Delicious mature Cab drunk with grilled tenderloin. Plenty of fruit, integrated tannin, and secondary flavors. This was my last bottle of this beauty but if you have some it should hold longer.
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Still drinking very very well. However, it lost a lot from night 1 to night 2 despite being pumped out. Only 1 bottle left which we will be sure to consume in one sitting.
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This wine is performing way above expectations. Drank last night with moose tenderloin. The wine is a beautifully balanced package with integrated flavors of dark fruits, leather, tobacco and earth. Hedonistic and intense with characteristics you would only expect from a wine two or three times the price. I would say that this is at peak and I plan to drink my remaining two bottles in the next few years. Too bad Audelssa is no more.
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Opened a glass decanted 45 minutes before pairing with grilled boneless ribeye steaks. A deep dark ruby robe reaching out to near clear meniscus, the nose features ripe dark cherry, plum, blackberry, sandalwood and mocha-tinged oak vanillin. Excellent concentration and intensity on the palate, which confirms the nose. Though dry, luxurious, well-integrated tannins are sweet and juicy. This was so good that drank the entire bottle while grilling and eating.
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Plenty of overripe black fruits fruit with some elements of spice, vanilla Oak and a nice little touch of acidity to go with food. Tannins still have some backbone but are smooth. A very nice wine.
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The fruit has aged fairly well with some earthy tobacco elements emerging, cassis and oaky vanilla are evident but not too obnoxious. But then there's the finish, which was quite hot and actually burned the back of my palate. The wine was substantially better at cooler temps (<60F) because of this. I'd drink these up sooner than later before the fruit fades further and leaves the alcohol bare.
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This wine has improved with some age. A number of red fruits up front with black cherries on the back end. Lots of vanilla Oak but enough vanilla to make it work. Hints of white pepper. Very smooth but for the acidity and alcohol which is a tad high and brings it down a point for me.
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Nicely balanced and smooth medium body effort with decent structure, medium tannins, and a silky mouthfeel. Excellent, if unspectacular, cab that works well by itself or with food.
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Very nice Cab, good out of the bottle but opens up nicely after about an hour. Good dark color, fruit forward nose, great structure and complexity. I think it will benefit from some rest in the cellar. Had to try one due to no room in the cellar, glad I did
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Dark cherry, a little blackberry, and some toasted cedar. Stoney minerality comes in on the mid palate. Moderate tannins with solid acidity on the finish.
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Very similar to my last experience. Had it with guest following a pinot and a chateau neuf du papa. Worked very well. Itøs a great wine. Probably would have been even better had I planned ahead and decanted an hour or two ahead.
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Dark fruit, dark cherry, vanilla whit a touch of oak. I felt it did better with some air (30-60) in decanter, the fruit really came out with air. Medium tannins and a slight touch of heat but overall a good bottle.
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Popped and poured. Dark purple color. Nose of cassis, cherry cough drop and dark red fruits along with some strong oak and vanilla aromas and a touch of heat as well. Cassis, black cherry, vanilla, oak, and sweet spices on the palate with a touch of heat on the back end. Medium acid and tannin but finishes short. Overall a solid cab and a good QPR at the price paid.
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Fantastic example of well made American Cabernet Sauvignon. We had in late in the evening following several burgundies. This wine made a lasting impression on the guests. Ripe darker fruits. Smooth palate, very pleasant. Glad I have a few more,
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Brought to restaurant... Pnp. A little tight with an alcohol wiff on first pour but came together nicely within 15 minutes. Not profound, but a very well balanced med weight cab. Good fruit, structure, and acidity with moderate depth. Shows great elegance for the money. No need to cellar as this is at its peak. Bought a case 2 years ago for <$17 bottle but I can see this at $30
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Sad to say this was my last bottle of this wine. Consistently a very pleasurable bottle at a steal of a price ($30 from Wine Library last year). Nice purple fruits on a medium(+) weight frame with an earthy/savory edge that sets it apart from many Napa cabs in this price range. Terrific on pop and pour at this point.
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Very well made, with black and purple fruits on the front end, nicely complicated by an earthiness and touch of dried herb on the back. Drinking well and has 5 good years ahead of it.
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Splash decanted. Initially somewhat thin but fleshed out nicely after an hour or so. Fully ripe dark fruits, earthiness, cocoa powder, and balancing spice on the med length finish. Good acidity throughout gives this a juicy personality. Med+ weight, moderate structure, a silky texture, and fine grain tannins that are nicely integrated. Really well balanced and quite delicious, especially with steak. 9th bottle from case.
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Ripe dark fruit, explosive on the palate. Smooth mouthfeel. Lively acidity kicks in on the mid palate and goes all the way to the finish. Moderate tannins. Drink now and over the next five years. A very well crafted wine.
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This was very nice tonight though it took 2 hours of air to get there. Brier and barrel head to head with beautiful blackberry fruit. Big but not plush, this is deep dark balance and elegance from Sonoma.
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Dense and alternatingly brooding and sweet, with an abundant floral bouquet and flavor profile of ripe blackberry with accents of spice and mocha, which give it the brooding qualities on the finish. Long and classy, especially at the $30ish price point.
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Has made great strides since my last bottle, and is now lovely. Terrific fruit matched by sweet and savory herb and earthy aspects, with moderate structure and a smooth finish. Wish I had more, as this is a definite winner at $30.
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Retailer Walk-about: I thought this was a charming wine, with good fruit, some cedar, leather and herbs. Lots of character. (At a walk-through tasting). Would love to try again, with dinner and a steak
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third bottle or so of this and it continues to improve - lots of upfront fruit without being overbearing, cedar, touch of leather- fairly classic in profile - would like a little firmer tannin - medium tannin - oak is present in both nose and taste but it is fairly well integrated if fruit fades it may cause an issue for some. Finish could be better but the fruit is what this wine is about
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Sampled 10/5/11. After a couple hours of decanting the wine started to open up. It is still very tight and tannic, but what flavors could be pulled were disjointed, slightly bitter and astringent wtih too much Oak. The wine is a bit of a mess right now. It is possible that it will all come together, but I'm thinking not. Maybe an 89 point wine in time at best.
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Decanted 1 hr and served with grilled filets & sauteed mushrooms. Black cherries & blackberries with some herbs, mint, & white pepper on the finish. Medium weight, silky texture, and good concentration. Good length and intensity. Excellent balance. Best showing of this wine yet - this is in a sweet spot now with a decant.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Dark fruited with blackberries, black cherries, and cassis with cocoa powder, mint, and oak spice rounding this out. Silky texture with good depth, nice dusty tannins, and good intensity on the medium length finish. Very good balance. This was the 7th bottle from a case and continues to provide great pleasure for the money with room for growth
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Chocolate powder, black cherry, dried strawberry, some fresh oak; black cherry, dried strawberry, other black fruit on palate along with some heat on the finish.
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Decanted for about 45 minutes before drinking. This wine has benefited from some time in the decanter, and this bottle was similar in that it needed another 45 minutes to bloom. This time, is showed less red fruit, and a bit more herbal/green. It appeard to be either starting to shut down or show some bottle variation. Past bottles about 91 pts, this bottle, 89
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Sampled 6/12/11. Pop an pour. Initially some nice black fruit/currant with leather, tar, herbs and drying tannins. After an hour in the glass, however, the wine turned weedy with sour black cherries that were a bit too sour. Not sure what is going on with this wine, but I certainly didn't care for my first experience with it.
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Decanted 1 hour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Initially dark fruit dominated - black berry and blue berry, and smoke; later menthol and eucalyptus scents dominate - interesting evolution. Palate: Medium bodied, black cherry, and dusty tannins. Finish: Grainy dark chocolate and dark fruit sensations. Overall, kind of a Sybil wine with multiple personalities - all of which were enjoyable.
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At this price point a really nice cab. Really smooth on the palate and dark fruits coat the mouth. A bit too much oak for me and found it hot. My fault for not decanting this as well.
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This drinks very well with about an hour and a half of air. Not deep or profound, but quite delicious. It is going to be hard to keep my hands off the remaining bottles
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Still young. Needs a couple of years yet! Mediunm body with a drak garnet color. Oakey smell is a little over powering at first, after a couple of hours it tamed down a little and dark fruits start to come out. I will try again in two years. Great value point for this quality wine.
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Very dark in the glass. Discrete nose of red & dark fruits and vanilla. Very smooth on the palate with silky tannins. Very good now, I expect this to improve a point or two with time. Wish I bought more. 1+ hour in decanter
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This may be the nicest $20.00 (on close out) Cal cab I have had in some time. It takes an hour plus in the decanter to open up. This drinks well now, though I certainly would not be afraid to age it for some time. 91+
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A little different from the bottle a month ago. Even bigger concentration, ripeness, and body, but with a higher alcohol influence, too. Still has the nice mint and vanilla notes but it feels better built this time in terms of tannin cohesion and supporting acidity. Pretty scrumptious if you're a new world style fan, which I am. 5+11+17+8 = 91
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A very nice Sonoma cab after a couple of hours in the decanter. Wonderfull aromas of blackberries, violets, crushed rose petals, and vanilla. Red & black fruits, vanilla, spices. Elegant yet powerful. Good acidity & balance. Very nice now with room to grow. Reminds me of a new world version Margaux
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Pretty nice, although clearly on the young side. This has an interesting tangy/herbal element that keeps it from mimicking some of the Napa fruit and oak bombs that compete in this price range. I'd expect it to be better by 1-2 points in another 2 years. Paid $30 and feel it was fair for that price. Available for $20 some places, at which point it's a definite QPR alert.
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Nose: Eucalyptus, mint, violets, licorice, and cherry - medium intensity - very interesting. Palate: Doesn't hold up to the nose - medium bodied, red fruit and spice up front, good acidity, does a disappearing act over the mid-palate. Finish: Medium length dominated by red fruit. I'm in line with Fingers recent note except I found the nose a bit more expressive.
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Very dark violet, touch of rusting, >95% saturated color. Took a couple of hours of air to settle in. Nose gives up some mint, vanilla, and kirsch followed by pepper and licorice and is overall, pretty shy. Palate is big, with good concentration and consistent with the bouquet with a quick blast of cherry liquer. Medium long finish. Surprisingly, started losing steam after about 8 hrs open. 4+11+17+7 = 89
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popped and poured, and dropped into the decanter. Way, way, way out of balance for about the first hour+ after the pop, but everything mellowed after some time in the air. When it did come together, it showed lots of nice coco bean, vanilla, bright floral notes, and black and blue fruits. Decent structure and went very well with the Rib eyes we had for dinner. Totally worth the $21 I paid for it, and next time out I will definitely give it a nice long decant beforehand.
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A deep purple-ruby color with aromas of lavender, dark berries, cracked pepper, and spice. Opening with plum and black cherry, the wine is rich and creamy with notes of coffee, spice, and tea. And followed with gripping ripe tannins and a big finish. I'd pick up another bottle of this if I have the opportunity and save it for a while
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After airing for an hour, this was one of the best wines we've had in nearly a year! Notes appreciated just as described by irish87 below, with the highlights on "rich", "ripe", "red and black fruits", "mocha", and "excellent finish"! Had with grilled boneless ribeye steaks.
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Big, rich, concentrated, balanced. Loads of chocolate/mocha and red fruit. Killed this one early, but the rest will sit for three or four years. A very nice wine.
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Wow! Having tasted through most of the new releases from this Producer and being somewhat underwhelded this was a surprise. This Cab is huge without any semblance of fruit bomb. Massive and concentrated with rich cassis, mint, sour berry and tobacco. Finish is a bit tannic but still showing ample fruit and nuance. I'm definitely in for more of this at his price point. 92
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4/15/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious mature Cab drunk with grilled tenderloin. Plenty of fruit, integrated tannin, and secondary flavors. This was my last bottle of this beauty but if you have some it should hold longer.
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4/29/2018 - danscellar wrote:
A really nice Cab from one of the last vintages of Audelssa!! Enjoy!
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7/11/2016 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big nose big taste. Delicious. This wine is in prime time. Drink over next 5 years.
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6/6/2016 - schimmy23 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking very very well. However, it lost a lot from night 1 to night 2 despite being pumped out. Only 1 bottle left which we will be sure to consume in one sitting.
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4/21/2016 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A solid 94 point wine
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10/1/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is performing way above expectations. Drank last night with moose tenderloin. The wine is a beautifully balanced package with integrated flavors of dark fruits, leather, tobacco and earth. Hedonistic and intense with characteristics you would only expect from a wine two or three times the price. I would say that this is at peak and I plan to drink my remaining two bottles in the next few years. Too bad Audelssa is no more.
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9/3/2015 - wicozani Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened a glass decanted 45 minutes before pairing with grilled boneless ribeye steaks. A deep dark ruby robe reaching out to near clear meniscus, the nose features ripe dark cherry, plum, blackberry, sandalwood and mocha-tinged oak vanillin. Excellent concentration and intensity on the palate, which confirms the nose. Though dry, luxurious, well-integrated tannins are sweet and juicy. This was so good that drank the entire bottle while grilling and eating.
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8/29/2015 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great bottle. Tons of ripe black fruits with some blue and red fruit layers underneath. Some sweet Oak. Very smooth. 20+ second finish.
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8/20/2015 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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8/1/2015 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plenty of overripe black fruits fruit with some elements of spice, vanilla Oak and a nice little touch of acidity to go with food. Tannins still have some backbone but are smooth. A very nice wine.
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12/25/2014 - signotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
best showing yet for this wine. outstanding as pnp with Christmas dinner.
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10/6/2014 - schimmy23 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted about two hours. Didn't need to I think. Nose was muted and fruit not there for some reason. Will pop and pour for next one.
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7/5/2014 - anonymoose12345 wrote: 85 Points
PnP. Not a good bottle of this wine. Hot, disjointed, overripe stewed fruit.
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7/2/2014 - bullmrkt wrote: 85 Points
The fruit has aged fairly well with some earthy tobacco elements emerging, cassis and oaky vanilla are evident but not too obnoxious. But then there's the finish, which was quite hot and actually burned the back of my palate. The wine was substantially better at cooler temps (<60F) because of this. I'd drink these up sooner than later before the fruit fades further and leaves the alcohol bare.
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11/24/2013 - Kaerhoeg wrote: 90 Points
Good, but a bit more closed than the last one I had. Maybe because this one was not decanted.
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11/17/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has improved with some age. A number of red fruits up front with black cherries on the back end. Lots of vanilla Oak but enough vanilla to make it work. Hints of white pepper. Very smooth but for the acidity and alcohol which is a tad high and brings it down a point for me.
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9/3/2013 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP. Ripe red fruit. A little hot. Good.
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4/15/2013 - Redguy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nicely balanced and smooth medium body effort with decent structure, medium tannins, and a silky mouthfeel. Excellent, if unspectacular, cab that works well by itself or with food.
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12/25/2012 - danscellar wrote: 91 Points
Very nice Cab, good out of the bottle but opens up nicely after about an hour. Good dark color, fruit forward nose, great structure and complexity. I think it will benefit from some rest in the cellar. Had to try one due to no room in the cellar, glad I did
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12/25/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark cherry, a little blackberry, and some toasted cedar. Stoney minerality comes in on the mid palate. Moderate tannins with solid acidity on the finish.
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12/21/2012 - winebeemer wrote:
2012 Christmas-Great with Pecan crusted Chicken
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12/9/2012 - Kaerhoeg Likes this wine: 91 Points
As good as the last one I had.
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11/27/2012 - Kaerhoeg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very similar to my last experience. Had it with guest following a pinot and a chateau neuf du papa. Worked very well. Itøs a great wine. Probably would have been even better had I planned ahead and decanted an hour or two ahead.
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11/11/2012 - njAndrew wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit, dark cherry, vanilla whit a touch of oak. I felt it did better with some air (30-60) in decanter, the fruit really came out with air. Medium tannins and a slight touch of heat but overall a good bottle.
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11/6/2012 - Rich S wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Dark purple color. Nose of cassis, cherry cough drop and dark red fruits along with some strong oak and vanilla aromas and a touch of heat as well. Cassis, black cherry, vanilla, oak, and sweet spices on the palate with a touch of heat on the back end. Medium acid and tannin but finishes short. Overall a solid cab and a good QPR at the price paid.
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10/6/2012 - Kaerhoeg wrote: 91 Points
Fantastic example of well made American Cabernet Sauvignon. We had in late in the evening following several burgundies. This wine made a lasting impression on the guests. Ripe darker fruits. Smooth palate, very pleasant. Glad I have a few more,
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10/4/2012 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
Another strong showing from this reliable and well balanced mid weight.
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7/14/2012 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
Brought to restaurant... Pnp. A little tight with an alcohol wiff on first pour but came together nicely within 15 minutes. Not profound, but a very well balanced med weight cab. Good fruit, structure, and acidity with moderate depth. Shows great elegance for the money. No need to cellar as this is at its peak. Bought a case 2 years ago for <$17 bottle but I can see this at $30
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6/29/2012 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Sad to say this was my last bottle of this wine. Consistently a very pleasurable bottle at a steal of a price ($30 from Wine Library last year). Nice purple fruits on a medium(+) weight frame with an earthy/savory edge that sets it apart from many Napa cabs in this price range. Terrific on pop and pour at this point.
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6/17/2012 - Mezz wrote: 91 Points
Spectacular ripe blackberry, midpalate of cocoa and baking spice. Tannins still a bit chewy. Hold for one more year.
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4/7/2012 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Very well made, with black and purple fruits on the front end, nicely complicated by an earthiness and touch of dried herb on the back. Drinking well and has 5 good years ahead of it.
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4/6/2012 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
Splash decanted. Initially somewhat thin but fleshed out nicely after an hour or so. Fully ripe dark fruits, earthiness, cocoa powder, and balancing spice on the med length finish. Good acidity throughout gives this a juicy personality. Med+ weight, moderate structure, a silky texture, and fine grain tannins that are nicely integrated. Really well balanced and quite delicious, especially with steak. 9th bottle from case.
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2/26/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ripe dark fruit, explosive on the palate. Smooth mouthfeel. Lively acidity kicks in on the mid palate and goes all the way to the finish. Moderate tannins. Drink now and over the next five years. A very well crafted wine.
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2/24/2012 - krmcgrath wrote: 91 Points
This was very nice tonight though it took 2 hours of air to get there. Brier and barrel head to head with beautiful blackberry fruit. Big but not plush, this is deep dark balance and elegance from Sonoma.
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12/29/2011 - pgb67 wrote: 91 Points
Dense and alternatingly brooding and sweet, with an abundant floral bouquet and flavor profile of ripe blackberry with accents of spice and mocha, which give it the brooding qualities on the finish. Long and classy, especially at the $30ish price point.
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12/22/2011 - psrv wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Aromas and flavors of cassis, mint, and pepper. Silky and smooth with a medium finish.
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11/20/2011 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Has made great strides since my last bottle, and is now lovely. Terrific fruit matched by sweet and savory herb and earthy aspects, with moderate structure and a smooth finish. Wish I had more, as this is a definite winner at $30.
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10/20/2011 - krmcgrath wrote: 91 Points
A balanced new world cabernet with deep, dark fruit, earth and char. Great on a Fall night.
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10/10/2011 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
Retailer Walk-about: I thought this was a charming wine, with good fruit, some cedar, leather and herbs. Lots of character.
(At a walk-through tasting). Would love to try again, with dinner and a steak
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10/6/2011 - kahuna75 wrote: 91 Points
third bottle or so of this and it continues to improve - lots of upfront fruit without being overbearing, cedar, touch of leather- fairly classic in profile - would like a little firmer tannin - medium tannin - oak is present in both nose and taste but it is fairly well integrated if fruit fades it may cause an issue for some. Finish could be better but the fruit is what this wine is about
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10/6/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 86 Points
Sampled 10/5/11. After a couple hours of decanting the wine started to open up. It is still very tight and tannic, but what flavors could be pulled were disjointed, slightly bitter and astringent wtih too much Oak. The wine is a bit of a mess right now. It is possible that it will all come together, but I'm thinking not. Maybe an 89 point wine in time at best.
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9/19/2011 - Redguy wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hr and served with grilled filets & sauteed mushrooms. Black cherries & blackberries with some herbs, mint, & white pepper on the finish. Medium weight, silky texture, and good concentration. Good length and intensity. Excellent balance. Best showing of this wine yet - this is in a sweet spot now with a decant.
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8/18/2011 - Redguy wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Dark fruited with blackberries, black cherries, and cassis with cocoa powder, mint, and oak spice rounding this out. Silky texture with good depth, nice dusty tannins, and good intensity on the medium length finish. Very good balance. This was the 7th bottle from a case and continues to provide great pleasure for the money with room for growth
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7/18/2011 - signotim wrote: 89 Points
nice, silky fruit. oak is a bit heavy for my palate. maybe this will resolve with time.
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7/10/2011 - dgro wrote: 90 Points
Chocolate powder, black cherry, dried strawberry, some fresh oak; black cherry, dried strawberry, other black fruit on palate along with some heat on the finish.
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7/3/2011 - thalver wrote:
Decanted for about 45 minutes before drinking. This wine has benefited from some time in the decanter, and this bottle was similar in that it needed another 45 minutes to bloom. This time, is showed less red fruit, and a bit more herbal/green. It appeard to be either starting to shut down or show some bottle variation. Past bottles about 91 pts, this bottle, 89
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7/2/2011 - jdesimone4 wrote: 92 Points
really nice; lots of cherry
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7/1/2011 - Ceo wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours wine is just now opening a little. Dark berry and pepper this will age well. Continue to be impressed with Audlessa!!!
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6/13/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 88 Points
Sampled 6/12/11. Pop an pour. Initially some nice black fruit/currant with leather, tar, herbs and drying tannins. After an hour in the glass, however, the wine turned weedy with sour black cherries that were a bit too sour. Not sure what is going on with this wine, but I certainly didn't care for my first experience with it.
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5/21/2011 - psrv wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Beautiful aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, cherries, menthol, and spice. Rich and silky mouthfeel with a medium+ finish.
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5/7/2011 - prasm wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Initially dark fruit dominated - black berry and blue berry, and smoke; later menthol and eucalyptus scents dominate - interesting evolution. Palate: Medium bodied, black cherry, and dusty tannins. Finish: Grainy dark chocolate and dark fruit sensations. Overall, kind of a Sybil wine with multiple personalities - all of which were enjoyable.
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4/16/2011 - pedwards wrote: 89 Points
At this price point a really nice cab. Really smooth on the palate and dark fruits coat the mouth. A bit too much oak for me and found it hot. My fault for not decanting this as well.
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4/9/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
As before. Dark fruits, lot of oak and vanilla, and the absolutely stand out element is the supe smooth palate. Wish i had bought more.
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4/1/2011 - 6831 wrote:
Tannic beast tonight. Also showing a fair amount of heat through the finish. Not ready
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3/13/2011 - thalver wrote:
This drinks very well with about an hour and a half of air. Not deep or profound, but quite delicious. It is going to be hard to keep my hands off the remaining bottles
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3/6/2011 - GWE wrote: 90 Points
Still young. Needs a couple of years yet! Mediunm body with a drak garnet color. Oakey smell is a little over powering at first, after a couple of hours it tamed down a little and dark fruits start to come out. I will try again in two years. Great value point for this quality wine.
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2/23/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote: 91 Points
Very dark in the glass. Discrete nose of red & dark fruits and vanilla. Very smooth on the palate with silky tannins. Very good now, I expect this to improve a point or two with time. Wish I bought more.
1+ hour in decanter
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2/16/2011 - shadow wrote: 91 Points
Great dinner wine, smooth mouth feel, enough fruit to enjoy and enough tannin to wash it away clean, yumm.
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2/6/2011 - pkbackman wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, fruit driven Cabernet
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1/16/2011 - thalver wrote:
This may be the nicest $20.00 (on close out) Cal cab I have had in some time. It takes an hour plus in the decanter to open up. This drinks well now, though I certainly would not be afraid to age it for some time. 91+
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12/27/2010 - thalver wrote:
Nice cab. It does need an hour plus in the decanter
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12/21/2010 - MXL wrote: 92 Points
Stellar!
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11/21/2010 - fingers wrote: 91 Points
A little different from the bottle a month ago. Even bigger concentration, ripeness, and body, but with a higher alcohol influence, too. Still has the nice mint and vanilla notes but it feels better built this time in terms of tannin cohesion and supporting acidity. Pretty scrumptious if you're a new world style fan, which I am. 5+11+17+8 = 91
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11/6/2010 - Michaelswolford wrote: 83 Points
At El Dorado Kitchen, Sonoma
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11/4/2010 - Redguy wrote: 90 Points
A very nice Sonoma cab after a couple of hours in the decanter. Wonderfull aromas of blackberries, violets, crushed rose petals, and vanilla. Red & black fruits, vanilla, spices. Elegant yet powerful. Good acidity & balance. Very nice now with room to grow. Reminds me of a new world version Margaux
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10/23/2010 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
Pretty nice, although clearly on the young side. This has an interesting tangy/herbal element that keeps it from mimicking some of the Napa fruit and oak bombs that compete in this price range. I'd expect it to be better by 1-2 points in another 2 years. Paid $30 and feel it was fair for that price. Available for $20 some places, at which point it's a definite QPR alert.
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10/21/2010 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Nose: Eucalyptus, mint, violets, licorice, and cherry - medium intensity - very interesting. Palate: Doesn't hold up to the nose - medium bodied, red fruit and spice up front, good acidity, does a disappearing act over the mid-palate. Finish: Medium length dominated by red fruit. I'm in line with Fingers recent note except I found the nose a bit more expressive.
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10/20/2010 - fingers wrote: 89 Points
Very dark violet, touch of rusting, >95% saturated color. Took a couple of hours of air to settle in. Nose gives up some mint, vanilla, and kirsch followed by pepper and licorice and is overall, pretty shy. Palate is big, with good concentration and consistent with the bouquet with a quick blast of cherry liquer. Medium long finish. Surprisingly, started losing steam after about 8 hrs open. 4+11+17+7 = 89
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9/25/2010 - jhannah27 wrote: 89 Points
popped and poured, and dropped into the decanter. Way, way, way out of balance for about the first hour+ after the pop, but everything mellowed after some time in the air. When it did come together, it showed lots of nice coco bean, vanilla, bright floral notes, and black and blue fruits. Decent structure and went very well with the Rib eyes we had for dinner. Totally worth the $21 I paid for it, and next time out I will definitely give it a nice long decant beforehand.
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7/29/2010 - MattMauldin wrote: 93 Points
A deep purple-ruby color with aromas of lavender, dark berries, cracked pepper, and spice. Opening with plum and black cherry, the wine is rich and creamy with notes of coffee, spice, and tea. And followed with gripping ripe tannins and a big finish. I'd pick up another bottle of this if I have the opportunity and save it for a while
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7/10/2010 - wicozani wrote: 93 Points
After airing for an hour, this was one of the best wines we've had in nearly a year! Notes appreciated just as described by irish87 below, with the highlights on "rich", "ripe", "red and black fruits", "mocha", and "excellent finish"! Had with grilled boneless ribeye steaks.
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7/3/2010 - irish87 wrote: 92 Points
Big, rich, concentrated, balanced. Loads of chocolate/mocha and red fruit. Killed this one early, but the rest will sit for three or four years. A very nice wine.
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5/30/2010 - 6831 wrote: 90 Points
Nicely concentrated with dusty red fruit flavors, ash, earth and berry notes.
Well balanced through the finish. Nicely done and a great value.
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5/3/2010 - 6831 wrote: 89 Points
A bit more austere than previous bottles but a nice effort nonetheless.
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4/2/2010 - Thralow wrote: 91 Points
Really needs at least one more year. I was just so excited!
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4/1/2010 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
90+. Nice wine. Classic high end Sonoma cab. Nothing memorable though.
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3/15/2010 - 6831 wrote: 92 Points
Wow! Having tasted through most of the new releases from this Producer and being somewhat underwhelded this was a surprise. This Cab is huge without any semblance of fruit bomb. Massive and concentrated with rich cassis, mint, sour berry and tobacco. Finish is a bit tannic but still showing ample fruit and nuance. I'm definitely in for more of this at his price point. 92
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