March 16, 2024 - Popped and poured. Bought from a store a couple years back. Same impression as BDEBLANK — almost amarone like, particularly on the nose with all of its dried fruit. The palate was dominated by tobacco and black cherry with some remaining freshness that saves this from drinking too port-like.
February 26, 2024 - A beautifully mature Cabernet. PnP, not decant needed. Opens with black fruit, cassis, plum, light leather, earth, slight cedar. Lots of flavor with black fruits, cassis, anise, leather, earth, cedar. Beautiful balance. smooth silky , long finish. In a great drinking window. Based on this bottle, no hurry to open but drinking really well.
February 5, 2024 - To late, at least for this bottle. Almost amarone-like upon opening. After decanting for an hour, much of that had blown away, but still came across as tired.
December 26, 2023 - Last bottle of this. I see I posted an unenthusiastic TN in 2010 but can't recall how other bottles showed in the ensuing years. This bottle was fantastic. Decanted for a few hours.. No sign of bricking. Rich, lush, dark fruits, on the palate. Tannins resolved but I think this wine is on a long plateau. Pure pleasure. Can't imagine how good the Reserve must be.
September 8, 2023 - Well worth the wait
May 18, 2022 - I think this wine has truly out performed expectations. Still quite lively and their base label cabernet at 21 years it still just rocks the house.
April 30, 2022 - still young...needs a hour of air to come together....really fruit forward and integrated cherry, raspberry, blueberries....aged well...great wine. last one of a case.
December 24, 2021 - Opened 2hrs prior to dinner & decided to slox-ox in BDX glass & btl the rest of the way. Color is opaque garnet red. Fantastic perfuse, tertiary BDX like scents of cigar box, pencil, dark fruit & underbrush. The cigar box & dark fruit carry over to the palate where we pickup licorice, herbs & a hint of stoniness. I love that this has structure and energy to support its massive concentration keeping it fresh and weightless in a relative since for the varietal. An outstanding 20yr old Bob Foley ( original winemaker) Pride Mt Cab that would stand up well in a flight of BDXs or CA classics like Dunn HM or Ridge Monte Bellow. Purchased on release from Pride many moons ago and still going strong. Can't imagine this getting any better nor dropping off soon. 14.5% alc was perfectly integrated and un-noticed. A good 1/2" of sludge at the bottom of the btl though:). A really fun Christmas Eve wine that our "kids" loved too!
May 21, 2021 - pretty funky nose, so overripe it was like grape jelly. Alcoholic on the palate, still medium-bodied and concentrated. Cedar notes and almost honeydew melon.
January 23, 2021 - Dark purple-red in color. Soaring aromas of ripe cassis, candied black raspberries, graphite, hint of ripe pipe tobacco and cedar. This still shows concentrated and smoky black small fruits, cocoa, medium (-) acidity, fully absorbed oak, fine tannins and a sweet and mineral tinged finish. Still 20 years young!