January 21, 2023 - Jammy, fruit forward, coats your mouth, not a lot of lenght. Velevety mouthfeel, soft tannins. It has a stale old funk to it that I think indicates it is over the hill.
September 26, 2022 - A bit over the hill but a lot to appreciate
July 25, 2022 - Tasted overshot and jammy with acrid after taste for the first 3 hours. Really opened up after 4 hours of full decant. Decant for a very long time and it’s an enjoyable drink still
March 23, 2022 - Over the hill with a lot of jam and some spoiled notes. Cork was a bit lose. The is still some fruit on the nose and in the mid-range of the taste. I have more bottles of this, hoping some are in a better spot.
January 5, 2018 - Perfectly intact cork, and all of the drinking pleasure well preserved examples of this wine can bring. Shared with 7 friends over dinner at the Leaky Palapa in Xcalak and it was enjoyed by everyone!
April 1, 2016 - beautiful aged cabernet cocoa/dark chocolate-coated cherries with a little vanilla oak; seemed like it had plenty of life left 1-3 hours in, then faded somewhat and revealed some alcoholic heat as finish began to fade, but first few hours were more than enough of a reward
June 7, 2014 - Hospital Foundation Annual Charity Gala (Bellingham, WA): Surprisingly primary, not at all showing it's age. No alcohol burn or overripe fruit or oak dominance, this was well done. Enjoyed by all.
September 23, 2013 - I had low expectations for this bottle based on prior comments here, but was delighted to find that it was drinking perfectly. Well-integrated tannins, cigar box and ripe dark fruit on the nose, smooth long finish. Absolutely delicious.
July 7, 2012 - Past prime. Lacked fruit, pretty bland.
September 25, 2011 - Discovered this forgotten bottle recently and recalled liking it when it was fresh. Drank this with dinner by the fireplace on a cool Autumn night. I opened the wine and transferred it directly to a carafe to avoid sediment, and served it immediately. As I was pouring it I noticed the still bright red color and a pleasant currant odor, and had high hopes that it was not over the hill.
But in the glass the currant nose gave way to an over ripe fruit and alcohol smell. On the palate, the over ripe fruit is stronger, with more currant but not much else. The finish is OK, with a slight burn and a faint trace of tannins. Over the hill, but still enjoyable, if only because of a glimpse of its past glory. 11 out of 20.