1985 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 89.9 points

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  10/4/2015 - T.E.D. wrote: 89 Points

  By the glass selection at Bern in Tampa. Surprisingly still ruby and young in appearance. Very smooth and well rounded. Cherry fruit and a touch of herb and earth. Not overly complex but pleasant to drink.

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  11/29/2014 - sandros1 Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Cork was toast, so pushed and filtered. Smelled of game and forest floor initially, but after 90 minutes in the decanter, this started to quickly improve. Enjoyed with a nice filet, and by the end of dinner, the last glass was actually quite good. Perhaps I was not expecting as much (it is a Clos dul Val after all…). Certainly a fine example of a 20-30 year old Napa cab from a solid year.

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  5/16/2014 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 91 Points

  From magnum. Decanted two hours and consumed over the next two. This was a little closed at first but benefited from aeration. Medium-light rosewood color, not showing any bricking. Bordelais nose of oil, leather, black fruit and thyme. On the palate this is perfectly mature, with a graceful mix of fruit, wood and spice flavors. The tannins have totally softened. If only all California Cabernets aged like this for 30 years! This is drinking wonderfully right now and probably won't benefit from any more aging. Delicious.

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  8/30/2012 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points

  Rounder and smooth silky. Very Montrose like with nice red berries and superb length. Young and fresh. Superbly round

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  8/25/2012 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points

  Ming's Birthday (Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Paragon): One of a pair of excellent aged Napa Cabs, this was really enjoyable, quite clearly besting the 1985 Mondavi Reserve on the same flight. The nose was super-Bordelais, with lots of fragrant tobacco-leaf and black tea accents hovering around lovely notes of ripe cassis and dark cherries, and more savoury aromas of sous bois and meat. Very nice indeed. The palate was at a beautiful place. Beautifully fresh and balanced with a lovely lightness to it, this was a complete ringer for a ripe St Estephe, with deep flavours of cassis and sweet blackberries flecked by tobacco, spice and earth as the the wine drew into a long, fresh, and ever so fine finish. It was all wrapped in the silkiest tannins as well - this was such an elegant expression of Napa. A lovely wine at a perfect place now. Magic when paired with a whole-roasted lamb shoulder too. Excellent.

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