March 23, 2023 - Very good wine. Tastes fresh with all the fruit flavors there. Still going strong at 14 years.
October 3, 2021 - I like it. It is still young, but very open. Soft tannins. Very enjoyable now. I don’t know whether or if it will develop into something different. Definitely enjoyable now.
September 30, 2020 - Outstanding wine that is drinking at its peak. Beautiful deep brilliant garnet. Nose - medium+ intensity with developing black fruit - black cherry/blackberry/black plum, plenty of cedar and pencil box. Palate - medium acid, medium+ intensity, full body with a long finish and tannins that are beautifully integrated. The fruit on the palate is also showing signs of development - stewed black fruit, with a mid-palate showing some pepper and herbs. Overall a really well balanced wine with plenty of complexity. The acid may be starting to fade a bit so drink in the next year or two, I don’t think this wine will improve further.
January 10, 2020 - Decanted for an hour and kept at cellar temperature until I was ready to try this wine. Lots of body, thick and rich, aromas leap out of the glass. Even after an hour this wine needs some time to settle down and open up a bit: It's very exuberant, lots of different red, blue, and black fruits fighting for attention, which is fun but a little overpowering. But then, after 90 minutes everything falls into place: Harmonious red and black berries with a light savory, herbal undertone that is very subtle. This is definitely a fruit-driven wine, but it's complex and delicious. Love it.
November 27, 2019 - This is wonderful. I let this decant for about 90 minutes before I really dug into it. Almost a meritage blend, but still Cabernet Sauvignon dominant. Spicy, elegant, restrained. Reminds me of the Kapcsandy State Lane or perhaps a really well-aged Silver Oak Napa Valley. Super fun. Delicious. Hardly a "second wine." How insulting.
June 6, 2019 - Excellent second label Cab from Blankiet. Give it an hour or so of a decant and enjoy. Very balanced with just a bit of heat on the finish. Dark fruit on the nose and following up on the palate with a medium body and smooth palate.
December 1, 2018 - Obviously well made. Still a bit heavy footed, but I expect it to mellow in 2-5 years. Probably not made for the really long haul, but not quite peaking.
February 27, 2018 - My first one of these since 2012. Not much evolution. Blue fruit maybe a bit more black now. Pretty impenetrable to light at this point still which is surprising 8+ years in.
September 2, 2017 - Agree completely with Emtame before me. Great Napa blend. Just as strong on day 2. This is in it's prime drinking window so start popping corks.
August 15, 2017 - Excellent, from pop-n-pour on through the 4 hrs over which it was consumed. Ripe purple fruits lead the way but aren't overdone, and there's a wonderful mouthfeel here as the tannins are well integrated at this point. This is at peak to my palate, and is a delicious bottle of wine. I'd drink up over the next 3 years.