December 9, 2018 - Out of balance and muted fruit. Did not improve the second day.
August 10, 2018 - Well our good friend's son Scott had his rehearsal dinner in my backyard with 70 people in attendance. So I opened two bottles of red wine for the 70 of them. (they also drank 17 bottle of assorted whites) One being the 2001 Mondavi Stags Leap in a 6.0L format and the other being the 2007 Anderson Conn Creek in a 6.0L format. Opened 2.5 hours in advance and poured through a vinturi in 8 decanters. The nose was dark fruit the, the palate was dark berries, red plums, charred meat, mocha and a hint of thyme on the finish which was moderate to long. A really nice wine at 17 years old.
February 14, 2018 - Cork perfect. This is youthful and has rough tannin. Decanting and some air softens the blow. Color is deep Crimson and not showing much age. Nose has dark vanilla fruit and leathery tobacco and cedar Swishing shows stern tannin w spicy fruit. Spice from oak I think. Sipping shows the fruit weight which is substantial but lacks the polish to make it sublime. Still it seems way more youthful than 17 yrs. will give remaining bottle 5-10 to settle more
January 20, 2017 - From a 750ml auction bottle, decanted for > 1 hour; youthful, very dark garnet. on the nose, dark fruits (cherries, blackberries), vanilla, a hint of cedar box. In the mouth, still youthful and a bit tannic. The fruit is there, the tannins are not fully integrated, but pleasant, adding a licorice note to the finish. It'll last for a few years and may gain in complexity; nice to drink now though.
December 11, 2016 - Found this in the cellar and realized I may have waited too long and I had. It was still good, but it was past its prime. It also had a subtle after taste of must. Not enough to ruin the wine, but enough to know. It was still smooth with plenty of body.
January 4, 2015 - I suspect this is at its peak - balance of fruit and oak (maybe tilted a bit to the oak), modest tannins.
December 21, 2014 - Very very good. Tannins still prominent. Deep and complex. Enjoyed immensely at a family dinner today.
November 8, 2014 - Over extracted and disappointing. It seems that this may have been picked over ripe and then .... I have had other 2001 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon that are better but this Stag's Leap effort only disappoints with raisiny flavours and high acid with little in the way of balance and structure. Shame.
October 24, 2014 - Well, sometimes you wait too long. this has gone from a great wine to a wine that was not good at all. This was amazing in 2008-2010, but in 2014, it has not held up.
April 18, 2013 - Bought a case years ago. Then not fully developed and now drinking beautifully. Classic cab bouquet, mint, etc. Rich, complex, full taste with long finish. Great with steak. Glad I waited.