This was surprisingly enjoyable. Still plenty of fruit, acid, and a surprising amount of mint (not eucalyptus, but actual mint). Honestly, would guessed mid-nineties Napa Bordeaux blend -- never 100% C.F.
Still, fun to see it alive and kicking...
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At first the nose shows tons of wood and a very cheddary character.
Hiding beneath this mantle of wood is a spicy, herbal, edgy Cab Franc nose. I'm liking this with more time as the wood blows off and I get the vegetal edge I was looking for when I cracked this sucker. On the palate this starts very primary with brown sugar, heavy grapiness, and wood-infused notes of chocolate and coffee masking the fruit. However, as the wood blows off this gets much more lithe and spicy with a surprising spine of acidity and some solid structure. The finish is long, long, long, and with time some dusty, tooth-coating tannins emerge.
Definitely this is one to decant for a few hours to let all that wood blow off and to let this come together. This is still very primary and not the most balanced wine, yet it has lots of stuffing and is surprisingly food friendly.
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10/16/2023 - OG-Wino Likes this wine: 90 Points
From a magnum.
This was surprisingly enjoyable. Still plenty of fruit, acid, and a surprising amount of mint (not eucalyptus, but actual mint). Honestly, would guessed mid-nineties Napa Bordeaux blend -- never 100% C.F.
Still, fun to see it alive and kicking...
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9/15/2014 - WilliamF17 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Significant sediment; Good fruit bouquet still, moderate body and fine tannin remain. Good fruit with some tea and leather notes.
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1/5/2006 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Slightly funky on the nose with rusty aromas. Harsh and off-putting with clear furnace notes which quickly dominated. Shot bottle.
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8/7/2003 - peternelson wrote: 86 Points
Napa Wine Co.: plum, cherry, blkb, blk cherry, little tar, clean, med full bod, plum, dust; hi t’s, med. a’s, rel short fin.
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7/30/2003 - Eric wrote: 87 Points
At first the nose shows tons of wood and a very cheddary character.
Hiding beneath this mantle of wood is a spicy, herbal, edgy Cab Franc nose. I'm liking this with more time as the wood blows off and I get the vegetal edge I was looking for when I cracked this sucker. On the palate this starts very primary with brown sugar, heavy grapiness, and wood-infused notes of chocolate and coffee masking the fruit. However, as the wood blows off this gets much more lithe and spicy with a surprising spine of acidity and some solid structure. The finish is long, long, long, and with time some dusty, tooth-coating tannins emerge.
Definitely this is one to decant for a few hours to let all that wood blow off and to let this come together. This is still very primary and not the most balanced wine, yet it has lots of stuffing and is surprisingly food friendly.
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