Just past peak, a bit of funk that went away after a couple hours. The tannins are nice w good acid but the overall balance tilts fruity and big. Classic Napa I guess
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Smoothed tannins. Fruit core intact with a noticeable amount of mushroom, earthy tones and a bit of balsamic. Cork was absolutely perfect - didn’t need a Durand. Great to share and a slower drinker given the complexities in the glass. Good stuff.
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Deep purple color, some sediment in the bottle, smooth, red fruit with a hint of tannin on the tongue. Cork split in two when removing, double decant using a Vinturi, waited about two hours before drinking.
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Removed from the cellar and warmed. Cork perfect. Needed to open up - other tasters were spot on there. Wow, what an ethereal wine.....this is what I love about these vintage Napa cabs...just singing. Full bodied, purple to red....licorice, cedar, leather, dusty notes, menthol/eucalyptus, lush deep dense fruit - blues and blacks. What an amazing wine for a challenging vintage...wish I had more. Day two under vac-u-vin - a deep lagoon of flavors - humidity, vanilla, cherry - more brightness, acidity and tartness. glyceric legs. Fruit paste, tobacco notes. Just an outstanding wine. Certainly at peak - I can't imagine it getting loads better. My notes say I purchased this for $20...that is amazing.
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Consistent with previous TN. 30-45 minutes of air did this bottle wonders. Full of black licorice and herbs with still a touch of tannin packed menthol. Surprisingly fresh on the palate, but starting to brown at the rim.
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The cork was solid and came out whole. 20-30 minute decant and the wine was SPECTACULAR! Cigar box, dried fruit and a hint of menthol on the nose. Still had tannins and fresh red fruit on the palate. Slight browning around the edge showing it's age.
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Probably would have been better earlier. (Inherited the bottle). Body was a bit thin. Flavour of black currant (cassis) and tobacco. Still, not unpleasant.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; decanted about 30 minutes prior to service. A deep garnet core, with some hints of bricking. Notes of dried plums, cigar box, leather, and hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, with a bit less opulence on the mid-palate compared to more recent vintages, but good balance, depth and focus. This greatly exceeded my expectations, and was significantly better than bottles we consumed nearly 10 years ago!
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Beautiful dark purple color with only a hint of bricking. Plum and blackberry nose. Deep, rich currant, black fruit. Opened beautifully after a 1 hour decant.Still lovely and delicious. Wonderful aged cab.
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Excellent Cab, beautifully aged. Lots of dark fruit, smoke and leather on the nose. Well balanced, nicely integrated tannins, great finish. Had with Filet Mignon and it was delicious. Ready to drink now, but will certainly last longer.
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Deep, dark color with absolutely no bricking. Some tobacco and vanilla on the nose, smooth, sweet cherry and fruit overtones and slight tannin on the taste. Sediment in the bottle, wine as indicated on the bottle notes was unfiltered. A classy bottle of wine, perfect for our first dinner of the New Year.
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Held up well. Deep garnet, no bricking. Light florals and dark fruits on the nose. Flavor palate carries plum, sour cherry, and some baking spice into a medium finish. Tannins still holding on through the finish. Solid, but not remarkable. A good accompaniment for grilled steak.
Day 2 - Improved... Nose picked up some licorice and lavender notes, Licorice carried into the mid-palate. Overall, softened out. Tartness subsided, tannins softened. Might add a point based on Day 2.
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Stong nose with some secondary notes. Dark fruit. on the palate, fruit starting to fade, and strong tannins. Somewhat out of balance, but still a nice wine. Long strong finish. Based on tannins, a long life ahead. Based on fruit, not so much. Had a 3-4 hour slow O in the cellar, but opened dramaticaly in the glass. I'd recommend a long decant instead.
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Dinner at Mondavi hosted by winemaker Genevieve Janssens. This served with the main course, second flight of reds, had this with the 1995 Reserve.
Dark garnet color, vibrant core. Nose of dark fruits and cassis. Palate of dark fruits, currants, tobacco, anise/licorice, oak. Medium to full bodied, lighter tannins than expected. Finishes long.
I recall the wine was 80% Cab/14 Cab Franc/balance Merlot and Malbec. Maybe a shade softer from the blend. Very nice, should continue to evolve, seems that it should drink at this level for some time. My #3 for the night (behind the '75, '95)
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Purple with brick red at the edges. Cocoa and plum on the nose. Silky smooth and elegant on the palate, bright plum fruit with vanilla, spice in the finish.
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Clear garnet-blood red. On the nose a bouquet of perfume, blackberries. On the palette crème de cassis, blackberry, some hints of cocoa and vanilla and only the slightest hint of tannin. A well balanced, full bodied, wine with a silky smooth mouth feel.
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Stunning! This is so sexy, elegant and classy. Rich, dark, and so soft. This is not the modern in your face style Cali cad. This is more on the bordeaux side but its has so much depth. Seamless from start to finish. see previous notes. we drank 2 of these back to back and both were knock outs!
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I was shocked. I didn't expect the depth of wine I witnessed. This was nearly a perfect wine. Almost like a great Margaux or Brion. Deep garnet color. Aromatic. Earthy with an enormous, (no wait ..... Ridiculous .....velvety mouthfeel). This wine is ready to drink and given the mediocre year of 2000 ......... Outstanding
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Medium Ruby in the glass with aromas of bing cherry and red licorice. On the palate the tannins are sweet and resolved with enough acidity to carry the fruit to a clean, wet slate finish. Drink now. Mondavi Reserve rarely disappoints.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear garnet-blood red. Subdued but elegant bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, fennel, cloves, vanilla, sweet spicy oak, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, velvety mouthfeel, smooth and balanced.
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This is in a perfect spot right now! Smooth, almost opulent in it's entrance. Great, classy mouth feel. Great cedar bouquet. From the nose to the entry to the velvety smooth finish, this is class in a glass. Drink right out of the chiller but with a little air and warming up to room temp this is ridiculously good. :( our only bottle is now gone! Wahhhhhhh!!!!!!!
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I think this is very Bordeaux like. But it also reminds me of Southern California, it has nice packaging, it makes a great first impression, but then..... there's no follow up. There were great initial flavors but then there was no follow up and it fell flat.
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Show stopper. This is a wine you serve and peoples first reaction is "wow". This was the WOTN. It took down a 2007 Lokoya spring Mountain. (see previous notes)
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A bunch of wines on a Sunday afternoon/evening (Kurt & Kims): I continue to admit that I was wrong about the 2000 Napa Cabs. At least the better ones. While I did not like them on release, I have had a bunch in the last few years that really developed well and this is one of them. Its drinks now like a beautiful cab getting close to peak but with a long life ahead if well stored. The nose has cassis, slight tobacco, some cherries and slight minty note. Very light tannins. Lots of complexity on the palate. Plenty of fruit left too. Long finish. Beautiful wine.
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Cork was brittle and we had to strain the wine in the end. But, the juice was flawless and the fruit is still there. It's just beginning to show age that tells me drink it now.
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Spectacular wine. Very dark is color. The nose was wonderful. Very much together with power still left for sure. We popped and poured this wine but a 2 hour decant would have been perfect. Very smooth and silky as most Mondavi reserve cabs are. Loads of dark chocolate and cherries, a hint of cedar, and a smooth long finish. Not a massive bruiser, but elegant.
We drank a 1999 & 2000 Mondavi reserve To Kalon with a 2004 & 2009 Harlan and the Mondavi cabs wiped the floor with the Harlans. We were a group of 8 in naples for the Naples wine festival. We thought the Harlans would kill the Mondavi's, but absolutely not! Not even close.
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Always excellent and always amazes me. Drank this following a 2002 Shafer HSS and as it was not as powerful as the HSS its finish was much more integrated and much smoother. These are always a crowd pleaser. Great flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, chocolate covered cherries, brownies, and spices. So smooth and easy to drink. Pleases from start to finish.
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NR as i had this in Vegas with the boyz on our annual football trip… therefore no notes or recollection… occupational hazard i guess… do remember it being pretty good though
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Don J's bottle. Excellent CalCab--rich, elegant, old school. Everything that always seduced me about Mondavi's wines is right here in this bottle. Black cherry, tobacco, mocha and the faintest note of cedar spice--youthful but maturing nicely. Drink or hold.
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Old school aromatics on the nose. No big shots of oak / vanilla here. On the palate, very resolved / balanced. Refined. Bought this near release and it's been stored correctly. Seems to be getting towards peak. One of the few from the 2000 vintage I've consistently liked. I picked these up for $30 - the QPR is ridiculous. 91 points - but I like this, as an understated, elegant Cab, more that the score would suggest.
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Based on the price of $75 per bottle this is a 95 point score. Still lots of life. 30 min decant is more than enough to begin life. Lots of mocha, coffee, and a little dark berry fruit. Dark, smooth, very complete, bright edges, med legs, great nose, and a great bottle for $75! Did a blind tasting of this against a 2006 Phelps Insignia ($200)and 2006 Araujo Eisele ($225) and almost the entire group liked this better. Its a great bottle for the price if you can find it. Great mouth feel and the dark chocolate covered cherry flavors are a treat. Glad I have 18 more.
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This was a prematured aged bottle, still drinkable but little or no fruit. The ullage was minimal but the cork was dry. It was from the same case as I had on 3-17 which was wonderful. Putting it down to bottle/cork variation, maybe TCA but I am fairly sensitive and I did not taste that.
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Classic and elegant, oak in context and not overpowering the fruit. A wonderful example of what Napa can and should produce. Really at the peak of it's flavor, but the peak appears to be a plateau that may last a few years.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Attractive bouquet of blackberry, black currant, cedar, chocolate and baking spice. A dark fruit core and smooth tannins leads to a long, soft finish. Medium to full bodied. Overall a solid, enjoyable wine. Drink now. Paired with roast beef.
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Aromas of mint, plum and dark fruit. Integrated and lit with flavors of plum and dark fruit. Shortish finish. A bit thin through the midpalate and finish...declining.
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Atfter about 2 hours after decant and pour, thought this was a considerable second choice to the 1999 Reserve which was poured at same time. By the third hour this bottle had caught up. Definitely drink now, the fruit is on it's way on.
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Thinking this is just perfect time to drink. Nose is pretty subtle. Well balanced in taste with ample fruit and plenty of earthy support. Finish is medium plus. Not an amazing example, but pretty solid Napa cab.
Really improved with about 2.5 hours after decanting. Drinking very well.
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As excited as i was to open this wine, it just fell short on all the above. This wine itself was a gift and not sure if it was properly stored prior to me getting it. It was decanted for 1hr+ and the nose was slightly flat, a little earthly w/ some floral notes. The wine wanted to open up more after the decant but it never did, the finish was flat and short w/ come berries on the end. Not sure if bottle was corked, passed its time or stored poorly prior to me.
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Double decanted for 1 hour. Medium to full body red with bricking on the edges. Explosive bouquet of cigar box, sweet currant, black earth and spices. Entry has velvety tannins and a live acidity that kicks up the lush body of dark fruits and currant to the senses. Finishes medium long with a fruity persistence and dried plums. This wine is complex and delicious and most likely at its peak.
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Mondavi vertical of '85, '94, '98, '00, '06, '09 poured from bottles ex-cellar by Mark de Vere, MW. Nose of new oak and dried fruit, with a balanced entry with a bit of acid with generous tannins. The body has medium red fruits finishing with a light to medium finish. All these wines are excellent however the 2000 appeared to be tad bit less focused than the rest. Served out of a magnum.
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Best showing yet. Color shows age nicely with some minor browning of edges. Nose of cardamom, currants and Kirsch Royal. There is some pretty spring flowers in there but what not there are any sign of anything green. I get some black olive tapanade, dull cedar, lead pencil and cherry. Hints of cola and earth too. Balance is nice with some great finely delineated tannins. Finish is long. Still a wonderful dinner wine. sadly my last botle.
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Celebrated the new year with this one. Upon opening (no decant), the flavor was light, but as it stayed open over the next 2hrs, it has a lush but dry Cali cab flavor - wonderful wine right now.
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The years have been kind to this wine. Classic cab. Tannins have mellowed. Smooth on the tongue with a long finish. Lots of oak and cassis. I recommend using a micro-screen as there is a lot of sentiment that could negatively impact the taste if it makes it into your glass.
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Really liked this one this time around. Was looking for a lower throttle Cab tonight, and "2000" and this wine came to mind. This bottle is less green, less taut than prior outings. Nicely balanced on the palate, with just slight tints of green but a notable cassis note on the finish. Tannins do increase with time spent in the glass. Will check in later, but very nice on the "pop" on a night when I was looking for a relatively young Cab with nostalgic styling. Crazy QPR on a $30 blowout.
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Decanted this bottle for approximately 3 hours prior to tasting with a fabulous meal of bone in filet mignon and porterhouse double cut lamb chops. This wine opened up beautifully with hints of cedar and oak with some mild astringency. Highly enjoyable overall.
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The beginning of the wine was a great example of older Napa To-Kalon..After 30 mins, this wine showed cedar, mint, coconut...nice supple well structured tannin for 12 yr old wine. This wine was not flat, or showed no loss of quality from ago.
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30 minute decant. Dark crimson color. Aroams of cassis, mint and black cherry, with the mint note becoming more pronounced as it ast in the glass. Medium-bodied, with black fruit and cherry tones on the palate. Fairly well-balanced, with nice acidity and decent fruit. Medium finish; just a tad bit short through the midpalate.
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Pop/pour. Very similar to my "Day 1" note from a year or so ago. The same sense of muted green and cream corn on the nose, perhaps in a way that comes across more secondary this time around. More spicy sweetness on the palate than the nose would suggest. As with last time, noticeable tannins on the finish. 91-92 points for now. Update: this time around, no dramatic improvement Day 2. In fact it seems to have fallen off a bit.
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Lovely nuanced and subtle with plenty of bell pepper and an herbal character. Some concentrated black currants on the palate, much more fruit than the Berginer, but less acidity and really falls apart on the finish. Still, has some nice fruit, good poise, nuanced, still a little short.
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This fooled everybody. The aggressive astringency normally associated with Cab. Sav. had gone and replaced with a gentle sweetness. The aroma was not Pinot, still had some fruit and not the cedar box notes I normally associate with old Cabernets. Interesting and very enjoyable.
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Popped and poured from magnum. Medium-plus deep ruby/garnet hue. Forward aromas of dark, plummy fruits with a pronounced note of creme de cassis. In addition, the nose shows tobacco, cedar, and herbaceous notes, the latter of which grows more pronounced with air. Medium-plus body. On the palate, this shows fresh fruit flavors, much as it always has...think blackberry, black cherry, and currant along with the herbaceous and certainly a touch of vanilla spice and smoke from oak. Sweet, somewhat chunky tannins round out the moderate close. Overall though, a very smooth and balanced Cabernet. While perhaps not the most complex or nuanced Mondavi Reserve, this is an undoubted succes for the 2000 vintage and one which is drinking nicely right now but will continue to age well for some years yet; in fact, this particular magnum would have easily gone for another 3-5+ years.
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The bottle was fantastic, the tannins were very smooth with great flavors of cherry and currant. I wish I had more of these in my cellar. Let it breath for 1-1/2 hrs before the meal and as time went on I swear each glass was better. Had it with filet and shitake mushrooms, couldn't have been a better pairing. This wine is at its peak!
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Got some dark fruit, currant and a bit of green pepper on the nose. A bit tannic at the start but then mellowed out in the glass. Medium finish. In this vintage just a baby step above the regular Mondavi in quality.
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My last bottle and it seems to have a lot of life left. Just a touch green. Out of the bottle it starts out quite bold and it mellows very quickly in the glass. Smooth and integrated. Fruit is still present. The nose mimicks the taste, savory with a little green pepper. A great effort for the vintage and the price I paid ($35) but it's nowhere near a $70 cab IMHO.
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Drank from magnum and really enjoyed this classic California Cabernet. Right now this bottle is full of fruit with good structure. Plenty of dark fruits and cherry. The bottle continued to open throughout the night getting better until the end. Alas, no more.....so sad.
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Sweet, older cabernet nose of leather & slight prune. Big, cool, concentrated entry of black currant flavors that are spicy & rich. Flows into a soft tannin finish. Classy. Tasted blind.
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Nice. It is ready to drink now. Tannins are just right; maybe a little less fruit than in past bottles, but still very nice. Low acidity, some depth and complexity, but kind of fades on the back of the palate.
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Not as fresh as the previous bottle but still nice with red berry fruits and a nice earthy element. Tannins pick up on the backend but some nice structure and fruit are present.
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Decanted in the bottle (375ml) for about two hours before serving. Still a nice blood red/ruby color with a bit of bricking at the edges. Wonderful creamy red fruited nose with a perfume aspect to it. Crushed raspberries, sweet black cherry, black currant and a bit of creme de casis. Underneath all of the fruit is some baking spice, sweet oak, tobacco leaf and cigar box. Good fruit on the palate, lacking a bit of depth in the mid-palate but finishes strong, maybe a bit dry. Doesn't seem as polished as the last bottle but still very enjoyable. Maybe a bit of black tea, olive, fig and more of a profound spice note on the back end; all rolled with more raspberries and black cherry. Reminds me of right bank bordeaux in a year such as 01 or 04.
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Deep, dark cherry red. Generous nose with oak and fruit. Flavor is cab Sauvignon, vinous, bretty, herby. Very drinkable depending on your Bret tolerance. Little bit of grip that lingers after the sip.
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Popped/poured. Relatively lean but pleasant all the same. A sense of green and cream corn, both in the background.The longer this is open, those notes that start to fade into the background, while at the same time some tannins start to build on the finish. I'm going "90-ish" on this one, and will leave the rest of this for tomorrow, because the tannins become more bold with every keystroke. I'm not smart enough to forecast how this will age, but I am a bit worried about whether there's enough fruit to carry this forward to a graceful old age.
Update: this goes through a dramatic turn on Day 2. Quirky notes - gone. Tannins - tamed. It also develops a very rich body and mouthfeel. Relatively feminine for a Mondavi Reserve, but very, very nice. Score based on Day 2 experience.
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Decanted in the bottle for about an hour, served from a 375ml. Deep ruby red color with some lightening at the edges and a black core. Old world rustic nose with a modern flare. A warm red fruited nose with some sweet cherries, black tea, tobacco, bit of baking cocoa, lead pencil shavings. Creme fraiche, crushed raspberries, spicy oak and the smallest hint of old cellar dust. Nice mouthfeel with some red and black fruits, decently ripe, tannins are almost fully resolved and nice acid structure. Old world in style medium body, great balance and decent length. A classic CA cab that might be drinking a bit older than its age due to the vintage but very enjoyable.
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Decanted half for am hour and this half was smooth with blackberries and terroir. The second half out of the bottle was fruitier and continued with great structure. A really fine wine.
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Excellent wine. Had at home with slow cooked beef roast although it was great by itself as I prepared dinner. Bright with maintained acidity, smooth with fine tannins. Red and blue fruits on the palate with a touch of vanilla. No oak. Finish is long and delicious.
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Tannic monster upon opening; vinturi + decanted for 45 minutes, then double decanted through vinturi again and this beast started to open up (a bit). The oak, the tannin and the acid hid the fruit, even four hours later. Nose was nice, but the flavor profile on the palate doesn't live up to the pedigree. Despite all that, it was rather nice with roasted chicken, fennel and potatoes for NYE...
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A beautiful Napa Cab. Black cherry and black currant predominate. Dark brownish purple in the glass. Decanted for 2 hours and served with the prime rib I made for dinner. Some leather and creme de cassis on the back end. Overall a very nice cab in the style that I like.
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This continues to show very well at this time. Bright, sweet cassis and secondary Cabernet flavors. Still has the acidity, tannins, and fruit to evolve over the next few years.
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Delicious wine, with a nose of graphite/charcoal, pencil lead and leather. Medium weight in the mouth, with licorice, black fruits and a polished texture. From 375ml, I think it has several years til peak and tertiary notes.
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Nice balanced qualities to this wine. Tobacco, underbrush, black tea, cigar box, pencil shavings, black fruits and smoke. Liner defined palate with medium body and great balance. Should drink well for a number of years and may even improve a bit.
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I would describe this an an old world style cab - not an in your face high alch wine. Probably nearing the end of its drinking window - well balanced and structured - drank at a dinner party and it was a HUGE hit.
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Nice glossy red fruits on the nose, pomegranate, black cherry and blackberry. Under the fruits is some graphite, black tea, smoke and pencil shavings. Some cigar tobacco, creme de casis and red licorices. Lovely balanced mouthfeel with some firm tannins, nice dose of toasty oak with plenty of fine red fruits to follow. Not in any way flamboyant but very balanced, polished tannins and ample fruit. A bit more old world in style when compared to cabs these days and resembles a bordeaux more than a napa cab. Great secondary characteristics on the palate, damp earth, cedar box, red and black fruits with a round mouthfeel.
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Olive and moss on the nose. Seemed to turn greener and lost structure the longer it was open. Slightly better with food but I am not a fan of this tonight.
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From magnum. Cassis and blackberry with some cedar, tobacco and black pepper notes. Firm, well integrated tannins on the long finish. An excellent bottle of wine that's drinking very well right now and still appears to be youthful and fresh.
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From 375ml, pop n pour. Sweet black currant and black licorice, with some old leather like Ron Burgundy has in his house. Perhaps a little charcoal as well. None of the herbaceous quality I found in the 750s back in 2007. Mid-full weight in the mouth, with black fruits. Tannin is in check, but they hanging on - this particular split would have had another 5ish years til peak. If the provenance is good, no rush to drink these up as they've improved in 3 years time -despite me thinking in 07 to drink them by now.
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just couldn't give this an outstanding score. color was good, just slight fading at rim. nose reticent with some fruit and earth but just lacking. palate thin to start and thin on mid palate. some nice dark fruits, thin tannins. finsh is lacking as well. just no wow factor.
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Blind Vertical. Dark ruby with lots of sediment. Red and black fruits, coffe, black mint. Very classic and balanced. Finish of sour cheery. This one fooled me, thought it was maybe a 04. Several years of life yet, bound to improve more.
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Really nice wine and the last on in inventory. Really nice nose of leather and rich dirt. really soft on the taste and great finish. could have decanted for awhile but don't have the time or patience sometime. Betting this would have been really good if left alone for an hour, but it was gone in an hour.
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Popped and poured; good fill, and sound cork. Ruby-red core with a hint of garnet at the rim. Aromas of roasted herbs, black fruit and spice. Medium-bodied, with a touch of astringency on the mid-palate, and some dryness creeping in on the finish. Showed better 3 years ago; from regular bottle, I think it is time to drink up!
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When we 1st got to taste this wine, it seemed like Bordeaux. (It was served blind at a Bordeaux 2000 tasting, and was the WOTN). Tonite it also seems like Bordeaux, with lots of herbal notes and some fruit mixed in. Surprisingly good with our onion rings and grilled steak wrapped in bacon (with thyme herb seasoning), which firmed up the fruit notes and toned down the herbs. Drink now!
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Initially herbal and complex, reminiscent of Bordeaux. Great with onion rings and steak with bacon. Red fruit and touch of tannin. Interesting mature cab on its own.
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A pop & pour. Fairly dark color. Initial aromas of vanilla, oak and cassis, with hints of floral and blackberry. Slightly austere, with flavors of daark fruit, spice and vanilla, finishing a bit short.
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light purple hue with a nice extended border showing its age. medium legs. no brick or brown hues. the nose emphasizes perfumed floral elements with dark blackberries and dark rasberries. palate is similar with dark fruits and it is just so nice and light and sort of airy on the palate. just lovely finesse and silky round texture. medium body. i don't get an abundance of eartth or tar or smoke on the palate but there is some of that in the background. nicely balanced. finish is warm and delicious and mediium in legnth. really enjoyable. not a super blockbuster but close.
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From magnum. Popped and aerated in bottle for about 80 minutes. Medium-plus deep ruby hue. Pronounced aromas of fresh berries, black currant, cigar box, tar, and some herbaceous notes...very much like nice Bordeaux from the Left Bank, a joy to smell. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit is amazingly fresh and vibrant, especially for an off-vintage Cabernet that has entered it's 10th year of life! Flavors mirror the nose, but the fruit is even more pronounced with flavors of blackberry, black currant, tobacco leaf, cedar, and even a hint of mint. Tannins are a touch astringent but overall smooth and polished on the moderate-plus finish. Amazing for a 2000 Cabernet to show so little in terms of vegetal aromas and flavors. Could easily age for another 5+ years. Great juice!
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I really feel like 2000 was a better year than most think in Napa. The cabs aren't as fruit-forward as some like, but they are really smoky, leathery, and saddley...very French Bordeaux-like. This wine really shows what these 2000 grapes are doing. There are a ton of secondary Bordeaux flavors present (smoke, leather, cigar, cedar, campfire, etc.), yet there's also a core of solid blackcurrant. I really love the tannic structure of this wine. The tannins are big and surly, yet they're small and minuscule at the same time. It's hard to describe it in words. The finish is huge and lasting. Stood right up to the 95 Beringer Private Reserve cab.
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Very lush nose of black fruit, cedar, roses, and slight funk. Lush attack with juicy, sweet red berries and a fairly smooth finish. Tried with aeration and it was very tannic. Graceful and classy.
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Had in blind tasting after 3 hour decant. Chocolate and burnt earth on nose. Well integrated and sl. acidic finish with mild vegetal characteristic. Got even better in the glass. Likely near prime. Day 2, slightly improved. May indeed benefit from more cellar time.
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What a beauty this has turned into. The color is dark burnt amber and transparent. The nose has a wonderful sasparilla, cassis, kirsch, blackberry, some lead pencil and more. Beautiful fully integrated with no sign of the cliff just yet. The green streak is still in place, but the overall package is so much more complex, I can even look past it. The palate has the black & red fruit medley so elusive by many. Black & red plums, red and black cherries, a faint note of cassis, some graphite, some leather, some cherry cola, and a touch of damp forest floor. A light to mid weight wine, this is graceful and elegant. A bit short on the take-up, but again, not too shabby for such a shabby vintage. Got to be one of the best 2000s I have had.
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Opened the Magnum for Christmas day - the nose on this was amazing. Couldnt resist a sip as I poured into the decanter and left the rest in the bottle. I tasted this one hourly for about 4 hours before we started drinking in earnest. Took about 90 minutes before the plate matched the nose; the finish got longer and longer and the taste got deeper and deeper - wish I had more...
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A medium-bodied wine with good structure and a smooth texture. Flavors of cassis, blackberries and tobacco in a tightly-knit package. Just approaching its secondary flavor profile but this has the balance and good tannins to age gracefully. VG for the vintage and an elegant wine that avoids any excess ripeness. 90
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Popped and poured from magnum. Deep ruby hue, clear throughout without any bricking on the rim. Initially on the nose a very Graves-esque perfume of cigar box and earth with subtle hints of fruit. With a few hours of gradual aeration, this 2000 began to strut it's stuff, showing nice aromas of black currant, creme de cassis, tar, and dried herbs. Medium body. The fruit is still quite prominent on the palate, with a nice combination of black cherry, blackberry, and black currant framed in cedar and smoke. Tannins are surprisingly chalky and borderline astringent on the plus finish. From magnum, this Cabernet still shows surprising vigor, especially considering it's origins from the much maligned 2000 vintage, and from this format with known provenance, could certainly last for another 3-5 years (probably still best to drink over the following 2). Overall, a very nice Mondavi Reserve made when they were still Mondavi.
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Either I caught this bottle in a "dead zone" or it is declining. Did not have the depth or power of the last two bottles I had, but was a little more vegetal. Decanted for four+ hours and did not have much evolution over that period. Thought it might pick up more depth on the second night, but did not get enough to satisfy me.
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From a Double Magnum opened when my Dad and oldest brother were in town. Nose: Nice dusty earth aromas and cherry. Palate: Very soft and delicate with good acidity and bright red fruits. Similar to the last bottle tasted 11/25/2008 even though this was from a double magnum. Just OK, however it is a 2000 cab.
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Dark purple opaque in the glass. This bottle may have been stored improperly for a few months. Overall the juice didn't seem to hit home the way I anticipated. Alot of the dark berry notes were muted by tannins and heat. The viscous wine shows dark blueberries and blackberries. Lots of black pepper and leather on the back end. Classic Cali Cab nose. Lots of oak still singing as well...too much oak. There is a good amount of heat, with moderate high acidity and tannins on the finish. Some of the residual alcohol blew off and the wine softened up after three hours in the bottle.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Nose of tobacco and cigar box. Spice and herbs on the palate, medium-bodied, nice tannins and enjoyable finish. Not worth the release price, but good deal at heavily discounted price I paid.
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I had this wine 2 years ago and I thought it was drinking better back then. Still a nice wine with good fruit - black cherry, cassis, licorice, cedar, herbs of provence and nice structure, but the oak is coming through a bit too much on the palate.
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Absolutely stunning and complex effort. Opened 6 hours prior to drinking and decanted over the last hour. Rich nose of cherry, blueberry, menthol and a rose perfume. Even a touch of bubble gum. Nice medium body. Great fruit and balance. Exceptionally well integrated oak, a rustic feel but good fruit a some menthol. Very good complexity leading to a very good finish. The only thing holding this effort back is that it lacks some body, but make no mistake -- this is an excellent effort from Mondavi.
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About my 6th time with this wine and its best showing yet. I learned a thing of two along the way. Decant is a must. I double-decanted right back into its bottle about 1pm, to actually drink at 6pm. Beautiful lively but surely mature color with lightly rust colored edges. The nose shows of an elegant Bordeaux. Subdued cassis and graphite/lead pencil is all upfront. The palate shows some soy, cedar, leather, earth, tar, and tobacco. The fruit has taken the back seat, but by no means missing. Some more of the red cherry variety this time. Some black cassis with some very slight cola. Mouth fell was elegant and mid weighted. Finish was decent and tannins are fully evolved. Surely a Mondavi wine, but can easily trick me blind. This really showed beautifully tonight. Glad I have more. Oh yeah, I paid $30 and this was well worth it.
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For the price, not a memorable wine. At first wine smelled like graphite but after opening open had a nice nose. Although wine wasn't bad, there's nothing to get overly excited about. I'd recommend leaving this one on the retail shelf-- there are plenty of wines that taste much better at a lower price tag.
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Impression only, decent wine from a decent but nothing special vintage. Dusty cherry, rich acidity that still feel lush in the mouth, though there is no OTT rich fruit - I like this in that it's balanced and has not gone down the road of so many cali cabs more recently.
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Drank after a two-hour decant. Great dark color, but rather unremarkable taste. Amazing to see all the reviews on here stating that they bought this wine at such a discount. I did as well, but would not purchase this wine for anything more than $12. Very disappointing.
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Nose: Light cassis, cherry, cedar and dust. Palate: Nice acid, smooth cherry, and subtle herb and mint qualities. Very light for a Mondavi reserve which is typical of the 2000 vintage for domestic Cab. Not worth even half of the $120 retail, but nonetheless a steal on clearance.
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Had this with Carol, Yvonne, Jen & I at the Melting Pot Restaurant, Red Bank, NJ. (Corkage $15/bottle. The 2002 and 2004 vintages were on the menu ... but they let us drink this, anyway).
Delicious! Lots of secondary aromas and taste, with cedar, earth, sage, berries. Very good on its own. Ok with the cheese and some meat. But a fun wine ... for our visitors from California.
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Complex, and becoming increasingly secondary, with aromas of spice, cedar, mint stems and blackcurrant. Juicy and flavoral on the palate, not as hugely structured as more recent vintages, this really reveals the Mondavi emphasis on delicacy.
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This wine has held up well and is a favorite of ours. Great nose and got better with the evening. lots of oak and worth keeping for this time. Looking forward to the last four bottles.
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Very nice cab, starting with great earthy aromas and taste. However with open time the fruit really starts to shine in both the aroma and the palate. A very nice long finish. Extraordinarily satisfying wine.
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This bottle was consumed in honor of Robert Mondavi, who passed away on May 16, 2008. 3rd time I've had this wine. I believe this was slightly flawed bottle but still was a nice wine. RIP. Without him, CA wouldn't be where it is today in terms of wineries, etc.
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Nice purplish hue, good initial mouthfeel, medium-bodied, but short on finish. I tried two other cabs that cost less than half of the Mondavi while tasting this one. They both stood up nicely. This was nice, but not compared to what's available at far better prices.
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No formal notes, but IMHO mikep nailed the review and the score. Everything about this wine points to quality winemaking, but it's just not all there. The nose doesn't pop, the fruit of the vine is subdued across the palate, and the finish is bit awkward. I would *not* say this is a screaming value at $35, but it was great to be able to 'step up' and play the big boys (even if 2000 was a bleah vintage). Far and away the best 89-90 point wine I've had, but it really wasn't any better than that.
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Nose was wonderful.. typical of a CA cab, bold red fruit, some oak, and a surprising touch of heat.
Flavor was very pleasant, much of the nose held through to the taste as well as the surprising touch of heat. Good berry fruit, but all flavors seemed a bit muted, good mouthfeel although a touch on the thin side (2000 vintage to blame?). Smooth, but lacked the silkiness of some of the best CA cabs (or vintages?). Incredibly long finish though, much longer and better than I expected. Wine just didn't have enough power to it to bump up into a 90's score.
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Another very nice bottle 9my last) of this wine...Drank over 3 days, this wine had great balance and structure, more in a lighter style than a fruity monster...Still rich and ripe, so alive and kicking, but perhaps at the top of it's curve...Glad that I will now move on to the few 99's I have left and than the 01's...Goodbye dear friends
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I'm a little confused with this wine because it was almost completely different then most people have mentioned here. I found this to be a full-bodied wine with very soft cedar notes. Then it was as if I bit into a huge green bell pepper with some very light tobacco notes. The tannins were fully integrated and the wine was elegantly balanced with a nice long finish.
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Surprisingly elegant. Soft dark fruit and cedar character with background earth in the nose. Open and rounded palate of dark red fruits. Integrated and refined tannins. Medium finish. Drink now over the next few years.
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No formal notes. Gave this a nice long decant, and the wine opened up a little over the 4-5 hours. A good cabernet with some fruit (although muted), but somewhat unremarkable. Received as a gift, so unsure as to storage conditions over the last 7 years.
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Please decant this for 1.5-2 hours prior to consumption. I was worried this would be vegetal, after popping the cork. This gained so much weight and depth with air, and turned into a sensational effort. Very bordeauxlike seconday nuances, this showed violet, baseball mitt, tobacco, dark red fruits, spice - awesome!
Grippy tannins and a smooth, lengthy finish make this a wine to keep in the cellar for another 2-3 years.
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The color as dark old brick, not brown. (after 1.5 hours) The nose revealed slight vegetalness. On the tongue one get the feel of the elegance and breed, but initally slightly akward. Great cassis, cocoa, tobacco leaf, and tar. The fine tannins reside in the background. A admirable mouthfeel & the typical handling of acid a-la Mondavi; Deft. Moderate finish. The vegetalness never really disappeared. I would rate this a solid 90 if the veg was not present. All in all not a bad $30 drink, but I would be perturbed if I spent $125.
2nd day- This evolved nicely. Much more plush and elegant. Great expressive fruits shooting upward through the opening of the glass; black cherry, currant/cassis, black plum, and boysenberry. The green has subside, but still slightly present in the background. No longer offensive. A bit longer in the finish as well.This wine is singing tonight. 89+ points
Plan to open this 24 hours in advace. You will not be dissapointed.
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Vegetal, herbal notes blow off with some air, and after 3 hours in the decanter, this wine is hitting its stride. Sweet black currant, spice and a floral note round out the nose - and the wine has a smooth mouthfeel. I'd drink these up in the next 2-3 years, this drinks well with a decant.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Spice box and tobacco on the nose. Cedar and vegetal notes on the palate. Medium finish. This improved over time. Also bought on heavy discount making this a nice wine.
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Screaming value when bought on discount. This was well balanced with classic cedar notes and just a hint of leather though not really secondary yet. Restrained yet full bodied fruit, dark berries to me. Fine tannins on a moderately long finish. Nice to drink a NV cab that has old world notes.
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Ordered some of this on special, and this one was opened on the day of arrival. Good, everyday drinker - no hard edges, nice nose, good length, slightly mushy mouth. Slight vegetal notes (not too distracting) with some dark berry flavors still remaining.
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Upon opening, very fragrant nose of dark berries, mocha, and even some tobacco and some coffee grounds. Well balanced. On the palate, sweet dark fruit again, lots of dark chocolate, and maybe even a hint of mint. This is a wine that is medium bodied, not a fruit bomb but definitely has good fruit, which is the #1 most important part of wine for me. Tannins are well integrated, leaving a nice long finish of vanilla. I was surprised to see so much going on. I was expecting some fruit and oak but was pleasantly surprised to see more going on for this wine. There is still enough tannins where I feel this wine's drinking window still has a while before it fades. Saved half a bottle for day 2. I would like to mention that this wine tastes older than 7 years old.
Day 2: Upon opening, very tight. No nose?? uh oh! Wait...wait.....cellar temperature is 55 degrees but I think this wine is best around 60. Letting it warm up, the nose reappears. The palate shows more heat than day 1 though. Maybe when it warms up a little more, this will get better.
I would be dissapointed if I paid over $100 for this but at $30, I think this is a great QPR. It provides a lot of good aromas and flavors. The vintage wasn't the best but this wine performs well.
Day 1, I would give a 91+....day 2, 88....
Performs better with food. I think this wine will be best decanted for an hour and consumed.
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We really enjoyed this wine out to dinner for my birthday. Soft tannins and oak flavors (vanilla) at first and then the fruit came through more. I don't think more time is going to make this better so I'd suggest finding a special occasion and drinking it.
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Quite a bit of oak initially on the nose and palate. Dark fruits intermixed with cherry. Nice ruby/purple color with decent structure. Still, it tastes like a very ordinary wine from the Napa Valley.
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Cinnamon and spice. Mint and red fruit which seems to be a trademark of To-Kalon. A green edge characteristic of the vintage but classic cabernet fruit shows through. Some heat on the finish and still a bit grapey. Tight and grippy - needs time.
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Really a strange experience. Opened the bottle and shared a glass with my wife, found it to be very green. Tasted of green peppers and fruit that had not ripened. My expectations where so high from reading here that I was let down. I decanted and came back three hours later...wow! (accidentally came back, had actually given up on it) What a difference. Although it didn't have the concentration I expected, it had an abundance of good solid black and red fruit flavors. I have 23 more bottles and don't see myself opening again until 2008 (at least).
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This wine is deep garnet in color. The nose is filled with scents of roses, chocolate, and black ripe cherries. The taste is unctous with vivid flavors of black cherries, casis, kirsch, chocolate and currants. The taste is for the most part balanced and ready to drink.
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First year of fermentation in new oak foudres for this wine. Surprisingly good for the vintage. Medium bright grapey friut aroma. Nice round black fruit with good grip and finish. 91-92 pts. WDC vertical 9/06
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I was incredibly disappointed with this bottle. I don't know if mine was a little off, or if it was living up to expectations that had been set by others, but "clumsy" was an apt description. There was nothing moving about this wine; the fruit was present, but not bright. I decanted for an hour and it headed south 30 minutes after the first glass, thinning out by the time I had finished my second glass.
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Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): By this point in the tasting I may have been getting weary at the style. A clumsy nose of soy and chocolate. This has none of the verve or interest shown in most of the other vintages. Just klunky chocolate.
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4/12/2024 - funderwood10 wrote: 89 Points
Just past peak, a bit of funk that went away after a couple hours. The tannins are nice w good acid but the overall balance tilts fruity and big. Classic Napa I guess
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12/2/2023 - awever Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bei weitem noch nicht alt, schöner knapper Caban Style, sehr gut, aber nicht wirklich groß, dafür fehlt der letzte Druck.
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11/23/2023 - jjr24 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smoothed tannins. Fruit core intact with a noticeable amount of mushroom, earthy tones and a bit of balsamic. Cork was absolutely perfect - didn’t need a Durand. Great to share and a slower drinker given the complexities in the glass. Good stuff.
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10/19/2022 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still evolving and getting better. Acidity with silky tannins and still presenting a meaningful amount of fruit at 22 years of age. My last bottle.
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7/3/2021 - Old Joe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well balanced wine with a spice yen’s to it including Clove. Super finish
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12/12/2020 - Carmen400 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep purple color, some sediment in the bottle, smooth, red fruit with a hint of tannin on the tongue. Cork split in two when removing, double decant using a Vinturi, waited about two hours before drinking.
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11/20/2020 - Senso-beak wrote: 95 Points
Removed from the cellar and warmed. Cork perfect. Needed to open up - other tasters were spot on there. Wow, what an ethereal wine.....this is what I love about these vintage Napa cabs...just singing. Full bodied, purple to red....licorice, cedar, leather, dusty notes, menthol/eucalyptus, lush deep dense fruit - blues and blacks. What an amazing wine for a challenging vintage...wish I had more. Day two under vac-u-vin - a deep lagoon of flavors - humidity, vanilla, cherry - more brightness, acidity and tartness. glyceric legs. Fruit paste, tobacco notes. Just an outstanding wine. Certainly at peak - I can't imagine it getting loads better. My notes say I purchased this for $20...that is amazing.
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7/20/2020 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous TN. 30-45 minutes of air did this bottle wonders. Full of black licorice and herbs with still a touch of tannin packed menthol. Surprisingly fresh on the palate, but starting to brown at the rim.
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4/26/2020 - Dave D Likes this wine: 90 Points
needed greater than 2 hours
need to drink now
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11/3/2019 - Pjzlotnik Likes this wine: 92 Points
smooth with good fruit and subtle nose. Won't last much longer
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10/11/2019 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork was solid and came out whole. 20-30 minute decant and the wine was SPECTACULAR! Cigar box, dried fruit and a hint of menthol on the nose. Still had tannins and fresh red fruit on the palate. Slight browning around the edge showing it's age.
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5/19/2019 - andtully wrote: 80 Points
Probably would have been better earlier. (Inherited the bottle).
Body was a bit thin. Flavour of black currant (cassis) and tobacco. Still, not unpleasant.
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5/11/2019 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; decanted about 30 minutes prior to service. A deep garnet core, with some hints of bricking. Notes of dried plums, cigar box, leather, and hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, with a bit less opulence on the mid-palate compared to more recent vintages, but good balance, depth and focus. This greatly exceeded my expectations, and was significantly better than bottles we consumed nearly 10 years ago!
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2/10/2019 - cstir Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth on opening; soft tannins; good complexity and depth; lasting finish.
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8/27/2018 - 2oldwinos wrote: 91 Points
Wrong aging prediction will be great for another 2 years
Need at least 30min to open up.
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6/1/2018 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful dark purple color with only a hint of bricking. Plum and blackberry nose. Deep, rich currant, black fruit. Opened beautifully after a 1 hour decant.Still lovely and delicious. Wonderful aged cab.
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4/19/2018 - LeChapeau wrote: 92 Points
Excellent Cab, beautifully aged. Lots of dark fruit, smoke and leather on the nose. Well balanced, nicely integrated tannins, great finish. Had with Filet Mignon and it was delicious. Ready to drink now, but will certainly last longer.
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1/1/2018 - Carmen400 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep, dark color with absolutely no bricking. Some tobacco and vanilla on the nose, smooth, sweet cherry and fruit overtones and slight tannin on the taste. Sediment in the bottle, wine as indicated on the bottle notes was unfiltered. A classy bottle of wine, perfect for our first dinner of the New Year.
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8/27/2017 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
- Medium forming legs - Drinking well. Black currant, cassis and soft, resolved tannin.
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5/18/2017 - Ecoenophile wrote: 91 Points
Held up well. Deep garnet, no bricking. Light florals and dark fruits on the nose. Flavor palate carries plum, sour cherry, and some baking spice into a medium finish. Tannins still holding on through the finish. Solid, but not remarkable. A good accompaniment for grilled steak.
Day 2 - Improved... Nose picked up some licorice and lavender notes, Licorice carried into the mid-palate. Overall, softened out. Tartness subsided, tannins softened. Might add a point based on Day 2.
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5/13/2017 - Geoff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stong nose with some secondary notes. Dark fruit. on the palate, fruit starting to fade, and strong tannins. Somewhat out of balance, but still a nice wine. Long strong finish. Based on tannins, a long life ahead. Based on fruit, not so much. Had a 3-4 hour slow O in the cellar, but opened dramaticaly in the glass. I'd recommend a long decant instead.
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4/30/2017 - Lion King wrote: 93 Points
Smooth and surprisingly still some nice fruit flavors. Decanted for 1.5 to 2 hours.
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3/19/2017 - petenich wrote:
Shelby Alex Maybe
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2/21/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Mondavi hosted by winemaker Genevieve Janssens. This served with the main course, second flight of reds, had this with the 1995 Reserve.
Dark garnet color, vibrant core. Nose of dark fruits and cassis. Palate of dark fruits, currants, tobacco, anise/licorice, oak. Medium to full bodied, lighter tannins than expected. Finishes long.
I recall the wine was 80% Cab/14 Cab Franc/balance Merlot and Malbec. Maybe a shade softer from the blend. Very nice, should continue to evolve, seems that it should drink at this level for some time. My #3 for the night (behind the '75, '95)
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1/29/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 90 Points
smooth , sweet, some structure , short
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12/18/2016 - kenito799 wrote: 91 Points
Purple with brick red at the edges. Cocoa and plum on the nose. Silky smooth and elegant on the palate, bright plum fruit with vanilla, spice in the finish.
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11/12/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still fantastic. Lots of depth and body. Not thin at all. We didn't decant but an hour or so would help. Plenty of life left. see previous notes
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11/8/2016 - Tom Myers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really opened up after about an hour in the decanter
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9/4/2016 - redz wrote: 94 Points
Just great.
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7/3/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Smooth and silky. The tannins are fully integrated. Plenty of plum and black cherry fruit remains. A spectacular wine tonight- at peak.
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3/31/2016 - dbay Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear garnet-blood red. On the nose a bouquet of perfume, blackberries. On the palette crème de cassis, blackberry, some hints of cocoa and vanilla and only the slightest hint of tannin. A well balanced, full bodied, wine with a silky smooth mouth feel.
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1/3/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning! This is so sexy, elegant and classy. Rich, dark, and so soft. This is not the modern in your face style Cali cad. This is more on the bordeaux side but its has so much depth. Seamless from start to finish. see previous notes. we drank 2 of these back to back and both were knock outs!
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12/28/2015 - tomoem Likes this wine: 96 Points
I was shocked. I didn't expect the depth of wine I witnessed. This was nearly a perfect wine. Almost like a great Margaux or Brion. Deep garnet color. Aromatic. Earthy with an enormous, (no wait ..... Ridiculous .....velvety mouthfeel). This wine is ready to drink and given the mediocre year of 2000 ......... Outstanding
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10/11/2015 - juicejammer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium Ruby in the glass with aromas of bing cherry and red licorice. On the palate the tannins are sweet and resolved with enough acidity to carry the fruit to a clean, wet slate finish. Drink now. Mondavi Reserve rarely disappoints.
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9/1/2015 - Javachip wrote: 90 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear garnet-blood red. Subdued but elegant bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, fennel, cloves, vanilla, sweet spicy oak, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, velvety mouthfeel, smooth and balanced.
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8/29/2015 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is in a perfect spot right now! Smooth, almost opulent in it's entrance. Great, classy mouth feel. Great cedar bouquet. From the nose to the entry to the velvety smooth finish, this is class in a glass. Drink right out of the chiller but with a little air and warming up to room temp this is ridiculously good. :( our only bottle is now gone! Wahhhhhhh!!!!!!!
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8/15/2015 - JuliannaD wrote:
I think this is very Bordeaux like. But it also reminds me of Southern California, it has nice packaging, it makes a great first impression, but then..... there's no follow up. There were great initial flavors but then there was no follow up and it fell flat.
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8/4/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Show stopper. This is a wine you serve and peoples first reaction is "wow". This was the WOTN. It took down a 2007 Lokoya spring Mountain. (see previous notes)
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7/20/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
A bunch of wines on a Sunday afternoon/evening (Kurt & Kims): I continue to admit that I was wrong about the 2000 Napa Cabs. At least the better ones. While I did not like them on release, I have had a bunch in the last few years that really developed well and this is one of them. Its drinks now like a beautiful cab getting close to peak but with a long life ahead if well stored. The nose has cassis, slight tobacco, some cherries and slight minty note. Very light tannins. Lots of complexity on the palate. Plenty of fruit left too. Long finish. Beautiful wine.
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7/11/2015 - kcp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Maybe bottle variation - but a bit coarse, not well integrated, though clearly a Mondavi reserve.
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5/26/2015 - DavilaDC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork was brittle and we had to strain the wine in the end. But, the juice was flawless and the fruit is still there. It's just beginning to show age that tells me drink it now.
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5/22/2015 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully. Pure cassis with cedar and generous body and velvety tannin. No need to hold longer
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4/24/2015 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine:
Lovely
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2/8/2015 - floridawinedrkr wrote:
Opened 2 bottles. Both were flawed. Perhaps stored improperly. Bummer!
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1/23/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular wine. Very dark is color. The nose was wonderful. Very much together with power still left for sure. We popped and poured this wine but a 2 hour decant would have been perfect. Very smooth and silky as most Mondavi reserve cabs are. Loads of dark chocolate and cherries, a hint of cedar, and a smooth long finish. Not a massive bruiser, but elegant.
We drank a 1999 & 2000 Mondavi reserve To Kalon with a 2004 & 2009 Harlan and the Mondavi cabs wiped the floor with the Harlans. We were a group of 8 in naples for the Naples wine festival. We thought the Harlans would kill the Mondavi's, but absolutely not! Not even close.
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1/19/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Always excellent and always amazes me. Drank this following a 2002 Shafer HSS and as it was not as powerful as the HSS its finish was much more integrated and much smoother. These are always a crowd pleaser. Great flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, chocolate covered cherries, brownies, and spices. So smooth and easy to drink. Pleases from start to finish.
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1/4/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
NR as i had this in Vegas with the boyz on our annual football trip… therefore no notes or recollection… occupational hazard i guess… do remember it being pretty good though
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1/4/2015 - Nomadirish wrote: 93 Points
Love this wine
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12/30/2014 - Lion King Likes this wine: 96 Points
Awesome bottle. Decanted for 2 hours at 6000 ft attitude. Great balance with surprising amount of fruit flavors. Delicious with rib roast.
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8/26/2014 - Neecies Likes this wine: 93 Points
Don J's bottle. Excellent CalCab--rich, elegant, old school. Everything that always seduced me about Mondavi's wines is right here in this bottle. Black cherry, tobacco, mocha and the faintest note of cedar spice--youthful but maturing nicely. Drink or hold.
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7/18/2014 - LennyB wrote:
Accidently inventoried
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6/25/2014 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Old school aromatics on the nose. No big shots of oak / vanilla here. On the palate, very resolved / balanced. Refined. Bought this near release and it's been stored correctly. Seems to be getting towards peak. One of the few from the 2000 vintage I've consistently liked. I picked these up for $30 - the QPR is ridiculous. 91 points - but I like this, as an understated, elegant Cab, more that the score would suggest.
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6/21/2014 - petenich wrote:
Shelby Birthday
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4/25/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Based on the price of $75 per bottle this is a 95 point score. Still lots of life. 30 min decant is more than enough to begin life. Lots of mocha, coffee, and a little dark berry fruit. Dark, smooth, very complete, bright edges, med legs, great nose, and a great bottle for $75! Did a blind tasting of this against a 2006 Phelps Insignia ($200)and 2006 Araujo Eisele ($225) and almost the entire group liked this better. Its a great bottle for the price if you can find it. Great mouth feel and the dark chocolate covered cherry flavors are a treat. Glad I have 18 more.
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3/26/2014 - Woodbridge Brad wrote: 80 Points
This was a prematured aged bottle, still drinkable but little or no fruit. The ullage was minimal but the cork was dry. It was from the same case as I had on 3-17 which was wonderful. Putting it down to bottle/cork variation, maybe TCA but I am fairly sensitive and I did not taste that.
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3/17/2014 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic and elegant, oak in context and not overpowering the fruit. A wonderful example of what Napa can and should produce. Really at the peak of it's flavor, but the peak appears to be a plateau that may last a few years.
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3/1/2014 - petenich wrote:
Boot Wallace Party
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1/22/2014 - petenich wrote:
J Gott
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11/2/2013 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Attractive bouquet of blackberry, black currant, cedar, chocolate and baking spice. A dark fruit core and smooth tannins leads to a long, soft finish. Medium to full bodied. Overall a solid, enjoyable wine. Drink now. Paired with roast beef.
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10/18/2013 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Aromas of mint, plum and dark fruit. Integrated and lit with flavors of plum and dark fruit. Shortish finish. A bit thin through the midpalate and finish...declining.
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9/23/2013 - petenich Likes this wine: 91 Points
Atfter about 2 hours after decant and pour, thought this was a considerable second choice to the 1999 Reserve which was poured at same time. By the third hour this bottle had caught up. Definitely drink now, the fruit is on it's way on.
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8/5/2013 - petenich Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thinking this is just perfect time to drink. Nose is pretty subtle. Well balanced in taste with ample fruit and plenty of earthy support. Finish is medium plus. Not an amazing example, but pretty solid Napa cab.
Really improved with about 2.5 hours after decanting. Drinking very well.
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7/28/2013 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark berry hue, smooth, oaky, nicely balanced cabernet. Enjoyed with steak. Aged nicely.
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7/10/2013 - Sinjin57 wrote: 80 Points
As excited as i was to open this wine, it just fell short on all the above. This wine itself was a gift and not sure if it was properly stored prior to me getting it. It was decanted for 1hr+ and the nose was slightly flat, a little earthly w/ some floral notes. The wine wanted to open up more after the decant but it never did, the finish was flat and short w/ come berries on the end. Not sure if bottle was corked, passed its time or stored poorly prior to me.
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7/5/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted for 1 hour. Medium to full body red with bricking on the edges. Explosive bouquet of cigar box, sweet currant, black earth and spices. Entry has velvety tannins and a live acidity that kicks up the lush body of dark fruits and currant to the senses. Finishes medium long with a fruity persistence and dried plums. This wine is complex and delicious and most likely at its peak.
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3/21/2013 - JohnOnWine wrote: 91 Points
Magnum. Nice. But drank along side a Paul Hobbs Dr Crane 2006. It pales in comparison.
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2/23/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mondavi vertical of '85, '94, '98, '00, '06, '09 poured from bottles ex-cellar by Mark de Vere, MW. Nose of new oak and dried fruit, with a balanced entry with a bit of acid with generous tannins. The body has medium red fruits finishing with a light to medium finish. All these wines are excellent however the 2000 appeared to be tad bit less focused than the rest. Served out of a magnum.
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2/19/2013 - King Cab wrote: 92 Points
Best showing yet. Color shows age nicely with some minor browning of edges. Nose of cardamom, currants and Kirsch Royal. There is some pretty spring flowers in there but what not there are any sign of anything green. I get some black olive tapanade, dull cedar, lead pencil and cherry. Hints of cola and earth too. Balance is nice with some great finely delineated tannins. Finish is long. Still a wonderful dinner wine. sadly my last botle.
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1/21/2013 - cyu wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking really nicely right now. I remember it being a bit green last time I had it. Much better now.
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1/1/2013 - Nomadirish wrote: 92 Points
Celebrated the new year with this one. Upon opening (no decant), the flavor was light, but as it stayed open over the next 2hrs, it has a lush but dry Cali cab flavor - wonderful wine right now.
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12/25/2012 - Humblewineguy wrote: 92 Points
The years have been kind to this wine. Classic cab. Tannins have mellowed. Smooth on the tongue with a long finish. Lots of oak and cassis. I recommend using a micro-screen as there is a lot of sentiment that could negatively impact the taste if it makes it into your glass.
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12/14/2012 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
4th Annual Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia (Yan's China Bistro): tasted blind
caramel infused fruit. too candied for me to really like. per Alex, 'chocolate'
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11/8/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
Really liked this one this time around. Was looking for a lower throttle Cab tonight, and "2000" and this wine came to mind. This bottle is less green, less taut than prior outings. Nicely balanced on the palate, with just slight tints of green but a notable cassis note on the finish. Tannins do increase with time spent in the glass. Will check in later, but very nice on the "pop" on a night when I was looking for a relatively young Cab with nostalgic styling. Crazy QPR on a $30 blowout.
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9/24/2012 - Bodyfxr wrote: 91 Points
Decanted this bottle for approximately 3 hours prior to tasting with a fabulous meal of bone in filet mignon and porterhouse double cut lamb chops. This wine opened up beautifully with hints of cedar and oak with some mild astringency. Highly enjoyable overall.
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5/26/2012 - NapaDave Likes this wine: 92 Points
The beginning of the wine was a great example of older Napa To-Kalon..After 30 mins, this wine showed cedar, mint, coconut...nice supple well structured tannin for 12 yr old wine. This wine was not flat, or showed no loss of quality from ago.
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4/26/2012 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
30 minute decant. Dark crimson color. Aroams of cassis, mint and black cherry, with the mint note becoming more pronounced as it ast in the glass. Medium-bodied, with black fruit and cherry tones on the palate. Fairly well-balanced, with nice acidity and decent fruit. Medium finish; just a tad bit short through the midpalate.
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4/20/2012 - Rbrittr wrote:
Slight bit corked
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3/26/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Pop/pour. Very similar to my "Day 1" note from a year or so ago. The same sense of muted green and cream corn on the nose, perhaps in a way that comes across more secondary this time around. More spicy sweetness on the palate than the nose would suggest. As with last time, noticeable tannins on the finish. 91-92 points for now. Update: this time around, no dramatic improvement Day 2. In fact it seems to have fallen off a bit.
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3/25/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Lovely nuanced and subtle with plenty of bell pepper and an herbal character. Some concentrated black currants on the palate, much more fruit than the Berginer, but less acidity and really falls apart on the finish. Still, has some nice fruit, good poise, nuanced, still a little short.
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2/24/2012 - Roland H wrote: 90 Points
This fooled everybody. The aggressive astringency normally associated with Cab. Sav. had gone and replaced with a gentle sweetness. The aroma was not Pinot, still had some fruit and not the cedar box notes I normally associate with old Cabernets. Interesting and very enjoyable.
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2/12/2012 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and poured from magnum. Medium-plus deep ruby/garnet hue. Forward aromas of dark, plummy fruits with a pronounced note of creme de cassis. In addition, the nose shows tobacco, cedar, and herbaceous notes, the latter of which grows more pronounced with air. Medium-plus body. On the palate, this shows fresh fruit flavors, much as it always has...think blackberry, black cherry, and currant along with the herbaceous and certainly a touch of vanilla spice and smoke from oak. Sweet, somewhat chunky tannins round out the moderate close. Overall though, a very smooth and balanced Cabernet.
While perhaps not the most complex or nuanced Mondavi Reserve, this is an undoubted succes for the 2000 vintage and one which is drinking nicely right now but will continue to age well for some years yet; in fact, this particular magnum would have easily gone for another 3-5+ years.
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1/29/2012 - rbc1978 wrote: 93 Points
The bottle was fantastic, the tannins were very smooth with great flavors of cherry and currant. I wish I had more of these in my cellar. Let it breath for 1-1/2 hrs before the meal and as time went on I swear each glass was better. Had it with filet and shitake mushrooms, couldn't have been a better pairing. This wine is at its peak!
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1/14/2012 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Got some dark fruit, currant and a bit of green pepper on the nose. A bit tannic at the start but then mellowed out in the glass. Medium finish. In this vintage just a baby step above the regular Mondavi in quality.
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9/3/2011 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
My last bottle and it seems to have a lot of life left. Just a touch green. Out of the bottle it starts out quite bold and it mellows very quickly in the glass. Smooth and integrated. Fruit is still present. The nose mimicks the taste, savory with a little green pepper. A great effort for the vintage and the price I paid ($35) but it's nowhere near a $70 cab IMHO.
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6/13/2011 - Holagatitos wrote: 92 Points
Drank from magnum and really enjoyed this classic California Cabernet. Right now this bottle is full of fruit with good structure. Plenty of dark fruits and cherry. The bottle continued to open throughout the night getting better until the end. Alas, no more.....so sad.
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5/12/2011 - spacewrangler wrote: 89 Points
Still needs a good hour in the decanter to show best, plenty of life left.
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3/29/2011 - ed-d wrote: 92 Points
Sweet, older cabernet nose of leather & slight prune. Big, cool, concentrated entry of black currant flavors that are spicy & rich. Flows into a soft tannin finish. Classy. Tasted blind.
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3/28/2011 - tcfryjr wrote: 91 Points
Nice. It is ready to drink now. Tannins are just right; maybe a little less fruit than in past bottles, but still very nice. Low acidity, some depth and complexity, but kind of fades on the back of the palate.
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3/18/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote: 89 Points
Not as fresh as the previous bottle but still nice with red berry fruits and a nice earthy element. Tannins pick up on the backend but some nice structure and fruit are present.
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3/6/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote: 90 Points
Decanted in the bottle (375ml) for about two hours before serving. Still a nice blood red/ruby color with a bit of bricking at the edges. Wonderful creamy red fruited nose with a perfume aspect to it. Crushed raspberries, sweet black cherry, black currant and a bit of creme de casis. Underneath all of the fruit is some baking spice, sweet oak, tobacco leaf and cigar box. Good fruit on the palate, lacking a bit of depth in the mid-palate but finishes strong, maybe a bit dry. Doesn't seem as polished as the last bottle but still very enjoyable. Maybe a bit of black tea, olive, fig and more of a profound spice note on the back end; all rolled with more raspberries and black cherry. Reminds me of right bank bordeaux in a year such as 01 or 04.
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3/1/2011 - Plunge the Worm wrote: 90 Points
Deep, dark cherry red. Generous nose with oak and fruit. Flavor is cab Sauvignon, vinous, bretty, herby. Very drinkable depending on your Bret tolerance. Little bit of grip that lingers after the sip.
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2/28/2011 - Bandreas wrote: 84 Points
Garnet Color
On nose barnyard smell that blows off after a while
Quite flat on palate. really disappointing
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2/27/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
Popped/poured. Relatively lean but pleasant all the same. A sense of green and cream corn, both in the background.The longer this is open, those notes that start to fade into the background, while at the same time some tannins start to build on the finish. I'm going "90-ish" on this one, and will leave the rest of this for tomorrow, because the tannins become more bold with every keystroke. I'm not smart enough to forecast how this will age, but I am a bit worried about whether there's enough fruit to carry this forward to a graceful old age.
Update: this goes through a dramatic turn on Day 2. Quirky notes - gone. Tannins - tamed. It also develops a very rich body and mouthfeel. Relatively feminine for a Mondavi Reserve, but very, very nice. Score based on Day 2 experience.
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2/25/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Decanted in the bottle for about an hour, served from a 375ml. Deep ruby red color with some lightening at the edges and a black core. Old world rustic nose with a modern flare. A warm red fruited nose with some sweet cherries, black tea, tobacco, bit of baking cocoa, lead pencil shavings. Creme fraiche, crushed raspberries, spicy oak and the smallest hint of old cellar dust. Nice mouthfeel with some red and black fruits, decently ripe, tannins are almost fully resolved and nice acid structure. Old world in style medium body, great balance and decent length. A classic CA cab that might be drinking a bit older than its age due to the vintage but very enjoyable.
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1/13/2011 - pbarnet wrote: 91 Points
Decanted half for am hour and this half was smooth with blackberries and terroir. The second half out of the bottle was fruitier and continued with great structure. A really fine wine.
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1/13/2011 - meatbomb013 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent wine. Had at home with slow cooked beef roast although it was great by itself as I prepared dinner. Bright with maintained acidity, smooth with fine tannins. Red and blue fruits on the palate with a touch of vanilla. No oak. Finish is long and delicious.
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12/31/2010 - dstein12 wrote: 90 Points
Tannic monster upon opening; vinturi + decanted for 45 minutes, then double decanted through vinturi again and this beast started to open up (a bit). The oak, the tannin and the acid hid the fruit, even four hours later. Nose was nice, but the flavor profile on the palate doesn't live up to the pedigree. Despite all that, it was rather nice with roasted chicken, fennel and potatoes for NYE...
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12/30/2010 - Shooter_11 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour and had this wine with lamb. It was a big hit.
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12/30/2010 - vwsmaltz wrote: 92 Points
A beautiful Napa Cab. Black cherry and black currant predominate. Dark brownish purple in the glass. Decanted for 2 hours and served with the prime rib I made for dinner. Some leather and creme de cassis on the back end. Overall a very nice cab in the style that I like.
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12/14/2010 - vinoveritas wrote: 93 Points
Wine is starting to reach its prime. Great balance of fruit and earth. #1 at 2010 Turkey day tasting
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12/12/2010 - meatbomb013 wrote: 93 Points
This continues to show very well at this time. Bright, sweet cassis and secondary Cabernet flavors. Still has the acidity, tannins, and fruit to evolve over the next few years.
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11/29/2010 - cab blends wrote: 89 Points
Probably served a little too warm by the restaurant.
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11/28/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 91 Points
Delicious wine, with a nose of graphite/charcoal, pencil lead and leather. Medium weight in the mouth, with licorice, black fruits and a polished texture. From 375ml, I think it has several years til peak and tertiary notes.
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10/24/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 90 Points
Nice balanced qualities to this wine. Tobacco, underbrush, black tea, cigar box, pencil shavings, black fruits and smoke. Liner defined palate with medium body and great balance. Should drink well for a number of years and may even improve a bit.
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10/19/2010 - vinoveritas wrote: 90 Points
Still a great wine, but starting to loose its fruit. Drink them up.
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10/18/2010 - memksm1995@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
I would describe this an an old world style cab - not an in your face high alch wine. Probably nearing the end of its drinking window - well balanced and structured - drank at a dinner party and it was a HUGE hit.
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10/9/2010 - tyvoodoo wrote: 91 Points
Nice glossy red fruits on the nose, pomegranate, black cherry and blackberry. Under the fruits is some graphite, black tea, smoke and pencil shavings. Some cigar tobacco, creme de casis and red licorices. Lovely balanced mouthfeel with some firm tannins, nice dose of toasty oak with plenty of fine red fruits to follow. Not in any way flamboyant but very balanced, polished tannins and ample fruit. A bit more old world in style when compared to cabs these days and resembles a bordeaux more than a napa cab. Great secondary characteristics on the palate, damp earth, cedar box, red and black fruits with a round mouthfeel.
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10/5/2010 - vinoveritas wrote: 89 Points
Good but not as good as the 99. Starting to show its age
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9/22/2010 - cookie7 wrote:
Olive and moss on the nose. Seemed to turn greener and lost structure the longer it was open. Slightly better with food but I am not a fan of this tonight.
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9/5/2010 - mmcdds wrote: 95 Points
From magnum. Cassis and blackberry with some cedar, tobacco and black pepper notes. Firm, well integrated tannins on the long finish. An excellent bottle of wine that's drinking very well right now and still appears to be youthful and fresh.
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9/4/2010 - FriendsInTown wrote: 92 Points
outstanding
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9/2/2010 - spacewrangler wrote: 91 Points
From 375ml, pop n pour. Sweet black currant and black licorice, with some old leather like Ron Burgundy has in his house. Perhaps a little charcoal as well. None of the herbaceous quality I found in the 750s back in 2007. Mid-full weight in the mouth, with black fruits. Tannin is in check, but they hanging on - this particular split would have had another 5ish years til peak. If the provenance is good, no rush to drink these up as they've improved in 3 years time -despite me thinking in 07 to drink them by now.
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8/28/2010 - km5 wrote: 90 Points
nothing special...thought the 2005 levendi sweetwater was better, bolder.
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7/24/2010 - jc-mmb wrote: 89 Points
just couldn't give this an outstanding score. color was good, just slight fading at rim. nose reticent with some fruit and earth but just lacking. palate thin to start and thin on mid palate. some nice dark fruits, thin tannins. finsh is lacking as well. just no wow factor.
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7/22/2010 - RWINO wrote: 93 Points
Blind Vertical. Dark ruby with lots of sediment. Red and black fruits, coffe, black mint. Very classic and balanced. Finish of sour cheery. This one fooled me, thought it was maybe a 04. Several years of life yet, bound to improve more.
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7/19/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 92 Points
Really nice wine and the last on in inventory. Really nice nose of leather and rich dirt. really soft on the taste and great finish. could have decanted for awhile but don't have the time or patience sometime. Betting this would have been really good if left alone for an hour, but it was gone in an hour.
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7/12/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 93 Points
Very deep color and flavor. Lots of oak and good fruit on the nose. Strong tannin finish. worth the price and wait.
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7/7/2010 - tbabes wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured; good fill, and sound cork. Ruby-red core with a hint of garnet at the rim. Aromas of roasted herbs, black fruit and spice. Medium-bodied, with a touch of astringency on the mid-palate, and some dryness creeping in on the finish. Showed better 3 years ago; from regular bottle, I think it is time to drink up!
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6/14/2010 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
When we 1st got to taste this wine, it seemed like Bordeaux. (It was served blind at a Bordeaux 2000 tasting, and was the WOTN).
Tonite it also seems like Bordeaux, with lots of herbal notes and some fruit mixed in.
Surprisingly good with our onion rings and grilled steak wrapped in bacon (with thyme herb seasoning), which firmed up the fruit notes and toned down the herbs.
Drink now!
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6/14/2010 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
Initially herbal and complex, reminiscent of Bordeaux. Great with onion rings and steak with bacon. Red fruit and touch of tannin. Interesting mature cab on its own.
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6/5/2010 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
A pop & pour. Fairly dark color. Initial aromas of vanilla, oak and cassis, with hints of floral and blackberry. Slightly austere, with flavors of daark fruit, spice and vanilla, finishing a bit short.
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5/24/2010 - drbill wrote: 93 Points
light purple hue with a nice extended border showing its age. medium legs. no brick or brown hues.
the nose emphasizes perfumed floral elements with dark blackberries and dark rasberries. palate is similar with dark fruits and it is just so nice and light and sort of airy on the palate. just lovely finesse and silky round texture. medium body. i don't get an abundance of eartth or tar or smoke on the palate but there is some of that in the background. nicely balanced. finish is warm and delicious and mediium in legnth. really enjoyable. not a super blockbuster but close.
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5/22/2010 - *Vine* wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Popped and aerated in bottle for about 80 minutes. Medium-plus deep ruby hue. Pronounced aromas of fresh berries, black currant, cigar box, tar, and some herbaceous notes...very much like nice Bordeaux from the Left Bank, a joy to smell. Medium-plus body. On the palate, the fruit is amazingly fresh and vibrant, especially for an off-vintage Cabernet that has entered it's 10th year of life! Flavors mirror the nose, but the fruit is even more pronounced with flavors of blackberry, black currant, tobacco leaf, cedar, and even a hint of mint. Tannins are a touch astringent but overall smooth and polished on the moderate-plus finish. Amazing for a 2000 Cabernet to show so little in terms of vegetal aromas and flavors. Could easily age for another 5+ years. Great juice!
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5/9/2010 - jonradus wrote: 95 Points
I really feel like 2000 was a better year than most think in Napa. The cabs aren't as fruit-forward as some like, but they are really smoky, leathery, and saddley...very French Bordeaux-like. This wine really shows what these 2000 grapes are doing. There are a ton of secondary Bordeaux flavors present (smoke, leather, cigar, cedar, campfire, etc.), yet there's also a core of solid blackcurrant. I really love the tannic structure of this wine. The tannins are big and surly, yet they're small and minuscule at the same time. It's hard to describe it in words. The finish is huge and lasting. Stood right up to the 95 Beringer Private Reserve cab.
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4/15/2010 - joefouche wrote: 93 Points
Very lush nose of black fruit, cedar, roses, and slight funk. Lush attack with juicy, sweet red berries and a fairly smooth finish. Tried with aeration and it was very tannic. Graceful and classy.
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1/23/2010 - Fokker's Feint wrote:
What a treat. Earthy nose and flavors of red fruits. Very nicely balanced and enough acid to hang with food much better than most napa cabs.
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1/16/2010 - East of Napa wrote: 91 Points
this wine is holding up well . Still good fruit flavors with some leather nose and went great with Marys meatloaf at Glenmoor.
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1/4/2010 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
A nice wine at a good stage. I'd drink these up as I don't see much upside potential in holding.
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1/1/2010 - kennyg wrote: 90 Points
Had in blind tasting after 3 hour decant. Chocolate and burnt earth on nose. Well integrated and sl. acidic finish with mild vegetal characteristic. Got even better in the glass. Likely near prime. Day 2, slightly improved. May indeed benefit from more cellar time.
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12/31/2009 - jleg wrote: 93 Points
Very good. Still going strong. Long savory finish. Still has several years left.
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12/31/2009 - tbone wrote:
Sensational!!
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12/31/2009 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
What a beauty this has turned into. The color is dark burnt amber and transparent. The nose has a wonderful sasparilla, cassis, kirsch, blackberry, some lead pencil and more. Beautiful fully integrated with no sign of the cliff just yet. The green streak is still in place, but the overall package is so much more complex, I can even look past it. The palate has the black & red fruit medley so elusive by many. Black & red plums, red and black cherries, a faint note of cassis, some graphite, some leather, some cherry cola, and a touch of damp forest floor. A light to mid weight wine, this is graceful and elegant. A bit short on the take-up, but again, not too shabby for such a shabby vintage. Got to be one of the best 2000s I have had.
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12/25/2009 - sswine wrote: 93 Points
Opened the Magnum for Christmas day - the nose on this was amazing. Couldnt resist a sip as I poured into the decanter and left the rest in the bottle. I tasted this one hourly for about 4 hours before we started drinking in earnest. Took about 90 minutes before the plate matched the nose; the finish got longer and longer and the taste got deeper and deeper - wish I had more...
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12/25/2009 - hudamang wrote:
Consumed with prime rib for Christmas.
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12/25/2009 - hudamang wrote: flawed
CORKED!!!
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11/23/2009 - dream wrote: 90 Points
A medium-bodied wine with good structure and a smooth texture. Flavors of cassis, blackberries and tobacco in a tightly-knit package. Just approaching its secondary flavor profile but this has the balance and good tannins to age gracefully. VG for the vintage and an elegant wine that avoids any excess ripeness. 90
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11/6/2009 - *Vine* wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured from magnum. Deep ruby hue, clear throughout without any bricking on the rim. Initially on the nose a very Graves-esque perfume of cigar box and earth with subtle hints of fruit. With a few hours of gradual aeration, this 2000 began to strut it's stuff, showing nice aromas of black currant, creme de cassis, tar, and dried herbs. Medium body. The fruit is still quite prominent on the palate, with a nice combination of black cherry, blackberry, and black currant framed in cedar and smoke. Tannins are surprisingly chalky and borderline astringent on the plus finish. From magnum, this Cabernet still shows surprising vigor, especially considering it's origins from the much maligned 2000 vintage, and from this format with known provenance, could certainly last for another 3-5 years (probably still best to drink over the following 2). Overall, a very nice Mondavi Reserve made when they were still Mondavi.
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11/1/2009 - pmurz wrote: 85 Points
Either I caught this bottle in a "dead zone" or it is declining. Did not have the depth or power of the last two bottles I had, but was a little more vegetal. Decanted for four+ hours and did not have much evolution over that period. Thought it might pick up more depth on the second night, but did not get enough to satisfy me.
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10/31/2009 - East of Napa wrote: 89 Points
good wine but not as smooth as the 96 kenwood artist series we tasted earlier. Still a good wine for the price paid at the Pa LCB store.
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9/28/2009 - galewskj wrote: 84 Points
Not as good as the other bottles I've had. Very timid. Hints of greatness in a sea of acidic banality.
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9/25/2009 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
From a Double Magnum opened when my Dad and oldest brother were in town. Nose: Nice dusty earth aromas and cherry. Palate: Very soft and delicate with good acidity and bright red fruits. Similar to the last bottle tasted 11/25/2008 even though this was from a double magnum. Just OK, however it is a 2000 cab.
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8/17/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple opaque in the glass. This bottle may have been stored improperly for a few months.
Overall the juice didn't seem to hit home the way I anticipated. Alot of the dark berry notes were muted by tannins and heat.
The viscous wine shows dark blueberries and blackberries. Lots of black pepper and leather on the back end. Classic Cali Cab nose.
Lots of oak still singing as well...too much oak.
There is a good amount of heat, with moderate high acidity and tannins on the finish.
Some of the residual alcohol blew off and the wine softened up after three hours in the bottle.
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7/31/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Nose of tobacco and cigar box. Spice and herbs on the palate, medium-bodied, nice tannins and enjoyable finish. Not worth the release price, but good deal at heavily discounted price I paid.
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6/3/2009 - karikathleen wrote: 89 Points
I had this wine 2 years ago and I thought it was drinking better back then. Still a nice wine with good fruit - black cherry, cassis, licorice, cedar, herbs of provence and nice structure, but the oak is coming through a bit too much on the palate.
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3/7/2009 - ELH wrote: 89 Points
Nice enough, but hardly inspiring or memorable. I'd buy it again - at about half the price.
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3/1/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely stunning and complex effort. Opened 6 hours prior to drinking and decanted over the last hour. Rich nose of cherry, blueberry, menthol and a rose perfume. Even a touch of bubble gum. Nice medium body. Great fruit and balance. Exceptionally well integrated oak, a rustic feel but good fruit a some menthol. Very good complexity leading to a very good finish. The only thing holding this effort back is that it lacks some body, but make no mistake -- this is an excellent effort from Mondavi.
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2/22/2009 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
About my 6th time with this wine and its best showing yet. I learned a thing of two along the way. Decant is a must. I double-decanted right back into its bottle about 1pm, to actually drink at 6pm.
Beautiful lively but surely mature color with lightly rust colored edges. The nose shows of an elegant Bordeaux. Subdued cassis and graphite/lead pencil is all upfront. The palate shows some soy, cedar, leather, earth, tar, and tobacco. The fruit has taken the back seat, but by no means missing. Some more of the red cherry variety this time. Some black cassis with some very slight cola. Mouth fell was elegant and mid weighted. Finish was decent and tannins are fully evolved. Surely a Mondavi wine, but can easily trick me blind. This really showed beautifully tonight. Glad I have more. Oh yeah, I paid $30 and this was well worth it.
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2/21/2009 - williamswhine wrote: 89 Points
For the price, not a memorable wine. At first wine smelled like graphite but after opening open had a nice nose. Although wine wasn't bad, there's nothing to get overly excited about. I'd recommend leaving this one on the retail shelf-- there are plenty of wines that taste much better at a lower price tag.
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1/11/2009 - Squirreljam wrote:
Impression only, decent wine from a decent but nothing special vintage. Dusty cherry, rich acidity that still feel lush in the mouth, though there is no OTT rich fruit - I like this in that it's balanced and has not gone down the road of so many cali cabs more recently.
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12/25/2008 - PinoyNoir wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Christmas lunch with prime rib
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12/9/2008 - tayto wrote: 80 Points
Drank after a two-hour decant. Great dark color, but rather unremarkable taste. Amazing to see all the reviews on here stating that they bought this wine at such a discount. I did as well, but would not purchase this wine for anything more than $12. Very disappointing.
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11/25/2008 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
Nose: Light cassis, cherry, cedar and dust. Palate: Nice acid, smooth cherry, and subtle herb and mint qualities. Very light for a Mondavi reserve which is typical of the 2000 vintage for domestic Cab. Not worth even half of the $120 retail, but nonetheless a steal on clearance.
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8/31/2008 - NavyGrog wrote: 89 Points
Smooth and oaky. A little light and unidimensional.
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8/28/2008 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Had this with Carol, Yvonne, Jen & I at the Melting Pot Restaurant, Red Bank, NJ.
(Corkage $15/bottle. The 2002 and 2004 vintages were on the menu ... but they let us drink this, anyway).
Delicious! Lots of secondary aromas and taste, with cedar, earth, sage, berries.
Very good on its own. Ok with the cheese and some meat.
But a fun wine ... for our visitors from California.
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8/14/2008 - wino_tim wrote: 91 Points
Complex, and becoming increasingly secondary, with aromas of spice, cedar, mint stems and blackcurrant. Juicy and flavoral on the palate, not as hugely structured as more recent vintages, this really reveals the Mondavi emphasis on delicacy.
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8/4/2008 - East of Napa wrote: 93 Points
This wine has held up well and is a favorite of ours. Great nose and got better with the evening. lots of oak and worth keeping for this time. Looking forward to the last four bottles.
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6/28/2008 - zblang wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful wine. Completely balanced fruit and tannins. Drinking beautifuly now, but certainly has the "stuff" to last for quite a few years
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6/17/2008 - Guitar George wrote: 91 Points
Very nice cab, starting with great earthy aromas and taste. However with open time the fruit really starts to shine in both the aroma and the palate. A very nice long finish. Extraordinarily satisfying wine.
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5/18/2008 - hudamang wrote:
This bottle was consumed in honor of Robert Mondavi, who passed away on May 16, 2008. 3rd time I've had this wine. I believe this was slightly flawed bottle but still was a nice wine. RIP. Without him, CA wouldn't be where it is today in terms of wineries, etc.
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5/16/2008 - facchair wrote: 90 Points
Solid showing.
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5/9/2008 - EarlofWarwick wrote: 89 Points
Nice purplish hue, good initial mouthfeel, medium-bodied, but short on finish. I tried two other cabs that cost less than half of the Mondavi while tasting this one. They both stood up nicely. This was nice, but not compared to what's available at far better prices.
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3/24/2008 - gr8r84u wrote:
Not bad for the price but you can do better. This wine has a slight green streak in it, best consumed with food.
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3/23/2008 - Corrado wrote:
No formal notes, but IMHO mikep nailed the review and the score. Everything about this wine points to quality winemaking, but it's just not all there. The nose doesn't pop, the fruit of the vine is subdued across the palate, and the finish is bit awkward. I would *not* say this is a screaming value at $35, but it was great to be able to 'step up' and play the big boys (even if 2000 was a bleah vintage). Far and away the best 89-90 point wine I've had, but it really wasn't any better than that.
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3/15/2008 - dom418 wrote: 89 Points
Decaned 1.5 - 2 hours
Nose was wonderful.. typical of a CA cab, bold red fruit, some oak, and a surprising touch of heat.
Flavor was very pleasant, much of the nose held through to the taste as well as the surprising touch of heat. Good berry fruit, but all flavors seemed a bit muted, good mouthfeel although a touch on the thin side (2000 vintage to blame?). Smooth, but lacked the silkiness of some of the best CA cabs (or vintages?). Incredibly long finish though, much longer and better than I expected. Wine just didn't have enough power to it to bump up into a 90's score.
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3/10/2008 - jmd60611 wrote: 90 Points
Another very nice bottle 9my last) of this wine...Drank over 3 days, this wine had great balance and structure, more in a lighter style than a fruity monster...Still rich and ripe, so alive and kicking, but perhaps at the top of it's curve...Glad that I will now move on to the few 99's I have left and than the 01's...Goodbye dear friends
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2/22/2008 - sstitt wrote: 92 Points
I'm a little confused with this wine because it was almost completely different then most people have mentioned here. I found this to be a full-bodied wine with very soft cedar notes. Then it was as if I bit into a huge green bell pepper with some very light tobacco notes. The tannins were fully integrated and the wine was elegantly balanced with a nice long finish.
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2/15/2008 - loverboy wrote: 90 Points
Very beautiful purple in colour. Nice nose of red fruits, medium-full bodied, good finish
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2/3/2008 - King Cab wrote:
Anyone opening this should do so 1 day in advance. The green streak is gone and the lushness arrives big time. Day 1: 88 Day 2: 91
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1/29/2008 - Wine Spam wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly elegant. Soft dark fruit and cedar character with background earth in the nose. Open and rounded palate of dark red fruits. Integrated and refined tannins. Medium finish. Drink now over the next few years.
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1/8/2008 - facchair wrote: 87 Points
Thin, light nose generally at or past its peak. Drink now.
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12/31/2007 - SethR wrote: 93 Points
Great bottle.
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12/27/2007 - Grape Stuff wrote: 86 Points
No formal notes. Gave this a nice long decant, and the wine opened up a little over the 4-5 hours. A good cabernet with some fruit (although muted), but somewhat unremarkable. Received as a gift, so unsure as to storage conditions over the last 7 years.
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12/23/2007 - hudamang wrote: 90 Points
Still a decent wine but I would be upset if I paid more than $50 for this. Nice secondary flavors but tannins didn't resolve.
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12/20/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Please decant this for 1.5-2 hours prior to consumption. I was worried this would be vegetal, after popping the cork. This gained so much weight and depth with air, and turned into a sensational effort. Very bordeauxlike seconday nuances, this showed violet, baseball mitt, tobacco, dark red fruits, spice - awesome!
Grippy tannins and a smooth, lengthy finish make this a wine to keep in the cellar for another 2-3 years.
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11/11/2007 - gr8r84u wrote: 90 Points
Good cab but glad I didn't spend $100 on it. No vegal notes like others noted. A fine effort for 2000, a great bargain bin find.
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11/9/2007 - King Cab wrote: 89 Points
The color as dark old brick, not brown. (after 1.5 hours) The nose revealed slight vegetalness. On the tongue one get the feel of the elegance and breed, but initally slightly akward. Great cassis, cocoa, tobacco leaf, and tar. The fine tannins reside in the background. A admirable mouthfeel & the typical handling of acid a-la Mondavi; Deft. Moderate finish. The vegetalness never really disappeared. I would rate this a solid 90 if the veg was not present. All in all not a bad $30 drink, but I would be perturbed if I spent $125.
2nd day- This evolved nicely. Much more plush and elegant. Great expressive fruits shooting upward through the opening of the glass; black cherry, currant/cassis, black plum, and boysenberry. The green has subside, but still slightly present in the background. No longer offensive. A bit longer in the finish as well.This wine is singing tonight. 89+ points
Plan to open this 24 hours in advace. You will not be dissapointed.
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11/8/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 90 Points
Vegetal, herbal notes blow off with some air, and after 3 hours in the decanter, this wine is hitting its stride. Sweet black currant, spice and a floral note round out the nose - and the wine has a smooth mouthfeel. I'd drink these up in the next 2-3 years, this drinks well with a decant.
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10/22/2007 - cookie7 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Spice box and tobacco on the nose. Cedar and vegetal notes on the palate. Medium finish. This improved over time. Also bought on heavy discount making this a nice wine.
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10/20/2007 - Squirreljam wrote: 92 Points
Screaming value when bought on discount. This was well balanced with classic cedar notes and just a hint of leather though not really secondary yet. Restrained yet full bodied fruit, dark berries to me. Fine tannins on a moderately long finish. Nice to drink a NV cab that has old world notes.
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10/15/2007 - jbaron wrote: 90 Points
Ordered some of this on special, and this one was opened on the day of arrival. Good, everyday drinker - no hard edges, nice nose, good length, slightly mushy mouth. Slight vegetal notes (not too distracting) with some dark berry flavors still remaining.
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10/14/2007 - hudamang wrote: 91 Points
Upon opening, very fragrant nose of dark berries, mocha, and even some tobacco and some coffee grounds. Well balanced. On the palate, sweet dark fruit again, lots of dark chocolate, and maybe even a hint of mint. This is a wine that is medium bodied, not a fruit bomb but definitely has good fruit, which is the #1 most important part of wine for me. Tannins are well integrated, leaving a nice long finish of vanilla. I was surprised to see so much going on. I was expecting some fruit and oak but was pleasantly surprised to see more going on for this wine. There is still enough tannins where I feel this wine's drinking window still has a while before it fades. Saved half a bottle for day 2. I would like to mention that this wine tastes older than 7 years old.
Day 2: Upon opening, very tight. No nose?? uh oh! Wait...wait.....cellar temperature is 55 degrees but I think this wine is best around 60. Letting it warm up, the nose reappears. The palate shows more heat than day 1 though. Maybe when it warms up a little more, this will get better.
I would be dissapointed if I paid over $100 for this but at $30, I think this is a great QPR. It provides a lot of good aromas and flavors. The vintage wasn't the best but this wine performs well.
Day 1, I would give a 91+....day 2, 88....
Performs better with food. I think this wine will be best decanted for an hour and consumed.
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10/10/2007 - LGR wrote: 91 Points
Blackcurrant, coconut, sweet cream. Full-bodied and sweet, long finish. Very good.
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10/7/2007 - LeechDogg wrote:
Better this time around.
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9/29/2007 - aces219 wrote:
We really enjoyed this wine out to dinner for my birthday. Soft tannins and oak flavors (vanilla) at first and then the fruit came through more. I don't think more time is going to make this better so I'd suggest finding a special occasion and drinking it.
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9/22/2007 - jameswm13 wrote: 89 Points
Nice, but I think I'm being generous w/this score. The taste and finish were average, at best.
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8/10/2007 - juancarlos wrote:
2000 is not a very good vintage, but the wine is still complex, with wonderful aromas and flavors, feels as if alcohol content a bit high.
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6/22/2007 - seanucsb wrote: 89 Points
had it for the bday.......thought it was a nice wine.....ready to go now
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4/24/2007 - rothdog wrote: 88 Points
Quite a bit of oak initially on the nose and palate. Dark fruits intermixed with cherry. Nice ruby/purple color with decent structure. Still, it tastes like a very ordinary wine from the Napa Valley.
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4/7/2007 - psmith wrote:
Cinnamon and spice. Mint and red fruit which seems to be a trademark of To-Kalon. A green edge characteristic of the vintage but classic cabernet fruit shows through. Some heat on the finish and still a bit grapey. Tight and grippy - needs time.
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3/23/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 91 Points
Exceeded my expectations as this drank lush and rich, silky and delish...Big fruit in a glass, singing right now
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12/22/2006 - lainsworth wrote:
Dinner with Bill Wyman
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12/21/2006 - tadlaw wrote: 93 Points
Really a strange experience. Opened the bottle and shared a glass with my wife, found it to be very green. Tasted of green peppers and fruit that had not ripened. My expectations where so high from reading here that I was let down. I decanted and came back three hours later...wow! (accidentally came back, had actually given up on it) What a difference. Although it didn't have the concentration I expected, it had an abundance of good solid black and red fruit flavors. I have 23 more bottles and don't see myself opening again until 2008 (at least).
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10/19/2006 - johnwine wrote: 92 Points
This wine is deep garnet in color. The nose is filled with scents of roses, chocolate, and black ripe cherries. The taste is unctous with vivid flavors of black cherries, casis, kirsch, chocolate and currants. The taste is for the most part balanced and ready to drink.
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10/8/2006 - Lou Briccant wrote: 85 Points
Mediocre Cab., from a poor vintage. A Gift from Byron.
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9/13/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Vertical (Wine Discount Center - Chicago IL): Very positively surprised by how well this showed. Rick black fruit aromas and flavors. Modest acidity and tannins strike the right fruit/structure balance. Close to its peak today, best 2007-2014.
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9/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 91 Points
First year of fermentation in new oak foudres for this wine. Surprisingly good for the vintage. Medium bright grapey friut aroma. Nice round black fruit with good grip and finish. 91-92 pts. WDC vertical 9/06
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8/27/2006 - DukeDrew wrote: 86 Points
I was incredibly disappointed with this bottle. I don't know if mine was a little off, or if it was living up to expectations that had been set by others, but "clumsy" was an apt description. There was nothing moving about this wine; the fruit was present, but not bright. I decanted for an hour and it headed south 30 minutes after the first glass, thinning out by the time I had finished my second glass.
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4/29/2006 - Eric wrote: 84 Points
Four decades of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (Seattle, WA): By this point in the tasting I may have been getting weary at the style. A clumsy nose of soy and chocolate. This has none of the verve or interest shown in most of the other vintages. Just klunky chocolate.
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11/8/2003 - jmcmchi Likes this wine:
Lovely balance Loads of black fruit with big tannin underpinning
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