Don't get the 95 AG score, but definitely a very nice bottle of cabernet and very good QPR at $25. Would buy again at that price, but probably not at $50+.
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Even considering the price point of $50, this is mundane with nothing to recommend it. There is no facet of this bottle that supports a tenable argument that it is anything other than pedestrian. I would say "drink now", but am leaning towards "drink never". The "87" was generous.
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We were nervous opening this one, having discarded the previous one two years ago. Great smell upon opening, but quite austere the first half hour or so. But then it opened up beautifully over the course of the evening, mellowed out, and became quite delicious. The typical cab taste was mixed with a more acidic style, but overall a very enjoyable wine now. The wine probably lasts a few more years, but may be at its peak now. We have one more bottle to drink at any time.
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I drank a bottle of this a year ago and thought it was a really nice well balanced wine in its prime. Opened a second tonight and it hasn’t lost anything. Probably still has several years of prime window left.
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Developing nicely, maybe even a tiny bit faster than I might have expected. This showed a mix of cedar, truffle, brown leaves and currant/ berry fruit that is just moving from fresh to dried spectrum. The acid is surprisingly med+, even a tiny bit bracing, but not at all unpleasant. Tannin is present, medium. I would suggest waiting a year or two to let this move more toward maturity; I think it's likely to sort itself out. That said, it is enjoyable now, even if the midpalate is a bit dominated by the acid and tannin. Should be good over the next 10 yrs.
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Popped & poured. Expressive nose. Vibrant & complex fruit with right amount of tannin structure. This wine is definitely coming into it's prime. I wish I had purchased more.
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I waited a while on this bottle given all the ballyhoo. Sorry to say I am disappointed. My bottle is toward the edge of overripe. Good typicity and good finish. Tannin is discernible but not intrusive. I have read of bottle variation and can only conclude that I did not get one of the good bottles. Impression of heat gets in the way of everything else.
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Classic, old school Napa Cab. Neither overripe, nor over extracted, nor over oaked. Drinking really nicely now; however, as with most 2013s Napa cabs there's a tannic spine that could use another couple years of taming or simply an hour in a decanter. Really food friendly, perfectly balanced, truly really nice and if you bought on release then it's a great QPR for age-worthy cab.
Dark saturated purple. Open knit aromas of reddish black fruits, smoke, hint of camphor and black olive paste on the nose. A full bodied palate shows ripe, sweet and savory jammy black/purple small fruits, hint of graphite & leather, medium acidity, mouth filling tannins and a long fruit/herbal finish.
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15 minute decant. Probably should have given it longer, but really nice in any event. This is drinking very well right now. Well balanced and complex. Fantastic example of 2013 at a lower price point.
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With NY Strips…. Chunky kinda closed nose Lots of Fruit and decent acidity Nose starts to open at 75 minutes Nothing memorable but nice Probably has a better outcome in 6-10 years.
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All estate fruit. 92% Cab. 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Syrah. Decanted 3-1/2hrs. Room full of fruit when returned to bottle. Some heavy sediment. Steely hard, but a return to CDV of older times. Not as nuanced as previous vintages - attributed to lack of Cab Franc in blend - but still very good. The Napa bottling is, at this stage, drinking better than the Reserve.
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Popped and poured, no formal notes. This bottle has been stored in my cellar since release. I have always appreciated the restrained expression of Clos du Val however, this was enjoyed after the 2005 “Caravina” and there is a very clear difference in class between the two. The Seavey had a level of energy, sophistication and polish that the CdV just couldn’t match, even though it was 8 years younger. However, there was a subtle charm to it and if enjoyed on its own, would have made more of an impression. The profile was dark, with loads of earth. Structure was firm but in balance with the fruit. Finish was medium. Built for another decade but probably won’t improve.
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In a much more balanced place than a few years ago. It's not shutting down at all but it appear to be starting to get toward its adolescence and it should continue to age well for at least 7-8 years more.
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Deep garnet color. Big fruit, sweet oak and light chalkiness. Ripe blueberries, blackberries and plum in this dependable Napa wine. This wine is drinking in an easy breeze/enjoyable cabernet style. Proving to be a great party wine.
p.s. prime beef tenderloin with charro beans and green beans
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Disappointing this time around. It hadn’t turned bad, but it wasn’t good. It tasted rather sour. Hints of the typical Cab taste, but just not enjoyable. We drank a glass each, and discarded the rest. I have two more. It might have been bottle variation, but I doubt it. Good food ingredient now, I suppose.
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Second time having this wine. Last had it in October, 2016. PnP. The color shows a bit of age on the edges, but still youthful. Initially, rather primary and secondary on the nose and palate too with ripe dark red fruit, spice and vanilla on the nose and a fruit driven palate with some spice and tad bit of heat. Medium acidity, but not as dark as most Napa. Smooth tannins. After 30 minutes or so, a bit of tertiary flavors start to emerge with a bit of dried fruit and earthiness. In a bit of an awkward stage in between youth and becoming mature, so I liked it better when it was more obviously primary, showing off its exuberence and perhaps I’ll like it more in a few years when it shows off more complexity and grace. Still like the Bordeaux-leaning style of the producer in general. 91+
https://winediplomats.com/
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In the 2013 Napa Cab tasting. Although subtle difference were apparent, all six wines were rather similar. This and the Provenance being lower in price than the others may give it an edge in overall satisfaction.
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Laz4wine nailed the notes and the score. Tasted like high end Merlot just because of the smooth texture on the palate. Great wine and first of half a case.
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totally enjoyed this perfectly aged bottle with a Thoma ribeye, mashed spuds and creamed spinach. This was a special bottle for no reason except it was just delicious with the meal I described watching a Steeler game on Sunday night.
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Classic NV cab in a Bordelais style, balanced sweet oak and dusty tannins enveloping a core of black cherries and currants. Mocha-espresso and pleasant pepper/baking spices on the lingering finish, solid stuff and can go another 5+ in this vintage.
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Deep red in the glass with faint violet. Red currant, flowers, with subtle espresso notes on the nose and palate. Supple mid palate. Caressing with no rough edges. Medium length red berry mint finish.
Easily drank 2+ cases of this wine since it was released and this was the best bottle yet. Really wonderful at any price....
Going strong. drink or hold.
(92-94)
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At eight years, this is just now starting to hit its stride and has a long life ahead and may not yet have reached the apex of its drinking/aging profile. It might settle down and integrate a bit further for more polish and nuance, but it is delicious now as it is.
Bright garnet/purple colored, medium full bodied, vibrant, forward expressive blackberry, dark cherry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, smoke, floral, herbs, black tea and tobacco turning to firm but smooth approachable tannins and a pleasing bright tangy lingering finish.
Excellent. Very smooth. My only comment is that this wine continued to improve as it was consumed. I would recommend a one hour decant to let it open up. The last glass was noticeably better than the first.
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Quite solid for the price. This has settled down a bit, and is not as jammy as it once was, which is a good thing (I generally find the '13 Napa vintage too intense, and not to my liking).
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V-Day dinner. At $35 and with a long decant, this offering is a good value and drinking well now with significant upside potential over the next decade. Very Bordeaux in its approach, and more of a sit-down-to-dinner offering than blockbuster Napa Cab. Violets, creme de cassis, cigar box in the nose, with dark fruits and cedar on the palate and finish. Opened up substantially over the evening, even with the decant. Substantial sediment that needed to be filtered out. Will wait another few years before consuming the next bottle. Drink 2022-2030. Outstanding, esp at its price point.
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Two years since our last bottle, and this seems to be at peak at this point. The tannins are well integrated and there’s a sense of balance between the fruit, the structural elements, and the acidity. Very nice and gone too soon.
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Wonderfully clear example of the Napa style. Slightly dumb on opening, but very ripe, classy, and juicy. Red and purple fruits, black olives, gorgeous ripe Doris plum skin. Firm, yet ripe tannins. Medium body with excellent refinement. The palate opens beautifully in the mouth, and the finish is long and refined. Really nice, still youthful, and a tremendous bargain. This is certainly improving. This could use some time in the cellar. 91+
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This is a great drinking window. Very much like BDX style. Great QPR for everyday drinking wine. Lots of dark fruit, smooth, and fruit forward. tobacco, and vanilla on the nose, long finish.
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A bit tighter than I recall from previous bottles. Elegant and delicate flavors with a superb streak of acidity. Continues to develop nicely and no rush to open remaining bottles.
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Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed quite nicely since my last tasting two and a half years ago. Refreshing acidity for a Napa Cab. Opened up quickly this time. I paid around $13 per bottle so this represents a fairly nice QPR. Good fruit, maintains some elegance, decent complexity, sort of a throwback style, not the usual modern Napa toasty oak, chocolate/cassis bomb. There is some tannin that left a tiny bit of a scratchy sensation. Hopefully, this will integrate and resolve over time and take this up another notch or two. 91+
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Excellent QPR. Still young. Was hoping for some evolution. Has good structure (acid and tannins) and my hope is that it improves over the next 5-8yrs. Appealing rusticity and balance of old-school Napa. Will revisit every 2 yrs or so.
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Enjoyable wine. Well integrated at this point. Gave a 2 hour decant. Some oak and dark fruit on the nose, but not a lot of aroma. Easy and pleasing on the palate. Dark fruit initially, lingering and melding with black pepper in mid-palate and on the finish. Some toasty oak and vanilla, as well, plus moderate tannin. Medium to full body, decently long finish.
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Perfect Balanced, earthy and complex small, very smooth in mid palate, finished long with acidity and a bit of spice, reminds me of Margaux, paired with steak, really enjoyed it
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This showed quite well. I've generally not liked the '13 vintage in Napa, but perhaps they just needed time and are coming into their own now. This was quite intense, in a good way, nice acidity, penetrating black and blue fruit. Great value. I've been to the winery a few times too and it's a nice experience - the wines are some of the better values vs. the rest of Napa.
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QPR for this Napa Cab is really quite extraordinary. We enjoyed this with filet mignon and pommes frites. This is a restrained style of Napa Cab, with plenty of fruit, Creme de cassis, and leather to bring significant complexity to the flavor profile. Better on the second night. Decant or give it more years. We think it has five more years to age and improve.
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3 years since last bottle, and tannins have resolved a bit. A bit of vanilla/oak on the nose which translates to glossiness on the palate, fruit shy, with some blackcurrant/black cherry, and some appealing florals in the mouth. A bit lacking in depth, but good structure. Good midweek cab, and should drink well for 10+ years or so.
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Good cab, dense, dark, full-bodied, smoky earthiness, not as fruity/juicy as others. But still too tannic and young. I have four more and plan to open the next one in 2022 or 2023. It might deserve a higher grade then.
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Excellent QPR. Still young. Has good structure (acid and tannins) and should improve over the next 5-8yrs. Appealing rusticity and balance of old-school Napa.
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Deep red/violet with very dark center. Nice cassis, plum, forest, and smoke on the nose and palate. Med/full bodied and balanced on the palate. Really a very nice bottle, but somehow unexciting.
Still more life in these and will hold for years.
88-90
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My rating may be slightly generous, but it's a good wine with no great flaws. A bit herbal and tannic, it could go awhile, but I'm not sure it will improve much more. Light nose, full body, dark cherry.
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Second of two bottles. I can definitely appreciate the style more than the last time I tried it. Restrained in style by Napa standards. Acidity, smooth with polished tannins. Great steak cab.
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Deep reddish purple in color. Open knit aromas of blackish red berries, graphite, toast, cocoa. Medium-full bodied showing ripe and sweet crushed cassis, smoky black raspberries, hint of black olive paste, grippy tannins still present and a toasty oak finish. Needs a bit more time to come together.
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This was a pnp and could really use a decant of at least an hour. Big nose of cassis almost overpowering, more subtle when drinking with nice structure. A bit of cherry and tobacco after an hour. Still a decent bottle for the money. Will decant the next bottle which should improve the score a point or two.
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At first, full of dark berry fruit. After that it gives a nod to Bordeaux with dust and leather notes. I like the old school style a lot, but it is not an overly complex wine.
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This was way better on the 2nd day. It was tightly-wound on the first day - very juicy and jammy, but opened up and became more accessible and balanced on the 2nd.
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Deep deep burgundy-purple, thick core, opaque, dense. Deep cassis with a touch of mint - like a chocolate mint perhaps because there are also some sweet chocolate notes.Dense aromas. Soft yet rich in the mouth.Black fruits, maybe some vanilla and mint. Acidity in the back of the mouth, with white pepper too. Good structure, albeit with some jamminess. Finish maybe has a spearmint edge.
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Violet with some light separation at the edges. Nose green bell pepper, dark fruits. Palate mocha, chocolate, dark fruited yet nice balance, not heavy. Cool fruited, elegant. Some herbal complexity. Very nice.
Opened on this date as it was the only Napa cab that I had on hand, in honor of Alan Eden -- RIP Alan.
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This wine is the very definition of a 90 point wine to me. Nicely made, well balanced, eminently drinkable with or without food. Not remarkable but very enjoyable.
If I had to choose only one wine to drink for the rest of my life, this wouldn’t be my first choice. But if I didn’t get to choose and this is what I got, I’d count my lucky stars and be very happy to drink this Clos du Val until the cows come home. Good stuff and a decent QPR.
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Very acceptable but neither thrilling nor excellent. In the red fruit spectrum, quite sweet, some saline notes at the end, with tannins that are quite firm. This seemed better right after opening.
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2.5 years since prior bottle. Notes here echo previous tasting: "Gorgeous deep red. Nice cherry, black berry, hints of dark chocolate, cedar. Smooth, light tannin. Moderate length."
I'd add for this bottle, more black cherry than cherry, cassis, muted nose compared to palate, and that kept the wine from excelling. Got grippy after a point, and did not make me keep sipping with delight. So hmm still lots of variation here across bottles, and the added bottle time does not seem uniformly upwardly mobile. One more bottle to go, and plan to wait at least another couple of years.
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This bottle received quite a bit of buzz when it was released due to AG’s score. I tracked down a few bottles at the time. Figured now would be a good time to open the first. Cassis and blackberry on the nose, smooth, balanced. I think this wine will only get better, over the next 2-3 years. Great qpr.
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Beautiful wine. Shows the classic Old School style that Clos du Val is known for and possesses class, depth, and complexity in spades. The nose brims with black currants, cherries, leather, smoke, and asphalt. Firm and structured in the mouth, with perfect vibrancy, density, and weight, and flavors that underscore an elegant intensity and persistence. As good as this is now it will reward those who are patient.
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Great color - but that's all. No specific flaws, but not particularly Cab-like in aromas and faint at that. Little fruit, and what there is, is soft. Soft mouthfeel. Certainly under-filled, and arguably watered down. Such a waste. What's happened to this label? And, my scoring is generous.
Update: this did taste better on Day 2, so I'd revise my score to 87
This has calmed down a lot since I tried a bottle a couple years ago - much for the better. It's still a big wine, decently balanced, with a darker flavour profile. Tannins are moderate and reasonable. This does well with a bit of food. Similar impressions on day 2. The nose is a little more flinty and peppery.
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Great color - but that's all. No specific flaws, but not particularly Cab-like in aromas and faint at that. Little fruit, and what there is, is soft. Soft mouthfeel. Certainly undefiled, and arguably watered down. Such a waste. What's happened to this label? And, my scoring is generous.
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Pleasant and, to my palate, at the front of its drinking window. However, I don’t feel it has the structure to cellar for the long term, and it lacks the complexity to ever merit the 95+ rating bestowed on it by Galloni.
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This was a New Years eve bummer. Day 1 this was tight and tannic. Then day two not much better tannic oaky and dry not a lot of fruit. From all the other reviews I'm gonna chalk it up to certainly being young and maybe some bottle variation. Glad it was new years eve wouldn't have wanted to start the New Year with this one.
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With a Nopi Lamb recipe with pickled onion compote and Thai peanut sauce. An easy outstanding mark - speaks of its terroir, beautiful fruit quality with superb varietal expression. Moderate body, with a thick mouthfeel, and solid tannic outline. Throwing a lot of sediment already. Drinking well, in a youthful, but slightly developed manner. Will continue to age positively, in my view.
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Day one was tight and unappealing, Day two had bloomed - round fruit, balanced with peppery tannins, full bodied. Wine clearly needs more time in bottle. If this wine were available, would buy more, as excellent value.
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I would agree with others - this is a solid cabernet - good balance. Drinking well now and should improve a little more I would think. We felt like it was better 2nd day. So, maybe a little air.
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PnP. This wine has improved over the last year. Now all secondary flavors of mushroom, herbs with some currant. Nice backbone, good finish. Solid wine with some life left.
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I really wanted to like this wine but this final bottle from my 6 pack is just leaving me a bit disappointed. Red fruits dominate with minerals but the oak and wood is just too gritty and dry for my taste. There are silky smooth wines then there is this. There is notable bottle variation that I can see even in my TN across my bottles consumed over 2 years.
Agree with many of the other reviewers, remember this being just a little bit better and more complex. Nice enough and I would say a slightly above average QPR (I paid $30). I look on WS and now see the low is $45?! Lots of purple and blue fruit, firm tannin, med-long finish. I would drink in the next 3-4 years, can't see it going much longer.
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First and only bottle, decanted for 4h. Lots of fine and coarse sediment in the bottle. Plush, fruity nose, with lots of dark fruit and currant. Similar on the palate, with some char and mild oak influence. Not much in the way of complexity, unfortunately. Moderate acid and nicely textured medium(+) tannins.
We seem to remember this was much more compelling at the tasting where we purchased the bottle, back in July of 2016. Not sure if this is bottle variation, or for some other reason. Not sure if this will improve with time, but certainly approachable now. Pretty sad QPR at USD$36. "Very good," 87/100.
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Color of dark red. Scents of blackberry and red fruit. Tastes consistent with scents, and nice tannins. Consistent with prior note from about 18 months ago, and it’s a pretty good Napa Cab.
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This was a back up bottle and was not decanted. Still young and closed. Improved as we got through the bottle. Needs more time or an hour or two in the decanter. I am going to wait at least a year before trying another bottle.
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Finally took the plunge. 1st of 6, definitely a high qpr wine that's for sure. 95 points? No, not that, but very good. 90 minute decant with toasty oak, blueberry/chambord, cassis, olivy, cedar, coffee, a little grit, leather and some spice. Good finish. Of note, I don't feel like this has the weight to have more than a 7-10 year horizon, so adjusting my drinking window accordingly.
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Gave it about 2 hours and paired with duck breast. Opaque and full bodied. Average nose. Pleasant ripe dark blue and purple fruit that pairs well with meat, Long finish
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Chewy with a lot of green pepper funk that should calm down over time. Nice smoky background. Gets better after an hour open. I expect this to go up several points by 2020.
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Not quite ready for prime time just yet. It was enjoyable - but much better after an 90 min decant. A little spicy I thought and not quite organized or a complete package just yet. I'd give it another year in the bottle
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Decanted an hour. Great perfume of violets, tobacco and cassis. Alcohol is better integrated than a year ago. Red fruit, medium bodied, ripe but not gloppy, more on the rustic side, and still young but very easy drinking. Not super complex at this point but will probably get better with another 3-4 years in bottle.
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for the 20 bucks I paid this is hard to beat. Shows the depth and breadth of the 2013 vintage. Big, but not overdone. Tasty and balanced. Wish this wine was like this every year! hahaha...
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Great value. Deep purple color. Smooth and firm tannins. Love the oaky blackberry. Does not seem overly complex, but a well-balanced wine. Medium finish. Must say now have 2 bottles of this vintage and this was a pleasant surprise. I'm sure it will get even better with age. This is a nice value based wine that can be enjoyed with a meal with friends.
Definitely a buy at this price. Great QPR.
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did not cost much, in the mid 20's. So, was fine for the price. And it may indeed age quite well. but, for the moment, I don't quite understand the high ratings
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Further evidence of considerable bottle variation with this wine/vintage. Unlike the previous four bottles I've tasted since March 2016, this bottle had no excess ripeness. After an hour of decanting, exhibited notes of plums, tobacco, and dark berries.
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Nice wine very nice notes on the nose of tobacco, dark berries and on the palate tobacco, blackberry and some well integrated tannins. A bit thin on the mouth well made and reasonably priced.
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After seven bottles I finally saw what I had hoped for. Along with the deep red fruit there was black olive and Italian herb. Think I will slow down on the last five bottles and see how this might improve. Goes well with dark chocolate.
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Second of the blind reds for this quarter's S&E Wine Club. Theme was Chardonnays for white wine and red wines you can purchase at grocery stores.
Dark ruby with a purplish hue. Sweet spices on the nose with some black fruits, yet restrained. Heavy tannins (7/10) and medium bodied. Lots of oak on the palate with light dark fruits. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2028.
Definite potential but needs some more time to integrate and develop. (88+)
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92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Petite Sirah Inky purple. Fresh, young and compact rim.
Nice Napa Cabernet perfume. Crushed blackberry, chocolate, lavender, anise, and cedar wood.
The palate also expresses a lot of No-Cal characters. Blueberry, anise, vanilla seeds. Med full bodied, medium acidity, dry. Finish quite nicely on cedar, toasted oak, mocha, pepper.
Good entry level Napa that will stand up for 10-15 years if need be. 88
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Grapy and lacking complexity upon opening. With air showed some depth and fruit, but tannins and structure are to the fore. Nice and cassis and currant fruit mix with a bit of smoke. Tannins are fine, if firm, and consistent with the vintage. I'd give this a couple of years and then drink. Good value, I can understand the variability in scoring given the substantial structure.
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Third bottle, the first in more than a year, tasted over two days. The bouquet offered the same essences from last year, the Petite Sirah imparted coniferous forest note being especially pronounced. Strikingly more open from the outset, with gritty, bordering on velvety, and saturated tannins coming forward boldly within a half hour. Concentrated richness and deep, almost sensual, pure. Everything about the wine put my mind to palate staining deep purple. Pure pleasure.
On the downside, though this bottle was essentially open for business upon pulling the cork, it lacked a little of the lift (and thus power) that stood out with the previous two. Recorked and waited for air to allow the wine to develop. It remained wholly appealing the next day, essentially identical to the first, but the only one of the three bottles that did not add depth with air. In sum, the wine seemed a little muddled overall.
On the fence as to whether these differences are representative of the controversial variation, or the 14 months of bottle age. The first bottle tasted in March 2016 left the distinct impression that the wine should be enjoyed in the near term, the explanation I lean toward--quick development and short life--over variation. Still, a great wine and a tremendous Napa value. Recommend drinking by 2020.
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Dark ruby core, with violet reflections. Aromas of black raspberry, dust/gravel, feta cheese, and incense. Firm and taut yet fine-grained tannins. Decent balance of alcohol and acidity. Berries and stone carry through to the palate.
Previously tasted this at Boston Wine Expo 2016 and was not impressed, which was a bummer because I already had this in the cellar at home and was looking forward to trying it. This bottle is showing a lot better...perhaps due to (MUCH) better stems, a year+ of bottle age, or even the purported bottle variation of this wine. Regardless, this is a very nice bottle of Napa wine given what is typically available at the $30 price point.
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Darn! Must be bottle variation. Unlike the others, this one is quite hollow in the mid-palate, not bringing much fruit or secondary flavor expression. The structure is still there on the finish which is nice, but I wish it had more to hold up. Glad I didn't waste the cellar space on this one.
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Deep, dark color and bouquet. Some wood noticeable but not overdone. Full-bodied, intense dark fruits with a tannic finish. Not so drying that you can't enjoy this now but I think this needs a few years before it reveals it's best. My instinct is that this will smooth out and become very complex with some age. 94+
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I'm new to CT and I've always been a Tough Rater. This was better than the last bottle I had (based on my notes), but just slightly. Keeping this at 88 Points. Nice QPR. The color is a nice dark and clear purple. Nice rich savory aroma, followed by a nice, rich taste. Nice balance and smooth. Medium bodied with a nice longish finish.
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Decided to revisit after the last tasting late last year and put it next to the 2014 Louis Martini Alexander Valley cab which is also somewhat controversial in light of Parker's 97 rating. Purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate but the fruit came across a little light. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep and also a little tannic. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but I believe this vintage could use another year or so for the fruit to soften and integrate some more. In all, a solid cab for the price point but apparently I wasn't fortunate to pick-up one of Galloni's 95+ rated bottles with the alleged bottle variation. Although nowhere near Parker's 97 rating in my opinion, I personally preferred the 2014 Louis Martini Alexander Valley cab but not by much - a little fuller fruit. 92% cab, 7% merlot, and 1% petite syrah.
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Nice to see this label is drinkable again, and a reasonable value. First night this had an odd flavor (nothing "off," it just didn't taste that good), but that flavor disappeared second and third nights under pump with more traditional cab profile. And good balance/structure. This will be good for a while.
Maybe an off bottle but my only bottle do nothing to compare it to. Very little fruit, slightly bitter. Some tannic bite in the finish. Overall just meh.
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Enjoyable after 1+hr decant which was needed. Still little tannic and probably needs a little more time to integrate. Not sure their aren't better for the QPR $25 but still enjoyed. Maybe a little more time in the cellar. Have one more we'll see.
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Nice well made and solid Napa staple cab. Clos du Val volume label with napa fruit that lacks its own character. The Stags Leap estate bottle is quite abit better.
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Followed a 2012 Larkmead that lacked fruit & was somewhat closed. IMO the 2013 Clos du Val out-shined the Larkmead today. I don't expect the same result years down the line - but for now the QPR of the CdV is the winner tonight. I know that some of you may think this is crazy given the 3x price differential - but that's the way I'm going to call it tonight.
Spectrum of ripe blue and black fruit, and violets. Well-integrated, unobtrusive oak. Bright, velvety fruit, backed by slippery tannin. Delicious drinking even now. (92 Very good wine)
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Deep red color. I decanted this wine for an hour before drinking. Aromas of black currants, licorice and wood spices. Ripe, nicely-extracted fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and ripe, well-integrated tannins. Despite its youth, it had a surprising amount of grip and suaveness on the palate. I found this somewhat controversial wine to be several cuts above a mass produced Napa Cab and a decent value for the money.
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Galloni missed this boat on this one imo. Pop and pour, typical mass produced calif cab. Oak out of balance and lacking complexity. Weird finish and touch of heat to boot.
Glad this was a gift.
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There has been so much commentary on this (here and elsewhere) that I will be brief. I thought this was pretty good for the price paid ($25 from Wine Library), but it is certainly not an exceptional Napa Cab. Just very solid and, based on the bottle I had (which veers more to the lean/92 Galloni reivew, not the 95+ lush review) it needs some time to flesh out. Still enjoyed it though. Wouldn't pay over $30 for it.
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A lot of solid descriptive notes on this wine below... it is a classic Napa cabernet based wine that isn't too sweet/over manipulated... sadly for $25-30 this is indeed good QPR for the region. Drink now with a decant or age a 2-4 years.
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Pop and pour, drank most of the bottle on day 1 and saved a glass for day 2. There is some nice elegance here. It is not over the top, a fruit bomb or full of tannin. Stylistically, middle of the road. This is refreshing to taste in Napa. There was a fair amount of dusty cocoa. Day 2, it had lost a lot of the freshness without anything else showing up. I feel this might be a good value for domestic cabernet. I would like to see how it ages.
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I opened it too early as I was wanted to try as I am starting to see it being discounted. Agree with other reviews. Classic Napa Cab nose and lots of acidity. After an hour decant it just never came around. Kept me wanting for more. I would hold for 5 plus years and see how it develops
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Opened tight and bright. Very youthful nose, with considerable class and depth. The palate opened very well, displaying plenty of tannic grip and acid tang, with more layered nuances appearing with time in the glass, notably a more fleshy, plummy aspect. This is a fine wine and a tremendous bargain in the context of Napa cabernet, but the wine did seem to tail off on the finish after a couple of hours in the glass. At its peak (around one hour in the glass), this felt accomplished, complex and sophisticated. It is certainly built in the more traditional and reserved Napa style, and is none the worse for that. Antonio Galloni's backtracking on his initial 95 points is understandable. I still think he is overstating the quality of the wine somewhat, but I would be happy to call it an outstanding example - one which will develop quite well in the near to medium term. Holding this longer than 12 years might be pushing it - but it will be fascinating to see where this wine will go with age. Being based in New Zealand, I would like to try this blind up against some of NZ's better (and more expensive) examples of Cabernet from the 2013 vintage (also a great year) - I would like to see how this wine would stand up, in terms of quality and also the Kiwi wines - especially when the price points are taken into consideration.90+?
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I don't see the low to mid 90 scores with this one. Yes it isn't a fruit bomb and has some complexity but I just didn't enjoy it that much. It's a bit hollow in the middle with a mint-like flavor that comes through. Bit on the acidic side for a cab so lacks a bit of plushness. Actually reminds more of a Sonoma cab - little less ripe with different signatures. Not bad by any means but don't see repurchasing even at price point. Have another bottle to try though which I'll give more air time to see if makes a difference.
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Solid wine at the price point, but still showing mostly structure and rather shy. Needed about 3hrs air to show much. Black currants and flint on the nose. Palate is very shy and hiding behind the tannins and acidity typical of '13. Comes across as having red fruit, quite fresh and forward, but leaves the palate quickly with the perception of clipped finish. I think this will fill out and gain depth with time.
Really great. I get the high ratings. In a blind taste test I might do the same, though much of that rating would be based on potential to age well and that is the big question mark.
I drank it over three days while vacuum sealing after each pour. The first day I really liked it but could tell that it needed some air. I got a well balanced taste with less fruit and more leather than almost all other less than $30 Napa cabs that I have tried. Though it did seem to run a bit hot. I drank it at room temperature and it was a bit hot outside that day. If the wine was a bit colder it might have been better. Day two it was at its best. It had opened up and I could taste more of the fruit. By day 3 it was still very good. Most wines at this price point would really start to break down by day 3 but this was still drinking well.
I bought 6 more and am excited to see how it ages.
Enjoyed at Trulucks in Naples. Great value selection from the wine list. First glass was a bit tight, edges smoothed out a bit after 30 minutes. Dark fruit flavors, enjoyable.
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Appealing in its solid structure for the price. Also gotta acknowledge its high profile presence in every rom com produced in recent vintages. Nose and mid palate are noticeably meaty in nature. I like the dark fruit reference as the detail is tough to discern. It's as if one is enjoying a clearly well made wine w a stuffed nose. Go figure...
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Bottle 3 of 12. Still hoping this is a very young wine. Totally drinkable with smooth black fruit but no great complexity for a wine in this price range.
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Dark magenta and clear in the glass. Blackberry, lead pencil, violets, and some smoke on the nose. Same notes on the mid-palate supported by well-balanced structure. Mid to short blackberry finish. (89-90).
There has been a lot of speculation about lot variation, regarding this 13 Clos Du Val, which I have previously disregarded. Now, I'm on board. This bottle was quite a bit leaner than all of the others I have drank. Not nearly as full, opulent, and silky in the mouth as the others. But, it did present a magnificent nose. Pure Pessac, a la 2010 Haut Bailly. Despite that nose (which I could enjoy for hours), still inferior to previous bottles. And wouldn't you know it! This is the lot that I have two cases of.........
Still, a very good bottle and excellent value at <$30/750. Not so sure at the $40/750 that some grocers are asking......
As most people are saying great aromatics. Gave a 2 hour decant which helped quite a bit (tried right out of the bottle before decanting). Again as most people are saying this is an old school wine not fruit forward. I still found it in balance and a very good wine for the $23 I paid for it. Will be buying more. Very good daily drinker with a healthy decant.
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Nose is amazing! Beyond that, underperforming. Nose is rich with blackberry liquor, violets, a touch of menthol. Palate: restrained cherry, plum, and lots of leather, a bit much. Good acidity. Most problematic thing is it's noticeably hot, more than one would expect at 14.1%. Even on day 2, when the tannins have calmed down and bright red fruits are brought nicely in balance, I'm still thinking, mmm, hot. But I could smell this all day long.
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This wine has been reviewed many times in many ways, but - details and score aside - one thing stands out for me: this wine over-performs for the price. It costs $30 (or less) and drinks like $50 (or more). The aromatics, complexity, and finish are far more than I expect from a wine at this price, and - in Napa or anywhere else - this should be applauded.
On to the more traditional note: Dark red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and straw. Layered tastes of blackberry, granite, cedar, mint, and vanilla, with a tannic, grainy, and sweet finish that lingers pleasantly. 14.1% alcohol. Needs a decant, and has the stuffing to age. Even with the risk of bottle variation, it's worth a try. The $30-and-under Napa cabernet market can be a discouraging place (aside from Mondavi, Beringer, and a few others), and this wine, in this vintage, is a notable exception.
Dark garnet in color. Vanilla, spice , leather and red fruits on the nose. Dried cherries, cedar, pomegranate with good acidity and somewhat drying tannins. Elegant in style. Young. PNP, then continued to taste for about an hour. I will likely enjoy this more after a few years in bottle.
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Similar to my last note in March, but time has done this some good as the elegance is really coming through on the wine at this time. Perfumed blueberry, blackberry and leather notes with a good amount of floral notes coming through. Palate remains middle weight and shows more of a complex character than the Hall Cab in the next glass.
Started opening up after sitting in the decanter for 1+ hours. Strong dust on the nose, and flavors of pluots and mint on the mineral palate. A more dialed-down version than the previous vintage, and more true to the house style. Label still says 14.1% ABV. Would try again in 2019+ 89++
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Very good. Followed a bottle of 2012 Frank Family Cab, and it held its own in terms of nose, balance, and finish. What's more, it's only half the price so I expect to stash a few more bottles.
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i agree wholeheartedly with mpilot. you MUST let this breath before drinking - at least an hour. overly acidic at the start and flavor is lacking. after decanting, the acidity is less and it has some taste. no wonder it's only $25 at totalwine. should be less. daou is a LOT better.
Started out a little bit rough with some bite... Was much smoother and integrated the second day... Very tasty once it opened up... Needs a little time, so plan on decanting in advance.
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Bottle 2 of 12. Very dark, smooth and soft. No obvious tannins for such a young wine which I hope is a good sign but not sure. First bottles of Clos du Val so not sure if this typical in the early years.
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What's up with all the good reviews? Did I just have a bad bottle? I don't think so. The wine was kind of bitter and edgy. I did not want to take another sip.
Dark magenta with blackberry-colored center and clear in the glass. Blackberry, cassis, espresso, anise, and violets on the nose and palate. Just a hint of oak. Silky and round mid-palate and long blueberry, anise, and mint finish. Wow, what a bottle!
This wine is just getting started. Good chance it'll be a 94-95 in 5-10yrs.
92-93pts
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Forget Galloni's 95pt rating and all the hype, view this as an excellent, one of the best, bang for buck Napa (stag's leap) cabs out there. With the price point, you can acquire cases to consume over the next couple years... you'll be very happy. See this similar to Jamison Ranch 2013 cab with slightly better price point. No further tasting notes from what others have provided. A well structured cab made from excellent fruits, approachable with medium alcohol, pair with almost any red/white meat.
A very young looking, bright, semi-opaque purple in color. Looks like a CA Petite Sirah. Offers a pretty Napa nose of earth, dark berries and spice. Full-bodied and rich. Initially very tight and restrained, this only began to open up after about 90 minutes. At that point, it began to show its ripe blackberry and plum fruit. Well-balanced, with a mild acidity and notes of coffee, oak and earth on the slightly tannic finish. Quite primary now, but very good quality for a $26 Napa Cabernet. Just needs time to unwind and come together. Cannot fathom the 95 point score from Galloni though. Evidently he pulled "a Suckling" on this one. 50+5+12+16+7=90
Dark ruby core with minimal fading at rim. Darker fruit flavors dominated such as blackberry and black currant. There was a hint of pepper on the nose and finish. Medium to heavy bodied with moderate tannins and barely noticeable acidity. Wine didn't evolve much in the glass, but that may be owing in part to its youth. Overall a very nice Napa cab from the much touted 2013 vintage.
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Served with grilled steak, potato salad, mixed garden greens. Decanted 1 hour. Gorgeous deep red. Nice cherry, black berry, hints of dark chocolate, cedar. Smooth, light tannin. Moderate length. Grew in sweetness as it warmed, perhaps too much so--made the lushness seem just a tad much. That said, enjoyable, and perhaps with age or even more air time, greater depth will result. Interesting variation across notes, especially on readiness, tannin. Have a couple more bottles to sit on--try again in 6 months or a year.
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This was perhaps the best bottle of 13 ClosDuVal among the 4 or 5 that I've had.
Blackberry core, with magenta rim and clear in the glass. Cassis, blackberry, coffee, anise, and violets on the nose and palate. Not quite silky, but round tannins. Intense, focused, complex, and balanced. 92-93pts.
As with previous bottles, I enjoyed this wine served at around 55F. Warmer, at room temp, was a little stiff.
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A young Cab that had nice mouth feel and balance. Exhibited a touch of back end tannin that hinted at the wine being better with age. Went very well when served at a potluck along with a slow cooker brownie pudding that reminded folks of a lava cake.
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Still too young to really pass judgement but holds promise for the future. For $24 it's worth picking up a case just to see how it evolves. I suspect this may reach 92-93 pts in four to five years. The nose is surprisingly not as alchoholic as feared but giving dark fruit. Still rather grapey on the palate but shows promise
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Nose leaned more bordeaux than california. Pencil shavings, leather, cedar, with a freshness from maybe tart berries?
Palatte (tasting over a few hours): A very sharp and focused acidity leads to flavors of tart red cherries, dried sage, fresh sweet cigar and loads of tannins. After a couple hours, the acid integrates a little more and the tannins come alive a little more along with the fruit.
Tasted on the second day, and showed a decent backbone of fruit. I guess I got a decent bottle, and would lay this down if I could get the same bottle. It has all the components to be able to improve with some time.
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This wine should be "the standard $20 cab" as far as I'm concerned. Good dark fruit purity on day 1, with moderate intensity but fine tannin (like a bittersweet cocoa), good acid. This will go down in my book as one of the truly appropriately priced Cali Cabs (the other that comes to mind was the '11 Broadside Margerita). Not worth $38, but happy to pay the $24.
This bottle was really tightly wound, with dark fruit and cocoa. Huge presence of tannins and rather sharp mouthfeel. I would have liked to see a little more Merlot in the blend, else it needs a few years time. Agree that this is a midweek drinker, but from a good producer in an excellent vintage, I was underwhelmed
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Superb for the price after a 2 hour decant. Nose of green pepper dominates at the point. Nicely concentrated with decent body. Tannins and acids covering the fruit. Strong hold.
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Poured into glasses and let sit for a quarter-hour. Nothing special at first: a little dull, tannins somewhat bitter. Opened up nicely during the meal, though, gaining weight, complexity, and opulence. It does need a couple of years sideways. A very good QPR in Napa Cab.
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Consistent with some prior notes, clear signs of bottle variation. This bottle tasted better than the previous. Has complexity and not too much oak. Tannins are way too young and aggressive though. Overall, a solid work day Cab that is similar to Cameron Hughes Lot 525.
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I just had to try this after all the positive comments here. It's a solid offering at it's price point but I cannot fathom how you can see a 95pt wine. Strictly on its merits it's solid everyday drinker for early drinking and see some upside aging 5-7 years but I sense it does not have the structure or concentration for long term aging. At best I see this rounding out over the next few years and may gain a few more points before fading.
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Adding another data point to the polarizing pile of reviews. Good concentration of dark fruit, medium mouth feel. Fair acidity. Needs some time to open up at this time. Food friendly. If you go in with the idea that 95 pts = plush/oppulent Napa cab you will be disappointed. If you go in with the idea that this is a $25 mid week cab to have with dinner you will be happy.. but not necessarily impressed.
Great vintage for Clos du Val! Not as tannic as past vintages. Really nicely done. My favorite under $30 cab right now. Nice mid palate and finish. Ripe red and dark fruit, rhubarb mid palate and focused long finish.
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First day not rated as it was really out of balance and funky...tart acid and tannins...thick and dark...but not ready. vacuum pumped 3/4 of the bottle and stuck in the fridge to reattempt the next day. Day 2 great nose. Nose of Chalk, charcoal, dust and cassis. much better and approachable...cassis, blueberries, then tart kiwi, big bitter tannins...long finish. Don't drink these for a year or two. NR
I think too early to drink. What peeked thru shows promise of what's to come. Day 2 it softens up a bit but not too much. Good buy to hold for a couple of years.
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Drank over a 7 hour period. There is serious bottle variation in the Chicago area. Tonight's bottle from a grocery store was thin, little structure, lacking any of the dark Napa fruit...87 points. Bottle from Vin previously was great...93 points and had all the black and blue fruit, currant and chocolate. Very disappointed in this bottle and the winery overall for the significant variation.
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Another bottle of different provenance than the last; drank over three days. Another excellent showing. Yes, it is fruit forward, but it also features excellent concentration, without over extraction, and ample bracing substance. The one percent Petite Sirah also stood out with this bottle, adding strong summertime coniferous forest and bramble notes. Well balanced, alcohol and oak are in check, stalwart finish. Regarding the speculation over bottle variation...it seems the only thing left to do is try a third bottle from yet another location.
Zum Wohl!
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Deep, inky purple, almost black. Oak-dominated nose masks pretty much everything but cedar. Drying, dusty oak-derived tannins. Nice acidity and structure suggests perhaps there's more on the upside, but I have to assume there is significant bottle variation here.
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So, I had to try given that AG gave this a 95. My expectations for Clos du Val are pretty low, like 85-89 range. Its usually overrated. This was a nice surprise and was not only drinkable from the get go, it got better with some more air. Drank over a 4 hour period. Fruit forward and tannins in check, obviously a monster vintage in Napa. As for the rating, today, a solid 92+. I hope it gets to 93 with some time, but can't see the 94/95 range happening. It's a fun wine that for the price is highly recommended.
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This one really impressed me. Very solid from nose to finish, it over delivered for the price. Dense cassis and blueberry, with a touch of black fruit.
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I normally don't like Clos Du Val Cabernets. Galloni gave it a huge review so i had to give it a shot. Tastes like a fruit forward Bordeaux. And that's a good thing. Mid bodied and ripe tannins with tons of dark and red cherry fruit. Drank over 3 days. Day 3 might have been its best. Drink now through 2022. Best CDV I've ever had.
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There is a good cassis profile on the nose as well as the palet with this Cabernet. I like it's density and balance too. For the money, this Cabernet over achieves IMO. Truely a great value....
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"Classic" Napa Cab New Releases; 3/12/2016-3/14/2016 (Lakes Region, NH): Nose: Violets, Blackberry, Cherry, Sage and sweet earth notes. Very classic napa, but in a old world way. Palate: Decidedly middle weight palate feel, with elegant blackberry, graphite and cherry notes on entry. Some astringency, but it is young. Finish: Good round edges in the finish with some herb notes.
Hypothetical Margaux/Stags Leap blend here. This was just much more perfumed and elegant than the others in this group. Needs time, but still #1 today.
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Taste wise, this is very similar to some of the better 2013 Cabs from Cameron Hughes. Right now, the oak dominates and tannins are intrusively bitter on the palate. Little joy yet; could improve with time. I don't quite get the buzz about this wine.
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Well, I think this wine is fantastic. It displays sweet tannins, fresh acidity, and a great balance. It is full body with dark berries, licorice, fresh flowers, asphalt, and bubble gum. There aren't enough earthy/green notes to make the wine appear Bordeaux-like, but oak is completely under control (or totally masked by the fruit). I'm thinking 94 points (I usually find Galloni's reviews well aligned with my palate).
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Lot of discussion over this wine so figured I would give it a try. Decanted for 2 hours. Mocha, blackberry, dark cherry and spice on the nose. Was not giving uo anything when I first opened it though. This has a nice mouth feel that coats the mouth with flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, chocolate and Asian spice. This was rather strange because it was nice on the attack but kind of died in the mid palate for a second before coming back with a nice finish of about 20-25 seconds. A nice wine, especially for the money but 95 points? Not this bottle at least. I might get a few more of these though.
Well...this was interesting...and the 95 point controversy even more so.
Pulling the cork, pouring off a couple of ounces, and lingering over the bouquet, imparted four distinct impressions:
- There is a lot of fruit here. (Surprise, surprise, and Napa CS that features fruit!) - There is NOT a lot of oak here. (Delightful but unsurprising, as excessive oak masks quality.) - There is not a lot of alcohol here. (Now this is getting interesting, high fruit, low lumber, moderate alcohol. From Napa? For real?) - This does not smell like a true Bordeaux blend. (I was unsurprised to find the wine sports one percent Petite Sirah, which is particularly pronounced.)
During the first 30 to 45 minutes the wine was mostly about fruit, lots of it, black and blue berries in particular, with notes of coniferous tree grove, moss, peat, tar, peppers, green peppercorn, and herbs. The acid and structure were solid, the mouthfeel rounded, and the balance noteworthy...
...and then the wine revealed its tannic teeth and mineral depth in a very big way! It's not that the fruit was no longer present but the tannic grip and focused minerality sliced through the middle of it. Not drying, powdery to dusty tannins either, but the juicy, gritty to 80 grain sandpaper variety. (Similar to a recent tasting experience with a 2010 La Dame de Montrose.) In my experience most Napa wines do not add substance, weight, and depth from front to back. (Instead, Napa wines with 'big' finishes tend to feature a range of oak imparted baking spices, sometimes bitter oak elements, light acid, light tannins, and singeing heat.) Well, the present wine does strengthen from front to back, and the structure at the back conveys a tremendous sense of terroir, although the dollop of Petite Sirah makes this drink more like an intriguing red blend.
On the second day, the tannins and minerals, which impart an impression the vines grow over a mine, a coal mine in particular, had come to play in a big way. Both still swam in an ocean of fruit, but had no trouble making their presence known. The wine is uniquely balanced, and heat is not a significant factor.
A different wine for Napa, and a quality wine. I do not think this will be an extended ager though. It may hold a few years past 2020, and at the price point it may be worth holding onto a bottle or two to see if it does, but for the most part it should be enjoyed over the next three to five years. I plan on picking up another bottle or two, from different regions to check into the bottle variation speculation. Overall, the wine features too much substance and balance to ignore, and to score less than 92 to 93 points.
This wine is fun, if only because it has caused so much controversy here and on other wine boards. A sub $30 95-pt cab from Napa? Wow! Sign me up! Sorry to say, but I've now had six of these and none have been anywhere near what I would call a 95pt cab. If the grapes that went into these 400,000 or so bottles couldn't make it into any of their higher end bottles, then I would say the chances of that kind of quality all the way down the line is pretty minimal. Of the six bottles I've had, there was a noticeable fall off on one, so perhaps that is part of the bottle variation being mentioned here.
All that said, this is a nice bottle for the $21 I paid for it. Gorgeous purple in the glass with great notes of cassis and black cherries, this wine has better purity of fruit and complexity than you would expect at this level. The tannins are pretty harsh, and there is a bitterness about it that is a bit off putting, but perhaps that will diminish with some bottle age. Certainly doesn't have the concentration or layers to compete too far above its weight class, but nevertheless, a nice glass. I side with Parker here: 89-90pts.
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Rich and deep, but not OTT. Notes of black cherry, red currant, leather, clove, hints of herb, earth, cedar. Nicely balanced with chewy tannins, medium acidity, and a nice lingering finish. Found this quite impressive and a great QPR for a '13 Napa Cab.
I can confirm the wide variability of this vintage. Opened an impressive bottle upon receiving a case ordered in November. Fantastic 94-95 points. On vacation in Maui and grabbed a bottle for Superbowl. Loved the outcome of the game, but disappointed in the wine. 85 points. Simple, no complexity. Poor QPR given price I paid at Whole Foods. Returned home to open a second bottle from my cellar and this bottle spot on .. 94 points an exceptional wine for both the nose and palate. The difference between the two sources was similar to the two teams playing the Superbowl. Highly recommended if you can find one of the good bottles
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Currently a fairly forgettable wine. Agree with reviewers about dryness of the taste. I appreciate that it is not made in the style of a fruit bomb. Perhaps with time it will become more expressive and take on softer tones. Should improve with age- best to hold bottles if you have them.
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Really solid bottle of cab for the price. Nothing spectacular, but held up nicely against a charred steak. I hear that people get very mixed results on this bottling, so I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase much. But it was a nice QPR on an otherwise expensive restaurant wine list.
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One of my first '13s. 4 hr decant, showing nicely as we progressed through the bottle.. Fruit seems a bit muted but continued to show more as we drank. Typical SLD profile. 91 pts for now. Great value, but not good enough for me to buy more (space problems...don't we all?) I have another bottle and will revisit in a year. Serve @ 55-65F...above that it will seem tannic and hot.
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For the record, Galloni has modified/updated his review of this wine. Evidently, there were over 400,000 (!) bottles of this produced. Galloni re-tasted numerous bottles and concluded that there is a noticeable amount of bottle variation. There is no information available as to whether or not the winery bottled more than one lot of the 2013 Napa Cab. I haven't had this and probably won't given the mystery. Looks to be a "buyer beware" situation. Though I suppose at $30 a bottle, it might be an affordable experiment!
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Clear with medium+ intensity and ruby appearance. Nose is clean with medium+ intensity. Notes of blackberry, leather and vanilla. Palate is dry with high acidity, medium+ tannins, and medium+ body. Black fruit, vanilla, dark cherry. Medium finish.
Good wine. A little hot on the finish.
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Intense magenta with very dark center. Charming and open nose with blackberry, violets, charcoal, and anise. Same notes on the palate, supported by wonderfully silky and firm structure, with some coffee, bitter chocolate as well. Fairly long, smooth finish which echoes initial notes. No hard edges. Ample, but not over-powering, fine-grained tannins. (92-93pts).
A wise wino once said to me, "It's really easy to spend $100-$200 to get a great bottle of of wine. The hardest thing in the wine world is to spend $20-$30, AND get a great bottle of wine.". I am coming to believe that what is even harder than that, for some people, is to spend $20-$30, get a great bottle, AND recognize that they got a great bottle.
With that in mind, consider that I opened this Clos Du Val shortly after finishing two different 2012 left bank (i.e. CabernetSauv-based) Bordeauxs. Both came from highly regarded Chateaus and each cost roughly 4 times the cost of the Clos Du Val. IMHO, the Clos Du Val was far superior in structure and complexity to one of the Bordeauxs and almost equal to the other, in the same terms.
Whether it's Pinot, Nebbiolo, Cabernet, Syrah, or Sangiovese; Whether it's made in France, Italy, Spain, or....even Napa Valley, it IS possible, albeit difficult, to get a great (i.e. 93-95pt) bottle of wine for less than $30/750. For me, with respect to Napa Cabs, this 2013 Clos Du Val has been one of those wines.
Made from...92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petite Sirah, aged 18 months 25% new oak barrels. Looks like I'm one of only two posters to have a btl living up to AGs original excitement and optimism for this wine. This is a very significant step up from the 2012 I had a couple months ago. Deep dark garnet color. With my original full pour the color nearly purple but turns dark garnet as I consumed 1/2 of my pour. My btl was notably complex, concentrated, and interesting from the pull of the cork. I just popped the cork an hour prior to dinner and poured a BDX glass to let it breath. It was immediately aromatic of cedar and dark fruit. Even showed a little damp forest floor on the nose. The oak was way in the background on the nose and palate both. After about 30 minutes this was in full bloom with an intriguing palate of damp forest floor, dark cherry, cassis, more cedar and other hard to peg flavors. Mid weight and defined. It was unexpectedly complex for this humble $28 price point. Pretty pleasant texture for the first hour but also focus and structure. After dinner the tannins firmed up and reminded that this is still a young Cab. I would not decant this wine. I bought mine " on sale" for $28 and would buy more tomorrow but need to wait for another local sale. I'll grab 3 more and hope for the best as this particular btl was fantastic. 14.1% Alc. My first 2013 CA Cab and it was a beauty! Hope my return visit is as good! Paid $28, drank like a pre 2002 $90 Etude. I like my reds at near cellar temp so this was drank between 58 and 62 degrees. If you drink these bigger red at warm temps your experience may be totally different.
Lovely nose of black currant and raspberry with menthol and oak nuance. Middle-weight, fresh with soft tannin, dark fruit-driven flavors, and a well-rounded mid-palate. However, the finish is disjointed and just drops off a cliff (at least in this bottle). Odd since Cab S is often thought of as a 'donut wine' with a hole in the middle and a long finish. Good wine on the upfront and balance fronts, but I am skeptical the finish will resolve with time.
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This wine shows good varietal characteristics. Cassis, dry, silky, and nicely framed tannins. I would buy this again @ under $25, good value. 95 points by Galloni....preposterous!
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95 points no way. I dont ever see this being 95 Points. It was a little tight, closed, lighter in body, disjointed, black pepper, and somewhat harsh. But after all its a $24 bottle of wine. And lets be honest if it was that good it wouldn't be $24.
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I agree with cristal2000 - for this to be compared at 95 points to the heavyweights of Napa Cab is utter nonsense. While a nice wine, good fruit, ripe, black and red fruits, good nose, medium body, but not a lot of length, it doesn't even come close to what I expect from a Napa Cabernet. It pales in comparison structure wise- the complexity lacks... It just plain does. How in the hell is Gallioni rating this at 95 points? From now on, sorry to say, I cannot trust his reviews anymore... You're talking about Juslyn, spottswoode, real POWER CABS. This doesn't even touch that level- that being said, for the price, it's a nice, balanced wine- but if you expect something great, you'll be disappointed...
Don't quite understand the hype around this wine. It seemed average and one dimensional, although very young. There are, in my opinion, better wines in this price range with far better character and structure, such as the 2012 Sequoyia Groves, 2011-12 Honig, or Black Stallion. Perhaps consider holding for a few years to see if anything resolves out of this.
I agree with the other reviewers. This isn't complex or nuanced, but it somehow captures the archetypical central tendencies of Napa Cab. Cherry and currant flavors with a hint of sweetness. I enjoyed it.
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Medium intensity of red and black fruits, some spice and black tea, tempered by a dollop of oak against a background of very fine-grained tannins, medium finish/length. The most impressive aspect is the balance demonstrated a wine of this production and price. A deal if $25, but merely "fair" if $30-40. A lot of potential to improve with even a few years in the bottle.
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Phenomenal. No notes (I'm still on HCG and can't trust my tastebuds) but if you're wondering whether it's worth it: YES. Back up the truck. It needs a decant -- I gave it an hour, which wasn't quite enough, but it was a good start.
Opaque purple color turning violet at the rim with a thin transparent edge. The nose gives off dark berries, licorice, briary spice on newly toasted oak, smoke, and eucalyptus. The palate is full-bodied, attractively spicy, fleshy, tannin in the texture with enough structure for medium term aging. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry, plum, black pepper, vanilla, and toasted oak flavors that remind me of a young Barolo. The 2013 has definitely reinforced Clos du Val's reputation and stature - even better than the 2012. This elegantly balances ripe fruit with Old World charm. Finishes long and spicy with hints of mint. Drink now with a 1-hr decant or better in 2018 to 2028. 93+
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Deep indigo purple in glass, nose of dark berries and cassis with a floral overtone. Similar on palate with a touch of leather, still a little tight. Smooth texture, balanced. Look forward to future bottles.
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2nd bottle. Had 1st about a week ago. for some reason I'm getting very dominant oak on this bottle. For me it's a bit distracting. Not a bad wine but I think it could stand more cellar time to let the oak integrate.
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Deep reddish purple color. Light nose of blackberry and cherry. Blackberry, cherry, and pepper on the palate. Smooth finish. Good wine for the price and I expect will get better with age.
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I agree with others that this is a really solid California cab at under 30. I also agree that this is not a 95 point wine but it's clearly batting above it's average. glad I have 6 of these. Tannins are present but more muted and fruit still going strong on day 2. Recommended.
Ok, I don't know what Galloni tasted, but this is NOT a 95 point wine, at least not the bottle I tried, it may turn into a 95 point wine, but only time will tell .... it had classic Cabernet fruit, but it was a but the tannins were a bit to astringent for me, and the wine was closed. I bought about 4 bottles of this, hope it will turn into a better wine, I should have looked a little closer, I was thinking RP himself rated this. Oh well, no big deal ...
At this moment, if you are looking for a $20 wine to drink now (or in the future) may I suggest the 2013 2013 Black Slate La Vilella Alta ??
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Great cab for the money. Definitely a little tight and could use some time but still drinks well. Nice balance, would love to try one in 5-10 years as I think it could evolve into something special.
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Intense red/violet in the glass, with dark center. Highly fragrant and aromatic with: blackberry, violets, vanilla, and faint hints of some darker, earthy, coffee-type notes. Similar notes on the palate with dark chocolate and mint as well. Long silky smooth finish, which echoes initial flavors. About as perfect as a wine can get with respect to mouthfeel: generous and smooth, yet still firm and focused. Complex and balanced. Yet, with all this going on, the wine remains precise and elegant.
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Had to give this wine a whirl based on the positive reviews. First, in my very non-expert opinion, Galloni just needs to stop rating cabernet from Napa. Please, please, stop. 95pts? On an absolute scale? That is ridiculous. It's one point less than the 2012 Schrader CCS? Come on! That's utter nonsense. Relative to the $21 I paid for the wine? Perhaps. All that said, it is quite gorgeous coming out of the bottle. There is very very rich depth and feel to the wine that you aren't normally getting for $21. The nose is a little muted, but the notes of cherries and cassis are pleasing. The texture is excellent, but the wine is still clearly lacking the concentration, complexity and finish of a higher end wine. A value for the price, considering it is very hard to find anything decent under $30 in Napa Cabs. Still, it's not reaching the better cabs at around $50, like Chappellet Signature or Round Pond Estate.
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Everything it it's place for a young wine. Beautiful, rich, inviting aromatics followed by complex taste of blackberries, cassis, and raspberries. Finishes with a touch of oak. Nicely balanced, just the right levels of acidity. At a great price for a Napa cab to boot !
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This has potential to be a great QPR and a really excellent wine. I see the potential. The problem was that over three days it wandered aimlessly all over the map from really nice to totally disjointed. Was really good day #1 with a dense, mocha driven palate. It was a bit edgy and out of balance but the quality of the parts was there. Totally disjointed on day #2 - almost undrinkable. Bounced back on day #3 with fragrant nose and silky palate showing mocha and toast on nose and palate. Really interesting for a sub $30 wine.
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What a surprise for the money. Another example of how good 2013 vintage is. Deep, rich, reddish, purple ink like color. Purple and red fruit, red berries, some leather and oak. Good structure and nice tannins. Drinking nicely right now. Considering the modest price, I didn’t expect such a nice wine. Good showing for an elegant, entry level Napa Cab. 90.5 Points.
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I'm surprised at all the positive reviews, as this wine was closed for business to me. Hints of what's in there with peppery red fruit and moderate tannings, but really closed down. Served a bit too cold, but never really opened up at all when it warmed. Re-corked and will reevaluate tonight. Not rated - likely hold.
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Intense violet/red in the glass. Blackberry, violets, vanilla, and anise on the nose and palate. Smooth, firm structure. Moderate taninns. Appropriate alcohol. Very young, but inexpensive enough that it can be enjoyed guilt-free now. Clearly, will improve with cellaring. Excellent bottle. 92pts.
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So for 20 bucks it is best grocery store wine off the open shelf. Drank next to a 2012 hidden ridge. Hidden ridge had the clos du Val beat by far. Clos du Val had some red fruit but very closed and dry on the finish. Nose was closed. Not going back to this one.
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Deftly balanced, and oozing with richness, this seledulous Cabernet is quasi new and old world all within the manifold. Eucalyptus, black cherry, pipe tobacco, currant and mineral all harmonize with layered, polished, savory tannins that run throughout the echoing finish. Structured for the long haul. Decanted for an hour. Drink 2018 - 2033.
This is clearly a QPR winner. I suspect the person that rated it a 84 did not leave any wine for day two. On the first day, the wine was as tight as can be. I poured a glass, put the bottle in the fridge overnight, and then left the bottle on the counter uncorked for all of day two. On day two, this wine is starting to strut its stuff, gaining considerable more weight. Still somewhat muted on the nose but so much more taste than the prior day. Still very tannic and made in a more elegant style than the Myriads I pop frequently. If it had a bit more acidity and a touch more sweetness, it would be a solid 94-95 for me.
This is definitely a wine to put away for several years and the balance is there with no alcohol poking out at any point. You can't go wrong at this price point (under $30). I wonder if I can save any for a day three experience?
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Prepared a nice sunday dinner of roast beef. Looked forward to complimenting with this wine. Such a huge disappointment. It produced no flavor whatsoever
Nov 21st 2015 "Getting the Band back Together" Tasting at Adam's (Phredd's Casa): Second wine in the line-up courtesy of Rick & Jo, tossed into a decanter while we were finishing up the ancestral Negrette Columbulle. Earthy funk notes eventually opened up into jammy red fruits and spice with some green notes. Tannins were tight and dense and really closing things down on the palate about halfway through. Right now the tannins were too much, not sure how much it needs but 2 years and a brief decant not looking like near enough time. 14.1% abv. Overall Evaluation: B.
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After a few years of disappointment from this producer, had to try the 'new regime' 2013, especially after a huge Galloni review. Not disappointed at all, just released a bit too early, and will benefit greatly from another year+ in bottle. Inky-black extraction, with rich underlying classic Napa flavors of cassis, blackberry, tobacco and some vanilla touches. Grippy tannins right now, but points to nice age ability, and should show marked improvement over time. Suspect the great QPR is a focused tool to gain label traction for this entry-level line, and will pack away a case for future use. You might want to do the same.
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This is a solid 90 point wine. Everything you would expect from a Napa Cab and more! At just over $21 buck (Total Wines) this is wine is a tremendous value.
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Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a symphony of smooth polished complex flavors - tightly wound blackberry, black cherry, hints of plum and currant fruits accented by tones of black tea, black olive, hints of vanilla, light toast, and tobacco on the finely integrated supply sinewy tannin finish.
I think this wine is tremendous for $22! First off…I HATE sweet cabernet….pretty much what you get at this price point…as well as some of the super duper high priced bombs. Beringer Knights Valley is a good comparison…..good wine at similar pricing…but I find this bottle less sweet, and better to my liking then the many 12 KVs I've had(my wife LOVES Beringer!). Here you get inky purple liqueured berry fruit….young and dark, but not too sweet, just ripe. WONDERFUL dusty graphite powder dryness…ala Casanova di Neri Brunello……spicy tannins…pretty firm and dry…but not annoying or clamping…just the way I like them at this young stage……showing pretty good balance to age…….then nice complexities of licorice, cherrywood smoke, dried currants, creme de cassis……little dry and flat on flavor in the finish, but I see that increasing with complexity with age. All in all….for the $…I'd drink this all day long!! And potential for aging with upside to boot!
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Tons of mocha, coffee, wood on the nose. There's also plenty of structure showing on the palate with the addition of some earth, dark ripe fruit, and nice acidity. The dark purple and black fruit is sitting just underneath the structure. Something I noticed when tasting the 2010 last year, but this is a bit riper and more vibrant, and maybe a little less noise and not as tannic.
With some air, more vanilla on the nose, and sweeter dark berry fruit coming out on the palate. Not doing as well as it warms, with the oak slightly more apparent than the heat. Medium tannin and finish. Good to very good, and definitely a nice value play if you like straight ahead Napa Cab. Wouldn't hold this much past ten years however.
Well, the nose lives up to the promise. Two directors of Latour first worked here? And darn, right off the cork pull the palate lives up to the promise as well. That is darn good stuff.
A blend off of Yorkville, Stag's Leap and Oakville.
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5/5/2024 - maxmanx wrote:
Don't get the 95 AG score, but definitely a very nice bottle of cabernet and very good QPR at $25. Would buy again at that price, but probably not at $50+.
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3/11/2024 - Magnum PI Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Even considering the price point of $50, this is mundane with nothing to recommend it. There is no facet of this bottle that supports a tenable argument that it is anything other than pedestrian. I would say "drink now", but am leaning towards "drink never". The "87" was generous.
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1/21/2024 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not as enamored as I was several years ago. May be past its prime. Fairly smooth but fruit fairly bland.
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1/6/2024 - HU Likes this wine: 92 Points
We were nervous opening this one, having discarded the previous one two years ago. Great smell upon opening, but quite austere the first half hour or so. But then it opened up beautifully over the course of the evening, mellowed out, and became quite delicious. The typical cab taste was mixed with a more acidic style, but overall a very enjoyable wine now. The wine probably lasts a few more years, but may be at its peak now. We have one more bottle to drink at any time.
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12/26/2023 - rsbeck wrote: 91 Points
Similar to previous. Cruising in the cellar, drinking well.
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12/23/2023 - KiBoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
I drank a bottle of this a year ago and thought it was a really nice well balanced wine in its prime. Opened a second tonight and it hasn’t lost anything. Probably still has several years of prime window left.
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11/5/2023 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Has held up well. Dark fruit with a medium finish.
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8/18/2023 - nectar14 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Developing nicely, maybe even a tiny bit faster than I might have expected. This showed a mix of cedar, truffle, brown leaves and currant/ berry fruit that is just moving from fresh to dried spectrum. The acid is surprisingly med+, even a tiny bit bracing, but not at all unpleasant. Tannin is present, medium. I would suggest waiting a year or two to let this move more toward maturity; I think it's likely to sort itself out. That said, it is enjoyable now, even if the midpalate is a bit dominated by the acid and tannin. Should be good over the next 10 yrs.
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6/3/2023 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped & poured. Expressive nose. Vibrant & complex fruit with right amount of tannin structure. This wine is definitely coming into it's prime. I wish I had purchased more.
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5/10/2023 - John O' Likes this wine: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Really f’in good
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4/17/2023 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Intense black fruits, smoke, graphite follows through with an opulent and jammy palate.
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4/16/2023 - redz wrote: 92 Points
consistent with last yrs notes.
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4/9/2023 - S Spade wrote: 87 Points
I waited a while on this bottle given all the ballyhoo. Sorry to say I am disappointed. My bottle is toward the edge of overripe. Good typicity and good finish. Tannin is discernible but not intrusive. I have read of bottle variation and can only conclude that I did not get one of the good bottles. Impression of heat gets in the way of everything else.
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2/25/2023 - JCMenendez Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic, old school Napa Cab. Neither overripe, nor over extracted, nor over oaked. Drinking really nicely now; however, as with most 2013s Napa cabs there's a tannic spine that could use another couple years of taming or simply an hour in a decanter. Really food friendly, perfectly balanced, truly really nice and if you bought on release then it's a great QPR for age-worthy cab.
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1/11/2023 - megropolis wrote:
Still Tannic though drinkable with a couple of hours of air time. Good - yes, Great - No, and probably will only get marginally better.
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12/11/2022 - KiBoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have 3 bottles of this and drank the first yesterday.
This was originally noted to be high in tannins, but I found them to be perfectly integrated at this time. This is a perfect drinking window!
Well structured and beautifully balanced.
I would put this wine up against cabs at 2x the price point.
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12/3/2022 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark saturated purple. Open knit aromas of reddish black fruits, smoke, hint of camphor and black olive paste on the nose. A full bodied palate shows ripe, sweet and savory jammy black/purple small fruits, hint of graphite & leather, medium acidity, mouth filling tannins and a long fruit/herbal finish.
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11/10/2022 - RandV wrote:
Dry wine
Current price:$70
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11/5/2022 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 91 Points
15 minute decant. Probably should have given it longer, but really nice in any event. This is drinking very well right now. Well balanced and complex. Fantastic example of 2013 at a lower price point.
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10/26/2022 - JoeDwine wrote: 90 Points
With NY Strips….
Chunky kinda closed nose
Lots of Fruit and decent acidity
Nose starts to open at 75 minutes
Nothing memorable but nice
Probably has a better outcome in 6-10 years.
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10/17/2022 - levinml wrote: 89 Points
Not bad, and definitely not too tannic. Nice weeknight wine.
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10/3/2022 - timbobwhite Likes this wine: 92 Points
All estate fruit. 92% Cab. 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Syrah. Decanted 3-1/2hrs. Room full of fruit when returned to bottle. Some heavy sediment. Steely hard, but a return to CDV of older times. Not as nuanced as previous vintages - attributed to lack of Cab Franc in blend - but still very good. The Napa bottling is, at this stage, drinking better than the Reserve.
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9/17/2022 - redz wrote: 92 Points
improved from last tasting 7 yrs ago. Solid cab flavors, short decant is fine. Lots of life ahead.
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8/28/2022 - thesternowl wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured, no formal notes. This bottle has been stored in my cellar since release. I have always appreciated the restrained expression of Clos du Val however, this was enjoyed after the 2005 “Caravina” and there is a very clear difference in class between the two. The Seavey had a level of energy, sophistication and polish that the CdV just couldn’t match, even though it was 8 years younger. However, there was a subtle charm to it and if enjoyed on its own, would have made more of an impression. The profile was dark, with loads of earth. Structure was firm but in balance with the fruit. Finish was medium. Built for another decade but probably won’t improve.
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7/16/2022 - klezman wrote:
In a much more balanced place than a few years ago. It's not shutting down at all but it appear to be starting to get toward its adolescence and it should continue to age well for at least 7-8 years more.
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5/2/2022 - John O' wrote:
2 hour decant. Just Okay No evidence of fading
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4/24/2022 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep garnet color. Big fruit, sweet oak and light chalkiness. Ripe blueberries, blackberries and plum in this dependable Napa wine. This wine is drinking in an easy breeze/enjoyable cabernet style. Proving to be a great party wine.
p.s. prime beef tenderloin with charro beans and green beans
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2/10/2022 - nil Likes this wine:
Drunk with Ed and Jay. Liked.
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2/10/2022 - HU Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Disappointing this time around. It hadn’t turned bad, but it wasn’t good. It tasted rather sour. Hints of the typical Cab taste, but just not enjoyable. We drank a glass each, and discarded the rest. I have two more. It might have been bottle variation, but I doubt it. Good food ingredient now, I suppose.
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12/25/2021 - Wine Diplomats Likes this wine: 91 Points
Second time having this wine. Last had it in October, 2016. PnP. The color shows a bit of age on the edges, but still youthful. Initially, rather primary and secondary on the nose and palate too with ripe dark red fruit, spice and vanilla on the nose and a fruit driven palate with some spice and tad bit of heat. Medium acidity, but not as dark as most Napa. Smooth tannins. After 30 minutes or so, a bit of tertiary flavors start to emerge with a bit of dried fruit and earthiness. In a bit of an awkward stage in between youth and becoming mature, so I liked it better when it was more obviously primary, showing off its exuberence and perhaps I’ll like it more in a few years when it shows off more complexity and grace. Still like the Bordeaux-leaning style of the producer in general. 91+
https://winediplomats.com/
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11/18/2021 - up4wine wrote: 91 Points
In the 2013 Napa Cab tasting. Although subtle difference were apparent, all six wines were rather similar. This and the Provenance being lower in price than the others may give it an edge in overall satisfaction.
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11/13/2021 - travelme wrote: 91 Points
Laz4wine nailed the notes and the score. Tasted like high end Merlot just because of the smooth texture on the palate. Great wine and first of half a case.
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10/18/2021 - pdbender Likes this wine: 90 Points
totally enjoyed this perfectly aged bottle with a Thoma ribeye, mashed spuds and creamed spinach. This was a special bottle for no reason except it was just delicious with the meal I described watching a Steeler game on Sunday night.
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10/10/2021 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic NV cab in a Bordelais style, balanced sweet oak and dusty tannins enveloping a core of black cherries and currants. Mocha-espresso and pleasant pepper/baking spices on the lingering finish, solid stuff and can go another 5+ in this vintage.
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8/31/2021 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red in the glass with faint violet. Red currant, flowers, with subtle espresso notes on the nose and palate. Supple mid palate. Caressing with no rough edges. Medium length red berry mint finish.
Easily drank 2+ cases of this wine since it was released and this was the best bottle yet. Really wonderful at any price....
Going strong. drink or hold.
(92-94)
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8/9/2021 - elevwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
This continues to improve and may have some more upside. Drinking window is certainly longer than the 2025 indicated above.
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7/16/2021 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 92 Points
At eight years, this is just now starting to hit its stride and has a long life ahead and may not yet have reached the apex of its drinking/aging profile. It might settle down and integrate a bit further for more polish and nuance, but it is delicious now as it is.
Bright garnet/purple colored, medium full bodied, vibrant, forward expressive blackberry, dark cherry and black currant fruits with notes of graphite, smoke, floral, herbs, black tea and tobacco turning to firm but smooth approachable tannins and a pleasing bright tangy lingering finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/07/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html
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7/10/2021 - weinmatt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice leathery graphit-ey and curranty palate, with a nice herby nose. Points.
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5/29/2021 - cobystilp wrote: 91 Points
Still going strong. Lots of time left. Only one bottle to go though.
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4/4/2021 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent. Very smooth. My only comment is that this wine continued to improve as it was consumed. I would recommend a one hour decant to let it open up. The last glass was noticeably better than the first.
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3/9/2021 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Quite solid for the price. This has settled down a bit, and is not as jammy as it once was, which is a good thing (I generally find the '13 Napa vintage too intense, and not to my liking).
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2/22/2021 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice cab, fruit forward nose, currants, berries, elegant, integrated tannins, not a lot of complexity, excellent QPR
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2/14/2021 - jonahfactor Likes this wine:
V-Day dinner. At $35 and with a long decant, this offering is a good value and drinking well now with significant upside potential over the next decade. Very Bordeaux in its approach, and more of a sit-down-to-dinner offering than blockbuster Napa Cab. Violets, creme de cassis, cigar box in the nose, with dark fruits and cedar on the palate and finish. Opened up substantially over the evening, even with the decant. Substantial sediment that needed to be filtered out. Will wait another few years before consuming the next bottle. Drink 2022-2030. Outstanding, esp at its price point.
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2/13/2021 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 90 Points
30 minute decant. Lush dark fruit on the nose. Very nice Napa style cab - fruit forward. Drinking well right now.
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2/8/2021 - AAJR Likes this wine: 92 Points
No formal notes, enjoyed over 2 days. Evan better the second day - tremendous value & very good.
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2/1/2021 - EMTAME wrote: 91 Points
Two years since our last bottle, and this seems to be at peak at this point. The tannins are well integrated and there’s a sense of balance between the fruit, the structural elements, and the acidity. Very nice and gone too soon.
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1/18/2021 - elevwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Will give remaining bottles more time.
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1/9/2021 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully clear example of the Napa style. Slightly dumb on opening, but very ripe, classy, and juicy. Red and purple fruits, black olives, gorgeous ripe Doris plum skin. Firm, yet ripe tannins. Medium body with excellent refinement. The palate opens beautifully in the mouth, and the finish is long and refined. Really nice, still youthful, and a tremendous bargain. This is certainly improving. This could use some time in the cellar. 91+
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12/18/2020 - RYANDOC Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a great drinking window. Very much like BDX style. Great QPR for everyday drinking wine. Lots of dark fruit, smooth, and fruit forward. tobacco, and vanilla on the nose, long finish.
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11/22/2020 - pinkhouse Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit tighter than I recall from previous bottles. Elegant and delicate flavors with a superb streak of acidity. Continues to develop nicely and no rush to open remaining bottles.
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11/13/2020 - rsbeck wrote: 91 Points
Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed quite nicely since my last tasting two and a half years ago. Refreshing acidity for a Napa Cab. Opened up quickly this time. I paid around $13 per bottle so this represents a fairly nice QPR. Good fruit, maintains some elegance, decent complexity, sort of a throwback style, not the usual modern Napa toasty oak, chocolate/cassis bomb. There is some tannin that left a tiny bit of a scratchy sensation. Hopefully, this will integrate and resolve over time and take this up another notch or two. 91+
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10/25/2020 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent QPR. Still young. Was hoping for some evolution. Has good structure (acid and tannins) and my hope is that it improves over the next 5-8yrs. Appealing rusticity and balance of old-school Napa. Will revisit every 2 yrs or so.
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10/14/2020 - mats13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first Clos du Val. After a lot of air it never really came around. Bright plums, tart.
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9/24/2020 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better on day two. The fruit was not evident the first night. Beautiful black cherry on the palate once it opens
Up.
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9/15/2020 - CabinConnoisseur Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyable wine. Well integrated at this point. Gave a 2 hour decant. Some oak and dark fruit on the nose, but not a lot of aroma. Easy and pleasing on the palate. Dark fruit initially, lingering and melding with black pepper in mid-palate and on the finish. Some toasty oak and vanilla, as well, plus moderate tannin. Medium to full body, decently long finish.
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9/12/2020 - pkatz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well now. Probably at peak.
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8/27/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 1/14/17 bottle but now fully integrated and delicious upon opening.
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8/15/2020 - Yzhang1908 wrote:
French style napa wine, balanced, long finish, worth the $$, will buy again in a good vintage.
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8/3/2020 - Yzhang1908 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfect Balanced, earthy and complex small, very smooth in mid palate, finished long with acidity and a bit of spice, reminds me of Margaux, paired with steak, really enjoyed it
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6/29/2020 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyed over 2 days. Nice balance & fruit with black & blue fruit flavors. Great QPR.
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6/21/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
This showed quite well. I've generally not liked the '13 vintage in Napa, but perhaps they just needed time and are coming into their own now. This was quite intense, in a good way, nice acidity, penetrating black and blue fruit. Great value. I've been to the winery a few times too and it's a nice experience - the wines are some of the better values vs. the rest of Napa.
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6/12/2020 - VoVo Likes this wine: 91 Points
QPR for this Napa Cab is really quite extraordinary. We enjoyed this with filet mignon and pommes frites. This is a restrained style of Napa Cab, with plenty of fruit, Creme de cassis, and leather to bring significant complexity to the flavor profile. Better on the second night. Decant or give it more years. We think it has five more years to age and improve.
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5/13/2020 - Kenny_Powers Likes this wine: 91 Points
Man I wish I had more of this. PnP and pretty darn good for the price point. Much better than others I've paid for.
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5/6/2020 - Ceo wrote: 92 Points
Great with Gnocchi
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5/4/2020 - Doblk wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Rich fruit, char, wood. Acid and tannin have softened some. Good weight and balance.
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4/14/2020 - ohne_musik wrote: 89 Points
3 years since last bottle, and tannins have resolved a bit. A bit of vanilla/oak on the nose which translates to glossiness on the palate, fruit shy, with some blackcurrant/black cherry, and some appealing florals in the mouth. A bit lacking in depth, but good structure. Good midweek cab, and should drink well for 10+ years or so.
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4/8/2020 - HU Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good cab, dense, dark, full-bodied, smoky earthiness, not as fruity/juicy as others. But still too tannic and young. I have four more and plan to open the next one in 2022 or 2023. It might deserve a higher grade then.
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2/19/2020 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent QPR. Still young. Has good structure (acid and tannins) and should improve over the next 5-8yrs. Appealing rusticity and balance of old-school Napa.
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1/25/2020 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
Deep red/violet with very dark center. Nice cassis, plum, forest, and smoke on the nose and palate. Med/full bodied and balanced on the palate. Really a very nice bottle, but somehow unexciting.
Still more life in these and will hold for years.
88-90
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1/19/2020 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really hitting its stride. Silky texture, little barnyard funk, coffee, and tobacco. Long finish. Ridiculous for $25.
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1/12/2020 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 91 Points
My rating may be slightly generous, but it's a good wine with no great flaws. A bit herbal and tannic, it could go awhile, but I'm not sure it will improve much more. Light nose, full body, dark cherry.
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12/29/2019 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 90 Points
Restrained by Napa standards. Very tasty. Buy again anytime.
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12/29/2019 - Danvinoatx Likes this wine: 91 Points
Second of two bottles. I can definitely appreciate the style more than the last time I tried it. Restrained in style by Napa standards. Acidity, smooth with polished tannins. Great steak cab.
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12/4/2019 - Doblk wrote: 91 Points
Mint and some barnyard on nose. Great dense fruit and long tart finish. Nicely structured well made wine.
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11/24/2019 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
Needed a few hours of air to show its best, but had gone a ways down hill by second night.
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11/23/2019 - devraj Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep reddish purple in color. Open knit aromas of blackish red berries, graphite, toast, cocoa. Medium-full bodied showing ripe and sweet crushed cassis, smoky black raspberries, hint of black olive paste, grippy tannins still present and a toasty oak finish. Needs a bit more time to come together.
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10/25/2019 - RayT Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was a pnp and could really use a decant of at least an hour. Big nose of cassis almost overpowering, more subtle when drinking with nice structure. A bit of cherry and tobacco after an hour. Still a decent bottle for the money. Will decant the next bottle which should improve the score a point or two.
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10/20/2019 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points
At first, full of dark berry fruit. After that it gives a nod to Bordeaux with dust and leather notes. I like the old school style a lot, but it is not an overly complex wine.
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10/14/2019 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
This was way better on the 2nd day. It was tightly-wound on the first day - very juicy and jammy, but opened up and became more accessible and balanced on the 2nd.
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8/26/2019 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep deep burgundy-purple, thick core, opaque, dense. Deep cassis with a touch of mint - like a chocolate mint perhaps because there are also some sweet chocolate notes.Dense aromas. Soft yet rich in the mouth.Black fruits, maybe some vanilla and mint. Acidity in the back of the mouth, with white pepper too. Good structure, albeit with some jamminess. Finish maybe has a spearmint edge.
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8/23/2019 - cobystilp wrote: 88 Points
Solid but nothing special on this bottle.
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8/21/2019 - wayfarer Likes this wine:
Car camping trip wine, good per prior notes.
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8/4/2019 - Salute Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better than the previous bottle over a year ago.
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7/22/2019 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Violet with some light separation at the edges.
Nose green bell pepper, dark fruits. Palate mocha, chocolate, dark fruited yet nice balance, not heavy. Cool fruited, elegant. Some herbal complexity. Very nice.
Opened on this date as it was the only Napa cab that I had on hand, in honor of Alan Eden -- RIP Alan.
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6/27/2019 - John O' Likes this wine:
Galloni was right. This is terrific
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6/2/2019 - Colorado3G Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think this is just now entering it's drinking window and tasty!!!
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5/30/2019 - Davetroup Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is the very definition of a 90 point wine to me. Nicely made, well balanced, eminently drinkable with or without food. Not remarkable but very enjoyable.
If I had to choose only one wine to drink for the rest of my life, this wouldn’t be my first choice. But if I didn’t get to choose and this is what I got, I’d count my lucky stars and be very happy to drink this Clos du Val until the cows come home. Good stuff and a decent QPR.
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4/26/2019 - cobystilp wrote: 91 Points
Getting there with some aging.
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4/24/2019 - jroberts86 wrote: 86 Points
An ok wine. Not prominent in any one area: faint nose, faint, flat fruit profile, ok soft mouthfeel, short finish. Was hoping for more.
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4/23/2019 - skifree wrote: 87 Points
Very acceptable but neither thrilling nor excellent. In the red fruit spectrum, quite sweet, some saline notes at the end, with tannins that are quite firm. This seemed better right after opening.
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3/8/2019 - wayfarer Likes this wine:
2.5 years since prior bottle. Notes here echo previous tasting: "Gorgeous deep red. Nice cherry, black berry, hints of dark chocolate, cedar. Smooth, light tannin. Moderate length."
I'd add for this bottle, more black cherry than cherry, cassis, muted nose compared to palate, and that kept the wine from excelling. Got grippy after a point, and did not make me keep sipping with delight. So hmm still lots of variation here across bottles, and the added bottle time does not seem uniformly upwardly mobile. One more bottle to go, and plan to wait at least another couple of years.
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2/20/2019 - Wubai wrote: 91 Points
This bottle received quite a bit of buzz when it was released due to AG’s score. I tracked down a few bottles at the time. Figured now would be a good time to open the first. Cassis and blackberry on the nose, smooth, balanced. I think this wine will only get better, over the next 2-3 years. Great qpr.
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2/1/2019 - Baron Slick wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Shows the classic Old School style that Clos du Val is known for and possesses class, depth, and complexity in spades. The nose brims with black currants, cherries, leather, smoke, and asphalt. Firm and structured in the mouth, with perfect vibrancy, density, and weight, and flavors that underscore an elegant intensity and persistence. As good as this is now it will reward those who are patient.
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1/30/2019 - Eric Anderson wrote: 85 Points
Great color - but that's all. No specific flaws, but not particularly Cab-like in aromas and faint at that. Little fruit, and what there is, is soft. Soft mouthfeel. Certainly under-filled, and arguably watered down. Such a waste. What's happened to this label? And, my scoring is generous.
Update: this did taste better on Day 2, so I'd revise my score to 87
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1/27/2019 - klezman wrote:
This has calmed down a lot since I tried a bottle a couple years ago - much for the better. It's still a big wine, decently balanced, with a darker flavour profile. Tannins are moderate and reasonable. This does well with a bit of food.
Similar impressions on day 2. The nose is a little more flinty and peppery.
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1/26/2019 - rgawlowski wrote: 90 Points
Fairly smooth and balanced. Not as tannic as expected. Medium nose, medium finish.
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1/24/2019 - Eric Anderson wrote: 85 Points
Great color - but that's all. No specific flaws, but not particularly Cab-like in aromas and faint at that. Little fruit, and what there is, is soft. Soft mouthfeel. Certainly undefiled, and arguably watered down. Such a waste. What's happened to this label? And, my scoring is generous.
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1/15/2019 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant and, to my palate, at the front of its drinking window. However, I don’t feel it has the structure to cellar for the long term, and it lacks the complexity to ever merit the 95+ rating bestowed on it by Galloni.
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12/31/2018 - redmancge wrote:
This was a New Years eve bummer. Day 1 this was tight and tannic. Then day two not much better tannic oaky and dry not a lot of fruit. From all the other reviews I'm gonna chalk it up to certainly being young and maybe some bottle variation. Glad it was new years eve wouldn't have wanted to start the New Year with this one.
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12/21/2018 - Marc wrote: 90 Points
With a Nopi Lamb recipe with pickled onion compote and Thai peanut sauce. An easy outstanding mark - speaks of its terroir, beautiful fruit quality with superb varietal expression. Moderate body, with a thick mouthfeel, and solid tannic outline. Throwing a lot of sediment already. Drinking well, in a youthful, but slightly developed manner. Will continue to age positively, in my view.
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12/17/2018 - gryz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good...light.
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12/15/2018 - travelculture Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day one was tight and unappealing, Day two had bloomed - round fruit, balanced with peppery tannins, full bodied. Wine clearly needs more time in bottle. If this wine were available, would buy more, as excellent value.
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11/14/2018 - Jdwinedrinker Likes this wine:
day 1 I was not impressed, but day 2 it is drinking nicely
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11/14/2018 - Jdwinedrinker Likes this wine:
Day 1 I was not impressed. Day 2 it has developed nicely and is drinking well with complexity and nice fruit
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11/11/2018 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 90 Points
I would agree with others - this is a solid cabernet - good balance. Drinking well now and should improve a little more I would think. We felt like it was better 2nd day. So, maybe a little air.
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10/30/2018 - HOS wrote: 91 Points
PnP. This wine has improved over the last year. Now all secondary flavors of mushroom, herbs with some currant. Nice backbone, good finish. Solid wine with some life left.
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10/12/2018 - wineguy1968 wrote: 88 Points
I really wanted to like this wine but this final bottle from my 6 pack is just leaving me a bit disappointed. Red fruits dominate with minerals but the oak and wood is just too gritty and dry for my taste. There are silky smooth wines then there is this. There is notable bottle variation that I can see even in my TN across my bottles consumed over 2 years.
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10/11/2018 - Tonyboons33 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with many of the other reviewers, remember this being just a little bit better and more complex. Nice enough and I would say a slightly above average QPR (I paid $30). I look on WS and now see the low is $45?! Lots of purple and blue fruit, firm tannin, med-long finish. I would drink in the next 3-4 years, can't see it going much longer.
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10/9/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank in Glacier with Burgers. Full bodied, lots of purple and blue fruit. Not subtle.
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8/19/2018 - pkbowen Likes this wine: 87 Points
First and only bottle, decanted for 4h. Lots of fine and coarse sediment in the bottle. Plush, fruity nose, with lots of dark fruit and currant. Similar on the palate, with some char and mild oak influence. Not much in the way of complexity, unfortunately. Moderate acid and nicely textured medium(+) tannins.
We seem to remember this was much more compelling at the tasting where we purchased the bottle, back in July of 2016. Not sure if this is bottle variation, or for some other reason. Not sure if this will improve with time, but certainly approachable now. Pretty sad QPR at USD$36. "Very good," 87/100.
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8/19/2018 - dase13 wrote: 91 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of blackberry and red fruit. Tastes consistent with scents, and nice tannins. Consistent with prior note from about 18 months ago, and it’s a pretty good Napa Cab.
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6/16/2018 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 89 Points
This was a back up bottle and was not decanted. Still young and closed. Improved as we got through the bottle. Needs more time or an hour or two in the decanter. I am going to wait at least a year before trying another bottle.
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6/14/2018 - Salute wrote: 88 Points
Okay...was hoping for more. rather thin, not much interest
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5/29/2018 - mark.gularte@gmail.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
A reliable Cab from a reliable producer. A rustic old school Napa Cab that you can easily find.
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5/22/2018 - Atbat82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark fruit and cassis. Good for a few more years at least. Great wine.
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5/18/2018 - maldy63wr wrote:
Utterly fabulous!
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5/13/2018 - weinmatt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Finally took the plunge. 1st of 6, definitely a high qpr wine that's for sure. 95 points? No, not that, but very good. 90 minute decant with toasty oak, blueberry/chambord, cassis, olivy, cedar, coffee, a little grit, leather and some spice. Good finish. Of note, I don't feel like this has the weight to have more than a 7-10 year horizon, so adjusting my drinking window accordingly.
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5/9/2018 - spicy1 wrote: 87 Points
Slip sliding away
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3/11/2018 - rsbeck wrote: 91 Points
Much better on day 2. Give it tons of air.
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3/11/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave it about 2 hours and paired with duck breast. Opaque and full bodied. Average nose. Pleasant ripe dark blue and purple fruit that pairs well with meat, Long finish
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2/25/2018 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed over 2 days, way better day 2 - scoring reflects day 2 experience.
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2/21/2018 - HOS Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP. This was a nice surprise as it has come along. Solid Napa cab now.
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2/13/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 89 Points
Chewy with a lot of green pepper funk that should calm down over time. Nice smoky background. Gets better after an hour open. I expect this to go up several points by 2020.
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2/10/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 1/14/17 bottle.
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2/3/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 90 Points
Blind Tasting Four Young Cabernets: Blind. Balanced and high-grade but clipped. Among young, fruit-driven wines, this was earthy, solid, and drying.
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1/13/2018 - Colorado3G Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not quite ready for prime time just yet. It was enjoyable - but much better after an 90 min decant. A little spicy I thought and not quite organized or a complete package just yet. I'd give it another year in the bottle
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1/5/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Yep, I agree. Hit it out of the park this vintage.
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12/25/2017 - ohne_musik wrote: 88 Points
Decanted an hour. Great perfume of violets, tobacco and cassis. Alcohol is better integrated than a year ago. Red fruit, medium bodied, ripe but not gloppy, more on the rustic side, and still young but very easy drinking. Not super complex at this point but will probably get better with another 3-4 years in bottle.
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12/23/2017 - yonster24 wrote:
for the 20 bucks I paid this is hard to beat. Shows the depth and breadth of the 2013 vintage. Big, but not overdone. Tasty and balanced. Wish this wine was like this every year! hahaha...
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12/8/2017 - JackCali Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ready to drink, little heavy on oak
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12/4/2017 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Seems like this bottle has peaked or at least hasn't changed in recent bottles. Decent cali cab that was maybe over rated by the pros.
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11/26/2017 - TheAchean wrote: 88 Points
Should be better than this. Even after 3 hours open still disappointing. Has lots of nice elements that don’t fit together.
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10/3/2017 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to the 1/14/17 bottle.
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10/1/2017 - seanman Likes this wine:
Great value. Deep purple color. Smooth and firm tannins. Love the oaky blackberry. Does not seem overly complex, but a well-balanced wine. Medium finish. Must say now have 2 bottles of this vintage and this was a pleasant surprise. I'm sure it will get even better with age. This is a nice value based wine that can be enjoyed with a meal with friends.
Definitely a buy at this price. Great QPR.
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9/30/2017 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 87 Points
did not cost much, in the mid 20's.
So, was fine for the price.
And it may indeed age quite well.
but, for the moment, I don't quite understand the high ratings
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9/18/2017 - Slaz wrote: 91 Points
Further evidence of considerable bottle variation with this wine/vintage. Unlike the previous four bottles I've tasted since March 2016, this bottle had no excess ripeness. After an hour of decanting, exhibited notes of plums, tobacco, and dark berries.
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9/9/2017 - Ben5439097 wrote:
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8/20/2017 - Delaney & Co. Likes this wine: 88 Points
Espresso nose for sure. Candy apple red color. Old spice. Rhummy. Tabasco. Cocaine numbing finished.
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8/2/2017 - gryz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Getting better with age.
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7/15/2017 - bzell Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice wine very nice notes on the nose of tobacco, dark berries and on the palate tobacco, blackberry and some well integrated tannins. A bit thin on the mouth well made and reasonably priced.
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7/9/2017 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
After seven bottles I finally saw what I had hoped for. Along with the deep red fruit there was black olive and Italian herb. Think I will slow down on the last five bottles and see how this might improve. Goes well with dark chocolate.
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7/9/2017 - HOS wrote: 88 Points
PnP. Decent wine but underperforming the rating. Seems like it may improve with some age. I will decant the next bottle.
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6/23/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 88 Points
Second of the blind reds for this quarter's S&E Wine Club. Theme was Chardonnays for white wine and red wines you can purchase at grocery stores.
Dark ruby with a purplish hue. Sweet spices on the nose with some black fruits, yet restrained. Heavy tannins (7/10) and medium bodied. Lots of oak on the palate with light dark fruits. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2028.
Definite potential but needs some more time to integrate and develop. (88+)
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6/15/2017 - tmoritz1 wrote: 91 Points
Deep color and fruit forward taste A good if uncomplicated California bCab
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6/10/2017 - NarunP wrote: 88 Points
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Petite Sirah
Inky purple. Fresh, young and compact rim.
Nice Napa Cabernet perfume. Crushed blackberry, chocolate, lavender, anise, and cedar wood.
The palate also expresses a lot of No-Cal characters. Blueberry, anise, vanilla seeds. Med full bodied, medium acidity, dry. Finish quite nicely on cedar, toasted oak, mocha, pepper.
Good entry level Napa that will stand up for 10-15 years if need be. 88
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6/6/2017 - AndreRibeiroChaves wrote: 88 Points
Decent, but not great. Full bodied, mediu tanins, acidity and finish. Herbs, earth and spices notes.
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6/2/2017 - kingboo wrote: 92 Points
Holding well in bottle. Nice complexities, which are apparent upon opening.
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5/20/2017 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Grapy and lacking complexity upon opening. With air showed some depth and fruit, but tannins and structure are to the fore. Nice and cassis and currant fruit mix with a bit of smoke. Tannins are fine, if firm, and consistent with the vintage. I'd give this a couple of years and then drink. Good value, I can understand the variability in scoring given the substantial structure.
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5/17/2017 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Third bottle, the first in more than a year, tasted over two days. The bouquet offered the same essences from last year, the Petite Sirah imparted coniferous forest note being especially pronounced. Strikingly more open from the outset, with gritty, bordering on velvety, and saturated tannins coming forward boldly within a half hour. Concentrated richness and deep, almost sensual, pure. Everything about the wine put my mind to palate staining deep purple. Pure pleasure.
On the downside, though this bottle was essentially open for business upon pulling the cork, it lacked a little of the lift (and thus power) that stood out with the previous two. Recorked and waited for air to allow the wine to develop. It remained wholly appealing the next day, essentially identical to the first, but the only one of the three bottles that did not add depth with air. In sum, the wine seemed a little muddled overall.
On the fence as to whether these differences are representative of the controversial variation, or the 14 months of bottle age. The first bottle tasted in March 2016 left the distinct impression that the wine should be enjoyed in the near term, the explanation I lean toward--quick development and short life--over variation. Still, a great wine and a tremendous Napa value. Recommend drinking by 2020.
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5/16/2017 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
I am not seeing any change from bottle to bottle over last year.
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5/5/2017 - deetz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby core, with violet reflections. Aromas of black raspberry, dust/gravel, feta cheese, and incense. Firm and taut yet fine-grained tannins. Decent balance of alcohol and acidity. Berries and stone carry through to the palate.
Previously tasted this at Boston Wine Expo 2016 and was not impressed, which was a bummer because I already had this in the cellar at home and was looking forward to trying it. This bottle is showing a lot better...perhaps due to (MUCH) better stems, a year+ of bottle age, or even the purported bottle variation of this wine. Regardless, this is a very nice bottle of Napa wine given what is typically available at the $30 price point.
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5/1/2017 - BadOyster wrote: 88 Points
Darn! Must be bottle variation. Unlike the others, this one is quite hollow in the mid-palate, not bringing much fruit or secondary flavor expression. The structure is still there on the finish which is nice, but I wish it had more to hold up. Glad I didn't waste the cellar space on this one.
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4/19/2017 - ogres3 wrote: 90 Points
Drank over 3 days. Inky purple. Improved over time. Pleasant dark purple fruit. Good finish.
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4/15/2017 - sdezutti Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark color and bouquet. Some wood noticeable but not overdone. Full-bodied, intense dark fruits with a tannic finish. Not so drying that you can't enjoy this now but I think this needs a few years before it reveals it's best. My instinct is that this will smooth out and become very complex with some age. 94+
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4/8/2017 - kevrob822 Likes this wine: 88 Points
I'm new to CT and I've always been a Tough Rater. This was better than the last bottle I had (based on my notes), but just slightly. Keeping this at 88 Points. Nice QPR. The color is a nice dark and clear purple. Nice rich savory aroma, followed by a nice, rich taste. Nice balance and smooth. Medium bodied with a nice longish finish.
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3/30/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 89 Points
Decided to revisit after the last tasting late last year and put it next to the 2014 Louis Martini Alexander Valley cab which is also somewhat controversial in light of Parker's 97 rating. Purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate but the fruit came across a little light. Solid finish but not overly long nor deep and also a little tannic. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but I believe this vintage could use another year or so for the fruit to soften and integrate some more. In all, a solid cab for the price point but apparently I wasn't fortunate to pick-up one of Galloni's 95+ rated bottles with the alleged bottle variation. Although nowhere near Parker's 97 rating in my opinion, I personally preferred the 2014 Louis Martini Alexander Valley cab but not by much - a little fuller fruit. 92% cab, 7% merlot, and 1% petite syrah.
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3/30/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same as previous bottles, needs a lot of air time, better on the second day, good value.
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3/13/2017 - levinml wrote: 89 Points
Nice to see this label is drinkable again, and a reasonable value. First night this had an odd flavor (nothing "off," it just didn't taste that good), but that flavor disappeared second and third nights under pump with more traditional cab profile. And good balance/structure. This will be good for a while.
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3/13/2017 - TottenCellars wrote:
Maybe an off bottle but my only bottle do nothing to compare it to. Very little fruit, slightly bitter. Some tannic bite in the finish. Overall just meh.
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3/11/2017 - redmancge Likes this wine: 89 Points
Enjoyable after 1+hr decant which was needed. Still little tannic and probably needs a little more time to integrate. Not sure their aren't better for the QPR $25 but still enjoyed. Maybe a little more time in the cellar. Have one more we'll see.
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2/27/2017 - Winowhyno Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice everyday drinker. Great deal at $20.00
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2/27/2017 - JS199 wrote: 90 Points
Bottle variation(properly stored). This is much more elegant and understated than previous bottles. I wouldn't have guessed its even the same wine.
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2/24/2017 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Every two months I pull a bottle of the case I bought and give it a try. Not really improving. Drinkable but way overpriced so far.
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2/11/2017 - Stags Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice well made and solid Napa staple cab. Clos du Val volume label with napa fruit that lacks its own character. The Stags Leap estate bottle is quite abit better.
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1/21/2017 - AAJR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Followed a 2012 Larkmead that lacked fruit & was somewhat closed. IMO the 2013 Clos du Val out-shined the Larkmead today. I don't expect the same result years down the line - but for now the QPR of the CdV is the winner tonight. I know that some of you may think this is crazy given the 3x price differential - but that's the way I'm going to call it tonight.
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1/18/2017 - G.M. wrote: 92 Points
Spectrum of ripe blue and black fruit, and violets. Well-integrated, unobtrusive oak. Bright, velvety fruit, backed by slippery tannin. Delicious drinking even now. (92 Very good wine)
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1/14/2017 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red color. I decanted this wine for an hour before drinking. Aromas of black currants, licorice and wood spices. Ripe, nicely-extracted fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length and ripe, well-integrated tannins. Despite its youth, it had a surprising amount of grip and suaveness on the palate. I found this somewhat controversial wine to be several cuts above a mass produced Napa Cab and a decent value for the money.
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1/14/2017 - texaswinelover wrote:
Galloni missed this boat on this one imo. Pop and pour, typical mass produced calif cab. Oak out of balance and lacking complexity. Weird finish and touch of heat to boot.
Glad this was a gift.
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1/2/2017 - Nojomoschwa wrote: 89 Points
There has been so much commentary on this (here and elsewhere) that I will be brief. I thought this was pretty good for the price paid ($25 from Wine Library), but it is certainly not an exceptional Napa Cab. Just very solid and, based on the bottle I had (which veers more to the lean/92 Galloni reivew, not the 95+ lush review) it needs some time to flesh out. Still enjoyed it though. Wouldn't pay over $30 for it.
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12/26/2016 - wineguy1968 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brief note from memory. Drank xmas eve. Tannin starting to integrate but still needs time. Still very interesting and complex for the money.
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12/20/2016 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
I keep waiting for this bottle to show its stuff but so far it is just an overpriced decent California cab.
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12/20/2016 - markjanes wrote: 86 Points
A lot of solid descriptive notes on this wine below... it is a classic Napa cabernet based wine that isn't too sweet/over manipulated... sadly for $25-30 this is indeed good QPR for the region. Drink now with a decant or age a 2-4 years.
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12/13/2016 - Slaz Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Overhyped, leaving aside the bottle variation issue. Highly extracted and less impressive than Cameron Hughes Lot 597 from 2013.
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12/6/2016 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour, drank most of the bottle on day 1 and saved a glass for day 2. There is some nice elegance here. It is not over the top, a fruit bomb or full of tannin. Stylistically, middle of the road. This is refreshing to taste in Napa. There was a fair amount of dusty cocoa. Day 2, it had lost a lot of the freshness without anything else showing up. I feel this might be a good value for domestic cabernet. I would like to see how it ages.
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11/23/2016 - Thebigbaby Likes this wine: 86 Points
I opened it too early as I was wanted to try as I am starting to see it being discounted. Agree with other reviews. Classic Napa Cab nose and lots of acidity. After an hour decant it just never came around. Kept me wanting for more. I would hold for 5 plus years and see how it develops
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11/23/2016 - Vailman wrote: 89 Points
I didn't see Galloni's "backtracking" but it doesn't surprise me. Maybe I opened this too early but I didn't even see the potential.
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11/17/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smells like a great Napa Cabernet. Black fruits, powerful mid palate but with acidity and backbone. Plenty of acidity.
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11/14/2016 - Marc wrote: 90 Points
Opened tight and bright. Very youthful nose, with considerable class and depth. The palate opened very well, displaying plenty of tannic grip and acid tang, with more layered nuances appearing with time in the glass, notably a more fleshy, plummy aspect. This is a fine wine and a tremendous bargain in the context of Napa cabernet, but the wine did seem to tail off on the finish after a couple of hours in the glass. At its peak (around one hour in the glass), this felt accomplished, complex and sophisticated. It is certainly built in the more traditional and reserved Napa style, and is none the worse for that. Antonio Galloni's backtracking on his initial 95 points is understandable. I still think he is overstating the quality of the wine somewhat, but I would be happy to call it an outstanding example - one which will develop quite well in the near to medium term. Holding this longer than 12 years might be pushing it - but it will be fascinating to see where this wine will go with age. Being based in New Zealand, I would like to try this blind up against some of NZ's better (and more expensive) examples of Cabernet from the 2013 vintage (also a great year) - I would like to see how this wine would stand up, in terms of quality and also the Kiwi wines - especially when the price points are taken into consideration.90+?
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11/9/2016 - yeti575rider wrote: 88 Points
I don't see the low to mid 90 scores with this one. Yes it isn't a fruit bomb and has some complexity but I just didn't enjoy it that much. It's a bit hollow in the middle with a mint-like flavor that comes through. Bit on the acidic side for a cab so lacks a bit of plushness. Actually reminds more of a Sonoma cab - little less ripe with different signatures. Not bad by any means but don't see repurchasing even at price point. Have another bottle to try though which I'll give more air time to see if makes a difference.
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11/8/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid wine at the price point, but still showing mostly structure and rather shy. Needed about 3hrs air to show much. Black currants and flint on the nose. Palate is very shy and hiding behind the tannins and acidity typical of '13. Comes across as having red fruit, quite fresh and forward, but leaves the palate quickly with the perception of clipped finish. I think this will fill out and gain depth with time.
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11/7/2016 - mclam Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well balanced, smooth
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11/7/2016 - justceg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really great. I get the high ratings. In a blind taste test I might do the same, though much of that rating would be based on potential to age well and that is the big question mark.
I drank it over three days while vacuum sealing after each pour. The first day I really liked it but could tell that it needed some air. I got a well balanced taste with less fruit and more leather than almost all other less than $30 Napa cabs that I have tried. Though it did seem to run a bit hot. I drank it at room temperature and it was a bit hot outside that day. If the wine was a bit colder it might have been better. Day two it was at its best. It had opened up and I could taste more of the fruit. By day 3 it was still very good. Most wines at this price point would really start to break down by day 3 but this was still drinking well.
I bought 6 more and am excited to see how it ages.
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11/4/2016 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyed at Trulucks in Naples. Great value selection from the wine list. First glass was a bit tight, edges smoothed out a bit after 30 minutes. Dark fruit flavors, enjoyable.
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11/3/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice, but not going out to get more.
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10/29/2016 - kronfeld wrote: 89 Points
Closed down but improved over time. Decant for two hours before drinking. Probably best to wait a couple of years.
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10/22/2016 - beej Likes this wine:
Appealing in its solid structure for the price.
Also gotta acknowledge its high profile presence in every rom com produced in recent vintages.
Nose and mid palate are noticeably meaty in nature.
I like the dark fruit reference as the detail is tough to discern.
It's as if one is enjoying a clearly well made wine w a stuffed nose.
Go figure...
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10/13/2016 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bottle 3 of 12. Still hoping this is a very young wine. Totally drinkable with smooth black fruit but no great complexity for a wine in this price range.
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9/30/2016 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark magenta and clear in the glass. Blackberry, lead pencil, violets, and some smoke on the nose. Same notes on the mid-palate supported by well-balanced structure. Mid to short blackberry finish. (89-90).
There has been a lot of speculation about lot variation, regarding this 13 Clos Du Val, which I have previously disregarded. Now, I'm on board. This bottle was quite a bit leaner than all of the others I have drank. Not nearly as full, opulent, and silky in the mouth as the others. But, it did present a magnificent nose. Pure Pessac, a la 2010 Haut Bailly. Despite that nose (which I could enjoy for hours), still inferior to previous bottles. And wouldn't you know it! This is the lot that I have two cases of.........
Still, a very good bottle and excellent value at <$30/750. Not so sure at the $40/750 that some grocers are asking......
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9/28/2016 - Cmhaggar wrote: 88 Points
Too soon ?
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9/27/2016 - RayT Likes this wine: 90 Points
As most people are saying great aromatics. Gave a 2 hour decant which helped quite a bit (tried right out of the bottle before decanting). Again as most people are saying this is an old school wine not fruit forward. I still found it in balance and a very good wine for the $23 I paid for it. Will be buying more. Very good daily drinker with a healthy decant.
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9/23/2016 - ohne_musik wrote: 88 Points
Nose is amazing! Beyond that, underperforming. Nose is rich with blackberry liquor, violets, a touch of menthol. Palate: restrained cherry, plum, and lots of leather, a bit much. Good acidity. Most problematic thing is it's noticeably hot, more than one would expect at 14.1%. Even on day 2, when the tannins have calmed down and bright red fruits are brought nicely in balance, I'm still thinking, mmm, hot. But I could smell this all day long.
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9/18/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Man is the '13 just a rocking Cabernet for them.
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9/17/2016 - jeffereymc wrote:
The wine finishes short. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.
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9/10/2016 - msilver Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine and drinking well now. Good price. Needs about an hour to decant.
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9/8/2016 - msuwine wrote: 93 Points
This wine has been reviewed many times in many ways, but - details and score aside - one thing stands out for me: this wine over-performs for the price. It costs $30 (or less) and drinks like $50 (or more). The aromatics, complexity, and finish are far more than I expect from a wine at this price, and - in Napa or anywhere else - this should be applauded.
On to the more traditional note: Dark red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and straw. Layered tastes of blackberry, granite, cedar, mint, and vanilla, with a tannic, grainy, and sweet finish that lingers pleasantly. 14.1% alcohol. Needs a decant, and has the stuffing to age. Even with the risk of bottle variation, it's worth a try. The $30-and-under Napa cabernet market can be a discouraging place (aside from Mondavi, Beringer, and a few others), and this wine, in this vintage, is a notable exception.
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9/6/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet in color. Vanilla, spice , leather and red fruits on the nose. Dried cherries, cedar, pomegranate with good acidity and somewhat drying tannins. Elegant in style. Young. PNP, then continued to taste for about an hour. I will likely enjoy this more after a few years in bottle.
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9/5/2016 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Similar to my last note in March, but time has done this some good as the elegance is really coming through on the wine at this time. Perfumed blueberry, blackberry and leather notes with a good amount of floral notes coming through. Palate remains middle weight and shows more of a complex character than the Hall Cab in the next glass.
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9/1/2016 - joraesque wrote: 89 Points
Started opening up after sitting in the decanter for 1+ hours. Strong dust on the nose, and flavors of pluots and mint on the mineral palate. A more dialed-down version than the previous vintage, and more true to the house style. Label still says 14.1% ABV. Would try again in 2019+
89++
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8/31/2016 - cobystilp wrote:
OK...I didn't think it was as good as the hype.
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8/7/2016 - chrisdakin Likes this wine: 75 Points
Paid $30. Fruity. Needs to breathe.
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7/17/2016 - MelroseCellars Likes this wine:
Very good. Followed a bottle of 2012 Frank Family Cab, and it held its own in terms of nose, balance, and finish. What's more, it's only half the price so I expect to stash a few more bottles.
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7/17/2016 - HowellWine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid classic Napa Cab, let it sit for 1-3 hours before drinking, structured with a strong finish. Nice value.
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6/29/2016 - wally248 wrote: 86 Points
i agree wholeheartedly with mpilot. you MUST let this breath before drinking - at least an hour. overly acidic at the start and flavor is lacking. after decanting, the acidity is less and it has some taste. no wonder it's only $25 at totalwine. should be less. daou is a LOT better.
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6/28/2016 - MPilot Likes this wine: 86 Points
Started out a little bit rough with some bite... Was much smoother and integrated the second day... Very tasty once it opened up... Needs a little time, so plan on decanting in advance.
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6/27/2016 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bottle 2 of 12. Very dark, smooth and soft. No obvious tannins for such a young wine which I hope is a good sign but not sure. First bottles of Clos du Val so not sure if this typical in the early years.
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6/17/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Its a pretty darn good vintage for them.
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6/16/2016 - Keeping It Real Does not like this wine: 82 Points
What's up with all the good reviews? Did I just have a bad bottle? I don't think so. The wine was kind of bitter and edgy. I did not want to take another sip.
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6/16/2016 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark magenta with blackberry-colored center and clear in the glass. Blackberry, cassis, espresso, anise, and violets on the nose and palate. Just a hint of oak. Silky and round mid-palate and long blueberry, anise, and mint finish. Wow, what a bottle!
This wine is just getting started. Good chance it'll be a 94-95 in 5-10yrs.
92-93pts
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6/14/2016 - kingboo wrote: 92 Points
Enjoy.
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6/12/2016 - grafstrb wrote:
Red-fruited. Some oak is noticeable, but not too much. Not gloppy/oaky/overblown mess. A nice Cabernet that is definitely worth buying at $27.
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6/10/2016 - big.cactus34 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Forget Galloni's 95pt rating and all the hype, view this as an excellent, one of the best, bang for buck Napa (stag's leap) cabs out there. With the price point, you can acquire cases to consume over the next couple years... you'll be very happy. See this similar to Jamison Ranch 2013 cab with slightly better price point. No further tasting notes from what others have provided. A well structured cab made from excellent fruits, approachable with medium alcohol, pair with almost any red/white meat.
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6/5/2016 - John Novak wrote:
Awesome deep flavor save but drinkable now
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6/4/2016 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very young looking, bright, semi-opaque purple in color. Looks like a CA Petite Sirah. Offers a pretty Napa nose of earth, dark berries and spice. Full-bodied and rich. Initially very tight and restrained, this only began to open up after about 90 minutes. At that point, it began to show its ripe blackberry and plum fruit. Well-balanced, with a mild acidity and notes of coffee, oak and earth on the slightly tannic finish. Quite primary now, but very good quality for a $26 Napa Cabernet. Just needs time to unwind and come together. Cannot fathom the 95 point score from Galloni though. Evidently he pulled "a Suckling" on this one.
50+5+12+16+7=90
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5/29/2016 - Jvanwinkle Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby core with minimal fading at rim. Darker fruit flavors dominated such as blackberry and black currant. There was a hint of pepper on the nose and finish. Medium to heavy bodied with moderate tannins and barely noticeable acidity. Wine didn't evolve much in the glass, but that may be owing in part to its youth. Overall a very nice
Napa cab from the much touted 2013 vintage.
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5/29/2016 - wayfarer Likes this wine:
Served with grilled steak, potato salad, mixed garden greens. Decanted 1 hour. Gorgeous deep red. Nice cherry, black berry, hints of dark chocolate, cedar. Smooth, light tannin. Moderate length. Grew in sweetness as it warmed, perhaps too much so--made the lushness seem just a tad much. That said, enjoyable, and perhaps with age or even more air time, greater depth will result. Interesting variation across notes, especially on readiness, tannin. Have a couple more bottles to sit on--try again in 6 months or a year.
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5/29/2016 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
This was perhaps the best bottle of 13 ClosDuVal among the 4 or 5 that I've had.
Blackberry core, with magenta rim and clear in the glass. Cassis, blackberry, coffee, anise, and violets on the nose and palate. Not quite silky, but round tannins. Intense, focused, complex, and balanced. 92-93pts.
As with previous bottles, I enjoyed this wine served at around 55F. Warmer, at room temp, was a little stiff.
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5/29/2016 - M2quared Likes this wine: 90 Points
A young Cab that had nice mouth feel and balance. Exhibited a touch of back end tannin that hinted at the wine being better with age. Went very well when served at a potluck along with a slow cooker brownie pudding that reminded folks of a lava cake.
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5/29/2016 - redz wrote: 91 Points
great for a young cab, lush fruit. will cellar more, great value
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5/27/2016 - Denk2003 wrote: 92 Points
Still young but strong value
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5/26/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with my previous bottles.
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5/26/2016 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good in the nose, dark herbs and chocolate. Lots of tannins which make me believe it will benefit from a year or two of cellar.
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5/23/2016 - g-man Likes this wine:
Still too young to really pass judgement but holds promise for the future. For $24 it's worth picking up a case just to see how it evolves. I suspect this may reach 92-93 pts in four to five years. The nose is surprisingly not as alchoholic as feared but giving dark fruit. Still rather grapey on the palate but shows promise
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5/18/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Man its still got it all. That works it out.
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5/15/2016 - J3r0me H@n Likes this wine: 90 Points
Let me add to the myriad opinions on this wine.
Nose leaned more bordeaux than california. Pencil shavings, leather, cedar, with a freshness from maybe tart berries?
Palatte (tasting over a few hours): A very sharp and focused acidity leads to flavors of tart red cherries, dried sage, fresh sweet cigar and loads of tannins. After a couple hours, the acid integrates a little more and the tannins come alive a little more along with the fruit.
Tasted on the second day, and showed a decent backbone of fruit. I guess I got a decent bottle, and would lay this down if I could get the same bottle. It has all the components to be able to improve with some time.
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5/10/2016 - BadOyster wrote: 90 Points
This wine should be "the standard $20 cab" as far as I'm concerned. Good dark fruit purity on day 1, with moderate intensity but fine tannin (like a bittersweet cocoa), good acid. This will go down in my book as one of the truly appropriately priced Cali Cabs (the other that comes to mind was the '11 Broadside Margerita). Not worth $38, but happy to pay the $24.
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5/1/2016 - jviz wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was really tightly wound, with dark fruit and cocoa. Huge presence of tannins and rather sharp mouthfeel. I would have liked to see a little more Merlot in the blend, else it needs a few years time. Agree that this is a midweek drinker, but from a good producer in an excellent vintage, I was underwhelmed
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5/1/2016 - Mech-E wrote: 89 Points
Superb for the price after a 2 hour decant. Nose of green pepper dominates at the point. Nicely concentrated with decent body. Tannins and acids covering the fruit. Strong hold.
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4/29/2016 - BadOyster wrote: 91 Points
Delightful bottle - settling out with better integration.
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4/29/2016 - FlyinI wrote: 88 Points
Not a Fruitbomb. Lots of complexity. A bit disjointed with tannins that still need integrating. Somewhat better on day 2.
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4/28/2016 - dase13 wrote: 91 Points
Color of dark red. Scents of blackberry and red fruit. Tastes consistent with scents, and nice tannins. Consistent with a pretty good Napa Cab.
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4/27/2016 - prism wrote: 91 Points
Poured into glasses and let sit for a quarter-hour. Nothing special at first: a little dull, tannins somewhat bitter. Opened up nicely during the meal, though, gaining weight, complexity, and opulence. It does need a couple of years sideways. A very good QPR in Napa Cab.
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4/27/2016 - Slaz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with some prior notes, clear signs of bottle variation. This bottle tasted better than the previous. Has complexity and not too much oak. Tannins are way too young and aggressive though. Overall, a solid work day Cab that is similar to Cameron Hughes Lot 525.
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4/23/2016 - g-man wrote: 88 Points
I just had to try this after all the positive comments here. It's a solid offering at it's price point but I cannot fathom how you can see a 95pt wine. Strictly on its merits it's solid everyday drinker for early drinking and see some upside aging 5-7 years but I sense it does not have the structure or concentration for long term aging. At best I see this rounding out over the next few years and may gain a few more points before fading.
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4/19/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with my previous bottles. Continues to show ripeness, dark berry fruit, balance, and moderate structure, dry. Tough to beat for $25.
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4/18/2016 - Vietty Likes this wine:
Adding another data point to the polarizing pile of reviews. Good concentration of dark fruit, medium mouth feel. Fair acidity. Needs some time to open up at this time. Food friendly. If you go in with the idea that 95 pts = plush/oppulent Napa cab you will be disappointed. If you go in with the idea that this is a $25 mid week cab to have with dinner you will be happy.. but not necessarily impressed.
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4/14/2016 - redrules wrote: 92 Points
Great vintage for Clos du Val! Not as tannic as past vintages. Really nicely done. My favorite under $30 cab right now. Nice mid palate and finish. Ripe red and dark fruit, rhubarb mid palate and focused long finish.
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4/14/2016 - billving Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent drinker and should get better with age.
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4/7/2016 - DesMarteau wrote:
First day not rated as it was really out of balance and funky...tart acid and tannins...thick and dark...but not ready. vacuum pumped 3/4 of the bottle and stuck in the fridge to reattempt the next day. Day 2 great nose. Nose of Chalk, charcoal, dust and cassis. much better and approachable...cassis, blueberries, then tart kiwi, big bitter tannins...long finish. Don't drink these for a year or two. NR
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4/6/2016 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soft, mocha and stone fruit, plum, a bit gritty in a nice way, rich and weighty, masculine. I ordered more!
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4/6/2016 - cheetadad Likes this wine: 92 Points
I think too early to drink. What peeked thru shows promise of what's to come. Day 2 it softens up a bit but not too much. Good buy to hold for a couple of years.
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4/2/2016 - MMiazga wrote: 87 Points
Drank over a 7 hour period. There is serious bottle variation in the Chicago area. Tonight's bottle from a grocery store was thin, little structure, lacking any of the dark Napa fruit...87 points. Bottle from Vin previously was great...93 points and had all the black and blue fruit, currant and chocolate. Very disappointed in this bottle and the winery overall for the significant variation.
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3/31/2016 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Another bottle of different provenance than the last; drank over three days. Another excellent showing. Yes, it is fruit forward, but it also features excellent concentration, without over extraction, and ample bracing substance. The one percent Petite Sirah also stood out with this bottle, adding strong summertime coniferous forest and bramble notes. Well balanced, alcohol and oak are in check, stalwart finish. Regarding the speculation over bottle variation...it seems the only thing left to do is try a third bottle from yet another location.
Zum Wohl!
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3/28/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 91 Points
I'm still liking it. Good value. This bottle is a bit more round, ripe, and beautiful to look at and sniff. Nicely balanced too.
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3/27/2016 - rlove wrote: 88 Points
Deep, inky purple, almost black. Oak-dominated nose masks pretty much everything but cedar. Drying, dusty oak-derived tannins. Nice acidity and structure suggests perhaps there's more on the upside, but I have to assume there is significant bottle variation here.
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3/26/2016 - anguscatterson wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good
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3/25/2016 - cindyw wrote:
rated 95, cost $38. really want. bought a 2012 at Douglas wine on March 25
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3/24/2016 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
So, I had to try given that AG gave this a 95. My expectations for Clos du Val are pretty low, like 85-89 range. Its usually overrated. This was a nice surprise and was not only drinkable from the get go, it got
better with some more air. Drank over a 4 hour period. Fruit forward and tannins in check, obviously a monster vintage in Napa. As for the rating, today, a solid 92+. I hope it gets to 93 with some time, but can't see
the 94/95 range happening. It's a fun wine that for the price is highly recommended.
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3/20/2016 - jcassi01 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This one really impressed me. Very solid from nose to finish, it over delivered for the price. Dense cassis and blueberry, with a touch of black fruit.
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3/18/2016 - GRoz Likes this wine: 92 Points
I normally don't like Clos Du Val Cabernets. Galloni gave it a huge review so i had to give it a shot. Tastes like a fruit forward Bordeaux. And that's a good thing. Mid bodied and ripe tannins with tons of dark and red cherry fruit. Drank over 3 days. Day 3 might have been its best. Drink now through 2022. Best CDV I've ever had.
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3/13/2016 - CV Griz Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
There is a good cassis profile on the nose as well as the palet with this Cabernet. I like it's density and balance too. For the money, this Cabernet over achieves IMO. Truely a great value....
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3/12/2016 - RockinCabs wrote: 91 Points
"Classic" Napa Cab New Releases; 3/12/2016-3/14/2016 (Lakes Region, NH): Nose: Violets, Blackberry, Cherry, Sage and sweet earth notes. Very classic napa, but in a old world way. Palate: Decidedly middle weight palate feel, with elegant blackberry, graphite and cherry notes on entry. Some astringency, but it is young. Finish: Good round edges in the finish with some herb notes.
Hypothetical Margaux/Stags Leap blend here. This was just much more perfumed and elegant than the others in this group. Needs time, but still #1 today.
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3/11/2016 - Slaz wrote: 89 Points
Taste wise, this is very similar to some of the better 2013 Cabs from Cameron Hughes. Right now, the oak dominates and tannins are intrusively bitter on the palate. Little joy yet; could improve with time. I don't quite get the buzz about this wine.
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3/9/2016 - Number51 wrote:
Well, I think this wine is fantastic. It displays sweet tannins, fresh acidity, and a great balance. It is full body with dark berries, licorice, fresh flowers, asphalt, and bubble gum. There aren't enough earthy/green notes to make the wine appear Bordeaux-like, but oak is completely under control (or totally masked by the fruit).
I'm thinking 94 points (I usually find Galloni's reviews well aligned with my palate).
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3/8/2016 - slywka7 wrote: 91 Points
Lot of discussion over this wine so figured I would give it a try. Decanted for 2 hours. Mocha, blackberry, dark cherry and spice on the nose. Was not giving uo anything when I first opened it though. This has a nice mouth feel that coats the mouth with flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, chocolate and Asian spice. This was rather strange because it was nice on the attack but kind of died in the mid palate for a second before coming back with a nice finish of about 20-25 seconds. A nice wine, especially for the money but 95 points? Not this bottle at least. I might get a few more of these though.
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3/2/2016 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Well...this was interesting...and the 95 point controversy even more so.
Pulling the cork, pouring off a couple of ounces, and lingering over the bouquet, imparted four distinct impressions:
- There is a lot of fruit here. (Surprise, surprise, and Napa CS that features fruit!)
- There is NOT a lot of oak here. (Delightful but unsurprising, as excessive oak masks quality.)
- There is not a lot of alcohol here. (Now this is getting interesting, high fruit, low lumber, moderate alcohol. From Napa? For real?)
- This does not smell like a true Bordeaux blend. (I was unsurprised to find the wine sports one percent Petite Sirah, which is particularly pronounced.)
During the first 30 to 45 minutes the wine was mostly about fruit, lots of it, black and blue berries in particular, with notes of coniferous tree grove, moss, peat, tar, peppers, green peppercorn, and herbs. The acid and structure were solid, the mouthfeel rounded, and the balance noteworthy...
...and then the wine revealed its tannic teeth and mineral depth in a very big way! It's not that the fruit was no longer present but the tannic grip and focused minerality sliced through the middle of it. Not drying, powdery to dusty tannins either, but the juicy, gritty to 80 grain sandpaper variety. (Similar to a recent tasting experience with a 2010 La Dame de Montrose.) In my experience most Napa wines do not add substance, weight, and depth from front to back. (Instead, Napa wines with 'big' finishes tend to feature a range of oak imparted baking spices, sometimes bitter oak elements, light acid, light tannins, and singeing heat.) Well, the present wine does strengthen from front to back, and the structure at the back conveys a tremendous sense of terroir, although the dollop of Petite Sirah makes this drink more like an intriguing red blend.
On the second day, the tannins and minerals, which impart an impression the vines grow over a mine, a coal mine in particular, had come to play in a big way. Both still swam in an ocean of fruit, but had no trouble making their presence known. The wine is uniquely balanced, and heat is not a significant factor.
A different wine for Napa, and a quality wine. I do not think this will be an extended ager though. It may hold a few years past 2020, and at the price point it may be worth holding onto a bottle or two to see if it does, but for the most part it should be enjoyed over the next three to five years. I plan on picking up another bottle or two, from different regions to check into the bottle variation speculation. Overall, the wine features too much substance and balance to ignore, and to score less than 92 to 93 points.
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3/1/2016 - PJohnsn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruits, tobacco, earth, and black pepper. Outstanding, yet still very young. Decant for 2-3 hours
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3/1/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is fun, if only because it has caused so much controversy here and on other wine boards. A sub $30 95-pt cab from Napa? Wow! Sign me up! Sorry to say, but I've now had six of these and none have been anywhere near what I would call a 95pt cab. If the grapes that went into these 400,000 or so bottles couldn't make it into any of their higher end bottles, then I would say the chances of that kind of quality all the way down the line is pretty minimal. Of the six bottles I've had, there was a noticeable fall off on one, so perhaps that is part of the bottle variation being mentioned here.
All that said, this is a nice bottle for the $21 I paid for it. Gorgeous purple in the glass with great notes of cassis and black cherries, this wine has better purity of fruit and complexity than you would expect at this level. The tannins are pretty harsh, and there is a bitterness about it that is a bit off putting, but perhaps that will diminish with some bottle age. Certainly doesn't have the concentration or layers to compete too far above its weight class, but nevertheless, a nice glass. I side with Parker here: 89-90pts.
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2/27/2016 - DRS-Inc wrote: 93 Points
Rich and deep, but not OTT. Notes of black cherry, red currant, leather, clove, hints of herb, earth, cedar. Nicely balanced with chewy tannins, medium acidity, and a nice lingering finish. Found this quite impressive and a great QPR for a '13 Napa Cab.
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2/27/2016 - tcarter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another solid bottle of this wine. Again, nothing spectacular, but really solid crowd pleaser.
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2/24/2016 - mercy wrote:
I can confirm the wide variability of this vintage. Opened an impressive bottle upon receiving a case ordered in November. Fantastic 94-95 points. On vacation in Maui and grabbed a bottle for Superbowl. Loved the outcome of the game, but disappointed in the wine. 85 points. Simple, no complexity. Poor QPR given price I paid at Whole Foods. Returned home to open a second bottle from my cellar and this bottle spot on .. 94 points an exceptional wine for both the nose and palate. The difference between the two sources was similar to the two teams playing the Superbowl. Highly recommended if you can find one of the good bottles
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2/22/2016 - ledwards wrote: 89 Points
Currently a fairly forgettable wine. Agree with reviewers about dryness of the taste. I appreciate that it is not made in the style of a fruit bomb. Perhaps with time it will become more expressive and take on softer tones. Should improve with age- best to hold bottles if you have them.
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2/21/2016 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Quite dry and firm with just a hint of sweetness. This needs a lot of time - five years+ really. This is a bit monolithic, but there is quality.
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2/20/2016 - tcarter Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really solid bottle of cab for the price. Nothing spectacular, but held up nicely against a charred steak. I hear that people get very mixed results on this bottling, so I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase much. But it was a nice QPR on an otherwise expensive restaurant wine list.
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2/20/2016 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 91 Points
One of my first '13s. 4 hr decant, showing nicely as we progressed through the bottle.. Fruit seems a bit muted but continued to show more as we drank. Typical SLD profile. 91 pts for now. Great value, but not good enough for me to buy more (space problems...don't we all?) I have another bottle and will revisit in a year. Serve @ 55-65F...above that it will seem tannic and hot.
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2/20/2016 - ozziewine wrote:
For the record, Galloni has modified/updated his review of this wine.
Evidently, there were over 400,000 (!) bottles of this produced. Galloni re-tasted numerous bottles and concluded that there is a noticeable amount of bottle variation.
There is no information available as to whether or not the winery bottled more than one lot of the 2013 Napa Cab.
I haven't had this and probably won't given the mystery. Looks to be a "buyer beware" situation. Though I suppose at $30 a bottle, it might be an affordable experiment!
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2/20/2016 - ScottS wrote: 79 Points
Purchased to see what all the fuss is about. Dry and tannic with very little fruit. 95 pts? Seriously?
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2/19/2016 - FLXHoneymoon Likes this wine:
Clear with medium+ intensity and ruby appearance. Nose is clean with medium+ intensity. Notes of blackberry, leather and vanilla. Palate is dry with high acidity, medium+ tannins, and medium+ body. Black fruit, vanilla, dark cherry. Medium finish.
Good wine. A little hot on the finish.
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2/19/2016 - Shaun Mondavi wrote: 88 Points
Blackberry pie and cedar. Bought this because of the raves from Galloni. RP was lucky to get rid of him. 95 points is literally insane, he's a clown.
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2/17/2016 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
Similar to previous two bottles.
Intense magenta with very dark center. Charming and open nose with blackberry, violets, charcoal, and anise. Same notes on the palate, supported by wonderfully silky and firm structure, with some coffee, bitter chocolate as well. Fairly long, smooth finish which echoes initial notes. No hard edges. Ample, but not over-powering, fine-grained tannins. (92-93pts).
A wise wino once said to me, "It's really easy to spend $100-$200 to get a great bottle of of wine. The hardest thing in the wine world is to spend $20-$30, AND get a great bottle of wine.". I am coming to believe that what is even harder than that, for some people, is to spend $20-$30, get a great bottle, AND recognize that they got a great bottle.
With that in mind, consider that I opened this Clos Du Val shortly after finishing two different 2012 left bank (i.e. CabernetSauv-based) Bordeauxs. Both came from highly regarded Chateaus and each cost roughly 4 times the cost of the Clos Du Val. IMHO, the Clos Du Val was far superior in structure and complexity to one of the Bordeauxs and almost equal to the other, in the same terms.
Whether it's Pinot, Nebbiolo, Cabernet, Syrah, or Sangiovese; Whether it's made in France, Italy, Spain, or....even Napa Valley, it IS possible, albeit difficult, to get a great (i.e. 93-95pt) bottle of wine for less than $30/750. For me, with respect to Napa Cabs, this 2013 Clos Du Val has been one of those wines.
If only it were more expensive......
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2/16/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Made from...92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petite Sirah, aged 18 months 25% new oak barrels. Looks like I'm one of only two posters to have a btl living up to AGs original excitement and optimism for this wine. This is a very significant step up from the 2012 I had a couple months ago. Deep dark garnet color. With my original full pour the color nearly purple but turns dark garnet as I consumed 1/2 of my pour. My btl was notably complex, concentrated, and interesting from the pull of the cork. I just popped the cork an hour prior to dinner and poured a BDX glass to let it breath. It was immediately aromatic of cedar and dark fruit. Even showed a little damp forest floor on the nose. The oak was way in the background on the nose and palate both. After about 30 minutes this was in full bloom with an intriguing palate of damp forest floor, dark cherry, cassis, more cedar and other hard to peg flavors. Mid weight and defined. It was unexpectedly complex for this humble $28 price point. Pretty pleasant texture for the first hour but also focus and structure. After dinner the tannins firmed up and reminded that this is still a young Cab. I would not decant this wine. I bought mine " on sale" for $28 and would buy more tomorrow but need to wait for another local sale. I'll grab 3 more and hope for the best as this particular btl was fantastic. 14.1% Alc. My first 2013 CA Cab and it was a beauty! Hope my return visit is as good! Paid $28, drank like a pre 2002 $90 Etude. I like my reds at near cellar temp so this was drank between 58 and 62 degrees. If you drink these bigger red at warm temps your experience may be totally different.
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2/13/2016 - Cabfrancophile wrote: 85 Points
Lovely nose of black currant and raspberry with menthol and oak nuance. Middle-weight, fresh with soft tannin, dark fruit-driven flavors, and a well-rounded mid-palate. However, the finish is disjointed and just drops off a cliff (at least in this bottle). Odd since Cab S is often thought of as a 'donut wine' with a hole in the middle and a long finish. Good wine on the upfront and balance fronts, but I am skeptical the finish will resolve with time.
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2/7/2016 - wineotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine shows good varietal characteristics. Cassis, dry, silky, and nicely framed tannins. I would buy this again @ under $25, good value. 95 points by Galloni....preposterous!
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2/6/2016 - floridawinedrkr wrote:
95 points no way. I dont ever see this being 95 Points. It was a little tight, closed, lighter in body, disjointed, black pepper, and somewhat harsh. But after all its a $24 bottle of wine. And lets be honest if it was that good it wouldn't be $24.
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2/6/2016 - kidcracker wrote: 90 Points
I agree with cristal2000 - for this to be compared at 95 points to the heavyweights of Napa Cab is utter nonsense. While a nice wine, good fruit, ripe, black and red fruits, good nose, medium body, but not a lot of length, it doesn't even come close to what I expect from a Napa Cabernet. It pales in comparison structure wise- the complexity lacks... It just plain does. How in the hell is Gallioni rating this at 95 points? From now on, sorry to say, I cannot trust his reviews anymore... You're talking about Juslyn, spottswoode, real POWER CABS. This doesn't even touch that level- that being said, for the price, it's a nice, balanced wine- but if you expect something great, you'll be disappointed...
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2/4/2016 - Philjones wrote: 92 Points
Low tannins, smooth finnish
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2/4/2016 - stschutz wrote: 88 Points
Don't quite understand the hype around this wine. It seemed average and one dimensional, although very young. There are, in my opinion, better wines in this price range with far better character and structure, such as the 2012 Sequoyia Groves, 2011-12 Honig, or Black Stallion. Perhaps consider holding for a few years to see if anything resolves out of this.
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2/2/2016 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
I agree with the other reviewers. This isn't complex or nuanced, but it somehow captures the archetypical central tendencies of Napa Cab. Cherry and currant flavors with a hint of sweetness. I enjoyed it.
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2/2/2016 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Maybe a little young and one dimensional at this point. Lots of soft fruit but not much else that I can taste. Have 11 more so am hoping for the best.
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1/31/2016 - BadOyster wrote: 91 Points
Medium intensity of red and black fruits, some spice and black tea, tempered by a dollop of oak against a background of very fine-grained tannins, medium finish/length. The most impressive aspect is the balance demonstrated a wine of this production and price. A deal if $25, but merely "fair" if $30-40. A lot of potential to improve with even a few years in the bottle.
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1/31/2016 - ledocq Likes this wine:
Phenomenal. No notes (I'm still on HCG and can't trust my tastebuds) but if you're wondering whether it's worth it: YES. Back up the truck. It needs a decant -- I gave it an hour, which wasn't quite enough, but it was a good start.
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1/28/2016 - mikeywines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and cinnamon flavors with an excellent balance. Can drink now, but will benefit from a few years of cellaring.
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1/25/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
Medium bodied, fresh, easy drinking style of wine with soft textures, an open personality and ripe black cherries.
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1/24/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 93 Points
Opaque purple color turning violet at the rim with a thin transparent edge. The nose gives off dark berries, licorice, briary spice on newly toasted oak, smoke, and eucalyptus. The palate is full-bodied, attractively spicy, fleshy, tannin in the texture with enough structure for medium term aging. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry, plum, black pepper, vanilla, and toasted oak flavors that remind me of a young Barolo. The 2013 has definitely reinforced Clos du Val's reputation and stature - even better than the 2012. This elegantly balances ripe fruit with Old World charm. Finishes long and spicy with hints of mint. Drink now with a 1-hr decant or better in 2018 to 2028. 93+
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1/17/2016 - ralstenm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep indigo purple in glass, nose of dark berries and cassis with a floral overtone. Similar on palate with a touch of leather, still a little tight. Smooth texture, balanced. Look forward to future bottles.
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1/14/2016 - wineguy1968 wrote:
2nd bottle. Had 1st about a week ago. for some reason I'm getting very dominant oak on this bottle. For me it's a bit distracting. Not a bad wine but I think it could stand more cellar time to let the oak integrate.
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1/9/2016 - J96 wrote: 92 Points
Deep reddish purple color. Light nose of blackberry and cherry. Blackberry, cherry, and pepper on the palate. Smooth finish. Good wine for the price and I expect will get better with age.
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1/8/2016 - wineguy1968 Likes this wine:
I agree with others that this is a really solid California cab at under 30. I also agree that this is not a 95 point wine but it's clearly batting above it's average. glad I have 6 of these. Tannins are present but more muted and fruit still going strong on day 2. Recommended.
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1/3/2016 - mzmijewski wrote: 91 Points
Really excellent wine at a reasonable price. A little light on the finish.
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12/30/2015 - carabuser Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ok, I don't know what Galloni tasted, but this is NOT a 95 point wine, at least not the bottle I tried, it may turn into a 95 point wine, but only time will tell .... it had classic Cabernet fruit, but it was a but the tannins were a bit to astringent for me, and the wine was closed. I bought about 4 bottles of this, hope it will turn into a better wine, I should have looked a little closer, I was thinking RP himself rated this. Oh well, no big deal ...
At this moment, if you are looking for a $20 wine to drink now (or in the future) may I suggest the 2013 2013 Black Slate La Vilella Alta ??
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12/27/2015 - Grape_ape wrote: 92 Points
Great cab for the money. Definitely a little tight and could use some time but still drinks well. Nice balance, would love to try one in 5-10 years as I think it could evolve into something special.
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12/25/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
Intense red/violet in the glass, with dark center. Highly fragrant and aromatic with: blackberry, violets, vanilla, and faint hints of some darker, earthy, coffee-type notes. Similar notes on the palate with dark chocolate and mint as well. Long silky smooth finish, which echoes initial flavors. About as perfect as a wine can get with respect to mouthfeel: generous and smooth, yet still firm and focused. Complex and balanced. Yet, with all this going on, the wine remains precise and elegant.
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12/23/2015 - Cristal2000 wrote: 90 Points
Had to give this wine a whirl based on the positive reviews. First, in my very non-expert opinion, Galloni just needs to stop rating cabernet from Napa. Please, please, stop. 95pts? On an absolute scale? That is ridiculous. It's one point less than the 2012 Schrader CCS? Come on! That's utter nonsense. Relative to the $21 I paid for the wine? Perhaps. All that said, it is quite gorgeous coming out of the bottle. There is very very rich depth and feel to the wine that you aren't normally getting for $21. The nose is a little muted, but the notes of cherries and cassis are pleasing. The texture is excellent, but the wine is still clearly lacking the concentration, complexity and finish of a higher end wine. A value for the price, considering it is very hard to find anything decent under $30 in Napa Cabs. Still, it's not reaching the better cabs at around $50, like Chappellet Signature or Round Pond Estate.
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12/20/2015 - Recoveringimporter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Everything it it's place for a young wine. Beautiful, rich, inviting aromatics followed by complex taste of blackberries, cassis, and raspberries. Finishes with a touch of oak. Nicely balanced, just the right levels of acidity. At a great price for a Napa cab to boot !
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12/11/2015 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
This has potential to be a great QPR and a really excellent wine. I see the potential. The problem was that over three days it wandered aimlessly all over the map from really nice to totally disjointed. Was really good day #1 with a dense, mocha driven palate. It was a bit edgy and out of balance but the quality of the parts was there. Totally disjointed on day #2 - almost undrinkable. Bounced back on day #3 with fragrant nose and silky palate showing mocha and toast on nose and palate. Really interesting for a sub $30 wine.
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12/7/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
What a surprise for the money. Another example of how good 2013 vintage is. Deep, rich, reddish, purple ink like color. Purple and red fruit, red berries, some leather and oak. Good structure and nice tannins. Drinking nicely right now. Considering the modest price, I didn’t expect such a nice wine. Good showing for an elegant, entry level Napa Cab. 90.5 Points.
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12/6/2015 - rjquillin wrote:
WB chatter of a $25 95 pt. CS prompted the buy.
Ok, but not a 95, at least not now.
Revisit in 10 years, and drink or dump.
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12/4/2015 - BRR wrote:
I'm surprised at all the positive reviews, as this wine was closed for business to me. Hints of what's in there with peppery red fruit and moderate tannings, but really closed down. Served a bit too cold, but never really opened up at all when it warmed. Re-corked and will reevaluate tonight. Not rated - likely hold.
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11/30/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intense violet/red in the glass. Blackberry, violets, vanilla, and anise on the nose and palate. Smooth, firm structure. Moderate taninns. Appropriate alcohol. Very young, but inexpensive enough that it can be enjoyed guilt-free now. Clearly, will improve with cellaring. Excellent bottle. 92pts.
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11/29/2015 - Jphowarth wrote: 90 Points
So for 20 bucks it is best grocery store wine off the open shelf. Drank next to a 2012 hidden ridge. Hidden ridge had the clos du Val beat by far. Clos du Val had some red fruit but very closed and dry on the finish. Nose was closed. Not going back to this one.
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11/28/2015 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deftly balanced, and oozing with richness, this seledulous Cabernet is quasi new and old world all within the manifold. Eucalyptus, black cherry, pipe tobacco, currant and mineral all harmonize with layered, polished, savory tannins that run throughout the echoing finish. Structured for the long haul. Decanted for an hour. Drink 2018 - 2033.
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11/24/2015 - Red Mountain Man wrote: 92 Points
This is clearly a QPR winner. I suspect the person that rated it a 84 did not leave any wine for day two. On the first day, the wine was as tight as can be. I poured a glass, put the bottle in the fridge overnight, and then left the bottle on the counter uncorked for all of day two. On day two, this wine is starting to strut its stuff, gaining considerable more weight. Still somewhat muted on the nose but so much more taste than the prior day. Still very tannic and made in a more elegant style than the Myriads I pop frequently. If it had a bit more acidity and a touch more sweetness, it would be a solid 94-95 for me.
This is definitely a wine to put away for several years and the balance is there with no alcohol poking out at any point. You can't go wrong at this price point (under $30). I wonder if I can save any for a day three experience?
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11/23/2015 - Hamilton1 wrote: 90 Points
Good for a $25 Napa cab, but nowhere close to a 95 rating.
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11/22/2015 - cork breath wrote: 84 Points
Prepared a nice sunday dinner of roast beef. Looked forward to complimenting with this wine. Such a huge disappointment. It produced no flavor whatsoever
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11/21/2015 - WineKnurd wrote: 85 Points
Nov 21st 2015 "Getting the Band back Together" Tasting at Adam's (Phredd's Casa): Second wine in the line-up courtesy of Rick & Jo, tossed into a decanter while we were finishing up the ancestral Negrette Columbulle. Earthy funk notes eventually opened up into jammy red fruits and spice with some green notes. Tannins were tight and dense and really closing things down on the palate about halfway through. Right now the tannins were too much, not sure how much it needs but 2 years and a brief decant not looking like near enough time. 14.1% abv. Overall Evaluation: B.
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11/21/2015 - Snoman Likes this wine: 91 Points
After a few years of disappointment from this producer, had to try the 'new regime' 2013, especially after a huge Galloni review. Not disappointed at all, just released a bit too early, and will benefit greatly from another year+ in bottle. Inky-black extraction, with rich underlying classic Napa flavors of cassis, blackberry, tobacco and some vanilla touches. Grippy tannins right now, but points to nice age ability, and should show marked improvement over time. Suspect the great QPR is a focused tool to gain label traction for this entry-level line, and will pack away a case for future use. You might want to do the same.
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11/19/2015 - Boom Baby! wrote: 90 Points
This is a solid 90 point wine. Everything you would expect from a Napa Cab and more! At just over $21 buck (Total Wines) this is wine is a tremendous value.
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11/16/2015 - D. Richmond wrote: 91 Points
It's ok. But it isn't as good as AG indicated.
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11/15/2015 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a symphony of smooth polished complex flavors - tightly wound blackberry, black cherry, hints of plum and currant fruits accented by tones of black tea, black olive, hints of vanilla, light toast, and tobacco on the finely integrated supply sinewy tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2015/11/clos-du-val-napa-valley-cabernet.html
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11/14/2015 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 92 Points
I think this wine is tremendous for $22! First off…I HATE sweet cabernet….pretty much what you get at this price point…as well as some of the super duper high priced bombs. Beringer Knights Valley is a good comparison…..good wine at similar pricing…but I find this bottle less sweet, and better to my liking then the many 12 KVs I've had(my wife LOVES Beringer!). Here you get inky purple liqueured berry fruit….young and dark, but not too sweet, just ripe. WONDERFUL dusty graphite powder dryness…ala Casanova di Neri Brunello……spicy tannins…pretty firm and dry…but not annoying or clamping…just the way I like them at this young stage……showing pretty good balance to age…….then nice complexities of licorice, cherrywood smoke, dried currants, creme de cassis……little dry and flat on flavor in the finish, but I see that increasing with complexity with age. All in all….for the $…I'd drink this all day long!! And potential for aging with upside to boot!
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11/11/2015 - vplettnersaunders wrote:
Everything you want in a Napa Cab.
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11/6/2015 - Robert Pavlovich wrote:
Tons of mocha, coffee, wood on the nose. There's also plenty of structure showing on the palate with the addition of some earth, dark ripe fruit, and nice acidity. The dark purple and black fruit is sitting just underneath the structure. Something I noticed when tasting the 2010 last year, but this is a bit riper and more vibrant, and maybe a little less noise and not as tannic.
With some air, more vanilla on the nose, and sweeter dark berry fruit coming out on the palate. Not doing as well as it warms, with the oak slightly more apparent than the heat. Medium tannin and finish. Good to very good, and definitely a nice value play if you like straight ahead Napa Cab. Wouldn't hold this much past ten years however.
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11/4/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well, the nose lives up to the promise. Two directors of Latour first worked here? And darn, right off the cork pull the palate lives up to the promise as well. That is darn good stuff.
A blend off of Yorkville, Stag's Leap and Oakville.
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