Birthday party (Chicago, IL): My favourite of the three 1984 cabernets tonight; it's still a bit volatile on the nose but the palate makes up for it. It's cleaner and shows more of a pure black fruit profile, as well as plenty of leathery tannins.
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For a 37 year old, this was quite lively for a less than impressive vintage and without the bricking that I would expect on the rim. Purchased in 88. Cork was in fine shape. Nose was immediately full of barnyard which cleared and opened into blackberry and blueberry backed by forest floor. Soft tannin and resolved acidity on the palate showing leather, more dark fruit, cocoa and notes of mint on the finish. Wish I had more!
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This bottle was excellent. The cork had a good seal and was saturated less than 1/2 way. The color was still fairly dark given the age. The nose started slightly funky, but opened quickly to reveal still a surprising amount of fruit; cassis, dried blueberry, dried violet, lots of earthy and forest floor notes. The palate has very good concentration and the bottle lasted 2 hours over dinner with no decline. Quite good.
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In my cellar since the late 1980’s and my last bottle. Double decanted at 11am and served at my daughter’s wedding to the parent’s table (and a few others) from her birth year. I think this actually may have needed more time in the decanter than it got and the time in bottle after double decanting was mostly with the cork in. This was delicious but just a little closed to me and while it had a surprisingly youthful feel to it the the fruit was a bit subdued. The minerality with graphite and wet stones was great and the finish had leather and chocolate. Wish I had another to give it a really good long breathe in the decanter.
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Dinner w/Brad & Maggie (Eleven Madison Park): Really in an awesome spot right now. This is why Napa needs to remember how to make wine that ages. Because this was just so good tonight. It's licorice and lavendar and maybe a hint of soy and just a touch of fruit in the background. It's a wine that is maybe just now hitting the right drinking window, but so fresh and lovely that it has many more years to go. Very good.
California Dreaming (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church (VA)): At 12.5% alcohol, the wine exudes cedar, black olive, and minty eucalyptus, albeit lighter notes of that when compared to the Mount Eden. For a wine nearly 35 years old, the nose is quite fresh “They’ve kept their fruit,” David remarked about this wine. Indeed, one gets as well subtle blackberry pie notes. Quite delicious overall.
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Browning on the rim. A deep reddish-garnet color; bricking characteristics of age. A wonderful and complex nose. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, cedar, cigar box, sweet spices. Blackberry, black currant, and earthy flavors. Rich, concentrated and intense in the mouth. An exquisite wine for me. There are some unresolved tannins though, which cause a slight acidic feel on the tongue. Has a medium to long finish. I think this wine has some time left. Nice with a prime rib-eye steak. In fact, I appreciated the wine a little better with food. 20 hours later, after vacu-vin: wine is still strong and vibrant; the oak is just a tad more apparent. .
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Tobacco, cassis, black cherry, earth and incense aromas paired well with the depth of flavor, concentration and chewy, round, mouth filling flavors. Balanced and a pleasure to taste, this old school, California Cabernet Sauvignon wine improved in the glass for 90 minutes before starting to fade.
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A great bottle of this wine. The color was still dark purple with just the slightest of browing around the edge. Still somewhat primary in the glass with typical aromas of blule flowers, cassis and cigar box. Lush on the palate with a pretty long finish.
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Dave's Dinner Hosting the DC Crü (Dave's Casa): Sour cream, Pine Sol, sage & tastes a bit like chalk -- these all sound 'bad', but these are all just things wrapped around the fruit core. It was good. 89
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4/6/2024 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Birthday party (Chicago, IL): My favourite of the three 1984 cabernets tonight; it's still a bit volatile on the nose but the palate makes up for it. It's cleaner and shows more of a pure black fruit profile, as well as plenty of leathery tannins.
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6/29/2021 - grub94 Likes this wine: 94 Points
For a 37 year old, this was quite lively for a less than impressive vintage and without the bricking that I would expect on the rim. Purchased in 88. Cork was in fine shape. Nose was immediately full of barnyard which cleared and opened into blackberry and blueberry backed by forest floor. Soft tannin and resolved acidity on the palate showing leather, more dark fruit, cocoa and notes of mint on the finish. Wish I had more!
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8/5/2019 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This bottle was excellent. The cork had a good seal and was saturated less than 1/2 way. The color was still fairly dark given the age. The nose started slightly funky, but opened quickly to reveal still a surprising amount of fruit; cassis, dried blueberry, dried violet, lots of earthy and forest floor notes. The palate has very good concentration and the bottle lasted 2 hours over dinner with no decline. Quite good.
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1/12/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
In my cellar since the late 1980’s and my last bottle. Double decanted at 11am and served at my daughter’s wedding to the parent’s table (and a few others) from her birth year. I think this actually may have needed more time in the decanter than it got and the time in bottle after double decanting was mostly with the cork in. This was delicious but just a little closed to me and while it had a surprisingly youthful feel to it the the fruit was a bit subdued. The minerality with graphite and wet stones was great and the finish had leather and chocolate. Wish I had another to give it a really good long breathe in the decanter.
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4/21/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Dinner w/Brad & Maggie (Eleven Madison Park): Really in an awesome spot right now. This is why Napa needs to remember how to make wine that ages. Because this was just so good tonight. It's licorice and lavendar and maybe a hint of soy and just a touch of fruit in the background. It's a wine that is maybe just now hitting the right drinking window, but so fresh and lovely that it has many more years to go. Very good.
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2/1/2018 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
California Dreaming (Mark's Duck House, Falls Church (VA)): At 12.5% alcohol, the wine exudes cedar, black olive, and minty eucalyptus, albeit lighter notes of that when compared to the Mount Eden. For a wine nearly 35 years old, the nose is quite fresh “They’ve kept their fruit,” David remarked about this wine. Indeed, one gets as well subtle blackberry pie notes. Quite delicious overall.
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6/9/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
Browning on the rim. A deep reddish-garnet color; bricking characteristics of age. A wonderful and complex nose. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, cedar, cigar box, sweet spices. Blackberry, black currant, and earthy flavors. Rich, concentrated and intense in the mouth. An exquisite wine for me. There are some unresolved tannins though, which cause a slight acidic feel on the tongue. Has a medium to long finish. I think this wine has some time left. Nice with a prime rib-eye steak. In fact, I appreciated the wine a little better with food. 20 hours later, after vacu-vin: wine is still strong and vibrant; the oak is just a tad more apparent. .
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10/16/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Tobacco, cassis, black cherry, earth and incense aromas paired well with the depth of flavor, concentration and chewy, round, mouth filling flavors. Balanced and a pleasure to taste, this old school, California Cabernet Sauvignon wine improved in the glass for 90 minutes before starting to fade.
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1/27/2009 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 93 Points
A great bottle of this wine. The color was still dark purple with just the slightest of browing around the edge. Still somewhat primary in the glass with typical aromas of blule flowers, cassis and cigar box. Lush on the palate with a pretty long finish.
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8/4/2006 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
STILL DEEP BERRY FRUITS IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH HINTS OF LICORICE, LEATHER, AND MINT. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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8/4/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote: 87 Points
Surprise Birthday Dinner for G&PN (Dunwoody Country Club, Dunwoody, GA): Decanted 1.5L. Light and reticent nose. Sweet currants with some pretty red fruit at the core and a slightly burnt edge. Soft and delicate but very open and with a short finish. A little past it’s prime.
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9/24/2005 - Pool Boy wrote: 89 Points
Dave's Dinner Hosting the DC Crü (Dave's Casa): Sour cream, Pine Sol, sage & tastes a bit like chalk -- these all sound 'bad', but these are all just things wrapped around the fruit core. It was good. 89
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6/25/2004 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
DEEP BERRY FRUIT, LICORICE, AND LEATHER IN THE NOSE WITH RICH BERRY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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