Well, a "too special to drink" disappointment. Decanted two hours. On the nose dead ringer for stewed prunes. Elegant glycerin legs plus pruny-ness did decrease over time but throughout wished drinking an aged Bordeaux, experiencing memorable terroir totally missing here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
California Wine Weekend; 12/1/2023-12/3/2023 (Mos Eisley Cantina & Waterhouse Restaurant): Nose: Dark blackbery, plum, umami and saddle leather. A lofty nose of jammy berries, warm asphalt, cigar and stone. Perfumed and beautiful on the nose. Palate: Completely mouth filling yet spherical and together. Blueberry, coffee, cassis, mineral, sage and cocoa. A seductive and hedonistic wine. Finish: Comes through with a burst of blackberry liquor, graphite and hot stones. Lingers 60+ seconds and has such presence.
The 1997 flight was prepared as a slow ox for about an hour before the tasting began.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red blood on pouring. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Dark fruit, full body, umami on nose and palate. Paired with old school steakhouse dinnner and this was kind blowing. Continued to evolve over the next couple of hours - wave after wave of fruit and umami. Long, lingering finish. Easily one of the best wines I’ve ever had.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark burgundy color - a bit lighter at the edge Nose is rich black cherry with perhaps a hint of fig The palate is potent black cherry and black raspberry with a peppery backbone that remains with you for at least 30 seconds. Despite the pepper and a lovely richness, the wine is elegant. There is nothing out of place There is still tannin here and given the slightly spicy finish I think this wine may be better in 5 years - at least in our relatively cool cellar. We have been drinking our 96s - which I love - and saving these. I have a slight preference for the 96 right now but this is just a 1/2 point behind. There are a dozen or so pedigreed California cabernets in this lofty price range. We've had 4 different vintages of this wine and Bryant always delivers. I put them in the top echelon of this group
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was blind poured with 11 other wines at a tasting and won the wine of the night in a consensus vote. It was clear and a still incredibly youthful deep red in colour. With a nose and flavours of dark cherries, caramel and some dark chocolate. The tannins and acidity were at a perfect level and this wine had smoothed out to be almost Bordeaux like. Finally, the wine had a very long finish to it. Superb!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened in the bottle a few hours. This is an amazing bottle and drinks like it’s ten years old. Eucalyptus, mixed berry, vanilla, leather, sage, earth…. Still incredibly structured. Great example of what Napa can/could be.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 1997 exhibits decent energy and a fruit core that is holding fairly steady, though it is on the obvious downswing of its evolution. Notes of earth, mushroom, currant, sanguine, and subtle cedar are complimented by blackberry and raspberry notes. The profile overall at this stage is predictable but quite enjoyable. The only miss here is the mid-palate, where depth and concentration have noticeably flattened-out. The flavors of the dark berry fruit stay strong, but the dimension has leveled. Freshness is intact, as is the frame holding it all together.
For my palate preference, drink now. If you're all about grandma's armpit and dirt merchanting, then hold as long as you want. A 94 point showing, with a slow declination (or "transformation," if being politically correct) over the next decade. Score higher if you're all about the sherry and leather. Luckily, this is nowhere near that, yet.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This seems to be a little past its prime, despite still being very enjoyable now. The fruit is still lovely and present, not at all showing its age, but once you get past the entry it falls a little flat as it progresses without a ton of spine. I had this and the 96 on the same day, and this shows much more fruit but the 96 has more structure with better acidity. I also drank this next to the 12, and I feel like it was probably just as good or better at age 10. Overall, it is holding up better than most Napa wines would at this point, but I would drink it sooner rather than later.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Have heard many wine critics describe vintage '97 Napa wines as high sugar, lower acidity, with short aging potential. At an age of 25, this bottle was excellent. For someone who enjoys olive tapenade, the nose was heavenly. Balanced, integrated, not a bit of heat. Generous dose of dark fruit. Tannins have completely resolved. Perhaps at or just past prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4 Great Cabernet Sauvignons (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, black berry, cranberry, and forest floor, same on the palate, big body, concentrated, mouth filling fruit, rich, slightly overripe fruit and slightly over the top, at peak, long, long, lingering finish and lovely aftertaste, photo uploaded, My #1 of 5 tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark purple, brett notes apparent, burned grapes, anise, scorched earth, big purple fruits, black cherry syrup, garrigue and a little meaty note; full, with a sweet attack, creamy texture, and somewhat hot finish. Not exactly my cup of tea, but actually enjoyable. Guessed much younger on this with a 2010 Shafer Hillside Select. Heritage Wine Blind Wine #7 at the Tasting Finals at Jean-George Las Vegas
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
big, burly, raisin-oid, one of the most concentrated wines i have ever tasted, almost reminiscent of a late harvest zinfandel. per Duane 'unilateral cough syrup'. not particularly complimentary monikers. yet others went bonkers for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium body for a cab; warm and elegant. Palate of ripe black cherry, dried fruit and smoke. Long finish, and I have to say that I enjoyed this much more before the steak arrived. Bobby Van's which has no good glasses :(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is really singing. Warm inviting nose with red fruit that actually sweetened in decanter over 4 or 5hrs...wine still has legs and has not reached full maturity imho. In this setting tasted blind vs 94 Mondavi reserve and an 88 Petrus...With about 2hrs decanted was much more expressive than the others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my all-time favorite wine. I have had the good fortune to drink it more than a dozen times. In it's 20th year, the fruit has muted a bit, leaving behind a nose of smoke and black olives. On the palate, I am getting smoke, cedar, with hints of blueberries. The mouthfeel is outstanding. The tannins are silky and well-integrated. I beautiful 30 second finish. This wine has begun to change, not better or worse, just different. It is aging wonderfully. This Bryant is an elegant classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An incredible wine; still youthful. Full flavored black and blue fruit, tannins holding everything together. You would never know this is a 20 year old California wine. It has double this life, IMO. My only slight critique is that it is still quite alcoholic; didn't bother me but my wife felt it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Psst, buddy, wanna buy some really good tapenade? I mean really primo. Here, smell. Yea, that is an excellent aroma of tapenade, refined, not pungent, lovely. Here, taste. Wow, that is great. Not excessively forward, just the right salinity, a lovely and pleasing taste. I'd like some. What's it cost by the way? Oh, for you, only 40 dollars an ounce. 27.5 ounce minimum order, of course. WHAT??? So, kidding aside, I pulled my last bottle last night for a major anniversary. I last scored it 100 in 2013. Now there is "no my bags were not in my constant control" caveat here; we went to a show and I dropped it off at the restaurant with instructions to open it 2 hours before our reservation. That said, I have no concerns re provenance. The wine was still dark, dense flavorful, integrated, but really dominated on the nose and palate by tapenade. that can be a great accent in wine, but I did not really enjoy it as the whole show. I am moving all my few pre-97 Bryants into the "consume soon" section on Excel based on this experience. Was this just bottle variation?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich inky/garnet color, vibrant core, no real signs of age. Beautiful nose of red fruits, blackberry, floral notes, baking spices. Palate of ripe black cherry, licorice, smoke. Oak on the finish, well integrated. Long and layered finish
This is an amazing wine...Big but sill elegant. No doubt it will drink well for a decade+ from here. The wine is showing secondary characteristics perfectly. The slow ox/decant made a big difference, allowing it to settle in and display its complexity. After 5+ hours open, this was still a wine you could linger over for hours, changing in the glass
This was my WOTN and for a number of our group. Especially impressive for those with palates/tastes leaning to European wines... very special wine
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
For me the WOTN. Extreme red and dark fruits, a lot of herbs, iodine, cassis, coffee, very concentrated, soft and ripe tannins, fresh minerality, much glycerine, extract sweetness, maybe in the finish a bit too alcoholic, this is the only reason not giving the 100, a blockbuster for the future, 99-100
overall 4th place with an average of 96,1
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): This is a towering wine.... Stupendous concentration, yet unbelievably smooth and rounded. Cherry/cassis fruit, wonderful floral components, spicebox, licorice and ink. The finish is a touch hot, which kept it from scoring WOTN. But I was very impressed...! (My #3; group #4; scores 93-99)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Bouquet with good red fruits. On the palate juicy red fruits, good acidity and pleasant sweetness. Pleasant and luxurious oak in a great finish. This was the last bottle in a 25 wines blind tasting with a great dinner and I did not make enough notes to give it the description it deserves. I scored this sexy wine 97 – 98 points though. Because there is a touch of heat in the finish I put 97 in CT as my “official” score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smoke, incense, spearmint, espresso bean, vanilla and black raspberries start off the nose. In the mouth, the wine is lush and packs a punch with its dense, ripe, jammy strawberries and licorice. There is a minor sensation of heat in the finish, but it’s not off putting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Huge massive red fruits explode from the bottle. Literally filled the room with its nose. Still very powerful and has its best days to come for sure. Huge tannins, and heat. Needs at least a 6 hour decant. Amazing bottle. This will go on and on for a very long time to come. This also was much better on day 2. It needs a double decant to settle down. Alcohol was still noticeable on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with family at dinner honoring Dad. Followed 2005 Colgin and blew it away. Found a couple inches in the bottle next night (how that happened I'll never know) and it's still awesome. Cassis on steroids. Classic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Inky ruby with notable brick highlights. Intense and layered aromatics with medicinal berry notes upfront along with medlar, olives and mint. Very concentrated and sumptuous, quite bold and even assertive despite its age. Sweet, syrupy fruit, still too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
my guess is that I have drank from over 1,000 bottles of wine in the last 15 years. and in that time, i have had '97 bryant at least 12 times. this was the single best bottle of wine that i have had in all that time.
as a tradition, three of my buddies and i crack open a '97 bryant at our annual Christmas dinner the week before the holiday. this year i was a little nervous because some of the 1997 napa cabs that i have opened in the last six months have not been showing well. it seems they are going through an off period.
WOW. this bottle floored us ... more than ever before. beautiful harmony. highly extracted, but great balance. sweet blueberries, licorice, dark chocolate ... all wonderfully integrated. silky smooth tannins. a insane nose. and a mind-blowing 60+ second finish.
It doesn't get better for a new world cab lover!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
MNSC - Kevin (Cepage): coffee, chocolate, jam, licorice. it's all out there. not as overwhelmingly sweet as i remember it, but still needs a porterhouse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): I rarely drink "cult" California Cabernet because I don't fully appreciate that high octane style. so this definitely exceeded my expectations tonight. Certainly super ripe, but this has elegant tannins, good acidity, great spice, with everything in very impressive balance and harmony. I haven't been thrilled with how many highly rated 1997s have shown when I've tried them the past year, but this impressed tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Farewell Dinner (Charlie Trotter's, Chicago IL): Dark red and black currant and plum. Cedar notes and some tobacco leaf. Lots of power on both the nose and palate. Quite ripe fruit on the palate with great texture. A long powerful finish with nice acidity on the backend. In a really great place.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brittle cork broke in two; wine was fine... Vinturi decant 2.5 hours before rebottling for drive to restaurant. Huge dark fruit, mocha, faint earth, light anise. Complex and lingering mouth-drying finish. I wanted to join RP in going 100 on this cult cab, but just couldn't quite join him. Fantastic stuff! Why didn't I buy a case of this when I had the chance?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 97 Cult cab/Meritage dinner at RIS in DC: I opened the bottle and the cork was brittle and fell apart. Very little fruit, red fruit, milky, cedar, vanilla and metal. The metal theme continues in the palate. Noticeable tannins, high acidity, very little fruit. Some a bit off. ??? My guesss Abreu.
RP 100, ST 96, CT 96.6 average, CT 97 Median
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Licorice, coffee, blackberry, coca, earth, truffle and tobacco scents made up the perfume. On the palate, the wine feels lush. The powerful, velvet textured blackberry, chocolate and jam finish is long, clean and pure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Amazing layers of complexity. Still quite tannic on finish, almost spicy at first, now just very mouth drying. Big brown sugar nose but also some licorice. Palette got fatigued after 2 glasses - this is a heavy wine. Drank at Alain Ducasse restaurant called Adour in NY inside St. Regis hotel. Wow, what a wine list and what a valentines day special deal on 1997 Bryant!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
perfect wine, really ... flawless ... noses of candy, dark fruit ... perfectly balanced ... mouth coating, but well integrated tannins ... 90 second finish ... spectacular
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. When I first smelled this wine, the first thing that struck me was cough syrup. There was just a slightly medicinal aroma on the nose that really stuck out. A few other tasters in the group picked up on it as well. With some time in the glass, there was also an aroma of boot polish that came forward along with the dark fruits. The palate revealed some rich cassis flavors, but it was slightly marred by heat. Once this was revealed as the 97 Bryant, I was really surprised. I hadn't tasted it before, and this wasn't what I thought a 100 point Napa Cab from 97 would taste like. This bottle had been purchased directly from the winery, but I guess these haven't aged as well as expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stored in a wine fridge since acquiring from a restaurant almost 10 years ago. The wine was beautiful to start, but was defnitely waiting for a few breaths of fresh air. Slowly drnk while it decanted over 4 hours. It took over every taste bud and shined with heavy fruit and soft tannins. Sweet, balanced, complex, an aroma to match, and a finish that won't quit. It improved over the course of dinner and continued to improve in the decantur the whole time. Dark, inky, just right now, and certainly a mouth buster. Now is the time to drink, although I doubt disappointment would come after a few more years of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncorked DK does mature Napa Bdx blends (Peter Solberg): Very dark all the way to the rim. The nose just radiates from the glass and instantly fills the entire skull with salty licorice and pitch black fruit. In the mouth this is huge, yet soft and easy to drink, immensely concentrated, yet complex and elegant. Wow. And wow again. (U98,7)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet with black core. Very smoky, strong berry core and a bit of raw tomato. A bit of a syrupy finish negated a lovely initial red/black fruit profile. A good wine, but not a favorite this evening. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This last bottle of my 6-pack showed quite well with that wonderful cassis/boysenberry flavor of the vineyard. Quite aged and lacks real complexity but the elegant fruit and finish make it a lovely drink. It has lost the powerful licorice flavor and velvety texture of its youth when I originally thought it was one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. It has simply not aged like I had hoped.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Le Logge in Siena. Decanted for about an hour. Still looks like a really young wine as far as the color is concerned. Really concentrated purple color. On the palate, almost no tannins to speak of. Big and juicy without being too much. Very soft and suave on the palate with an extremely long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
One of the greatest wines I've ever had. The 1997 Bryant is pure perfection. Decanted for 5 hours before drinking, the wine is at its apex. Deep purple color, with color slightly fading at the edge of the glass. Beautiful scents of lavender and sweet dark fruits. The wine is in perfect balance. I can't remember a wine that was so seamless - no hints of alcohol or oak. Lovely mouth-feel. Vibrant flavors of sweet blueberries and blackberries, lavender, lilac, vanilla, licorice and cassis. Never having the pleasure of drinking this particular vintage of Bryant, I was expecting a wine more like a Harlan or Latour (more masculine with massive fruit). What I found was a wine more like a Colgin/Margaux blend. The wine definitely had lots of sweet fruit and power, but was very aromatic with outstanding finesse. If you are lucky enough to have any of this wine in your cellar, start opening them in the next year or two. You won’t be disappointed. I would think that in 3-5 years this wine will start its downward decline. Amazing wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I have had few wines that I would describe a perfect, but this was one of them. Took it to dinner for my birthday at a very good Atlanta restaurant. They decanted and it sat for almost an hour. The Sommelier hovered at the table, hoping for a taste. We offered and he shared my opinion. I am always prepared to be disappointed by such a hyped wine, but this one did not disappoint.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
INCREDIBLY RICH NOSE WITH LAYERS OF BLACK FRUITS, LICORICE, AND LEATHER. DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR, WITH BLACKBERRIES AND CURRANTS. A VERY COMPLEX WINE WITH ALONG LINGERING FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
great tasting wine. unfortunately for the bryant, it was in a tasting with the 1994 vega sicilia unico, 1982 latour and the 1982 margaux so the little slight imperfection of the bryant had was highlighted.
that weakness is the nose. the bryant just doesn't have any kind of meaningful nose. and when lined up against the margaux and the latour, the lack of nose just jumps out.
but there is nothing that can touch the taste of the bryant, great jammy, fruity, coconut, vanilla flavors, velvety. drinking perfectly right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
11/07 Purple/black color - sweet fruit nose - full-bodied - intense concentrated blackcherry blackberry currant attack with a thick layered wall of dark bittersweet chocolate and soft rounded structured oak. Perfectly balanced - seamless mid-palate. Decanted 3 hours - ready now and easily over the next 30 years. This may be best Cali-Cab produced to date. The flavors are so rich deep and concentrated that just a small sip explodes with a full spectrum of fruit and finish on the palate. 100 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought it to 11 Madison and had it decanted for at least an hour before being served. What an incredibly unique vineyard this is because you can smell and taste the most beautiful earthy terroir. There is this unbelievable pure fruit flavor of boysenberry/dark rasberry/violet that is like an unearthly perfume that surrounds you as you drink it. Rich, full bodied and unbelievably plush in texture, this puppy is beginning to reach maturity in my opinion but the only issue is the high level of alcohol that permeates the finish leaving a hint of harshness in an otherwise gorgeous wine. Without that, it might be perfect, but what else is new in overly alcoholic Napa Valley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golf & Dinner at Medinah with Rocky, Kevin, et al. (Medinah Country Club): Wow, what an unexpected treat! I'm not generally the biggest fan of Bryant in the few other vintages I've had but this was the real deal - about as good as California cabs get. Towering aroma followed by a compelling palate with a riot of different flavors and influences coming together including black fruit, brown sugar, mineral earthy notes, black violets, and spice. All come together in a seamless and balanced wine. It's hard to point to a single characteristic that makes it great, it is the sum of the parts coming together. 96-97pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Black ruby color. Fantastic nose of blackberry bramble, ultra-ripe cassis and coffee/expresso. Gorgeous silky texture with bold flavors of licorice, expresso and a hint of green pepper. This is a deep,inky wine that is an incredibly pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon but the finish is slightly alcoholic and hot which is something I have not experienced with previous bottles. Still, the liquid texture of this wine is something to behold and clearly the earth that this wine comes from is unique and very special. Perhaps this bottle is a bit off although it is from the same batch that came straight from the winery. I would say drink it now and don't wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted several times with inconsistent notes. This one being the best. Pitch black. Aromas of blackberries, licorice, dark chocolate, graphite and espresso. Extremely dense and concentrated with perfect balance, finesse and incredible length. Certainly one of the most solid, structured and pure wines I've ever tasted from California. Should be very long lived. Must be decanted a minimum of 4 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
perfect wine ... huge nose of licorice, dark berries and medicine ... broad sspectrum of flavors ... muscular, yet beautiful ... long finish ... awesome
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
G7 (Jeff): Blackberry fruit nose. Tastes of dusty dried fruit. Soft with a nice finish. A bit of a disappointment for me. Much better last time I had it. Off bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow… wow… wow! Luscious sweet thick viscous wine filled with blueberries – this wine has an incredibly long finish and leaves a beautiful coco flavor behind. If there were only one wine that I could ever have – this would be it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cellar Party for Bayfront Medical Center Foundation. Yup, we popped the cork on one of Mr. P's 100 pointers. This is what CA Cab is all about! Hits you with black, sweet fruit, and then wraps it's seemlessly never ending smooth tannic structure around you. The finish goes on forever, at least a minute. This has time left and shows NO sign of VA!!!!!!!!!! Stunning!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a super rich, jammy wine that has excellent balance and depth. It is a little jammy for me, although not over the top, so it was very enjoyable. But I find the ’97 Harlan vastly more appealing. And at the price this bottle now commands there is no reason to get more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is a knock out winner hands down best I ever had from California. It takes time to open up though. You have to give it 3 hours of decanting before you really experience the power and magic. Very muted out of the bottle. You do not get much on the nose or anything on the finish. After the 3 hours, it becomes a totally different wine. The nose starts to develop, up front fruit envelopes your palate, and the finish is never ending... it is a beautiful wine. Put a buy recommendation on this one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Everyone at the table rated this 100. It had everything. Power, finesse, great fruit, structure, elegance, complexity, developed mid-palate, long finish. The single best bottle of wine I have ever had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an elegant wine. Powerful with superripe fruit yet very well put together and extremely well balanced. I did not decant but opened about an hour before pouring. Berries and currant on the nose with coffee, plum, blue berries and spice on the palate. Great finish that seemed to last forever with bitter chocolate, coffee and a hint of eath. I really enjoyed this wine but have to think it would be even better with a couple more years in the cellar....maybe even several years to bring out some of the earth. But who knows???
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A huge big in your face wine. Very powerful but it had lots of elegance. The nose was well pronounced with very ripe fruits. You could taste hits of chocolate, green vines, some peper. The finish lasted 5 minutes. An amazing wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
perfect wine, huge, sweet nose of current berry ... Pefectly balanced, great extraction ... Big, sweet tannins ... flavors of dark, sweet chocolate and dark fruit ... Almost one minute finish ... Excellent ... Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine tasting. Incredible nose of black fruit, plenty of spice, both powerful and alluring. Tastes also show black cherry and plum, and even though somewhat backward today, there is so much great concentration and balance at same time. Really amazing finish of same black fruit and great spice. After an hour, abundant fruit even more prominent and even longer finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/19/2024 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Ultra sweet, readily identifiably Napa.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2024 - Minnesota wrote: 90 Points
Well, a "too special to drink" disappointment. Decanted two hours. On the nose dead ringer for stewed prunes. Elegant glycerin legs plus pruny-ness did decrease over time but throughout wished drinking an aged Bordeaux, experiencing memorable terroir totally missing here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
Ripe, blowsy, slightly rubbery. Pencil, blackberry, big and broad. Not my cup of tea, though with a steak it has its own appeal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
California Wine Weekend; 12/1/2023-12/3/2023 (Mos Eisley Cantina & Waterhouse Restaurant): Nose: Dark blackbery, plum, umami and saddle leather. A lofty nose of jammy berries, warm asphalt, cigar and stone. Perfumed and beautiful on the nose. Palate: Completely mouth filling yet spherical and together. Blueberry, coffee, cassis, mineral, sage and cocoa. A seductive and hedonistic wine. Finish: Comes through with a burst of blackberry liquor, graphite and hot stones. Lingers 60+ seconds and has such presence.
The 1997 flight was prepared as a slow ox for about an hour before the tasting began.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2023 - NeuroWine Likes this wine: 99 Points
Dark red blood on pouring. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Dark fruit, full body, umami on nose and palate. Paired with old school steakhouse dinnner and this was kind blowing. Continued to evolve over the next couple of hours - wave after wave of fruit and umami. Long, lingering finish. Easily one of the best wines I’ve ever had.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2023 - barrytaylor wrote: 97 Points
deep color, little sediment, decanted 1 1/2 hr, smooth, even better as meal concluded 3 hrs later, maybe it is peaking, don't wait too long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2023 - Ruby99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark burgundy color - a bit lighter at the edge
Nose is rich black cherry with perhaps a hint of fig
The palate is potent black cherry and black raspberry with a peppery backbone that remains with you for at least 30 seconds. Despite the pepper and a lovely richness, the wine is elegant. There is nothing out of place
There is still tannin here and given the slightly spicy finish I think this wine may be better in 5 years - at least in our relatively cool cellar.
We have been drinking our 96s - which I love - and saving these. I have a slight preference for the 96 right now but this is just a 1/2 point behind.
There are a dozen or so pedigreed California cabernets in this lofty price range. We've had 4 different vintages of this wine and Bryant always delivers. I put them in the top echelon of this group
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2023 - willthethrill wrote: 93 Points
Was expecting so much more...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2022 - Rosengoo wrote: 98 Points
This wine was blind poured with 11 other wines at a tasting and won the wine of the night in a consensus vote. It was clear and a still incredibly youthful deep red in colour. With a nose and flavours of dark cherries, caramel and some dark chocolate. The tannins and acidity were at a perfect level and this wine had smoothed out to be almost Bordeaux like. Finally, the wine had a very long finish to it. Superb!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 99 Points
Opened in the bottle a few hours. This is an amazing bottle and drinks like it’s ten years old. Eucalyptus, mixed berry, vanilla, leather, sage, earth…. Still incredibly structured. Great example of what Napa can/could be.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2022 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
1997 Bryant Cabernet, 2012 Bryant Cabernet, 2015 Bryant Bettina.
The 1997 exhibits decent energy and a fruit core that is holding fairly steady, though it is on the obvious downswing of its evolution. Notes of earth, mushroom, currant, sanguine, and subtle cedar are complimented by blackberry and raspberry notes. The profile overall at this stage is predictable but quite enjoyable. The only miss here is the mid-palate, where depth and concentration have noticeably flattened-out. The flavors of the dark berry fruit stay strong, but the dimension has leveled. Freshness is intact, as is the frame holding it all together.
For my palate preference, drink now. If you're all about grandma's armpit and dirt merchanting, then hold as long as you want. A 94 point showing, with a slow declination (or "transformation," if being politically correct) over the next decade. Score higher if you're all about the sherry and leather. Luckily, this is nowhere near that, yet.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This seems to be a little past its prime, despite still being very enjoyable now. The fruit is still lovely and present, not at all showing its age, but once you get past the entry it falls a little flat as it progresses without a ton of spine. I had this and the 96 on the same day, and this shows much more fruit but the 96 has more structure with better acidity. I also drank this next to the 12, and I feel like it was probably just as good or better at age 10. Overall, it is holding up better than most Napa wines would at this point, but I would drink it sooner rather than later.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2022 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 96 Points
Have heard many wine critics describe vintage '97 Napa wines as high sugar, lower acidity, with short aging potential. At an age of 25, this bottle was excellent. For someone who enjoys olive tapenade, the nose was heavenly. Balanced, integrated, not a bit of heat. Generous dose of dark fruit. Tannins have completely resolved. Perhaps at or just past prime drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2022 - Minnesota wrote:
Should have started drinking my case decade or more ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 97 Points
4 Great Cabernet Sauvignons (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, black berry, cranberry, and forest floor, same on the palate, big body, concentrated, mouth filling fruit, rich, slightly overripe fruit and slightly over the top, at peak, long, long, lingering finish and lovely aftertaste, photo uploaded, My #1 of 5 tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2021 - Thracian Alvarinho Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Clearly a Parker wine. Nearly 16% abv. Extremly sweet like a Port. Raisins everywhere. Not fine. Not balanced. Very difficult to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2020 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Deep dark purple, brett notes apparent, burned grapes, anise, scorched earth, big purple fruits, black cherry syrup, garrigue and a little meaty note; full, with a sweet attack, creamy texture, and somewhat hot finish. Not exactly my cup of tea, but actually enjoyable. Guessed much younger on this with a 2010 Shafer Hillside Select. Heritage Wine Blind Wine #7 at the Tasting Finals at Jean-George Las Vegas
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2019 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Big and bold. Flirts with overly so, but delicious in small quantities.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2019 - soyhead wrote:
big, burly, raisin-oid, one of the most concentrated wines i have ever tasted, almost reminiscent of a late harvest zinfandel. per Duane 'unilateral cough syrup'. not particularly complimentary monikers. yet others went bonkers for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/5/2019 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium body for a cab; warm and elegant. Palate of ripe black cherry, dried fruit and smoke. Long finish, and I have to say that I enjoyed this much more before the steak arrived. Bobby Van's which has no good glasses :(
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2018 - wa2ofd Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine is really singing. Warm inviting nose with red fruit that actually sweetened in decanter over 4 or 5hrs...wine still has legs and has not reached full maturity imho. In this setting tasted blind vs 94 Mondavi reserve and an 88 Petrus...With about 2hrs decanted was much more expressive than the others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - RAD2626 wrote: 95 Points
Still deserves all the hype. A perfect Cali Cab. Wonderful nose, length, finish and more importantly taste and texture. Just wonderfull
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2017 - SkyCellar Likes this wine: 100 Points
Pretty spectacular
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2017 - ipp Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is my all-time favorite wine. I have had the good fortune to drink it more than a dozen times. In it's 20th year, the fruit has muted a bit, leaving behind a nose of smoke and black olives. On the palate, I am getting smoke, cedar, with hints of blueberries. The mouthfeel is outstanding. The tannins are silky and well-integrated. I beautiful 30 second finish. This wine has begun to change, not better or worse, just different. It is aging wonderfully. This Bryant is an elegant classic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2017 - mactheknife Likes this wine: 97 Points
An incredible wine; still youthful. Full flavored black and blue fruit, tannins holding everything together. You would never know this is a 20 year old California wine. It has double this life, IMO. My only slight critique is that it is still quite alcoholic; didn't bother me but my wife felt it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2016 - soyhead Likes this wine:
Superbly powerful, concentrated, blueberry, cassis, blackberry. A freak of nature wow wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2016 - oncocyte wrote: 93 Points
Psst, buddy, wanna buy some really good tapenade? I mean really primo. Here, smell.
Yea, that is an excellent aroma of tapenade, refined, not pungent, lovely.
Here, taste.
Wow, that is great. Not excessively forward, just the right salinity, a lovely and pleasing taste. I'd like some. What's it cost by the way?
Oh, for you, only 40 dollars an ounce. 27.5 ounce minimum order, of course.
WHAT???
So, kidding aside, I pulled my last bottle last night for a major anniversary. I last scored it 100 in 2013. Now there is "no my bags were not in my constant control" caveat here; we went to a show and I dropped it off at the restaurant with instructions to open it 2 hours before our reservation. That said, I have no concerns re provenance. The wine was still dark, dense flavorful, integrated, but really dominated on the nose and palate by tapenade. that can be a great accent in wine, but I did not really enjoy it as the whole show.
I am moving all my few pre-97 Bryants into the "consume soon" section on Excel based on this experience. Was this just bottle variation?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 99 Points
Another Epic Dinner in Zurich w/CVA, Benoit, Andrew...adding Paolo (Moevenpick 20/20): Fourth wine of the night, one of my contributions post the very well aged Bordeaux. Opened and slow oxed for 4 hours before drinking, decanted at the restaurant for another hour. Drank next to a 2007 Ovid.
Rich inky/garnet color, vibrant core, no real signs of age. Beautiful nose of red fruits, blackberry, floral notes, baking spices. Palate of ripe black cherry, licorice, smoke. Oak on the finish, well integrated. Long and layered finish
This is an amazing wine...Big but sill elegant. No doubt it will drink well for a decade+ from here. The wine is showing secondary characteristics perfectly. The slow ox/decant made a big difference, allowing it to settle in and display its complexity. After 5+ hours open, this was still a wine you could linger over for hours, changing in the glass
This was my WOTN and for a number of our group. Especially impressive for those with palates/tastes leaning to European wines... very special wine
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2015 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
Big Blind Tasting of 19 Reds from California 1997
For me the WOTN.
Extreme red and dark fruits, a lot of herbs, iodine, cassis, coffee, very concentrated, soft and ripe tannins, fresh minerality, much glycerine, extract sweetness, maybe in the finish a bit too alcoholic, this is the only reason not giving the 100, a blockbuster for the future, 99-100
overall 4th place with an average of 96,1
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 97 Points
97 Napa-retrospective (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): This is a towering wine.... Stupendous concentration, yet unbelievably smooth and rounded. Cherry/cassis fruit, wonderful floral components, spicebox, licorice and ink. The finish is a touch hot, which kept it from scoring WOTN. But I was very impressed...! (My #3; group #4; scores 93-99)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2015 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
USA 1997 (By JK @ Bottles): Bouquet with good red fruits. On the palate juicy red fruits, good acidity and pleasant sweetness. Pleasant and luxurious oak in a great finish. This was the last bottle in a 25 wines blind tasting with a great dinner and I did not make enough notes to give it the description it deserves. I scored this sexy wine 97 – 98 points though. Because there is a touch of heat in the finish I put 97 in CT as my “official” score.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Smoke, incense, spearmint, espresso bean, vanilla and black raspberries start off the nose. In the mouth, the wine is lush and packs a punch with its dense, ripe, jammy strawberries and licorice. There is a minor sensation of heat in the finish, but it’s not off putting.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Huge massive red fruits explode from the bottle. Literally filled the room with its nose. Still very powerful and has its best days to come for sure. Huge tannins, and heat. Needs at least a 6 hour decant. Amazing bottle. This will go on and on for a very long time to come. This also was much better on day 2. It needs a double decant to settle down. Alcohol was still noticeable on the finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2014 - ipp Likes this wine: 94 Points
big nose with a little heat, sweet tannins. not as much fruit showing right now. still excellent. long finish. drinking well though not at its best
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2014 - levinml wrote: 98 Points
Drank with family at dinner honoring Dad. Followed 2005 Colgin and blew it away. Found a couple inches in the bottle next night (how that happened I'll never know) and it's still awesome. Cassis on steroids. Classic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2014 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 92 Points
Inky ruby with notable brick highlights. Intense and layered aromatics with medicinal berry notes upfront along with medlar, olives and mint. Very concentrated and sumptuous, quite bold and even assertive despite its age. Sweet, syrupy fruit, still too young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2013 - ipp Likes this wine: 100 Points
my guess is that I have drank from over 1,000 bottles of wine in the last 15 years. and in that time, i have had '97 bryant at least 12 times. this was the single best bottle of wine that i have had in all that time.
as a tradition, three of my buddies and i crack open a '97 bryant at our annual Christmas dinner the week before the holiday. this year i was a little nervous because some of the 1997 napa cabs that i have opened in the last six months have not been showing well. it seems they are going through an off period.
WOW. this bottle floored us ... more than ever before. beautiful harmony. highly extracted, but great balance. sweet blueberries, licorice, dark chocolate ... all wonderfully integrated. silky smooth tannins. a insane nose. and a mind-blowing 60+ second finish.
It doesn't get better for a new world cab lover!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2013 - Lord Rayas Likes this wine: 97 Points
MNSC - Kevin (Cepage): coffee, chocolate, jam, licorice. it's all out there. not as overwhelmingly sweet as i remember it, but still needs a porterhouse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - gondrik wrote: 99 Points
The cork broke so we had to deal with the debris. The nose was intense blueberry fruit and dark chocolate. The tasting experience was just gorgeous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): I rarely drink "cult" California Cabernet because I don't fully appreciate that high octane style. so this definitely exceeded my expectations tonight. Certainly super ripe, but this has elegant tannins, good acidity, great spice, with everything in very impressive balance and harmony. I haven't been thrilled with how many highly rated 1997s have shown when I've tried them the past year, but this impressed tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2012 - MatthewF wrote:
Farewell Dinner (Charlie Trotter's, Chicago IL): Dark red and black currant and plum. Cedar notes and some tobacco leaf. Lots of power on both the nose and palate. Quite ripe fruit on the palate with great texture. A long powerful finish with nice acidity on the backend. In a really great place.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2011 - robertdtwo wrote: 98 Points
Brittle cork broke in two; wine was fine... Vinturi decant 2.5 hours before rebottling for drive to restaurant. Huge dark fruit, mocha, faint earth, light anise. Complex and lingering mouth-drying finish. I wanted to join RP in going 100 on this cult cab, but just couldn't quite join him. Fantastic stuff! Why didn't I buy a case of this when I had the chance?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2011 - dcwino wrote: flawed
The 97 Cult cab/Meritage dinner at RIS in DC: I opened the bottle and the cork was brittle and fell apart. Very little fruit, red fruit, milky, cedar, vanilla and metal. The metal theme continues in the palate. Noticeable tannins, high acidity, very little fruit. Some a bit off. ??? My guesss Abreu.
RP 100, ST 96, CT 96.6 average, CT 97 Median
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2011 - ipp wrote: 99 Points
mind blowing complexity. blueberry, licorice. powerful sweet tannins. great balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Licorice, coffee, blackberry, coca, earth, truffle and tobacco scents made up the perfume. On the palate, the wine feels lush. The powerful, velvet textured blackberry, chocolate and jam finish is long, clean and pure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2011 - mccartykj wrote: 95 Points
Amazing layers of complexity. Still quite tannic on finish, almost spicy at first, now just very mouth drying. Big brown sugar nose but also some licorice. Palette got fatigued after 2 glasses - this is a heavy wine. Drank at Alain Ducasse restaurant called Adour in NY inside St. Regis hotel. Wow, what a wine list and what a valentines day special deal on 1997 Bryant!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2010 - ipp wrote: 100 Points
perfect wine, really ... flawless ... noses of candy, dark fruit ... perfectly balanced ... mouth coating, but well integrated tannins ... 90 second finish ... spectacular
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2010 - G_H Likes this wine: 97 Points
Washington State against the rest of the World (Park Hotel Weggis): Tons of brown sugar, leather, cedar, cigarbox, but also still a very nice fruit, black berries, plums, awesome awesome wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2010 - rstark wrote: 91 Points
Wine Tasting Cage - Masseto Gets Smacked Down by a bunch of Cali Cabs! (Pamplemousse Grille, Del Mar, CA): Dark berry nose blended with menthol. Attack of berry and dark cherry. Tannins bit back a little, like many of the 97’s. A little hot. My #5, the crowd’s #3 (out of nine)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2010 - last chance wrote: 91 Points
Blind California Cult Cabernet Tasting (Mill Creek, WA): Tasted blind. When I first smelled this wine, the first thing that struck me was cough syrup. There was just a slightly medicinal aroma on the nose that really stuck out. A few other tasters in the group picked up on it as well. With some time in the glass, there was also an aroma of boot polish that came forward along with the dark fruits. The palate revealed some rich cassis flavors, but it was slightly marred by heat. Once this was revealed as the 97 Bryant, I was really surprised. I hadn't tasted it before, and this wasn't what I thought a 100 point Napa Cab from 97 would taste like. This bottle had been purchased directly from the winery, but I guess these haven't aged as well as expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2010 - OpuMayaQuem wrote: 99 Points
Stored in a wine fridge since acquiring from a restaurant almost 10 years ago. The wine was beautiful to start, but was defnitely waiting for a few breaths of fresh air. Slowly drnk while it decanted over 4 hours. It took over every taste bud and shined with heavy fruit and soft tannins. Sweet, balanced, complex, an aroma to match, and a finish that won't quit. It improved over the course of dinner and continued to improve in the decantur the whole time. Dark, inky, just right now, and certainly a mouth buster. Now is the time to drink, although I doubt disappointment would come after a few more years of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2009 - ipp wrote: 97 Points
great aroma, black licorice ... sweet, glycerin filled ...
dark fruit ... great, but not as good as last year
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2009 - gorm wrote: 99 Points
Uncorked DK does mature Napa Bdx blends (Peter Solberg): Very dark all the way to the rim. The nose just radiates from the glass and instantly fills the entire skull with salty licorice and pitch black fruit. In the mouth this is huge, yet soft and easy to drink, immensely concentrated, yet complex and elegant. Wow. And wow again. (U98,7)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
Garnet with black core. Very smoky, strong berry core and a bit of raw tomato. A bit of a syrupy finish negated a lovely initial red/black fruit profile. A good wine, but not a favorite this evening. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2009 - dream wrote: 90 Points
This last bottle of my 6-pack showed quite well with that wonderful cassis/boysenberry flavor of the vineyard. Quite aged and lacks real complexity but the elegant fruit and finish make it a lovely drink. It has lost the powerful licorice flavor and velvety texture of its youth when I originally thought it was one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. It has simply not aged like I had hoped.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2009 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 96 Points
Drank at Le Logge in Siena. Decanted for about an hour. Still looks like a really young wine as far as the color is concerned. Really concentrated purple color. On the palate, almost no tannins to speak of. Big and juicy without being too much. Very soft and suave on the palate with an extremely long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2009 - psmith wrote:
1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Pruney and overdone dark fruits. Intense wine with blowsy, porty, chocolate milkshake fruit and fine but abundant tannins. Really big and front heavy. Too much; not enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2009 - rthun wrote: 100 Points
One of the greatest wines I've ever had. The 1997 Bryant is pure perfection. Decanted for 5 hours before drinking, the wine is at its apex. Deep purple color, with color slightly fading at the edge of the glass. Beautiful scents of lavender and sweet dark fruits. The wine is in perfect balance. I can't remember a wine that was so seamless - no hints of alcohol or oak. Lovely mouth-feel. Vibrant flavors of sweet blueberries and blackberries, lavender, lilac, vanilla, licorice and cassis. Never having the pleasure of drinking this particular vintage of Bryant, I was expecting a wine more like a Harlan or Latour (more masculine with massive fruit). What I found was a wine more like a Colgin/Margaux blend. The wine definitely had lots of sweet fruit and power, but was very aromatic with outstanding finesse. If you are lucky enough to have any of this wine in your cellar, start opening them in the next year or two. You won’t be disappointed. I would think that in 3-5 years this wine will start its downward decline. Amazing wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2008 - mactheknife wrote: 100 Points
I have had few wines that I would describe a perfect, but this was one of them. Took it to dinner for my birthday at a very good Atlanta restaurant. They decanted and it sat for almost an hour. The Sommelier hovered at the table, hoping for a taste. We offered and he shared my opinion. I am always prepared to be disappointed by such a hyped wine, but this one did not disappoint.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 100 Points
INCREDIBLY RICH NOSE WITH LAYERS OF BLACK FRUITS, LICORICE, AND LEATHER. DEEP BERRY FRUIT IN THE FLAVOR, WITH BLACKBERRIES AND CURRANTS. A VERY COMPLEX WINE WITH ALONG LINGERING FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2007 - Bressler wrote: 95 Points
youthful, fruit driven and smooth. very enjoyable
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2007 - ipp wrote: 100 Points
huge friuty nose w hints of smoke ... Fruit bomb with huge structure ... Perfectly balance ... Sweet fruit ... Long finish ... Perfect
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2007 - swazi wrote: 98 Points
decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking.
great tasting wine. unfortunately for the bryant, it was in a tasting with the 1994 vega sicilia unico, 1982 latour and the 1982 margaux so the little slight imperfection of the bryant had was highlighted.
that weakness is the nose. the bryant just doesn't have any kind of meaningful nose. and when lined up against the margaux and the latour, the lack of nose just jumps out.
but there is nothing that can touch the taste of the bryant, great jammy, fruity, coconut, vanilla flavors, velvety. drinking perfectly right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2007 - GA wrote: 100 Points
11/07 Purple/black color - sweet fruit nose - full-bodied - intense concentrated blackcherry blackberry currant attack with a thick layered wall of dark bittersweet chocolate and soft rounded structured oak. Perfectly balanced - seamless mid-palate. Decanted 3 hours - ready now and easily over the next 30 years. This may be best Cali-Cab produced to date. The flavors are so rich deep and concentrated that just a small sip explodes with a full spectrum of fruit and finish on the palate. 100 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Brought it to 11 Madison and had it decanted for at least an hour before being served. What an incredibly unique vineyard this is because you can smell and taste the most beautiful earthy terroir. There is this unbelievable pure fruit flavor of boysenberry/dark rasberry/violet that is like an unearthly perfume that surrounds you as you drink it. Rich, full bodied and unbelievably plush in texture, this puppy is beginning to reach maturity in my opinion but the only issue is the high level of alcohol that permeates the finish leaving a hint of harshness in an otherwise gorgeous wine. Without that, it might be perfect, but what else is new in overly alcoholic Napa Valley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2007 - winefool wrote: 96 Points
Golf & Dinner at Medinah with Rocky, Kevin, et al. (Medinah Country Club): Wow, what an unexpected treat! I'm not generally the biggest fan of Bryant in the few other vintages I've had but this was the real deal - about as good as California cabs get. Towering aroma followed by a compelling palate with a riot of different flavors and influences coming together including black fruit, brown sugar, mineral earthy notes, black violets, and spice. All come together in a seamless and balanced wine. It's hard to point to a single characteristic that makes it great, it is the sum of the parts coming together. 96-97pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2007 - GA wrote: 97 Points
1/06 Tasted at a vertical dinner - intensely concentrated fruit attack - flashy - strong lasting,yet, slightly short finish - forward balanced wine. 97 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Black ruby color. Fantastic nose of blackberry bramble, ultra-ripe cassis and coffee/expresso. Gorgeous silky texture with bold flavors of licorice, expresso and a hint of green pepper. This is a deep,inky wine that is an incredibly pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon but the finish is slightly alcoholic and hot which is something I have not experienced with previous bottles. Still, the liquid texture of this wine is something to behold and clearly the earth that this wine comes from is unique and very special. Perhaps this bottle is a bit off although it is from the same batch that came straight from the winery. I would say drink it now and don't wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2007 - pbreton wrote: 100 Points
Tasted several times with inconsistent notes. This one being the best. Pitch black. Aromas of blackberries, licorice, dark chocolate, graphite and espresso. Extremely dense and concentrated with perfect balance, finesse and incredible length. Certainly one of the most solid, structured and pure wines I've ever tasted from California. Should be very long lived. Must be decanted a minimum of 4 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2006 - ipp wrote: 100 Points
perfect wine ... huge nose of licorice, dark berries and medicine ... broad sspectrum of flavors ... muscular, yet beautiful ... long finish ... awesome
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2006 - kstoddard wrote: 92 Points
G7 (Jeff): Blackberry fruit nose. Tastes of dusty dried fruit. Soft with a nice finish. A bit of a disappointment for me. Much better last time I had it. Off bottle?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2006 - jhngo wrote: 97 Points
Still big bold with slightly sweet berries finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2006 - Rare66 wrote: 100 Points
Wow… wow… wow! Luscious sweet thick viscous wine filled with blueberries – this wine has an incredibly long finish and leaves a beautiful coco flavor behind. If there were only one wine that I could ever have – this would be it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2006 - G SQUARED wrote: 97 Points
Cellar Party for Bayfront Medical Center Foundation. Yup, we popped the cork on one of Mr. P's 100 pointers. This is what CA Cab is all about! Hits you with black, sweet fruit, and then wraps it's seemlessly never ending smooth tannic structure around you. The finish goes on forever, at least a minute. This has time left and shows NO sign of VA!!!!!!!!!! Stunning!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2006 - bdenuyl wrote: 97 Points
This is a super rich, jammy wine that has excellent balance and depth. It is a little jammy for me, although not over the top, so it was very enjoyable. But I find the ’97 Harlan vastly more appealing. And at the price this bottle now commands there is no reason to get more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2006 - jhngo wrote: 100 Points
Super big powerful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2006 - jhngo wrote: 100 Points
This wine is a knock out winner hands down best I ever had from California. It takes time to open up though. You have to give it 3 hours of decanting before you really experience the power and magic. Very muted out of the bottle. You do not get much on the nose or anything on the finish. After the 3 hours, it becomes a totally different wine. The nose starts to develop, up front fruit envelopes your palate, and the finish is never ending... it is a beautiful wine. Put a buy recommendation on this one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2006 - melsdad wrote: 100 Points
Everyone at the table rated this 100. It had everything. Power, finesse, great fruit, structure, elegance, complexity, developed mid-palate, long finish. The single best bottle of wine I have ever had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2005 - bsaun wrote:
This is an elegant wine. Powerful with superripe fruit yet very well put together and extremely well balanced. I did not decant but opened about an hour before pouring. Berries and currant on the nose with coffee, plum, blue berries and spice on the palate. Great finish that seemed to last forever with bitter chocolate, coffee and a hint of eath. I really enjoyed this wine but have to think it would be even better with a couple more years in the cellar....maybe even several years to bring out some of the earth. But who knows???
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2005 - jhngo wrote: 97 Points
A huge big in your face wine. Very powerful but it had lots of elegance. The nose was well pronounced with very ripe fruits. You could taste hits of chocolate, green vines, some peper. The finish lasted 5 minutes. An amazing wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2002 - ipp wrote: 100 Points
perfect wine, huge, sweet nose of current berry ... Pefectly balanced, great extraction ... Big, sweet tannins ... flavors of dark, sweet chocolate and dark fruit ... Almost one minute finish ... Excellent ... Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2002 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Wine tasting. Incredible nose of black fruit, plenty of spice, both powerful and alluring. Tastes also show black cherry and plum, and even though somewhat backward today, there is so much great concentration and balance at same time. Really amazing finish of same black fruit and great spice. After an hour, abundant fruit even more prominent and even longer finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment