try it with a steak off the grill. Did not find it hot and even though I am not a low abv nazi the notation of the abv on the label could make a libertarian require minimum font size on labels for abv. Bottom line needs lots of air and would buy again. Looking forward to trying again tomorrow with prime rib. Day 3 - Left it overnight in the vacuum decanter in the fridge. Smoothed out and became more integrated. Good balance and more elegant with black fruits and a nice minerality. Lots of life ahead. Upgraded the score by 1 point and i think it will get even better with time.
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Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Nice bright red fruit - cherry, with undertones of blue and black fruit candy. Very nice nose, but there is something artificial about it, just doesn't seem natural or authentic, but it is appealing. Palate: Medium bodied, cherry and spice carries through to a medium length finish. My second encounter with this wine and I must say, I enjoyed this encounter more than the first - a very nice mass produced Cally cabernet.
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Not special. Could be the bottle, but had a Clos Du Val 2007 Cab last night, which was a real joy. Wanted to try this following the positive NY Times review. According to the review this Mondavi should have been fruitier/bigger than the Clos Du Val, but that's not the case in my view. Hate to say, but this seems disjointed. Good fruit on the nose, but does not come together in the mouth. A real shame as I was ready to really like this. Will certainly try this again for $20, but was a bit let down this time.
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This is my third bottle from a case. All have been rough, even with double decanting. Since I had a nice zin open also, I blended them a la Orin Swift's Prisoner and had an excellent (92 grade)cuvee. I am hopeful this wine will smooth out with some more age. The zin was Carlisle Sonama County 2007.
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Very nice under $20 thanks to the fine folks at THEwinechateau.com (but quite suspect QPR at $30). It's got the traditional Napa dark berry fruits and cocoa, and actually more acid than I was expecting. Should legitimately be better over the next 1-2 years, I'd imagine. I've had the 2007 Reserve ($100) and this isn't too far off.
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Vanilla oakishness and black berries on the nose. Very smooth on tha palate. There's nothing to really drag this wine down, but there is nothing that really sets it apart either. IF I was at a wedding, I'd be ecstatic to see this being served. 88-89
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I agree with the other tasting notes - nose is subdued, improves a bit with decanting. Otherwise, quite good, the cocoa and tobacco on the palate make for an interesting wine. Good length.
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Well-made wine in a flamboyantly California style with lots of sweet fruit, integrated oak, soft tannins and decent acidity. A good match for pan-seared steak in a sweet marsala/mushroom sauce
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Definitely some bottle fluctuation. This was a very good one with abundant fruit and the nice chalky tannin on the finish. Best on day one with a short decant. Day 2 is muted. Have had this experience with a few bottles already
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Dark purple color all the way to the edge. Not a lot on the nose (did not decant). Lots of dark berry's with good balance of oak. Very nice on the tongue. Nice finish although not terribly long. Very good Cab.
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We can always count on this old standard for an everyday bottle with dinner. Dark purple color, nice balance between fruit and oak. I'm going to buy another case of the 07 before it's out.
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Perfect purple color, the color you expect from a good cab. Somewhat reserved on the nose. A little dark fruit, a little oakiness, a touch of alcohol. The palate is nicely integrated. All components are balanced. Very nice mouthfeel, crisp and refreshing with just the right amount of acid to create a juicy finish. Do I wish that the fruit was a little more pronounced? Yes. Do I wish the structure was a little bolder? Yes. But I think this is still very well made and an excellent value. Hope it will also get better with some more time in the bottle.
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Hmm. This had a waxy feel and smell to it. It was pretty tight day one with a tight nose and just a tad of fruit on the palate. It seemed like there was something there trying to poke it's head out from some baby fat. I only had roughly a glass. The wife finished the bottle over the next two days and said it got better each day. I guess I will have to try another with a very long decant to see what I really think.
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Drank this alongside a Barossa Shiraz which made the Mondavi seem downright refined. I found the cab to be a pretty example of Napa Cab and a tremendous value. I do prefer aged cabs, so the tannins were a bit overwhelming. Overall I found the wine well balanced but not too interesting (probably because the tannins dominate too much at this point).
I don't see how anyone could be disappointed with this wine at $20.
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Damn good juice for $20. Deep, dark berries and plums framed by decent acidity and oak. Not very complex at this point but well made and delicious in a right now kind of way. Probably even better 2 - 3 years from now.
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Almost no nose. Black fruits, but neither ripe nor sweet, with oak and some earth. Good balance, nice structure and a slightly chewy texture. A bit light on the mid-palate and a short to medium finish. Overall just simply awkward and clumsy. Not a wine I would buy again.
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15.5% ABV. Dark garnet, more or less opaque in the glass. Aromas of vanilla, cedar, and ripe currant on the nose. Full bodied with black currant and black berry fruit on the palate. With this bottle, I didn't notice any meaty or port-like nuances, more just a straightforward, ripe Cabernet. This has a pretty nice QPR. 90-91ish.
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Nice round flavor.....true Napa cab but just a touch of hollow on the finish, which prevented a higher score. Still, at a couple bucks cheaper than the Waterstone this is a nice deal. At $30 I would be happy with the value, but certainly not thrilled.
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I am really beginning to believe the hype on 07 Napa cabs. Popped and poured through Venturi. You get that big plum and blue fruit nose with just enough oak. BIG tannins on the palate with enough fruit to know it's a cali cab. Medium finish with maybe a little heat. I score this a 91 because it has almost the exact profile of the 07 Stag's Leap Artemis we drank over New Years for a quarter of the cost. Paid $17
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Tasted blind.. Swirling in the glass the wine created a layer of deep purple tears around the glass suggesting a thick skinned grape. Nose: Ground dirt, blackfruits of blackberries, dark plums, wasnt able to pick up any aromas to suggest oak barreling (wine was really cold :() Palate: Heavy wood/fruit tannin, confirmed blackfruits. Wine showed Medium plus acid, medium high alcohol. No doubt about this wine it shows a New World Cabernet Sauvignon, the heavy oak suggests Napa, Sonoma, Paso area.
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A nose of dark sweet fruit, dark purple in color. A smooth medium to full bodied Cab, blackberry, cassis, plums with some minerals in finish, a solid Cab for the price level but was missing that bit extra to make it a very good wine.
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From 750 ml bottle. Not tasted blind. Very decent wine. Good fruit, solid core, with adequate body and juiciness. Lacking depth, complexity and length, but very nice for the price.
De botella de 750ml. No probado a ciegas. Vino muy decente. Buena cantidad de fruta, con un núcleo sólido, cuerpo adecuado y algo de vivacidad. Le falta más complejidad, profundidad y longitud para ser mejor calificado, pero muy sólido para un cabernet de Napa de este nivel de precio.
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Really enjoyed this. Very smooth for such a young wine. Great value in the sub $20 category for a Napa Cab. Will buy more of this wine. Served for a group and there were kudos all around.
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Opened about an hour and a half to slow-ox before having with spaghetti & meatballs. Very tannic and tight and first, but after another hour or so, it really showed some nice, big fruit. Looking forward to my other bottle and may grab some more. At $20, this is a great QPR.
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(1/5) Quite disappointing - I fail to see what the big deal is with this wine. Nothing but heat and oak. Venturi did not improve, nor did time in the glass. This is surely still a young cab but I can't see this ever approaching the 90+ point mark that so many have bestowed upon it.
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Loved this wine, incredible QPR, as noted elsewhere. Big crowd pleaser on Xmas Eve. I'll take some formal notes next time, but buy with confidence in the sub-$20 Napa category
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Update from last note, 1/2 bottle left for 24hrs. Jammy blackberry fruit silky smooth finish. Never will be overly complex, but a lot of fruit for the buck. Should be quite nice with a year or two of bottle age.
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Great value for Cali Cabernet. Nose is ripe plums and toasty oak. Sweet blueberries, ripe plums and blackberry fruit on the attack. A textured midpalate brings additional flavors of vanilla, cinammon, and nutmeg. A hint of caramel as well, especially on the backend. This is tasty and well worth the price and proves the depth of the 07 vintage. I would highly recommend.
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Let's not overthink this one. Very tasty, straightforward rendition of a Napa Cab. Didn't develop much complexity, even after a couple of hours in the glass. Lyn tasted a floral component, while I picked up more cherries and vanilla. Hint of cedar in the nose. At $15 from Costco it represents a reasonable value. Not sure I would pay more. However, it's tough to find a tasty Napa Cab. at this price point, so I might pick up a few more bottles. Should drink well through 2016.
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A great wine at 17 bucks...great vintage...popped ran through a vinturi and was very nice smooth cab, lots of dark fruit, vanilla, smooth tannins...perfect sub 20 cali cab, not a lot of complexity, but was what you want
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This wine was splash-decanted and serially tasted over the ensuing several hours on a cold, rainy Christmas-season Sunday afternoon/evening. My impression is similar to that of 10/22/10. This is a perfect example of why most tasters (especially non-oenophiles, who comprise the majority) prefer Napa Valley Cabernet to Bordeaux and other old-world wines. This wine has beautiful ripe fruit, low acidity and sweet tannins. I AM an oenophile, Francophile and Bordeaux fanatic, yet I still cannot deny the hedonism of this beautiful wine, which is priced equally beautiful. Drink now-12/17.
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Popped and let stand for 1 hour before pour. Medium red clear color with aromas of currant, mocha and spice. Medium light body with balanced, classic cabernet flavors of cherry, earth and slight cigar box. Not overly complex but an extremely well made wine that I will have no problem serving to anyone as a stand alone or with food. Excellent value at $17 at Costco.
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I have had this recently so I knew it benefited from a short decant. So when I got there I poured it into my father-in-law's decanter to let it get some air. By the time we tried it it was ready to go. It had a wonderful nose of blackberry, smoke and a touch of earth. On the palate, it had flavors of mint, black cherry, and a dusty berry component I find only in Napa Valley wines. The finish was very decent, lasting about 20-25 seconds. A very nice entry level bottling from Mondavi.
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This is a good bottle of wine, better at $17 than plenty of $50+ bottles I've had. Has a baby Caymus nose to it. Buying some of these cheaper wines and enjoying them is making me rethink my past buying habits.
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Had at a steak house. Popped and poured. Had this after a 2006 sequoia grove. Very comparable wine though this leaned slightly more towards dark fruit and mocha while I got more tobacco/cigar from the sg. Maybe the vintage, may be the other varietals in the rm. in any case this is a great go to entry level cabernet.
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Solid Napa Cab. Tasting a bit of bottle fluctuation as I consume more bottles from the 2 cases I purchased. Not as sharp a finish as the previous bottles.
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No formal notes. Nice representation of main stream Napa Cab, a mix of spicy oak and dark fruit. Good deal if you can find it under $20 (got mine for $18) but not worth the $26+ I sometimes see it listed for.
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Dark color, warm ruby edge. Wonderful nose and plums and fruit in the initial flavors. However, there is some volatility and alcohol in the finish which led me to check the alcohol level since I tend to be sensitive to high alcohol wines. As I suspected, this wine is 15.5% alcohol which may bother some and not others. As the wine ages, I would expect the alcohol to become more pronounced, so I would recommend drinking this wine over the next 3-4 years.
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Dark garnet color with a nose of black currants, plum, chocolate, and cassis. Palate shows dark berries, dusty earth and a hint of chocolate. Tannins are noticeable, but not in a bad way. Quite the QPR for $15.47 and I will have to get more.
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Deep dark ruby, solid to edges. Big alcohol legs on glass.
Nose of blackcurrant and brambly blackberries, guava, orange peel, white pepper and sweet tars. Earthy cloves and chocolate.
Palate surprisingly refined. I didn't expect this. Black fruits, dry dusty yet sweet tannins. Soft, supportive acids. Alcohol well contained.
Medium to long finish. I like.
Postscript: I am just so impressed with this wine. On the second night I spent more time with it and just couldn't put it down. You have got to try this to see what I mean. Absolutely delicious! Fresh, full bodied and a fabulous nose. Very reminiscent of an extremely good CnDP. I'm raising my scoring to 92.
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Deserves to be called Outstanding. Great year ('07)for Nappa, and a producer that can still deliver. Selected it based on those criteria and I was not disappointed. Sampled as part of a tasting in preparation for the wedding of a friends daughter. The goal of which was to choose the best $20 price point wines to serve to a large number of people. Decanted for 1/2 hour. Lots of fresh fruit on the nose revealed a young wine. Pallate had dark cherry, cassis, plum. Lots of tannins. Very dry finish. A strong fruit forward, oaky, CA cab for lovers of that style. Good now, better in a couple of years. Should age ok for 10 from vintage date. A great QPR.
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Dark ruby color. Nose: currant/black cherry fruit with dark chocolate, cola, soil, and some fresh mint. Medium body on the palate: sweet blackberry and black cherry framed by rich dark chocolate, soil, and graphite. Solid balancing acidity. Moderate/firm dusty tannins. Lingering mint and chocolate on the moderate/long finish. Textbook Napa Cabernet. Needs a few more years in the bottle to come together. Very well done.
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This is a big bold Napa Cab. The first bight its drying tannins dominated and made it a little rough to enjoy on its own during movie night. The second night it's much more friendly and its flavor profile reveals itself. Yes there are substantial markings that make me think this wine received heavy handed oak treatment, but all the things I look for in Napa are here. I get rich fruit, earth, vanilla and more.
Quite nice. 2nd day performance bodes well for drinking starting in 2012.
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2nd bottle consumed from a case purchase. Once again, exceptional nose of dark fruits, cassisand some licorice . Wonderful mouthfeel and a nice dry finish. Best to drink up because it is muted the next day. It is definitely sining as soon as you pop and pour. No element of heat in this bottle. Well balanced, great wine from an excellent vintage in Napa. Will buy another case before it sells out.
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Very pretty fruit forward nose of cassis, plum, some licorice and floral notes. Velvety on the pallate, and fairly good balance. The finish is bone dry and tannic. There is a touch of heat that shows up well after the pallate. Would score 1-2 points higher if not for this element. Excellent value for less than $17, I'm glad I bought a case.
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Oh so young! but I have to say I think this wine over performs at its price point and has above average potential. 1) It already has a chocolate and earth component instead of just jammy fruit and 2) it is not over oaked but has round tannins and decent acidity. Need to tuck some of these away for a few years but they are certainly enjoyable now if you like your Cab young.
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An impressive nose! WOW, what an explosive and enticing bouquet this wine has. My wife and I were both impressed by its array of fruit aromas right after we pop this wine. It also shows a good young dark burgundy color with a medium body and a delicate and fruit-forward, but not so complex taste, which ends with a short but attracting finish. Also, base on the nose we expected more character, well enough anyhow. (We did not get the heat from the 15.5 alcohol level.)
We have to disagree with most tasters of this wine here, we enjoyed and got more out of just pop and pour this one. We tasted the day after and it was a bit on the oxidation side. Then, to us this shows not a long life; enjoy this very good value and well made wine, NOW!
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After about two hours of air in the decanter I finally decided to throw some impressions down. Smashing nose of pomegranate, raspberry puree, hint of spice, some perfume and a bit of cedar box. A little bit of creme de casis, melted licorice, charcoal and maybe a hint of blueberry. Nice medium body with a fat and juicy mid palate. Dry angular tannins, not cloying or too thick but medium weight, decently linear and focused. Chalky dry finish, firm tannin structure, a bit of toasty oak and plentiful red fruits on the finish. A touch of heat, noticeable but it doesn't bother me. If it weren't for the heat, this would be a 90 point wine.
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Popped and poured. Very dark purple color in the glass. Nose of sweet black fruit, that after an hour or so faded and took on a raisiny character. In the mouth this is very lush and sweet, almost portlike such that I almost wonder if there's any RS (I looked it up and there's pretty much not, only .71). The 15.5% ABV shows up in a touch of heat. The tannin is mostly fine and soft. Shortish finish was more sweet fruit and heat. This was too heavy and over the top for me, and didn't even pair all that well with a New York strip, but if you're a fan of the lush, smooth ripe style of cab, you'd probably like this more.
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Popped and poured. Medium-plus purple/garnet hue, still quite youthful in appearance. Forward aromas of dark fruits, creme de cassis, anise, and a touch of toasted oak. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit still shows a bit primary but is smooth and elegant in presentation, with black fruits, blue fruits, earth, cedar, and some smoked spice notes from the oak. Tannins are silky smooth on the moderate close. Really opens up nicely in glass. Great QPR in Napa Cabernet and already improving in the cellar...may not be the longest lived of vintages, but should be singing in another 1-2 years.
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15.5% ABV. Dark garnet, opaque in the glass. Rich smelling with a slight note of vanilla. Cedar and currant fruit with a slight brooding port-like quality. Perhaps a bit of meatiness to boot. Full bodied with black currant and black berry fruit on the palate. Big and a little port-like, but this is pretty interesting Cabernet for the money. I can understand why it might not appeal to some. 90-91ish.
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Only after this has been opened for a while does the black fruit and currant and oak begin to settle down. This needs air time but at $20 it certainly can be very rewarding.
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Very good cabernet, $19.99 at my local Costco, this is the real deal. Starting with 2002 I've bought 3-6 bottles and stash them for 5 years when they turn into beauties. I was drinking this alongside the 2003 Double Diamond Schrader Mayacamas Range Cabernet and it blows that wine out of the water. Mostly due to ample acidity. Sure the wine is very lush and fruity right now but I'd be shocked if this doesn't develop killer tertiary aromas down the line. The aromatics are great even now, a little oak but plenty of Chateauneuf-type spices/herbs/garrigue, black raspberry and smoked meat (syrah in there maybe?). Sweet on the palate but it's focused and not flabby, absolutely in balance despite the label at 15.5%. Drinking it at cellar temp without food and the tannins aren't intrusive.
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Initially this wine fell short. Very tight, high tannins and the taste and nose was subdued. Saved half the bottle for the next night and wow what a difference! The wine opened with hints of tobacco, dark cherry and a slight burnt tasted on the finish. Nose was rich with some subtle sweetness. I did not get the dense earthy nose as with most Napa cabs but still a very interesting wine!
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This wine needs some time in the decanter to show what it's about. Right now 1-1.5 hrs at a minimum. I had this to determine whether to buy more and the answer is a resounding YES. I will let the new bottles rest a bit. Typical Mondavi style of reserved currant fruit with higher acidity than most other Napa cabs. Less ripe and fruit forward than the prevailing style these days, which is what I like about them. 90-91, easily a 91 based on potential in the future. 07 continues to impress.
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WSET II; 10/23/2010-10/24/2010 (Portland, ME): Medium-plus garnet, almost purple, color. Medium-plus intensity nose of black cherry, plums, vegetable. Medium tannin; medium-minus acid. Toasty. Medium-plus length. Very New World in style.
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Opened for about 2hrs.. Big, big nose of cassis, dark fruits and mint. Nice lush palate and long finish. Looks like 07 is a winner. Will buy a case at 17.00 a bottle. Might merit a point or 2 in a couple of years. Nice.
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Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean and quite intense nose, showing black currant, spice, vanilla and black tea. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, generous sweet tannins, well-integrated oak and flavors mirroring the nose. The middle palate is solid and the smooth finish is medium-to-long. This is very nice, quintessential Napa Valley (floor) Cabernet at a very reasonable price. Parenthetically, the wine showed beautifully on the following night (with the decanter having been covered with Saran wrap and stored in the refrigerator). Drink now-12/17.
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This wine is a benchmark wine for me in Napa- in good years it's a solid wine, in bad ones it's not all that. I think the 2007 is a winner. Very rich and ripe, slightly heavy on the oak, but the fruit shouts Napa to me with only the slightest hard edge at the back end. At the low $20s I think this one's a wine to buy for daily drinking, and maybe even to stash for a few years, I bet it'll develop great secondaries by about 2015 or so.
Addendum: After some time this wine toughened up, and on day 2 the tannins were pretty hard with a burnt edge. This reminds me a little of the 91 Mondavi Reserve, a really good wine IMO, but one that always had a bit of a burnt quality and a bit of a hard edge while still showing lots of sweet fruit.
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Initially the nose shows some primary and simple fruits. Reminds me of that mess called McMannis. Air helps this a bit. After about 45 minutes this shows some weak black fruits with some vanilla, tar and flowers. There is a flabbiness about this that is very un-Mondavi-like. Seems a bit thin in body--and acidified too, almost fake. A bit of puckering thrown in for bad measure. There is some chalkiness on the finish. I am quite familiar with Robert Mondavi's house style and this one does not fit it. Maybe this is better in a leaner year? I will try this again in 6 months. I expected more. Maybe I can best sum this up by saying that it drinks like a 15-20 dollar wine, and one of the strengths of this wine has always been its ability to drink above its class.
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Decanted 1 hr. Apparently, it wasn't enough, three hours later this wine arrived. Bright fruit pummeled my palate, soft velvety finish. Needs a little time(1-3 yrs). Great effort for $19.
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When i first opened this bottle it was very tight with not a lot nose at first. As it sat for about 15-20 minutes it started to open up and the fruit started to show. This had nice fruit and the tannis were in check. Had a nice vanilla quality on the finish as well. I have a feeling this might get better with time, but was drinking ok now.
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dark, dark ruby. licorice, dark fruit and florarl notes on the nose. ripe and lush, dark fruits and silkiness on the palate. balanced. this is a very solid cabernet.
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This has a lot in common with the '04 Keenan that was my "house wine" for awhile when I was on the road to ORD every week and dining at the Tin Fish. Similar in weight and structure. Relatively forward and approachable without being a bomb. Perhaps a touch more acidity at this point in its life as compared to the Keenan, and more structure overall. An excellent value. Score based on potential, maybe a point or 2 less right now.
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Decanted for 8 hours, what a disappointment I had planned on making this my new house wine. Took this to a blind tasting with friends who are knowledgable wine geeks. Wine is disjointed, over extracted fruit, with enough eucalyptus to satisfy any Koala Bear. As wierd as it sounds I hope this was an off bottle and will give Modavi another chance.
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This is one of the best Mondavi Napa's in years. Oak, spice, blueberries, cherry and red pepper. This is a tannic wine currently and will benefit with some aging. Good concentration and expression.
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This was superb, but definitely needs time...fruit seemed a bit restricted, tannins are strong, but nice combination of dark fruit, cocoa and vanilla...looking forward to laying a few of these down for a couple years...
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Solid Napa Cabernet and a great value. This is definitely a step up from recent vintages; the 05 having too much of a black olive taste, the 06 too monolithic and fruity. This one is balanced. Not overly complex, but balanced and just plain solid. Reminiscent of a cross between the 04 vintage in Napa and the 05...opulent but structured. Will develop over time but definitely drinkable now if you like all of the upfront fruit.
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Unrestrained cassis, spices, violets and cedar outline the aromatics. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, without sharp edges. Not too complex and finishes a bit short. Good value for a California Cabernet. Drink from 2010 until 2015.
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Decanted about 2.5 hours. Wonderful nose of blackberry, cassis and cedar. I loved the nose on this wine. Wonderful mouthfeel in this medium to full bodied wine. A great QPR @ $19.
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Popped, poured, and drank over two days. Wow this has an amazing nose to it. Powerful classic Napa dust and a floral blueberry. Very good on the pallet and a goo length. Held on well for two days. One of the best QPR's I've had in recent years.
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Popped and poured. Medium-plus violet hue, quite youthful. Forward, fresh aromas of ripe Napa Cabernet fruit...blackberry, blueberry, creme de cassis, fresh herbs, and oak. Medium-plus body. As the nose indicates, this quite fruit forward on the palate...almost as little more modern in style than is typical for Mondavi yet still elegant, with flavors of dark, plummy fruits, ripe currant, earth, and a touch of smoke from oak. Tannins are surprisingly smooth and tame on the fruit-filled, lasting finish. A great vintage for this wine, probably the best made since '02. Delicious and tasty right now, but should improve with short to mid-term time in the cellar. Another great 2007 QPR in Napa Cabernet!
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Haven't tried basic Mondavi Cab in a very long time and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Cherry, plum, tobacco and freshly oiled saddle leather, with a very nice mouthfeel and balance. Finish is solid and long and there's very little heat on this wine. Not overly complex, but not one-dimensional either.
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Bright pruple and deep nose of dark fruit, cigar box, and asian spice with a green minty backbone. Great structure and enough tannins to facilitate 3-5 years in the cellar. Betterthan the '05 and '06. Went very well with grilled angus strips. Recommended.
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Bought this to check in on what Mondavi is producing these days in their regular Cab bottling. Nice eucalyptus note but no real mid-palate or much of a finish. Tannins still in evidence as expected, but just not that much fruit. Pleasant, but that's all.
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5/26/2023 - InfernoBoss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Revisiting an old friend, 3 hour decant, rich nose of dark fruit, flavors exhibit cassis, cedar, blackberry. Has aged quite nicely since my first bottle 13 (really?) years ago. Still shows lively fruit flavors. Really enjoyed this one.
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5/21/2023 - bjwca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well aged cab, great structure. Full bodied. Amazing.
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2/20/2022 - Otis Wine Lover Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still drinking beautifully, aromas of cassis and blackberry, light touch of oak, beautiful, clear deep red/garnet color with no bricking. A classic Napa Cabernet with palate of cassis, blackberry, graphite, and oak, all in balance on a medium+ weight frame. Just enough smooth, silky tannins to hold it all together on a medium+ finish. Elegant, straightforward Cab, in Mondavi’s restrained style, still fresh. One left in the cellar, probably will hold for another 6-12 months before it fades.
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9/27/2021 - vanpe003 wrote: 87 Points
Nothing like older Mondavi cabs, which tended to age gracefully on a "Bordeaux-like" trajectory, with secondary and tertiary characteristics coming to the forefront after time in the cellar.
Instead, this vintage remains very linear, and not all that much different from my initial experience with it a decade ago. Sure, a little rounded out, rough edges gone. But other than that, this is essentially the same wine I drank back then. It's not a bad bottle of wine. My low score today reflects the lack of evolution.
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9/24/2021 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really nice bottle for $20. Good fruit and acid balance. Drink or hold.
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5/23/2021 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 90 Points
I bought 6 of these for 19.95 way back in the day. It was delicious young. Closed down for awhile. But it is now in its mature phase and drinking nicely. Solid deep purple/garnet no bricking. Nice nose of cassis some pencil lead. Body has medium plus dark fruits with enough acid left for a medium plus finish. One left. Drink now or wait a few years but my sense is the secondary expression will not develop further before the fruit fades.
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12/27/2020 - bordeauxman777 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Hello old friend! Performing solidly, showing no signs of decline. Lovely.
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11/24/2020 - edckim wrote: 91 Points
Blackberry fruit blends well with earth, supple, well developed and gripping tannins finish smoothly
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10/23/2020 - winestlouis Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good deep garnet color still. Deep red, not much brick or purple. Nice nose of cassis, dry cherry, crushed dried rose petals. Med body, med minus acid, dark fruit, some oak, plenty of tannin left. I suspect this has gotten better the last 13 years. A nice surprise and a wine that has aged well. Drinks great and not over the hill.
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5/13/2020 - Announcer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Amazing how 13 years aging a good cabernet will make it very good. Enjoyed with grilled ribeyes.
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4/26/2020 - jsander Likes this wine: 96 Points
Crazy high score for an aged QPR cab. But wow. It was amazing.
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2/2/2020 - MauritzM Likes this wine: 88 Points
Variable notes on this. Some say its past its prime. Decanted to remove residues. Deep ruby color. Smells of cassis and plums, cedar. Opens up nicely in the glass. Taste of cassis, mature plums, cedar, slight tobacco. Sweet, medium plus intensity. A little heavy on the alcohol (15.5%) Slightly short.
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11/12/2019 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Solid cab as usual, still young
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9/21/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 09/20/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK you for sharing this delightfully surprising wine, Ed! :)
N: RIPE berries with undertones of pyrazines & notes of smoke
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish, blk olive frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, balanced finish with a fairly elegant tangy/swtness to the few, firming, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff for now & through '23? 15.5% ABV; My EXC/EXC+. 89 pts winealign.com + other scores/medals on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg. [As of late Sept '19, wine-searcher still shows 1 source @ $19.99]!
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9/19/2019 - Vinobc wrote: 90 Points
Plummy nose and palate, fruity.
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9/1/2019 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still showing solid quality fruit in classic Napa cab style from a great vintage elevating this well above original price point. Ready to drink with softened but still firm tannins and pleasing mouthfeel. Core of cassis and dark chocolate, real crowd-pleaser among many higher end options at the party.
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3/10/2019 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last of 3 bottles purchased in 2010, others scored 88 and 90. Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, red and blue fruit - cherry and plum, bacon fat, leather, and hints of Asian spice - this has matured nicely. Palate: Medium-full bodied, dark fruit - cassis and plum - and Asian spice attack, leather and menthol notes appear thru the mid-palate, up-front fruit persists nicely thru the back-end where earthy notes join in. Finish: Medium length dominated by dark fruit, spice and earth. I believe I caught this near it's peak - everything is in balance, quite a pleasant surprise.
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12/7/2018 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Found this bottle rummining through my cellar forgot about these as I have two more bottles.
Wet cellars aromas gave way with some vigorous swirling, the palate was quit rich, ripe and dark, with blackberries, dark currants, cassis, black cherry, the finish is full of oak. Last tasted in 2012, cellared since late 2009.
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5/12/2018 - Cabernet4me2 wrote: 89 Points
Nothing really noteworth, just an easy drinking, non-wine drinker crowd pleasing wine.
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2/24/2018 - VinoHunter Likes this wine: 88 Points
better than my previous bottles. More typical napa cab flavors and profiles. Decanted for 1.5 hours and drank over the next 3 hour. At the end of the bottle it had a lot of metallic flavors. Glad these are no longer taking up space in my cooler...
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11/19/2017 - VinoHunter Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Second of my three bottles and it was a similar experience than my first bottle. Seems this wine is past its peak and I second LECHAPEAU‘s note. I will not wait on drinking up my last bottle, maybe I will get lucky and it will be good. To the other people holding the over 2k bottles, start drinking!
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11/1/2017 - LeChapeau wrote: 88 Points
Had higher hopes for this one. Either it's past its prime, or it just never had it to begin with. A decent cab, but nothing special. I'll be drinking up my remaining bottles.
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10/5/2017 - paul canet wrote: 88 Points
Americain assez lourd, tres boisé, vanille, bleuet. En comparaison du Rollan de by 2005, il a souffert de son manque de finesse
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8/8/2017 - jonahfactor Does not like this wine:
Your first impression is the still-bracing tannins with a screech of acidity, especially in the finish. That's followed by iodine and some hollowed out plums. The rest of the wine just falls apart on the palate. Cellar stored since release, this is, unfortunately, over the hill. (= Pass)
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7/17/2017 - MAXI.BRILLANTO Likes this wine: 82 Points
Right on the limit. If you have some drink them is my advice. Bought 6 and one was faulty the rest were delicious but starting to get to the end of thier life in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade a little.
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7/17/2017 - MAXI.BRILLANTO wrote:
Right on the limit. If you have some drink them is my advice. Bought 6 and one was faulty the rest were delicious but starting to get to the end of thier life in my opinion. The fruit is starting to fade a little.
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7/9/2017 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Sunday Group: Mini-Horizontals- Mondavi, Dominus & Chappellet (Mike's): Double blind. Has a greenish overtone with mocha, red and black fruit and floral notes underneath. Fine-grained tannins are soft and approachable, with dark fruit and currant flavors. The greenish notes turn more towards eucalyptus as it sits. lovely black currant fruit. 91-92 pts.
My #2, Domino's #9
Group #9, 77 pts
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4/28/2017 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Fairly aromatic on the nose with some secondary character. Much the same on the palate. Fairly mature, probably has a few years left. Not a long term ager, but very pleasant now. Great QPR at the $18 original purchase price.
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3/12/2017 - cabsrgreat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just gets better with age. Very enjoyable. Tannins well integrated.
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2/26/2017 - VinoHunter wrote:
Similar experience to WONDERSOFWINE. Muted and dusty is the theme of this wine. Oh, add disappointment. Decanted for a little over two hours. At first the wine had a typical napa nose and typical napa flavor with some darker characteristics. Throughout dinner (venison meatloaf) the wine lost its nose and became dusty and tannic. Not sure what to do with my remaining bottles. I see that there are still a lot of people holding onto this wine so maybe I will as well. Or maybe I had an off bottle and there is some bottler variation. No score this time around...but if I had to enter one, 85...
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2/22/2017 - depdoc Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Even with decanting, the first day it was totally rough. Almost poured it out. Next day, it was drinkable, but just barely. What a disappointment for such a good year.
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2/11/2017 - wondersofwine Likes this wine:
This Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as "dusty" muted fruit with some earthy notes. With more aeration this improved upon its initial impression. I ended up liking it although it may be beyond its prime time.
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1/7/2017 - Baron Slick wrote: 90 Points
Shows lovely bottle age on the blackberry, currant, and wood spice bouquet. Wisps of rosemary, dust, and hard candy. Fruity on entry, then turns savory, deep, and brooding, flaunting a rich texture, plush tannin, and black fruit and cassis flavors. Excellent length, density, and complexity. A very complete wine. 90+
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12/16/2016 - terry j Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine reminded me what a great aging grape Cabernet Sauvignon really is. In pedigree, nothing special coming out of the cellar 9 years after its bottling. Reputable, historic producer, but a high production wine, not the reserve bottling. But there it was in the glass, reminding me of a nicely aged Margaux. Simply gorgeous, prominent aromas reminiscent of leather, rosemary and nutmeg. A lovely, approachable, savory palate ... beautifully balanced across the vectors of sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness. Not a steak wine, but great with medium-body table fare, like pork, duck or the wild rice and roast chicken soup we had. Given the nose profile, lamb would probably work well too.
Age your reds well, and this is your reward!
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11/24/2016 - gejohnston Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank along with a Mondavi 1992 and 2013. The 2007 was the star.
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11/3/2016 - weinmatt Likes this wine: 89 Points
On day 2: Blackberry, plum, raisin, dark chocolate, vanilla, earth, medium tannin, nice structure. Noting that the fruit was brighter on day 1 at 1 hr after opening and it liked being paired with grilled steak. A good bottle of wine for $20 + 5-7 years in the basement.
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10/29/2016 - askoje wrote: 89 Points
Nose rich in blackcurrant, blackberries, vanilla and soil. Very straight forward Cali cab. Medium+ mouth feel with smooth tannins and lots of fruit on the palate. Good balance and drinking very well now. This was a notch below a previous bottle I had of this vintage.
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10/28/2016 - Kentw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very smooth, medium bodied. Still fresh with nice level of acidity. Classic Cali Cab flavors.
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10/16/2016 - redmancge Likes this wine: 88 Points
A nice typical Mondavi Cali cab that's doing very well right now. Plenty of great smooth fruit and probably a good many years left to go. Wish I'd bought more.
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10/15/2016 - tigerpaw75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid $20-22 Cab that drinks above its pay grade. Rich dark fruit with vanilla oak notes. Drinking well now but has 5-10 more years with good storage.
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9/18/2016 - tandc Likes this wine: 92 Points
very smooth beautiful wine. it had been racked since 2010 perfect age
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6/26/2016 - South Thurgau Likes this wine: 91 Points
positive surprise, a very good Napa Cab - right time to drink, why wait! nose a little bit shy, but drinking with still a lot of dark fruits, well-balanced
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2/10/2016 - JCWmedia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aroma jumped out of decanter well before I tasted. Classic cab and classic Mondavi. Well melded nose and flavors and very balanced finish. Yummy. I bought 16, but only have four left now. I think this will last a long time so I had better slow down.
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1/8/2016 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Was actually very surprised, $25 bottle that drank like a big boy. Agreed with other notes, this is not a good candidate for PnP... definitely needed a good 2 hrs decant, before the rough edge tannins started to soften, and even on day 2, was drinking large. Red and Black fruit with a very acceptable entry and mid, with a decent finish. Glad a few more, think this might even have potential for a point increase in a few years. Wish I had bought more!!!
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12/20/2015 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 89 Points
Très bon avec une fondue chinoise. Un nez très vanillé mais plus estompé en bouhce. Beau fruit noir, un peu de tabac et de thym.
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8/28/2015 - VinoServant wrote: 91 Points
Great bottle of wine. This is really not a pop and pour. At first the wine tastes thin. After sitting in the bottle for an hour the wine starts to come to life, but you taste some rough edges / tannins. Then after 75 minutes in a decanter it blossoms. Red fruit that is silky smooth. Really nice. This wine will last a long time. Parker says drink through 2019 - 2024, and I believe he is right.
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6/17/2015 - timbobwhite Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted. Pours Mahogany to the edge. Initial nose of cherry candy, tastes of plums with darker fruits in the background. Smooth finish. Nice, but not memorable to start. Only began to come into its own at 2-3 hours with red cherry, raspberry and a hint of strawberry. A hint of Rutherford fruit in the background. At 4 hours, the nose begins to show some perfume. Blend of 86% Cab Sauv,, 8% Merlot, 4% Cab Franc, 1% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec. All add a bit of complexity. Very good QPR at $21.00. This has a lot of life left. Leave for another few years and/or decant for 2-3 hours minimum if opened sooner.
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5/4/2015 - levinml wrote: 90 Points
What I expect from Mondavi Napa from a good year. Good value for everyday drinking. Good balance and a little complexity in a grapy profile. At $22 I'll continue to buy these for weekday drinking.
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5/2/2015 - Kentw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Just a very good cab at this stage. Classic Cali cab - smooth with soft but mildly drying tannins. Shared with friends who enjoyed it very much.
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3/30/2015 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Deep, rich, well-balanced, with some complexity and spiciness, and somewhat better acidity and less pronounced (or at least less objectionable to us) sweetness than our prior bottle. And this was our last bottle – too bad!
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3/8/2015 - dougie Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid, classic Napa cab!
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2/20/2015 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
A Cali-Cab that certainly punches above its weight. Dark red/purple with ample legs in the glass. Herbal, woodsy notes in the bouquet with an abundance of dark pit fruits on the palate, alongside of fresh cranberries and cassis. A wisp of mint at the back end that carries over into the finish, along with some more woodland notes. Very satisfying, especially at its under-$15 purchase price.
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2/17/2015 - timbobwhite Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich red to the edge. Very young looking. Still shy after 2 hours in decanter. Open after 3. Black fruit, licorice, cassis and a hint of Rutherford fruit. Tastes of rich black fruit with good balance and a trace of tannin. Medium finish. Classic Napa bottle from Mondavi. This has life ahead, but should be allowed to open up in a decanter. Excellent QPR at $21.00.
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1/29/2015 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 89 Points
My last 07. This was a great vintage and a heck of a deal for the $18 I paid for these. However, this wine is starting to decline a little in my opinion. If I had any more I would definitely DRINK UP. They are not going to get better.
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1/27/2015 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 89 Points
Aged nicely, very smooth with a bit of dark red fruit, medium to long finish, a good complement to a spicy red sauce and pasta.
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12/30/2014 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Deep red fruit, but fairly simple, not much complexity, and a bit too much sweet oak and insufficient acidity for our evolving tastes.
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12/29/2014 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackberry, cassis, vanilla with a hint of cedar. Decanted 1 hour as when splash decanted the fruit was closed and wine was very hot. After decant, wine displayed a popping of the fruit, velvety tannins, mild acidity. Very little wood at all. Much better than bottle consumed a year ago.
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12/13/2014 - Kentw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice wine at this point. Aging certainly helped. Classic Napa cab flavors, very smooth now, full body but not heavy with nice mouth feel. Finishes with soft dry tannins.
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12/7/2014 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 90 Points
Graphite mineral slight fruit bouquet, much better than last two bottles, held up well after an '09 Sbragia Andolsen
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12/5/2014 - MichaelMA wrote: 82 Points
Blah. This wine seemed way over the hill. Flat, muted fruit, no depth, no real finish. Just seemed tired.
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9/15/2014 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 92 Points
rich, full bodied, dark red fruit
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9/2/2014 - levinml wrote: 88 Points
Good everyday drinker and reasonable value (for a Napa Cab anyway), but nothing in particular stands out. May mellow out a bit with time, but flavors were not particularly outstanding.
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8/8/2014 - cobbpa Likes this wine: 88 Points
Steak Dinner with Friends (My Place): Open & ready to go. Red fruit, vanilla, black cherries on the nose and palate. Creamy texture, sweet fruit. Full finish, nice for this style & price, in pretty good balance.
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8/2/2014 - dboatguy Likes this wine: 91 Points
very nice too bad - last one
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7/11/2014 - VinoServant wrote: 91 Points
I consider this to be the best bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for under $20 year in and year out. I typically buy 6+ bottles of every vintage and put them away for a few years, and then start drinking them when they are b/w 5 to 7 years old. The '07 is a really nice wine. After 30 minutes in the decanter all I tasted were tannins and too much dark fruit. The wine started to come together after 90 minutes in the decanter. The tannins / rough edges were gone, and you tasted a mix of fruit, leather and cedar. This wine hasn't even started to stretch its legs. I have 7 bottles left, and will probably not have another bottle until 2015.
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7/6/2014 - kcp Likes this wine: 88 Points
A bargain for the price I paid years ago. Pretty well mellowed out now, losing much of its early rusticity.
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6/28/2014 - Mad Dog Mikey wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby. Cassis and black currant scent. Dark fruits, high alcohol does not bother me. Overall this cab is well balanced and continous to develop nicely and is easily liked, especially when paired with tender strips of beef. As previously noted, At this stage I find this vintage far superior to newer vintages such ad 09 and 10.
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5/27/2014 - jayrod Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful cab with plenty of life left, maybe a bit early but still a very good bottle. Dark fruit is prominent and the tannins are refined. Went great with a leg of lamb.
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5/14/2014 - askoje wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet red. Nose with plums, dark forest fruit, blackberries, digestive biscuits, vanilla and baking spices.
Medium+ mouth feel with smooth tannins and lots of fruit on the palate. Great balance and drinking very well now. Good buy
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4/30/2014 - redz wrote: 92 Points
just keeps getting better. deep purple, wonderful balance of fruit and wood, long finish
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4/24/2014 - NutmegNative Likes this wine: 90 Points
A solid Cali cab from an old favorite winery. For a non-premium cab, this Mondavi "house wine" "punches well above it's weight". It's an enjoyable red, with plenty of stuffing, cassis and ripe berries, deep red color. A hint of oak in the nose. A very nice wine for it's qpr. It might even age a bit more in the next year or two, but is more than ready to drink at present. If you didn't buy a case of this wine a few years ago, it's likely long disappeared from the local wine shop's shelves.
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), vanilla, light toast and geranium.
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3/28/2014 - signotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
86 on day 1, 90 on day 2. Surprised me how much it improved on the 2nd day.
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3/15/2014 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Drinking nicely, but not quite as good as my last bottle in in 8/12.
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2/15/2014 - Mad Dog Mikey wrote: 90 Points
This cab has developed nicely and at this stage, far superior to newer vintages such ad 09 and 10. Dark fruits. Well integrated slight tannins. Cassis..
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2/13/2014 - bonedoc wrote:
Good bottle of napa cab, well made, drinks twice it's price. 91
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2/10/2014 - Decanthor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really glad I held on to a couple of these. Drinking at its peak right now, it was aromatic and tasty right out of the bottle. Varietally correct with very nice, lush fruits. This a good, full-bodied Napa cab that shows surprising complexity and will likely please all drinkers. Pair with a good steak.
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1/26/2014 - jwalker1140 wrote: 90 Points
Held up nicely.
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12/29/2013 - fraundor wrote: 88 Points
- Brick color.
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11/27/2013 - gejohnston Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank with 07 Reserve. This was better.
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11/9/2013 - davidthi wrote: 90 Points
Well done open, well balance
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10/14/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
Nice basic cali cab that is beautifully made, great everyday or even special wine.
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9/28/2013 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
A beautiful napa cab. Just starting to hit stride.
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9/16/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinking very well right now.
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9/15/2013 - Roostovino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 45min. This wine has settled down a bit from my last bottle 2 years ago; the alcohol and tannins are not as intense as before...flavors are very well integrated and a smooth finish; plenty of fruit still there.
I would venture to believe that this wine is now getting close to it's peak (2014/2015?), but will continue be pleasant for several more years after that.
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9/14/2013 - LFCHALA wrote: 86 Points
Full-body, easy and simple wine
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9/9/2013 - AngusRocks wrote: 92 Points
I was stunned to read some of the so-so reviews of this wine. In my mind, this wine is a terrific way to enjoy a $35 wine for 20 bucks. Blackberry preserves and spice just bursting from the glass, with perfect tannins. I suppose it still has some aging potential, but perfect right now to preserve its fruitiness, which is its charm. Just loved by all five who tasted.
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8/15/2013 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
The best showing I've had of this. Quite surprising with its good balance, round fruit and nice finish. All you could ask for from a <$20 cab and really hitting its stride now. Much better than my last bottle in June 2012.
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8/12/2013 - bryon m wrote: 89 Points
Vertical tasting - 07, 08, 10. 08 seemed to be the favorite for most of the people. All were good, age worthy, color and clarity were perfect. I still think the best wine for the money.
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7/30/2013 - redz wrote: 90 Points
definitely needed some decanting, nothing great, but enjoyable. not sure will improve much
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7/29/2013 - mhenry Likes this wine: 89 Points
This has aged nicely and is probably at its' peak. Would compare favorably to many more expensive cabs.
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7/25/2013 - Rob and Meg wrote: 85 Points
Our last bottle, and getting better on Day two. Definitely rich, ripe, and filled with blackberry compote, bitter cocoa, and baking spice. A bit lethargic on day one, this gained significant energy with air overnight. Full bodied and textured, with finishing cedar, tobacco, dried sweet berries, and soft tannins. Enjoyable but unremarkable. Drink or Hold.
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7/12/2013 - EvanRose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Taste of black cherry, very soft tannins and a long finish
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6/17/2013 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Nothing wrong here, especially mid $20s Napa Cab. Not overly tannic, drinkable now with good flavors, but not going anywhere down in the next 3-5 years. Not fashionable, but good.
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6/16/2013 - vinhonotte wrote: 86 Points
SQ424/ 16Jun2013 (Singapore-Mumbai): Nice balance of oak and spice
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6/6/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great value and great pizza wine!
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6/1/2013 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ready to go right out of the bottle. Beautiful dark cherry, smoke, tobacco. Nicely integrated tannins, but just a touch hot on the finish. Drink now.
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5/25/2013 - hanasowner wrote: 87 Points
Did the trick with hamburgers and unfortunately didn't last long as a few took big pours. Some evidence of aging, but still plenty of fruit and a nice finish.
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5/24/2013 - ddgd Likes this wine: 88 Points
Low end offering from Mondavi Napa and sadly unmemorable. Deft nose and finish and did not improve over the days after opening. Had loftier expectations, lower QPR than desired.
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5/19/2013 - vinniemontoni wrote: 89 Points
Not great notes. Nice. Red fruits, vanilla nose. Medium palate. Red fruits and some vanilla towars the finish. Very satisfying for a weekday wine.
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4/29/2013 - zinfomaniac wrote: 85 Points
Good fruit but not much else going on. It was good with a grilled steak though.
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4/29/2013 - COWineLover wrote: 84 Points
This is a very limited range wine. This bottle had an aroma of menthol and the flavor of cherry cough syrup. There is a flat finish with no range or complexity. Overall this is not a very well crafted daily drinker. Not disappointed this is my last bottle.
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4/22/2013 - fredfromny wrote: 90 Points
Time has rewarded this wine. Pretty nose with lush fruit hint of vanilla palate and medium finish.
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4/10/2013 - Graddini wrote: 91 Points
Much evolved from the last tasting. Waves of sweet raspberry and currant, rose petal and spices on the nose; rich fruit on tasting with hardly any tannins after 2 hours decant. Creamy like many other higher priced Napa Cabs. Lengthy finish and great value for a mid-$20 Cabernet.
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3/6/2013 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote: 88 Points
Not much on the nose-- cherries and leather. Taste of ripe cherries and leather and violets. Not remarkable but pleasant and very drinkable now.
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3/6/2013 - tfharris Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not remarkable. Good everyday drinker.
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3/4/2013 - Miomao wrote: 86 Points
Characterless
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2/23/2013 - CabIsKing wrote: 91 Points
Same as before. Just a really good wine for the price in a great vintage.
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2/10/2013 - skp88 wrote: 88 Points
Totally decent for the $16 Costco price, varietally correct, nice cedar and dust on the end. A good everyday or party wine
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1/27/2013 - Mike G Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good wine from a great vintage; classic Cali cab; good wine fro the price, drinking well right now
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1/2/2013 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic from 30 minutes to 2 hours - and hence the generous rating. After the 2 hour mark it took on a sour note and lost all of its manliness. A tale of two wines... Perfect pairing with beef stew. Excellent QPR for $17.
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12/30/2012 - COWineLover wrote: 86 Points
Having passed the five year mark, this seemed like it should be open for business. A very limited nose after two hours in the glass giving off a bit of raisin paste and briar. A reasonable if unremarkable cabernet with smoky oak, cassis, and blackberry. Very little complexity, and a short modestly chalk filled finish.
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12/24/2012 - Rob and Meg wrote: 86 Points
Lush, dark fruited aromas of plum, vanilla, and warm baking spice. The palate isn't overtly candied, but is nevertheless ripe in style, with rich dark berries overlying vanilla bean and cedar. A bit of forest floor emerges on the finish. This is enjoyable with nice balance, if a bit standard. Should continue to improve with age. R&M 86
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12/16/2012 - BSZach1 wrote: 90 Points
I opened this bottle yesterday and finished it today. Yesterday was great with aromas of dark fruit like currents and blackberries. Today it reminds me of my grandmothers preserves. Remember when you got to open a new bottle of preserves and you would sit there and smell it and then spread it on freshly toasted bread. I'm teetering between B+ and A-. Next time I will use the tasting note assistant. Today I will just thank Robert Mondavi Winery for the memories.
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11/26/2012 - ddgd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Peppery, smooth finish, better after decanting
For over 30 minutes, blackberry
Fruit forward, good QPR
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11/24/2012 - skp88 wrote: 89 Points
A totally decent, varietally typical cab which at $16 at Costco is a fine bargain wine for a mid-week pour or party where quantity is needed but you don't want to serve some swill
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11/23/2012 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 90 Points
It has been 10 months since I last visited this wine. It is in a great place now. Black fruits, nice back-end, and overall good balance. Excellent QPR @$20.
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11/19/2012 - corkscrews wrote: 87 Points
Similiar notes.
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11/19/2012 - brujazz wrote: 89 Points
- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of tobacco, black pepper and licorice anise. It's balanced with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Really opened up after 1/2 hour of decanting. On top of tasting good, this bottling always presents an excellent value. You can never go wrong with this one. No, it's not the Reserve or even the Oakville, but it's undeniably Mondavi.
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11/10/2012 - manny651 wrote: 89 Points
that's pretty darn good for under $20. yes it's fruit forward, but it's got body, and some depth with mocha and light pepper. good solid finish.
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9/15/2012 - depdoc wrote: 89 Points
This wine has now come around. Nice black fruit on nose and palate. Well balanced. Superb value!
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9/10/2012 - asvendsen wrote: 89 Points
leather and blueberry pie on the nose. Follows up with Chocolate, blueberries, pencil and oak on the palate. OK length with soft tannins. Medium to full body, but lacks some acidity to balance it completely. The oak is at this stage not well enough integrated.
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9/3/2012 - MichaelMA wrote: 88 Points
Nice enough bottle of wine. Good red and black fruits in nice balance. Somewhat tannic, but not overly so. The one big flaw is the alcohol was poking out quite a bit. Hopefully this is something that will resolve with some more age, but we will see whether the fruit can hold up that long.
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9/3/2012 - Graddini wrote: 89 Points
Plum jam nose; tannins are relaxing. Good value in 07 Cab that seems to be getting better and more rounded.
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9/2/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 86 Points
Very good and easy wine. Round tannins. Nice.
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8/29/2012 - rbb100 wrote: 90 Points
A lovely, full-bodies Cab that get's better the longer it sits.
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7/24/2012 - mhenry wrote: 88 Points
Still a good mid-week wine and good QPR.
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7/19/2012 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 89 Points
Did not decant. Improved over 2 hour drinking window. Suggest decant. Varietal profile shows up in this wine. Blackberry, cassis, and cedar/vanilla. Cedar was very prominent, as was the heat, until 1 hour had passed. Fell more into balance, but was light on the acidity. Nice wine that I hope will improve in a 2+years.
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7/18/2012 - BobMilton wrote: 86 Points
All I can say is ho hum! While competently made there is nothing to get excited about here - a little fruit, some structure, not much tannins. Not bad, just boring
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7/9/2012 - tirmi wrote: 92 Points
Good wine for steak. 18 degrees. Decanted 30 mins
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7/2/2012 - kevin h wrote: 86 Points
Nice cassis nose but too hot, jammy and low in acidity for me to enjoy it very much.
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6/26/2012 - vinole wrote: 88 Points
Still a bit young, with some tannin and a liitle alcohol stealing from the fruit and keeping it from optimal balance. I still expect this to turn out nicely, it's just not in its prime window yet. About a year or two away.
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6/10/2012 - dwaynelm wrote: 90 Points
Excellent varietal character. Substantial tannins lead to a slight cocoa finish. Slightly hot on the finish but everything else is so positive, that is easy to overlook.
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5/22/2012 - tfharris wrote: 91 Points
Stellar. I can't believe this wine costs $20.
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4/2/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
Dark fruit and lots of oak!
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3/31/2012 - Jeffroag wrote: 90 Points
Very nice with a steak
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3/26/2012 - tfharris wrote: 89 Points
I recommend you decant for 1 hour. The tanins dissapear and the fruit just opens up.
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3/25/2012 - David_T wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of red currant, black cherry, chocolate and oak. Similar flavors as the nose though a bit more oak taking the place of the chocolate. Medium tannins and light acidity. The biggest surprise and one of the biggest enjoyments was the length/boldness of the finish- longer and bolder than expected. One of the better Napa cabs I've had in the $20 price point in the past year.
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3/24/2012 - cpsmith33 wrote: 89 Points
Similar comments to everyone else.
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3/22/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 88 Points
unfortunately this was very good, I didn't like it because I swore that I wouldn't like the Constellation made Mondavis...
Very good wine, great QPR and you feel the good vintage
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3/16/2012 - lalande wrote: 87 Points
Typique cabernet californien. Meilleur que je ne le croyais.
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3/15/2012 - i_r_jeff wrote: 87 Points
Deep purple core with a ruby rim. This wine is very young for being nearly 5 years old. Nose includes cassis, blackberry and plum with hints of herbs vanilla cedar and maybe graphite. The nose betrays the slight addition of merlot and Cabernet franc or Verdot In the mouth The tannins still jump out at you with their sandy texture, and the alcohol is a bit pronounced the taste still matches the aromas. blackberries, cassis a bit of minerality and with almost in your face tannins and an pH level near the low end of the spectrum guessing right around a 3. Long pleasant finish slightly overwhelmed by lingering tannins but coffee makes an appearance hear as well. Would put this at a full bodied wine but the acid level lowers that a bit. This wine seems able to take another 10 years to mellow out the tannins and alcohol to quiet and develop the bouquet quite a bit. If you have this bottle I definitely recommend not opening it for at least another year or two to allow everything to integrate. If you pop and pour allow at least two hours for it to breathe and you will reveal more layers. For my first mass produced 2007 Cabernet from Napa, and my first Mondavi in about a decade. I am not thoroughly disappointed it just needs time. 2013 to 2020+ This might turn into a 92+ wine easily if you have the patience
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3/3/2012 - Edzo wrote: 90 Points
Great Cali Cab from an excellent vintage
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3/2/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 90 Points
Similar to previous notes. Seems to be taking on some weight and smoothing out on the finish.
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2/24/2012 - jonradus wrote: 85 Points
Typical napa cab. Cassis, vanilla, etc. The finish is pretty standard. Nothing great, but nothing terrible. It's good. Nuff said.
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2/14/2012 - PSPatrick wrote: 88 Points
The wine offered black currant, blackberry, plum, bell pepper and chocolate on the nose. The palate reflected the nose pretty well as the wine showed black currant, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, some spices and chocolate on the palate. The chewy wine had good length. The alcohol was a little out of balance and the wine was not distinctively complex, but other than that this fruit-driven Cab was well-made and turned out to be an extremely enjoyable middle-of-the-week wine. Would buy again. 88+
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2/12/2012 - chriskfla wrote: 90 Points
rating 89 or 90 as some bottles are better than others. For $20 you can not really beat it. fragrant nose and medium tannins. opens up nicely to moderate cherry fruit and medium long finish. great with steak or pork. good qpr
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2/10/2012 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought to dinner at friends home and we had agreed to only drink wines below $20 for this dinner. This was the 2nd Bottle of the night following a Franciscan NV 07 and this was much preferred. Blackberries, plum, vanilla and oak. Superb bottle of wine at this price point.
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1/22/2012 - sbfern wrote: 89 Points
Better then I expected. Rich and clean.
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1/21/2012 - ssnyder2323 wrote: 90 Points
Great QPR. Needs a 2+ hour decant.
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1/20/2012 - raypedia wrote: 77 Points
Very jammy red fruit on the nose, a bit harsh and jumbled on the palate with a significant hit of raspberry jam on entry. Full bodied, but lacking focus mid-palate. Letting it air out for a few hours only diminished the harshness, but didn't show more focus. If I had another bottle I probably wouldn't touch it until 2018, but I wouldn't be surprised if the time would just turn the sharpness into flab with continued lack of focus. Drink 2017-2020.
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1/20/2012 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about a half hour and continued to improve for another half hour in the glass. Riper than my last bottle with the oak more in the forefront but with some nice acidity and smooth tannins to balance it out. Great QPR at $18, especially for Napa cab.
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1/17/2012 - bryon m wrote: 90 Points
Drank with the Blue Devils Hockey team at the Tahoe Tournment. All were drinking well - Mondavi Napa 07 and 08 and the Phelps Merlot 06.
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1/16/2012 - daniel.jay wrote: 86 Points
Consumed as part of the First Annual 49ers Playoff $20 '07 Napa Cab Shoot-Out. Relatively underwhelming - spicy notes, green pepper. Wouldn't buy again.
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1/16/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 89 Points
Similar to previous bottle.
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1/13/2012 - CCestaro wrote: 89 Points
Drinking well...good QPR....a little bright on the end...but good fruit..balance...and finish
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12/25/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour. Similar comments
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12/11/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
Red cherry, cranberry, vanilla, a little tart, but smooth!
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12/10/2011 - Edzo wrote: 89 Points
Still drinking well. Aromas still dominate over palate.
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12/9/2011 - Arch57 wrote: 82 Points
I find it really tough to find really good $20 Cali-Cabs and this is another example. It was too oaky, a bit hot and disjointed. Not a wine that makes me want to rush out and buy some more.
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12/9/2011 - mhenry wrote: 86 Points
OK everyday wine.
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12/3/2011 - Enfant sauvage wrote: 81 Points
Overly sweet. Largely uninteresting. Many better $12 wines.
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11/30/2011 - VinoDiver wrote: 86 Points
This wine is very good and was enjoyed by all. It needs at least a couple hours open. This wine was consumed over 2 days and it did improve on day 2 with the fruit and oak more in balance. A nice QPR if you can still find the 07.
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11/21/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 89 Points
Similar to previous bottle.
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11/15/2011 - nlassow wrote:
The big names really do make good wine. Agree with bobpsi on the notes minus the cedar and tobacco. Too bad this was the last '07 at the LLS.
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11/9/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 89 Points
1 hr decant. Expressive nose of plums, blackberry, cedar and vanilla. Medium plus body of blackberry, plum, tobacco and mocha. Medium plus slightly drying finish.
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11/2/2011 - pmdobbs wrote:
Just ok. Did open up a bit after a 2 hour decant.
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10/27/2011 - Winebof wrote: 90 Points
sleeper of the 2007 vintage - certainly not perfect, but best $20 or under Napa cab I've had.
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10/20/2011 - DLCampbell wrote: 91 Points
Found this one to be a good value. Bought it on sale for $19/bottle.
Aromatics: Showing a mixture of currents, violets, vanilla, tobacco, anise, herbs and some loamy soil.
Palate: Grainy tannins show up first and help structure the flavors of crushed black currents, chocolate cover plums, vanilla and sweet earth notes.
Conclusion: Very enjoyable with above average complexity and texture for its price point. The oak and heat is a bit over the top, but if your drinking Cali wines that's just the norm these days.
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10/5/2011 - Jasper May wrote: 85 Points
Quite a weak nose, high alcohol, significant oak, lacking in fruit, moderate body and smooth tanins. Pleasant, but underwhelming for the price.
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10/3/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 88 Points
Starting to intergrate!
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9/30/2011 - Edzo wrote: 91 Points
Still evolving a bit. More forward. less decanting necesary. Drinking very well.
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9/24/2011 - dg1 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very well right now, had a bottle six months ago and was only 88 or so. Lots of flavors going on, blackberries balanced with light oak, almost no heat. Decanted one hour. Drink now, might have another year or two but probably not structured enough to go too long beyond that.
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9/18/2011 - Robbinson Likes this wine: 90 Points
Red Cherry color - can "almost" see through it. Nose is relatively quiet, with predominantly cherry notes. Wine is bolder in the mouth with red/black cherry blending nicely. Texture is smooth an relatively refined for this young wine. This lacks the complexity of many great california cabernets but this is a stand out, I think, in its price point. Medium finish with no after bite.
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9/17/2011 - JS199 wrote: 90 Points
Similar to previous note. More ready this time, total bargain for what you get. Decant one hour.
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9/14/2011 - evenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic. Sweet, full, smooth, dark fruits.
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9/12/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 88 Points
A very good wine, but it under achieved. On release, I heard a lot about this wine. I suppose it could have shut down, be a less than stellar bottle, yada yada, but I hoped for more. The nose has nice cassis but a fair amount of oak. On the palate, one dimensional. Not the ripe fruit that I was expecting from 07 and not really interesting. Still more oak than I would like. I certainly wouldn't age with hope this will develop. I paid $25 on "sale" in Ohio. Nothing to suggest this wine is in that category for my tastes. At $15, it would be worth it, but I still would be a buyer.
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8/25/2011 - Javachip wrote: 88 Points
Clear dark inky fuschia-garnet. Decanted and served. Initially the bouquet showed muted, stewed fruit with sharp notes of grilled meat and shoe polish. But after two hours this finally gave way to a nice profile of sweet black plums and blackberries with red licorice and extinguished campfire. Paired well with grilled rack of lamb. Give this at least a 2 hour decant.
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8/24/2011 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
"Revolutons Meet" - 2011 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): a classical Napa Valley CS - IMHO, inferior to the GHW Yarden CS
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8/24/2011 - GaryHOhio wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured, dark garnet color, nice nose, classic Napa / classic Mondavi, nice berries and cherries on the palate, medium finish - now will decant - better after 1 hour, a bit smoother but some heat on the palate now, nice cab for the $17 I paid for it, I would buy more.
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8/24/2011 - SMZ wrote: 86 Points
Nothing to write home about. The good news is that I only paid $17 per bottle; the bad news is that I have three more bottles left....which I will probably give away as gifts.
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8/18/2011 - Larry333 wrote: 86 Points
Christian and Saori liked better than the old(1986) Bordeaux.
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8/11/2011 - actx wrote: 80 Points
Not impressed. Drank it over an evening after decanting for an hour. It was ok but there are better $20 Cabs available everywhere.
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7/29/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 89 Points
i don't get the strong sentinments in the notes. This is your run of the mill napa cab, at low price point but with consistent high quality production. Not much to rag on. Unless you don't like oak of course. 88-89.
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7/29/2011 - Winebof wrote: flawed
Uber-jammy. I'm guessing a flaw given a number of other good bottles.
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6/26/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 90 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #2 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting)
dark red-black color
earthy, sweet, woody, funghus, rosemarin, blood, flesh & vanilla aromas
ripe round tannin, high bitterness & acidity, full-body, ripe fruity & green flavors, notes of oak; complex; good harmony, med-long retrained after taste
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6/26/2011 - onewineheaven wrote: 80 Points
15.5% alcohol? What else is there to say? YACWFC.
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6/25/2011 - bryon m wrote: 90 Points
At the Grey Bear Summer BBQ we opened a magnum of Chateau Cantemerle, a bottle of Mondavi 07 Napa Cab and Stonestreet 1994 Cab. The French wine was drinking perfectly - soft, light fruit and mineral flavors. The Mondavi was more fruit forward and robust in flavors, the wine was less soft but very good. The Stonestreet had held up well, good color and weight, slight fruit flavors and aan easy finish - very enjoyable!
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6/24/2011 - mbenz wrote: 89 Points
Still a fruit forward Napa cab. The finish is limited, but considering the price it performs reasonably well. Would buy this again. We decanted and I do think a decant helps.
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6/23/2011 - krmcgrath wrote: 90 Points
Nice dark fruit, cocoa and char. Deep and balanced and definitely Napa, but it took an aerator and 3 hours in a decanter to get there. Keep it sideways for a while longer. It's going good places.
Edit: Hmm... Second night after some more air this started to fall apart and showed syrupy fruit and alcohol a little too much.
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6/23/2011 - CabIsKing wrote: 91 Points
Probably the best bottle of this I have had. Everything in nice harmony. From the nose to the finish. Great balance. Showing very well.
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6/15/2011 - What I'm Drinking Now wrote: 83 Points
I had this wine at the Gaylord in Dallas and directly from my cellar. I was equally unimpressed with both. The nose is null and void and the fruit is under-riped plum. This is drinkable but not enjoyable. Save the money for a better 2007 Napa Cab.
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6/2/2011 - Giggs wrote: 89 Points
Benefits from several hours decanting. Crowd-pleasing Cab, well made, extremely fresh, fantastic mouthfeel. Rich vanilla nose leads to classic notes of mountain herbs, cassis, and bright cherry.
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6/1/2011 - bryon m wrote:
Gifts to friends
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6/1/2011 - RATER wrote: 91 Points
Giggs' review is right on!
However, I continue to insist there is bottle variation on this wine and vintage. The bottle my wife and I enjoyed on May 31st, was a superior one from 2 cases we got last month. All and all, a very well made, satisfying, and affordable wine right now; look forward to our next 12 bottles....
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5/31/2011 - qcwino wrote:
$18. somewhat vegetable nose when I first poured in the decanted. Let it sit for 2 hrs. Opened up to reveal nice dark frut and subtle oak. Paired well with my grilled ribeye. nice acidity with a subtle vanilla finish. Good go to Napa cab for under $20.
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5/30/2011 - Materatz wrote: 89 Points
Well balanced, good nose. Classic napa cab, needs more time in the cellar though.
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5/28/2011 - Ahirsch116 wrote: 74 Points
Had this wine with pizza last night and found it couldn't stand up to even that most pedestrian of meals.
Muted nose moved into an awkward disjointed wine with an astringent finish. Blech!
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5/27/2011 - meteordude wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this; nice dark fruit and nicely balanced. Planned to have it with steak but I actually found it to be fine on its own. Definitely buy again at $20
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5/24/2011 - mbenz wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Not much on the nose. The palate is reasonable. Good fruit, but not overwhelming. Performs well for a Napa cab at this price point.
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5/19/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured. Label staining, deep violet/red hue. On the nose, this Cabernet shows nice aromas of ripe black fruits, cassis & currant, hints of cedar, and toasted oak. Medium-plus body, showing a little more concentrated than previous. Flavors on the palate certainly still seem primary for the most part, with earthy, ripe fruit notes of blackberry and black cherry. However, the flavors are slightly overwhelmed by the tannins, which seem to have emerged in force compared to release. Still a great Cab but one that appears to be shutting down...based on this bottle, would be best to cellar for at least another 6 months before opening again.
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5/17/2011 - Ou7475 wrote: 80 Points
Muted nose with earthy tannin middle and dry tart ending
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5/15/2011 - allencbk wrote: 84 Points
Smooth a little salty,no strong tenny , good drink with pizza
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5/6/2011 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Had to open another bottle of this. Same notes aplpy but I seemed to get much more alcohol and tarty tannins on the finish in this bottle. Just seems to me it could use a couple more years of rest.
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4/26/2011 - bundan wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced, bordeaux like
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4/25/2011 - jupiter33 wrote: 87 Points
I don't get the hype on this. Oak bomb.
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4/24/2011 - MatthijsVisser wrote: 86 Points
The 15.5% alc dominates the nose and makes it difficult to distinguish what's there. It's got character on the palate with blackcurrant and plum, but even there it's somewhat unbalanced.
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4/24/2011 - beth_o_allen wrote: 89 Points
First, the 2007 Cabernets from California are hard to beat. Was a little skeptical of a Mondavi, but it was pretty good. Dark garnet in color, there is black cherry and plum on the nose. Fruit on the palate, and velvety smooth at this price point. We enjoyed this (quite a bit) with chocolate cake (with chocolate iciing).
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4/22/2011 - Tsubasa wrote: 90 Points
Very nice dark red color, nose is good, lots of berries, grapes with a bit of earthy smell, vanilla and a bit of floral smell. Tannic is generally very good, and overall excellent wine. It will be better if it is stored for another 2-3 years.
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4/21/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 88 Points
consistent with prior notes.
vinturi for 2 hours, had with rib eye (which was great)
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4/20/2011 - RATER wrote: 91 Points
Consistently good!
There seems to be some bottle variation but on the good side. Last night we open another bottle of this wine which tasted more like the “reserve”. It shows a solid plum color, with an elegant viscosity; on the nose dark berries, mostly plum and blueberries with a hint of leather and tobacco; on the palate a balanced and concentrated taste with a midrange velvety finish.
This wine definitely will mature to become a jewel with at least a couple of years of cellaring time. In particularly, this bottle was splendid…we still have ½ a case and just ordered another case for an average price of $18.45 a bottle. To be honest, I never bought so much of the same wine at one time. But I did not want to miss the opportunity to continue to enjoy this wonderful wine….
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4/17/2011 - vantran7631 wrote: 82 Points
Good balanced wine with strong tannic after taste. This wine scream for a steak.
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4/9/2011 - RATER wrote: 90 Points
Can’t go wrong with this!
Dark burgundy color with a mid-hi density, showing an aromatic bouquet mostly on the dark berries side with a fruit forward taste with solid tannins. It also shows a bold character and a harmonious balance with a great potential to age for at least five more years; elegant finish. I just got a case at less than $19 a bottle, don’t miss it; fairly priced even at $20: good QPR.
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4/8/2011 - Mythlogic Likes this wine: 89 Points
Blueberries on the nose. Smooth nothing overpowering on the palette. Short finish. For the price decent wine.
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4/2/2011 - snaff wrote: 90 Points
Very good value.
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3/31/2011 - MattTM wrote:
Wine Festival Tasting Room, quick notes. Nose dominated by rich black cherry and dark plum. Rich palate of blackberry, blueberry, oak, and dark cherry. Palate is quite one dimensional. Medium, dry finish.
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3/27/2011 - THaas wrote: 89 Points
Good and solid; cassis and a little mintiness on the nose, full bodied fruit on the palate. Lacks a little backbone, but overall not bad at all.
Drink 2011-2015.
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3/26/2011 - Zweder wrote: 87 Points
Soft ripe fruits. Full bodied. Soft tannin which offer a good bite. The best Mondavi CS I tasted today. Not extremely complex.
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3/25/2011 - Edzo wrote: 91 Points
It may be getting better, still liking this wine very much.
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3/21/2011 - Redguy wrote:
Opened at 10am, wife used some for cooking then vacuum pumped and placed in refer. Removed at 4:30 and allowed to warm to room temp for a couple of hours. No notes taken but my impression was while balanced and tasty, the med- body was a little thin, especially on the finish where dusty tannins took over. Pleasant and soft but nothing more than an inexpensive weekday wine. Decent QPR. Not scored due to circumstances
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3/20/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: 88 Points
Nice bottle of wine. Notes of ripe blackberry with hints of cassis, balanced by a gentle touch of toasted oak. Nice acidity and relatively firm tannins soften with time...a bit of heat on initial open blows off. This really comes together with air, but for my palate is lacking the complexity and balance of prior vintages. Still an excellent wine, not to mention a thrifty buy.
Drink now and over the next six years. 88+
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3/20/2011 - jktaylor wrote: 91 Points
Well done. Really hits its stride after being exposed to air for about an hour. Supple tannins and a very smooth, clean wine. Those that don't like it are probably put off by high alcohol wine (I think this is 15.5%). This is America. Be a man.
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3/19/2011 - Wbulkley wrote: 75 Points
Basic cabernet
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3/19/2011 - df1962 wrote: 90 Points
PnD at noon yesterday. Plans changed so I sealed in vacuum decanter and put in fridge until 4pm today. Let it warm up for 3 hours and poured a glass. Very dark dense purple with a slight bit of red at the rim. Big brambly cassis vanilla and smoky nose. Medium(+) weight with polished tannins. Plummy cassis cedar coffee and vanilla flavors. Not as OTT as Caymus, and a lot less money but it makes you wonder if Napa Valley is a style rather than a place. It is balanced enough that I would like to try it with a steak off the grill. Did not find it hot and even though I am not a low abv nazi the notation of the abv on the label could make a libertarian require minimum font size on labels for abv. Bottom line needs lots of air and would buy again. Looking forward to trying again tomorrow with prime rib.
Day 3 - Left it overnight in the vacuum decanter in the fridge. Smoothed out and became more integrated. Good balance and more elegant with black fruits and a nice minerality. Lots of life ahead. Upgraded the score by 1 point and i think it will get even better with time.
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3/19/2011 - denisontb wrote: 88 Points
Solid Cabernet, but nothing truly notable. Easy weekday drinker.
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3/18/2011 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Nice bright red fruit - cherry, with undertones of blue and black fruit candy. Very nice nose, but there is something artificial about it, just doesn't seem natural or authentic, but it is appealing. Palate: Medium bodied, cherry and spice carries through to a medium length finish. My second encounter with this wine and I must say, I enjoyed this encounter more than the first - a very nice mass produced Cally cabernet.
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3/14/2011 - Javier wrote: 90 Points
Wonderfull cab. Great price and great value.
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3/14/2011 - laxman wrote: 88 Points
Not special. Could be the bottle, but had a Clos Du Val 2007 Cab last night, which was a real joy. Wanted to try this following the positive NY Times review. According to the review this Mondavi should have been fruitier/bigger than the Clos Du Val, but that's not the case in my view. Hate to say, but this seems disjointed. Good fruit on the nose, but does not come together in the mouth. A real shame as I was ready to really like this. Will certainly try this again for $20, but was a bit let down this time.
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3/14/2011 - NavyGrog wrote: 85 Points
Good QPR.
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3/12/2011 - pc2006mg wrote: 91 Points
Excellent juice with fine silky tannins.
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3/5/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
This is a really nice wine and one of the best Napa efforts in years. Spice, cherry, oak, vanilla and plum. Medium finish and balanced wine.
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3/3/2011 - mikev101 wrote: 89 Points
Continues to drink wonderfully....such structure to last though...doesn't get much better than this at <$20
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3/2/2011 - Edzo wrote: 90 Points
Still drinking very well. Bottle #10 from a 2 case purchase. 14 left.
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2/26/2011 - depdoc wrote: 87 Points
This is my third bottle from a case. All have been rough, even with double decanting. Since I had a nice zin open also, I blended them a la Orin Swift's Prisoner and had an excellent (92 grade)cuvee. I am hopeful this wine will smooth out with some more age. The zin was Carlisle Sonama County 2007.
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2/26/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
1/2 bottle corked for one week, very soft, mellow, with wood notes, smokey, currants, cassis, held up well.
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2/24/2011 - Winebof wrote: 90 Points
Very nice under $20 thanks to the fine folks at THEwinechateau.com (but quite suspect QPR at $30). It's got the traditional Napa dark berry fruits and cocoa, and actually more acid than I was expecting. Should legitimately be better over the next 1-2 years, I'd imagine. I've had the 2007 Reserve ($100) and this isn't too far off.
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2/21/2011 - SDBhatt wrote: 86 Points
Overall good. Nose didn't reveal much until it sat for about an hour. This wine was subdued but balanced.
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2/20/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 88 Points
Vanilla oakishness and black berries on the nose. Very smooth on tha palate. There's nothing to really drag this wine down, but there is nothing that really sets it apart either. IF I was at a wedding, I'd be ecstatic to see this being served. 88-89
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2/18/2011 - hawk30 wrote: 89 Points
Quite good, but the alcohol is noticeable.
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2/15/2011 - fabiogr Likes this wine: 87 Points
I agree with the other tasting notes - nose is subdued, improves a bit with decanting. Otherwise, quite good, the cocoa and tobacco on the palate make for an interesting wine. Good length.
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2/15/2011 - cweiss wrote:
Well-made wine in a flamboyantly California style with lots of sweet fruit, integrated oak, soft tannins and decent acidity. A good match for pan-seared steak in a sweet marsala/mushroom sauce
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2/14/2011 - mhenry wrote: 89 Points
A little tight for a while, and then opened up. Smoother than I would have thought, given the higher alcohol level. A good QPR, will buy again.
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2/13/2011 - BSpdx Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very similar to original tasting note.
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2/11/2011 - Edzo wrote: 90 Points
Definitely some bottle fluctuation. This was a very good one with abundant fruit and the nice chalky tannin on the finish. Best on day one with a short decant. Day 2 is muted. Have had this experience with a few bottles already
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2/11/2011 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark purple color all the way to the edge. Not a lot on the nose (did not decant). Lots of dark berry's with good balance of oak. Very nice on the tongue. Nice finish although not terribly long. Very good Cab.
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2/3/2011 - jorge48 wrote: 86 Points
Subdued nose, humdrum palate. Inexpensive, but there is better value out there.
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2/2/2011 - imorrison wrote: 85 Points
great value cab
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1/30/2011 - VashonWine wrote: 90 Points
We can always count on this old standard for an everyday bottle with dinner. Dark purple color, nice balance between fruit and oak. I'm going to buy another case of the 07 before it's out.
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1/28/2011 - hende14 wrote: 89 Points
Perfect purple color, the color you expect from a good cab. Somewhat reserved on the nose. A little dark fruit, a little oakiness, a touch of alcohol. The palate is nicely integrated. All components are balanced. Very nice mouthfeel, crisp and refreshing with just the right amount of acid to create a juicy finish. Do I wish that the fruit was a little more pronounced? Yes. Do I wish the structure was a little bolder? Yes. But I think this is still very well made and an excellent value. Hope it will also get better with some more time in the bottle.
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1/25/2011 - yankee22 wrote: 88 Points
Good wine, not great. Red fruity, cherries on nose. Taste: raspberry, nutmeg, coffee. A little tight and light.
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1/24/2011 - twelch wrote: 86 Points
Hmm. This had a waxy feel and smell to it. It was pretty tight day one with a tight nose and just a tad of fruit on the palate. It seemed like there was something there trying to poke it's head out from some baby fat. I only had roughly a glass. The wife finished the bottle over the next two days and said it got better each day. I guess I will have to try another with a very long decant to see what I really think.
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1/23/2011 - Decanthor wrote: 89 Points
Soft, not very tannic, good fruit on the finish. Opened up after about 15 minutes.
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1/22/2011 - billyg wrote: 89 Points
Tight nose, black cherry and vanilla. Black cherry, cassis followed by some earthy raspberry. Some vanilla, green pepper on the finish.
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1/21/2011 - Tuffdawg wrote: 85 Points
I had the same experience as "rickspicks" below. Awkward for sure. Have one more will wait and hope.
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1/21/2011 - DuaneT wrote: 88 Points
Drank this alongside a Barossa Shiraz which made the Mondavi seem downright refined. I found the cab to be a pretty example of Napa Cab and a tremendous value. I do prefer aged cabs, so the tannins were a bit overwhelming. Overall I found the wine well balanced but not too interesting (probably because the tannins dominate too much at this point).
I don't see how anyone could be disappointed with this wine at $20.
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1/21/2011 - krmcgrath wrote: 91 Points
Damn good juice for $20. Deep, dark berries and plums framed by decent acidity and oak. Not very complex at this point but well made and delicious in a right now kind of way. Probably even better 2 - 3 years from now.
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1/19/2011 - rickspicks wrote: 87 Points
Almost no nose. Black fruits, but neither ripe nor sweet, with oak and some earth. Good balance, nice structure and a slightly chewy texture. A bit light on the mid-palate and a short to medium finish. Overall just simply awkward and clumsy. Not a wine I would buy again.
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1/19/2011 - bmarshall wrote: 87 Points
Very solid wine for sure. Nice black fruits and some earth. Nothing at all offensive, but nothing terribly exciting with limited complexity.
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1/18/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
15.5% ABV. Dark garnet, more or less opaque in the glass. Aromas of vanilla, cedar, and ripe currant on the nose. Full bodied with black currant and black berry fruit on the palate. With this bottle, I didn't notice any meaty or port-like nuances, more just a straightforward, ripe Cabernet. This has a pretty nice QPR. 90-91ish.
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1/17/2011 - cr8it wrote: 88 Points
Nice juicy red fruit, plum, cassis, blackberry. Very decent wine
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1/17/2011 - Winebof wrote: 93 Points
Nice round flavor.....true Napa cab but just a touch of hollow on the finish, which prevented a higher score. Still, at a couple bucks cheaper than the Waterstone this is a nice deal. At $30 I would be happy with the value, but certainly not thrilled.
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1/14/2011 - mattyboy76 wrote: 91 Points
I am really beginning to believe the hype on 07 Napa cabs. Popped and poured through Venturi. You get that big plum and blue fruit nose with just enough oak. BIG tannins on the palate with enough fruit to know it's a cali cab. Medium finish with maybe a little heat. I score this a 91 because it has almost the exact profile of the 07 Stag's Leap Artemis we drank over New Years for a quarter of the cost. Paid $17
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1/12/2011 - Cjcaldwell wrote: 88 Points
Tasted blind..
Swirling in the glass the wine created a layer of deep purple tears around the glass suggesting a thick skinned grape.
Nose: Ground dirt, blackfruits of blackberries, dark plums, wasnt able to pick up any aromas to suggest oak barreling (wine was really cold :()
Palate: Heavy wood/fruit tannin, confirmed blackfruits. Wine showed Medium plus acid, medium high alcohol.
No doubt about this wine it shows a New World Cabernet Sauvignon, the heavy oak suggests Napa, Sonoma, Paso area.
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1/10/2011 - tarheel17 wrote:
big, ripe, pretty good. no real notes, but crowd-pleasing. satisfying for the price.
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1/1/2011 - corkscrews wrote: 88 Points
A nose of dark sweet fruit, dark purple in color. A smooth medium to full bodied Cab, blackberry, cassis, plums with some minerals in finish, a solid Cab for the price level but was missing that bit extra to make it a very good wine.
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12/31/2010 - hcampana wrote: 89 Points
From 750 ml bottle. Not tasted blind. Very decent wine. Good fruit, solid core, with adequate body and juiciness. Lacking depth, complexity and length, but very nice for the price.
De botella de 750ml. No probado a ciegas. Vino muy decente. Buena cantidad de fruta, con un núcleo sólido, cuerpo adecuado y algo de vivacidad. Le falta más complejidad, profundidad y longitud para ser mejor calificado, pero muy sólido para un cabernet de Napa de este nivel de precio.
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12/28/2010 - NavyGrog wrote: 85 Points
Very rich wine. fruity, great nose, full bodied, long tail.
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12/27/2010 - InfernoBoss wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this. Very smooth for such a young wine. Great value in the sub $20 category for a Napa Cab. Will buy more of this wine. Served for a group and there were kudos all around.
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12/27/2010 - Wine Sparty wrote: 92 Points
Opened about an hour and a half to slow-ox before having with spaghetti & meatballs. Very tannic and tight and first, but after another hour or so, it really showed some nice, big fruit. Looking forward to my other bottle and may grab some more. At $20, this is a great QPR.
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12/27/2010 - AZ Cat wrote:
(1/5) Quite disappointing - I fail to see what the big deal is with this wine. Nothing but heat and oak. Venturi did not improve, nor did time in the glass. This is surely still a young cab but I can't see this ever approaching the 90+ point mark that so many have bestowed upon it.
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12/27/2010 - blaine wrote:
Loved this wine, incredible QPR, as noted elsewhere. Big crowd pleaser on Xmas Eve. I'll take some formal notes next time, but buy with confidence in the sub-$20 Napa category
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12/24/2010 - Franc wrote: 89 Points
Good wine for the money and a crowd pleaser. Lots of tannins after PNP. Bottle did not last long enough to open up. Would buy more
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12/24/2010 - wineshaman wrote:
Update from last note, 1/2 bottle left for 24hrs. Jammy blackberry fruit silky smooth finish. Never will be overly complex, but a lot of fruit for the buck. Should be quite nice with a year or two of bottle age.
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12/22/2010 - Edzo wrote: 90 Points
The second of a two bottle dinner night.
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12/22/2010 - BSpdx wrote: 90 Points
Great value for Cali Cabernet. Nose is ripe plums and toasty oak. Sweet blueberries, ripe plums and blackberry fruit on the attack. A textured midpalate brings additional flavors of vanilla, cinammon, and nutmeg. A hint of caramel as well, especially on the backend. This is tasty and well worth the price and proves the depth of the 07 vintage. I would highly recommend.
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12/22/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured, rich, concentrated, with good fruit. In a couple or three years i can see this smoothing out nicely. 89+
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12/20/2010 - jonahfactor wrote: 88 Points
Let's not overthink this one. Very tasty, straightforward rendition of a Napa Cab. Didn't develop much complexity, even after a couple of hours in the glass. Lyn tasted a floral component, while I picked up more cherries and vanilla. Hint of cedar in the nose. At $15 from Costco it represents a reasonable value. Not sure I would pay more. However, it's tough to find a tasty Napa Cab. at this price point, so I might pick up a few more bottles. Should drink well through 2016.
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12/19/2010 - cpsmith33 wrote: 90 Points
A great wine at 17 bucks...great vintage...popped ran through a vinturi and was very nice smooth cab, lots of dark fruit, vanilla, smooth tannins...perfect sub 20 cali cab, not a lot of complexity, but was what you want
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12/19/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
This wine was splash-decanted and serially tasted over the ensuing several hours on a cold, rainy Christmas-season Sunday afternoon/evening. My impression is similar to that of 10/22/10. This is a perfect example of why most tasters (especially non-oenophiles, who comprise the majority) prefer Napa Valley Cabernet to Bordeaux and other old-world wines. This wine has beautiful ripe fruit, low acidity and sweet tannins. I AM an oenophile, Francophile and Bordeaux fanatic, yet I still cannot deny the hedonism of this beautiful wine, which is priced equally beautiful. Drink now-12/17.
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12/19/2010 - rwstorer wrote: 91 Points
Popped and let stand for 1 hour before pour. Medium red clear color with aromas of currant, mocha and spice. Medium light body with balanced, classic cabernet flavors of cherry, earth and slight cigar box. Not overly complex but an extremely well made wine that I will have no problem serving to anyone as a stand alone or with food. Excellent value at $17 at Costco.
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12/18/2010 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have had this recently so I knew it benefited from a short decant. So when I got there I poured it into my father-in-law's decanter to let it get some air. By the time we tried it it was ready to go. It had a wonderful nose of blackberry, smoke and a touch of earth. On the palate, it had flavors of mint, black cherry, and a dusty berry component I find only in Napa Valley wines. The finish was very decent, lasting about 20-25 seconds. A very nice entry level bottling from Mondavi.
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12/17/2010 - maxmanx wrote: 90 Points
PnP and tasted over 2 nights. Much better the second night with more fruit and less oaky tannins. Need to decant next time.
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12/16/2010 - BinVA wrote: 90 Points
This is a good bottle of wine, better at $17 than plenty of $50+ bottles I've had. Has a baby Caymus nose to it. Buying some of these cheaper wines and enjoying them is making me rethink my past buying habits.
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12/16/2010 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Sweet spice and cherry on the nose. Exceptionally well made, exceptionally straight forward as well. This is day two. Tannins are there, firm finish.
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12/13/2010 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
drank at Matt's with borsche soup from Larissa. silky and rich.
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12/12/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 90 Points
Had at a steak house. Popped and poured. Had this after a 2006 sequoia grove. Very comparable wine though this leaned slightly more towards dark fruit and mocha while I got more tobacco/cigar from the sg. Maybe the vintage, may be the other varietals in the rm. in any case this is a great go to entry level cabernet.
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12/11/2010 - Edzo wrote: 89 Points
Solid Napa Cab. Tasting a bit of bottle fluctuation as I consume more bottles from the 2 cases I purchased. Not as sharp a finish as the previous bottles.
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12/11/2010 - njAndrew Likes this wine: 88 Points
No formal notes. Nice representation of main stream Napa Cab, a mix of spicy oak and dark fruit. Good deal if you can find it under $20 (got mine for $18) but not worth the $26+ I sometimes see it listed for.
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12/10/2010 - Justin B wrote: 90 Points
Great QPR Napa Cab, will buy more.
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12/10/2010 - Ken332 wrote: 88 Points
Dark color, warm ruby edge. Wonderful nose and plums and fruit in the initial flavors. However, there is some volatility and alcohol in the finish which led me to check the alcohol level since I tend to be sensitive to high alcohol wines. As I suspected, this wine is 15.5% alcohol which may bother some and not others. As the wine ages, I would expect the alcohol to become more pronounced, so I would recommend drinking this wine over the next 3-4 years.
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12/10/2010 - mdaniel wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet color with a nose of black currants, plum, chocolate, and cassis. Palate shows dark berries, dusty earth and a hint of chocolate. Tannins are noticeable, but not in a bad way. Quite the QPR for $15.47 and I will have to get more.
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12/7/2010 - Wamrod Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark ruby, solid to edges. Big alcohol legs on glass.
Nose of blackcurrant and brambly blackberries, guava, orange peel, white pepper and sweet tars. Earthy cloves and chocolate.
Palate surprisingly refined. I didn't expect this. Black fruits, dry dusty yet sweet tannins. Soft, supportive acids. Alcohol well contained.
Medium to long finish. I like.
Postscript: I am just so impressed with this wine. On the second night I spent more time with it and just couldn't put it down. You have got to try this to see what I mean. Absolutely delicious! Fresh, full bodied and a fabulous nose. Very reminiscent of an extremely good CnDP. I'm raising my scoring to 92.
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12/5/2010 - mkbabs wrote: 91 Points
Deserves to be called Outstanding. Great year ('07)for Nappa, and a producer that can still deliver. Selected it based on those criteria and I was not disappointed. Sampled as part of a tasting in preparation for the wedding of a friends daughter. The goal of which was to choose the best $20 price point wines to serve to a large number of people. Decanted for 1/2 hour. Lots of fresh fruit on the nose revealed a young wine. Pallate had dark cherry, cassis, plum. Lots of tannins. Very dry finish. A strong fruit forward, oaky, CA cab for lovers of that style. Good now, better in a couple of years. Should age ok for 10 from vintage date. A great QPR.
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12/4/2010 - jsums wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. Nose: currant/black cherry fruit with dark chocolate, cola, soil, and some fresh mint. Medium body on the palate: sweet blackberry and black cherry framed by rich dark chocolate, soil, and graphite. Solid balancing acidity. Moderate/firm dusty tannins. Lingering mint and chocolate on the moderate/long finish. Textbook Napa Cabernet. Needs a few more years in the bottle to come together. Very well done.
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12/4/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 90 Points
This is a big bold Napa Cab. The first bight its drying tannins dominated and made it a little rough to enjoy on its own during movie night. The second night it's much more friendly and its flavor profile reveals itself. Yes there are substantial markings that make me think this wine received heavy handed oak treatment, but all the things I look for in Napa are here. I get rich fruit, earth, vanilla and more.
Quite nice. 2nd day performance bodes well for drinking starting in 2012.
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12/4/2010 - mikev101 wrote: 91 Points
Excellent
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11/28/2010 - dchorton wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, smooth, balanced. A great QPR. Need to buy more.
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11/27/2010 - Edzo wrote: 91 Points
2nd bottle consumed from a case purchase. Once again, exceptional nose of dark fruits, cassisand some licorice . Wonderful mouthfeel and a nice dry finish. Best to drink up because it is muted the next day. It is definitely sining as soon as you pop and pour. No element of heat in this bottle. Well balanced, great wine from an excellent vintage in Napa. Will buy another case before it sells out.
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11/22/2010 - Edzo wrote: 90 Points
Very pretty fruit forward nose of cassis, plum, some licorice and floral notes. Velvety on the pallate, and fairly good balance. The finish is bone dry and tannic. There is a touch of heat that shows up well after the pallate. Would score 1-2 points higher if not for this element. Excellent value for less than $17, I'm glad I bought a case.
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11/22/2010 - bwillia wrote: 90 Points
Oh so young! but I have to say I think this wine over performs at its price point and has above average potential. 1) It already has a chocolate and earth component instead of just jammy fruit and 2) it is not over oaked but has round tannins and decent acidity. Need to tuck some of these away for a few years but they are certainly enjoyable now if you like your Cab young.
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11/22/2010 - RATER wrote: 92 Points
An impressive nose!
WOW, what an explosive and enticing bouquet this wine has. My wife and I were both impressed by its array of fruit aromas right after we pop this wine. It also shows a good young dark burgundy color with a medium body and a delicate and fruit-forward, but not so complex taste, which ends with a short but attracting finish. Also, base on the nose we expected more character, well enough anyhow. (We did not get the heat from the 15.5 alcohol level.)
We have to disagree with most tasters of this wine here, we enjoyed and got more out of just pop and pour this one. We tasted the day after and it was a bit on the oxidation side. Then, to us this shows not a long life; enjoy this very good value and well made wine, NOW!
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11/19/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 89 Points
After about two hours of air in the decanter I finally decided to throw some impressions down. Smashing nose of pomegranate, raspberry puree, hint of spice, some perfume and a bit of cedar box. A little bit of creme de casis, melted licorice, charcoal and maybe a hint of blueberry. Nice medium body with a fat and juicy mid palate. Dry angular tannins, not cloying or too thick but medium weight, decently linear and focused. Chalky dry finish, firm tannin structure, a bit of toasty oak and plentiful red fruits on the finish. A touch of heat, noticeable but it doesn't bother me. If it weren't for the heat, this would be a 90 point wine.
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11/16/2010 - coremill wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured. Very dark purple color in the glass. Nose of sweet black fruit, that after an hour or so faded and took on a raisiny character. In the mouth this is very lush and sweet, almost portlike such that I almost wonder if there's any RS (I looked it up and there's pretty much not, only .71). The 15.5% ABV shows up in a touch of heat. The tannin is mostly fine and soft. Shortish finish was more sweet fruit and heat. This was too heavy and over the top for me, and didn't even pair all that well with a New York strip, but if you're a fan of the lush, smooth ripe style of cab, you'd probably like this more.
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11/10/2010 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured. Medium-plus purple/garnet hue, still quite youthful in appearance. Forward aromas of dark fruits, creme de cassis, anise, and a touch of toasted oak. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit still shows a bit primary but is smooth and elegant in presentation, with black fruits, blue fruits, earth, cedar, and some smoked spice notes from the oak. Tannins are silky smooth on the moderate close. Really opens up nicely in glass. Great QPR in Napa Cabernet and already improving in the cellar...may not be the longest lived of vintages, but should be singing in another 1-2 years.
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11/9/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 90 Points
15.5% ABV. Dark garnet, opaque in the glass. Rich smelling with a slight note of vanilla. Cedar and currant fruit with a slight brooding port-like quality. Perhaps a bit of meatiness to boot. Full bodied with black currant and black berry fruit on the palate. Big and a little port-like, but this is pretty interesting Cabernet for the money. I can understand why it might not appeal to some. 90-91ish.
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11/9/2010 - eldiabloazul wrote: 90 Points
Very solid Napa Cab. Good value at 20 bucks. Will buy again.
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11/7/2010 - Bellissimo wrote:
Only after this has been opened for a while does the black fruit and currant and oak begin to settle down. This needs air time but at $20 it certainly can be very rewarding.
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11/4/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 86 Points
Very good cabernet, $19.99 at my local Costco, this is the real deal. Starting with 2002 I've bought 3-6 bottles and stash them for 5 years when they turn into beauties. I was drinking this alongside the 2003 Double Diamond Schrader Mayacamas Range Cabernet and it blows that wine out of the water. Mostly due to ample acidity. Sure the wine is very lush and fruity right now but I'd be shocked if this doesn't develop killer tertiary aromas down the line. The aromatics are great even now, a little oak but plenty of Chateauneuf-type spices/herbs/garrigue, black raspberry and smoked meat (syrah in there maybe?). Sweet on the palate but it's focused and not flabby, absolutely in balance despite the label at 15.5%. Drinking it at cellar temp without food and the tannins aren't intrusive.
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10/24/2010 - mmoss wrote: 88 Points
Initially this wine fell short. Very tight, high tannins and the taste and nose was subdued. Saved half the bottle for the next night and wow what a difference! The wine opened with hints of tobacco, dark cherry and a slight burnt tasted on the finish. Nose was rich with some subtle sweetness. I did not get the dense earthy nose as with most Napa cabs but still a very interesting wine!
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10/24/2010 - vinole Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine needs some time in the decanter to show what it's about. Right now 1-1.5 hrs at a minimum. I had this to determine whether to buy more and the answer is a resounding YES. I will let the new bottles rest a bit. Typical Mondavi style of reserved currant fruit with higher acidity than most other Napa cabs. Less ripe and fruit forward than the prevailing style these days, which is what I like about them. 90-91, easily a 91 based on potential in the future. 07 continues to impress.
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10/23/2010 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
WSET II; 10/23/2010-10/24/2010 (Portland, ME): Medium-plus garnet, almost purple, color. Medium-plus intensity nose of black cherry, plums, vegetable. Medium tannin; medium-minus acid. Toasty. Medium-plus length. Very New World in style.
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10/23/2010 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Opened for about 2hrs.. Big, big nose of cassis, dark fruits and mint. Nice lush palate and long finish. Looks like 07 is a winner. Will buy a case at 17.00 a bottle. Might merit a point or 2 in a couple of years. Nice.
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10/22/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby robe with red rim. Clean and quite intense nose, showing black currant, spice, vanilla and black tea. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, generous sweet tannins, well-integrated oak and flavors mirroring the nose. The middle palate is solid and the smooth finish is medium-to-long. This is very nice, quintessential Napa Valley (floor) Cabernet at a very reasonable price. Parenthetically, the wine showed beautifully on the following night (with the decanter having been covered with Saran wrap and stored in the refrigerator). Drink now-12/17.
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10/20/2010 - grossie wrote: 90 Points
This wine is a benchmark wine for me in Napa- in good years it's a solid wine, in bad ones it's not all that. I think the 2007 is a winner. Very rich and ripe, slightly heavy on the oak, but the fruit shouts Napa to me with only the slightest hard edge at the back end. At the low $20s I think this one's a wine to buy for daily drinking, and maybe even to stash for a few years, I bet it'll develop great secondaries by about 2015 or so.
Addendum: After some time this wine toughened up, and on day 2 the tannins were pretty hard with a burnt edge. This reminds me a little of the 91 Mondavi Reserve, a really good wine IMO, but one that always had a bit of a burnt quality and a bit of a hard edge while still showing lots of sweet fruit.
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10/20/2010 - King Cab wrote:
Initially the nose shows some primary and simple fruits. Reminds me of that mess called McMannis. Air helps this a bit. After about 45 minutes this shows some weak black fruits with some vanilla, tar and flowers. There is a flabbiness about this that is very un-Mondavi-like. Seems a bit thin in body--and acidified too, almost fake. A bit of puckering thrown in for bad measure. There is some chalkiness on the finish. I am quite familiar with Robert Mondavi's house style and this one does not fit it. Maybe this is better in a leaner year? I will try this again in 6 months. I expected more. Maybe I can best sum this up by saying that it drinks like a 15-20 dollar wine, and one of the strengths of this wine has always been its ability to drink above its class.
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10/18/2010 - lsnider wrote: 90 Points
Cosnsistant with my other notes other than I did not decant this.
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10/15/2010 - masonjp wrote: 92 Points
One of the most complex under $20 wines out there right now.
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10/15/2010 - Cloverstudio wrote: 90 Points
Classic cab. Very structured, but 2 dimensional. Tasted great the next day.
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10/13/2010 - JS199 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Apparently, it wasn't enough, three hours later this wine arrived. Bright fruit pummeled my palate, soft velvety finish. Needs a little time(1-3 yrs). Great effort for $19.
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10/7/2010 - BHwine wrote: 89 Points
When i first opened this bottle it was very tight with not a lot nose at first. As it sat for about 15-20 minutes it started to open up and the fruit started to show.
This had nice fruit and the tannis were in check. Had a nice vanilla quality on the finish as well.
I have a feeling this might get better with time, but was drinking ok now.
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9/28/2010 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
dark, dark ruby. licorice, dark fruit and florarl notes on the nose. ripe and lush, dark fruits and silkiness on the palate. balanced. this is a very solid cabernet.
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9/23/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
This has a lot in common with the '04 Keenan that was my "house wine" for awhile when I was on the road to ORD every week and dining at the Tin Fish. Similar in weight and structure. Relatively forward and approachable without being a bomb. Perhaps a touch more acidity at this point in its life as compared to the Keenan, and more structure overall. An excellent value. Score based on potential, maybe a point or 2 less right now.
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9/22/2010 - I.bertrand wrote: 95 Points
Fête de Eric - vin de Sylvie. Goût de vanille. Hum... Roastbeef !
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9/9/2010 - TD2Irish wrote: 86 Points
Decanted for 8 hours, what a disappointment I had planned on making this my new house wine. Took this to a blind tasting with friends who are knowledgable wine geeks. Wine is disjointed, over extracted fruit, with enough eucalyptus to satisfy any Koala Bear. As wierd as it sounds I hope this was an off bottle and will give Modavi another chance.
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8/26/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
This is one of the best Mondavi Napa's in years. Oak, spice, blueberries, cherry and red pepper. This is a tannic wine currently and will benefit with some aging. Good concentration and expression.
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8/22/2010 - mikev101 wrote: 90 Points
This was superb, but definitely needs time...fruit seemed a bit restricted, tannins are strong, but nice combination of dark fruit, cocoa and vanilla...looking forward to laying a few of these down for a couple years...
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8/13/2010 - flyinburrito wrote: 90 Points
Solid Napa Cabernet and a great value. This is definitely a step up from recent vintages; the 05 having too much of a black olive taste, the 06 too monolithic and fruity. This one is balanced. Not overly complex, but balanced and just plain solid. Reminiscent of a cross between the 04 vintage in Napa and the 05...opulent but structured. Will develop over time but definitely drinkable now if you like all of the upfront fruit.
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8/11/2010 - Maestro wrote: 88 Points
Unrestrained cassis, spices, violets and cedar outline the aromatics. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, without sharp edges. Not too complex and finishes a bit short. Good value for a California Cabernet. Drink from 2010 until 2015.
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8/1/2010 - lsnider wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 2.5 hours. Wonderful nose of blackberry, cassis and cedar. I loved the nose on this wine. Wonderful mouthfeel in this medium to full bodied wine. A great QPR @ $19.
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7/18/2010 - masonjp wrote: 91 Points
Popped, poured, and drank over two days. Wow this has an amazing nose to it. Powerful classic Napa dust and a floral blueberry. Very good on the pallet and a goo length. Held on well for two days. One of the best QPR's I've had in recent years.
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7/16/2010 - rbazinet wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/27/2010 - *Vine* wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Medium-plus violet hue, quite youthful. Forward, fresh aromas of ripe Napa Cabernet fruit...blackberry, blueberry, creme de cassis, fresh herbs, and oak. Medium-plus body. As the nose indicates, this quite fruit forward on the palate...almost as little more modern in style than is typical for Mondavi yet still elegant, with flavors of dark, plummy fruits, ripe currant, earth, and a touch of smoke from oak. Tannins are surprisingly smooth and tame on the fruit-filled, lasting finish. A great vintage for this wine, probably the best made since '02. Delicious and tasty right now, but should improve with short to mid-term time in the cellar. Another great 2007 QPR in Napa Cabernet!
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6/21/2010 - Salexand24 wrote: 90 Points
Both Claudia an I liked.
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6/11/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote:
Forgot to mention that I received this wine as a free sample from the winery. You're welcome, FCC.
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6/11/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Haven't tried basic Mondavi Cab in a very long time and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Cherry, plum, tobacco and freshly oiled saddle leather, with a very nice mouthfeel and balance. Finish is solid and long and there's very little heat on this wine. Not overly complex, but not one-dimensional either.
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3/27/2010 - PatrickinKW wrote: 92 Points
Bright pruple and deep nose of dark fruit, cigar box, and asian spice with a green minty backbone. Great structure and enough tannins to facilitate 3-5 years in the cellar. Betterthan the '05 and '06. Went very well with grilled angus strips. Recommended.
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2/13/2010 - mgstull wrote: 86 Points
Bought this to check in on what Mondavi is producing these days in their regular Cab bottling. Nice eucalyptus note but no real mid-palate or much of a finish. Tannins still in evidence as expected, but just not that much fruit. Pleasant, but that's all.
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