Community Tasting Notes 71

• WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 93 points

  March 30, 2024 - Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar donkerrood met een dun randje. Aroma / bouquet: Aangenaam bouquet met accenten van donker fruit (bramen, zwarte bessen en vooral kersen). Daarnaast cacao, zoethout en mokka. Smaak / Afdronk: Wow, vanaf het eerste slokje een uiterst aangename en zowel stoere als super-verleidelijke wijn. Zachte zuurgraad, uitgesproken tannines, mooi gerijpt maar met een aangenaam en droppig (laurier) bittertje. Retronasale indrukken van mokka en chocola. Lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: The Mascot wordt gemaakt van de jonge stokken van Harlan, Bond en Promontory. Een prachtig glas, stoer en verleidelijk. Zeer toegankelijk. Maar niet met de complexiteit van de 'oudere en grotere broertjes'. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 93/100
  
  Colour: Deep impenetrable dark red with a thin edge. Aroma / bouquet: Pleasant bouquet with accents of dark fruit (blackberries, blackcurrants and especially cherries). In addition, cocoa, licorice and mocha. Taste / Aftertaste: Wow, from the first sip an extremely pleasant and both sturdy and super-seductive wine. Soft acidity, pronounced tannins, nicely matured but with a pleasant and licorice (laurel) bitterness. Retronasal impressions of mocha and chocolate. Long aftertaste. General / potential: The Mascot is made from the young sticks of Harlan, Bond and Promontory. A beautiful glass, sturdy and seductive. Very accessible. But not with the complexity of the 'older and bigger brothers'. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Aftertaste: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 93/100

  Comment

• aultrawines Likes this wine: 96 points

  March 28, 2024 - AW96. Stunning. 2+ hour decant and consumed over the next two hours. I think this was the right decision as it really got into its stride. Serious quality and dark ruby in the glass, it's a beast. It has a rich, opulent mouthfeel with tons of wonderful fruit and complexity. Memorable finish.

  2 people found this helpful Comments (3)

• GaryHOhio Likes this wine: 95 points

  January 6, 2024 - Superb Napa Cab. Baby Harlan.
  Drinking well now after short decant. Deep lush black fruits with long finish. Might improve buy why wait.

  1 person found this helpful Comments (1)

• toppcats@aol.com Likes this wine: 94 points

  December 17, 2023 - Perfect bottle level. Cork removed intact with about 10% of cork saturated purple and no evidence of any seepage. Initial glass was PnP through an aerator. Color- opaque dark ruby with purple tinge. Nose is opulent, rich, and fruit forward with sense of sweet rich black cherry, violets, dark chocolate, and some bakery aroma/spice. Rich and fruit-forward on the palate with full bodied mouthfeel - Dark red fruits/black cherry and dark chocolate were prominent, which didn't really allow for more subtle notes to be noticeable. Medium to long finish which went from fruity to drying/ tannic. Interestingly I sensed the tannins to peak, on the finish, on the forward half of my tongue and mouth as opposed to my palate and back of my mouth - this evolved over the next hour as the tannins, while still very much present, became less noticeable. Very enjoyable first glass. This was, as to be expected, very different from the 2015 Mascot and though I rated this a point lower, to my palate and taste, the 2014 is the more approachable wine. Over time the nose was stilll very much fruit forward with dark red fruit (a bit less distinct/focused from earlier), dark chocolate, and with a subtle loam/earthiness note. Palate was dark red fruits with an element of sweetness noted on the tongue. Finish was now medium length, fruity, and ending with drying tannins and a touch of alcoholic heat (14.8% ABV noted). Overall, great wine but lacking, imho, some terroir complexity.

  2 people found this helpful Comments (2)

• galewskj wrote: 92 points

  December 8, 2023 - Luis goes to Kenwood II (The Kenwood): A one hour decant, drank a good-sized glass over 2 hours. In hindsight it may have been a disservice to serve this alongside 2009 and 2012 Outpost True vineyard, even though the 2012 was chosen in advance to accompany the Mascot. The stylistic difference is evident, as is more varietals in the composition. There's more nuance to The Mascot, it has better balance, a soft Harlan-esque profile, but is barely in the same field as a proper Harlan qualitatively. Obviously the price is also very different. I'd like to try this again, preferably by itself, as I felt the attention-getting Outposts kind of walked over it.

  1 person found this helpful Comments (2)

Pro Reviews 0

• No pro reviews found.

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2014
• Type Red
• Producer The Mascot
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Napa Valley
• UPC Codes 451373677502, 717888791127, 873922002182, 891178001377

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 15 (0%)
• In Cellars 3,512 (64%)
• Consumed 1,928 (35%)

Food Pairing

Who Likes This Wine

More About This Wine