Soft cork, broke using the dishonest butler. Very little fruit left on the nose, and forepalate quite muted, with an odd glycerin streak midpalate but lots of nice tertiary aromatics aft, including signature notes of forest floor and iron.
Aftertaste is somewhat short. In decline; definitely recommend drinking up.
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Magnum, soft cork which broke using ah-so. Early tastes (12/24–11am)were soft, light and verrrry refined. I thought this more like old zin as it had some seductive fruit. After it caught some air 2-3 hours later it showed mineral and leather. So sleek. Fun. Most old cabs I have had have not shown like this. Day 2 still light and showing some woodsy notes. Glad I opened it but in decline as it should be. Drink.
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Surprising to say the least. This was in a nice place. Tannins resolved but still nice fruit. Moderate acid and finish. Slightly rustic on the finish but with good herbal and oak notes.
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Cork crumbled but able to remove without issue. Opened up after 30 min in decanter. Dark fruit with notes of coffee, spice and ripe plum and cherries. Drink now if have any left.
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This is still drinking beautifully. Cork broke in half but I was able to get both pieces out intact. Pleasant nose of cherry and plum with a hint of oak. Very smooth mouth feel with soft tannins. Nice finish that left one wanting another sip. If you have this vintage drink it soon as it's beginning to fade.
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Opened but not decanted about 4 hours before dinner. Paired with marinated lamb chops. The cork was soft and crumbled. A mature cab which should be opened now if you have any. Soft tannins with notes of cherries, leather and berries. Medium body. 90 points.
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Black currant and plum notes but with a reductive overtone that carries through on the palate. Tannins have softened and there's a good amount of dark fruit on the palate. Medium finish.
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Decanted clear with a good amount of dust in the bottle, took 15 minutes to start opening and after 1 hour was intense cab nose with good spice, smooth in the mouth and balanced finish, mellow tannins, enough acidity to support my steak nicely
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Holding up well. Good body and structure. Tannins and alcohol present on back end. Just a little bit of black fruit, but not raisin-y. Tobacco and leather. Don't wait to drink.
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Sad to see this go. Cork broke on opening, able to screen and decant ~4 hrs before drinking. Starting to fade a bit but still a complex array of black fruit, black olives, meat and leather. A very nice fully mature cab with fully integrated tannins.
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Pretty, dark magenta color with very slight bricking on the rim. A sophisticated nose of ripe red raspberries, charcoal embers, green tobacco, leather and a little bell pepper. Sweet red and black licorice, ripe plums and a little fig on the palate. The finish is long with tobacco playing against the acidity. Very well integrated and balanced. A wine drinker's wine. Bravo.
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Cork totally fell apart. Filtered and decanted for 2 hours then returned to bottle. Beautiful nose and color. Soft, dark fruits and tannins. Long finish. Slight oak. Have only had a couple handfuls of late 90's/early 00's Cabs, but they definitely have a more refined/subtle flavor. This is 14% ABV so its not a lightweight, but unable to trace any hints of alcohol. Maybe I need to leave my '05+ Cabs alone for awhile. Nothing wrong with this in any way, but would have liked to try 1-2 years ago and compare.
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Purple red in color. Black currants, olive paste, figs and earth on the nose. The palate filled out over 3 h with smoky ripe dark berries, distinctive black olive paste and toasted nuts on a medium finish.
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We loved this wine. Great nose--typical cab. Black Cherry, Blackberry fills your mouth. It seems to be evenly balanced and a great time to drink it. It will probably hold for a few more years.
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Good, but a big dissapointment considering the price paid and the time in cellar. Very typical california cabernet, nice balance, on the lean side. Nothing special.
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Balanced, well constructed cali cab. Red fruit with balanced tannins, a little thinner than I would like, but still a solid bottle of wine. It seems to be in the prime of its drinking window. I do not think this will improve any further with age.
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nearly purple/dark garnet. wine smelled great in the glass. Classic Napa chewy dense round and ripe fruit, but with good balance. A great tasting wine but obviously lacked the soul and complexity of the LP. it wasn't a fair fight.
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True garnet. Ripe, red fruit nose with gravel and mild pencil shavings. Full palate with lovely harmony of flavors. Not extracted at all, just rich, ripe fruit with fine balance and a true cabernet personality. Good length – very very nice. An overlooked Cali cab. (91)
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C'est bien , I am very pleased , balanced fruit w/ coffee and a little leather, integrated tannins , I am glad I put this away for a little while but I do not see it getting better .
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Nose of dried herbs and leather. Gentle, caressing palate of dried cherry, cranberry, and plum fruit with subtle mineral and earth notes. Lithe tannins and leather on the finish with a red earth flavor.
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Holy Cow! The last time I had this wine was two years ago - it's even better now. Long finish, broad but rounded shoulders, nice casis and berry undertones - I can't believe its going to get any better.
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Great wine - wish I had more. Had this right before a 97 beringer PR and it blew the beringer away. Still drinking young with excellent fruit and round tannin. Just wish I had more.
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Just like I remember from the tasting I had at the winery in '02. Served with an assortment of cheeses before dinner. Smooth as ever, with just a hint of pepper at the end.
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This was drinking very well, showing nice black fruits, well-integrated oak and smooth, sweet tannins. Paired well with a nice beef filet and pink peppercorns. Not much secondary development yet, but this should continue to improve for thenext 3-5 years.
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This wine ramped up over the last year. Restrained nose of blueberry, black cherry and stags leap loam. Very nice, gentle, integrated mouth feel. All the right parts in the right place. Medium body, tannins nicely resolved at the finish such that the wine finishes where it started with the beautiful fruit. An unusual style in that this wine has very soft shoulders and velvety tones.
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Didn't live up to the Stags Leap Districts' reputation. Contained some decent fruit but lacked the secondary flavors & complexity that you truly look forward to. Also, the nose was lacking.
Definetly not worth the $50 that I paid.
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Decanted 2 hours before dinner; drank it with HI style T-bones. Medium body, decent cali-cab feel in the mouth but just did not have that lip-smacking, vuluptuous, yum factor that we all look for in California Cabernet. Not sure if its fading out or if it needs more cellar time. Disapointing--wil try again in 6 months.
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Disappointing. I bought two of these on release, mainly based on the WS rating. I have let them sit since that time. When I opened the wine, it showed a nice sense of new oak--it smelled great. Double decanted and took to same dinner at the Roar. The wine is primarily a light to medium body, with cherry fruit. Maybe a hint of light oak but seemed to lack some of the concentration or verve I was hoping for. The wine also came off a little tight so I will allow it to go another year or so to see if it softens.
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Pretty, focused nose shows red cherry and mint with some pleasing green notes. Well-balanced through the finish with fine tannin. Medium-bodied. Really tasty now but capable of lasting a few years. ***-/5
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Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Decanted 1 hr. Wonderfully light and aromatic nose. Well structured and medium body Cab. with a fruity start, pretty core of black cherry and cocoa with anise on the back. Finish was elegant. Drink now to 2010.
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1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): I tried this at this tasting and was later given a gift of this bottle from Ed Basa on my 40th birthday. This full bodied wine had a dark purple/red color. The tannins were firm but not overpowering now. It had notes of cassis, chocolate and dark berry. The finish was long with some spice. It is drinking well now but will improve so give it som time. 91+.
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11/22/2023 - Kbentley007 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still has fruit, acid, little to no bricking. Almost no sediment. Decanted for 30-45 then consumed over 2 hours. Great bottle.
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9/1/2023 - Handy1 wrote: 92 Points
From magnum pop n pour. Nice fruit plums and cherries. Well balanced and nice finish. Still going strong from magnum
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4/10/2023 - jhrabideau wrote: 86 Points
Soft cork, broke using the dishonest butler. Very little fruit left on the nose, and forepalate quite muted, with an odd glycerin streak midpalate but lots of nice tertiary aromatics aft, including signature notes of forest floor and iron.
Aftertaste is somewhat short. In decline; definitely recommend drinking up.
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12/25/2021 - wchrisw Likes this wine:
Magnum, soft cork which broke using ah-so. Early tastes (12/24–11am)were soft, light and verrrry refined. I thought this more like old zin as it had some seductive fruit. After it caught some air 2-3 hours later it showed mineral and leather. So sleek. Fun. Most old cabs I have had have not shown like this. Day 2 still light and showing some woodsy notes. Glad I opened it but in decline as it should be. Drink.
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1/12/2020 - ColomboJ01 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Surprising to say the least. This was in a nice place. Tannins resolved but still nice fruit. Moderate acid and finish. Slightly rustic on the finish but with good herbal and oak notes.
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11/18/2016 - kman1972 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork crumbled but able to remove without issue. Opened up after 30 min in decanter. Dark fruit with notes of coffee, spice and ripe plum and cherries. Drink now if have any left.
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8/29/2016 - Davesacco Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is still drinking beautifully. Cork broke in half but I was able to get both pieces out intact. Pleasant nose of cherry and plum with a hint of oak. Very smooth mouth feel with soft tannins. Nice finish that left one wanting another sip. If you have this vintage drink it soon as it's beginning to fade.
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8/7/2016 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Opened but not decanted about 4 hours before dinner. Paired with marinated lamb chops. The cork was soft and crumbled. A mature cab which should be opened now if you have any. Soft tannins with notes of cherries, leather and berries. Medium body. 90 points.
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8/6/2016 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Black currant and plum notes but with a reductive overtone that carries through on the palate. Tannins have softened and there's a good amount of dark fruit on the palate. Medium finish.
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9/11/2015 - Bakeman wrote: 87 Points
Past its prime. Still a nice wine, but not worth the money. Should have had it several years back.
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9/1/2015 - JCWmedia Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted clear with a good amount of dust in the bottle, took 15 minutes to start opening and after 1 hour was intense cab nose with good spice, smooth in the mouth and balanced finish, mellow tannins, enough acidity to support my steak nicely
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12/7/2014 - augustwine wrote:
Holding up well. Good body and structure. Tannins and alcohol present on back end. Just a little bit of black fruit, but not raisin-y. Tobacco and leather. Don't wait to drink.
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9/27/2014 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is an excellent Stags Leap District Cab. Loads of fruit left with less edge on the tannins from aging. Wish I had 6 more bottles!
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3/8/2014 - Thomas B wrote: 90 Points
Sad to see this go. Cork broke on opening, able to screen and decant ~4 hrs before drinking. Starting to fade a bit but still a complex array of black fruit, black olives, meat and leather. A very nice fully mature cab with fully integrated tannins.
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1/11/2014 - parkersdad wrote:
Classic Cab. Lovely nose and fruit.
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12/18/2013 - unionst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty, dark magenta color with very slight bricking on the rim. A sophisticated nose of ripe red raspberries, charcoal embers, green tobacco, leather and a little bell pepper. Sweet red and black licorice, ripe plums and a little fig on the palate. The finish is long with tobacco playing against the acidity. Very well integrated and balanced. A wine drinker's wine. Bravo.
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1/23/2013 - MoreWinePlease Likes this wine: 90 Points
I've had many of these over past 6yrs. Still an excellent bottle but drink up soon.
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12/29/2012 - melissa01leonard@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Great wine.
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4/29/2012 - toddvh wrote: 90 Points
Tasty napa cab that is showing its years nicely. Still likely has several left, but not sure it's going to improve more with age.
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4/23/2012 - MoreWinePlease wrote: 88 Points
Still holding well but w/everything softening and rounding out. Drink up!
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3/17/2012 - bzukaitis wrote:
Cork totally fell apart. Filtered and decanted for 2 hours then returned to bottle. Beautiful nose and color. Soft, dark fruits and tannins. Long finish. Slight oak. Have only had a couple handfuls of late 90's/early 00's Cabs, but they definitely have a more refined/subtle flavor. This is 14% ABV so its not a lightweight, but unable to trace any hints of alcohol. Maybe I need to leave my '05+ Cabs alone for awhile. Nothing wrong with this in any way, but would have liked to try 1-2 years ago and compare.
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1/19/2012 - devraj wrote: 89 Points
Purple red in color. Black currants, olive paste, figs and earth on the nose. The palate filled out over 3 h with smoky ripe dark berries, distinctive black olive paste and toasted nuts on a medium finish.
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12/26/2011 - cweiss wrote:
Ripe sweet spicy Cab, almost towards a mulled wine. Not a style I often drink but an excellent match for the richness of duck a l'orange.
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6/19/2011 - nogohawk wrote: 92 Points
Decanted both bottles for about 1 hr; dark purple with currant & red berry - nice finish; at it's prime now
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6/12/2011 - caeleric Likes this wine:
past its prime, although it did show some soft bell pepper, red currant and mocha notes. drink up.
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12/18/2010 - jpwines wrote: 92 Points
We loved this wine. Great nose--typical cab. Black Cherry, Blackberry fills your mouth. It seems to be evenly balanced and a great time to drink it. It will probably hold for a few more years.
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12/18/2010 - Lakinfridge wrote: 92 Points
Good finish
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9/17/2010 - stantheman wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful dense purple color. Fantastic nose, with dark fruit and tobacco. Smooth, well integrated on the mid-palate. Wish I had more of this.
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9/7/2010 - tsdv wrote: 88 Points
Good, but a big dissapointment considering the price paid and the time in cellar. Very typical california cabernet, nice balance, on the lean side. Nothing special.
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6/17/2010 - snowine wrote: 90 Points
Balanced, well constructed cali cab. Red fruit with balanced tannins, a little thinner than I would like, but still a solid bottle of wine. It seems to be in the prime of its drinking window. I do not think this will improve any further with age.
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12/11/2009 - BrewWench wrote: 91 Points
Unbelievably smooth with a silky mouth. Drink now, I don't think it's going to last much longer.
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8/9/2009 - cbuhlman wrote: 90 Points
nearly purple/dark garnet. wine smelled great in the glass. Classic Napa chewy dense round and ripe fruit, but with good balance.
A great tasting wine but obviously lacked the soul and complexity of the LP. it wasn't a fair fight.
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8/9/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
True garnet. Ripe, red fruit nose with gravel and mild pencil shavings. Full palate with lovely harmony of flavors. Not extracted at all, just rich, ripe fruit with fine balance and a true cabernet personality. Good length – very very nice. An overlooked Cali cab. (91)
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7/6/2009 - jedly wrote: 93 Points
smooth. An exceptional cab; wish it was still what I paid for it...
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5/1/2009 - JDB wrote: 92 Points
C'est bien , I am very pleased , balanced fruit w/ coffee and a little leather, integrated tannins , I am glad I put this away for a little while but I do not see it getting better .
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4/17/2009 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of dried herbs and leather. Gentle, caressing palate of dried cherry, cranberry, and plum fruit with subtle mineral and earth notes. Lithe tannins and leather on the finish with a red earth flavor.
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2/16/2009 - ours de vin wrote: 94 Points
Holy Cow! The last time I had this wine was two years ago - it's even better now. Long finish, broad but rounded shoulders, nice casis and berry undertones - I can't believe its going to get any better.
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2/1/2009 - billa126 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, Big cherry continues to show through. Still has a couple of years left in it.
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5/3/2008 - budman wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant, although a bit austere. Tannins arer still big in this one.
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3/4/2008 - VCvino wrote: 92 Points
Great wine - wish I had more. Had this right before a 97 beringer PR and it blew the beringer away. Still drinking young with excellent fruit and round tannin. Just wish I had more.
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2/18/2008 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Smooth tannins and dark fruit. Better than expected.
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12/15/2007 - BrewWench wrote: 87 Points
Just like I remember from the tasting I had at the winery in '02. Served with an assortment of cheeses before dinner. Smooth as ever, with just a hint of pepper at the end.
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11/19/2007 - johnnyo wrote: 92 Points
A great big wine!
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9/14/2007 - jimmythesaint wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced and highly concentrated wine. Dark fruit with velvet chocolate finish. Still young with years to go.
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8/2/2007 - mjpaustin wrote:
This was drinking very well, showing nice black fruits, well-integrated oak and smooth, sweet tannins. Paired well with a nice beef filet and pink peppercorns. Not much secondary development yet, but this should continue to improve for thenext 3-5 years.
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7/23/2007 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
This wine ramped up over the last year. Restrained nose of blueberry, black cherry and stags leap loam. Very nice, gentle, integrated mouth feel. All the right parts in the right place. Medium body, tannins nicely resolved at the finish such that the wine finishes where it started with the beautiful fruit. An unusual style in that this wine has very soft shoulders and velvety tones.
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4/15/2007 - Hollowleg wrote: 86 Points
Didn't live up to the Stags Leap Districts' reputation. Contained some decent fruit but lacked the secondary flavors & complexity that you truly look forward to. Also, the nose was lacking.
Definetly not worth the $50 that I paid.
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1/31/2007 - Donqwan wrote: 89 Points
Excellent nose, light on on and body. nice fruit, lighter than usual on tannins.
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10/6/2006 - N2Vin wrote: 89 Points
Nice fruit, integrated tannin. Not a lot of oak or extraction, but drinking very cleanly now. Nice accompaniment with roast pheasant
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5/19/2006 - AzorianMatador wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours before dinner; drank it with HI style T-bones. Medium body, decent cali-cab feel in the mouth but just did not have that lip-smacking, vuluptuous, yum factor that we all look for in California Cabernet. Not sure if its fading out or if it needs more cellar time. Disapointing--wil try again in 6 months.
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3/17/2006 - futronic wrote: 87 Points
Dark ruby colour with black fruit and eucalyptus. Medium-full bodied, with lush fruit, herbs, and alcohol. Moderate finish, 30-35s, with black fruit.
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3/5/2006 - N2Vin wrote: 88 Points
Lacking oak, which I favor. Very soft and smooth, good fruits and some mintiness, but (IMHO of course) the oak was not there enough.
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1/29/2006 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Disappointing. I bought two of these on release, mainly based on the WS rating. I have let them sit since that time. When I opened the wine, it showed a nice sense of new oak--it smelled great. Double decanted and took to same dinner at the Roar. The wine is primarily a light to medium body, with cherry fruit. Maybe a hint of light oak but seemed to lack some of the concentration or verve I was hoping for. The wine also came off a little tight so I will allow it to go another year or so to see if it softens.
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1/23/2006 - gmather wrote:
Very good.
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1/2/2006 - g-man wrote: 88 Points
Glad this was the last bottle. The fruit is starting to fade. Still enjoyable but this has seen it's best day.
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11/12/2005 - psmith wrote:
Pretty, focused nose shows red cherry and mint with some pleasing green notes. Well-balanced through the finish with fine tannin. Medium-bodied. Really tasty now but capable of lasting a few years. ***-/5
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10/13/2005 - jrglm wrote: flawed
It was corked. Crap.
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1/5/2005 - GreenDrazi wrote: 94 Points
Atlanta Off-line at casa Golf & Zin Nut: Decanted 1 hr. Wonderfully light and aromatic nose. Well structured and medium body Cab. with a fruity start, pretty core of black cherry and cocoa with anise on the back. Finish was elegant. Drink now to 2010.
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4/7/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
1999 California Cabernet and Blends (Chicago- Various Tastings): I tried this at this tasting and was later given a gift of this bottle from Ed Basa on my 40th birthday. This full bodied wine had a dark purple/red color. The tannins were firm but not overpowering now. It had notes of cassis, chocolate and dark berry. The finish was long with some spice. It is drinking well now but will improve so give it som time. 91+.
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