August 14, 2022 - Drank very nicely tonight after a quick decant to blow off some funk. Beautiful color, depth is still there. Well kept bottles should be good for another 5 years.
March 19, 2017 - Corked
February 12, 2017 - Still drinking brilliantly with years of life left.
February 6, 2014 - Sadly my last one. This is still full of fruit and an excellent example of a CA cab from a great vintage.
July 15, 2013 - It would have been even better if not for a deteriorating cork.
Can't wait for all screw cap closures...
December 23, 2012 - This lost soul in my cellar was brought to dinner last night and was a happy surprise. An underrated wine, in my opinion, the 97 Vine Cliff is a great expression of California cabernet. It retained an inky concentration, expressed a generous bouquet of dark fruit, and thoroughly satisfied by delivering an elegant balanced array of flavors that paired well at our table with the lasagna Bolognese. Perhaps not as complex as some would like, but immensely enjoyable nevertheless.
September 11, 2012 - Wino121 brought this over for our meal of short ribs and it was outstanding. Right after opening it you could tell for sure it was Napa Valley and on first taste you could have almost guessed it was Oakville. If you were being extra picky you must admit that the normal boldness that and spice that comes from Oakville Cabs was tamed and starting to get lost but for a 1997 this is holding up well. The slightest dark pepper spice and graphite that was more than able to hold up with the big meal that it was complimenting. There was still a generous amount of fruit in this bottle. Drink them up!!
January 5, 2010 - Another good bottle from a very good vintage. Typical aroma of an Oakville wine which includes black currant, bell pepper, herbs and black cherry. Mouthfeel is thinning but still rocking and the tannins are light. Really enjoying the minerals and acidic cherries with a hint of coco powder on the finish. Plenty of life left in this bottle.
February 1, 2009 - Wow - still great after all these years. Berry, currant, cassis, The fruit has really come forward and the tannin has softened considerably. Excellent now. Could probably age another 5 years stored at 55 degrees.