The nose is rich with red fruit, menthol, spice, and crushed stone. On the palate, fresh strawberries, gentle acidity, and a hint of vanilla. The finish delivers with dusty tannin and mouthwatering acidity. This wine demonstrates elegance and finesse. The acidity will carry this wine for years in the cellar.
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Hold for another year or so, it’s still coiled (after 3 hr decant). Mid-weight, good acid, needs food and stood up well to brisket. Complex tastes, bramble, red fruit.
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Beautiful wine from Mount Eden Winery, that typical mountain-fruit. Great acidity with typical cassis, tobacco and lead pencil. This will be even better in 5 years. Drink or hold.
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I think this is something of an awkward, closed stage. On the first night it was again a bit disjointed with the oak showing strongly. On night two it was a completely integrated beaut of a Cab. Vibrant acidity supporting lean, flavorful fruit. Light tannin. I should have waited longer on these.
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£23/glass at 67 Pall Mall. Enticing nose of blackcurrant, red fruit and spice. Good body. Surprising energy and tension, acidity, much more lingering on the palate than I expected. Restrained style and balanced (if you don't mind that acidity.) Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
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This comes off a bit disjointed this time versus my Nov bottle. Still nice secondary sorts of Cab notes lingering around. The cohesiveness just isn't there. The acidity comes off more tart like a bluntly acidified wine. That being said its still a solid value at $30. I'm just not as stoked as my last go.
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Popped and poured. Color was medium ruby with medium low viscosity. Aroma was light upon open, some light black fruit and leathery tones with a hint of mint. Dry and medium acidity. I didn't find the wine as tanic as some reviews suggest. Gets better over the hour but still requires integration.
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Young but promising. Cab frank greenish notes currently dominate but should fade with a few years. Has plenty of tannins and enough acidity for the next 3-5 years.
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I don't agree with some of the reviews that the wine is too early to drink. I think the grapes were picked too early and the wine is tart, overly herbaceous and austere (not in a good way). I decanted the wine for more than 3 hours and still the wine didn't show any character that I associate with good Santa Cruz cabs (like the earlier vintages of this wine). IMHO, it doesn't matter how long this wine remains in the bottle, the mistake made in the vineyard (like picking up the grapes too early) cannot be fixed in the bottle. I didn't find the tannins to support long term aging either. Pretty sad for how much money I spent on getting these bottles. A real bummer considering 2016 was a decent vintage in Santa Cruz mountains!
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Very classic in character. Like a relic of a bygone era. Its so very rare to get Cab from California on the lower end that expresses and is built this way. This is lean bodied with strong acidity and some leafy characters. No sense of extraction and strong berries here. Very interesting to note that this has all five Bordeaux varieties and was raised in a mix of French and American oak. The acidity really gives this a great backbone. The lack of extraction probably makes that more prominent than you might be used to from CA cab, even from the better, more traditional producers. Fine grained tannin. Drinking very well now. Will age fine. Probably only medium term is best. Not really the density for long development. Fantastic value at $30.
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Very young and needs 2-3 hours in the decanter to open up. Shines with food. Will wait 2 years on the next one. Lots of potential here once it becomes more integrated.
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Another bottle from the same resturant as my earlier note. This is fragrant of red fruit and more. In the mouth is crisp, firm enough, with delicious, nuanced red fruit
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Nose was ok at best. Red fruited with tons of acidity. Hollow mid palate, thin, and a disappointing finish. I am not sure this will get better. Gave it 2 1/2 hr decant and drank over 3 hrs.
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Bright, ripe black fruits. Blackberries, black cherries, and plums. Well integrated smooth tannins, medium acid. An enjoyable cab, albeit a simple fruit forward one. Feels like very middle of the road without much complexity. Not one I see wanting to age for the long term.
ABV: 13.5% Closure: natural cork Decant: 2h Stem: Gabriel Glas StandArt Assemblage: 79% CS, 12% Merlot, 7% CF, 2% PV. 24 months in 50% new oak (French + American)
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Bright dark red. Black cherry, red currant and a rhubarb note. Lots of red fruit including redcurrant, cedar. Tannin properly frames it all. I really like this and it is ready to go!
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Loved this. Bright acidity sets the tone, giving a freshness to the cherry, currant, and tobacco notes throughout. Maybe a skosh of oak as an accent too. Perfectly integrated now, and should drink well for years to come.
I really wanted to LOVE this- my fave Cab ever was from the S.C. Mountains (Arnot Roberts Fellom Ranch) and I love the idea of well-made, cool-climate cab that shows fresh fruit with good energy and structure. This was almost that, but had one huge problem for me (not always a problem for others)- an overwhelming presence of green bell pepper.
So disappointed at first- literally just bell pepper and ultra-bitter chocolate on the nose. Not at all what I'm looking for in any Cab Sauv, let alone a nearly $50 one. Palate had really nice acidity and crunchy tannin, but felt pretty harsh as the fruit hadn't emerged yet. Into the decanter it went.
Eventually the nose improved a bit- wisps of black cherry, dark raspberry, actually a little on the bright side for Cabernet, but never really integrated with the green tones. Actually felt strictly like a food wine; savory dishes help the fruit come out, but they don't suddenly make it much better. I think it would probably improve with some age which will help the acidity/tannin mesh better, but I just don't know if there's enough fruit here to go the distance. If you told me this was a $20 Cab I'd believe you (and think it was fairly solid QPR, although even then, not the best.) As a side note, I can't believe some users here are saying it was a heavy oak bomb- didn't get any oak at all on this, just a boatload of green and subtle, fairly fresh fruit. I don't seek out high ABV/full body wines all the time, but this genuinely felt too astringent.
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Appearance: deep ruby, light staining, heavy tearing, no rim variation nor sediment.
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity, developing, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, red plum, bay leaf, juniper, wet soil, toasted coconut, vanilla, allspice, cooked blackberry.
Palate: dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, medium+ alcohol (14.0%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, long finish, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, bilberry, red plum, bay leaf, juniper, wet soil, vanilla, allspice, cedar, charcoal, dried cherry.
Overall: A nicely balanced Cabernet Sauvignon showing ripe black and red fruits, some oak that needs a tad more time to integrate, and some savory earthiness expected of the appellation. While displaying more restraint than a lot of California Cabernets, this wine is still fruit-driven and doesn't really show much pyrazines other than some subtle herb notes. It's definitely a solid wine that is delicious on its own and also food friendly, but it's certainly a noticeable step down from the estate Cabernet. Probably a couple more years before it's at peak, but definitely can be enjoyed now with a short decant.
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from memory: enjoyed with a traditional prime rib feast for xmas; wonderful youthful wine with many years ahead of it; dark purple; dark ripe fruit, garrigue, and sharp tannins all in balance; big and full-bodied but does not overwhelm the palate; recommend at least an hour in the decanter.
Lovely balanced and restrained CA Cab blend, from a wine maker who knows how to elegantly straddle the line between the old and new world. Outshines several more expensive CA Cabs. This definitely opened up and improved during the course of the evening. I plan to give my remaining bottles more time in the cellar.
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This beautiful Central Coast Cabernet comes from one of the great California Vineyards. It opens with a mix of black and red fruit with medium acidity. You'll get mocha and some spice with and smooth and well-integrated tannins. It has a long superb finish which compares with some of the best Cabernets from the North Coast. The 2016 compared favorably to the 2015 (which I enjoyed) with a fullness that exceeded its immediate predecessor. At $40 it is a wonderful mid-priced wine. Enjoy if you can find it!
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Inviting nose of chocolate, dark berries, and maple sap. Well-toned plumpness on the palate, lightly girdled in a well-fitting acid tannin frame, with sweet-toned aromatic back note.
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What a wine this will be . The tannins currently have the upper hand, but the acid and the fruit show good harmony. I will let the rest of my bottles rest for at least a year before I try the next one. If you are going to open, decant at least 2-3 hours
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Vines come from Margaux cuttings brought over in late 1800s. With 15% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, trace Petit Verdot and Malbec. Medium nose and palate show dark fruit and earth tones, nice value style without being too fruit forward, mint in there. Dry finish has a dusty style, nice balanced effort.
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11/22/2023 - Healdsburg82 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose is rich with red fruit, menthol, spice, and crushed stone. On the palate, fresh strawberries, gentle acidity, and a hint of vanilla. The finish delivers with dusty tannin and mouthwatering acidity. This wine demonstrates elegance and finesse. The acidity will carry this wine for years in the cellar.
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9/17/2023 - 1512tnw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hold for another year or so, it’s still coiled (after 3 hr decant). Mid-weight, good acid, needs food and stood up well to brisket. Complex tastes, bramble, red fruit.
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9/1/2023 - spendergast Likes this wine: 92 Points
Notes of cassis, cherry, minerals with nice balance, well integrated tannins.
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2/11/2023 - SirJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine from Mount Eden Winery, that typical mountain-fruit. Great acidity with typical cassis, tobacco and lead pencil. This will be even better in 5 years. Drink or hold.
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5/26/2022 - KVM wrote:
So young, crisp, tangy red and black fruit. Oak shows through a bit.
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5/1/2022 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent bottle of wine with many more potential years in the cellar.
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4/15/2022 - WetRock wrote:
I think this is something of an awkward, closed stage. On the first night it was again a bit disjointed with the oak showing strongly. On night two it was a completely integrated beaut of a Cab. Vibrant acidity supporting lean, flavorful fruit. Light tannin. I should have waited longer on these.
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3/22/2022 - ManhattanBeach wrote:
£23/glass at 67 Pall Mall. Enticing nose of blackcurrant, red fruit and spice. Good body. Surprising energy and tension, acidity, much more lingering on the palate than I expected. Restrained style and balanced (if you don't mind that acidity.) Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
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2/3/2022 - WetRock wrote:
This comes off a bit disjointed this time versus my Nov bottle. Still nice secondary sorts of Cab notes lingering around. The cohesiveness just isn't there. The acidity comes off more tart like a bluntly acidified wine. That being said its still a solid value at $30. I'm just not as stoked as my last go.
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1/14/2022 - VinoExplorer wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured.
Color was medium ruby with medium low viscosity.
Aroma was light upon open, some light black fruit and leathery tones with a hint of mint.
Dry and medium acidity. I didn't find the wine as tanic as some reviews suggest. Gets better over the hour but still requires integration.
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1/8/2022 - Slaz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Young but promising. Cab frank greenish notes currently dominate but should fade with a few years. Has plenty of tannins and enough acidity for the next 3-5 years.
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1/1/2022 - fortheloveoflife wrote: 85 Points
I don't agree with some of the reviews that the wine is too early to drink. I think the grapes were picked too early and the wine is tart, overly herbaceous and austere (not in a good way). I decanted the wine for more than 3 hours and still the wine didn't show any character that I associate with good Santa Cruz cabs (like the earlier vintages of this wine).
IMHO, it doesn't matter how long this wine remains in the bottle, the mistake made in the vineyard (like picking up the grapes too early) cannot be fixed in the bottle. I didn't find the tannins to support long term aging either. Pretty sad for how much money I spent on getting these bottles. A real bummer considering 2016 was a decent vintage in Santa Cruz mountains!
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11/21/2021 - WetRock wrote:
Very classic in character. Like a relic of a bygone era. Its so very rare to get Cab from California on the lower end that expresses and is built this way. This is lean bodied with strong acidity and some leafy characters. No sense of extraction and strong berries here. Very interesting to note that this has all five Bordeaux varieties and was raised in a mix of French and American oak. The acidity really gives this a great backbone. The lack of extraction probably makes that more prominent than you might be used to from CA cab, even from the better, more traditional producers. Fine grained tannin. Drinking very well now. Will age fine. Probably only medium term is best. Not really the density for long development. Fantastic value at $30.
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11/6/2021 - ABECellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very young and needs 2-3 hours in the decanter to open up. Shines with food. Will wait 2 years on the next one. Lots of potential here once it becomes more integrated.
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10/5/2021 - KVM wrote:
Another bottle from the same resturant as my earlier note. This is fragrant of red fruit and more. In the mouth is crisp, firm enough, with delicious, nuanced red fruit
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9/2/2021 - A_Reggo Does not like this wine:
Nose was ok at best. Red fruited with tons of acidity. Hollow mid palate, thin, and a disappointing finish. I am not sure this will get better. Gave it 2 1/2 hr decant and drank over 3 hrs.
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8/28/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Small taste. Brief note; this was solid, youthful as expected, well made as always, dark fruits and wood showing with some nice firm structure. Needs another 3 to 5 years. 90pts now with upside.
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8/18/2021 - Slaz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Could use more time.
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7/3/2021 - rcb25 wrote:
Bright, ripe black fruits. Blackberries, black cherries, and plums. Well integrated smooth tannins, medium acid. An enjoyable cab, albeit a simple fruit forward one. Feels like very middle of the road without much complexity. Not one I see wanting to age for the long term.
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: natural cork
Decant: 2h
Stem: Gabriel Glas StandArt
Assemblage: 79% CS, 12% Merlot, 7% CF, 2% PV. 24 months in 50% new oak (French + American)
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6/29/2021 - KVM wrote:
Bright dark red. Black cherry, red currant and a rhubarb note. Lots of red fruit including redcurrant, cedar. Tannin properly frames it all. I really like this and it is ready to go!
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5/15/2021 - ziavino wrote: 92 Points
Loved this. Bright acidity sets the tone, giving a freshness to the cherry, currant, and tobacco notes throughout. Maybe a skosh of oak as an accent too. Perfectly integrated now, and should drink well for years to come.
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3/22/2021 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
I really wanted to LOVE this- my fave Cab ever was from the S.C. Mountains (Arnot Roberts Fellom Ranch) and I love the idea of well-made, cool-climate cab that shows fresh fruit with good energy and structure. This was almost that, but had one huge problem for me (not always a problem for others)- an overwhelming presence of green bell pepper.
So disappointed at first- literally just bell pepper and ultra-bitter chocolate on the nose. Not at all what I'm looking for in any Cab Sauv, let alone a nearly $50 one. Palate had really nice acidity and crunchy tannin, but felt pretty harsh as the fruit hadn't emerged yet. Into the decanter it went.
Eventually the nose improved a bit- wisps of black cherry, dark raspberry, actually a little on the bright side for Cabernet, but never really integrated with the green tones. Actually felt strictly like a food wine; savory dishes help the fruit come out, but they don't suddenly make it much better. I think it would probably improve with some age which will help the acidity/tannin mesh better, but I just don't know if there's enough fruit here to go the distance. If you told me this was a $20 Cab I'd believe you (and think it was fairly solid QPR, although even then, not the best.) As a side note, I can't believe some users here are saying it was a heavy oak bomb- didn't get any oak at all on this, just a boatload of green and subtle, fairly fresh fruit. I don't seek out high ABV/full body wines all the time, but this genuinely felt too astringent.
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2/28/2021 - Foggy Pinot Does not like this wine:
This is very one dimensional, which is a way of saying that this is not very good. Lacks balance. Alcohol is very noticeable.
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1/31/2021 - bvivio Likes this wine: 91 Points
Appearance: deep ruby, light staining, heavy tearing, no rim variation nor sediment.
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity, developing, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, red plum, bay leaf, juniper, wet soil, toasted coconut, vanilla, allspice, cooked blackberry.
Palate: dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, medium+ alcohol (14.0%), medium+ body, medium+ intensity, long finish, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, bilberry, red plum, bay leaf, juniper, wet soil, vanilla, allspice, cedar, charcoal, dried cherry.
Overall: A nicely balanced Cabernet Sauvignon showing ripe black and red fruits, some oak that needs a tad more time to integrate, and some savory earthiness expected of the appellation. While displaying more restraint than a lot of California Cabernets, this wine is still fruit-driven and doesn't really show much pyrazines other than some subtle herb notes. It's definitely a solid wine that is delicious on its own and also food friendly, but it's certainly a noticeable step down from the estate Cabernet. Probably a couple more years before it's at peak, but definitely can be enjoyed now with a short decant.
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1/19/2021 - boston617 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really smells likes Bordeaux. Beautiful blend with citrus and cassis notes
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12/24/2020 - dlowrey99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
from memory: enjoyed with a traditional prime rib feast for xmas; wonderful youthful wine with many years ahead of it; dark purple; dark ripe fruit, garrigue, and sharp tannins all in balance; big and full-bodied but does not overwhelm the palate; recommend at least an hour in the decanter.
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11/1/2020 - SSGibson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely balanced and restrained CA Cab blend, from a wine maker who knows how to elegantly straddle the line between the old and new world. Outshines several more expensive CA Cabs. This definitely opened up and improved during the course of the evening. I plan to give my remaining bottles more time in the cellar.
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9/2/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
With some evergreen and pine on the nose but a core of built up cherry fruit on the mid palate. Certainly quite structured there and on the finish.
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8/14/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
On day two and maybe not the greatest but apparently was on fire yesterday. Touch green here with some red fruit as well.
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4/28/2020 - CellarBuzzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
This beautiful Central Coast Cabernet comes from one of the great California Vineyards. It opens with a mix of black and red fruit with medium acidity. You'll get mocha and some spice with and smooth and well-integrated tannins. It has a long superb finish which compares with some of the best Cabernets from the North Coast. The 2016 compared favorably to the 2015 (which I enjoyed) with a fullness that exceeded its immediate predecessor. At $40 it is a wonderful mid-priced wine. Enjoy if you can find it!
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4/11/2020 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Inviting nose of chocolate, dark berries, and maple sap. Well-toned plumpness on the palate, lightly girdled in a well-fitting acid tannin frame, with sweet-toned aromatic back note.
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4/5/2020 - Traxx wrote:
Really very tasty wine. Intend to have them get some more bottle age, but not sure that's going to happen!
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1/25/2020 - SirJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a wine this will be . The tannins currently have the upper hand, but the acid and the fruit show good harmony. I will let the rest of my bottles rest for at least a year before I try the next one. If you are going to open, decant at least 2-3 hours
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9/24/2019 - GTFreek wrote:
Vines come from Margaux cuttings brought over in late 1800s. With 15% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, trace Petit Verdot and Malbec. Medium nose and palate show dark fruit and earth tones, nice value style without being too fruit forward, mint in there. Dry finish has a dusty style, nice balanced effort.
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