Open it for the AO team, and heatd nothing but praise, especially for its age. Still drinking great, tastes and smells as you would expect for a bottle of its stature. Still a lot of fruit, body and richness.
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stellar stuff that has held up really well. This is all about black fruits, currants, earth, cassis wrapped up in a full body with great balance. Happy to have more left.
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Wow, an incredible CS. This wine is in an excellent place right now, drinking very smooth, silky and integrated flavors. Was amazing with our charcoal grilled fillets with wild rice and mushrooms.
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Notes of cedar and dark fruit on the nose with beautiful cassis and black cherry flavors with very soft tannins with a nice finish of leather or chocolate and more dark fruit. Delicious wine!
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WOW... so fresh and lively for the age it has on.. night one at restaurant (pnp'd) .. very bright red fruit, tannins pretty integrated, just a bit of green pepper which is nice it wasn't overpowering... delicious, and night 2, just under cork, last glass+ is still very fresh, still primarily red fruit with a bit more roundness to it. Sadly a one-and-done for me. Drinking nicely, if I had more, I'd feel comfortable with drinking over next 2-4 years.
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So interesting to read variation in notes. I found this bottle excellent, though it did drink older than a 10 yr old modern Napa cab. Soft up front, long finish, tannins mellowed but plenty of acid, good secondary flavors (I got tobacco, wife got earthy).
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One hour decant. Deep dark ruby color. Candied cherry, bitter chocolate, radish, soap and anise on the nose. Very smooth, tongue drying palate with lots of earthy secondary notes. Soft tannins on the long finish. This is just past its prime for my palate, becoming too green/savory. With that said, the lingering finish is impressive.
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I got nothing out of this wine---it was flat and gave no sense of being a full-bodied cab. Storage should not have been an issue because it has been kept in a special wine cooler set at 64 deg. since I got it in 2012.
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Very dark color, big, dense style. Robust. Seemed a bit one-dimensional or closed; it may just need time to develop, and should show better/show more varietal complexity in 3 to 5 years.
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Fantastic nose right from the start, which continues to show well over the 6 hours this was consumed. Initially, the palate was a little too sweet and lacking in delineation. However, after 3 hrs of air, it sorted itself out and displayed better balance as the black fruits receded a touch and notes of spice, ground coffee, and dark earth emerged. This is still young and is likely to benefit from 2-3 more years in the cellar. No sediment in the bottle, so I assume this is filtered.
As an aside, this bottle was a gift from the winemaker, Jean, 5 years ago when my wife and I visited the winery for my 40th birthday. We opened it tonight to celebrate #45. Thanks, Jean!
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Decanted for four hours. More red fruits than blue. Muted and started to fade at the end. Fairly integrated tannins. Finish medium length of sweet vanilla. Just a little heat.
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An impressive cab that Jean signed himself. Very smooth on the nose and pallet, with impressive berry fruit flavors. Will save the last of 4 for a special occasion.
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Decanted and served after 2 hours. Dark purple colored, taste of dark fruits - blackberries, dark cherries & cassis. Medium finish. Prime drinking window for this wine, very enjoyable.
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Great wine, drinking nice and with great balance. Lots of red fruit. Eucalyptus, tobacco and anise. Smooth as silk from beginning to end. Lots of tannins here still, but built into the wine well. Great pop in flavor and excellent grip on your mouth.
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Decanted for around 30 mins. Big and ripe on the nose with blackberry, cassis, a bit of cedar and some chocolately oak notes. Similar flavors on the palate with a blackberry jam finish. Medium acid and medium- tannins with a silky smooth mouthfeel. The tannins felt more like oak tannin than fruit tannin and I am not sure if that is a trait of the wine itself or more a reflection of the vintage. Delicious wine but felt like it needed a bit more structure. Questionable QPR as well.
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At "A Voce" in NYC, their last 2 bottles, with busienss colleagues from Switzerland.
Deep purple color to the rim. Nose is rich with black fruits, cedar. At a restaurant so we were PnP, this opened quickly and improved with air time...Palate was dark fruit/cassis profile, coffee, oak, vanilla
Really nice now, opens quickly, awesome with richer foods/meats. Will have a good shelf life ahead of it.
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3 - 2009 Napa Cabs: Drank over two nights. Purple in color, some ruby at the rim. On opening, the nose is deep with cassis, black raspberries, cedar and cigar box. Big texture. With a bit of air, the wine rounds out with plenty of depth. The cedar is persistent, but there is plenty of fruit to balance it. On day 2, the fruit turns from black to red. The acidity is a bit more pronounced. Still quite good, but I preferred it on Day1 with an hour or so of air. Medium tannins. I would drink these over the next couple of years.
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This bottle was not a great as the previous, but still a good cab. Smells like cali cab, but a darker, fuller, version. Started off with big tannins that slowly receded. Lots of mocha and chocolate with dark berry, cassis, coffee, and a little bit of earth. And Vanilla, good amount of vanilla. Oak is a bit much at the moment, but this should age nicely for the medium haul.
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Doesn't coat the pallet. But, has a very nice nose even though it's a little thin.... Needs a little more body to be exceptional. Vinturied into the decanter 3 hours before dinner. Good wine buy for the price point.
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Sweet, ripe berry fruit on the nose with hints of tobacco, new oak, vanillin and prunes. Sweet entry on the palate but with good structure and a decent acidity. Reddish fruit, sweet, medium length finish. Very good. Could use a few years on it's back to let the oak settle in, it has the structure to last medium term ageing.
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Opened Friday, inspected and re-corked for dinner service on Saturday. The first night's wee pour was in stark contrast to the next night's performance - oaky, clumsy, stinging tannins, distracting etOh, etc. The next night, while there was still a fair amount of etOh clouding the fruit, the palate was lighter (read: medium-bodied) than I was expecting. A delicious wine, but honestly, it's too soon to drink this effort now or in the next few years. Good now, perhaps very good in 5-6 years. The finish seemed too shallow, and the 14,5% has yet to be fully integrated. But if this is how you prefer your juice, go for it.
edit: if drinking anytime soon, consider 2-3 hours aeration in decanter before service
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I still love this wine. I thought maybe I was too excited last time, but I don't think so anymore. Expected a good wine here, no doubt, but got one that exceeded expectations.
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Really a magnificent wine! Aromas of black currant, cedar, black cherry, grenadine, nutmeg, plum and cocoa. Rich and elegant structure, built to age. Softer fruit up front and power builds. Black currant, blueberry and black cherry flavors. Nice acid backbone and tinges of red currant and blackberry pie. Dry finish.
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I remember tasting this wine at AO, and I preferred it over the proprietary red blend. In fact, I thought this cab showed well against some of the single vineyard cabs like GIII and To Kalon (which were outstanding). Large red berry fruit with earthy bits and smoke hovering on all sides. Rich and dense mouthfeel. Very powerful and very enjoyable. I'm excited for the next bottle.
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So I'm wondering why the rating for this gem is so low, and I see some tool gave it a 76. Really? Wow. Anyways, ironically, good as it was, it may have been overshadowed by the Samuel's Gorge 2010 Shiraz that shared dinner with it. Cut to the chase, this wine is amazingly smooth and easy to drink, particularly for a young Napa Cab. This is my third bottle, the second of which I tried at a Wine House Napa Cab event and it was the second best cab there besides a Spottswoode. And there were a LOT of cabs that night, to say the least. I also bought a bottle at the tasting room in Napa, which is quite nice. It has been an up and coming, highly rated winery. What I did not know, is that they are blending in some fruit from the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard. Per the wine house pourer, they have 9 acres, and they choose to improve their other holdings apparently, rather than go solo on the To Kalon (see Schrader et al ratings for the pedigree of that vineyard, sheesh!!). The wine is very straight down the middle, it does not usurp your mouth. It is lighter than a lot of Napa Cabs, which I hold against it. Its got great acid, and friendly tannins. Light fruit too. Perhaps just a 91 for lack of complexity, I dunno. 14.5% alc.
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Excellent! Rich nose of bright red fruits. Tasty on the PNP, but after 90 minutes it was really singing. Lots of black fruit, licorice and vanilla. Powerful finish. If scoring 92-94.
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Good stuff! Beautiful wine, cherry fruit and cassis, balanced oak and licorice. Mellowed out with air and was approaching great by the end of the night. Hold. If scoring 92-94.
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Drank half during dinner @ Press (in St. Helena/Napa Valley) with my wife on our honeymoon, then the 2nd half late night, so tasting notes are sporadic at best (from my tasting journal scribble).
Very dark red/ruby in color, fairly true to cab sav type. Great bouquet of ripe berries, cherries, cocoa & dust. Even better, more expressive palate featuring that same ripe cherry with cola hints, raspberry, some green pepper notes, and even a bit of cough syrup on the finish. The fruit is huge and this is drinking wonderfully right now, given it's an '09. More medium than full-bodied with velvety smooth tannins and a sweet, semi-lengthy finish, delicious. Wish I could buy more!
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PnP. A nice Cab with red fruits, leather and touch of vanilla. Was not giving off a lot until the last glass. Needs some more time or a decant, but wife wanted to have a nice bottle on a weeknight so we picked this out.
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Pretty nose of currant, cassis, blackberry and light notes of dark cherry. Powerful and muscular on the palate. Dry, with big acid and tannin but all in balance. Flavors of blueberry, cassis, currant and some oak notes. Some earth. Lingers well and has good grip. Dark flavors.
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30th Birthday Bash Wine Dinner (Scoozi, Chicago): A nice wine. There is some serious pedigree strength behind the single vineyards so I'm a little surprised the Napa AVA didn't shine more. Rich ripe fruit. Cherries and some cotton candy. Super tight and super young; a bit astringent in fact. Pretty much popped and poured so maybe we didn't do this guy justice...but still. I'd like to see this come around in three to five years. I'd long been wanting to try a wine from AO so I'm glad at that.
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4/30/2023 - Bigfresser Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open it for the AO team, and heatd nothing but praise, especially for its age. Still drinking great, tastes and smells as you would expect for a bottle of its stature. Still a lot of fruit, body and richness.
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8/14/2022 - couch2sommelier wrote:
Well balanced and great fruit flavor. Dark fruit notes.
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10/25/2020 - rbieber168@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderfully balanced. Currant with dark cherry. Very nice finish. Really like this wine. Lots of fruit left but not to powerful.
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10/25/2020 - Gas Station Wine Guy Likes this wine: 94 Points
stellar stuff that has held up really well. This is all about black fruits, currants, earth, cassis wrapped up in a full body with great balance. Happy to have more left.
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6/20/2020 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, an incredible CS. This wine is in an excellent place right now, drinking very smooth, silky and integrated flavors. Was amazing with our charcoal grilled fillets with wild rice and mushrooms.
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6/13/2020 - Darwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes of cedar and dark fruit on the nose with beautiful cassis and black cherry flavors with very soft tannins with a nice finish of leather or chocolate and more dark fruit. Delicious wine!
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3/22/2020 - jdelalamo Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent
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2/25/2020 - gf2182 Likes this wine: 90 Points
WOW... so fresh and lively for the age it has on.. night one at restaurant (pnp'd) .. very bright red fruit, tannins pretty integrated, just a bit of green pepper which is nice it wasn't overpowering... delicious, and night 2, just under cork, last glass+ is still very fresh, still primarily red fruit with a bit more roundness to it. Sadly a one-and-done for me. Drinking nicely, if I had more, I'd feel comfortable with drinking over next 2-4 years.
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2/3/2020 - Ewhite30 Likes this wine:
Excellent, round and rich - holding up great with I'm sure another three or so years in front of it. Bummer it's the last one.
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10/26/2019 - Jabo-PEJ Likes this wine: 76 Points
Very good
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10/5/2019 - swigna wrote: 93 Points
Fruit expression with great mouthfeel. 20 min decant served at 65f. Very pleasant.
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9/1/2019 - jerrysvino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Napa Cab after 10 years still with fruit and mellowed tannins
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6/11/2019 - madalyn Does not like this wine: 85 Points
not good
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5/10/2019 - AAJR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last of three bottles. Aromas - floral, raisins, berries. Palate - dusty tannins, berries & secondary flavors. Very enjoyable.
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4/24/2019 - @lindsaynyc wrote:
A touch past it’s prime
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4/2/2019 - JGinMO wrote: 92 Points
So interesting to read variation in notes. I found this bottle excellent, though it did drink older than a 10 yr old modern Napa cab. Soft up front, long finish, tannins mellowed but plenty of acid, good secondary flavors (I got tobacco, wife got earthy).
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2/22/2019 - AGELVIS wrote: 89 Points
One hour decant. Deep dark ruby color. Candied cherry, bitter chocolate, radish, soap and anise on the nose. Very smooth, tongue drying palate with lots of earthy secondary notes. Soft tannins on the long finish. This is just past its prime for my palate, becoming too green/savory. With that said, the lingering finish is impressive.
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1/5/2019 - Russtigo Does not like this wine: 75 Points
I got nothing out of this wine---it was flat and gave no sense of being a full-bodied cab. Storage should not have been an issue because it has been kept in a special wine cooler set at 64 deg. since I got it in 2012.
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10/6/2018 - JGinMO wrote: 89 Points
I hope this was a bad bottle, but this tasted way older than a 9 yr Napa cab. Brett perhaps?
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9/13/2018 - glorandsno Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very dark color, big, dense style. Robust. Seemed a bit one-dimensional or closed; it may just need time to develop, and should show better/show more varietal complexity in 3 to 5 years.
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2/6/2018 - 9500mesa Likes this wine: 92 Points
needed time to open, much better the 2nd day and then very delicious
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12/1/2017 - Seltzer wrote:
Needs to age longer. Try again in 2020
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11/15/2017 - mpdonnel Likes this wine: 93 Points
I only had a sip as this was rapidly consumed by my wife and mother before I got there. They both loved it. Unfortunately I don't have any more.
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11/8/2017 - MJV2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully now- smooth and delicious. Notes of cherry and tobacco are perfectly balanced. Might have to open another bottle!
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10/23/2017 - miketamaclark Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking beautifully, While showing some signs of age, probably has couple of good years left. Very flavorful, smooth.
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9/18/2017 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic nose right from the start, which continues to show well over the 6 hours this was consumed. Initially, the palate was a little too sweet and lacking in delineation. However, after 3 hrs of air, it sorted itself out and displayed better balance as the black fruits receded a touch and notes of spice, ground coffee, and dark earth emerged. This is still young and is likely to benefit from 2-3 more years in the cellar. No sediment in the bottle, so I assume this is filtered.
As an aside, this bottle was a gift from the winemaker, Jean, 5 years ago when my wife and I visited the winery for my 40th birthday. We opened it tonight to celebrate #45. Thanks, Jean!
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9/5/2016 - TC16 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for four hours. More red fruits than blue. Muted and started to fade at the end. Fairly integrated tannins. Finish medium length of sweet vanilla. Just a little heat.
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7/4/2016 - Mark V Likes this wine: 94 Points
An impressive cab that Jean signed himself. Very smooth on the nose and pallet, with impressive berry fruit flavors. Will save the last of 4 for a special occasion.
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3/13/2016 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and served after 2 hours. Dark purple colored, taste of dark fruits - blackberries, dark cherries & cassis. Medium finish. Prime drinking window for this wine, very enjoyable.
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3/10/2016 - Bob in NC wrote: 93 Points
An outstanding CS. Wonderful expressive nose that belied the savory flavors of rich blackberries, cedar, black pepper and a smooth tannic finish.
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1/1/2016 - Wineman3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice, well balanced flavors
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12/31/2015 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine:
Showing some nice cocoa notes as the fruit gets dustier and more dried in nature. Still powerful, with depth and wonderful complexity.
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11/18/2015 - Drink&Trade Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine, drinking nice and with great balance. Lots of red fruit. Eucalyptus, tobacco and anise. Smooth as silk from beginning to end. Lots of tannins here still, but built into the wine well. Great pop in flavor and excellent grip on your mouth.
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11/10/2015 - The Wine Sherpa Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very impressive. Good fruit and great balance. This is just starting t show itself. One of the best wines I have enjoyed this year.
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10/17/2015 - East of Napa wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Shared with goodcfriends and a three pound lobster!
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8/30/2015 - Rich S wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for around 30 mins. Big and ripe on the nose with blackberry, cassis, a bit of cedar and some chocolately oak notes. Similar flavors on the palate with a blackberry jam finish. Medium acid and medium- tannins with a silky smooth mouthfeel. The tannins felt more like oak tannin than fruit tannin and I am not sure if that is a trait of the wine itself or more a reflection of the vintage. Delicious wine but felt like it needed a bit more structure. Questionable QPR as well.
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3/14/2015 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine:
South Charlotte Wine Lovers - California Bordeaux Blends (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Very nice wine. Drank this near the end of long evening. After the many big boy wines we had the pleasure to drink this evening, this did not compare - at least for me. Could have been tasting fatigue on my part so will not rate. If rating, I would give it a 90.
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9/25/2014 - Paigeverde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened but not decanted for an hour before drinking, was absolutely wonderful, and paired excellent with the night's steak dinner.
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8/15/2014 - Wineman3 wrote: 93 Points
Well balanced, nice flavor
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7/15/2014 - Edclr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very chocolaty is flavor, nice finish, decent balance, all around ok wine.
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2/10/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At "A Voce" in NYC, their last 2 bottles, with busienss colleagues from Switzerland.
Deep purple color to the rim. Nose is rich with black fruits, cedar. At a restaurant so we were PnP, this opened quickly and improved with air time...Palate was dark fruit/cassis profile, coffee, oak, vanilla
Really nice now, opens quickly, awesome with richer foods/meats. Will have a good shelf life ahead of it.
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2/10/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
3 - 2009 Napa Cabs: Drank over two nights. Purple in color, some ruby at the rim. On opening, the nose is deep with cassis, black raspberries, cedar and cigar box. Big texture. With a bit of air, the wine rounds out with plenty of depth. The cedar is persistent, but there is plenty of fruit to balance it. On day 2, the fruit turns from black to red. The acidity is a bit more pronounced. Still quite good, but I preferred it on Day1 with an hour or so of air. Medium tannins. I would drink these over the next couple of years.
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1/16/2014 - TC16 wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was not a great as the previous, but still a good cab. Smells like cali cab, but a darker, fuller, version. Started off with big tannins that slowly receded. Lots of mocha and chocolate with dark berry, cassis, coffee, and a little bit of earth. And Vanilla, good amount of vanilla. Oak is a bit much at the moment, but this should age nicely for the medium haul.
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11/23/2013 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 92 Points
Doesn't coat the pallet. But, has a very nice nose even though it's a little thin.... Needs a little more body to be exceptional.
Vinturied into the decanter 3 hours before dinner. Good wine buy for the price point.
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11/16/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Sweet and tart fruits and complexity to this tasty, forward wine that blends cassis, blackberry, coffee and earthy notes.
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11/14/2013 - HenrikJ wrote: 90 Points
Sweet, ripe berry fruit on the nose with hints of tobacco, new oak, vanillin and prunes. Sweet entry on the palate but with good structure and a decent acidity. Reddish fruit, sweet, medium length finish. Very good. Could use a few years on it's back to let the oak settle in, it has the structure to last medium term ageing.
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11/7/2013 - Jeffrey Scott wrote: 94 Points
Velvet!
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10/19/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Opened Friday, inspected and re-corked for dinner service on Saturday. The first night's wee pour was in stark contrast to the next night's performance - oaky, clumsy, stinging tannins, distracting etOh, etc. The next night, while there was still a fair amount of etOh clouding the fruit, the palate was lighter (read: medium-bodied) than I was expecting. A delicious wine, but honestly, it's too soon to drink this effort now or in the next few years. Good now, perhaps very good in 5-6 years. The finish seemed too shallow, and the 14,5% has yet to be fully integrated. But if this is how you prefer your juice, go for it.
edit: if drinking anytime soon, consider 2-3 hours aeration in decanter before service
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9/8/2013 - ppierpont Likes this wine: 95 Points
I still love this wine. I thought maybe I was too excited last time, but I don't think so anymore. Expected a good wine here, no doubt, but got one that exceeded expectations.
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6/20/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 93 Points
Young, but balanced. Really opened up after 60 mins in decanter. Will be fun to try over years
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5/9/2013 - vegasoenophile Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really a magnificent wine! Aromas of black currant, cedar, black cherry, grenadine, nutmeg, plum and cocoa. Rich and elegant structure, built to age. Softer fruit up front and power builds. Black currant, blueberry and black cherry flavors. Nice acid backbone and tinges of red currant and blackberry pie. Dry finish.
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3/19/2013 - Soundcaresser wrote: 91 Points
A beautiful heavy silky texture, very smooth through and through. Red fruits, on the simple side but the mouth feel made up for it.
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3/6/2013 - knikkki Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous right out of the bottle. Cherry, smooth, stellar.
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2/16/2013 - ppierpont Likes this wine: 94 Points
I remember tasting this wine at AO, and I preferred it over the proprietary red blend. In fact, I thought this cab showed well against some of the single vineyard cabs like GIII and To Kalon (which were outstanding). Large red berry fruit with earthy bits and smoke hovering on all sides. Rich and dense mouthfeel. Very powerful and very enjoyable. I'm excited for the next bottle.
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2/5/2013 - samiamx_1999 wrote: 92 Points
So I'm wondering why the rating for this gem is so low, and I see some tool gave it a 76. Really? Wow. Anyways, ironically, good as it was, it may have been overshadowed by the Samuel's Gorge 2010 Shiraz that shared dinner with it. Cut to the chase, this wine is amazingly smooth and easy to drink, particularly for a young Napa Cab. This is my third bottle, the second of which I tried at a Wine House Napa Cab event and it was the second best cab there besides a Spottswoode. And there were a LOT of cabs that night, to say the least. I also bought a bottle at the tasting room in Napa, which is quite nice. It has been an up and coming, highly rated winery. What I did not know, is that they are blending in some fruit from the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard. Per the wine house pourer, they have 9 acres, and they choose to improve their other holdings apparently, rather than go solo on the To Kalon (see Schrader et al ratings for the pedigree of that vineyard, sheesh!!). The wine is very straight down the middle, it does not usurp your mouth. It is lighter than a lot of Napa Cabs, which I hold against it. Its got great acid, and friendly tannins. Light fruit too. Perhaps just a 91 for lack of complexity, I dunno. 14.5% alc.
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1/1/2013 - soyhead wrote: 93 Points
nose - smoky raspberry
mouth - full out red berry explotion, slight smoke, huge longer term potential
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9/29/2012 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
nose - caramel, cranberry
mouth - juicy dark berry fruit, fruit forward, oaky, delicious but not terribly complex.
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9/23/2012 - dontime wrote:
Excellent! Rich nose of bright red fruits. Tasty on the PNP, but after 90 minutes it was really singing. Lots of black fruit, licorice and vanilla. Powerful finish. If scoring 92-94.
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8/22/2012 - clayfu wrote:
Two Burgundy lovers and their weekend in Napa Valley (SF/NAPA): Ripe cherry, cola with a touch of dust. A touch of alcohol on the backend that needs to resolve
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7/19/2012 - dontime wrote:
Good stuff! Beautiful wine, cherry fruit and cassis, balanced oak and licorice. Mellowed out with air and was approaching great by the end of the night. Hold. If scoring 92-94.
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7/14/2012 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby color. Blackberry and raspberry nose. Tastes of blackberry, currant, and coffee. Rich finish.
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6/22/2012 - mguglielmo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank half during dinner @ Press (in St. Helena/Napa Valley) with my wife on our honeymoon, then the 2nd half late night, so tasting notes are sporadic at best (from my tasting journal scribble).
Very dark red/ruby in color, fairly true to cab sav type. Great bouquet of ripe berries, cherries, cocoa & dust. Even better, more expressive palate featuring that same ripe cherry with cola hints, raspberry, some green pepper notes, and even a bit of cough syrup on the finish. The fruit is huge and this is drinking wonderfully right now, given it's an '09. More medium than full-bodied with velvety smooth tannins and a sweet, semi-lengthy finish, delicious. Wish I could buy more!
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6/18/2012 - lsnider wrote: 89 Points
PnP. A nice Cab with red fruits, leather and touch of vanilla. Was not giving off a lot until the last glass. Needs some more time or a decant, but wife wanted to have a nice bottle on a weeknight so we picked this out.
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4/21/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 93 Points
Pretty nose of currant, cassis, blackberry and light notes of dark cherry. Powerful and muscular on the palate. Dry, with big acid and tannin but all in balance. Flavors of blueberry, cassis, currant and some oak notes. Some earth. Lingers well and has good grip. Dark flavors.
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3/19/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 89 Points
30th Birthday Bash Wine Dinner (Scoozi, Chicago): A nice wine. There is some serious pedigree strength behind the single vineyards so I'm a little surprised the Napa AVA didn't shine more.
Rich ripe fruit. Cherries and some cotton candy. Super tight and super young; a bit astringent in fact.
Pretty much popped and poured so maybe we didn't do this guy justice...but still. I'd like to see this come around in three to five years.
I'd long been wanting to try a wine from AO so I'm glad at that.
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3/10/2012 - chikkeninthemist wrote: 76 Points
Clay dust berry
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