1984 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (19) Avg Score: 91.8 points

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  8/11/2021 - cooberp Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Opaque crimson, looks 5 years old. Incredible freshness for its age. Ripe, sweet blackcurrant; earth; bell pepper; striking acidity that gives it so much lift and energy without being so sour as to dominate the fruit. Just perfect balance. Great mouthfeel too, with pillowy tannins that just sort of leave a dusting on the palate. This bottle could easily go 20 more years, but there’s no reason to wait.

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  7/30/2017 - jgh123 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Stunning. Just what you hope for. Maturity, balance, freshness, nuance. Just fabulous. If you have this wine, drink it up and enjoy what California Cab can be.

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  1/14/2017 - ageverett Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Decanted for an hour. Cork wasn't toast, but was very crumbly. Had to run the wine through a strainer.
  
  Didn't have quite the fruit we saw in the bottle back in June, but was still a fruit forward wine. Red fruits. Low alcohol. Sediment really showed, and secondary flavors were pretty minimal.
  
  Still a really fun bottle and a great way to celebrate my wife's birthday with a birth year wine. Overall don't think it is going to get much better with time. Drink up.

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  6/23/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Enjoyed with dinner at Press in St. Helena. Was not decanted. Cork was in great shape.
  
  Still holding its color well. Lots of dark red fruit present. Secondary notes are there - leather, sandalwood. Spice box. But the fruit is still in the forefront. Medium weight. Very well composed finish that left you wanting to go back for more. Alcohol just 13.1%.
  
  Overall a very nice wine that I think still has years in it. My wife's first birth year wine, which was fun.
  
  We were looking for something from Napa with at least 20 years of age on it. The somm was pretty on point with this - advised that it would still have good fruit left. That was totally accurate. But if I had to do it over again, would have probably chosen something with more secondary (or even tertiary) notes.

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  9/28/2015 - lepetitchateau wrote: 88 Points

  Classic to to the place and wine - over-wrought and inelegant despite the huge fruit load. It has minerality and oodles of fruit but there is no intensity, no balance... Ugh.

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View all 19 Community Tasting Notes

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