2009 Gemstone Estate Red

Community Tasting Notes (18) Avg Score: 91.4 points

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  5/4/2023 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Solid rounded by sly developed Napa red wine. Mild tannins and dark blue fruit. Decanted but could have waited an hour. Celebrated a friend moving back to Napa. Long romantic finish

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  9/23/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Loved this, lively and complex at the same time with a great balance of power and finesse. Wine of the night by quite a margin 🏆 and it was the 1st bottle shared after the aperitif Roses!
  
  Masterful Bordeaux blend of 71% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot, 4% PV and 4% CF.
  
  Yountville is located on what is known as the Silverado trail, 100km North of San Francisco in the Napa Valley. In fact its not so far from the legendary Thomas Keller eatery The French Laundry.
  
  I loved this wine...
  Big and bold, strong acids initially, and I did love the floral cassis nose. Black fruits dominate the palate, tannins strong but it all seemed to come together!
  
  Bottle 2 of 10, generously shared by brother @Joe Yee Wong at M's party. This was served in a 1.5L Magnum format.
  
  Mikas birthday dinner at Yik Kee, KL - 23 Sep 2022

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  8/28/2020 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Dark ruby color, full bodied, rich blackberry, mocha and coffee flavors, noticeable tannins but not too strong, high alcohol content, but nevertheless very smooth. Long finish. Bottom line—delicious and outstanding.

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  1/11/2019 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points

  I added this bottle to the cellar a little over six years ago when my tastes were different. Weighing in at 15.2% ABV, I had some concerns about longevity and since it was my daughter’s tenth birthday, it seemed like a great excuse to open this 2009 bottle now. The cork came out intact and in very good condition. Color was dark garnet with no visual signs of age although there was quite a bit of sediment. My expectations were low-ish due to the ABV and the anticipated style being over the top and initially, my suspicions were supported as this came across rather hot and disjointed. However, there seemed to be quality in the glass and since I’m a curious person, I couldn’t help but wonder if this could use some air to bring out more redeeming qualities. We ended up pouring 3/4 of the bottle into the decanter to see if we could coax out it’s best. After about 90min this became quite intriguing with notes of ginger root, cardamom, vanilla, tobacco, blackberry liqueur, and dark cherry. It was still a touch hot but that seemed to be subsiding and this was clearly benefiting from air. The tannins were still quite firm and the finish was long and rich. We enjoyed what was left in the decanter and saved the remainder for the next day. On Day 2, the heat was all but gone and the wine had softened. It was delicious! Still full of character though the dark cherries had taken a more central role. Does this mean that high ABV wines can age well? Maybe...but I guess it’s more important to keep an open mind and be patient.

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  4/1/2016 - dbay wrote: 88 Points

  Aromas of ink, cassis, tobacco. On the palette, low acidity, fruit forward blackberry liquor/cassis and some sandalwood, minor tannins. High alcohol. Almost too sweet fruity for me as a cab based blend.

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View all 18 Community Tasting Notes

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