Community Tasting Note

• forceberry wrote: 94 points

  February 4, 2022 - A blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (80-85%) with some Merlot (approx. 15%), Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (0-5%). Aged for approximately 20 months in oak barriques (40% new). 14,6% alcohol. Tasted in 2011-2000 Togni Cab vertical.
  
  Dark, slightly translucent and somewhat evolved deep pomegranate color. Savory, somewhat earthy and a bit restrained nose with slightly evolved, layered aromas of wizened blackberries, sweet dark plums, some autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light blueberry tones, an evolved hint of smoky campfire character, a touch of fresh blackcurrant and a whiff of exotic spices. The wine is firm and full-bodied on the palate with a chewy, structure-driven and rather Bordeaux-like overall feel. There are intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants and fresh dark plums, some earthy tones, light woody notes of cedar, a little bit of gravelly minerality, autumnal hints of damp leaves and sous-bois and a touch of old leather. The wine is impressively structured with its high acidity and quite ample and still rather grippy tannins. The finish is savory, rather grippy and slightly warm with persistent, dry flavors of earthy and autumnal tones, some licorice root, a little bit of of toasty oak spice, light crunchy notes of fresh blackcurrant, a woody hint of pencil shavings and a touch of leafy greenness.
  
  A very impressive and structure driven Cabernet that is slowly inching towards its plateau of maturity. Structure-wise this is still a strapping youngster, showing still impressive tannic frame and good acidity, but fruit-wise the wine is starting to display more tertiary tones along with the juicy fruit flavors. The overall feel is rather ripe, but not excessively so, making the wine come across as a very "Napa" for a Cab, yet in a delightfully old-school style. As a whole, this wine is almost on par with the terrific 2005 vintage, but if push comes to shove, I'd say 2005 is slightly better with its slightly less obvious ripeness and moderate level of alcohol.

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2 Comments

• Seth Rosenberg commented:

  2/22/22, 7:39 PM - Great note. My dad got into Philip's wines with the 1991. Back in the old days, when I lived in CA for grad school, I visited the winery a number of times. Really excellent wines that harness the Napa fruit and make something classic.

• DaButtah commented:

  4/7/22, 4:23 AM - Great note!

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