May 30, 2019 - Lots of dark fruits, blueberries, currants, blackberries, and black raspberries with some chocolate, earthiness, and a hint of herbs. Full bodied, nice complexity, and a medium to long finish.
August 1, 2017 - Sadly, my last bottle of this wine. Notes the same as the previous bottle six months ago. This is a wine not to be studied or analyzed; just meant to simply be joyfully shared and enjoyed slowly among friends and loved ones.
May 28, 2016 - This wine is drinking phenomenally well right now. Paired with a Ribeye at a steak house. Decanted but drank right away and the wine didn't really change in my opinion over the next 90 or so minutes. The wine had a great nose with ripe blueberry, black fruits and cassis on a very long finish. I'm guessing this wine will drink well for at least another 5 years, potentially a decade.
May 4, 2016 - This wine is killer. I really do love the '05 vintage for Pride across their entire lineup. Definitely the most balanced of the Bob Foley Pride vintages from the 2000's, imo. The '05 Reserve Cabernet is more nuanced and distinctive, while the '05 Vintner's Select is more pure, and more classic Napa cabernet. Delicious creme de cassis, dark chocolate, sweet blackberriies. Very aromatic and it's just starting to shed its tannins. Just a hint of heat. This can compete against any $100 cabernet, but it might not have the layers of flavor that I would expect from a $200 cabernet. But I'm glad I have a few more bottles of this, and there's no hurry to drink them up.
December 6, 2015 - Decanted 4 hours. Dark color. Gorgeous nose! This is really starting to come around. Delicious! Long, long finish. All previous bottles seemed too young. This has always been more structured and tannic than the superb 2005 Reserve cab. Well stored in my cold cellar, so other bottles may be more advanced than this one. Sadly, this is my last bottle.
December 21, 2013 - A little concerned opening this one a year after the vintner's recommendation. This wine is drinking beautifully now after a very long decant (superb the next day!). The extra dark cherry notes have taken a back seat to wonderful pencil lead, graphite and wet leather. I love cellaring wines to highlight nuances and this beauty has responded well. No problem holding on to this one just a little while longer...
January 12, 2013 - Initially, after 30 min decant - dark cherry, moderate harsher tannins and long finish.
After 24 hours decant - dark bing cherries. Tar. Moderate tannins. Mountain fruit structure and long finish, much more well balanced and plush. Based on this, either hold or give long decant.
March 29, 2012 - Notes are beginning to fail me but the '05 Vintner's Select was a great QPR among the regular, VS, and Reserve; The regular bottle only really lags when directly compared to the other bottlings
February 4, 2012 - Too thick and chocolatey. Needs more time to balance out perhaps? Disappointed
September 13, 2011 - - Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of blackberry, raspberry, black currant, violet and tea and has flavours of blackberry, raspberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Drank with kristen and rob sult