April 18, 2023 - One of my favorites, but a little thinner than expected. Perhaps around the bend. Drink up.
June 9, 2022 - Popped and poured at a restaurant. Had this for a decade in the cellar. This needed a solid hour to open up. Everything is in place and this is in its prime. Should age gracefully for another 5-10 years. Gobs of upfront fruit but just shy of a fruit bomb.
December 27, 2021 - No ranking, corked! OK, if you drink wine regularly, you have to accept that you will get a corked bottle every once in awhile. But when you pay close to $300 for a bottle as I did at the winery with this bottle, then age it in your cellar for several year before popping the cork for a pairing with a great steak dinner, it hurts! Thanks a lot Gavin - not.
December 11, 2021 - From a 375, into a decanter and drank over an hour. Everyone but me loves Plumpjack and that has not changed, clearly a nice wine but it ain’t me. Earthy dark berry hint of dried cherries, but linear and simple. Oak and tannins integrated and moved over the palate effortlessly. My last Plumpjack in the cellar. If you’re a Plumpjack fan this is prolly in the zone and ready.
October 9, 2021 - OK. I surrender. This was my last PlumpJack of any vintage, having abandoned it due to mediocrity and excessive prices. This has finally rounded into something pretty damned nice. The vanilla no longer dominates. and a boatload of interesting secondary notes have emerged - tobacco, wet leaves, mushrooms, etc. Kudos are warranted for making a cabernet that has not only lasted for 12 years, but that has continued to evolve and improve. Now about that price...
June 11, 2021 - It pains me to say this but this is one of the better cabs I’ve had recently. Silky smooth and quite flavorful. Why, you might ask, does it pain me to give this score? Because apparently Gov. Gavin Newsome has a significant ownership….and I can’t stand the guy.
May 9, 2021 - If price wasn't a factor (or if it was fairly priced), this would warrant a score of around 88. Opened about 90 minutes before tasting. Decent nose - the mostly dark fruit wasn't overwhelmed by vanilla this time. Plums and black cherries on the palate. I'm sure Parker would love it, but it was a little too heavy and viscous for my taste (or maybe I was just in the mood for something lighter and brighter). Giving credit where it's due, it's holding up very well and may still be improving.
January 30, 2021 - In my cellar since 2012. Decanted for 3 hours and served with Beef Bourguinon. Good purple color with very slight hint of bricking at the rim. Well rounded, complete wine with lovely aromas; full bodied but not heavy or thick on the tongue, with soft tannin and a long finish. Excellent wine which was very enjoyable and appears to be at the perfect time to drink, however not enough there to justify the price tag.
June 20, 2020 - I used to be on PlumpJack's mailing list, and I bought a few every year. 2009 was the last vintage that I bought, and this bottle reminded me why I stopped buying it. Nose was mostly vanilla, with a hint of wet leaves. An hour after opening, it was a vanilla latte that Chuck Wagner would love. An hour later, I actually tasted some fruit - mostly plums. Fairly rich and viscous, with a decent finish, and it still has good structure, but, as I was drinking the last glass, I realized that I get a lot more enjoyment out of $15 Cotes du Rhones and even cheaper Spanish Garnachas. I recently had a 2010 Sequoia Grove cabernet that kicks this wine's ass at roughly 1/3 the price. I used to think that this was a decent wine that was somewhat overpriced. Now, I think that it's crap that's WAY overpriced.
March 14, 2020 - This is drinking very well and is probably at or near peak. Good structure remaining, well balanced with dark fruit and a lingering white pepper spice note on the finish.