Bought from secondary market a few years ago. Dark red with bricking. Beautiful nose of plums, ripe cherries, cedar and a hint of eucalyptus. Some dustiness in the background. Palate much the same with the dark fruit flavors up front and through the mid palate, then the acidity adding freshness to the finish. Over the course of two hours, the wine progressively improved with the riper fruit flavors calming down and becoming more integrated, the acidity coming more into the front to give a sour cherry note, and fine tannins coming out more to give it nice body. Nicely concentrated.
The wine became a really harmonious note from start to finish at the end instead of an mix of different parts, with a long finish lasting over a minute thanks to the acidity and tannins. Spectacular wine, and this particular bottle could have lasted another 3-5 years. These BV wines can be really hit or miss, but I got really lucky on this one.
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I am done with BV. I'm o-fer in '70s/80s GdTs, all of which have been DOA or worse. This was another pristine-appearing bottle with a base-neck fill and perfect cork that had about 1/4" of wine up the base. Upon opening, nutty sherry/madeira and dried porcini notes. Ugh. Color is good, clear and ruby with a bit of bricking. There is some tart plum fruit beneath the mushroom, hazelnut and almond skin flavors that dominate the palate, with a dry, chewy finish. So frustrating. Improved somewhat with air, so I'll revisit tomorrow and hope for a better showing.
Opened this with some friends for dinner. Opened at 6:10 and let it breath for about an hour. Tasted great with a rib eye steak. Again another great wine from the cellar of Anton. This 36 year old wine was fantastic. Still may have a few years left if you have any. This was the last of 3 from the cellar for me.
Drank w/classical french cuisine. Had quite a bit of expectations going in prior to dinner, but got quite disappointed w/it.... Btl condition was decent, cork was quite damp but not shattered yet when taken out. Nose was quite one-dimensional, still some dark fruit and some mushroom, but not much change at all throughout dinner. Palate was quite flat as well, tannin all gone w/only tony bit of fruit left. Felt like it has past its prime for sure, definitely drink up asap if you've any left.
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Perfectly stored. After an hours air, the fruits are in the background but still make themselves known. Lovely, fully resolved cab drinking quite well with another 10 years left, if provenance was excellent.
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opened decanted and drank two small glasses. One 30 minutes after opening and the other about 2 hours later. I would not call this flawed but at the same time it was not enjoyable. Slightly too sherrified with a lot of funk that did not blow off. This specific bottle was about over the hill.
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Love the nose. Beautiful approach of soft plum combined with tobacco and earth. Palate is a bit rustic with lot of oak, some citrus, and tannins. Good wine! Can age for another 5 years easily.
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Recent purchase with good provenance. Good fill and solid cork. Double decanted, then served 30 minutes later and consumed over three hours. The wine didn't change much during this time. Tertiary elements combined with red fruits that seemed to be starting to lose the battle. I'd say this bottle was just starting on the downside. A nice wine though.
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Graduation year wine, has aged better than I have. As others have said, cork did not cooperate but decant and filter saved the day. Ruby red, some bricking, some funk I initially on nose and palate, but delightful after about an hour with more cranberry and cherry fruit than i expected. Drink up this classic.
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NR as we opened this late in the evening (after Dunn Howell '92 and Phelps Backus '01)... but remember thinking it was really good (and didn't seem faded, which is saying something given the power of the preceding wines)
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Book Club - Grand Finale (FMIII in the OC): Seiber picked a few of these magnums from a friend of mine and he pulled this one tonight. Wine will surprise you. How is this 33 years old? The color, impeccable, not a hint of bricking sitting next to a '99 Ridge MB, it might look younger. Crazy. This was much more old world than the MB because of the moss and dusty/earth aromas. Light cherry / red currant and a noticeable splash of dried mint. This is really a special bottle.
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Some wines with friends (My House In The South OC): From magnum. Man, this was good, and as good/pleasing in class as the 2000 La Tache that was in the preceding flight we did. It's hard for me to say that I liked this BV better but given that we had the mag to drink from, I got to taste this several times and it was in a word--amazing. Juicy and vibrant fruit, plenty of cherry with a dusty quality. The balance on this is impeccable and at 30+ years, it shows a freshness and regal quality. Beautiful.
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Outranked a bit by a 1986 dominus served alongside, this GdL was still showing well, with tobacco and cedar notes. Minimal remaining fruit, but the structure and acidity still allowed for a nice drinking experience. My impression was that this tasted like a well made wine with age, but rather nondescript despite its good bones. Agree with recommendations to drink now
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Dark red color, still vibrant. Cherry & chocolate in the nose. Fruit still vibrant, long mouth feel. Can tell fruit is starting to fade and delivery of flavor is consistent with a wine of this age. Drink now, do not wait much longer!
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Birth year wine for me, so this was extra special. Pristine cork, couldn't believe how in tact it was. Used a monopull but I reckon a normal corkscrew would have worked. This is the oldest wine I've ever had, but I assure you its still exhibiting life. Fruit was difficult to find, it was more tertiary flavors. Very interesting and very good, still had a nice structure to it. Drink up!
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Oh well... I had bought a lot of this wine decades ago and, having drunk the penultimate bottle about 20 years ago, just opened the last one only to find that it had given up the ghost.
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It really hurts your feelings to cellar a wine for many years, only to find it corked. Hurts your feelings even more to pour it down the drain. 1997 Phelps Insignia was also corked. Damn.
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Pristine cork, decanted briefly. No sediment. Deep purple, sour fruit on the nose. Started like a Pichon Baron. Moderate structure, leather and dark fruit. Added notes of sour cherry cola after an hour. Lovely old wine.
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We took this out to dinner with another old Napa Cab. Just as I was starting to compliment our young server with how smoothly she was extracting the 30 year old cork it popped out of the bottle followed by a medium shower of undrinkable wine. I guess this qualifies as "bottle was flawed or defective". At least it didn't blow the cork in my cellar and spray crappy Napa Valley wine on my Muscadet.
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Ruby with some bricking. Out of the gate was quite strong on the nose and unidimensional, nearly bracing. With a 20 minute decant, it opened up nicely with warm Michigan cherries, cassis, cranberry. At a 45 minute decant it continued to develop with notes of mole, raisin and a flirting hint of grapefruit and red roses. Fell off precipitously an hour and a half in. Great example of a dynamic bottle that is drinking well when presented at it's best.
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My last bottle...dark ruby with some bricking. Effusive nose after decanting with red and black Fruit, tar, chocolate and leather. Palate reflected the nose with a round mouthfeel. Not quite as long an aftertaste as I expected and just a trifle unfocused. But quite enjoyable and gone all too quickly with grilled Bison Steaks and lamb chops...
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Fill 1 cm below cork, cork broke in half but able to remove remainder (w touch of saturation) in single part. 92 at its height, descended to an 88 or so. After 15 mins opened up with some mocha, red fruits, a bit of creaminess and fat that extends through the palate in both taste and texture. Incredibly refined. At hour 2 began to descend slightly. Still enjoyable but the creaminess/mocha (shorthand for some chocolate and coffee flavors) rescinded and there was sour cherry and some stank I would associate w older Chiantis ( based on experience, not necc universal) began to appear. Wish I could describe. Not burnt rubber, much sharper. A spike of tar not right either. In the end, very worth a try for novelty under $80, but would drink between hour 0:10 to 1:30. Bottle variation is real, however opening in next year or two I think you will find a good window with anything stored appropriately
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Previous note(s) apply. A wonderful old lady of a wine, bricking, sweet cooked dark fruit, smoke, truffle etc... Drink up your remaining bottles and enjoy! My last
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A casual Friday night wine session (Extra Space, Boon Keng): Dark ruby with brick red tinge that look youthful. Dried fruit aroma along with blackcurrant, slight raisiny, baked cake and hints of herbs. Still robust with lively acidity but fruits drying out, showing capsicum, brioche and slight mintiness. Long finish and almost dissolve tannins.
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Base neck fill. Dark garnet in color. Nose of forest floor, beef jus, that minty note I get all the time with GDL. Still very fresh with lots of fruit on the palate. Slightly gamy, red/black berries, plums and spice. This is drinking extremely well right now. Well stored bottles will continue to evolve over the next 5 years.
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My previous note of a year ago applies; a majestic old lady of a wine approaching the end of its time. Will drink my final bottle within the next year as see no advantage in holding it further to extract maximum enjoyment.
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tawny port in appearance with significant bricking. Wet earth, wet tobacco, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and dark chocolate on the nose. the same tobacco and earth come across first on the palate followed by a slight hint of cherry. The strong acidity leads to a very long finish.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear deep blood-garnet color. Bouquet of savory meat juice, tobacco, creosote, soy sauce, anise, stewed red fruit, dill. Never showed much primary fruit over three days of tasting. Medium body on the palate, with dry herbal finish. Some caramel and cashew appearing on the third day.
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This was fun and a pleasure to drink. Purchased from Chambers Street Wines last year, the bottle was immaculate and so was the cork, which came out easily. At first it tasted a bit insipid and flimsy, but it really pulled itself together with alluring minty, leafy Cabernet notes. It is quite delicious and nicely resolved. If one were to criticise it one would say it is somewhat linear and lacking in complexity compared to similarly priced and aged wines from Bordeaux, which benefit from having other varieties in the blend. Still it was a nice change and a treat to drink on Saturday night.
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High score for being in such great shape after 28 years. The cork was nearly perfect with only a touch of stain near the very top. Great color and aromas. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Fruit was still very vibrant. Quite a treat.
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In good condition but showing its age. Faded roses on the nose with a touch of banana. Still showing some fruit in the mouth and well balanced but rather one dimensional. Good accompaniment to braied duck nonetheless.
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2 bottles decanted together (after checking each!) for 90 minutes. Deep brickish red. Wonderful aromas of baked red fruits in a smokey vegetal framework. Flavours similar with distinct integrated tannins, leathery nuances and refined acid spine. Velvety, enormously long, wonderful complexity - an outstanding brace of bottles. No point in keeping much longer although I confirm that there are still 2-3 years ahead of this wine at this level.
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Drank this with family for Mother's Day. Between this and a newer reserve cabernet, this was the favorite. Bought it at auction along with another of the same vintage. This one was outstanding, while the previous bottle seemed flat. The one thing that stood out to me upon opening the bottle was oak on the cork. The color was of a well matured CA cab, less purple - more red, and the consistency was thin. Held up well over the hour we drank it.
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Purchased at auction and bottle appeared in very good condition with fill into the neck, clean label and a capsule that spun. This bottle was not corked and did not show any signs of heat damage on tasting. However, while there were appealing tones of cedar, cigar and hints of black fruit the palate was a let down. It was just muddled with little to no structure or defining character. It pailed in comparison to some older Laurel Glens we had. I'm a little sad since this was my first chance to try this vintage and it just appears to be on the downside. I hate to say it but I would drink up if you have it.
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Cork was perfect. Decanted for 1hr to clear any mustiness having immediately drawn off a tasting glass and replaced stopper. Tasting glass: after a couple of swirls to remove bottle stink, very up front with clean cherry and cedar aromas and remarkable clean flavours that matched the nose - albeit a bit one dimensional. After the hour the wine had fleshed out with an aroma of autumn fruit crumble with slightly toasted edges. Flavours: full cassis with cooked plum, black fruit undertones, charred oak and fully integrated tannins. Medium bodied with only a slightly astringent acidity on the downside. Kept a last glass back and after 2hrs the offending acidity had softened and came into balance at which point this wine peaked at 93pts. Outstanding for its age but should be drunk up over the next 3 years to get the best out of it. Progressed from 91-93 each hour was open. Averaged score at 92. Given the obvious bottle variance in this wine I hope my remaining 5 live up to this one!
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Drank at Ruxbin in Chicago. Leather and tobacco with a hint of something else very earthy. It opened up more after a half hour in the bottle. Fill was into the neck.
Cork was in good condition, but wine exploded out of bottle and onto the server.
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WS Offline, Xhoser, wine + art, winedoc, NolanE, GalvezGuy (Four Seasons, Downtown Houston): A wonderful treat. Great nose of bright sour cherry, mint, tobacco, plums, and that signature earth note of GdL. On the palate, currants, sour cherry, tobacco, mint, hints of cedar, and spice. Finishes long with quite a bit grip. This bottle drank very young and kept filling in and improving as the night went on. Great bottle.
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Delicious from the first sniff through drinking. Soft tannins, solid fruit. Tastes like a mature claret. Do not save this wine. If you have any left, at least in 750 ml size drink it soon... But expect to enjoy it too.
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Opened 6.0 liter bottle several hours before dinner and decanted into smaller containers. Hard to believe that this wine is nearly 27 years old. Wonderful fruit and depth of flavors and not a sign of bricking. A wonderful surprise for all at the dinner party.
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Base neck fill. Decanted and served. Clear deep garnet-blood red. Wonderful profile of creme de cassis, red plums, tobacco, earth, and aromatic wood. Full-bodied, rich, elegant, pleasantly tart, with long finish. Luxurious fruit of the New World with complexity and refinement of Old. Improved steadily over 45 minutes and really could have used a longer decant.
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From a 375 ml bottle. Still quite alive. Shows nice smoky, tobacco flavors with a bit of vanilla. Nice secondary flavors at the end, but nothing exciting. I actually still have one more 375 and don't feel I have to open it quickly before it dies.
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NOw that's what I am talking about. Cali cabs can age well. I had a good omen when the corck came out beautifully in one piece with a normal cork screw. Color was light ruby red and the was a slightly musty smell at first so we decided to decant it. Not a ton of sediment and bright red fruit on the nose. Cherry and strawberry. On the palate was a luscious mouthfeel of mature cherry, some tobacc, earth and sweet vanilla. Great finish, not long lasting but the kind that made you think to take that next sip. This is a special occassion wine. I bought from Flickenger and the original price tag of $25.99 was on it. It was still a bargain in my mind for the $70 I paid.
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Rudy-garnet. Nose of vanilla, cassis, dusty book, hint of menthol. Smooth tannin and round mouth feel, fully developed and in perfect drinking condition. Flavors are wonderful, of ripe cassis, dill and vanilla cola. So happy to find our last bottle of the '85 BV Reserve in such good shape, high fill, perfect cork. Bottle 4 of four.
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Opened 30 minutes before drinking, but not decanted. Medium ruby color with some amber at the rim. Muted nose of cherry and a bit of spice. Baked cherry with a little oak and minerals, but quite restrained. Came around a little as the evening wore on, but this never really got going. Smooth and enjoyable but nothing special, which is not what I was expecting. Drink up.
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Fill into neck, perfect cork. Decanted and tasted. Generous bouquet of dark fruit and oak, but somewhat musty/moldy as well. This improved over 90 minutes but remained noticeable. Tart black fruit on the palate, straightforward, with a faintly bitter finish.
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Did not decant just poured and drank. nothing jumped out abt the wine but it was very smooth and drank very well with the steak we had. subtle smokyness to the wine that continued to open up over the course of the next hour and half. also sublte hints of berries and cassis.
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I stronly recommend just drinking a glass the first night, and then vacume sealing the bottle and enjoying the rest the follownig day. This is my third and last of these bottles, and they were quite tired, chalky and jaded upon opening, but really devloped some depth and character by the second day. I find this approach doesn't work with most wines, but it definitely does with this one.
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same impressions as previous rating. My fellow drinkers found this wine "Odd". Left in the open decanter, it was drinking much better the 2nd day, again, strangely.
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Actually opened up much more the 2nd day. Upon opening it seemed a bit off and barnyardy, but started to open up. I vacum-sealed it, and next day it was really lovely; surprisingly big, powerful and complex.
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Opened for Thanksgiving, this offered dried red fruit along with flavors and aromas of earth that wavered on the border between rich sweet soil and freshly fragrant horse crap. Some of our group praised it and some wouldn't drink it.
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Fill into neck, perfect cork. Decanted 20 minutes before tasting. Clear, rich dark blood-garnet hue. Evolved bouquet of camphor, creosote, creme de cassis, cloves, iron, and iodine. Luxurious, full-bodied, seamless, with generous plum flavors balanced by equally generous oak.
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This wine clearly illustrates my snake-mongoose relationship with Bordeaux varietals. I got nothing, zero, on the nose. On the palate it seemed a little dense with some peppery tannins on the finish. I couldn't tell this from a supermarket cabernet saugivnon. Which is why I don't buy cabernet. Fred, who brought it, said it was better five years ago but felt it was still holding. Nice to try Ronald Reagan's favorite wine.
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On the way down. Should have been drunk five years ago. Some napa cab related fruit with some earthiness. Brick in color. Not a bad wine but it had seen better days.
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This bottle reminded me of why I take chances on 85 cabs. It was amazing. An earthiness and mushroom notes blended with some fruit still on the palate. It was a real crowd pleaser. Mus find more...
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Concerned that the nose was almost non-existant. What there was was kind of syrupy and unwinelike. But then, great complexity and layers of fruti and flavors. An unfortunate hint of iodine blew off after about half an hour. The color was dark and bright with no hint of bricking at the edges. Taste was great, but would have liked a more inviting nose.
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Turkey Day 2007 (Chez jjclips): This was a very interesting bottle. Gorgeous nose of soy, mushrooms, plums, and dozens of other sensations. The fruit was all but gone, but this wine wasn't dead. The structure held up, and everything was somehow in balance. At this point, this is an intellectual wine, but worth opening and sharing. Would have loved to track the progress of this wine over the years, but it was fun trying this one bottle. Thanks, Jay!
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Thanksgiving 2007 (Anchorage): I think I loved this one more than the others attending, which is fine, more for me!! Not even brick in colour anymore, more of a light brown with hints of burnt orange. The aromatics are great with dirt, fresh black truffles, baking spices, and a subtle bitter chocolate tone with hints of coffee. Palate is just as complex as nose with rosehips, dried cranberries (the only fruit component left in the wine), tea leaves, and cinnamon. I also found the acidity to be beautifully balanced with superfine tannins, in which were a bit dusty. Wish I had more!
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Dissappointing. Not bad, just less than expected. Bright cherries, good color, virtually no sediment in the bottle. Popped and poured; realized how tight it was and decanted the balance. Still did not adequately soften the tannins and acids after over an hour. I'll have the opportunity to revisit as this was bottle one of the case.
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Bottle seemed to have aged well. Distinctive black pepper when first opened, but that seemed to mellow out with time. Not a big wine, and a relatively short finish, it seemed to me. But nicely balanced.
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This was showing better than the last few we've had. Really funky barnyard nose right out of the bottle, but that blew off in minutes to reveal the classic BV Rutherford flavor profile with earth and tobacco. Over time the fruit just gets more and more prominent. Just a classic, high quality Cali cab.
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Dinner at Beaune with Jeff, J & J, and Rusty. Stunning. This baby needed time to open up. Decanted and let sit for about 60 minutes prior to drinking. The inital nose had bell pepper, a very BV like trait and loads of dark fruits. This is a beautiful wine with plenty of time left. Really very Paulliac like and firm, yet soft tannins. Just gorgeous.
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Kind of mixed impressions. Opened to air for 1 hour, but not decanted. Lovely nose of chocolate and cherries. On the palate, excellent attack of cocoa powder and sour cherries. Kind of hollow in the mid-palate, however, as some of the fruit just seems to have dropped out. Light through the finish, but the flavors go on and on for 60+ seconds -- damn impressive. Like an over-the-hill heavyweight champ exposed by a younger, stronger, more intense fighter -- your mind wants to fill in the blanks and paint a more impressive picture than what's really there. I'm disappointed but hopeful about my last bottle...
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Purchased this bottle in late 2006 for a good price ($70). I was initially worried about storage as this came from a small store not known for having good wine. However, I was very pleased with the result. Looks like a much younger wine. Above average sediment for its age...the color was a lovely garnet. Although this particular bottle did not display an outstanding bouquet, it was bolstered by supple tobacco and cherry flavors on the palate and a 60+ second finish. A bit on the acidic side, but well-balanced overall. No noticeable tannins on first opening, but after just 30-45 minutes it became apparent that this wine could easily have aged another 5 years or more. Velvety and delicious. Drink soon as most bottles drunk recently indicate that this wine is at its prime at best and declining in some bottlings. An excellent wine!
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This is a recollection from over 10 years ago..One of the best Cabs I've ever had. Probably went through two cases of this. Superripe fruit..almost prunelike and a nose that was one of the best I've ever smelled. Became addicted to it. Was fully mature when I drank it then and have no Idea what it is like now sounds like it is past it's prime but I just bought a bottle the other day for nostalgia.
Unfortunately that bottle was flawed...damn!
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This bottle was decanted for 2.5 hours and did not show signs of ripe fruits or balanced tannins. Very short finish and green fruits that were soft and round. Way past it's prime.
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Nose was a little reticent at first, but opened up over the course of the dinner. Very sumptuous on the palate with chocolate, mint and tart cherry. A little bit of tannin that was well integrated and a nice dose of acidity. All in all a well balanced wine. Nice example of a well aged Cal Cab.
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Stunning. Never expected this to be so youthful. Drank it next to an 01 and the color was virtually indistinguishable between the two. Easily 5 more years of excellent drinking left.
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1985 California Cab Tasting: I think this one may have been corked. Showed really trange and had an off-putting nose. Didn't drink much of it, although certainly drinkable.
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Little browning deep ruby; good complex nose of coconut and red fruit; smooth palate with some acid up front that seemed to dissipate with little time; medium long smooth finish; excellent wine with a few good years of life left
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I thought this was still fine but on its way down. Showing definite signs of bricking. The tannins were dry. Notes of currant, coriander and licorice. Not up to the 95 points WS gave this in 1991 and 2000 in my opinion. 90 points.
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With Kathy and Miranda at home at dinner (pizza). Very ruby-magenta color. Good viscosity. Red fruits abound in the nose. Hint of American oak in the nose. Seductive. Relatively light body. Cinnamon tang. Supple and tasty, but not much body or even very concentrated. Very hard to believe this is a "Reserve" wine. Curiously light body, and very mild-mannered. Not powerful or rich. A real disappointment. My expectations have not been met the last two times I have had this wine. 5-11-15-7: 88/100.
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With MPL and BLR at S&F survey of '85 Cabs. Solid dark ruby color; looks powerful and concentrated. Fermentation smells, high extraction. Herbal. Not as deep or substantial. In the mouth, very soft, feminine. A bit "oily." Coconut in the finish. Fruit is "lovely," soft. Relatively developed and open-knit. Will it stand the test of time? Already it's not as good as I remember. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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With Kathy, Miranda and Dick at dinner. Lovely medium-dark ruby color. Good legs. Excellent nose: mulberries, American oak, spice. Good palate; mouthfilling, long-lasting blackberries and spicy American oak. Long finish. Very fine. 5-11-16-7: 89/100.
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9 Vintages of BV Reserve tasted. Displayed to me a very nice, sweet candy nose with lots of fruit, well balanced and tasted excellent, sweet fruit with enough acid to suggest many years to go before its ready. My #6 and Group #6.
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With Kathy at home at dinner (pizza). Gorgeous dark ruby color. Great legs, with lots of alcohol and extract. The nose is simply stunning. Rich, sumptuous fruit, cocoa, and just a kiss of oak. It could make you cry. Perfection! In the mouth, it is fabulous, though not quite up to the nose. Nice fruit, chewy. Real cherry/berry character. Drinking extremely well now, though it clearly has plenty of round tannins for longevity. Sumptuous wine, elegant silky mouthfeel. Who could ask for anything more? 5-15-17-9: 96/100.
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With MPL, BLR and Diane at S&F. Very dark ruby, attractive. Nose is just packed with spicy, rich, opulent fruit. Extremely complex. Excellent on the palate. Great concentration, body and balance. Very complex. Wonderful finish. Drinking well even now. This is far and away the best B.V. Cabernet I have ever had. 5-15-19-9: 98/100.
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4/12/2024 - Bryan F wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely wonderful. Perfect bottle with intact cork. Just stunning old school Napa. I wish they still made it like this
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10/9/2023 - winecoffee wrote: 92 Points
Same review as before for this wine.
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8/19/2023 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank in London
Still alive
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8/19/2023 - fcxj wrote: 86 Points
Short.
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7/10/2023 - jrmorrison wrote:
Drank with MB AT latour rest
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5/5/2023 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 87 Points
Brown garnet. Nose older but not off-putting. Taste of tobacco and black fruits. Drink up.
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3/8/2023 - jrmorrison wrote: 91 Points
Still wonderful, needed to open up even after decanting. Earthy, with hints of berry and licorice
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9/10/2022 - budosyu wrote: 96 Points
Bought from secondary market a few years ago. Dark red with bricking. Beautiful nose of plums, ripe cherries, cedar and a hint of eucalyptus. Some dustiness in the background. Palate much the same with the dark fruit flavors up front and through the mid palate, then the acidity adding freshness to the finish. Over the course of two hours, the wine progressively improved with the riper fruit flavors calming down and becoming more integrated, the acidity coming more into the front to give a sour cherry note, and fine tannins coming out more to give it nice body. Nicely concentrated.
The wine became a really harmonious note from start to finish at the end instead of an mix of different parts, with a long finish lasting over a minute thanks to the acidity and tannins. Spectacular wine, and this particular bottle could have lasted another 3-5 years. These BV wines can be really hit or miss, but I got really lucky on this one.
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6/2/2022 - aaslanian Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took to old California Dinner at 71
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5/20/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 84 Points
I am done with BV. I'm o-fer in '70s/80s GdTs, all of which have been DOA or worse. This was another pristine-appearing bottle with a base-neck fill and perfect cork that had about 1/4" of wine up the base. Upon opening, nutty sherry/madeira and dried porcini notes. Ugh. Color is good, clear and ruby with a bit of bricking. There is some tart plum fruit beneath the mushroom, hazelnut and almond skin flavors that dominate the palate, with a dry, chewy finish. So frustrating. Improved somewhat with air, so I'll revisit tomorrow and hope for a better showing.
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4/26/2021 - WineCPA wrote: flawed
Not stored properly. Thin and hints of stewed fruit. What a shame.
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2/27/2021 - ador72 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened this with some friends for dinner. Opened at 6:10 and let it breath for about an hour. Tasted great with a rib eye steak. Again another great wine from the cellar of Anton. This 36 year old wine was fantastic. Still may have a few years left if you have any. This was the last of 3 from the cellar for me.
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2/25/2021 - DaBUBBLE wrote: 88 Points
Drank w/classical french cuisine.
Had quite a bit of expectations going in prior to dinner, but got quite disappointed w/it.... Btl condition was decent, cork was quite damp but not shattered yet when taken out.
Nose was quite one-dimensional, still some dark fruit and some mushroom, but not much change at all throughout dinner.
Palate was quite flat as well, tannin all gone w/only tony bit of fruit left.
Felt like it has past its prime for sure, definitely drink up asap if you've any left.
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2/13/2021 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfectly stored. After an hours air, the fruits are in the background but still make themselves known. Lovely, fully resolved cab drinking quite well with another 10 years left, if provenance was excellent.
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1/29/2021 - Oskiwawa wrote:
opened decanted and drank two small glasses. One 30 minutes after opening and the other about 2 hours later. I would not call this flawed but at the same time it was not enjoyable. Slightly too sherrified with a lot of funk that did not blow off. This specific bottle was about over the hill.
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1/27/2021 - winecoffee wrote: 92 Points
Love the nose. Beautiful approach of soft plum combined with tobacco and earth. Palate is a bit rustic with lot of oak, some citrus, and tannins. Good wine! Can age for another 5 years easily.
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12/27/2020 - prof b wrote:
Recent purchase with good provenance. Good fill and solid cork. Double decanted, then served 30 minutes later and consumed over three hours. The wine didn't change much during this time. Tertiary elements combined with red fruits that seemed to be starting to lose the battle. I'd say this bottle was just starting on the downside. A nice wine though.
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12/26/2020 - stjames Likes this wine: 92 Points
Graduation year wine, has aged better than I have. As others have said, cork did not cooperate but decant and filter saved the day. Ruby red, some bricking, some funk I initially on nose and palate, but delightful after about an hour with more cranberry and cherry fruit than i expected. Drink up this classic.
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12/19/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
NR as we opened this late in the evening (after Dunn Howell '92 and Phelps Backus '01)... but remember thinking it was really good (and didn't seem faded, which is saying something given the power of the preceding wines)
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4/14/2019 - nzinkgraf wrote:
From 6L, mineral and iron, just a whisper left of some matured black fruit, underbrushy, light tannin, medium acid, iron and/or mint palate.
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7/23/2018 - brigcampbell wrote:
Book Club - Grand Finale (FMIII in the OC): Seiber picked a few of these magnums from a friend of mine and he pulled this one tonight. Wine will surprise you. How is this 33 years old? The color, impeccable, not a hint of bricking sitting next to a '99 Ridge MB, it might look younger. Crazy. This was much more old world than the MB because of the moss and dusty/earth aromas. Light cherry / red currant and a noticeable splash of dried mint. This is really a special bottle.
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7/21/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Some wines with friends (My House In The South OC): From magnum. Man, this was good, and as good/pleasing in class as the 2000 La Tache that was in the preceding flight we did. It's hard for me to say that I liked this BV better but given that we had the mag to drink from, I got to taste this several times and it was in a word--amazing. Juicy and vibrant fruit, plenty of cherry with a dusty quality. The balance on this is impeccable and at 30+ years, it shows a freshness and regal quality. Beautiful.
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6/12/2018 - jviz wrote: 90 Points
Outranked a bit by a 1986 dominus served alongside, this GdL was still showing well, with tobacco and cedar notes. Minimal remaining fruit, but the structure and acidity still allowed for a nice drinking experience. My impression was that this tasted like a well made wine with age, but rather nondescript despite its good bones. Agree with recommendations to drink now
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4/22/2018 - Flyfishguy wrote: 89 Points
Dark red color, still vibrant. Cherry & chocolate in the nose. Fruit still vibrant, long mouth feel. Can tell fruit is starting to fade and delivery of flavor is consistent with a wine of this age. Drink now, do not wait much longer!
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4/12/2018 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 94 Points
Birth year wine for me, so this was extra special. Pristine cork, couldn't believe how in tact it was. Used a monopull but I reckon a normal corkscrew would have worked. This is the oldest wine I've ever had, but I assure you its still exhibiting life. Fruit was difficult to find, it was more tertiary flavors. Very interesting and very good, still had a nice structure to it. Drink up!
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2/11/2018 - littlefoot wrote:
Oh well... I had bought a lot of this wine decades ago and, having drunk the penultimate bottle about 20 years ago, just opened the last one only to find that it had given up the ghost.
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11/24/2016 - ifishtoo wrote: flawed
It really hurts your feelings to cellar a wine for many years, only to find it corked. Hurts your feelings even more to pour it down the drain. 1997 Phelps Insignia was also corked. Damn.
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3/13/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pristine cork, decanted briefly. No sediment. Deep purple, sour fruit on the nose. Started like a Pichon Baron. Moderate structure, leather and dark fruit. Added notes of sour cherry cola after an hour. Lovely old wine.
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9/12/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
375 ml bottle. Lots of mature black fruit, soy, well cooked mushroom, cigarbox. Dark fruit throughout, very clean and elegant.
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4/18/2015 - greenblanket wrote: flawed
We took this out to dinner with another old Napa Cab. Just as I was starting to compliment our young server with how smoothly she was extracting the 30 year old cork it popped out of the bottle followed by a medium shower of undrinkable wine. I guess this qualifies as "bottle was flawed or defective". At least it didn't blow the cork in my cellar and spray crappy Napa Valley wine on my Muscadet.
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3/20/2015 - HoosierAmphorae Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby with some bricking. Out of the gate was quite strong on the nose and unidimensional, nearly bracing. With a 20 minute decant, it opened up nicely with warm Michigan cherries, cassis, cranberry. At a 45 minute decant it continued to develop with notes of mole, raisin and a flirting hint of grapefruit and red roses. Fell off precipitously an hour and a half in. Great example of a dynamic bottle that is drinking well when presented at it's best.
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10/2/2014 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle...dark ruby with some bricking. Effusive nose after decanting with red and black Fruit, tar, chocolate and leather. Palate reflected the nose with a round mouthfeel. Not quite as long an aftertaste as I expected and just a trifle unfocused. But quite enjoyable and gone all too quickly with grilled Bison Steaks and lamb chops...
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9/19/2014 - Pmhenkels Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fill 1 cm below cork, cork broke in half but able to remove remainder (w touch of saturation) in single part. 92 at its height, descended to an 88 or so. After 15 mins opened up with some mocha, red fruits, a bit of creaminess and fat that extends through the palate in both taste and texture. Incredibly refined. At hour 2 began to descend slightly. Still enjoyable but the creaminess/mocha (shorthand for some chocolate and coffee flavors) rescinded and there was sour cherry and some stank I would associate w older Chiantis ( based on experience, not necc universal) began to appear. Wish I could describe. Not burnt rubber, much sharper. A spike of tar not right either. In the end, very worth a try for novelty under $80, but would drink between hour 0:10 to 1:30. Bottle variation is real, however opening in next year or two I think you will find a good window with anything stored appropriately
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9/3/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Previous note(s) apply. A wonderful old lady of a wine, bricking, sweet cooked dark fruit, smoke, truffle etc...
Drink up your remaining bottles and enjoy! My last
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6/20/2014 - hkm520240 wrote: 91 Points
A casual Friday night wine session (Extra Space, Boon Keng): Dark ruby with brick red tinge that look youthful. Dried fruit aroma along with blackcurrant, slight raisiny, baked cake and hints of herbs. Still robust with lively acidity but fruits drying out, showing capsicum, brioche and slight mintiness. Long finish and almost dissolve tannins.
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5/29/2014 - IWineAlot wrote: 93 Points
Base neck fill. Dark garnet in color. Nose of forest floor, beef jus, that minty note I get all the time with GDL. Still very fresh with lots of fruit on the palate. Slightly gamy, red/black berries, plums and spice. This is drinking extremely well right now. Well stored bottles will continue to evolve over the next 5 years.
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5/26/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
My previous note of a year ago applies; a majestic old lady of a wine approaching the end of its time. Will drink my final bottle within the next year as see no advantage in holding it further to extract maximum enjoyment.
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5/2/2014 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: flawed
Old School Cali Cab Tasting (Colicchio & Sons, New York, NY): Slightly corked. Showed more on nose than on the palate. Too bad because the palate clearly had a lot of juicy fruit and soy.
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3/2/2014 - prof b wrote:
tawny port in appearance with significant bricking. Wet earth, wet tobacco, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and dark chocolate on the nose. the same tobacco and earth come across first on the palate followed by a slight hint of cherry. The strong acidity leads to a very long finish.
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12/25/2013 - Javachip wrote: 85 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear deep blood-garnet color. Bouquet of savory meat juice, tobacco, creosote, soy sauce, anise, stewed red fruit, dill. Never showed much primary fruit over three days of tasting. Medium body on the palate, with dry herbal finish. Some caramel and cashew appearing on the third day.
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12/11/2013 - astroman Likes this wine:
Special at the restaurant at 50% off so we had to order it. Lighter than the Mondavi seemly almost at end of life. Enjoyable now with good acid.
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12/7/2013 - prof b wrote: flawed
mildly corked
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11/24/2013 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 90 Points
This was fun and a pleasure to drink. Purchased from Chambers Street Wines last year, the bottle was immaculate and so was the cork, which came out easily. At first it tasted a bit insipid and flimsy, but it really pulled itself together with alluring minty, leafy Cabernet notes. It is quite delicious and nicely resolved. If one were to criticise it one would say it is somewhat linear and lacking in complexity compared to similarly priced and aged wines from Bordeaux, which benefit from having other varieties in the blend. Still it was a nice change and a treat to drink on Saturday night.
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10/26/2013 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 95 Points
High score for being in such great shape after 28 years. The cork was nearly perfect with only a touch of stain near the very top. Great color and aromas. Decanted for about 30 minutes. Fruit was still very vibrant. Quite a treat.
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7/5/2013 - Cote d'Or wrote:
From 375, decanted
Color starting to brown, sickly sweet cedary nose, med weight/concentration, mostly tertiary with oak-dominant finish
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7/1/2013 - Whidah Likes this wine: 85 Points
In good condition but showing its age. Faded roses on the nose with a touch of banana. Still showing some fruit in the mouth and well balanced but rather one dimensional. Good accompaniment to braied duck nonetheless.
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5/29/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 94 Points
2 bottles decanted together (after checking each!) for 90 minutes.
Deep brickish red. Wonderful aromas of baked red fruits in a smokey vegetal framework. Flavours similar with distinct integrated tannins, leathery nuances and refined acid spine. Velvety, enormously long, wonderful complexity - an outstanding brace of bottles.
No point in keeping much longer although I confirm that there are still 2-3 years ahead of this wine at this level.
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5/12/2013 - Aideng12 wrote: 93 Points
Drank this with family for Mother's Day. Between this and a newer reserve cabernet, this was the favorite. Bought it at auction along with another of the same vintage. This one was outstanding, while the previous bottle seemed flat. The one thing that stood out to me upon opening the bottle was oak on the cork. The color was of a well matured CA cab, less purple - more red, and the consistency was thin. Held up well over the hour we drank it.
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3/25/2013 - g-man wrote: 87 Points
Purchased at auction and bottle appeared in very good condition with fill into the neck, clean label and a capsule that spun. This bottle was not corked and did not show any signs of heat damage on tasting. However, while there were appealing tones of cedar, cigar and hints of black fruit the palate was a let down. It was just muddled with little to no structure or defining character. It pailed in comparison to some older Laurel Glens we had. I'm a little sad since this was my first chance to try this vintage and it just appears to be on the downside. I hate to say it but I would drink up if you have it.
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1/6/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork was perfect. Decanted for 1hr to clear any mustiness having immediately drawn off a tasting glass and replaced stopper.
Tasting glass: after a couple of swirls to remove bottle stink, very up front with clean cherry and cedar aromas and remarkable clean flavours that matched the nose - albeit a bit one dimensional.
After the hour the wine had fleshed out with an aroma of autumn fruit crumble with slightly toasted edges. Flavours: full cassis with cooked plum, black fruit undertones, charred oak and fully integrated tannins. Medium bodied with only a slightly astringent acidity on the downside.
Kept a last glass back and after 2hrs the offending acidity had softened and came into balance at which point this wine peaked at 93pts.
Outstanding for its age but should be drunk up over the next 3 years to get the best out of it. Progressed from 91-93 each hour was open. Averaged score at 92.
Given the obvious bottle variance in this wine I hope my remaining 5 live up to this one!
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12/2/2012 - Oskiwawa wrote: flawed
Similar to the previous note this actually is really nice vinegar. A little olive oil and one would have a great dressing
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11/30/2012 - drrobvino wrote: flawed
Zuli visit; 11/28/2012-12/2/2012: Gorgeous vinegar, unfortunately. My last bottle...alas.
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11/1/2012 - ericgravengaard wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Ruxbin in Chicago. Leather and tobacco with a hint of something else very earthy. It opened up more after a half hour in the bottle. Fill was into the neck.
Cork was in good condition, but wine exploded out of bottle and onto the server.
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10/22/2012 - markjanes wrote: flawed
Couples dinner on a cold, breezy fall night. (Reno, NV): Lightly corked but the wine underneath would have been quite nice... a chunky version of the '84 that proceeded it.
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10/10/2012 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
WS Offline, Xhoser, wine + art, winedoc, NolanE, GalvezGuy (Four Seasons, Downtown Houston): A wonderful treat. Great nose of bright sour cherry, mint, tobacco, plums, and that signature earth note of GdL. On the palate, currants, sour cherry, tobacco, mint, hints of cedar, and spice. Finishes long with quite a bit grip. This bottle drank very young and kept filling in and improving as the night went on. Great bottle.
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8/14/2012 - PhN wrote: 90 Points
Delicious from the first sniff through drinking. Soft tannins, solid fruit. Tastes like a mature claret. Do not save this wine. If you have any left, at least in 750 ml size drink it soon... But expect to enjoy it too.
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8/12/2012 - M DU VIN wrote: 93 Points
Opened 6.0 liter bottle several hours before dinner and decanted into smaller containers. Hard to believe that this wine is nearly 27 years old. Wonderful fruit and depth of flavors and not a sign of bricking. A wonderful surprise for all at the dinner party.
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7/26/2012 - jskennedy wrote:
Too old ;-(
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5/4/2012 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
Base neck fill. Decanted and served. Clear deep garnet-blood red. Wonderful profile of creme de cassis, red plums, tobacco, earth, and aromatic wood. Full-bodied, rich, elegant, pleasantly tart, with long finish. Luxurious fruit of the New World with complexity and refinement of Old. Improved steadily over 45 minutes and really could have used a longer decant.
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4/5/2012 - BFG wrote: flawed
Oxidized and dead. Down the drain.
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1/1/2012 - tfharris wrote: flawed
Too bad that I waited way to long to open this bottle. It was very flat.
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9/5/2011 - NomadicEntrepreneur wrote: 92 Points
Good but takes time to open. Raisins, patience will be rewarded with amazing depth.
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4/14/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
From a 375 ml bottle. Still quite alive. Shows nice smoky, tobacco flavors with a bit of vanilla. Nice secondary flavors at the end, but nothing exciting. I actually still have one more 375 and don't feel I have to open it quickly before it dies.
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3/28/2011 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
Leather tobacco leaves., black tea leaves. Limey freshness. Fresh and lively. Black plums and Blackcurrants.
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3/26/2011 - Mingmong wrote: 92 Points
Dinner and a clandestine ES drink (Matsu dinner followed by a trip down to ES): All raisins, rich and sweet. Still very youthful for its age. impressive.
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2/19/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 95 Points
NOw that's what I am talking about. Cali cabs can age well. I had a good omen when the corck came out beautifully in one piece with a normal cork screw. Color was light ruby red and the was a slightly musty smell at first so we decided to decant it. Not a ton of sediment and bright red fruit on the nose. Cherry and strawberry. On the palate was a luscious mouthfeel of mature cherry, some tobacc, earth and sweet vanilla. Great finish, not long lasting but the kind that made you think to take that next sip. This is a special occassion wine. I bought from Flickenger and the original price tag of $25.99 was on it. It was still a bargain in my mind for the $70 I paid.
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8/23/2010 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Rudy-garnet. Nose of vanilla, cassis, dusty book, hint of menthol. Smooth tannin and round mouth feel, fully developed and in perfect drinking condition. Flavors are wonderful, of ripe cassis, dill and vanilla cola. So happy to find our last bottle of the '85 BV Reserve in such good shape, high fill, perfect cork. Bottle 4 of four.
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5/9/2010 - stoneb wrote: 86 Points
Opened 30 minutes before drinking, but not decanted. Medium ruby color with some amber at the rim. Muted nose of cherry and a bit of spice. Baked cherry with a little oak and minerals, but quite restrained. Came around a little as the evening wore on, but this never really got going. Smooth and enjoyable but nothing special, which is not what I was expecting. Drink up.
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4/27/2010 - Javachip wrote: 85 Points
Fill into neck, perfect cork. Decanted and tasted. Generous bouquet of dark fruit and oak, but somewhat musty/moldy as well. This improved over 90 minutes but remained noticeable. Tart black fruit on the palate, straightforward, with a faintly bitter finish.
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4/13/2010 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
'88 Northern Rhones at Siggy's: Poured blind. Badly corked. Too bad.
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3/9/2010 - fatboi wrote: 88 Points
Did not decant just poured and drank. nothing jumped out abt the wine but it was very smooth and drank very well with the steak we had. subtle smokyness to the wine that continued to open up over the course of the next hour and half. also sublte hints of berries and cassis.
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3/3/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 88 Points
I stronly recommend just drinking a glass the first night, and then vacume sealing the bottle and enjoying the rest the follownig day. This is my third and last of these bottles, and they were quite tired, chalky and jaded upon opening, but really devloped some depth and character by the second day. I find this approach doesn't work with most wines, but it definitely does with this one.
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1/1/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
same impressions as previous rating. My fellow drinkers found this wine "Odd". Left in the open decanter, it was drinking much better the 2nd day, again, strangely.
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12/11/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Actually opened up much more the 2nd day. Upon opening it seemed a bit off and barnyardy, but started to open up. I vacum-sealed it, and next day it was really lovely; surprisingly big, powerful and complex.
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11/27/2009 - greenblanket wrote:
Opened for Thanksgiving, this offered dried red fruit along with flavors and aromas of earth that wavered on the border between rich sweet soil and freshly fragrant horse crap. Some of our group praised it and some wouldn't drink it.
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11/26/2009 - rpenn77 wrote: 81 Points
Over the hill! Should've drunk it 5 years ago!
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11/24/2009 - Javachip wrote: 93 Points
Fill into neck, perfect cork. Decanted 20 minutes before tasting. Clear, rich dark blood-garnet hue. Evolved bouquet of camphor, creosote, creme de cassis, cloves, iron, and iodine. Luxurious, full-bodied, seamless, with generous plum flavors balanced by equally generous oak.
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6/5/2009 - stevetimko wrote:
This wine clearly illustrates my snake-mongoose relationship with Bordeaux varietals. I got nothing, zero, on the nose. On the palate it seemed a little dense with some peppery tannins on the finish. I couldn't tell this from a supermarket cabernet saugivnon. Which is why I don't buy cabernet. Fred, who brought it, said it was better five years ago but felt it was still holding. Nice to try Ronald Reagan's favorite wine.
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5/17/2009 - GZ3 wrote: 95 Points
improved in glass. still great fruit, and a long finish. roasted meat, a little scorched earth, but really nice. very interesting.
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2/27/2009 - efc wrote: 80 Points
On the way down. Should have been drunk five years ago. Some napa cab related fruit with some earthiness. Brick in color. Not a bad wine but it had seen better days.
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11/16/2008 - chad1616 wrote: 94 Points
This bottle reminded me of why I take chances on 85 cabs. It was amazing. An earthiness and mushroom notes blended with some fruit still on the palate. It was a real crowd pleaser. Mus find more...
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6/29/2008 - Shelbi & Kirk wrote: 70 Points
Past it's prime....on the downhill slope....didn't finish
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1/1/2008 - jwcnd69 wrote: 89 Points
Soft and mellow,
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12/20/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 85 Points
French Bakery BYO 1990's Cali Cab Sauv dominant wines; 12/19/2007-12/20/2007: Craig's bonus wine. Not bad, but not great. It did however receive 2 votes in this flight, over the Behrens & Hitchcock, and the 96 Hillside Select!
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12/16/2007 - grapist wrote: 94 Points
Concerned that the nose was almost non-existant. What there was was kind of syrupy and unwinelike. But then, great complexity and layers of fruti and flavors. An unfortunate hint of iodine blew off after about half an hour. The color was dark and bright with no hint of bricking at the edges. Taste was great, but would have liked a more inviting nose.
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11/22/2007 - hutch wrote: 89 Points
Turkey Day 2007 (Chez jjclips): This was a very interesting bottle. Gorgeous nose of soy, mushrooms, plums, and dozens of other sensations. The fruit was all but gone, but this wine wasn't dead. The structure held up, and everything was somehow in balance. At this point, this is an intellectual wine, but worth opening and sharing. Would have loved to track the progress of this wine over the years, but it was fun trying this one bottle. Thanks, Jay!
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11/22/2007 - jjclips2 wrote: 94 Points
Thanksgiving 2007 (Anchorage): I think I loved this one more than the others attending, which is fine, more for me!! Not even brick in colour anymore, more of a light brown with hints of burnt orange. The aromatics are great with dirt, fresh black truffles, baking spices, and a subtle bitter chocolate tone with hints of coffee. Palate is just as complex as nose with rosehips, dried cranberries (the only fruit component left in the wine), tea leaves, and cinnamon. I also found the acidity to be beautifully balanced with superfine tannins, in which were a bit dusty. Wish I had more!
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11/18/2007 - grapist wrote:
Dissappointing. Not bad, just less than expected. Bright cherries, good color, virtually no sediment in the bottle. Popped and poured; realized how tight it was and decanted the balance. Still did not adequately soften the tannins and acids after over an hour. I'll have the opportunity to revisit as this was bottle one of the case.
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11/4/2007 - oski wrote: 93 Points
Upon opening, bit of a funk, thought the bottle was bad, but it quickly blew off and was incredible although a bit subtle.
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10/13/2007 - wineguysf wrote: flawed
Corked.
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9/15/2007 - brownman6 wrote: 91 Points
Deep cherry flavor, wine very alive despite poor cellaring
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7/29/2007 - Kahalu'u Bob wrote: 91 Points
Bottle seemed to have aged well. Distinctive black pepper when first opened, but that seemed to mellow out with time. Not a big wine, and a relatively short finish, it seemed to me. But nicely balanced.
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7/1/2007 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
This was showing better than the last few we've had. Really funky barnyard nose right out of the bottle, but that blew off in minutes to reveal the classic BV Rutherford flavor profile with earth and tobacco. Over time the fruit just gets more and more prominent. Just a classic, high quality Cali cab.
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5/26/2007 - G SQUARED wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at Beaune with Jeff, J & J, and Rusty. Stunning. This baby needed time to open up. Decanted and let sit for about 60 minutes prior to drinking. The inital nose had bell pepper, a very BV like trait and loads of dark fruits. This is a beautiful wine with plenty of time left. Really very Paulliac like and firm, yet soft tannins. Just gorgeous.
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5/4/2007 - kmforster wrote:
Better than a previous bottle a had about a year ago, and perfectly pleasant, but just does not have the stuffing of so many '85 Napa cabs.
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3/3/2007 - GZ3 wrote:
Drank with a 96 and a 97. Way past it's prime. Almost no fruit a all.
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12/22/2006 - beachnic wrote: flawed
Flawed...Yuck...Oh well.
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12/20/2006 - KevinS wrote: 91 Points
Kind of mixed impressions. Opened to air for 1 hour, but not decanted. Lovely nose of chocolate and cherries. On the palate, excellent attack of cocoa powder and sour cherries. Kind of hollow in the mid-palate, however, as some of the fruit just seems to have dropped out. Light through the finish, but the flavors go on and on for 60+ seconds -- damn impressive. Like an over-the-hill heavyweight champ exposed by a younger, stronger, more intense fighter -- your mind wants to fill in the blanks and paint a more impressive picture than what's really there. I'm disappointed but hopeful about my last bottle...
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11/1/2006 - TylerMcNinch wrote: 90 Points
Purchased this bottle in late 2006 for a good price ($70). I was initially worried about storage as this came from a small store not known for having good wine. However, I was very pleased with the result. Looks like a much younger wine. Above average sediment for its age...the color was a lovely garnet. Although this particular bottle did not display an outstanding bouquet, it was bolstered by supple tobacco and cherry flavors on the palate and a 60+ second finish. A bit on the acidic side, but well-balanced overall. No noticeable tannins on first opening, but after just 30-45 minutes it became apparent that this wine could easily have aged another 5 years or more. Velvety and delicious. Drink soon as most bottles drunk recently indicate that this wine is at its prime at best and declining in some bottlings. An excellent wine!
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9/12/2006 - beachnic wrote: 95 Points
This is a recollection from over 10 years ago..One of the best Cabs I've ever had. Probably went through two cases of this. Superripe fruit..almost prunelike and a nose that was one of the best I've ever smelled. Became addicted to it. Was fully mature when I drank it then and have no Idea what it is like now sounds like it is past it's prime but I just bought a bottle the other day for nostalgia.
Unfortunately that bottle was flawed...damn!
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6/12/2006 - napaJ6 wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was decanted for 2.5 hours and did not show signs of ripe fruits or balanced tannins. Very short finish and green fruits that were soft and round. Way past it's prime.
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5/4/2006 - TomTom wrote: 93 Points
Nose was a little reticent at first, but opened up over the course of the dinner. Very sumptuous on the palate with chocolate, mint and tart cherry. A little bit of tannin that was well integrated and a nice dose of acidity. All in all a well balanced wine. Nice example of a well aged Cal Cab.
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4/13/2006 - OpuMayaQuem wrote: 88 Points
Very good and plenty of tannin, but missing something in the middle of the tongue.
Should be interesting with more age.
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6/9/2005 - G SQUARED wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Press with Clay and Lindsay.
Stunning. Never expected this to be so youthful. Drank it next to an 01 and the color was virtually indistinguishable between the two. Easily 5 more years of excellent drinking left.
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3/4/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 79 Points
1985 California Cab Tasting: I think this one may have been corked. Showed really trange and had an off-putting nose. Didn't drink much of it, although certainly drinkable.
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1/21/2005 - Patrick wrote:
Little browning deep ruby; good complex nose of coconut and red fruit; smooth palate with some acid up front that seemed to dissipate with little time; medium long smooth finish; excellent wine with a few good years of life left
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11/15/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
I thought this was still fine but on its way down. Showing definite signs of bricking. The tannins were dry. Notes of currant, coriander and licorice. Not up to the 95 points WS gave this in 1991 and 2000 in my opinion. 90 points.
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5/3/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Wine tasting. Faded, on life support.
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8/2/2002 - peternelson wrote: 97 Points
Red Carpet: Slightly darker scarlet; great earth & mushrooms; licorice, spice mouth; med t’s, GREAT bal.!
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4/26/1997 - dbg wrote:
excellent mature cab with plenty of well-integrated fruit
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5/24/1995 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tasting of 11 1985 Cabernet Sauvignons. Incredibly rich, minty nose, lovely taste, lots of fruit, slightly rough, rich fruit, medium/long finish. My #5, Group #4.
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9/24/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
With Kathy and Miranda at home at dinner (pizza). Very ruby-magenta color. Good viscosity. Red fruits abound in the nose. Hint of American oak in the nose. Seductive. Relatively light body. Cinnamon tang. Supple and tasty, but not much body or even very concentrated. Very hard to believe this is a "Reserve" wine. Curiously light body, and very mild-mannered. Not powerful or rich. A real disappointment. My expectations have not been met the last two times I have had this wine. 5-11-15-7: 88/100.
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4/12/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 87 Points
With MPL and BLR at S&F survey of '85 Cabs. Solid dark ruby color; looks powerful and concentrated. Fermentation smells, high extraction. Herbal. Not as deep or substantial. In the mouth, very soft, feminine. A bit "oily." Coconut in the finish. Fruit is "lovely," soft. Relatively developed and open-knit. Will it stand the test of time? Already it's not as good as I remember. 5-10-15-7: 87/100.
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12/23/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 89 Points
With Kathy, Miranda and Dick at dinner. Lovely medium-dark ruby color. Good legs. Excellent nose: mulberries, American oak, spice. Good palate; mouthfilling, long-lasting blackberries and spicy American oak. Long finish. Very fine. 5-11-16-7: 89/100.
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12/8/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 85 Points
9 Vintages of BV Reserve tasted. Displayed to me a very nice, sweet candy nose with lots of fruit, well balanced and tasted excellent, sweet fruit with enough acid to suggest many years to go before its ready. My #6 and Group #6.
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3/3/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 96 Points
With Kathy at home at dinner (pizza). Gorgeous dark ruby color. Great legs, with lots of alcohol and extract. The nose is simply stunning. Rich, sumptuous fruit, cocoa, and just a kiss of oak. It could make you cry. Perfection! In the mouth, it is fabulous, though not quite up to the nose. Nice fruit, chewy. Real cherry/berry character. Drinking extremely well now, though it clearly has plenty of round tannins for longevity. Sumptuous wine, elegant silky mouthfeel. Who could ask for anything more? 5-15-17-9: 96/100.
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12/29/1989 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 98 Points
With MPL, BLR and Diane at S&F. Very dark ruby, attractive. Nose is just packed with spicy, rich, opulent fruit. Extremely complex. Excellent on the palate. Great concentration, body and balance. Very complex. Wonderful finish. Drinking well even now. This is far and away the best B.V. Cabernet I have ever had. 5-15-19-9: 98/100.
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3/17/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Client Luncheon Tasting.
Full, dark red color, fruity, lush, needs time.
My #2 of 3.
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