I loved this wine. It's Pauillac on steroids! Super smooth and sweet tannins. Cassis, graphite and lead pencil galore with some dark chocolate notes. The finish is quite glorious. Coravined entire bottle so not much air time here but I will be decanting my next bottle.
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Took advice of others here and decanted for 4 hours before drinking. Absolutely superb. Grape and floral nose, dark berries of all sorts on the tongue, perfect acids and tannins. Dark chocolate, leather, and spice throughout the finish. Smooth and chewy all at once. At 6 hours this wine was still gaining complexity. Long, long, finish. Cellar for at least 5 more years, a decade would be even better.
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Very very good wine. Decanted for 2.5 hours then back in the bottle and took to dinner. One of the smoothest wines I have drank in 2021. I have one more and will hold onto it the Carte Blanche has a long life ahead.
DVI at Forslundska Decant 3h. Initially almost Malbec-like heady violets, not really that inviting but boy did this wine catch up. At the end there was boysenberries and black currant, really rather nice. Impressively, structure improved as well. And I am a sucker for the oak treatment. Not too much, just a bit warm and welcoming. Lovely. Probably has a long life ahead. Back in 5 years?
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Exceptional! Dark core... Silky soft tannins. Killer aromatics and a long finish. This is about as good as 2015 Napa Cab gets. Really really great. I will go for many years but right now it is plush and delightful. Recommend decant
The sheer quality of the fruit, this wine is so deep. And develops during the evening. Decantered but still keeps evolving. At first a little hesitant but then the dark fruit emerges and then comes the lilacs and the licorice and eventually the Marlboro lights and cedar. The palate is big and the aftertaste is exceptionally long and mostly containing cherries and bitter almonds. Balance is also quite good. What a nice big wine.
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Blackberries, cola, and tobacco. Excellent wine but too much oak for me. Most people would think the oak is perfect, but it's too heavy for my tastes. Drop the oak and this is a 95-96 point wine.
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Black cherry, plum, cassis, cinnamon and clove, vanilla, espresso, tobacco, dried earth, very good balance, good length. Tannins are still pretty big right now as it’s so young, but approachable now. Although this wine is extremely good and I’d be lucky to drink this any day, it’s not a 100 pointer, and quite pricey.
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Decanted for about 15 minutes at restaurant (yes, I was impatient) and drank over the next 90 minutes. Deep crimson red with a cranberry rim. Nose of smoke, raspberry, blackberries. Taste is similar with some graphite and cocoa notes. Silky smooth tannins give a pleasant dryness throughout. This was absolutely fabulous at the 90 minute mark with an expresso and vanilla ice cream. About 94-95.
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No notes. Coravin and taste without the benefit of time which I imagine would have made a big difference. Beautiful structure/acid underpinned by standout M. Hopper fruit oozing with blue/cassis/cherry fruit cocktail. Best descriptor I could use on this wine is a mix between old and new world (curious if others tasting this wine had a similar sense). As noted before me this is not your in-your-face Napa Cabernet nor is this the wish it had more gumption either. It is a great balance, bluer fruits wine that will sail in the cellar with time. 94+ now with real upside.
Primarily from Beckstoffer's Missouri Hopper in Oakville with a little bit of Abreu's Las Posados on Howell Mountain, Carte Blanche is on a roll. Dark and crimson in the glass, this was more fruit forward than what I remembered from '14. Still, tons of Cassis, lots of blackberry and cherry, with a long finish. The wine is very well made with a nice balance of fruit, acid, tannins, and mineral. This is an elegant wine that is easy to consume. I saved a glass for day 2, and my notes/thoughts improved quite a bit. Therefore, hold for a year or two.
The '15 and last year's '14 are the best that I have had from The Missouri Hopper Vineyard.
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Was really curious to try this wine, since it received 100 from JD, 97 from LPB and surprisingly 96 from AG. Generally AG likes more of the old world wines and JD loves the new world stuff, so seemed like this must be a great hybrid and indeed that is how I view it.
Starts with just a super nose of pencil shavings, blackberries, lots of cassis fruit, wet stone and loads of forest floor. On the pallet this is medium bodied and has wonderfully pure blue and red fruit, tart cherry, quite a bit of spice, excellent mineral driven notes plus good concentration and density to go with serious freshness. Really glides with fine grained tannins. That said, this is not a big monster of a wine. It is supported by serious levels of acidity and structure, and certainly is built more for the long haul than a lot of cabs coming out of this region. The finish is very long and bit astringent and biting at the moment. This seems like it will only get better. A really terrific wine, but don't expect to get a Mike Smith or Kirk Venge wine - figure a bit more old school, with a touch more focus but not the huge concentrated hedonism of those wines.
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10/31/2023 - wren460 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Silk. This is without doubt one of the best wines I have ever had. Like drinking cashmere. This is a La Conseillante of Napa
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8/26/2023 - mdvillaverde Likes this wine: 95 Points
I doubt most will let this breathe long enough. Needs a lot od time out of the bottle. You will be rewarded. Dense and ripe.
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1/10/2023 - wren460 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine specially with food. Has a long life ahead.
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6/11/2022 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 97 Points
I loved this wine. It's Pauillac on steroids!
Super smooth and sweet tannins. Cassis, graphite and lead pencil galore with some dark chocolate notes. The finish is quite glorious. Coravined entire bottle so not much air time here but I will be decanting my next bottle.
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5/8/2022 - StevenM Likes this wine: 98 Points
Took advice of others here and decanted for 4 hours before drinking. Absolutely superb. Grape and floral nose, dark berries of all sorts on the tongue, perfect acids and tannins. Dark chocolate, leather, and spice throughout the finish. Smooth and chewy all at once. At 6 hours this wine was still gaining complexity. Long, long, finish. Cellar for at least 5 more years, a decade would be even better.
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4/17/2022 - gmmilani Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loved this wine! Soft tannins, dark fruits, long finish. I only wished I had more.
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1/15/2022 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 100 Points
Fantastic mouthfeel, creamy tannic structure. Black cherry, sweet tobacco, red licorice. Superb
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10/31/2021 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very very good wine. Decanted for 2.5 hours then back in the bottle and took to dinner. One of the smoothest wines I have drank in 2021. I have one more and will hold onto it the Carte Blanche has a long life ahead.
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8/30/2021 - Eriklainen wrote:
DVI at Forslundska
Decant 3h. Initially almost Malbec-like heady violets, not really that inviting but boy did this wine catch up. At the end there was boysenberries and black currant, really rather nice. Impressively, structure improved as well. And I am a sucker for the oak treatment. Not too much, just a bit warm and welcoming. Lovely. Probably has a long life ahead. Back in 5 years?
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7/6/2021 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice nose. A bit of astringency that is a touch out of balance. Big, spicy. Good.
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4/14/2021 - fatcabbie Likes this wine: 100 Points
As good as it gets. Rich, elegant and balanced all at the same time. This wine will go on for years to come.
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4/14/2021 - Coastalnative Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional! Dark core... Silky soft tannins. Killer aromatics and a long finish. This is about as good as 2015 Napa Cab gets. Really really great. I will go for many years but right now it is plush and delightful. Recommend decant
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2/6/2021 - jaylew1 wrote: 96 Points
We have a few of these, thank goodness. Black and blue fruits still prominent, I think 2 years from now, like 2 years ago, will be better.
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12/31/2020 - Eriklainen wrote:
The sheer quality of the fruit, this wine is so deep. And develops during the evening. Decantered but still keeps evolving. At first a little hesitant but then the dark fruit emerges and then comes the lilacs and the licorice and eventually the Marlboro lights and cedar. The palate is big and the aftertaste is exceptionally long and mostly containing cherries and bitter almonds. Balance is also quite good. What a nice big wine.
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12/25/2020 - Crunge Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackberries, cola, and tobacco. Excellent wine but too much oak for me. Most people would think the oak is perfect, but it's too heavy for my tastes. Drop the oak and this is a 95-96 point wine.
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9/22/2020 - YankeeRobio Likes this wine: 100 Points
Incredible mouthfeel. Plush and powerful. Black raspberry, blackberry, cherry pipe tobacco. Killer finish, epic wine
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4/2/2020 - wren460 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pnp. One of the best wines I have had in my entire life. This is pure elegance and class. Rolls Royce all the way
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10/26/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black cherry, plum, cassis, cinnamon and clove, vanilla, espresso, tobacco, dried earth, very good balance, good length. Tannins are still pretty big right now as it’s so young, but approachable now. Although this wine is extremely good and I’d be lucky to drink this any day, it’s not a 100 pointer, and quite pricey.
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10/19/2019 - RockyII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for about 15 minutes at restaurant (yes, I was impatient) and drank over the next 90 minutes. Deep crimson red with a cranberry rim. Nose of smoke, raspberry, blackberries. Taste is similar with some graphite and cocoa notes. Silky smooth tannins give a pleasant dryness throughout. This was absolutely fabulous at the 90 minute mark with an expresso and vanilla ice cream. About 94-95.
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10/13/2019 - dlcass Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow is my first response... Just opened. Expressive, great mouth feel and finish.
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3/15/2019 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP- with time this would be 95+. Tied WOTN for me with good competition. Could use more time but similar notes as last bottle.
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12/9/2018 - jaylew1 wrote: 97 Points
Amazing!!
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11/5/2018 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 94 Points
No notes. Coravin and taste without the benefit of time which I imagine would have made a big difference. Beautiful structure/acid underpinned by standout M. Hopper fruit oozing with blue/cassis/cherry fruit cocktail. Best descriptor I could use on this wine is a mix between old and new world (curious if others tasting this wine had a similar sense). As noted before me this is not your in-your-face Napa Cabernet nor is this the wish it had more gumption either. It is a great balance, bluer fruits wine that will sail in the cellar with time. 94+ now with real upside.
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10/13/2018 - #1Winelover Likes this wine: 97 Points
Primarily from Beckstoffer's Missouri Hopper in Oakville with a little bit of Abreu's Las Posados on Howell Mountain, Carte Blanche is on a roll. Dark and crimson in the glass, this was more fruit forward than what I remembered from '14. Still, tons of Cassis, lots of blackberry and cherry, with a long finish. The wine is very well made with a nice balance of fruit, acid, tannins, and mineral. This is an elegant wine that is easy to consume. I saved a glass for day 2, and my notes/thoughts improved quite a bit. Therefore, hold for a year or two.
The '15 and last year's '14 are the best that I have had from The Missouri Hopper Vineyard.
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10/10/2018 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Was really curious to try this wine, since it received 100 from JD, 97 from LPB and surprisingly 96 from AG. Generally AG likes more of the old world wines and JD loves the new world stuff, so seemed like this must be a great hybrid and indeed that is how I view it.
Starts with just a super nose of pencil shavings, blackberries, lots of cassis fruit, wet stone and loads of forest floor. On the pallet this is medium bodied and has wonderfully pure blue and red fruit, tart cherry, quite a bit of spice, excellent mineral driven notes plus good concentration and density to go with serious freshness. Really glides with fine grained tannins. That said, this is not a big monster of a wine. It is supported by serious levels of acidity and structure, and certainly is built more for the long haul than a lot of cabs coming out of this region. The finish is very long and bit astringent and biting at the moment. This seems like it will only get better. A really terrific wine, but don't expect to get a Mike Smith or Kirk Venge wine - figure a bit more old school, with a touch more focus but not the huge concentrated hedonism of those wines.
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