Totally mature and fading, but still pretty classic and enjoyable. Cedar, cassis, good acidity. A little oxidation and old Cali Cab sweetness coming through, but pretty good.
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Popped and poured; no formal notes. Drank really, really well. Seems to have faired much better than the 2001 Merryvale Reserve we also had during the same evening. If I had anymore, I would be drinking them in the near term.
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Fun to have something with this much age on it, though it wouldn't have lasted too much longer. Had this with ICaWineGuy. More oak & some mustiness on the first bottle of this that we consumed a little over a month prior to this bottle. Cork in better shape here, so less mustiness but still some definite oak on the nose. Also new leather (as he wrote, like a new car smell rather than an old saddle). A little dried fig, but the fruit is fading for sure. Finish this up pronto. Better 5 years ago I'm sure, but only found this on clearance, ridiculously reduced, fairly recently (12/31/12). A serious bottle, though, as it held up for 2 dozen years. 90 pts.
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Popped, decanted and poured. Cork almost saturated at bottom and wicked nearly to the top. Still sound though. Nose: new leather (almost like a new car smell rather than an old saddle) a little mustiness probably from the cork, some oak. Palate did have some restrained fruit like dried fig. Toasty oak This one is holding up for now, but the fruit is going. Drink soon.
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Good bottle. Accessible and ready to drink immediately after opening. I recommend drinking over a short period of time. I have had multiple bottles of the 89 within the last few months and it evolves quickly with air, falling apart after about 2 hours. Good idea to share with a group, as the previous taster did.
Very silky, tannins are well integrated. On initial PnP, there is a definitive sweetness, port-like, which fades in about 15 minutes - I wish it hung around for awhile longer. A little funk, but it doesn't bother me and blows off quickly. This dissipates after about 20 minutes and a nose of leather and sweet cherry emerges. Good acidity and drinks well by itself or with food. Fruit has begun to leave and this is on the decline. I bet this was a killer bottle at it's peak. Still good now, but to me, tastes like it has moved past it's prime. If you have it, drink up and enjoy.
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The hit of the night. Everyone agreed that it was in surprisingly good condition. Only a glass apiece, so no insight into how this would evolve after opening, but I imagine nothing lost popping and pouring.
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The cork broke when I opened this bottle, not a huge surprise given that it is 23 years old. It took about 15 mins for the bottle to open up and displayed a musty fragrance. When it opened, however, the wine was amazing, it had hints of blackberry and currant with a medium finish. I bought 3 bottles and this bottle was better than the first. It may be hit or miss given the age. Once opened, I recommend drinking within a couple of hours as the wine rapidly loses character when exposed to the air.
A bit of shoe leather and ripe fruit on the nose. Medium red color with a bit of anticipated bricking at the rim. Well balanced with some tannins remaining. Red raspberry and cherry on the palate with a bit of graphite and earth on the finish. All in all, a pleasant surprise. Thought this might be over the hill.
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So given the age I was not expecting that much but that was a mistake... The wine took about 10 to 15 minutes to get past that musty smell but once it did there was plenty of jammy fruit and structure behind it. Too bad this was the last bottle, this was a great wine!
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Aromas of wet earth, mushroom, and some dark cherry. First reaction to tasting this is WOW. Earth flavors dominate but then comes a rush of dark fruit. Soft and silky ont the palate with a dry finish. Still retaining a bit of acidity to keep this lively. Old world and very Bordeaux like. The balance is excellent here, a little bit of everything. If tasted blind there is no way I would guess it is 23 years old. On a side note, I tasted the 1992 a few weeks back and it nowhere near this level.
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Past it's prime. A pleasant experience to drink a 20+ plus year old bottle but it's over the hill. Give it 45 minutes to open up a bit, enjoy it, move on
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Nice but passed its time. Cork had seepage all the way up except the last 3/8 of an inch. Cork was falling apart in the bottle with pieces in the bottle on the last pour. Flavors were aged and not showing much. Still nice. Enjoy...soon!!!
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This was my second bottle of 1989 Raymond Vineyard and Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. The cork was intact, however, seepage was at the 2/3's mark . Reddish brown color. Musty, earthy nose with a hint of maraschino cherry. Subtle tart cherry, leather, cocoa, and earth flavors. Very different than what I remember from the first bottle.
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Cork intact upon opening, seepage almost midway thru cork, ullage 2-3 cm. above shoulder was very good at this age. Amber brown hue. Earthy nose w/cassis, red berry, pepper, coffee & tobacco leaf aromas. Palate was dry, round, medium-bodied, w/short:medium finish. Earthy flavors w/notes of tart red cherry, raspberry, garden herb, & hint of pepper. Good acidity that paired well w/food. Although not overly complex, this was very nice & has aged well (considering its excellent provenence straight from winery's cellars). Kinda reminded me of a smooth aged moderate-level Left Bank Bordeaux.
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Drank at valentines day dinner over the course of an hour. Musty on the nose throughout with a hint of some bright fruit coming through after having some time to open. Surprisingly the cork was in great shape. Nice strawberry, cherry and, raspberry coming through on the palette however drinking window was short. Began to close down after being open for an hour. Overall great if you're a fan of aged old-world style cabs.
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Drank during the giants victory over the the 49ers with BP. A little nervous after the cork disintegrated but was greeted with a deliciously mellow 23 year old cab that had hints of strawberries and a little tobacco. Great finish on this bottle, as would be expected on a bottle of this age. Cant wait to drink the other 3 bottles, definitely will be sooner rather than later.
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Opaque purple color. not much distinguishable on the nose. Opened after an hour and a half to reveal ample fruit...strawberry and cherry, and a nice finish. An old world style as would be expected from an 89. Not much complexity but very drinkable for a 22 year old wine. Good value at $25.
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With m, j and d. A real treat. Old world style and no offensive oak. Tobacco, cherry, and wood chip on the nose. Well structured palate, same flavored with some non tart strawberry, super mellow tannins, and real nice mouthfeel. Smooth finish. So it's this kind of Cali cabs I should be looking for...
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This has very good fruit on nose, however it is in the last stages. Has an old world european flavor. Good balance, with cherry and tobacco. I prefer more oak than this offers. Would have been better 3 years ago. Still good.
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Wine Warehouse Grand Tasting. Old time Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon nose, black cherry, dust, cassis, and white pepper, more of the same on the palate, poured and stored by the winery, for a mediocre vintage very tasty, enjoyed the step back in time, medium body, and long, long flavorful finish.
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Mint, menthol, and a gracefullness that is undeniable. Cedar tobacco and a spirit across the palate. It is amazing what they have achieved. Who knew that this could come so far?
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4/30/2017 - Oconnorsnyc Likes this wine:
Very smooth
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3/6/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 88 Points
Totally mature and fading, but still pretty classic and enjoyable. Cedar, cassis, good acidity. A little oxidation and old Cali Cab sweetness coming through, but pretty good.
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12/26/2013 - thesternowl Likes this wine:
Popped and poured; no formal notes. Drank really, really well. Seems to have faired much better than the 2001 Merryvale Reserve we also had during the same evening. If I had anymore, I would be drinking them in the near term.
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5/18/2013 - MadisonWIneGuy wrote: 90 Points
Fun to have something with this much age on it, though it wouldn't have lasted too much longer. Had this with ICaWineGuy. More oak & some mustiness on the first bottle of this that we consumed a little over a month prior to this bottle. Cork in better shape here, so less mustiness but still some definite oak on the nose. Also new leather (as he wrote, like a new car smell rather than an old saddle). A little dried fig, but the fruit is fading for sure. Finish this up pronto. Better 5 years ago I'm sure, but only found this on clearance, ridiculously reduced, fairly recently (12/31/12). A serious bottle, though, as it held up for 2 dozen years. 90 pts.
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4/6/2013 - ICaWineGuy wrote: 92 Points
Popped, decanted and poured. Cork almost saturated at bottom and wicked nearly to the top. Still sound though. Nose: new leather (almost like a new car smell rather than an old saddle) a little mustiness probably from the cork, some oak. Palate did have some restrained fruit like dried fig. Toasty oak This one is holding up for now, but the fruit is going. Drink soon.
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2/24/2013 - JPH104 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dusty, restrained, and drinking beautifully. Touch of oak. Great length. Soft and well integrated tannins. Excellent
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2/12/2013 - Travis D Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good bottle. Accessible and ready to drink immediately after opening. I recommend drinking over a short period of time. I have had multiple bottles of the 89 within the last few months and it evolves quickly with air, falling apart after about 2 hours. Good idea to share with a group, as the previous taster did.
Very silky, tannins are well integrated. On initial PnP, there is a definitive sweetness, port-like, which fades in about 15 minutes - I wish it hung around for awhile longer. A little funk, but it doesn't bother me and blows off quickly. This dissipates after about 20 minutes and a nose of leather and sweet cherry emerges. Good acidity and drinks well by itself or with food. Fruit has begun to leave and this is on the decline. I bet this was a killer bottle at it's peak. Still good now, but to me, tastes like it has moved past it's prime. If you have it, drink up and enjoy.
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1/19/2013 - jreynolds3 wrote: 91 Points
The hit of the night. Everyone agreed that it was in surprisingly good condition. Only a glass apiece, so no insight into how this would evolve after opening, but I imagine nothing lost popping and pouring.
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1/13/2013 - dmccann3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork broke when I opened this bottle, not a huge surprise given that it is 23 years old. It took about 15 mins for the bottle to open up and displayed a musty fragrance. When it opened, however, the wine was amazing, it had hints of blackberry and currant with a medium finish. I bought 3 bottles and this bottle was better than the first. It may be hit or miss given the age. Once opened, I recommend drinking within a couple of hours as the wine rapidly loses character when exposed to the air.
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12/28/2012 - thesternowl wrote: flawed
Corked. So sad.
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12/7/2012 - gratefuldad wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking well, but probably not much longer.
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11/24/2012 - wconnolly wrote: 89 Points
A bit of shoe leather and ripe fruit on the nose. Medium red color with a bit of anticipated bricking at the rim. Well balanced with some tannins remaining. Red raspberry and cherry on the palate with a bit of graphite and earth on the finish. All in all, a pleasant surprise. Thought this might be over the hill.
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9/28/2012 - jgkost wrote: 93 Points
So given the age I was not expecting that much but that was a mistake... The wine took about 10 to 15 minutes to get past that musty smell but once it did there was plenty of jammy fruit and structure behind it. Too bad this was the last bottle, this was a great wine!
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8/9/2012 - Sonoma Style wrote: 92 Points
Wow, I hope all of my wine ages this well! Glad someone else aged this bottle for me though!!!!! What a steal on WTSO!
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7/28/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aromas of wet earth, mushroom, and some dark cherry. First reaction to tasting this is WOW. Earth flavors dominate but then comes a rush of dark fruit. Soft and silky ont the palate with a dry finish. Still retaining a bit of acidity to keep this lively. Old world and very Bordeaux like. The balance is excellent here, a little bit of everything. If tasted blind there is no way I would guess it is 23 years old. On a side note, I tasted the 1992 a few weeks back and it nowhere near this level.
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7/21/2012 - HarlanPSU wrote: 89 Points
Past it's prime. A pleasant experience to drink a 20+ plus year old bottle but it's over the hill. Give it 45 minutes to open up a bit, enjoy it, move on
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6/13/2012 - deltacop wrote: 89 Points
Nice but passed its time. Cork had seepage all the way up except the last 3/8 of an inch. Cork was falling apart in the bottle with pieces in the bottle on the last pour. Flavors were aged and not showing much. Still nice. Enjoy...soon!!!
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4/20/2012 - andtheodor wrote:
Blueberry, caramel, brown sugar, oxidation. Cork was shot. NR
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3/16/2012 - M. Anthony Lee Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was my second bottle of 1989 Raymond Vineyard and Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve. The cork was intact, however, seepage was at the 2/3's mark . Reddish brown color. Musty, earthy nose with a hint of maraschino cherry. Subtle tart cherry, leather, cocoa, and earth flavors. Very different than what I remember from the first bottle.
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3/10/2012 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Cork intact upon opening, seepage almost midway thru cork, ullage 2-3 cm. above shoulder was very good at this age. Amber brown hue. Earthy nose w/cassis, red berry, pepper, coffee & tobacco leaf aromas. Palate was dry, round, medium-bodied, w/short:medium finish. Earthy flavors w/notes of tart red cherry, raspberry, garden herb, & hint of pepper. Good acidity that paired well w/food. Although not overly complex, this was very nice & has aged well (considering its excellent provenence straight from winery's cellars). Kinda reminded me of a smooth aged moderate-level Left Bank Bordeaux.
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3/9/2012 - LWilliams374 wrote: 90 Points
Drink up. They wont last much longer.
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2/26/2012 - Walkersj wrote: 83 Points
Past it's best
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2/15/2012 - Mlconnolly wrote: 91 Points
Drank at valentines day dinner over the course of an hour. Musty on the nose throughout with a hint of some bright fruit coming through after having some time to open. Surprisingly the cork was in great shape. Nice strawberry, cherry and, raspberry coming through on the palette however drinking window was short. Began to close down after being open for an hour. Overall great if you're a fan of aged old-world style cabs.
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1/22/2012 - Sonoma Style Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank during the giants victory over the the 49ers with BP. A little nervous after the cork disintegrated but was greeted with a deliciously mellow 23 year old cab that had hints of strawberries and a little tobacco. Great finish on this bottle, as would be expected on a bottle of this age. Cant wait to drink the other 3 bottles, definitely will be sooner rather than later.
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12/25/2011 - hecvil wrote: 86 Points
poured into decanter, strong mousy odor which went away after 30 min or so. just the smallest bit of fruit/sweetness left.
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12/10/2011 - wconnolly wrote: 88 Points
Opaque purple color. not much distinguishable on the nose. Opened after an hour and a half to reveal ample fruit...strawberry and cherry, and a nice finish. An old world style as would be expected from an 89. Not much complexity but very drinkable for a 22 year old wine. Good value at $25.
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12/2/2011 - ezsobre wrote: 92 Points
With m, j and d. A real treat. Old world style and no offensive oak. Tobacco, cherry, and wood chip on the nose. Well structured palate, same flavored with some non tart strawberry, super mellow tannins, and real nice mouthfeel. Smooth finish. So it's this kind of Cali cabs I should be looking for...
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11/30/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
I'm impressed, this has the elements of a classic Cab and, while totally mature, is in a nice place.
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11/28/2011 - deltacop wrote: 90 Points
Near its end but still a wonderful wine. The age shows through making it a really enjoyable wine. Drink up and Enjoy!!!
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11/25/2011 - mpchs1988 wrote: 91 Points
This has very good fruit on nose, however it is in the last stages. Has an old world european flavor. Good balance, with cherry and tobacco. I prefer more oak than this offers. Would have been better 3 years ago. Still good.
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9/23/2011 - kungfubaby Likes this wine: 92 Points
just lovely. Very impressed, mellow and beautiful.
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6/23/2011 - bromion Likes this wine: 92 Points
I could not believe how good this bottle was, still! Definitely mellowed tannins, but still present. Stood up well next to a 2001 St-Emilion. Yum.
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4/15/2011 - drheidi wrote: 93 Points
Ready to drink. Still well structured, plenty of fruit. Opened and drank within an hour. Not sublime but very good.
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11/3/2010 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Napa Cabernet (Waterford Wine Co., Milwaukee): tertiary, brown wet leaves, iodine. earthy swampy theater. 12.5%ABV. This is aging rather well. still very enjoyable.
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5/5/2010 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine Warehouse Grand Tasting. Old time Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon nose, black cherry, dust, cassis, and white pepper, more of the same on the palate, poured and stored by the winery, for a mediocre vintage very tasty, enjoyed the step back in time, medium body, and long, long flavorful finish.
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1/29/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Mint, menthol, and a gracefullness that is undeniable. Cedar tobacco and a spirit across the palate. It is amazing what they have achieved. Who knew that this could come so far?
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10/29/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Alive and fresh
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