January 1, 2018 - Opened in bottle for a few hours. Nice but lacking freshness being all menthol, eucalyptus, and baked fruit from the start. Still some tannin and acid but likely won’t improve drone here.
April 2, 2015 - Nose of dark fruits and chocolate. Very dark color, concentrated flavors of black fruits and dark chocolate, silky tannins and well balanced acidity. This has mellowed since tasting in Napa, the 15% is well hidden. Probably at/near peak but tastes like it will last another 5-7 years. Decanted 2 hrs on 1st night then re-bottled the rest for night 2. Still very big on night 2, but obviously softer.
October 24, 2010 - Best yet, easy to sip, spicy, integrated fruit and tannin, exactly what you like to see in a cab.
July 26, 2010 - Bold Napa Cab, perfectly oaked. Ruby color, light toast, slight minerality/earthy on the nose, hint of cinnimon and chocolate in taste. Finish was little quick and lacked some of the ending complexity I've gotten from other Napa Cabs. We paired this with a filet and it was just right. I've always loved this as having a great ability to pop and pour with minimal decanting. Not at the end of it's life by far, but I don't it maturing any more. Probably at or nearly at it's peak now. I'll finish any other bottles of this we get by around 2015.
May 9, 2010 - 50+5+13+16+8 FAT Bold cab. The perfect steak wine. Earthy notes, fall leaves and leather with cherry and hints of tobacco on the finish. This wine is beginning to really come into it's own and the tannins are beginning to settle, but it's still a big wine. Decanted for three hours prior to drinking.
January 7, 2010 - 15% alcohol. not decanted. another hot, grisley, tannic piece o' junk.
December 15, 2009 - Really recommend this wine, too expensive however to be a great QPR wine. our first full bottle and first taste again after touring the construction site which will eventually become their cave complex in the late summer with the winemaker's wife. Opened for the Hickory Wine Club Christmas party and finished off last night, very well received by the group. A big, powerful, very good but still quite young CA cab with excellent aging potential, I'd love to taste this wine again in 5 - 10 years but it certainly won't be from the 1 remaining bottle of this wine that I have. Very dark, good mouth feel, huge body, great lingering long aftertaste, starting to integrate but still loads of fruit / acid / tannins left with solid oak core, this wine should easily go another 10 - 15 years. Nose surprisingly aromatic and floral, hints of all kinds of dark fruit and berries and some cinnamon. Primary flavors included typical Napa cassis, oak, caramelized sugar, leather, granite and some black pepper and tobacco developing later on the palate.
May 16, 2009 - nice spicy cab with good mouth feel, a touch of tanins on the finish
March 15, 2009 - 2009 Family Winemakers of California San Diego Tasting (Del Mar Fairgrounds): This seems somewhat closed on the nose with elegant aromas of currant, berries, and a hint of earth. The full-bodied palate is tremendously powerful, almost brutal, with ripe rich currant flavor along with grippy structure and finish. Hard to tell where this one is going but it should improve once the tannins mellow out a bit. 91+?
December 25, 2008 - 50+5+13+16+8
Earthy aroma with hints of eucalyptus and mushroom. Massive super-ripe red fruits on the palette with a lovely finish of cherry and balanced tannins. Just a bit hot, typical for 2005 Napa cabs. This youngster will get better with age--give it another 3-5 years. Decanted for four hours prior to drinking.