12/31/2014 - intelligentsia wrote:

A great expression drinking beautifully right now. Nicely structured, not flabby at all, but full of fruit and nuances. Tannins have rounded off nicely and it's approachable right out of the bottle. Even better after it was in the decanter for an hour. Wish I had (and could afford) more.

11/23/2014 - intelligentsia wrote:

A very pleasant surprise. Refined tannins with a noticeably prestigious profile from start to finish- ready to drink out of the bottle...even more rounded and the complete package after letting it sit in the glass or decanter for an hour. Obvious mountain fruit- ripe and bold, with a great, 90 second finish. Not much room for improvement with this effort. In its sweet spot now.

3/25/2014 - intelligentsia wrote:

Very herbaceous and nearly vegetal, but very enjoyable. Acidity still holding firm, but may be nearing the end of the peak drinking window. Nuanced and complex. Our last bottle of Haven's wine...will miss it!

3/23/2014 - intelligentsia wrote:

Slightly a one-note nose. Tastes of dark cherries and plum with an oak subtlety. An hour in the glass really opened things up. A fair, balanced 07 cab.

3/23/2014 - intelligentsia wrote:

Quintessential Hall Cabernet, a lovely balance of intense fruit and complexity from nose to the deep and long finish.

3/23/2014 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

Nice middle of the road Napa cab- hard to find a major flaw, but far from a stunner as well. Needed a bit more acid to balance the fruit. Would like another bottle, but not at the MSRP.

7/28/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

Beautifully complex nose and a serious opaqueness to the edge of the glass. Straight out of the bottle it was slightly backwards (even at 4 years old), but the profile and flavors were all spot-on throughout. Dark berries, toast, black cherries and chocolate; a more syrah-like jamminess on the front end, with a killer Cabernet backbone and lengthy finish. 90 minutes in the decanter turned this offering luscious and velvety- rounding out the thick tannins and making me a big fan.

6/21/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

A lovely mountain cab...Nice ripe mountain fruit, pours an completely plum color with opaqueness to the edge of the glass. Oak and pencil shaving overtones on the nose with blackberry and vanilla flavours present throughout. A nicely put together, medium bodied cab.

6/21/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

Huge disappointment. I am a big Juslyn fan, but this one simply didn't deliver. Muted fruit even after two hours in the decanter- and almost an old-world profile. I kept wanting this wine to just open up and give me more in every way- more backbone, more fruit, more complexity, but it remained restrained...even the next day. No sign of a flawed bottle, just a big let-down for the price and expectation.

6/15/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

Nice wine- all ingredients are present for a real stunner, just hasn't coalesced. Still backwards with big, rough tannins. Decant for a few hours if you must open now, otherwise, give it more time in the cellar. Typical mountain cab with bursting fruit and a firm backbone.

5/30/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

I'm usually a fan of BV wines, but this one was just "meh" to me. Good fruit and a firm backbone, although all of that was somewhat usurped by leather and oak notes which were just too prevalent for my liking.

5/19/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

A tasty blend- nicely balanced with a bit of sweetness which carries throughout from the nose to the finish. Nice approachable structure and backbone without the weightiness of one of their Cabs (which I love, for the record).

5/12/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

Understated nose of cherry cola and red berries, this wine builds in intensity throughout, finishing with that typical rigid and well defined Napa cab backbone. Nice acidity to carry some pretty weighty and ripe fruit- silky might be appropriate here. A bit simplistic here for the price, but nevertheless a delicious wine. I seem to recall liking the 2007 penche cab a bit more- I'll reserve final judgment until I can indulge in a vertical.

5/11/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

Dense, jammy and lush on the nose and front end. Nicely balanced, in spite of some thick tannins being fairly prominent on the finish. Some time in the decanter or another year in the cellar should help improve the overall fit. Pours a deep crimson in the glass and totally opaque to the edge. Fans of the petite syrah varietal will not be disappointed. One of the more intriguing wines I've tried lately.

5/10/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

Great PQ ratio here! Firing on all cylinders: lovely nose of vanilla, spice, blackberries and loads of oak (stay away if you are not a fan of "woodsy" reds). Nicely balanced structure and profile through the 30+ second finish. Would pair wonderfully with a salty/hard cheese or many pasta dishes. Drinks well above its weight class- could stand side by side with any $30-50 Rioja, hands down. Need to go back and get a case at this price.

5/9/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

A nice wine at a fair price (~$13). Typical Spanish notes of cherry, leather, and wood. Started out a little restrained and under-ripe, but opened up some by the second glass. A decant on the next bottle would be in order. Fun diversion from our typical California lineup, but nothing to get too excited about.

4/29/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

Lovely stand-alone sipper made for a warm afternoon on the patio or by the pool. Floral and citrus notes immediately stand out on the nose and palette, with crisp acidity evident throughout a neat finish.

4/29/2013 - intelligentsia Likes this wine:

I am a long-standing, big fan of Keenan wines and Nils Venge's winemaking style. That said, I was initially a bit underwhelmed by this wine. The fruit seemed slightly muted, there was some noticeable heat on the nose, and the wine felt slightly out of balance initially out of the bottle. To be fair, the rigid backbone, tannins and acidity ended up working well together after a couple of hours in the decanter. This wine has some serious chops for a Merlot and is nothing short of a full-bodied blockbuster. Ended up being an enjoyable bottle some time in the glass; plan on reserving final judgement.

4/15/2013 - intelligentsia wrote:

Popped and poured; a nice Spring Mountain/ripe fruit nose. Attractive black cherry and jammy underpinnings with a balanced- if a bit underwhelming- mid-palette and finish. A decent value for the ~$20 range, but probably wouldn't pursue again.