Spectacular wine at 16+ years with more to go. Lovely floral aromas with dark fruit finish on the nose. Dark red in glass with predominant dark fruit - blackberries with a hint of dark cherry on the finish. Tannins are still grippy with perfect acidity. Finish is long and luscious. Terrific.
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Impeccably cellared. 12 hour decant. Lush, round, no hard edges. Deep garnet and just a hint of barnyard, layered dark fruits, tobacco on the end. Just lovely. For those of you who just couldn't wait, as Gomer would say, “shame, shame, shame!”
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Rich purple color. Cassis, tobacco, black and blue fruit, with oak notes. Finishes with Rutherford dust. Has aged very well. Bottle keep improving from opening to last drop, 3 hours later. Last bottle of four purchased and this was the most noteworthy.
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Aerated and decanted for about 30 min, drank over about an hour. Cherry, black cherry, a little blackberry, graphite, hint of orange and eucalyptus, vanilla, oak, a little dark chocolate at the end, soft tannins, well integrated, seemed like layers of flavors, long finish, just delicious, glad we waited on this but wish we had more.
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Pours inky purple in the glass. Brooding nose of cherry and dark fruits followed by hints of orange peel, iodine, and faint menthol notes. With some air, opens further with subtle aromas of eucalyptus, pencil shavings, vanilla, licorice, and slight herbaceous qualities. Jammy red fruits on the palate, intermingling with notes of vanilla and oak. Well balanced acidity and dusty tannins are followed by a 30 second finish.
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Quite a different smell than I would have guessed. Doesn't smell like Napa Cab or taste like it. Brighter with red fruits. Mild tannins and decent acidity. A touch of bitterness on the back end. Decent concentration but without much depth or complexity. Overall somewhat disjointed. 14.5% alcohol.
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First impression on the second day is a beautiful balance of oak and fruit, the result of nice aging as this wine is at its peak now but will stay here for a few years, at least. Lovely garnet color with inky purple hints extending to the rim. Ripe, dark black fruit and blueberries, olives, nice depth as a mineral quality and some cedar and expresso emerges on the nose. Similar flavors with a medium plus acidity, gritty but ripe tannins, a full mouthfeel leads to a balanced, extended finish. Lower score because this fine wine does not have the richness and power of more expressive wines.
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A very nice Rutherford Cabernet. Full bodied, a lot of dark berry fruit flavors, with very well-rounded but still present tannins. At peak, but could last another 5 years easily. For fans of big-fruit California Cabs.
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Complex nose of licorice, cherries, and dirt. On the palate, rich dark cherry liqueur and a bit of heat. Altogether nice, but I still think this could use a bit more time.
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Has improved with time. Rich fruit with a touch of Rutherford dust. The tannins are a touch edgy on the finish. Clipped finish. Good but nothing memorable
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Fine with dinner. Couple hours later not so much. Main flavor seems to be oak - "cedar." Nota lot of fruit. Seems different Han other reviews but didn't seem like a bad bottle.
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Double decanted and left to breathe for 45 min. This is drinking much better than the last bottle, 1.5 yrs ago. Smooth, dark, and with just enough tannic kick in the finish. Wish I hadn't consumed my other bottles too soon.
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One of five Napa cabs served at our wine tasting party. Others were: 2005 Far Niente, 2006 J Davies, 2008 Caymus, and a 2012 Hall 1873. Opened bottle about 3 hours before serving. Although the Round Pond was nice, I was probably the least favorite of the 5 cabs served- it was nicely balanced but tended a bit to the sweet side.
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My first bottle of these beauties. Nestled in my cellar for five years, its debut was a star turn. Big, bold, broad, brawny. Dark in the glass, robust on the nose, lush on the palate, long on the finish. Tannins are dusky, dusty, and altogether luscious.
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This wine is finally coming into it's own. Well integrated and lots of hanging dark berry fruit. A tiny hint of brick around the edge which caught me by surprise. Earthy, iron note but full throttle with lots of weight to throw around. The mid pallet has lots of layers and the finish is long and lingering. This has a lot of time ahead of it if that's what you're looking for.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Big nose on this with aromas of blackberry, cherry, herb, licorice and a touch of espresso. On the palate, it has flavors of cherry pie, blackberry, coffee, iron and currant. Ends with a finish if 30-35 seconds, a iron note really hanging on there. Big and lush on the palate. Wish I had more of these.
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Rich, thick, dark fruit dominant at the start. Good weight on the tongue. Cassis on the nose. Then it unwound, and unwound, and now I"m 3 hours in and savoring every moment of the tannins which are drying my mouth out like the best chalk money can buy. Chocolate, cherries, coming on strong. Still lots of power, even at this point in the night. Cellar for another 5 years, easy.
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Used this bottle in the monthly wine tasting series. It received 2nd place after the 2007 Joeseph Phelps, but it was very close. Tasting was also very consistent with the previous bottle. Both of these wines were a notch above the 2007 Culler in the view of myself and the other tasters.
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What I consider the classic Rutherford dusty Cab. Extremely well balanced acid/tannin levels, and wine is fully integrated from front to back. Nose has blackberry, cherry, vanilla, and a hint of smokiness. It is very smooth on the palate with a very long finish. Snack hint: I read that walnuts go very well with Cab. I tried this combo and the reports are correct. The walnut brings the fruit out to nice intensity that really complements the slight bitterness of the walnut.
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Really the best almost immediately after decanting. The aromas and flavors were less delineated after two hours. Lots of red and black fruit, with some licorice, green pepper, and mint. Very good wine, but not worth the $40 price tag. There are better Cabernets out there for less.
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Bring Your Own Bottle Non-Blind (Bin 75): Dark core with thin garnet rim; brulee, vanilla, stewed blackberry, menthol, anise, dark and rich; palate similar to nose, rich, still good structure but I would drink this in the near-term.
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This wine is coming around. Super youthful and dark purple, lots of sweet dark fruit and dusty notes on nose. Tannins are slight and chalky with a full texture yet very precise on the tongue. This wine fills the corners of your mouth and has done a great job of filling out. Some earthy coffee notes are there too. Maybe it's because I'm roasting coffee while I write these notes?
Nah. Present acidity with clearing tannin, I think this wine is just starting to enter it's mature phase at 7, and that's a perfect drinking window for me. Enjoy.
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Fairly sweet on opening, this showed best between hour one and two. At that point, the sweetness of the ripe fruit had receded to a more modest level and some earth and coffee notes added complexity and balance. This still seems fairly young to me and I plan to hold my other bottle for a few more years.
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Last of two bottles, 9 months later. This is truly what Napa Cab is all about - everything you would expect - drinking perfectly now. Dark, brooding garnet color is matched with an earthy, leathery nose. Taste included notes of dusty graphite, black licorice, bell pepper, olallaberry fruit. It is strong enough to let you know this is a Napa Cab - it is not light at all - but it is not an in your face robust Cab. Medium, smooth tannins (as expected for 6 & 1/2 yrs) and medium finish. This is a very elegant/classy Cab that would match a lot of food, but might be a tad overpowered by spicy food, bbq, heavily tomato dishes. Went perfectly with rack of lamb with mint/pesto - covered lightly with chipotle panko crumbs. This might age a little more, but it is in a very sweet spot just now and we suggest consuming in 2014.
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Drinking incredibly well right now. Dark ruby, smooth, with fruits of black cherry and a hint of tobacco and oak. I can't wait to see what this wine develops into, it should be spectacular.
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Nose was dominated by cedar, moss and spearmint. Palate had raspberry and black cherry. Drying tannins and minerals on the finish. Silky. Seems a bit chewy and awkward. Store.
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Very nice. Too cold when we opened, so took a while to show. Very nice medium to full body, cassis, lots of fine grained tannins. This should continue to grow into itself nicely.
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This is drinking perfectly now. Balanced acidity, fruit and alcohol. Appearance was dark, nose was fruit and wood. Tastes of black cherry, earth, black licorice giving it a touch of sweetness with a touch of oak. It was bold, nearly robust - certainly full-bodied with a long finish, but its elegance makes it very approachable and enjoyable. Classic Napa/Rutherford Cab, exceptional wine. Needed minimal breathing.
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Liked this a little bit less than the last bottle. Much more mint and eucalyptus flavors seemed to dominate the entire bottle...even after considerable time between glasses and letting the wine open properly. Seemed abit more out of balance. Maybe a dumb phase? Still enjoyable, but lacked that dominant dusty quality I love about Rutherford Cab.
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A beautiful cabernet. Open up within 30 minutes. Nothing like the bad reviews below. Full bodied cab that tastes a lot more expensive than it was. Finished with a bit of cedar. 92/93
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Not what I was hoping for as it seemed slightly out of balance with a lot of sweet fruit/oak but an unbalanced acidity on the mid palate. Not a bad wine but less than I expected at this price point
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In an awkward phase right now. Disjointed upon opening, but after decanting and some vigorous swirls, it began coming around. The ripe blue fruit present just a year ago has dissipated to highlight only the black fruit - tannin is more present now than in the past due to some of the richer fruit fading. I want to think it is evolving currently but I also miss the explosive fruit when first released.
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Not so sure about this one - and not from a quality perspective. This was a pop and pour and it seemed kinda'.... dumb. We had it off the plane and car ride to the house. Opened right when we landed and it seemed shut down. All the parts were where I expected but it seemed like it left the room before the party started? It wasn't the sum of it's parts. I'll give it another try again maybe later this year. Had at Deer Crest.
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I enjoyed this much more than when i had it close to release. Great nose of currant, cherry, dusty berry and licorice. On the palate this had a lot of red fruits with cinnamon, a touch of earth and dried cherry. It ended with a 30 second finish. Very nice wine for the money. 93 on day one. 94 on day 2.
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After the previous showing decided not to decant this bottle. Left to slow ox for about 2 hours. Unfortunately this drank exactly the same as the last bottle. It was initially very nice with a good attack of black and blue fruits. However it quickly fell apart and degenerated into a sweet, goopy mess. This is a decent wine but it just seems a little manufactured to me.
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PNV week, part of a 2005-11 vertical on Rutherford Estate. This was my #1 wine of the tasting, same for our group.
The palate had a cherry, red fruit, chocolate profile. some of the Bordeaux characteristics of the 05, more Calif fruit. Drinking beautifully, will probably keep improving
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Dark fruit on the nose. Dense body, with solid tannins and hint of spice. Decanted for one hour. Yet seemed a little closed, I think it needs more time in the cellar. But still very enjoyable.
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Huge wine. Stereotypical napa cab. Big fruit a little Rutherford Dust and a slightly drying/chalky finish. Overall a nice wine that I would drink any day, but need to be in the mood for it. It is large and in charge.
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Had 3 bottles and drank over several hours. Decanted for 3 hrs before first sip. Wine was very underwhelming. Nothing big or long at this point. Seemed well integrated, but nothing stood out. Tannins well integrated. Not too long. Drink sooner than later....
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The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Medium. We enjoyed this wine. I suggest opening the bottle and let it breath for 30 to 40 minutes before pouring. It has a smooth finish and was a superb wine to pair with red meat.
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My previous two notes are tracking some good evolution on this gem. That said, now is not a good time to open this bottle unless you have some serious time on your hands. I tasted this over two days and while it ultimately lined up with previous notes, the tannins have clamped down. What is interesting is that on day one even with the fierce tannins and heat, you can still glimpse all of the components behind the tannins. The fresh berries are there, the black currant, the herbs, some wood, all there. Under cork in the fridge for a day, the wine re-emerges. The overall profile is sweet and savory, a bit thick, but leaning up. Berries, currant, savory herbs, and for now a still tannic finish. I'm encouraged by how the components take hold with time. This will be pretty classic rutherford stuff, it will just take an estimated 2 years to re-emerge. Positive potential. 92+.
Really liked this wine. Hit its stride at about the 2 hr mark. Dark fruits, medium to full bodied, a little dry and tannic. Noticeable plum flavor, drinking very well right now, could see this having at least 4-6 years left and possibly improving a bit with a little age
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Pop. Started out a bit hot with black plums and blueberry and good acidity. Alcohol burned off a bit after 30 minutes and drank well. Saved 2 glasses for the next day which was a mistake since the acidity disappeared.
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Decanted 3 hours. Nice nose of ripe blue and black fruits. Medium plus body with black raspberry, blueberry and plum fruit profile on the initial attack. However, the wine quickly became flat and tired with a short finish. Not at all what i was expecting. This was really disappointing and i am hoping this was a subpar bottle. Hope for better from my others. (NR)
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Simple straight forward fruit bomb. There is some complexity with some interesting notes of mint and tobacco. Drinking well and may improve with couple of years of age.
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Popped and poured one night for a glass, then finished the bottle two nights later. Taste is very sweet with blackberry and blueberry flavors. Not sure if I'd say it's jammy, but it tastes like pie filling if I had a blackberry or blueberry pie - not really what I'm hoping for. Taste and aroma both have some tar in there. Also has a bit of tobacco on the nose. Didn't find the finish too drying or tannic. The sweetness of the fruit is really just too much to make this any better scoring.
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Really a good wine tonight. Popped and poured even though the cork showed signs of oxidation. Still really a god wine that is big and jammy, with hints of raspberries, cherries, and even cocoa. Still a bit tannic, but is settling down. Good wine that we drank over the course of a meal and the rest of the evening. Glad I have more! Enjoy.
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Strong pleasant aroma, with a slightly syrupy sweet flavor profile. The finish was long, with some complexity. Tannins were mild for a cabernet. This wine was very pleasant, easy-drinking, and the bottle went fast.
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Big jammy Cabernet. Popped and poured. Rich ripe cherries, raspberries and a hint of mocha. Nice complex finish with long finish. Very enjoyable. Several hours after dinner, taste became more muted and stale. Still good, but not like it was earlier when it just opened. Makes me think it needs to drink now.
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Big Napa cab. Deep purple in color. Firm dusty tannins that seemed to stay firm no matter how long the wine was open. Black fruits, medium finish. Could use a little longer in the bottle. Was a croud favorite. An elegant wine that pairs well with food.
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Nice balance and stucture full bodied with ripe, rich fruit black currant, cherry, spice notes of cedar vanilla and oak, plenty of tannin on the finish but integrated for a long finish. Folled this with the 08 which was a step back but not a big one. Cellar for a few more years. Can be decanted but not necessary. Loved sharing this with daughter, wife, niece and nephew.
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Real deal here. A little tannic at this point but if you aren't opposed to them it is drinking very fine. Cool nose of vanilla and dark berry. Fresh black currant, sweet green herb, cocoa, on the palate. Full bodied with firm structure and a long long finish of bright fresh berries. A very fresh and lively wine that yet again survived 24 hours on the counter-top and only got better.
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This just keeps getting better and better with age. The palate is exceptional with a long cherry chocolate finish. The nose is pretty but not overly assertive. It is drinking beautifully now but I'll try to hold off for a year or so before opening the next bottle.
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Drank after a good 3 hour decant. Was the first of three bottles tonight the others being a 07 Bond Matriarch and a 05 Vine Cliff Private Stock 16 Rows Cab. The Round Pond was good, but it came in second place tonight to the Vine Cliff. Really nice berry flavors, with currant and menthol. Smooth tannins and a nice finish. Good balance, but lacked the structure of the Vine Cliff. Still, it was an excellent wine and great QPR compared to the Vine Cliff and Matriarch.
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On the nose, cherry and spice. On the palate, full-bodied, but elegant with kirsch, blackberry liquor, cedar and more cedar, oak and a hint of vanilla. Lengthy finish with almost integrated tannins. Improves with a 4 hr decant; accordingly, I would drink this beauty now, or cellar it for no more than five years. Delightful wine with the best QPR for the 07 cabernet vintage.
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A pleasure from the first pour until the end of a very long finish. This dark ruby cabernet sauvignon is still early, but packed with flavor and fruit. The true nose without swirling the glass proves a full bodied, ripe, and well balanced Napa cab. Nothing overbearing here. Nice tones of oak, but not overwhelming. Smooth and silky as it runs over the tongue and palate, simply delicious. A touch a tannin graces not only the pleasurable taste, but also the finish. Very ripe dark berries fill the mouth and after taste for a very long finish.
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I actually dislike the word delicious, but need to use it here. This wine is pure and simply delicious. Pretty nose of fresh cherries, kirsch, and spring flowers. Palate has such a purity, we need another....well, you know. It is lush and bursting at the seams with all good....cab....stuff. There is the freshest fruit profile I have encountered all year; fantastic red-black currant, cherries, sweet red raspberry, blackberry liquor and more. Hints of graphite, vanilla, framboise and love. The love comes in many forms, too many to pinpoint. Balance is impeccably deft with large but well behavin' tannins. Acidity rides a wee-bit high, but it is almost needed with this, now, here, tonight. If I said it before, I will unabashedly repeat it: it's a pretty wine, very pretty. A super finish keeps really rounds this one out like the moon at 'harvest moon' time of the year. Just incredible.
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Delicious cab full of complexity with flavors of currants and blackberries accented by some cedar spice and minerality. Amazingly persistent and long. This will get better and warrant a classic rating. 94+
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Great expression of cabernet. If you are looking for a big cab under $50, this is it. I think this needs 2-3 more years or more personally but it really opened up over an hour or so. Good stuff.
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Really quite delicious, medium bodied, excellent balance. Strawberry, licorice, even a little earth. You'd be hard pressed to find a better cab for the money.
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Decanted 3 hours. Intense wine of cassis and red berry, buffeted by masses of dusty Rutherford tannins. Too tannic at the present time but the acid here will give this one a long and very beneficial evolution. Tasted again after 24 hours in a decanter and it still hasn't fallen apart. Outstanding wine that I think needs at least 5 years of cellaring. 92-95.
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I decanted it 4 hours before serving. Nose was pleasant but seemed a little muted. The wine had the classic Napa characteristics with the dusty berry flavor to go with flavors of blackberry, smoke and black cherry. This led to a nice finish of about 25 seconds.
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This was too tight the first night. Night 2 opened up to a decent nose that still seems to be holding back. Dense, big and chewy but carried by balanced acids for a very well structured palate. This is the stuffing to go many years. Glad I have a couple more to hold until 2013+.
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From 375 ml. Cherry and pop tart on the nose. Smooth and weighty. Vanilla, tobacco and red fruit. Tannins are full and firm. Finish is excellent. Drinking well and likely to get better with age.
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Decanted half of a bottle for 1.5 hours. Lovely dark fruits with vanilla in a dark medium to full bodied feel. The sweet tannins are there but not over powering. A nice long smooth finish.
Next day I finished the other half. This wine did get better with more vanilla and even some tobacco notes.
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Opened and vacu vinned. 91 pts. Tasted first and second night. Second night was better. 92 pts. This wine holds well. Long finish, solid full body with rich fruits. Very enjoyable but not standing out in any special way.
Update: On the 5th night, surprised to find this in the fridge. Poured a small sip after having some bad pinot....yum...dumped the pinot and then emptied this bottle in my glass. Holy moly, this is a very enjoyable wine, with rich fruits and long finish that makes you want more and more. Great sweet aroma of mixed ripe berries. To me, this is great QPR and drink anytime anywhere wine. It's not a distinct napa cab, but it is well rounded and enjoyable enough to make me want more of this good stuff. Tannins are a bit on the heavy side but this wine will just get better over time. Bumping the score to 94.
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i wouldnt call this one a fruit bomb. was actually quite good right out of the bottle. which made me think this wouldnt be sustainable after a few hrs, but it actually got better. made me think this one will improve over next yr or two. wouldnt handicap this one a long, long keeper though. legit napa cab, not on complicated side. middle fruit. middle finish....but across the board a winner.
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No food with tasting. Fruit bomb, well rounded and smooth with sweet nose. Bursting with pungently ripe blackberry. Typical fine napa. Not very complex tonight. Didn't have time to let it breathe but finish was not quite as strong, but pleasant. Also it was going up against a big italian bottle (Ornellaia Superiore). Good QPR. Gets better and better...
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Interesting. Drank this blind against a Kathryn Hall 07 and an 07 Colgin. The vote give this one the number one slot, I was the only one who liked the Colgin better blind. I thought it was open and expressive, and quite delicious, if not as complex as the colgin.
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Popped and poured. Medium-plus dark purple, youthful. Aromas of black fruits, currant, and dried cedar. Medium-plus body, plush. On the palate, the fruit is quite forward and opulent; think ripe blackberry, raspberry and currant. These flavors are complimented by oaky notes of vanilla bean and hints of spice. The tannins are well-rounded and smooth on the moderate close. Not terribly complex, this is nonetheless a very tasty wine and should drink well in the short to mid-term.
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A full bodied fruit-forward cabernet, but balanced with cedar and tannins. Not over the top, but still young with too much ripe fruit at this stage. I only had a quick taste with no opportunity for notes, but I may look for this in the future.
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rated 93 last week. Drank last night in head to head tasting with the Hall 2006. The Round Pond was the better wine. More approachable now (in spite of being a year younger) and with a consistent balance start to finish. Made the Hall show a rather obvious blank spot of missing acidity in the mid-palate to early finish. Consumed over a three and a half hour period switching back and forth between the two wines. To be fair, the Hall gained some momentum and rounded out after it had been open and decanted for about five hours. I'm looking forward to doing a similar comparison in 2015. Powerful nose of black currant, with vanilla from the oak and soft hints of licorice underneath. A big mouthfeel, young and intense but still balance between the fruit, acidity and tannin. The black currant gives way to stewed plum and some cedary notes. This wine sung after three hours of being open.
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decanted 2 hours mocha & vanilla immediately, plenty of ripe blackberry kirsch & cedar/mint. smaller amounts of tobacco & pencil lead. a very "serious" cab and only $40! originally bought 6, immediately bought 6 more afterwards. i consider it "masculine" and should require steaks and cigars, imo.
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Sometimes I just don't get the WS ratings. This one however is on the mark. Nose hits with dark fruit and cigar. The mouth feel is viscous. The palate is filled with dark fruit tobacco and mint.
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Concentrated and over the top, this wine hits you over the head with blown out cassis-fruit and new oak. So ripe in style it's almost overly sweet, but it does show great density and some chocolate and cedary notes following all the gobs of new-world fruit. Long, long finish. Not my style, but this is a well made and powerfully opulent wine.
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Monday, October 04, 2010 - A wonderful cab! Enjoyed at a wine tasting of about 40 recently released California wines, about 15 of which were Cabs and this stunner was the consensus WOTN among the Cabs handily beating out wines like the 2007 Ghost Block and 2007 Larkmead, absolutely wholloping the 2008 Caymus, and even edging out the 2007 Pahlmeyer .. it was close with the Pahlmeyer at the beginning of the tasting but after they had been open for about an hour and a half the Round Pond was opening up and showing its stuff and began steadily pulling away .. after about 2 hours it was no longer a contest. Drinking great right now if you give it an hour or better yet two in a decanter but give this baby a year, two or even 3 to work its magic in the bottle and it will be blowing doors of most of its contemporaries. Medium-to-full bodied (but very well may put on more weight in the bottle), an avalanche of dark fruits, just the right amount of lightly spiced oak and very soft tannins for such a young age. Awesome finish that simply swooned us and sent us clammoring back to the table for another pour.
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A wonderful cab! Enjoyed at a wine tasting of about 40 recently released California wines, about 15 of which were Cabs and this stunner was the consensus WOTN among the Cabs handily beating out wines like the 2007 Ghost Block and 2007 Larkmead, absolutely wholloping the 2008 Caymus, and even edging out the 2007 Pahlmeyer .. it was close with the Pahlmeyer at the beginning of the tasting but after they had been open for about an hour and a half the Round Pond was opening up and showing its stuff and began steadily pulling away .. after about 2 hours it was no longer a contest. Drinking great right now if you give it an hour or better yet two in a decanter but give this baby a year, two or even 3 to work its magic in the bottle and it will be blowing doors of most of its contemporaries. Medium-to-full bodied (but very well may put on more weight in the bottle), an avalanche of dark fruits, just the right amount of lightly spiced oak and very soft tannins for such a young age. Awesome finish that simply swooned us and sent us clammoring back to the table for another pour.
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The nose hits you in the face with big, dark fruit and slight oak. The palate was a mix of dark fruit and cassis. The finish kept going.....dark fruit and more dark fruit. Incredibly smooth, especially after sitting in the glass for a while. Very nice.
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Super dark and luxurious, the nose is all sweet black fruits and some soft oak. The palate has pure creme de cassis, Kirsh Royal, blackberry, black cherry, black raspberries with a hint of cedar box and tobacco. Some lead pencil and some soy but the big star here is the intense and purity that seems delivered almost converor-like delivered with elegance and focus one usually wishes for in a Napa Cab, and does not always get. Its tanins are intricate and complicated, and the mouth feel is medium weight, soft full & plushy. What really caught my attention was the finish; it was long and pure fruited, and I mean looooong. 5 minutes later I was still tasting this wine, and that ain't too bad.
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Bordeaux Varietals (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had blackberry and herbs, raspberry and spice, and a little vanilla. The palate had bitter tannins, but also had some blackberry and raspberry, cedar and spice, and a vaniila finish.
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This wine really grew on me. Decanted for 6 hrs. The nose was the star for me. Cassis, sweet blackberry, caramel, toasty vanilla, and mint. The fruit was subdued on the palate and the ancillary flavors shined. Chewy tannins mixed with tobacco, coffee, and cassis. The finish is really cool and long with an interesting bitter chocolate. It needs some time, but it was worth the wait.
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An excellent wine. As expected, a woody, oaky nose; but the oak does not dominate the ripe, pure fruit. The nose also offers cedar, sage and other dried herbs, which add an extra dimension; but I would not describe this wine's nose as "perfumed". Out of the bottle, the wine is muscular; and the cotton-mouth tannins dominate. After 90 minutes, the tannins had considerably softened resulting in a soft, round, but focused, wine. This wine offers a full body, with depth and concentration, but is not heavy or fatiguing. This is a fresh, clean wine, almost to a fault -- there is no funk, brett, barnyard, etc. I think this wine will improve with age -- the tannins should fall into balance, and some interesting secondary flavors should emerge.
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4/6/2024 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spectacular wine at 16+ years with more to go. Lovely floral aromas with dark fruit finish on the nose. Dark red in glass with predominant dark fruit - blackberries with a hint of dark cherry on the finish. Tannins are still grippy with perfect acidity. Finish is long and luscious. Terrific.
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7/30/2022 - Time traveller Likes this wine: 94 Points
Impeccably cellared. 12 hour decant. Lush, round, no hard edges. Deep garnet and just a hint of barnyard, layered dark fruits, tobacco on the end. Just lovely. For those of you who just couldn't wait, as Gomer would say, “shame, shame, shame!”
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4/23/2022 - oldcabman Likes this wine: 93 Points
What mdkraft99 said!
Delicious and wish we had more!
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6/17/2021 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really drinking well right.now.
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5/29/2021 - pmcellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Good!
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5/4/2021 - wine4lux Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich purple color. Cassis, tobacco, black and blue fruit, with oak notes. Finishes with Rutherford dust. Has aged very well. Bottle keep improving from opening to last drop, 3 hours later. Last bottle of four purchased and this was the most noteworthy.
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4/18/2020 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aerated and decanted for about 30 min, drank over about an hour. Cherry, black cherry, a little blackberry, graphite, hint of orange and eucalyptus, vanilla, oak, a little dark chocolate at the end, soft tannins, well integrated, seemed like layers of flavors, long finish, just delicious, glad we waited on this but wish we had more.
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4/10/2020 - jdelalamo Likes this wine: 90 Points
ok
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12/28/2019 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful cab with room to grow. Will benefit from more time.
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12/26/2019 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well balanced, drinking exceptionally well.
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11/3/2018 - km5 wrote:
Amazing
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10/23/2018 - matthyson wrote: 92 Points
Pours inky purple in the glass. Brooding nose of cherry and dark fruits followed by hints of orange peel, iodine, and faint menthol notes. With some air, opens further with subtle aromas of eucalyptus, pencil shavings, vanilla, licorice, and slight herbaceous qualities. Jammy red fruits on the palate, intermingling with notes of vanilla and oak. Well balanced acidity and dusty tannins are followed by a 30 second finish.
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4/22/2018 - JHuckle wrote: 93 Points
Perfectly aged based on the balance of fruit and depth. Gorgeous wine. Only regret is not buying more 10 years ago...
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3/27/2018 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite a different smell than I would have guessed. Doesn't smell like Napa Cab or taste like it. Brighter with red fruits. Mild tannins and decent acidity. A touch of bitterness on the back end. Decent concentration but without much depth or complexity. Overall somewhat disjointed. 14.5% alcohol.
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2/6/2018 - hosscrow Likes this wine: 93 Points
First impression on the second day is a beautiful balance of oak and fruit, the result of nice aging as this wine is at its peak now but will stay here for a few years, at least. Lovely garnet color with inky purple hints extending to the rim. Ripe, dark black fruit and blueberries, olives, nice depth as a mineral quality and some cedar and expresso emerges on the nose. Similar flavors with a medium plus acidity, gritty but ripe tannins, a full mouthfeel leads to a balanced, extended finish. Lower score because this fine wine does not have the richness and power of more expressive wines.
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1/28/2018 - maxmanx wrote:
Ready to go without any decant or excessive swirling in the glass.
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11/14/2017 - Castle Peak wrote: 91 Points
Liked this classic Rutherford cab very much. Is aging nicely.
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8/5/2017 - GGinSF wrote: 90 Points
A very nice Rutherford Cabernet. Full bodied, a lot of dark berry fruit flavors, with very well-rounded but still present tannins. At peak, but could last another 5 years easily. For fans of big-fruit California Cabs.
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5/26/2017 - JeremyBernton Likes this wine: 91 Points
Complex nose of licorice, cherries, and dirt. On the palate, rich dark cherry liqueur and a bit of heat. Altogether nice, but I still think this could use a bit more time.
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12/4/2016 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
Has improved with time. Rich fruit with a touch of Rutherford dust. The tannins are a touch edgy on the finish. Clipped finish. Good but nothing memorable
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9/19/2016 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 92 Points
This has shaped up to be an outstanding Cali Cab at a really good value for its quality.
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5/21/2016 - zinfomaniac Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is smoking right now with still some life left.
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5/7/2016 - john@draneaslaw.com wrote: 90 Points
Fine with dinner. Couple hours later not so much. Main flavor seems to be oak - "cedar." Nota lot of fruit. Seems different Han other reviews but didn't seem like a bad bottle.
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3/6/2016 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted and left to breathe for 45 min. This is drinking much better than the last bottle, 1.5 yrs ago. Smooth, dark, and with just enough tannic kick in the finish. Wish I hadn't consumed my other bottles too soon.
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2/22/2016 - 1961Vintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to recent notes. the Bomb!
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12/27/2015 - wine4lux Likes this wine: 90 Points
One of five Napa cabs served at our wine tasting party. Others were: 2005 Far Niente, 2006 J Davies, 2008 Caymus, and a 2012 Hall 1873. Opened bottle about 3 hours before serving. Although the Round Pond was nice, I was probably the least favorite of the 5 cabs served- it was nicely balanced but tended a bit to the sweet side.
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11/16/2015 - eschuldt wrote: 92 Points
Nice fuit forward cab with just the right amount of age at this point.
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10/16/2015 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
My first bottle of these beauties. Nestled in my cellar for five years, its debut was a star turn. Big, bold, broad, brawny. Dark in the glass, robust on the nose, lush on the palate, long on the finish. Tannins are dusky, dusty, and altogether luscious.
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10/8/2015 - gwkozar wrote: 91 Points
POP. I picked up a slight mint essence, very nice for price.
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9/30/2015 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This wine is finally coming into it's own. Well integrated and lots of hanging dark berry fruit. A tiny hint of brick around the edge which caught me by surprise. Earthy, iron note but full throttle with lots of weight to throw around. The mid pallet has lots of layers and the finish is long and lingering. This has a lot of time ahead of it if that's what you're looking for.
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7/4/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
WOTN for me, thanks to Don for opening this one...consistent with notes of 11/9/2014 - has at least 10 years in front of it.
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6/21/2015 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Big nose on this with aromas of blackberry, cherry, herb, licorice and a touch of espresso. On the palate, it has flavors of cherry pie, blackberry, coffee, iron and currant. Ends with a finish if 30-35 seconds, a iron note really hanging on there. Big and lush on the palate. Wish I had more of these.
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3/14/2015 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, thick, dark fruit dominant at the start. Good weight on the tongue. Cassis on the nose. Then it unwound, and unwound, and now I"m 3 hours in and savoring every moment of the tannins which are drying my mouth out like the best chalk money can buy. Chocolate, cherries, coming on strong. Still lots of power, even at this point in the night. Cellar for another 5 years, easy.
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3/12/2015 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Used this bottle in the monthly wine tasting series. It received 2nd place after the 2007 Joeseph Phelps, but it was very close. Tasting was also very consistent with the previous bottle. Both of these wines were a notch above the 2007 Culler in the view of myself and the other tasters.
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3/4/2015 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
What I consider the classic Rutherford dusty Cab. Extremely well balanced acid/tannin levels, and wine is fully integrated from front to back. Nose has blackberry, cherry, vanilla, and a hint of smokiness. It is very smooth on the palate with a very long finish. Snack hint: I read that walnuts go very well with Cab. I tried this combo and the reports are correct. The walnut brings the fruit out to nice intensity that really complements the slight bitterness of the walnut.
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2/16/2015 - gaschief wrote: 90 Points
Inky heavy red-- better after an hour- fruits and aroma of berries-- but not as exceptional as billed
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2/1/2015 - CLOrta wrote: 92 Points
Aging ok, better after a couple hours of decanting. I think I like the 06 better.
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1/11/2015 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really the best almost immediately after decanting. The aromas and flavors were less delineated after two hours. Lots of red and black fruit, with some licorice, green pepper, and mint. Very good wine, but not worth the $40 price tag. There are better Cabernets out there for less.
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11/29/2014 - Rezy13 wrote:
Bring Your Own Bottle Non-Blind (Bin 75): Dark core with thin garnet rim; brulee, vanilla, stewed blackberry, menthol, anise, dark and rich; palate similar to nose, rich, still good structure but I would drink this in the near-term.
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11/29/2014 - JohnW3 wrote: 92 Points
This wine has continued to get better with a little cellar age. Great balance with the right amount of fruit and smooth tannins.
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11/11/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This wine is coming around. Super youthful and dark purple, lots of sweet dark fruit and dusty notes on nose. Tannins are slight and chalky with a full texture yet very precise on the tongue. This wine fills the corners of your mouth and has done a great job of filling out. Some earthy coffee notes are there too. Maybe it's because I'm roasting coffee while I write these notes?
Nah.
Present acidity with clearing tannin, I think this wine is just starting to enter it's mature phase at 7, and that's a perfect drinking window for me. Enjoy.
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11/9/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tremendous quality for the price - smooth and rich - blackberry, plum currant and herb - enough backbone to keep it from being jammy
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10/26/2014 - themki wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely delicious after 4 hour decant
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8/21/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Balanced, savory, black fruit. Soft tannins and acidity.
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8/4/2014 - dstraub wrote: 92 Points
A really good cabernet...
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6/11/2014 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Fairly sweet on opening, this showed best between hour one and two. At that point, the sweetness of the ripe fruit had receded to a more modest level and some earth and coffee notes added complexity and balance. This still seems fairly young to me and I plan to hold my other bottle for a few more years.
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6/6/2014 - jfpwine Likes this wine:
Same notes as before. Decanted one hour. Lovely wine. Drinks very well right now.
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4/23/2014 - up4wine wrote: 91 Points
light oak, big fruit; nice wine.
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4/21/2014 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last of two bottles, 9 months later. This is truly what Napa Cab is all about - everything you would expect - drinking perfectly now. Dark, brooding garnet color is matched with an earthy, leathery nose. Taste included notes of dusty graphite, black licorice, bell pepper, olallaberry fruit. It is strong enough to let you know this is a Napa Cab - it is not light at all - but it is not an in your face robust Cab. Medium, smooth tannins (as expected for 6 & 1/2 yrs) and medium finish. This is a very elegant/classy Cab that would match a lot of food, but might be a tad overpowered by spicy food, bbq, heavily tomato dishes. Went perfectly with rack of lamb with mint/pesto - covered lightly with chipotle panko crumbs. This might age a little more, but it is in a very sweet spot just now and we suggest consuming in 2014.
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3/30/2014 - mda7 wrote: 90 Points
very nice but have enjoyed other vintages more
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2/17/2014 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking incredibly well right now. Dark ruby, smooth, with fruits of black cherry and a hint of tobacco and oak. I can't wait to see what this wine develops into, it should be spectacular.
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1/5/2014 - gaschief wrote: 92 Points
Superb Cabernet. Juicy and flavorful. Berries and fine aging. Just about a perfect and mop lex Cabernet.
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12/27/2013 - dstraub wrote: 93 Points
A very good wine.
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12/9/2013 - iamandyc wrote: 89 Points
Nose was dominated by cedar, moss and spearmint. Palate had raspberry and black cherry. Drying tannins and minerals on the finish. Silky. Seems a bit chewy and awkward. Store.
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11/30/2013 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 90 Points
Good wine. Big and brooding, but a little sloppy. All over the place and the tannins were very dry. Liked it overall.
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11/7/2013 - themki wrote: 93 Points
Rich, dark fruit, cherry, still a little young - wait
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10/15/2013 - jimmyrice14 wrote: 94 Points
Big time fruit and smooth tannins...really stunning.
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9/26/2013 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Beautiful, really suave with a rich texture. Drinks like a caymus, big and upfront.
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9/2/2013 - 2Travel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice. Too cold when we opened, so took a while to show. Very nice medium to full body, cassis, lots of fine grained tannins. This should continue to grow into itself nicely.
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7/22/2013 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is drinking perfectly now. Balanced acidity, fruit and alcohol. Appearance was dark, nose was fruit and wood. Tastes of black cherry, earth, black licorice giving it a touch of sweetness with a touch of oak. It was bold, nearly robust - certainly full-bodied with a long finish, but its elegance makes it very approachable and enjoyable. Classic Napa/Rutherford Cab, exceptional wine.
Needed minimal breathing.
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7/19/2013 - sellerscellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Liked this a little bit less than the last bottle. Much more mint and eucalyptus flavors seemed to dominate the entire bottle...even after considerable time between glasses and letting the wine open properly. Seemed abit more out of balance. Maybe a dumb phase? Still enjoyable, but lacked that dominant dusty quality I love about Rutherford Cab.
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6/3/2013 - Thirsty1 wrote:
Similar notes as before. Not bad in any way just a bit closed.
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5/27/2013 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
A beautiful cabernet. Open up within 30 minutes. Nothing like the bad reviews below. Full bodied cab that tastes a lot more expensive than it was. Finished with a bit of cedar. 92/93
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5/24/2013 - sellerscellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking incredibly smooth right now. Everything is in full integration after at least a 45 min. decant.
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4/15/2013 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 88 Points
Not what I was hoping for as it seemed slightly out of balance with a lot of sweet fruit/oak but an unbalanced acidity on the mid palate. Not a bad wine but less than I expected at this price point
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4/15/2013 - sully13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose: chocolate, bramble berry, a little tobacco. Taste: upfront fruit, a spike of tannins and leather with a long but maybe a little hot finish.
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3/31/2013 - jrkennedy37 wrote: 91 Points
In an awkward phase right now. Disjointed upon opening, but after decanting and some vigorous swirls, it began coming around. The ripe blue fruit present just a year ago has dissipated to highlight only the black fruit - tannin is more present now than in the past due to some of the richer fruit fading. I want to think it is evolving currently but I also miss the explosive fruit when first released.
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3/27/2013 - Thirsty1 wrote:
Not so sure about this one - and not from a quality perspective. This was a pop and pour and it seemed kinda'.... dumb. We had it off the plane and car ride to the house. Opened right when we landed and it seemed shut down. All the parts were where I expected but it seemed like it left the room before the party started? It wasn't the sum of it's parts. I'll give it another try again maybe later this year. Had at Deer Crest.
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2/26/2013 - artist777 wrote: 93 Points
Very nice bottle, good fruit with cherry and plum notes. There is a nice herbal quality on the finish.
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2/24/2013 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I enjoyed this much more than when i had it close to release. Great nose of currant, cherry, dusty berry and licorice. On the palate this had a lot of red fruits with cinnamon, a touch of earth and dried cherry. It ended with a 30 second finish. Very nice wine for the money. 93 on day one. 94 on day 2.
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2/22/2013 - Yamadori wrote: 87 Points
After the previous showing decided not to decant this bottle. Left to slow ox for about 2 hours. Unfortunately this drank exactly the same as the last bottle. It was initially very nice with a good attack of black and blue fruits. However it quickly fell apart and degenerated into a sweet, goopy mess. This is a decent wine but it just seems a little manufactured to me.
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2/21/2013 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Young and solid.. Great vintage and overall a solid vintage..
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2/20/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
PNV week, part of a 2005-11 vertical on Rutherford Estate. This was my #1 wine of the tasting, same for our group.
The palate had a cherry, red fruit, chocolate profile. some of the Bordeaux characteristics of the 05, more Calif fruit. Drinking beautifully, will probably keep improving
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2/9/2013 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit on the nose. Dense body, with solid tannins and hint of spice. Decanted for one hour. Yet seemed a little closed, I think it needs more time in the cellar. But still very enjoyable.
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1/1/2013 - chanote44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP and it opened up nicely in the galss with time. The fruit really shines on the palate and the finish was long and delicious. Worthy!
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12/29/2012 - GlassHalfFull wrote: 94 Points
Wow... really in a good place now. Big very dark but not dried fruit, minerals, and long dry finish.
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12/26/2012 - WDK wrote: 90 Points
Big and rich, but also overoaked.
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12/25/2012 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 90 Points
Huge wine. Stereotypical napa cab. Big fruit a little Rutherford
Dust and a slightly drying/chalky finish. Overall a nice wine that I would drink any day, but need to be in the mood for it. It is large and in charge.
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12/23/2012 - rwilk_2000 wrote: 87 Points
Had 3 bottles and drank over several hours. Decanted for 3 hrs before first sip. Wine was very underwhelming. Nothing big or long at this point. Seemed well integrated, but nothing stood out. Tannins well integrated. Not too long. Drink sooner than later....
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12/22/2012 - As-Is Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Medium. We enjoyed this wine. I suggest opening the bottle and let it breath for 30 to 40 minutes before pouring. It has a smooth finish and was a superb wine to pair with red meat.
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12/13/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
My previous two notes are tracking some good evolution on this gem. That said, now is not a good time to open this bottle unless you have some serious time on your hands. I tasted this over two days and while it ultimately lined up with previous notes, the tannins have clamped down. What is interesting is that on day one even with the fierce tannins and heat, you can still glimpse all of the components behind the tannins. The fresh berries are there, the black currant, the herbs, some wood, all there. Under cork in the fridge for a day, the wine re-emerges. The overall profile is sweet and savory, a bit thick, but leaning up. Berries, currant, savory herbs, and for now a still tannic finish. I'm encouraged by how the components take hold with time. This will be pretty classic rutherford stuff, it will just take an estimated 2 years to re-emerge. Positive potential. 92+.
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12/5/2012 - Emvip wrote: 92 Points
Really liked this wine. Hit its stride at about the 2 hr mark. Dark fruits, medium to full bodied, a little dry and tannic. Noticeable plum flavor, drinking very well right now, could see this having at least 4-6 years left and possibly improving a bit with a little age
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10/29/2012 - gwkozar wrote: 91 Points
Pop. Started out a bit hot with black plums and blueberry and good acidity. Alcohol burned off a bit after 30 minutes and drank well. Saved 2 glasses for the next day which was a mistake since the acidity disappeared.
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10/25/2012 - phlegls wrote: 93 Points
Tommy in Town - Prime Rib Eyes - M M M Good
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10/17/2012 - sasvino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid fruit forward cab, good balance, seems to be near peak in my mind, finish had good legs. Low 90s
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10/13/2012 - Yamadori wrote:
Decanted 3 hours. Nice nose of ripe blue and black fruits. Medium plus body with black raspberry, blueberry and plum fruit profile on the initial attack. However, the wine quickly became flat and tired with a short finish. Not at all what i was expecting. This was really disappointing and i am hoping this was a subpar bottle. Hope for better from my others. (NR)
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9/29/2012 - MCUBEB wrote: 87 Points
Simple straight forward fruit bomb. There is some complexity with some interesting notes of mint and tobacco. Drinking well and may improve with couple of years of age.
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8/26/2012 - Bcw1989 wrote: 93 Points
Really good wine. Drinking well.
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8/13/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured one night for a glass, then finished the bottle two nights later. Taste is very sweet with blackberry and blueberry flavors. Not sure if I'd say it's jammy, but it tastes like pie filling if I had a blackberry or blueberry pie - not really what I'm hoping for. Taste and aroma both have some tar in there. Also has a bit of tobacco on the nose. Didn't find the finish too drying or tannic. The sweetness of the fruit is really just too much to make this any better scoring.
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7/28/2012 - msilver wrote: 90 Points
Very nice cab. Had this before dinner with some snacks, it would show better with a meal.
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7/22/2012 - Bcw1989 wrote: 92 Points
Really a good wine tonight. Popped and poured even though the cork showed signs of oxidation. Still really a god wine that is big and jammy, with hints of raspberries, cherries, and even cocoa. Still a bit tannic, but is settling down. Good wine that we drank over the course of a meal and the rest of the evening. Glad I have more! Enjoy.
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6/30/2012 - phlegls wrote: 92 Points
pop & pour - Good from the get go
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6/8/2012 - jeffm_fla wrote: 92 Points
Waited a year-and-a-half to drink my second (and last) bottle. Time was very good to this wine. Plush and powerful with great flavors.
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6/2/2012 - jad1964 wrote: 92 Points
really nice soft cab. drinks well out of bottle. did not sustain itself sitting out, i would drink it up.
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5/30/2012 - GoBlue2002 wrote: 92 Points
Strong pleasant aroma, with a slightly syrupy sweet flavor profile. The finish was long, with some complexity. Tannins were mild for a cabernet. This wine was very pleasant, easy-drinking, and the bottle went fast.
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5/13/2012 - winehunter wrote: 90 Points
Very bright, and could use some time in the cellar -
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4/25/2012 - Bcw1989 wrote: 92 Points
Big jammy Cabernet. Popped and poured. Rich ripe cherries, raspberries and a hint of mocha. Nice complex finish with long finish. Very enjoyable. Several hours after dinner, taste became more muted and stale. Still good, but not like it was earlier when it just opened. Makes me think it needs to drink now.
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4/22/2012 - J0R0 wrote: 91 Points
Big Napa cab. Deep purple in color. Firm dusty tannins that seemed to stay firm no matter how long the wine was open. Black fruits, medium finish. Could use a little longer in the bottle. Was a croud favorite. An elegant wine that pairs well with food.
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4/22/2012 - Mootsie wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm. Nose is the best part. Really needs cellar time to shine. Tannic and young.
Better on day 2. The tannins have relaxed.
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4/9/2012 - The Wine Guy wrote: 91 Points
Nice balance and stucture full bodied with ripe, rich fruit black currant, cherry, spice notes of cedar vanilla and oak, plenty of tannin on the finish but integrated for a long finish. Folled this with the 08 which was a step back but not a big one. Cellar for a few more years. Can be decanted but not necessary. Loved sharing this with daughter, wife, niece and nephew.
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2/28/2012 - kenhoeve wrote: 93 Points
Real deal here. A little tannic at this point but if you aren't opposed to them it is drinking very fine. Cool nose of vanilla and dark berry. Fresh black currant, sweet green herb, cocoa, on the palate. Full bodied with firm structure and a long long finish of bright fresh berries. A very fresh and lively wine that yet again survived 24 hours on the counter-top and only got better.
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2/14/2012 - Kevadera wrote: 94 Points
Full bodied Rutherford Cabernet that's aging nicely......Delightful!
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2/4/2012 - alamoave wrote: 86 Points
Big and gooey
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1/3/2012 - Katie&Mike wrote: 91 Points
This just keeps getting better and better with age. The palate is exceptional with a long cherry chocolate finish. The nose is pretty but not overly assertive. It is drinking beautifully now but I'll try to hold off for a year or so before opening the next bottle.
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12/10/2011 - jonysan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank after a good 3 hour decant. Was the first of three bottles tonight the others being a 07 Bond Matriarch and a 05 Vine Cliff Private Stock 16 Rows Cab. The Round Pond was good, but it came in second place tonight to the Vine Cliff. Really nice berry flavors, with currant and menthol. Smooth tannins and a nice finish. Good balance, but lacked the structure of the Vine Cliff. Still, it was an excellent wine and great QPR compared to the Vine Cliff and Matriarch.
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11/29/2011 - dstraub wrote: 94 Points
Just a great wine. Decanted it for a meal with a nice ribeye and it was awesome.
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11/20/2011 - 1961Vintage wrote: 92 Points
Still a baby, but oh so powerful. The fruit and balance rock. Let is rest a couple of years and come back, likely much improvement from here.
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11/19/2011 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the nose, cherry and spice. On the palate, full-bodied, but elegant with kirsch, blackberry liquor, cedar and more cedar, oak and a hint of vanilla. Lengthy finish with almost integrated tannins. Improves with a
4 hr decant; accordingly, I would drink this beauty now, or cellar it for no more than five years. Delightful wine with the best QPR for the 07 cabernet vintage.
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11/18/2011 - gfavarato wrote: 95 Points
Developing nicely, nice rutherford tannins great fruit.
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10/27/2011 - wehouck wrote: 94 Points
A pleasure from the first pour until the end of a very long finish. This dark ruby cabernet sauvignon is still early, but packed with flavor and fruit. The true nose without swirling the glass proves a full bodied, ripe, and well balanced Napa cab. Nothing overbearing here. Nice tones of oak, but not overwhelming. Smooth and silky as it runs over the tongue and palate, simply delicious. A touch a tannin graces not only the pleasurable taste, but also the finish. Very ripe dark berries fill the mouth and after taste for a very long finish.
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9/21/2011 - King Cab wrote: 95 Points
I actually dislike the word delicious, but need to use it here. This wine is pure and simply delicious. Pretty nose of fresh cherries, kirsch, and spring flowers. Palate has such a purity, we need another....well, you know. It is lush and bursting at the seams with all good....cab....stuff. There is the freshest fruit profile I have encountered all year; fantastic red-black currant, cherries, sweet red raspberry, blackberry liquor and more. Hints of graphite, vanilla, framboise and love. The love comes in many forms, too many to pinpoint. Balance is impeccably deft with large but well behavin' tannins. Acidity rides a wee-bit high, but it is almost needed with this, now, here, tonight. If I said it before, I will unabashedly repeat it: it's a pretty wine, very pretty. A super finish keeps really rounds this one out like the moon at 'harvest moon' time of the year. Just incredible.
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9/5/2011 - jtinto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious cab full of complexity with flavors of currants and blackberries accented by some cedar spice and minerality. Amazingly persistent and long. This will get better and warrant a classic rating. 94+
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8/22/2011 - random wrote: 88 Points
Good, solid cab. Round, solid nose. Good fruit - not amazing. Probably would not buy again at the price.
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8/6/2011 - Tri Wine wrote: 93 Points
Great expression of cabernet. If you are looking for a big cab under $50, this is it. I think this needs 2-3 more years or more personally but it really opened up over an hour or so. Good stuff.
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7/30/2011 - cpowell wrote: 92 Points
The 07's are showing very well, and this wine is no exception. Great fruit and terrific finish. Definite food wine.
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7/29/2011 - Neil H wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well. Solid 2007 napa cab. Very silky tannins.
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6/19/2011 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 94 Points
Really quite delicious, medium bodied, excellent balance. Strawberry, licorice, even a little earth. You'd be hard pressed to find a better cab for the money.
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6/13/2011 - kenhoeve wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Intense wine of cassis and red berry, buffeted by masses of dusty Rutherford tannins. Too tannic at the present time but the acid here will give this one a long and very beneficial evolution. Tasted again after 24 hours in a decanter and it still hasn't fallen apart. Outstanding wine that I think needs at least 5 years of cellaring. 92-95.
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5/28/2011 - Dasher wrote: 94 Points
Wow! Super smooth drinking very well right now! What a find!
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5/17/2011 - km5 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted tuesday and finished remaining on friday against many bottles. Did not stand out but still good wine.
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5/8/2011 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I decanted it 4 hours before serving. Nose was pleasant but seemed a little muted. The wine had the classic Napa characteristics with the dusty berry flavor to go with flavors of blackberry, smoke and black cherry. This led to a nice finish of about 25 seconds.
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5/8/2011 - bullmrkt wrote: 92 Points
This was too tight the first night. Night 2 opened up to a decent nose that still seems to be holding back. Dense, big and chewy but carried by balanced acids for a very well structured palate. This is the stuffing to go many years. Glad I have a couple more to hold until 2013+.
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5/2/2011 - jcbrand wrote: 92 Points
note: rating based off first night. having tasted this, i wish i had more. dense, chewy, structure i expect from a great napa cab
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4/24/2011 - russdan60 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice bottle. Decanted 4 hours prior to drinking. Smooth and excellent finish. Very pleased.
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4/23/2011 - Neil H wrote: 93 Points
Solid 07 Cali cab. Highly concentrated with smooth, smokey tannins. Is good, likely to be great!
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3/26/2011 - Drink&Trade wrote: 93 Points
From 375 ml. Cherry and pop tart on the nose. Smooth and weighty. Vanilla, tobacco and red fruit. Tannins are full and firm. Finish is excellent. Drinking well and likely to get better with age.
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3/20/2011 - lsnider wrote: 92 Points
Decanted half of a bottle for 1.5 hours.
Lovely dark fruits with vanilla in a dark medium to full bodied feel. The sweet tannins are there but not over powering. A nice long smooth finish.
Next day I finished the other half. This wine did get better with more vanilla and even some tobacco notes.
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3/8/2011 - km5 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and vacu vinned. 91 pts. Tasted first and second night. Second night was better. 92 pts. This wine holds well. Long finish, solid full body with rich fruits. Very enjoyable but not standing out in any special way.
Update: On the 5th night, surprised to find this in the fridge. Poured a small sip after having some bad pinot....yum...dumped the pinot and then emptied this bottle in my glass. Holy moly, this is a very enjoyable wine, with rich fruits and long finish that makes you want more and more. Great sweet aroma of mixed ripe berries. To me, this is great QPR and drink anytime anywhere wine. It's not a distinct napa cab, but it is well rounded and enjoyable enough to make me want more of this good stuff. Tannins are a bit on the heavy side but this wine will just get better over time. Bumping the score to 94.
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3/5/2011 - sjdoc Likes this wine: 94 Points
deep, rich dark fruit. Medium tannins
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2/18/2011 - jad1964 wrote: 92 Points
i wouldnt call this one a fruit bomb. was actually quite good right out of the bottle. which made me think this wouldnt be sustainable after a few hrs, but it actually got better. made me think this one will improve over next yr or two. wouldnt handicap this one a long, long keeper though. legit napa cab, not on complicated side. middle fruit. middle finish....but across the board a winner.
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2/6/2011 - CobraKahn wrote: 92 Points
Nice, concentrated, deep, complex.
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1/23/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 92 Points
Notes consistent with previous. Had this over two nights. Very nice.
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1/20/2011 - km5 wrote: 91 Points
No food with tasting. Fruit bomb, well rounded and smooth with sweet nose. Bursting with pungently ripe blackberry. Typical fine napa. Not very complex tonight. Didn't have time to let it breathe but finish was not quite as strong, but pleasant. Also it was going up against a big italian bottle (Ornellaia Superiore). Good QPR. Gets better and better...
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1/13/2011 - Alarmmandan wrote: 92 Points
Very good napa cab
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1/2/2011 - mmyette wrote: 93 Points
Interesting. Drank this blind against a Kathryn Hall 07 and an 07 Colgin. The vote give this one the number one slot, I was the only one who liked the Colgin better blind. I thought it was open and expressive, and quite delicious, if not as complex as the colgin.
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12/27/2010 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured. Medium-plus dark purple, youthful. Aromas of black fruits, currant, and dried cedar. Medium-plus body, plush. On the palate, the fruit is quite forward and opulent; think ripe blackberry, raspberry and currant. These flavors are complimented by oaky notes of vanilla bean and hints of spice. The tannins are well-rounded and smooth on the moderate close. Not terribly complex, this is nonetheless a very tasty wine and should drink well in the short to mid-term.
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12/25/2010 - StainedGlass wrote: 90 Points
A full bodied fruit-forward cabernet, but balanced with cedar and tannins. Not over the top, but still young with too much ripe fruit at this stage. I only had a quick taste with no opportunity for notes, but I may look for this in the future.
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12/11/2010 - km5 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious wine!
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12/11/2010 - sjdoc wrote: 94 Points
rich full taste. dark fruit. excellent
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11/21/2010 - njmays wrote: 95 Points
rated 93 last week. Drank last night in head to head tasting with the Hall 2006. The Round Pond was the better wine. More approachable now (in spite of being a year younger) and with a consistent balance start to finish. Made the Hall show a rather obvious blank spot of missing acidity in the mid-palate to early finish. Consumed over a three and a half hour period switching back and forth between the two wines. To be fair, the Hall gained some momentum and rounded out after it had been open and decanted for about five hours. I'm looking forward to doing a similar comparison in 2015. Powerful nose of black currant, with vanilla from the oak and soft hints of licorice underneath. A big mouthfeel, young and intense but still balance between the fruit, acidity and tannin. The black currant gives way to stewed plum and some cedary notes. This wine sung after three hours of being open.
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11/16/2010 - TBird wrote: 93 Points
decanted 2 hours
mocha & vanilla immediately, plenty of ripe blackberry kirsch & cedar/mint. smaller amounts of tobacco & pencil lead. a very "serious" cab and only $40! originally bought 6, immediately bought 6 more afterwards.
i consider it "masculine" and should require steaks and cigars, imo.
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11/15/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 90 Points
Good wine, maybe a bit overrated. It was a very good year...
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11/6/2010 - sjdoc wrote: 94 Points
Young. Definitely needed am hour or so to open. Not the typical California fruit forward cab. Tastes of rich mocha predominated. Very nice
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10/27/2010 - winopops3 wrote: 93 Points
Sometimes I just don't get the WS ratings. This one however is on the mark. Nose hits with dark fruit and cigar. The mouth feel is viscous. The palate is filled with dark fruit tobacco and mint.
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10/24/2010 - jinks wrote: 91 Points
Agree with other drinkers. Lots of deep dark fruit and vanilla; TONS of tannins in there, will wait on other bottles at least a couple years.
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10/19/2010 - Sweet_Berry_Wine!! wrote: 92 Points
Concentrated and over the top, this wine hits you over the head with blown out cassis-fruit and new oak. So ripe in style it's almost overly sweet, but it does show great density and some chocolate and cedary notes following all the gobs of new-world fruit. Long, long finish. Not my style, but this is a well made and powerfully opulent wine.
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10/4/2010 - calicabnut Likes this wine: 95 Points
Monday, October 04, 2010 - A wonderful cab! Enjoyed at a wine tasting of about 40 recently released California wines, about 15 of which were Cabs and this stunner was the consensus WOTN among the Cabs handily beating out wines like the 2007 Ghost Block and 2007 Larkmead, absolutely wholloping the 2008 Caymus, and even edging out the 2007 Pahlmeyer .. it was close with the Pahlmeyer at the beginning of the tasting but after they had been open for about an hour and a half the Round Pond was opening up and showing its stuff and began steadily pulling away .. after about 2 hours it was no longer a contest. Drinking great right now if you give it an hour or better yet two in a decanter but give this baby a year, two or even 3 to work its magic in the bottle and it will be blowing doors of most of its contemporaries. Medium-to-full bodied (but very well may put on more weight in the bottle), an avalanche of dark fruits, just the right amount of lightly spiced oak and very soft tannins for such a young age. Awesome finish that simply swooned us and sent us clammoring back to the table for another pour.
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10/4/2010 - calicabnut Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderful cab! Enjoyed at a wine tasting of about 40 recently released California wines, about 15 of which were Cabs and this stunner was the consensus WOTN among the Cabs handily beating out wines like the 2007 Ghost Block and 2007 Larkmead, absolutely wholloping the 2008 Caymus, and even edging out the 2007 Pahlmeyer .. it was close with the Pahlmeyer at the beginning of the tasting but after they had been open for about an hour and a half the Round Pond was opening up and showing its stuff and began steadily pulling away .. after about 2 hours it was no longer a contest. Drinking great right now if you give it an hour or better yet two in a decanter but give this baby a year, two or even 3 to work its magic in the bottle and it will be blowing doors of most of its contemporaries. Medium-to-full bodied (but very well may put on more weight in the bottle), an avalanche of dark fruits, just the right amount of lightly spiced oak and very soft tannins for such a young age. Awesome finish that simply swooned us and sent us clammoring back to the table for another pour.
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10/1/2010 - Mel-o-Vino wrote: 92 Points
The nose hits you in the face with big, dark fruit and slight oak. The palate was a mix of dark fruit and cassis. The finish kept going.....dark fruit and more dark fruit. Incredibly smooth, especially after sitting in the glass for a while. Very nice.
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9/21/2010 - ptelgenh wrote: 94 Points
wow, i think this is outstanding. big dark, dense fruit with firm tannins. Eat a big steak with this.
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9/4/2010 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
Super dark and luxurious, the nose is all sweet black fruits and some soft oak. The palate has pure creme de cassis, Kirsh Royal, blackberry, black cherry, black raspberries with a hint of cedar box and tobacco. Some lead pencil and some soy but the big star here is the intense and purity that seems delivered almost converor-like delivered with elegance and focus one usually wishes for in a Napa Cab, and does not always get. Its tanins are intricate and complicated, and the mouth feel is medium weight, soft full & plushy. What really caught my attention was the finish; it was long and pure fruited, and I mean looooong. 5 minutes later I was still tasting this wine, and that ain't too bad.
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8/7/2010 - mmurry wrote: 86 Points
Bordeaux Varietals (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had blackberry and herbs, raspberry and spice, and a little vanilla. The palate had bitter tannins, but also had some blackberry and raspberry, cedar and spice, and a vaniila finish.
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7/24/2010 - cbkamp wrote: 91 Points
This wine really grew on me. Decanted for 6 hrs. The nose was the star for me. Cassis, sweet blackberry, caramel, toasty vanilla, and mint. The fruit was subdued on the palate and the ancillary flavors shined. Chewy tannins mixed with tobacco, coffee, and cassis. The finish is really cool and long with an interesting bitter chocolate. It needs some time, but it was worth the wait.
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7/17/2010 - THA wrote: 91 Points
An excellent wine. As expected, a woody, oaky nose; but the oak does not dominate the ripe, pure fruit. The nose also offers cedar, sage and other dried herbs, which add an extra dimension; but I would not describe this wine's nose as "perfumed". Out of the bottle, the wine is muscular; and the cotton-mouth tannins dominate. After 90 minutes, the tannins had considerably softened resulting in a soft, round, but focused, wine. This wine offers a full body, with depth and concentration, but is not heavy or fatiguing. This is a fresh, clean wine, almost to a fault -- there is no funk, brett, barnyard, etc. I think this wine will improve with age -- the tannins should fall into balance, and some interesting secondary flavors should emerge.
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6/18/2010 - Yack Man wrote: 86 Points
This cab was okay, certainly not over the top. Would not buy again (overpriced at $44.99).
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