Similar to the bottle I had a few months back I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long.
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At a local BYOB with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. Some of the people at the dinner preferred this wine to the 2013 Insignia that was served alongside.
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The 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout wine that exhibits a beautiful combination of fruit and menthol notes. On the nose, blue fruits and hints of menthol. The palate follows with rich blue and black fruit flavors, including blackberries, blueberries, and black currants, intermingled with subtle hints of vanilla and spice. The wine also exhibits notes of graphite and pencil shavings. The finish is long and lingering.
We decanted this about 4 hours prior to drinking.
This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from Groth's Oakville Estate, Napa. The winery is known for its high-quality, estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2012 vintage is no exception.
The winemaker for the 2012 vintage is Michael Weis, who has been with Groth since 1994. He has a style that emphasizes the fruit flavors of the grapes while also incorporating subtle oak and spice notes. This approach can be seen in the 2012 Reserve, where the fruit flavors are front and center, and the oak notes serve to complement rather than dominate the wine.
The wine was aged for 22 months in 100% New French oak barrels.
The 2012 vintage was an excellent year for Napa Valley, with ideal growing conditions that produced high-quality grapes. The wine is drinking well now and will continue to age gracefully for several years, with a drinking window between 2020 and 2030.
The retail price for the 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is $150, while the average price is around $140. According to Jeb Dunnuck, this wine is "a thrilling Cabernet Sauvignon that stands up with the finest out there" and rates it at 96 points as well.
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Pleasant surprise based on mixed reviews and comments. Somewhat delicate for 2012 Napa with red and blue fruit. Hints of graphite. Just entering part ii of its evolution.
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Pretty good, but not stunning bottle. Decanted about 3 hours prior, and it still seemed like a baby. Certainly entering drinking window, but lots of life ahead. I expected better.
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I've had better $100 bottles of wine. It was either in a very shut down phase or 2012 wasn't as good as expected. Allowed to decant for 30 minutes. Won't be rushing to buy more anytime soon.
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Wow. As good as they come. Paid $195 cad for this. Worth every penny. Never had the reserve before. I have the 16 and 17 vintage. Will sit on these. This wine has been in my cellar for years and I drank it too early. Better than beringer private reserve.
I drink a lot of wine, and this is one of the better bottles I’ve had in the recent past. So impressive
Limited note. Somewhat reserved, with more rustic earthen notes which shows aging potential. Not a ton of fruit showing. Could see this improving with more age.
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At our club with friends for a Wednesday night dinner. I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. Similar to the bottle I drank last year. It is really good but I cannot see any improvement. Drank against a 2013 Beringer Reserve and that was definitely the better wine.
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I’ve enjoyed a number of prior vintages of the Groth Reserve and have never been disappointed, it’s always outstanding in terms of enjoyment, style, and technical evaluation. Stood up for a couple of hours, opened, decanted and enjoyed with a grilled ribeye prior to the Texas / Colorado Alamo Bowl.
Really drinking well at eight years: deep ruby, full body, with moderately high alcohol (14.9% ABV). Opens with complexity: dusty red, sour dirt (typical of Oakville); red and black currants; slightly tart red cherries; juicy blackberries and crushed raspberries; taunt leather; creamy mocha, and fresh leafy tobacco. In development, with chewy tannin and medium acidity not completely integrated yet. Big and powerful mouthfeel with enough balance to cut through the hearty, medium rare beef. Finishes long. Outstanding.
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The 2012 Groth reserve was a really nice wine. It had lush dark fruit, cedar, and graphite notes with a slightly spicy finish. This has plenty of life left and should drink well for another 5 years. I wish I had another bottle in my cellar.
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This wine doesn't match to other vintages at this stage (at least for me). The acidity is way over the top, we stopped drinking after a glass and put it back in the fridge. The next day is got much better which make me believe the best years are still 3-5 years down the road...
HOLD 90+
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We had company for a socially distanced dinner of roasted chicken marinated in a balsamic vinegarette. I opened the wine 4 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 3 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. I would guess that it is in its prime drinking window. There are years ahead of it (i hope so as i have a bunch more bottles) but I do not see any major improvement. Then again what do I know.
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Pulled the cork and continued pulling....it has to be 2-1/2 to 3 inches. If you are going to enjoy a Groth reserve, age 10 years + or give it a long decant. Decanted 3 hours and drank over another 2. The nose makes me want to put Deep Purple's "Smoke on the water" on. Baking spices, dark fruit and SMOKE. Black and blue fruit with a bit of a herbal finish. The finish is smooth and a bit clipped. Paired with a nice steak.
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Enjoyed at a tasting. Dark garnet in the glass. Tannins still present and could use a little more air and/or time in the bottle. The wine has potential but may still be too early to drink. Nonetheless, enjoyed. Nice mouthfeel, velvety and smooth.
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This needs air and food to be enjoyed at its fullest. I recommend a decanter and a fat steak and then you will appreciate this wine. Without it, you will be disappointed as it is lean, herbal, and thin. After two hours and some food, it starts to blossom. Not worth the price, however. There are much better wines for the price.
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Decanted for 2 hours and this gem opened right up. Great body and mouth feel. Still a touch of oak so it could be cellared a little longer. But overall great wine to celebrate with.
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Garnet in color. Decanted this 4 hours. This was drinking pretty well but not as well as the bottle I had 3 months ago. While this had a nice mid palate this did not have the depth of finish or lushness of my last bottle. We drank this next to a 2014 Outpost Cab that everyone agreed was better. I do believe this will improve a bit with another 6 to 12 months in the cellar.
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My friend served this at a moving away party. The regular Groth cab is one of my favorites in the under $50 range. This was my first Groth Reserve and will not be my last. Even though this is my first Reserve I concur with CRISTAL2000. This is a great example of the 2012 vintage. Rich and smooth with a lush mouthfeel. This is drinking very well right now. The more 2012's I drink the more I believe they will be better earlier than later. I will going out to buy more of this wine.
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That got some stucture alright. Average permton price in nzpz for cab? 6289 in 2015. Big boy cabernet.
Only from the West side of the property. Near the stream because the soil is actually a red soil deposit drained from the chiles cannon a millennia ago.
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Table was disappointed with the wine. Very smooth, very jammy (too jammy. But otherwise monotone and lacked depth and complexity, especially for this price point (for a 2012 Oakville) and the jam (becomes too jammy given lack of nuance). Tasted like a < $100 bottle, not a $100+ bottle. Decanted for only 30 minutes, but I am not sure if another hour would have taken it up another level.
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The best Groth Reserve I've had. Typical for the '12 vintage, very fruit forward, lush and floral. Rich and smooth, with a nice tannic backbone that sets it apart from less well put together wines. It's beautifully layered, with waves of red and blue fruit crashing on the pallet. Not overly complex or nuanced. Drinking very well right now with a couple hours of air.
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with 12% Merlot. 100% new oak. Medium nose shows baking spice, black plum, vanilla, green pepper, mocha. Palate is big style but with balance, medium plus tannins are up front, black fruit shows with dark chocolate, blackberry, black cassis, red plum, mocha, sweet pepper. Complexity is medium plus and finishes long. Very good wine, though the price tag is up there and you probably have better options at $125+. Solid choice though, classic, probably more interesting in 5-10 years.
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Light floral, bold red & blue fruits, some wet leather, crushed stone and light smoke. Not overly ripe but does shoe a good deal of heat on the long finish. Strong tannins. Will pull another in a few years. One of the better Groth Reserves we have had in a while.
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3/14/2024 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to the bottle I had a few months back I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long.
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1/10/2024 - markcic Likes this wine: 93 Points
At a local BYOB with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. Some of the people at the dinner preferred this wine to the 2013 Insignia that was served alongside.
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4/16/2023 - brianschool Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a standout wine that exhibits a beautiful combination of fruit and menthol notes. On the nose, blue fruits and hints of menthol. The palate follows with rich blue and black fruit flavors, including blackberries, blueberries, and black currants, intermingled with subtle hints of vanilla and spice. The wine also exhibits notes of graphite and pencil shavings. The finish is long and lingering.
We decanted this about 4 hours prior to drinking.
This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from Groth's Oakville Estate, Napa. The winery is known for its high-quality, estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2012 vintage is no exception.
The winemaker for the 2012 vintage is Michael Weis, who has been with Groth since 1994. He has a style that emphasizes the fruit flavors of the grapes while also incorporating subtle oak and spice notes. This approach can be seen in the 2012 Reserve, where the fruit flavors are front and center, and the oak notes serve to complement rather than dominate the wine.
The wine was aged for 22 months in 100% New French oak barrels.
The 2012 vintage was an excellent year for Napa Valley, with ideal growing conditions that produced high-quality grapes. The wine is drinking well now and will continue to age gracefully for several years, with a drinking window between 2020 and 2030.
The retail price for the 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is $150, while the average price is around $140. According to Jeb Dunnuck, this wine is "a thrilling Cabernet Sauvignon that stands up with the finest out there" and rates it at 96 points as well.
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3/7/2023 - Deepdrop wrote: 94 Points
Pleasant surprise based on mixed reviews and comments. Somewhat delicate for 2012 Napa with red and blue fruit. Hints of graphite. Just entering part ii of its evolution.
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10/17/2022 - cavedivr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty good, but not stunning bottle. Decanted about 3 hours prior, and it still seemed like a baby. Certainly entering drinking window, but lots of life ahead. I expected better.
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12/27/2021 - Tacoma714 wrote: 92 Points
I've had better $100 bottles of wine. It was either in a very shut down phase or 2012 wasn't as good as expected. Allowed to decant for 30 minutes. Won't be rushing to buy more anytime soon.
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11/7/2021 - 素人俠 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerful nice
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9/11/2021 - greedy wrote: 97 Points
Wow. As good as they come. Paid $195 cad for this. Worth every penny. Never had the reserve before. I have the 16 and 17 vintage. Will sit on these. This wine has been in my cellar for years and I drank it too early. Better than beringer private reserve.
I drink a lot of wine, and this is one of the better bottles I’ve had in the recent past. So impressive
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7/12/2021 - jhornung Likes this wine:
Very good wine especially for the price. Very solid. I like this one a lot.
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7/12/2021 - jhornung Likes this wine:
Very good wine especially for the price. Solid taste. Really like it.
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6/5/2021 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Limited note. Somewhat reserved, with more rustic earthen notes which shows aging potential. Not a ton of fruit showing. Could see this improving with more age.
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5/12/2021 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
At our club with friends for a Wednesday night dinner. I opened the wine 2 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 2 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. Similar to the bottle I drank last year. It is really good but I cannot see any improvement. Drank against a 2013 Beringer Reserve and that was definitely the better wine.
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12/29/2020 - wmccone54 wrote: 94 Points
I’ve enjoyed a number of prior vintages of the Groth Reserve and have never been disappointed, it’s always outstanding in terms of enjoyment, style, and technical evaluation. Stood up for a couple of hours, opened, decanted and enjoyed with a grilled ribeye prior to the Texas / Colorado Alamo Bowl.
Really drinking well at eight years: deep ruby, full body, with moderately high alcohol (14.9% ABV). Opens with complexity: dusty red, sour dirt (typical of Oakville); red and black currants; slightly tart red cherries; juicy blackberries and crushed raspberries; taunt leather; creamy mocha, and fresh leafy tobacco. In development, with chewy tannin and medium acidity not completely integrated yet. Big and powerful mouthfeel with enough balance to cut through the hearty, medium rare beef. Finishes long. Outstanding.
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11/15/2020 - Gscwinecellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2012 Groth reserve was a really nice wine. It had lush dark fruit, cedar, and graphite notes with a slightly spicy finish. This has plenty of life left and should drink well for another 5 years. I wish I had another bottle in my cellar.
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8/12/2020 - gteran76 wrote: 90 Points
This wine doesn't match to other vintages at this stage (at least for me). The acidity is way over the top, we stopped drinking after a glass and put it back in the fridge. The next day is got much better which make me believe the best years are still 3-5 years down the road...
HOLD 90+
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5/15/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had company for a socially distanced dinner of roasted chicken marinated in a balsamic vinegarette. I opened the wine 4 hours before dinner and then we slowly consumed over 3 hours. The nose was dark fruit. The palate was berries, figs, tobacco and cedar. The finish was moderate to long. I would guess that it is in its prime drinking window. There are years ahead of it (i hope so as i have a bunch more bottles) but I do not see any major improvement. Then again what do I know.
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4/27/2020 - Kdad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now. Can't see how time will improve this vintage.
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7/27/2019 - msilver wrote: 93 Points
This is a fabulous wine. Drinking very well now. Gave it about 2-3 hr decant. Great with steaks on the grill.
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3/16/2019 - cablover123 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pulled the cork and continued pulling....it has to be 2-1/2 to 3 inches. If you are going to enjoy a Groth reserve, age 10 years + or give it a long decant. Decanted 3 hours and drank over another 2. The nose makes me want to put Deep Purple's "Smoke on the water" on. Baking spices, dark fruit and SMOKE. Black and blue fruit with a bit of a herbal finish. The finish is smooth and a bit clipped. Paired with a nice steak.
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10/27/2018 - gteran76 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Something weird with this bottle, very tight, tannic and dead on the nose.
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10/20/2018 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed at a tasting. Dark garnet in the glass. Tannins still present and could use a little more air and/or time in the bottle. The wine has potential but may still be too early to drink. Nonetheless, enjoyed. Nice mouthfeel, velvety and smooth.
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4/24/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 87 Points
This needs air and food to be enjoyed at its fullest. I recommend a decanter and a fat steak and then you will appreciate this wine. Without it, you will be disappointed as it is lean, herbal, and thin. After two hours and some food, it starts to blossom. Not worth the price, however. There are much better wines for the price.
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3/15/2018 - AWBryce wrote:
Wow. Great depth of fruit , nice tannin, long finish.
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10/30/2017 - R&R Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious Cab.
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9/2/2017 - tshelton12 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and this gem opened right up. Great body and mouth feel. Still a touch of oak so it could be cellared a little longer. But overall great wine to celebrate with.
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5/13/2017 - RayT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet in color. Decanted this 4 hours. This was drinking pretty well but not as well as the bottle I had 3 months ago. While this had a nice mid palate this did not have the depth of finish or lushness of my last bottle. We drank this next to a 2014 Outpost Cab that everyone agreed was better. I do believe this will improve a bit with another 6 to 12 months in the cellar.
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4/15/2017 - Baw419 wrote: 93 Points
Wow.
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2/11/2017 - RayT Likes this wine: 94 Points
My friend served this at a moving away party. The regular Groth cab is one of my favorites in the under $50 range. This was my first Groth Reserve and will not be my last. Even though this is my first Reserve I concur with CRISTAL2000. This is a great example of the 2012 vintage. Rich and smooth with a lush mouthfeel. This is drinking very well right now. The more 2012's I drink the more I believe they will be better earlier than later. I will going out to buy more of this wine.
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9/15/2016 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A bit closed up right now, but its all there. Elegant, velvet tannic structure, from the west side reserve block.
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8/10/2016 - milwaukeewino wrote:
That got some stucture alright. Average permton price in nzpz for cab? 6289 in 2015. Big boy cabernet.
Only from the West side of the property. Near the stream because the soil is actually a red soil deposit drained from the chiles cannon a millennia ago.
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7/29/2016 - SARED wrote: 89 Points
Table was disappointed with the wine. Very smooth, very jammy (too jammy. But otherwise monotone and lacked depth and complexity, especially for this price point (for a 2012 Oakville) and the jam (becomes too jammy given lack of nuance). Tasted like a < $100 bottle, not a $100+ bottle. Decanted for only 30 minutes, but I am not sure if another hour would have taken it up another level.
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7/9/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The best Groth Reserve I've had. Typical for the '12 vintage, very fruit forward, lush and floral. Rich and smooth, with a nice tannic backbone that sets it apart from less well put together wines. It's beautifully layered, with waves of red and blue fruit crashing on the pallet. Not overly complex or nuanced. Drinking very well right now with a couple hours of air.
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7/3/2016 - Joanie92 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not ready. Needs more time. Will be very balanced but currently too many tannins.
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6/7/2016 - GTFreek wrote:
with 12% Merlot. 100% new oak. Medium nose shows baking spice, black plum, vanilla, green pepper, mocha. Palate is big style but with balance, medium plus tannins are up front, black fruit shows with dark chocolate, blackberry, black cassis, red plum, mocha, sweet pepper. Complexity is medium plus and finishes long. Very good wine, though the price tag is up there and you probably have better options at $125+. Solid choice though, classic, probably more interesting in 5-10 years.
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1/15/2016 - JHumps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light floral, bold red & blue fruits, some wet leather, crushed stone and light smoke. Not overly ripe but does shoe a good deal of heat on the long finish. Strong tannins. Will pull another in a few years. One of the better Groth Reserves we have had in a while.
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1/11/2016 - KeithSurg wrote: 93 Points
Well-made, classic Napa cab, drinking well now. Rich and sweet, but not as exciting as I had hoped.
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12/8/2015 - Cngreen711 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bold high tannin will be fantastic in a couple more years like the 05 is now
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