As mentioned, the fruit on this wine is more than one might expect from Melka, but it is still a gorgeous wine. Also, comment about wine nearing end is something I might tend to agree, to a point. No rush, but wouldn't let it sit too much longer. I had the sensation that wine opened up after about an hour or so and then started to fade.
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Pop and pour. Good but on the decline with all elements fully resolved/integrated and almost watered down. Cool blackberry, aged leather, spearmint, plums, and some woody notes. Time to drink.
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PnP , very enjoyable. Seems it needed a little more air time. Drank along 2 other wines, this wine stood out for its structure and elegance and quality juice. I just wish I had given it more time and a decant.
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Overall & especially for the price, this was a very good bottle of wine. Very fragrant nose, good amount of fruit on the mid-palate and decent finish. I would recommend decanting it for a couple of hours to really let it open up as it definitely got better in hour 3 vs when I first opened it and tasted it.
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I love this producer but have to say that this wine disappointed me. One of the reasons I think Philippe Melka is one of the best winemakers around is that he combines classic bordeaux winemaking with California fruit, but this wine is just simply too much of the latter. Though the fruit is beautiful, it is not matched by any acidity and the tannins are already soft. You could easily mistake this for a central coast Syrah. I think his 2007 CJ is much more complex and worthy of aging. Perhaps I am being unfair because I hold him to such a high standard, but there are other wines in this category that are a better, more typical style of what I expect.
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Nice bottle of wine. Purple and opaque. Nose is vanilla, mocca/chocolate, cedar, and a rumboling cherries, plumbs, and appricots. Palate is consistent with acidity that keeps the wine balanced. Tannins are round and working towards velvety. 5+12+16+8=91
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Popped and poured ,should of decanted for at least 2 hours , opened up as the night went on ,served with lasagna went ok ,just not alot of depth to this wine maybe it's just a bad time for this wine.
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A combination of deep dark fruit--figs and chocolate with a touch of cumin and dust on the nose. It is luxuriously velvety on the palate with stirrings of dust initially that luxuriously blossom into notes of vanilla, caramel and sugarcane surfing on a balanced undercurrent of dark fruit. The slightest hint of tannicity appears at the end that holds the entire elegant complex together for an elegantly satisfying ending. Every sip of this wine needs to be savored. It breaks the time space continuum....
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Dark purple, bright magenta rim Strong notes of plums, cassis, vanilla and cedar. Aromatically rich and enticing. Full bodied with an incredibly rich, sweet (but not), decadent mouthfeel. Slight lift of acidity on the finish keep the wine refreshing. Moderate level of tannin rounds out the palate that finishes with a medium length finish consisting primarily of cassis and vanilla.
Solid wine, very fun to drink. You cannot get more "modern" than this style. It's definitely one to drink in the near-term as opposed to extended cellaring.
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All in all, this wine has a beautiful nose and an attractive palate. However, the palate did not live up to expectations based on the nose. It seems a little too accessible and I think some more acidity as well as tannic structure would help balance the wine. That said, it is very much enjoyable. It does not seem to strive to be complicated. Rather, it enjoys doing a good job of being a good, simple cab. Nevertheless, the price, I feel, is out of line with the bottle. To me, it should be more in the $30 range.
Tone: Deep, dark purple. Ruby on the rim
Nose: Gorgeous! Simply, unquestionably beautiful. Well balanced, floral bouquet with hints of lilacs and spices. Classic Napa Cab hues with underlying current of gravel. Even a bit rustic
Palate & Finish: Noticeably sweet on the attack. Lingers throughout and cheapens the wine a bit. Medium-length finish that is pleasant and a bit chewy. Medium-full bodied with an easy mouthfeel. Perhaps a little more acidity would help balance this wine out. Unmistakable hints of orange. A little raspberry. There is also a rustic element hidden on the palate and in the finish. It is almost bricky in nature. A hint of tartness comes in a after a little while.
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Not much more to add than already said. This is just a true beauty of a Napa wine with silk and grace. AND, a good "value" for a high quality Napa Cab.
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I think the Parker rating on this one is way wrong. An explosion of berries and jams with a slightly candy flavor. This wine gets better each time I have a bottle. I need to pick up more.
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Once this gets open and going it rewards you handsomely with plum and dark fruits. Lots of silky tannin on the palate with a along finish. Needs a good hour and a half to come around. More like a powerful Paulliac than Napa fruit bomb. Cheers!
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If you are ready to drink this now it will need an hour of love and decanting before it is ready. Once it is open it is fantastic with dark fruit, primarily plum, and dry tannins. This is extremely smoothed and balanced, excellent wine. Will only be better with time.
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This is quickly becoming a favorite. Wonderful fruit with a thick silkiness that coats the mouth. Very well structured without the anger found in many CA cabs.
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Jess and I both agreed on the rating. Big black fruit; needs a few hours of air time to hit the mark but it gets there...I can't wait to try this in a couple years.
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10/20/2020 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 97 Points
Done. This style has not aged well. Oak has turned sour and the once extracted fruit is thin/watery. Likely peaked at age 5. Drinkable still.
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10/8/2019 - Chad Wenger wrote: 94 Points
Rich black fruits with tobacco leaf. Smooth to drink but still going strong.
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11/8/2017 - Hi.its.Don.4.Wine wrote: 93 Points
As mentioned, the fruit on this wine is more than one might expect from Melka, but it is still a gorgeous wine. Also, comment about wine nearing end is something I might tend to agree, to a point. No rush, but wouldn't let it sit too much longer. I had the sensation that wine opened up after about an hour or so and then started to fade.
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9/17/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Good but on the decline with all elements fully resolved/integrated and almost watered down. Cool blackberry, aged leather, spearmint, plums, and some woody notes. Time to drink.
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10/19/2016 - vinomex wrote: 91 Points
PnP , very enjoyable. Seems it needed a little more air time. Drank along 2 other wines, this wine stood out for its structure and elegance and quality juice. I just wish I had given it more time and a decant.
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1/17/2016 - stconner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Overall & especially for the price, this was a very good bottle of wine. Very fragrant nose, good amount of fruit on the mid-palate and decent finish. I would recommend decanting it for a couple of hours to really let it open up as it definitely got better in hour 3 vs when I first opened it and tasted it.
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3/1/2015 - richardkim wrote: 92 Points
Unctuous on the nose. On the palate, too, the fruit is rich and silky, with blackcurrant, vanilla, and mocha. Tannins remain firm.
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8/1/2014 - grover91 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Everything you want a Cab to be! Served with steaks. No decant needed. Smooth, well balanced, and tasty!
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4/3/2014 - hrazdiiv wrote: 90 Points
I love this producer but have to say that this wine disappointed me. One of the reasons I think Philippe Melka is one of the best winemakers around is that he combines classic bordeaux winemaking with California fruit, but this wine is just simply too much of the latter. Though the fruit is beautiful, it is not matched by any acidity and the tannins are already soft. You could easily mistake this for a central coast Syrah. I think his 2007 CJ is much more complex and worthy of aging. Perhaps I am being unfair because I hold him to such a high standard, but there are other wines in this category that are a better, more typical style of what I expect.
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9/28/2013 - Delli Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice bottle of wine. Purple and opaque. Nose is vanilla, mocca/chocolate, cedar, and a rumboling cherries, plumbs, and appricots. Palate is consistent with acidity that keeps the wine balanced. Tannins are round and working towards velvety. 5+12+16+8=91
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8/12/2013 - difran wrote: 92 Points
Cherry, bright fruit, still good structure, well balanced, but short finish. A nice overall wine.
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4/17/2013 - CK6865 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Popped and poured ,should of decanted for at least 2 hours , opened up as the night went on ,served with lasagna went ok ,just not alot of depth to this wine maybe it's just a bad time for this wine.
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2/27/2013 - truthseekder1 wrote: 95 Points
A combination of deep dark fruit--figs and chocolate with a touch of cumin and dust on the nose.
It is luxuriously velvety on the palate with stirrings of dust initially that luxuriously blossom into notes of vanilla, caramel and sugarcane surfing on a balanced undercurrent of dark fruit. The slightest hint of tannicity appears at the end that holds the entire elegant complex together for an elegantly satisfying ending. Every sip of this wine needs to be savored. It breaks the time space continuum....
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12/25/2012 - Frank_A_M wrote: 92 Points
Full body cab. Pepper in the nose, long legs, great taste.
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1/8/2012 - Chateau Cabron Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple, bright magenta rim
Strong notes of plums, cassis, vanilla and cedar. Aromatically rich and enticing. Full bodied with an incredibly rich, sweet (but not), decadent mouthfeel. Slight lift of acidity on the finish keep the wine refreshing. Moderate level of tannin rounds out the palate that finishes with a medium length finish consisting primarily of cassis and vanilla.
Solid wine, very fun to drink. You cannot get more "modern" than this style. It's definitely one to drink in the near-term as opposed to extended cellaring.
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1/8/2012 - yankswing Likes this wine: 87 Points
All in all, this wine has a beautiful nose and an attractive palate. However, the palate did not live up to expectations based on the nose. It seems a little too accessible and I think some more acidity as well as tannic structure would help balance the wine. That said, it is very much enjoyable. It does not seem to strive to be complicated. Rather, it enjoys doing a good job of being a good, simple cab. Nevertheless, the price, I feel, is out of line with the bottle. To me, it should be more in the $30 range.
Tone: Deep, dark purple. Ruby on the rim
Nose: Gorgeous! Simply, unquestionably beautiful. Well balanced, floral bouquet with hints of lilacs and spices. Classic Napa Cab hues with underlying current of gravel. Even a bit rustic
Palate & Finish: Noticeably sweet on the attack. Lingers throughout and cheapens the wine a bit. Medium-length finish that is pleasant and a bit chewy. Medium-full bodied with an easy mouthfeel. Perhaps a little more acidity would help balance this wine out. Unmistakable hints of orange. A little raspberry. There is also a rustic element hidden on the palate and in the finish. It is almost bricky in nature. A hint of tartness comes in a after a little while.
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1/8/2012 - dmoes wrote: 89 Points
Very nice - excellent fruit with soft,smooth finish. Not very tannic.
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10/29/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
the guy makes wine for so many other people that his own label gets lost. this is the "second" wine and is showing well. always cool labels.
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10/8/2011 - stevenbshapiro wrote:
Very big wine...needs more cellaring. Excellent flavors and balance, but will take advantage of some time to evolve further.
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8/16/2011 - muredskin14 wrote: 94 Points
splendid napa cab, esp for the screaming deal it is
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7/28/2011 - n2wine wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Great wine. Great fruit. Dry with a long finish. I'm buying more.
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7/12/2011 - muredskin14 wrote: 94 Points
Not much more to add than already said. This is just a true beauty of a Napa wine with silk and grace. AND, a good "value" for a high quality Napa Cab.
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7/3/2011 - conga523 wrote: 93 Points
I think the Parker rating on this one is way wrong. An explosion of berries and jams with a slightly candy flavor. This wine gets better each time I have a bottle. I need to pick up more.
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5/15/2011 - ListenToMeWine wrote: 93 Points
Once this gets open and going it rewards you handsomely with plum and dark fruits. Lots of silky tannin on the palate with a along finish. Needs a good hour and a half to come around. More like a powerful Paulliac than Napa fruit bomb. Cheers!
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4/15/2011 - TPs Vino wrote: 94 Points
If you are ready to drink this now it will need an hour of love and decanting before it is ready. Once it is open it is fantastic with dark fruit, primarily plum, and dry tannins. This is extremely smoothed and balanced, excellent wine. Will only be better with time.
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2/13/2011 - conga523 wrote: 93 Points
This is quickly becoming a favorite. Wonderful fruit with a thick silkiness that coats the mouth. Very well structured without the anger found in many CA cabs.
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9/25/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
Jess and I both agreed on the rating. Big black fruit; needs a few hours of air time to hit the mark but it gets there...I can't wait to try this in a couple years.
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9/24/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 94 Points
power and structure yet refined with balance
"yum" - Jess
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