This guy was kicking off the sediment. No issue as it stuck to the side of the bottle. Slight bricking which is to be expected. Ripe dark plum nose. Fruit forward. Palate was smooth and dark ripe plum pushing the prune envelope. Fine tannins and cassis surrounding the oak and cocoa notes. The dry leather influence adds to the "age". Not the best qpr but enjoyable. In the 89-90 range for point hunters.
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Maybe 93 plus or 94. Drinking great right now and certainly not tired at all. Probably a handful more good years in this wine. Tannins were well integrated and the overall structure was great. Went awesome with Prime Rib-eyes and good friends last Saturday night.
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Rich, rich nose -- scents of blackberry/boysenberry pie, with notes of chocolate, lavendar, and new leather. Still big and fruit forward on the palate -- fruit shades more to the red fruit side of the spectrum (cassis, even cranberry), with notes of chocolate covered cherries. Tannins still in evidence, long finish. Nice.
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Dark garnet red, barely translucent with a fair amount of sediment. Strong black fruit, cassis, and spice on the nose. Powerful black fruit on the palate, rich and full bodied, with a great balance of acidity and sweetness. Tremendous depth of flavor and a long balanced finish. This was a 375ml bottle of the 2003, probably cellared fairly well, and it was right at its peak... so I'm guessing a 750ml will be entering its peak about now and should go for another 5-7 year. So drink 2013-2020.
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What a wonderful, well structured wine for its age. It held up well being open and decanted over a few hours. Smooth long finish on the palate. Perfect for our dinner!
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right out of the bottle this wine showed dried red fruits surrounded by a core of tobacco and mushroom, after fifteen minutes the tannins soften and reveal fig newton, and cherry and cranberry. After an hour or so, the wine opened up, tannins softened and revealed rich bowl of berries and nice balance and smooth finish. Then, after three hours, the wine peaked and started to decline showing vegetal notes. Impressive for a Paso blend of Cab; was hoping that the quality and reputation of the vineyard and producer would've
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I don't care what they say, this is good wine. It is probably maxed out right now so if you have any, drink it. But it was quite enjoyable with a BBQ rib eye.
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Tasted as part of a six year vertical 2001 to 2006 with a group of 12 for dinner. We sought the advice of the wine maker from Justin on the rotation for dinner. He suggested 2002 and 2003 for appetizers (sushi, chicken skewers, artichoke dip), 2004 for salad, the 2005 and 2006 for dinner (beef burgundy, green beans, brown rice medley), follow up with the 2001 for dessert with cheesecake and chocolate.
Here's how we ranked the wines. The clear winners and rankings were the 2006, 2002, 2004, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Each of the wines was opened for 3 1/2 hours prior to dinner. The 2003 is very hard to compare when matched against the 2002 side by side. It's a great stand alone wine but outclassed by the 2002. These are incredible wines, very consistent year to year. Justin should be proud of his accomplishments in these wines.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/6/2012 (Carlsbad, California): Gorgeous bouquet of cherry pie, unsweetened chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and bourbon. Rich, seamless, full-bodied, wonderful balance between fruit and oak. Voted FIRST PLACE tonight, and seems destined for greater heights over the next five years with proper storage. 91% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cab franc, 3% merlot.
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Really nice wine at this time. Supple tannins and still plenty of currant and red fruit on the palate. Beautiful nose belying the red fruits underneath with a nice leathery overtone. Was absolutely excellent with steaks. not one of those in your face forward wines at this point but actually an elegant cab. Not sure why others feel it is over the hill. this was the perfect time for this bottle. Perhaps storage differences? i have had bottle in 55 degree cellar since purchase.
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Normally the Justin Isosceles does not disappoint but this one did. It absolutely fell flat on its face. We had a wonderful steak dinner but the wine was sub par. If you've got it, I wouldn't hold on to it....IMHO
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I was underwhelmed with this one, given my experiences with previous vintages, most notably the 2001. Seemed as though it didn't hold up that well - a bit flat, muted fruit, and not much going on. All around, not a bad wine, but I had higher expectations and suspect that I missed its window. Justin has had better vintages. Not sure that I'd hold for much longer. PJP 2012.
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Drinking beautifully on pop 'n pour. Plenty of fruit left, nicely balanced tannins. Probably peaking now, but can probably hold for a couple of more years.
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Well past it's prime. Surprised for a wine that's mostly Cab Sauv. Could definitely taste and feel 15%abv. Very disjointed with some primary fruit left, but no depth of flavor and a very gritty mouthfeel. Waited way too long.
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Opened and decanted for an hour and half. Nice nose of berry, briar fruits and earthy notes. Flavor has touch of fruit initially, but passes very quickly, with little finish as well. Mouthfeel is smooth, but the depth of this wine has just dropped out. This bottle is certainly past it's date....too bad. Still some acidity to it, and even a touch of tannins....but again, no depth.
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Decanted for about an hour and a half. Super smooth, velvety texture. Some fruit, but not overpowering. Slightly high in alcohol, detectable when you let it sit on your palate. Great accompaniment to our roast beef.
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Opened but did not decant an hour before dinner at Carmel Valley's Ruth Chris. Had alongside a 16 year old right bank gran cru. Worlds apart. This new world wine showed no bricking and no evidence of any serious sediment. Big nose and big palate to follow. Dark red and black fruits that were not shy. Still some good structure that made this seem like it still is a bit on the young side. Wish I had another to try in a couple of years.
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Well - I agree with the drinking window. Near the peak - just don't know on which side. Threw a bit of sediment. Darkly colored. Heavy in the glass. With time, settled out nicely.
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Tasted at Society tasting room - should be perfect providence. Nice garnet color with a little peach on the rim. Earth tones on the nose which was very nice considering this was tasted after the 2008 which all I noted were fruit aroma. The taste was also much better than the current release. Spicy pepper, dark pine, stewed cherry and plum all combined to make this a very nice wine. Not a particularly good QPR in my opinion, but it deserves the good rating. I think it has a few years left in it, but probably is not going to improve. I would call 2013 the point where the wine will start to slip noticibly as the fruit fades.
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--- COLOR: Med garnet, with ruby-brick rim NOTE: This is better than the last bottle I had, especially in nose and palate. Nose was full of dried strawberry & dried red currant, crushed leaves, burnt cigar. Mouth was much more opulent and sweet with glycerin than last time. Once again, the age shows in the dried red fruits that predominate the palate, and then everything thins out within about 20 seconds on the finish, turning a bit ash-driven. Nothing great, but it's good to put the last of these old soldiers to bed on a high note.
DECANT: 1 hr GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.0 COST: 48 VALUE: 5.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 09/10 TRY AGAIN: n/a PAIRING: pizza Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Not bad..had it out of a 1/2 bottle. Still going but my suspicion is its losing a bit. Silky texture. Descent nose with some vegetable notes. Seems to show a lot of the Cab Franc which is surprising given its only 6% CF.
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Tasted blind. Black color. Lush nose of black fruits with a metallic tinge. Lush entry of black currant & blackberry with a hint of lead pencil & a lot of sweetness through the finish. Very good.
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Drinking nicely. Good Bordeaux clone on the first night; red fruit and wet stones with a Paso fruity overlay. On th second night the character had faded.
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Pulled this out of my cellar. Still had an excellent taste to it. The tannins on this have mellowed out on this just a little bit but I think it still has a good 4 years left to it if properly stored. Needed a little time to open up but once it had the bottle had that real deep leathery earth tastes to it. With a dark cherry finish. The finish on this bottle had tons of sediment. Really good.
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Dark in the glass, a little strong on the alcohol at first but a deep complex fruit and spice nose. Silky in the mouth with good tannin structure but not overpowering, dark fruit flavor.
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Double decanted prior to drinking. Very pleasant nose of warm dark fruits, some earthiness, and butterscotch. On the palate, the tannins are becoming well integrated and the wine has softened, but there is plenty of fruit (blueberries) and concentrated flavor left. Length of about 30 seconds. Overall I really enjoyed this wine, and was pleasantly surprised at this easy drinker. It was well integrated and had some subtle overtones. I didn't feel it was over-oaked, too high in alcohol or too commercial--unlike my expectations. For a higher score it could use a touch more acidity to balance out the softness. Also I would look for more complexity and development throughout the palate. Drinking very nicely now.
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Second bottle that we have opened in the past 4 months. Both have been lovely, with cassis, stewed plum and hint of earth. This was drinking great out of the bottle, but really came alive after about a half hour.
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Took this bottle to Downey's for their autumn chef's dinner. Absolutely fabulous pairing with the lamb shank. Nice fruit with blackberries all over the palate and wonderful acidity to cut right through the richness of the food. I was worried that I broke into this bottle too early, but it showed very well.
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MY WOTN. Oak is omni-present, but the fruit does come into play from the mid palate on. Up against the 2000 Insignia, which was even heavier in oak, but one of my guests preferred this over the Isosceles. There are no losers when tasting wines like these.
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Really nice. This is the third bottle of '03 I've had and this was so much more 'ready' than the previous two which were drank about two years ago. Benefits of patience..
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Wow, this bottle was so complex. 375ml. Starting to see some beautiful complexity with earthy cedar, forest floor, gobs of fruit and oak influence. Pure acid, pure fruit., length, some bricking at the edges. I 375s imo are at peak, give the 750s another 1-2 years but either way this wine has drank beautifully from day one and aged so gracefully.
It makes me sad modern vintages aren't holding a candle to the older ones for my palate...to ripe, fake and candied. What has changed at justin? I'm loving their value bottlings these days but the top end stuff in vintages 04 and on just isn't doing it for me.
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Fruit forward, and definitely Californian, but somewhat restrained and even elegant. Lovely nose of boysenberry, cigar box, dill, and baking spice. Palate has layers of blackberry and boysenberry, offset by notes of herb, smoke, and tabaco. Good acidity offset still present tannins. Nice.
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Disappointing. Either the bottle was in a bad place in its life, or it was just not good. Not Cali style at all, much more Bordeaux in character only a bit lean. Leather, green pepper, vegital. A bit tannic, but they mellowed as the wine got air. Just never caught its stride.
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no formal notes or score. But I can say this bottle is in a very good place right now. No decant and straight into the glass. Nothing out of the ordinary, a really enjoyable bottle of cab.
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Candied nose of plums and creme de cassis, with cherry jam. This sure does push the ripeness envelope for me, but there is just enough acidity and ripe tannin to avoid being syrupy, although it leans in that direction. The finish comes up a little bit short, showing milk chocolate but not quite nailing it like other vintages I've had of this wine. I would drink sooner rather than later, because once the tannin fades further, this could dive soon.
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Still hitting nicely on all cylinders. A little more oak on the nose than previous bottles, but it also blew off quicker than those same bottles. Vegetal presence is no longer there which is fine by me, but in it’s place was a more sour cherry and floral component. Silky texture has not subsided and finish is still strong.
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This bottle was thinner, more acidic, and less balanced than I remember or should be. Its been stored in a Eurocave since purchase from winery. Disappointing really.
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Roses, spices and cherries on the nose. Flinty black currants and spice. Very enjoyable, but a lot of flavors appear drawn from wood. Will probably still improve with a couple of years more cellaring.
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Really enjoy all the vintages of this wine - 2003 is ready before 2002 and it did not disappoint. Held up well with steak and full flavored meal. great finish and still has strong body
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Probably the 4th or 5th bottle I have had of this vintage and this bottle stood out amongst those.
Beautiful bell pepper again on the nose with the typical oak and vanilla, but even more subtle than the past. Silky texture throughout as this wine is really showing well right now. Alcohol has subsided and the finish is lasting for days. Wish I drank with a meal instead of Halloween candy.
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This vintage of the isosceles is drinking phenomenally well. It is very big with a very smooth finish. Buttery and jammy with a little spice. Very good bottle of wine and won't get much better in the bottle.
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Upon opening there was alot of heat on the finish. This blew off after 45 to 60 minutes in the decanter. Stewed prunes....not my style. Note: this btl was .375L. The 750ml and the 1.5 L ..should be interesting comparisons.
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No decant, but about an hour of air in the glass. Nose shows cocoa, black cherries and quite a bit of oak. Palate follows the nose, with cherries and oak dominating through the midpalate, with firm tannins underpinning a medium/long finish. This has evolved quite a bit over the past seven months since my last try, mostly for the better, with the tannins mellowing out and the fruit more centered. While the oak is prominent, the extraction of the fruit handles it, so it's not objectionable. Solid California cab, although not very complex, not quite outstanding and not a good QPR. 5+12+16+6.
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Outstanding. Although closed and tannic on the initial pour (from just above cellar temperature), the wine blossomed dramatically after 30-45 minutes in the glass. Big aroma, fruit forward, nicely balanced. Notes of cherry, plum, black currant, chocolate. Very little wood. Good finish. I initially thought I had opened this too young, but it is drinkable now with enough air. Should last many, many more years.
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This wine was very very good. It was very subdued at first but after about an hour it really opened up to offer a palate of cassis, blackberries and other dark flavors/smells with very well integrated tannins (at first there were almost no tannins). As such I will hold my other bottle for at least one or two more years. It was perfect for our steak dinner.
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Good, but not as impressive as other Isocoles I have had. Nice fruit, but tannins are still a little strong and wine doesn't seem fully integrated. Maybe needs a fewmore years in the bottle.
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Well integrated after a 90 minute decant. Features candied fruit & black currant aromas. This fruit forward red is silky smooth in the mouth with an extremely long & tasty finish. A hedonistic delight. I can't wait to try the reserve! 94+
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Popped and poured. On the nose, crushed rocks, chocolate covered cherries, some raw broccoli and a little nail polish (no kidding). After the ecclectic nose, the palate is disappointing, with sour cherries and a little tobacco and some oak, with fairly substantial and unbalanced tannins hitting on the finish. Mid palate is hollow, and the fruit dies out too quickly, leaving the drying tannins. To be fair, this has had no air, so I will come back with an update in a little while.
After an hour or so of air, fruit came up a bit on the palate, but the complexity on the nose also receded, losing the vegetal aspect that made it interesting. All in all, something of a trade off - tannins are still too dominant on the finish, but better, and the mid palate added a little heft. I think there is enough fruit to allow the tannins to integrate a little more, so I will give the remaining bottles a little more time and check in then. I started at 88, move it up to 89 and see if a little more time gets this to outstanding.
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On the nose, broccoli, citrus splash, cedar, milk chocolate, dark fruit. Great oak integration as well. Blackberry,blueberry and vanilla on the palate Long finish of dark fruit flavors . MOuth watering wine! Its weakness is a slightly bitter element and young tannins.
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Great fruit, big chewy tannins. Aromas of cassis plums and dark cherry. A lot of wine here. This wine does not get quit the acclaim it deserves. At around $55, this is a great qpr. This could definitely age some, but it was so good now. This is the 3rd time I have had this wine since release and it is better every time I have it. This could merit a higher score in another 3 - 5 years.
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92-93Pts..This is alot better than people are giving it credit for IMHO. It's got classic Paso Robles fruit and really good Acidity and tannins to balance it out, Slightly dry at first which the deep fruit balances out after some air.. The Paso Robles area has some of the most seductive aromatic wines I've ever tried (Saxum & Foxen comes to mind). This will age. Very Pinot like. I bought 6 more bottles.
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What a beautiful wine this is. Plums and vanilla with nice chewey tannins. Pretty smokey tones at the end. Very smooth and balanced, excellent fruit. I'm liking this as much as the Larkmead. Actually I like the chewiness in this better.After this opens up it's very ellegant. One of my new favorite 2003's.
After an Hour the fruit goes to amazing levels. Sweet cherry/plums but really good structure. I'm sure some will think it's too sweet but this is a very memorable wine that is very heady and it's getting scarce due to the warehouse fire. I'm buying several more.
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Monday Wine Group Dinner at MelBee's: Surprisingly, with only about an hour in the decanter, this was already showing well. And by the end of the evening, it was really starting to sing. Well balanced, great red fruit and dried herbs. Excellent wine as always.
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The blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot. 15.0% Alcohol. Aged 18 months in French oak, 10 months in bottle. Decanted in the bottle for an hour. This is getting better and better with time. No heat in this bottle, and dryness is subsiding with time. Aromas of Camphor, Blackberry, Cherry, Cassis and Earthy tones. Bing Cherry, Cassis, Currant and hints of oak and chocolate on the palate. Good structure, balance and finese. Medium Drying tannins and Medium-full bodied. Seems lighter then the 2002. Not as long of a finish as the 02, but dang good ripe fruit flavors!
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Drank with pesto-stuffed filet mignon. Awesome. Gained strength with more exposure to air. Spicy, earth, fruit, balanced. Excellent, although there are other wines that I would like to try at this price point.
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7/16/2022 - debracleff01 wrote: 91 Points
My cellar doesn’t suck!!
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1/15/2021 - norcalvinolover Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful. Tastes like an old wine of course (you know, the port like taste). Still has tannins and a rich flavor. Yum.
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12/6/2020 - Erick Wand Does not like this wine:
Bad. Aged out. Waited too long, lost our investment in some quality wines.
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3/27/2016 - brigcampbell wrote:
This guy was kicking off the sediment. No issue as it stuck to the side of the bottle. Slight bricking which is to be expected. Ripe dark plum nose. Fruit forward. Palate was smooth and dark ripe plum pushing the prune envelope. Fine tannins and cassis surrounding the oak and cocoa notes. The dry leather influence adds to the "age". Not the best qpr but enjoyable. In the 89-90 range for point hunters.
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1/24/2015 - JVSMagic wrote:
Prunes on nose, raspberry and chocolate
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10/28/2014 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Maybe 93 plus or 94. Drinking great right now and certainly not tired at all. Probably a handful more good years in this wine. Tannins were well integrated and the overall structure was great. Went awesome with Prime Rib-eyes and good friends last Saturday night.
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6/12/2014 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking nicely, not at all past its peak. Tannins still evident but well integrated at this point. Still another 3-5 years left in it.
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4/11/2014 - JOJ wrote: 92 Points
Rich, rich nose -- scents of blackberry/boysenberry pie, with notes of chocolate, lavendar, and new leather. Still big and fruit forward on the palate -- fruit shades more to the red fruit side of the spectrum (cassis, even cranberry), with notes of chocolate covered cherries. Tannins still in evidence, long finish. Nice.
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9/15/2013 - raypedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet red, barely translucent with a fair amount of sediment. Strong black fruit, cassis, and spice on the nose. Powerful black fruit on the palate, rich and full bodied, with a great balance of acidity and sweetness. Tremendous depth of flavor and a long balanced finish. This was a 375ml bottle of the 2003, probably cellared fairly well, and it was right at its peak... so I'm guessing a 750ml will be entering its peak about now and should go for another 5-7 year. So drink 2013-2020.
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8/30/2013 - tvine wrote: 89 Points
tasted like I opened the bottle a couple years too late... lots of fruit, but the sweetness seemed to overpower the tannins. Drink now or...
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8/15/2013 - NapaDave Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a wonderful, well structured wine for its age. It held up well being open and decanted over a few hours. Smooth long finish on the palate. Perfect for our dinner!
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3/14/2013 - passion4wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
right out of the bottle this wine showed dried red fruits surrounded by a core of tobacco and mushroom, after fifteen minutes the tannins soften and reveal fig newton, and cherry and cranberry. After an hour or so, the wine opened up, tannins softened and revealed rich bowl of berries and nice balance and smooth finish. Then, after three hours, the wine peaked and started to decline showing vegetal notes. Impressive for a Paso blend of Cab; was hoping that the quality and reputation of the vineyard and producer would've
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3/8/2013 - Deryl wrote: 90 Points
I don't care what they say, this is good wine. It is probably maxed out right now so if you have any, drink it. But it was quite enjoyable with a BBQ rib eye.
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12/27/2012 - Deryl wrote: 90 Points
Starting to lose its fruit. Maybe past its prime.
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11/13/2012 - JasonJCarr wrote: 98 Points
Needs a good 2 hours to open up
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11/3/2012 - puppetclause wrote:
N: Cherry, kirsch, rasp, vanilla, perfume.
P: Beautiful balance, still a fair bit of fruit. Cocoa, saddle leather. A good mix of ripe and dried fruits.
F: Elegant and blanced, dried fruits, good acid.
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10/27/2012 - BATWine wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was better than our last one. Still some fruit in it, but very smooth.
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10/17/2012 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted as part of a six year vertical 2001 to 2006 with a group of 12 for dinner. We sought the advice of the wine maker from Justin on the rotation for dinner. He suggested 2002 and 2003 for appetizers (sushi, chicken skewers, artichoke dip), 2004 for salad, the 2005 and 2006 for dinner (beef burgundy, green beans, brown rice medley), follow up with the 2001 for dessert with cheesecake and chocolate.
Here's how we ranked the wines. The clear winners and rankings were the 2006, 2002, 2004, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Each of the wines was opened for 3 1/2 hours prior to dinner. The 2003 is very hard to compare when matched against the 2002 side by side. It's a great stand alone wine but outclassed by the 2002. These are incredible wines, very consistent year to year. Justin should be proud of his accomplishments in these wines.
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10/8/2012 - spo wrote: 94 Points
Great fruit along with a dry/savory sophisticated character.
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10/6/2012 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 10/6/2012 (Carlsbad, California): Gorgeous bouquet of cherry pie, unsweetened chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and bourbon. Rich, seamless, full-bodied, wonderful balance between fruit and oak. Voted FIRST PLACE tonight, and seems destined for greater heights over the next five years with proper storage. 91% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cab franc, 3% merlot.
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10/5/2012 - w@ino wrote: 75 Points
Tried two bottles over the past two weeks. Wine had lost most of its fruit. Definitely should have drank it a couple years ago.
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8/31/2012 - wgcrites wrote: 90 Points
Drinking great right now. Fruit is still there.
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8/25/2012 - tfurnary wrote: 90 Points
Really nice wine at this time. Supple tannins and still plenty of currant and red fruit on the palate. Beautiful nose belying the red fruits underneath with a nice leathery overtone. Was absolutely excellent with steaks. not one of those in your face forward wines at this point but actually an elegant cab. Not sure why others feel it is over the hill. this was the perfect time for this bottle. Perhaps storage differences? i have had bottle in 55 degree cellar since purchase.
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5/12/2012 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
Tasted great but may be over the crest of the hill.
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5/5/2012 - Ann&Wayne wrote: 83 Points
Normally the Justin Isosceles does not disappoint but this one did. It absolutely fell flat on its face. We had a wonderful steak dinner but the wine was sub par. If you've got it, I wouldn't hold on to it....IMHO
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3/3/2012 - BATWine wrote: 87 Points
Agree - wish we had drank this a few years ago. A little too smooth for our liking.
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2/23/2012 - jon_goodman1 wrote: 88 Points
very silky smooth but not much fruit left. wish i drank this a few years earlier. No tannins or structure left
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2/18/2012 - ppaluszewski wrote: 88 Points
I was underwhelmed with this one, given my experiences with previous vintages, most notably the 2001. Seemed as though it didn't hold up that well - a bit flat, muted fruit, and not much going on. All around, not a bad wine, but I had higher expectations and suspect that I missed its window. Justin has had better vintages. Not sure that I'd hold for much longer. PJP 2012.
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12/21/2011 - Bob Erling wrote: 88 Points
Needed some time to decant. Still very smooth. Would drink soon.
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11/20/2011 - Dano13xx wrote: 94 Points
Best vintage I've had of this deep rich and elegant
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9/4/2011 - Fugu Me wrote:
Drinking beautifully on pop 'n pour. Plenty of fruit left, nicely balanced tannins. Probably peaking now, but can probably hold for a couple of more years.
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7/18/2011 - ddinsm wrote: 85 Points
Well past it's prime. Surprised for a wine that's mostly Cab Sauv. Could definitely taste and feel 15%abv. Very disjointed with some primary fruit left, but no depth of flavor and a very gritty mouthfeel. Waited way too long.
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7/10/2011 - Ann&Wayne wrote: 90 Points
Excellent steaks, Excellent wine, Excellent evening
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6/18/2011 - Zinister wrote: 87 Points
Opened and decanted for an hour and half. Nice nose of berry, briar fruits and earthy notes. Flavor has touch of fruit initially, but passes very quickly, with little finish as well. Mouthfeel is smooth, but the depth of this wine has just dropped out. This bottle is certainly past it's date....too bad. Still some acidity to it, and even a touch of tannins....but again, no depth.
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6/11/2011 - Cortona5 wrote: 92 Points
Perfect to drink now
Still great fruit
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5/15/2011 - Harddriv wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour and a half. Super smooth, velvety texture. Some fruit, but not overpowering. Slightly high in alcohol, detectable when you let it sit on your palate. Great accompaniment to our roast beef.
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5/6/2011 - Whine-oh wrote: 89 Points
Opened but did not decant an hour before dinner at Carmel Valley's Ruth Chris. Had alongside a 16 year old right bank gran cru. Worlds apart. This new world wine showed no bricking and no evidence of any serious sediment. Big nose and big palate to follow. Dark red and black fruits that were not shy. Still some good structure that made this seem like it still is a bit on the young side. Wish I had another to try in a couple of years.
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4/22/2011 - sbfireman wrote: 90 Points
Well - I agree with the drinking window. Near the peak - just don't know on which side. Threw a bit of sediment. Darkly colored. Heavy in the glass. With time, settled out nicely.
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4/16/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:
Still a lot of life left in this vintage. Continues to shine with every glass.
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4/10/2011 - Grenik wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Society tasting room - should be perfect providence. Nice garnet color with a little peach on the rim. Earth tones on the nose which was very nice considering this was tasted after the 2008 which all I noted were fruit aroma. The taste was also much better than the current release. Spicy pepper, dark pine, stewed cherry and plum all combined to make this a very nice wine. Not a particularly good QPR in my opinion, but it deserves the good rating. I think it has a few years left in it, but probably is not going to improve. I would call 2013 the point where the wine will start to slip noticibly as the fruit fades.
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3/14/2011 - rtarzy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at Heirloom Cafe for Andy's bday...with Kelly and Yvette; Really drinking nicely....decanted and really opened up...drink now or in next year
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3/4/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 90 Points
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COLOR: Med garnet, with ruby-brick rim
NOTE: This is better than the last bottle I had, especially in nose and palate. Nose was full of dried strawberry & dried red currant, crushed leaves, burnt cigar. Mouth was much more opulent and sweet with glycerin than last time. Once again, the age shows in the dried red fruits that predominate the palate, and then everything thins out within about 20 seconds on the finish, turning a bit ash-driven. Nothing great, but it's good to put the last of these old soldiers to bed on a high note.
DECANT: 1 hr
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.0
COST: 48
VALUE: 5.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 09/10
TRY AGAIN: n/a
PAIRING: pizza
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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2/21/2011 - Grateful Wine wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about an hour, became very nice & soft the longer it was open, very nice finish.
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1/11/2011 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 90 Points
Not bad..had it out of a 1/2 bottle. Still going but my suspicion is its losing a bit. Silky texture. Descent nose with some vegetable notes. Seems to show a lot of the Cab Franc which is surprising given its only 6% CF.
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12/5/2010 - fcs wrote: 90 Points
Delicious with grilled ribeye
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11/23/2010 - ed-d wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Black color. Lush nose of black fruits with a metallic tinge. Lush entry of black currant & blackberry with a hint of lead pencil & a lot of sweetness through the finish. Very good.
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8/7/2010 - charliesea wrote: 88 Points
Drinking nicely. Good Bordeaux clone on the first night; red fruit and wet stones with a Paso fruity overlay. On th second night the character had faded.
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6/28/2010 - fucrack wrote: 90 Points
Pulled this out of my cellar. Still had an excellent taste to it. The tannins on this have mellowed out on this just a little bit but I think it still has a good 4 years left to it if properly stored. Needed a little time to open up but once it had the bottle had that real deep leathery earth tastes to it. With a dark cherry finish. The finish on this bottle had tons of sediment. Really good.
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4/26/2010 - aschiavi wrote: 93 Points
Dark in the glass, a little strong on the alcohol at first but a deep complex fruit and spice nose. Silky in the mouth with good tannin structure but not overpowering, dark fruit flavor.
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4/19/2010 - jon_goodman1 wrote: 88 Points
Not much to the wine. Wine has soften signifantly and wasnt much structure to it. Pretty dissappointing
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3/9/2010 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted prior to drinking. Very pleasant nose of warm dark fruits, some earthiness, and butterscotch. On the palate, the tannins are becoming well integrated and the wine has softened, but there is plenty of fruit (blueberries) and concentrated flavor left. Length of about 30 seconds. Overall I really enjoyed this wine, and was pleasantly surprised at this easy drinker. It was well integrated and had some subtle overtones. I didn't feel it was over-oaked, too high in alcohol or too commercial--unlike my expectations. For a higher score it could use a touch more acidity to balance out the softness. Also I would look for more complexity and development throughout the palate. Drinking very nicely now.
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12/25/2009 - ListenToMeWine wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle that we have opened in the past 4 months. Both have been lovely, with cassis, stewed plum and hint of earth. This was drinking great out of the bottle, but really came alive after about a half hour.
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11/4/2009 - CADomer wrote: 92 Points
Took this bottle to Downey's for their autumn chef's dinner. Absolutely fabulous pairing with the lamb shank. Nice fruit with blackberries all over the palate and wonderful acidity to cut right through the richness of the food. I was worried that I broke into this bottle too early, but it showed very well.
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10/22/2009 - tourette wrote: flawed
This bottle was cooked. Stewed fruit and vinegar. Bummer. First time I've gotten a bad bottle off winebid. So it goes.
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9/25/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 91 Points
15% ABV. Deeply colored, opaque center with translucent rim. Minty, cedar oak nose. Rich attack with tangy red currant fruit. Pretty good.
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9/19/2009 - Hollowleg wrote: 91 Points
MY WOTN. Oak is omni-present, but the fruit does come into play from the mid palate on.
Up against the 2000 Insignia, which was even heavier in oak, but one of my guests preferred this over the Isosceles.
There are no losers when tasting wines like these.
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9/11/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Really nice. This is the third bottle of '03 I've had and this was so much more 'ready' than the previous two which were drank about two years ago. Benefits of patience..
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5/8/2009 - LPskeleton wrote: 94 Points
Wow, this bottle was so complex. 375ml. Starting to see some beautiful complexity with earthy cedar, forest floor, gobs of fruit and oak influence. Pure acid, pure fruit., length, some bricking at the edges. I 375s imo are at peak, give the 750s another 1-2 years but either way this wine has drank beautifully from day one and aged so gracefully.
It makes me sad modern vintages aren't holding a candle to the older ones for my palate...to ripe, fake and candied. What has changed at justin? I'm loving their value bottlings these days but the top end stuff in vintages 04 and on just isn't doing it for me.
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5/2/2009 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Continues to impress, but this really takes time to come around. Give it a good hour of air before drinking.
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4/12/2009 - JOJ wrote: 92 Points
Fruit forward, and definitely Californian, but somewhat restrained and even elegant. Lovely nose of boysenberry, cigar box, dill, and baking spice. Palate has layers of blackberry and boysenberry, offset by notes of herb, smoke, and tabaco. Good acidity offset still present tannins. Nice.
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3/15/2009 - slippytoad wrote: 86 Points
More acidic than I remember. Didn't show very well on the first day, got better on the second.
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3/6/2009 - Chrisinroch wrote: 85 Points
Disappointing. Either the bottle was in a bad place in its life, or it was just not good. Not Cali style at all, much more Bordeaux in character only a bit lean. Leather, green pepper, vegital. A bit tannic, but they mellowed as the wine got air. Just never caught its stride.
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3/1/2009 - wiskytango wrote:
no formal notes or score. But I can say this bottle is in a very good place right now. No decant and straight into the glass. Nothing out of the ordinary, a really enjoyable bottle of cab.
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2/22/2009 - FieldingYost wrote: 88 Points
Candied nose of plums and creme de cassis, with cherry jam. This sure does push the ripeness envelope for me, but there is just enough acidity and ripe tannin to avoid being syrupy, although it leans in that direction. The finish comes up a little bit short, showing milk chocolate but not quite nailing it like other vintages I've had of this wine. I would drink sooner rather than later, because once the tannin fades further, this could dive soon.
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2/14/2009 - cabdrinker wrote:
Still hitting nicely on all cylinders. A little more oak on the nose than previous bottles, but it also blew off quicker than those same bottles. Vegetal presence is no longer there which is fine by me, but in it’s place was a more sour cherry and floral component. Silky texture has not subsided and finish is still strong.
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1/14/2009 - razziz wrote: 82 Points
This bottle was thinner, more acidic, and less balanced than I remember or should be. Its been stored in a Eurocave since purchase from winery. Disappointing really.
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12/25/2008 - wineward wrote: 90 Points
Roses, spices and cherries on the nose. Flinty black currants and spice. Very enjoyable, but a lot of flavors appear drawn from wood. Will probably still improve with a couple of years more cellaring.
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12/7/2008 - jcarnahan wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoy all the vintages of this wine - 2003 is ready before 2002 and it did not disappoint. Held up well with steak and full flavored meal. great finish and still has strong body
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11/4/2008 - razziz wrote: 92 Points
Execlennet. Lots of fruit and balance. Could easily hold up to another 3-5 years.
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10/31/2008 - cabdrinker wrote: 93 Points
Probably the 4th or 5th bottle I have had of this vintage and this bottle stood out amongst those.
Beautiful bell pepper again on the nose with the typical oak and vanilla, but even more subtle than the past. Silky texture throughout as this wine is really showing well right now. Alcohol has subsided and the finish is lasting for days. Wish I drank with a meal instead of Halloween candy.
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10/30/2008 - seanucsb wrote: 93 Points
not much else to say...wonderful wonderful wine.....drink them if you can find them
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10/17/2008 - Mizzounate wrote: 95 Points
This vintage of the isosceles is drinking phenomenally well. It is very big with a very smooth finish. Buttery and jammy with a little spice. Very good bottle of wine and won't get much better in the bottle.
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6/30/2008 - yovinny wrote:
Upon opening there was alot of heat on the finish. This blew off after 45 to 60 minutes in the decanter. Stewed prunes....not my style. Note: this btl was .375L. The 750ml and the 1.5 L ..should be interesting comparisons.
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5/13/2008 - DLT wrote: 89 Points
No decant, but about an hour of air in the glass. Nose shows cocoa, black cherries and quite a bit of oak. Palate follows the nose, with cherries and oak dominating through the midpalate, with firm tannins underpinning a medium/long finish. This has evolved quite a bit over the past seven months since my last try, mostly for the better, with the tannins mellowing out and the fruit more centered. While the oak is prominent, the extraction of the fruit handles it, so it's not objectionable. Solid California cab, although not very complex, not quite outstanding and not a good QPR. 5+12+16+6.
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3/30/2008 - Hollowleg wrote: 94 Points
I picked up a nice scorched earth aroma this time around, otherwise consistent with the last two bottles.
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3/24/2008 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding. Although closed and tannic on the initial pour (from just above cellar temperature), the wine blossomed dramatically after 30-45 minutes in the glass. Big aroma, fruit forward, nicely balanced. Notes of cherry, plum, black currant, chocolate. Very little wood. Good finish. I initially thought I had opened this too young, but it is drinkable now with enough air. Should last many, many more years.
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3/16/2008 - trekwars2000 wrote: 91 Points
This wine was very very good. It was very subdued at first but after about an hour it really opened up to offer a palate of cassis, blackberries and other dark flavors/smells with very well integrated tannins (at first there were almost no tannins). As such I will hold my other bottle for at least one or two more years. It was perfect for our steak dinner.
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1/26/2008 - transpodude wrote: 90 Points
Good, but not as impressive as other Isocoles I have had. Nice fruit, but tannins are still a little strong and wine doesn't seem fully integrated. Maybe needs a fewmore years in the bottle.
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11/20/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 94 Points
Well integrated after a 90 minute decant.
Features candied fruit & black currant aromas.
This fruit forward red is silky smooth in the mouth with an extremely long & tasty finish. A hedonistic delight.
I can't wait to try the reserve! 94+
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11/17/2007 - aroby wrote: 89 Points
Nowhere near as good as other Isosceles vintages. Quite tannic, but still drinkable. Good black fruit and acid, but not particularly well integrated.
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11/10/2007 - slippytoad wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was good but not great, not as good as I remember. Think this was a challenging year for Justin.
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10/5/2007 - charliesea wrote: 92 Points
Fruit forward with chocolate on the palate. olives and Paso terroir. Justin at their best.
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10/5/2007 - DLT wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. On the nose, crushed rocks, chocolate covered cherries, some raw broccoli and a little nail polish (no kidding). After the ecclectic nose, the palate is disappointing, with sour cherries and a little tobacco and some oak, with fairly substantial and unbalanced tannins hitting on the finish. Mid palate is hollow, and the fruit dies out too quickly, leaving the drying tannins. To be fair, this has had no air, so I will come back with an update in a little while.
After an hour or so of air, fruit came up a bit on the palate, but the complexity on the nose also receded, losing the vegetal aspect that made it interesting. All in all, something of a trade off - tannins are still too dominant on the finish, but better, and the mid palate added a little heft. I think there is enough fruit to allow the tannins to integrate a little more, so I will give the remaining bottles a little more time and check in then. I started at 88, move it up to 89 and see if a little more time gets this to outstanding.
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5/18/2007 - LPskeleton wrote: 93 Points
On the nose, broccoli, citrus splash, cedar, milk chocolate, dark fruit. Great oak integration as well. Blackberry,blueberry and vanilla on the palate Long finish of dark fruit flavors . MOuth watering wine! Its weakness is a slightly bitter element and young tannins.
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3/11/2007 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Great fruit, big chewy tannins. Aromas of cassis plums and dark cherry. A lot of wine here. This wine does not get quit the acclaim it deserves. At around $55, this is a great qpr. This could definitely age some, but it was so good now. This is the 3rd time I have had this wine since release and it is better every time I have it. This could merit a higher score in another 3 - 5 years.
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12/28/2006 - beachnic wrote: 92 Points
92-93Pts..This is alot better than people are giving it credit for IMHO. It's got classic Paso Robles fruit and really good Acidity and tannins to balance it out, Slightly dry at first which the deep fruit balances out after some air.. The Paso Robles area has some of the most seductive aromatic wines I've ever tried (Saxum & Foxen comes to mind). This will age. Very Pinot like. I bought 6 more bottles.
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12/23/2006 - beachnic wrote: 93 Points
What a beautiful wine this is. Plums and vanilla with nice chewey tannins. Pretty smokey tones at the end. Very smooth and balanced, excellent fruit. I'm liking this as much as the Larkmead. Actually I like the chewiness in this better.After this opens up it's very ellegant. One of my new favorite 2003's.
After an Hour the fruit goes to amazing levels. Sweet cherry/plums but really good structure. I'm sure some will think it's too sweet but this is a very memorable wine that is very heady and it's getting scarce due to the warehouse fire. I'm buying several more.
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12/18/2006 - tskrueger wrote: 91 Points
Monday Wine Group Dinner at MelBee's: Surprisingly, with only about an hour in the decanter, this was already showing well. And by the end of the evening, it was really starting to sing. Well balanced, great red fruit and dried herbs. Excellent wine as always.
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12/8/2006 - millerfamily wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyable, definitely needs some time though.
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11/27/2006 - JonGray wrote: 92 Points
Big - great red - loved this bold anf new world berry red
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9/23/2006 - LACERS wrote: 92 Points
The blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot. 15.0% Alcohol. Aged 18 months in French oak, 10 months in bottle. Decanted in the bottle for an hour. This is getting better and better with time. No heat in this bottle, and dryness is subsiding with time. Aromas of Camphor, Blackberry, Cherry, Cassis and Earthy tones. Bing Cherry, Cassis, Currant and hints of oak and chocolate on the palate. Good structure, balance and finese. Medium Drying tannins and Medium-full bodied. Seems lighter then the 2002. Not as long of a finish as the 02, but dang good ripe fruit flavors!
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6/5/2006 - hutch wrote:
good fruit, and big tannins, but it is approachable. I didn't get the impression that this is ever going to be a wow me wine, though.
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5/27/2006 - vy#10 wrote:
Drank with pesto-stuffed filet mignon. Awesome. Gained strength with more exposure to air. Spicy, earth, fruit, balanced. Excellent, although there are other wines that I would like to try at this price point.
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