October 1, 2020 - A touch more brett than I would prefer. Not swamped by it but it certainly never fades. Juicy, lively palate. The fruit depth is not quite where the '94 is. I'm sure bottles with less brett are more enjoyable. I tolerated it but should have probably opened something else too. It kept the classic Cab notes mostly at bay.
July 30, 2020 - Subsequent notes from over five years ago. Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & currants with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & aged tobacco, leather, herbal notes, anise, earthy/dusty, dark cocoa, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blackberries & cassis with dark cocoa, herbs, minerals, spices & a hint of oak & vanilla in the background. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but even at 25 years old, it should continue to hold up with additional aging if cellared properly. I suspect any further development may be minimal.
June 28, 2020 - Slightly corked.
March 14, 2020 - Certainly one of the wines of the vintage. Still going strong with herb and tobacco infused plum fruit. Fresh with a fine tannic grip. Should hold for another decade+
March 27, 2019 - Consistent with prior notes. In a terrific spot with so much cigar box and bell pepper complexity.
March 2, 2019 - Q1 - 2019 Tasting - 1995 Vintage Napa Valley (NYC): 10th/16 wines tasted double blind. Quite a fragrant nose with some bramble and mint. This was probably for me the brightest of the wines in the line-up - more old world in style with ample acidity to support the dark fruits. Just outside my top three.
March 2, 2019 - Q1 2019 Tasting - 1995 Napa (The Apt): Wine #10: Again a nice wine. Good age. Darker fruits still there. It was perhaps a bit less interesting than some of the others - I thought it came across as more one dimensional or at least evolved less on the palate. Similar to the Cardinale could pick up a bit on the alc. Still, a good wine. (2 pennies)
January 19, 2019 - Initially the wine showed little, disappointing. The bottle was shared four ways so after several hours there was only a modest amount left, but by that time the wine had changed sharply and was very good, balanced, muted fruit, very nice. I would guess the wine has passed it's peak and would drink up.
May 12, 2018 - A tightly coiled nose at first (after an hour in the decanter), but the palate simply explodes with cassis, plum, cedar, and smoke. This is extraordinary; in a few years it should be fully ready though it is nice to catch this in the flushes of its youth.
May 4, 2018 - 1995 Napa Cabernet Retrospective (Troquet): Nose: Bright Cherry, Currant, Blackberry, Cedar, Tobacco, Mint and gravely notes. Palate: Gorgeous red/black fruit notes are light and lifted in a deftly balanced palate feel. Complex in the mouth with cedar, tobacco, licorice and spice notes. Finish: Echos the palate with great complexity and bright fruit notes.
This was Pauillac expressed through Napa Valley tonight. Many signatures of Pichon Baron or GPL on this right now. Might be drinking at peak, but some felt it had years to go.