My last bottle. Purchased on release. Now wish I would have purchased a case. Just returned from Napa where we had tastings at Mondavi To Kalon and Opus 1, and this cab just blows these out of the water. Poured in the decanter and drank over 2 hours. Such power and finesse rolled into one. Amazing nose and palate. Perfect combo of fruit and acidity. Long finish.
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One of the best wines. Such a good combination of fruit and acid. A few days ago had an expensive “high end “ Napa cab which was all fruit. This RM is on another level.
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Purchased on release and perfectly stored. One hour decant. Drinking quite nicely, even if it is still a bit on the primary side. The tannins have smoothed out to provide a luscious, fruity, velvet-like palate feel. Great with steak.
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Decanted for sediment and then about an hour before first glass. Fully integrated, great nose. Still plenty of fruit, but tannins have resolved. Drink up if you have some in the cellar!
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Fabulous wine. Opened at noon. Finished at dinner. Lush but not over the top. This is absolutely at prime now. Such a long spicy finish full of cinnamon and nutmeg. Refined fruit. Truly exceptional
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14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 2. Had this two years ago and it was outstanding. The nose on this bottle was like the nose on a pinot. Relatively mid-weight with elevated acidity levels. Hoping it's a bit of bottle variation. Enjoyable but didn't rise to the same level as the bottle I had in 2018. Let's see how it does on day 2.
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This needs another 2 years but drinks perfectly with a decant. This is a stunning and savory naia cab with beautiful dark chocolate and deep and dark plumby fruit. Savory compared to the Bond that we had. This also had some high toned bright fruit that showed up only with an hour of air.
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WOW, I really enjoyed this bottle. Served after 2 hours of air. Delicious ripe blackberry, cassis, integrated oak, and spice on the nose and silky palate with soft tannins and absolutely delectable acidity on the long finish.
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90 minute decant followed for 4 hours. Decant necessary to avoid sediment and it needed air. This wine is currently a bit subdued, which is of course unusual for a Thomas Rivers Brown wine. I was looking for Howell Mountain spice, but there wasn't any. Duh! The vineyard is on the valley floor east of St. Helena Highway. Integrated assorted red fruit palate. I can't point to a particular fruit flavor. It's not like "Oh, this is grenache raspberry." A balanced integrated whole. Extremely smooth with no hint of oak. The tanins are softening but no sweetness. There is also an acidic citrusy component to this wine at first approach.
I think this wine needs another five years or more before it peaks. It is ascendant and reaching the first level of maturity in that it has lost its baby fat and roughness, but still to blossom into what is still a bit hidden.
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Full throttle California fruit here. Rich and ripe but not quite at motor oil level. Soft on the palate and a straight forward fruit bomb. If you like the style, you will love this wine. Drink now as it is in a good place right now and there is no telling how it will evolve.
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For those who favor big powerful cabs it doesn't get much better than this. The wine was flawless in every category and I don't think others would question why I gave it such a high rating. It was tight upon opening so I double decanted about six hours before consuming with a steak dinner.
Rotating Dinner Series: Rivers Marie (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Tasted in a flight of '09 R-M Cabernet. My favorite of the three Cabs. Nose is similar to the Corona with chocolate, plum some and herb. Light tobacco and cigar notes emerge. The most tannic and structured of the three Cabs, but still quite luscious, round and easy drinking as the tannins are friendly. Don't see this getting much better from here.
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The Rotating Dinners, II.3: Rivers Marie 2008-2014 (Chicago, IL): This is a step above the other two 2009 cabernets, but not that much of a step up. Of the three wines, I thought that this was the most red-fruited, and showed the most structure. Even then, the structure here isn't that big. It's a wine that seems like it will topple over if you give it a gentle shove. Where's the tannin? This is fleshy and generous, and a bit too easy. I like to work for my cabernet.
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Catching up on some good wines (Home): Outstanding Cab. Drinking great with about 30 minutes of air. Not so well with about 2 hours as the bottle was completely empty. Its that delicious. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, cherries and leather. On the palate, this is ripe but not sweet. Also has layers of fruit and forest. Long finish. Round and accessible. No heat Just a delicious wine that is also complex. No hurry but why not enjoy it now.
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Half of a 750 into a 375 other half into wide bottom decanter for 90 min, which seemed to be enough. This was singing and ready to go. Dark and viscous. Floral perfume with mineral and underbrush notes on the nose. Heavy red fruit profile, a lot of black raspberry, some cherry, hint of iron on the long finish. Oak and tannins have subsided or have integrated nicely. A really great bottle of wine.
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Good but not great. Very monolithic in its flavor profile. Rich, fruity and forward, lacking the complexity and layers from other vintages. My wife wanted more earth and balance, so she let me finish her glass.
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A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again again) (Tommy's): Seemed to be the crowds choice for WOTN and while not mine, certainly it might have been. Amazing wine. Glad to have some in the cellar. Still drinking very young but showing great cassis fruit, some leather and earth. Deep but powerful. Tightly layered. Delicious as well.
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Fine, intense and smooth with dark red fruit. Lovely dark red color but showing a good amount of acidity. A wine that is nicely constructed but not my style or preference. I noticed that Parker scored the 2013 vintage at 98+ points, I wonder if the 2013 is appreciably better than the 2009?
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Pop and pour and tasted a glass. Poured the rest into a decanter. Tasted alone and then with food (ribeye steak, potatoes with kale and spinach, salad, in case you were wondering). Deep purple color. Nose of black cherries,, some vanilla and a touch of oak. Rich in flavor with black cherries, black raspberries, ripe plum, some vanilla and licorice root. Long finish. A delicious wine.
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Smooth as silk. Complex nose. Palate was dark fruit, black raspberry with a touch of cocoa powder. Hedonistic, with a long finish and smooth tannins. Sadly, it was my only bottle.
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Rich ripe fruit- opulent yet not over the top. Very well balanced, smooth tannins on the finish. Dangerously quaffable now, but plenty of room to develop further. A ridiculous value in California Cabernet.
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"ATS" Wine Group, Spring Gathering: So delicious and classy, especially for the first few hours - showing a velvety mouthfeel with a dark raspberry and spice profile. Perfect weight and concentration and some spry acidity. Over time picked up a minty quality that I didn't love.
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This rating is based on the two glasses left in the bottle on night two. Decanted for 90 minutes. dense, unyielding and somewhat muddled finish with the tannins still fighting for supremacy. I found myself confused, since the night before, I over-decanted an '07 Cayuse. Vin-Vaced and cellared. On night two this wine was downright gorgeous. Shameful how little I had left at this stage. Blues and blacks in full bloom, silky engorged mid-palate, and a 60 second plus finish.
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Real dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, tar and a salty mineral underpinning. Real nice length, although it's a little soft, lacking some mid-palate acidity maybe? It's still VERY good and I wish I had more. I don't see this lasting forever so drink up.
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Flavors consistent with previous notes but this bottle didn't seem to fully open throughout the night, which hurt the finish but still excellent overall.
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Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley (Napa Valley): More opulent in fruit than the 2010 Corona we had next to it. Didn't have the brooding thick structure of the Corona but was more accessible on the palate. The fruit is brighter and the texture is soft and glides on the palate. Great tension on the palate extends into the finish.
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Great cab. Silky smooth but intense and big in flavor. Spicey dark fruit with some cocoa/ mocha notes thrown in. Everyone loved it. Gave it a good decant.
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Just a terrific cab that is only starting to enter it's prime drinking window even with a two hour decanting. Just wish I had a few more. All the tasters absolutely loved this wine.
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Formal notes not taken, popped and poured. Classic cab dark fruits, very open and inviting on nose and front of palate, but plenty of energy and tension through midpalate and finish. Drink now, or later....
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4 hour decant. The nose is expressive with tons of black and dusty red fruit, a hint of cedar - it's creamy and inviting. Great mouthfeel is my immediate impression, with just enough acidity, and resolved tannins. The profile on the palate leans towards the dark fruits, with plenty of spices, a touch of oak and alcohol poke through. Impressive stuff here.
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20 hour sow oxidation and it paid off big-time. Expressive nose of ripe and pure black fruits. Blackberries, plums and cassis rule this today. Palate showed a very precise pure Napa cab with depth, purity and balance. Notes of cocoa, cardamom, soy and rubbed herbs show themselves as well. Even after 20 hours opened, this just kept getting better in better in the glass, especially as it cooled a few degrees with the cool dining room. (It was in my bag since morning). There is a richness here seldom encountered.The last glass was the best glass.A serious wine for serious Napa Cab lovers who just happen to like having fun while doing all that serious stuff. I am still in love with this baby-Schrader. My must buy when see wine; even if it means eating pasta fagioli for a week.
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Popped and poured. Deep, dark red in glass. Consumed too early. Dark chocolate, deep blue fruit flavors, well-balanced, if a bit muted. Would love to revisit in a few years.
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Quintessential & Quixotic; 3/30/2013-3/31/2013 (Scott & Todd's): Opened Friday night for a quick taste and slo-ox treatment, which worked like a charm on the Corona Vineyard opened last year by accident during the April Fool's tasting. Not so with this wine this year, as this showed better on Friday and Sunday than when served to the group on Saturday. Dense, full bodied, gobs of fruit but not too heavy, but at times chunky and lacking grace. Not shut down but I'm going to hold the remainder 3+ years.
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Gave this an all day slow-ox and it could have gone another day easy. Big and brooding, dark blackberry, tobacco, spice, mocha up front. Ripe black fruit, nice acidity, rich texture and fine grained tannins. Big fruit filled finish. Lovely now but has years ahead of it.
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Dark black fruits layered with nice earth notes and a rounded mouthfeel. Decanted for an hour and it could have used longer as it continued to improve over the next several while consuming. This should continue to improve.
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2 hr decant. Bold expressive nose of blackberry pie, plums, cedar and tobacco notes. Chewy dark fruits on the palate with sweet cedar, bittersweet chocolate and spice. Gripping tannins on a long finish.
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Still a baby this wine has a lot of upside. An extremely well made wine by a talented winemaker with grapes from an excellent vineyard. All this wine needs is some ageing and it will be a beauty
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Decided ot take a chance and wake this one up a little early. It started very bright and fruity but after decanting for only 30 minutes it had opened up and added a great deal of debth. I'm a big fan of the winemaker's work and was particularly excited to try this fruit source. A full time winner. Hard to find but easy to drink. Great nose with big dark fruit and lots of go power.
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Really impressive for a youngster. Needs time to breath and grow into the fruit, but great fruit forward nose with cassis and berry. Tannins are very smooth and integrated and the finish is long and rich. Will continue to develop but the puppy has really big paws
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Had some Rivers last weekend and with the order just being placed for the 2010 cabs, decided to open the only 09 I hadn't tasted yet. And wow this is the best of the 3! Decanted for 2 hours and it was tasting great! Fruit is well integrated with some spice and the tannins, it was incredibly smooth with a great finish. Will be great for years to come but with a good decant - it can be enjoyed now. Wow!
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Popped the cork and had this amazing smell come out. Decanted two hours, poured back in bottle then re decanted for 1.5 hrs at the restaurant. WOW, incredible dark fruit nose. Balanced, deep and big bodied cab that went well with my steak and held up just fine with the 06 Saxum Bone Rock we had along with it. Amazing wine!
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deep, complex, and lush cab that has a nice spine to keep it all in check. opened at a restaurant and followed over 2 hours. initially, nose of blueberries and chocolate/cocoa that was quite pronounced. with time this evolved to red fruits, blackberry, and cinnamon/baking spice and the cocoa died back a bit. flavors are rich and lean toward blackberry, cocoa, coffee and later more red fruits emerged. without the acidity and tannic grip this wine has it could be overly rich but the spine keeps it all in check. a great bottle with a life ahead of it.
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Pop'n pour. Intense aroma of cherry liquor. Dense, red fruit is tightly wound, gaining weight and depth with air. Polished, thick red fruit repeats on the palate, with black licorice and nutmeg on the finish. Needs time to come together, but all the material is there. Nice.
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Opaque dark red color. Dense looking. Edges are purple tinged. Nose shows cocoa powder, black raspberry with a hint of strawberry. The palate shows a very serious, slightly hi-toned wine that expresses much breed; intense chocolate covered black raspberries, blackberries and plum pumice. A medium weight wine with fantastic balance and delivery. Some brightness interjects itself as well. The mouth feel is pure and simply incredible. There sits within hints of cola, cassis and soy. I also get the most interesting level of minerality which I do enjoy in small doses. Finish is long and true. What I like is the overall feel to this and yes, it’s certainly young, this would benefit from at least two years in the bottle. TRB’s signature is all over this one and as close to a baby Schrader as I have ever had; a style which I prefer more and more. Good for me……..
After about three hours this has turned into something totally different. It has shed its youthfulness and garnered tremendous fullness and roundness. It's more cool blue in fruit style now and the brightness is gone and it now resembles Maybach Amoenus in a big way; so much so I had wondered if Panek is actually Chris' fruit source for Amoenus. I went to the Maybach site for my answer: 'from a hillside vineyard on the Western side of Calistoga', so no, it's not. But it is now an easy 95 points. (was 93)
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Two hours in a decanter. A promising wine that holds potential for future enjoyment, but this is just too young to fully appreciate, even with a grilled ribeye. Fleshy, ripe, sweet, plummy fruit, spices, noticable oak and firm tannins. All these elements are not quite integrated and this is just too aggressive and firm. This needs time to mellow,at least for my tastes.
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Night one this was overly sweet and out of balance. Deep chocolate and dark fruit on the nose, following through on the palate. Too much oak spice.
Saved half the bottle for the second night, where it turned into something much better. The sweetness receded, leaving very ripe dark fruit that didn't overwhelm the structure of the wine. Medium tannins, much receded oak. Much more balanced and delicious.
If you pop this now, give it lots of air. Seems like it'll do well in a few years.
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Removed cork 3 hours before dinner of ribeye, Lyonnaise potatoes and spinach. Good nose of dark fruit a little sweet in a good way not candied. Palate matches the nose no heat and smooth tannins. The last few sips the alcohol start to move up. But. A very enjoyable wine now should continue to get better. I will hold the rest for 5+ years it seems to be a good candidate for 5 to 10 years of bottle age.
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grilled beef some grilled veggies and smoke on the nose. the palate is smooth and delicious w ripe dark berries and already soft tannins. the readiest in the lineup. delicious
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Banging nose of dark berries and baking spices. Delicious big, slutty, sweet palate. Great, smooth finish. This is my favorite of the three on pop and pour.
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7/24/2023 - Bigfresser wrote: 95 Points
My last bottle. Stunning aroma of ripe berries and vibrant fruit on this night. Perfectly balanced with some aging flavors. Wish I had more
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9/16/2022 - davudvl Likes this wine: 95 Points
My last bottle. Purchased on release. Now wish I would have purchased a case. Just returned from Napa where we had tastings at Mondavi To Kalon and Opus 1, and this cab just blows these out of the water. Poured in the decanter and drank over 2 hours. Such power and finesse rolled into one. Amazing nose and palate. Perfect combo of fruit and acidity. Long finish.
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6/11/2022 - davudvl wrote: 94 Points
One of the best wines. Such a good combination of fruit and acid. A few days ago had an expensive “high end “ Napa cab which was all fruit. This RM is on another level.
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4/27/2022 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
Last bottle. Consistent with past notes.
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4/16/2022 - Chrisinroch wrote:
No formal notes from a few days ago but it was delicious and well balanced
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1/10/2022 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with past notes. I seem to have a lot of bottles of this one.
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1/7/2022 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Purchased on release and perfectly stored. One hour decant. Drinking quite nicely, even if it is still a bit on the primary side. The tannins have smoothed out to provide a luscious, fruity, velvet-like palate feel. Great with steak.
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8/22/2021 - Kbentley007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for sediment and then about an hour before first glass. Fully integrated, great nose. Still plenty of fruit, but tannins have resolved. Drink up if you have some in the cellar!
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7/12/2021 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with Feb 2020 notes. Midweight feel with a juicy mildly tart but pleasantly lasting finish. Spice, flower notes.
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2/11/2021 - mdvillaverde wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with Feb 2020 note.
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1/16/2021 - pswines1908 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wet tobacco, dark fruit, very smooth
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7/26/2020 - Dalex Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous wine. Opened at noon. Finished at dinner. Lush but not over the top. This is absolutely at prime now. Such a long spicy finish full of cinnamon and nutmeg. Refined fruit. Truly exceptional
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7/5/2020 - Backdoctor wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely fantastic. Still solid fruit on the palate. Soft tannins. all balanced and ready to drink
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5/16/2020 - DrBad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth and elegant. More red fruit than blue/black with plus acidity. Solid wine but not blown away.
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3/22/2020 - Bigfresser wrote: 96 Points
Phenomenal! Ripe, rich, soft tannins.
Coravin'd the bottle over a week. Need to buy more
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2/18/2020 - mdvillaverde wrote: 92 Points
14.6% ABV. I let it breathe for 2 hours. Drank over 2. Had this two years ago and it was outstanding. The nose on this bottle was like the nose on a pinot. Relatively mid-weight with elevated acidity levels. Hoping it's a bit of bottle variation. Enjoyable but didn't rise to the same level as the bottle I had in 2018. Let's see how it does on day 2.
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9/9/2019 - Dalex Likes this wine: 94 Points
This needs another 2 years but drinks perfectly with a decant. This is a stunning and savory naia cab with beautiful dark chocolate and deep and dark plumby fruit. Savory compared to the Bond that we had. This also had some high toned bright fruit that showed up only with an hour of air.
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2/23/2019 - pjhr Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOW, I really enjoyed this bottle. Served after 2 hours of air. Delicious ripe blackberry, cassis, integrated oak, and spice on the nose and silky palate with soft tannins and absolutely delectable acidity on the long finish.
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2/2/2019 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 94 Points
90 minute decant followed for 4 hours. Decant necessary to avoid sediment and it needed air. This wine is currently a bit subdued, which is of course unusual for a Thomas Rivers Brown wine. I was looking for Howell Mountain spice, but there wasn't any. Duh! The vineyard is on the valley floor east of St. Helena Highway. Integrated assorted red fruit palate. I can't point to a particular fruit flavor. It's not like "Oh, this is grenache raspberry." A balanced integrated whole. Extremely smooth with no hint of oak. The tanins are softening but no sweetness. There is also an acidic citrusy component to this wine at first approach.
I think this wine needs another five years or more before it peaks. It is ascendant and reaching the first level of maturity in that it has lost its baby fat and roughness, but still to blossom into what is still a bit hidden.
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12/24/2018 - EhrlichDY wrote:
Full throttle California fruit here. Rich and ripe but not quite at motor oil level. Soft on the palate and a straight forward fruit bomb. If you like the style, you will love this wine. Drink now as it is in a good place right now and there is no telling how it will evolve.
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6/27/2018 - kanab ram Likes this wine: 100 Points
For those who favor big powerful cabs it doesn't get much better than this. The wine was flawless in every category and I don't think others would question why I gave it such a high rating. It was tight upon opening so I double decanted about six hours before consuming with a steak dinner.
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6/23/2018 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious ripe blackberry, cassis, oak, and spice on the nose and silky palate with soft tannins on the long finish.
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3/13/2018 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Rotating Dinner Series: Rivers Marie (The Bristol - Chicago, IL): Tasted in a flight of '09 R-M Cabernet. My favorite of the three Cabs. Nose is similar to the Corona with chocolate, plum some and herb. Light tobacco and cigar notes emerge. The most tannic and structured of the three Cabs, but still quite luscious, round and easy drinking as the tannins are friendly. Don't see this getting much better from here.
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3/13/2018 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
The Rotating Dinners, II.3: Rivers Marie 2008-2014 (Chicago, IL): This is a step above the other two 2009 cabernets, but not that much of a step up. Of the three wines, I thought that this was the most red-fruited, and showed the most structure. Even then, the structure here isn't that big. It's a wine that seems like it will topple over if you give it a gentle shove. Where's the tannin? This is fleshy and generous, and a bit too easy. I like to work for my cabernet.
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8/31/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Catching up on some good wines (Home): Outstanding Cab. Drinking great with about 30 minutes of air. Not so well with about 2 hours as the bottle was completely empty. Its that delicious. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, cherries and leather. On the palate, this is ripe but not sweet. Also has layers of fruit and forest. Long finish. Round and accessible. No heat Just a delicious wine that is also complex. No hurry but why not enjoy it now.
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8/30/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Half of a 750 into a 375 other half into wide bottom decanter for 90 min, which seemed to be enough. This was singing and ready to go. Dark and viscous. Floral perfume with mineral and underbrush notes on the nose. Heavy red fruit profile, a lot of black raspberry, some cherry, hint of iron on the long finish. Oak and tannins have subsided or have integrated nicely. A really great bottle of wine.
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4/10/2017 - j@$0n p€++y wrote: 91 Points
Good but not great. Very monolithic in its flavor profile. Rich, fruity and forward, lacking the complexity and layers from other vintages. My wife wanted more earth and balance, so she let me finish her glass.
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9/18/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
A lot of Wines at Tommy's Clambake (again again) (Tommy's): Seemed to be the crowds choice for WOTN and while not mine, certainly it might have been. Amazing wine. Glad to have some in the cellar. Still drinking very young but showing great cassis fruit, some leather and earth. Deep but powerful. Tightly layered. Delicious as well.
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4/24/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 90 Points
Fine, intense and smooth with dark red fruit. Lovely dark red color but showing a good amount of acidity. A wine that is nicely constructed but not my style or preference. I noticed that Parker scored the 2013 vintage at 98+ points, I wonder if the 2013 is appreciably better than the 2009?
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3/20/2016 - t_moderne wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour and tasted a glass. Poured the rest into a decanter.
Tasted alone and then with food (ribeye steak, potatoes with kale and spinach, salad, in case you were wondering).
Deep purple color. Nose of black cherries,, some vanilla and a touch of oak.
Rich in flavor with black cherries, black raspberries, ripe plum, some vanilla and licorice root.
Long finish. A delicious wine.
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2/12/2016 - JonnyG wrote: 90 Points
Night Two of Two Big Nights in Sydney (Beachside in Bondi): Overripe to my palate, and one dimensional, with very evident oak and a cloying jamminess. Maybe with time?
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1/5/2016 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth as silk. Complex nose. Palate was dark fruit, black raspberry with a touch of cocoa powder. Hedonistic, with a long finish and smooth tannins. Sadly, it was my only bottle.
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10/8/2015 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
Rich ripe fruit- opulent yet not over the top. Very well balanced, smooth tannins on the finish. Dangerously quaffable now, but plenty of room to develop further. A ridiculous value in California Cabernet.
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7/16/2015 - Mike Dildine wrote: 94 Points
Spectacularly opulent, with richness, depth and length to spare. Well integrated and with no sharp edges, this is drinking fantasticly now.
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5/30/2015 - pgb67 wrote: 94 Points
"ATS" Wine Group, Spring Gathering: So delicious and classy, especially for the first few hours - showing a velvety mouthfeel with a dark raspberry and spice profile. Perfect weight and concentration and some spry acidity. Over time picked up a minty quality that I didn't love.
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2/25/2015 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
This rating is based on the two glasses left in the bottle on night two.
Decanted for 90 minutes. dense, unyielding and somewhat muddled finish with the tannins still fighting for supremacy. I found myself confused, since the night before, I over-decanted an '07 Cayuse.
Vin-Vaced and cellared. On night two this wine was downright gorgeous. Shameful how little I had left at this stage. Blues and blacks in full bloom, silky engorged mid-palate, and a 60 second plus finish.
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10/27/2014 - Acohen Likes this wine: 95 Points
gorgeous ripe dark blackberry fruit with floral notes on the nose, great integration and a long lush finish
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10/17/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Real dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, tar and a salty mineral underpinning. Real nice length, although it's a little soft, lacking some mid-palate acidity maybe? It's still VERY good and I wish I had more. I don't see this lasting forever so drink up.
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7/12/2014 - haldolugr wrote: 92 Points
Flavors consistent with previous notes but this bottle didn't seem to fully open throughout the night, which hurt the finish but still excellent overall.
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4/7/2014 - clayfu wrote:
Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley (Napa Valley): More opulent in fruit than the 2010 Corona we had next to it. Didn't have the brooding thick structure of the Corona but was more accessible on the palate. The fruit is brighter and the texture is soft and glides on the palate. Great tension on the palate extends into the finish.
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3/17/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Like drinking thick blackberry juice mixed with a dash of black pepper. Very sweet and ripe.
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2/9/2014 - haldolugr wrote: 94 Points
Great cab. Silky smooth but intense and big in flavor. Spicey dark fruit with some cocoa/ mocha notes thrown in. Everyone loved it. Gave it a good decant.
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1/11/2014 - pkbackman Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the best Cabs I've had in a while. Brambly dark berries, smooth touch of vanilla, long finish. Flipping fantastic
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11/23/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a terrific cab that is only starting to enter it's prime drinking window even with a two hour decanting. Just wish I had a few more. All the tasters absolutely loved this wine.
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10/19/2013 - lzelman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine, very smooth with fantastic flavors
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7/18/2013 - Haltermr wrote: 93 Points
Formal notes not taken, popped and poured. Classic cab dark fruits, very open and inviting on nose and front of palate, but plenty of energy and tension through midpalate and finish. Drink now, or later....
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7/17/2013 - bigdomer wrote: 91 Points
tasted blind. awesome nose, dark color, unusual finish...must be a TRB wine - and it was....
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7/4/2013 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 93 Points
4 hour decant. The nose is expressive with tons of black and dusty red fruit, a hint of cedar - it's creamy and inviting. Great mouthfeel is my immediate impression, with just enough acidity, and resolved tannins. The profile on the palate leans towards the dark fruits, with plenty of spices, a touch of oak and alcohol poke through. Impressive stuff here.
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7/3/2013 - Justin B wrote: 94 Points
Really good on day 1, fantastic on day 2.
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6/6/2013 - King Cab wrote: 96 Points
20 hour sow oxidation and it paid off big-time.
Expressive nose of ripe and pure black fruits. Blackberries, plums and cassis rule this today. Palate showed a very precise pure Napa cab with depth, purity and balance. Notes of cocoa, cardamom, soy and rubbed herbs show themselves as well. Even after 20 hours opened, this just kept getting better in better in the glass, especially as it cooled a few degrees with the cool dining room. (It was in my bag since morning). There is a richness here seldom encountered.The last glass was the best glass.A serious wine for serious Napa Cab lovers who just happen to like having fun while doing all that serious stuff. I am still in love with this baby-Schrader. My must buy when see wine; even if it means eating pasta fagioli for a week.
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5/28/2013 - Floyd77 wrote: 92 Points
I drank this way too soon ... But on day 2, it was starting to express itself -- blackberry, mocha, chocolate, spice. Serious wine that needs time
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5/9/2013 - andolini wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Deep, dark red in glass. Consumed too early. Dark chocolate, deep blue fruit flavors, well-balanced, if a bit muted. Would love to revisit in a few years.
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3/31/2013 - silton Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quintessential & Quixotic; 3/30/2013-3/31/2013 (Scott & Todd's): Opened Friday night for a quick taste and slo-ox treatment, which worked like a charm on the Corona Vineyard opened last year by accident during the April Fool's tasting. Not so with this wine this year, as this showed better on Friday and Sunday than when served to the group on Saturday. Dense, full bodied, gobs of fruit but not too heavy, but at times chunky and lacking grace. Not shut down but I'm going to hold the remainder 3+ years.
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3/19/2013 - River Rat Likes this wine:
Gave this an all day slow-ox and it could have gone another day easy. Big and brooding, dark blackberry, tobacco, spice, mocha up front. Ripe black fruit, nice acidity, rich texture and fine grained tannins. Big fruit filled finish. Lovely now but has years ahead of it.
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2/23/2013 - VinoDiver wrote: 92 Points
Dark black fruits layered with nice earth notes and a rounded mouthfeel. Decanted for an hour and it could have used longer as it continued to improve over the next several while consuming. This should continue to improve.
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2/11/2013 - bobpsi wrote: 93 Points
2 hr decant. Bold expressive nose of blackberry pie, plums, cedar and tobacco notes. Chewy dark fruits on the palate with sweet cedar, bittersweet chocolate and spice. Gripping tannins on a long finish.
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1/11/2013 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Still a baby this wine has a lot of upside. An extremely well made wine by a talented winemaker with grapes from an excellent vineyard. All this wine needs is some ageing and it will be a beauty
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12/10/2012 - norzano wrote:
Good but young.
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11/29/2012 - Vitis Maximus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decided ot take a chance and wake this one up a little early. It started very bright and fruity but after decanting for only 30 minutes it had opened up and added a great deal of debth. I'm a big fan of the winemaker's work and was particularly excited to try this fruit source. A full time winner. Hard to find but easy to drink. Great nose with big dark fruit and lots of go power.
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8/11/2012 - Acohen wrote: 93 Points
Really impressive for a youngster. Needs time to breath and grow into the fruit, but great fruit forward nose with cassis and berry. Tannins are very smooth and integrated and the finish is long and rich. Will continue to develop but the puppy has really big paws
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8/5/2012 - haldolugr wrote: 96 Points
Had some Rivers last weekend and with the order just being placed for the 2010 cabs, decided to open the only 09 I hadn't tasted yet. And wow this is the best of the 3! Decanted for 2 hours and it was tasting great! Fruit is well integrated with some spice and the tannins, it was incredibly smooth with a great finish. Will be great for years to come but with a good decant - it can be enjoyed now. Wow!
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7/29/2012 - Backdoctor wrote: 94 Points
Popped the cork and had this amazing smell come out. Decanted two hours, poured back in bottle then re decanted for 1.5 hrs at the restaurant. WOW, incredible dark fruit nose. Balanced, deep and big bodied cab that went well with my steak and held up just fine with the 06 Saxum Bone Rock we had along with it. Amazing wine!
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7/26/2012 - kthornton78 wrote: 94 Points
deep, complex, and lush cab that has a nice spine to keep it all in check. opened at a restaurant and followed over 2 hours. initially, nose of blueberries and chocolate/cocoa that was quite pronounced. with time this evolved to red fruits, blackberry, and cinnamon/baking spice and the cocoa died back a bit. flavors are rich and lean toward blackberry, cocoa, coffee and later more red fruits emerged. without the acidity and tannic grip this wine has it could be overly rich but the spine keeps it all in check. a great bottle with a life ahead of it.
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7/21/2012 - Jody Smith wrote:
Pop'n pour. Intense aroma of cherry liquor. Dense, red fruit is tightly wound, gaining weight and depth with air. Polished, thick red fruit repeats on the palate, with black licorice and nutmeg on the finish. Needs time to come together, but all the material is there. Nice.
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7/21/2012 - King Cab wrote: 95 Points
Opaque dark red color. Dense looking. Edges are purple tinged. Nose shows cocoa powder, black raspberry with a hint of strawberry. The palate shows a very serious, slightly hi-toned wine that expresses much breed; intense chocolate covered black raspberries, blackberries and plum pumice. A medium weight wine with fantastic balance and delivery. Some brightness interjects itself as well. The mouth feel is pure and simply incredible. There sits within hints of cola, cassis and soy. I also get the most interesting level of minerality which I do enjoy in small doses. Finish is long and true. What I like is the overall feel to this and yes, it’s certainly young, this would benefit from at least two years in the bottle. TRB’s signature is all over this one and as close to a baby Schrader as I have ever had; a style which I prefer more and more. Good for me……..
After about three hours this has turned into something totally different. It has shed its youthfulness and garnered tremendous fullness and roundness. It's more cool blue in fruit style now and the brightness is gone and it now resembles Maybach Amoenus in a big way; so much so I had wondered if Panek is actually Chris' fruit source for Amoenus. I went to the Maybach site for my answer: 'from a hillside vineyard on the Western side of Calistoga', so no, it's not.
But it is now an easy 95 points. (was 93)
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7/8/2012 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
Two hours in a decanter. A promising wine that holds potential for future enjoyment, but this is just too young to fully appreciate, even with a grilled ribeye. Fleshy, ripe, sweet, plummy fruit, spices, noticable oak and firm tannins. All these elements are not quite integrated and this is just too aggressive and firm. This needs time to mellow,at least for my tastes.
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6/17/2012 - RMundell Likes this wine: 94 Points
decanted a couple hours. Really great wine nice balance.
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5/6/2012 - Michael Davidson wrote:
Pop-and-pour, drank over two nights.
Night one this was overly sweet and out of balance. Deep chocolate and dark fruit on the nose, following through on the palate. Too much oak spice.
Saved half the bottle for the second night, where it turned into something much better. The sweetness receded, leaving very ripe dark fruit that didn't overwhelm the structure of the wine. Medium tannins, much receded oak. Much more balanced and delicious.
If you pop this now, give it lots of air. Seems like it'll do well in a few years.
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4/7/2012 - Slvrfish wrote: 92 Points
Removed cork 3 hours before dinner of ribeye, Lyonnaise potatoes and spinach. Good nose of dark fruit a little sweet in a good way not candied. Palate matches the nose no heat and smooth tannins. The last few sips the alcohol start to move up. But. A very enjoyable wine now should continue to get better. I will hold the rest for 5+ years it seems to be a good candidate for 5 to 10 years of bottle age.
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12/23/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
grilled beef some grilled veggies and smoke on the nose. the palate is smooth and delicious w ripe dark berries and already soft tannins. the readiest in the lineup. delicious
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11/28/2011 - Dasher wrote: 95 Points
Lots of cherry and floral going on in this bottle. Needs to sit for a while.
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11/24/2011 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Popped and poured. A young beast.. Very enjoyable now but will be better in 2 years.
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11/4/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Banging nose of dark berries and baking spices. Delicious big, slutty, sweet palate. Great, smooth finish. This is my favorite of the three on pop and pour.
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