25th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): This punched above its weight in this blind tasting. Did the smidge of To Kalon fruit prop it up at this age? The complexity from the blend was obvious. Velvety texture with dusty valley fruit and florals. 93 on day 2.
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This is the best wine I have tasted in at least 4 years, including Hermitages and 1er Cru Burgundies. In a blind tasting, I would have been in a 2nd growth St. Julien from the 2005 vintage. Glorious blackcurrant and cherries on the nose and a lovely assortment of gentle spices. On the palate, rich fruit, firm structure but very supple tannins, and long satisfying finish. A superbly crafted, finely polished wine of great distinction. Delicious now, will likely improve for 4-5 years.
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Perfectly fine mid weight napa. Leans towards dark ripe fruits, hints of vanilla. Fine tannin. Quite enjoyable. perfectly fine and enjoyable at the price point. handles the vintage well (not too big)
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Blind CA Wines: Deep purple. Rich concentration on the nose, with black cherries, deep plums, blackberry compote, and then tobacco, mocha, eucalyptus and vanilla. Full-bodied with bold but velvety tannins, there’s a firm structure to the wine while some medium acidity helps it stay focused. Gushing black cherry, cassis, dark plum fruit with solid concentration. Notes of smoky oak and vanilla, but it doesn’t dominate, and I get notes of loamy soil, charcoal, grilled herbs and coffee. This will definitely improve with a few years in the cellar, as it shows serious concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon with 32% Cab Franc, about 80% of which comes from the To Kalon Vineyard.
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11/4/2023 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
25th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): This punched above its weight in this blind tasting. Did the smidge of To Kalon fruit prop it up at this age? The complexity from the blend was obvious. Velvety texture with dusty valley fruit and florals. 93 on day 2.
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2/18/2021 - Jemby Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is the best wine I have tasted in at least 4 years, including Hermitages and 1er Cru Burgundies. In a blind tasting, I would have been in a 2nd growth St. Julien from the 2005 vintage. Glorious blackcurrant and cherries on the nose and a lovely assortment of gentle spices. On the palate, rich fruit, firm structure but very supple tannins, and long satisfying finish. A superbly crafted, finely polished wine of great distinction. Delicious now, will likely improve for 4-5 years.
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2/28/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Perfectly fine mid weight napa. Leans towards dark ripe fruits, hints of vanilla. Fine tannin. Quite enjoyable. perfectly fine and enjoyable at the price point. handles the vintage well (not too big)
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7/24/2018 - TLMills Likes this wine:
Loved it! Rich blend of fruits and just the right acidity. Paired well with Lasagne.
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8/1/2016 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Blind CA Wines: Deep purple. Rich concentration on the nose, with black cherries, deep plums, blackberry compote, and then tobacco, mocha, eucalyptus and vanilla. Full-bodied with bold but velvety tannins, there’s a firm structure to the wine while some medium acidity helps it stay focused. Gushing black cherry, cassis, dark plum fruit with solid concentration. Notes of smoky oak and vanilla, but it doesn’t dominate, and I get notes of loamy soil, charcoal, grilled herbs and coffee. This will definitely improve with a few years in the cellar, as it shows serious concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon with 32% Cab Franc, about 80% of which comes from the To Kalon Vineyard.
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