February 25, 2024 - flawed
August 20, 2022 - Mid-Aged Zinfandel and Cali Cab Dinner (Casa Garard - Northfield IL): Rich black plum with background earth and faint mushroom., all in good balance. Good weight and length, complexity is replacing the wine's previous youthful exuberance, but not necessarily making this better vs its performance a decade ago. Still, very good.
August 20, 2022 - Chez Garard older Zinfandels and Cali Cabs: Good fruit and mellow, soft palate taste. Good balance with the merlot.
August 7, 2021 - Deep dark cherry bold flavors. Can age another 10 years. One of best Napa Cabernets I have tasted this year
December 4, 2020 - Dessert Steak Wine that follows the St. Emilion nicely. Allen Brothers Ribeye just pulls apart with a fork.
Certainly one of the very best Napa vintages in my lifetime.
The first thing I would say is...the 97 has not achieved its peak. However, it is grand.
The nose reveals; cinnamon stick, dark currants, ripe, ruby, blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plums, dark expresso grounds, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, steeped, dark fruit tea, limestone to sandstone, incense, fire ambers, moist clay with amazing, yet understated, ruby, candied florals that are withering; dark, red, purple & blue framed in an equally divided field of violets & lavender.
The palate is; full, round, velvety, sexy, glorious and flat out elegant. The silky tannins are seriously round and tarry/meaty. The structure, tension, balance & length are in the realm of “walk off grand slam.” Dark currants, ripe, ruby, blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum that is skin dominate, dark expresso grounds, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, dates, figs, dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, steeped, dark fruit tea, limestone to sandstone, river stone, incense, fire ambers, notes of savory seasoned prime rib, moist clay with amazing, yet understated, ruby, candied florals that are withering; dark, red, purple & blue framed in an equally divided field of violets & lavender. The acidity is dead on. The finish is; juicy, lush, rich fruits that slide into mid spice and grippy balanced earth.
There is nothing about this wine that says tired.
Amazing follow up Allen’s Brothers steak wine.
Best Napa Cabernet I’ve had this year.
February 7, 2020 - Pnp
Nice nose of fresh dark berries, not stewed. Doesn’t need decant.
Wonderfully balanced and without sharp edges. The fruit is only slightly faded, replaced with the secondary flavors are there.
I like the tobacco and espresso on the finish but maybe a little hot given that this wine is in it’s eight inning.
A decent dinner wine but not so great on its own.
October 12, 2019 - The nose reveals; dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, notes of ripe port, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, black tar, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, dry & fresh tobacco, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals.
The body is; full, round, velvety and drop dead, gorgeously sexy. Their 97 shows the excellence of the vintage. The structure, tension, length and balance are in peak form. However, this wine has another 10 years ahead. The soft, round, silky tannins melt in your mouth. Dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, rich, black, turned earth, black tar, dark chocolate, coco powder, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, big graphite, some, subtle, grilled meats, dry & fresh tobacco, touch of black pepper, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals. The acidity is round and beautifully phat. The long, ruby, ripe, rich, well knitted texture & balance are outstanding and persists endlessly. Beautiful vintage and wine tonight!
September 1, 2019 - Astounding vibrancy and freshness leap out of the bottle, just a sensory overload of perfectly ripe fruit ranging from wild red berry to black plum, with hints of graphite and glycerine. I was never a great fan of Cardinale but this well-aged bottle at peak of its drinking window changed all that. More, please!
March 16, 2019 - Nose: Fresh mint and eucalyptus hints. Palate: Still very youthful with dark fruits soft tannins and a magnificent elegant finish. Fantastic.
November 15, 2018 - Vanilla, red berries, cherries, pencil, toffee. Clean with a firm finish. Has lost some body but well preserved and pleasurable.