Firing on all cylinders tonight. See my earlier notes but had this one opened since yesterday - pulled cork and put it back in for a 24 hour slow ox. Fantastic Beckstoffer Bourn!
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This is certainly an earlier Benoit wine, having drank multiple Realm cellars wines in the last 2 years I can see this as his earlier craft in development. Medium + tannin, full bodied, slightly acidic. Certainly an excellent representative of the 2012 vintage. Wet stone, lilac, dark fruit on the nose. Blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, with a black licorice pinch on the hard palate. At 10 years old, a 94+ this has even more years ahead. 2 more bottles from the OWC.
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Upon opening the first thing that struck me was this is a massive wine. Just heavy on the palate in a tiring way. In addition, the oak was not only present but seemed like it had a heavy char. Of course the fruit was there, but the wine was just so overwhelming and completely unrefined. 2/5 of the bottle consumed with the rest put in the fridge.
Day 2-removed from fridge at mid day go warm up. The charred oak was still there but seemed to somewhat integrate better. The weight and balance seemed better but not ideal. In the end I poured a glass at around 3 and left it there for 4 hours. When i came back to it I was pleased to see the oak had integrated and it mellowed into a much more refined, elegant and perhaps even a delicate wine. Completely different then the day before.
Conclusion-this needs another 5 years in the cellar. 88 today with 92 potential.
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Decanted 4 hours. Similar to an earlier review, noticed that on it's own, the Petit Syrah dominated, but it absolutely came alive when paired with a dry aged KC Strip - almost a completely different wine. Would definitely recommend the pairing for the full experience! Lost a bit on Day 2, but still enjoyed
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Bouquet of violets, blackberry and cedar followed by bold flavors of plum, blueberry, black cherry and spice. Benoit Touquette is the man when it comes to crafting outstanding blends. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% petit Verdot. WOTN for sure as we polished off a magnum by halftime of the Super Bowl.
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Big rich savory dark red fruit forward wine with nice sweet succulent flavors and nice intensity. Yummy Drank at Realm event at Mastros with the winemaker Benoit Wine of the night was the 2017 preview of the Dr. Crane
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Nice wine. The Petite Sirah is still overpowering but the wine has softened up some. I am not sure if this needs more time or if the Cab has petered out...
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Such a great bottle of wine, very elegant, perfect weight - not too heavy, not too light, vibrant and balanced with some great mid palate acidity. Beautiful fruit. Have had good experiences with Kata.
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Better than last bottle after 7 hrs in decanter and back into the bottle. Started to show better 90 min into drinking. Mrs Geaux loved it and awarded 94, go figure. Just stubbornly closed and needs time in the cellar. Still has potential. Try again in 2020.
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Wow, great wine. Freshly picked and ripe but not overripe blackberries on the nose. There is just such a freshness and elegance to the wine, beautiful uplifting mid palate with a mouth coating finish. So good now, likely to improve as it continues to smooth out.
Drank after a quick decant as the wine we intended to drink and decanted for an hour ended up being flawed.
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Big difference from last tasting. Right now, the Petite Sirah is overpowering the Cab Sauv. It still had elegance but hopefully its just going through a phase.
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Not sure what to make of this. Decanted 4 hrs and drank over 2. Got whooped by most everything else tonite. Seems to have potential but the PS seems to have the CS locked in. Some muted chocolate cherry notes, but very muted. May be in a locked down dumb phase. Will give these more time. Disappointed!
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Cracked this open after I realized I had an extra bottle in storage.
What an amazingly balanced wine. Great nose, medium mid palate and nice smooth finish. The inclusion of roughly 20% Petite Syrah was a nice touch. This wine has plenty of life ahead of it.
First true experience with Benoit Touquette's effort from the famed Hayne Vineyard in St Helena, next to Dr Crane. Vineyard renamed Bourn after the original owners of the land.
Cant wait to try the 2014 and then 13's in a couple years.
Benoit is KILLING IT right now...
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I'm really impressed with this last bottle I've opened. I simply confirms my belief that Napa cabs in and around that 5-7, maybe 8 or 9 year old window are where it happens. They are less temperamental, the components are more complimentary, the cylinders begin to work in unison. Depth, maturing fruit with vibrancy. I'll bet this will be what I think is phenomenal in another 2ish years. The cusp of beginning maturity just before/when secondary traits begin to expose themselves.
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A dark and plush Cabernet-based blend that is drinking beautifully right now. Dark purple in color, full in body, enticing nose of black cherry, pencil shavings, and gravel. Tastes of boysenberry, graphite, pepper, and cedar, with a lingering and silky finish with integrated tannins. The round and layered mouth-feel reminds me of Benoit's work at Realm and Fait-Main - comparisons I mean as the highest of compliments. Blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Petite Sirah. 14.1% alcohol. A beautiful wine that has several years left, but it tastes fully integrated now.
Also had a 2001 Phelps Backus and 2007 Jack Quinn open.
This was 3rd out of 3 for all of us. Nose was cocoa. Palate was a tinge sweet. Smooth enough texture, but a tad heavy. I wouldn't call it syrupy at all, and it wasn't over-oaked, just a bit heavy. Finish was just decent.
About a third of the bottle remained in the decanter overnight. I drank it on Night 2 along with a 2014 Myriad NV, which bested the Kata noticeably. The Kata hadn't changed much in that time.
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This is a very good bottle of wine. QPR? Eh? Lots of chocolate/mocha/blueberry happening. 2 hour decant and drank over 2 hours next to a Chimney Rock Reserve 2012. Kata was better. Lots going on mid-way and tannins were drying. It could use more time in bottle to hit it's stride. A bottle to revisit. Enjoyed at STK Miami
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Impressive. very dark color, tastes of every dark fruit known. Needs to be decanted for 4-5 hrs before enjoying. Even thought it was a bit tight, it was pleasing to the palette.
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Took to dinner. Was decanted for about an hour prior to drinking.
Incredibly expressive nose. Purple fruit. Very floral, almost perfumed (in a good way). Great bouquet. Reminded me of a Dr. Crane profile - very much St. Helena. This was a lean, medium weight on the palate. Lush and opulent. Very smooth finish. Tannins already well integrated.
This was super tasty, but played second fiddle to the 2012 Schrader GIII in overall deliverables and complexity. Wouldn't be scared to open this in the near term - performed nicely with minimal air.
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Poured into decanter and enjoyed over two days. Way too young at this point. The oak and petite sirah (17%) need a few more years to truly integrate. Day 2 showed the true potential of where this is heading. Tremendous dark fruit aromatic profile along with rich cocoa and rich spices (petite sirah!). I was getting a lot of blackberry at first that gave way to almost candied plums on day 2. Revisiting this in 2 years..can't wait.
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I would like to know the final blend and plan to contact the winery. This was just awesome. I had the 2011, and that was one of the best bottles of wine that I have tried from the 2011 vintage. This 2012 kicks it up a notch or two. Lot's going on; fruit, tannins, the blend, the wood -- they are all integrated nearly perfectly. Great job!
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Ordered a bunch based on Antonio Galloni's strong review so I thought I'd open a bottle early to see for myself:
It's a blend of Cab/Petite Sirah. 14.1% alcohol. Not too heavy, not too hot. Really vibrant & well balanced. My sinus cold prevents more detailed notes but I really liked it. Better in 3 years
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During PNV week, tasting in the vineyard mid afternoon. Great setting and tasting with the vintners and winemakers. First experience with these wines, given the source its not surprising how good they are. Drank next to the 2011.
Similar profile as the 11, riper and more fruit forward this wine will take some time to evolve. Great dark fruit profile, rich and layered palate with a long finish. Lay this down for 5 years, should be a stunning wine as it ages. Likely scores higher in time
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2/2/2022 - rylanreynolds wrote: 95 Points
Firing on all cylinders tonight. See my earlier notes but had this one opened since yesterday - pulled cork and put it back in for a 24 hour slow ox. Fantastic Beckstoffer Bourn!
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1/25/2022 - rylanreynolds wrote: 94 Points
This is certainly an earlier Benoit wine, having drank multiple Realm cellars wines in the last 2 years I can see this as his earlier craft in development. Medium + tannin, full bodied, slightly acidic. Certainly an excellent representative of the 2012 vintage. Wet stone, lilac, dark fruit on the nose. Blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, with a black licorice pinch on the hard palate. At 10 years old, a 94+ this has even more years ahead. 2 more bottles from the OWC.
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10/13/2021 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good. Still very youthful while also very layered an so moles very enjoyable ant solbar
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6/26/2021 - TGOT Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberry, blueberry and hints of vanilla. More flavors on the back end than up front. Smooth tannins and nice mouthfeel. Drinking great right now.
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1/1/2021 - Dalex wrote: 90 Points
Upon opening the first thing that struck me was this is a massive wine. Just heavy on the palate in a tiring way. In addition, the oak was not only present but seemed like it had a heavy char. Of course the fruit was there, but the wine was just so overwhelming and completely unrefined. 2/5 of the bottle consumed with the rest put in the fridge.
Day 2-removed from fridge at mid day go warm up. The charred oak was still there but seemed to somewhat integrate better. The weight and balance seemed better but not ideal. In the end I poured a glass at around 3 and left it there for 4 hours. When i came back to it I was pleased to see the oak had integrated and it mellowed into a much more refined, elegant and perhaps even a delicate wine. Completely different then the day before.
Conclusion-this needs another 5 years in the cellar. 88 today with 92 potential.
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4/12/2020 - dpolzien Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Similar to an earlier review, noticed that on it's own, the Petit Syrah dominated, but it absolutely came alive when paired with a dry aged KC Strip - almost a completely different wine. Would definitely recommend the pairing for the full experience! Lost a bit on Day 2, but still enjoyed
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2/2/2020 - jcampano Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bouquet of violets, blackberry and cedar followed by bold flavors of plum, blueberry, black cherry and spice. Benoit Touquette is the man when it comes to crafting outstanding blends. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% petit Verdot. WOTN for sure as we polished off a magnum by halftime of the Super Bowl.
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8/22/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big rich savory dark red fruit forward wine with nice sweet succulent flavors and nice intensity. Yummy
Drank at Realm event at Mastros with the winemaker Benoit
Wine of the night was the 2017 preview of the Dr. Crane
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7/12/2019 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice wine. The Petite Sirah is still overpowering but the wine has softened up some. I am not sure if this needs more time or if the Cab has petered out...
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4/28/2019 - Mapleglo330 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich and delicious, chocolate, raspberry, smooth tannins. Gets better as the night goes on. Drink now with a decant or hold.
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3/15/2019 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Such a great bottle of wine, very elegant, perfect weight - not too heavy, not too light, vibrant and balanced with some great mid palate acidity. Beautiful fruit. Have had good experiences with Kata.
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4/27/2018 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 90 Points
Better than last bottle after 7 hrs in decanter and back into the bottle. Started to show better 90 min into drinking. Mrs Geaux loved it and awarded 94, go figure. Just stubbornly closed and needs time in the cellar. Still has potential. Try again in 2020.
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12/22/2017 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, great wine. Freshly picked and ripe but not overripe blackberries on the nose. There is just such a freshness and elegance to the wine, beautiful uplifting mid palate with a mouth coating finish. So good now, likely to improve as it continues to smooth out.
Drank after a quick decant as the wine we intended to drink and decanted for an hour ended up being flawed.
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10/21/2017 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very rich chocolatey wine. Lots of structure that integrated over two days. Long finish. Petite Sirah dominates.
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8/10/2017 - Andrew Hunter wrote: 95 Points
Brilliant. Beautiful nose and berry notes. Fantastic finish on this wine. Surprisingly delicious.
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6/5/2017 - #1Winelover wrote: 92 Points
Big difference from last tasting. Right now, the Petite Sirah is overpowering the Cab Sauv. It still had elegance but hopefully its just going through a phase.
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5/20/2017 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 88 Points
Not sure what to make of this. Decanted 4 hrs and drank over 2. Got whooped by most everything else tonite. Seems to have potential but the PS seems to have the CS locked in. Some muted chocolate cherry notes, but very muted. May be in a locked down dumb phase. Will give these more time. Disappointed!
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5/8/2017 - blarmston Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cracked this open after I realized I had an extra bottle in storage.
What an amazingly balanced wine. Great nose, medium mid palate and nice smooth finish. The inclusion of roughly 20% Petite Syrah was a nice touch. This wine has plenty of life ahead of it.
First true experience with Benoit Touquette's effort from the famed Hayne Vineyard in St Helena, next to Dr Crane. Vineyard renamed Bourn after the original owners of the land.
Cant wait to try the 2014 and then 13's in a couple years.
Benoit is KILLING IT right now...
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5/3/2017 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
I'm really impressed with this last bottle I've opened. I simply confirms my belief that Napa cabs in and around that 5-7, maybe 8 or 9 year old window are where it happens. They are less temperamental, the components are more complimentary, the cylinders begin to work in unison. Depth, maturing fruit with vibrancy. I'll bet this will be what I think is phenomenal in another 2ish years. The cusp of beginning maturity just before/when secondary traits begin to expose themselves.
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3/17/2017 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
A dark and plush Cabernet-based blend that is drinking beautifully right now. Dark purple in color, full in body, enticing nose of black cherry, pencil shavings, and gravel. Tastes of boysenberry, graphite, pepper, and cedar, with a lingering and silky finish with integrated tannins. The round and layered mouth-feel reminds me of Benoit's work at Realm and Fait-Main - comparisons I mean as the highest of compliments. Blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Petite Sirah. 14.1% alcohol. A beautiful wine that has several years left, but it tastes fully integrated now.
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11/26/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for about 6 hours.
Also had a 2001 Phelps Backus and 2007 Jack Quinn open.
This was 3rd out of 3 for all of us. Nose was cocoa. Palate was a tinge sweet. Smooth enough texture, but a tad heavy. I wouldn't call it syrupy at all, and it wasn't over-oaked, just a bit heavy. Finish was just decent.
About a third of the bottle remained in the decanter overnight. I drank it on Night 2 along with a 2014 Myriad NV, which bested the Kata noticeably. The Kata hadn't changed much in that time.
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8/20/2016 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This is a very good bottle of wine. QPR? Eh? Lots of chocolate/mocha/blueberry happening. 2 hour decant and drank over 2 hours next to a Chimney Rock Reserve 2012. Kata was better. Lots going on mid-way and tannins were drying. It could use more time in bottle to hit it's stride. A bottle to revisit. Enjoyed at STK Miami
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3/5/2016 - BeaverBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Impressive. very dark color, tastes of every dark fruit known. Needs to be decanted for 4-5 hrs before enjoying. Even thought it was a bit tight, it was pleasing to the palette.
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2/23/2016 - RMundell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Huge wine. Deep dark fruit very concentrated. Needs time but very nice.
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10/16/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Took to dinner. Was decanted for about an hour prior to drinking.
Incredibly expressive nose. Purple fruit. Very floral, almost perfumed (in a good way). Great bouquet. Reminded me of a Dr. Crane profile - very much St. Helena. This was a lean, medium weight on the palate. Lush and opulent. Very smooth finish. Tannins already well integrated.
This was super tasty, but played second fiddle to the 2012 Schrader GIII in overall deliverables and complexity. Wouldn't be scared to open this in the near term - performed nicely with minimal air.
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9/1/2015 - dotdog Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolutely stunning. Six hour decant. Got better still over next two hours. Benoit has hit a home run. Thank goodness I ordered a case!
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6/21/2015 - JJB007 Likes this wine: 93 Points
this was better the longer it was decanted
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6/13/2015 - DaButtah Likes this wine: 95 Points
Poured into decanter and enjoyed over two days. Way too young at this point. The oak and petite sirah (17%) need a few more years to truly integrate. Day 2 showed the true potential of where this is heading. Tremendous dark fruit aromatic profile along with rich cocoa and rich spices (petite sirah!). I was getting a lot of blackberry at first that gave way to almost candied plums on day 2. Revisiting this in 2 years..can't wait.
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5/24/2015 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 93 Points
93+
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3/11/2015 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 95 Points
I would like to know the final blend and plan to contact the winery. This was just awesome. I had the 2011, and that was one of the best bottles of wine that I have tried from the 2011 vintage. This 2012 kicks it up a notch or two. Lot's going on; fruit, tannins, the blend, the wood -- they are all integrated nearly perfectly. Great job!
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3/6/2015 - mayoiv Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened too early, but was still impressive - agree with other comment that this will score higher in a few years.
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3/3/2015 - PopularCar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ordered a bunch based on Antonio Galloni's strong review so I thought I'd open a bottle early to see for myself:
It's a blend of Cab/Petite Sirah. 14.1% alcohol. Not too heavy, not too hot. Really vibrant & well balanced. My sinus cold prevents more detailed notes but I really liked it. Better in 3 years
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2/18/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
During PNV week, tasting in the vineyard mid afternoon. Great setting and tasting with the vintners and winemakers. First experience with these wines, given the source its not surprising how good they are. Drank next to the 2011.
Similar profile as the 11, riper and more fruit forward this wine will take some time to evolve. Great dark fruit profile, rich and layered palate with a long finish. Lay this down for 5 years, should be a stunning wine as it ages. Likely scores higher in time
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