Wonderful after 28 years. Dark red with some brownish boundaries. Elegant nose. Red and dark fruit cocktail, espresso and chocolate, vanilla. Good length. Harmonious and silky finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last tasted in 2001 and I was smart (or lucky) for not opening another one until today. Double decanted and poured, the 1996 Seavey was singing. Though a little musty when first poured, that disappeared within 10 minutes. Deep in color with lots of black fruits in the nose and flavor. Black currants and blackberries with leather, licorice and hints of chocolate and minerality in the nose. Similar flavors with the addition of black cherries and plums. Very well balanced, nice complexity, medium to full bodied and a long silky finish. We will open our last bottle later this year or early 2025. This is drinking beautifully!! 94/95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed with friends Jim and Anita, on patio at club with beautiful music in background. Somewhat musty, tannins fully integrated and drinking very smoothly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
So glad I drank this sooner rather than later. Prunes, dried currants, blackberries, sage, roasted pepper, cedar. The tannins are perfectly resolved; it’s like someone lightly brushed your mouth with velvet as the wine leaves your mouth.
I’m glad we had a magnum because all four of us wanted more than one glass. It was well worth $240 from WineBid, especially considering that the winery charges $800 for the same bottle. This is high elevation Napa cab at its finest. Seavey is an S-tier winery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A vintage with strong bones and structure, but patience is being rewarded as the tannic structure softens and melds with the classic fruit. Not the most obvious wine but tasty, interesting and best with a juicy steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
OMG! A nose of white chocolate and dark cherry. The palate is simply off the charts. The integration of tannin is awesome. The dark fruit notes with earth and spice sing on my tongue for well over one minute... I will be so sad when my last bottle is consumed... a couple more to go including a 1.5 lt. bottle...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Continue to have some bottle variation here. This was a little more rustic and brawny then my best bottles. Plenty of classic Cab character with cedar, bell pepper and maturing cassis fruit. Just not as integrated as you'd like. Clunky with hard edges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop n' pour and enjoyed over 3-4 hours. Classically styled through and through. Full nose that is loaded with cedar, fresh tobacco, eucalyptus and spice. Quite youthful and plush on the palate. Lots of everything -- concentrated cherry and plum paired against still gritty tannin. Good now and should continue to evolve and show well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprisingly, this has aged quite a bit since my last bottle just over a year ago. Unfortunately think this has seen it's best day and is fully mature. I'll pop my last bottle within the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not nearly as aromatic as the ‘95, but quite pure. Medium bodied and elegant. Lovely, fine grained tannin is still very abundant. This should last quite a while longer. Some will find this too lean, but I find it elegant and racy. 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Soft cork, would recommend a Durand as it started to push in with the Ah-so. Great blackcurrant aromas while decanting. Deep but clear ruby with age-appropriate garnet rim; nose is moderately aromatic, fruit has receded but still some remains of blackcurrant jam, tobacco, cigar box, slight musk; palate is full bodied, fully integrated tannin, definitely aged with some mulch, much more tertiary than fruit-based; medium finish with very slight bitterness. Fully aged california cabernet, enjoyable but I liked it more with just a tad more freshness. No need to wait longer. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a very, very nice bottle from a recent auction purchase. I'm so happy I was lucky enough to win the lot. Beautiful nose of tar, dark fruit, black cherry and some cigar box. Great mouthfeel. Tannins are still there but have integrated enough to help frame the wine. Still plenty of fruit and a lingering finish. This still has plenty of life and I still see room for some improvement
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind. Superb wine. Gorgeous aromas of cassis, black truffles, black olives, and tar. Big and intense on the palate with hints of cedar. Ripe and extracted but not obnoxiously so. Coats the mouth with purple thickness. Still could use a lot more time to unfurl. Rating: 95
Guess the wine. Cabernet dominant. Napa or Quilceda Creek. 10 years old.
Non-Blind p.s.: Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. This magnum has been hanging around my cellar for ages. I moved it out anticipating drinking it this summer, but didn't get to it. So it saw a bit of heat this summer as I noticed the cork had seeped and sticky on the neck of the big bottle.
So my expectations were low, and boy was I surprised. This wine, made at the time by Philippe Melka, was glorious. Full of dark black fruit, chocolate, cassis and just a hint of cedar–barely revealing its age. The big bottle I'm sure helped, but this is perhaps the best bottle of 1996 I've opened in the last two years—including faves from Stags Leap, Pahlmeyer, Phelps, Lewis and Araujo.
Drink this wine. It's not getting better. It's ready and delivers with a finish that lasts nearly the evening!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop n’ pour and consumed over a few hours. Full nose of mature dried plum and cherry fruit with some dried tobacco and pencil lead. Palate has mature but still-plush fruit. Good balance from fresh acid and suave, resolving tannin. So much more giving and pleasurable than a bottle ~1 year ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Home (Fremont, CA): Tons of sediment. Deep ruby, some medium bricking appropriate for its age; nose is moderately aromatic, black fruit, slight musk, slight capsicum; palate is full bodied, plenty of black fruit, tannins are moderately drying, slight bitterness; finish is medium length. This won't improve from here and is starting to become less balanced than I remember it. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby, minimal bricking; nose is moderately aromatic, blackberry, slight blackcurrant, slight bell pepper, slight earthiness; palate is full bodied, black fruit is still present but fading somewhat, tannins are integrated but slightly drying, medium acidity; finish is medium length, slightly drying. Nice, fully mature, not actually that different from my last bottle in 2013 but at peak and will start to fade with more age. Will drink up in the next few years. 91 2 hours decanted: Holding up pretty well. Lovely california cab with just the right amount of traditionalism... well made, easy to drink especially with food. Really nice. Still 91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
If you're still sitting on this (I was, until yesterday), you've got to drink up now/soon. Lots of VA the first hour or so, with time, some balsamic notes move to the rear, cherry to the front, but it's not much. Acids and tannins have outlived the fruit. It's a decent drink with 90 minutes of air (and decant, there's a TON of sediment), but its days of being special have already passed. Medium-bodied, red-fruited.
Served non-blinb, cork soaked half way.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In celebration of Mothers Day. Exquisite. A California Cab with a Bordeaux heart. This would be an easy "100" if I were still rating wines. Seamless from first whiff to long, satisfying finish. No bricking. Casis, pencil lead, new oak and gobs of blue and red fruits. All impeccably balanced, begging for sip after sip. At its peak. Drink now. (= Outstanding+)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A disappointing showing. The fruit just never came out to play and the tannins were a bit too hard. Air didn't seem to help much. There were some redeeming earth/cigar notes but without any fruit with which to integrate, it was hard to get much pleasure from this hard wine. Hopefully just an off bottle ...
Nose is mushroom, moss, and a few sanguineous notes. The palate is quite balanced and delicious. It changed several times over the course of the bottle. At first it was savory and mushroomy. Later, it was raspberry liqueur. Tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing wine at its peak time. It is full bodied, round, and layered. Tannin is soft and elegant at this point. It really shows how a fine napa cab should age. Paired with Lamb lion steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Towering wine. The thing that gets lost on most folks is that Bill Seavey made his wine as a true Bordeaux style. This is a very deep and complex wine. With many subtle layers. It is not made as a punch in the face as a traditional Napa Cab. It has a very long finish and powerful fruit with a finish that lasts for 45 seconds. The nose is just crazy. Perfectly stored in my cellar for all this time. Probably makes a difference. This wine is a salute to Bill Seavey who was so good at what he did. Bravo to Bill!!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an amazing, well aged example of California Cabernet. From one of my favorite producers that continues to fly under the radar, one would be hard pressed to find a better example of what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about in Napa Valley. Lots of lush fruit and good tannins, perfectly balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From the vintner's wine library. Floral smooth and in a perfect place right now, well balanced fruit and faint oak, tannins very faint as well. Sublime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is well structured and just barely starting to show its age. There is still fairly abundant bright red fruit on the nose and palate, nicely framed by a present but undoubtedly softened tannin backbone. While there is not as much tertiary complexity as I might have hoped, it drinks very well now and its hard to see this getting much better with additional bottle time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: The nose is extremely well balanced and just screams mature California Cab with vanilla, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar, black currants, and licorice. There is a refinement to the tones along with excellent depth and layering.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. Well balanced and polished with layered tones of dark red cherries, cassis, licorice, vanilla, and some dark red fruits.
Overall: This is mature, but it isn't in any danger of falling off. It's a very classy cab right now and for the foreseeable future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is in its prime drinking window. The alcohol heat dissipated quickly (1/2 hr) in the decanter. The fruit was balanced with spice and earth notes in a seamless manner. I do not know how many more years this will be the case...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautful wine. Got the recommendation from Seavey for very short decant and it was the right one. Black fruits, plum, hint of anise. Perfect balance, integrated tannins, this was a pure delight. An amazing example of California Cab that held up well against the 1995 Araujo Eisele Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
florals and bright fruit on the nose. Overly soft tannins. Elegant fruit and dirt on the mid palate. Too much of a linear experience which I guess suffered against some great 2002 insignia. But on its own, a lovely classy wine suited to game or Camembert. "....fetch hither le fromage de la belle France......."
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Round dark fruit (blueberry), slight plum, slight herb, slight anise, nice finish. Well integrated. Really enjoyable. Pleasurable drink. Cork slightly depressed. Very little sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nothing that I would jump through hoops for today. Still, it is a very good C/S and worked for Julie. The 1996 was probably the best wine-to me- the Seavey's ever made. This is much better and less modern than the 1999 Pahlmeyer magnum we are sharing today and tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Home (Home): Color is medium-deep garnet with some bricking; nose is mature with decomposing leaves, earth, spicy black currant really becomes prominent with swirling, a little fresh mint at the end of the sniff; palate has fully integrated tannins but still structured, medium-full bodied, nice red fruits, integrates very nicely; finish is medium length and a bit drying. Nose>palate, the descriptor of this wine is traditional balanced california cab. Fully mature, drinking wonderfully now, and edges out the 95 Togni in terms of drinkability (the Togni is very young and still a bit rough, while this is at the perfect drinking stage). May not last too much longer... 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very soft cork, but sound. Very little sediment. Decanted 6 hours before initial tasting, then drank over a 24 hour period. Dark rich fruits. Notes of tar, tobacco, eucalyptus. Fully integrated tannins. Losing a bit of its punch, drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose a bit metallic. Some fruits pop in on hard swirl but certainly gives nothing on its own. Palate shows a fully resolved dried fruit profile with hints of smoke, dust, leather and tea leaf. Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, but it seems more attuned for those with a better palate than me, and they know who they are..... :-) Ok, I will try that again: Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, really I do but it just seems too passive to fall in love with. It could show more fruit and freshness, but then those who know better will tell me I should stick with younger wines.... Ok, I will try that again: Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, really I do but it just seems a bit long in the tooth and seems that its best years are behind it. Acidity rides a wee bit high and finish shows a slight astringency. Initially upon opening I was thinking it was flawed and was going to dump it, but now I am certain it's not. All in all I am glad this is my one and only bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hanging on nicely with rich red fruit, tobacco and cedar notes. Good balance of aged, rich fruit, fine tannin and acidity. Not overly complex and squarely on what seems to be the long final aging plateau. No rush, but don't see this improving wildly or becoming anything other than a very good Cali Cab.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I really didn't like this wine. Had what I felt was a green streak. No where near as pleasing as the 95 Seavey I had about a month ago. I wouldn't buy this again. Just didn't care for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very youthful wine for 14 years old. Cork in great shape. Took an hour in the decanter for it to open up. Not all that complex, which is to say it was somewhat one dimensional. Just a pleasant, elegant Napa cabernet. Tannins are not fully resolved. I was amazed at how fresh this wine was.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured, enjoyed over three hours. Black cherries and cocoa. Smoky. After 30 minutes, smoothed out and displayed subtlety and grace. An hour in, this was Napa at its finest, showing spice notes, tobacco and cedar intertwined with beautiful fruit. The evolution in the glass shows that this wine has a long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Gentle, mature nose of plum skin, red currant, cedar, licorice, old leather and a little cigar smoke. Medium bodied and silky smooth with just a touch of tannin around the sides of the mouth. The favors echo the nose with the red and black fruit melding to raspberry. Rich texture on the finish with a sound tannin frame. Just lacks a little punch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
For some this was the wine of the evening. Not for me. Sure, it is clean and mean. But it was more musty than I would have liked. Hopefully the next bottle is better?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
nose of incense, wet earth, and loads of black and cassis fruit. The tannins are gorgeously velvety and fully integrated, and the wine full-bodied, with terrific texture, a multi-layered mouthfeel, finish with no hard edges. Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1996 Cal Cab Dinner (Bonsoiree Cafe): Tight on the nose. Palate has big body and rich chocolate fruit. Lush fruit is well matched by firm tannin. Well balanced, seamless with good length. Nice, but not distinct in the line up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This vintage rocks! Opened a 1.5 ltr. at the Huntington Ritz Carlton on Saturday, November 17, 2007. One hour after we pulled the cork we paired with vennison saddle in a cabernet reduction sauce. One of the better vintages that has more time to cellar if you can resist.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
. 4/07 Dark purple ink color - earthen nose - intense concentrated sweetish blackcherry attack - short mid-palate - chocolate cedar finish which is compellingly dry,edgy, and layered - long-lasting slightly short finish which starts toward the back of the mid-palate - off balanced - heavier on the back end - drinkable now - the fruit should stand for the next 5 years - the wine should gain better balance and focus over the next 5-10 years. 92-93 p
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not quite as rich and deep as some other years, but very nice none the less. Classic Seavey cabernet flavor with excellent balance. Drinking very well in 2007.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank from mag. Wonderful bottle that really opened up about two hours into the evening, showing dark fruits with the oak nicely in check. Enough grip on the tannins to suggest a long lived wine, but I wouldn't let it go anywhere near as long as 2025 like Parker suggests it might. I'd imagine I will drink my remaining bottle by 2015 at the latest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really fine stuff. Complex, nuanced, powerful. Short on the finish initially, but the wine fleshed out with air and was wonderful at hour 2. Will have to look for some more...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nose reminiscent of blackberries, licorice and cedar. This wine keeps getting better. And it still has more on the upside. A wonderful, long finish follows a very generous mouthfeel. Like the Seaveys themselves, this wine is genuine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
as wine prices continue to spiral unabated, i am dropping off list after list. not this one. why seavey doesn't get more play is perplexing, but i'm not going to lose any sleep over it. i'm merely going to continue to enjoy vintage after vintage. the 1996 represents my first buying experience, and i couldn't stay away from trying this while up in the mountains with the boys this weekend. decanted, sort of. the cabin isn't that wine friendly, and i forgot to pack a decanter; but we got it done. of course, the problem is that i always bring "the good stuff," and it doesn't last that long anyway.
the wine is still incredibly youthful, and dare i say it's a throwback. the fruit doesn't smack you in the face, but rather sits in the background and draws you in. i first descibed the wine as austere, and whined that i never should have opened it. certainly, hold this wine in this format on your whim over the next 20 years. nevertheless, with patience, and a ton of glass swirling, the pleasure began to unfold. plum and currant clearly dominated. tannins are resolved enough to get away with opening it. i've been trying to think of a positive term to deflect from austere, and i've settled on mineral. a hint of leather signals some change in the wine at this juncture. it's slightly angular, nevertheless, the corners are starting to round off. i think this is a wine in transition, but not closed down. i really enjoyed the long finish, and that was it's own reward. recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted unblinded at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Erik Miller. Bright disc. Opaque garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense plum, black currant, cedar and toasted oak aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and firm, dry tannins. The flavors are youthful and follow the nose. Long, somewhat astringent finish. This wine needs time, but it has the structure to develop nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
RICH BLACKBERRIES AND CURRENTS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH TOUCHES OF LEATHER AND LICORICE. STILL YOUNG, BUT SHOWING NICE COMPLEXITY AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
These wines are always so well made. I believe that this is one of the best Napa cabs for the vintage. I wrote back then that this wine had a bordeaux feel in a ripe vintage. The few notes I have are barely readable. Dark, balanced, and structured,boasts flavors of raspberries, cassis, and incredible aromatics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/15/2024 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful after 28 years. Dark red with some brownish boundaries. Elegant nose. Red and dark fruit cocktail, espresso and chocolate, vanilla. Good length. Harmonious and silky finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2024 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last tasted in 2001 and I was smart (or lucky) for not opening another one until today. Double decanted and poured, the 1996 Seavey was singing. Though a little musty when first poured, that disappeared within 10 minutes. Deep in color with lots of black fruits in the nose and flavor. Black currants and blackberries with leather, licorice and hints of chocolate and minerality in the nose. Similar flavors with the addition of black cherries and plums. Very well balanced, nice complexity, medium to full bodied and a long silky finish. We will open our last bottle later this year or early 2025. This is drinking beautifully!! 94/95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2023 - Buddy318 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle was 2021. Still love it but just starting to get a little prunish. Professional estimates of a 2025 drinking window are probably spot on.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2022 - Michael Moore wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed with friends Jim and Anita, on patio at club with beautiful music in background. Somewhat musty, tannins fully integrated and drinking very smoothly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2021 - Buddy318 wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Drinking beautifully right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2021 - evjoh Likes this wine:
So glad I drank this sooner rather than later. Prunes, dried currants, blackberries, sage, roasted pepper, cedar. The tannins are perfectly resolved; it’s like someone lightly brushed your mouth with velvet as the wine leaves your mouth.
I’m glad we had a magnum because all four of us wanted more than one glass. It was well worth $240 from WineBid, especially considering that the winery charges $800 for the same bottle. This is high elevation Napa cab at its finest. Seavey is an S-tier winery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2021 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
A vintage with strong bones and structure, but patience is being rewarded as the tannic structure softens and melds with the classic fruit. Not the most obvious wine but tasty, interesting and best with a juicy steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2020 - tsontag Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs time to open up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2020 - tsontag Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic cab. Getting near the end. Should drink over the next year or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2019 - Nordy wrote:
TJ Martell Wine Dinner 11/21/19 donation to silent auction
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2019 - drmarc61 wrote: 97 Points
OMG! A nose of white chocolate and dark cherry. The palate is simply off the charts. The integration of tannin is awesome. The dark fruit notes with earth and spice sing on my tongue for well over one minute... I will be so sad when my last bottle is consumed... a couple more to go including a 1.5 lt. bottle...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2019 - Nanda wrote:
Continue to have some bottle variation here. This was a little more rustic and brawny then my best bottles. Plenty of classic Cab character with cedar, bell pepper and maturing cassis fruit. Just not as integrated as you'd like. Clunky with hard edges.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2018 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Pop n' pour and enjoyed over 3-4 hours. Classically styled through and through. Full nose that is loaded with cedar, fresh tobacco, eucalyptus and spice. Quite youthful and plush on the palate. Lots of everything -- concentrated cherry and plum paired against still gritty tannin. Good now and should continue to evolve and show well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2018 - g-man wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly, this has aged quite a bit since my last bottle just over a year ago. Unfortunately think this has seen it's best day and is fully mature. I'll pop my last bottle within the next year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not nearly as aromatic as the ‘95, but quite pure. Medium bodied and elegant. Lovely, fine grained tannin is still very abundant. This should last quite a while longer. Some will find this too lean, but I find it elegant and racy. 92
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Soft cork, would recommend a Durand as it started to push in with the Ah-so. Great blackcurrant aromas while decanting. Deep but clear ruby with age-appropriate garnet rim; nose is moderately aromatic, fruit has receded but still some remains of blackcurrant jam, tobacco, cigar box, slight musk; palate is full bodied, fully integrated tannin, definitely aged with some mulch, much more tertiary than fruit-based; medium finish with very slight bitterness. Fully aged california cabernet, enjoyable but I liked it more with just a tad more freshness. No need to wait longer. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2017 - g-man wrote: 94 Points
This was a very, very nice bottle from a recent auction purchase. I'm so happy I was lucky enough to win the lot. Beautiful nose of tar, dark fruit, black cherry and some cigar box. Great mouthfeel. Tannins are still there but have integrated enough to help frame the wine. Still plenty of fruit and a lingering finish. This still has plenty of life and I still see room for some improvement
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2017 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Superb wine. Gorgeous aromas of cassis, black truffles, black olives, and tar. Big and intense on the palate with hints of cedar. Ripe and extracted but not obnoxiously so. Coats the mouth with purple thickness. Still could use a lot more time to unfurl. Rating: 95
Guess the wine. Cabernet dominant. Napa or Quilceda Creek. 10 years old.
Non-Blind p.s.: Wow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2017 - passion4wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. This magnum has been hanging around my cellar for ages. I moved it out anticipating drinking it this summer, but didn't get to it. So it saw a bit of heat this summer as I noticed the cork had seeped and sticky on the neck of the big bottle.
So my expectations were low, and boy was I surprised. This wine, made at the time by Philippe Melka, was glorious. Full of dark black fruit, chocolate, cassis and just a hint of cedar–barely revealing its age. The big bottle I'm sure helped, but this is perhaps the best bottle of 1996 I've opened in the last two years—including faves from Stags Leap, Pahlmeyer, Phelps, Lewis and Araujo.
Drink this wine. It's not getting better. It's ready and delivers with a finish that lasts nearly the evening!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2017 - Nanda Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop n’ pour and consumed over a few hours. Full nose of mature dried plum and cherry fruit with some dried tobacco and pencil lead. Palate has mature but still-plush fruit. Good balance from fresh acid and suave, resolving tannin. So much more giving and pleasurable than a bottle ~1 year ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Dinner at Home (Fremont, CA): Tons of sediment. Deep ruby, some medium bricking appropriate for its age; nose is moderately aromatic, black fruit, slight musk, slight capsicum; palate is full bodied, plenty of black fruit, tannins are moderately drying, slight bitterness; finish is medium length. This won't improve from here and is starting to become less balanced than I remember it. 89-90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby, minimal bricking; nose is moderately aromatic, blackberry, slight blackcurrant, slight bell pepper, slight earthiness; palate is full bodied, black fruit is still present but fading somewhat, tannins are integrated but slightly drying, medium acidity; finish is medium length, slightly drying. Nice, fully mature, not actually that different from my last bottle in 2013 but at peak and will start to fade with more age. Will drink up in the next few years. 91
2 hours decanted: Holding up pretty well. Lovely california cab with just the right amount of traditionalism... well made, easy to drink especially with food. Really nice. Still 91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
If you're still sitting on this (I was, until yesterday), you've got to drink up now/soon. Lots of VA the first hour or so, with time, some balsamic notes move to the rear, cherry to the front, but it's not much. Acids and tannins have outlived the fruit. It's a decent drink with 90 minutes of air (and decant, there's a TON of sediment), but its days of being special have already passed. Medium-bodied, red-fruited.
Served non-blinb, cork soaked half way.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2017 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
In celebration of Mothers Day. Exquisite. A California Cab with a Bordeaux heart. This would be an easy "100" if I were still rating wines. Seamless from first whiff to long, satisfying finish. No bricking. Casis, pencil lead, new oak and gobs of blue and red fruits. All impeccably balanced, begging for sip after sip. At its peak. Drink now. (= Outstanding+)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2016 - berko wrote: flawed
Corked.
One could get glimpses of a beautiful wine underneath but not enough to be enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2016 - Nanda wrote: 86 Points
A disappointing showing. The fruit just never came out to play and the tannins were a bit too hard. Air didn't seem to help much. There were some redeeming earth/cigar notes but without any fruit with which to integrate, it was hard to get much pleasure from this hard wine. Hopefully just an off bottle ...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
6/26/2016 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose is mushroom, moss, and a few sanguineous notes. The palate is quite balanced and delicious. It changed several times over the course of the bottle. At first it was savory and mushroomy. Later, it was raspberry liqueur. Tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2016 - XYTD Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing wine at its peak time. It is full bodied, round, and layered. Tannin is soft and elegant at this point. It really shows how a fine napa cab should age. Paired with Lamb lion steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2016 - MorgantonMichael Likes this wine:
Towering wine. The thing that gets lost on most folks is that Bill Seavey made his wine as a true Bordeaux style. This is a very deep and complex wine. With many subtle layers. It is not made as a punch in the face as a traditional Napa Cab. It has a very long finish and powerful fruit with a finish that lasts for 45 seconds. The nose is just crazy. Perfectly stored in my cellar for all this time. Probably makes a difference. This wine is a salute to Bill Seavey who was so good at what he did. Bravo to Bill!!!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2016 - fine137 wrote: 90 Points
On the back side of the hill, do not decant for more than just a bit or you will be sorry. Pop and pour should be pretty good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2015 - drmarc61 wrote: 95 Points
Still perfectly balanced, aged, cali cab!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - wfjoanne Likes this wine: 86 Points
Not very complex but typical cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2015 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an amazing, well aged example of California Cabernet. From one of my favorite producers that continues to fly under the radar, one would be hard pressed to find a better example of what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about in Napa Valley. Lots of lush fruit and good tannins, perfectly balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
From the vintner's wine library. Floral smooth and in a perfect place right now, well balanced fruit and faint oak, tannins very faint as well. Sublime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2014 - TKS9 wrote: 92 Points
This wine is well structured and just barely starting to show its age. There is still fairly abundant bright red fruit on the nose and palate, nicely framed by a present but undoubtedly softened tannin backbone. While there is not as much tertiary complexity as I might have hoped, it drinks very well now and its hard to see this getting much better with additional bottle time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: The nose is extremely well balanced and just screams mature California Cab with vanilla, dark red cherries, cassis, cedar, black currants, and licorice. There is a refinement to the tones along with excellent depth and layering.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and silky tannins. Well balanced and polished with layered tones of dark red cherries, cassis, licorice, vanilla, and some dark red fruits.
Overall: This is mature, but it isn't in any danger of falling off. It's a very classy cab right now and for the foreseeable future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2014 - steinbrl12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
medium body dark fruit with smooth long finish and classic cab nose. At peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2013 - drmarc61 wrote: 94 Points
This wine is in its prime drinking window. The alcohol heat dissipated quickly (1/2 hr) in the decanter. The fruit was balanced with spice and earth notes in a seamless manner. I do not know how many more years this will be the case...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2013 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 92 Points
A beautful wine. Got the recommendation from Seavey for very short decant and it was the right one. Black fruits, plum, hint of anise. Perfect balance, integrated tannins, this was a pure delight. An amazing example of California Cab that held up well against the 1995 Araujo Eisele Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2013 - beej wrote: 88 Points
florals and bright fruit on the nose. Overly soft tannins. Elegant fruit and dirt on the mid palate. Too much of a linear experience which I guess suffered against some great 2002 insignia.
But on its own, a lovely classy wine suited to game or Camembert. "....fetch hither le fromage de la belle France......."
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2013 - JJKinch wrote: 91 Points
Round dark fruit (blueberry), slight plum, slight herb, slight anise, nice finish. Well integrated. Really enjoyable. Pleasurable drink. Cork slightly depressed. Very little sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2013 - Charlie Carnes wrote:
Nothing that I would jump through hoops for today. Still, it is a very good C/S and worked for Julie. The 1996 was probably the best wine-to me- the Seavey's ever made. This is much better and less modern than the 1999 Pahlmeyer magnum we are sharing today and tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Home (Home): Color is medium-deep garnet with some bricking; nose is mature with decomposing leaves, earth, spicy black currant really becomes prominent with swirling, a little fresh mint at the end of the sniff; palate has fully integrated tannins but still structured, medium-full bodied, nice red fruits, integrates very nicely; finish is medium length and a bit drying. Nose>palate, the descriptor of this wine is traditional balanced california cab. Fully mature, drinking wonderfully now, and edges out the 95 Togni in terms of drinkability (the Togni is very young and still a bit rough, while this is at the perfect drinking stage). May not last too much longer... 94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2012 - webbaker wrote: 94 Points
Very soft cork, but sound. Very little sediment. Decanted 6 hours before initial tasting, then drank over a 24 hour period. Dark rich fruits. Notes of tar, tobacco, eucalyptus. Fully integrated tannins. Losing a bit of its punch, drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2012 - King Cab wrote: 87 Points
Nose a bit metallic. Some fruits pop in on hard swirl but certainly gives nothing on its own. Palate shows a fully resolved dried fruit profile with hints of smoke, dust, leather and tea leaf. Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, but it seems more attuned for those with a better palate than me, and they know who they are..... :-)
Ok, I will try that again: Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, really I do but it just seems too passive to fall in love with. It could show more fruit and freshness, but then those who know better will tell me I should stick with younger wines....
Ok, I will try that again: Not sure if I actually like this; I want to, really I do but it just seems a bit long in the tooth and seems that its best years are behind it. Acidity rides a wee bit high and finish shows a slight astringency. Initially upon opening I was thinking it was flawed and was going to dump it, but now I am certain it's not. All in all I am glad this is my one and only bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2012 - drmarc61 wrote: 95 Points
Blue and black berries on the front with chocolate and nice olive backbone. Smooth tannins. Beautifully integrated wine that is clearly in it's prime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2012 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Hanging on nicely with rich red fruit, tobacco and cedar notes. Good balance of aged, rich fruit, fine tannin and acidity. Not overly complex and squarely on what seems to be the long final aging plateau. No rush, but don't see this improving wildly or becoming anything other than a very good Cali Cab.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2011 - Amerique wrote: 91 Points
Toasty medium-bodied black cherry with earthy and smokey flavors, excellent structure, lots of tannin, very dry, short finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2011 - wallstreet wrote: 87 Points
I really didn't like this wine. Had what I felt was a green streak. No where near as pleasing as the 95 Seavey I had about a month ago. I wouldn't buy this again. Just didn't care for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2010 - JB in SD wrote: 90 Points
Very youthful wine for 14 years old. Cork in great shape. Took an hour in the decanter for it to open up. Not all that complex, which is to say it was somewhat one dimensional. Just a pleasant, elegant Napa cabernet. Tannins are not fully resolved. I was amazed at how fresh this wine was.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2010 - AtoZ wrote: 90 Points
Maybe an off bottle? Very cedary. Disjointed. Better after 90 mins. Just not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2010 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
Really nice. At peak? not as lush as the 95 but still excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2009 - blondon wrote:
Popped and poured, enjoyed over three hours. Black cherries and cocoa. Smoky. After 30 minutes, smoothed out and displayed subtlety and grace. An hour in, this was Napa at its finest, showing spice notes, tobacco and cedar intertwined with beautiful fruit. The evolution in the glass shows that this wine has a long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Gentle, mature nose of plum skin, red currant, cedar, licorice, old leather and a little cigar smoke. Medium bodied and silky smooth with just a touch of tannin around the sides of the mouth. The favors echo the nose with the red and black fruit melding to raspberry. Rich texture on the finish with a sound tannin frame. Just lacks a little punch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2009 - cvvhrn wrote: 93 Points
3rd Annual Above Top Secret . Com Annual Dinner 2008 at the San Jose UFO Expo; 9/10/2009-9/13/2009: Sublime. This well aged cab was Napa at its best. Bold yet subtle, lush but powerfull. Hints of raisins and jammy fruit on the nose with a palate of cinnamon, all spice and dark fruit. SIlky mouthfeel and nice long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2009 - GBK wrote:
Very good bottle that we drank with a 98 Far Niente - Seavey much better balance; long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2009 - pea wrote: 90 Points
For some this was the wine of the evening. Not for me. Sure, it is clean and mean. But it was more musty than I would have liked. Hopefully the next bottle is better?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2009 - G Kapoor wrote: 94 Points
nose of incense, wet earth, and loads of black and cassis fruit. The tannins are gorgeously velvety and fully integrated, and the wine full-bodied, with terrific texture, a multi-layered mouthfeel, finish with no hard edges. Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Peter Pratt's 2009 Cali Cab Table (Yorktown, NY): No notes on this. No real preference between this and the Pahlmeyer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2008 - davergny wrote: flawed
Corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2008 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
1996 Cal Cab Dinner (Bonsoiree Cafe): Tight on the nose. Palate has big body and rich chocolate fruit. Lush fruit is well matched by firm tannin. Well balanced, seamless with good length. Nice, but not distinct in the line up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2008 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
eBob 1996 California Cabernet Dinner (Boinsoiree): Medium / feint nose of clean red/black fruit. Big bright acidic red/black fruit on the palate with a slightly watery mid-palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2007 - Bachus Maling wrote: 95 Points
This vintage rocks! Opened a 1.5 ltr. at the Huntington Ritz Carlton on Saturday, November 17, 2007. One hour after we pulled the cork we paired with vennison saddle in a cabernet reduction sauce. One of the better vintages that has more time to cellar if you can resist.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2007 - GA wrote: 92 Points
. 4/07 Dark purple ink color - earthen nose - intense concentrated sweetish blackcherry attack - short mid-palate - chocolate cedar finish which is compellingly dry,edgy, and layered - long-lasting slightly short finish which starts toward the back of the mid-palate - off balanced - heavier on the back end - drinkable now - the fruit should stand for the next 5 years - the wine should gain better balance and focus over the next 5-10 years. 92-93 p
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2007 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Superb wine that seems to be right in the middle of its prime drinking window.
I wish I had a few more of these!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2007 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
Not quite as rich and deep as some other years, but very nice none the less. Classic Seavey cabernet flavor with excellent balance. Drinking very well in 2007.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2006 - KevinP wrote: 93 Points
Drinking wonderfully
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2006 - jeffbramwell wrote: 93 Points
Drank from mag. Wonderful bottle that really opened up about two hours into the evening, showing dark fruits with the oak nicely in check. Enough grip on the tannins to suggest a long lived wine, but I wouldn't let it go anywhere near as long as 2025 like Parker suggests it might. I'd imagine I will drink my remaining bottle by 2015 at the latest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2006 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
Really fine stuff. Complex, nuanced, powerful. Short on the finish initially, but the wine fleshed out with air and was wonderful at hour 2. Will have to look for some more...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2006 - ROrmand wrote: flawed
Corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2006 - keithgg wrote: 94 Points
A nose reminiscent of blackberries, licorice and cedar. This wine keeps getting better. And it still has more on the upside. A wonderful, long finish follows a very generous mouthfeel. Like the Seaveys themselves, this wine is genuine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
14.3% alcohol. conn valley, napa.
as wine prices continue to spiral unabated, i am dropping off list after list. not this one. why seavey doesn't get more play is perplexing, but i'm not going to lose any sleep over it. i'm merely going to continue to enjoy vintage after vintage. the 1996 represents my first buying experience, and i couldn't stay away from trying this while up in the mountains with the boys this weekend. decanted, sort of. the cabin isn't that wine friendly, and i forgot to pack a decanter; but we got it done. of course, the problem is that i always bring "the good stuff," and it doesn't last that long anyway.
the wine is still incredibly youthful, and dare i say it's a throwback. the fruit doesn't smack you in the face, but rather sits in the background and draws you in. i first descibed the wine as austere, and whined that i never should have opened it. certainly, hold this wine in this format on your whim over the next 20 years. nevertheless, with patience, and a ton of glass swirling, the pleasure began to unfold. plum and currant clearly dominated. tannins are resolved enough to get away with opening it. i've been trying to think of a positive term to deflect from austere, and i've settled on mineral. a hint of leather signals some change in the wine at this juncture. it's slightly angular, nevertheless, the corners are starting to round off. i think this is a wine in transition, but not closed down. i really enjoyed the long finish, and that was it's own reward. recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2006 - ajjar wrote: flawed
Corked musty bleh ):
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2006 - keithgg wrote: 94 Points
This was a seamless beauty. Tannins were perfectly integrated. Such a long, mineral finish after some lovely sweet fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Tasted unblinded at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Erik Miller. Bright disc. Opaque garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense plum, black currant, cedar and toasted oak aromas. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and firm, dry tannins. The flavors are youthful and follow the nose. Long, somewhat astringent finish. This wine needs time, but it has the structure to develop nicely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2001 - buckeye76 wrote: 90 Points
RICH BLACKBERRIES AND CURRENTS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH TOUCHES OF LEATHER AND LICORICE. STILL YOUNG, BUT SHOWING NICE COMPLEXITY AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2001 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 95 Points
These wines are always so well made. I believe that this is one of the best Napa cabs for the vintage. I wrote back then that this wine had a bordeaux feel in a ripe vintage. The few notes I have are barely readable. Dark, balanced, and structured,boasts flavors of raspberries, cassis, and incredible aromatics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment