June 21, 2020 - Not decanted and consumed over about 4 hours. Opaque black-garnet color with no fading except right at the rim. Huge nose of spice, especially allspice, tar, loam, and very ripe fruit. The nose never let up but evolved a bit to be less intense, but more alcoholic. On the palate the wine is very nicely balanced and overtly fruity but there is no acidity to buttress is. It's flabby to my palate. I'm am somewhat amazed that it's lasted so long with so little acid but, there it is. In the end I have to admit that it's a good wine but the blowsy fruit, intense alcohol, and lack of acidity make it not to my palate. Purchased on release and stored in my cellar since.
September 2, 2016 - This wine still had some life to it. Fruit has faded but still a nice wine. This bottle was stored perfectly and I'm sure that helped. Drink now..
July 30, 2016 - Toast, celery, boysenberry, black cherry and currant. Truly nice soft feel. The fruit is almost gone and the elegance has moved in. At Short on the nose but long on the finish. Glad I waited. A few more years to go on this excellent wine.
September 22, 2015 - Still quite youthful out of the bottle. Softer after a few minutes of air. Nice dark fruit and silky, but a little hard on the finish. Tasty!
February 20, 2014 - Dang brah, this is actually good. The once massive oak is totally resolved and the tannins are melted in with the earthy black fruit. There's even a little bay leaf hiding up in there somewhere. It's a bit too low on acid for this European man bag carrying teletubby but it seems to have some future ahead of it, if you can use it.
December 16, 2011 - Nose very nice on the pop, but wine disjointed at first. Needed min of 30 minutes in the glass and decanter to pull together. Once it did, dark fruit with notes of cherry still prominent and a very nice wine. Last of my 02's.
November 5, 2011 - This was an excellent wine. It has a few good years left. Classic Washington cabernet.
January 29, 2011 - This is a beautiful wine at the moment.
November 22, 2010 - Sometimes a little patience really pays off with these big Washington wines as this bottle was very good. The big oak was almost totally resolved and the big blueberry led fruit profile while still in charge was nicely accented by a suite of secondary cab flavors.
September 15, 2010 - Rich and balanced, a great tasting wine served w/ steak & bourbon sauce.