9/19/2011 - tbrady wrote:

The wine wasn't quite right. It was too hot, and consequently out of balance. It wasn't corked, but it certainly wasn't the 100pt wine I was expecting. It may have been slightly defective. Have 4 more bottles, so I am hoping it was defective.

12/20/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Off-the-charts delicious. The combination of dark and red fruit was spectacular It was surprising how well it was showing. Most Pisoni vineyard wines need more time in the bottle, but this was nearly perfect.

1/24/2011 - tbrady wrote:

Decanted 1 hour. Should have decanted a bit more. Still drinking very well. Everything still in balance.

12/12/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Took three hours to open, but well worth the wait. The fruit was still there but a bit muted. Everything was still in balance. But clearly this is a bit past its peak.

1/21/2011 - tbrady wrote:

Passed it peak. Hard to evaluate.

1/11/2011 - tbrady wrote:

Too early. I will wait another 3 years before I open another bottle.

12/13/2010 - tbrady wrote:

After a one hour decant, it drank beautifully. Seems to be at its peak. Can't imagine it offering too much more.

9/8/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Drinking beautifully - probably peaking right now. Paired well with Beefsteak Florentine. Decanted for 90 minutes before drinking - that seemed to be enough.

8/18/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Unusual for a Cab. If done blind, I would have thought it was a big pinot. Very big dark fruit, also jammy.

7/21/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Still young and concentrated - a lot of fruit left. I will give it another 3 years before I try the next bottle. The good news is that it is aging well. Everything is in balance. I can definitely see how it will get better with age.

6/22/2010 - tbrady wrote:

2 hour decant. Probably not enough time. The wine got bigger and better over the next two hours. But everything was always in balance - a little short on the fruit overall. Seems like it could get better with time.

6/7/2010 - tbrady wrote:

A bit disappointing considering my expectations about the vintage.

3/14/2010 - tbrady wrote:

The wine still has its structure, but has lost most of its fruit. Drank with a '93 Beringer, and the Montelena was the better wine by virtue of the fact that it still had a good structure including a long finish. But not a very interesting or complex wine at this point.

3/2/2010 - tbrady wrote:

good but uninteresting. a lot of fruit, but not much complexity.

3/2/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Still drinking well, but I would drink now. Well balanced except for the oak.

2/22/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Everything was perfectly in balance. Great nose, fruit-forward and nice finish. I will wait at least another year before opening a second bottle. This seemed like it would get even better with time.

2/12/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Drank with a 1998 Ch Palmer, and this wine stole the show. While not having as good of nose, the wine was more interesting/complex and had a much better finish. Decanted 3 hrs before starting. Had for dinner the next night and it was still excellent. I will wait another year before opening the next bottle.

2/12/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Good Margaux nose. This wine had a nice weight to it in the mid-palate, but the finish was a little short.

2/19/2010 - tbrady wrote:

I was surprised to find this wine so drinkable given its age.

1/7/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Decanted for 2 hours. Nose was subtle, but palate was great with a decent finish. It was pretty clear that this will get a lot better with time. I'll wait another year before opening the next one.

1/7/2010 - tbrady wrote:

Not ready for prime time yet. The nose was amazing, but the rest of the wine did not match. Still a little thin on the tongue and the finish after 5 hours of decanting. I will wait another 2 year before opening another one.

11/25/2009 - tbrady wrote:

This was not ready to drink yet. Way too intense, concentrated. Needs at least 2 to 3 more years.

10/27/2009 - tbrady wrote:

2 hour decant. Excellent. Everything in balance. Nice weight - not too heavy. Got the tabbacco/cedar box thing working - a the typical Beringer touch of sweetness.