This was a legit wine. Still holding strong with great fruit, depth, and finish.
Tasted on the hour for 4 hours and it was fantastic. What a steal for $35. If I find more of the 2010 I'd buy it: the wine will hold up well for at least 5 more years if stored well.
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Opened at a campfire with some social distanced friends. This wine was singing and I was asked by everyone where to get more. Sadly I had to tell them that it is no more. Nice job to Steve and team. Great juice.
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What an amazing expression of pure Napa Cabernet this is. Steve must be quite proud. Dark and ominous without much brown edges, this has a nose of pure black cassis and cardamom with just a bit of pencil shavings. Deep and precise, the pakate shows amazing balance that just sort of glides across your tongue with ease and finesse; no awkward edge and nothing to stub your toes on, this is just a delight. Love the black currant and black raspberries in a pillowy manger of loveliness. lol Finish is long and focused and just amazing. Real deal this be. Glad I have 4 more.
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Deep and dark ruby red. Complex and layered nose with a touch of underripeness with green bell peppers, dark, a touch dirty, savory, and black cherries. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Layered palate with dark cocoa, gamey notes, blackfruits and some red berries. Additional notes of broken twigs and a little damp earthiness. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2022.
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After trying the 09 and 10 regular bottlings and being extremely disappointed, I was skeptical, admittedly. My expectations were exceeded significantly. Everything I expected from Coombsville. 90 min decant. Lovely fruit and floral aromatics. Dark color but didn't seem over-extracted or thick. Graphite, pencil shavings, burnt earth, bits of minerals and red acidic fruit. Was a bit grapey early on but faded. Complimentary oak. 40 second finish. Still tannins hanging around but not instrusive.
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This wine is the best I've had from this winery. Aromatic and tasty. Ripe dark fruit with nuances of herbs, carob and spice. On palate, it adds a note of roasted garden herbs. Chewy tannic structure, medium acidity, and a long finish.
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Superb. Intense red fruit on the nose. Medium to full bodied red fruit and oak mingling together on the palate. Really exceptional, even, integrated experience. Strawberries, boysenberry, cranberry on the palate. Long finish. Highly enjoyable. At the beginning of a lengthy drinking window now.
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Decanted and consumed over three hours. Drinking very well now, and tastes like it will improved for another several years at least. At the beginning of a nice, long drinking window now.
Reddish purple in the glass. Not inky. Not translucent. Medium-dark in color.
On the nose: blueberry, boysenberry and cassis. Obvious oak on the aromatics. Fresh and lively nose. Not too heavy.
Flavors of mostly blue and black fruit, with a touch of red. 20% red fruit. Fruit is layered and integrated nicely with oak and tannin. Medium in body. This is an elegant Cabernet which I think old world fans will approve of, and there is enough structure, flavor, and grippy tanin here for new world Cabernet fans to enjoy.
Plush is a nice word for this wine, as an earlier reviewer used. Nice medium-long finish. Interesting wine. Doesn't punch you in the face, but grips you, and makes you think about it. Very nice overall, and a fine QPR.
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Consistent with the previous notes. Very good, reliable cab (I enjoy drinking it now with some decanting, others would say hold longer including the winemaker)
(coravin, 1 glass)
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Two weeks later, 2nd glass from coravin. The tasting notes are consistent with the ones of 1/15/2016( same score as well). I think this bottle is longstanding, and also that the coravin does deliver for at least two weeks. I did notice though that in a single press the coravin this time 'delivered' about 1.8-2 times the amount of wine. As a relatively light weighted on wine, it was a chanllege (this is a coravin note, not a wine note- I did not complain about drinking more good wine :-) )
I would now leave the bottle away for a month to see how it reacts after about six weeks, and the master plan is then to leave the remaining though the late spring.
As for the wine, good work Steve!
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I think it got better since the last time I tasted it. Still very, very dark purple color, very full bodied, remains with medium plus legs and the fruit balance (currant, dark fruits, a little blueberry) stands well with a beginning of some earthy notes. Yes, I think it is still developing and will have alot more to give (as noted on my first note). I still vote to drink '08 while waiting for the '10 reserve to be ready. But it is already so good, that when I got the coravin, I simply decided to have a little glass and use this bottle to test both the development of the wine, and the quality of coravin preservation. For that reason, I'd revisit this bottle few times. It remains heavier /full body compared with the '08. Would have been great with a full meal, but I get few meats on the side to enjoy now. 94+, and certainly QPR wise- a steal.
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Several years removed since I first encountered this wine. Just getting better and better with time. WINEBERG has it spot on. A long decant will be well rewarded as I found this at its best after 3+ hours. Great job Steve!
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Tasted it at a full line-up of Congruence @ CLONYC40. It was a great 100% Cab, with very interesting background. As noted before, it stands out being a non-blended wine. It is very full bodied, dark ink (deep purple) color with long finish. It was a hard selection between the Congruence cab '08 and this one as the WOTN (and I lean towards the '10 reserve). First time I had the congruence, and I enjoy the smell, and the finish. Medium legs, and clearly this one has alot more to give. My advice, FWIW. Get the '08 and the '10 reserve. Drink the '08 while waiting for the '10 to be ready (Note: The '10 is and will most likely remain 'heavier' wine than the '08. Goes better with full meal, while the '08 can also be a stand alone. )
Edited (Jan-27-2014): Does voting with the wallet counts? I followed my own advice. I bought two '08 to enjoy while waiting for the '10 reserve to be ready :-)
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At 100% Cab Sauv, with no blending grapes, it also stands out next to the other wines in the lineup. I get the feeling it needed the decant; this has big tannins and backbone. Similar flavor profile to the regular '10 bottling, but deeper and darker; more blackberry and dark raspberry, florals, still get that hint of linen. More layers of complexity here too.
Steve said that this wine was made from two barrels that were simply better than the rest, so they pulled them and made a Reserve. One barrel was new oak and the other was used, so the final blend ends up 50% new oak.
This has the stuffing to last in the cellar for a while. Leave it alone for now or give it at least a few hour decant.
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Opened this the day it arrived, right after release. I'm a fan of the '08 and '09 Congruence Cabs and had been really looking forward to this Reserve. It did not disappoint. On opening, a quick taste was very tight- to be expected from a '10 right now. Tasted after a 4 hour decant and it was still tight with heavy oak but the nose was fabulous. We drank around 7 hours after opening (5 in the decanter, 2 in glass) and found an absolutely fabulous wine. Nose was incredible. Not sharp in the least, super integrated oak and fruit, complex and layered. Not a big "new world" cab like I was expecting, but truly excellent. Can't wait to see how this is after some aging. I'm buying more.
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Congruence new release party. 2010r. (reserve). Complex black fruit driven with amazing texture and depth. Hints of spring flowers and boysenberry. A contemplative wine which you will want to sit with on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Long finish is precise and true. The single best thing Steve has put under cork, period. 100 percent Cabernet consisting of 2 barrels.
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12/20/2021 - Jjthaeler Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a legit wine. Still holding strong with great fruit, depth, and finish.
Tasted on the hour for 4 hours and it was fantastic. What a steal for $35. If I find more of the 2010 I'd buy it: the wine will hold up well for at least 5 more years if stored well.
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10/5/2020 - mercurius Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened at a campfire with some social distanced friends. This wine was singing and I was asked by everyone where to get more. Sadly I had to tell them that it is no more. Nice job to Steve and team. Great juice.
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1/29/2020 - King Cab wrote: 94 Points
What an amazing expression of pure Napa Cabernet this is. Steve must be quite proud.
Dark and ominous without much brown edges, this has a nose of pure black cassis and cardamom with just a bit of pencil shavings. Deep and precise, the pakate shows amazing balance that just sort of glides across your tongue with ease and finesse; no awkward edge and nothing to stub your toes on, this is just a delight. Love the black currant and black raspberries in a pillowy manger of loveliness. lol Finish is long and focused and just amazing.
Real deal this be. Glad I have 4 more.
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3/31/2017 - cab blends wrote: 94 Points
This has hints of grandness but doesn't ultimately get there.
It climbs the mountain from the start with power and strength but then plateaus just before it gets to the top.
Rich and dark red in color - earthy sandy body - full body - 8/10
Tannins 7.5/10 amd a medium long finish.
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3/31/2017 - Millennial Drinkers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep and dark ruby red. Complex and layered nose with a touch of underripeness with green bell peppers, dark, a touch dirty, savory, and black cherries. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Layered palate with dark cocoa, gamey notes, blackfruits and some red berries. Additional notes of broken twigs and a little damp earthiness. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2022.
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3/11/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
After trying the 09 and 10 regular bottlings and being extremely disappointed, I was skeptical, admittedly. My expectations were exceeded significantly. Everything I expected from Coombsville. 90 min decant. Lovely fruit and floral aromatics. Dark color but didn't seem over-extracted or thick. Graphite, pencil shavings, burnt earth, bits of minerals and red acidic fruit. Was a bit grapey early on but faded. Complimentary oak. 40 second finish. Still tannins hanging around but not instrusive.
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2/10/2017 - DRS-Inc wrote: 93 Points
This wine is the best I've had from this winery. Aromatic and tasty. Ripe dark fruit with nuances of herbs, carob and spice. On palate, it adds a note of roasted garden herbs. Chewy tannic structure, medium acidity, and a long finish.
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1/2/2017 - WineGold wrote: 95 Points
Superb. Intense red fruit on the nose. Medium to full bodied red fruit and oak mingling together on the palate. Really exceptional, even, integrated experience. Strawberries, boysenberry, cranberry on the palate. Long finish. Highly enjoyable. At the beginning of a lengthy drinking window now.
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10/30/2016 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Elegant. Layered. Rich. Interesting. Nuanced.
Plenty of black and blue fruit here. Nice tannin back home. Some white pepper.
Well integrated after a 2 hour decant with plenty of life. At least 4-5 more years of improvement left.
Really great QPR.
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2/27/2016 - WineGold Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and consumed over three hours. Drinking very well now, and tastes like it will improved for another several years at least. At the beginning of a nice, long drinking window now.
Reddish purple in the glass. Not inky. Not translucent. Medium-dark in color.
On the nose: blueberry, boysenberry and cassis. Obvious oak on the aromatics. Fresh and lively nose. Not too heavy.
Flavors of mostly blue and black fruit, with a touch of red. 20% red fruit. Fruit is layered and integrated nicely with oak and tannin. Medium in body. This is an elegant Cabernet which I think old world fans will approve of, and there is enough structure, flavor, and grippy tanin here for new world Cabernet fans to enjoy.
Plush is a nice word for this wine, as an earlier reviewer used. Nice medium-long finish. Interesting wine. Doesn't punch you in the face, but grips you, and makes you think about it. Very nice overall, and a fine QPR.
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2/15/2016 - odds wrote:
Consistent with the previous notes. Very good, reliable cab (I enjoy drinking it now with some decanting, others would say hold longer including the winemaker)
(coravin, 1 glass)
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1/28/2016 - odds Likes this wine:
Two weeks later, 2nd glass from coravin. The tasting notes are consistent with the ones of 1/15/2016( same score as well). I think this bottle is longstanding, and also that the coravin does deliver for at least two weeks. I did notice though that in a single press the coravin this time 'delivered' about 1.8-2 times the amount of wine. As a relatively light weighted on wine, it was a chanllege (this is a coravin note, not a wine note- I did not complain about drinking more good wine :-) )
I would now leave the bottle away for a month to see how it reacts after about six weeks, and the master plan is then to leave the remaining though the late spring.
As for the wine, good work Steve!
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1/15/2016 - odds Likes this wine: 94 Points
I think it got better since the last time I tasted it. Still very, very dark purple color, very full bodied, remains with medium plus legs and the fruit balance (currant, dark fruits, a little blueberry) stands well with a beginning of some earthy notes. Yes, I think it is still developing and will have alot more to give (as noted on my first note). I still vote to drink '08 while waiting for the '10 reserve to be ready. But it is already so good, that when I got the coravin, I simply decided to have a little glass and use this bottle to test both the development of the wine, and the quality of coravin preservation. For that reason, I'd revisit this bottle few times. It remains heavier /full body compared with the '08. Would have been great with a full meal, but I get few meats on the side to enjoy now. 94+, and certainly QPR wise- a steal.
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8/22/2015 - SouthernStateofMind Likes this wine:
Several years removed since I first encountered this wine. Just getting better and better with time. WINEBERG has it spot on. A long decant will be well rewarded as I found this at its best after 3+ hours. Great job Steve!
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11/6/2013 - odds Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted it at a full line-up of Congruence @ CLONYC40. It was a great 100% Cab, with very interesting background. As noted before, it stands out being a non-blended wine. It is very full bodied, dark ink (deep purple) color with long finish. It was a hard selection between the Congruence cab '08 and this one as the WOTN (and I lean towards the '10 reserve). First time I had the congruence, and I enjoy the smell, and the finish. Medium legs, and clearly this one has alot more to give.
My advice, FWIW. Get the '08 and the '10 reserve. Drink the '08 while waiting for the '10 to be ready
(Note: The '10 is and will most likely remain 'heavier' wine than the '08. Goes better with full meal, while the '08 can also be a stand alone. )
Edited (Jan-27-2014): Does voting with the wallet counts? I followed my own advice. I bought two '08 to enjoy while waiting for the '10 reserve to be ready :-)
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11/6/2013 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Showing well; Refined; Plush; Not the showstopper it was the last time that I had it but still a great bottle
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10/23/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Congruence Wine Dinner with Steve Eisenhauer (Bourbon Steak, DC): I believe this wine was decanted for several hours prior to bringing it to the dinner. My WOTN.
At 100% Cab Sauv, with no blending grapes, it also stands out next to the other wines in the lineup. I get the feeling it needed the decant; this has big tannins and backbone. Similar flavor profile to the regular '10 bottling, but deeper and darker; more blackberry and dark raspberry, florals, still get that hint of linen. More layers of complexity here too.
Steve said that this wine was made from two barrels that were simply better than the rest, so they pulled them and made a Reserve. One barrel was new oak and the other was used, so the final blend ends up 50% new oak.
This has the stuffing to last in the cellar for a while. Leave it alone for now or give it at least a few hour decant.
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10/10/2013 - EMichels wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful depth; Great interest; Nice nose; Great depth; Still showing young - I think that has greatness ahead of it
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4/24/2013 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Great balance; Soft nose; Great strength; Adds a strong vanilla nose; Really, really nice
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2/8/2013 - GoHeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened this the day it arrived, right after release. I'm a fan of the '08 and '09 Congruence Cabs and had been really looking forward to this Reserve. It did not disappoint. On opening, a quick taste was very tight- to be expected from a '10 right now. Tasted after a 4 hour decant and it was still tight with heavy oak but the nose was fabulous. We drank around 7 hours after opening (5 in the decanter, 2 in glass) and found an absolutely fabulous wine. Nose was incredible. Not sharp in the least, super integrated oak and fruit, complex and layered. Not a big "new world" cab like I was expecting, but truly excellent. Can't wait to see how this is after some aging. I'm buying more.
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2/2/2013 - King Cab wrote: 95 Points
Congruence new release party. 2010r. (reserve). Complex black fruit driven with amazing texture and depth. Hints of spring flowers and boysenberry. A contemplative wine which you will want to sit with on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Long finish is precise and true. The single best thing Steve has put under cork, period. 100 percent Cabernet consisting of 2 barrels.
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