Now that was a luxury Monday. Opened it up asking with few neighbors and we enjoyed it from pnp and decanting. Excellent floral on the nose. Lovely peppery notes. Medium plus finish. Exactly the way I expected this one to develop, with mote secondary notes compared to my last tasting. A true dark purple pleasure in a glass. Five years after my last tasting of this one, it's a classic aging emh black cat. A purrrrrrfect bottle. 94+
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EMH Black Cat Vertical (North Square): Gorgeous nose with intense, sweet blackberry fruit, lots of mint, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Very tannic, at first a bit dry in the middle before fleshing out some with air, a really nice mineral, gravelly edge, long mint chocolate finish. Excellent. My WOTF.
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EMH Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical, 2003-2011: First thing- very interesting nose, feels the fresh and pepper(ish) background. More of the chocolate and a bit less of the rose/berries on the palate. Nice oak on the background. For me, it was a very nice long finish (medium long finish). Can be easily drank for five or six more years. maybe more in proper storage. But, why wait?
My WOTF, three votes for WOTF. (flight postscript to follow). 93 at tasting in the flight. 93-4 later in the evening.
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OMFG this wine is gooooood. Thanks much to Merrill for making this juice in the first place and for giving me access to the second bottle of 2003. Tonight we drank it for Scott's Birthday with some other pretty amazing stuff. The Schrader blew me away but the cat holds its own (at 1/3 the price). Should have given it a few more years but since we select from each others cellars on B-day night I had no choice. It was excellent even young. I will hold my 05's until at least 2010.
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This was the first of 7 we opened at our Thursday Night Wine Geek's dinner. We consumed far too much for me to give specific tasting notes but all 6 of us in attendance thought this was the WOTN narrowly beating out an '01 Arrowood Cabernet Special Reserve. Even at it's young age it has great balance, fine tannins and a long sweet finish. I wish I had more.
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9/2/2022 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, I think. Sweetish black fruit, chocolate, gravel. Tannins mostly resolved, good acid. Delicious.
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2/15/2021 - EMichels wrote: 89 Points
This seemed too old; More of the heaviness that I found in previous bottles but without the freshness; Will be drinking my last bottle soon
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2/13/2021 - fred o. wrote:
Significant sediment.
Opaque violet.
Nose blackberry, hint of nail polish. Some hints of herbs and forest.
Palate slightly raisiny black fruit. Some oaky richness.
seems either overripe or over the hill -- either way, not the most promising at this stage. 88 pts
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9/23/2019 - odds Likes this wine: 94 Points
Now that was a luxury Monday. Opened it up asking with few neighbors and we enjoyed it from pnp and decanting. Excellent floral on the nose. Lovely peppery notes. Medium plus finish. Exactly the way I expected this one to develop, with mote secondary notes compared to my last tasting. A true dark purple pleasure in a glass. Five years after my last tasting of this one, it's a classic aging emh black cat. A purrrrrrfect bottle.
94+
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5/2/2015 - EMTAME wrote: flawed
Dried out, crumbly cork. Oxidized wine. Too bad, as I was really looking forward to this bottle. Purchased from Benchmark, not direct from EMH.
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7/12/2014 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
EMH Black Cat Vertical (North Square): Gorgeous nose with intense, sweet blackberry fruit, lots of mint, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Very tannic, at first a bit dry in the middle before fleshing out some with air, a really nice mineral, gravelly edge, long mint chocolate finish. Excellent. My WOTF.
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7/12/2014 - odds Likes this wine: 93 Points
EMH Black Cat Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical, 2003-2011: First thing- very interesting nose, feels the fresh and pepper(ish) background. More of the chocolate and a bit less of the rose/berries on the palate. Nice oak on the background. For me, it was a very nice long finish (medium long finish). Can be easily drank for five or six more years. maybe more in proper storage. But, why wait?
My WOTF, three votes for WOTF. (flight postscript to follow). 93 at tasting in the flight. 93-4 later in the evening.
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11/10/2010 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Nice expressive nose; Balance; More delicate than '01
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3/7/2010 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
A heavy wine next to the 01 but on its own it really shines; Nose is subdued; More straightforward than 01; Develops significantly in the glass
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5/8/2008 - gr8r84u wrote: 95 Points
OMFG this wine is gooooood. Thanks much to Merrill for making this juice in the first place and for giving me access to the second bottle of 2003. Tonight we drank it for Scott's Birthday with some other pretty amazing stuff. The Schrader blew me away but the cat holds its own (at 1/3 the price). Should have given it a few more years but since we select from each others cellars on B-day night I had no choice. It was excellent even young. I will hold my 05's until at least 2010.
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1/19/2007 - gr8r84u wrote: 95 Points
This was the first of 7 we opened at our Thursday Night Wine Geek's dinner. We consumed far too much for me to give specific tasting notes but all 6 of us in attendance thought this was the WOTN narrowly beating out an '01 Arrowood Cabernet Special Reserve. Even at it's young age it has great balance, fine tannins and a long sweet finish. I wish I had more.
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