Dense, concentrated, deep and dark. It's profile is more Bordeaux-style rather than the typical Napa Cab. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot; it's dominated by Cabernet Franc flavors of herbaceous tobacco with blackberry and black currant. Still a huge wine but the tannins remain under control. Tremendous finish (30 - 45 sec), this is a 30-year wine. It's in a great place right now but will last for several more years.
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reticent nose, this was a little tired on opening and tasting a little lean and hollow after an hour or so, I thought it may have been an 'off' bottle - it filled dramatically after another hour and the last sip was undoubtedly the best - not sure but I'm inclined to leave my last few bottles for at least a couple of years
I had this wine in 2020 and remarked that it could potentially score 95+ within five years. Well, I almost got there. We had it last night and it was still absolutely delicious but not quite a 95, which is what I consider the delineation between a very good wine and a globally elite bottle (and yes, I recognize this isn’t exactly nuclear precision). 5till exhibits a beautiful medium ruby red color. The nose is wonderful: I might have even guessed Bordeaux, with earthy, charcoal, forest floor elements present. But the palate brings you around to California, with dark red fruits framed by excellent sweet tannin. Still has room to go. Maybe 95 will happen! Drank decanted over three hours.
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Opened a magnum to toast my beloved father the day after he passed away, since it was a wine he loved. Aaaaand it was corked. There may be some cosmic meaning there, but I can't really put my finger on it. I guess it's that corks suck as a wine closure
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Beautiful wine. PnP and then drank over two hours, and then what was left the next day and it was still going strong. Cork in good shape. This bottle has more time if you can hold off.
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1 hour decant. Nose of red cherries and red currants with earthy aromas and white pepper. Palate of black currant, red licorice and drier black raspberry fruit paired with cigar box and cedar. It flows smoothly into a finish of full-boded tannins, red fruit, gingerbread, and oak. Very balanced, with plenty of life ahead. Fnished ahead of the 2001 Rauzan-Segela we drank at the same time.
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this was good but not up to the standard I have for this bottling (at least the bottling from the 70's thru the 90's)... a little lean and the acidity (which I generally love) was a tiny bit harsh... does this simply need another 5-7 years... not sure... hmmm... maybe an off bottle??... NR given my uncertainty on that but this would have been 90-91'ish if I had rated
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No notes taken. From a double magnum. This showed great as it has already reached a good level of maturity. The baby fat is gone, the wine has fleshed out and what remains is an elegant, fine Napa Cab with a level of ripeness that is well in check, lots of earthy/herbal/mineral notes creating a good balance, all embedded in a fine structural frame. At least from large formats this should improve further over the next two+ decades.
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Opened and decanted for sediment at 1:30pm as this one threw off a good amount of sediment left behind in the bottle. Drank the last glass at 9pm and drank throughout the day and evening to check its progress. This one drank the best to me around the 4-5pm hour so that puts it at about a 2.5-3.5 hour decant to show its best.
On the nose, it was moderately tertiary from just about the get-go as I think this one is on its last legs and I wouldn't sit on it for more than perhaps a year or two. On the nose, I get scents of tar, graphite, leather, cedar, eucalyptus, and menthol. On the palate, lovely flavors of blackberries, chocolate, tobacco leaf, licorice, and minerals. Again, a lovely wine and wish I had another to lay down for just a little while longer.
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Decanted 2 hrs. My last bottle and this wine has held up very well. Dense dark fruit with notes of cassis, cedar, plum, earth, spice. The tannins are soft and well integrated - long satisfying finish. I wish I had more.
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Opened and consumed over 4 hours. Fully mature and ready with minimal air. Velvety mouthfeel with a Bordeaux like profile. Best part was the chocolate notes at the end.
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dark garnet, slight bricking lively and fresh for a 20 year old napa cab. packed with polished cab fruit with cassis, framed by gentle notes of cedar and leather with a touch of salinity, no soy notes though. I dare say perfect balance, with impressive length and finish. 94-95
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Very youthful and saturated dark red color. Aromas of cassis, reddish black berries, cedar, hint of soil and graphite on the nose. A medium to full bodied palate shows velvety and sweet crushed dark berries, hint of cocoa, medium acidity, silky tannins and a very long cedar/pencil lead perfumed finish. This seems to be getting better with age!
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The 2001 is well aged. In my opinion, the 750ml is at its peak and will last 5+ at this top level. Soft, elegant and well balanced. I think the 1.5L have 10-15 years at this level before any drop off.
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Slow Ox to start for about an hour. Good amount of sediment . Cork was in great shape! Vibrant ruby color with purple rim. This was a velvet hammer! Baking spice, cassis, leather, dark fruits/plum. Violet and earth as well. Mild tannis on the back. Drinking great now but a few more years of age wouldn’t hurt either. Either way, you shouldn’t be disappointed.
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Nose of red currant, tobacco leaf, and cedar box. Classic palate of Napa earth and dust, cigar box, sweet red fruits, spice, and minerals. Smooth vanilla oak finish with black cherry, cigar ash, smoke, and hot asphalt. What a classic wine that's really singing now!
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Really, really nice... cork broke, but likely due to a bad opener. Lots of sediment that was removed with a wine strainer thingee as I Decanted for an hour. Drank over the next hour with dinner. Long smoooooth finish. Berry flavors are there, not overwhelming. Some earthy tones in the background. Loved it. Not sure what happened with the other poor ratings.
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20 years in the bottle and I'm wondering would have it been better earlier? Classic Mondavi with perfect balance of spice and fruits as the long rounded finish certainly shows this has aged well. Did expect a more powerfull finish, but perhaps we are mellowing a bit after 20 years.
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We liked the wine a lot. Bought the wine years ago at Mondavi Winery. Very fruity, balanced, with long and lasting finish.
Our beloved cat, Lizzie C. Katt passed away Sunday morning and I wanted to honor her memories with an elegant bottle of wine 🍷 from the same year as she was born.
2001 was a great year for cats and wine. I might even buy another bottle from Mondavi’s library to celebrate her life next year too!
The wine was great but I really miss Lizzie 🐈⬛ ... love you 😽 Lizzie!
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Outstanding in every way. Gorgeous in the crystal, enticing aromas full of glens and berries, exceptionally smooth on the palate, with primary, secondary and tertiary notes, magnificent tannins, and a finish that lasts forever. This has nestled in my cellar for a decade since arrival from the Mondavi winery a decade ago. Truly a sophisticated sensation for all the senses.
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Purchased from winery last year- this needs every bit of 3 hours in the decanter- full bodied, youthful wine that is still a few years away from optimal drinking or I’d suggest a solid 4-5 hour decant. This has another decade of life on it. Nice balance and finish and overall a solid wine from a great vineyard.
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Still very youthful and dark. This needed some air and came across as old school cabernet, no modern plushness or layers. It reminded me of Chateau Montelena. It needs more secondary flavors to merit a higher score.
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I went back and forth on possibly scoring this higher. Despite already being a finely aged wine at nineteen years, it still has some potential left. Displays a surprisingly young looking color, medium/dark purple-red with just ever the slightest hint of crimson on the rim. Nose was consistent throughout the whole evening, finely tuned notes of blueberry compote and cassis were balanced very nicely with pine needles and sandalwood. The result is a classically styled, super elegant cabernet that, while clearly identifiable as California, is a terrific blend of new and old world terroir. Finish was medium length but increased ever so slightly in intensity as the night wore on, also a good sign for the aging trajectory. Very well made, won't disappoint and could possibly score 95+ in about five years in my opinion.
Brought to Vintage on 5th, Crystal River ($25 corkage) to celebrate my birthday. First one of these in over three years. This has held up amazingly well. Still looks so youthful in the glass. No bricking at all and just a slight lightening around the edge. Alluring scents of crushed dark berries, earth, cassis and spice on the nose. Full-bodied and quite elegant now in texture and weight. Continues to show a surprising amount of ripe, delicious plum, dark currant and blackberry fruit, with a moderate acidity. There's excellent depth on the mid-palate and a long finish that offers tantalizing hints of dark chocolate, coffee and spice. So balanced, complex and delicious. Not a rough edge in sight. A wonderful Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that has aged gracefully and paired beautifully with their fabulous beef filet. 50+5+12+18+8=93
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Wine of the night. Such awesome purity of fruit and the tannins are still very much present with a nice little lace of acidity. Great with a ribeye tonight. She’s a beaut.
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Wow. Huge nose followed by a huge palate dominated by blueberries, black cherries, black berries, and black currant. Really big. And delicious. Hard to believe this is 19 years old.
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slow out of the gate but really came around after only 30 minutes
cassis, currants, ripe cabernet fruit, and tobacco/leather secondary. Well-balanced and elegant with a great finish. Really drinking well.
This wine along with BV GLT are a testament to how ageworthy these supposed "fruit driven" wines really are. I'd say this wine easily has 5 years ahead of it. just excellent. 92-94
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Pretty good. Had a 2001 beringer private reserve the night before which was way better. This wine had a small hint of a bitter finish. I smoke a cigar earlier in day and may have impacted this tasting.
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Very nice, but not up to the level of previous bottles. There seems to be quite some bottle variation in Mondavi Reserve, had it with the 97 and also with the 2001. Never had issues with pre 92 bottles though...
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Not sure if I had a sourcing or storage issue along the way but this wine was tired and on its way to bricking a bit. Cork a bit truffle smelling which blew off from the wine over time.....but still felt underpowered relative to expectations. No way my bottle could last to 2040 for sure! This is the only bottle I had of this and not sure where I got it...so your mileage may and hopefully will vary.
This bottle was significantly more advanced than other bottles of the same wine that i had previously. Still good but not as powerful and intense as these others, with quite some tertiary notes
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Full, rich and inky. Cassis, boysenberry, graphite, and a hint of mint on the palate. There is good acidity and depth. A very good Cab, if just a touch heavy. Just entering maturity and will probably last a long time.
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Bring a Good Bottle at St Gen's (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Very nice nose with funk, earth, cassis, pencil, orange peel, blood orange, dried wood. Needs some time to be realized in glass, but it comes together gradually over 30 minutes plus. The palate shows a soft texture, lots of graphite, cassis, dried spices, and wood on a medium plus body with a classicly restrained Mondavi style that I love. This is just in the early drinking window and should integrate even further over time. Give it just a little air and you're good to go.
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Worldwide Wines that Don't Suck (Saint Genevieve, Minneapolis): Hell ya!!! My wine of the night. Nose is amazing and palate/finish consistent. Red currants, cigar, plum, coffee grounds and minerals. Medium to long finish and super complex. This wine will age another decade not worries. Top ten wine of the year. 95 plus.
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Really don’t understand the average rating here. This really is world class Napa. Amazing richness and opulence, yet still very balanced. This is just amazing stuff
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ruby red still youthful with resolved tannins cassis, currants, ripe cabernet fruit, and tobacco/leather secondary. Has a Bordeaux like perfume as it sits in the glass. Well-balanced and elegant with a great finish. Really drinking well. A dead ringer for a classified Pauillac, 2020+ 93-95
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This wine was peculiar. It wasn't flawed but it wasn't correct. It tasted like it was 3 years old and not 18. All primary rich dark fruit and nothing else.
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At Ruth's Chris for my son's 18th birthday. Surprising youthful, still full of black fruit, just beginning to develop secondary notes of black tea and earth. Velvety mouthfeel. A terrific 18 year old wine.
Popped and poured after filtering sediment. Some volatile elements disappeared over 20-30 minutes. Never rough classic CS currant and casis with moderate complexity and a smooth finish. Full bodied fruit without being heavy. Peaked at around 90 minutes after opening. Drinking well.
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Great wine that is in a good place right now. Touch of vanilla, but not overwhelming. Shows some secondary notes that integrate well with dark berries and a little spice. Soft and well integrated tannins, yet with enough acid. Nice balance and delicious with a simple steak.
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92-94. I was just slightly disappointed in this showing, but perhaps the wine is still too young or it was the bottle. The nose is pretty classic, and if there wasn't a bit of sweetness in the attack it might pass for a Bordeaux. But as we were drinking a number of top Bordeaux you could tell the difference. The initial impression is strangely very muted but the midpalate and finish are deep and long. The best showing I thought of the Cali and Washington State Cabs, but I may be prejudiced.
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Purchased at release from magnum and stored in a passive cellar, this Mondavi reserve from the well structured 2001 vintage is drinking beautifully right now. Pnp with the remainder drank from decanter over the following hour.
Generous nose of red fruit and cigar box, followed by a complex and well integrated wine that is really at its apex right now. Delicious, long finish, with soft tannins that are just grippy enough to finish strong. I don’t think you would mistake this wine for anything other than Napa, but this is definitely a textbook example of a classic wine from a great producer in a great vintage.
I don’t believe this wine will improve but based on the depth of the fruit and the remaining tannins I’d expect this wine to hold for another 3-5 years.
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Beautiful wine, red rim and still dark body. Tannins are mostly resolved, approaching or at peak drinking imho. Crushed fliwers, cedar, violets, dark fruits long on the palate. Really pretty wine.
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This is an outstanding bottle of wine from a producer that has only rarely, for me, lived up to the lofty expectations. This is Dominus-like in that it presents Napa fruit but in a way that is more elegant than bombastic. Drinking really well right now; I'm looking forward to my remaining bottles!
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Tasted out of double magnum. Young, tannic, balanced fruit. It was my 50th bday occasion to open it but easily would have gone another 10-15 years before hitting the next stage. A well kept version will go many decades more.
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Bottles bought just after release, in my cellar since. A dense wine in its youth, I endeavored to let evolve in my cellar over the years. Brought a bottle for a "joint" birthday celebration with the family.
Bright garnet color, no real sediment or separation. Nose of dark fruits, violets, graphite. Palate showing aged/dusted black currant, cherry, spices, cassis, floral notes. Picking up some cedar/leather in the mid palate. Long and elegant finish.
This wine has aged nicely: expressive fruit, elegant, secondary notes. A classic CA/Bdx style wine that is in a great spot right now. It took about 20 minutes to really show and continued to evolve in the glass over an hour. Great now, hard to say if it will improve much but my guess is it will still be drinking well on its 30th b-day...Great wine that is often underrated. With multiple bottles will have the luxury of trying over the years
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Terrific en magnum showing of this wine. In a great spot right now after a 45 minute decant. Flavors of black fruit, creme de cassis, chocolate. Full bodied with a big frame and concentrated superb mid palate. The tannins are well integrated. The only thing lacking was in the finish which was a bit short and awkward compared to what you might expect but this is not a fatal flaw at all.
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Ein schöner trinkreifer NapaCab mit allem was man erwartet. Evtl. noch etwas mehr Tannin als er verdauen kann, aber im Moment nicht wirklich störend. Lecker!!
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This bottle was enjoyable but knowing how good this wine has been in the past, I can't score this.
The cork was completely saturated and very soft. I think the color was too brick toned to be proper. Some nice fruit and a hint of iron but overall lacking. C'est la vie.
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PnP, 2nd night in a row tasting a wine I know well and being disappointed. Maybe it is me. Last bottle tasted in 2106, very nice. This one was nice however the finish was off at start and never came around. Therefore not rating.
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Three years since I had the previous bottle of this wine. Based on that tasting note this wine has evolved/aged a bit. Not quite as fresh and fruit forward but still in its prime drinking window. Fruit has faded a bit but tobacco and spice have moved forward, tannins are smooth and well integrated. I don’t expect this to get better with more age but think that it will stay in its sweet spot for 5 years or so.
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Classic mature Mondavi reserve. Had a bit of a menthol note in the nose on opening; this blew off in the first 20 minutes. Opened into a smooth, medium weight palate. Long finish, a small bit of dusty tannins evident. Absolutely ready but expect a decade or so at this level before declining.
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This bottle was flat and had an off smell, not corked, but definitely past it's prime. This was a gift, from a couple of years ago, so questioning the storage conditions.
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Open That Bottle Night #12: Tasted blind. Sweet oak, viscosity, a punch of acid, smooths out for the finish. This is clearly a New World cabernet or cab-based blend. I think it's a high quality, well-balanced, youngish Napa cab, maybe 7-10 years old. Very good.
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PNP...deep purple with aromas of blackberry and plum..round mouthfeel and stewed plum, currant and moist earth..long, lingering finish. In an excellent place right now
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This was a good bottle finally. still really powerful. Lots of depth. Sharp, smokey, and somewhat harsh upon opening. Needed an hour to settle down. A lot going on for sure. Layers of flavors.
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Outstanding depth that is still cloaked in huge, rustic tannins. This is a 50 year wine with serious structure. Deep dark cherry, bitter chocolate, stone with a big backbone. The flavor profile is more old-school Napa than the new, polished fruit and laboratory extract model. Really impressive now, may be off the charts great in 10-15 years.
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Sweet aromas of black cherry fruits. Rich sweet chewy tannins. Mouth filling and large scale yet tons of spices. Very good. Out of mag. Yummy. Long life ahead
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From magnum. Nose is a bit shy with some awkward high toned fruit. The palate on the other hand is in a terrific place. Classic, chunky plummy cab fruit with cedar, tobacco and bell pepper complexity. Firm, chewy tannin in the backend to remind you this still has a long life.
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First one of these in 11 months. Now down to my last two bottles from a half case. Brought with us to Vintage on Fifth, Crystal River ($15 corkage). Was poured into a decanter and sat for about 25 minutes while we enjoyed a Prosecco aperatif. Still very young-looking in the glass. No amber or bricking at all, and almost no lightening at the edge. Very powerful and complex on the nose. Gorgeous aromas of crushed, dark fruits, spice, cigar box and earth. Full-bodied, now mature and noticeably more elegant than previous bottles. Much more Bordeaux-like in character, now that its delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit has faded. Beautifully balanced, with a moderate acidity that perfectly complements its subtle, remaining fruit. Shows good depth and intensity, without excessive concentration or weight. Finishes very long and incredibly smooth, with velvety tannins that linger gently. This is so polished and refined. A wonderful Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that may be slightly past its peak, but is still drinking very nicely. 50+5+13+17+8=93
2 hr decant. Oak and tannins have integrated nicely. Earth, mineral notes, mixed very nicely with black fruit. Lots of structure. Still some cellar life left, but ready to go now. Threw off a hefty amount of sediment.
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Pop and poured. New Year's Day at Ed's place. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of black cherries, blackberries, black licorice, black tea leaves, slight earth. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), resolved medium tannins that gained some grip with more air, full body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of black cherries, blackberries, black licorice, mint, tobacco, slight earth. Medium+ finish. Good quality. Not the usual powerhouse Napa Cab, but not Bordeaux either. Fruit is still upfront, though this clearly has tertiary features already. Doesn't feel like there is any more upside. Drink up. Apparently fruit from To-Kalon vineyard?
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4 years since the last time we had one. Still a very strong effort with plenty of nose remaining. Tannins fully resolved but still a big backbone. Fruit aplenty on palate and an old world earthiness missing from many Napa cabs. Long finish.
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Deep dark cabernet fruit but seemingly light on the palate probably due to the great acidity. Some black cherry fruit with leather. Long finish but still tannic and drinking very well
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A beautiful, elegant and complex Napa valley reserve cab that truly deserves that label. Capped off an epic night of older CA cabs at our wine group tasting and stood up very well to the likes of equally old both Napa & Alexander valley Silver Oak, Caymus SS, Opus One, Quintessa and Dominus. At this point of maturation this is actually quite a reasonable QPR at our original acquisition cost. Still somewhat youthful and with proper cellaring has at least another 5+ years to go but as good as it is right now I am not sure that there is any further upside to continued cellaring - recommend starting to drink these up. This wine right now again really proves the old adage that all really good and well made cabernets / bdx blends, regardless of the point of origin, eventually evolve into French bourdeauxesque type wines - right now this would be very hard to pick out as New World in a flight of older bordeauxs. Briefly decanted just to get the must off the nose but this does not really need a decant if you can just wait a few minutes after pouring it and swirl the glass a bit. Purplish red with noticeable peripheral bricking, soft mouth feel, very well balanced and integrated, complex and with a really lovely lingering aftertaste. Nose initially somewhat muted but with some air opened up and was very airy and almost floral with red fruit, a light hint of cedar, smoke and coffee. Flavor profile included cassis, dark fruit, mocha, leather, tobacco and warm cooking spices with a lighter again almost cedary finish. Very sorry to only have one more bottle. Highly recommend this wine.
Ruby red with browning around the edges. Airy and captivating nose of high quality cedar, cigar box, earth and black fruits. A very refined and elegant palate follows with cassis liqueur, dark chocolate, rolled tobacco leaves, fully absorbed oak, no tannins, medium(-) acidity and a long cedar perfumed finish.
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Decanted for an hr then put back in the bottle, dark red, dark fruit with a touch of tobacco & chocolate, mod/firm tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold, but I suspect it will benefit from another couple of years
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Light-dark red. Cedar and tobacco notes combined with bizarrely, melon notes in the nose with a bit of purple funk. Highly extracted style, a bit formulaic but very well done. Lovely notes of vanilla, oak, milk chocolate, blackberry, soil. Strong fruit and wood integration.
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Really good. It starts off New World, as what one taster described as a "monster truck Cab", but after the up-front fruit the nuances come through to the point that one taster said this could be confused for a big Bordeaux. Nice herbal and mineral nuances in addition to big (but not overripe) fruit with a good finish and plenty of structure still. Highly recommended. I've heard some Mondavi Reserves can disappoint, but this one didn't.
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Had at dinner blind and I loved it. It did not seem 15 years. Lots of cherry fruit. Big dark Went better with food then alone. We had a wonderful grilled steak. Great match.
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Randy and Steve visit Cleveland (Napa vs. Bordeaux) (Colonial): Blind, most picked this as Bordeaux although I thought Napa. Just too much sunshine, but I get why. Just a beautiful mature wine at this point. Still a long life ahead, but seems about at peak. The nose has cassis and some cedar with a bit of menthol and tobacco as well. On the palate, layers of complexity. Nice acidity. Cassis, forest floor and some funk. Light tannins although mostly resolved. Good finish.
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This is perhaps the 20th bottle of this that I have had and its still pretty good. Soft, musty, old world, still some red fruits. Not the best bottle of this i have had.
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I've been enjoying this variety for 30 years starting with the 1983 vintage when it cost $12 a bottle. This 2001 has a wonderful nose of fruity, subtly oaky, soft earthy notes. Tastes great right out of the bottle. Complex, balanced, rich fruity mouth feel, smooth tannins, and a nice, long finish. Once open, the balace and integration deepens, and the finish lengthens. Despite its still dense, purple color, I think it may be in its drinking sweet spot. Very nice, indeed! Cheers!!
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Deep, dark, delectable. Double decanted and aired two hours in Eisch crystal. Darkest violet color in glass, with full body, and stupendous legs. On the nose, winter spices balanced by autumn florals. On the palate, bracing acidity backed by strong tannins and bold finish. Six hours later, this bottle was still standing strong, with greater integration between all elements, and a texture that emerged as velvet throughout. It seems to me this wine may have 5 to 10 more years of life before it begins to dim.
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Stunning nose of dark cherry perfume-so pure. The palate is lovely but not as beautiful as the nose. There was a complexity that I didn't get in the other 2001 Cabs in this tasting (Harlan Maiden, Seavey, Pahlmeyer , Caymus SS, Beringer Private Reserve) with only the Spottswood coming close. Still has tannins and plenty of fruit.
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Past its prime window, but still drinking pretty good; took about an hour or so for some funk to blow off, once gone this bottle showed ripe cherry and plum fruit, dense structure and oaky finish.
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First bottle since December, 2012. Consistent with my note from back then. Brought with us to Ocean Prime in Tampa to celebrate Kerry's birthday. This is still drinking beautifully. No sign at all of being past its peak. Still a rather youthful-looking, semi-opaque crimson in color, lightening just a bit at the edge. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, but not at all heavy or over done. Immediately saturates the palate with ripe, delicious plum and blackberry fruit. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fruit this still has, for a wine of its age. Shows amazing depth and concentration, without a lot of weight. The finish goes on for almost a full minute and features alluring notes of cassis, mineral and black licorice. The tannins are beautifully integrated and smooth as silk. This reminded us of the 2005 Ornellaia we enjoyed on my birthday. So balanced, delicious and polished. For my taste, this is as good as Napa Cabernet gets. 50+5+12+19+9=95
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Tasted double blind. Wowwww what a wine and what a stage! Fruit-in-rum, sunday roast and mint. But what makes this wine so great is the texture and the amazing viscosity. I just looooved this wine, incredible. i was stunned when I saw the bottle. Just impressive what Mondavi used to turn out. One of the most underrated Napa Cabs out there
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Bouquet: Violets, damp earth, roasted coffee bean and chocolate toasty oak, sweet cassis and dark cherry. Palate: Flavor: Cassis, blackberry and dark cherry syrup (unsweetened) enveloped by chocolate oak and roast coffee. The flavors plus sweet spice come together on the finish. Comment: Lively concentrated fruit without being overripe, smooth tannins, gorgeous bouquet and flavors. The wine has some natural sweetness that isn't excessive; the syrup character applies more to texture than to the concentrated fruit flavor and texture than to the sweetness.
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First bottle of six. Tight and youthful in the beginning. Poured into a decanter and gave it an hour. Polished and pure were my original thoughts. Very fine and seamless. California meets Bordeaux. Plenty of time left here.
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Last bottle of a case from winery. Damn fine.good balance; brambly berry fruit, Good viscosity, sweet tannins, ultra long finish, earthy, midlife... No hurry.. Super fragrant... Very fine effort.
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Similar to last bottle, showing black cherry, vanilla, oak; well structured but not quite as vibrant, this one seemed to have aged a bit more than some previous bottles. Fourth bottle in the past eight months and they have all been at a different stage. Purchased at auction so do not know much about how they were stored, but could be playing into the variability.
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Just drinking perfectly right now. P&P and it was great. Can't see it getting better, but can see it ageing another 4 or 5 years. Drink it now. Very enjoyable.
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Great nose of cassis, sour cherry, tobacco, cedar, and spice. On the palate rich with cherry, black currant, cedar, tobacco. Finishes with great grip and nice acidity. Entering a drinking window but should stay at this peak for the next 10 years. Drink or hold.
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Popped and drunk This wine was firing on all cylinders. Great fruit nose. Blackberry, black currant and a hint of plum on the nose. Weight quite heavy. Acid medium. Palette is brown sugar, black currant, plum and black berry. Drinking very nice right now.
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Slighlty off bottle. Was sporting a harsh, sour tannic backbone which was not in the last few bottles that I have consumed. The fruit was trying to shine but could not adequately rise above.
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Still restrained but lots of fruit and structure holding this together. Not as sure as others that it will get a lot better but could be proved wrong on this one.
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This performed pretty much as expected but, is not yet, transcendent. I think this could be really special in 3-5yrs. Still a little oak to integrate. Not over the top oak but, still out front a bit. My daughter praised the wine and she rarely remarks about them. Trying to introduce my adult kids to the magic of aged wines can be daunting in a holiday setting so that says something about how good this wine is. Right now, very elegant and showing generous depth and length on a focused frame. I decanted a good 3 hours earlier and poured back into the btl about 30 minutes before drinking. Definitely decant even though it smells great out of the shoot. The palate needs it. I'll try to secure more of these for down the road. 14.5 % Alc but didn't feel like it was over 13%. These Mondavi Reserve Cabs have rekindled my interest in certain CA Cabs.
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I rated this wine 94+ points because of the price and product delivered. For $90 this is a great wine. Great nose of dark berries, dark chocolate, and cherry liquor. Legs are med. No noticeable heat or alcohol. Excellent mouth feel, smooth, bright edges, tannins fully integrated, a pleasure to drink, and a true pleasure at $90 a bottle. Although we drink a lot of the 2000 vintage and in every tasting the 2000 is picked every time over the 2001. even thought he 2001 is rated higher I believe the 2000 has aged better.
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93+ 3 hour decant.Seductive, mature, smooth. Notes of blackcurrant some graphite, stone and with more time whaffs of plush Blackcherry. Mid palate sweet core of black/red fruits, solid but subtle structure. Great balance, aging gracefully. Drink or a hold.
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Oak.. not integrated.. too oaky.. the fruit is still overwhelmed or maybe the fruit is gone. but this wine is not for me. I think maybe this is around when they started doing something different there and it makes me sad. Its disjointed.. however I will wait another 5 years on my other bottle..
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Amazingly young and vibrant for 2001, perhaps even a bit too much, with fairly heavy alcohol, oak and vanilla overtones crowding out black cherry fruit to some extent. I still like it, but this particular bottle was not quite up to the previous bottle, which was more balanced.
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Stunning Bordeaux style Cab. The nose is jammy and filled with scents of cherry jam and roses. The taste explodes on the palate with complex flavors of blackcherry jam, cherry pie, blackberry, mushroom and a touch of cedar. Delicious!
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Drank from a magnum. Tannins still present and To Kalon fruit very delicious. But seems like its fading, as I had a prior 2001 magnum which was more fruit forward and complex. I believe Mr. Parker said this wine has a 20-25 drinking window. Sorry Mr. Parker, I think you were off on the longevity...but your score at the time was accurate. Drink up.
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Robust CS, strong cherry and red currant flavors, big profile, especially at this age. Some oak shows through, nice fruity acidity delineates the finish.
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really beautiful wine, decidedly un-modern -- yeah, good acid with some fruit and some cedar and balanced acid, faint tannin, ready now and should continue to evolve over next 7-10 years
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Dinner with Friends and "2001 Cabs": Tasted blind: Deep red showing first signs of age. Notes of leather, herbs and barn. Quite a powerful, deep and sweet wine as one would expect from To-Kalon. The tartiness is disturbing. Many liked this wine and I have to agree that this is overall a good wine, I am just not a fan of this style.
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A fabulous expression of the best of what California can bring to the table for fine wine. After reading "The house of Mondavi" years ago I gained an appreciation for what Robert was trying top pursue in Napa. This 2001 certainly fills his vision. An incredibly balanced wine with just enough age for those secondary notes to be in full blossom. A great treat the day before Father's Day with my wife and two grown children. The 2001 vintage was my first collectible vintage and sad to see this last bottle go but glad it was from Magnum.
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Second Sunday Group: 2001 CA cabs (Anvil Club): Crimson color with notes of leather, plum, dark fruit, lavender and violets- the most pretty and elegant wine thus far. Medium-bodied and nicely integrated, perhaps the most balanced wine in the flight. Flavors of cassis, currants, black cherry. Becomes more perfumed and floral as it opens, developing a saddle leather quality and even a tobacco note. Well-balanced and elegant with a long finish.
My #1 Group #5, 47 pts.
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Silky body. Tart black currants, some herbs, leather, and new oak. Thirteen years old and the oak still dominates the palate. The fruit, herbal and leathery notes are terrific. I just wish the oak would calm down.
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out of magnum, ready to go right out the gate, nose of graphite and dark berries and just a textured dark fruit on the palate. One knock, about 2 hours in the oak started to become more obvious on the nose/palate.
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As I poured the wine into the decanter, there was an explosion of a wonderful aroma of dried cherries.
After three hours of decanting, the wine had a modest nose of cherries, cassis and pencil lead. On the palate, the flavors were more old world style ... leather, cedar, pencil lead with a hint of cassis. Well make, elegant wine. Drinking well right now ... will last another decade plus.
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A complete wine drinking beautifully. Wonderful floral aromatics that advertise the real estate. Subtle layers of black fruit- currant, blackberries but not in a burst of fruit rather a wave that expertly weaved into stone and aged leather. Old-world fans will be smitten as the composition has the horsepower but the restraint is masterful. This is getting very close to perfect.
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I have been holding out on drinking this for a few years. Feel as if I was rewarded for waiting. Still fresh appearing without any bricking. Medium concentration. Elegant and refined. A great combination of sweet Napa cabernet fruit and secondary characteristics. Oak and tannins are seemlessly integrated. Excellent to drink alone or to pair with food.
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The 2001 is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc with the remainder Merlot and Petite Verdot. Aromas of cassis, slight prune, and smokey steak reveal a palate of ridiculously concentrated blue/blackberry jam, dark chocolate, and spice. Incredibly balanced with a strong mature tannic backbone. No way this could disappoint
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First one of 6 & did not disappoint. I thought this was excellent and open for business. It actually fell apart a bit after a few hours. I think Dr. AJ's TN's are perfect. Nothing to add, except it deserves a higher score.
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Popped and poured and followed over two hours. Good nose of dark fruits, some chocolate and cedar. Quite an elegant wine, with a core of good black fruit framed with some acidity and a sprinkling of dust on top. While rich in fruit, it handles it well and is not weighed down by the richness but rather carries itself with grace.
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Great Napa cabernet sauvignon: powerful and broad but also very refined and elegant, and perfectly poised between piquancy and the sweetness of ripe Californian fruit. Lovely heady aromas of coffee, dark chocolate, blackcurrant, licorice, blond tobacco, cinnamon, black cherry, loamy earth, a touch of funk. On the palate, velvet tannins and a fairly full body giving a smooth, luxurious texture, with a flavour-profile of more black cherry and dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla cream, thyme, cassis. Long finish. The only criticism: a little too hot from the high alcohol. A class act that's a privilege to drink. And it's drinking perfectly now: still vigorous, but with the full panoply of complex mature notes, too. Impressive and delicious.
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veri amazing bttl.the more u decant,the more rewards u get frm tis bttl.a bttl with bags if tricks.so much tings to offer.stil hve much time ahead.highly recommended
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This wine still needs time to unwind. Two day tasting note. Day 1 was tight on pop-n-pour. Day 2 was much more accessible, but still had some unwinding to go. Suggest a two-hour plus decant. It was beautiful once it began to unwind. Finish was lengthy.
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My benchmark Cabernet; still drinking very young as a pop and pour with a huge nose of red fruits and cigar box, full mid palate with red fruits as the dominant flavor with hints of tertiary flavors peaking out. Still excellent on day 2 as well. If you can find this wine, highly recommend it.
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This has improved significantly in the past year. Decanted for an hour, drank over the next 3. Dark purple with no bricking. The fruit is still young while the tannins are integrating nicely. Finish is long and holds up really well. The Mondavi reserve cabs are hit and miss for me, but this was one of my favorites yet (05 was great). Have 1 more bottle and feel no need to drink anytime soon.
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Mondavi Reserve is the most underrated high end Napa Cab around. This was middle of the fairway stuff, big, balanced, fruity, structured, long finish, etc. Not exotic, just good in every dimension.
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S FL WS Group celebrates JC & FKG's new home (Hollywood, FL): Rich plum and currant fruit with full body and medium acidity with resolved tannins. Has the structure to age further gracefully and add more complexity, which it had less of than most of the other wines this evening. Nicely balanced too. 01 is one of my favorite vintages for Napa and this will no doubt get even better.
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Hardly showing any signs of age at this point. Really no signs of bricking at the rim, and the fruit is still very primary. Although the tannins softened some, there's still plenty of them on the long complex finish. I prefer the To Kalon bottling currently as it's more advanced and has more olive, herbs and loam characteristics.
After having four bottles in recent years I have to say that this is my favorite vintage of Mondavi reserve In the last decade. Drinks great right now with at least 2 to 4 hours in the decanter. It should be better in 5 to 10 years when the tannins resolve and It develops more secondary nuances.
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PnP, served non-blind. It's been four or five years (at least) since I recall having this, and I wasn't really sure how it would perform on a PnP, but it performed quite well and suggests the best has yet to come. No bricking yet, and very little tertiary development thus far, but with this kind of strucuture and purity of fruit, it'll no doubt get there in the coming years. Elegantly full bodied, with cool acids and pencil thin tannins. A fine effort that is not yet at peak, but is closing in on it. recommended. Drink thru 2027, 14,5% abv
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Alcohol :: 14.5% Dark ruby red. Tobacco leaf, cigar box and earthiness that point us to old world. The touch of solid metallic mineral and spiciness is lifted an fresh. The tannin is well integrated even at this young age. Muscular and powerful but it is wel delineated, balance and lifted. So fresh, so nicely built that will last for anther 15yrs. The finished is incredibly long too. Super.
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Popped and poured tonight, thick sweet plums on the nose, with similar notes as the last bottle. Greatly enjoyed by all and a stellar bottle of cabernet. 94+
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Took some time to open up but only got better throughout the evening. Had with beef tenderloin. Lots of blackberry, black cherry, leather. Loads of tannins and acid but all well integrated. All aspects in beautiful harmony. Mondavi at its peak with this wine. Years to go. Four left.
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Paired with standing rib roast, broiled new potatoes, etc. for my 70th birthday dinner with entire family. Really a wonderful, delicious wine. Berry taste was still very much in evidence.
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beautiful wine. had saved it for special occasion and it did not disappoint.. the tannins have relaxed leaving a fruitful taste with a nice finish. always worry that a wine has been held too long but got this one at its peak and will enjoy the last bottle soon. the wine was the perfect accompaniment to filet mignon with gorgonzola twice baked potatoes. the meat and cheese with the fruit from the wine was a memorable meal.
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Great ripe cherry nose with blackberry and notes of espresso and cedar. More cherry on the palate with a hint of minerality. Tannins completely integrated resulting in a smooth, easy drinking wine without a flaw. Not enough complexity to score higher, but drinking beautifully now with great balance and lengthy, almost sweet, finish. WOTN for me compared with 2004 Chimney Rock Elevage and 2003 St. Supery Elu (which held up well considering it was half the cost).
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From 75cl, v. good cork, some staining back to 3-4 mm. Impeccable provenance and storage. Intense monolithic overripe loganberry/dark red boiled sweet scent, taste and finish which didn't budge from opening at 12C cellar temperature until the last drop 3 hours later at 21C. What did develop were the tannins, initially distinctly rough and unfriendly, at the end just dry and mouth-puckering. My main problem is the sheer monotony of taste: yes, this juice is super-ripe, but that's about it. Where is the good stuff which quality Cabernet Sauvignon normally carries (anything from cedar to tobacco to eucalyptus oil would have added a welcome touch of complexity)? I read a brace of famous-name reviews over my last glass, all placing this wine at 93-95P. Either these guys had a different wine in their glass, or there is a don't-insult-a-famous-name thing going on here. (87-)88P for this commercial product, which will hold for another decade, but - on the strength of the juice tasted this evening - has no stunning potential in store.
Served Friday evening at Society of Bacchus dinner at the Palace. Definitely WOTN. From memory: Dark purple. Nose of blackberry, cassis, graphite, and cedar. Ripe, vibrant palate of blackberry, plum, blueberry, mint, cedar, and espresso. Outstanding length. Focused acidity. Sweet tannins. Far superior to the 2001 Opus One.
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Three bottles over the Christmas - New Year holiday in December 2012, all showing fantastic. Massive dark fruits on nose, wine is round and voluptuous with silky tannins. Wonderful!
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Had this with our rib roast on Christmas Day. Expectations were high and it did not disappoint. Gorgeous nose of dark fruit, cassis and vanilla. Full-bodied and rich, but not hot or heavy. Intense flavors of boysenberries, plums and black currants. Builds and builds on the palate. The long, long finish is loaded with fruit and subtle notes of chocolate, espresso and spice. Beautifully focused, polished and wonderfully balanced. May be the best Napa Cab I've ever tasted. Can't imagine it gets a whole lot better than this. 50+5+13+18+9=95
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A very fine drop. Color is dark red, nose is still full of fruit. Still a good tannic backbone. Lots of cherry notes on palate and medium to long finish.This will easily go another 5-10 years but very drinkable now. Tasted with 2000 Jordan, 2001 L'Aventura Optimus, and 2009 Phelps Cab Estate Grown. By far the best of the lot.
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The other day I was walking down the wine aisle of my local grocery store to discover 5 bottles of 2001 and 4 bottles of 1999 Robert Mondavi Cab Reserve (yes I'll repeat, Reserve) on the shelf for $29.99. I about had a heart attack and bought them all (there must have been a big price labeling issue). My first bottle (a 2001) opened amazingly smooth with dark fruit and floral on the nose. After about 3 hours the wine really started opening up, showing just a touch of chocolate sweetness on the front palate with pronounced dark fruit and strong solid tannins. Second day had very constant notes. Alcohol was at all time well integrated. This was an awesome bottle of wine, especially where I nabbed them at such a stellar price. 95 points
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Black currant, over-ripe blackberries. Wonderful layers of Rutherford dust, leather, Connecticut Shade. Bang-on quality cab. Drink now, hold for another 8-12 years, your choice....
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Drank over 3 hrs. Modern style but good structure. Initial palate showed a slightly burnt flavor, but then dissipated. Lots of red/black fruits, heavy tannins, but they were softened and not obtrusive. Overall a nice wine, ready to drink now but will probably go another 5-10.
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Heavy funk when poured, and very alcoholic. Too hot on the palate. But the nose is amazing, big red fruits, tobacco, cassis, woodsy. Deep flavors on the palate but overridden by the alcohol at this point. Began settling down after 30 min, and took 2 hrs for alcohol to begin dissipating. Remains amazing on nose and on the palate, but the heat, especially on the finish, is still distracting a bit.
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A really pretty wine that would make a great ringer in a blind tasting of Bordeaux with its tobacco, truffle, blackberry, cassis and earthy nose. The wine is rich, soft and round in texture, ending with a sweet, black cherry and cassis filled finish. There is not hurry to drink it, but it's showing great today.
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I'm guessing not the best record of storage on this bottle, as while it was nice, it was nothing like the previous bottle I had, and tasted a bit more advanced than it should for '01
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What a great bottle to end our Bahamas trip. Drinking in a perfect window. Pop and pour. Heavy olive and cigar box nose. Dark and showing no signs of age. Layers and layers of fruit, soft velvety tannin and everything in amazing balance. Drank this on it's own and wish I had a great steak to go with it. It has a long life ahead of it.
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Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. A beautiful nose of black currant, blackberry, tobacco, cedar, and spice. Dark fruit with integrated silky tannins lead to a long finish. Full bodied, with good balance and complexity. Once again, this was delicious and paired beautifully with Greek tenderloin.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2001 CA cabs (Mike & Judi's): Opaque inky garnet color. Aromas of mint, cassis, florals and red fruit. Again, very well-balanced. Red fruit flavors dominate, with hints of plum, spice and sandalwood too. Long finish. An elegant wine.
My #2, Domino's #1 Group#2, 50 pts
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Softened up and Showed best after 2hrs in decanter and held up well throughout the night. A core of currant and blackberry framed by black olive, toasted herbs and veggies, cigar box, minerals, and dusty soil. Long finish. Excellent concentration and balance. Still plenty of tannins in reserve. A very masculine style. Should last at least ten more years. 3rd bottle with consistent notes.
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Black cherries bursting out of the bottle on the decant revealing plenty of sediment to be filtered out. Rich dark fruits strongly emanate with a hinting of leafy greens evidencing the typically strong classic Mondavi nose. Despite my mixed impression on the 2001s, I expect good things to come based on the first impression. With the wine settling 30 minutes later the opulence has faded into a nicely broad and dense marbley blackberry and cassis nose begging for the first pour. First pour at the 60 minute mark (surprising myself) displays the signature Mondavi nose. If the color purple had a scent, this would be it. The first taste is a bit of a disappointment for my preferences as the angular alcohol flavor hides any structure or depth of flavor. By no means a bad wine – far from it -- but typical for my experiences with 2001s. I spend a lot of words on the nose of a wine because that facet is disproportionately important to me any usually is a sign of things to come. Thus far that is not the case as the nose remains rich and flavorful and the juice is more narrow and comparatively less interesting. Checked my previous note and that wine opened at the 2hr mark – so see you then! … Far better wine at the 2hr mark. Hint of caramel on the nose and a textured tannic complexity on the palate revealing far greater structure than the earlier samples. Lesson learned. Completely different wine than only 1 hour ago. Dense and granular texture, grapes popping on the palate, soft alcohol alters/disappoints on the finish. Much more pleasant wine after a few hours and fitting of its reputation.
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Showing no signs of peaking. Great concentration with mocha, espresso, chocolate, and blackberry nectar. The tannins have really rounded out, but keeps it is focus.
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This is the 7th bottle I've had from this case... What strikes me most about this wine is its balance... In general I am very fond of the 2001 in Napa. Generally, they have good structure and are just entering their prime time drinking window and the Mondavi reserve is an archetype of the vintage. Great black fruit, a little licorice and spice, medium to full bodied, sweet but structured tannins- to me, it's a complete wine- goes great with a 40 day dry aged bryan's California reserve strip steak... Seriously yummy.
I think with high end napa cabs, I'm liking 9-12 years of age, splash decant, and slightly higher than cellar temperature (low 60s) - that's where I'm at
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Previous reviewers had me worried. Had I missed the drinkability window for the case I had in my cellar? Was I stuck with a case of expensive, yet mediocre wine?
My fears were overblown. This was a solid and enjoyable cab. I can see how those expecting a California fruit bomb would be disappointed, but this wine is old-world style. Deep plummy tones, balanced and reminiscent of Latour from a lesser year. Plenty of tannins remain. It will be fun to track the rest of the case.
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Decanted for 90 minutes before tasting and drank over five hours. Color looks great and not aged. At first this was very closed but time did help. I was hoping some of the recent notes weren't foreshadowing this bottle but they were. I picked up currant and plum notes with powdery tannins and an astringent finish. This shows brief flashes of a high-end, fine wine but is a disappointment considering the price and reputation.
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Decanted to filter the expected sediment and surprised by the subdued nose on the open. Recent mid-90s Mondavis have exploded on the open and this bottle reveals a deep and concentrated though muted purple fruit nose. Rich cassis and currants are deep down in there but it will take some time. Clearly this is not a pop and pour wine and the first taste (~10-15 min after opening) confirms a nicely constructed though tight wine. Hopefully with some time the fruit will blossom through the readily evident alcohol (14.6% alcohol versus 13.5% for the 1995) on both the nose and palate. 30 min update: opening and showing signs of softening alcohol and ripening fruit. 90 min update: still slowly opening. Needs time. 120 min update: Here’s the wine we’re hoping for. Soft tannins, medium granularity, nice dark cherries. It has a certain angularity that reminds me of the 94 which for 94 fans is great, however, I am decidedly partial to the 95s versus the 94s. The nose never blossomed like the 95s but this is still a fine wine. Have been worried about the 01s (generally feel they are overrated) but given some time this wine has blossomed into a very nice wine. Not an overwhelming joy like the 94-97s but an excellent wine you can readily find in the $80 range.
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Consistent with my Xmas eve bottle. Underwhelming and possibly past its prime. Still has a beautiful color, no signs of aging there. Nose had a bit of astringent note...blew off somewhat with some time in the glass but was there until the end. Beyond that, nose was quite muted otherwise. On the palate, just a little flat and never really opened up over the course of an hour plus. Maybe I'll decant next time, who knows...but these don't usually require that. Given how effusive the notes were a short time ago...and how underwhelming they are now...maybe I'll just come back to my last bottle in a few years, maybe it's in a dumb phase right now? Finish was decent, at least it has that going for it now.
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Drank this bottle on Xmas eve, my memory serves me as being a bit underwhelmed by that showing. Good, not great, actually did not live up to my expectations. I'm having another tonight with a couple less martinis and I'll report back.
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Rather disappointing, had with rack of lamb after a 2004 DR Stephens Chardonnay with Fresh Ahi tower and grilled fennel salad. It was flat, not much character, not flawed but no discernable fruit flavors. Was bold enough for the lamb but expected more complexity and quality. The DR Stephens was amazing after 8 years of aging!
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Similar to my note from 9 months ago, but even more integrated and complex, tannins tame. This is drinking great now and has lots of life left. Beat up on a 95 Mondavi Reserve, 01 Cos Estronel, and older Stags Leap FAY. Great stuff, need to find more
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Decanted through vinturi. Nose of oak, cedar and mint. Dark fruit on the palate with polished tannins. Finish was smooth, but somewhat closed. Well balanced, but not as interesting as I'd hoped.
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Notes of red currant, blackberry, leather and sandalwood. Well-balanced, with some tannins to integrate. Lovely red fruit dances across the palate and lingers on the long finish. Hints of Asian spice and sandalwood too.
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The wine has slightly opened on Day 2. However many of the negative characteristics of the wine remain, little fruit, too much bitterness/astringency on the finish.
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Opened a second bottle in 2 years, both times compared it to other Cabernets from Napa Valley. The wine has been stored at 57 degrees since purchase. I can't speak to what happened before I acquired the wine, although I will say it was a futures order in NJ. The nose is very light, maybe a touch of oak and some dark fruit. Full-bodied and still very tannic on the palate, with a biting finish. Very similar to the way it tasted a year ago. Devoid of fruit for the most part, along with an acidic, astringent finish. Not a very intersting wine, one I regret buying. Will retry in a year.
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Delicious and complex. Still with years to go. Popped and poured, it took a bit of time for the nose to open, but the palate was good to go from the start. Cassis, some oak, some burnt wood on the nose. The palate is layered beautifully with cassis and some earthiness. Long finish. Great balance. This was from Mag but this wine has a long life left.
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Purple red to the rim. Notes of plum, cassis, saddle leather, and forest floor with layers of complexity. The tannins are sweet and nicely integrated. This has plenty of time left but is drinking great now.
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My only previous experience was at the winery in 2010 where it showed exceptionally well after a lengthy decant. For my current experience, I was surprised how tight it was after a 1 hour decant and I found the flavors to improve greatly on day 2. There's a great deal of complexity and excellent balance with graphite, pepper spices and and dried fruit coming to mind.
I dare say that this wine has a number of years to go before reaching its peak.
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Wine dinner at L'Incontro, Astoria; 10/19/2011-10/21/2011: From magnum. Dark fruit, menthol and oaky on the nose. Same on the palate. Big & tannic. This has not come together yet and needs some serious time, at least in magnum format. Good potential though. B-(+)
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Charlie's 65th - Lots of wines! (Charlie's Home): This is in a really great spot. Showing some maturity but not near fully mature. I hate to use the word peak, because at this stage, it is more of a preference. I don't know that it gets better, just different. Lots of cassis, slight oak traces still left. Lots of layering that is starting to unwind. Delicious. I was quite impressed.
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Strong blueberry jammy and cassis flavor with the tannins and structure to support it. Probably could last another 5-10 years, but no fade after 1-2 hrs of decanting over a meal, so drinking quite well right now. Plan to open 2nd bottle over the next 2-3 months.
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This wine really killed, it was so rich upon opening, we let it air out for 30-45 minutes and it was a DARK purple. I think the Mushroom on the nose was a strong but rich character that added to wine. The tannin and Oak are completely integrated right now. This is the first of these wines that I have had in along time. I thought it really shined.
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Cork perfectly moist, wine a bit tight upon opening. Opened nicely after about an hour. Bold fruit, firm but sweat tannins, nice long finish. This wine and fruit is not fading and easily should have sat another 10 years before ready to drink.
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Outer portion of cork crumbled, but seal appeared intact. No corked nose. Deep red with minimal brick changes on the edges. Nice nose of dark fruit, earth and cigar box. Very soft tannins, with smooth, medium finish. Decanted 2 hours, but did not open much more. Fruit fading.
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DAY 1 30 minutes after opening Bouquet: Earth, roasted beans, blackberry, cassis, and mushroom. DAY 1 decanted, four hours after opening Bouquet: Smoky, a blend of earth, roasted coffee, mushroom, dusty cocoa powder, plus graphite, blackberry, dark cherry, cassis and plum Flavor: Smoke, roasted earth, roasted coffee, mushroom, blackberry, and finishes with savory chocolate and cocoa powder, espresso and plum Comments: Some alcohol on the mid-palate, integrated fruit and oak, though chewy tannins being somewhat softened with age. Some creaminess for the mouth feel. Day 2 the plum and chocolate character came out more.
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Straight to glass, color was dark purple almost black. The nose was exceptional with opulent lush fruit. It opened up even better. Rich, silky tannins. Mondavi reserve and the To-Kalon are blue chip Oakville cabs. Can't get enough of this wine!
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Magnum bottling: decanted half (appox 750ml) Paired with braised short ribs and spinach risotto. Upon initial opening and cooler temps the wine showed impressive earthly elements of olive, tea and a certain foresty element. Black fruits were in the backdrop. Round and elegant structure with calm tannins. At 1.5hours the wine was gaining force, strength and structure with fruits coming up to the front of the palate. However the olive element never left. And at 2-2.5hrs tannins started to grib nicely
Paired beautifully well with dinner. Earthy flavors matched with the beef and allowed fruits not showing before to come out. The richness, creaminess, of the risotto matched with the wine's structure and played out evenly. To finish of the dinner we paired with freshly baked brownies. Delicious. This has been the best dinner I've made since having our daughter 3 weeks ago.
I had planned on leaving some wine to try the next day, it just didn't last. So my score shows that I think it would have been better if it had the time open that it deserved as it was gaining momentum through the last glass. 92-94pts
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Still young but delicious. Great Cab and will only get better. Give it 3-4 years. Wish I was 20 years younger. Inky in color. Aromas of earth, coffee, leather. Very well integrated, soft tannins. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice. All woven together nicely.
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Shetland / Wilshire Wine Tasting: Tasted Blind at Shetland/Wilshire Wine Tasting. Decanted for about 2 hours. Great balance to this wine. Dark fruit, good acidity. More elegant than muscular. Long delicious finish. Outstanding effort. Was my favorite wine of the flight, and just a thin hair behind the Kosta Browne for the WOTN.
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Decanted and drank wit a grilled T bone steak. Some browning on the edges and dark fruit on the nose. You could smell some aging. On first taste I thought the wine was on its last legs but with more air and time it greatly improved. The wine had luscious dark plums and cherries with some chocolate. There was some tobacco and tar and the finish was soft and sweet. Only one left!
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--- COLOR: Deep garnet w/med garnet rim NOTE: "Stinky Fruit." It's got a Bordeaux funk that puts a weird ashtray smell over the declining fruit. It's like sniffing blackberries in my grandpa's trailer in North Dakota. Mouth is med+ blackberry juice, black pepper, leather. The fruit drops off fast in the finish and I'm left with dried tobacco, black pepper and some dark chocolate notes. It's in good condition (unlike the two bottles from a retailer 6 months ago) but over the hill. I waited too long and it's a shame. This was a bottle we bought in the private tasting room during our first-ever Napa tasting trip with the Copes. Good times.
DECANT: n/a GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.1 COST: 100 VALUE: 5.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 05/06 TRY AGAIN: Now PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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Outstanding. big floral nose, gorgeous colors, delicious flavors of cassis, floral, earth. Long, lingering finish. Mouth filling tannins. Drinking wonderfully now. Decanted 1 hour. Seems to be in its prime. (Doris. Wow. Delicious 92). After 2 hours became more open, luscious, rich.
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Good wine, but not worth the tariff. Burgundy color with a garnet core, not much lightening on the rim. Nose was medium intensity with forest and floral tones. Palate had some boysenberry, vanilla, cola, and pine. There was a good amount of complexity, but only adequate integration of the flavors into the experience. Finish was medium in length and on the dry side. Tannins were a little chunky for the age. Wine was decanter and consumed over a few hours.
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1.5 hour decant. Garnet red color. Currants, boysenberry, blackberry, licorice, cedar, spice and tobacco notes. Dark fruit and soft integrated tannins. Excellent balance and complexity. Very smooth finish, with a long aftertaste. Interesting Bordeaux characteristics in this Cali cab, and it is drinking beautifully at this time.. Paired well with filet béarnaise.
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Outstanding - best Cali Cab I have had since 1997 Monte Bello. Really impressive - complex, rich yet not overdone at all. Went beautifully with Porterhouse. Very pure, sophisticated wine.
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Very enjoyable with the family's Easter dinner. Opened to a very intense berry aroma with significant alcohol on the tongue. Still very dark/purple, showing little age. Decanted (1/2 to decanter, 1/2 remained in the bottle) for an hour before the alcohol began to dissipate. At 2 hours, was drinking very smooth, with cherry/blackberry up front, but quickly giving way to some nice spice and herb. 20 second finish. Much more a classic Bordeaux style than the Cali fruit bomb this started out as a decade ago. This has aged nicely and can go many years more (at least in the 1/5L format).
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2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): Wow this wine has changed since I last tried. On this night, the color wasa dep ruby with a hint of bricking. ON the nose, licorice, cassis, blackberry and a hint of oak. Not a sign of heat on the nose or palate. Really well balanced wine and an absolute pleasure to drink. This held up all night and the 1st sip was a good as the last. This also has some life ahead of it.
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2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): Deep red in color, no watery edge. Inititally on the nose, strong olives, darker fruits and a touch of cedar. To start the finish was a tad short. This wine opened up and smoothed out as the night went on. The last sip was the best. started a 92 ended a 93 for me.
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Nose - Blueberry and rose, really powerful and enticing
Taste - Big, maple, not overpowering in tannins, nicely balanced. Drank this at about 11:00 pm after a ten hour drive (should have been a four hour drive) to Tahoe. Needless to say this was the perfect wine for that occasion.
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nose - gorgeous nose, blackberry, boysenberry, sweet oak, smoke, licorice mouth - big fruit, dense, and still with considerable tannins. currently in good balance. a hint of pencil lead. nice wine, though not a good qpr.
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Well rounded out, though very, very young. Still tannic, but with good acidity and fruit that will last decades. I still prefer the more old school Mondavi's, this was clearly modern, but it did have some hints of the traits that used to be in older Mondavi's. Some cedar and almost dirt like notes, gave it some added interest, though in the end it is the fruit that stands out. Almost clobbers you, but if you get past that, hard not to admire the wine.
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Aromas of leather, blackberry and plum, with mint and herb undertones. Well-balanced, with flavors of dark fruit and leather persisting through the long finish. Gorgeous.
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Out of a mag. Had this wine a year ago and it wasn't even close to being the same wine. Last year it had more old world characteristics, last night, fresh and juicy fruit. Wine took about 2-3 hours to open up. Slightly stewed nose. Licorice and anise on the front end of the palate. Cherry, dark fruit, creme brulee and eucalyptus fill out the palate. Nice finish but still a bit short. Started to shut down later in the night with the tannins becoming edgier and the palate shutting down.
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Brilliant Wine, opened with minimal decanting to strong tastes of chocolat and cinnamon, a long finish with a slight tobacco flavor with underrcurrnets of berries.
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Drank from a 3L bottle was poured into 4 different decanters drank from pop and pour to 2hrs of air in the decanter. Was very tasty and easily could go 6-10+ years. Only fault I found was there the alc. is a little high- barely noticeable and a little too much wood coming through. Other than that- great plum fruit and good secondary flavors with a long finish. Drank at Novo in SLO.
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Amazing bottle. Would have score a couple of points higher but went though a peak and got a bit edgier and tannic later. At its peak it was integrated, rich, bright and soaring. Velvety mouth feel with a mixture of red and black fruits giving a classic cab profile. Nose was fragrant.
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Agree with ethralls notes. Started funky and worried it was corked but got better with time. Very deep but not at all sweet fruits. Very dark wine that had lots of well integrated tannins and acid. Very nice with food.
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Actually tasted the alcohol a little on this one. Overripe blackberries, generally just a little dull. These guys go to ridiculous potential alcohol levels to get their phenolic ripeness up. I've had a number of truly exceptional Cali Cabs but this just wasn't one of them.
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TWO bottles were flawed, and both came from the same source. I've got one more bottle left that was secured directly from the winery, so I'm hoping it still has some magic. This had a metallic, sour-cherry juice element all over and couldn't be dismissed. This is not the wine I had at the tasting room, and it didn't just taste like it was an old soldier.
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Popped and poured from Magnum. Deep purple/ruby, quite youthful in appearance. Forward nose of black cherry, black currant, earth, cigar box, cedar, and a faint herbaceous note. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the solid core of dark, plummy fruits combines with a dusty earthiness to show a more classic style of Napa Cabernet. Secondary notes of tobacco, anise and smoked cedar add complexity. Shows amazingly youthful from Magnum and this particular bottle could have aged for at least another 6-8 years as the tannins were still powerful in structure on the moderate-plus finish; with time, well-stored bottles will undoubtedly blossom in similar fashion to the best Mondavi Reserves of prior years. All-in-all, a very nice wine made in the days before the sale to Constellation and a worthy tribute to the Mondavi family.
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fantastic wine. elegant berry fruit, exotic spices, and some earthiness, all in balance. very good length. not much more you can ask for in a bottle of wine...
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First drag on this wine was great--I literally ended up licking my teeth with satisfaction. Mouth coating finish with a fruity mouthful upfront. This wine reminded me of the Mondavi Napa but on steroids. The wine evolved substantially throughout the evening but realistically was probably at its best in the beginning of the evening rather than the end, which makes me question its aging potential going forward. Never very prolific on the nose but always rich and satisfying. I am thinking the best of Spring Mountain but in a more expensive Mondavi bottle.
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much darker than the regular 01 Mondavi Reserve, this showed a lot of blackberry, black currant, and black pepper. Some smoke / cigar box. Dusty tannins are nicely integrated with the midpalate. A lovely wine that is drinking well right now. Medium (+) finish.
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nice notes of blackberry, plum, and other black fruit. some slight secondary notes appear as well. well balanced on the palate, with a medium acidity that keeps the wine fresh. a little bit of heat appears on the medium length finish.
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Popped and poured over 3 hrs. Great wine. Tannins and green notes early on, but blew off and replaced after first hour with very nice black fruit, cigar, leather. Terrific with spaghetti and meatballs.
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opaque with purple rim and high viscosity and tear stain...medium plus tannin helped with 3hr decant..dark fruits of plum, blackberry and cherries..dry dirt and cedar as well. Wonderful Napa cab with some years left on it.
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Continues to evolve with deep red color and aromas of dark red fruit and cigar box. Tastes of dark cherries and plums along with cigar box, the tannins are present but minimal. Good Cabernet!
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Rich earthy nose after 60 minute decant. Deep musty (in the best sense of the word) cassis. A perfectly-balanced Napa Cab in the prime of its life. Should go another five plus years. Lacking the cachet of trendier labels among some, a relative bargain at this price point.
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A very complex nose, gorgeous with a classical styling. Still young, but in a good early drinking stage now. I'm guessing this goes easily another 10-30 years, and all the components are widely present to create a legendary Napa Cabernet.
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Celebrated wife's first full marathon with this and two 20 0z. bone in rib eyes for dinner. Should have decanted. Closed for the first two hours. Fruit started to come out after that. Bordeaux like nose, nice acidity and lots of tannins left. Much better with food, will wait a few more years to open my other bottle as this seems have many years left in it.
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Definitely ready to drink. A little more earthy than fruit forward, almost to the point of having some traditional Bordeaux barn-like scents and tastes. Smooth, tasty and enjoyable, but would not have guessed "cali cab" if this was tasted blind.
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Selected this bottle for our 30th anniversary, which is coming up in a few days, on a nice quiet night up at the lake house. The 2001 Cali-cabs were the first vintage I started buying in 2004 when I really got into wine. Alas, this was the last of the bottles from various producers and like the saying goes "save the best for last".
I opened this and took a test sip and decided no decant was needed so I left it open for about 2 hours before we had our first glass. The color was a dark ruby red and the nose had that aroma you associate with a great wine, dark fruit, some oak and eucalyptus. My wife really smiled when she tasted this and it had a nice finish. I was reading a wine blog by Tanzer a few days ago describing that something special in a great wine that is hard to put into words but it is the balance between all the elements that makes you think about the wine, while marveling on how they put it all into the bottle. The tannins were still present, suggesting this could age for many years, yet they were not harsh and provided backbone. Glad I still have a magnum in the cellar.
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if you wanted a good example of a well balanced, well aged cal cab that shows best of breed without being over the top, this would be it. No one thing stands out, just great cab fruit and beautiful balance. Nothing out of place.
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This wine is a revelation, it continues to age very well. Dark red in color with floral notes , dark red fruit and a mild oakiness on the nose. lots of dark fruit, like cherries and plums, with a very well balanced finish.This continues to be a beautiful wine.
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Smooth and drinking very well right now. There are still plenty of tannins so this should further age for quite a while. Beautiful expression of Napa Cabernet.
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The nose shows sweet oak and fruit right away; with time, some floral violet characteristics come out. On the palate this is dark-fruited, with an engaging sweetness that has great depth and is unmistakably California. Overall, it has great balance as most Mondavi cabs do, not overly big or over the top at all. Not terribly earthy, you definitely have to like sweetness to love this, and I loved this. The floral notes and high quality fruit really carried this. From magnum, and I wish I had bought more at the incredible sale price this was bought for. 94-95
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OK...I saw a CellarTracker friend recommend this and pulled a bottle out of my "cellar." Wow! A traditional CaliCab color --- dirty dark ruby, I call it. The nose is a well-balanced earth, dark fruits, and subtle ruby red rose. On the palate --- Holy Cow! Smooth and deep, mushrooms, good musty earth, smooth but not in a cheap way. This wine redefines the word smooth for me. This has to be a huge value. VERY drinkable now and should last for another decade or two if properly cellared.
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I tasted this in the cellar of the Mondavi winery, which of course is a fantastic ambiance for tasting a 9 year old reserve wine. This wine was in perfect form even though it only had 15 minutes to breathe. It was incredibly smooth with great fruit. I'm sure it has a few more years in it, but there's no reason to wait, it's drinking well now.
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Deep garnet in color. Blackberry and graphite on the nose. Leather, tobacco, chocolate and stones on the palate. Tannins still have some bite to them. This is well refined and elegant. Glad to have had the last bottle before it slipped past its prime, which appears to still be a few years away.
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This beauty starts off funky and musty like an old-school Bordeaux. Blossoms throughout the evening with blackberries, cigar box and some herbs. Will probably age well for another ten years.
Left it in decanter over night and next day mustyness blew off and was more fruity and earthy.
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Drank 1.5L magnum w Reynolds and Urquhart at dinner, an outstanding bottle that has settled down nicely w time. Great nose, subdued fruit, and long finish. Great bottle of wine, buy more if available. But we followed with the '04 Frank Family Cabernet which had more floral and fresher fruit taste, which unbelievably seemed better in comparison.
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had with entrees, pork...duck. after 2 hour decant, a fruit tannin pucker bomb. we had to kill the last bit of this AFTER entrees & it was difficult to enjoy. really a monster wine with no signs of falling off.
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Really tight upon opening and didnt seem to give off much over the course of a few hours. Nose has hints of graphite, lead pencil shavings, tar, tobacco and toasty oak. Black currant profile which leans very bdx like. Palate is polished but still very tight. Opens up after a few more hours of air to give off soft dusty red fruits, spice and plenty of tertiary nose elements. Palate is glossy, packed with class, polished tannins and tons of balance. This needs more time but is great with plenty of air.
Served from Magnum.
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Dark red with some brick at the edge showing signs of maturity. Nice typical cab smell with hints of fruit, cassis and some cedar. Balanced and elegant with good tannins and a long tail. Might gain from a few more years but definitely ready to drink now.
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(3) Perhaps I should have decanted or this was a flawed bottle, but it was a little disappointing. Somewhat vegetal and hot, although the nose and palate were otherwise decent. Drank with Pete & Dawn.
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wow this wine is singing right now. Rich and layered ripe cherry, pencil lead, sage and oak. finishes with firm tannins and a very long finish. This wine is peaking right now. Drink now for the best balance of tannins, fruit and balance.
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Initially a bit shy & austere. After an hour of decanting it started to open on show its true self. Definitely has plenty of time to go as the tannins are apparent, yet balances well with the fruit.
Color: Dark core, red edges, still youthful
Nose & Palate: Black cherry, currants, some cassis and trademark pencil lead from the To Kalon. Nicely complex. The aromas come through on the palate. Rich, but subtle. Showing great balance. Great acidity, almost no oak influence in the wine.
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WOW! This wine rocked our Christmas dinner (standing rib roast of beef). The wine was soooo silky and elegant. Full or finess but still with plenty of stuffing. Tons of black fruits. Wonderfully resolved dusty tannins. Still very fresh tasting. Builds to a complex, satisfying finish. I'd say it could go a few more years but no reason to wait.
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I loved this wine at a blind tasting at the Olds - this was my favorite and the group's second favorite. The other two wines were Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 and Leoville Barton 2000 - I loved the nose, I loved the finish. It seemed the most balanced and ready to drink of the three wines. Dark, cedary.
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Dinner @ Phil & Ena's (guess the wine) (Richmond, VA): Decanted 2hrs. Served double blind, old world aromas of earth, tar, leather and smoke in the nose. Still old world on the palate with some nice red fruits and cedar undertones. No mint or eucalyptus, that I find in so many Mondavi reserve cabs, however there was a touch of spice on the long finish. Based on this bottle, plenty of room for improvment. I guessed super tuscan due to its old world charm. My 2nd favorite and the groups 2nd favorite. 92+
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Decanted for 2 hours...Dark red in color..Very nice bouquet of cassis, dark fruit, smoke, with a hint of chocalate as the night went on..I was loving the aromatics of the wine...Full bodied on the palate and complex..Dark fruit , chocalate, cassis, leather and a touch of wood on the backend..Extreamly well balanced and silky smooth..The fruit is well concentrated and simply delicious on the palate and the finish lasted for 60 plus seconds.. The tannins are still fairly grippy hiding under the fruit and should provide the backbone for this wine to age for another 10 years or so..Got 2 left in the cellar but after tasting my first bottle tonight I will be adding more..Cheers!!!
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Ruth's Chris Honolulu. Carried a filet very well. Sweet fruits, raspberry, mocha, vanilla,toasted oak nose. Great balance, lots of tannic structure. long finish.
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Excellent bottle of wine that is aging well. This was very complex and had great depth and structure. We took our time and were rewarded with a wonderful experience. The wine had a nose of dark fruit . It was dark red in color with bright fruit, cherries and plums. Maybe some dark chocolate and licorice showed as time went on. The finish was long and tannins remain. We still have 4 bottles and it will be fun to drink them.
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From 3 Liter double magnum; both bottles (and corks) were in pristine condition. Opened and decanted by the staff at Le Bec-Fin about 1 hour prior to service. A youthful purple color; appeared less evolved than a 750ml that we had a few weeks ago. An extroverted bouquet, offering up primary notes of blackberry and cassis, with hints of campfire smoke and fennel. Medium-bodied, with a youthful grip, great balance and wonderful concentration of fruit; very focused and well-delineated on the lengthy and satisfying finish. Went perfectly with the roasted venison.
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Churchill's: Napa Cabernet (Maumee, OH): Shy nose, but very elegant black currant notes. So smooth! Light tannins, medium acid, medium+ body. Great balance, easy drinking. Very long. $126
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From regular bottle; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A youthful purple color, with a fruit-driven bouquet of cassis, cherry and blackberry, with hints of leather, spicy oak, and lilly. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, ripe tannins, good concentration, and excellent grip and focus on the long finish. Outstanding!
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Decanted 2 hours. Powerful nose of dark fruits, with a slight vegetal hint. Full body, very strong and concentrated fruit blackberry,cassis, plum, blackcurrant. Good balance of acidity and some powdery tannins. Finish is long with some tobacco coming through. Overall oustanding rich cab flavors and not over oaked. This wine is still young and could easily rest for a few more years. Although it did seem to peak at 4 hours open.
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Deep, dark ruby-garnet color. Opaque. Cassis, oak and graphite on the nose. Blackberry, oak, a hint of chocolate on the palate. Finishes with soft violets lingering long on the mouth. Tannins still have plenty of grip. This doesn't taste like an 8 year old bottle of wine. It is still fresh and youthful. Promises to continue to improve over the next 2 - 3 years. I certainly hope so, with only one bottle remaining.
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CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Interesting contrast with the 1978. Both great wines, one on the way down and this one on the way up. Still needs some time though. Very deep, powerful nose, with notes of earth and soil, spice and dark, dark fruits. Lots of richness on the palate as well, with plum and dark cassis tones showing plenty of power. Good thing there was a great sense of structure undergirding all that, with powdery tannins giving good grip. Finish was mouthwatering, with some spice and menthol notes. Very nice, and will certainly get even better with time.
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Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: vertical tasting 1966 to 2001 (Institute of Directors, London): Dense, a graphite edge. At first, the fruit was hiding, it was not very distinctive and I found it sour and ungenerous. I certainly couldn't see how Linden could describe it as opuluent. But over the evening it fattened up in the glass to become a full oaky cab albeit one that was still a bit anonymous
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A real treat to follow this over the course of a long evening... Deep, youthful purple color, nearly opaque at the rim. Aromas of herb and dark berry. The palate has a powerful expression of sage wrapped blackberry/cherry with chewy tannins and a root beer finish that got more and more supple and expressive as time passed. Seems this is just leaving the early drinking station, and has a long life ahead of it.
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Wonderful tasting. It is showing nicely. The years have served it well. The structure is integrating nicely leading to a balanced wine. It will be interesting to taste again in a years time.
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Sunday, May 10, 2009 6:54 PM The nose is deep and impressive loam and black fruit. This well aged Californian Cabernet has good fruit with a long acidic finish. The tannin converts well with beef and heavier foods. It is not as well balanced as the 2002 and 2004. 94, great with beef or lamb
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This was one of the best California cabernets I have ever had. Dark, inky color and great aroma. Popped and poured during the Super Bowl (which may have added to my enjoyment!). This is a rich, almost unctuous, wine with terrific cassis, berry and cherry flavors. The tannins are well integrated, although the wine is very youthful and should continue to mature and drink beautifully for many years. This was really special.
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Decided to finally try one. Wonderful, great @Blackfish. Nose of chocolate and cherries, softening with some tannins on the very long finish. Tastes of cherries, chocolate and earth. we have cellared this @ our cellar and it was well worth it. had with med. rare beef and short ribs. Both were excellent with the wine. Can't wait to have more.
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Greats touches of cocoa and oak. Certainly still felt very full after 1 hour in a decanter so suspect this still have several years of life in the bottle. Big tannins in this make its pairing with fattier meats highly suggested.
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2 btls killed...Big and grippy, surprisingly strong especially after the 6 01 Pavies , but we were pretty polluted, so remember its strength, grip and complexity as excellent and still very primary....
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Still has plenty of life. Compared to a 1996 Bordeaux and this was much more approachable to begin with and did not open as much or as rapidly. Pretty much stayed the same over an hour. Somewhat light on the finish.
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We were very excited for this wine. Mondavi Reserve Cabernet, from 2001 - what could go wrong? My uncle pulled two out of the original wood box (of 6) from the winery. They weren't corked, but we couldn't figure out what the issue was exactly. Perhaps it was shut down for a time? Perhaps it hadn't been cellared quite right? These bottles were just funky - not undrinkable, but big disappointments considering the label, the historic vintage, and the $100 price tag.
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Drank with a 1988 and 1998 Mondavi reserve. The contrast made this wine taste quite young. It has good balance and structure, and should age well. This was probably a bit early for this bottle, although the notes from others suggest that had we been a bit more patient, it might have opened up (but then the older bottles might have faded. . . .)
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This is a California super-cab style wine. The color is very dark, earthy purple with some deep garnet. The nose has scents of cigar box, black cherry cobbler, chocolate and roses. The is inky and and concentrated but not yet balanced. The tannins dry out the palate and dominate the wine. This is old style Cab with plenty of acid and tannins but huge fruit. I left it in a decanter for 48 hours and it became more drinkable. The wine shows flavors of dark cherries, cassis, chocolate and truffle. This wine should mature in the bottle for at least another three to five years before becoming at all approachable.
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I opened this one a few years early in tribute to Mondavi's passing. Pulled the cork at 10am and let sit in bottle for an hour, decanted for sediment and poured back into the bottle minus a few oz's so I could try it. Not showing much, tannic with some dark fruit and spices but not giving up much. Pulled the cork again at 5pm and did not touch till around 8pm. What a difference a few hours made.
In the glass the wine was dark inky purple with a nose of dark fruit and pencil lead. On the palate this is a huge wine full of fruit, spice, and plenty of tannins but not over the top. Great mouth feel and wonderfull structure with a finish that went on for 45+ seconds. Drank this along with a 2002 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon and the Mondavi blew it away. If you open now decant it for some time, I think this wine would be better held for a few more years before opening it. Will revist my last bottle of this in 2015.
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Had to open this up for a toast to the great man who helped to revolutionize the wine industry in CA. Popped and poured. Medium to deep hue, very nice purple garnet. Very forward, pronounced nose, my wife and parents all commented on the aromas (always a great thing when you're sitting outside on a windy evening) which included nice notes of black fruits, spicy oak, and expresso beans. Medium bodied and very elegant. Currant & cassis, plums, vanilla bean, and minerals. Herbaceous notes lingered on the plus finish. The tannins of the 2001 vintage are certainly still apparent and could use another 2 years to settle for my taste. A classy wine from a great vintage that worked wonderfully as my small, impromptu homage to a true pioneer. RIP Robert.
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In tribute to RM -- RIP. Opened and decanted an hour. Showing beatifully right now, but still thick with tannins hiding some wonderful black fruit. Long expressive finish. This one has some time to go and should be great in another 3-5 years.
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Made the mistake of opening and pouring at a party. This wine is exceptional in structure and simply needs more time aging. If you decide to try one now, decant!
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Deep magenta color. The nose is fresh, with sweet black currants and herbs. Great medium to full body for this wine, showing spicy cabernet fruit, dark chocolate, and a touch of oak on the long, savory finish. A seamless young wine which is coming together nicely. Some dusty, sweet tannins are there but are mostly overshadowed by the fruit. Drinking well but will certainly benefit from more time. 93+
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Ruby red, full bodied cab with dense dark fruit, nice tannins with complexity and long satiny finish. A great CA cab. Should age well over the next 10-15 years.
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Popped and poured 2 bottles. This wine is rockin for me at the moment. Deep, dark fruits with an olive tapenade, cigar, musty, bordeaux type smell and taste. Drying tannins on the long finish. Great food wine, great sipper and a great after dinner wine. This is the ideal California cab for my current taste. This wine will last a LONG, LONG time in cellar. No California fruit bomb/oak monster here!
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Classic California cab, leather and smoke frame the dark plums and cherries. Long,. long finish. Probably many more years in this wine, I just don't have any...
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Drank this at a nice restaurant for a birthday dinner. The same bottle was on the wine list for $260.
It was a classic Napa Cab, with tons of fruit up front, and a long, long finish highlighted by a bit of pepper and moderate to heavy tannins. Although this is drinking nicely now, I would recommend a few more years in the bottle for a bit more softening.
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No decant. A little barnyard funk initially with some wet straw. Settled into a great mature Cali cab with dark coffee, olive, tobacco and very dark fruits. Very smooth and lush with a great finish. Is this Bordeaux? Sure tastes like it.
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Excellent. This was our second bottle of the night. The first was a 2001 Sterling Cab Reserve. The Mondavi was a noticably better bottle of wine. I wish we had more of it.
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Wow. Opened and compared against a highly rated (93-94) Australian Cab (Mitolo Serpico) for kicks. No Comparison. This wine has grandeaur. The notes are of cedar and coffee. The sparkling tannins and back end bitters strongly suggest this should be opened after another five years. It is the type of body that sucks the moisture out of your mouth before you can fully taste the fruit. I'll report again tomorrow night when the rest of the bottle has a chance to decant. Special wine.
Second night the tannins have settled a bit and a strong dark cherry flavour has emerged. There is notable spice on the back end. Excellent wine.
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Opened at a party and overall it was a hit. The price point is a little high on this one, but across the party everyone gave a thumbs up. Structure is solid, but flexible. Pairing this wine should be easy.
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Dark ruby purple. Plum, blackberry, licorice, vanilla & cherry. Decent cab, but not inspirational by any means. Generally, the Mondavi Oakville is just as good at 1/3 the price. Tasted next to the Mondavi Reserve '92, '96 and '00. This was the WOTN with the '96 a close second.
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Dark red with a purple hue, big color, great legs...Bright and spry on the nose, floral...Super concentrated and rich with great depth and balance...Still very tannic and dry, exceedingly long on the finish, this will be a wine that becomes truly great with time...
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A very dark cab, full of color; thins to a rose at the edge. A lush cedar bouquet, but a disturbing pulpy, musty deadened leaf smell is apparent. Boysenberry as well, along with sweet strawberry. The taste is lacking in complexity and structure. A mineral tartness is retained even after an hour of decanting. It is a very smooth drinking wine but I am very disappointed. I can only assume that this wine is past its prime. For the money I would never buy it again.
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Lovely rich balanced complex nose of black fruit, vanilla, and spice. Big tight black fruit with coffee notes. Great stuffing - will benefit (greatly?) from time. 93+ pts. WDC Mondavi vertical 9/06
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Very concentrated fruit, strong cedar notes. This was very tight and never really opend up. Did not decant, just pulled cork and let it sit for 3 hours. This will be a great wine, but it needs to come together more.
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It was good but nothing special - I expect more out of a $100 bottle of wine - to me this was more of a $30 - 50 bottle. Still too young. Oak and Tannins dominated the wine. I received two bottles as a gift and I would wait at least 5 + years before I open my other bottle.
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I didn’t find this as appealing as WA or WS. It has a bordeaux-like balance, but did not have mch cabernet flavor and not great depth. It would drink better with something lighter than a steak, such as chicken. It started a little rough, but quickly smoothed out.
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NW Chicago Pits 2000 Bordeaux versus 2001 Cali Cabernet (La Tasca - Arlington Heights): Purple color with a complex, mineral-over-vibrant red fruit nose. Excellent aromas. Out of the bottle the palate is tight and tannic. Over time, develops a very interesting profile of plush currant and cassis fruits, tobacco and cedar. This is quite young - only developed medium body weight and plenty of tanninc structure. In 5 years, I'd love this wine.
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Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): The nose is somewhat acrid and harsh, already showing signs of brett. Mmm, the palate is nice though, chewy, a tannic brute, maybe a bit of heat. This is a serious wine, and it needs some time to calm down and open up.
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Ripe fruit initially. Flavors of plum, blackberry with a little spice. Drank nicely for an hour or so and then shut down a little. Will wait a while to try another one.
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Good, solid Napa cab. Although, it seems to be wound up pretty tight at the moment. Perhaps it could use a few more years in the cellar. Lots of tannin, leather, smoke, cassis, and dark berry. Price point is a little steep.
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1:15 after decanting – closed, tight tannins, some smokey plums, moderately long finish ~30 secs. Not an easy drinking wine at this point. 3 hr after decanting – opened up a lot, more pleasureable. Spices come out, still tart tannins, but more complex. There is moderate fruit, but on the mid palate, not up front. It’s also not sweet fruit, almost like the taste of dried fruit with out the sugar. Finish remains long. Spices come out, some licorice in particular. 24 hrs – about the same openness as 3hrs but most fruit has changed to spice, cinnamon, cedar wood notes. Tannins still promise a long age. Several more years and I’m interested to compare then to now.
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Drank two days ago-- Friday (Jee's mom's last night) with take-out from Ruth's Chris (salmon, stuffed chicken, seared tuna). The wine has an extraordinary dark hue (reminded me of 2000 Montrose), medium weight. Still tight and I would think would age wonderfully. Good fruit, but not as much as some others in similar range. Really has excellent balance. However, the wine clearly faded by the second day, so I worry a bit about holding up long term.
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Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Open bottle for 1 hr plus. Well balanced aromas. Plush round body and deep complex structure with subdued notes of cassis, mint and oak flavors. The tannins grip the flavors to a complete halt about mid-palate. This bottle was a bit odd because I had this wine 6 weeks ago at the winery where it had a much more pronounced core of blackberry, was more open and had a longer finish with mint notes. Needs to be cellared for 10+ years. S91/92 with potential for real improvement.
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3/23/2024 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dense, concentrated, deep and dark. It's profile is more Bordeaux-style rather than the typical Napa Cab. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot; it's dominated by Cabernet Franc flavors of herbaceous tobacco with blackberry and black currant. Still a huge wine but the tannins remain under control. Tremendous finish (30 - 45 sec), this is a 30-year wine. It's in a great place right now but will last for several more years.
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1/6/2024 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
reticent nose, this was a little tired on opening and tasting a little lean and hollow after an hour or so, I thought it may have been an 'off' bottle - it filled dramatically after another hour and the last sip was undoubtedly the best - not sure but I'm inclined to leave my last few bottles for at least a couple of years
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10/14/2023 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had this wine in 2020 and remarked that it could potentially score 95+ within five years. Well, I almost got there. We had it last night and it was still absolutely delicious but not quite a 95, which is what I consider the delineation between a very good wine and a globally elite bottle (and yes, I recognize this isn’t exactly nuclear precision). 5till exhibits a beautiful medium ruby red color. The nose is wonderful: I might have even guessed Bordeaux, with earthy, charcoal, forest floor elements present. But the palate brings you around to California, with dark red fruits framed by excellent sweet tannin. Still has room to go. Maybe 95 will happen! Drank decanted over three hours.
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6/8/2023 - Counselor Chris wrote: flawed
Opened a magnum to toast my beloved father the day after he passed away, since it was a wine he loved. Aaaaand it was corked. There may be some cosmic meaning there, but I can't really put my finger on it. I guess it's that corks suck as a wine closure
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5/19/2023 - CRL Stc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. PnP and then drank over two hours, and then what was left the next day and it was still going strong. Cork in good shape. This bottle has more time if you can hold off.
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5/15/2023 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 95 Points
1 hour decant. Nose of red cherries and red currants with earthy aromas and white pepper. Palate of black currant, red licorice and drier black raspberry fruit paired with cigar box and cedar. It flows smoothly into a finish of full-boded tannins, red fruit, gingerbread, and oak. Very balanced, with plenty of life ahead. Fnished ahead of the 2001 Rauzan-Segela we drank at the same time.
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4/9/2023 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
this was good but not up to the standard I have for this bottling (at least the bottling from the 70's thru the 90's)... a little lean and the acidity (which I generally love) was a tiny bit harsh... does this simply need another 5-7 years... not sure... hmmm... maybe an off bottle??... NR given my uncertainty on that but this would have been 90-91'ish if I had rated
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1/15/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
No notes taken. From a double magnum. This showed great as it has already reached a good level of maturity. The baby fat is gone, the wine has fleshed out and what remains is an elegant, fine Napa Cab with a level of ripeness that is well in check, lots of earthy/herbal/mineral notes creating a good balance, all embedded in a fine structural frame. At least from large formats this should improve further over the next two+ decades.
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1/2/2023 - JB12 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hr. Drinks really well. Wine continues to develop over the next few hours. Black cherry fruit flavors.
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12/26/2022 - pbenn001 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and decanted for sediment at 1:30pm as this one threw off a good amount of sediment left behind in the bottle. Drank the last glass at 9pm and drank throughout the day and evening to check its progress. This one drank the best to me around the 4-5pm hour so that puts it at about a 2.5-3.5 hour decant to show its best.
On the nose, it was moderately tertiary from just about the get-go as I think this one is on its last legs and I wouldn't sit on it for more than perhaps a year or two. On the nose, I get scents of tar, graphite, leather, cedar, eucalyptus, and menthol. On the palate, lovely flavors of blackberries, chocolate, tobacco leaf, licorice, and minerals. Again, a lovely wine and wish I had another to lay down for just a little while longer.
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11/28/2022 - rinnocenzi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully
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11/19/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. My last bottle and this wine has held up very well. Dense dark fruit with notes of cassis, cedar, plum, earth, spice. The tannins are soft and well integrated - long satisfying finish. I wish I had more.
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9/11/2022 - JS199 wrote: 96 Points
Opened and consumed over 4 hours. Fully mature and ready with minimal air. Velvety mouthfeel with a Bordeaux like profile. Best part was the chocolate notes at the end.
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6/8/2022 - EC_Gray35 wrote:
Dinner in Bar, June 8th. Remainder went home.
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4/10/2022 - cbuhlman wrote:
dark garnet, slight bricking
lively and fresh for a 20 year old napa cab. packed with polished cab fruit with cassis, framed by gentle notes of cedar and leather with a touch of salinity, no soy notes though. I dare say perfect balance, with impressive length and finish.
94-95
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4/1/2022 - gpcoleman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful, well balanced cab.
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3/16/2022 - devraj Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very youthful and saturated dark red color. Aromas of cassis, reddish black berries, cedar, hint of soil and graphite on the nose. A medium to full bodied palate shows velvety and sweet crushed dark berries, hint of cocoa, medium acidity, silky tannins and a very long cedar/pencil lead perfumed finish. This seems to be getting better with age!
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2/14/2022 - ipp Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2001 is well aged. In my opinion, the 750ml is at its peak and will last 5+ at this top level. Soft, elegant and well balanced. I think the 1.5L have 10-15 years at this level before any drop off.
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1/23/2022 - RojoVino24 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow Ox to start for about an hour. Good amount of sediment . Cork was in great shape! Vibrant ruby color with purple rim. This was a velvet hammer! Baking spice, cassis, leather, dark fruits/plum. Violet and earth as well. Mild tannis on the back. Drinking great now but a few more years of age wouldn’t hurt either. Either way, you shouldn’t be disappointed.
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1/6/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose of red currant, tobacco leaf, and cedar box. Classic palate of Napa earth and dust, cigar box, sweet red fruits, spice, and minerals. Smooth vanilla oak finish with black cherry, cigar ash, smoke, and hot asphalt. What a classic wine that's really singing now!
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12/19/2021 - JB12 wrote: 95 Points
Really, really nice... cork broke, but likely due to a bad opener. Lots of sediment that was removed with a wine strainer thingee as I Decanted for an hour. Drank over the next hour with dinner. Long smoooooth finish. Berry flavors are there, not overwhelming. Some earthy tones in the background. Loved it. Not sure what happened with the other poor ratings.
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12/15/2021 - gamlingman Likes this wine: 91 Points
20 years in the bottle and I'm wondering would have it been better earlier? Classic Mondavi with perfect balance of spice and fruits as the long rounded finish certainly shows this has aged well. Did expect a more powerfull finish, but perhaps we are mellowing a bit after 20 years.
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11/24/2021 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful dark color,muted nose.
Richly fruit-laden flavor profile, deep and integrated
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10/12/2021 - vinko84 wrote: 94 Points
Classic Mondavi
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10/3/2021 - JS199 wrote: 94 Points
Classic Cabernet, precise and balanced.
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10/3/2021 - epiphany Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully now and for many years ahead. Everything is in balance.
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8/27/2021 - Markzittman Likes this wine:
Liked a lot. Let’s get more
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8/9/2021 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 94 Points
1 hour decant. Deep ruby color, no bricking. Rich, round and satisfying.
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6/13/2021 - Wineshington wrote:
Time to drink. 10th bottle of the case. Recommend that all be consumed. Still doing well but some aspects are showing age.
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5/23/2021 - Marshmallowman Likes this wine: 94 Points
We liked the wine a lot. Bought the wine years ago at Mondavi Winery. Very fruity, balanced, with long and lasting finish.
Our beloved cat, Lizzie C. Katt passed away Sunday morning and I wanted to honor her memories with an elegant bottle of wine 🍷 from the same year as she was born.
2001 was a great year for cats and wine. I might even buy another bottle from Mondavi’s library to celebrate her life next year too!
The wine was great but I really miss Lizzie 🐈⬛ ... love you 😽 Lizzie!
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5/15/2021 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 20 year age is only detected on the funky nose. Fruit is alive and well. Structure is hanging in there. Many years ahead.
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5/2/2021 - redz wrote: 93 Points
Like they all said, great.
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3/7/2021 - AlamoCaves wrote:
RP 95
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 93 Points
smoked meat, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, pepper, cedar, black currant, chocolate, red cherries, baking spice.
Still rather youthful, elegant on the palate with nice acidity and the tannins are still very much present.
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu Likes this wine: 94 Points
plum, black currant, cassis, cedar, leather, tobacco, black peppercorn, forest floor and anise spice
never surprising that mondavi fruit is very much alive. Slightly softened up but its still doing great. under-appreciated classic, very well balanced.
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1/3/2021 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding in every way. Gorgeous in the crystal, enticing aromas full of glens and berries, exceptionally smooth on the palate, with primary, secondary and tertiary notes, magnificent tannins, and a finish that lasts forever. This has nestled in my cellar for a decade since arrival from the Mondavi winery a decade ago. Truly a sophisticated sensation for all the senses.
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1/1/2021 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid showing
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12/12/2020 - G_H wrote:
Again a bottle that did not perform as hoped, still good but nowhere near the best bottles I had. I’d say 91-93 points or so
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11/28/2020 - dougie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Changed a great deal over 5 hours. Wonderful texture. Can go a decade or more.
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11/3/2020 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant.
Medium garnet color, berry aroma.
Black fruit: cassis, currant, etc. lots of tannins, Plenty of pucker.
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10/29/2020 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
Purchased from winery last year- this needs every bit of 3 hours in the decanter- full bodied, youthful wine that is still a few years away from optimal drinking or I’d suggest a solid 4-5 hour decant. This has another decade of life on it. Nice balance and finish and overall a solid wine from a great vineyard.
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10/5/2020 - JS199 wrote: 93 Points
Still very youthful and dark. This needed some air and came across as old school cabernet, no modern plushness or layers. It reminded me of Chateau Montelena. It needs more secondary flavors to merit a higher score.
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10/4/2020 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
I went back and forth on possibly scoring this higher. Despite already being a finely aged wine at nineteen years, it still has some potential left. Displays a surprisingly young looking color, medium/dark purple-red with just ever the slightest hint of crimson on the rim. Nose was consistent throughout the whole evening, finely tuned notes of blueberry compote and cassis were balanced very nicely with pine needles and sandalwood. The result is a classically styled, super elegant cabernet that, while clearly identifiable as California, is a terrific blend of new and old world terroir. Finish was medium length but increased ever so slightly in intensity as the night wore on, also a good sign for the aging trajectory. Very well made, won't disappoint and could possibly score 95+ in about five years in my opinion.
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8/19/2020 - Bam_Man wrote: 93 Points
Brought to Vintage on 5th, Crystal River ($25 corkage) to celebrate my birthday. First one of these in over three years. This has held up amazingly well. Still looks so youthful in the glass. No bricking at all and just a slight lightening around the edge. Alluring scents of crushed dark berries, earth, cassis and spice on the nose. Full-bodied and quite elegant now in texture and weight. Continues to show a surprising amount of ripe, delicious plum, dark currant and blackberry fruit, with a moderate acidity. There's excellent depth on the mid-palate and a long finish that offers tantalizing hints of dark chocolate, coffee and spice. So balanced, complex and delicious. Not a rough edge in sight. A wonderful Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that has aged gracefully and paired beautifully with their fabulous beef filet.
50+5+12+18+8=93
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8/15/2020 - herzog330 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wine of the night. Such awesome purity of fruit and the tannins are still very much present with a nice little lace of acidity. Great with a ribeye tonight. She’s a beaut.
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8/8/2020 - BrendanMcS wrote: 96 Points
Wow. Huge nose followed by a huge palate dominated by blueberries, black cherries, black berries, and black currant. Really big. And delicious. Hard to believe this is 19 years old.
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8/7/2020 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Nearly two decades in, its still a fruit bomb. Lively, delicious.
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7/11/2020 - cbuhlman wrote:
ruby red
slow out of the gate but really came around after only 30 minutes
cassis, currants, ripe cabernet fruit, and tobacco/leather secondary. Well-balanced and elegant with a great finish. Really drinking well.
This wine along with BV GLT are a testament to how ageworthy these supposed "fruit driven" wines really are.
I'd say this wine easily has 5 years ahead of it.
just excellent.
92-94
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4/12/2020 - mike lwp Likes this wine:
Excellent bottle
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4/12/2020 - mike lwp wrote:
Excellent
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4/12/2020 - greedy wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good. Had a 2001 beringer private reserve the night before which was way better. This wine had a small hint of a bitter finish. I smoke a cigar earlier in day and may have impacted this tasting.
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4/11/2020 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
Very nice, but not up to the level of previous bottles. There seems to be quite some bottle variation in Mondavi Reserve, had it with the 97 and also with the 2001. Never had issues with pre 92 bottles though...
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4/2/2020 - John F wrote: 86 Points
Not sure if I had a sourcing or storage issue along the way but this wine was tired and on its way to bricking a bit. Cork a bit truffle smelling which blew off from the wine over time.....but still felt underpowered relative to expectations. No way my bottle could last to 2040 for sure! This is the only bottle I had of this and not sure where I got it...so your mileage may and hopefully will vary.
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3/22/2020 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was significantly more advanced than other bottles of the same wine that i had previously. Still good but not as powerful and intense as these others, with quite some tertiary notes
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12/16/2019 - davergny Likes this wine: 94 Points
Full, rich and inky. Cassis, boysenberry, graphite, and a hint of mint on the palate. There is good acidity and depth. A very good Cab, if just a touch heavy. Just entering maturity and will probably last a long time.
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11/21/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Bring a Good Bottle at St Gen's (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Very nice nose with funk, earth, cassis, pencil, orange peel, blood orange, dried wood. Needs some time to be realized in glass, but it comes together gradually over 30 minutes plus. The palate shows a soft texture, lots of graphite, cassis, dried spices, and wood on a medium plus body with a classicly restrained Mondavi style that I love. This is just in the early drinking window and should integrate even further over time. Give it just a little air and you're good to go.
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11/21/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Worldwide Wines that Don't Suck (Saint Genevieve, Minneapolis): Hell ya!!! My wine of the night. Nose is amazing and palate/finish consistent. Red currants, cigar, plum, coffee grounds and minerals. Medium to long finish and super complex. This wine will age another decade not worries. Top ten wine of the year. 95 plus.
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10/20/2019 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hints of berries, nice finish
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9/21/2019 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Really don’t understand the average rating here. This really is world class Napa. Amazing richness and opulence, yet still very balanced. This is just amazing stuff
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8/18/2019 - cbuhlman wrote:
ruby red
still youthful with resolved tannins
cassis, currants, ripe cabernet fruit, and tobacco/leather secondary. Has a Bordeaux like perfume as it sits in the glass. Well-balanced and elegant with a great finish. Really drinking well.
A dead ringer for a classified Pauillac, 2020+
93-95
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6/18/2019 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: B++ Palate: B++/A-
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6/15/2019 - Racer117 wrote:
This wine was peculiar. It wasn't flawed but it wasn't correct. It tasted like it was 3 years old and not 18. All primary rich dark fruit and nothing else.
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3/30/2019 - sqn19 Likes this wine: 94 Points
At Ruth's Chris for my son's 18th birthday. Surprising youthful, still full of black fruit, just beginning to develop secondary notes of black tea and earth. Velvety mouthfeel. A terrific 18 year old wine.
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2/21/2019 - The Boxcar wrote: 89 Points
Past it’s prime. Still good,but not great like the bottle I had about six years ago. A hint musty.
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1/25/2019 - pziblatt Likes this wine:
Smooth and velvity with flavors of dark berry fruit. High RS
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1/25/2019 - pziblatt wrote:
Soft, velvity and lots of dark berry flavors.
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1/11/2019 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured after filtering sediment. Some volatile elements disappeared over 20-30 minutes. Never rough classic CS currant and casis with moderate complexity and a smooth finish. Full bodied fruit without being heavy. Peaked at around 90 minutes after opening. Drinking well.
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12/24/2018 - aaslanian Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine, very balanced
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12/15/2018 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine that is in a good place right now. Touch of vanilla, but not overwhelming. Shows some secondary notes that integrate well with dark berries and a little spice. Soft and well integrated tannins, yet with enough acid. Nice balance and delicious with a simple steak.
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12/15/2018 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
Still middle of the fairway cab; just good flavors and balance no rough edges. Good now but not going anywhere for a long time.
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12/12/2018 - essconsults Likes this wine: 92 Points
92-94. I was just slightly disappointed in this showing, but perhaps the wine is still too young or it was the bottle. The nose is pretty classic, and if there wasn't a bit of sweetness in the attack it might pass for a Bordeaux. But as we were drinking a number of top Bordeaux you could tell the difference. The initial impression is strangely very muted but the midpalate and finish are deep and long. The best showing I thought of the Cali and Washington State Cabs, but I may be prejudiced.
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11/25/2018 - JDEE wrote: 95 Points
Purchased at release from magnum and stored in a passive cellar, this Mondavi reserve from the well structured 2001 vintage is drinking beautifully right now. Pnp with the remainder drank from decanter over the following hour.
Generous nose of red fruit and cigar box, followed by a complex and well integrated wine that is really at its apex right now. Delicious, long finish, with soft tannins that are just grippy enough to finish strong. I don’t think you would mistake this wine for anything other than Napa, but this is definitely a textbook example of a classic wine from a great producer in a great vintage.
I don’t believe this wine will improve but based on the depth of the fruit and the remaining tannins I’d expect this wine to hold for another 3-5 years.
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11/3/2018 - wine-enthusiast Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful wine, red rim and still dark body. Tannins are mostly resolved, approaching or at peak drinking imho. Crushed fliwers, cedar, violets, dark fruits long on the palate. Really pretty wine.
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9/30/2018 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This drank well after a one hour decant. Cassis and currant in abundance. Great balance. Classic CS !
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7/3/2018 - nvandyk wrote: 95 Points
This is an outstanding bottle of wine from a producer that has only rarely, for me, lived up to the lofty expectations. This is Dominus-like in that it presents Napa fruit but in a way that is more elegant than bombastic. Drinking really well right now; I'm looking forward to my remaining bottles!
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6/2/2018 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted out of double magnum.
Young, tannic, balanced fruit. It was my 50th bday occasion to open it but easily would have gone another 10-15 years before hitting the next stage. A well kept version will go many decades more.
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4/28/2018 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Bottles bought just after release, in my cellar since. A dense wine in its youth, I endeavored to let evolve in my cellar over the years. Brought a bottle for a "joint" birthday celebration with the family.
Bright garnet color, no real sediment or separation. Nose of dark fruits, violets, graphite. Palate showing aged/dusted black currant, cherry, spices, cassis, floral notes. Picking up some cedar/leather in the mid palate. Long and elegant finish.
This wine has aged nicely: expressive fruit, elegant, secondary notes. A classic CA/Bdx style wine that is in a great spot right now. It took about 20 minutes to really show and continued to evolve in the glass over an hour. Great now, hard to say if it will improve much but my guess is it will still be drinking well on its 30th b-day...Great wine that is often underrated. With multiple bottles will have the luxury of trying over the years
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4/28/2018 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow. Unmistakably Cabernet based and unlistakably Californian. Such power and the nose...
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4/26/2018 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Terrific en magnum showing of this wine. In a great spot right now after a 45 minute decant. Flavors of black fruit, creme de cassis, chocolate. Full bodied with a big frame and concentrated superb mid palate. The tannins are well integrated. The only thing lacking was in the finish which was a bit short and awkward compared to what you might expect but this is not a fatal flaw at all.
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3/24/2018 - champussi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ein schöner trinkreifer NapaCab mit allem was man erwartet. Evtl. noch etwas mehr Tannin als er verdauen kann, aber im Moment nicht wirklich störend. Lecker!!
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3/10/2018 - JuliannaDHS wrote: flawed
This bottle was enjoyable but knowing how good this wine has been in the past, I can't score this.
The cork was completely saturated and very soft. I think the color was too brick toned to be proper. Some nice fruit and a hint of iron but overall lacking. C'est la vie.
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3/10/2018 - Edclr Likes this wine: 95 Points
from magnum, great time to drink. Fully mature but showing no signs of being close to deteriorating.
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1/31/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes; delicious, drink or hold
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1/7/2018 - Bigtuna Likes this wine:
PnP, 2nd night in a row tasting a wine I know well and being disappointed. Maybe it is me. Last bottle tasted in 2106, very nice. This one was nice however the finish was off at start and never came around. Therefore not rating.
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1/5/2018 - yjall wrote:
혜진씨네랑 Oak Steak House 에서 마심
정말 맛난 와인
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1/5/2018 - meatbomb013 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Three years since I had the previous bottle of this wine. Based on that tasting note this wine has evolved/aged a bit. Not quite as fresh and fruit forward but still in its prime drinking window. Fruit has faded a bit but tobacco and spice have moved forward, tannins are smooth and well integrated. I don’t expect this to get better with more age but think that it will stay in its sweet spot for 5 years or so.
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1/1/2018 - kcp Likes this wine: 93 Points
A lovely matured wine.
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12/24/2017 - lockestep Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic mature Mondavi reserve. Had a bit of a menthol note in the nose on opening; this blew off in the first 20 minutes. Opened into a smooth, medium weight palate. Long finish, a small bit of dusty tannins evident. Absolutely ready but expect a decade or so at this level before declining.
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11/6/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes, opened up & better on day 2; delicious, drink or hold, no rush, great QPR!
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10/7/2017 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Roast meats, leather, tar, cedar. Tannins are still present. Lots of years lie ahead.
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9/2/2017 - Joealex Likes this wine: 97 Points
So far the best wine I have ever had. Knock out wine. Phenomenal richness with great balance without heaviness.
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8/20/2017 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
One of my all time favorite Napa Cabs from the 2000s just ao smooth, round and opulent. And given it carries the Mondavi name it is a steal!!!
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7/14/2017 - Tom Myers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Give it 2 hours in a decanter and magic happens!
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6/10/2017 - mdipietro Likes this wine: 97 Points
OMG
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5/26/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hr then put back in the bottle, deep ruby, ripe black cheery, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold
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4/14/2017 - pbenton wrote: flawed
This bottle was flat and had an off smell, not corked, but definitely past it's prime. This was a gift, from a couple of years ago, so questioning the storage conditions.
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4/9/2017 - BernieMSY wrote: 95 Points
Very dark purple. Deeply intense flavors. Currant, blackberry, plum. Tannins are moderate. Drinking beautifully right now. Absolutely delicious!
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4/8/2017 - alpha_ori Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open That Bottle Night #12: Tasted blind. Sweet oak, viscosity, a punch of acid, smooths out for the finish. This is clearly a New World cabernet or cab-based blend. I think it's a high quality, well-balanced, youngish Napa cab, maybe 7-10 years old. Very good.
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4/1/2017 - traxxx Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP...deep purple with aromas of blackberry and plum..round mouthfeel and stewed plum, currant and moist earth..long, lingering finish. In an excellent place right now
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3/26/2017 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a good bottle finally. still really powerful. Lots of depth. Sharp, smokey, and somewhat harsh upon opening. Needed an hour to settle down. A lot going on for sure. Layers of flavors.
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3/20/2017 - ledwards wrote: 96 Points
Outstanding depth that is still cloaked in huge, rustic tannins. This is a 50 year wine with serious structure. Deep dark cherry, bitter chocolate, stone with a big backbone. The flavor profile is more old-school Napa than the new, polished fruit and laboratory extract model. Really impressive now, may be off the charts great in 10-15 years.
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2/6/2017 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet aromas of black cherry fruits. Rich sweet chewy tannins. Mouth filling and large scale yet tons of spices. Very good. Out of mag. Yummy. Long life ahead
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2/5/2017 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Nose is a bit shy with some awkward high toned fruit. The palate on the other hand is in a terrific place. Classic, chunky plummy cab fruit with cedar, tobacco and bell pepper complexity. Firm, chewy tannin in the backend to remind you this still has a long life.
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2/5/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (Chez Kailin - Northbrook IL): Black currant and cherry, more robust on palate than on the nose. Very well balanced, very good now, but this might even have upside from here.
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1/12/2017 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
First one of these in 11 months. Now down to my last two bottles from a half case. Brought with us to Vintage on Fifth, Crystal River ($15 corkage). Was poured into a decanter and sat for about 25 minutes while we enjoyed a Prosecco aperatif. Still very young-looking in the glass. No amber or bricking at all, and almost no lightening at the edge. Very powerful and complex on the nose. Gorgeous aromas of crushed, dark fruits, spice, cigar box and earth. Full-bodied, now mature and noticeably more elegant than previous bottles. Much more Bordeaux-like in character, now that its delicious plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit has faded. Beautifully balanced, with a moderate acidity that perfectly complements its subtle, remaining fruit. Shows good depth and intensity, without excessive concentration or weight. Finishes very long and incredibly smooth, with velvety tannins that linger gently. This is so polished and refined. A wonderful Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that may be slightly past its peak, but is still drinking very nicely.
50+5+13+17+8=93
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1/7/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 93 Points
2 hr decant. Oak and tannins have integrated nicely. Earth, mineral notes, mixed very nicely with black fruit. Lots of structure. Still some cellar life left, but ready to go now. Threw off a hefty amount of sediment.
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1/1/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 90 Points
Pop and poured. New Year's Day at Ed's place.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of black cherries, blackberries, black licorice, black tea leaves, slight earth. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), resolved medium tannins that gained some grip with more air, full body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of black cherries, blackberries, black licorice, mint, tobacco, slight earth. Medium+ finish.
Good quality. Not the usual powerhouse Napa Cab, but not Bordeaux either. Fruit is still upfront, though this clearly has tertiary features already. Doesn't feel like there is any more upside. Drink up.
Apparently fruit from To-Kalon vineyard?
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12/31/2016 - maw246 Likes this wine: 94 Points
4 years since the last time we had one. Still a very strong effort with plenty of nose remaining. Tannins fully resolved but still a big backbone. Fruit aplenty on palate and an old world earthiness missing from many Napa cabs. Long finish.
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12/27/2016 - Leeinc225 wrote:
K
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12/10/2016 - ScubaSommelier Likes this wine: 91 Points
Third taste over several years and very consistent. I feel perhaps the drinking window peak has passed but still ok. I wouldn't wait much longer.
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12/4/2016 - scott w Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep dark cabernet fruit but seemingly light on the palate probably due to the great acidity. Some black cherry fruit with leather. Long finish but still tannic and drinking very well
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11/23/2016 - winestem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wowza! Beautiful and refined. New world fruit with old world earthiness still intact.
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10/17/2016 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful, elegant and complex Napa valley reserve cab that truly deserves that label. Capped off an epic night of older CA cabs at our wine group tasting and stood up very well to the likes of equally old both Napa & Alexander valley Silver Oak, Caymus SS, Opus One, Quintessa and Dominus. At this point of maturation this is actually quite a reasonable QPR at our original acquisition cost. Still somewhat youthful and with proper cellaring has at least another 5+ years to go but as good as it is right now I am not sure that there is any further upside to continued cellaring - recommend starting to drink these up. This wine right now again really proves the old adage that all really good and well made cabernets / bdx blends, regardless of the point of origin, eventually evolve into French bourdeauxesque type wines - right now this would be very hard to pick out as New World in a flight of older bordeauxs. Briefly decanted just to get the must off the nose but this does not really need a decant if you can just wait a few minutes after pouring it and swirl the glass a bit. Purplish red with noticeable peripheral bricking, soft mouth feel, very well balanced and integrated, complex and with a really lovely lingering aftertaste. Nose initially somewhat muted but with some air opened up and was very airy and almost floral with red fruit, a light hint of cedar, smoke and coffee. Flavor profile included cassis, dark fruit, mocha, leather, tobacco and warm cooking spices with a lighter again almost cedary finish. Very sorry to only have one more bottle. Highly recommend this wine.
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9/29/2016 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby red with browning around the edges. Airy and captivating nose of high quality cedar, cigar box, earth and black fruits. A very refined and elegant palate follows with cassis liqueur, dark chocolate, rolled tobacco leaves, fully absorbed oak, no tannins, medium(-) acidity and a long cedar perfumed finish.
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9/11/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hr then put back in the bottle, dark red, dark fruit with a touch of tobacco & chocolate, mod/firm tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold, but I suspect it will benefit from another couple of years
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9/3/2016 - gejohnston Likes this wine: 92 Points
Probably should have waited a few more years. Decanted about 30 minutes. Maybe an hour would have been better as it did open up toward the end.
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7/9/2016 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light-dark red. Cedar and tobacco notes combined with bizarrely, melon notes in the nose with a bit of purple funk. Highly extracted style, a bit formulaic but very well done. Lovely notes of vanilla, oak, milk chocolate, blackberry, soil. Strong fruit and wood integration.
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6/24/2016 - ilcalmo wrote: 93 Points
Really good. It starts off New World, as what one taster described as a "monster truck Cab", but after the up-front fruit the nuances come through to the point that one taster said this could be confused for a big Bordeaux. Nice herbal and mineral nuances in addition to big (but not overripe) fruit with a good finish and plenty of structure still. Highly recommended. I've heard some Mondavi Reserves can disappoint, but this one didn't.
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6/11/2016 - Zinlady wrote: 95 Points
Had at dinner blind and I loved it. It did not seem 15 years. Lots of cherry fruit. Big dark Went better with food then alone. We had a wonderful grilled steak. Great match.
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6/3/2016 - davidrh1 wrote: 92 Points
very nice
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5/26/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 94 Points
Randy and Steve visit Cleveland (Napa vs. Bordeaux) (Colonial): Blind, most picked this as Bordeaux although I thought Napa. Just too much sunshine, but I get why. Just a beautiful mature wine at this point. Still a long life ahead, but seems about at peak. The nose has cassis and some cedar with a bit of menthol and tobacco as well. On the palate, layers of complexity. Nice acidity. Cassis, forest floor and some funk. Light tannins although mostly resolved. Good finish.
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4/21/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is perhaps the 20th bottle of this that I have had and its still pretty good. Soft, musty, old world, still some red fruits. Not the best bottle of this i have had.
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4/5/2016 - Drbacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
I've been enjoying this variety for 30 years starting with the 1983 vintage when it cost $12 a bottle. This 2001 has a wonderful nose of fruity, subtly oaky, soft earthy notes. Tastes great right out of the bottle. Complex, balanced, rich fruity mouth feel, smooth tannins, and a nice, long finish. Once open, the balace and integration deepens, and the finish lengthens. Despite its still dense, purple color, I think it may be in its drinking sweet spot. Very nice, indeed! Cheers!!
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3/30/2016 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
Deep, dark, delectable. Double decanted and aired two hours in Eisch crystal. Darkest violet color in glass, with full body, and stupendous legs. On the nose, winter spices balanced by autumn florals. On the palate, bracing acidity backed by strong tannins and bold finish. Six hours later, this bottle was still standing strong, with greater integration between all elements, and a texture that emerged as velvet throughout. It seems to me this wine may have 5 to 10 more years of life before it begins to dim.
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3/24/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Stunning nose of dark cherry perfume-so pure. The palate is lovely but not as beautiful as the nose. There was a complexity that I didn't get in the other 2001 Cabs in this tasting (Harlan Maiden, Seavey, Pahlmeyer , Caymus SS, Beringer Private Reserve) with only the Spottswood coming close. Still has tannins and plenty of fruit.
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3/20/2016 - winejnky wrote: 90 Points
Past its prime window, but still drinking pretty good; took about an hour or so for some funk to blow off, once gone this bottle showed ripe cherry and plum fruit, dense structure and oaky finish.
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3/15/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful CA blend; drinking wonderfully now; balanced, nice fruit and silky tannins. Definitely improved over the last five years. 95
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2/13/2016 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
First bottle since December, 2012. Consistent with my note from back then. Brought with us to Ocean Prime in Tampa to celebrate Kerry's birthday. This is still drinking beautifully. No sign at all of being past its peak. Still a rather youthful-looking, semi-opaque crimson in color, lightening just a bit at the edge. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, but not at all heavy or over done. Immediately saturates the palate with ripe, delicious plum and blackberry fruit. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fruit this still has, for a wine of its age. Shows amazing depth and concentration, without a lot of weight. The finish goes on for almost a full minute and features alluring notes of cassis, mineral and black licorice. The tannins are beautifully integrated and smooth as silk. This reminded us of the 2005 Ornellaia we enjoyed on my birthday. So balanced, delicious and polished. For my taste, this is as good as Napa Cabernet gets.
50+5+12+19+9=95
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12/29/2015 - G_H wrote: 98 Points
Tasted double blind. Wowwww what a wine and what a stage! Fruit-in-rum, sunday roast and mint. But what makes this wine so great is the texture and the amazing viscosity. I just looooved this wine, incredible. i was stunned when I saw the bottle. Just impressive what Mondavi used to turn out. One of the most underrated Napa Cabs out there
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12/26/2015 - kcwmd1 wrote:
Drank with Christmas dinner
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11/17/2015 - winejnky wrote: 87 Points
A bit of stewed tomato and prunes, clearly over the top and in decline. I have had a high level of bottle variability with this case.
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9/20/2015 - Grokinla wrote: 93 Points
Big, oaky
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9/18/2015 - floridawinedrkr wrote:
Another bad bottle.
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9/12/2015 - winejnky wrote:
Hollow, not a good bottle, no fruit, very flat. :(
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8/13/2015 - wombat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bouquet: Violets, damp earth, roasted coffee bean and chocolate toasty oak, sweet cassis and dark cherry.
Palate:
Flavor: Cassis, blackberry and dark cherry syrup (unsweetened) enveloped by chocolate oak and roast coffee. The flavors plus sweet spice come together on the finish.
Comment: Lively concentrated fruit without being overripe, smooth tannins, gorgeous bouquet and flavors. The wine has some natural sweetness that isn't excessive; the syrup character applies more to texture than to the concentrated fruit flavor and texture than to the sweetness.
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5/3/2015 - JS199 wrote: 95 Points
First bottle of six. Tight and youthful in the beginning. Poured into a decanter and gave it an hour. Polished and pure were my original thoughts. Very fine and seamless. California meets Bordeaux. Plenty of time left here.
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5/2/2015 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tight at first, opened perfectly after a 3 hour decant. Cassis on the nose, with well balanced tannins yet still some time left. Classic Napa cab.
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4/10/2015 - floridawinedrkr wrote: flawed
I believe this bottle was flawed as it had a massive musty nose and flavor upon opening. These should not taste like that at all.
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3/6/2015 - jonnyoro wrote: 96 Points
Last bottle of a case from winery. Damn fine.good balance; brambly berry fruit, Good viscosity, sweet tannins, ultra long finish, earthy, midlife... No hurry.. Super fragrant... Very fine effort.
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2/7/2015 - winejnky wrote: 91 Points
Similar to last bottle, showing black cherry, vanilla, oak; well structured but not quite as vibrant, this one seemed to have aged a bit more than some previous bottles. Fourth bottle in the past eight months and they have all been at a different stage. Purchased at auction so do not know much about how they were stored, but could be playing into the variability.
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1/20/2015 - RoseWater Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just drinking perfectly right now. P&P and it was great. Can't see it getting better, but can see it ageing another 4 or 5 years. Drink it now. Very enjoyable.
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12/31/2014 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great nose of cassis, sour cherry, tobacco, cedar, and spice. On the palate rich with cherry, black currant, cedar, tobacco. Finishes with great grip and nice acidity. Entering a drinking window but should stay at this peak for the next 10 years. Drink or hold.
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12/31/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and drunk
This wine was firing on all cylinders. Great fruit nose. Blackberry, black currant and a hint of plum on the nose. Weight quite heavy. Acid medium. Palette is brown sugar, black currant, plum and black berry. Drinking very nice right now.
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12/31/2014 - ledwards wrote: 90 Points
Slighlty off bottle. Was sporting a harsh, sour tannic backbone which was not in the last few bottles that I have consumed. The fruit was trying to shine but could not adequately rise above.
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12/29/2014 - PGB wrote: 93 Points
Still restrained but lots of fruit and structure holding this together. Not as sure as others that it will get a lot better but could be proved wrong on this one.
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12/24/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
This performed pretty much as expected but, is not yet, transcendent. I think this could be really special in 3-5yrs. Still a little oak to integrate. Not over the top oak but, still out front a bit. My daughter praised the wine and she rarely remarks about them. Trying to introduce my adult kids to the magic of aged wines can be daunting in a holiday setting so that says something about how good this wine is. Right now, very elegant and showing generous depth and length on a focused frame. I decanted a good 3 hours earlier and poured back into the btl about 30 minutes before drinking. Definitely decant even though it smells great out of the shoot. The palate needs it. I'll try to secure more of these for down the road. 14.5 % Alc but didn't feel like it was over 13%. These Mondavi Reserve Cabs have rekindled my interest in certain CA Cabs.
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12/20/2014 - OJeepers Likes this wine: 92 Points
With Jacksons
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12/11/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
I rated this wine 94+ points because of the price and product delivered. For $90 this is a great wine. Great nose of dark berries, dark chocolate, and cherry liquor. Legs are med. No noticeable heat or alcohol. Excellent mouth feel, smooth, bright edges, tannins fully integrated, a pleasure to drink, and a true pleasure at $90 a bottle. Although we drink a lot of the 2000 vintage and in every tasting the 2000 is picked every time over the 2001. even thought he 2001 is rated higher I believe the 2000 has aged better.
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12/11/2014 - Arcturus wrote: 93 Points
93+ 3 hour decant.Seductive, mature, smooth. Notes of blackcurrant some graphite, stone and with more time whaffs of plush Blackcherry. Mid palate sweet core of black/red fruits, solid but subtle structure. Great balance, aging gracefully. Drink or a hold.
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11/27/2014 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 95 Points
this wine still has many years left on it
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11/20/2014 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC 2001 California Cabernet Blind (Home of Chef Andy Plummer, East Greenbush, NY): Dark black fruit. Sweet and delicious. An excellent classically made wine.
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11/14/2014 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent, mature cab with Bordeaux sensibilities. Fruit restrained, earth, tobacco, oak.
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11/10/2014 - AWBryce Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prunes on the nose, sweet cherry, some oak. Still tannic, moderate acidity. Will be a stunner with another 10 years.
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11/9/2014 - mrfroopy wrote: 87 Points
Oak.. not integrated.. too oaky.. the fruit is still overwhelmed or maybe the fruit is gone. but this wine is not for me. I think maybe this is around when they started doing something different there and it makes me sad. Its disjointed.. however I will wait another 5 years on my other bottle..
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11/1/2014 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Smoothly integrated, no rough edges. Old world style. Black currant, tobacco, leather. Balanced
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10/25/2014 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
S FL WS Group Dinner (Market 17 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL): Consistent with my TN of 4/13/13 (wrote one that was so close to the 4/13 one, no need to post it)
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9/29/2014 - johnwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfection is found in this Cabernet by Mondavi. Balanced, complex and wonderful.
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9/1/2014 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
Amazingly young and vibrant for 2001, perhaps even a bit too much, with fairly heavy alcohol, oak and vanilla overtones crowding out black cherry fruit to some extent. I still like it, but this particular bottle was not quite up to the previous bottle, which was more balanced.
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9/1/2014 - johnwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning Bordeaux style Cab. The nose is jammy and filled with scents of cherry jam and roses. The taste explodes on the palate with complex flavors of blackcherry jam, cherry pie, blackberry, mushroom and a touch of cedar. Delicious!
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9/1/2014 - kingboo wrote: 91 Points
Drank from a magnum. Tannins still present and To Kalon fruit very delicious. But seems like its fading, as I had a prior 2001 magnum which was more fruit forward and complex. I believe Mr. Parker said this wine has a 20-25 drinking window. Sorry Mr. Parker, I think you were off on the longevity...but your score at the time was accurate. Drink up.
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8/28/2014 - grossie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic rich deep bottle. Classic and classy napa cab. Drunk from a magnum. My guess is this has at least 10 more years on it.
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8/17/2014 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
Robust CS, strong cherry and red currant flavors, big profile, especially at this age. Some oak shows through, nice fruity acidity delineates the finish.
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7/27/2014 - winejnky wrote: flawed
Corked:(
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7/4/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
really beautiful wine, decidedly un-modern -- yeah, good acid with some fruit and some cedar and balanced acid, faint tannin, ready now and should continue to evolve over next 7-10 years
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7/2/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Friends and "2001 Cabs": Tasted blind: Deep red showing first signs of age. Notes of leather, herbs and barn. Quite a powerful, deep and sweet wine as one would expect from To-Kalon. The tartiness is disturbing. Many liked this wine and I have to agree that this is overall a good wine, I am just not a fan of this style.
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6/23/2014 - johnwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Bordeaux style Cab with complexity and balance!
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6/14/2014 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A fabulous expression of the best of what California can bring to the table for fine wine. After reading "The house of Mondavi" years ago I gained an appreciation for what Robert was trying top pursue in Napa. This 2001 certainly fills his vision. An incredibly balanced wine with just enough age for those secondary notes to be in full blossom. A great treat the day before Father's Day with my wife and two grown children. The 2001 vintage was my first collectible vintage and sad to see this last bottle go but glad it was from Magnum.
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6/8/2014 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2001 CA cabs (Anvil Club): Crimson color with notes of leather, plum, dark fruit, lavender and violets- the most pretty and elegant wine thus far. Medium-bodied and nicely integrated, perhaps the most balanced wine in the flight. Flavors of cassis, currants, black cherry. Becomes more perfumed and floral as it opens, developing a saddle leather quality and even a tobacco note. Well-balanced and elegant with a long finish.
My #1
Group #5, 47 pts.
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6/7/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Silky body. Tart black currants, some herbs, leather, and new oak. Thirteen years old and the oak still dominates the palate. The fruit, herbal and leathery notes are terrific. I just wish the oak would calm down.
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6/7/2014 - kcp Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nicely refined, integrated and elegant medium weight wine. Just what I would expect from a reserve RM.
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6/7/2014 - clayfu wrote:
out of magnum, ready to go right out the gate, nose of graphite and dark berries and just a textured dark fruit on the palate. One knock, about 2 hours in the oak started to become more obvious on the nose/palate.
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5/26/2014 - mlawren1 wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well. Took half hour to open up then nice subtle glass full of cherries and currants. Just lingers in the mouth.
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3/29/2014 - ipp Likes this wine: 93 Points
As I poured the wine into the decanter, there was an explosion of a wonderful aroma of dried cherries.
After three hours of decanting, the wine had a modest nose of cherries, cassis and pencil lead. On the palate, the flavors were more old world style ... leather, cedar, pencil lead with a hint of cassis. Well make, elegant wine. Drinking well right now ... will last another decade plus.
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3/28/2014 - Mark Brandon Likes this wine: 93 Points
See Previous. In the window. Awesome!
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2/16/2014 - WVwino wrote: 93 Points
tasting beautifully right now
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2/16/2014 - ledwards wrote: 98 Points
A complete wine drinking beautifully. Wonderful floral aromatics that advertise the real estate. Subtle layers of black fruit- currant, blackberries but not in a burst of fruit rather a wave that expertly weaved into stone and aged leather. Old-world fans will be smitten as the composition has the horsepower but the restraint is masterful. This is getting very close to perfect.
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1/4/2014 - meatbomb013 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have been holding out on drinking this for a few years. Feel as if I was rewarded for waiting. Still fresh appearing without any bricking. Medium concentration. Elegant and refined. A great combination of sweet Napa cabernet fruit and secondary characteristics. Oak and tannins are seemlessly integrated. Excellent to drink alone or to pair with food.
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12/31/2013 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
The 2001 is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc with the remainder Merlot and Petite Verdot. Aromas of cassis, slight prune, and smokey steak reveal a palate of ridiculously concentrated blue/blackberry jam, dark chocolate, and spice. Incredibly balanced with a strong mature tannic backbone. No way this could disappoint
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12/26/2013 - johnwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Napa Cab, ripe, complex and fully developed.
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12/21/2013 - BradE wrote:
Not a lot to praise here, particularly at twelve years old.
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11/30/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
First one of 6 & did not disappoint. I thought this was excellent and open for business. It actually fell apart a bit after a few hours. I think Dr. AJ's TN's are perfect. Nothing to add, except it deserves a higher score.
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11/10/2013 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured and followed over two hours. Good nose of dark fruits, some chocolate and cedar. Quite an elegant wine, with a core of good black fruit framed with some acidity and a sprinkling of dust on top. While rich in fruit, it handles it well and is not weighed down by the richness but rather carries itself with grace.
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11/5/2013 - Dr AJ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great Napa cabernet sauvignon: powerful and broad but also very refined and elegant, and perfectly poised between piquancy and the sweetness of ripe Californian fruit. Lovely heady aromas of coffee, dark chocolate, blackcurrant, licorice, blond tobacco, cinnamon, black cherry, loamy earth, a touch of funk. On the palate, velvet tannins and a fairly full body giving a smooth, luxurious texture, with a flavour-profile of more black cherry and dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla cream, thyme, cassis. Long finish. The only criticism: a little too hot from the high alcohol. A class act that's a privilege to drink. And it's drinking perfectly now: still vigorous, but with the full panoply of complex mature notes, too. Impressive and delicious.
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10/29/2013 - Dr AJ wrote:
Flaw
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10/2/2013 - clairenclarence wrote: 93 Points
veri amazing bttl.the more u decant,the more rewards u get frm tis bttl.a bttl with bags if tricks.so much tings to offer.stil hve much time ahead.highly recommended
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9/29/2013 - viking60 wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux like minerality. Nice balance of red and black fruits. Iodine saline tobacco olives. Not a type napa profile.
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9/28/2013 - Gabe wrote: 93 Points
Really enjoyed this, still going strong and many more years ahead of it. Seemed more French like than I would expect but glad I have few left.
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9/19/2013 - difran wrote: 89 Points
Still young. Cellar until 2021.
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9/1/2013 - Ilikadajuice wrote: 93 Points
This wine still needs time to unwind. Two day tasting note. Day 1 was tight on pop-n-pour. Day 2 was much more accessible, but still had some unwinding to go. Suggest a two-hour plus decant. It was beautiful once it began to unwind. Finish was lengthy.
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6/30/2013 - Vstalam Likes this wine: 97 Points
My benchmark Cabernet; still drinking very young as a pop and pour with a huge nose of red fruits and cigar box, full mid palate with red fruits as the dominant flavor with hints of tertiary flavors peaking out. Still excellent on day 2 as well. If you can find this wine, highly recommend it.
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6/30/2013 - JackieTreehorn wrote: 93 Points
This has improved significantly in the past year. Decanted for an hour, drank over the next 3. Dark purple with no bricking. The fruit is still young while the tannins are integrating nicely. Finish is long and holds up really well. The Mondavi reserve cabs are hit and miss for me, but this was one of my favorites yet (05 was great). Have 1 more bottle and feel no need to drink anytime soon.
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5/4/2013 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
Mondavi Reserve is the most underrated high end Napa Cab around. This was middle of the fairway stuff, big, balanced, fruity, structured, long finish, etc. Not exotic, just good in every dimension.
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5/2/2013 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
No need to wait any longer, this beauty is ready now and what a beauty this is!
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4/13/2013 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
S FL WS Group celebrates JC & FKG's new home (Hollywood, FL): Rich plum and currant fruit with full body and medium acidity with resolved tannins. Has the structure to age further gracefully and add more complexity, which it had less of than most of the other wines this evening. Nicely balanced too. 01 is one of my favorite vintages for Napa and this will no doubt get even better.
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4/6/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hardly showing any signs of age at this point. Really no signs of bricking at the rim, and the fruit is still very primary. Although the tannins softened some, there's still plenty of them on the long complex finish. I prefer the To Kalon bottling currently as it's more advanced and has more olive, herbs and loam characteristics.
After having four bottles in recent years I have to say that this is my favorite vintage of Mondavi reserve In the last decade. Drinks great right now with at least 2 to 4 hours in the decanter. It should be better in 5 to 10 years when the tannins resolve and It develops more secondary nuances.
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3/29/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP, served non-blind. It's been four or five years (at least) since I recall having this, and I wasn't really sure how it would perform on a PnP, but it performed quite well and suggests the best has yet to come. No bricking yet, and very little tertiary development thus far, but with this kind of strucuture and purity of fruit, it'll no doubt get there in the coming years. Elegantly full bodied, with cool acids and pencil thin tannins. A fine effort that is not yet at peak, but is closing in on it. recommended. Drink thru 2027, 14,5% abv
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3/27/2013 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 93 Points
Alcohol :: 14.5%
Dark ruby red. Tobacco leaf, cigar box and earthiness that point us to old world. The touch of solid metallic mineral and spiciness is lifted an fresh. The tannin is well integrated even at this young age. Muscular and powerful but it is wel delineated, balance and lifted. So fresh, so nicely built that will last for anther 15yrs. The finished is incredibly long too. Super.
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3/19/2013 - GNorton Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured tonight, thick sweet plums on the nose, with similar notes as the last bottle. Greatly enjoyed by all and a stellar bottle of cabernet. 94+
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3/9/2013 - hehimm wrote: 97 Points
Took some time to open up but only got better throughout the evening. Had with beef tenderloin. Lots of blackberry, black cherry, leather. Loads of tannins and acid but all well integrated. All aspects in beautiful harmony. Mondavi at its peak with this wine. Years to go. Four left.
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3/3/2013 - jbehrendt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paired with standing rib roast, broiled new potatoes, etc. for my 70th birthday dinner with entire family. Really a wonderful, delicious wine. Berry taste was still very much in evidence.
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2/16/2013 - tewks wrote: 92 Points
beautiful wine. had saved it for special occasion and it did not disappoint.. the tannins have relaxed leaving a fruitful taste with a nice finish. always worry that a wine has been held too long but got this one at its peak and will enjoy the last bottle soon.
the wine was the perfect accompaniment to filet mignon with gorgonzola twice baked potatoes. the meat and cheese with the fruit from the wine was a memorable meal.
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2/4/2013 - Bobo N wrote: 93 Points
Great ripe cherry nose with blackberry and notes of espresso and cedar. More cherry on the palate with a hint of minerality. Tannins completely integrated resulting in a smooth, easy drinking wine without a flaw. Not enough complexity to score higher, but drinking beautifully now with great balance and lengthy, almost sweet, finish. WOTN for me compared with 2004 Chimney Rock Elevage and 2003 St. Supery Elu (which held up well considering it was half the cost).
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2/3/2013 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, v. good cork, some staining back to 3-4 mm. Impeccable provenance and storage. Intense monolithic overripe loganberry/dark red boiled sweet scent, taste and finish which didn't budge from opening at 12C cellar temperature until the last drop 3 hours later at 21C. What did develop were the tannins, initially distinctly rough and unfriendly, at the end just dry and mouth-puckering. My main problem is the sheer monotony of taste: yes, this juice is super-ripe, but that's about it. Where is the good stuff which quality Cabernet Sauvignon normally carries (anything from cedar to tobacco to eucalyptus oil would have added a welcome touch of complexity)? I read a brace of famous-name reviews over my last glass, all placing this wine at 93-95P. Either these guys had a different wine in their glass, or there is a don't-insult-a-famous-name thing going on here. (87-)88P for this commercial product, which will hold for another decade, but - on the strength of the juice tasted this evening - has no stunning potential in store.
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1/20/2013 - Wink wrote: 94 Points
Served Friday evening at Society of Bacchus dinner at the Palace. Definitely WOTN. From memory: Dark purple. Nose of blackberry, cassis, graphite, and cedar. Ripe, vibrant palate of blackberry, plum, blueberry, mint, cedar, and espresso. Outstanding length. Focused acidity. Sweet tannins. Far superior to the 2001 Opus One.
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1/1/2013 - sqn19 wrote: 94 Points
Three bottles over the Christmas - New Year holiday in December 2012, all showing fantastic. Massive dark fruits on nose, wine is round and voluptuous with silky tannins. Wonderful!
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12/25/2012 - Bam_Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had this with our rib roast on Christmas Day. Expectations were high and it did not disappoint. Gorgeous nose of dark fruit, cassis and vanilla. Full-bodied and rich, but not hot or heavy. Intense flavors of boysenberries, plums and black currants. Builds and builds on the palate. The long, long finish is loaded with fruit and subtle notes of chocolate, espresso and spice. Beautifully focused, polished and wonderfully balanced. May be the best Napa Cab I've ever tasted. Can't imagine it gets a whole lot better than this.
50+5+13+18+9=95
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12/8/2012 - facchair wrote: 97 Points
Great color, full bodied, long finish, a great wine!
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12/7/2012 - maw246 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A very fine drop. Color is dark red, nose is still full of fruit. Still a good tannic backbone. Lots of cherry notes on palate and medium to long finish.This will easily go another 5-10 years but very drinkable now. Tasted with 2000 Jordan, 2001 L'Aventura Optimus, and 2009 Phelps Cab Estate Grown. By far the best of the lot.
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10/19/2012 - GNorton Likes this wine: 95 Points
The other day I was walking down the wine aisle of my local grocery store to discover 5 bottles of 2001 and 4 bottles of 1999 Robert Mondavi Cab Reserve (yes I'll repeat, Reserve) on the shelf for $29.99. I about had a heart attack and bought them all (there must have been a big price labeling issue). My first bottle (a 2001) opened amazingly smooth with dark fruit and floral on the nose. After about 3 hours the wine really started opening up, showing just a touch of chocolate sweetness on the front palate with pronounced dark fruit and strong solid tannins. Second day had very constant notes. Alcohol was at all time well integrated. This was an awesome bottle of wine, especially where I nabbed them at such a stellar price. 95 points
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10/8/2012 - beachfred wrote:
- Garnet color.
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9/28/2012 - ledwards wrote: 95 Points
Black currant, over-ripe blackberries. Wonderful layers of Rutherford dust, leather, Connecticut Shade. Bang-on quality cab. Drink now, hold for another 8-12 years, your choice....
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9/15/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
Drank over 3 hrs. Modern style but good structure. Initial palate showed a slightly burnt flavor, but then dissipated. Lots of red/black fruits, heavy tannins, but they were softened and not obtrusive. Overall a nice wine, ready to drink now but will probably go another 5-10.
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9/2/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Heavy funk when poured, and very alcoholic. Too hot on the palate. But the nose is amazing, big red fruits, tobacco, cassis, woodsy. Deep flavors on the palate but overridden by the alcohol at this point. Began settling down after 30 min, and took 2 hrs for alcohol to begin dissipating. Remains amazing on nose and on the palate, but the heat, especially on the finish, is still distracting a bit.
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8/31/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
A really pretty wine that would make a great ringer in a blind tasting of Bordeaux with its tobacco, truffle, blackberry, cassis and earthy nose. The wine is rich, soft and round in texture, ending with a sweet, black cherry and cassis filled finish. There is not hurry to drink it, but it's showing great today.
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8/26/2012 - Todd French wrote:
I'm guessing not the best record of storage on this bottle, as while it was nice, it was nothing like the previous bottle I had, and tasted a bit more advanced than it should for '01
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8/8/2012 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
What a great bottle to end our Bahamas trip. Drinking in a perfect window. Pop and pour. Heavy olive and cigar box nose. Dark and showing no signs of age. Layers and layers of fruit, soft velvety tannin and everything in amazing balance. Drank this on it's own and wish I had a great steak to go with it. It has a long life ahead of it.
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7/29/2012 - rcarrot wrote: 94 Points
Still drinking very well. Need about 45 minutes of air but it just got better and better. Great fruit, classic Mondavi finish.
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7/8/2012 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. A beautiful nose of black currant, blackberry, tobacco, cedar, and spice. Dark fruit with integrated silky tannins lead to a long finish. Full bodied, with good balance and complexity. Once again, this was delicious and paired beautifully with Greek tenderloin.
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7/8/2012 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2001 CA cabs (Mike & Judi's): Opaque inky garnet color. Aromas of mint, cassis, florals and red fruit. Again, very well-balanced. Red fruit flavors dominate, with hints of plum, spice and sandalwood too. Long finish. An elegant wine.
My #2, Domino's #1
Group#2, 50 pts
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6/17/2012 - DarinC wrote: 95 Points
Softened up and Showed best after 2hrs in decanter and held up well throughout the night. A core of currant and blackberry framed by black olive, toasted herbs and veggies, cigar box, minerals, and dusty soil. Long finish. Excellent concentration and balance. Still plenty of tannins in reserve. A very masculine style. Should last at least ten more years. 3rd bottle with consistent notes.
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6/8/2012 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
A little brick color on the edges. The big fruit has faded and now it has smoky notes and slightly green flavors.
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5/28/2012 - BinVA wrote: 93 Points
Very good, wonderful bottle that I don't think will get any better with time.
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5/5/2012 - kevinpatrick wrote: 92 Points
Black cherries bursting out of the bottle on the decant revealing plenty of sediment to be filtered out. Rich dark fruits strongly emanate with a hinting of leafy greens evidencing the typically strong classic Mondavi nose. Despite my mixed impression on the 2001s, I expect good things to come based on the first impression. With the wine settling 30 minutes later the opulence has faded into a nicely broad and dense marbley blackberry and cassis nose begging for the first pour. First pour at the 60 minute mark (surprising myself) displays the signature Mondavi nose. If the color purple had a scent, this would be it. The first taste is a bit of a disappointment for my preferences as the angular alcohol flavor hides any structure or depth of flavor. By no means a bad wine – far from it -- but typical for my experiences with 2001s. I spend a lot of words on the nose of a wine because that facet is disproportionately important to me any usually is a sign of things to come. Thus far that is not the case as the nose remains rich and flavorful and the juice is more narrow and comparatively less interesting. Checked my previous note and that wine opened at the 2hr mark – so see you then! … Far better wine at the 2hr mark. Hint of caramel on the nose and a textured tannic complexity on the palate revealing far greater structure than the earlier samples. Lesson learned. Completely different wine than only 1 hour ago. Dense and granular texture, grapes popping on the palate, soft alcohol alters/disappoints on the finish. Much more pleasant wine after a few hours and fitting of its reputation.
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4/22/2012 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 92 Points
A bit sweet, tannins are resolved. Great cabernet. Comparable: Francisco Rodriguez in 2002.
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4/21/2012 - nfafoglia wrote: 94 Points
Showing no signs of peaking. Great concentration with mocha, espresso, chocolate, and blackberry nectar. The tannins have really rounded out, but keeps it is focus.
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4/19/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 95 Points
This is the 7th bottle I've had from this case... What strikes me most about this wine is its balance... In general I am very fond of the 2001 in Napa. Generally, they have good structure and are just entering their prime time drinking window and the Mondavi reserve is an archetype of the vintage. Great black fruit, a little licorice and spice, medium to full bodied, sweet but structured tannins- to me, it's a complete wine- goes great with a 40 day dry aged bryan's California reserve strip steak... Seriously yummy.
I think with high end napa cabs, I'm liking 9-12 years of age, splash decant, and slightly higher than cellar temperature (low 60s) - that's where I'm at
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3/18/2012 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Previous reviewers had me worried. Had I missed the drinkability window for the case I had in my cellar? Was I stuck with a case of expensive, yet mediocre wine?
My fears were overblown. This was a solid and enjoyable cab. I can see how those expecting a California fruit bomb would be disappointed, but this wine is old-world style. Deep plummy tones, balanced and reminiscent of Latour from a lesser year. Plenty of tannins remain. It will be fun to track the rest of the case.
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3/11/2012 - gmbdds wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes before tasting and drank over five hours. Color looks great and not aged. At first this was very closed but time did help. I was hoping some of the recent notes weren't foreshadowing this bottle but they were. I picked up currant and plum notes with powdery tannins and an astringent finish. This shows brief flashes of a high-end, fine wine but is a disappointment considering the price and reputation.
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3/4/2012 - tharmon wrote:
Drink now
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3/1/2012 - kevinpatrick wrote: 91 Points
Decanted to filter the expected sediment and surprised by the subdued nose on the open. Recent mid-90s Mondavis have exploded on the open and this bottle reveals a deep and concentrated though muted purple fruit nose. Rich cassis and currants are deep down in there but it will take some time. Clearly this is not a pop and pour wine and the first taste (~10-15 min after opening) confirms a nicely constructed though tight wine. Hopefully with some time the fruit will blossom through the readily evident alcohol (14.6% alcohol versus 13.5% for the 1995) on both the nose and palate. 30 min update: opening and showing signs of softening alcohol and ripening fruit. 90 min update: still slowly opening. Needs time. 120 min update: Here’s the wine we’re hoping for. Soft tannins, medium granularity, nice dark cherries. It has a certain angularity that reminds me of the 94 which for 94 fans is great, however, I am decidedly partial to the 95s versus the 94s. The nose never blossomed like the 95s but this is still a fine wine. Have been worried about the 01s (generally feel they are overrated) but given some time this wine has blossomed into a very nice wine. Not an overwhelming joy like the 94-97s but an excellent wine you can readily find in the $80 range.
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2/20/2012 - rerail84 wrote:
Bland nose, gritty tannins with very little fruit. Decanted over night with not muc change the next day. What a bummer.
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2/20/2012 - blaine wrote: 88 Points
Consistent with my Xmas eve bottle. Underwhelming and possibly past its prime. Still has a beautiful color, no signs of aging there. Nose had a bit of astringent note...blew off somewhat with some time in the glass but was there until the end. Beyond that, nose was quite muted otherwise. On the palate, just a little flat and never really opened up over the course of an hour plus. Maybe I'll decant next time, who knows...but these don't usually require that. Given how effusive the notes were a short time ago...and how underwhelming they are now...maybe I'll just come back to my last bottle in a few years, maybe it's in a dumb phase right now? Finish was decent, at least it has that going for it now.
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2/19/2012 - rho wrote: 92 Points
A bit disappointed. Think it has past it peaks. Drink now.
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2/19/2012 - blaine wrote:
Drank this bottle on Xmas eve, my memory serves me as being a bit underwhelmed by that showing. Good, not great, actually did not live up to my expectations. I'm having another tonight with a couple less martinis and I'll report back.
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2/12/2012 - pbenton wrote:
Rather disappointing, had with rack of lamb after a 2004 DR Stephens Chardonnay with Fresh Ahi tower and grilled fennel salad. It was flat, not much character, not flawed but no discernable fruit flavors. Was bold enough for the lamb but expected more complexity and quality. The DR Stephens was amazing after 8 years of aging!
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2/5/2012 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
Not showing as well as I had hoped, a bit disappointing. Lacks power but still tasty, just not at that price.
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2/5/2012 - kennyg wrote: 94 Points
Similar to my note from 9 months ago, but even more integrated and complex, tannins tame. This is drinking great now and has lots of life left. Beat up on a 95 Mondavi Reserve, 01 Cos Estronel, and older Stags Leap FAY. Great stuff, need to find more
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2/1/2012 - jupiter33 wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine, drinking well but I think it may be past its peak.
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1/28/2012 - palainalopaka wrote: 95 Points
One of the best California Cabs I have had the pleasure to drink, similar to Caymus Special Selection on good and great years.
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1/10/2012 - jdtait wrote: 90 Points
It was woody and nice.
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1/7/2012 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RUSSK At Peter's Hlwd Wine Society 2001 CA Cab Tasting, most of them were still a bit young. tight and a bit bitter.
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1/1/2012 - KeithSurg wrote: 93 Points
Decanted through vinturi. Nose of oak, cedar and mint. Dark fruit on the palate with polished tannins. Finish was smooth, but somewhat closed. Well balanced, but not as interesting as I'd hoped.
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12/22/2011 - difran wrote: 90 Points
Wait until 2014
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12/20/2011 - tharmon wrote: 91 Points
Now is the time to drink
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12/10/2011 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Notes of red currant, blackberry, leather and sandalwood. Well-balanced, with some tannins to integrate. Lovely red fruit dances across the palate and lingers on the long finish. Hints of Asian spice and sandalwood too.
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12/7/2011 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit, with a touch of mint. This is in a very good place right now, with no signs of going downhill any time soon.
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11/30/2011 - lathrope wrote: 81 Points
The wine has slightly opened on Day 2. However many of the negative characteristics of the wine remain, little fruit, too much bitterness/astringency on the finish.
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11/29/2011 - lathrope wrote: 79 Points
Opened a second bottle in 2 years, both times compared it to other Cabernets from Napa Valley. The wine has been stored at 57 degrees since purchase. I can't speak to what happened before I acquired the wine, although I will say it was a futures order in NJ. The nose is very light, maybe a touch of oak and some dark fruit. Full-bodied and still very tannic on the palate, with a biting finish. Very similar to the way it tasted a year ago. Devoid of fruit for the most part, along with an acidic, astringent finish. Not a very intersting wine, one I regret buying. Will retry in a year.
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11/19/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Delicious and complex. Still with years to go. Popped and poured, it took a bit of time for the nose to open, but the palate was good to go from the start. Cassis, some oak, some burnt wood on the nose. The palate is layered beautifully with cassis and some earthiness. Long finish. Great balance. This was from Mag but this wine has a long life left.
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11/13/2011 - mgstull Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purple red to the rim. Notes of plum, cassis, saddle leather, and forest floor with layers of complexity. The tannins are sweet and nicely integrated. This has plenty of time left but is drinking great now.
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11/12/2011 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Casa de Covolo 2001 California Cabernet Dinner #2 (Casa de Covolo - Miami Lakes): Black cherry, chalky tannin and alcohol present. Hot but great lasting finish.
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11/12/2011 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
Casa de Covolo 2001 California Cabernet Dinner #2 (Casa de Covolo - Miami Lakes): Most Bordeaux like of the 01 Napa Cabs at the dinner. Cocoa powder tannin, mature dried red fruit. Play-dough scented nose. Layered finish.
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11/12/2011 - G_H Likes this wine: 94 Points
10 Years Tasting (The same wines now and in 10 years) (Martin's House): Classic Bordeaux nose, leather, stables smell, vanilla, licorice, round and fat. Plums, caramel. I guessed that this was a 2000 Pape Clement...
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11/1/2011 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well. Cherries dominate the flavors along with French oak. Probably has another 3 or 4 years.
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10/21/2011 - DuaneT wrote: 93 Points
My only previous experience was at the winery in 2010 where it showed exceptionally well after a lengthy decant. For my current experience, I was surprised how tight it was after a 1 hour decant and I found the flavors to improve greatly on day 2. There's a great deal of complexity and excellent balance with graphite, pepper spices and and dried fruit coming to mind.
I dare say that this wine has a number of years to go before reaching its peak.
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10/20/2011 - hanasowner wrote: 96 Points
In a great spot right now. No need to wait longer.
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10/20/2011 - davergny wrote:
Wine dinner at L'Incontro, Astoria; 10/19/2011-10/21/2011: From magnum. Dark fruit, menthol and oaky on the nose. Same on the palate. Big & tannic. This has not come together yet and needs some serious time, at least in magnum format. Good potential though. B-(+)
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10/16/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Charlie's 65th - Lots of wines! (Charlie's Home): This is in a really great spot. Showing some maturity but not near fully mature. I hate to use the word peak, because at this stage, it is more of a preference. I don't know that it gets better, just different. Lots of cassis, slight oak traces still left. Lots of layering that is starting to unwind. Delicious. I was quite impressed.
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10/16/2011 - Vstalam wrote: 94 Points
Strong blueberry jammy and cassis flavor with the tannins and structure to support it. Probably could last another 5-10 years, but no fade after 1-2 hrs of decanting over a meal, so drinking quite well right now. Plan to open 2nd bottle over the next 2-3 months.
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10/12/2011 - jfkwines wrote: 93 Points
This wine really killed, it was so rich upon opening, we let it air out for 30-45 minutes and it was a DARK purple. I think the Mushroom on the nose was a strong but rich character that added to wine. The tannin and Oak are completely integrated right now. This is the first of these wines that I have had in along time. I thought it really shined.
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9/18/2011 - pagejshawjr wrote: 92 Points
Cork perfectly moist, wine a bit tight upon opening. Opened nicely after about an hour. Bold fruit, firm but sweat tannins, nice long finish. This wine and fruit is not fading and easily should have sat another 10 years before ready to drink.
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9/12/2011 - KeithSurg wrote: 92 Points
Outer portion of cork crumbled, but seal appeared intact. No corked nose. Deep red with minimal brick changes on the edges. Nice nose of dark fruit, earth and cigar box. Very soft tannins, with smooth, medium finish. Decanted 2 hours, but did not open much more. Fruit fading.
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8/11/2011 - wombat wrote: 91 Points
DAY 1 30 minutes after opening
Bouquet: Earth, roasted beans, blackberry, cassis, and mushroom.
DAY 1 decanted, four hours after opening
Bouquet: Smoky, a blend of earth, roasted coffee, mushroom, dusty cocoa powder, plus graphite, blackberry, dark cherry, cassis and plum
Flavor: Smoke, roasted earth, roasted coffee, mushroom, blackberry, and finishes with savory chocolate and cocoa powder, espresso and plum
Comments: Some alcohol on the mid-palate, integrated fruit and oak, though chewy tannins being somewhat softened with age. Some creaminess for the mouth feel. Day 2 the plum and chocolate character came out more.
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7/13/2011 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Trip’s farewell dinner! (Cities restaurant - Washington D.C.): Well made, showing well
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7/13/2011 - RCBAROLO wrote: 94 Points
Straight to glass, color was dark purple almost black. The nose was exceptional with opulent lush fruit. It opened up even better. Rich, silky tannins. Mondavi reserve and the To-Kalon are blue chip Oakville cabs. Can't get enough of this wine!
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7/10/2011 - dferreir wrote: 91 Points
drinking well...drink now
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7/8/2011 - mbeutel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Magnum bottling: decanted half (appox 750ml)
Paired with braised short ribs and spinach risotto.
Upon initial opening and cooler temps the wine showed impressive earthly elements of olive, tea and a certain foresty element. Black fruits were in the backdrop. Round and elegant structure with calm tannins. At 1.5hours the wine was gaining force, strength and structure with fruits coming up to the front of the palate. However the olive element never left. And at 2-2.5hrs tannins started to grib nicely
Paired beautifully well with dinner. Earthy flavors matched with the beef and allowed fruits not showing before to come out. The richness, creaminess, of the risotto matched with the wine's structure and played out evenly. To finish of the dinner we paired with freshly baked brownies. Delicious. This has been the best dinner I've made since having our daughter 3 weeks ago.
I had planned on leaving some wine to try the next day, it just didn't last. So my score shows that I think it would have been better if it had the time open that it deserved as it was gaining momentum through the last glass.
92-94pts
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7/2/2011 - hehimm wrote: 95 Points
Still young but delicious. Great Cab and will only get better. Give it 3-4 years. Wish I was 20 years younger. Inky in color. Aromas of earth, coffee, leather. Very well integrated, soft tannins. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice. All woven together nicely.
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6/3/2011 - Coupe 60 wrote: 93 Points
Shetland / Wilshire Wine Tasting: Tasted Blind at Shetland/Wilshire Wine Tasting. Decanted for about 2 hours. Great balance to this wine. Dark fruit, good acidity. More elegant than muscular. Long delicious finish. Outstanding effort. Was my favorite wine of the flight, and just a thin hair behind the Kosta Browne for the WOTN.
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6/3/2011 - emf Likes this wine:
Decanted and drank wit a grilled T bone steak. Some browning on the edges and dark fruit on the nose. You could smell some aging. On first taste I thought the wine was on its last legs but with more air and time it greatly improved. The wine had luscious dark plums and cherries with some chocolate. There was some tobacco and tar and the finish was soft and sweet. Only one left!
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6/1/2011 - tp096255 wrote: 91 Points
---
COLOR: Deep garnet w/med garnet rim
NOTE: "Stinky Fruit." It's got a Bordeaux funk that puts a weird ashtray smell over the declining fruit. It's like sniffing blackberries in my grandpa's trailer in North Dakota. Mouth is med+ blackberry juice, black pepper, leather. The fruit drops off fast in the finish and I'm left with dried tobacco, black pepper and some dark chocolate notes. It's in good condition (unlike the two bottles from a retailer 6 months ago) but over the hill. I waited too long and it's a shame. This was a bottle we bought in the private tasting room during our first-ever Napa tasting trip with the Copes. Good times.
DECANT: n/a
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.1
COST: 100
VALUE: 5.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED: 05/06
TRY AGAIN: Now
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
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5/27/2011 - cliffkol wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding. big floral nose, gorgeous colors, delicious flavors of cassis, floral, earth. Long, lingering finish. Mouth filling tannins. Drinking wonderfully now. Decanted 1 hour. Seems to be in its prime. (Doris. Wow. Delicious 92). After 2 hours became more open, luscious, rich.
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5/27/2011 - Grenik wrote: 91 Points
Good wine, but not worth the tariff. Burgundy color with a garnet core, not much lightening on the rim. Nose was medium intensity with forest and floral tones. Palate had some boysenberry, vanilla, cola, and pine. There was a good amount of complexity, but only adequate integration of the flavors into the experience. Finish was medium in length and on the dry side. Tannins were a little chunky for the age. Wine was decanter and consumed over a few hours.
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5/16/2011 - ataraxy wrote: 94 Points
hoservin describes it well.
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5/14/2011 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
1.5 hour decant. Garnet red color. Currants, boysenberry, blackberry, licorice, cedar, spice and tobacco notes. Dark fruit and soft integrated tannins. Excellent balance and complexity. Very smooth finish, with a long aftertaste. Interesting Bordeaux characteristics in this Cali cab, and it is drinking beautifully at this time.. Paired well with filet béarnaise.
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5/8/2011 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding - best Cali Cab I have had since 1997 Monte Bello. Really impressive - complex, rich yet not overdone at all. Went beautifully with Porterhouse. Very pure, sophisticated wine.
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4/30/2011 - BinVA wrote: 94 Points
Awesome. Drinking so well right now with time ahead of it. this bottle followed the 01 Vine Cliff Oakville Cab and was superior by 3-4 points.
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4/25/2011 - bupika wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable with the family's Easter dinner. Opened to a very intense berry aroma with significant alcohol on the tongue. Still very dark/purple, showing little age. Decanted (1/2 to decanter, 1/2 remained in the bottle) for an hour before the alcohol began to dissipate. At 2 hours, was drinking very smooth, with cherry/blackberry up front, but quickly giving way to some nice spice and herb. 20 second finish. Much more a classic Bordeaux style than the Cali fruit bomb this started out as a decade ago. This has aged nicely and can go many years more (at least in the 1/5L format).
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4/24/2011 - kennyg wrote: 92 Points
Deep casis nose, tannins still quite prominent. Strong olive with some earth and mineral. Very well done. Not at all a Cali fruit bomb.
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4/20/2011 - Mark Brandon wrote: 93 Points
Classic, wonderful, elegant cali-cab with a touch of age. Rich but not overdone. Close to it's peak but with a few years of of life left.
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3/26/2011 - VindependenceDay wrote: 92 Points
wine #2 of night for me. Good fresh fruit, leather, cherries, smoky, long finish. Compared to other 3 wines (bordeaux), seemed lighter and fresher.
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3/19/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): Wow this wine has changed since I last tried. On this night, the color wasa dep ruby with a hint of bricking. ON the nose, licorice, cassis, blackberry and a hint of oak. Not a sign of heat on the nose or palate. Really well balanced wine and an absolute pleasure to drink. This held up all night and the 1st sip was a good as the last. This also has some life ahead of it.
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3/19/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): Deep red in color, no watery edge. Inititally on the nose, strong olives, darker fruits and a touch of cedar. To start the finish was a tad short. This wine opened up and smoothed out as the night went on. The last sip was the best. started a 92 ended a 93 for me.
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3/19/2011 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): A little bit of red in the rim and no water table. Olive upfront, ceder and broken stone. Tannins were present buy unoffensive. Wine had a shorter finish than the others in the flight.
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3/19/2011 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2001 California Cabs and Bryan's Midwestern Rib Cap (Coral Gables, FL): Hint of brickishness on rim. Deep ruby red with blackberry escaping the glass. Mild oak, good weight and subtle yet gritty tannin. Completely balanced with multiple layers and texture. Long finish.
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3/15/2011 - elbosco wrote: 93 Points
Amazingly youthful. Tighter than the 2001 RM Reserve. Deserves a long decant for now. Will endure and improve for many years. 93-94
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3/3/2011 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Mixture between a classic fruit forward Napa Cab and a Bordeaux. Smooth dry mid palate.
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2/17/2011 - Mike Oxlong wrote: 92 Points
Nose - Blueberry and rose, really powerful and enticing
Taste - Big, maple, not overpowering in tannins, nicely balanced. Drank this at about 11:00 pm after a ten hour drive (should have been a four hour drive) to Tahoe. Needless to say this was the perfect wine for that occasion.
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2/17/2011 - soyhead wrote: 92 Points
nose - gorgeous nose, blackberry, boysenberry, sweet oak, smoke, licorice
mouth - big fruit, dense, and still with considerable tannins. currently in good balance. a hint of pencil lead. nice wine, though not a good qpr.
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2/12/2011 - RCBAROLO wrote: 93 Points
Killer
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2/6/2011 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Well rounded out, though very, very young. Still tannic, but with good acidity and fruit that will last decades. I still prefer the more old school Mondavi's, this was clearly modern, but it did have some hints of the traits that used to be in older Mondavi's. Some cedar and almost dirt like notes, gave it some added interest, though in the end it is the fruit that stands out. Almost clobbers you, but if you get past that, hard not to admire the wine.
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2/2/2011 - jupiter33 wrote: 90 Points
Fruit was more muted and oak was more prominent than prior bottle. Not drinking as well as 6 months ago.
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1/30/2011 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Aromas of leather, blackberry and plum, with mint and herb undertones. Well-balanced, with flavors of dark fruit and leather persisting through the long finish. Gorgeous.
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1/20/2011 - yotaiwan wrote:
to nical
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1/16/2011 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 92 Points
Out of a mag. Had this wine a year ago and it wasn't even close to being the same wine. Last year it had more old world characteristics, last night, fresh and juicy fruit.
Wine took about 2-3 hours to open up. Slightly stewed nose. Licorice and anise on the front end of the palate. Cherry, dark fruit, creme brulee and eucalyptus fill out the palate. Nice finish but still a bit short. Started to shut down later in the night with the tannins becoming edgier and the palate shutting down.
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1/15/2011 - markcic wrote: 98 Points
Brilliant Wine, opened with minimal decanting to strong tastes of chocolat and cinnamon, a long finish with a slight tobacco flavor with underrcurrnets of berries.
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1/11/2011 - VinoPKM wrote: 93 Points
Drank from a 3L bottle was poured into 4 different decanters drank from pop and pour to 2hrs of air in the decanter. Was very tasty and easily could go 6-10+ years. Only fault I found was there the alc. is a little high- barely noticeable and a little too much wood coming through. Other than that- great plum fruit and good secondary flavors with a long finish.
Drank at Novo in SLO.
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1/11/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 94 Points
Amazing bottle. Would have score a couple of points higher but went though a peak and got a bit edgier and tannic later. At its peak it was integrated, rich, bright and soaring. Velvety mouth feel with a mixture of red and black fruits giving a classic cab profile. Nose was fragrant.
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1/9/2011 - Alarmmandan wrote: 97 Points
Awesome
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1/8/2011 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Football and 2001 Cabs @ Howard's 2011 (Old Greenwich, CT): Nice bright cassis and cherry fruit. Nice cut and length. Excellent.
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12/31/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 92 Points
Agree with ethralls notes. Started funky and worried it was corked but got better with time. Very deep but not at all sweet fruits. Very dark wine that had lots of well integrated tannins and acid. Very nice with food.
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12/28/2010 - Benj wrote: 87 Points
Actually tasted the alcohol a little on this one. Overripe blackberries, generally just a little dull. These guys go to ridiculous potential alcohol levels to get their phenolic ripeness up. I've had a number of truly exceptional Cali Cabs but this just wasn't one of them.
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12/26/2010 - tp096255 wrote: flawed
TWO bottles were flawed, and both came from the same source. I've got one more bottle left that was secured directly from the winery, so I'm hoping it still has some magic. This had a metallic, sour-cherry juice element all over and couldn't be dismissed. This is not the wine I had at the tasting room, and it didn't just taste like it was an old soldier.
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12/24/2010 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured from Magnum. Deep purple/ruby, quite youthful in appearance. Forward nose of black cherry, black currant, earth, cigar box, cedar, and a faint herbaceous note. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the solid core of dark, plummy fruits combines with a dusty earthiness to show a more classic style of Napa Cabernet. Secondary notes of tobacco, anise and smoked cedar add complexity. Shows amazingly youthful from Magnum and this particular bottle could have aged for at least another 6-8 years as the tannins were still powerful in structure on the moderate-plus finish; with time, well-stored bottles will undoubtedly blossom in similar fashion to the best Mondavi Reserves of prior years. All-in-all, a very nice wine made in the days before the sale to Constellation and a worthy tribute to the Mondavi family.
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12/18/2010 - signotim wrote: 94 Points
fantastic wine. elegant berry fruit, exotic spices, and some earthiness, all in balance. very good length. not much more you can ask for in a bottle of wine...
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12/14/2010 - pikemasterflash wrote: 94 Points
First drag on this wine was great--I literally ended up licking my teeth with satisfaction. Mouth coating finish with a fruity mouthful upfront. This wine reminded me of the Mondavi Napa but on steroids. The wine evolved substantially throughout the evening but realistically was probably at its best in the beginning of the evening rather than the end, which makes me question its aging potential going forward. Never very prolific on the nose but always rich and satisfying. I am thinking the best of Spring Mountain but in a more expensive Mondavi bottle.
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12/13/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
A little closed but opened up some after an hour or so. Good with food, but not really great.
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12/12/2010 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
much darker than the regular 01 Mondavi Reserve, this showed a lot of blackberry, black currant, and black pepper. Some smoke / cigar box. Dusty tannins are nicely integrated with the midpalate. A lovely wine that is drinking well right now. Medium (+) finish.
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12/12/2010 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
nice notes of blackberry, plum, and other black fruit. some slight secondary notes appear as well. well balanced on the palate, with a medium acidity that keeps the wine fresh. a little bit of heat appears on the medium length finish.
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12/12/2010 - VindependenceDay wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured over 3 hrs. Great wine. Tannins and green notes early on, but blew off and replaced after first hour with very nice black fruit, cigar, leather. Terrific with spaghetti and meatballs.
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11/24/2010 - traxxx wrote: 94 Points
opaque with purple rim and high viscosity and tear stain...medium plus tannin helped with 3hr decant..dark fruits of plum, blackberry and cherries..dry dirt and cedar as well. Wonderful Napa cab with some years left on it.
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11/22/2010 - tbone wrote:
Lovely as usual, keep getting better and better.
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11/19/2010 - G_H wrote: 95 Points
The rating is actually a 94-96
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11/17/2010 - difran wrote: 88 Points
Good, but not as good as last time.
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11/8/2010 - emf Likes this wine:
Continues to evolve with deep red color and aromas of dark red fruit and cigar box. Tastes of dark cherries and plums along with cigar box, the tannins are present but minimal. Good Cabernet!
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11/6/2010 - jonphillips wrote: 94 Points
Better in it's first two hours .. Then it dumbed down
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11/6/2010 - elbosco wrote: 95 Points
Rich earthy nose after 60 minute decant. Deep musty (in the best sense of the word) cassis. A perfectly-balanced Napa Cab in the prime of its life. Should go another five plus years. Lacking the cachet of trendier labels among some, a relative bargain at this price point.
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10/21/2010 - Todd French wrote: 91 Points
A very complex nose, gorgeous with a classical styling. Still young, but in a good early drinking stage now. I'm guessing this goes easily another 10-30 years, and all the components are widely present to create a legendary Napa Cabernet.
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10/18/2010 - hawkeye54 wrote: 94 Points
Celebrated wife's first full marathon with this and two 20 0z. bone in rib eyes for dinner. Should have decanted. Closed for the first two hours. Fruit started to come out after that. Bordeaux like nose, nice acidity and lots of tannins left. Much better with food, will wait a few more years to open my other bottle as this seems have many years left in it.
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10/2/2010 - King JR wrote: 91 Points
Definitely ready to drink. A little more earthy than fruit forward, almost to the point of having some traditional Bordeaux barn-like scents and tastes. Smooth, tasty and enjoyable, but would not have guessed "cali cab" if this was tasted blind.
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8/27/2010 - WinstonWolfe wrote:
stewed
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8/13/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 94 Points
Selected this bottle for our 30th anniversary, which is coming up in a few days, on a nice quiet night up at the lake house. The 2001 Cali-cabs were the first vintage I started buying in 2004 when I really got into wine. Alas, this was the last of the bottles from various producers and like the saying goes "save the best for last".
I opened this and took a test sip and decided no decant was needed so I left it open for about 2 hours before we had our first glass. The color was a dark ruby red and the nose had that aroma you associate with a great wine, dark fruit, some oak and eucalyptus. My wife really smiled when she tasted this and it had a nice finish. I was reading a wine blog by Tanzer a few days ago describing that something special in a great wine that is hard to put into words but it is the balance between all the elements that makes you think about the wine, while marveling on how they put it all into the bottle. The tannins were still present, suggesting this could age for many years, yet they were not harsh and provided backbone. Glad I still have a magnum in the cellar.
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8/8/2010 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
if you wanted a good example of a well balanced, well aged cal cab that shows best of breed without being over the top, this would be it. No one thing stands out, just great cab fruit and beautiful balance. Nothing out of place.
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7/11/2010 - emf Likes this wine:
This wine is a revelation, it continues to age very well. Dark red in color with floral notes , dark red fruit and a mild oakiness on the nose. lots of dark fruit, like cherries and plums, with a very well balanced finish.This continues to be a beautiful wine.
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6/21/2010 - jupiter33 wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and drinking very well right now. There are still plenty of tannins so this should further age for quite a while. Beautiful expression of Napa Cabernet.
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6/13/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 94 Points
The nose shows sweet oak and fruit right away; with time, some floral violet characteristics come out. On the palate this is dark-fruited, with an engaging sweetness that has great depth and is unmistakably California. Overall, it has great balance as most Mondavi cabs do, not overly big or over the top at all. Not terribly earthy, you definitely have to like sweetness to love this, and I loved this. The floral notes and high quality fruit really carried this. From magnum, and I wish I had bought more at the incredible sale price this was bought for. 94-95
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5/29/2010 - TinMan wrote: 95 Points
OK...I saw a CellarTracker friend recommend this and pulled a bottle out of my "cellar." Wow! A traditional CaliCab color --- dirty dark ruby, I call it. The nose is a well-balanced earth, dark fruits, and subtle ruby red rose. On the palate --- Holy Cow! Smooth and deep, mushrooms, good musty earth, smooth but not in a cheap way. This wine redefines the word smooth for me. This has to be a huge value. VERY drinkable now and should last for another decade or two if properly cellared.
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5/28/2010 - DuaneT wrote: 94 Points
I tasted this in the cellar of the Mondavi winery, which of course is a fantastic ambiance for tasting a 9 year old reserve wine. This wine was in perfect form even though it only had 15 minutes to breathe. It was incredibly smooth with great fruit. I'm sure it has a few more years in it, but there's no reason to wait, it's drinking well now.
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5/17/2010 - Rubanyi wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at winery along with the '98 and '06. Comparatively, this would be middle tier with the '06 by far the best.
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5/15/2010 - brianngibson wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet in color. Blackberry and graphite on the nose. Leather, tobacco, chocolate and stones on the palate. Tannins still have some bite to them. This is well refined and elegant. Glad to have had the last bottle before it slipped past its prime, which appears to still be a few years away.
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3/26/2010 - ethralls Likes this wine: 92 Points
This beauty starts off funky and musty like an old-school Bordeaux. Blossoms throughout the evening with blackberries, cigar box and some herbs. Will probably age well for another ten years.
Left it in decanter over night and next day mustyness blew off and was more fruity and earthy.
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3/11/2010 - Black Pearl wrote: 92 Points
Drank 1.5L magnum w Reynolds and Urquhart at dinner, an outstanding bottle that has settled down nicely w time. Great nose, subdued fruit, and long finish. Great bottle of wine, buy more if available. But we followed with the '04 Frank Family Cabernet which had more floral and fresher fruit taste, which unbelievably seemed better in comparison.
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3/6/2010 - jad1964 wrote: 92 Points
had with entrees, pork...duck. after 2 hour decant, a fruit tannin pucker bomb. we had to kill the last bit of this AFTER entrees & it was difficult to enjoy. really a monster wine with no signs of falling off.
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2/20/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 92 Points
Really tight upon opening and didnt seem to give off much over the course of a few hours. Nose has hints of graphite, lead pencil shavings, tar, tobacco and toasty oak. Black currant profile which leans very bdx like. Palate is polished but still very tight. Opens up after a few more hours of air to give off soft dusty red fruits, spice and plenty of tertiary nose elements. Palate is glossy, packed with class, polished tannins and tons of balance. This needs more time but is great with plenty of air.
Served from Magnum.
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2/16/2010 - kbhiggins wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit on the nose. Long finish with hints of chocolate, cocoa and cherry. Drinking very well right now.
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2/6/2010 - hoppercycles wrote: 95 Points
a solid 95. very classic napa cab with great fruit and bold taste. definetly reccommend a nice peice of meat to pair with
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2/2/2010 - Highmountain wrote: 92 Points
Dark red with some brick at the edge showing signs of maturity. Nice typical cab smell with hints of fruit, cassis and some cedar. Balanced and elegant with good tannins and a long tail. Might gain from a few more years but definitely ready to drink now.
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1/29/2010 - AZ Cat wrote:
(3) Perhaps I should have decanted or this was a flawed bottle, but it was a little disappointing. Somewhat vegetal and hot, although the nose and palate were otherwise decent. Drank with Pete & Dawn.
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1/24/2010 - ptelgenh wrote: 95 Points
wow this wine is singing right now. Rich and layered ripe cherry, pencil lead, sage and oak. finishes with firm tannins and a very long finish. This wine is peaking right now. Drink now for the best balance of tannins, fruit and balance.
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1/10/2010 - tkoby11 wrote: 93 Points
Initially a bit shy & austere. After an hour of decanting it started to open on show its true self. Definitely has plenty of time to go as the tannins are apparent, yet balances well with the fruit.
Color: Dark core, red edges, still youthful
Nose & Palate: Black cherry, currants, some cassis and trademark pencil lead from the To Kalon. Nicely complex. The aromas come through on the palate. Rich, but subtle. Showing great balance. Great acidity, almost no oak influence in the wine.
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12/25/2009 - ScottGoodwin wrote: 94 Points
WOW! This wine rocked our Christmas dinner (standing rib roast of beef). The wine was soooo silky and elegant. Full or finess but still with plenty of stuffing. Tons of black fruits. Wonderfully resolved dusty tannins. Still very fresh tasting. Builds to a complex, satisfying finish. I'd say it could go a few more years but no reason to wait.
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12/25/2009 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 93 Points
Very bordeaux like. The finish was a bit lacking but overall it was great.
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12/19/2009 - Zinlady wrote: 93 Points
I loved this wine at a blind tasting at the Olds - this was my favorite and the group's second favorite. The other two wines were Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 and Leoville Barton 2000 - I loved the nose, I loved the finish. It seemed the most balanced and ready to drink of the three wines. Dark, cedary.
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12/19/2009 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
Dinner @ Phil & Ena's (guess the wine) (Richmond, VA): Decanted 2hrs. Served double blind, old world aromas of earth, tar, leather and smoke in the nose. Still old world on the palate with some nice red fruits and cedar undertones. No mint or eucalyptus, that I find in so many Mondavi reserve cabs, however there was a touch of spice on the long finish. Based on this bottle, plenty of room for improvment. I guessed super tuscan due to its old world charm. My 2nd favorite and the groups 2nd favorite. 92+
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12/15/2009 - vinopa wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours...Dark red in color..Very nice bouquet of cassis, dark fruit, smoke, with a hint of chocalate as the night went on..I was loving the aromatics of the wine...Full bodied on the palate and complex..Dark fruit , chocalate, cassis, leather and a touch of wood on the backend..Extreamly well balanced and silky smooth..The fruit is well concentrated and simply delicious on the palate and the finish lasted for 60 plus seconds.. The tannins are still fairly grippy hiding under the fruit and should provide the backbone for this wine to age for another 10 years or so..Got 2 left in the cellar but after tasting my first bottle tonight I will be adding more..Cheers!!!
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12/15/2009 - LeechDogg wrote: 90 Points
Getting towards the end of its life: drink now! Smooth tannins, dark red.
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12/12/2009 - N2Vin wrote: 93 Points
Ruth's Chris Honolulu. Carried a filet very well. Sweet fruits, raspberry, mocha, vanilla,toasted oak nose. Great balance, lots of tannic structure. long finish.
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12/12/2009 - emf wrote:
Excellent bottle of wine that is aging well. This was very complex and had great depth and structure. We took our time and were rewarded with a wonderful experience. The wine had a nose of dark fruit . It was dark red in color with bright fruit, cherries and plums. Maybe some dark chocolate and licorice showed as time went on. The finish was long and tannins remain. We still have 4 bottles and it will be fun to drink them.
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12/6/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
From 3 Liter double magnum; both bottles (and corks) were in pristine condition. Opened and decanted by the staff at Le Bec-Fin about 1 hour prior to service. A youthful purple color; appeared less evolved than a 750ml that we had a few weeks ago. An extroverted bouquet, offering up primary notes of blackberry and cassis, with hints of campfire smoke and fennel. Medium-bodied, with a youthful grip, great balance and wonderful concentration of fruit; very focused and well-delineated on the lengthy and satisfying finish. Went perfectly with the roasted venison.
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11/14/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 94 Points
Churchill's: Napa Cabernet (Maumee, OH): Shy nose, but very elegant black currant notes. So smooth! Light tannins, medium acid, medium+ body. Great balance, easy drinking. Very long. $126
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11/12/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
From regular bottle; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. A youthful purple color, with a fruit-driven bouquet of cassis, cherry and blackberry, with hints of leather, spicy oak, and lilly. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, ripe tannins, good concentration, and excellent grip and focus on the long finish. Outstanding!
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11/8/2009 - J2K wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Powerful nose of dark fruits, with a slight vegetal hint. Full body, very strong and concentrated fruit blackberry,cassis, plum, blackcurrant. Good balance of acidity and some powdery tannins. Finish is long with some tobacco coming through. Overall oustanding rich cab flavors and not over oaked. This wine is still young and could easily rest for a few more years. Although it did seem to peak at 4 hours open.
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10/4/2009 - Zinlady wrote: 92 Points
Had with veal chops and it was very nice but I think it will continue to develop so I plan to hold off. It was best after being in glass for 20 mintes
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8/25/2009 - elamasters wrote: flawed
I doubt this bottle was stored properly prior to my purchase. Tased older than it should have tasted. Some stewed/cooked character.
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6/22/2009 - brianngibson wrote: 95 Points
Deep, dark ruby-garnet color. Opaque. Cassis, oak and graphite on the nose. Blackberry, oak, a hint of chocolate on the palate. Finishes with soft violets lingering long on the mouth. Tannins still have plenty of grip. This doesn't taste like an 8 year old bottle of wine. It is still fresh and youthful. Promises to continue to improve over the next 2 - 3 years. I certainly hope so, with only one bottle remaining.
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6/20/2009 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Interesting contrast with the 1978. Both great wines, one on the way down and this one on the way up. Still needs some time though. Very deep, powerful nose, with notes of earth and soil, spice and dark, dark fruits. Lots of richness on the palate as well, with plum and dark cassis tones showing plenty of power. Good thing there was a great sense of structure undergirding all that, with powdery tannins giving good grip. Finish was mouthwatering, with some spice and menthol notes. Very nice, and will certainly get even better with time.
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6/18/2009 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: vertical tasting 1966 to 2001 (Institute of Directors, London): Big, sweeter and thicker than the straight reserve, but in a very similar style, understated and sour. This too filled out in the glass and got smoother and glossier.
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6/18/2009 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: vertical tasting 1966 to 2001 (Institute of Directors, London): Dense, a graphite edge. At first, the fruit was hiding, it was not very distinctive and I found it sour and ungenerous. I certainly couldn't see how Linden could describe it as opuluent. But over the evening it fattened up in the glass to become a full oaky cab albeit one that was still a bit anonymous
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6/18/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
still needs a few years for tannins to soften, but already enjoyable with high concentration and long finish.
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6/11/2009 - AdamWallstein wrote: 94 Points
A real treat to follow this over the course of a long evening... Deep, youthful purple color, nearly opaque at the rim. Aromas of herb and dark berry. The palate has a powerful expression of sage wrapped blackberry/cherry with chewy tannins and a root beer finish that got more and more supple and expressive as time passed. Seems this is just leaving the early drinking station, and has a long life ahead of it.
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6/11/2009 - erikes wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful tasting. It is showing nicely. The years have served it well. The structure is integrating nicely leading to a balanced wine. It will be interesting to taste again in a years time.
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5/16/2009 - hifiwine wrote: 94 Points
anniversary
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5/10/2009 - OregonWineGeeks wrote: 94 Points
Sunday, May 10, 2009
6:54 PM
The nose is deep and impressive loam and black fruit. This well aged Californian Cabernet has good fruit with a long acidic finish. The tannin converts well with beef and heavier foods. It is not as well balanced as the 2002 and 2004. 94, great with beef or lamb
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2/3/2009 - SteelerFan wrote: 95 Points
This was one of the best California cabernets I have ever had. Dark, inky color and great aroma. Popped and poured during the Super Bowl (which may have added to my enjoyment!). This is a rich, almost unctuous, wine with terrific cassis, berry and cherry flavors. The tannins are well integrated, although the wine is very youthful and should continue to mature and drink beautifully for many years. This was really special.
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1/16/2009 - emf wrote:
Decided to finally try one. Wonderful, great @Blackfish. Nose of chocolate and cherries, softening with some tannins on the very long finish. Tastes of cherries, chocolate and earth. we have cellared this @ our cellar and it was well worth it. had with med. rare beef and short ribs. Both were excellent with the wine. Can't wait to have more.
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1/11/2009 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 92 Points
Greats touches of cocoa and oak. Certainly still felt very full after 1 hour in a decanter so suspect this still have several years of life in the bottle. Big tannins in this make its pairing with fattier meats highly suggested.
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11/14/2008 - Wrighty wrote: 90 Points
Maxxium Grand Tasting (Marriot Hotel, Hong Kong): From the end of a magnum. Reserved, refined but a little bit 'manufactured'.
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8/11/2008 - jmd60611 wrote:
2 btls killed...Big and grippy, surprisingly strong especially after the 6 01 Pavies , but we were pretty polluted, so remember its strength, grip and complexity as excellent and still very primary....
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7/31/2008 - CMorris wrote: 90 Points
Short decant of 30 min. Dark purple color with medium weight and tannic/drying. Red cherry and cassis/tobacco and cedar.
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7/8/2008 - mellison wrote: 92 Points
Still has plenty of life. Compared to a 1996 Bordeaux and this was much more approachable to begin with and did not open as much or as rapidly. Pretty much stayed the same over an hour. Somewhat light on the finish.
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7/4/2008 - rcmcb wrote: 87 Points
We were very excited for this wine. Mondavi Reserve Cabernet, from 2001 - what could go wrong? My uncle pulled two out of the original wood box (of 6) from the winery. They weren't corked, but we couldn't figure out what the issue was exactly. Perhaps it was shut down for a time? Perhaps it hadn't been cellared quite right? These bottles were just funky - not undrinkable, but big disappointments considering the label, the historic vintage, and the $100 price tag.
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7/4/2008 - Kahalu'u Bob wrote: 93 Points
Drank with a 1988 and 1998 Mondavi reserve. The contrast made this wine taste quite young. It has good balance and structure, and should age well. This was probably a bit early for this bottle, although the notes from others suggest that had we been a bit more patient, it might have opened up (but then the older bottles might have faded. . . .)
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6/27/2008 - johnwine wrote: 92 Points
This is a California super-cab style wine. The color is very dark, earthy purple with some deep garnet. The nose has scents of cigar box, black cherry cobbler, chocolate and roses. The is inky and and concentrated but not yet balanced. The tannins dry out the palate and dominate the wine. This is old style Cab with plenty of acid and tannins but huge fruit. I left it in a decanter for 48 hours and it became more drinkable. The wine shows flavors of dark cherries, cassis, chocolate and truffle. This wine should mature in the bottle for at least another three to five years before becoming at all approachable.
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6/15/2008 - jehirsch wrote: 93 Points
only decanted for 30 min- could've used few hours
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5/18/2008 - Seanr7 wrote: 93 Points
I opened this one a few years early in tribute to Mondavi's passing. Pulled the cork at 10am and let sit in bottle for an hour, decanted for sediment and poured back into the bottle minus a few oz's so I could try it. Not showing much, tannic with some dark fruit and spices but not giving up much. Pulled the cork again at 5pm and did not touch till around 8pm. What a difference a few hours made.
In the glass the wine was dark inky purple with a nose of dark fruit and pencil lead. On the palate this is a huge wine full of fruit, spice, and plenty of tannins but not over the top. Great mouth feel and wonderfull structure with a finish that went on for 45+ seconds. Drank this along with a 2002 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon and the Mondavi blew it away. If you open now decant it for some time, I think this wine would be better held for a few more years before opening it. Will revist my last bottle of this in 2015.
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5/17/2008 - *Vine* wrote: 94 Points
Had to open this up for a toast to the great man who helped to revolutionize the wine industry in CA.
Popped and poured. Medium to deep hue, very nice purple garnet. Very forward, pronounced nose, my wife and parents all commented on the aromas (always a great thing when you're sitting outside on a windy evening) which included nice notes of black fruits, spicy oak, and expresso beans. Medium bodied and very elegant. Currant & cassis, plums, vanilla bean, and minerals. Herbaceous notes lingered on the plus finish. The tannins of the 2001 vintage are certainly still apparent and could use another 2 years to settle for my taste.
A classy wine from a great vintage that worked wonderfully as my small, impromptu homage to a true pioneer. RIP Robert.
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5/16/2008 - dionysis wrote: 94 Points
In tribute to RM -- RIP. Opened and decanted an hour. Showing beatifully right now, but still thick with tannins hiding some wonderful black fruit. Long expressive finish. This one has some time to go and should be great in another 3-5 years.
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4/29/2008 - Thralow wrote: 92 Points
The worst bottle we have had of this vintage. It was still outstanding.
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4/6/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 94 Points
Made the mistake of opening and pouring at a party. This wine is exceptional in structure and simply needs more time aging. If you decide to try one now, decant!
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4/3/2008 - davergny wrote: 93 Points
Deep magenta color. The nose is fresh, with sweet black currants and herbs. Great medium to full body for this wine, showing spicy cabernet fruit, dark chocolate, and a touch of oak on the long, savory finish. A seamless young wine which is coming together nicely. Some dusty, sweet tannins are there but are mostly overshadowed by the fruit. Drinking well but will certainly benefit from more time. 93+
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3/25/2008 - swazi wrote: 95 Points
very dense and layered. flavors of cherry, blackberry, leather, cedar.
very good example of napa cab.
long lasting finish.
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3/8/2008 - spendergast wrote: 94 Points
Ruby red, full bodied cab with dense dark fruit, nice tannins with complexity and long satiny finish. A great CA cab. Should age well over the next 10-15 years.
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3/2/2008 - tbone wrote:
Popped and poured 2 bottles. This wine is rockin for me at the moment. Deep, dark fruits with an olive tapenade, cigar, musty, bordeaux type smell and taste. Drying tannins on the long finish. Great food wine, great sipper and a great after dinner wine. This is the ideal California cab for my current taste. This wine will last a LONG, LONG time in cellar. No California fruit bomb/oak monster here!
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3/2/2008 - budman wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic classic Cali cab. It was all I had hoped it would be!!!
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3/1/2008 - ruddy wrote: 93 Points
Classic California cab, leather and smoke frame the dark plums and cherries. Long,. long finish. Probably many more years in this wine, I just don't have any...
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11/18/2007 - winetexan wrote: 93 Points
Consumed 3 bottles @ a dinner party last night, everyone loved the wine, great nose and lots of structure,
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11/10/2007 - Wineholio wrote: 93 Points
Drank this at a nice restaurant for a birthday dinner. The same bottle was on the wine list for $260.
It was a classic Napa Cab, with tons of fruit up front, and a long, long finish highlighted by a bit of pepper and moderate to heavy tannins. Although this is drinking nicely now, I would recommend a few more years in the bottle for a bit more softening.
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11/4/2007 - rossnross wrote: 95 Points
Excellent wine. Smooth and buttery, long on finish. Exactly what a good CA cab should be.
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10/26/2007 - pakabear wrote: 94 Points
very good at this point, smokey, smooth, with some blueberry on the side.
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10/20/2007 - tbone wrote:
No decant. A little barnyard funk initially with some wet straw. Settled into a great mature Cali cab with dark coffee, olive, tobacco and very dark fruits. Very smooth and lush with a great finish. Is this Bordeaux? Sure tastes like it.
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10/14/2007 - Thralow wrote: 93 Points
Ready to drink now, I think.
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10/14/2007 - belmore wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. This was our second bottle of the night. The first was a 2001 Sterling Cab Reserve. The Mondavi was a noticably better bottle of wine. I wish we had more of it.
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9/17/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 93 Points
Drank 3 bottles with steaks on the eve of our wedding with the families...delicious, full bodied, yet elegant...tremendous effort
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8/22/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Opened and compared against a highly rated (93-94) Australian Cab (Mitolo Serpico) for kicks. No Comparison. This wine has grandeaur. The notes are of cedar and coffee. The sparkling tannins and back end bitters strongly suggest this should be opened after another five years. It is the type of body that sucks the moisture out of your mouth before you can fully taste the fruit. I'll report again tomorrow night when the rest of the bottle has a chance to decant. Special wine.
Second night the tannins have settled a bit and a strong dark cherry flavour has emerged. There is notable spice on the back end. Excellent wine.
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7/23/2007 - now_in_mi wrote: 94 Points
Very rich fruit with nice oak taste, smooth in the mouth; in a word, excellent.
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6/19/2007 - chrisraub wrote: 93 Points
Concentrated fruit. Was much more approachable the day after opening.
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6/16/2007 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 93 Points
Opened at a party and overall it was a hit. The price point is a little high on this one, but across the party everyone gave a thumbs up. Structure is solid, but flexible. Pairing this wine should be easy.
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4/24/2007 - rothdog wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby purple. Plum, blackberry, licorice, vanilla & cherry. Decent cab, but not inspirational by any means. Generally, the Mondavi Oakville is just as good at 1/3 the price. Tasted next to the Mondavi Reserve '92, '96 and '00. This was the WOTN with the '96 a close second.
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4/7/2007 - psmith wrote:
Juicy and grapey young wine. A more modern feel than this wine often has - very unevoloved. Tannic and raw. Lighter-bodied than expected.
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3/18/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 93 Points
Dark red with a purple hue, big color, great legs...Bright and spry on the nose, floral...Super concentrated and rich with great depth and balance...Still very tannic and dry, exceedingly long on the finish, this will be a wine that becomes truly great with time...
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2/13/2007 - PeterTristram wrote: 80 Points
A very dark cab, full of color; thins to a rose at the edge. A lush cedar bouquet, but a disturbing pulpy, musty deadened leaf smell is apparent. Boysenberry as well, along with sweet strawberry. The taste is lacking in complexity and structure. A mineral tartness is retained even after an hour of decanting. It is a very smooth drinking wine but I am very disappointed. I can only assume that this wine is past its prime. For the money I would never buy it again.
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1/22/2007 - LeechDogg wrote: 92 Points
More red fruit and a tinge of brett on nose? Spicy French oak on palate. Glad I have more bottles.
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12/17/2006 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Bordering on extraordinary. This wine just keeps getting better.
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11/6/2006 - Thralow wrote: 94 Points
Had this one and the 1995. Everyone agreed the 95 was outstanding. This one was better.
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10/27/2006 - Hillel wrote: 89 Points
A touch thin, and a touch dark, but very nice tannins. Drank it at El Gaucho in Seattle.
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9/13/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Vertical (Wine Discount Center - Chicago IL): Dense, dark fruit aromas. Excellent concentration with lots of power start-to-finish. Brawny and tannic for now, but lots of interesting potential for 2010 and later.
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9/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Lovely rich balanced complex nose of black fruit, vanilla, and spice. Big tight black fruit with coffee notes. Great stuffing - will benefit (greatly?) from time. 93+ pts. WDC Mondavi vertical 9/06
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8/14/2006 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Very concentrated fruit, strong cedar notes. This was very tight and never really opend up. Did not decant, just pulled cork and let it sit for 3 hours. This will be a great wine, but it needs to come together more.
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8/10/2006 - Pierre Lim wrote: 88 Points
It was good but nothing special - I expect more out of a $100 bottle of wine - to me this was more of a $30 - 50 bottle. Still too young. Oak and Tannins dominated the wine. I received two bottles as a gift and I would wait at least 5 + years before I open my other bottle.
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8/6/2006 - bdenuyl wrote: 92 Points
I didn’t find this as appealing as WA or WS. It has a bordeaux-like balance, but did not have mch cabernet flavor and not great depth. It would drink better with something lighter than a steak, such as chicken. It started a little rough, but quickly smoothed out.
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8/3/2006 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
NW Chicago Pits 2000 Bordeaux versus 2001 Cali Cabernet (La Tasca - Arlington Heights): Purple color with a complex, mineral-over-vibrant red fruit nose. Excellent aromas. Out of the bottle the palate is tight and tannic. Over time, develops a very interesting profile of plush currant and cassis fruits, tobacco and cedar. This is quite young - only developed medium body weight and plenty of tanninc structure. In 5 years, I'd love this wine.
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4/29/2006 - Eric wrote: 90 Points
Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): The nose is somewhat acrid and harsh, already showing signs of brett. Mmm, the palate is nice though, chewy, a tannic brute, maybe a bit of heat. This is a serious wine, and it needs some time to calm down and open up.
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2/15/2006 - DRL01 wrote: 93 Points
Ripe fruit initially. Flavors of plum, blackberry with a little spice. Drank nicely for an hour or so and then shut down a little. Will wait a while to try another one.
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12/17/2005 - Thralow wrote: 92 Points
Still tight, this is gonna be good.
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12/4/2005 - roostir wrote: 90 Points
Good, solid Napa cab. Although, it seems to be wound up pretty tight at the moment. Perhaps it could use a few more years in the cellar. Lots of tannin, leather, smoke, cassis, and dark berry. Price point is a little steep.
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3/20/2005 - Squirreljam wrote:
1:15 after decanting – closed, tight tannins, some smokey plums, moderately long finish ~30 secs. Not an easy drinking wine at this point.
3 hr after decanting – opened up a lot, more pleasureable. Spices come out, still tart tannins, but more complex. There is moderate fruit, but on the mid palate, not up front. It’s also not sweet fruit, almost like the taste of dried fruit with out the sugar. Finish remains long. Spices come out, some licorice in particular.
24 hrs – about the same openness as 3hrs but most fruit has changed to spice, cinnamon, cedar wood notes. Tannins still promise a long age. Several more years and I’m interested to compare then to now.
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2/14/2005 - toebel wrote: 93 Points
Drank two days ago-- Friday (Jee's mom's last night) with take-out from Ruth's Chris (salmon, stuffed chicken, seared tuna). The wine has an extraordinary dark hue (reminded me of 2000 Montrose), medium weight. Still tight and I would think would age wonderfully. Good fruit, but not as much as some others in similar range. Really has excellent balance. However, the wine clearly faded by the second day, so I worry a bit about holding up long term.
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1/5/2005 - GreenDrazi wrote: 91 Points
Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Open bottle for 1 hr plus. Well balanced aromas. Plush round body and deep complex structure with subdued notes of cassis, mint and oak flavors. The tannins grip the flavors to a complete halt about mid-palate. This bottle was a bit odd because I had this wine 6 weeks ago at the winery where it had a much more pronounced core of blackberry, was more open and had a longer finish with mint notes. Needs to be cellared for 10+ years. S91/92 with potential for real improvement.
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11/25/2004 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Really nice. Full bodied glycerin. Lovely rich fruit. 93+ pts. CWE 04 11/04
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