Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Double decanted for a good hour and a half. Some decanting advisable at this age. Quite the restrained wine and at time had a dry feel but also quite aromatic and will very well assimilated oak. Felt like they did not get the ripeness right , touch under ripe especially for a Napa Cab , savory at times too. Nose is good with nice dark fruit notes but all and all ( we don’t thing is the age) the wine felt like it was missing something. 91-92
I’m quite happy with how the ‘11 showed this time around - I last had it in 2022. This bottle seemed even fresher than the bottle I had two years ago, and more red in fruit tone. While it’s hard for me to ever see this being a blockbuster wine, it is a very unique Napa cab with a lot going for it. It has a level of finesse and a fruit profile more like a Pinot Noir than a Cabernet. It remains somewhat clenched and my hope is it improves from here, but it’s hard to predict as I’ve never tasted a Napa wine like this.
On the nose, I found dark red raspberry fruit, red floral tones, blood orange, fresh mint, and a touch of spice. On day two, a touch of bell pepper began to emerge, but right now, the tropical and dark red raspberry fruit tones are front and center with the nose being quite primary for a 13 year old Cab. On the palate, the ‘11 is light in body but has a bit of textural creaminess, an impressive texture with no perception of tannin. Red raspberry fruit, red florals, spice and mint flow across the palate, but the wine remains a bit tight and isn’t overly giving. At this point, it’s hard to say if that’s because it needs more time or if there isn’t enough concentration, and I find it hard to predict if this is going to go up or down from here. The wine exudes freshness, with high acidity and the flavor profile remaining very primary. Red raspberry fruit and red floral notes linger on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely nose / real Bordeaux US mix Not a rich, silky extravagant US cab but also no green pepper French number. Has grippy tannins, a lean profile with good acidic line. Slightly spikey in some ways but lively and enjoyable - good fruit still I wonder how it will age as could soften up a little certainly which may improve enjoyment. Years ahead of it 12.8% ABV
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my kind of Cabernet. Classic profile of loads of dark fruit, leather, cassis, pencil shavings, maybe some chocolate. Wine has great acidity, and the tannins, while still very present, are not aggressive. The more air the better for this wine, so be patient with it.
On night one, there was a herbacious/green pepper thing going on that wasn't my favorite. Was gone by the second night.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
$100 wine event (Liz's House): I don't think this was decanted. This was hardly recognizable as cabernet. Quite light and also good nuance with underbrush, bell pepper, black pepper, graphite and a touch of oak. This wine leans towards old world, but I think it suffers due to the vintage and I'd like to try one from a better year. The drinking window on CT is humorous, based on this bottle, it is past peak.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
$100 Plus Tasting Year 2 (Minneapolis, MN): This was not good overall and super overpriced in my opinion. 2011 is a vintage to avoid. Tasted like a cheaper Aussie Cab with Eucalyptus overload. Green peppers, lacks fruit and the nose is the only redeeming quality. Pass.
Litt trang nese med blåbær, moreller, rips, anis, aske og noe mint og rødbær bak. Elegant, syrlig munn med blåbær, aske, nesten blyantspiss. Litt hul. Lang ettersmak med treflis, tobakk. 91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Roast beef with trimmings Sunday dinner for family and friend from across the pond. 4 bottles (identical profiles) decanted into two magnum decanters for a couple of hours. The 14 months since my first note has seen this wine come out of its shell. Lots of dark fruits, esp plum and blackberry - all à point. Hint of green pepper. Maquis herb nuances. Fine, focussed tannins and integrated core acidity. A medium bodied racey style more Bordeaux than California. We drank the balance 24hrs later and it had if anything improved as it mellowed! Fans of St Estèphe would like this one! Excellent now but suspect time is on its side and should be good for 20yrs at least from vintage with potential further points enhancement. 92+?+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wild berries, sour cherry, pipe tobacco and pencil lead on the nose, with tastes of cherry, chocolate, earthy notes, pencil lead, and oak. Some acid, polished tannins, not a lot of fruit, somewhat watery. A long, lingering finish. Not classic Napa, more old world style, medium bodied, elegant, lean and dry. A little disappointing. I wonder if this is past it’s peak?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted and showing minimal to moderate sediment. The nose presents with a kaleidoscope of aromas that encompass notes of dark berries, black plum, cassis, mountain sage, rubbed herbs, freshly turned loam, dark chocolate, spice, pencil shavings, old books and a cash stuffed leather billfold with a faint trace camphor. The palate (for me) seems more of a middle weight that does show some good extraction but lacking the power suggested by Galloni. Tannins are fully resolved and polished. Acidity is bright and lively. Palate weight is moderate but with good fruit concentration. Flavors of smashed wild blackberry, black plum and cassis that come in tow with notes of herbs, bramble, menthol, violets, spice, No.2 pencil and notes of chocolate and earth. The finish lingers with all elements in harmony.
A beautiful wine that resembles a left bank Bordeaux in a moderate temperature vintage. Leaning towards the old school Napa style. The last vintage made by Bob Travers.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about two hours before consuming, although I took a quick sip upon opening. Perfect cork. Consumed in Gabriel Glas stems. The nose, after decanted, was red fruit and a bit of leather. The wine was medium-to-light bodied and was somewhat dilute. My wife said, "This tastes kind of watery." The red cherry and underripe plum fruit was way in the background, and greener notes were to the fore. There was definitely acidity and some evident tannin, but not too much of either. We only drank one glass each because, quite frankly, we didn't enjoy it that much.
A glass on day two was better with the fruit turning slightly darker and coming out a bit more. Still not that enjoyable.
Like many, I was intrigued by the VM 100 on this wine in AG's retrospective. To me and for my palate, this was far from that. I didn't open this wine to try and prove a point against AG but, rather, was really excited to see what it was like. I was disappointed.
There are "old school Napa" producers, but this wasn't that. To me, it tasted like an underripe wine in a bad vintage. If this is what Mayacamas wines are like, I'll take other old school producers like Dunn and Forman all day long. This just flat-out was too rustic and didn't have much in the way of enjoyable fruit.
This bottle just wasn't working for me on night #1 or the next night. I really wanted to give it time to develop but there were odd characteristics that I could not identify. Purchased directly from Mayacamas. I'll rate it after my next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Definitely not the prototypical Napa Cab but also leaner than other Mayacamas years. Really enjoyed this for it’s precision but don’t know if it has a long life ahead of it. Interesting that we thought it could have passed for an excellent Chinon given the somewhat green/vegetal qualities and light tannins. Would drink now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wine that is finally ready. It starting to turn, as the fruit is not leaving. Some leather, little fruit, mellow, balance wine. I would definitely drink this today. Cheers
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Like others, I decided to give this a try after the surprising 100 point rating from Galloni. I had hoped that my affinity for Old World styles and mountain cab wines from California would help me experience the same magic he did. No magic, though I think this is a good wine and fairly priced in a lean, elegant, atypical (for Napa) style. Well integrated tannins and full palate complexity. Chance it further improves, on which I'm betting with my other five bottles.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ladies and gentlemen...it's ready. 2011 was suppose to be a rough year, but this mountain wine needed time in the bottle, and is drinking beautifully. Cheers
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cassis, red fruits and some bell pepper on the nose. On the palate, very nice texture and a decent finish. It's not the 100 pt wine as rated by Vinous, but still very nice and one of the better wines from that vintage.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured and drank out of plastic cups lol. Deep, pale red, with high toned Cabernet aromatics. Earthy bay leaf, leather, forest floor. Flavors are complex and layered, bright berry and chalky minerality. Not surprisingly reminds me of the recent Promontory wines made in neutral casks. It has a concentration and richness that isn't driven by oak or overripe-ness. It's like a sweet, simmering, dried cranberry sauce! Introspective, thought provoking and tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with prior tasting notes. Lean to mid weight and has those green herbaceous notes. Short finish. More interesting on the nose. I’m a fan of Galloni but can’t see why he rated this 100 points. I bought 3 bottles have 2 more. Even at $140/bottle not worth the money. Truly disappointed
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An interesting, enjoyable wine. Rather lean for Napa, with a medium dark color, nose showing cherry and resin, herbs. A midweight Cabernet with good acidity and a solid tannic structure, the Mayacamus is notable for its balance and sense of site. I like it very much, but at the same time felt that it gives some sense of Napa trying to be Bordeaux, and is a touch less ripe and less flavorful than my preferred style of Napa mountain red.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Subtle, understated wine; would not have guessed it as CA (and perhaps not even as a straight-ahead cab) if tasted blind. Agree with others re green herbs, light front palate -- fascinated by Galloni perfect score and description as I strained to find it knowing the details and really could not. Will let the remaining 3 sit for a while and see what comes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Totally agree on everyone getting the green notes here. Fresh green herbs, green bell pepper, forest floor (almost like you get on red Burgundy). Sour blackcurrants, cedar wood, lavender. Tobacco; but more like cigarette ash than a cigar box.This is a stemmy, fruit backward wine that is very much to my palate. Medium body, medium + tannins that show no signs of softening. Age 10+ years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '11 is a very interesting, and promising, young Cabernet. I'm not sure if it will evolve into a good, highly elegant wine or develop complexity and turn into an epic one, but either way, it should be interesting to follow as it is very early on in its lifecycle, and so different than almost any Napa Cab made today, even recent vintages I've tasted at Mayacamas.
Upon opening, the wine threw off some green notes that dissipated with air and on day 2. On the nose, I found liqueur-like blackberry and dark red berry fruits alongside a touch of blood orange, fresh lavender and mint, licorice, a touch of mocha, and minerality. On the palate, the wine is intense, but in Mayacamas fashion, hitting you with a burst of mouth-puckering acidity. The wine is very much mid to light weight by Napa Cab standards, but has a dense, almost creamy texture to it, a bit like the '16 (but the '11 is definitely a lighter wine). I found a blackberry and blood orange fruit, licorice, tobacco, some wood spices, and lavender, with the high acidity hitting you on the front end, fading a bit towards the back where you are hit with fine-grained, but still potent tannins, as black fruit and anise notes linger. On the palate, the thing that stands out most at this point is the very high level of acidity and the medium to light weight, yet dense and almost creamy, texture of the wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Their 11 Cabernet falls into the critics profile. The first thing I notice on the nose and palate is a green vegetal character, which means they had issues with ripening.
The nose only slight more expressive than the 11 & 12 they poured. Dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, some strawberries, green vegetal notes, dark chocolate, mixed berry cola, sandalwood, light tobacco, clay, dry river stone, mocha, vanillin, very light spice, light forest floor and withering; dark, red, blue and purple flowers.
Dry medium plus fine tannins Dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, green vegetal notes, dark chocolate, lighter color mixed berry cola, sandalwood, light tobacco, clay, dry river stone, mocha, vanillin, very light spice, light forest floor and withering; dark, red, blue and purple flowers. There 11, 12 Cabernets are simply not showing anything dynamic. This finish is just ok. Starts juicy fruit onto dry earth and fine tannins and leaves you saying where is the polish and length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose has herbal/garrigue and green pepper notes - very atypical napa cab. Lean, medium body. Fruit is more red than black. Grippy tannins and bright, lingering finish. Interesting but not worth the price in my opinion (C$215 in Ontario).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted an hour. Very young wine still. Not opening up on the 👃 , muted but balanced notes of ripe raspberries , strawberries , leather, nectarines, graphite. Long legs. Very dry, strong frontal tannins, high acidity, medium to full body. Throat burning ripe raspberries finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner with Friends (Maple & Ash, Chicago): Aromas of black currant, bell pepper, herb, green tobacco and black fruit. Full-bodied with fine tannins and abundant black fruit on the palate. Lingering finish. Still young, but drinking nicely if you don't mind the youthfulness. I might hold this a few years yet- 2025+.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Incredible bottle of wine. Still has more Years to come. I will say it is drinking really nice today. If I had another bottle , I would drink within the year for sure. Cheers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely lovely drinking right now, though clearly has many years ahead with potential to get even better. This is classic, old school Cab. Low alcohol, a hint of that eucalyptus that we used to love in 1980s Phelps wines. Sweet and soft, and so easy to drink and enjoy, and none of the insane heaviness found in some modern styled Cabs.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Needs more time in my view to allow all the elements to blossom, integrate and come into balance with its currently notable acidity. Hold till 2023. Potential 91+?+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby turning garnet colour. Aromatic nose of black currants, dried berry, tobacco leaf, vanilla toast, leather and earth. Palate is dry, firm, medium-full bodied, with moderate tannins and a distinct focused acidity; Very long finish of savoury olives, new leather and sweet spice. 4.5/5 A classic expression of Cabernet more in line with European expectations than contemporary Californian.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Released in 2021. Cool vintage. Deep ruby. Ready to go with a 30 minute decant, but continued to open up in the glass. Nose shows beautiful purity of sweet black fruit, baking spices, charcoal. Hint of forest floor. High acidity, integrated sweet tannins, and beautiful complexity/length. 12% ABV. Decidedly more Bordelais in style and has tons of time left. Outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby color, almost purple. Primary nose with intense cassis and some cherries. Tobacco notes throughout. Good acidity, very primary with lots of cassis, some plums - intense but not jammy in the least - not many secondary notes yet except some oak on the medium+ ending with chalky tannins. Less complex than I would have expected - this is still in its infancy and I can see it improve quite a bit in 2-3 years. 91 now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Solid but with strong pyrazines from the Cab Franc. Little bit of the Cab Sauv cranberry peeks out but the earthy notes are strong. If you like Cab Franc I think you will like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/8/2024 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Kendrick’s Wine Club (67 Pall Mall, London): Double decanted for a good hour and a half. Some decanting advisable at this age. Quite the restrained wine and at time had a dry feel but also quite aromatic and will very well assimilated oak. Felt like they did not get the ripeness right , touch under ripe especially for a Napa Cab , savory at times too. Nose is good with nice dark fruit notes but all and all ( we don’t thing is the age) the wine felt like it was missing something. 91-92
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/4/2024 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I’m quite happy with how the ‘11 showed this time around - I last had it in 2022. This bottle seemed even fresher than the bottle I had two years ago, and more red in fruit tone. While it’s hard for me to ever see this being a blockbuster wine, it is a very unique Napa cab with a lot going for it. It has a level of finesse and a fruit profile more like a Pinot Noir than a Cabernet. It remains somewhat clenched and my hope is it improves from here, but it’s hard to predict as I’ve never tasted a Napa wine like this.
On the nose, I found dark red raspberry fruit, red floral tones, blood orange, fresh mint, and a touch of spice. On day two, a touch of bell pepper began to emerge, but right now, the tropical and dark red raspberry fruit tones are front and center with the nose being quite primary for a 13 year old Cab. On the palate, the ‘11 is light in body but has a bit of textural creaminess, an impressive texture with no perception of tannin. Red raspberry fruit, red florals, spice and mint flow across the palate, but the wine remains a bit tight and isn’t overly giving. At this point, it’s hard to say if that’s because it needs more time or if there isn’t enough concentration, and I find it hard to predict if this is going to go up or down from here. The wine exudes freshness, with high acidity and the flavor profile remaining very primary. Red raspberry fruit and red floral notes linger on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2024 - Harfouch wrote: 89 Points
Lacking in depth. Kind of Wimpy. Not worth the price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2024 - Kozakofthewest Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite clear and lovely a pleasure .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2023 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was a pleasure to drink. Medium fruits with mostly resolved tannins. Good from the start. Enjoyed over a few hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2023 - Mbad77 wrote: 94 Points
Lovely nose / real Bordeaux US mix
Not a rich, silky extravagant US cab but also no green pepper French number.
Has grippy tannins, a lean profile with good acidic line. Slightly spikey in some ways but lively and enjoyable - good fruit still
I wonder how it will age as could soften up a little certainly which may improve enjoyment.
Years ahead of it
12.8% ABV
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2023 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
As per my February note.
Drinking well now but with time on its side to quite possibly gain another point or two. Till 2031 at least. 92+?+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2023 - Pearcebarr Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is my kind of Cabernet. Classic profile of loads of dark fruit, leather, cassis, pencil shavings, maybe some chocolate. Wine has great acidity, and the tannins, while still very present, are not aggressive. The more air the better for this wine, so be patient with it.
On night one, there was a herbacious/green pepper thing going on that wasn't my favorite. Was gone by the second night.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2023 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
$100 wine event (Liz's House): I don't think this was decanted. This was hardly recognizable as cabernet. Quite light and also good nuance with underbrush, bell pepper, black pepper, graphite and a touch of oak. This wine leans towards old world, but I think it suffers due to the vintage and I'd like to try one from a better year. The drinking window on CT is humorous, based on this bottle, it is past peak.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2023 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 85 Points
$100 Plus Tasting Year 2 (Minneapolis, MN): This was not good overall and super overpriced in my opinion. 2011 is a vintage to avoid. Tasted like a cheaper Aussie Cab with Eucalyptus overload. Green peppers, lacks fruit and the nose is the only redeeming quality. Pass.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
3/18/2023 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 91 Points
Litt trang nese med blåbær, moreller, rips, anis, aske og noe mint og rødbær bak. Elegant, syrlig munn med blåbær, aske, nesten blyantspiss. Litt hul. Lang ettersmak med treflis, tobakk. 91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2023 - Fml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth no aftertaste
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2023 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Roast beef with trimmings Sunday dinner for family and friend from across the pond. 4 bottles (identical profiles) decanted into two magnum decanters for a couple of hours.
The 14 months since my first note has seen this wine come out of its shell. Lots of dark fruits, esp plum and blackberry - all à point. Hint of green pepper. Maquis herb nuances. Fine, focussed tannins and integrated core acidity. A medium bodied racey style more Bordeaux than California. We drank the balance 24hrs later and it had if anything improved as it mellowed! Fans of St Estèphe would like this one!
Excellent now but suspect time is on its side and should be good for 20yrs at least from vintage with potential further points enhancement. 92+?+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2023 - cjoetucker@aol.com wrote: 91 Points
Wild berries, sour cherry, pipe tobacco and pencil lead on the nose, with tastes of cherry, chocolate, earthy notes, pencil lead, and oak. Some acid, polished tannins, not a lot of fruit, somewhat watery. A long, lingering finish. Not classic Napa, more old world style, medium bodied, elegant, lean and dry. A little disappointing. I wonder if this is past it’s peak?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2022 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and showing minimal to moderate sediment.
The nose presents with a kaleidoscope of aromas that encompass notes of dark berries, black plum, cassis, mountain sage, rubbed herbs, freshly turned loam, dark chocolate, spice, pencil shavings, old books and a cash stuffed leather billfold with a faint trace camphor.
The palate (for me) seems more of a middle weight that does show some good extraction but lacking the power suggested by Galloni. Tannins are fully resolved and polished. Acidity is bright and lively. Palate weight is moderate but with good fruit concentration. Flavors of smashed wild blackberry, black plum and cassis that come in tow with notes of herbs, bramble, menthol, violets, spice, No.2 pencil and notes of chocolate and earth. The finish lingers with all elements in harmony.
A beautiful wine that resembles a left bank Bordeaux in a moderate temperature vintage. Leaning towards the old school Napa style. The last vintage made by Bob Travers.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2022 - BRR wrote:
Decanted for about two hours before consuming, although I took a quick sip upon opening. Perfect cork. Consumed in Gabriel Glas stems. The nose, after decanted, was red fruit and a bit of leather. The wine was medium-to-light bodied and was somewhat dilute. My wife said, "This tastes kind of watery." The red cherry and underripe plum fruit was way in the background, and greener notes were to the fore. There was definitely acidity and some evident tannin, but not too much of either. We only drank one glass each because, quite frankly, we didn't enjoy it that much.
A glass on day two was better with the fruit turning slightly darker and coming out a bit more. Still not that enjoyable.
Like many, I was intrigued by the VM 100 on this wine in AG's retrospective. To me and for my palate, this was far from that. I didn't open this wine to try and prove a point against AG but, rather, was really excited to see what it was like. I was disappointed.
There are "old school Napa" producers, but this wasn't that. To me, it tasted like an underripe wine in a bad vintage. If this is what Mayacamas wines are like, I'll take other old school producers like Dunn and Forman all day long. This just flat-out was too rustic and didn't have much in the way of enjoyable fruit.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
12/12/2022 - KTelaak_Buffalo Does not like this wine:
This bottle just wasn't working for me on night #1 or the next night. I really wanted to give it time to develop but there were odd characteristics that I could not identify. Purchased directly from Mayacamas. I'll rate it after my next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2022 - J B McDonald Does not like this wine:
Surprisingly disappointed. Red fruits, pepper, a little cola on the nose. Remained very tannic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2022 - West Coast Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Definitely not the prototypical Napa Cab but also leaner than other Mayacamas years. Really enjoyed this for it’s precision but don’t know if it has a long life ahead of it. Interesting that we thought it could have passed for an excellent Chinon given the somewhat green/vegetal qualities and light tannins. Would drink now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2022 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
A wine that is finally ready. It starting to turn, as the fruit is not leaving. Some leather, little fruit, mellow, balance wine. I would definitely drink this today. Cheers
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Like others, I decided to give this a try after the surprising 100 point rating from Galloni. I had hoped that my affinity for Old World styles and mountain cab wines from California would help me experience the same magic he did. No magic, though I think this is a good wine and fairly priced in a lean, elegant, atypical (for Napa) style. Well integrated tannins and full palate complexity. Chance it further improves, on which I'm betting with my other five bottles.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2022 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ladies and gentlemen...it's ready. 2011 was suppose to be a rough year, but this mountain wine needed time in the bottle, and is drinking beautifully. Cheers
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2022 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Cassis, red fruits and some bell pepper on the nose. On the palate, very nice texture and a decent finish. It's not the 100 pt wine as rated by Vinous, but still very nice and one of the better wines from that vintage.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2022 - P.A. Cross wrote:
Popped and poured and drank out of plastic cups lol. Deep, pale red, with high toned Cabernet aromatics. Earthy bay leaf, leather, forest floor. Flavors are complex and layered, bright berry and chalky minerality. Not surprisingly reminds me of the recent Promontory wines made in neutral casks. It has a concentration and richness that isn't driven by oak or overripe-ness. It's like a sweet, simmering, dried cranberry sauce! Introspective, thought provoking and tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2022 - gocatsnyc wrote: 91 Points
Agree with prior tasting notes. Lean to mid weight and has those green herbaceous notes. Short finish. More interesting on the nose. I’m a fan of Galloni but can’t see why he rated this 100 points. I bought 3 bottles have 2 more. Even at $140/bottle not worth the money. Truly disappointed
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2022 - KPB Likes this wine: 91 Points
An interesting, enjoyable wine. Rather lean for Napa, with a medium dark color, nose showing cherry and resin, herbs. A midweight Cabernet with good acidity and a solid tannic structure, the Mayacamus is notable for its balance and sense of site. I like it very much, but at the same time felt that it gives some sense of Napa trying to be Bordeaux, and is a touch less ripe and less flavorful than my preferred style of Napa mountain red.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2022 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Subtle, understated wine; would not have guessed it as CA (and perhaps not even as a straight-ahead cab) if tasted blind. Agree with others re green herbs, light front palate -- fascinated by Galloni perfect score and description as I strained to find it knowing the details and really could not. Will let the remaining 3 sit for a while and see what comes.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2022 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Totally agree on everyone getting the green notes here. Fresh green herbs, green bell pepper, forest floor (almost like you get on red Burgundy). Sour blackcurrants, cedar wood, lavender. Tobacco; but more like cigarette ash than a cigar box.This is a stemmy, fruit backward wine that is very much to my palate. Medium body, medium + tannins that show no signs of softening. Age 10+ years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2022 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The '11 is a very interesting, and promising, young Cabernet. I'm not sure if it will evolve into a good, highly elegant wine or develop complexity and turn into an epic one, but either way, it should be interesting to follow as it is very early on in its lifecycle, and so different than almost any Napa Cab made today, even recent vintages I've tasted at Mayacamas.
Upon opening, the wine threw off some green notes that dissipated with air and on day 2. On the nose, I found liqueur-like blackberry and dark red berry fruits alongside a touch of blood orange, fresh lavender and mint, licorice, a touch of mocha, and minerality. On the palate, the wine is intense, but in Mayacamas fashion, hitting you with a burst of mouth-puckering acidity. The wine is very much mid to light weight by Napa Cab standards, but has a dense, almost creamy texture to it, a bit like the '16 (but the '11 is definitely a lighter wine). I found a blackberry and blood orange fruit, licorice, tobacco, some wood spices, and lavender, with the high acidity hitting you on the front end, fading a bit towards the back where you are hit with fine-grained, but still potent tannins, as black fruit and anise notes linger. On the palate, the thing that stands out most at this point is the very high level of acidity and the medium to light weight, yet dense and almost creamy, texture of the wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2022 - Somm David T wrote: 89 Points
Their 11 Cabernet falls into the critics profile. The first thing I notice on the nose and palate is a green vegetal character, which means they had issues with ripening.
The nose only slight more expressive than the 11 & 12 they poured. Dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, some strawberries, green vegetal notes, dark chocolate, mixed berry cola, sandalwood, light tobacco, clay, dry river stone, mocha, vanillin, very light spice, light forest floor and withering; dark, red, blue and purple flowers.
Dry medium plus fine tannins Dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, green vegetal notes, dark chocolate, lighter color mixed berry cola, sandalwood, light tobacco, clay, dry river stone, mocha, vanillin, very light spice, light forest floor and withering; dark, red, blue and purple flowers. There 11, 12 Cabernets are simply not showing anything dynamic. This finish is just ok. Starts juicy fruit onto dry earth and fine tannins and leaves you saying where is the polish and length.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/12/2022 - acc_123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose has herbal/garrigue and green pepper notes - very atypical napa cab. Lean, medium body. Fruit is more red than black. Grippy tannins and bright, lingering finish. Interesting but not worth the price in my opinion (C$215 in Ontario).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2022 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted an hour. Very young wine still. Not opening up on the 👃 , muted but balanced notes of ripe raspberries , strawberries , leather, nectarines, graphite. Long legs. Very dry, strong frontal tannins, high acidity, medium to full body. Throat burning ripe raspberries finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2021 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with Friends (Maple & Ash, Chicago): Aromas of black currant, bell pepper, herb, green tobacco and black fruit. Full-bodied with fine tannins and abundant black fruit on the palate. Lingering finish. Still young, but drinking nicely if you don't mind the youthfulness. I might hold this a few years yet- 2025+.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2021 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredible bottle of wine. Still has more Years to come. I will say it is drinking really nice today. If I had another bottle , I would drink within the year for sure. Cheers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2021 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely lovely drinking right now, though clearly has many years ahead with potential to get even better. This is classic, old school Cab. Low alcohol, a hint of that eucalyptus that we used to love in 1980s Phelps wines. Sweet and soft, and so easy to drink and enjoy, and none of the insane heaviness found in some modern styled Cabs.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2021 - NickBurwood Likes this wine:
Needs more time in my view to allow all the elements to blossom, integrate and come into balance with its currently notable acidity.
Hold till 2023. Potential 91+?+
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2021 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby turning garnet colour. Aromatic nose of black currants, dried berry, tobacco leaf, vanilla toast, leather and earth. Palate is dry, firm, medium-full bodied, with moderate tannins and a distinct focused acidity; Very long finish of savoury olives, new leather and sweet spice.
4.5/5
A classic expression of Cabernet more in line with European expectations than contemporary Californian.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2021 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 88 Points
Smoke, tar and prunes on the nose. Palate seems unrefined and a bit out of balance. Not for me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2021 - streethawk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Released in 2021. Cool vintage. Deep ruby. Ready to go with a 30 minute decant, but continued to open up in the glass. Nose shows beautiful purity of sweet black fruit, baking spices, charcoal. Hint of forest floor. High acidity, integrated sweet tannins, and beautiful complexity/length. 12% ABV. Decidedly more Bordelais in style and has tons of time left. Outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2021 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1hr. Dark red, long legs, sweet cherries fruit forward, light cigar, peppercorn , leather. Medium body, highly acidic , dry, nectarines & cherry taste, high tannins. Suggest opening later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2021 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep ruby color, almost purple. Primary nose with intense cassis and some cherries. Tobacco notes throughout. Good acidity, very primary with lots of cassis, some plums - intense but not jammy in the least - not many secondary notes yet except some oak on the medium+ ending with chalky tannins. Less complex than I would have expected - this is still in its infancy and I can see it improve quite a bit in 2-3 years. 91 now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2021 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit. Tobacco on the nose. Nice balanced wine Earthy tones. Cherry skins all over this guy.
This wine is supposedly still going strong. I would still drink now to the next 3 years. It’s drinking well now. Cheers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2021 - WineTimeFineTime wrote: 89 Points
Solid but with strong pyrazines from the Cab Franc. Little bit of the Cab Sauv cranberry peeks out but the earthy notes are strong. If you like Cab Franc I think you will like this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 93 Points
12% ABV, minimal decanting at restaurant. Phenomenal classic old world style cab, amazing.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (17)