Really excellent mature Napa Bordeaux blend. The cab franc really stands up here as a surprise in the mid to late palate. PV also is highlighted early. But the structure of this wine owes to CS, which is middle weight and delightfully long.
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Very intriguing and not what I expected from a Cabernet dominant blend. Dead ringer for a right bank Bordeaux. Still very well structured with well integrated tannins.
Dusty nose with leather and tobacco notes.
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Has some more life but 100% at peak. No decant and about 30 minutes air did the trick. Dried cherries, raspberry syrup, sweet tobacco, aged leather, dusty milk chocolate, and eucalyptus. Incredibly smooth and refined with little to no sediment. Very fresh and not overly secondary.
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Great wine that's drinking like liquid velvet here. Round supple tannins with great fruit, pencil lead, crushed stone, slight oak, pen ink and anise. Loads going on.
CT puts this drinking window at 2018 close, which is full of BS. This wine is drinking well and aging well. If you enjoy aged Cabs, then enjoy this one over the next 7 or 8 years.
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Blackberry pie nose. Walnuts. Violets. Vanilla creamy. Merlot jumps forward. Caramel and black pepper. Spicyness from petit and franc linger for a long finish.
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Banana mango pepper. Black licorice. Bell pepper. Anise. Cabernet is hidden under a strong merlot and cassis petit Verdot. Soft richness extends to black cherry finish. Red soil. Very soft but rich balance. Awesome.
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This wine is dark, nearly opaque. It almost look like a petite Syrah, but is more red and less violet. The nose has medium oak with strong soft fruit. We decanted and drank over three hours. On the tongue initially, I got a little astrid hues over the fruit but that quickly died down. Fruit is robust with nice minerals backed by some tar and phantom cigar smoke like at the end of an exhale, not the beginning. This wine will drink for another decade. I wish I had more than my trphree remaining bottles of the case.
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This wine still needs to be decanted or something like four hours to breathe. It's dark, dark fruit with a deep Minerality. The lees are well formed, in long crystalline structures now, but the color, while super dark and slightly opaque has no ruby edge. This is dark violet, just slightly more red than a petite syrah. For $56, this wine is killer; probably one of the best values ever. I am second-guessing my drink timing now. I think this wine will develop over the next several years. The tannins are still tight on the front and linger at the end.
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Well constructed w smooth tannins and dark fruit. A bit flat and closed right now, opened up a bit with time but did not develop strong finish or big fruit we experienced in other bottles
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Wow! Is this really only 6 years old? This wine has the earth and truffle amid wet leaves of a twenty year old Medoc with still strength of tannin, long finish and depth of character. I'm not sure this wine will benefit from aging. I will try to drink my others over the next couple or three years.
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Very nice Bordeaux blend from Napa. I am really enjoying this style in CA - this is cab sav 56% merlot 33% petit verdot 8% cab franc3%. Have had a few other vintages of this, and think this is right up there, if not a tad better. Big time black fruits on the nose and palate. Some underlying vegetable components compliment well, as it is rich and full, black in the glass. Still some tannins to be resolved, but drinks wonderfully right now. Easily good to go for another 5+ years. I am a fan of this one...reminded me of a baby Insignia, just lacks the finesse and complexity, but very straight fruit forward wine with a Bordeaux twist.
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A truly good, very good, Bordeaux-style wine with a welcoming nose and tastes of cassis, some plum, some pepper. Perhaps the slightest hint of honey or vanilla (sorry, I'm honest about my tasting uncertainties, too--they're part of the experience, too, though few admit it), which is not to suggest this wine is sweet. But, honestly, should it cost more than $30-$50? No. Good wine, but I've grown so very weary--no, annoyed--of good wines being so often poor value for money. This bottle was a gift; if I'd dropped more than $40 for it myself, I'd probably be giving it a lower rating, frankly.
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initially thought this was closed down or old world;by hour two there was fruit[strawberry/cranberry] in balance with earth;so drink or hold;this has some more secrets if patient
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True California Bordeaux style. Dark/purplish. A lot of fruit on the nose. Quite inky (a great tooth stainer!) but surprisingly soft and light on the palate at first, but the finish does linger with dark fruit and vanilla. Although still tannic, I think I will only let my second bottle age two more years, as I fear it will get too thin any longer than that
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Vital & dark coloured purple; notes of backed plums, 'Kirschwasser' & cassis; also hints of black pepper, tar & vanilla; very good Bordeaux-blend, but no bargain at all; will age quickly (cellar it up to 3 years).
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1st bottle 6/13 cherry/raspberry on the nose Decanted. Full bodied and still slightly tannic. Immediate smooth leather flavor which evolves to a verry long black cherry & some milk chocolate finish. Good balance
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Inky dark in color, with ripe plum and prevailing dark cherry overtones on the nose, with some smoke, saddle, olives and violets. Olive oil, violets, anise, and plum taste with lighter tones of cherries, but not as much as expected. A little thinner than the nose would have suggested, but still complex and lingering, mainly with violets and olive oil. A little weak in the middle notes, and almost lacking in tannins. This wine needs to airate, so make sure to open to maximize flavor potential. Had with prime, aged beef, which seemed too big for this wine, even though we like the wine. With beef, the fruit disappears, but still holds with violet and olive oil flavors.
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Wine was very intense right from the bottle. The tannins really lingered with a very long finish. After aerating in the glass this wine really opened up and the fruit notes really came out as the wine tamed a little bit. Notes of black cherry, oak and leather. Will let my second bottle sit and age for a few more years and I expect an excellent wine to result.
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Full, fruity nose. Medium weight. Lots of blackberry fruit here with anise, smoke and enough oak to soften it to a medium length finish. Pretty good. Just read James Laube's review. It is definitely not 'funky and muddled.'
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i've never been much of a fan of this wine, but at least it wasn't highway robbery to purchase. $95.49/$70.99 on special for the tasting. huh? sad. note to self: plot bombing of all arizona distrubutor facilities. their markups are criminal.
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12/30/2023 - nicholasagonzales Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smells like a fall afternoon. A little acidic. The balance in this wine is amazing. Would not hold bottles for too much longer though.
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12/24/2020 - Jim B wrote: 88 Points
let this one get away. Last 3 were bottle of the night winners. This one not so much, drinkable but past it's prime
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2/26/2020 - Rick 4 Wine wrote: 95 Points
Really excellent mature Napa Bordeaux blend. The cab franc really stands up here as a surprise in the mid to late palate. PV also is highlighted early. But the structure of this wine owes to CS, which is middle weight and delightfully long.
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9/2/2019 - DWaterman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very intriguing and not what I expected from a Cabernet dominant blend. Dead ringer for a right bank Bordeaux. Still very well structured with well integrated tannins.
Dusty nose with leather and tobacco notes.
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12/25/2018 - mmeyers1984 wrote: 91 Points
Solid blend. Need to fully decant. 2 hours.
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9/23/2018 - 82Latour Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tannins have softened and this wine is drinking perfect. Dried cherries, blackberry, vanilla, leather. Medium finish.
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11/5/2017 - moxielady wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and balanced tannin, fruit, leather, and a bit of acid
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10/28/2017 - johnwine Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine lacks ripe opulent fruit. Plenty of soft tannins and acid with dried cherries and berries. Hopefully more cellar time will help.
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8/5/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Has some more life but 100% at peak. No decant and about 30 minutes air did the trick. Dried cherries, raspberry syrup, sweet tobacco, aged leather, dusty milk chocolate, and eucalyptus. Incredibly smooth and refined with little to no sediment. Very fresh and not overly secondary.
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8/1/2017 - moxielady Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well - nice balance of fruit and tannin
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5/17/2017 - garygailkrivan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice nose with some Raspberries and cocoa.
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4/11/2017 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine that's drinking like liquid velvet here. Round supple tannins with great fruit, pencil lead, crushed stone, slight oak, pen ink and anise. Loads going on.
CT puts this drinking window at 2018 close, which is full of BS. This wine is drinking well and aging well. If you enjoy aged Cabs, then enjoy this one over the next 7 or 8 years.
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4/2/2016 - DaninClearwater wrote: 94 Points
last bottle of a great vintage--it will be missed
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3/1/2016 - pugblanc wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry pie nose. Walnuts. Violets. Vanilla creamy. Merlot jumps forward. Caramel and black pepper. Spicyness from petit and franc linger for a long finish.
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12/29/2015 - pugblanc wrote: 90 Points
Banana mango pepper. Black licorice. Bell pepper. Anise. Cabernet is hidden under a strong merlot and cassis petit Verdot. Soft richness extends to black cherry finish. Red soil. Very soft but rich balance. Awesome.
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12/3/2015 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is dark, nearly opaque. It almost look like a petite Syrah, but is more red and less violet. The nose has medium oak with strong soft fruit. We decanted and drank over three hours. On the tongue initially, I got a little astrid hues over the fruit but that quickly died down. Fruit is robust with nice minerals backed by some tar and phantom cigar smoke like at the end of an exhale, not the beginning. This wine will drink for another decade. I wish I had more than my trphree remaining bottles of the case.
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11/6/2015 - yayinski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic notes of mint, pepper, chocolate.Rich and Velvety. Voluptuous yet elegant. Superb
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3/28/2015 - TheBigD52 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank while watching Wisconsin Basketball team beat Arizona in the Elite 8 to advance to the Final Four for a rematch against Kentucky
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11/27/2014 - moxielady wrote: 91 Points
Vanilla, spice and smooth w turkey dinner
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11/13/2014 - Kopperl wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine . Complex, great start with a long finish
Highly recommend
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10/9/2014 - TDubois Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 7 hours to try and open up. It was delicious, smooth. Not too much alcohol that overwhelmed.
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9/30/2014 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine still needs to be decanted or something like four hours to breathe. It's dark, dark fruit with a deep Minerality. The lees are well formed, in long crystalline structures now, but the color, while super dark and slightly opaque has no ruby edge. This is dark violet, just slightly more red than a petite syrah. For $56, this wine is killer; probably one of the best values ever. I am second-guessing my drink timing now. I think this wine will develop over the next several years. The tannins are still tight on the front and linger at the end.
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8/27/2014 - moxielady wrote: 88 Points
Well constructed w smooth tannins and dark fruit. A bit flat and closed right now, opened up a bit with time but did not develop strong finish or big fruit we experienced in other bottles
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7/28/2014 - moxielady Likes this wine: 88 Points
wine was closed off, not much nose or finish. maybe just in a shutdown phase, it doesn't appear, smell or taste tired or past prime.
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7/8/2014 - moxielady wrote: 92 Points
Lush big ripe fruit w spicy rich finish
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6/19/2014 - Jim B Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with several other great reds and this was by far the winner of the evening.
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2/12/2014 - Rick 4 Wine wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Is this really only 6 years old? This wine has the earth and truffle amid wet leaves of a twenty year old Medoc with still strength of tannin, long finish and depth of character. I'm not sure this wine will benefit from aging. I will try to drink my others over the next couple or three years.
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2/11/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 93 Points
Very nice Bordeaux blend from Napa. I am really enjoying this style in CA - this is cab sav 56% merlot 33% petit verdot 8% cab franc3%. Have had a few other vintages of this, and think this is right up there, if not a tad better. Big time black fruits on the nose and palate. Some underlying vegetable components compliment well, as it is rich and full, black in the glass. Still some tannins to be resolved, but drinks wonderfully right now. Easily good to go for another 5+ years. I am a fan of this one...reminded me of a baby Insignia, just lacks the finesse and complexity, but very straight fruit forward wine with a Bordeaux twist.
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2/9/2014 - Waynescoting wrote: 91 Points
A truly good, very good, Bordeaux-style wine with a welcoming nose and tastes of cassis, some plum, some pepper. Perhaps the slightest hint of honey or vanilla (sorry, I'm honest about my tasting uncertainties, too--they're part of the experience, too, though few admit it), which is not to suggest this wine is sweet. But, honestly, should it cost more than $30-$50? No. Good wine, but I've grown so very weary--no, annoyed--of good wines being so often poor value for money. This bottle was a gift; if I'd dropped more than $40 for it myself, I'd probably be giving it a lower rating, frankly.
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10/7/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 90 Points
Blackcurrant, cherries, cedar, forest floor. A nice drink.
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9/21/2013 - moxielady wrote: 91 Points
Needed a bit of decanting but full body, luscious fruit, nice balance tannin and acid
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9/10/2013 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 91 Points
initially thought this was closed down or old world;by hour two there was fruit[strawberry/cranberry] in balance with earth;so drink or hold;this has some more secrets if patient
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9/5/2013 - fritza wrote: 91 Points
True California Bordeaux style. Dark/purplish. A lot of fruit on the nose. Quite inky (a great tooth stainer!) but surprisingly soft and light on the palate at first, but the finish does linger with dark fruit and vanilla. Although still tannic, I think I will only let my second bottle age two more years, as I fear it will get too thin any longer than that
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8/19/2013 - dionysoslebt_80 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Vital & dark coloured purple; notes of backed plums, 'Kirschwasser' & cassis; also hints of black pepper, tar & vanilla; very good Bordeaux-blend, but no bargain at all; will age quickly (cellar it up to 3 years).
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7/14/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. Excellent fruit and tannins with a long finish. Some VA. A very nice wine, very Californian. Overall quite delicious with great texture.
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7/6/2013 - TheBigD52 wrote:
No decanting required. Excellent with after dinner cigar. Dark red in color. Excellent.
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6/30/2013 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 91 Points
took some time to open but tart berries and fruit were not overwhelming;a hint of vanilla added to drinking pleasure
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6/6/2013 - Old Gray Hare wrote: 92 Points
1st bottle 6/13 cherry/raspberry on the nose Decanted. Full bodied and still slightly tannic. Immediate smooth leather flavor which evolves to a verry long black cherry & some milk chocolate finish. Good balance
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6/1/2013 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk. Pablo brought to mustang with Jay. Very nice and complex. 91+
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3/14/2013 - TheBigD52 wrote:
Outstanding.
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3/6/2013 - ntrubee wrote: 90 Points
Still young. Very smooth. A littlte unbalanced.
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12/23/2012 - nrickman wrote: 90 Points
Drank a vertical with 02, 05, 07, 08 and 09. 07 was my lowest rated wine. Didn't have the fruit of the other four bottles. Not as long of a finish
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12/1/2012 - ntrubee wrote: 92 Points
A good wine. See casebier notes below from nov 20, 2012.
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11/20/2012 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote: 92 Points
Inky dark in color, with ripe plum and prevailing dark cherry overtones on the nose, with some smoke, saddle, olives and violets. Olive oil, violets, anise, and plum taste with lighter tones of cherries, but not as much as expected. A little thinner than the nose would have suggested, but still complex and lingering, mainly with violets and olive oil. A little weak in the middle notes, and almost lacking in tannins. This wine needs to airate, so make sure to open to maximize flavor potential. Had with prime, aged beef, which seemed too big for this wine, even though we like the wine. With beef, the fruit disappears, but still holds with violet and olive oil flavors.
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11/7/2012 - JAA3917 wrote:
Very good
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8/24/2012 - cpgarage wrote: 87 Points
Dark berries on the nose and on the front. Smooth finish.
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5/6/2012 - TheBigD52 wrote:
Excellent. Did not decant but very tasty. Very fruity. Blackberry and cherry taste. Very smooth.
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5/2/2012 - SCWineDrinker wrote: 90 Points
Wine was very intense right from the bottle. The tannins really lingered with a very long finish. After aerating in the glass this wine really opened up and the fruit notes really came out as the wine tamed a little bit. Notes of black cherry, oak and leather. Will let my second bottle sit and age for a few more years and I expect an excellent wine to result.
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12/28/2011 - ntrubee wrote: 90 Points
Not funky. Very good wine. Fruity,smooth good finish
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11/5/2011 - AGee wrote: 90 Points
Full, fruity nose. Medium weight. Lots of blackberry fruit here with anise, smoke and enough oak to soften it to a medium length finish. Pretty good. Just read James Laube's review. It is definitely not 'funky and muddled.'
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10/29/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 87 Points
i've never been much of a fan of this wine, but at least it wasn't highway robbery to purchase. $95.49/$70.99 on special for the tasting. huh? sad. note to self: plot bombing of all arizona distrubutor facilities. their markups are criminal.
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5/29/2011 - shaywood wrote:
Haywoods 40th anniversary
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