Community Tasting Notes 21

• rjf@rjfinlay.com wrote:

  March 21, 2024 - Drink now

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• RAB007 wrote: 97 points

  October 23, 2023 - Nice brilliant color, not quite purple. Considerable fruit left (black and blueberries) with minimal tertiary -- maybe tobacco and cedar. Excellent bottle of CA CS-dominated blend. However, never felt this wine would threaten triple digits at any point in its life (but I am not qualified to make that prediction)

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• jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 points

  July 8, 2023 - Slowly emerged after a half hour decant. Very good expression of an old school Cali Cab. Really good finish, lingering on the palate. Buy/hold.

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• Teaky Likes this wine:

  December 26, 2022 - Popped and poured over 10 hours, cork had an area where wine had soaked and indeed there was evidence of a leak under the cap. Thankfully the wine was in fine condition as far as I could tell. Initially had a very dense nose that became slightly less intense by the end. Aromas of red cherry, black cherry and cassis dominate, but over time there were other aromas that faded in and out including plum, blackberry, vanilla and a certain herbal/apple peel characteristic. Overall is very fruit forward excepting the vanilla which while noticeable at times was not overpowering. Flavors were the same as the aromas for the most part. This has a very dense and luxurious mouthfeel typical of a Napa cab, upon first opening was not tannic, but tannins did come out and even lent some bitterness at times, towards the end the tannins had faded. This has a very long finish and is surprisingly acidic (though still mild to mildly moderate), considering how fruit forward it is. Overall, it was an excellent wine and is drinking fine now, though I don't think it's going anywhere soon. It was at its best during the first and last hours but was extremely fun to follow as it changed quite a bit while still retaining the cherry core which I associate with Vineyard 29. This is a big and bold wine that also has more complexity than I'm able to describe.

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• Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 99 points

  September 8, 2022 - Decanted over King Charles' favorite martini. Long live the king!
  
  This needed a little time and swirling, maybe 30-45 minutes, to bring out the incredible St. Helena earth that saturates the palate in this gorgeous, seamless wine. It's balanced by pure purple fruit and both linger on the long finish. We wondered over dinner what this wine would be like with another two decades, whether tertiary notes would improve it enough to make up for the loss of fruit. This is a perennial question for me for these cult wines that drink so well early. I say drink them now! You never know which bottle will be your last. RIP ERII.

  3 people found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 3

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2013
• Type Red
• Producer Vineyard 29
• Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
• Designation Estate
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation St. Helena
• UPC Code 892283001443

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 7 (0%)
• In Cellars 1,069 (67%)
• Consumed 529 (33%)

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