N: Vanilla slightly atop ripe berries with notes of pyrazines
P: LM body; NICE frt met by puckerish astringency which, without ever losing touch with the frt, morphs into a LONG, very, VERY slight tangy finish with a refined swtness to the dusty tannings. For now with food, but really DESERVES another 2 yrs, the drinking for a yr or 2 beyond its 20th, I'd imagine. IMPRESSIVE! 14.5% ABV; My EXC, poss more. 88 pts WE @ $35, 87 WS, 17/20 Vinum, and Silvers from '06, '07, & '08 Mundus Vini.
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This was one of the better bottles (and our last) of this wine we have had. The wine is really drinking well right now with a great level of complexity, balance and smoothness. The fruit still has vibrancy and we loved the chocolate notes.
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Deep Crimson red in color. Smells like cassis, pepper and earthy. Very lively up front with a fuity/berry taste. Medium tannins present, but overall very enjoyable. Will decant and report back. Tannins slightly muted after decanting
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It's been a year since our last bottle. The fruit has subsided quite nicely giving this wine a nice balance. Should drink well for the next couple of years - 2 more bottles left.
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Very big nose of dark fruits, oak and chocolate. On the palate, nice cherry mixed in with chocolate, vanilla and spice. Drinking very nice right now. Drink up.
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Very intense/spicy wine. Great with the rib eye steak dinner and the dark chocolate dessert. Somewhat fruity but the oak characteristics take hold at the end. Looking forward to another bottle.
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Same as our previous notes but flavors are more muted. Still smooth drinking wine with lush black fruit and rich chocolate tones. While we don't see this wine improving further it should continue to drink well for the next couple of years.
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Very intense/spicy wine. Great with the rib eye steak dinner and the dark chocolate dessert. Somewhat fruity but the oak characteristics take hold at the end. Looking forward to another bottle.
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Overall, a smooth drinking elegant wine that has a good mouth feel, well rounded, but has a bit too much of a sweet accent. The nose has a symphonic blend of black raspberry, sweet dark cherry, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon. The palate has a wonderful melding of dark cherry, chocolate, touch of oak and vanilla, all which that leads to smooth tannic finish. This wine is drinking well right now but hoping the slight sweet accent may subdue over the next year or two – 5 more bottles.
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A bit more serious than I expected. Took a while to open up and a teeth stainer. Was quite nice with some nice fruit and balance of oak. I would give this another 1-3 years potentially.
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We drank with our family Christmas dinner and were not focused on the wine. We remember it to be very smooth, nice well rounded with dark red fruit, subtle oak, smooth tannins, and nice finish – a well balanced wine. Glad we aged this wine for a few years and have 6 more to drink!
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Decanted for one hour and served. Ruby red in color with garnet rims. Dark fruits dominated by blackcurrants, mocha, and a hint of alcohol integrated with some oak on the nose. Slightly sweet with a noticeable bitter edge with integrated tannins.
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At the beginning a very alcoholic nose. After some aeration the nose reminds me a good left bank bordeaux, dominated by red ripe fruits and oaky vanilla. On the palate is medium to full - bodied with well integreted tannins and flavors of plums, cherry marmalade, pepper and a hint of truffle. The finish lasts about 30 sec. Good and enjoyable wine.
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Nice color. Nose hits first with some plum, then some oak, vanilla and a bit of detergent at the end. Nice mouthfeel, fairly smooth wine. Plum, vanilla and cedar, with a hint of orange zest, transitioning to bittersweet chocolate and tobacco. Medium tannins, good finish. Nice wine for price. Would pair well with steak or burgers.
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Ripe, dark plummy nose, chocolate, quite rich but fresh. Quite well balanced on the palate with soft tannins and reasonable acidity. Not overly complex or concentrated, but decent pure fruit and medium length slightly chocolatey finish. Good/very good - now to end 2010ish.
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Deep purple in colour this wine shows red fruit and subtle vanilla on the nose. The palate is well balanced and rounded – good fruit and acidity. Cigar box, ground pepper and all spice characters. Very nice
Tasted in the British Airways “Gate 1” Lounge, Terminal 4, London Heathrow Airport
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Popped and served. Ruby in color. Dark fruits, with a touch of green pepper, sweet oak and vanilla. Full bodied wine full of ripe dark fruits with a equally noticeable oak influence in the mouth. A silky smooth finish sails on a surprisingly balanced and moderately long finish. This wine is showing much better than the last time I had it. This wine is drinking well now and will have enough to last another 5 years in the cellar.
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Not a particularly good showing. Somewhat green on the palate initially followed by a undeniable pressence of oak. Vanilla, smoke... etc... After an hour, a substantial improvement. Will taste again in 6 months but nothing to look forward to...
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nice blend... needs about 1 hour in decanter. Dark fruit flavors up front with some spice through the middle. Toasty oak/cedar? on the finish, but not over powering with soft tannins.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby garnet color, with notes of red currant, briarberry and fresh flowers. Sweet tannins, with a bit of oak, red currants and blackberries.
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Very nice bottle of wine, soft, not terribly complex, but fruit driven, balanced, and tasty, with balanced tannin and acidity. nice mouthfl of mountain fruit, with a moderate finish.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color. Aromas of leather, red currant and spice. Nice red fruit flavors on the palate, with a dusty edge to the tannins.
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From Veeder Crest and Summit vineyards with altitudes of 1,300-2,000 feet, this wine is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Malbec that is 100 % estate grown on Mount Veeder. Over 25 years of grape growing on the mountain has revealed which varietals excel at specific sites and this cuvee is truly a result of learning from the mountain. A single row of grapes may contain three varietals because of the change in altitude and exposure creating different mesoclimates within a small area.
The 2003 vintage started with a very warm March giving the vines a boost to start off their growing season. This strong start proved valuable as the summer’s weather pattern was cooler than normal and the grapes were slow to ripen. Then September and October brought beautiful, warm weather, a classic ingredient of great vintages in the Napa Valley.
The aroma is filled with red fruit characters of sweet red currant and raspberries, supported by a trio of vanilla, cedar, and molasses. In the background run spices like cinnamon, mint, and herb. The palate has flavors of cassis and reveals the benefit of a blended wine- a layered, complex wine that has silky smooth texture and long finish.
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Approachable right out of the bottle with plenty of aroma and fruit. Lots of lift. Next day under light vacuum storage still giving up a lot of aroma. Tannins reasserted after 20min in glass. Niiiiiiiiice evolution.
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9/1/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
BBQ Reds + 5 Shared Reds & a Winebar Retaste (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Arturo, THANK for sharing this EXCELLENT wine! :)
N: Vanilla slightly atop ripe berries with notes of pyrazines
P: LM body; NICE frt met by puckerish astringency which, without ever losing touch with the frt, morphs into a LONG, very, VERY slight tangy finish with a refined swtness to the dusty tannings. For now with food, but really DESERVES another 2 yrs, the drinking for a yr or 2 beyond its 20th, I'd imagine. IMPRESSIVE! 14.5% ABV; My EXC, poss more. 88 pts WE @ $35, 87 WS, 17/20 Vinum, and Silvers from '06, '07, & '08 Mundus Vini.
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2/14/2015 - WinoTim wrote: 84 Points
Considerably beyond prime.
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7/4/2013 - WinoTim wrote:
Too much time has elapsed since we drank. I would say very good (86-89)
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2/4/2012 - rtd3 wrote: 88 Points
same as before... great with rib eye... last two bottles :(
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12/18/2011 - Bob in NC wrote: 89 Points
This was one of the better bottles (and our last) of this wine we have had. The wine is really drinking well right now with a great level of complexity, balance and smoothness. The fruit still has vibrancy and we loved the chocolate notes.
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10/25/2011 - rtd3 wrote: 88 Points
Deep Crimson red in color. Smells like cassis, pepper and earthy. Very lively up front with a fuity/berry taste. Medium tannins present, but overall very enjoyable. Will decant and report back. Tannins slightly muted after decanting
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1/23/2011 - Bob in NC wrote: 89 Points
It's been a year since our last bottle. The fruit has subsided quite nicely giving this wine a nice balance. Should drink well for the next couple of years - 2 more bottles left.
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10/3/2010 - wmccone54 wrote: 87 Points
Nose of blackberry and sweet currant. Mild tannins with decent finish. Great $35 wine
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5/13/2010 - redman77 wrote: 88 Points
A solid blend, I would drink up.
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4/2/2010 - rlleigh wrote: 92 Points
very good bottle
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2/6/2010 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Very big nose of dark fruits, oak and chocolate. On the palate, nice cherry mixed in with chocolate, vanilla and spice. Drinking very nice right now. Drink up.
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1/25/2010 - coletrane wrote: 90 Points
A solid wine. Would drink it now if I owned another...
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1/24/2010 - rtd3 wrote: 89 Points
same as last time...YUMMY :)
Very intense/spicy wine. Great with the rib eye steak dinner and the dark chocolate dessert. Somewhat fruity but the oak characteristics take hold at the end. Looking forward to another bottle.
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1/9/2010 - Bob in NC wrote: 88 Points
Same as our previous notes but flavors are more muted. Still smooth drinking wine with lush black fruit and rich chocolate tones. While we don't see this wine improving further it should continue to drink well for the next couple of years.
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11/22/2009 - rtd3 wrote: 89 Points
Very intense/spicy wine. Great with the rib eye steak dinner and the dark chocolate dessert. Somewhat fruity but the oak characteristics take hold at the end. Looking forward to another bottle.
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10/3/2009 - Bob in NC wrote: 90 Points
Overall, a smooth drinking elegant wine that has a good mouth feel, well rounded, but has a bit too much of a sweet accent. The nose has a symphonic blend of black raspberry, sweet dark cherry, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon. The palate has a wonderful melding of dark cherry, chocolate, touch of oak and vanilla, all which that leads to smooth tannic finish. This wine is drinking well right now but hoping the slight sweet accent may subdue over the next year or two – 5 more bottles.
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8/16/2009 - billyb wrote: 91 Points
earthy black fruit; light oak; velvet tannins; substantially smoother than last bottle in o6
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3/5/2009 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
A bit more serious than I expected. Took a while to open up and a teeth stainer. Was quite nice with some nice fruit and balance of oak. I would give this another 1-3 years potentially.
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2/5/2009 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Nicely balanced, medium body, tannins settled down after aeration. A reasonable guiltless every day bottle
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12/26/2008 - Bob in NC wrote: 90 Points
We drank with our family Christmas dinner and were not focused on the wine. We remember it to be very smooth, nice well rounded with dark red fruit, subtle oak, smooth tannins, and nice finish – a well balanced wine. Glad we aged this wine for a few years and have 6 more to drink!
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7/9/2008 - LesterKwong wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for one hour and served. Ruby red in color with garnet rims. Dark fruits dominated by blackcurrants, mocha, and a hint of alcohol integrated with some oak on the nose. Slightly sweet with a noticeable bitter edge with integrated tannins.
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5/30/2008 - balassis wrote: 89 Points
At the beginning a very alcoholic nose. After some aeration the nose reminds me a good left bank bordeaux, dominated by red ripe fruits and oaky vanilla. On the palate is medium to full - bodied with well integreted tannins and flavors of plums, cherry marmalade, pepper and a hint of truffle. The finish lasts about 30 sec. Good and enjoyable wine.
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5/19/2008 - JohnBlueLabel wrote: 88 Points
Nice color. Nose hits first with some plum, then some oak, vanilla and a bit of detergent at the end. Nice mouthfeel, fairly smooth wine. Plum, vanilla and cedar, with a hint of orange zest, transitioning to bittersweet chocolate and tobacco. Medium tannins, good finish. Nice wine for price. Would pair well with steak or burgers.
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3/7/2008 - Paul D wrote: 86 Points
Ripe, dark plummy nose, chocolate, quite rich but fresh. Quite well balanced on the palate with soft tannins and reasonable acidity. Not overly complex or concentrated, but decent pure fruit and medium length slightly chocolatey finish. Good/very good - now to end 2010ish.
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3/2/2008 - whittyj wrote: 89 Points
Excellent Meritage blend.
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1/13/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(1) Very good but a little high in alcohol. Would have been 1+ with less alcohol on the finish.
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1/13/2008 - jamieirving wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple in colour this wine shows red fruit and subtle vanilla on the nose. The palate is well balanced and rounded – good fruit and acidity. Cigar box, ground pepper and all spice characters. Very nice
Tasted in the British Airways “Gate 1” Lounge, Terminal 4, London Heathrow Airport
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12/16/2007 - Rechrom wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very wll, wish I had more, funky nose of pepper, dark fruit, mouth filling palate, good length.
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11/27/2007 - LesterKwong wrote: 89 Points
Popped and served. Ruby in color. Dark fruits, with a touch of green pepper, sweet oak and vanilla. Full bodied wine full of ripe dark fruits with a equally noticeable oak influence in the mouth. A silky smooth finish sails on a surprisingly balanced and moderately long finish. This wine is showing much better than the last time I had it. This wine is drinking well now and will have enough to last another 5 years in the cellar.
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10/26/2007 - Tparodi wrote: 90 Points
ok
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10/15/2007 - boegemann wrote: 89 Points
Black and blue berries nicely balanced with oak. Medium-bodied with interesting tannin structure that really extends the finish.
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9/30/2007 - mmyette wrote: 89 Points
Very good wine, a little herbal, but boasting a nice bouquet of sage, cassis, tar, vanilla oak, spice, and green pepper. Finish was moderate.
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8/18/2007 - LesterKwong wrote: 85 Points
Not a particularly good showing. Somewhat green on the palate initially followed by a undeniable pressence of oak. Vanilla, smoke... etc... After an hour, a substantial improvement. Will taste again in 6 months but nothing to look forward to...
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8/14/2007 - Tparodi wrote: 91 Points
nice blend... needs about 1 hour in decanter. Dark fruit flavors up front with some spice through the middle. Toasty oak/cedar? on the finish, but not over powering with soft tannins.
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6/10/2007 - mmyette wrote: 89 Points
Nice, see previous notes.
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2/2/2007 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby garnet color, with notes of red currant, briarberry and fresh flowers. Sweet tannins, with a bit of oak, red currants and blackberries.
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9/22/2006 - mmyette wrote: 89 Points
Very nice bottle of wine, soft, not terribly complex, but fruit driven, balanced, and tasty, with balanced tannin and acidity. nice mouthfl of mountain fruit, with a moderate finish.
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9/15/2006 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Ruby color. Aromas of leather, red currant and spice. Nice red fruit flavors on the palate, with a dusty edge to the tannins.
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5/24/2006 - coletrane wrote:
From Veeder Crest and Summit vineyards with altitudes of 1,300-2,000 feet, this wine is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Malbec that is 100 % estate grown on Mount Veeder. Over 25 years of grape growing on the mountain has revealed which varietals excel at specific sites and this cuvee is truly a result of learning from the mountain. A single row of grapes may contain three varietals because of the change in altitude and exposure creating different mesoclimates within a small area.
The 2003 vintage started with a very warm March giving the vines a boost to start off their growing season. This strong start proved valuable as the summer’s weather pattern was cooler than normal and the grapes were slow to ripen. Then September and October brought beautiful, warm weather, a classic ingredient of great vintages in the Napa Valley.
The aroma is filled with red fruit characters of sweet red currant and raspberries, supported by a trio of vanilla, cedar, and molasses. In the background run spices like cinnamon, mint, and herb. The palate has flavors of cassis and reveals the benefit of a blended wine- a layered, complex wine that has silky smooth texture and long finish.
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3/15/2006 - Stampy wrote: 88 Points
Approachable right out of the bottle with plenty of aroma and fruit. Lots of lift. Next day under light vacuum storage still giving up a lot of aroma. Tannins reasserted after 20min in glass. Niiiiiiiiice evolution.
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