Healthy ruby appearance. Complex bouquet continually evolves in the glass. Earthy, black raspberry, cherry, and forest floor aromas over notes of hard candy, walnut shell, and a hint of granite minerality. Long, structured, and penetrating, with tons of energy and drive. Shows ideal weight, succulent black fruit flavors, cassis sweetness, and a beautiful herbal character. Continued to improve throughout the night. Elegant, vinous, and at its supreme peak.
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Consistent with notes from 2013. Cigar box, mushroom, cola, black and blue berries. Medium garnet color, smooth, well integrated tannins and a long finish. The eucalyptus I normally expect from Bosche was more subdued than usual, possibly duets age. Never the less, still very drinkable. Will likely hold up for another couple of years but why wait? Drank side by side with a 1999 Sycamore, always a fun comparison of stablemates.
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Full on cigar box with very ripe (not overripe) blackberries, blueberries and plumb. Very smooth at this stage and much better than the rough and tumble wine I remember upon first release. This wine has at least a couple more peak years in it.
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Stunning old-timey style Napa Cabernet at absolute peak glory for my tastes. Thanks to SNOMAN whose report convinced me to choose this for Bill's blind bag lunch. The ambitious green note from several years ago has integrated into an interesting herb note in the background, and black cherry fruit with tobacco and an iron-rich minerality are out in front. Expansive in the nose and mouth. Impressive.
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One of the best surprises from our cellar, this one's really evolved and still evolving into a fantastic and classic Napa. Now with 14 years on the vintage, it's really coming around, showing a touch of amber on the rim, a deep black-purple opaque color, and aromas that enticing to the point that it's hard to close the nose and open the mouth. Palate is integrated with cassis, plum, black cherry and an interesting touch of herb that shows complexity, smoothness and certainly a classic prototypical aged Napa superstar cabernet. Loved everything about it, except for the fact that it's our last bottle. Incredible finish.
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a very good wine that we all thought would taste better - especially given the price; it was actually a touch bitter and astringent; selected for a celebration - we supplemented Freemark with a Mayacamas, which was better and less expensive
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Very nice. Old world in style. Dark fruits with a little tobacco on the nose. Elegant tannins nicely balanced. Cherry/plum with a hint of cinnamon/allspice (?). Tabacco, and leather on the finish. Well done and it has aged very well. I don't think it will get any better but I think it still has life left.
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Since the window on CT closed in 2011, I was a bit worried about this wine, but I tend to like my wines with a bit more age on it than the average CT drinker. There was a bit of green pepper on the nose, which had me a little worried, but there was also some rich dark berry fruit right behind it. On the palate, the fruit was playful but not overbearing and the finish was admirable. Paired with the Tri-tip, it really started to sing. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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I was concerned that this wine might not have held up this long. It was pretty good. I agree with other recent reviewers that there is no reason to hold this longer (other than as an experiment). Drink now and be happy.
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anniversary wine, great choice, drinking great, opens up to wonderful bouquet, dark berries, chocolate notes, soft tannins, full body, still lots left, love you terrie
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Medium garnet in the glass. Needs at least an hour to open. Mushroom, moss and forest floor on the nose. After a couple of hours, the nose begins to reveal some dark berry and cassis. On the palate, typical Bosche with coffee, cola and eucalyptus but this vintage does not evidence the same depth of mint or eucalyptus that I would have expected. This is well balanced, with medium mouth fill and a medium finish. This was very good but I would not hold it much longer.
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this requires air. thought it was off right out of the bottle, but with 30-45 mins it starts to shine. notes of ashtray on the dark fruit make it quite interesting. not terribly fruity, but still tannins here to help this last a while longer.
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The black cherry really stood out to me with some plum and a touch of chocolate. Great mature fruit and ready now with a couple more years in the good place.
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Notes of black plum, black licorice, cedar, graphite on the nose. Plenty of verve here, with black plum and cherry, layered and dark, focused and sleek, with a long tannic finish.
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Spot on with my previous tasting notes from 7/13/08 and 5/23/09. Definitely wine that needs to be consumed soon as I really think it is at its peak and will not get any better. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.
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Decanted 2 hours. Youthful ruby red in glass. Soft nose of dark berries and eucalyptus. Rich currants and plums on the palate, with lavender and a hint of dark chocolate. Rich and chewy, with a medium plus finish.
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Second bottle of this Cabernet and again I was surprised by how good it is. Decanted for 2 hours. Very similar tasting notes as last July 2008. A very dark garnet with some ruby on the edges. Gave it a swirl and the nose was strong and full of black cherry, currant, moist soil, mint, lavender and chocolate. It was full bodied on the palate with dark berry, plum, cherry, currant and chocolate leading the way with some sage and spice on the finish. Very well in balance with nice acidity and very refined and well integrated tannins. A nice long finish with black cherry, sage, mint and chocolate. Again, this was much, much better then anticipated and really a lovely Cab. Drnk between now and 2012. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.
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Decanted two hours. Very pleased. While not overly complex in structure this wine has aaged nicely. Smooth tannins, nice fruit. Not a large nose but nice. Solid wine with or without food.
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Dark in color, offering up rich scents of blackberry & spice. Smooth on palate, drinks more like a blend than a straight cab, likely due to it's coming of age. Could go another few years in bottle, it's still improving.....not near its peak yet.
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Drank side by side with FA Sycamore same vintage -- this won hands down. Not great or worth the price but a good wine with solid structure and soft tannins -- the fruit on the nose and palate left somethign to be desired.
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Not as impressed by this as some others appear to have been. Pop and pour--perhaps decant for a while next time. HUGE green pepper on the nose, that's my key take-away. This is an element I usually enjoy, but it completely dominated the experience. Perhaps an hour in the decanter might see this blow off. Kinda disappointed, based upon the anticipation of others' notes.
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Very pleasantly surprised by this wine. Decanted for 90 minutes to let it open up and get to proper serving temp. On the pour and in the glass it was a dark and rich garnet in color and had nice clarity. Swirling this beauty revealed a powerful nose of plum, black cherry, currant, some spice and some really nice earthiness (a diminuitive presence of bordeaux funk even). The bouquet was pleasing and fun. The mouthfeel was really where this wine showed how good it is. Medium to full bodied with just the right amount of acidity. Surprisingly well integrated and smooth tannins but there was enough present to let you know it could cellar for a bit longer. The flavor profile was full of plum, black cherry and currant with nuances of sage, black pepper, oak and spice. Really incredibly well balanced and moderately complex it finished long and elegant with black cherry, plum, spice and a lingering touch of chocolate. Wow, this was much, much better then anticipated and really a lovely Cab. I don't suspect this will age for much longer period of time as it is drinking nicely and the tannins are well integrated now. 92 pts.
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Color: Deep garnet Nose: Not a big Bouquet - some dark plum Palate: Olives, green Pepper, some fruit with a refined elegant finish. Recommended @ JAS, not a good QPR and not the best example of Cali Cab
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Decanted and drank right away. I thought it was a solid cab, good dark fruit, balanced and smooth finish. It did not blow me away as others have mentioned.
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decanted 1 hour, paired with prime rib at HOPR in SF. Solid cab, nice red/black fruits, smooth tannins and balanced finish. Wish I had a few more bottles in the cellar as it had a lot of life left
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very nice and drinking very well. Nice nose of cocoa, spice, oak and black fruit that carries through nicely on the palate. Medium bodied with nice depth, the wine finishes with berry notes...
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This blows away the '97 vintage. Drinking really well right now. Big cab with overripe fruit, but it has balance to it. I paired it with pot roast with sweet potatoes & carrots. It's also a wine that drinks well by itself. Decant for at least two hours.
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One of the better cabs I have had from my cellar. Brought to Brian's for dinner and drank with the meal after having a bottle of BV Rutherford earlier. This had great flavors all around. Great balance and fruit. Long finish.
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Lovely bottle of wine. Decanted 2 hours. Dark color with full bodied mouthfeel. Currant, spicey oak, blackberry, bit of pleasant gamey quality. Long finish. While I expected this to be a good wine, I didn't expect one quite this good. Wishing I had more.
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This is a good Cab. It actually has a strong Merlot flavor. It was not as good as the 1996 bottle that I drink a few years ago. This wine did not have enough body for my tastes. While it is a enjoyable, I think there are better wines for $70! Don't repurchase.
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It started out nicely. Beautiful deep color. Almost immediately revealed pretty fruit aromas. Raspberry, blackberry, spicy oak, a bit of mint... sweet tannin structure with smoky notes. BUT, it died. While I expected this wine to continue developing on a pleasant path throughout the evening, it grew thinner and less interesting. Drink it now in the first hour and a half for 90 points. Wait at your peril.
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5/26/2019 - Vtdarush Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very well integrated with fruit and structure still present. Silky smooth tannins, with a medium finish. Drink now.
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8/14/2016 - Baron Slick wrote: 93 Points
Healthy ruby appearance. Complex bouquet continually evolves in the glass. Earthy, black raspberry, cherry, and forest floor aromas over notes of hard candy, walnut shell, and a hint of granite minerality. Long, structured, and penetrating, with tons of energy and drive. Shows ideal weight, succulent black fruit flavors, cassis sweetness, and a beautiful herbal character. Continued to improve throughout the night. Elegant, vinous, and at its supreme peak.
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8/21/2015 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with notes from 2013. Cigar box, mushroom, cola, black and blue berries. Medium garnet color, smooth, well integrated tannins and a long finish. The eucalyptus I normally expect from Bosche was more subdued than usual, possibly duets age. Never the less, still very drinkable. Will likely hold up for another couple of years but why wait? Drank side by side with a 1999 Sycamore, always a fun comparison of stablemates.
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1/23/2015 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full on cigar box with very ripe (not overripe) blackberries, blueberries and plumb. Very smooth at this stage and much better than the rough and tumble wine I remember upon first release. This wine has at least a couple more peak years in it.
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4/19/2014 - Neecies Likes this wine: 94 Points
Even better than the last bottle--probably because we didn't have to share it with anybody. :)
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3/12/2014 - Neecies Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stunning old-timey style Napa Cabernet at absolute peak glory for my tastes. Thanks to SNOMAN whose report convinced me to choose this for Bill's blind bag lunch. The ambitious green note from several years ago has integrated into an interesting herb note in the background, and black cherry fruit with tobacco and an iron-rich minerality are out in front. Expansive in the nose and mouth. Impressive.
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12/14/2013 - Snoman Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the best surprises from our cellar, this one's really evolved and still evolving into a fantastic and classic Napa. Now with 14 years on the vintage, it's really coming around, showing a touch of amber on the rim, a deep black-purple opaque color, and aromas that enticing to the point that it's hard to close the nose and open the mouth. Palate is integrated with cassis, plum, black cherry and an interesting touch of herb that shows complexity, smoothness and certainly a classic prototypical aged Napa superstar cabernet. Loved everything about it, except for the fact that it's our last bottle. Incredible finish.
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12/12/2013 - alabunka wrote: 88 Points
a very good wine that we all thought would taste better - especially given the price; it was actually a touch bitter and astringent; selected for a celebration - we supplemented Freemark with a Mayacamas, which was better and less expensive
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11/23/2013 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice. Old world in style. Dark fruits with a little tobacco on the nose. Elegant tannins nicely balanced. Cherry/plum with a hint of cinnamon/allspice (?). Tabacco, and leather on the finish.
Well done and it has aged very well. I don't think it will get any better but I think it still has life left.
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9/1/2013 - Grape Stuff wrote: 91 Points
No formal notes, but a gracefully aged cab with plum, cherry, and subtle cinnamon/spice notes. Ready to go now.
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8/27/2013 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
Since the window on CT closed in 2011, I was a bit worried about this wine, but I tend to like my wines with a bit more age on it than the average CT drinker. There was a bit of green pepper on the nose, which had me a little worried, but there was also some rich dark berry fruit right behind it. On the palate, the fruit was playful but not overbearing and the finish was admirable. Paired with the Tri-tip, it really started to sing. Outstanding. thedrunkencyclist.com
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6/10/2013 - Redteeth wrote:
I was concerned that this wine might not have held up this long. It was pretty good. I agree with other recent reviewers that there is no reason to hold this longer (other than as an experiment). Drink now and be happy.
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6/1/2013 - RDAwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
anniversary wine, great choice, drinking great, opens up to wonderful bouquet, dark berries, chocolate notes, soft tannins, full body, still lots left, love you terrie
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4/27/2013 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium garnet in the glass. Needs at least an hour to open. Mushroom, moss and forest floor on the nose. After a couple of hours, the nose begins to reveal some dark berry and cassis. On the palate, typical Bosche with coffee, cola and eucalyptus but this vintage does not evidence the same depth of mint or eucalyptus that I would have expected. This is well balanced, with medium mouth fill and a medium finish. This was very good but I would not hold it much longer.
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10/4/2012 - Wrkolbeck wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 45 min. A nicely balanced cab with dark berry fruit and decent structure. Drinking well now but not much life left.
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2/17/2012 - brucegolfer wrote: 91 Points
Still showing well. Nice cab with plenty of dark fruit and structure.
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1/27/2012 - ctjared wrote:
this requires air. thought it was off right out of the bottle, but with 30-45 mins it starts to shine. notes of ashtray on the dark fruit make it quite interesting. not terribly fruity, but still tannins here to help this last a while longer.
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8/13/2011 - brucegolfer wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits, dark color, very enjoyable but not distinctive enough for the price.
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2/15/2011 - rben_mvp wrote: 91 Points
The black cherry really stood out to me with some plum and a touch of chocolate. Great mature fruit and ready now with a couple more years in the good place.
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6/11/2010 - FieldingYost wrote: 91 Points
Notes of black plum, black licorice, cedar, graphite on the nose. Plenty of verve here, with black plum and cherry, layered and dark, focused and sleek, with a long tannic finish.
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12/28/2009 - mghomula wrote: 92 Points
Spot on with my previous tasting notes from 7/13/08 and 5/23/09. Definitely wine that needs to be consumed soon as I really think it is at its peak and will not get any better. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.
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11/24/2009 - Fielding wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Youthful ruby red in glass. Soft nose of dark berries and eucalyptus. Rich currants and plums on the palate, with lavender and a hint of dark chocolate. Rich and chewy, with a medium plus finish.
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5/23/2009 - mghomula wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle of this Cabernet and again I was surprised by how good it is. Decanted for 2 hours. Very similar tasting notes as last July 2008. A very dark garnet with some ruby on the edges. Gave it a swirl and the nose was strong and full of black cherry, currant, moist soil, mint, lavender and chocolate. It was full bodied on the palate with dark berry, plum, cherry, currant and chocolate leading the way with some sage and spice on the finish. Very well in balance with nice acidity and very refined and well integrated tannins. A nice long finish with black cherry, sage, mint and chocolate. Again, this was much, much better then anticipated and really a lovely Cab. Drnk between now and 2012. 50+5+12+18+7=92pts.
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4/5/2009 - cowtownguy wrote: 90 Points
Decanted two hours. Very pleased. While not overly complex in structure this wine has aaged nicely. Smooth tannins, nice fruit. Not a large nose but nice. Solid wine with or without food.
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3/29/2009 - Snoman wrote: 91 Points
Dark in color, offering up rich scents of blackberry & spice. Smooth on palate, drinks more like a blend than a straight cab, likely due to it's coming of age. Could go another few years in bottle, it's still improving.....not near its peak yet.
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1/24/2009 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 90 Points
Drank side by side with FA Sycamore same vintage -- this won hands down. Not great or worth the price but a good wine with solid structure and soft tannins -- the fruit on the nose and palate left somethign to be desired.
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11/20/2008 - ewisor wrote: 89 Points
Wonderfully aged wine but a bit less complex than I hoped it would be for the price.
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9/13/2008 - ejca wrote:
Pretty good after about an hour of decanting, initially all oak.
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8/19/2008 - blaine wrote:
Not as impressed by this as some others appear to have been. Pop and pour--perhaps decant for a while next time. HUGE green pepper on the nose, that's my key take-away. This is an element I usually enjoy, but it completely dominated the experience. Perhaps an hour in the decanter might see this blow off. Kinda disappointed, based upon the anticipation of others' notes.
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7/18/2008 - mghomula wrote: 92 Points
Very pleasantly surprised by this wine. Decanted for 90 minutes to let it open up and get to proper serving temp. On the pour and in the glass it was a dark and rich garnet in color and had nice clarity. Swirling this beauty revealed a powerful nose of plum, black cherry, currant, some spice and some really nice earthiness (a diminuitive presence of bordeaux funk even). The bouquet was pleasing and fun. The mouthfeel was really where this wine showed how good it is. Medium to full bodied with just the right amount of acidity. Surprisingly well integrated and smooth tannins but there was enough present to let you know it could cellar for a bit longer. The flavor profile was full of plum, black cherry and currant with nuances of sage, black pepper, oak and spice. Really incredibly well balanced and moderately complex it finished long and elegant with black cherry, plum, spice and a lingering touch of chocolate. Wow, this was much, much better then anticipated and really a lovely Cab. I don't suspect this will age for much longer period of time as it is drinking nicely and the tannins are well integrated now. 92 pts.
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6/3/2008 - smahk wrote: 90 Points
Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Not a big Bouquet - some dark plum
Palate: Olives, green Pepper, some fruit with a refined elegant finish.
Recommended @ JAS, not a good QPR and not the best example of Cali Cab
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4/11/2008 - pat maturo wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank right away. I thought it was a solid cab, good dark fruit, balanced and smooth finish. It did not blow me away as others have mentioned.
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3/26/2008 - nate's cellar wrote: 91 Points
decanted 1 hour, paired with prime rib at HOPR in SF. Solid cab, nice red/black fruits, smooth tannins and balanced finish. Wish I had a few more bottles in the cellar as it had a lot of life left
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11/23/2007 - ejca wrote:
One of the better offerings we have had from Freemark Abbey in recent memory. Very good wine.
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6/15/2007 - drinkwinedaily wrote: 91 Points
very nice and drinking very well. Nice nose of cocoa, spice, oak and black fruit that carries through nicely on the palate. Medium bodied with nice depth, the wine finishes with berry notes...
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1/16/2007 - hifiwine wrote: 91 Points
good wine
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1/16/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 91 Points
This blows away the '97 vintage. Drinking really well right now. Big cab with overripe fruit, but it has balance to it. I paired it with pot roast with sweet potatoes & carrots. It's also a wine that drinks well by itself. Decant for at least two hours.
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12/30/2006 - pickhardt wrote: 92 Points
One of the better cabs I have had from my cellar. Brought to Brian's for dinner and drank with the meal after having a bottle of BV Rutherford earlier. This had great flavors all around. Great balance and fruit. Long finish.
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12/10/2006 - jsapping wrote: 90 Points
This wine has matured nicely. Tannin's have softend nicely. Keep one more year and enjoy.
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6/7/2006 - babnik wrote: 92 Points
Lovely bottle of wine. Decanted 2 hours. Dark color with full bodied mouthfeel. Currant, spicey oak, blackberry, bit of pleasant gamey quality. Long finish. While I expected this to be a good wine, I didn't expect one quite this good. Wishing I had more.
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12/20/2004 - JJA wrote:
This is a good Cab. It actually has a strong Merlot flavor. It was not as good as the 1996 bottle that I drink a few years ago. This wine did not have enough body for my tastes. While it is a enjoyable, I think there are better wines for $70! Don't repurchase.
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11/15/2004 - babnik wrote: 90 Points
It started out nicely. Beautiful deep color. Almost immediately revealed pretty fruit aromas. Raspberry, blackberry, spicy oak, a bit of mint... sweet tannin structure with smoky notes. BUT, it died. While I expected this wine to continue developing on a pleasant path throughout the evening, it grew thinner and less interesting. Drink it now in the first hour and a half for 90 points. Wait at your peril.
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11/1/2004 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Bright red color. Lovely lilting aroma of red fruit. Freall ynice rich chocolate red fruit. Balacned but big. 11/04
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7/10/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Quick visit to Napa and Sonoma; 7/9/2004-7/10/2004 (Sonoma and Napa): Tasting at winery. Moderately ripe black fruit aromas. Flavors of blackberry with some cocoa. Firm tannins, but good density. Hold to 2008 or later.
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12/15/1999 - JJA wrote:
Tasting Notes for 1996 (?) Vintage : Outstanding, full bodied. A favorite! Buy more!
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