At our in-laws for Father's Day, and my bro-in-law asked me to grab a bottle from his cellar. He had a case of this, so I figured it's fair game. I've had lots of Spring Mtn wines and have visited 4 Spring Mtn wineries, but had never had a Barnett. It was delicious! We ended up drinking 2 bottles. This is young for a Spring Mtn Cab Sauv, but after a 35 min decant, it's drinking beautifully. The parts have really stitched together well: soft tannins, no noticeable heat, mellow oak, delicious black and blue fruit (not overripe), forest floor. It continued to open in the glass as well, so I think this could drink well for another decade. Served with grilled top sirloin burgers, grilled corn, and a garden salad with green goddess dressing.
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I liked this but it wasn't perfect. I am a Barnett fan, and have been buying them for many years. In fact I just bought two 2018 bottles today. I prefer fruit forward Cabs, and Barnetts are generally that. I was honestly surprised at how well the fruity mid-palate has kept up after 8 years. Still vibrant, juicy, fruit forward, between bright red and dark red fruit. Although I like fruit, I do not want any hint of sugar in a Cab, and I just couldn't shake the sense that there maybe was a touch of residual sugar in this. I could imagine some might describe the mid-palate as even cloying because of that. Finish was incredibly smooth, with mild-moderate acid, and very polished light tannins. I wish they could make the wine however with a bigger stronger finish - my other nit pick on this wine.
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Discounted from a magnum, and allowed to rest for 2.5 hours. Tastes immediately out of the bottle were good but seems like the wine was in a muted, dumb phase. Showed a bit of seepage around the core which may have contributed. 2.5 hours after opening there’s crushed gravel and aged fruit on the nose, along with earth. Wine is more fruit driven at this point with the structure are softer and fading. May have been better with less time in the decanter. Nonetheless, a great pairing with beef Wellington and some great neighbors.
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Had this next to the 2016. It seems that this wine is an a dormant stage as the fruits were neither forward and present and acidity was medium to light.
Mild nose of some berry and vanilla. On the palette it is just OK with a very well balanced display of reserved tannin, not as biting a grip as I remember and decent but reserved fruit. Some oak, vanilla, and blackberry, some cranberry. Finish is the strong point here as it is pleasant and balanced.
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Was a little disappointed given previous experience with this wine/winery. Wasn’t as complex as I recalled. Fruit-forward, newer style Napa cab. Big but not much finish or distinguishing characteristics. I’ll try again another day and see if it changes.
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Surprisingly much better than anticipated. This is a classic Napa Cab, fruit forward, big and bold, BUT very well balanced, with firm tannins and tingling finish. Great QPR!
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Good but not great, especially given the price and professional ratings. I had opened a bottle 1.5 to 2 years ago and remembered it being a nice bottle. I had hoped it would evolve a little and that the fruit, oak, vanilla, and already mild tannins would subside and reveal something more interesting. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Typical modern, upper-mid range California cab. Drink up and enjoy it for what it is.
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I let this one breathe for a couple of hours before pouring at cellar temp. We had this with Tuscan Pork Medalions over prociutto and cheese tortellini for Valentaines Day dinner. ......Outstanding!
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My strong preference for the 2013 vintage, compared to the 2014 remains, after recent comparison. I prefer my wines fruit forward, and the 2013 was gorgeous in that respect. 2014 had much more restrained blue fruit on the mid-palate, and pretty strong, almost unrefined tannins on the finish. Completely different unrewarding experience for me at north of $70 a bottle. Happy to pay the same for the 2013 vintage.
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Decanted for an hour prior to drinking, wine was relatively mute, both on the nose and on the palate. Drank half the bottle over the course of a couple hours, still not a lot going on.
2nd half of bottle on day 2.
Nose: Wine was much more aromatic on day 2, vibrant, cassis, blackberry brandy, lovely smell.
Palate; the core fruit really came out very nicely, pure blackberry and blue fruit, cocoa powder, currants, hints of cedar. Medium+ lingering finish.
I served this at cellar temperature and consumed the 2nd half of the bottle over an hour or two. Over that time, the wine drank consistently or improved, if anything.
This wine was considerably better IMO on the 2nd day. I regret drinking as much as I did on day 1. I also found the drinking experience on day 2 to be better than my previous tasting note.
While this note bridges the gap for me a bit, the 2014 Rattlesnake is still in another league though....
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Very approachable, as most 2014's are. This is a special wine. Dark cherries, cassis, licorice and forest floor. Smooth tannin structure. Not to long on the finish.
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Super smooth, sweet, berry and cassis goodness. Not overly complex, has a few good years ahead but can’t see this improving much beyond where it is now. Drink up over next 3-5 years.
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WOTN - this Cab from Spring Mountain is top notch and a great value. It offers intoxicating aromas of pure red and blue fruits with notes of forest spices, lavender, and lilac. The palate is silky smooth with nicely integrated new oak. It’s harmonious and well balanced. I think it gives its neighbor Lokoya (5x the price) a run for its money.
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Initial 30 minute decant and drank over the next hour. Strong nose of blueberry, Asian spice, cedar and carnations. Taste is full flavored but ultra smooth with some semi sweet flavors in the mid-palate sort of like those old "Necco wafers" that come in wax paper. Great balance of tannins and acidity. Medium to heavy bodied. 92-93.
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Red and blue fruits on nose as well as flowers, little oak and alcohol as well. Had a woodsy smell. Palate mimicked the nose, more fruit driven but balanced out. Delicious wine. As the night went on and bit sat in the decanter it got rather light. Buy again
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Had a few glasses at Truluck's Miami. Very typical Spring Mtn terroir with a bouquet of dark fruits and forest floor with notes of espresso on the back. Cool blue fruit typical of these mountain tops with a very gentle palate of harmonious sweet tannins blue fruit and forest spices in a mellow harmony. This is gentle and elegant. Love it.
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I have enjoyed many bottles of this Spring Mtn Cab Sauv previously. They have been one of my favorites over the past few years. I have not really cared though for the 2014 vintage - this one was my second 2014 bottle, and it tasted really hot (alcoholic) to me (despite only 14.7% alcohol). Was this made in Paso Robles?! Brambly hot in the mid-palate, with short easy finish. Not nearly the finesse I expect for a bottle in this price range.The 2014 vintage is just languishing on the shelves at my Total Wine store for a reason (the 2013 flew off the shelves).
WineLA event: Cabernet College (Downtown Los Angeles): Tasted blind. These are all starting to taste the same. But I did notice in this flight, it went from wine 1 (Hundred Acre; good) to wine 2 (Pott; better) to wine 3 (Barnett; best). I see the CT reviews on this is quite low. I think this needs a lot of air.
More approachable compared to the 2013 vintage, decanted for 2 hours and drank over dinner. That said, 2013 is definitely a step up compared to 2014. For 2013, I felt that the estate cab was similar to or a baby version of the rattlesnake. The 2014 rattlesnake is a league above the estate cab.
It was still enjoyable and I purchased more, just not as good of a QPR compared to 2013. If you have both vintages of the estate cab, I would decant and drink the 2014 and continue to cellar the 2013.
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Dark violet color, ripe and sweet tannins, sweet black cherry fruit, moderate depth, lots of juicy acid, but a bit too grapey and sweet for me. I liked the '13 much better. At this price point...this is disappointing.
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Purple fruit - blackberry, blueberry, currants, and dark raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth. A little rich. Decent finish, however, not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time. 83% cab, 11% cab franc, 4% petit verdot, and 2% merlot. A nice wine and I expect it to get a little better with more time in light of its youth but Parker's 94 rating is a little lofty in my opinion. Interesting to me that Parker rated the 2014 Barnett Rattlesnake 95+ or just 1+ points better than the Spring Mtn. cab. The Rattlesnake is quite a bit better than 1+ points in my opinion. Nonetheless, still a solid wine at a little less than half price of the Rattlesnake.
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6/19/2022 - winespine Likes this wine: 94 Points
At our in-laws for Father's Day, and my bro-in-law asked me to grab a bottle from his cellar. He had a case of this, so I figured it's fair game. I've had lots of Spring Mtn wines and have visited 4 Spring Mtn wineries, but had never had a Barnett. It was delicious! We ended up drinking 2 bottles. This is young for a Spring Mtn Cab Sauv, but after a 35 min decant, it's drinking beautifully. The parts have really stitched together well: soft tannins, no noticeable heat, mellow oak, delicious black and blue fruit (not overripe), forest floor. It continued to open in the glass as well, so I think this could drink well for another decade. Served with grilled top sirloin burgers, grilled corn, and a garden salad with green goddess dressing.
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3/12/2022 - joseph120 Likes this wine:
I liked this but it wasn't perfect. I am a Barnett fan, and have been buying them for many years. In fact I just bought two 2018 bottles today. I prefer fruit forward Cabs, and Barnetts are generally that. I was honestly surprised at how well the fruity mid-palate has kept up after 8 years. Still vibrant, juicy, fruit forward, between bright red and dark red fruit. Although I like fruit, I do not want any hint of sugar in a Cab, and I just couldn't shake the sense that there maybe was a touch of residual sugar in this. I could imagine some might describe the mid-palate as even cloying because of that. Finish was incredibly smooth, with mild-moderate acid, and very polished light tannins. I wish they could make the wine however with a bigger stronger finish - my other nit pick on this wine.
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1/25/2022 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnum, drank like a 750 ml would have in 2018, which to me was the peak window for this wonderful wine.
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12/2/2021 - charlesaluke@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow….perfectly aged after 4 1/2 years in the cellar…. So good we almost went back for another of the three remaining bottles…
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2/21/2021 - Phillip.Panda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loved it!
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1/17/2021 - kmmurnane Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really flavorful and smooth. Everyone loved it.
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1/9/2021 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Continued excellence. This '14 is aging extremely well
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7/25/2020 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Discounted from a magnum, and allowed to rest for 2.5 hours. Tastes immediately out of the bottle were good but seems like the wine was in a muted, dumb phase. Showed a bit of seepage around the core which may have contributed.
2.5 hours after opening there’s crushed gravel and aged fruit on the nose, along with earth.
Wine is more fruit driven at this point with the structure are softer and fading. May have been better with less time in the decanter. Nonetheless, a great pairing with beef Wellington and some great neighbors.
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6/23/2020 - tomoem wrote: 91 Points
Had this next to the 2016. It seems that this wine is an a dormant stage as the fruits were neither forward and present and acidity was medium to light.
Mild nose of some berry and vanilla. On the palette it is just OK with a very well balanced display of reserved tannin, not as biting a grip as I remember and decent but reserved fruit. Some oak, vanilla, and blackberry, some cranberry. Finish is the strong point here as it is pleasant and balanced.
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6/13/2020 - cmhvino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Was a little disappointed given previous experience with this wine/winery. Wasn’t as complex as I recalled. Fruit-forward, newer style Napa cab. Big but not much finish or distinguishing characteristics. I’ll try again another day and see if it changes.
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4/25/2020 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark cherry. cassis, licorice, plum. Great approachable wine
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2/6/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Surprisingly much better than anticipated. This is a classic Napa Cab, fruit forward, big and bold, BUT very well balanced, with firm tannins and tingling finish. Great QPR!
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6/14/2019 - Cabernetking wrote: 92 Points
Unfortunately doesn't live up to the hype. Not sure why given some good previous vintages. QPR just isn't there.
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5/1/2019 - Pharmboy1973 wrote: 92 Points
Good but not great, especially given the price and professional ratings. I had opened a bottle 1.5 to 2 years ago and remembered it being a nice bottle. I had hoped it would evolve a little and that the fruit, oak, vanilla, and already mild tannins would subside and reveal something more interesting. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Typical modern, upper-mid range California cab. Drink up and enjoy it for what it is.
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3/16/2019 - Bordeaux Man wrote: 95 Points
We let this one breathe for about an hour before pouring. Outstanding!
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2/21/2019 - jps3@columbia.edu wrote: 89 Points
Not my style of California cabernet, too fruit forward and sweet for my taste.
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2/16/2019 - Bordeaux Man wrote: 95 Points
I let this one breathe for a couple of hours before pouring at cellar temp. We had this with Tuscan Pork Medalions over prociutto and cheese tortellini for Valentaines Day dinner. ......Outstanding!
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9/5/2018 - joseph120 Does not like this wine:
My strong preference for the 2013 vintage, compared to the 2014 remains, after recent comparison. I prefer my wines fruit forward, and the 2013 was gorgeous in that respect. 2014 had much more restrained blue fruit on the mid-palate, and pretty strong, almost unrefined tannins on the finish. Completely different unrewarding experience for me at north of $70 a bottle. Happy to pay the same for the 2013 vintage.
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7/7/2018 - billynorris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blue fruit singing from the glass. Surprisingly approachable for its young age. Plenty of structure. Will definitely be seeking out more of this.
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6/12/2018 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour prior to drinking, wine was relatively mute, both on the nose and on the palate. Drank half the bottle over the course of a couple hours, still not a lot going on.
2nd half of bottle on day 2.
Nose: Wine was much more aromatic on day 2, vibrant, cassis, blackberry brandy, lovely smell.
Palate; the core fruit really came out very nicely, pure blackberry and blue fruit, cocoa powder, currants, hints of cedar. Medium+ lingering finish.
I served this at cellar temperature and consumed the 2nd half of the bottle over an hour or two. Over that time, the wine drank consistently or improved, if anything.
This wine was considerably better IMO on the 2nd day. I regret drinking as much as I did on day 1. I also found the drinking experience on day 2 to be better than my previous tasting note.
While this note bridges the gap for me a bit, the 2014 Rattlesnake is still in another league though....
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5/29/2018 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best vintage of this wine ever. Cassis, plum, anise. Fantastic
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4/27/2018 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry, ripe raspberry, currants, clove, tobacco leaf and cedar. Really good balance and mouthfeel. Very good!
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4/25/2018 - farinas wrote: 92 Points
Solid red with more aging needed
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3/18/2018 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very approachable, as most 2014's are. This is a special wine. Dark cherries, cassis, licorice and forest floor. Smooth tannin structure. Not to long on the finish.
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2/26/2018 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super smooth, sweet, berry and cassis goodness. Not overly complex, has a few good years ahead but can’t see this improving much beyond where it is now. Drink up over next 3-5 years.
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12/10/2017 - farinas Likes this wine: 95 Points
WOTN - this Cab from Spring Mountain is top notch and a great value. It offers intoxicating aromas of pure red and blue fruits with notes of forest spices, lavender, and lilac. The palate is silky smooth with nicely integrated new oak. It’s harmonious and well balanced. I think it gives its neighbor Lokoya (5x the price) a run for its money.
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11/29/2017 - RockyII Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initial 30 minute decant and drank over the next hour. Strong nose of blueberry, Asian spice, cedar and carnations. Taste is full flavored but ultra smooth with some semi sweet flavors in the mid-palate sort of like those old "Necco wafers" that come in wax paper. Great balance of tannins and acidity. Medium to heavy bodied. 92-93.
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11/15/2017 - Juicedws6 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Red and blue fruits on nose as well as flowers, little oak and alcohol as well. Had a woodsy smell. Palate mimicked the nose, more fruit driven but balanced out. Delicious wine. As the night went on and bit sat in the decanter it got rather light. Buy again
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11/10/2017 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Primarily cassis, cherry, cinnamon, raspberry and cherry, on the simpler end, but very well made. would be better at 50 dollars however.
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9/16/2017 - farinas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had a few glasses at Truluck's Miami. Very typical Spring Mtn terroir with a bouquet of dark fruits and forest floor with notes of espresso on the back. Cool blue fruit typical of these mountain tops with a very gentle palate of harmonious sweet tannins blue fruit and forest spices in a mellow harmony. This is gentle and elegant. Love it.
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8/5/2017 - joseph120 Does not like this wine:
I have enjoyed many bottles of this Spring Mtn Cab Sauv previously. They have been one of my favorites over the past few years. I have not really cared though for the 2014 vintage - this one was my second 2014 bottle, and it tasted really hot (alcoholic) to me (despite only 14.7% alcohol). Was this made in Paso Robles?! Brambly hot in the mid-palate, with short easy finish. Not nearly the finesse I expect for a bottle in this price range.The 2014 vintage is just languishing on the shelves at my Total Wine store for a reason (the 2013 flew off the shelves).
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6/12/2017 - Keeping It Real wrote: 95 Points
WineLA event: Cabernet College (Downtown Los Angeles): Tasted blind. These are all starting to taste the same. But I did notice in this flight, it went from wine 1 (Hundred Acre; good) to wine 2 (Pott; better) to wine 3 (Barnett; best). I see the CT reviews on this is quite low. I think this needs a lot of air.
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4/3/2017 - JLuch1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
More approachable compared to the 2013 vintage, decanted for 2 hours and drank over dinner. That said, 2013 is definitely a step up compared to 2014. For 2013, I felt that the estate cab was similar to or a baby version of the rattlesnake. The 2014 rattlesnake is a league above the estate cab.
It was still enjoyable and I purchased more, just not as good of a QPR compared to 2013. If you have both vintages of the estate cab, I would decant and drink the 2014 and continue to cellar the 2013.
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4/2/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark violet color, ripe and sweet tannins, sweet black cherry fruit, moderate depth, lots of juicy acid, but a bit too grapey and sweet for me. I liked the '13 much better. At this price point...this is disappointing.
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3/15/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Purple fruit - blackberry, blueberry, currants, and dark raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth. A little rich. Decent finish, however, not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time. 83% cab, 11% cab franc, 4% petit verdot, and 2% merlot. A nice wine and I expect it to get a little better with more time in light of its youth but Parker's 94 rating is a little lofty in my opinion. Interesting to me that Parker rated the 2014 Barnett Rattlesnake 95+ or just 1+ points better than the Spring Mtn. cab. The Rattlesnake is quite a bit better than 1+ points in my opinion. Nonetheless, still a solid wine at a little less than half price of the Rattlesnake.
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