Decanted for an hour or so. 95 for finesse and quality, though been wanting more fruit as we drank for over 2 hours with various foods from prawns to pork, duck, beef and lamb pasta. Nowhere near the 2004 mouth coating glycerin, fruit, acid and tannins, but as silky and smooth.
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Cork crumbled worse than anything I’ve ever seen. Fortunately the wine was in great shape. Red currant, tobacco, leather…. More Bordeaux than Napa. Probably close to peaking now.
It lost some freshness getting a little too thick after 4-5 hours decanting. I would likely only give it about an hour open.
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PNP the first night - was big, velvety and a bit tightly wound. Night 2 the wine came alive - flavors sprang from the glass and melded together in a gorgeous dance across the palate.
p.s. thanksgiving leftovers
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Garnet, mostly opaque, just a hint of brown at the edge. Pronounced but very elegant and complex aromas of cassis, raspberries and blueberries. Soft, round, but still full-bodied red and black fruit flavors, fully mature, no significant tannin, nice acid balance. Very long aftertaste. A perfect and perfectly mature, great California cabernet. Ric
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Tasty but a bit simple, this wine shows ripe red-to-purple fruit with a slightly raisiny quality and noticeable alcohol. I wished for more complexity but the wine was saved by a nice purity of fruit and a smooth, not overly dense texture. Grateful to try this (shared from a neighboring table at Morrell) but this does not live up to its price tag or the level of many of its cult cab competitors, including a '10 Colgin poured a short while later.
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D20; G15; 4.5+8.5+4.9+8.9+9+4.9+4.9=95+; clean, bright, medium purple; aroma really opens as the wine sits in the glass - blackberry, cassis, cedar, nutmeg; silky smooth mouthfeel - seductive; delicious dark fruit palate that adds some cherry vanilla and oak to the list of aromas; super long and palate saturating finish that stays silky all the way through - can a cab be 'elegant?'; bit on the high alcohol side (15.7%) but the heat is moderated and the overall balance is really delivering a complete package; ready to drink now with light decant and easily 5+ years of goodness out front.
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Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, SQNs and Cult cabs (David Burke's Primehouse): It is very similar to the 07 but even more ripe and more heat so it is a bit disjointed. Extremely ripe black fruits, blackberry liqueur but no fresh fruit, cinnamon coming from alcohol, baking spices and lead pencil. Excellent concentration, really muddy overripe black fruit driven palate impression and the heat clips the finish. This wine reminds me quilceda creek a bit. So if you like the post 2000 QC, you will more than likely like this wine.
At the risk of offending some of its competitors, on whose allocation lists I reside, ( and whose wines I like or I would have dropped off) Bryant might be tops. Of course I've yet to try any of my Screaming wines, but from the rest, I find the purity and complexity of Bryant, the length, the integration, the feel on the palate to be marvelous. This is a wine I would bring to Bordeaux to show off what Napa can do. It's gotten insanely expensive, as have most Napa "first growths" but it's a great wine and I look forward to its future.
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Served with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day dinner. This 10 year old Napa Cabernet is still fruit forward. Typical Bryant - lovely tannins, soft on the approach with a long finish.
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Unabashedly Cali cab, remarkably well structured and focused, still on the first half of its time, I think. The purity of the fruit here thrills every time I open Bryant. Very lucky to have this.
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Decanted for a couple of hours. Dark color. Big nose of rich fruit, spice, coffee and caramel. Seamless on the palate. For me, this is in a good drinking spot but this will continue to drink well/age for years.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): My first Bryant experience and it was fantastic! Definitely WOTD just edging out the 2003 Robert Foley Claret. This wine was all about the balance. It wasn't too heady and hedonistic or over the top with ripe fruit. It was an elegant royal wine. Plummy, purple flowers with some anise and ginger characteristics. A little green pepper with some inky creme de cassis on the back end. Lovely medium bright red berries with a great Belgian milk chocolate mid palate. Fine sweet tannins. A little salene solution lending a pure clean quality to the juice. A cool candied fruit aspect as well - Jolly Rancher candy - cherry. Really nice moderate high acidity, tannins and moderate high alcohol though its barfely noticeable. Thank you so much to Jeff W. for allowing me to sample this gem of a wine. Thank you, thank you.
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Dark color. Casis notes and some light oak in the nose. Big smooth entry. Fills the mouth. Impressions of black currents and a hint of mint. Some very fine tannins in the finish and solid acid gives the whole wine lift. A sipping wine to be sure. Distinct impression of cool climet Cabernet. I'm *shocked* to see the alcohol on this to be 15.7. I would have guessed 13.5. Wow. Superb Cabernet. Even my wife, who is highly critical of many red wines I open, is loving this. Exceptional!
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4/7/2024 - mcwinecellar1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic. Needs more time to reveal tertiary notes.
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8/17/2023 - SkyCellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply magnificent.
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1/14/2023 - grafighter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour or so. 95 for finesse and quality, though been wanting more fruit as we drank for over 2 hours with various foods from prawns to pork, duck, beef and lamb pasta. Nowhere near the 2004 mouth coating glycerin, fruit, acid and tannins, but as silky and smooth.
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12/15/2022 - ccplaza wrote: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully. May improve further but no regrets opening it.
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4/24/2022 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
Cork crumbled worse than anything I’ve ever seen. Fortunately the wine was in great shape. Red currant, tobacco, leather…. More Bordeaux than Napa. Probably close to peaking now.
It lost some freshness getting a little too thick after 4-5 hours decanting. I would likely only give it about an hour open.
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11/29/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP the first night - was big, velvety and a bit tightly wound. Night 2 the wine came alive - flavors sprang from the glass and melded together in a gorgeous dance across the palate.
p.s. thanksgiving leftovers
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5/20/2021 - TASMAS92 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Peak drinking for this great cab. Full of flavor, stewed red fruit, moderate tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
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2/19/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
Garnet, mostly opaque, just a hint of brown at the edge. Pronounced but very elegant and complex aromas of cassis, raspberries and blueberries. Soft, round, but still full-bodied red and black fruit flavors, fully mature, no significant tannin, nice acid balance. Very long aftertaste. A perfect and perfectly mature, great California cabernet.
Ric
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1/11/2020 - OpuMayaQuem Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking really well. Smooth and balanced with unique character. Should continue to age well for a long time.
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11/23/2017 - Matty the wine collector wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours. Beautiful bottle drinking well now.
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7/14/2017 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Tasty but a bit simple, this wine shows ripe red-to-purple fruit with a slightly raisiny quality and noticeable alcohol. I wished for more complexity but the wine was saved by a nice purity of fruit and a smooth, not overly dense texture. Grateful to try this (shared from a neighboring table at Morrell) but this does not live up to its price tag or the level of many of its cult cab competitors, including a '10 Colgin poured a short while later.
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6/18/2017 - learningandenjoying Likes this wine: 95 Points
D20; G15; 4.5+8.5+4.9+8.9+9+4.9+4.9=95+; clean, bright, medium purple; aroma really opens as the wine sits in the glass - blackberry, cassis, cedar, nutmeg; silky smooth mouthfeel - seductive; delicious dark fruit palate that adds some cherry vanilla and oak to the list of aromas; super long and palate saturating finish that stays silky all the way through - can a cab be 'elegant?'; bit on the high alcohol side (15.7%) but the heat is moderated and the overall balance is really delivering a complete package; ready to drink now with light decant and easily 5+ years of goodness out front.
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4/16/2017 - The_Oracle Likes this wine:
Had this wine at Araxi in Whistler. Beautiful wine as expected from Bryant. Showed a little more age than expected but still a treat to drink!
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5/20/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Wine Dinner Extravaganza (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL): Not for me. Ultra extraction gives this an off-center balance. I would have believed if you told me this was 20% alcohol. Even tonight's fruit whores didn't love this wine.
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5/20/2016 - dcwino wrote: 90 Points
Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, SQNs and Cult cabs (David Burke's Primehouse): It is very similar to the 07 but even more ripe and more heat so it is a bit disjointed. Extremely ripe black fruits, blackberry liqueur but no fresh fruit, cinnamon coming from alcohol, baking spices and lead pencil. Excellent concentration, really muddy overripe black fruit driven palate impression and the heat clips the finish. This wine reminds me quilceda creek a bit. So if you like the post 2000 QC, you will more than likely like this wine.
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3/14/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 95 Points
At the risk of offending some of its competitors, on whose allocation lists I reside, ( and whose wines I like or I would have dropped off) Bryant might be tops. Of course I've yet to try any of my Screaming wines, but from the rest, I find the purity and complexity of Bryant, the length, the integration, the feel on the palate to be marvelous. This is a wine I would bring to Bordeaux to show off what Napa can do. It's gotten insanely expensive, as have most Napa "first growths" but it's a great wine and I look forward to its future.
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1/1/2016 - charleshetzel wrote: 98 Points
Served with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day dinner. This 10 year old Napa Cabernet is still fruit forward. Typical Bryant - lovely tannins, soft on the approach with a long finish.
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5/7/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unabashedly Cali cab, remarkably well structured and focused, still on the first half of its time, I think. The purity of the fruit here thrills every time I open Bryant. Very lucky to have this.
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4/13/2015 - gondrik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Always a pleasure to drink Bryant Family. The 2005 is very good and very typical of BF. It is not a stellar wine like the 1997.
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6/22/2014 - Knicksfan wrote: 93 Points
Delicious after 4 hr decant, in a very nice place
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5/6/2013 - Dnathanson wrote: 94 Points
Needs time...
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9/7/2012 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
Young but terrific after 2 hour decant. Enjoyed with one the greatest Steaks ever so perfect night.
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5/12/2012 - JJB007 wrote: 98 Points
it is pretty good
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12/26/2011 - B Paul wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours. Dark color. Big nose of rich fruit, spice, coffee and caramel. Seamless on the palate. For me, this is in a good drinking spot but this will continue to drink well/age for years.
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2/5/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Young but still drinkable. More elegant and with superb balance. This will be even better in a few years, I think the fruit will open up.
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5/15/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 95 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): My first Bryant experience and it was fantastic! Definitely WOTD just edging out the 2003 Robert Foley Claret.
This wine was all about the balance. It wasn't too heady and hedonistic or over the top with ripe fruit. It was an elegant royal wine.
Plummy, purple flowers with some anise and ginger characteristics. A little green pepper with some inky creme de cassis on the back end.
Lovely medium bright red berries with a great Belgian milk chocolate mid palate. Fine sweet tannins. A little salene solution lending a pure clean quality to the juice.
A cool candied fruit aspect as well - Jolly Rancher candy - cherry. Really nice moderate high acidity, tannins and moderate high alcohol though its barfely noticeable.
Thank you so much to Jeff W. for allowing me to sample this gem of a wine. Thank you, thank you.
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5/15/2010 - psmith wrote:
A nice green streak with some mint and herbal notes. Lush dark fruits. Medium bodied. Young, but some very nice elements.
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1/23/2010 - Tac wrote: 93 Points
Very early but excellent. Young but impressive. Great wine
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12/13/2008 - PortFanatic wrote: 95 Points
Dark color. Casis notes and some light oak in the nose. Big smooth entry. Fills the mouth. Impressions of black currents and a hint of mint. Some very fine tannins in the finish and solid acid gives the whole wine lift. A sipping wine to be sure. Distinct impression of cool climet Cabernet. I'm *shocked* to see the alcohol on this to be 15.7. I would have guessed 13.5. Wow. Superb Cabernet. Even my wife, who is highly critical of many red wines I open, is loving this. Exceptional!
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