December 24, 2019 - Never would have guessed 20 years old - very strong and balanced to last another 5-10 yrs. such a treat
December 28, 2017 - Removed the capsule to find dried wine and past seepage. Expecting a cork fail but didn't happen, the long cork came out intact, and a thin line traced along the edge showed the failure. Fortunately, there was no spoilage to the wine. Full bodied, deep ruby to thinning red on the rim. Copious notes of vanilla, florals, licorice, secondaries like wet earth, forest floor, raspberry, cherry....a little reticent on the nose but swirling reveals a real cornucopia. On the palate a very well balanced blend of sweet blacks and reds, with secondaries, and solid acidity to keep it lively and real. Exceptional even.
October 21, 2016 - A perfectly aged wine, this was as smooth and soft as can be right out of the bottle. Mellow nose, but classic Cab dark fruit with a hint of spice. Really well balanced with a nice pleasant finish.
October 7, 2015 - This really opened up after only 30 minutes. Dark spiced fruits, earth and leather, with a dose of menthol. Tannins have dissolved into the wine but I still notice them on the finish. Just a hint of heat. What a great wine - I'm so sorry it's my last bottle.
August 22, 2015 - Dark red color. Intriguing nose of spice, earth, and dark black fruit. The nose had something that was almost a combination of earth and mint. In the mouth, balanced and still youthful, with strong fruit up front, good complexity, and a strong finish. This has plenty of life left. A-
May 24, 2015 - I did not take notes the night we drank this wine. This was a 3 liter. Ready to drink from the start and did not lose any fruit over a long evening. It did peak after about an hour but stayed really nice
Old Napa style, medium body with pretty bright fruit, hint of leather carmel. I have had a few young Burgess before and they were disjointed and bit funky with the mountain fruit herb. This was well integrated and a real treat of what not real expensive old school Napa mountain cab can taste like.
October 18, 2014 - Pretty good. Tannins are 95% gone so gentle fruit remains with a hint of smoke. Drink up.
March 17, 2013 - this was served at dinner side-by-side with Burgess 2001 cab. The '01 was most people's favorite as the fruit was more forward. The '99 was much more complex with structures i couldn't quite figure out. In hindsight, the '99 should have been served with a much heavier main course
February 11, 2013 - - Brick color with slow forming legs. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
December 25, 2012 - Hanging on nicely. Still has plenty of tannins. Dark fruits and a hint of smoke showing through.