1986 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 88.5 points

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  4/9/2020 - VinoVoyeur wrote: 88 Points

  Trying a side by side 1985 and 1986 bottles that have been well preserved. If I did not have the 1985 by the side I would say that 1986 is quite good at this late age. Quite mature and green pepper nose which suggests at least a modest amount of cab franc in the blend? Nice to drink but nothing wildly special though a deep inhale in the glass has some resin the back note that promises something exciting. Definitely a decent amount of sediments (even via coravin). The 1985 in contrast isn quite clean and better than the 1986. I think both are PnP situations and would fade if let in the glass for too long or perhaps only have very weak tertiaries that I won’t be able to pick.

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  10/11/2019 - Alex G. Does not like this wine:

  Awful. Smelled of dirty diaper and tasted like metallic acid. Cork was in decent shape but wow was this horrendous.
  
  I have had even older Clos du Val that I have enjoyed, this was a surprise and disappointment.

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  2/25/2018 - McMalbec wrote: 89 Points

  I was at a Sunday night pot luck buffet supper to raise funds for an exchange student from Italy. The crowd was surprisingly young and most contributed a bottle of wine or a growler of beer to go with the pastas.
  After the Italian varietals were consumed, I glazed at the remaining bottles and did a double take when I saw this one. I asked the host who brought it and the donor how he had acquired it. It was gift from the owner of wine shop. Unfortunately, it had been cellared and the cork crumbled. I assisted him get as much of it out of the wine as we could by straining it with a spaghetti strainer into a Kool Aid pitcher. I wasn't sure what we had but was pleasantly surprised with it. If you have some left, enjoy.

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  9/30/2013 - WfromL Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Unbelievable wine!
  I bought a case on release without tasting, just because Clos du Val CS took first place in the 1986 rematch of the famous 1976 Paris tasting (anybody around who still remembers that event?). Boy, did I regret it. The wine was almost undrinkable for the first 10 years: acidic, coarse, no more aromas than still water and unrecognizable as CS. I was convinced that wine had no future and I never bought Clos du Val again. For the next ten years it very slowly, almost imperceptibly improved. Still, when I finished the penultimate bottle in 2005 it remained a disappointment. Now, my last bottle, 27 years old: a huge wine, still vibrant dark red color with only a hint of orange at the rim. Earthy mushroom aromas, but in the nicest possible way. Leather and tobacco dominant on nose and in taste but completely in balance. Marvelously soft tannins, will clearly last many more years. Long finish: at least 20 seconds. I can only compare it with a great Pauillac, perhaps even Latour. I deliberately (but reluctantly) left two glasses in the bottle for tasting the next day, and 24 hours later that wine had actually improved. What a pity I drunk 11 bottles far too soon.

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  12/27/2012 - Wineonthevine wrote: 89 Points

  Popped and poured at my WLIT party. Great deep red color. Did not have time to check the nose. May have benefited from decanting since it had considerable sediment. Very mature fruit. Fully integrated; with no tannins or sharpness. For a 26 year old Napa Valley Cab, it was very good. It was not tired or sour. Long finish. If you have it, open, decant, and enjoy now.

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