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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.7 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 53 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Baron Slick on 2/3/2021 & rated 94 points: This is drinking beautifully. Full bodied, integrated, and classically composed, it flaunts a wonderful tension between fruit and umami elements. Earthy notes of black raspberries, blueberries, desiccated leaves, eucalyptus, and a whiff of chocolate are etched with bottle age complexity, impressive balance, and Old School vinosity. Well done. (1177 views) | | | Tasted by knelsfk on 1/3/2019 & rated 83 points: Sadly this wine was far beyond its optimal drinking window; consistent with what appears to be accelerated aging for this vintage of Karl Lawrence - clearly an off year for this producer. Dark purple color with hints of brown. Nose of over ripe fruit with earthy tones. Nothing interesting on the palate with a funky vegetable finish. I have a mag left which I will open soon hoping that I caught it before it is gone. (1443 views) | | | Tasted by lovemycab on 1/5/2018 & rated 85 points: Decanted and even tried to my wine vac to drink another day but this was over the hill and just not good. Bummer (1754 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 7/23/2017 & rated 92 points: Similar in style to the 9/24/15 bottle except more mature. Still fresh and delicious with the NY strip steak at Entree Restaurant. (1882 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 10/13/2016 & rated 93 points: Performed exceedingly well, with great purity of flavor: deep red fruit, some spice and pepper. An interesting smokiness emerged after an hour or so as well. (2246 views) | | | Tasted by Vinoevelo on 9/14/2016 & rated 93 points: Really impressed me in that old school cali way i usually reserve for older mondavis or dunns. only my second time trying a KL, but i'm starting to understand the popularity. Will seek out more. (1696 views) | | | Tasted by Seo on 4/5/2016 & rated 90 points: From magnum. Still pours dark purple with no noticeable signs of bricking. Good mix of dark and red fruit, with the classic KL signature flavor of wood/cedar spice . Was a little light and flabby at first but quickly put on weight and showed good structure with a little time in the glass. Tannins have integrated well at this point. I dont see this getting any better at this point, but still has life left in it. N (1924 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 9/24/2015 & rated 92 points: Deep red color. Aromas of black berries, blueberries and wood spices. Ripe, beautifully structured fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length. Very intense and nervy on the palate. Still very youthful and delicious with the great NY strip steak at Entree Restaurant. (1727 views) | | | Tasted by VDLT Wine on 7/11/2015: C & G 2015 Pool Party (Gary & Cindy's): Seemed like a good wine but too big and too young for me. (1964 views) | | | Tasted by Johann Von Mastiff on 12/27/2014 flawed bottle: The corked was dried out and the wine was definitely affected. Stored great. Not sure what happened here. (2098 views) | | | Tasted by Meerlust on 5/11/2014 & rated 91 points: Very little color degradation - dark red center and a blood red rim tinged with a hint of orange. Terrific nose of cassis, stems, blackberry, a slight alcoholic burn, celery, and deft oak. The palate is packed with blackberry, dark cherry, oak, smoke, and plums. This is not a big wine, but it displays rounded tannins a medium-bodied mouthfeel, and solid acidity. The finish is moderate with a touch of tannins to compliment the dark fruit and herbal qualities. Overall, this wine is still youthful with classic cabernet flavors and rounded tannins. (2065 views) | | | Tasted by Mrbuzz on 9/21/2013 & rated 95 points: For our 16th anniv.....Mmmmm this was good! Super condition(had since release)...dark liqueured berry fruit...perfectly ripe and plush...still a good dose of dusty spiced tannin, yet SO integrated. Warm plum pudding, cherry skin, espresso bean, spicy cedar, dried currants, anise...even a little Asian tea leaf...all soft and well balanced, yet structured. Drank VERY well with a perfectly seasoned fillet! Wish I had more! (2709 views) | | | Tasted by godx on 8/22/2012 & rated 89 points: Magnum Madness (Salade de Fruits): From magnum. Expressive cabernet nose with ripe dark cassis, spice (clove or cinnamon), dark cherries and hints of chocolate. Middle weight on the palate with a rich yet light profile gives a beautiful silky mouth feel. The acidity is lively with mainly resolved tannins. This was drinking very well. Very good. (3622 views) | | | Tasted by RedorDead on 2/18/2012 & rated 88 points: At the end of its run. (3703 views) | | | Tasted by saturnaisland on 9/3/2011 & rated 94 points: Full bodied. Rich, smooth and mellow with flavours of dark berry well integrated with the oak and tannins - very slight hints of cedar tea, and mineral. A really nice mature wine. I recall that younger bottles of this wine had a slight medicinal hint on the finish - no sign of that with this bottle. (3528 views) | | | Tasted by winemaker on 4/24/2011: I found this wine to be monolithic and clumsy. Definitely disappointed. Must have been an off bottle when compared to the rest of the notes on cellartracker. Too oaky too. (3370 views) | | | Tasted by djs on 4/16/2011 & rated 92 points: Would have been better with less oak influence. (3012 views) | | | Tasted by RR47 on 2/18/2011 & rated 93 points: Certainly amber bricking showing its age. Loads of sediment visible. Toasted oak, blackberries, cedar, tea leaves, rotate in dominence as it opens up. At times there is a hint of camphor that comes with a twirl of the reidel. Very seductive and silky in the mouth. A long finish with soft tannins and a bit of tea at the end. Hard to put down as it beckons. (2481 views) | | | Tasted by Todd French on 12/24/2010 & rated 92 points: In a near-perfect stage of development right now - if you have them, drink them up. Classic saddle leather, cherry, graphite, and cassis flavor profiles, mature CA cabernet qualities on the nose, and a long finish. Still acidic enough to pair well with food, but the beautiful smoothness on the mouthfeel makes you want to enjoy it by itself. (2901 views) | | | Tasted by tyvoodoo on 10/18/2010 & rated 92 points: Still in great shape and very similar to other bottles. Great nose of cedar, dusty red fruits, toasty oak and spice. Silky mouthfeel with tons of bright red fruits, nutmeg, baking spice, tobacco, black tea and toasty oak. Nice wine that may improve with a bit of time but is drinking at peak. (3000 views) | | | Tasted by tyvoodoo on 7/28/2010 & rated 94 points: After about two hours of slow ox in the bottle, this wine was open for business. Nose is simply gorgeous and intoxicating, tons of raspberry liqueur, pomegranate reduction sauce and hints of cool blueberries. Under the layer of plush fruit is fresh baking spice, cigar shavings, ginger, cinnamon, creme de casis and cedar box. Nice mouth feel, medium weight, full and lush mid palate with ample acidity to carry it to the finish which is decently long. More of a darker fruit complex on the palate, creamy and round, polished tannins and remarkable balance. More spice and cedar box rolled with the fruit linger on. Drinking at its peak right now but will continue to pick up some depth over the next few years. I woudl really like to hang onto a few to see how it develops, tough to do with it drinking so well and only one more bottle to go. (3206 views) | | | Tasted by EMTAME on 6/17/2010 & rated 94 points: Purchased direct from KL, this bottle was in great shape and had a cork that looked like it was put in just last week. Color was a deep purlply black, with mild bricking at the rim. The nose had a touch of funk on opening but that blew off almost immediately. Then, a mix of sweet dark fruits and leather emerged, which was echoed in spades on the palate. The tannins are mostly resolved, leaving a super smooth moutfeel and a slightly smoky, medium(+) finish. This is at peak now, but should probably hold for at least another 4-5 years. Fantastic, and a notch better than the '01 and '02 consumed recently. (3133 views) | | | Tasted by tyvoodoo on 5/22/2010 & rated 94 points: Popped for dinner tonight with some steaks on the grill. First smell of this wine and I knew this was going to be a fun ride. Flat out beautiful nose with mellow black cherries, dusty boysenberries and touches of raspberry kirsch. Nose is completely layered with so many scents; baking spices, ginger, cedar box and toasty oak. On the plate, this wine is simply mind blowing. One of the most silkiest and smooth cabernets I have had in some time. Gorgeous red fruits, super concentrated but medium body and not heavy in any way. There are some fine tannins here and ample acid that will carry this wine a few more years but it is in perfect balance right now. Not one single hard edge to be found, plush and silky with a velvety texture. Sexy red fruits, saddle leather, tobacco, creamy vanilla oak and a hint of chalk. So good right now but will continue to drink well, not sure how much it can really improve at this point. (3323 views) | | | Tasted by ricko on 5/15/2010 & rated 92 points: 1997 Karl Lawrence napa cab (WS92) 13.6%. Had a report of this wine being DOA; not in this case at least. Cork was pristine; wine showed mature cab color/medium body, with plenty of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Nose a bit pruney at first, but that quickly blew off. Decent black fruit, moderate oak, decent length. Held steady over a leisurely afternoon of consumption. Not a bad showing for an old-timer cal cab from a good vintage. RF92. (3438 views) | | | Tasted by Margauxguy on 2/21/2010 & rated 92 points: surprisingly good and lively, a little tight at first, and the opened to great fruit and delightful structure. Blackberries and cherries, balanced and terrific. (3425 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Karl Lawrence Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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