November 18, 2023 - 60 min decant was about right since this was paired with rare New York strip otherwise give this a few hours. A solid Napa cab priced about right. Big up front inky grip with a nice finish. Balance is lacking a bit but who cares when you’re pairing it with a juicy steak. Probably will be better in a few years and drink well for a decade. Revisit 2026
March 25, 2023 - Highly aromatic delivering new leather, maraschino cherry and plum. Good concentration, medium acidity, medium to full bodied and dusty tannins. Averages balanced that heads toward alcohol. Nice lenght. Had it at Collage in Saint Augustine. BTW, I highly recommend that restaurant. Portion of the revenues of the Salus support mental health research. NI:5, FI:22, FC:9, B:3, L:4
February 13, 2023 - Decanted 2 hrs, then drank over 1 hr with friends. Rutherford dust?
December 2, 2022 - Olive, blackberry, vanilla aromas. Good acid and integrated tannins. Nice, subtle fruit. Enjoyable. Filter for sediment.
June 11, 2022 - Dark ruby. Initially was a bit disappointed with this but over time it did develop especially the 2nd day. oak vanilla blackberry and a some plum. Would I pay 100+ for this again no but very good.
February 25, 2022 - Licorice, plum, grippy tannins, earth. Lots of residue. Drank with Mike Linder while wives were on vacation
February 20, 2022 - Just wonderful. Hedonistic is the word- this is a big, rich Cab through and through and exactly what I wanted when I splurged on it. I think the closest bottle I've had to this was a 2011 Paul Hobbs Napa Cuvee- maybe this salus had *slightly* fresher fruit and less overt power, but they had really similar flavor profiles and were both much more about power than nuance. I think I might be underrating this, if anything, especially if you find it for closer to $100 rather than $120.
Pungent blackberry crumble on the nose, lots of rich buttery toast oak but with glorious black/blue fruit compote still taking center stage. At times the profile dips its toes into a more "baked fruit" vibe, but in the end it's just deliciously forward and plump without going over the top. Not much to say about the nose beyond the fruit and oak, but it's absolutely divine.
Palate is about the same, waves and waves of black/blue fruits with rich vanilla and something allllmost minerally (prob just alcohol heat). The heat is definitely noticeable, but it feels deliberate, not awkward or out of place. Obviously this isn't an acid-driven wine, but it didn't feel remotely flabby either, a solid medium energy driving the silky black fruit on the finish. Tannins are weightless and creamy. I wish the fruit lingered a little longer on the finish, which felt just a little short/clipped compared to the rest of the experience, but that's a small complaint. Super delicious wine.
December 25, 2021 - Really good and drinking great - full bodied black fruit and graphite - almost like a Howell Mtn
November 18, 2021 - Brought by Dennis to walking and wining Wednesday (on a Thursday) and decanted, without a taste, for 2 hours before our walk. On the nose and palate, mixed black and red cherries and raspberries, leather, anise, dark florals, oak, vanilla, woodsy spice and a bit of tobacco. Fairly deep brownish purple, surprisingly delicately bodied, medium+ legs. Medium acidity and tannins, no heat. Medium+ complexity, medium persistence and intensity. My first Salus, after mixed experiences with Staglins, this had an inviting, fairly potent nose and classic Napa cab notes. Neither the most powerful nor the most subtle, this was still nicely balanced, delicious, an all around solid wine, presenting itself as a generally better, more elegant version of the territory the recently consumed Pine Ridge of the same vintage seemed to be trying to cover. There's enough structure and fruit here so that if some of the elements I find a bit less desirable (namely, the vanilla and oak) integrate and the wine deepens a bit, this wine could move up the food chain from very good to borderline excellent in a few years. Wouldn't hit the top of my list to buy again at about $100, but would certainly consider it, all the more so since I read that Staglin donates 100% of the profits from this wine to mental health causes, something close to my heart.
NB: One glass of this left over on night 2 was clearly best. Bumping my rating from 91-92+ to a straight 92+. Give this lots of air if drinking now, but likely better in 3 years or so, then can hold for another 7-10.
December 20, 2020 - Every bit as good as other reviews. Perfect with standing rib roast with horseradish slather. A bit bold and well balanced. Let rest for 2 hours