I appreciate Matthiasson's, what I consider, old world approach to wines in the midst of big Napa reds. This has muted fruit of berry and plum supported by earthy elements, leather, tobacco...very right bank style Bordeaux. very nice. What keeps me from scoring higher is the price compared to what you can find from France (Bordeaux) and, in my opinion, is reflective of what it costs to produce wine in Napa vs France
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Aromas of dark cherry, tobacco, and chocolate. Deep fruit on the palate with fine extract and balance, firm acids, tannins medium but present, lovely aromatic finish. Delicious with sausages and caramelized onions. I love this wine.
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Popped and poured. Blackberry and black cherry on the nose along with some dark purple florals and a bit of vanilla and toasty oak notes. Similar flavors on the palate with medium+ acidity and tannins. Long finish. Lots of structure in this wine and while showing well now, I think this will be better with a few more years of age.
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Still incredibly young. Hold this if you have it. Cassis, raspberry, chocolate, mint/herbs, slight earthy tone. It’s all there with tannin and acid in balance. It was delicious with a strip streak. And it’s the earthquake vintage.
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Dark ruby. Medium aromas of blackberry, chocolate, pistachio, and violets, with gentle notes of baking spice. Salty sweet aromatic fruit on the palate.
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Not a detailed note, but this had a lovely dry floral aroma with a warm spread of red fruit, and a firm balance of fruit and acidity on the palate evolving into a crisp tannic finish. Excellent with sausages and broccoli.
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Shiny red in appearance but very inky in character, this is big and has loads of shoe polish and oak flavors and frankly is not what I expect from Matthiasson. Perhaps it's on me for opening this Grand Vin at just seven years. But I can state with confidence that this did not improve over three days and never became even remotely pleasurable. To my surprise on day 4 this has come around and is tasty. Not sure what to take away here, except that these wines seem to go through a severe shutdown period and are longer runners than I'd previously appreciated.
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Very pretty currant and dark berry fruits with a bit of sage and cedar. Mild earthy complexity on the palate. What really impresses is the texture it is supple and flavorful without being particularly large scaled or chewy and the finish has a nice snap to it. I really like the style of this wine and it was even better with food.
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Deep clear garnet. Fresh raspberries, chocolate, roses on the nose. Broad spread of clear sweet fruit on the palate with deep tannic bite and a long acid finish. Refined and colorful, balanced and wild. 50 + 17 + 18 + 9 = 94.
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Fantastic aroma on the cork as soon as this was opened. Give it time to breathe so the opening flavors come alive. Bold floral on the front but smooth finish. No acidic bite at all to this bottle. Loved it and so glad we have another to allow for additional aging.
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Falltacular 2018--some TNs (My House In The South OC): Opened yesterday, kept cool overnight under opened cork. I tasted this yesterday during Falltacular, and even mentioned how the wine showed to Jill Matthiasson, who attended yesterday in person. I told her that we should have decanted the wine, as it was pretty well structured and tight. So, at least I got to add a full day of air to this wine before I wrote it up. This has unfolded more, it's showing the red fruited, currant, cedar and juicy, herbal qualities. Yet, there is still some cool astringence here, framing the finish with chewy tannin. This wine is going to need some bottle age is you want to edges to smooth out, as right now it's still coiled, with a medium weighted cherry frame.
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Pop and pour. Initially mildly tannic, and integrated nicely in the glass. Very good with a filet and pasta. Likely to improve over time, but very good now. Tasty. A lovely wine.
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Fresh bright aromas of red berries, plums, with a hint of pepper and a background floral note. Aggressively acidic on the palate, with a firm core of barbed wire fence fruit, strict tannins at the back. A balance of food wine and think wine. Like cracking open a new book with the fresh smell of new pages.
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3/16/2024 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for sediment. Consistent with previous bottle. Delicious, balanced cabernet.
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11/25/2023 - jfaulk Likes this wine: 90 Points
I appreciate Matthiasson's, what I consider, old world approach to wines in the midst of big Napa reds. This has muted fruit of berry and plum supported by earthy elements, leather, tobacco...very right bank style Bordeaux. very nice. What keeps me from scoring higher is the price compared to what you can find from France (Bordeaux) and, in my opinion, is reflective of what it costs to produce wine in Napa vs France
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9/14/2022 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aromas of dark cherry, tobacco, and chocolate. Deep fruit on the palate with fine extract and balance, firm acids, tannins medium but present, lovely aromatic finish. Delicious with sausages and caramelized onions. I love this wine.
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8/27/2022 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Blackberry and black cherry on the nose along with some dark purple florals and a bit of vanilla and toasty oak notes. Similar flavors on the palate with medium+ acidity and tannins. Long finish. Lots of structure in this wine and while showing well now, I think this will be better with a few more years of age.
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5/13/2022 - DeuceMcgee Likes this wine:
Still incredibly young. Hold this if you have it. Cassis, raspberry, chocolate, mint/herbs, slight earthy tone. It’s all there with tannin and acid in balance. It was delicious with a strip streak. And it’s the earthquake vintage.
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4/18/2021 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby. Medium aromas of blackberry, chocolate, pistachio, and violets, with gentle notes of baking spice. Salty sweet aromatic fruit on the palate.
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8/29/2020 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not a detailed note, but this had a lovely dry floral aroma with a warm spread of red fruit, and a firm balance of fruit and acidity on the palate evolving into a crisp tannic finish. Excellent with sausages and broccoli.
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8/27/2020 - 5laton wrote:
Shiny red in appearance but very inky in character, this is big and has loads of shoe polish and oak flavors and frankly is not what I expect from Matthiasson. Perhaps it's on me for opening this Grand Vin at just seven years. But I can state with confidence that this did not improve over three days and never became even remotely pleasurable.
To my surprise on day 4 this has come around and is tasty. Not sure what to take away here, except that these wines seem to go through a severe shutdown period and are longer runners than I'd previously appreciated.
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5/29/2020 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
Very pretty currant and dark berry fruits with a bit of sage and cedar. Mild earthy complexity on the palate. What really impresses is the texture it is supple and flavorful without being particularly large scaled or chewy and the finish has a nice snap to it. I really like the style of this wine and it was even better with food.
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9/23/2018 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep clear garnet. Fresh raspberries, chocolate, roses on the nose. Broad spread of clear sweet fruit on the palate with deep tannic bite and a long acid finish. Refined and colorful, balanced and wild. 50 + 17 + 18 + 9 = 94.
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9/18/2018 - mgstull Likes this wine: 89 Points
One hour decant. While this has nice red and black fruit, the acidity is a bit too prominent. Give this some time.
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6/28/2018 - wgmccallum wrote: flawed
Slightly corked, not so much that we didn't drink it.
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4/21/2018 - MonkeyLauncher Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic aroma on the cork as soon as this was opened. Give it time to breathe so the opening flavors come alive. Bold floral on the front but smooth finish. No acidic bite at all to this bottle. Loved it and so glad we have another to allow for additional aging.
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2/18/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Falltacular 2018--some TNs (My House In The South OC): Opened yesterday, kept cool overnight under opened cork. I tasted this yesterday during Falltacular, and even mentioned how the wine showed to Jill Matthiasson, who attended yesterday in person. I told her that we should have decanted the wine, as it was pretty well structured and tight. So, at least I got to add a full day of air to this wine before I wrote it up. This has unfolded more, it's showing the red fruited, currant, cedar and juicy, herbal qualities. Yet, there is still some cool astringence here, framing the finish with chewy tannin. This wine is going to need some bottle age is you want to edges to smooth out, as right now it's still coiled, with a medium weighted cherry frame.
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12/27/2017 - hjurist Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Initially mildly tannic, and integrated nicely in the glass. Very good with a filet and pasta. Likely to improve over time, but very good now. Tasty. A lovely wine.
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12/20/2017 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fresh bright aromas of red berries, plums, with a hint of pepper and a background floral note. Aggressively acidic on the palate, with a firm core of barbed wire fence fruit, strict tannins at the back. A balance of food wine and think wine. Like cracking open a new book with the fresh smell of new pages.
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