Community Tasting Notes 20

• Stufonhead Likes this wine: 95 points

  August 7, 2023 - Upon PNP nose was super sweet and oaky. Corked it and waited til the next day cuz I had to hit the hay early. Next night the nose was earthy with some rich tobacco, flowers, forest floor - the palate was still strong with dark fruit - blackberry and currant, nice acid to balance, and quite the lengthy finish. To go with recent note indicating dark chocolate in the nose...I didn't smell such but did actually taste it slightly. Tannins super silky. Based on notes in the past year or two, I can see this being peak drinking time. We'll see tho I got quite a few bottles left!

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• nfafoglia Likes this wine: 92 points

  December 28, 2022 - Nose of dark chocolate and bittersweet black fruit. Medium-bodied on the palate, with grilled meat and sweet red fruit. Finish is long.

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• EM_MB Likes this wine: 96 points

  November 26, 2021 - Double decant for 3 hours. Well into its prime drinking window. There’s something special about Rudd after the 10 year mark. Beautiful wine.

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• doug374 Likes this wine: 95 points

  May 30, 2020 - Grilled vegtables and meat, outdoors for first time in this season. Wine was excellent. The blend of 55% Cab, and 27% Cab Franc keeps it labled as a Napa Red the mix is masterful. We enjoyed the the big fullsome flavors which are now well integrated up front and consistently filled the mouth. It is mature but still lively expect it to age well for many years.

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• Cailles wrote: 94 points

  December 20, 2019 - Rudd Estates (Zurich): Comprehensive tasting of the Rudd Estates lineup (Sauvignon Blanc, Edge Hill Chardonnay, Samatha’s, Estate Red). The Samantha’s and the Rudd Estate are both marked by their cool profile, the dark and blue fruit. These wines are to Napa Valley what St. Julien is to the left bank: hardly ever early charmers but with a great purity, intense terroir expression and a sense of classicism. I find that style difference quite appealing, not only intellectually. Young, these Rudds probably don’t reach the heights of other superstar Napa wines but a comparative tasting at 20 years of age might have a different outcome. Anyway, it’s great to have some variety in the cellar that’s why I buy St. Julien and that’s why I should probably start buying some Rudd Estates Red (which clearly outshines Samantha’s in terms of depth and precision). What is missing to the most prestigious Napa Cabs? The weightlessness the very best wines (think Harlan) show.
  
  TN: Wonderful nose with lots of cool blue and black fruit as well as first tertiary aromas. 95/96 point nose. A bit less exciting on the palate as the acidity is not perfectly integrated but otherwise fairly round and balanced with dark Cab Sauvignon fruit and Cab Franc herbal notes. As all Estate Reds this is not yet fully ready but already good to drink with good concentration and length.

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Pro Reviews 4

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2009
• Type Red
• Producer Rudd
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation Oakville Estate Proprietary Red
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Oakville

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 1,001 (63%)
• Consumed 597 (37%)

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