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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments More...
Red

2001 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon Swan Song

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4/12/2024 - breadSheeran Likes this wine: 92 points

This was an interesting guy. No cork issues for my bottle like others have mentioned with other Taken From Granites but there is an insane amount of sediment, so I would definitely stand the bottle up for a couple days before opening. Took an hour+ to open up and blow off some Brett/old funk. Really elegant once opened up. Flavor profile was relatively fresh still with tartness, red currant, plum, but you can tell they’re starting to develop some tertiary qualities on the edges. Some herbaceous notes as well but restrained. Flavors were all concentrated on the front/mid palate, though, whereas there is a huge tannic structure throughout the palate and especially dominant in the finish - maybe this was more reflective of my poor job getting sediment out of my pours, but I’m really curious to see whether the tannins resolve in time before the current flavors fall apart too much. I’m relatively new to accessing wines w much age at all but I’ll probably open my other bottle of this in 5-10 years.

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Red

2001 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon Swan Song

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2/24/2024 - KJD45$ wrote: 93 points

Such an elegant delicious expression of Cabernet..
In no way is it even remotely like a typical cali cab
Brighter more elegant more bright fruit with more acidity and fine tannins…
It’s A 13.4 ABV not an overbearing 15-16% fruit bomb monster
To think it’s a 2001 is amazing for its freshness

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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12/2/2023 - jjct wrote: NR

This bottle is very advanced, with heavy bricking. Nose of prunes, menthol, soy, and tobacco. Similar flavors on the palate. Some interest there, but seems like it's heading over the hill.

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Red

1998 Taken From Granite Élégance

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12/2/2023 - jjct wrote: NR

Beautiful graceful nose with soft fruit. Short and a bit faded on the palate, but still has some charm.

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Red

1997 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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9/21/2023 - ppearson9 Likes this wine: 94 points

still singin. need to get more

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Soleil"

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9/10/2023 - AndrewSGHall wrote: NR

A dynamic and compelling wine. Nose is insane - Sercial madeira and old books. Plum sauce. Light on the palate and I felt in the whole a cranberry acidity was outsized to the body and base. Others didn't and loved the tart intensity and aged elements of dried fruits, old potpourri in the attic and a very regal mien. Definitely a unique and special wine.

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Red

2001 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon Swan Song

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8/20/2023 - KJD45$ wrote: 93 points

Elegant lighter style cab
Alcohol 13.5%
Excellent fruit

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Red

1998 Taken From Granite Élégance

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8/13/2023 - jjct wrote: NR

The fruit is fading, and acid and tannins now dominate. Still some charm is to be found.

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Red

2001 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon Swan Song

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6/4/2023 - jjct Likes this wine: NR

Dark, powerful, and wild; age has smoothed out most of the rough edges. The style is old-school, classic Cali-cab, but through a very special terroir lens. Mature but has plenty of life left. Loads of ripe red fruit and savory notes. Lots of tannins remain; I stored this upright for 3 days, and after decanting found a good centimeter of residue at the bottom (which makes sense, given the small, thick-skinned berries this site produces). Very enjoyable, and a unique experience for me. This may be Gideon's last release of his wines from the Renaissance Vineyards era.

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Red

1995 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Soleil"

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3/18/2022 - 5laton wrote: NR

This bottle had a clean but rather dry cork with just 1cm of travel from dried wine. But sadly it didn't sing for us. It wasn't dead -- more like closed, which is an unusual thing to say for a 27 year-old wine. I found some pleasurable tart fruit, paprika, sous-bois, but nowhere near the heights of my first bottle. It felt a little like Ziggy Stardust without Mick Ronson.
Also curious, this held up over three days without any degradation whatsoever -- nor, alas, any improvement.
After three bottles, my only conclusion is that this wine has a tremendous range of variation, from maderized to sublime. This one was in-between.

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Red

2000 Taken From Granite Élégance

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1/14/2023 - matters.of.wine Likes this wine: 91 points

This my third bottle of Taken From Granite, all from different cuvées and vintages. All three have been good bottles and unique experiences.

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Red

1997 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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12/4/2022 - Akatz821 Likes this wine: 91 points

This is great. The QPR is through the roof.
wild berries still with their branches, worn soft leather, sagebrush, eucalyptus. the tannins are well integrated and acid is high. Medium body. There's a bit of mushroomy funk on the nose. Nose is the reason its not a 92-93, but man is that palate great.
This is tasty, available for like $60, and excellent. Get one, I'll likely be getting more. Plenty of life and a wonderful example of something "normal" just thriving with age

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Red

1997 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon

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11/28/2022 - Matthesen Likes this wine: 92 points

Unlike many 1997s that have not lasted, this one is in a nice place. Arrived today – which may not be fair to the wine. I had not heard of Gideon Beinstock nor Renaissance Vineyards, but I like the unusual.

Nose of cigar box, dark fruit, and minerals … more Bordeaux than Napa. Palate shows nice acid with a tannic backbone. Med+ long finish.

A rustic style and old-school. Nice balance and quite pretty. Not a blockbuster nor fruit-bomb. I quite like it. Very interesting story and reality.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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11/27/2020 - 5laton wrote: NR

13.2%. The cork was quite dry but otherwise in perfect shape with no travel. The wine was intensely herbal and discordant out of the chute, and so I decanted in search of better integration and texture. There was lots of chunky sediment. After 3 hours, it had started to knit together but never found that extra gear.
On day 2, there's perhaps just the barest hint of maderization appearing. But the intensely green notes have turned to sous-bois, and there's now a lovely bottle sweetness. This is really pleasing and well-integrated now.
Overall this was far more youthful than my previous bottle, suggesting that bottles that have maintained a good seal should have plenty of time still in hand.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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3/21/2020 - 5laton wrote: NR

The front label looks like it was printed on a color inkjet; it just says "Taken From Granite" with no producer listed. The back label reads, "A hand-picked treasure from the Golden Age of the Renaissance Vineyard", and the region is North Yuba - Sierra Foothills. The listed alcohol is 13.2%. So this is 20 year-old Renaissance Vineyard cabernet sauvignon - what's not to like?
And oh my - this is right in the pocket from the pop and pour. I wouldn't dream of decanting this or giving it too much air before serving, it's perfect now. Very mature, probably slightly past the peak, but so unique with that characteristic mature Clos Saron sous-bois plus a warm spice character almost like birds of paradise or even cardomom. After 3 hours it starts to show maderized notes, so I'd avise to PnP and drink up.
But all the same, it holds up pretty well overnight - still a fascinating wine, borderline vino da meditazione. So this isn't going to fall off a cliff, but all the same I would advise minimizing oxygen exposure once opened.
Overall, a remarkable experience and value for $35.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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9/23/2022 - Rezy13 wrote: NR

$60+ Blind Bordeaux Varietals Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Aged, paler crimson, fine sediment, large brick rim; soy sauce, plums, aged, dusty, root vegetables, wilted flowers, totally resolved, orange oil; if this is Napa it is older than 1990.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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10/2/2022 - johnnylaw1222 Likes this wine: 95 points

So lucky to have gotten a few bottles of this gem. It has consistently impressed, especially for the price—it is hands down one of the best QPRs i’ve ever found. The glass immediately explodes with mushrooms and candied candied cherries on the nose. This wine is surprisingly spry. The acidity is still so vibrant, perfectly complimenting the integrated tannins and ripe red fruits, with subtle undertones of ripe black fruits rounding out the palate. I love it.

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Red

1995 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Soleil"

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9/24/2022 - jvphoto Likes this wine: 92 points

Riffing off my notes from 1.5 years ago"
Fresh leather, black cherry, raspberry turnover filling, roobios tea, soil. While the nose has a few older notes there’s enough acidity to freshen things up and tannins that offer a seamless experience.
Quite literally an cult wine as this was made for the Fellowship of Friends."

I would more or less say the same, though I gave it the numerical score before looking at the old note. A slight dip but I attribute that to the nose being a little more advanced than I was in the mood for.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Soleil"

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5/20/2022 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 92 points

By the bottle at Noreetuh in NYC. Nose is classic Cabernet Sauvignon: green leafy notes, gravel, earth, cocoa powder, candied cherries. Lots of complexity, lots of interest. Palate is red-fruited, raspberry, charred tomato leaf, pencil lead, cedar, licorice. Great acidity, tannins in perfect balance, long finish. Really beautiful right now.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Élégance

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4/8/2022 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 93 points

Exceptional cuvée from the Renaissance Vineyard, and a great buy for such a mature wine (1999) for only $60 via Prologue Wines.

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Red

1999 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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3/28/2022 - Aparritz Likes this wine: 94 points

Wholly unique and totally fun. Still plenty of life. Savory and rustic but balanced with still present and intense dark fruit. Definitely California. Definitely old. Definitely good.

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Red

1997 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Village"

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3/25/2022 - Simoneats Likes this wine: 89 points

It was wonderful to revisit an aged wine, in this case almost exactly 25 years old. For me, the orange tinged coloring is always captivating. The wine definitely was better the 2nd day. On the first, the acid was strong and the wine was light. It smoothed out the next day and returned a classic california cab with medium body. The nose was good but lighter than I expected.

I know there are a few more bottles out there and was thinking to pick up a few more after tasting but will pass.

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full.

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Red

1995 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon "Soleil"

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1/26/2022 - Rico100 wrote: 95 points

Very nice bottle - drank at EP - showed well against higher profile wines. Get more!

https://vinepair.com/articles/taken-from-granite-cult-wines/

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Red

1997 Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon

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1/7/2022 - Smithc1214 wrote: 88 points

Wine has a great nose but feel that it’s on the decline. Probably should have had a couple years ago.

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Red

2000 Taken From Granite Élégance

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12/24/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote: NR

Culty earth wine! Smells like aged California, but in a really good way.

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  • Tasting notes: 69 notes on 12 wines

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