The cork broke upon extraction and I had to eventually push it back into the bottle and pour through a filter. That was the only unpleasant experience with this bottle. The nose was beautiful with aromas of dark berries and mocha. The palate was dark berries, plums, figs, coffee and a touch of graphite. The finish was long and flavorful. An excellent bottle of wine at almost 20 years old.
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Wow, very enjoyable example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a few years of age on it. Excellent modulation and integration of fruit, tannin and acid in which none dominate while each makes its own contribution to the total taste experience. Something of a funky nose happily does not reveal itself under the palate. A darned good wine.
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This was dreamy; nice weight, balance and so composed, just the right amount of oak. This was just a lovely wine and a lovely expression of what an aged Napa cab can show. Nothing is faded though I don't see any reason to wait either. 94+pts
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Dark red with blue hue. Has thrown sediment to the bottle and at the bottom of the bottle. Very nice classic bouquet of Cabernet. Full bodied with pleasant moth-feel; spice and dark fruit with round tannins and low acidity. Balanced and and luscious. Medium length and somewhat tannic finish.
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Sampled 8/8/12. Pop and pour. 15 minutes in the glass was sufficient. What a difference a year makes - or at least a bottle with a firm cork and no air exchange. Loads of overipe blackberries up front, especially on the nose. Some nice elements of Oak with some veggies hiding in the background. The wine was smooth but there were some interesting granular (but polished) tannin elements in the mouthfeel. A perfectly enjoyable wine that is drinking very well right now.
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Very nice color, still almost opaque with just a bit of bricking around the edges. Fruit has faded somewhat and alcohol was noticable upon opening. Fruit seemed to open up and better balance the wine after about 45 minutes. Became a bit sweeter with some raisin qualities. Still a nice wine and we enjoyed it. Very good example of Napa with some age.
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Lean body. Well integrated. Aromatics of cherry, eucalyptus, a bit dusty. Tannins a little grainy and bitter on the finish. Solid but not terribly memorable.
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NC Cindy Tasting, Pre-Christmas 2011 (NC Wino's Stately Wayne Manor): Quite dark with no bricking in the glass, the promising look came with a promising nose of solid black cherry with lots of dusty mint overtones. The palate was another matter. While it wasn't horrible, and did have some faded cherry fruit remaining, it was clear this was pretty far past prime as it was thin, astringent and had an overwhelmingly bitter finish. The nice attack was swallowed by the over-aged finish, and I'd guess we didn't miss this by much - maybe as little as a year. If you have one, try it now. Maybe yours made it. Ours did not. No score. If pressed, call it an 83.
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12/16 NC Cindy Tasting (Raleigh, NC): Notes of bing cherry and cedar come through along with a bit of brick dust, but it turned bitter towards the end & the group overall thought it was past its prime, otherwise I would potentially score it in the mid-80s.
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Sampled 8/7/11. Beware of ridiculously soft corks. I have not had a cork this soft and spongy since the 1990 Mondavi Reserve. Nonetheless, the wine was perfectly intact, once I separate the cork pieces from it. I had forgotten why I have generallly stayed away from this producer. It has been at least 6 years since my last bottle from Chappellet. Oak dominates this wine in a manner which is a terrible shame. There is some really beautiful black fruits underneath. If you love a plank of Oak with your berries, you'll love this wine. Otherwise, you'll find it simply a very well made wine that could have been something special.
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Heavy dose of cassis, top soil, green leaf herbs and blackberries. Dry and dusty on the nose as well. The palate gives up far less than the bottle I had just weeks ago. Could have something to do with a loose capsule and brittle cork. Good red/black fruit on the palate that is challenged by heavy viscous oak. The acidity of the last bottle is lost on this one and thoroughly changes the balance on this for the worse. Unfair to put a score on this wine due to its compromised cork.
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Absolutely beautiful wine that is hitting its stride right now. Nose was intoxicating mix of black and red, cassis and a hint of eucalyptus. Tremendous depth of fruit on the palate for a wine of this age. Would have guessed '05 blind. Perfect weight, balance and structure. Lingering finish with a kiss of oak. My WOTN.
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Pop and pour. Beautiful dark coloring remains, bricking slightly on the edge. Dark plums and sweet oak on the nose. Ultra-fine tanins lead to a very smooth mouthfeel. Some blue and black fruit, a little vanilla and oak. This is absolutely perfect now, and doesn't require decanting.
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Chapellet is one of my all time favorite vineyards. Had a nice bouquet with hints of blackberries, cherry and plum. WOnderful nose. Deep dark in color. Should have decanted but were in the mood and not willing to wait. Still very smooth and balanced with the tannis and fruit. Lovely wine.
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Pop and pour. At or around the peak of its life. Fruit and cigar on the nose, smooth blue and black fruit. I'll down my last bottle by 2011 based on our more fruit-forward likes.
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This wine seemed more like a typical Napa Cabernet and less like a Chappellet, mostly just a fruit impression without a lot of extra complexity. Missing were the Bordeaux-like minerality that these wines usually have. Very dark ruby-purple with almost no hints of aging. Very big Cab nose with abundant black fruits, notably currants and blackberries, along with faint hints of cedar and tobacco. Still has considerable acidity and big tannins, suggesting a long additional life ahead. Good, just not as interesting as past examples of this wine. Could still improve with age; drink or hold.
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Popped and poured. Very dark, brooding. Black fruits and coffee. Rich and mouthfilling, with an extended finish. Will probably still go a few more years.
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dark, almost black fruit and alcohol, great aroma. tied for second at yapa black fruit. sweet, smooth, viscous, unctious, full-bodied, would go well with foods and chocolate
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Very good to Excellent. The bottles were stored at 58 degrees and some sediment. Probably wouldnt have hurt to turn them at some point. I decanted and strained approx 1.5 hous at room temp. It was terrific..
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Popped and poured a small glass, the rest in decanter. Great nose right off the bat, Almost liquor like of creme de casis, coconut, anise, lead and earth components. Blackberry in the beginning that turned more to dark cherry tar. Good tobacco and leather notes with good spice. Is drinking great right now.
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Quite a bit of sediment. Did not decant, but should have. Unusually light for a cabernet sauvignon, with a nose of plum, tart cherry, leather, and tobacco. On the palate, the tart cherry is more prevalent, with good acidity. Slightly smoky, with good fruit and acidity balance.
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Blueberry, cherry, plumb and earth. This wine has a distracting charred oak characteristic that for me keeps it from being outstanding (90-95). Rich mouth feel and finish. 14.5% alcohol.
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medium bodied; very nice currant and plum fruit remain; an especially nice dusty/chalky minor component; somewhat short and warm at the end; ready to drink now without decanting;
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Opened for 2 hrs prior to drinking, but not decanted. Nice color, depth and complexity. Good balance bet. fruit and tanins, with a slightly dry 20 second finish. Reaffirms to buy more for daily consumption.
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9/22/2019 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Quite a treat. Showing great. Really incisive, oodles of dark luscious fruit with some nice dryness. Classy.
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6/7/2018 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
The cork broke upon extraction and I had to eventually push it back into the bottle and pour through a filter. That was the only unpleasant experience with this bottle. The nose was beautiful with aromas of dark berries and mocha. The palate was dark berries, plums, figs, coffee and a touch of graphite. The finish was long and flavorful. An excellent bottle of wine at almost 20 years old.
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10/20/2015 - EMark Likes this wine:
Wow, very enjoyable example of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a few years of age on it. Excellent modulation and integration of fruit, tannin and acid in which none dominate while each makes its own contribution to the total taste experience. Something of a funky nose happily does not reveal itself under the palate. A darned good wine.
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5/2/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Similar to previous notes.
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3/14/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
This was dreamy; nice weight, balance and so composed, just the right amount of oak. This was just a lovely wine and a lovely expression of what an aged Napa cab can show. Nothing is faded though I don't see any reason to wait either. 94+pts
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5/7/2014 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - fruit punch, lively nose
Mouth - red fruit, mellow, well integrated, pleasurable wine
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5/17/2013 - Winiac Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red with blue hue. Has thrown sediment to the bottle and at the bottom of the bottle. Very nice classic bouquet of Cabernet. Full bodied with pleasant moth-feel; spice and dark fruit with round tannins and low acidity. Balanced and and luscious. Medium length and somewhat tannic finish.
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5/7/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fruit forward and easy to drink. Has the delicious factor. Dry and tannic finish.
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8/10/2012 - JPH104 wrote:
Consistent with prior; lean with dominant bitter and grainy tannins.
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8/9/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 91 Points
Sampled 8/8/12. Pop and pour. 15 minutes in the glass was sufficient. What a difference a year makes - or at least a bottle with a firm cork and no air exchange. Loads of overipe blackberries up front, especially on the nose. Some nice elements of Oak with some veggies hiding in the background. The wine was smooth but there were some interesting granular (but polished) tannin elements in the mouthfeel. A perfectly enjoyable wine that is drinking very well right now.
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6/18/2012 - viking60 wrote: 90 Points
Much better second bottle. Nice rasp and strawberry. Touch of cedar and tobacco.
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3/10/2012 - texag96 wrote: 90 Points
Very nice color, still almost opaque with just a bit of bricking around the edges. Fruit has faded somewhat and alcohol was noticable upon opening. Fruit seemed to open up and better balance the wine after about 45 minutes. Became a bit sweeter with some raisin qualities. Still a nice wine and we enjoyed it. Very good example of Napa with some age.
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1/15/2012 - Mark Brandon wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, rich, dark, big but subtle (hard to explain), oak is mellowed out from the last one. Drink now or soon.
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12/18/2011 - JPH104 wrote: 88 Points
Lean body. Well integrated. Aromatics of cherry, eucalyptus, a bit dusty. Tannins a little grainy and bitter on the finish. Solid but not terribly memorable.
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12/17/2011 - viking60 wrote: 85 Points
Wine was old and tired. nothing left.
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12/16/2011 - Phredd wrote: flawed
NC Cindy Tasting, Pre-Christmas 2011 (NC Wino's Stately Wayne Manor): Quite dark with no bricking in the glass, the promising look came with a promising nose of solid black cherry with lots of dusty mint overtones. The palate was another matter. While it wasn't horrible, and did have some faded cherry fruit remaining, it was clear this was pretty far past prime as it was thin, astringent and had an overwhelmingly bitter finish. The nice attack was swallowed by the over-aged finish, and I'd guess we didn't miss this by much - maybe as little as a year. If you have one, try it now. Maybe yours made it. Ours did not. No score. If pressed, call it an 83.
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12/16/2011 - David_T wrote:
12/16 NC Cindy Tasting (Raleigh, NC): Notes of bing cherry and cedar come through along with a bit of brick dust, but it turned bitter towards the end & the group overall thought it was past its prime, otherwise I would potentially score it in the mid-80s.
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8/8/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 90 Points
Sampled 8/7/11. Beware of ridiculously soft corks. I have not had a cork this soft and spongy since the 1990 Mondavi Reserve. Nonetheless, the wine was perfectly intact, once I separate the cork pieces from it. I had forgotten why I have generallly stayed away from this producer. It has been at least 6 years since my last bottle from Chappellet. Oak dominates this wine in a manner which is a terrible shame. There is some really beautiful black fruits underneath. If you love a plank of Oak with your berries, you'll love this wine. Otherwise, you'll find it simply a very well made wine that could have been something special.
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4/6/2011 - Mark Brandon wrote: 93 Points
Yep. Wonderful.
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2/24/2011 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine:
Heavy dose of cassis, top soil, green leaf herbs and blackberries. Dry and dusty on the nose as well. The palate gives up far less than the bottle I had just weeks ago. Could have something to do with a loose capsule and brittle cork. Good red/black fruit on the palate that is challenged by heavy viscous oak. The acidity of the last bottle is lost on this one and thoroughly changes the balance on this for the worse. Unfair to put a score on this wine due to its compromised cork.
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1/6/2011 - EricBe wrote: 93 Points
Drinking absolutely gorgeously.
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1/5/2011 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful wine that is hitting its stride right now. Nose was intoxicating mix of black and red, cassis and a hint of eucalyptus. Tremendous depth of fruit on the palate for a wine of this age. Would have guessed '05 blind. Perfect weight, balance and structure. Lingering finish with a kiss of oak. My WOTN.
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12/22/2010 - kennyg wrote: 93 Points
Drinking at or near prime. This is great juice. Well preserved with excellent balance. Not overly complex but very solid
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8/20/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Beautiful dark coloring remains, bricking slightly on the edge. Dark plums and sweet oak on the nose. Ultra-fine tanins lead to a very smooth mouthfeel. Some blue and black fruit, a little vanilla and oak. This is absolutely perfect now, and doesn't require decanting.
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2/2/2010 - SyrahQueen wrote: 91 Points
Chapellet is one of my all time favorite vineyards. Had a nice bouquet with hints of blackberries, cherry and plum. WOnderful nose. Deep dark in color. Should have decanted but were in the mood and not willing to wait. Still very smooth and balanced with the tannis and fruit. Lovely wine.
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1/29/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. At or around the peak of its life. Fruit and cigar on the nose, smooth blue and black fruit. I'll down my last bottle by 2011 based on our more fruit-forward likes.
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10/21/2009 - geneswine wrote: 93 Points
Very nice medium weight and really nicely ballanced right now. Should be eally nice for the next few years, but I doubt it has long term potential.
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8/29/2009 - TampaDan wrote: 88 Points
This wine seemed more like a typical Napa Cabernet and less like a Chappellet, mostly just a fruit impression without a lot of extra complexity. Missing were the Bordeaux-like minerality that these wines usually have. Very dark ruby-purple with almost no hints of aging. Very big Cab nose with abundant black fruits, notably currants and blackberries, along with faint hints of cedar and tobacco. Still has considerable acidity and big tannins, suggesting a long additional life ahead. Good, just not as interesting as past examples of this wine. Could still improve with age; drink or hold.
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8/5/2009 - AlexHop wrote: 90 Points
Solid with still a little oak bite and great fruit.
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8/1/2009 - Fookonson65 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Definitive Chappellet taste... was one of last years that this wine was reasonably priced. Nice aroma, prob still had a few good years left
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7/25/2009 - Night Train wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Very dark, brooding. Black fruits and coffee. Rich and mouthfilling, with an extended finish. Will probably still go a few more years.
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5/20/2009 - TannicBeast wrote: 90 Points
dark, almost black fruit and alcohol, great aroma. tied for second at yapa black fruit. sweet, smooth, viscous, unctious, full-bodied, would go well with foods and chocolate
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4/26/2009 - VR wrote:
Very good to Excellent. The bottles were stored at 58 degrees and some sediment. Probably wouldnt have hurt to turn them at some point. I decanted and strained approx 1.5 hous at room temp. It was terrific..
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2/15/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 91 Points
blackberry, vanilla, leather and an earthy backbone. really in a good spot
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11/30/2008 - dougwine wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured a small glass, the rest in decanter. Great nose right off the bat, Almost liquor like of creme de casis, coconut, anise, lead and earth components. Blackberry in the beginning that turned more to dark cherry tar. Good tobacco and leather notes with good spice. Is drinking great right now.
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10/26/2008 - DianeR wrote: 91 Points
Quite a bit of sediment. Did not decant, but should have. Unusually light for a cabernet sauvignon, with a nose of plum, tart cherry, leather, and tobacco. On the palate, the tart cherry is more prevalent, with good acidity. Slightly smoky, with good fruit and acidity balance.
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3/28/2008 - scw wrote: 91 Points
drank for Noa's bday dinner @ Comme Ca. This opened up beautifully. Very nice tanin structure w/ berrys on the nose and finish.
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11/21/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
cedar, blueberry, cassis nose. good balance with fine grained tannins
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11/21/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 88 Points
Blueberry, cherry, plumb and earth. This wine has a distracting charred oak characteristic that for me keeps it from being outstanding (90-95). Rich mouth feel and finish. 14.5% alcohol.
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8/9/2007 - JScott wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose. Good but not distinguished.
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6/11/2007 - JScott wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Plummy cassis, fairly straightforward and correct. Good effort in the context of the vintage.
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3/10/2007 - Dr. Pato wrote: 92 Points
Delicious drinking now. No need to wait any longer as the 1997 is dead.
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3/7/2007 - budman wrote: 88 Points
Lots of sediment. Got tired onthe second night.
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8/9/2006 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
medium bodied; very nice currant and plum fruit remain; an especially nice dusty/chalky minor component; somewhat short and warm at the end; ready to drink now without decanting;
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1/22/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Opened for 2 hrs prior to drinking, but not decanted. Nice color, depth and complexity. Good balance bet. fruit and tanins, with a slightly dry 20 second finish. Reaffirms to buy more for daily consumption.
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12/10/2005 - davidandrose wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour at a holiday party. Nice color, depth and taste. Not a bad daily wine.
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6/14/2005 - brianofthevine wrote: 92 Points
Black cherry, chocolate, mocha. Nice smooth tannins and finish.
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10/7/2003 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tarry currant, mineral and earth with cinnamon and toast on the nose. Full and solid with firm tannins and a long, complex finish.
4/5
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