11/30/23, 10:50 AM - Agreed...generic and flabby are great descriptors! Very disappointing overall.
11/13/23, 9:18 AM - Hey, thanks for the comment! Looks like from both our cellars and prior tasting notes, we must purchase from some of the same suppliers....I would say after reviewing many of our common tasting notes, we more often than not, see the same characteristics and come to similar conclusions!
9/26/23, 12:38 PM - Agreed. Unfortunately, this once upcoming and reliable producer has really done a "horrible" job since the sale to new owners a couple of years ago, especially with product positioning, labeling bifurcation, pricing, and overall market confusion for its offerings. I quit buying some time ago.
9/26/23, 11:59 AM - Hi, thanks for your comment. I went back and reviewed the producer website and spec sheet for the wine, and I agree, my perception of “globby oak” seems a bit unusual given the producer’s “oak regimen” during the aging process. With that understanding, what I tasted when I first sampled this, was a wine that lacked energy, presented itself with a creamy texture (gloppy), tasting of powdered chocolate (chocolate, usually being a secondary aroma /flavor derived as a result of using oak during the winemaking and aging process) and showing very little acidity. My guess is the wine was initially “slightly reduced”, although I didn’t sense that from the aromatic profile, only in the flavor profile. As stated in my note, once the wine was decanted and got some air, it came to life, and ended up being fairly enjoyable.Hope this provides some clarification to my initial comments? Cheers!
7/21/23, 7:54 PM - You are 100% correct, my mistake; Rennie is in St Helena! I’ve had the “Rennie” on a couple of occasions, and this seemed very familiar in style and expression. At he end of the day, who really knows what was in these barrels? Regardless, the descriptive literature from De Negoce and the labeling indicates this is more likely to be the “Flora Springs Hillside Reserve” than the “Flora Springs Rennie”. Appreciate the clarification.
7/6/23, 2:38 PM - Thanks for the comment; this was the first time with this label, and I was hoping for a bit more. I have another bottle which I'll hold for a couple of years before trying again. I'll definitely look for your future note!
6/1/23, 7:21 AM - Thanks for your insight. This was my first time with this particular offering. My general rule of thumb is ten years for "cru classe" Bordeaux; 7-10 years for "Premier and Grand Cru" Burgundies, and 5-6 years for mid and upper tier New World Wines (Napa, Australia, Chile, and Argentina) with of course, exceptions for exceptional wines....this clearly fell into the latter category...now I know! Thanks again for the advice.
5/27/23, 7:14 PM - Yes, 100 points! I’ve personally visited the Cliff Lede Winery and they really “roll out the red carpet”. This is an outstanding wine, we all have different palates and 100 points to one of us might only be a 93 to others….I appreciate the substantiation to the 100 point score!
5/15/23, 8:16 PM - Wine was not oxidized, maderized, nor faulty. Still shows some secondary notes from the oak used during the wine making process, i.e. butter, butterscotch, spice. IMHO, this seems to entering the early stage of transitioning to maturity and reflect its’ seven plus years of age, i.e. nutty cashews, lemon marmalade, buttercream, bruised and dried stone fruits, and complex spice. Acidity seemed to be slightly less notable than what I remember from 2021. I suspect this still has a few years of life left before it starts to show any significant decline.
11/26/22, 9:42 AM - Yep, this was better than the 2015 which I enjoyed a year ago, and far better than the 2011 vintage enjoyed three years ago. It definitely needs to be decanted at this juncture.
10/30/22, 4:10 PM - Hi, thanks for your note on the 1990 Chateau Lagrange Pomerol; it’s ALWAYS a treat to drink a 30+ year old wine! I’m a bit confused as to some of your comments relative to the blend and your description of the wine originating from the “left bank”. You may or may not be aware, there are TWO Chateau Lagranges in Bordeaux: Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien, Left Bank, CS, Merlot, PV) and Chateau Lagrange (Pomerol, Right Bank, 95% Merlot, 5% CF). You might want to recheck the label; if you purchased this from Garagiste recently, it’s most likely the Pomerol, right bank, however, Rimmerman has also offered the 2005, 2010, and 2017 Lagrange St Julien. Thanks again for your commentary and score rationale.
11/9/22, 10:38 AM - I appreciate the fact that you made the effort to perform some research on the wine, and post a tasting note about your experience. I only wish more folks would provide some narrative on their experience with the wines they drink...it's easy to put up a number, but it takes some effort to communicate the experience and substantiate the number!I had the same experience when I googled "Chateau Lagrange", the St. Julien winery comes up, but I had to really dig down to find the Pomerol winery! The great thing about CellarTracker is there's always lots of personal wine knowledge and experience, while having the opportunity to learn from others. Thanks again for posting your note, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on others you drink in the future.
10/16/22, 3:44 PM - Hi, thanks for your note and the opportunity to weigh in. It’s really hard to say whether or not, or to what extent this might improve. When I tried this back in July, my initial assessment was this was just another crowd pleasing “fruit bomb”. FORCEBERRY’s earlier note clearly made some excellent observations. However, as it unfurled in the decanter over 3 hours, and got some air, I detected both tannin and acidity lurking below the surface, mainly hidden by the big upfront fruit. This slight imbalance is not terribly unusual for a youthful Napa Cab. Personally, I’d give it another 1-3 years to shed the “baby fat” and see if the structure starts to come to the surface. Once the wine starts into the “development” stage, it should become apparent whether this will improve and have long term potential. One thing is for certain: if the wine lacks the requisite elements and balance among fruit, tannin, acidity, and alcohol, it’ll never improve. Time often rewards those who are patient…I’ve personally experienced this challenge with the Napa Cabs from the 2012 vintage; it took almost eight years for many of those to start showing some structure, as they were very “fruit forward” initially. Hopefully my comments help….
9/14/22, 3:36 PM - Hi Gary…based on my prior experience with the 2003 Lynch Bages, my recollection is we decanted this for approximately 90 minutes prior to dinner. Bordeaux 2010 was a big, bold, very ageable vintage so decanting is the smart bet here. This wine will pair with a variety of beef, pork and lamb dishes, so enjoy!
8/30/22, 7:52 AM - I agree, hopefully, this wine will come around with additional bottle time I've found 1-2 extra years can have a huge impact. Thanks again.
8/30/22, 7:51 AM - I appreciate your comments Dave, especially your advice related to decanting older vintages of Chateau Montelena. I'm a big of decanting most red wines, and like you have experienced "marginal" old Bordeaux's "come back to life' with an hour or so of decanting. Thanks again for your counsel, there is always so much to learn from everyone associated with CellarTracker!
2/5/22, 9:50 AM - Although I have gravitated more toward single vintage and XO Armagnacs over the last few years due to affordability, I've found the prices for popular "name brand" Cognac's have risen astronomically. I've been told by people involved in the trade, these high prices are driven primarily by advertising and marketing budgets. There are many smaller and less advertised brands that are more affordable and just as good as the major brands...one in particular I was able to find locally is Chabanneau Cognac XO....available or <$75
12/31/21, 10:55 PM - 😂😂😂
12/2/21, 6:24 AM - Agreed. Good for the money, but hit and miss depending upon the vintage
10/22/21, 5:23 PM - Great note, spot on. I’ve found many of these Piedmont Nebbiolo’s just need time in the bottle to come together!
10/22/21, 4:07 PM - Thanks for these detailed notes; cleared up lots of concern and confusion tonight when I opened the first bottle. 👍
6/18/21, 3:12 PM - I poured it into a chilling carafe/decanter… so the answer is “yes”, I suspect this has seen a fair amount of oak during aging.
11/26/20, 8:30 PM - I use a “chilling” decanter all the time, especially if I’m outside; an absolutely great idea for some of the “bigger” Chardonnay’s that require some oxygen to open and stabilize.
11/26/20, 9:32 AM - This was ready to drink with or without a decant, when I enjoyed this back in early 2019. I decanted this "maybe" 30 minutes, if anything to allow it to "open" and "settle". As a general rule, I decant all of my red wines for at least 30 minutes, as I find it usually helps. I wouldn't hesitate to start drinking these now, as I noted some early teritary notes, indicating that the wine was starting to enter the mature phase. I've found the "higher end" Napa Cabs have been drinking extremely well the last 2-3 years, and this should drink well for lots of years to come. Enjoy.
11/4/20, 11:00 AM - Hello, thank you for the comment and clarification. When I went back and looked into the published DOCG regulations, Article 2, as you pointed out, allows up to 100% Sangiovese, without the addition of any of the traditional blending grapes. Regardless, you are also correct that the producer always retains the right to offer the wine under the IGT designation.
7/4/20, 9:53 AM - Thanks for your comment; this was truly a great bottle of Chenin Blanc, quite refreshing. Good luck with your event next month, I suspect you'll get some very positive comments!
6/27/20, 10:20 AM - Thank you for the feedback...probably a bit too "geeky" and detailed for some, but I've learned quite a lot from others TN's and comments over the years in this forum. It's always educational to share and learn from others...regardless of the formal education and experience, there's always something new to learn from others about wine!
4/27/20, 12:14 PM - Hello: Yes. As a general rule, I always decant red wine, as I find red wine to be more approachable with plenty of air. I keep wide array of decanters available depending upon the type of wine and the producer style.
3/1/20, 9:51 AM - Hi, thanks for your comment; you are completely correct in your assessment. The Saran Warp trick was an experiment to see if there was any improvement at all, and as you stated, it should not have worked given TCA versus yeast contamination.
11/14/18, 8:45 AM - I love Heitz Cabs, but typically don't buy them, unless I see it discounted when retailers are trying to move inventory. If I see it on a restaurant wine list, I may purchase it, if it's a vintage which I haven't tried. Unfortunately, I haven't tried the 2013 or 2014 offerings yet, but look forward to trying soon!
10/2/17, 6:36 AM - Totally agree...a "hot mess" would be an understatement! How far Caymus has fallen the last few years.... Unfortunately, the 2013 wasn't a whole lot better! I've quit wasting my money on Caymus.
9/7/17, 9:32 AM - Perfectly said!!!
4/15/17, 3:11 PM - Had a similar situation when I opened my first bottle in April 2016. I waited two months before even trying he second bottle. I'm finishing off bottle 3 of 3 today, but none of the corks have been very tight upon opening. I couldn't agree more on the screw cap comments for wines like this which should be enjoyed within the first few years after release.
12/17/16, 10:18 PM - Score 97: Whoa....this is really outstanding! Dark ruby color, cherry rim; still fresh and a youthful texture with absolutely no signs of bricking. Intoxicatingly aromatic nose with notes of blackberry liqueur, cherry kirsch, blueberry cobbler, vanilla extract, light tobacco, cedar wood, and some evolving earthiness. Rich, deep, and concentrated on the palate, but still tending toward primary flavors. Lots of tannic structure, acidity, and fruit to support many years of additional cellaring. Super long finish. Easily handled a char-grilled ribeye steak. Very, very impressive, absolutely stunning. Note to FM1488: if you see this at $85 per bottle, buy it! IMHO, easily as good as Venge, Shaffer HSS, ACVV, BV Georges Latour, Silver Oak, Beau Vigne, Dunn, Chappellet, and many other upper echelon Cabernet Sauvignons whose price tag is far greater.
6/10/16, 1:31 PM - Three bottles will definitely cellar through 2020. Good luck!
6/3/16, 5:57 PM - Too funny, it's happens to all of us especially as we get older and drink more! Great job that you picked it out as a Sonoma Coast thinking it was from Oregon.... Wish my palate was that good! :-)
3/6/16, 5:31 PM - I'd agree with you had that been the case but if you'll recheck, I had posted this as an "87" along with my analysis.
2/29/16, 1:06 PM - I couldn't agree with your analysis more; unfortunately, Caymus has been known to over-extract which seems to be more of a "house style", but in 2012 they went well over the top and made "crap" as you described it! I'm shocked as I go through some of the glowing reviews on this...just goes to show how much the American palate differs from European palate. Everybody that I've had try this has commented on how sweet it is, but the positive reviews keep on coming...go figure!
11/22/15, 10:52 AM - PnP is not a good idea wine this wine. A good long decant will definitely improve the enjoyment. The first bottle I tried back in August seemed like it was marginal, but it really come around after about two hours in the decanter. Cellaring is sure to help this, but short term a good decent will work. Good luck on the next bottle.
4/14/15, 1:58 PM - It will definitely cellar well for another 5-6 years; personally, I think it's ready, but I would also highly recommend decanting before drinking. I decant most of my red wines, as I find them to be more approachable and enjoyable with some air along with the ability to "settle" for a while.
4/18/15, 10:10 AM - Often I will put a young CA Chardonnay in a chilling carafe to allow it to aerate (and stay chilled) as they can often be big, muscular, and oaky. I typically don't chill their old world counterparts.
12/5/14, 12:54 PM - Yep, you are correct in your assessment! I thought I was drinking the 2007 vintage....it could have been a long night when I wrote the note! :-)
10/24/14, 8:29 AM - I couldn't agree more; as I said in my previous note, this was a total waste of money. Based on previous experience the Caymus Napa blend always gravitates toward the "fruit bomb" style, although the more expensive "Special Select-Estate" bottling is better balanced. As others have pointed out, there are some very good Napa Cabernets, Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards, Heitz, and Saddleback all come to mind as good representations of "older style" Napa Cabernets. Don't give up on Napa as there are some "world class" Cabs available!
2/8/14, 11:17 AM - Have you tried the Landmark Damaris ($25-30) Robert Young, Alexander Valley ($30-33) or the HdV Hyde Vineyard ($50-60)? I've found all three to be consistent in style from year to year and always excellent. I really like the Sans Permis as it was high quality at a price that was unbeatable! I'm more of a Cab or Bordeaux person, but I drink just enough Chardonnay to to keep my palate"tuned". :-)
11/9/13, 9:45 AM - I didn't ask during the tasting, but based on personal experience with Hillside Select, it should be ready to drink by 2016-2018 and will cellar t for at least 20 + years, i.e. 2029-2030. I drank a bottle of the 2004 in May 2012 after 8 almost years, and it was great, but I also decanted it. I recommend the One Point Five with a good decant over the next 3-6 year horizon; it has a pretty high percentage of the "second cut /declassified" Hillside select grapes, according to the winery.
4/30/13, 6:04 PM - One thing is for certain, I've had a number of wines from St. Estephe over the years, and I've found them to be either really good or barely drinkable, like the Les Ormes Pez and the Petit Bosq! When they are bad, they have a tendency to be austere, herbal, lean, and just not ready. Good advice on letting them age to maximize enjoyment, but 20+ years is lot. Both of the Lilian Ladouys from both 2003 and 2009 were both ready in 10 years or less.
1/30/13, 8:19 AM - I didn't pay, I went as part of a business dinner. Fleming's markup is pretty steep accross the board!
1/24/13, 9:03 AM - I've enjoyed Gloria Ferrer in the past and have been to the winery off Carneros Highway. After having had a number of excellent Champagnes over the holidays, I just found this to be really disappointing especially at $50 / bottle at Flemings. Just didn't show well versus recent experiences with either Champagnes or American sparklers such as Schramsberg or Domaine Carneros. Could have been a bad bottle, but IMHO it just lacked body and complexity given the restauran tariff.
2/21/12, 1:23 PM - Here's some others to try which IMHO are just as good, or better than the Cakebread and can be had with less cash outlay: 2005 Heitz Cabernet Napa, $37 can be bought at most retailers; 2006 Luna Cabernet Howell Mountain, $48 purchased from Wine Access; 2005 Saddleback Cabernet Napa, $35 purchased from Lot 18; 2006 Levendi Cabernet Stagecoach Vineyard, $43 purchased from Wine Access; 2005 Rutherford Grove Cabernet Napa, $43 purchased from Wine Access; 2007 Stag's Leap Cellars Artemis: $41 purchased from a local retailer; 2007 Robert Sinskey POV, $47 purchased from a local retailer. There are still a lot of "good buys" available for high quality Napa Cabs if you're willing to shop around. Always check wine-searcher.com to compare the market. There's nothing better with a grilled steak than a GOOD Napa Cab!
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