What a great $20.99 bottle of wine. It’s been stored well with no signs of being anywhere near tired. I’ve got two more bottles and I’ll let them sit for another year or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splendid bouquet of cassis, black raspberries, and cherries with eucalyptus and Big Red gum in the background. Tensile, resolved, showing sweet, fruit flavors, wonderful spices, and a long, gravelly finish. At its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shared this wine with friends last night and we all found it still deep with a moderately dense nose. No signs of 'over-the-hill' except for a few sediments. I think it could last another year if need be. I do have a temperature-controlled cellar so it's been stored well. The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are very gluey slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells and tastes like forest floor. The body is medium. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened the bottle and let it sit for 3 hours. Tasted blind next a Santa Ynez area cab blend and a Sonoma cab. Most tasters mistook this for the Santa Ynez cab because of its fruit. That said, it is a very enjoyable wine with soft tannins and a little tobacco box on the finish. Not a great cab but a very good one that is a pleasure to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well-balanced, with decent mouthfeel and finish. However, the nose and the flavors were quite muted. Probably over-the-hill. Turns out the bottle I had seven months ago was a (very pleasant) anomaly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I bought four of these at the winery in2004. They were transported and stored identically. The first two I opened, back in January, 2010, were DOA. Not corked, not cooked, not oxidized - just DEAD! This one, however, was TERRIFIC, fresh, vibrant, with a ton of explosive red fruit. I've experienced bottle variation, but this was ridiculous. Great nose, great mouthfeel, and a long, fruity finish. Very well balanced, with ample - but not obtrusive - acids and tannins. Please ignore my earlier comments (unless, of course, my fourth and final bottle turns out to be as bad as the first two).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
SLIGHTLY better than the bottle I had a few weeks ago. Unlike the last time, I detected traces of coffee, vanilla, and earthiness. In other words, it was a little more interesting than the previous bottle. However, this one seemed just as tired, and the total absence of tannins and acids made it a less-than-ideal match with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good color - no signs of age. Shy nose - just a hint of black fruit. Blackberries on the palate, but that's about all. No tannins and no acid, leaving the impression of sweetness. No complexity whatsoever. Medium body and a short finish. Overall, a big disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Initially a bit heavy, showing mostly oak and alcohol. After a while smoothes out showing cherry flavors and reminds me of zinfandel with its punch. Provenance 2001 merlot showed better than this on the same night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Loamy, roasted plum on the nose, also blackberry. Ripe black plum, and also secondary notes of coffee, leather. Tannins are faded, and this comes accross as somewhat syrupy, maybe a bit fatigued. I liked it better four years ago (but then, I was into big ripe wines then ... this is a bit ripe for my liking (although the real problem is the lack of acidity and tannin)).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep Deep Color. licorace, incense, and balanced tannins. Alcohol on the nose but balanced on the palate. Fine wine ready to drink. This is why I cellar $30-40 bottles. I believe this drinks like $75+ wines of a current vintage (04-06)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first issue of Wine Enthusiast a few years ago had a cover story on 2001 California Cabs. I collected as many of the 90+ bottles in the under $40 range that I could find and I am glad I did. This has that unmistakeable scent of a Cab, hints of eucalyptus. This wine is really drinking very nicely as I have found most of the 01's are now. Soft and velvet like in the mouth with a good berry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is showing very well. Although some '01's are closing down right about now, this wine is bright, youthful and exuberant. Ruby red and leaning more toward red fruits than dark, it is a fine example of a valley floor Cabernet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open for about an hour, not decanted. Nice dark red color, mostly clear, medium body. Lots of currant on the aroma with some perfume, some tar. Palate is a little more complex with blackberry giving way to a brighter currant and tar, subtle tannin, some heat, and lots of black pepper. Leads to decent fruit-forward finish. I agree with others comments - not a powerhouse wine but still a nice quaffer. Has a little bit of aging time left in it, but drinks quite well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour from a .375. Once opened, not decanted but allowed to sit for 30 mins. This is an average (if slightly overpriced) daily drinker. Nice coloring, but this has a lot of oak on the nose. Nice fruit flavors, if somewhat thin on the palate, this was fine on its own for about an hour until I got around to cooking dinner. This was a bit too dry/tanninc at first, but softened up within an hour. If consuming from a standard .750, I'd consider decanting and giving it a few minutes before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very rich fruit with considerable oak treatment. Very large in the mouth, verging on becoming awkward due to the lack of structure (acid mostly). A nice wine for a single glass, but becomes tiring after more than that. Priced a bit above its punch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Different wine from split consumed in May 2005. Garnet color. Bigger, rounder nose of red currants and blackberry. Round and fuller in the mouth. Medium-bodied, tannic, red currant and savory flavors. Short finish. Very good. With air currants and cedar come to the fore in the nose, the wine remains tannic but the finish, with the blackberry and red currant flavors, is longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank from a split in a Riedel Sommelier glass over the course of 2 hours. Not decanted. Dark ruby color. A nose of rich blackberry and pencil shavings/lead, that opens up with air and time to reveal nuanced aromas of black currants, cherry, some tobacco and a hint of menthol. In the mouth this wine is generous and expansive - and very elegant and refined. Some might think it austere and perhaps on the lean side. Plenty of fruit but not a fruity wine by any means. The blackberry fruit coats the mouth, along with a good amount of tannin and a noted acidity. Delicious drinking now and will hold for 4-5 years with ease. If you like Cabernets on the leaner side this is a good choice for you. This is certainly not a 2001 power Cabernet and while I enjoyed the wine immensely I think in a blind tasting I might not recognize this as a Californian. I can see why some might not like this style of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little pricey for the quality I thought. It sells for about $30. Some spice notes mixed among a dark fruity core. Moderate tannins. Good finish. 87 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quick Day Trip to Napa (Napa Valley CA): Tasting at winery. From part of the former George de Latour vineyard with 15% Merlot added. Plum, anise and kirsch aromas. Soft start on palate, picking up weight from middle to finish. Very good structure, better in another couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/26/2017 - 85CAB Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a great $20.99 bottle of wine. It’s been stored well with no signs of being anywhere near tired. I’ve got two more bottles and I’ll let them sit for another year or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2016 - fmoehl@yahoo.com wrote:
nice Cab, holding up really well
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - Baron Slick wrote: 92 Points
Splendid bouquet of cassis, black raspberries, and cherries with eucalyptus and Big Red gum in the background. Tensile, resolved, showing sweet, fruit flavors, wonderful spices, and a long, gravelly finish. At its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - GA Likes this wine: 91 Points
04/15 Good fruit finish and balance - big and bold - good window. 91 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2014 - Ralphie1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. At its peak. Will not benefit from more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2014 - LovenTahoe Likes this wine: 88 Points
Shared this wine with friends last night and we all found it still deep with a moderately dense nose. No signs of 'over-the-hill' except for a few sediments. I think it could last another year if need be. I do have a temperature-controlled cellar so it's been stored well.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are very gluey slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells and tastes like forest floor. The body is medium. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2013 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP. Nice brick color, excellent mature Cali cab nose. Rich on palate with 30+ seconds aftertaste. Classic mature California cabernet. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2012 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 89 Points
showing a little age but still some nice fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2012 - dabovino wrote: 90 Points
Opened the bottle and let it sit for 3 hours. Tasted blind next a Santa Ynez area cab blend and a Sonoma cab. Most tasters mistook this for the Santa Ynez cab because of its fruit. That said, it is a very enjoyable wine with soft tannins and a little tobacco box on the finish. Not a great cab but a very good one that is a pleasure to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2010 - Night Train wrote: 88 Points
Well-balanced, with decent mouthfeel and finish. However, the nose and the flavors were quite muted. Probably over-the-hill. Turns out the bottle I had seven months ago was a (very pleasant) anomaly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2010 - Night Train wrote: 91 Points
I bought four of these at the winery in2004. They were transported and stored identically. The first two I opened, back in January, 2010, were DOA. Not corked, not cooked, not oxidized - just DEAD! This one, however, was TERRIFIC, fresh, vibrant, with a ton of explosive red fruit. I've experienced bottle variation, but this was ridiculous. Great nose, great mouthfeel, and a long, fruity finish. Very well balanced, with ample - but not obtrusive - acids and tannins. Please ignore my earlier comments (unless, of course, my fourth and final bottle turns out to be as bad as the first two).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2010 - Night Train wrote: 84 Points
SLIGHTLY better than the bottle I had a few weeks ago. Unlike the last time, I detected traces of coffee, vanilla, and earthiness. In other words, it was a little more interesting than the previous bottle. However, this one seemed just as tired, and the total absence of tannins and acids made it a less-than-ideal match with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2010 - Night Train wrote: 83 Points
Good color - no signs of age. Shy nose - just a hint of black fruit. Blackberries on the palate, but that's about all. No tannins and no acid, leaving the impression of sweetness. No complexity whatsoever. Medium body and a short finish. Overall, a big disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2009 - elbosco wrote: 88 Points
Decent ready to drink Cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2009 - dcdoug2 wrote: 90 Points
decanted for 2 min. opened up well. nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2009 - winejnky wrote: 88 Points
Initially a bit heavy, showing mostly oak and alcohol. After a while smoothes out showing cherry flavors and reminds me of zinfandel with its punch. Provenance 2001 merlot showed better than this on the same night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2009 - 11mcraig wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes...opened up nicely. Nice on the nose, plums, cherries, earth, mild tannins with a decent finish. Overall a nice cab!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2009 - FieldingYost wrote: 87 Points
Loamy, roasted plum on the nose, also blackberry. Ripe black plum, and also secondary notes of coffee, leather. Tannins are faded, and this comes accross as somewhat syrupy, maybe a bit fatigued. I liked it better four years ago (but then, I was into big ripe wines then ... this is a bit ripe for my liking (although the real problem is the lack of acidity and tannin)).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2008 - biggwater wrote: 92 Points
dense, opened up well after several hours, balanced, tobacco, black fruit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2008 - biggwater wrote: 92 Points
Deep Deep Color. licorace, incense, and balanced tannins. Alcohol on the nose but balanced on the palate. Fine wine ready to drink. This is why I cellar $30-40 bottles. I believe this drinks like $75+ wines of a current vintage (04-06)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2008 - bhalljr wrote: 88 Points
Great smell to start but quickly faded. I'd start drinking up if you have some remaining. Not much of a nose after about an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2007 - Arch57 wrote: 92 Points
My first issue of Wine Enthusiast a few years ago had a cover story on 2001 California Cabs. I collected as many of the 90+ bottles in the under $40 range that I could find and I am glad I did. This has that unmistakeable scent of a Cab, hints of eucalyptus. This wine is really drinking very nicely as I have found most of the 01's are now. Soft and velvet like in the mouth with a good berry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2007 - rothdog wrote: 90 Points
This wine is showing very well. Although some '01's are closing down right about now, this wine is bright, youthful and exuberant. Ruby red and leaning more toward red fruits than dark, it is a fine example of a valley floor Cabernet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2007 - Ombibulous wrote: flawed
I paid $22.50 for this half bottle. Lots of brett. Unpleasant. Possibly oxidized? I would not buy this wine again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2007 - rpfarwell wrote: 88 Points
good, not great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2006 - norsktorsk wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful dark. Still with some residual tannins but mellowed over night in a split bottle. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2006 - EyeDoc wrote: 88 Points
Decent QPR - Still could use a little time in the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2006 - pvd420 wrote: 89 Points
Nicce and pleasant, not a "wow" wine but definetly well made.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2006 - CP wrote: 89 Points
Open for about an hour, not decanted. Nice dark red color, mostly clear, medium body. Lots of currant on the aroma with some perfume, some tar. Palate is a little more complex with blackberry giving way to a brighter currant and tar, subtle tannin, some heat, and lots of black pepper. Leads to decent fruit-forward finish. I agree with others comments - not a powerhouse wine but still a nice quaffer. Has a little bit of aging time left in it, but drinks quite well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour from a .375. Once opened, not decanted but allowed to sit for 30 mins. This is an average (if slightly overpriced) daily drinker. Nice coloring, but this has a lot of oak on the nose. Nice fruit flavors, if somewhat thin on the palate, this was fine on its own for about an hour until I got around to cooking dinner. This was a bit too dry/tanninc at first, but softened up within an hour. If consuming from a standard .750, I'd consider decanting and giving it a few minutes before drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2006 - Doug64 wrote: 86 Points
Drank with a ribeye...not really noteworthy. A definate food wine, not for drinking by itself.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2006 - Bin242 wrote: 88 Points
Very rich fruit with considerable oak treatment. Very large in the mouth, verging on becoming awkward due to the lack of structure (acid mostly). A nice wine for a single glass, but becomes tiring after more than that. Priced a bit above its punch.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 69 Points
14.5%
Quite Musarey on the nose with high-toned cassis. Sweet and very confected on the palate. Unpleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2005 - cookie7 wrote: 89 Points
Aromas of licorice and blackberries. Candied cherries on the mid palate. Not a great deal of backbone, but enjoyable none the less.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2005 - mdstenner wrote: 90 Points
Bodean's Summer Napa Wine Dinner
Different wine from split consumed in May 2005. Garnet color. Bigger, rounder nose of red currants and blackberry. Round and fuller in the mouth. Medium-bodied, tannic, red currant and savory flavors. Short finish. Very good. With air currants and cedar come to the fore in the nose, the wine remains tannic but the finish, with the blackberry and red currant flavors, is longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2005 - mdstenner wrote: 90 Points
Drank from a split in a Riedel Sommelier glass over the course of 2 hours. Not decanted. Dark ruby color. A nose of rich blackberry and pencil shavings/lead, that opens up with air and time to reveal nuanced aromas of black currants, cherry, some tobacco and a hint of menthol. In the mouth this wine is generous and expansive - and very elegant and refined. Some might think it austere and perhaps on the lean side. Plenty of fruit but not a fruity wine by any means. The blackberry fruit coats the mouth, along with a good amount of tannin and a noted acidity. Delicious drinking now and will hold for 4-5 years with ease. If you like Cabernets on the leaner side this is a good choice for you. This is certainly not a 2001 power Cabernet and while I enjoyed the wine immensely I think in a blind tasting I might not recognize this as a Californian. I can see why some might not like this style of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 87 Points
A little pricey for the quality I thought. It sells for about $30. Some spice notes mixed among a dark fruity core. Moderate tannins. Good finish. 87 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2005 - tanglenet wrote:
Good fruit on the nose, valentine red (not saturated), slight smell of alcohol (14.5%), tight tannins, but disjointed and hot finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2005 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Heritage: Rich, dark frty nose; good ample t’s, Velvety mth, hint of vanilla; fairly big bod.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2004 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Heritage: Rich berry, frt-forward nose; dark rasp, blkberry with some rich earthiness; nice med.+ bod, good a’s, med. fin. Not bad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Quick Day Trip to Napa (Napa Valley CA): Tasting at winery. From part of the former George de Latour vineyard with 15% Merlot added. Plum, anise and kirsch aromas. Soft start on palate, picking up weight from middle to finish. Very good structure, better in another couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment