I waited until it was time to drink and boy was it worth it. Wonderful full body with the perfect balance in a good Cabernet. Long finish. Glad I have a few more of them.
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- Brick color with fast forming legs. It's lacking fruit with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Right down the fairway for me. 10 year old mountain fruit. Smooth, dry, long finish. Glad I have more as I have been patient with these, and enjoying immensely now.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like Vanilla, blackberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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It's a keeper, still needs time but has matured well to this point. Very dark color, hints of tobacco, coffee, mocha on the nose. Not as dry as I had expected. Plenty of dark fruit, cherry, chocolate, a bit of spice. Lovely finish that lingers with notes of coffee and cherry.
Quick decant. Maybe 20 minutes prior to pouring. Lots of heat at 15.4% ETOH. I decanted my last bottle for over two hours and failed to do the same with this one. I recommend at least 2 and even perhaps 3 hours of decanting time here. She opened up more with lots of swirling and time in the glass but never hit its stride like my last bottle. Still well made with gobs of blue and black fruit up front and earthiness on the back end. Just needs to come into more balance with air time. Drink or hold.
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I had such high hopes…. There does seem to be some red fruit on the nose, mixed in with oak. Palate wise however, he gets very oaky, very fast. I think it needs 10 years, but I don’t know what will be left of it, or me, for that matter, by that time. Addendum. Had been open for six hours. Wife said “This would be good with barbecue.”
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Dark red color. Floral nose of violets and a bit of blackberry. Plush fruit, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco. Cherries on the mid-palate. Sweet tannins, good acidity, nice balance. Finishes long and dark fruited. Drink next 5 years. PNP.
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Similar to previous notes. Good concentration and power, but it has some of the Sonoma smoky and dusty tones that I don't find so compelling. Solid cab as far as Sonoma cabs go, but overpriced at about $76; not something I'll seek out again. I tend to have problems with the '13 California vintage though - always feels too congested, so other vintages of this may fare better.
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Notes of deep blackberry, umami, eucalyptus, drying forest floor — some roasted mushroom, and onions that I think are the representation of a wine that’s starting to pick up some tertiary notes. The palate is full with pepper skin, dried herbs, black fruit, and black-olive salinity edge. Medium acid. A touch of oak driven sweetness pops through on the mid-palate. There’s a nice hold on the palate, it ends with a tangy note as it moves to the finish and then moves back to the overall palate.
It’s big without feeling over done. This is really good, and big CA cab isn’t usually my thing. This is very very good.
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This wine was extremely disappointing considering the parker rating. The nose was dominated by green pepper and vegetable notes with red and dark fruits taking a backseat. The pallet was disjointed with vegetal being the prominent taste and the medium finish.
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Powerful nose of red fruits and spice. Almost black in color. Full bodied with plum, blueberry and lots of chocolate. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Wotn for most of the group. Two hour decant and it kept getting better and better as the evening passed. Some of the group thought parker's 97+ was spot on. Would definitely buy again.
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Long decant did the trick. Wine started to open up a bit and with some good air, the wine had some life in it now. Definitely on the red fruit spectrum in terms of the flavor profile. Wine color is starting to "brick" out and some secondary flavors are starting to show up. This picked up 3 more points from me in terms of score when tasting this the next day as I held some back for a Day 2 pour. Will this get more pts out of me? I don't think so. I think the 97 pt RP rating is way out there. I will probably finish my last bottles in the next few years as I don't see this getting any better with more bottle time.
Coravin pour. Will open during the weekend. Notes of dark dark blackberry, blueberry and dark fruits. There was a back end of forest floor and graphite on nose. Decent mouth feel but acidity was a bit high for me. After 8-9 years, tannins still need a bit of time to resolve. Wine got a bit better with some time in glass. Not peaking by any means in my opinion. Best with food today. At the price I bought it, this is an excellent QPR though.
A recent commenter noted this is starting to change a bit. I noticed similar. a bit more brick red in color now. The nose still offers plenty of ripe blackberry, cherry, spices but is adding some secondary dried spices and tertiary aromas. The palate seems to be peaking also. You get all the fruit and spice but a bit more woodsy these days than just a few years ago with full fruit on display. Tannin structure is still impeccable and gripping. These wines will age gracefully in my opinion but if you prefer the fruit side drink up.
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This wine has calmed down. It has all of the right components, but the over-extraction has left this wine as a series of exclamation points with no real sophistication. I guess some people like that style of wine, but I prefer a more sophisticated and nuanced wine profile.
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Decanted for 3 hours prior to drinking. A great way to start the New Year. Started with the color on the cork - dark red, almost black. Color is deep in the glass. Opaque all the way to the rim. Nose of dark fruits - blackberry. Taste is intense with a long, smooth finish. Long legs. A wonderful wine. So glad I have more. Will drink one a year over the next 10 years.
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This needs a minimum of 3 hours of air before consumption. Huge napa cab with intense mountain fruit. Blackberries, Black cherry, and marvelous lengthy finish all framed by a great backbone of tannin. The window of drinkability has opened and should continue to thrive for 10 to 15 years. Tremendous value!
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Very mature, well integrated tannins and showing beautifully. Cedar box, leather, black fruits on the nose and a full mouthfeel and lovely finish. Still time in the bottle but at full throttle now. What’s not to like!
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93 but not sure at this point. Great flavors and huge depth still there, but tannins huge for entire time (2 days, under pump). May resolve more in another couple years.
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Decanted for over two hours...wow! This wine has a lot going on. It had a nose of plum jam and brambles. On the palate it was huge, bold and quite opulent. Initial waves of pencil lead were dominant which gave way to blackberry and plum jam with oak and sandalwood. Absolutely delicious. It continued to change and evolve over time becoming completely different from the first taste. This wine can go 10 years or more. Drink for it's current hedonism or hold for something even more special to come.
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Two hour decant. Strong blue and black fruit. Violet, cedar, spice and firm tannins. A little too extracted. Steep mountain fruit don’t require that much extraction to shine.
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Plenty of tasting notes to tell you all about this wine. It was delicious and still seems like plenty of cellar time left. Decanted 1.5 hours, give it more. Great wine.!
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Silky. Big blue and black fruits and a touch of spice and menthol. Still strong tannins. Medium long finish. A big, wonderful wine; sad that this was our last bottle.
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On the Savory side, with secondary notes emerging. Focus on on black fruits, tannins are in a good spot, and it's accessible and very drinkable now. Would be a fun ringer to insert into a Bordeaux tasting.
100% cab san from 1700 ft elevation.
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Massive, fruity and tannic. Big boy wine still with a long way to go. Great with grilled steak. Then a few hours later drinking straight, absolutely coated my tongue to where I couldn’t taste anything. Big boy stuff and good value if you got it at $75, but either wait a while or make sure you have a steak to cut it.
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This wine is very good as many others have pointed out. I still just can't see it up in the high 90's. Fantastic at the price I got this for and agree with others notes this still has years ahead of it. If you can find more sub $100, good for you!
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Still very young. Bold tannins overwhelm at first and eventually give way to ripe plum and blackberry. Over ounce a mountain cab. Will let the remaining bottles rest a bit longer.
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Long decant as recommended, still a brute force rich dense wall of dark black and blue fruits, nice plum sauce sweetness with an edge of balsamic glaze, delicious hints of mocha and licorice. Feels built to go the distance just need to be patient as it is quite tempting now. The air time helped pull forth the earthy, sweet cigar / tobacco notes and toast on the nose, fun to swirl and sniff. 94 - 95 now and should improve.
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Another very nice bottle, sweet fruit, some slight menthol notes. The high alcohol didn't show at all this time. A pleasure to drink, more hedonistic than intellectual.
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This is my style of cab. Towering Black fruits, great aromatic nose. You can tell these are mountain berries. Layers of cassis and well integrated tannin followed by a marvelous finish. This is my 2nd attempt with this vintage. Much better now and believe it will only improve.
Side note: Give this loads of air time before consuming. 3 to 4 hours minimum.
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Deep, dark blood red. Strong scents of cinnamon and nutmeg. Rich, decadent red fruit, followed by tobacco notes, then finishing with sweet vanilla and an unusual green herbal note. Very robust, ripe, rich, layered, high acid.
Softened materially on second day, tannins eased. Herbal finish somewhat more pronounced.
Third day, tannins much softened, velvety texture. This wine needs 5+ years of age. Very unique, interesting, but not quite sure what to make of it.
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Absolutely wonderful. One sniff of this and I knew it was going to be a wonderful evening with it. Smooth, balanced, fine and resolved tannins, mature licorice with touches of earth and smoke to the palate. Medium to long finish that went perfectly with rack of lamb. Quarantined in the basement, Dad and I sipped this wine social distanced to the last drop, my first bottle since being self-quarantined on my arrival from Manila . 95+
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Should give separate ratings for first night vs. second. First night tannins coated mouth and tongue mercilessly, never got to enjoy. Second night a different wine; soft, plush, fruity and deep. Be sure to decant for a couple hours if you drink anytime soon.
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Very smooth on the finish although seems to lack structure and tannins for long term aging. Dark fruit with a hint of black tea and cranberry on the finish. Clean, fresh, almost soapy aroma out of the glass. Very interesting. Seems to be over-priced at least the juice from this bottle.
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Had two bottles - very consistent, sweet dark fruit, black tea, a touch of smoke. As I have diversified my wine drinking to consume more leaner and more acid driven styles wines, Hidden Ridge has come across as much sweeter than I remember but the drying tannin on the finish at this stage somewhat counterbalances the sugar rush up front. I am worried that as the tannin fades, this may come across as a bit clunky or boring.
That said, the 2013 continues to deliver on its promise so far and is certainly a crowd please at this stage.
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Quite heavy, deep, penetrating and brooding, has the smokey note I often get from Sonoma cabs. Some sour dark fruit notes. Pretty good, and should benefit with more time but a bit overpriced I think.
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Very good PNP - sweet blackberry fruit, but pleasantly in balance with black tea, dill, soil notes.
I do worry about longevity given the alcohol content, on day 2 the alch was much more noticeable and on day one we kept throwing this back in the fridge to keep the heat less noticeable. I am sure this has many more good years ahead, but not sure this is a 20 year wine. Can someone share examples of wines that drink well for 20-30 years that are over 15% alch?
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The sweet, delicious aroma of fresh berries and other summer fruit along with some faint tobacco and wood/earth emanate from the glass instantly. Very deep ruby in color. Without a doubt, some of the alcohol needs to burn off and a good hour+ decant will make this wine sing. Good luck with that. I could not help but keep drinking this phenomenally delicious, super smooth wine. Certainly a bit sweeter for this Cabernet offering, but this carefully made wine certainly let you know who's in charge. The only sad note to report is that I only have one other bottle.
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Decanted and vigorously swirled. Did not give enough time in the decanter to fully open and this wine had some acidic tartness. Will hold another year before trying again and give a couple hours to breathe in the decanter.
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Solid wine from start to finish. Left it out for 2-3 hours and it was smooth and easily drinkable. I'm not sure if its due to a lack of experience and unrealistic expectations for the price point, but I just didn't see anything amazing there though that you couldn't find for a bottles for 2/3s the price.
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Absolutely awesome. Decanted for several hours before drinking. Out of the bottle, it has a nice ruby color. Nose is full of fruit. Taste is predominantly cherries. A full taste that hits every area of the mouth. A wine with substance. Long legs. Color that lingers on the sides of the glass. No water here. So glad I purchased in a large quantity. Well worth the price.
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A little grainy on the initial pull, although there's a undeniable intensity of dark cherry, currents, and mocha that then cascade across the palate.
No disappointment here at the present, and with a half case left in the cellar, it's in the rotation so I'll post more impressions over time. Seems like a real deal at this point in its elevage.
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This bottle was very ripe / sweet and extremely smooth upon PNP it made me think of Caymus. I always found that there was enough balance from acid, earth/tea keep this from feeling over the top but this bottle is pushing it. That said, it held up way and on day 2 I found that the fruit moderated just a touch and tannin was a bit more noticeable. Maybe better on day 2.
Now 59.99 by the case via Wine Access - Very happy with this wine at that price.
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- Crimsom color. It's balanced with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Turning bricky. Nose and taste are off the charts. Wish we had a few cases cellared.
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Opened six hours before tasting. Long finish. Black fruit smell. Absolutely delicious. Tried on day two and the smell of dill was very intense for me. Intriguing. Better on day two.
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Two hours of decanting revealed this to be a wine that will improve over time. Great dark fruit, mixed with spices and cedar with nice tannin. I will let the other bottles sit for several more years before trying another.
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93+ currently for me, but I could easily see this evolving to be worth the 97+ Parker gave it. I've given it about 4 hours of air and it's just now opening up really. Will hold my others for awhile longer and revisit. Hope to pick up some more as well.
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This wine is just delicious... my go to when I want to open a nice bottle of wine for a non-geek crowd. Continues to open up with time and I am sure this has many years to go. That said, this bottle drank reasonably well with a short decant.
Can be found now for under $80. While not a steal, it is an improvement from the $100 release price. My sense is that the 55% slope wine is made in large enough quantities that there will continue to be availability from time to time through Wine Access and other discount retailers for 20% below release price.
Consistent with earlier notes in terms of nose and taste, also impossible to miss jet black color. This time didn't hammer my tongue as much either. Could be my new favorite. Drink anytime, but may yet get quite a bit better.
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15 min decant into a cylindrical plastic pitcher which was then closed; Prior to departing for the restaurant it was returned to the bottle & the cork reinserted; While I neglected to record how long it sat in my glass prior to tasting, it was probably ≈15 min. Private Preserve after Day 1
100% C.S. from a vyd planted @ 1,700 ft in 1990 not far from Cornell & Pride Mtn, the 25 small, precipitously sloped blocks topping out @ 55 degrees (too steep, with subsequent regulations, even to be replanted); (Supposedly the bowl shape of the 25 blocks acts to draw in cooling air from the Petaluma Gap.) Since this wine was made the property has been renamed Immortal Estate, Winemaker Timothy Milos continuing on with the new owners.
N: Attractive, yet still somewhat subdued melding of berries & pyrazines, notes of choc with addt'l swirling/air, + some unparsables
P: LM body; Very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which, without even remotely losing contact with the init frt, seamlessly transitions into a LONG finish with a swtness to the fairly unoffensive, dusty tannins. // Day 2: N up to snuff, but alch NOW somewhat showing (15.4% ABV declared); ∑: I'll still go with the EXC/EXC+ [92-95/100 using that metric]of my 1st tasting, though, in retrospect, I feel I *didn't* give it enough air on Day 1. 97+ pts WA (3/3/16) & 89 WS. [As of late Dec '19, wine-searcher still shows several sources from $80-$105].
Note: 1st tasted on 4/6/19
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Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 04/05/19 + 5 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% C.S. from a vyd planted @ 1,700 ft in 1990 not far from Cornell & Pride Mtn, the 25 small, precipitously sloped blocks topping out @ 55 degrees (too steep, with subsequent regulations, even to be replanted); (Supposedly the bowl shape of the 25 blocks acts to draw in cooling air from the Petaluma Gap.) Since this wine was made the property has been renamed Immortal Estate, Winemaker Timothy Milos continuing on with the new owners.
Had been in a small tasting glass 3+ hrs before I got to it
N: Slightly closed; RIPE blkberries with a sense of richness & poss pyrazines underneath? Intensity lurking
P: MF body; Very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the fairly innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & the next 5 yrs... CONSERVATIVELY. Elegantly done! My EXC/EXC+. 97+ pts WA & 89 WS. [This vendor's $81.95 puts it in the top 20% of wine-searcher's fairly skewed listings.]
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Dark purple inky tooth staining juice. An alluring aroma of tobacco, fresh cut timber, and earthy notes. Starts with a wallop of blackberry and plum then evolves into a slight spice and mineral finish. This wine is rich and extremely concentrated. The double nickel % slope should be climbing to the summit over the next 20 years. 96 points.
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Amazing first impression with nose and taste. But over two nights I found it really hammered my tongue and found it a little heavy after half a bottle (no food with it). May need to settle down for a couple years. But great flavors, so hope it all integrates.
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Debated this one. I think it has a lot of upside but is still quite backward. Probably 94-95 in a couple years. I’ll be curious to see how this one evolves.
Dark, inky, graphite / mineral characteristics dominate.
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It's interesting how things change as a wine evolves. The first bottle that I tried showed as a sleeker and leaner Cab than the 2012, not so. perhaps it was too young the first time around. This is a big wine that started out somewhat closed, acidic and in need of air. With some extended air time, this vintage shows nice dark ripe fruit extraction with a good nose and dark color that is a penetrating deep purple red. On the palate, black, blue and boysenberry fruit, currants, some tobacco and a core that is strong. Drinking nicely now however, it needs considerable time to open up. This wine will develop to much better with bottle time. Drink now with a long decant, that will make this a more enjoyable wine, but the best is yet to come for this vintage in my opinion. 92.8 Points, good stuff and available at a better price these days.
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Still primary, might remain so. Coravin 1/2 bottle to 1 hour decant, sipped over 5 hours. Didn't evolve much, nose very closed down. Deep purple, saturated meniscus, light cassis et al. Nose never really opened, though did get a wonderfully integrated vanilla for a bit and some dusty oak. nice soft coating tannins with some charred cocoa undertones. Really rich and nice but the nose just seems muted at the moment.
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This was outstanding! Drank 6 bottles in 2 nights with friends. Deep, rich, complex, balanced, structured, focused. It was all there. Firing on all cylinders. Wow.
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So I had 5 of these in the cellar and decided to open 1, to see if the high ratings were justified at this low price point. Well, I was impressed! In the glass, it showed ruby, dark garnet, almost midnight, with a great nose (think blueberries/cassis). Mouth feel was medium to heavy, with generous fruit, followed by structured tannins that left a dry chalkiness on the finish....love that. I drank this with rice crackers and cheese on night one and solo'd it (no food) on night two....slightly even better on night two. I enjoyed this enough to by 4 more bottles. Not sure there's a better 13' Cab, at this price point
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LOVE it! Totally worth the price. Wish we had bought more. Never have had a wine like this one. It had a deep color and so many flavors in one glass. Swirling just brought out a bouquet of aromas. Everything I love in wine was enveloped in this bottle. Decanted for 3 hours and drank on Christmas night.
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Seeing some bottle variation. This came across as much more tannic and structured than the last bottle-totally enjoyable with a long decant, but certainly would benefit from further aging.
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Decided to pop one of these earlier than I normally would because of all of the positive notes. Well the bottle was certainly good with generous fruit some secondary flavors and background tannins. PnP and drank with grilled tenderloin. Certainly enjoyable now but I think it will be better in 5 years.
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Plum Market Luxury Wine Tasting. Dark ruby/purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. Solid depth mid-palate, however, the fruit came across a little grainy especially next to a 2014 Pahlmeyer proprietary red. I believe it could use some more time for the fruit to soften/open-up - although I'm sure a decent decant would have helped as well. Nice flavors of dark berries, a little mineral component, and some spice box. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep and just a little tannic. Apparently the bottles were open for a couple hours before serving. Once again, a solid cab but the 97+ rating from Parker is a little suprising. WA anticipated maturity 2016 to 2041 so maybe it just needs time. 100% cab.
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Deep color with lots of blue and red fruit extract. Good tannin, forward yet well-behaved. Plenty of tannin and structure; shows excellent balance for its relative youth. Drank it on Election Night with a bunch of friends, and everyone thought it was a star.
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At this early stage in its maturation, give it at least two hours in the decanter. Clear inky deep purple-garnet-black. Initial aroma of roasted fruit gave way after an hour to glorious bouquet of bright fresh black fruits, mocha, dark baking spices, fennel, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, rich, generous, velvet-satin mouthfeel, beautiful balance between sweet fruit, polished tannin and refreshing acidity. Outstanding.
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Decided to splurge and enjoy this tonight. After a two hour decant, so glad we did! Very well balanced at this point, the fruit is still bright but the tannins have softened. This wine has an earthy taste, but like the fruit, it is not overpowering. You have bright fruit on the nose and a smooth lingering finish with lots of earthy depth. So good we’re each on our second glass! We bought a bunch of this, glad we listened to earlier reviewers and tried one now. Suspect this will continue to age well. Hidden Ridge is one of our favorites and this did not disappoint. As we poured our unplanned second glasses, which had not been decanted, it is clear that the decant was worth it but still awesome. If you have a few in your cellar, well worth trying now.
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Another great showing. Consensus WOTN... my sense is that these are peaking now, the lush fruit is still moderated by tannin and black tea flavors. I don't think this is going to age into an elegant wine (I will hold a few bottles to test that theory though). Enjoy the power of this wine in its youth.
This is a really nice wine, that is age worthy and coming along nicely. My thoughts on this wine are much like I expressed in previous notes, really nice dark ripe fruit extraction, yet showing a bit more acidity at this point. A long decant make this a more enjoyable wine to drink.
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full body wine, but very smooth and delicate. Opened 30 minutes before drinking. Nose was full with red fruit, taste was full body fruit with a light tannin, finish was long and perfect. Wish I had another bottle to let age. Ready to drink now.
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Similar to first bottle. Has a bit of an empty mid-palate with smooth and relative soft cassis fruit. Very enjoyable, but, the price increase did not justify the end result.
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Similar thoughts as earlier in the year. Dark ruby/purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate with nice flavors of dark berries, chocolate, a little tobacco, and some spice box. However, I was hoping for a little bigger/fuller fruit this time around in light of Parker's 97+ rating. Fairly long finish. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well right away. A nice wine but I don't get the 97+ rating from Parker - I expect more for such a rating.
As previous note. Extracted plum fruit balanced nicely by acid. Rates well on nose, taste and finish. Good balance. Solid sub 80 buck Napa Cabernet that is drinking wonderfully right now.
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- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - This wine got a lot better with time after an hour or so.
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Heading for 95 or higher in two years. A beautiful CA Cab from the Mayacamas ridge between Napa and Sonoma. Big and full, lots of plum and cherry. Needed two hours in decanter to show its best stuff, but worth waiting.
12/15/19 Another bottle, still chugging and delicious. Around the table 92, 92, 94, 95.
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A very good wine that was a value in 2012, but those days are long gone and so am I. I like this wine but the price increase is way overdone in my opinion (a la Larkmead). I left Larkmead after the 2013 vintage, and I'll do the same with Hidden Ridge as there are many other wineries out there to choose from. From $50 to almost $100? 93-94 Points
Consistent with previous tastings, definitely approachable now--fruit was fully present upon PNP. That said, it held up over 5 hours in the decanter. Preferred this on the cooler side. I may experiment with a few bottles and hold them for long term aging, but this seems to be in a sweet spot now.
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Similar note as before but as pointed out definitely getting a lingering black tea note on the finish. Still more than approachable right after opening but does really pick up depth with time decanting.
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Decanted 1 hour then back into the bottle for 2-3 more. Roasted, stewed, and pruned all around with a undoubtably dark character. Tasty and structured but lacking freshness representing a definitive stylistic departure from other years. Young but designed to enjoy immediately or 10 years from now.
Lovely bold fruit and spice but balanced by slate and black tea. A really nice showing after an hour decant (served a cellar temp which I think improved the experience). I was happy to find more for ~$75 a bottle in a six pack format. This wine is no longer the screaming deal it once was, but I think it is a fair price.
This is still on the way up, but these wines do show well young. Don't be too afraid to open a bottle if you are getting curious.
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Among the best young wines I've ever had. Decanted 2/3 of bottle 3 hours before drinking. Huge great fruit core that stood out over structure. Drank rest under pump two nights later. Fruit a little less pronounced then. Give this a few years but great flavor.
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Very lush, plush, smooth, open knit style. Full bodied. Tannins are relatively tame but do provide some grip on the long finish. Did not evolve much over two days.
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PNP Decided to purchase this based on reviews of Badmonkey and Yackman. This is wine that is big and dense and for me dominated by black fruit, stewed plum and tar. Subdued nose of stewed fruit dominated by alcohol. Very nice fruit to acid balance on the palate that results in pleasing longer finish. Overall a very good wine just slightly brutish to rate higher. DAY 2 - Really smoothed out, displayed a little more nose and less tar and stewed character.
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Picked-up a bottle in the secondary market after enjoying the 2012 vintage and also in light of Parker's 97+ rating. Dark black fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth/concentration. Nice flavors of dark berries, plum, and some spice/licorice. Fairly rich and a little sweet - as some others have noted some zin like qualities. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. A really nice wine but a lot of tough competition at the new price point. I miss the days when I could buy older vintages of this wine at Costco for around $50. 100% cab.
There’s a heavy black fruit nose on this full bodied fruit forward Cabernet. You can taste the plums and chocolate. This wine almost has a Zin quality to it. It’s very dense and opulent for sure. It’ll be overly sweet for some....
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A nice bottle. Took a long time to open up -- double decanted and consumed 24 hours later. Lots of dark black fruit.
This has the stuffing for a long life. Certainly not a bargain, but I don't think I can get too upset about the price increase. If only it were still 59.99...
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Nice nose and a color that is dark and penetrating. On the palate, blackberry, boysenberry fruit intensity that is sleeker and leaner than the 2012, some tobacco and with a core that is strong. Drinking nicely now but will develop to a greater degree with bottle time. This vintage actually showed better with food. With time this wine will be and is, heading in a very nice direction. 93.7 Points. I couldn't resist this one despite the hefty price increase.
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This rich and intense Cabernet needs another year or two in order to bring its massive elements into balance - insane, extracted fruit; pungent, somewhat fine-grained tannins; and acidity that is present but competes with the overall, almost overwhelming viscosity of the wine. The pieces are there for brilliance (defined in the terms of unapologetically modern CA Cabernet), but this doesn't seem ready to me yet.
Dark garnet in color; full in body (tear drops on the glass, mouth-feel like half-and-half creamer); enveloping nose of boysenberry, pencil lead, and rosemary. Tastes of plum, blueberry pie, graphite, cedar, and licorice, with a thick, almost syrupy finish that carries hints of cocoa powder and brambly tannins. 15.4% alcohol. Be sure to decant for an hour or so, since it comes across as a bit blowsy at the outset.
This is a tremendous value if you were able to pick it up under $60 back in the day, and I think it has a promising future ahead of it. At the moment, I prefer the 2012, which seemed more open and settled. While this wine is more opulent and extracted, it also seems a bit more backward and compact (all of which is consistent with the vintages). Good things are coming, but I don't think this is there yet. I'll try my other bottles in 2018 or 2019.
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See notes from 11/17/16. I've seen a lot of comments recently about quality for the price, and I think this is right up there with the best of them. Really a huge wine, but it pulls back from going over the line, and also has nice structure and backbone to complement the incredible concentration and depth. The tannins are present, but so nicely integrated and the layers are just astounding. So impressive. Love it.
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Similar notes as before and for the money, one of my top picks for the year. Purple, plum, chocolate, creme de cassis swirl around in the glass. Very smooth, creamy and well tamed tannins. Hidden Ridge has it's own style and can clearly compete with the big boys from Napa.
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Wine #2 at New Years, followed a 2006 La Violette. This is a terrific wine. On the nose I get dark cherry, mocha, a hint of vanilla and some spice. Deep and rich and forward on the palate with chocolate/cherry and spice but plenty of structure to follow through. Nice, long finish. This is universally enjoyed. And at the price, it would be hard to do better. This might even get better 96+
What a wine and for the price, it doesn't get any better than this! Dark purple color, the smell is awesome, with fruit notes of plum and blackberries. Cassis. And there are other flavors that I couldn't place but luckily, I have more bottles in my cellar to figure that out. This is a great wine and kudo's should go out to the vintners!
Very young. Needs time. Evolved in the glass. Tremendous nose of dark fruit. Strong sweet tannins. Great balance, long finish. Promising great things to come in the future.
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Wowsers, what an absolutely loaded monster of a wine! Incredible nose of licorice, cassis, forest floor and oak. Mostly dark fruit with hints of red. Extracted and opulent, with very present but smooth and integrated tannins. Full bodied with layers and layers of massively concentrated fruit and minerality; has some flavors I can't even quite describe, perhaps because I am more familiar with Napa than Sonoma cabs. From the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Mountains, this is an enormous wine that needs quite a bit of air. The finish is absolutely unbelievable, and lingers on the pallet for what seems like forever. I can't even imagine what the Impassable Mountain Reserve of this wine tastes like for 2013. A spectacular show if you enjoy absolute power that hits you with some nuance and the ability to age due to considerable tannin structure. I am with Parker on this one. 96+
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5/5/2024 - norfolk@aol.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tastes of Blackberry and still young with a nice finish. This might improve in a year or two.
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3/31/2024 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super rich fruit (dark); smooth / polished tannins; a little cocoa; mouth coating; long finish. 94 points. 96 pts for the price!
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3/29/2024 - EricU Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Noticeably better than last year. Well integrated and precise.
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3/24/2024 - Adamsmt25 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well crafted cab. Cinnamon and baking spice in the nose, tannins have mellowed and are quite smooth. Fruit is a rich blackberry.
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2/16/2024 - Fred and Lee Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
I waited until it was time to drink and boy was it worth it. Wonderful full body with the perfect balance in a good Cabernet. Long finish. Glad I have a few more of them.
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1/13/2024 - murndog1 wrote:
- Brick color with fast forming legs. It's lacking fruit with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Right down the fairway for me. 10 year old mountain fruit. Smooth, dry, long finish. Glad I have more as I have been patient with these, and enjoying immensely now.
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12/30/2023 - CosmicDude Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed with family and a wonderful steak. Great Cab - full bodied, powerful, wonderful
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12/16/2023 - kuese Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gotta be one of my Cali faves - big but yet subtle. Lovely
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11/17/2023 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Same as previous note.
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10/21/2023 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 95 Points
Love this cab. Velvety. Nice finish Had with prime rib. Big very dark. Ready to drink cedar. Tannic still
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6/27/2023 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Spicy, dark, and young. Blackberry extract and cocoa. Intense and voluptuous. Drinking nicely right now.
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6/5/2023 - aaslanian Likes this wine: 96 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like Vanilla, blackberry and red currant. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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3/18/2023 - wineholder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unexpectedly great
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12/27/2022 - whitejones Likes this wine: 95 Points
It's a keeper, still needs time but has matured well to this point. Very dark color, hints of tobacco, coffee, mocha on the nose. Not as dry as I had expected. Plenty of dark fruit, cherry, chocolate, a bit of spice. Lovely finish that lingers with notes of coffee and cherry.
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12/24/2022 - Bodyfxr wrote: 93 Points
Quick decant. Maybe 20 minutes prior to pouring. Lots of heat at 15.4% ETOH. I decanted my last bottle for over two hours and failed to do the same with this one. I recommend at least 2 and even perhaps 3 hours of decanting time here. She opened up more with lots of swirling and time in the glass but never hit its stride like my last bottle. Still well made with gobs of blue and black fruit up front and earthiness on the back end. Just needs to come into more balance with air time. Drink or hold.
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11/27/2022 - oncocyte wrote: 90 Points
I had such high hopes…. There does seem to be some red fruit on the nose, mixed in with oak. Palate wise however, he gets very oaky, very fast. I think it needs 10 years, but I don’t know what will be left of it, or me, for that matter, by that time. Addendum. Had been open for six hours. Wife said “This would be good with barbecue.”
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11/5/2022 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red color. Floral nose of violets and a bit of blackberry. Plush fruit, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco. Cherries on the mid-palate. Sweet tannins, good acidity, nice balance. Finishes long and dark fruited. Drink next 5 years. PNP.
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8/30/2022 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous notes. Good concentration and power, but it has some of the Sonoma smoky and dusty tones that I don't find so compelling. Solid cab as far as Sonoma cabs go, but overpriced at about $76; not something I'll seek out again. I tend to have problems with the '13 California vintage though - always feels too congested, so other vintages of this may fare better.
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8/14/2022 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 95 Points
Notes of deep blackberry, umami, eucalyptus, drying forest floor — some roasted mushroom, and onions that I think are the representation of a wine that’s starting to pick up some tertiary notes. The palate is full with pepper skin, dried herbs, black fruit, and black-olive salinity edge. Medium acid. A touch of oak driven sweetness pops through on the mid-palate. There’s a nice hold on the palate, it ends with a tangy note as it moves to the finish and then moves back to the overall palate.
It’s big without feeling over done. This is really good, and big CA cab isn’t usually my thing. This is very very good.
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4/11/2022 - lewisrise wrote: 89 Points
This wine was extremely disappointing considering the parker rating. The nose was dominated by green pepper and vegetable notes with red and dark fruits taking a backseat. The pallet was disjointed with vegetal being the prominent taste and the medium finish.
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3/5/2022 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 96 Points
Powerful nose of red fruits and spice. Almost black in color. Full bodied with plum, blueberry and lots of chocolate. Great mouthfeel and long finish. Wotn for most of the group. Two hour decant and it kept getting better and better as the evening passed. Some of the group thought parker's 97+ was spot on. Would definitely buy again.
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2/24/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 93 Points
Long decant did the trick. Wine started to open up a bit and with some good air, the wine had some life in it now. Definitely on the red fruit spectrum in terms of the flavor profile. Wine color is starting to "brick" out and some secondary flavors are starting to show up. This picked up 3 more points from me in terms of score when tasting this the next day as I held some back for a Day 2 pour. Will this get more pts out of me? I don't think so. I think the 97 pt RP rating is way out there. I will probably finish my last bottles in the next few years as I don't see this getting any better with more bottle time.
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2/16/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 90 Points
Coravin pour. Will open during the weekend. Notes of dark dark blackberry, blueberry and dark fruits. There was a back end of forest floor and graphite on nose. Decent mouth feel but acidity was a bit high for me. After 8-9 years, tannins still need a bit of time to resolve. Wine got a bit better with some time in glass. Not peaking by any means in my opinion. Best with food today. At the price I bought it, this is an excellent QPR though.
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2/7/2022 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A recent commenter noted this is starting to change a bit. I noticed similar. a bit more brick red in color now. The nose still offers plenty of ripe blackberry, cherry, spices but is adding some secondary dried spices and tertiary aromas. The palate seems to be peaking also. You get all the fruit and spice but a bit more woodsy these days than just a few years ago with full fruit on display. Tannin structure is still impeccable and gripping. These wines will age gracefully in my opinion but if you prefer the fruit side drink up.
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1/30/2022 - drmarc61 wrote: 90 Points
This wine has calmed down. It has all of the right components, but the over-extraction has left this wine as a series of exclamation points with no real sophistication. I guess some people like that style of wine, but I prefer a more sophisticated and nuanced wine profile.
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1/2/2022 - mlutsky67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours prior to drinking. A great way to start the New Year. Started with the color on the cork - dark red, almost black. Color is deep in the glass. Opaque all the way to the rim. Nose of dark fruits - blackberry. Taste is intense with a long, smooth finish. Long legs. A wonderful wine. So glad I have more. Will drink one a year over the next 10 years.
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12/31/2021 - Adamsmt25 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hint of cinnamon on the nose. Tannins are very well integrated strong cherry.
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11/26/2021 - R.Jos.Valent wrote: 94 Points
This needs a minimum of 3 hours of air before consumption. Huge napa cab with intense mountain fruit. Blackberries, Black cherry, and marvelous lengthy finish all framed by a great backbone of tannin. The window of drinkability has opened and should continue to thrive for 10 to 15 years. Tremendous value!
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11/20/2021 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 95 Points
It was delicious. Nice nose. Long finish. Tannic. Had with macadamia nut torte I think next time I will have with a steak or lamb. Dark.
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11/20/2021 - flwinos wrote: 94 Points
Drinking well with an hour of decant time. Consumed a few weeks ago - so no detailed notes.
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9/3/2021 - Time traveller Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very mature, well integrated tannins and showing beautifully. Cedar box, leather, black fruits on the nose and a full mouthfeel and lovely finish. Still time in the bottle but at full throttle now. What’s not to like!
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9/2/2021 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smoothing out. Lush and juicy with nigh black fruits. Tannins have softened but still some oak on the back end.
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8/28/2021 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
93 but not sure at this point. Great flavors and huge depth still there, but tannins huge for entire time (2 days, under pump). May resolve more in another couple years.
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8/24/2021 - Mr T wrote:
Big thick rich Cali cab. Strong deep and dark flavors. Heavier than I really like, but well done for that sort of wine
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5/9/2021 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Napa cab. Smoothing out with cassis and vanilla. Fruity but not jammy
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4/10/2021 - Bodyfxr wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for over two hours...wow! This wine has a lot going on. It had a nose of plum jam and brambles. On the palate it was huge, bold and quite opulent. Initial waves of pencil lead were dominant which gave way to blackberry and plum jam with oak and sandalwood. Absolutely delicious. It continued to change and evolve over time becoming completely different from the first taste. This wine can go 10 years or more. Drink for it's current hedonism or hold for something even more special to come.
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3/26/2021 - drmarc61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Strong blue and black fruit. Violet, cedar, spice and firm tannins. A little too extracted. Steep mountain fruit don’t require that much extraction to shine.
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3/26/2021 - Nati Winos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Plenty of tasting notes to tell you all about this wine. It was delicious and still seems like plenty of cellar time left. Decanted 1.5 hours, give it more. Great wine.!
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12/26/2020 - Hppr Cellar wrote: 94 Points
Needs at least 5-10 years
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11/26/2020 - drmilkweed Likes this wine: 96 Points
Silky. Big blue and black fruits and a touch of spice and menthol. Still strong tannins. Medium long finish. A big, wonderful wine; sad that this was our last bottle.
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11/17/2020 - vancouvermatt wrote: 94 Points
On the Savory side, with secondary notes emerging. Focus on on black fruits, tannins are in a good spot, and it's accessible and very drinkable now. Would be a fun ringer to insert into a Bordeaux tasting.
100% cab san from 1700 ft elevation.
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10/4/2020 - colima Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good fruit, good nose. A bit rough on the finish. Good match for lamb
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9/27/2020 - NOClawz wrote:
Did not like.
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9/13/2020 - SZazubek Likes this wine:
98. Deep, dark, powerful.
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9/5/2020 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
Massive, fruity and tannic. Big boy wine still with a long way to go. Great with grilled steak. Then a few hours later drinking straight, absolutely coated my tongue to where I couldn’t taste anything. Big boy stuff and good value if you got it at $75, but either wait a while or make sure you have a steak to cut it.
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9/1/2020 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is very good as many others have pointed out. I still just can't see it up in the high 90's. Fantastic at the price I got this for and agree with others notes this still has years ahead of it. If you can find more sub $100, good for you!
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8/28/2020 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
It’s young, but oh so tasty. Big black mountain fruit, starting to come into balance, but it can go years easily. Wish I had another case.
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8/13/2020 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very young. Bold tannins overwhelm at first and eventually give way to ripe plum and blackberry. Over ounce a mountain cab. Will let the remaining bottles rest a bit longer.
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7/11/2020 - VAVintner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge, dark, intense. Deep dark fruit on the nose, cassis, coffee, dark chocolate. Big chewy tannin. Great now with a steak. Will sit for 10-20 yrs
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7/4/2020 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic. Dark fruits and licorice. This wine compares favorably with wines that cost twice as much.
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6/19/2020 - mlutsky67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still a classic in my mind. Great color, nose and taste.
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5/31/2020 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Continues to deliver on all counts.
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5/24/2020 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Long decant as recommended, still a brute force rich dense wall of dark black and blue fruits, nice plum sauce sweetness with an edge of balsamic glaze, delicious hints of mocha and licorice. Feels built to go the distance just need to be patient as it is quite tempting now. The air time helped pull forth the earthy, sweet cigar / tobacco notes and toast on the nose, fun to swirl and sniff. 94 - 95 now and should improve.
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5/4/2020 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another very nice bottle, sweet fruit, some slight menthol notes. The high alcohol didn't show at all this time. A pleasure to drink, more hedonistic than intellectual.
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4/29/2020 - R.Jos.Valent Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is my style of cab. Towering Black fruits, great aromatic nose. You can tell these are mountain berries. Layers of cassis and well integrated tannin followed by a marvelous finish. This is my 2nd attempt with this vintage. Much better now and believe it will only improve.
Side note: Give this loads of air time before consuming. 3 to 4 hours minimum.
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4/17/2020 - GA_Seattle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark blood red. Strong scents of cinnamon and nutmeg. Rich, decadent red fruit, followed by tobacco notes, then finishing with sweet vanilla and an unusual green herbal note. Very robust, ripe, rich, layered, high acid.
Softened materially on second day, tannins eased. Herbal finish somewhat more pronounced.
Third day, tannins much softened, velvety texture. This wine needs 5+ years of age. Very unique, interesting, but not quite sure what to make of it.
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4/10/2020 - stschutz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely wonderful. One sniff of this and I knew it was going to be a wonderful evening with it. Smooth, balanced, fine and resolved tannins, mature licorice with touches of earth and smoke to the palate. Medium to long finish that went perfectly with rack of lamb. Quarantined in the basement, Dad and I sipped this wine social distanced to the last drop, my first bottle since being self-quarantined on my arrival from Manila . 95+
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4/10/2020 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
Should give separate ratings for first night vs. second. First night tannins coated mouth and tongue mercilessly, never got to enjoy. Second night a different wine; soft, plush, fruity and deep. Be sure to decant for a couple hours if you drink anytime soon.
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4/2/2020 - Tym4wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very smooth on the finish although seems to lack structure and tannins for long term aging. Dark fruit with a hint of black tea and cranberry on the finish. Clean, fresh, almost soapy aroma out of the glass. Very interesting. Seems to be over-priced at least the juice from this bottle.
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3/9/2020 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had two bottles - very consistent, sweet dark fruit, black tea, a touch of smoke. As I have diversified my wine drinking to consume more leaner and more acid driven styles wines, Hidden Ridge has come across as much sweeter than I remember but the drying tannin on the finish at this stage somewhat counterbalances the sugar rush up front. I am worried that as the tannin fades, this may come across as a bit clunky or boring.
That said, the 2013 continues to deliver on its promise so far and is certainly a crowd please at this stage.
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2/22/2020 - AJCM Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink 2025
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2/18/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Quite heavy, deep, penetrating and brooding, has the smokey note I often get from Sonoma cabs. Some sour dark fruit notes. Pretty good, and should benefit with more time but a bit overpriced I think.
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2/3/2020 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good PNP - sweet blackberry fruit, but pleasantly in balance with black tea, dill, soil notes.
I do worry about longevity given the alcohol content, on day 2 the alch was much more noticeable and on day one we kept throwing this back in the fridge to keep the heat less noticeable. I am sure this has many more good years ahead, but not sure this is a 20 year wine. Can someone share examples of wines that drink well for 20-30 years that are over 15% alch?
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1/30/2020 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 94 Points
The sweet, delicious aroma of fresh berries and other summer fruit along with some faint tobacco and wood/earth emanate from the glass instantly. Very deep ruby in color. Without a doubt, some of the alcohol needs to burn off and a good hour+ decant will make this wine sing. Good luck with that. I could not help but keep drinking this phenomenally delicious, super smooth wine. Certainly a bit sweeter for this Cabernet offering, but this carefully made wine certainly let you know who's in charge. The only sad note to report is that I only have one other bottle.
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1/1/2020 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 92 Points
Past its prime.
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12/29/2019 - oenophilemoose wrote:
Decanted and vigorously swirled. Did not give enough time in the decanter to fully open and this wine had some acidic tartness. Will hold another year before trying again and give a couple hours to breathe in the decanter.
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12/27/2019 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful linear nose of dark fruit. Impenetrable dark plum color. Smooth mouthfeel with tannins in check. Long, long finish.
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11/9/2019 - twither Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really good this time. Viscous and sweet.
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10/18/2019 - Croatbag Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid wine from start to finish. Left it out for 2-3 hours and it was smooth and easily drinkable. I'm not sure if its due to a lack of experience and unrealistic expectations for the price point, but I just didn't see anything amazing there though that you couldn't find for a bottles for 2/3s the price.
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10/14/2019 - mlutsky67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely awesome. Decanted for several hours before drinking. Out of the bottle, it has a nice ruby color. Nose is full of fruit. Taste is predominantly cherries. A full taste that hits every area of the mouth. A wine with substance. Long legs. Color that lingers on the sides of the glass. No water here. So glad I purchased in a large quantity. Well worth the price.
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10/1/2019 - GQG Likes this wine: 93 Points
A little grainy on the initial pull, although there's a undeniable intensity of dark cherry, currents, and mocha that then cascade across the palate.
No disappointment here at the present, and with a half case left in the cellar, it's in the rotation so I'll post more impressions over time. Seems like a real deal at this point in its elevage.
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9/9/2019 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was very ripe / sweet and extremely smooth upon PNP it made me think of Caymus. I always found that there was enough balance from acid, earth/tea keep this from feeling over the top but this bottle is pushing it. That said, it held up way and on day 2 I found that the fruit moderated just a touch and tannin was a bit more noticeable. Maybe better on day 2.
Now 59.99 by the case via Wine Access - Very happy with this wine at that price.
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8/31/2019 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely wine that hits all the high points.
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8/24/2019 - Indywinefan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine. Nice fruit and nose with long finish. Good value.
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8/11/2019 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 96 Points
- Crimsom color. It's balanced with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Turning bricky. Nose and taste are off the charts. Wish we had a few cases cellared.
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7/29/2019 - Cami0723 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened six hours before tasting. Long finish. Black fruit smell. Absolutely delicious. Tried on day two and the smell of dill was very intense for me. Intriguing. Better on day two.
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7/27/2019 - odyssey11 wrote: 93 Points
Very closed after PNP. Opened up nicely on day two. This has a long way yet to go. Great dark fruit, graphite, structure.
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7/17/2019 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding density and presence. Very approachable now, drinking well, but clearly will benefit from time.
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7/17/2019 - drmarc61 wrote: 92 Points
Two hours of decanting revealed this to be a wine that will improve over time. Great dark fruit, mixed with spices and cedar with nice tannin. I will let the other bottles sit for several more years before trying another.
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7/14/2019 - TMOVino2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+ currently for me, but I could easily see this evolving to be worth the 97+ Parker gave it. I've given it about 4 hours of air and it's just now opening up really. Will hold my others for awhile longer and revisit. Hope to pick up some more as well.
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7/6/2019 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is just delicious... my go to when I want to open a nice bottle of wine for a non-geek crowd. Continues to open up with time and I am sure this has many years to go. That said, this bottle drank reasonably well with a short decant.
Can be found now for under $80. While not a steal, it is an improvement from the $100 release price. My sense is that the 55% slope wine is made in large enough quantities that there will continue to be availability from time to time through Wine Access and other discount retailers for 20% below release price.
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6/23/2019 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with earlier notes in terms of nose and taste, also impossible to miss jet black color. This time didn't hammer my tongue as much either. Could be my new favorite. Drink anytime, but may yet get quite a bit better.
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5/16/2019 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good showing after a double decanting - fruit was open and ready for business with black tea, tobacco underneath.
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5/5/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
15 min decant into a cylindrical plastic pitcher which was then closed; Prior to departing for the restaurant it was returned to the bottle & the cork reinserted; While I neglected to record how long it sat in my glass prior to tasting, it was probably ≈15 min. Private Preserve after Day 1
100% C.S. from a vyd planted @ 1,700 ft in 1990 not far from Cornell & Pride Mtn, the 25 small, precipitously sloped blocks topping out @ 55 degrees (too steep, with subsequent regulations, even to be replanted); (Supposedly the bowl shape of the 25 blocks acts to draw in cooling air from the Petaluma Gap.) Since this wine was made the property has been renamed Immortal Estate, Winemaker Timothy Milos continuing on with the new owners.
N: Attractive, yet still somewhat subdued melding of berries & pyrazines, notes of choc with addt'l swirling/air, + some unparsables
P: LM body; Very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which, without even remotely losing contact with the init frt, seamlessly transitions into a LONG finish with a swtness to the fairly unoffensive, dusty tannins. // Day 2: N up to snuff, but alch NOW somewhat showing (15.4% ABV declared); ∑: I'll still go with the EXC/EXC+ [92-95/100 using that metric]of my 1st tasting, though, in retrospect, I feel I *didn't* give it enough air on Day 1. 97+ pts WA (3/3/16) & 89 WS. [As of late Dec '19, wine-searcher still shows several sources from $80-$105].
Note: 1st tasted on 4/6/19
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4/6/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 04/05/19 + 5 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 100% C.S. from a vyd planted @ 1,700 ft in 1990 not far from Cornell & Pride Mtn, the 25 small, precipitously sloped blocks topping out @ 55 degrees (too steep, with subsequent regulations, even to be replanted); (Supposedly the bowl shape of the 25 blocks acts to draw in cooling air from the Petaluma Gap.) Since this wine was made the property has been renamed Immortal Estate, Winemaker Timothy Milos continuing on with the new owners.
Had been in a small tasting glass 3+ hrs before I got to it
N: Slightly closed; RIPE blkberries with a sense of richness & poss pyrazines underneath? Intensity lurking
P: MF body; Very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which QUITE resolves by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a delightful tangy/swtness to the fairly innocuous, dusty tannins. For now & the next 5 yrs... CONSERVATIVELY. Elegantly done! My EXC/EXC+. 97+ pts WA & 89 WS. [This vendor's $81.95 puts it in the top 20% of wine-searcher's fairly skewed listings.]
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4/5/2019 - dwambrose wrote:
Very good. Heavy.
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4/2/2019 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
This time I gave it a few hours to breathe... huge improvement. Now I get it... just needs time or a lot of air.
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3/26/2019 - CoryDean44 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark purple inky tooth staining juice. An alluring aroma of tobacco, fresh cut timber, and earthy notes. Starts with a wallop of blackberry and plum then evolves into a slight spice and mineral finish. This wine is rich and extremely concentrated. The double nickel % slope should be climbing to the summit over the next 20 years. 96 points.
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3/8/2019 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Amazing first impression with nose and taste. But over two nights I found it really hammered my tongue and found it a little heavy after half a bottle (no food with it). May need to settle down for a couple years. But great flavors, so hope it all integrates.
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3/6/2019 - odyssey11 wrote: 92 Points
Debated this one. I think it has a lot of upside but is still quite backward. Probably 94-95 in a couple years. I’ll be curious to see how this one evolves.
Dark, inky, graphite / mineral characteristics dominate.
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3/3/2019 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
It's interesting how things change as a wine evolves. The first bottle that I tried showed as a sleeker and leaner Cab than the 2012, not so. perhaps it was too young the first time around. This is a big wine that started out somewhat closed, acidic and in need of air. With some extended air time, this vintage shows nice dark ripe fruit extraction with a good nose and dark color that is a penetrating deep purple red. On the palate, black, blue and boysenberry fruit, currants, some tobacco and a core that is strong. Drinking nicely now however, it needs considerable time to open up. This wine will develop to much better with bottle time. Drink now with a long decant, that will make this a more enjoyable wine, but the best is yet to come for this vintage in my opinion. 92.8 Points, good stuff and available at a better price these days.
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2/24/2019 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young. Very rich and fruit forward, I found the flavor profile to be slightly over the top. Better with air. Will probably be better in a few years.
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2/17/2019 - Ikesmith wrote: 92 Points
Still primary, might remain so. Coravin 1/2 bottle to 1 hour decant, sipped over 5 hours. Didn't evolve much, nose very closed down. Deep purple, saturated meniscus, light cassis et al. Nose never really opened, though did get a wonderfully integrated vanilla for a bit and some dusty oak. nice soft coating tannins with some charred cocoa undertones. Really rich and nice but the nose just seems muted at the moment.
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2/4/2019 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was outstanding! Drank 6 bottles in 2 nights with friends. Deep, rich, complex, balanced, structured, focused. It was all there. Firing on all cylinders. Wow.
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1/29/2019 - NapaBias Likes this wine: 94 Points
So I had 5 of these in the cellar and decided to open 1, to see if the high ratings were justified at this low price point. Well, I was impressed! In the glass, it showed ruby, dark garnet, almost midnight, with a great nose (think blueberries/cassis). Mouth feel was medium to heavy, with generous fruit, followed by structured tannins that left a dry chalkiness on the finish....love that. I drank this with rice crackers and cheese on night one and solo'd it (no food) on night two....slightly even better on night two. I enjoyed this enough to by 4 more bottles. Not sure there's a better 13' Cab, at this price point
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12/30/2018 - khoney Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well balanced medium bodied cab blend. Red fruits on the nose and palate. Mild acidity. Solid finish.
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12/26/2018 - feinwine Likes this wine:
LOVE it! Totally worth the price. Wish we had bought more. Never have had a wine like this one. It had a deep color and so many flavors in one glass. Swirling just brought out a bouquet of aromas. Everything I love in wine was enveloped in this bottle. Decanted for 3 hours and drank on Christmas night.
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12/26/2018 - Vinomnivore wrote: 94 Points
Seeing some bottle variation. This came across as much more tannic and structured than the last bottle-totally enjoyable with a long decant, but certainly would benefit from further aging.
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12/23/2018 - davidrh1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red, rich and big, lots of black fruit and licorice. Great finish.
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11/25/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decided to pop one of these earlier than I normally would because of all of the positive notes. Well the bottle was certainly good with generous fruit some secondary flavors and background tannins. PnP and drank with grilled tenderloin. Certainly enjoyable now but I think it will be better in 5 years.
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11/9/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Plum Market Luxury Wine Tasting. Dark ruby/purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and a little plum. Solid depth mid-palate, however, the fruit came across a little grainy especially next to a 2014 Pahlmeyer proprietary red. I believe it could use some more time for the fruit to soften/open-up - although I'm sure a decent decant would have helped as well. Nice flavors of dark berries, a little mineral component, and some spice box. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep and just a little tannic. Apparently the bottles were open for a couple hours before serving. Once again, a solid cab but the 97+ rating from Parker is a little suprising. WA anticipated maturity 2016 to 2041 so maybe it just needs time. 100% cab.
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11/6/2018 - NapaDoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep color with lots of blue and red fruit extract. Good tannin, forward yet well-behaved. Plenty of tannin and structure; shows excellent balance for its relative youth. Drank it on Election Night with a bunch of friends, and everyone thought it was a star.
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11/2/2018 - Javachip Likes this wine: 93 Points
At this early stage in its maturation, give it at least two hours in the decanter. Clear inky deep purple-garnet-black. Initial aroma of roasted fruit gave way after an hour to glorious bouquet of bright fresh black fruits, mocha, dark baking spices, fennel, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, rich, generous, velvet-satin mouthfeel, beautiful balance between sweet fruit, polished tannin and refreshing acidity. Outstanding.
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10/27/2018 - Cabernet Couple Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decided to splurge and enjoy this tonight. After a two hour decant, so glad we did! Very well balanced at this point, the fruit is still bright but the tannins have softened. This wine has an earthy taste, but like the fruit, it is not overpowering. You have bright fruit on the nose and a smooth lingering finish with lots of earthy depth. So good we’re each on our second glass! We bought a bunch of this, glad we listened to earlier reviewers and tried one now. Suspect this will continue to age well. Hidden Ridge is one of our favorites and this did not disappoint. As we poured our unplanned second glasses, which had not been decanted, it is clear that the decant was worth it but still awesome. If you have a few in your cellar, well worth trying now.
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10/22/2018 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another great showing. Consensus WOTN... my sense is that these are peaking now, the lush fruit is still moderated by tannin and black tea flavors. I don't think this is going to age into an elegant wine (I will hold a few bottles to test that theory though). Enjoy the power of this wine in its youth.
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10/12/2018 - Yack Man wrote: 93 Points
This is a really nice wine, that is age worthy and coming along nicely. My thoughts on this wine are much like I expressed in previous notes, really nice dark ripe fruit extraction, yet showing a bit more acidity at this point. A long decant make this a more enjoyable wine to drink.
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9/23/2018 - mwrock Likes this wine: 95 Points
full body wine, but very smooth and delicate. Opened 30 minutes before drinking. Nose was full with red fruit, taste was full body fruit with a light tannin, finish was long and perfect. Wish I had another bottle to let age. Ready to drink now.
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9/9/2018 - Dr. Bee Likes this wine: 91 Points
Finally opening up. Magnificent cab. U can smell the misty mountains!
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8/3/2018 - jakob.krummenacher@gmail.com wrote: 99 Points
Spectacular! Finese, long after taste, delicate flavors and yet full body. Drink now or cellar for 10+ years.
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7/15/2018 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 94 Points
Not tight anymore. Drink ready. Hint of cola too.
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7/8/2018 - wineotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to first bottle. Has a bit of an empty mid-palate with smooth and relative soft cassis fruit. Very enjoyable, but, the price increase did not justify the end result.
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6/5/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Similar thoughts as earlier in the year. Dark ruby/purple fruit - blackberry, dark currants, dark cherry, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate with nice flavors of dark berries, chocolate, a little tobacco, and some spice box. However, I was hoping for a little bigger/fuller fruit this time around in light of Parker's 97+ rating. Fairly long finish. Popped/poured but drank out of a decanter for a couple hours. Improved a little with time but drinking quite well right away. A nice wine but I don't get the 97+ rating from Parker - I expect more for such a rating.
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6/1/2018 - HowellMountainCru wrote: 93 Points
As previous note. Extracted plum fruit balanced nicely by acid. Rates well on nose, taste and finish. Good balance. Solid sub 80 buck Napa Cabernet that is drinking wonderfully right now.
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4/1/2018 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color with slow forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with a full body. Silky texture with a long finish - This wine got a lot better with time after an hour or so.
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3/31/2018 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Heading for 95 or higher in two years. A beautiful CA Cab from the Mayacamas ridge between Napa and Sonoma. Big and full, lots of plum and cherry. Needed two hours in decanter to show its best stuff, but worth waiting.
12/15/19 Another bottle, still chugging and delicious. Around the table 92, 92, 94, 95.
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3/27/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
A very good wine that was a value in 2012, but those days are long gone and so am I. I like this wine but the price increase is way overdone in my opinion (a la Larkmead). I left Larkmead after the 2013 vintage, and I'll do the same with Hidden Ridge as there are many other wineries out there to choose from. From $50 to almost $100?
93-94 Points
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3/18/2018 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous tastings, definitely approachable now--fruit was fully present upon PNP. That said, it held up over 5 hours in the decanter. Preferred this on the cooler side. I may experiment with a few bottles and hold them for long term aging, but this seems to be in a sweet spot now.
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3/16/2018 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Similar note as before but as pointed out definitely getting a lingering black tea note on the finish. Still more than approachable right after opening but does really pick up depth with time decanting.
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3/15/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just really good calicab.
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3/15/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful fruit, balanced, moderate tanins, long finish. Wonderful wine.
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3/8/2018 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hour then back into the bottle for 2-3 more. Roasted, stewed, and pruned all around with a undoubtably dark character. Tasty and structured but lacking freshness representing a definitive stylistic departure from other years. Young but designed to enjoy immediately or 10 years from now.
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2/23/2018 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely bold fruit and spice but balanced by slate and black tea. A really nice showing after an hour decant (served a cellar temp which I think improved the experience). I was happy to find more for ~$75 a bottle in a six pack format. This wine is no longer the screaming deal it once was, but I think it is a fair price.
This is still on the way up, but these wines do show well young. Don't be too afraid to open a bottle if you are getting curious.
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2/3/2018 - levinml wrote: 97 Points
Among the best young wines I've ever had. Decanted 2/3 of bottle 3 hours before drinking. Huge great fruit core that stood out over structure. Drank rest under pump two nights later. Fruit a little less pronounced then. Give this a few years but great flavor.
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1/22/2018 - wineotim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very lush, plush, smooth, open knit style. Full bodied. Tannins are relatively tame but do provide some grip on the long finish. Did not evolve much over two days.
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1/21/2018 - HowellMountainCru Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP Decided to purchase this based on reviews of Badmonkey and Yackman. This is wine that is big and dense and for me dominated by black fruit, stewed plum and tar. Subdued nose of stewed fruit dominated by alcohol. Very nice fruit to acid balance on the palate that results in pleasing longer finish. Overall a very good wine just slightly brutish to rate higher.
DAY 2 - Really smoothed out, displayed a little more nose and less tar and stewed character.
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1/14/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Picked-up a bottle in the secondary market after enjoying the 2012 vintage and also in light of Parker's 97+ rating. Dark black fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and some plum. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth/concentration. Nice flavors of dark berries, plum, and some spice/licorice. Fairly rich and a little sweet - as some others have noted some zin like qualities. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. A really nice wine but a lot of tough competition at the new price point. I miss the days when I could buy older vintages of this wine at Costco for around $50. 100% cab.
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1/8/2018 - KeithSurg wrote: 94 Points
Drinking great now. Rich dark fruit flavors, bold mouthfeel, integrated tannins, smooth finish.
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12/22/2017 - CV Griz Fan Likes this wine: 94 Points
There’s a heavy black fruit nose on this full bodied fruit forward Cabernet. You can taste the plums and chocolate. This wine almost has a Zin quality to it. It’s very dense and opulent for sure. It’ll be overly sweet for some....
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12/20/2017 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 93 Points
A nice bottle. Took a long time to open up -- double decanted and consumed 24 hours later. Lots of dark black fruit.
This has the stuffing for a long life. Certainly not a bargain, but I don't think I can get too upset about the price increase. If only it were still 59.99...
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11/24/2017 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice nose and a color that is dark and penetrating. On the palate, blackberry, boysenberry fruit intensity that is sleeker and leaner than the 2012, some tobacco and with a core that is strong. Drinking nicely now but will develop to a greater degree with bottle time. This vintage actually showed better with food. With time this wine will be and is, heading in a very nice direction. 93.7 Points. I couldn't resist this one despite the hefty price increase.
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11/14/2017 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Everyone was blown away, INCREDIBLE!
97+
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10/9/2017 - Fid Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP at L&J's house. Very nice. Great fruit.
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9/25/2017 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This rich and intense Cabernet needs another year or two in order to bring its massive elements into balance - insane, extracted fruit; pungent, somewhat fine-grained tannins; and acidity that is present but competes with the overall, almost overwhelming viscosity of the wine. The pieces are there for brilliance (defined in the terms of unapologetically modern CA Cabernet), but this doesn't seem ready to me yet.
Dark garnet in color; full in body (tear drops on the glass, mouth-feel like half-and-half creamer); enveloping nose of boysenberry, pencil lead, and rosemary. Tastes of plum, blueberry pie, graphite, cedar, and licorice, with a thick, almost syrupy finish that carries hints of cocoa powder and brambly tannins. 15.4% alcohol. Be sure to decant for an hour or so, since it comes across as a bit blowsy at the outset.
This is a tremendous value if you were able to pick it up under $60 back in the day, and I think it has a promising future ahead of it. At the moment, I prefer the 2012, which seemed more open and settled. While this wine is more opulent and extracted, it also seems a bit more backward and compact (all of which is consistent with the vintages). Good things are coming, but I don't think this is there yet. I'll try my other bottles in 2018 or 2019.
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5/21/2017 - Geoff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great fruit, dark berries, balanced oad, pure notes, echoed on the palate, long, long finish. Delightful wine.
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3/9/2017 - maitredgreg2 Likes this wine: 97 Points
AWESOME!
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3/5/2017 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth, balanced, great fruit, pure, well made, nice oak, long finish. Very enjoyable.
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2/23/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
See notes from 11/17/16. I've seen a lot of comments recently about quality for the price, and I think this is right up there with the best of them. Really a huge wine, but it pulls back from going over the line, and also has nice structure and backbone to complement the incredible concentration and depth. The tannins are present, but so nicely integrated and the layers are just astounding. So impressive. Love it.
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2/4/2017 - BeachBum_73 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours prior to dinner. Full body, tannic, needs to lay down.
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2/2/2017 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar notes as before and for the money, one of my top picks for the year. Purple, plum, chocolate, creme de cassis swirl around in the glass. Very smooth, creamy and well tamed tannins. Hidden Ridge has it's own style and can clearly compete with the big boys from Napa.
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1/1/2017 - Fid Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wine #2 at New Years, followed a 2006 La Violette. This is a terrific wine. On the nose I get dark cherry, mocha, a hint of vanilla and some spice. Deep and rich and forward on the palate with chocolate/cherry and spice but plenty of structure to follow through. Nice, long finish. This is universally enjoyed. And at the price, it would be hard to do better. This might even get better 96+
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12/29/2016 - #1Winelover wrote: 98 Points
What a wine and for the price, it doesn't get any better than this! Dark purple color, the smell is awesome, with fruit notes of plum and blackberries. Cassis. And there are other flavors that I couldn't place but luckily, I have more bottles in my cellar to figure that out. This is a great wine and kudo's should go out to the vintners!
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12/12/2016 - Geoff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very young. Needs time. Evolved in the glass. Tremendous nose of dark fruit. Strong sweet tannins. Great balance, long finish. Promising great things to come in the future.
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12/11/2016 - bigdogflow Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super dark color. Big wine with balance. Very earthy, with coffee, tobacco, mocha. Long finish.
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11/17/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wowsers, what an absolutely loaded monster of a wine! Incredible nose of licorice, cassis, forest floor and oak. Mostly dark fruit with hints of red. Extracted and opulent, with very present but smooth and integrated tannins. Full bodied with layers and layers of massively concentrated fruit and minerality; has some flavors I can't even quite describe, perhaps because I am more familiar with Napa than Sonoma cabs. From the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Mountains, this is an enormous wine that needs quite a bit of air. The finish is absolutely unbelievable, and lingers on the pallet for what seems like forever. I can't even imagine what the Impassable Mountain Reserve of this wine tastes like for 2013. A spectacular show if you enjoy absolute power that hits you with some nuance and the ability to age due to considerable tannin structure. I am with Parker on this one. 96+
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