July 16, 2023 - Yes, I'm adding another review of this one. ELEGANT. Deep black cherry, baking spices, vanilla. The strong smooth fruit balances with just the right amount of tannins, and the oak just hold it all together beautifully. LONG finish has me swooning. We don't want to pair it with anything, it's an experience on its own.
May 10, 2023 - Decanted for 3 hrs. Sipped slowly. At 5 hrs it was just opening nicely and the alcohol was cooling off.
FANTASTIC, of course. Dark fruits, almost stewed. Leather, wet forest floor, a bit savory. Velvety once it opened up.
August 2, 2020 - The balance on this wine was insane...very well rounded. Perfect balance of oak and fruit. Took about 2 hours to open up in the decanter. Juicy cherry, olives, tobacco, leather. Long is an understatement...this one lingers on the back end with a slow subtle exit. Velvet in a bottle! Del Dotto never disappoints! Great way to celebrate my 40th.
November 30, 2019 - Great now but could use some more age
October 5, 2019 - Wow! This is a true powerhouse of a wine where they have successfully extracted the true essence of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape to its fullest potential. I could smell it immediately from three feet away once I popped the cork. Layers and layers of black cherry and creme de cassis fruit that result in one of the longest finishes I’ve ever experienced in a wine... at least 90 seconds long. This has the structure to last for another 10 years, but why wait, it is drinking great now. Francophiles need not apply. This is an exotic and sexy new world Cabernet.
January 8, 2019 - Needs to breath a couple of hours to be what it's supposed to be.
January 8, 2019 - Needs aeration for at least an hour to really open, then it's a velvet curtain.
May 17, 2018 - Great tasting this next to the St. Helena Mountain Family Reserve from the same vintage. I respected the Oakville because it was true to its roots. A structured wine with a very long fruit forward finish. Excellent, but a bit pricey. More structured and complex than the St. Helena Mountain.
May 15, 2018 - This wine was terrific, but the nine oaks version was even better. The blending of flavors delivered by the different barrel components works well to our tastes.