Cherry juice, dark-roasted black coffee, cedar, spices, and oak. Acid seems a bit high; not as good as I had hoped. If you have this wine, drink it now.
Really enjoyed this bottle - on pnp, the nose and palate were rich and opulent, full of fig, honey, cassis and blue fruits, and a bit sweet, but not cloying at all. Acid and some tannins provided great structure and balance to the wine.
After an hour of decanting, the secondary notes of spice and cigar box started to emerge, along with mushrooms and forest floor.
Glad I have a few more of these to enjoy!
Paired very well with braised Duck with Prune Reduction!
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Nice fruit forward elegant mid weight. Mainly red fruits, hints of pepper, spice and a dash of vanilla from the oak. Medium finish, straightforward. Drinking now, will be better in 5 years.
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PnP. Was a bit hot at first, but that mostly blew off after 30mins or so. Beyond that, it was delightful. The nose had hints of green notes, but none showed on the palate. Instead, this showed raspberries, plum, cherry, spiced vanilla, orange peel, crushed rock, and hints of menthol. Good long finish. Tannins and present, but balanced. Definitely has more life left, but drinking well now.
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Drinking beautifully. On opening, great nose but it has an acidic unpleasant tartness on the back end. Loses the nose but becomes a very pleasant very smooth lush full-bodied wine. Pleasant finish. Highly recommend.
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2nd day notes. Deep opaque garnet. Ode and taste of blackberries, smoke, stone and oak. High acidity and medium tannins. A little out of balance and could use a couple more years in the bottle. About 91 for now.
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Love these wines but it took 2 hours in a glass to really come around. Once it did the soft tannins, great nose and wonderful fruit had a nice balance.
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On the verge of great, but not quite there yet. Nose very pleasant but still a bit reserved. Palate rich, silky, and medium-full. More concentrated and potent in the mouth than in the nose. Dark fruits, wet stone, mild cedar. Powerful finish lingering for several solid seconds. I’d like to see the aromas pop a little more and see a bit more development of secondary flavors. Will it get there? We’ll see!
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Nose: Red fruit, subtle spice (always nice), wet forest soil (in a good way), and I haven't smelled this in the wines I've had recently but barn yard and leathery smell (its light and not real strong nor pungent, pretty nice). There's also.. almost like wet stone or slate, almost minerally smell, also nice.
Palate: Oak (in an enjoyable way, not too oaked), light spices, light pencil lead, and some dark fruit.
The spice kinda goes away after a few minutes.. makes me wonder was the wine just a little hot on the nose at first or just a spicy aroma.. I can't really tell the difference. Dark ruby colored, medium-plus body. Pretty decent finish of about 4-5 seconds. I want to say this is like an Old World wine but I haven't had much of those. This is a good wine, seems well made. Not my preference, though. I can see those who enjoy more Old World style might like this wine.
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This Cabernet blend has hit its stride in the seven months since I tasted it last (11/17 - 92 points). It has gotten rounder and plusher, with less tartness and more fullness. There’s less tension and nuance, but it’s become a tastier and more enjoyable wine (at least to me).
Dark red in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, licorice, and graphite. Tastes of blueberry pie, black cherry, gravel, and cedar, with a sweet and round finish. 13.9% alcohol. Blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink now, since I’m not sure if this juicy wine will be as good in a year or more. 93+.
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P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.??) nicely counterbalanced by structure which slowly, SEAMLESSLY morphs into a very LONG, balanced finish with a very slight bitterswtness. Approachable now, this deserves a yr or so, then drinking for probably 4+ yrs more. SUPERBLY done! My EXC-. 91 pts Vinous & 90 WA. [This vendor's $67.95 CRUSHES the current wine-searcher competition by at LEAST $12!]
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Winorama: A winter in Wineland II; 1/6/2018-1/14/2018 (Portland, Eureka, Napa): 80% CS. '14 was a bit cooler than '13 which led to a bit more finesse in the wines. This is very easy drinking. Lots of red fruits and flowers and decent tannin but not too intense. A bit more fruit forward than some of the others and def made a bit more in the traditional napa style.
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Ready to drink now, albeit young and ripe fruit but just a pleasure to drink. Velvety tannins with punctual mint and dustiness. Don’t be afraid to drink a bottle now or let rest for a few years.
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A middle-weight Cabernet-based blend that is drinking well right now. Cherry red in color, medium in body, nose of wild blueberry, rosemary, and baking spices. Tastes of sour cherry, cranberry, cocoa powder, and thyme, with a tart and lingering finish. 13.9% alcohol. Blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink in next few years.
This is a lighter and more herbal profile than past editions of this wine, but it has a purity and class that are quite endearing. It is sad to think this is the last vintage that Dennis Malbec made from start to finish; we all must go sometime, but age 46 is far, far too young. This is my favorite Prince of Hearts since the 2012.
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Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle & SO'd for several more; similar to prior note; very good but still on the young side for my preference (rest of the family loves it!)
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SO'd for a few hrs the splash decanted, deep purple, dark fruit with caramel, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good for a young cab, needs more time/air
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Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Blend from Cabernet (~80%), Merlot (~10%), Cab Franc (~7%), Petit Verdot (~2%) and the extra 1% is because I didn't round right. The second label. Meant to be a Tuesday wine you can just pop and pour. I see that. I have soft a few times in my notes. Some cranberry. This is a wine that's easy to drink and prob likes a few years, but is going to be accessible early. Not in the same class though as the first label wines we had after.
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Decided to try a bottle, decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, very enjoyable, a little closed with some heat, but the potential was there. The surprise came when drinking the second half of the bottle the next day, well balanced and lovely with a long finish!
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3/30/2024 - Sanlucar wrote: 89 Points
Cherry juice, dark-roasted black coffee, cedar, spices, and oak. Acid seems a bit high; not as good as I had hoped. If you have this wine, drink it now.
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2/27/2024 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid wine, certainly not going to improve with additional years.
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2/26/2024 - jmc167@me.com wrote:
Really enjoyed this bottle - on pnp, the nose and palate were rich and opulent, full of fig, honey, cassis and blue fruits, and a bit sweet, but not cloying at all. Acid and some tannins provided great structure and balance to the wine.
After an hour of decanting, the secondary notes of spice and cigar box started to emerge, along with mushrooms and forest floor.
Glad I have a few more of these to enjoy!
Paired very well with braised Duck with Prune Reduction!
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12/28/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice fruit forward elegant mid weight. Mainly red fruits, hints of pepper, spice and a dash of vanilla from the oak. Medium finish, straightforward. Drinking now, will be better in 5 years.
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9/10/2022 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. Was a bit hot at first, but that mostly blew off after 30mins or so. Beyond that, it was delightful. The nose had hints of green notes, but none showed on the palate. Instead, this showed raspberries, plum, cherry, spiced vanilla, orange peel, crushed rock, and hints of menthol. Good long finish. Tannins and present, but balanced. Definitely has more life left, but drinking well now.
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4/16/2021 - manny651 wrote: 88 Points
dissapointing for the price
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4/8/2021 - Dnacabernet Likes this wine: 92 Points
I did not take notes, but this bottling drank well with 30 minutes of air.
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12/5/2020 - Michael Hollowell Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine
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9/27/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Pretty deep and powerful, good structure. Solid, though pricey.
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7/5/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This didn't move me as much as prior bottles. Maybe the 90 degree heat. Or the duck was too tough. Thought pretty average.
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6/23/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully. On opening, great nose but it has an acidic unpleasant tartness on the back end. Loses the nose but becomes a very pleasant very smooth lush full-bodied wine. Pleasant finish. Highly recommend.
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8/5/2019 - RockyII Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd day notes. Deep opaque garnet. Ode and taste of blackberries, smoke, stone and oak. High acidity and medium tannins. A little out of balance and could use a couple more years in the bottle. About 91 for now.
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4/9/2019 - jimyeni wrote: 91 Points
Napa April 2019; 4/6/2019-4/9/2019 (Napa, CA): Red and black fruit on the nose, leaner and a little flat on the palate. Not bad for $80, the quality is there.
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11/16/2018 - VinoDiver Likes this wine: 92 Points
Love these wines but it took 2 hours in a glass to really come around. Once it did the soft tannins, great nose and wonderful fruit had a nice balance.
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7/26/2018 - VinCrush Likes this wine: 91 Points
On the verge of great, but not quite there yet. Nose very pleasant but still a bit reserved. Palate rich, silky, and medium-full. More concentrated and potent in the mouth than in the nose. Dark fruits, wet stone, mild cedar. Powerful finish lingering for several solid seconds. I’d like to see the aromas pop a little more and see a bit more development of secondary flavors. Will it get there? We’ll see!
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6/15/2018 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose: Red fruit, subtle spice (always nice), wet forest soil (in a good way), and I haven't smelled this in the wines I've had recently but barn yard and leathery smell (its light and not real strong nor pungent, pretty nice). There's also.. almost like wet stone or slate, almost minerally smell, also nice.
Palate: Oak (in an enjoyable way, not too oaked), light spices, light pencil lead, and some dark fruit.
The spice kinda goes away after a few minutes.. makes me wonder was the wine just a little hot on the nose at first or just a spicy aroma.. I can't really tell the difference. Dark ruby colored, medium-plus body. Pretty decent finish of about 4-5 seconds. I want to say this is like an Old World wine but I haven't had much of those. This is a good wine, seems well made. Not my preference, though. I can see those who enjoy more Old World style might like this wine.
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6/8/2018 - msuwine wrote: 93 Points
This Cabernet blend has hit its stride in the seven months since I tasted it last (11/17 - 92 points). It has gotten rounder and plusher, with less tartness and more fullness. There’s less tension and nuance, but it’s become a tastier and more enjoyable wine (at least to me).
Dark red in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, licorice, and graphite. Tastes of blueberry pie, black cherry, gravel, and cedar, with a sweet and round finish. 13.9% alcohol. Blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink now, since I’m not sure if this juicy wine will be as good in a year or more. 93+.
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1/13/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [2 Whts, 8 Reds, & 2 Shared Bottles] from 1/12/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 63% C.S., 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, & 3% Petit Verdot.
N: CLOSED; Seems RIPE; Intensity lurking!
P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.??) nicely counterbalanced by structure which slowly, SEAMLESSLY morphs into a very LONG, balanced finish with a very slight bitterswtness. Approachable now, this deserves a yr or so, then drinking for probably 4+ yrs more. SUPERBLY done! My EXC-. 91 pts Vinous & 90 WA. [This vendor's $67.95 CRUSHES the current wine-searcher competition by at LEAST $12!]
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1/10/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Winorama: A winter in Wineland II; 1/6/2018-1/14/2018 (Portland, Eureka, Napa): 80% CS. '14 was a bit cooler than '13 which led to a bit more finesse in the wines. This is very easy drinking. Lots of red fruits and flowers and decent tannin but not too intense. A bit more fruit forward than some of the others and def made a bit more in the traditional napa style.
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11/16/2017 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to drink now, albeit young and ripe fruit but just a pleasure to drink. Velvety tannins with punctual mint and dustiness. Don’t be afraid to drink a bottle now or let rest for a few years.
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11/14/2017 - msuwine wrote: 92 Points
A middle-weight Cabernet-based blend that is drinking well right now. Cherry red in color, medium in body, nose of wild blueberry, rosemary, and baking spices. Tastes of sour cherry, cranberry, cocoa powder, and thyme, with a tart and lingering finish. 13.9% alcohol. Blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink in next few years.
This is a lighter and more herbal profile than past editions of this wine, but it has a purity and class that are quite endearing. It is sad to think this is the last vintage that Dennis Malbec made from start to finish; we all must go sometime, but age 46 is far, far too young. This is my favorite Prince of Hearts since the 2012.
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7/2/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle & SO'd for several more; similar to prior note; very good but still on the young side for my preference (rest of the family loves it!)
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6/8/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
SO'd for a few hrs the splash decanted, deep purple, dark fruit with caramel, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good for a young cab, needs more time/air
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1/20/2017 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Winter in Wineland; 1/14/2017-1/20/2017 (Sonoma & Napa): Blend from Cabernet (~80%), Merlot (~10%), Cab Franc (~7%), Petit Verdot (~2%) and the extra 1% is because I didn't round right. The second label. Meant to be a Tuesday wine you can just pop and pour. I see that. I have soft a few times in my notes. Some cranberry. This is a wine that's easy to drink and prob likes a few years, but is going to be accessible early. Not in the same class though as the first label wines we had after.
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11/18/2016 - Vinotud Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decided to try a bottle, decanted half a bottle for 2 hours, very enjoyable, a little closed with some heat, but the potential was there. The surprise came when drinking the second half of the bottle the next day, well balanced and lovely with a long finish!
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