Really good for an old Cab. Had a ‘99 not long ago and that was definitely past its peak. The ‘05 was maybe just starting the decline and still very good. Lot of fruit. Decanted for awhile.
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Cork broke while opening, so we decanted it (we may well have decanted anyway). Dark ruby red, notes of balsam, cedar, hints of oak/vanilla, and spice. Medium bodied, still has plenty of fruit, and all nicely integrated, quite smooth, albeit a bit muddy. The alcohol becomes more predominant over time, leaving a sharper note on the finish.
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Densely colored with a touch of browning. Typical mid-valley Napa Cab with some Rutherford dust + too little acid + too much alcohol (14.5%) for the structure. Nevertheless, a good Napa Cab at its peak. Could use less power and more finesse, but I guess this is the way Phelps (and many others) made their Cabs in the mid-2000s.
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Like my Feb 2021 note, don't feel the need to really add much more here: still holding on though clearly near the end of peak drinking, arguably past. Nose is very soft, a bit of earthiness with light acidic notes and a little heat. Palate much more forceful; initially just secondary elements of oak and cassis, but developed nicely over the evening. We didn't decant but drank over a few hours and it developed much more complexity toward the end, especially some of the previously missing fruit finally showing up. Notched up my score from a likely 89 when initially opened.
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Medel+ strävhet fortfarande. Visst finns det kvar lite klassiska cab-aromer med vinbär i spetsen. Men vinet har tyvärr passerat sin peak och börjar bli lite i obalans - struktur av syra och tannin är intakt medan frukten är på avtagande. Hittar tyvärr heller inga angenäma tertiära aromer.
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With 423 tasting notes, I'm not sure there's much that I can add, so just quickly: still holding up nicely, both color and nose showing the age, but still definitely has some life left in it, particularly if you have a well stored bottle. Secondary elements of ripe raspberry, cedar, smoke with medium/soft tannins. Waxy viscosity makes for a nice lingering finish. Still very nice, but drink up !
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Beautiful nose of dark fruit, cocoa and leather. Taste of dark fruit with dark plum and black cherry with a beautiful finish of cherry and cocoa. Tannins were elegant! A beautiful Napa Cabernet.
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Still wonderful colour, brilliant mid-ruby, bluish tones. Surprisingly young with plenty of fruit expressed and tanins well rounded by now. Not super long but still classic cab. Good surprise!!
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I was worried this might be well past it’s prime but not at all. Will easily last another 5+ years and more if cellared properly. The nose is of medley of ripe sweet juicy red fruits. On the palette it was the same as the nose. An aged delicious well made napa can sav. Still slightly tannic. Didn’t decant and will try again tomorrow. Only downside was a broken cork but otherwise pairs perfectly with grilled rib eyes, baby back ribs, bbq chicken and smokies. No social distancing between grilled meats and Jospeh Phelps.
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neutral on first taste will try again tonight to see if it opened up, 3/22 never tasted such an amazing transformation, was totally not expecting this to be so good tonight, when I went back and read some of the other tasting notes I knew I must be missing something
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Main course is a Beef Tenderloin Roast with Rosemary, Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes, Sautéed Greens. The beef is among the most tender (cut it with a fork) & flavorful we’ve had.
From magnum. The nose shows; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, some graphite, cigar, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender.
The body full, lush & thick. The tannins, rounded, tarry and velvety chewy. The structure & tension have hit its stride but, a little leaner than I’m used to in a Phelps Cabernet. The length and balance are exactly what I expect from them. It’s elegant, ripe & juicy. Dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, soft clove, vanilla, nutmeg, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, moist clay some graphite, cigar, leather, limestone, dry herbs, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The long finish is delicious and persists into a dark spice.
Perfect with Hedy’s Boeuf.
Wine is peaking in Magnum with another 5-8 years ahead.
The “Truth” which, is the very bottom, concentrated part of the bottle is a 93.
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Dark purple with no degradation in color. Black fruits, chocolate on the nose. Primary fruit intact with good acidity and balance. Medium/full body with integrated tannins and a medium finish. Good, but expected more density, complexity and structure from Phelps. I think the 05 Innisfree is better for less $.
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Not much has changed at all, at least not to the better, since my last bottle four years ago. A tiresome over expensive, over manipulated and over the top US Cab., missing any finesse and class. It’s all in there, and then I mean all…but the good things. Goddamn! All - in, just artificial over extracted over concentrated and manipulated jammy sweet fruit with enormous amounts of ugly wood and alcohol. What’s the point? Why even bother making this stuff?
Drinking much better than the CellarTracker rating. The bottle we opened up tonight still has some legs to run with. I’d say 2019 would be a better “end date” for this wine. Lots of lush flavors, not too acidic. Tannins in check. Paired it with some black cod which was a mistake but the wine was a hit nonetheless.
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Drank with dinner. It was still very fruity and I was surprised that is has not taken on more secondary notes and earthiness. Black fruit with medium acid and tannins that have softened, but still have a little grip. Not a lot of experience with Napa Cab with a few more years on it, but it was a good wine. Not a bad wine, but was hoping it would gain depth with age and it did not appear to change that much...
This was also from a 375ml...
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Hmmm. Didn't love this wine. Maybe it's seen better days. Little to no nose and a 'meh' taste. Sorry to report this as I would have expected more from Phelps.
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great wine with baked oysters and a very tender steak.. smooth with still lots of fruit and body. we have one bottle left and plan to drink it this year since others are saying it's almost peaked.
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Spectacular effort with a deep and complex nose; definitely benefitted from aging 10+ years; very solid Cab that shines with red meat. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis) and forest floor. The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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This Cabernet has nose of black pepper, cherries, tobacco, leather, and blackberries. The tannins are pronounced and the finish lingers on the palate; yet, it could be more refined. Seem to remember throwing out a bottle of this when it was drunk young. The wine is decent though not awe inspiring.
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Drank over a few days... Kept improving with each pour. Notes of cassis and graphite on the nose. Palate was smooth with hints of chocolate, leather, and oak. Tannins were soft and well integrated. A very enjoyable wine, but it amazes me the lack of depth when compared to insignia.
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Bu juste après le Montevetrano... Ce californien était bien supérieur à mon goût! Débouché et servi immédiatement, il a enchanté par ses arômes de fruits rouges, sa rondeur, sa complexité et sa très belle finale. Aucune lourdeur malgré son taux d'alcool affiché à 14.5%, il a procuré de belles satisfactions olfactives à tous. Je pense qu'il a encore suffisamment de réserves pour tenir 5-10 ans.
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Decanted for about three hours - little sediment. A nose of mature Cabernet and a nice touch of barnyard. Inky dark with no bricking. Balanced flavors of leather, ripe dark red fruit, resolved tannin with a hint of tar. Seems to be at peak right about now. Very smooth. Opened as a testament to Joseph Phelps who died late last week at age 87.
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More vegetal/herbal than some recently consumed Napa cabs of similar vintage & pedigree, but just as enjoyable. Feels like this has hit its peak. The fruit, oak & tannin are all well integrated. Has a distinct note of eucalyptus (almost minty) that adds character.
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Pleasant surprise. Showed very well with a little air. Dark fruits dominate with floral and cedar notes. On the palate surprisingly fresh with unexpected bright red fruits and toffee / tobacco. Silky tannins with streaking acidity. No bitter or hot notes appreciated.
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From a magnum. Fading garnet color. Fruit also seems to be fading. Some plum/prune, cassis, licorice, leather, menthol. Nice, fairly smooth, but a bit hot. Finishes with a lingering chalky note. I think it needs more time to integrate a bit more, but with the fading fruit and color, I'm not sure how much longer this will go.
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Dark red - nose was red fruit, cherry, a little spice. Taste was soft tannins, cherry, earth and spice. Decanted for about an hour. Not sure this will last more than a year or two - and this was a magnum.
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50+5+12+16+7 Ruby red with slight rim variation. Decanted for three hours. Notes of ripe black fruits, leather, graphite, vanilla, spice, cola. Full bodied, medium acid. This was my last one, I would probably age for another 2-4 then drink em if you've got em.
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Lots of leather and cedar wood aroma, more of the same on the palate, overwhelming in fact, medium tannins and decent acidity but was expecting more fruit and vanilla. Let air for a while but not much change
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Unfortunately past it's peak. Mellow with some black and more red fruit present. Obviously a good wine in it's prime - just wished I had consumed it while it was younger.
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Decanted 1hr, flowery nose, currants, cassis, plums, great balance, dry, fully integrated, very nice showing, unfortunately my last bottle. I would drink them sooner than later!
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Showing beautifully on this night, much better than last bottle in '09. Dark fruit and tobacco on the nose. Full bodied, medium acid, concentrated dark fruit. Balance is great with firm structure, but silky smooth tannins. Wish I had more.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant, cherry, oak and cedar. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant, cherry and dusty with a medium body. Smooth texture - Had with grilled beef. Decanted for about an hour, Slight sediment. This was very good but did not have the same spark that other bottles have had. Maybe it's in a dumb phase or needed more time to open up. I have more and will compare but I do not think I'll be opening one real son.
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant, oak, cedar and vanilla. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant, cherry and oak with a full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Took to Seasons 52 with Hamricks. Decanted, but not long enough: needs an hour+. Very nice wine and always a pleasure to drink. Dark garnet, little if any sediment.
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Wonderful wine; had with grilled beef filet. Decanted for an hour and could have used two!
The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), Cherry, Plum, Oak, and Vanilla. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Cherry, Forest floor, Medium Toast, Cedar, Oak, Vanilla, and Lead Pencil. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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Read reviews. Thought this was going to be on the softer side, having reached or passed its peak. Bottle opened slowly but after an hour of air, came into its own. Tannins are mostly gone at this point but after that magic hour of air time, the fruit grew and was a really enjoyable cab.
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- Garnet color and aromas of licorice anise, cloves, oak, cedar and cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of oak, cedar, cherry and black currant with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Had with grilled prime rib-eye, garlic grilled potatoes and braised Brussels sprouts. This wine is drinking very, very nicely after a two hour decant. No sediment at all. I am happy to have several more in the cellar. 90% Cabernet, 6% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot.
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Dark and dense, sweet & fruity nose. Same on the palate. Another all – in, heavy and sweet jammy alcohol hot lemonade over done half monster Cali Cab. Maybe it will turn into something different in 15 years, but there is no structure or finesse at all in this bottle. Went okay with a charcoal grilled juicy steak, but still, where is the finesse in this?
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Drinking well now. A beautiful bouquet of layers starting with casis, blackberry and Carmel-vanilla creme-brûlée. A complex palate with smooth but firm tannins well balanced with fruit and acid. Excellent integration of oak. Blackberry, roasted coffee and spice on the finish. Phelps has the recipe down well!
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- Garnet color and aromas of cedar, vanilla, blackberry and black currant. It's balanced and has flavours of cedar, blackberry and black currant with a full body. Round texture with a medium finish - BYOB to Range in DC. Very nice cab drinking very well.
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Decanted for roughly 30 minutes, however could have just as well popped and poured. Very strong hints of currents and cassis on the nose. This wine was served with grilled lamb chops. Somewhat fruit forward with some heat and oak in the middle and a rather sharp finish. I expected more from this wine.
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The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Raspberry, Blackberry, Black Pepper, Cedar, and Mineral AND Chocolate. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Prune, Cherry, and Sandalwood. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium. Beautiful wine upon opening... no decant.
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Full, chewy, rich & decadent! Shared three ways post dinner! Like a smooth velvety desert (without the gooey sweet)! Wish I had another to put against a juicy steak!!
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Ouvert 2h avant le service et laissé en bouteille. Le fruit était toujours très présent du côté nez et en bouche. Le côté boisé était beaucoup plus intégré que lors de mes expériences passées avec ce vin. L'évolution lui a été bénéfique mais je ne crois pas qu'il va beaucoup s'améliorer avec le temps. Sur un plateau de plusieurs années.
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Agree with the prior reviewers. Thoroughly enjoyed this Cab. It exhibited lush dark fruit with hints of dark chocolate. We decanted for just an hour, opening the wine beautifully. Velvety finish. Wsh we had more to enjoy!
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No decant. Just sometimes you get a bottle that wildly exceeds expectations. Well either this is one of the most under-priced wines in the world, or we caught this particuar bottle at its perfect moment. Clean blackcurrant/cedar nose mingled with a big chocoate fudge sundae. Seemless palate of rich dark fruit with just the first hint of secondary coplexities. Completely seemless from attack through to finish - stewed fig, chocolate, sweet dark fruit and a kiss of oak. Long and deep finish with a sprinkling of powdered cocoa. Not the most complex but well rounded, thoroughly delicious and as easy to love as a daft puppy.
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- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of black currant and blackberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, blackberry, oak and vanilla with a full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Enjoyed this beautiful Napa Cab with my friend J.C. from Oakville. Decanted for an hour and it continued to improve over the next hour and a half. Complemented a great surf and turf dinner, although this one could have been enjoyed on its own as it demonstrated some great bordeuax finese. JP never disappoints!
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A very delicious wine with Plum, chocolate, and Cassis (Blackberry). Went well with grilled sirloin, pasta salad with tomatoes and broccoli. Fresh strawberries for dessert. Yummy!
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Clear dark purple in colour, with some slight brick colour starting to show. Clean nose of cedar, cassis, and leather. Dry, med acidity, smooth strong tannins, med body, cedar, leather, black fruits, and spice on palate. med+ finish. Vibrant fruit, but lots of the other flavours are starting to shine through. This wine is drinking really well right now. I had a bottle 3 years ago and it was nice, but this is drinking much better now. Still will cellar for some time, but hard to believe it will get much better. Wish I had more of this in the cellar to test my theory.
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Drank after a Grgich Hills Estate 2005 so not really fair. but on its own it would have been a good wine. Lots of fruit with a great nose. Somewhat bitter and not sure if it will ever get any better. Typoical Joseph Phelps.
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Dark ruby red w/almost no bricking. Nose of cherry/berry/cassis following into a flavor profile of the same along with a plummy quality in addition to the cassis. Rich full bodied mouthfeel, nicely integrated oak/tannins offering up a satisfying if not overly long finish. Good stuff, nice development. 2-5yrs of good life left.
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Deep dark red, garnet at the rim with purple tinge. On the nose big and fat Cab. impression, dark berry fruit, some tannin On the palate full bodied, some tannin and some acidity. Nice balance, well rounded with some angularity left. A bit short at the end. Probably can use another couple of years to fully round out. Not a bad wine.
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Wow,did this perform well! 1 hr decant and this was just wonderful. Subtle nose of red / black fruit with a hint of earth and oak. Fabulous integration of muted dark fruit, tannin and acidity on the front end and mid palate, delivering just the right balance of fruit and structure. Smooth and delicate on the finish with just a bit of tannin and acidity breaking through. This is classic Phelps, and is drinking better now than a few years ago.
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Deep garnet color with a bit of alcohol and a full red fruit nose and. Black cherries, black berries, black currants in a rounded fruit presentation with some cassis, pepper spice and earth. Tannins seemed a bit strong yet.
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The past two weekends our travel youth hockey team played in 6 games in two cities. The parents consummed many wines partially from my cellar. A quick rundown: Phelps Napa 05 - Nice wine with aa touch of vanilla, color, body intact. The 06 was slightly better. The 06 Merlot similar wine with less complexity. The Mondavi Napa 08 Cab is drinking really well - Soft, complex flavors perfect color and body. The Mondavi Oakville's (04 and 06) were VERY dry, more oak and less fruit. Still a good wine, color and body were in good shape. The 689 was very nice, different in flavor profile then the others - color was perfect the body was slightly lighter.
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Extremely well balanced with modest fruit, mellowed tannins and mild acidity. Went terrifically with beef tenderloin. A nice QPR in the napa cab world. Not a Knock your socks off cab, but very solid
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Wow, this has really improved over the past 16 months! The nose is somewhat tight and squeezes out some violets, beets and flint. The palate is worlds different with expressive lush dark fruits (black cherry, blackberry) but not sweet. Envelops the tongue with a silky texture and fine balance. Long finish of round tannins, black tea and dark chocolate shavings. The structure hints that its got years left and does well with the right foods. Good both day one and two.
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Opened bottle for 1 hour, and decanted for 1.5 hours. Black currant, cherry, vanilla, and spice notes. Dark fruit and mild tannins on the mid-palate; leading to a long, soft finish. A fruit forward style and enjoyable. Paired well with beef tenderloin and a mustard cognac sauce.
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Very solid Napa cab, probably at its very best right now. Dark purple. Liquorice, anise, blackberry, cedar and capsicum on the nose. Full-bodied and round, with excellent, ultra-soft tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Long aftertaste.
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Good color and body. Nice Berry fruit upfront. The flavors last through the finish. Nice wine not fantastic. This is age worthy, not getting better but will last a while longer.
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Great classic Napa Cab style. A bit of alcohol at first but that blew off after about an hour decant. This was really integrated the fruit, some vanilla, and oak. Just really nice.
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1 Hour decant. Big nose of black fruits, licorice and vanilla. Blackberry and cassis with vanilla and a little bell pepper with a long dark chocolate finish. Tannins still present but drinking very well at this point. 05 is easily my favorite recent vintage in CA.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Royal purple color. Big oak barrel aroma with some cherry. Lots of dark cherry and cassis on the palate. Big, bold, and nicely balanced.
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Very aromatic nose, I was able to pick it up several feet away. Notes of currant, blackberry with bell pepper sneaking in. This was better than my other memories (non-scored) of this wine but still a bit disjointed.
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Black plum, black cherry, a bit candied, with mocha and oak on the nose. This is dense and chewy, with layers of wood, chocolate, and fruit, and an a ten-second finish. The fruit is muted by the structure, and the wood, at this point, but this is very good, although a bit over-oaked, and quite ripe.
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Fruity nose, very plummy, ripe fruit. Very drinkable and smooth. Mild hints of chocolate and raisins, but mostly just pure flavor. Delightful. Same reaction to second bottle opened a few weeks later. A little sweet, strong base of plums and black cherries.
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Deep dark red, impressive bouquet loaded with wild cheery, blackberry. Full body, very concentrated, firm tannins, chewy, blackberry, rasper berry, licorice, very oaky, still very young, some rough edges, after taste is long but a bit coarse.
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This showed much better this time after the Ehlers 1886. I do believe the Bordeaux which preceded it last time skewed my score. It was right at home after another Cali Cab. Perfect transition with Cassis, blueberry and pencil on the nose. Very well integrated and the palate was smooth as silk. Shame it's my last bottle. Don't underestimate how much the context of other wines can affect your perceptions.
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Dark purple to very dark ruby at the edge. Super extracted on the nose and palate. Black fruit, pencil, coffee and chocolate. 3rd btl opened after two 2000 vintage Bordeaux. Not the best transition of course. May need to revisit the score after drinking the other half of the bottle on New Year's Eve.
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Nose like its big brother, and drinking very well. A bit fruit forward, but the oak, tannins, and cab fruits are reasonably well integrated for the price point. I've had $100 bottles that this could hold its own with. Points off just for a bit fruit forward and a commercial cab finish that is less than elegant. Great deal at $40. Ready to drink.
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Nose of blackberry. palate of cherry, currant and plenty of oak. Some espresso and bitterness, a hint of licorice. Should drink earlier rather than later.
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Popped and poured what turned out to be a very all around enjoyable wine. It is a little pricey at $55, but am looking forward to seeing how it is on day two.
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The girls (Gloria and Chris) had completely lost interest as Walt and I worked away on the white bottle. Wasn't long before we heard "yeah, can you open a cab for us?" Sure we can.
This bottle was very impressive, you know there's something special coming. And that hasn't always been the case for me, last bottle didn't impress but maybe there's bottle variation.
But this was a classic big cali cab with dark fruit, oak, vanilla, cedar, and lots of complexity with a medium/+ finish.
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The wine looks Crimson colored. It smells like Blackberry, and Cedar. It tastes like Chocolate, and Espresso. The body is Medium/Full. The wine is textured Round. The wine finishes Medium.
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This bottle opened up with aromas of plum, raisin and chocolate. With time hints of sea air, chalk dust and undergrowth came forward, which added a great deal to its complexity. On the palate, I found black currants and cinnamon with a hint of green bell pepper, which led to a long rich dark chocolate covered cherry finish.
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A good wine but not a knock your socks off wine. Can definitely find better wine at the same price point but good nonetheless. Nose had cassis, black currant and some alcohol. Good dark fruit on the palate but the balance was just OK...a little too much alcohol/heat and lacking some acidity. The finish was average length (30 seconds or so). I have a bottle of the 2006 vintage which I am curious to try in the next year or so. The 2005 is definitely ready to drink now as the tannins are well integrated straight out of the bottle. However, we did have some wine left over after the first night and tried it again two nights later...it was still drinking well which is a good sign that this wine might still hold well for a couple years.
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Paxton visit. Drank at Jon Polito's. A bit of a poor showing for this wine. Jon served it after a big Aussie Shiraz is proibably what hurt it. Color still dark to the rim, nose restrained and flavor weak. Too many possible variables to nail down for sure.
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Would have scored lower day one as it was thin, hot, oaky and out of balance. On day 2 with an additional 2 hours of air, it improved a ton. The wine got deeper, well rounded and in better balance. Dark fruit, smokey profile but lacked layers and wow factor. Nice wine.
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Decanted 2 hours. Deep garnet color with a modest red fruit nose. Black cherries that were not quite full in the mouth, a bit short of well-rounded. Some vanilla and spice.
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Decanted for 45 minutes and then drank over the following few hours. Initially, the tannins were a bit harsh but the wine opened up nicely as the night progressed. Long finish, red fruit and chocolate undertones. Very good Cab - wish I had more bottles given the price point.
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Classic Cali Cab. I won't say pour and drink but it certain takes around 20 mins to taste the sweestness - which is pleasent. Nose is with a bit of oak. Color is not that dark. It is ok too drink it right the way. Very simple but good wine. Short on palate. I had that during a dinner at a hotel so I can't tell the retail price. Very easy to drink and the style is actually closer to modern days Lascombes (Americans!). If the retail price is lower than US$20 then it is a good buy.
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Pop and pour. BIG spicy wine. Dark purple, medium legs and medium to full body on the tongue. Classic Napa fruit with soft tannins, cassis, chocolate with leather, vanilla and oak notes but not over whelming. Designed to be paired with food i.e. ribs, lamb, beef. Good mouth feel with lively fruit and spice and a nice lingering finish. Allot going on here but needs 'air time' but definitely not at the end of the road. Possibly deserving of a 91 but I await a longer time opened.
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Still delightful. Not much structure, so I'm not sure how much longer this wine is going to last in the cellar. It may start to decline soon. Well, within a couple of years anyway. Time to drink up!
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Easterquake; 4/3/2010-4/4/2010 (Kim's House in Encinitas, CA): Decanted for 4 hours and the nose was great, fruit and oak. But it was a disappointment after that because I really like this wine, had it before and was awesome. The oak was overpowering and not a lot of excitement.
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Good, well made wine. Would have been disappointed if I'd paid $40-50, but found the bottle on sale at Sam's for $29.50. Decanted 1 hour. Nice dark fruit nose, perhaps a bit faint. Really smooth, nice mouthfeel. Just wish it had a bit more structure in the midpalate and finish and little more up front fruit. All that said, went well with grilled NY strip.
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This is a rich Cabernet, but very approachable and well-balanced. There are hints of dark berries, black currant, espresso and cinnamon. The finish is spicy layered with minerals and chewey but enjoyable tannin. Drink from 2010 to 2015.
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Pulled two bottles, one decanted over one hour, the second just minutes in the decanter before drinking - both showed similarly. Drank with duck breast & tangerine sauce to which it matched impressively, cutting through the duck fat and coping well with the citrus touch. Still a powerful wine which comes into its own when matched to the right food and yet should cellar well for several years to come.
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Decanted for 3hrs, black fruit, plums and a little heat in the nose, dark fruits on the palate with coffee, mocha and a touch of vanilla. Some tannins to intergrate, however did not see anything special going on. Will check this out in a year or two.
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A great Napa Cab. This is still very youthful with abundant blackberry, cherry, and currants notes accompanied by fennel and vanilla. Surprisingly, I drank this over three days (storing in the refrigerator with Argon) and it kept improving each day.
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Very good effort for this wine. Lots of ripe berry fruit framed by some soft vanilla. I certainly don't get the tannins that a few other CT notes have mentioned. The finish is certainly dry but any tannic influence seems to be very nicely balanced and there's no real hard edges. We enjoyed this wine a lot.
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Rib Roast and Napa Cabs (Our House, San Diego, CA): Accidentally pulled the 2005 instead of the 2000. Rats. Nice fruit and good structure, but nowhere near ready. Fatal misstep. HAd the remainder of the bottle on Day 3 and didn't feel like as big of a bonehead. Mellowed and open, the wine displayed a lot more game-like flavors considering its varietal. Very good and can't wait to get to the 2000. Not sure if Insignia is worth the money after this experience.
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Strawberry nose. Lots of sweet fruit, strong tannins, but way too low on acidity. First impression was not balanced, needed decanting. Good mouthfeel, the fruit is well placed. Not the best vintage, was it?
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Fruit forward and quite approachable. Lots of cherry but still in balance with oak and vanilla. Tannins already mellowing but I still feel it has more potential in the coming years.
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Popped and poured. Drank over hours. Medium deep purple with cherry rim. Nose of black cherry, cedar, smoke. Medium to full palate of ripe blackberry, creme de cassis, vanilla, espresso, and a dash of bitters. Very good length. Refreshing acidity. Mild tannins. Wonderful balance. Drinking well now, but still youthful and vibrant.
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Inky purple color. Nose is of ripe candied fruits. Palate is tannic and needs time. Palate is a little herbal, but not too overwhelming. Fruits return on the finish.
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We drank over an entire day; decanted half and pour rest into jam jar with seal. Upon first open the wine was a bit tight. We decanted for one hour and the wine that we all loved opened to a first class cab. Smooth, silky, and spicey. The second half we finished 6 hours later with chocolate and fruit. Should be decanted for one hour or cellar longer. I will with my remaining stash.
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Genka Wine Fair: (tasted in gen.ka wine fair) This label is 94% Cabernet Sauignon and the rest 6% Petit Verdot and Merlot, it has spent 18 months in 50% new oak. It has a beautiful deep red color. Big and complex in the nose with lots of chocolate. Nice texture, very delicate and almost creamy in the mouth. The tannis are evident but quite round and finishes in a fruity medium aftertaste. It can be drunk now or stored away for another 5 years. It should be interesting to try a bottle after a few years.
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Very nice Cabernet. Blackcurrant, well integrated oak adding a nice touch of chocolate, and supple tannins. Very nice mouthfeel and complex enough to keep your interest.
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Not scored. Opened for some company and didn't pay close attention. I will say this seemed a little funky for a Joseph Phelps Cab and never seemed to unwind from a tight start.
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Impressively elegant and round, very old-world like but with the signature Napa fruit and silky tanins. An excellent cab for now or for the next 5-7 years.
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Nice new world style, with semi-jammy fruit, but good dryness still (firm tannins). Worth they money; I like this wine a lot (86.5). But not as good as a Grgich Cab, though cheaper.
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Deep, dark ruby red color. Nose is moody and dark with blue fruit, vanilla barrel, forest funk and dusty mocha... yum. On the palate, black current, raisin, licorice and with a rich, sweet mid-palate. Cherry liquor on the long finish. A really great wine that always pleases.
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I really like this wine, my scores consistently are higher than other posters. Decanted for an hour, enjoyed it along with a Groth Cab (90-91) over a couple of hours along with Joe. The wine changed over that period of time as we had some good cheese, and was really singing. Good value, great wine
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Decanted for 2 hours. Distinctive cola and red cherries on the nose. Good structure with current and chocolate. This is an excellent balance of tannins, fruit, and spice. The finish lingers nicely. Wonderful. In another year this could be extraordinary.
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Wine Education Service - The Napa Valley (LSE): Looking very dark and undeveloped. Lovely complex nose, balancing fruit with a bit of tobacco. Oaky fruit, with strong tannins, very youthful, spicy but smooth midpalate, quite long.
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Popped and poured. Dark purple with garnet rim. Nose of vanilla, cedar, black cherry. Full bodied palate of dark fruit, spice, cedar, licorice, and minerals. Long finish with a little chocolate. Smooth tannins. Pleasant acidity. Toasty oak. Should last several more years, but why wait?
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Deep, deep ruby and flashing some epic legs in the glass. Nose is big and full, packing black and red fruits in abundance with a dusting of dessicated coocnut. Walking a fine line between freshness and jamminess. Almost sinfully sweet and shamelessly fruity attack kept in check by a slightly drying moderate-to-long finish. A little one-dimensional maybe, and the party piece is definitely the fruit-forward attack, but there's a real sense of sunshine in a glass about this wine. Very easy to enjoy. If this Californian wine was a Hollywood movie star it would be Cyd Charisse in a boiler suit and sensible shoes...
EDIT : Have been advised via the forums to give this another hour or so to let it open up. Will revisit then, although it's rather good now...
EDIT II : Bravo. An excellent wine with additional nuances becoming apparent after an hour or two in the jug, although notes above are still pretty much in order. Maybe Cyd has ditched the sensible shoes for something slightly more exotic. Boiler suit remains however. Upgraded a point to 90
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Republic wines -- mostly CA cabs (Guild Office): Solid nose of chocolate, coffee and cherries. Palate is rocking -- with creamy cherries, chocolate and toasty oak. Great purity of flavor and balance. There's structure here, but an opulence as well. Outstanding! $45 retail.
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Popped and poured. Very enjoyable cab. Blackberry pie, a little chocolate fine tannins. This brought everything I like about CA Cab. It had an elegance about it. I didn't think it had a lot of stuffing for long term aging but it's delicious now.
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Medium purple in color. Nose reflects California pure Cab.. black currant, dark berries, some earth/smoke. Smooth on the palate, with quite a bit of oak and tannins. drinking well now with a rib eye steak..probably even better in a couple of years.
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A: Ox blood. N: Strangely overwhelming smell of clementines (citrus reticulata) and bananas foster. Toasted marshmallows, skunk and plumb. I do not know how we came up with this but we did. T: Blackberry pie, cedar and cassis (Ribes nigrum). F: Velvet glove. One of the longest finishes I recall in a wine in a long time. Warming, probably too hot in the alcohol. Little like biting into a grape seed, strong strong tanins. Almost a meaty wine. Overall: There is a lot going on in this wine. It is quite elegant. A crafted wine without holes. If I was to do this again I would wait several years before opening, give it more air and make sure it was supporting a meal. Not a wine to have by itself. V: 3/5
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Plummy, cedary aromas, beautiful dark ruby color, dusty tannins, rich and full feel on the tongue, just wish the alcohol would settle down. Give it plenty of air time, or keep it in the cellar for another year or two.
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Last time I tasted this was about a year ago and it has shed quite a bit of its baby fat since. Mild upfront fruit flavor which becomes more pronounced through a very solid, long finish. Drinking really nicely right now with a couple hour decant. Those who keep this a year or two more in their cellars will be rewarded!
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I went to my cellar to grab the 2003 Phelps but my labels were wrong and I did not realize I had opened and decanted the '05. I was a bit suspicious because this wine did taste young and the tannins made themselves known. Anyway, this wine opened up nicely, with some nice dark fruit and a medium finish. There was a tad too much oaky vanilla, that maybe 1-2 years in the bottle would have mellowed. Overall though a really nice effort by Phelps.
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There is alot going on in this one, its very BIG. Chocolaty and fruity. I decanted it for about an hour and then had with filet mignon. Very good but I was a bit dissapointed with the alcohol taste, I tasted the alcohol right at first and at the finish. I think this needs to lay down for at least a year or two and then it will be much better. I had a previous bottle at a restaraunt, just popped and poured and it was fantastic so I am thinking dont decant this baby next time.
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Had with filet at the keg restaurant. Cherries and licorice on the nose with a soft medium bodied mouth feel. tannins were building with air. Very good wine and drinking well now.
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Opened this wine and began drinking almost immediately. Haven't had this vingtage since tasting at the vineyard last May. As young as this wine is, it is tasing great right now, but will definitely get better with age.
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This wine was rich and inviting on the nose hinting at dark fruits and forest floor. Showed a glimmer of green pepper but in a subtle and attractive way. Full bodied with intense currant and sweet plum fruit. Great balance and a pleasure to drink. Ended with a medium finish reminiscent of the dark fruits with a bit of licorice.
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Popped and poured at a restaurant with a friend. Fruit filled nose of cherry and hints of chocolate?. Well balanced wine and drinking extremely well despite its young age.
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A very nice bottle of wine. It has deep, dark color with dark fruit and licorice on the palate. It is very well balanced wine, with very low levels of tannins. I wonder how well it will age. It may be in its peak in another year or two.
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Gorgeous red plum color with graphite and spice on the nose. Loads of minerals and "Napa Dust" mix with red currant and a hint of plum in the mouth. Nice finish with balanced tannins. We drank this undecanted in a direct pour. This one needs to rest for a couple years and be decanted for a couple of hours prior to serving. Potential for an easy 90+ after it unwinds a bit.
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decanted half the bottle and let the rest set overnight in the sealed bottle. spicy with ample fruit on the nose. cherry, leather and currant. dark ruby color. smell is excellent, palate not as robust as the 05 insignia. great wine for the price.
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Velvety with hints of vanilla, lightly oaked, toast, nice tanins, good balance long finish, dark chocolate and minerality. Died a little bit after a while.
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Served too cold but i survived. Black fruits dominated the nose. I expect was muted because of temperature. Juicy midpalate with not much compexity. Smooth finish with decent acidity but nothing like first bottle I had at restaurant. How do they do it.
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Dark ruby in color, with perfumed aromas of white flowers and cedar spice. Vibrant palate of high pitched blue fruit, blackcurrant, violets, dark chocolate, tar, and a creamy layer of rich vanilla showing through the medium tannins. Though still young, very approachable now. 14.5% alcohol.
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Had at Keg Reastaurant for 65 dollars which I thought was very reasonable. Red fruit nose with some plum and chocolate. Wonderfully approachable and silky smooth in the mouth. A bit one dimensional but delicious none the less. Chocolate covered cherry finish. Very nice effort.
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Pebble Beach Food and Wine; 3/27/2008-3/30/2008 (Pebble Beach Resort, CA): Nose almost sweet with cassiss and cherries. Palate is smooth, firm and slightly drying with lots of earth, flint and mocha and some oak that's a bit overdone and intrusive. medium finish. OK, but not great for the price.
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Fruity and jammy, berry, very forward Cabernet. Well put together, but nothing fabulous about it. Decanted for 1.5 hours. It went great with steak. It does not quite deserve a 90. There is better out there for less money. This is not in the same league as Insignia or Backus
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Straightforward cab; medium-bodied and balanced; blackberry and chocolate on the nose; chewy texture, ripe fruit with some minerals; somewhere in between cali cab and bordeaux.
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A rich bouquet of cinnamon, spice, licorice, graphite and caramel are followed by integrated layers of cherry, currant, fresh cream and balanced, sweet tannin, all of which contribute to a youthful, bright, multi-layered wine.
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Joseph Phelps Vineyards Visit (St. Helena, Napa Valley): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot. Deep purple color. Full bodied with notes of cassis and plum. Slightly behind the 1999 and 2002 in my opinion. 89-90 points
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this was outstanding, especially for such a young wine, decanted for an hour and fruit came out, this is great value. I was a little surprised at how well it is drinking right now, interesting to see how it matures
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Sampled at a wine tasting last night. It was good and compared favorably to most of the other offerings. I have had numerous vintages before and have not been disappointed by Joseph Phelps.
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Joseph Phelps Winery (Napa Valley, CA): I was told that this was just bottled recently, so it may still be suffering from bottle shock. Notes of red fruits, stem, and cedar. No rating.
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11/20/2023 - Livermore Dan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good for an old Cab. Had a ‘99 not long ago and that was definitely past its peak. The ‘05 was maybe just starting the decline and still very good. Lot of fruit. Decanted for awhile.
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2/2/2023 - Twowinechicks Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cork broke while opening, so we decanted it (we may well have decanted anyway). Dark ruby red, notes of balsam, cedar, hints of oak/vanilla, and spice. Medium bodied, still has plenty of fruit, and all nicely integrated, quite smooth, albeit a bit muddy. The alcohol becomes more predominant over time, leaving a sharper note on the finish.
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8/23/2022 - oakville72 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Densely colored with a touch of browning. Typical mid-valley Napa Cab with some Rutherford dust + too little acid + too much alcohol (14.5%) for the structure. Nevertheless, a good Napa Cab at its peak. Could use less power and more finesse, but I guess this is the way Phelps (and many others) made their Cabs in the mid-2000s.
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7/2/2022 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 91 Points
Like my Feb 2021 note, don't feel the need to really add much more here: still holding on though clearly near the end of peak drinking, arguably past. Nose is very soft, a bit of earthiness with light acidic notes and a little heat. Palate much more forceful; initially just secondary elements of oak and cassis, but developed nicely over the evening. We didn't decant but drank over a few hours and it developed much more complexity toward the end, especially some of the previously missing fruit finally showing up. Notched up my score from a likely 89 when initially opened.
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6/22/2022 - Nolch wrote: 96 Points
Cannot elaborate on the many previous comments, only to add that it is still holding beautifully in Yr. 2022.
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12/27/2021 - Rixon wrote: 88 Points
Medel+ strävhet fortfarande. Visst finns det kvar lite klassiska cab-aromer med vinbär i spetsen. Men vinet har tyvärr passerat sin peak och börjar bli lite i obalans - struktur av syra och tannin är intakt medan frukten är på avtagande. Hittar tyvärr heller inga angenäma tertiära aromer.
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7/18/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2008 Ken Wright Pinots (Fontina’s Italian Kitchen (MiY)): Popped and poured. Black fruit, cassis and violets. Softened tannins. Black fruit; balanced. In a great place and should hold here for a while. (KH)
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2/14/2021 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 91 Points
With 423 tasting notes, I'm not sure there's much that I can add, so just quickly: still holding up nicely, both color and nose showing the age, but still definitely has some life left in it, particularly if you have a well stored bottle. Secondary elements of ripe raspberry, cedar, smoke with medium/soft tannins. Waxy viscosity makes for a nice lingering finish. Still very nice, but drink up !
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11/18/2020 - Darwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of dark fruit, cocoa and leather. Taste of dark fruit with dark plum and black cherry with a beautiful finish of cherry and cocoa. Tannins were elegant! A beautiful Napa Cabernet.
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9/5/2020 - RD59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still wonderful colour, brilliant mid-ruby, bluish tones. Surprisingly young with plenty of fruit expressed and tanins well rounded by now. Not super long but still classic cab. Good surprise!!
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7/30/2020 - Cpoke Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is still outstanding! If you have any, consume.
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5/25/2020 - 33Bob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine is a little past its prime - still has nice aroma and mouth feel, but flat tannins and not much left on the after taste
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4/10/2020 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was worried this might be well past it’s prime but not at all. Will easily last another 5+ years and more if cellared properly. The nose is of medley of ripe sweet juicy red fruits. On the palette it was the same as the nose. An aged delicious well made napa can sav. Still slightly tannic. Didn’t decant and will try again tomorrow. Only downside was a broken cork but otherwise pairs perfectly with grilled rib eyes, baby back ribs, bbq chicken and smokies. No social distancing between grilled meats and Jospeh Phelps.
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3/21/2020 - bigbass250 Likes this wine:
neutral on first taste will try again tonight to see if it opened up, 3/22 never tasted such an amazing transformation, was totally not expecting this to be so good tonight, when I went back and read some of the other tasting notes I knew I must be missing something
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12/25/2019 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 91 Points
Main course is a Beef Tenderloin Roast with Rosemary, Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes, Sautéed Greens. The beef is among the most tender (cut it with a fork) & flavorful we’ve had.
From magnum. The nose shows; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, some graphite, cigar, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender.
The body full, lush & thick. The tannins, rounded, tarry and velvety chewy. The structure & tension have hit its stride but, a little leaner than I’m used to in a Phelps Cabernet. The length and balance are exactly what I expect from them. It’s elegant, ripe & juicy. Dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, plum, anise to black licorice, cinnamon, soft clove, vanilla, nutmeg, dry soils, dry crushed rocks, moist clay some graphite, cigar, leather, limestone, dry herbs, dark, rich earth, blue/purple fruit cola, very soft dark spice with blue and purple florals set in lavender. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The long finish is delicious and persists into a dark spice.
Perfect with Hedy’s Boeuf.
Wine is peaking in Magnum with another 5-8 years ahead.
The “Truth” which, is the very bottom, concentrated part of the bottle is a 93.
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6/3/2018 - mvande21 wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple with no degradation in color. Black fruits, chocolate on the nose. Primary fruit intact with good acidity and balance. Medium/full body with integrated tannins and a medium finish. Good, but expected more density, complexity and structure from Phelps. I think the 05 Innisfree is better for less $.
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12/30/2017 - Ramberg wrote: 78 Points
Not much has changed at all, at least not to the better, since my last bottle four years ago.
A tiresome over expensive, over manipulated and over the top US Cab., missing any finesse and class.
It’s all in there, and then I mean all…but the good things.
Goddamn!
All - in, just artificial over extracted over concentrated and manipulated jammy sweet fruit with enormous amounts of ugly wood and alcohol.
What’s the point?
Why even bother making this stuff?
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12/20/2017 - wythes Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking much better than the CellarTracker rating. The bottle we opened up tonight still has some legs to run with. I’d say 2019 would be a better “end date” for this wine. Lots of lush flavors, not too acidic. Tannins in check. Paired it with some black cod which was a mistake but the wine was a hit nonetheless.
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10/9/2017 - kdubler wrote:
Drank with dinner. It was still very fruity and I was surprised that is has not taken on more secondary notes and earthiness. Black fruit with medium acid and tannins that have softened, but still have a little grip. Not a lot of experience with Napa Cab with a few more years on it, but it was a good wine. Not a bad wine, but was hoping it would gain depth with age and it did not appear to change that much...
This was also from a 375ml...
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7/14/2017 - chiefilliniboy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Could not have been happier with the bottle. well rounded yet bold, seemed to be right in the zone.
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3/29/2017 - wythes wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm. Didn't love this wine. Maybe it's seen better days. Little to no nose and a 'meh' taste. Sorry to report this as I would have expected more from Phelps.
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2/24/2017 - Jerry 3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
great wine with baked oysters and a very tender steak.. smooth with still lots of fruit and body. we have one bottle left and plan to drink it this year since others are saying it's almost peaked.
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8/18/2016 - joseduca Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular effort with a deep and complex nose; definitely benefitted from aging 10+ years; very solid Cab that shines with red meat.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis) and forest floor. The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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4/23/2016 - Swekman wrote: 86 Points
This Cabernet has nose of black pepper, cherries, tobacco, leather, and blackberries. The tannins are pronounced and the finish lingers on the palate; yet, it could be more refined. Seem to remember throwing out a bottle of this when it was drunk young. The wine is decent though not awe inspiring.
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3/3/2016 - rbradleypate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank over a few days... Kept improving with each pour. Notes of cassis and graphite on the nose. Palate was smooth with hints of chocolate, leather, and oak. Tannins were soft and well integrated. A very enjoyable wine, but it amazes me the lack of depth when compared to insignia.
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11/28/2015 - Mpiche Likes this wine:
Great wine. Had it with dinner at the club with the family.
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10/3/2015 - RobSpectator Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still has some time in the bottle if cellared properly.
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9/13/2015 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bu juste après le Montevetrano... Ce californien était bien supérieur à mon goût! Débouché et servi immédiatement, il a enchanté par ses arômes de fruits rouges, sa rondeur, sa complexité et sa très belle finale.
Aucune lourdeur malgré son taux d'alcool affiché à 14.5%, il a procuré de belles satisfactions olfactives à tous.
Je pense qu'il a encore suffisamment de réserves pour tenir 5-10 ans.
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6/19/2015 - The Raven Likes this wine: 90 Points
A milder cab with a wonderful taste.
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5/23/2015 - Winiac wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful medium body cab. Well balanced and clean.
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4/19/2015 - JPPeterson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for about three hours - little sediment.
A nose of mature Cabernet and a nice touch of barnyard.
Inky dark with no bricking.
Balanced flavors of leather, ripe dark red fruit, resolved tannin with a hint of tar. Seems to be at peak right about now.
Very smooth. Opened as a testament to Joseph Phelps who died late last week at age 87.
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4/11/2015 - jtaylor3 wrote:
done. nice bouquet but flat with no palate left to match expectation
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4/10/2015 - millerarner Likes this wine: 91 Points
More vegetal/herbal than some recently consumed Napa cabs of similar vintage & pedigree, but just as enjoyable. Feels like this has hit its peak. The fruit, oak & tannin are all well integrated. Has a distinct note of eucalyptus (almost minty) that adds character.
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4/4/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 91 Points
A beautiful mid level Napa Cabernet.
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3/14/2015 - binny5222 Likes this wine:
Consumed with CN, PM and Jim for steak and cab night. was dynamite! Very good fruit soft tannis. Wine was at its peak. Wish I had more.
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3/7/2015 - ReidCellar wrote: 93 Points
Excellent! Well maybe because I was supposed to be backpacking and eating freeze dried food, but instead am enjoying this with a NY Strip.
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3/1/2015 - jhemming wrote: 91 Points
Pleasant surprise. Showed very well with a little air. Dark fruits dominate with floral and cedar notes. On the palate surprisingly fresh with unexpected bright red fruits and toffee / tobacco. Silky tannins with streaking acidity. No bitter or hot notes appreciated.
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2/19/2015 - geodog wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Beautiful nose, soft tannins, great legs. Cherry at the start with fruit continuing thru the finish. Perfect with a New York strip!
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1/20/2015 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Nice from start. Great nose, structure and legs. Great finish. In form, drinkning nicely. Finished day 3 and was really nice.
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1/15/2015 - hoops92 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Napa Cab. Drinking well, near peak, but will move my window back to 2016 on the last 2 bottles.
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12/24/2014 - smithto Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well and likely still has a full years to go. Solid effort, but not the best I have had from J. Phelps.
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12/23/2014 - budh wrote:
From a magnum. Fading garnet color. Fruit also seems to be fading. Some plum/prune, cassis, licorice, leather, menthol. Nice, fairly smooth, but a bit hot. Finishes with a lingering chalky note. I think it needs more time to integrate a bit more, but with the fading fruit and color, I'm not sure how much longer this will go.
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12/13/2014 - Alcontd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red - nose was red fruit, cherry, a little spice. Taste was soft tannins, cherry, earth and spice. Decanted for about an hour.
Not sure this will last more than a year or two - and this was a magnum.
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12/7/2014 - annerk wrote: 90 Points
50+5+12+16+7 Ruby red with slight rim variation. Decanted for three hours. Notes of ripe black fruits, leather, graphite, vanilla, spice, cola. Full bodied, medium acid. This was my last one, I would probably age for another 2-4 then drink em if you've got em.
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12/4/2014 - J2K wrote:
Lots of leather and cedar wood aroma, more of the same on the palate, overwhelming in fact, medium tannins and decent acidity but was expecting more fruit and vanilla. Let air for a while but not much change
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8/24/2014 - agebob wrote: 87 Points
Unfortunately past it's peak. Mellow with some black and more red fruit present. Obviously a good wine in it's prime - just wished I had consumed it while it was younger.
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8/24/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1hr, flowery nose, currants, cassis, plums, great balance, dry, fully integrated, very nice showing, unfortunately my last bottle. I would drink them sooner than later!
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5/31/2014 - bryon m wrote: 89 Points
Good color and body. Light berry flavors from start to finish.
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5/26/2014 - Foster wrote: 92 Points
Showing beautifully on this night, much better than last bottle in '09. Dark fruit and tobacco on the nose. Full bodied, medium acid, concentrated dark fruit. Balance is great with firm structure, but silky smooth tannins. Wish I had more.
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5/25/2014 - jimmyrice14 wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking great...big fruit, full bodied. Very short decant needed.
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5/12/2014 - DecoEd wrote: 93 Points
Drink up.
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5/10/2014 - Sjccmember wrote: 92 Points
Very well balanced. Light on the nose with berry and dark fruit. Time is now to enjoy. Might be losing steam.
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5/3/2014 - moxielady wrote: 89 Points
Needs some decanting still but reasonably balanced fruit and tannin after some air. Light oak and vanilla.
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4/28/2014 - ragtop wrote: 94 Points
- Brick color. It's balanced with a full body with a long finish.
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4/22/2014 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 90 Points
Second much better..lamb worked better with this...really good example of Napa Cab
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2/24/2014 - JPPeterson wrote: 89 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant, cherry, oak and cedar. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant, cherry and dusty with a medium body. Smooth texture - Had with grilled beef. Decanted for about an hour, Slight sediment. This was very good but did not have the same spark that other bottles have had. Maybe it's in a dumb phase or needed more time to open up. I have more and will compare but I do not think I'll be opening one real son.
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2/22/2014 - JPPeterson wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry, black currant, oak, cedar and vanilla. It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, black currant, cherry and oak with a full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Took to Seasons 52 with Hamricks. Decanted, but not long enough: needs an hour+. Very nice wine and always a pleasure to drink. Dark garnet, little if any sediment.
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1/11/2014 - Sonoffalstaff wrote: 88 Points
Well made but a bit uninspiring. Good colour nose and taste but left me wondering where is the complexity
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1/3/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
This Napa Cab was perfect last night with NY sirloin steak. Dark fruits mild spice with rounded tannins and a nice finish. In a good place now.
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12/28/2013 - JPPeterson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful wine; had with grilled beef filet. Decanted for an hour and could have used two!
The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), Cherry, Plum, Oak, and Vanilla. It tastes like Blackberry, Black currant (cassis), Cherry, Forest floor, Medium Toast, Cedar, Oak, Vanilla, and Lead Pencil. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Round texture. The wine finishes Long.
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12/25/2013 - Pckjr74 wrote: 93 Points
Merry Christmas to ME!
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11/13/2013 - mikeojohnson wrote:
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11/4/2013 - gmbdds wrote: 89 Points
Currant, blackberry and bell pepper notes with integrated tannins. Should drink well for a few more years.
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11/4/2013 - nbowen wrote: 90 Points
Read reviews. Thought this was going to be on the softer side, having reached or passed its peak. Bottle opened slowly but after an hour of air, came into its own. Tannins are mostly gone at this point but after that magic hour of air time, the fruit grew and was a really enjoyable cab.
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10/27/2013 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Currant, cassis, plum, vanilla, hints of cedar, fully intergrated tannins. This bottle was ready and paired well with prime ribeye.
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9/30/2013 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Nice from start. Great nose, structure and legs. Great finish. In form, drinkning nicely.
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9/14/2013 - domco wrote:
From magnum. Drinking very well right now. Still a lot of dark fruit, but very well balanced and oh so smooth.
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9/10/2013 - Calhounmi wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed this wine. Fruit forward and mellowed out to a nice rounded finish.
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9/9/2013 - JPPeterson wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of licorice anise, cloves, oak, cedar and cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of oak, cedar, cherry and black currant with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Had with grilled prime rib-eye, garlic grilled potatoes and braised Brussels sprouts. This wine is drinking very, very nicely after a two hour decant. No sediment at all. I am happy to have several more in the cellar. 90% Cabernet, 6% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot.
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8/11/2013 - Ramberg wrote: 86 Points
Dark and dense, sweet & fruity nose.
Same on the palate.
Another all – in, heavy and sweet jammy alcohol hot lemonade over done half monster Cali Cab.
Maybe it will turn into something different in 15 years, but there is no structure or finesse at all in this bottle.
Went okay with a charcoal grilled juicy steak, but still, where is the finesse in this?
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7/15/2013 - RobSpectator wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well now. A beautiful bouquet of layers starting with casis, blackberry and Carmel-vanilla creme-brûlée. A complex palate with smooth but firm tannins well balanced with fruit and acid. Excellent integration of oak. Blackberry, roasted coffee and spice on the finish. Phelps has the recipe down well!
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7/6/2013 - DLacki wrote: 88 Points
I waited a little too long to open this up. Alcohol was a little overpowering for my taste. Drink now if you have it.
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5/26/2013 - Gordianbar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very smooth, opened up more as time went on, did not decant.
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5/20/2013 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 89 Points
nothing special ... just solid no surprises napa floor blend
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5/18/2013 - IGN WINESNOB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and v'd. Nice. Great color and legs. Solid for $. Phelps is just a great place for RED!
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5/12/2013 - markcic wrote: 90 Points
The nose was dark fruits, the palate, dark berries, tobacco and some molasses, medium finsh - drinking real well now
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5/12/2013 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
black currant, mineral, black tea, integrated oak; good albeit slightly rustic acidity.
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5/9/2013 - JPPeterson wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of cedar, vanilla, blackberry and black currant. It's balanced and has flavours of cedar, blackberry and black currant with a full body. Round texture with a medium finish - BYOB to Range in DC. Very nice cab drinking very well.
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5/4/2013 - lzelman wrote: 89 Points
Good but not great. Went well with steak and pork chops at dinner.
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5/4/2013 - Bodyfxr wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for roughly 30 minutes, however could have just as well popped and poured. Very strong hints of currents and cassis on the nose. This wine was served with grilled lamb chops. Somewhat fruit forward with some heat and oak in the middle and a rather sharp finish. I expected more from this wine.
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5/1/2013 - rtd3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Black currant (cassis), Raspberry, Blackberry, Black Pepper, Cedar, and Mineral AND Chocolate. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, Prune, Cherry, and Sandalwood. The body is Medium. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Medium.
Beautiful wine upon opening... no decant.
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4/7/2013 - monk1019 wrote: 94 Points
Full, chewy, rich & decadent! Shared three ways post dinner! Like a smooth velvety desert (without the gooey sweet)! Wish I had another to put against a juicy steak!!
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3/16/2013 - fmoehl@yahoo.com wrote: 91 Points
Yummy Cab
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1/12/2013 - ctjared Likes this wine:
This is drinking spectacularly well.
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12/25/2012 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 89 Points
Solid wine but decanting helped. I think this wine needs to be consumed soon, as it does not have the strength of Insignia.
But overall a nice wine with ligh tannins
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12/15/2012 - spudwax wrote: 91 Points
Ouvert 2h avant le service et laissé en bouteille. Le fruit était toujours très présent du côté nez et en bouche. Le côté boisé était beaucoup plus intégré que lors de mes expériences passées avec ce vin. L'évolution lui a été bénéfique mais je ne crois pas qu'il va beaucoup s'améliorer avec le temps. Sur un plateau de plusieurs années.
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10/29/2012 - JSOL wrote: 88 Points
More open than the 2008 but also a bit one-dimensional with less impressive fruit.
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10/17/2012 - Yelm wrote: 93 Points
This cab is hitting in within all aspect of flavor profile. And smooth? Oh, yes! If you have more in your future, you truly are fortunate.
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9/23/2012 - Wino Laurie wrote: 94 Points
Agree with the prior reviewers. Thoroughly enjoyed this Cab. It exhibited lush dark fruit with hints of dark chocolate. We decanted for just an hour, opening the wine beautifully. Velvety finish. Wsh we had more to enjoy!
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9/10/2012 - Khamen wrote: 93 Points
No decant. Just sometimes you get a bottle that wildly exceeds expectations. Well either this is one of the most under-priced wines in the world, or we caught this particuar bottle at its perfect moment. Clean blackcurrant/cedar nose mingled with a big chocoate fudge sundae. Seemless palate of rich dark fruit with just the first hint of secondary coplexities. Completely seemless from attack through to finish - stewed fig, chocolate, sweet dark fruit and a kiss of oak. Long and deep finish with a sprinkling of powdered cocoa. Not the most complex but well rounded, thoroughly delicious and as easy to love as a daft puppy.
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9/1/2012 - gajalaa wrote: 89 Points
Drinking well
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8/31/2012 - Taylor56 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 60 minutes. Nice drinker but nothing exciting.
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7/29/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was ready for action tonight, smooth and lush, great balance, currants, cassis, plum, dill, hints of dark choclate and vanilla. A delight!
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7/12/2012 - VAD wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well right now. Had with a filet mignonette and t was excellent.
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6/28/2012 - handlera wrote: 92 Points
Tannins have softened nicely and the bottle is drinking really well. Popped and poured. Raspberry flavors.
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6/18/2012 - spretzer wrote: 90 Points
enjoyed with the bells. I was on call so very little more than a nose for me. they were happy
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6/12/2012 - Decant it wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color with slow forming legs and aromas of black currant and blackberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, blackberry, oak and vanilla with a full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Enjoyed this beautiful Napa Cab with my friend J.C. from Oakville. Decanted for an hour and it continued to improve over the next hour and a half. Complemented a great surf and turf dinner, although this one could have been enjoyed on its own as it demonstrated some great bordeuax finese. JP never disappoints!
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5/20/2012 - DougB2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very delicious wine with Plum, chocolate, and Cassis (Blackberry). Went well with grilled sirloin, pasta salad with tomatoes and broccoli. Fresh strawberries for dessert. Yummy!
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5/19/2012 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Clear dark purple in colour, with some slight brick colour starting to show. Clean nose of cedar, cassis, and leather. Dry, med acidity, smooth strong tannins, med body, cedar, leather, black fruits, and spice on palate. med+ finish. Vibrant fruit, but lots of the other flavours are starting to shine through. This wine is drinking really well right now. I had a bottle 3 years ago and it was nice, but this is drinking much better now. Still will cellar for some time, but hard to believe it will get much better. Wish I had more of this in the cellar to test my theory.
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5/6/2012 - RBOND wrote: 90 Points
Drank after a Grgich Hills Estate 2005 so not really fair. but on its own it would have been a good wine. Lots of fruit with a great nose. Somewhat bitter and not sure if it will ever get any better. Typoical Joseph Phelps.
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5/4/2012 - MoreWinePlease wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red w/almost no bricking. Nose of cherry/berry/cassis following into a flavor profile of the same along with a plummy quality in addition to the cassis. Rich full bodied mouthfeel, nicely integrated oak/tannins offering up a satisfying if not overly long finish. Good stuff, nice development. 2-5yrs of good life left.
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4/23/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous bottles.
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4/22/2012 - Bandreas wrote: 88 Points
Deep dark red, garnet at the rim with purple tinge.
On the nose big and fat Cab. impression, dark berry fruit, some tannin
On the palate full bodied, some tannin and some acidity. Nice balance, well rounded with some angularity left.
A bit short at the end.
Probably can use another couple of years to fully round out. Not a bad wine.
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4/10/2012 - atwkite wrote: 92 Points
Wow,did this perform well! 1 hr decant and this was just wonderful. Subtle nose of red / black fruit with a hint of earth and oak. Fabulous integration of muted dark fruit, tannin and acidity on the front end and mid palate, delivering just the right balance of fruit and structure. Smooth and delicate on the finish with just a bit of tannin and acidity breaking through. This is classic Phelps, and is drinking better now than a few years ago.
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3/28/2012 - vine20 wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet color with a bit of alcohol and a full red fruit nose and. Black cherries, black berries, black currants in a rounded fruit presentation with some cassis, pepper spice and earth. Tannins seemed a bit strong yet.
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3/8/2012 - WylbeByte wrote: 90 Points
Lots of fruit and medium tannins. Drinking nicely right now. Medium finish.
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3/3/2012 - Dbader wrote: 90 Points
Very balanced. Not too much fruit or oak. Went well with shish kabobs.
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2/24/2012 - bryon m wrote: 89 Points
The past two weekends our travel youth hockey team played in 6 games in two cities. The parents consummed many wines partially from my cellar. A quick rundown: Phelps Napa 05 - Nice wine with aa touch of vanilla, color, body intact. The 06 was slightly better. The 06 Merlot similar wine with less complexity. The Mondavi Napa 08 Cab is drinking really well - Soft, complex flavors perfect color and body. The Mondavi Oakville's (04 and 06) were VERY dry, more oak and less fruit. Still a good wine, color and body were in good shape. The 689 was very nice, different in flavor profile then the others - color was perfect the body was slightly lighter.
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2/18/2012 - tommydiesel wrote: 90 Points
tasted side by side with the '04. Hard to tell apart. Still youthfull.
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1/14/2012 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 89 Points
standard fare Napa Cab ... nothing odd, nothing surprising ... i drank a bit on the cold side, so i'm thinking the 2nd glass will be better
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1/2/2012 - SFortier wrote: 89 Points
Great nose but too much vanilla in the mouth. OK with food. Need time (I hope the fruits will hold...).
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12/24/2011 - kennyg wrote: 92 Points
Extremely well balanced with modest fruit, mellowed tannins and mild acidity. Went terrifically with beef tenderloin. A nice QPR in the napa cab world. Not a Knock your socks off cab, but very solid
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12/11/2011 - jrobs7777 wrote: 90 Points
Nice standard California cab. Good amount of oak notes, but nice mocha and darker fruit. Smooth and lush. Good price point.
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12/5/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this has really improved over the past 16 months! The nose is somewhat tight and squeezes out some violets, beets and flint. The palate is worlds different with expressive lush dark fruits (black cherry, blackberry) but not sweet. Envelops the tongue with a silky texture and fine balance. Long finish of round tannins, black tea and dark chocolate shavings. The structure hints that its got years left and does well with the right foods. Good both day one and two.
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11/26/2011 - hoservin wrote: 90 Points
Opened bottle for 1 hour, and decanted for 1.5 hours. Black currant, cherry, vanilla, and spice notes. Dark fruit and mild tannins on the mid-palate; leading to a long, soft finish. A fruit forward style and enjoyable. Paired well with beef tenderloin and a mustard cognac sauce.
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11/5/2011 - Russfrancis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic color - a dark red cherry. Enjoyed this wine a LOT. Ate it with a lamb and potato stew and cauliflower.
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11/5/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
Very solid Napa cab, probably at its very best right now. Dark purple. Liquorice, anise, blackberry, cedar and capsicum on the nose. Full-bodied and round, with excellent, ultra-soft tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Long aftertaste.
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11/4/2011 - bryon m wrote: 90 Points
Good color and body. Nice Berry fruit upfront. The flavors last through the finish. Nice wine not fantastic. This is age worthy, not getting better but will last a while longer.
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10/29/2011 - awilliamson4 wrote: 91 Points
Great classic Napa Cab style. A bit of alcohol at first but that blew off after about an hour decant. This was really integrated the fruit, some vanilla, and oak. Just really nice.
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10/22/2011 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Currant/cassis and smoke in the nose. Tannins have soften, with smooth black fruits and a good dose of oak on the palate. Good, but nothing special!
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8/28/2011 - random wrote: 90 Points
Good Phelps cab. Not the best I've had from them but solid. Dark currant fruit. Good nose, good structure.
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7/5/2011 - pc1981 wrote: 91 Points
drinking very well right now
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7/3/2011 - quedokhun wrote: 92 Points
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6/23/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 92 Points
1 Hour decant. Big nose of black fruits, licorice and vanilla. Blackberry and cassis with vanilla and a little bell pepper with a long dark chocolate finish. Tannins still present but drinking very well at this point. 05 is easily my favorite recent vintage in CA.
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6/13/2011 - JCaress wrote: 93 Points
Drinking superbly. Great dark berry and chocolate fruit, long and lingering finish. Great with a NY steak, onions and broiled carrots.
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6/5/2011 - drphil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Royal purple color. Big oak barrel aroma with some cherry. Lots of dark cherry and cassis on the palate. Big, bold, and nicely balanced.
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6/5/2011 - Plasters wrote:
Rod and I shared in Dallas. Tasty bold flavors and a smooth finish.
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5/31/2011 - Jolynch57 wrote: 97 Points
Very nice
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5/15/2011 - gschneider wrote: 91 Points
Pleasing and a great QPR
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5/15/2011 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 90 Points
Drinking VERY well right now. More balance between fruit, acid and structure - almost French in style.
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5/10/2011 - gmbdds wrote: 89 Points
Very aromatic nose, I was able to pick it up several feet away. Notes of currant, blackberry with bell pepper sneaking in. This was better than my other memories (non-scored) of this wine but still a bit disjointed.
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4/30/2011 - DTWOB wrote: 91 Points
Tight after decanting. Opened up about 90 min later. Lots of nose, flavor and complexity. I really like this profile.
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3/27/2011 - GibsonHyde wrote: 90 Points
Needed a full 2 hours to open
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3/13/2011 - FieldingYost wrote: 89 Points
Black plum, black cherry, a bit candied, with mocha and oak on the nose. This is dense and chewy, with layers of wood, chocolate, and fruit, and an a ten-second finish. The fruit is muted by the structure, and the wood, at this point, but this is very good, although a bit over-oaked, and quite ripe.
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3/6/2011 - iwadasn wrote: 89 Points
Fruity nose, very plummy, ripe fruit. Very drinkable and smooth. Mild hints of chocolate and raisins, but mostly just pure flavor. Delightful. Same reaction to second bottle opened a few weeks later. A little sweet, strong base of plums and black cherries.
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2/26/2011 - Hawk94 wrote: 91 Points
Deep dark red, impressive bouquet loaded with wild cheery, blackberry. Full body, very concentrated, firm tannins, chewy, blackberry, rasper berry, licorice, very oaky, still very young, some rough edges, after taste is long but a bit coarse.
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2/26/2011 - BMG Wine wrote: 90 Points
This showed much better this time after the Ehlers 1886. I do believe the Bordeaux which preceded it last time skewed my score. It was right at home after another Cali Cab. Perfect transition with Cassis, blueberry and pencil on the nose. Very well integrated and the palate was smooth as silk. Shame it's my last bottle. Don't underestimate how much the context of other wines can affect your perceptions.
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12/30/2010 - BMG Wine wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple to very dark ruby at the edge. Super extracted on the nose and palate. Black fruit, pencil, coffee and chocolate. 3rd btl opened after two 2000 vintage Bordeaux. Not the best transition of course. May need to revisit the score after drinking the other half of the bottle on New Year's Eve.
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12/24/2010 - TuckerTini wrote: 90 Points
Nose like its big brother, and drinking very well. A bit fruit forward, but the oak, tannins, and cab fruits are reasonably well integrated for the price point. I've had $100 bottles that this could hold its own with. Points off just for a bit fruit forward and a commercial cab finish that is less than elegant. Great deal at $40. Ready to drink.
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12/24/2010 - wineward wrote: 89 Points
Nose of blackberry. palate of cherry, currant and plenty of oak. Some espresso and bitterness, a hint of licorice. Should drink earlier rather than later.
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12/21/2010 - mjsherwin68 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured what turned out to be a very all around enjoyable wine. It is a little pricey at $55, but am looking forward to seeing how it is on day two.
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12/13/2010 - Wink wrote: 91 Points
My last bottle. Always a winner.
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12/11/2010 - psoals wrote: 91 Points
The wine is in an awesome place right now, and might have even outshown a bottle of 06 Lewelling consumed on the same evening.
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11/27/2010 - brigcampbell wrote:
The girls (Gloria and Chris) had completely lost interest as Walt and I worked away on the white bottle. Wasn't long before we heard "yeah, can you open a cab for us?" Sure we can.
This bottle was very impressive, you know there's something special coming. And that hasn't always been the case for me, last bottle didn't impress but maybe there's bottle variation.
But this was a classic big cali cab with dark fruit, oak, vanilla, cedar, and lots of complexity with a medium/+ finish.
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10/2/2010 - dgrixti wrote: 90 Points
The wine looks Crimson colored.
It smells like Blackberry, and Cedar.
It tastes like Chocolate, and Espresso.
The body is Medium/Full.
The wine is textured Round.
The wine finishes Medium.
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9/30/2010 - masonjp wrote: 92 Points
For some reason this wine was signing tonight. Took about a half an hour to open up and then it was beautiful.
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9/28/2010 - MusicAndWines wrote: 88 Points
Nothing spectacular. Took a good hour to open up. I did not take notes, so nothing too descriptive here.
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9/25/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle opened up with aromas of plum, raisin and chocolate. With time hints of sea air, chalk dust and undergrowth came forward, which added a great deal to its complexity. On the palate, I found black currants and cinnamon with a hint of green bell pepper, which led to a long rich dark chocolate covered cherry finish.
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9/5/2010 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous note(s). Time to drink up. This is still really good, but may start to fade in the next year or two.
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9/3/2010 - toddmk wrote: 90 Points
A good wine but not a knock your socks off wine. Can definitely find better wine at the same price point but good nonetheless. Nose had cassis, black currant and some alcohol. Good dark fruit on the palate but the balance was just OK...a little too much alcohol/heat and lacking some acidity. The finish was average length (30 seconds or so). I have a bottle of the 2006 vintage which I am curious to try in the next year or so. The 2005 is definitely ready to drink now as the tannins are well integrated straight out of the bottle. However, we did have some wine left over after the first night and tried it again two nights later...it was still drinking well which is a good sign that this wine might still hold well for a couple years.
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8/15/2010 - vintage61 wrote: 89 Points
Paxton visit. Drank at Jon Polito's. A bit of a poor showing for this wine. Jon served it after a big Aussie Shiraz is proibably what hurt it. Color still dark to the rim, nose restrained and flavor weak. Too many possible variables to nail down for sure.
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7/3/2010 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
Would have scored lower day one as it was thin, hot, oaky and out of balance. On day 2 with an additional 2 hours of air, it improved a ton. The wine got deeper, well rounded and in better balance. Dark fruit, smokey profile but lacked layers and wow factor. Nice wine.
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6/27/2010 - vine20 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Deep garnet color with a modest red fruit nose. Black cherries that were not quite full in the mouth, a bit short of well-rounded. Some vanilla and spice.
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6/23/2010 - Badgerwino wrote:
Becoming my go to Cab at this price point.
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6/19/2010 - ssnyder2323 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes and then drank over the following few hours. Initially, the tannins were a bit harsh but the wine opened up nicely as the night progressed. Long finish, red fruit and chocolate undertones. Very good Cab - wish I had more bottles given the price point.
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6/13/2010 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderfully rich and full, with slight hint of vanilla followed by burst of rich fruit -- berries and cherry mixed.
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6/13/2010 - Melanielynn wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine smooth not too tanic
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6/2/2010 - dexterng wrote: 84 Points
Classic Cali Cab. I won't say pour and drink but it certain takes around 20 mins to taste the sweestness - which is pleasent. Nose is with a bit of oak. Color is not that dark. It is ok too drink it right the way. Very simple but good wine. Short on palate. I had that during a dinner at a hotel so I can't tell the retail price. Very easy to drink and the style is actually closer to modern days Lascombes (Americans!). If the retail price is lower than US$20 then it is a good buy.
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4/24/2010 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. BIG spicy wine. Dark purple, medium legs and medium to full body on the tongue. Classic Napa fruit with soft tannins, cassis, chocolate with leather, vanilla and oak notes but not over whelming. Designed to be paired with food i.e. ribs, lamb, beef. Good mouth feel with lively fruit and spice and a nice lingering finish. Allot going on here but needs 'air time' but definitely not at the end of the road. Possibly deserving of a 91 but I await a longer time opened.
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4/21/2010 - Wink wrote: 90 Points
Still delightful. Not much structure, so I'm not sure how much longer this wine is going to last in the cellar. It may start to decline soon. Well, within a couple of years anyway. Time to drink up!
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4/5/2010 - snaff wrote: 88 Points
Dusty blackberry and vanilla. Simple finish. Good, but rather simple. Seems a little flabby, definitely not a 90+ cab IMO.
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4/4/2010 - brigcampbell wrote: 87 Points
Easterquake; 4/3/2010-4/4/2010 (Kim's House in Encinitas, CA): Decanted for 4 hours and the nose was great, fruit and oak. But it was a disappointment after that because I really like this wine, had it before and was awesome. The oak was overpowering and not a lot of excitement.
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3/27/2010 - gschneider wrote: 88 Points
Nice, opened up the 2nd hour and stayed fresh the second day.
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3/19/2010 - redman77 wrote: 90 Points
A very solidt Calif cab. Nice balance, long finish. Vanilla, red fruit, velvet and spice. A very reliable wine for a one hour decant~!
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3/7/2010 - Maverick wrote: 88 Points
average. better the second day.
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3/7/2010 - tigerpaw75 wrote: 90 Points
Good, well made wine. Would have been disappointed if I'd paid $40-50, but found the bottle on sale at Sam's for $29.50. Decanted 1 hour. Nice dark fruit nose, perhaps a bit faint. Really smooth, nice mouthfeel. Just wish it had a bit more structure in the midpalate and finish and little more up front fruit. All that said, went well with grilled NY strip.
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3/6/2010 - rjhilgers@gmail.com wrote:
when people talk about huge california oaked wines, this one is it. you like that, you like this.
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2/18/2010 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 90 Points
Decanted two hours. Tannins are very well integrated which i hope doesn't mean this is peaking. Plum and blackberry, some cherry. Moderate finish.
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2/13/2010 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
This is a rich Cabernet, but very approachable and well-balanced. There are hints of dark berries, black currant, espresso and cinnamon. The finish is spicy layered with minerals and chewey but enjoyable tannin. Drink from 2010 to 2015.
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2/8/2010 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 89 Points
Deliciously rich and full bodied after 1 hour and even better the next night.
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2/3/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 89 Points
good flavors, but a little raisiny on the finish. Perhaps some of wines got a little cooked one summer
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1/31/2010 - Capt Cutlass wrote: 92 Points
Pulled two bottles, one decanted over one hour, the second just minutes in the decanter before drinking - both showed similarly. Drank with duck breast & tangerine sauce to which it matched impressively, cutting through the duck fat and coping well with the citrus touch. Still a powerful wine which comes into its own when matched to the right food and yet should cellar well for several years to come.
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1/30/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 3hrs, black fruit, plums and a little heat in the nose, dark fruits on the palate with coffee, mocha and a touch of vanilla. Some tannins to intergrate, however did not see anything special going on. Will check this out in a year or two.
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1/28/2010 - vegaswino wrote: 92 Points
Great Cabernet, believe the hype.
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1/22/2010 - rlysecky wrote: 90 Points
A great Napa Cab. This is still very youthful with abundant blackberry, cherry, and currants notes accompanied by fennel and vanilla. Surprisingly, I drank this over three days (storing in the refrigerator with Argon) and it kept improving each day.
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1/13/2010 - GA_Seattle wrote: 89 Points
Dark and inky, near black color. Nice Cabernet flavors of red/black fruits and espresso notes. Decent mouthfeel, but not outstanding in any respect.
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1/13/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 90 Points
Very good effort for this wine. Lots of ripe berry fruit framed by some soft vanilla. I certainly don't get the tannins that a few other CT notes have mentioned. The finish is certainly dry but any tannic influence seems to be very nicely balanced and there's no real hard edges. We enjoyed this wine a lot.
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1/10/2010 - ticktock wrote: 91 Points
Rib Roast and Napa Cabs (Our House, San Diego, CA): Accidentally pulled the 2005 instead of the 2000. Rats. Nice fruit and good structure, but nowhere near ready. Fatal misstep. HAd the remainder of the bottle on Day 3 and didn't feel like as big of a bonehead. Mellowed and open, the wine displayed a lot more game-like flavors considering its varietal. Very good and can't wait to get to the 2000. Not sure if Insignia is worth the money after this experience.
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1/9/2010 - awise45 wrote: 91 Points
Nice, rich, full bodied after being open for one hour.
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1/2/2010 - Chasse_spleen wrote: 87 Points
Strawberry nose. Lots of sweet fruit, strong tannins, but way too low on acidity. First impression was not balanced, needed decanting. Good mouthfeel, the fruit is well placed. Not the best vintage, was it?
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12/31/2009 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 89 Points
Fruit forward and quite approachable. Lots of cherry but still in balance with oak and vanilla. Tannins already mellowing but I still feel it has more potential in the coming years.
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12/20/2009 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Great nose of ripe black fruits. Palate is smooth. Good.
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12/18/2009 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Drank over hours. Medium deep purple with cherry rim. Nose of black cherry, cedar, smoke. Medium to full palate of ripe blackberry, creme de cassis, vanilla, espresso, and a dash of bitters. Very good length. Refreshing acidity. Mild tannins. Wonderful balance. Drinking well now, but still youthful and vibrant.
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12/6/2009 - Maverick wrote: 87 Points
decent. good fruit but lacked nuance and grip. served a little too cold.
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11/28/2009 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Inky purple color. Nose is of ripe candied fruits. Palate is tannic and needs time. Palate is a little herbal, but not too overwhelming. Fruits return on the finish.
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11/22/2009 - redman77 wrote: 90 Points
We drank over an entire day; decanted half and pour rest into jam jar with seal. Upon first open the wine was a bit tight. We decanted for one hour and the wine that we all loved opened to a first class cab. Smooth, silky, and spicey. The second half we finished 6 hours later with chocolate and fruit. Should be decanted for one hour or cellar longer. I will with my remaining stash.
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11/11/2009 - kostaslonis wrote: 89 Points
Genka Wine Fair: (tasted in gen.ka wine fair) This label is 94% Cabernet Sauignon and the rest 6% Petit Verdot and Merlot, it has spent 18 months in 50% new oak. It has a beautiful deep red color. Big and complex in the nose with lots of chocolate. Nice texture, very delicate and almost creamy in the mouth. The tannis are evident but quite round and finishes in a fruity medium aftertaste. It can be drunk now or stored away for another 5 years. It should be interesting to try a bottle after a few years.
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11/10/2009 - drbill wrote:
nice but not outstanding. emphasizes finesse.
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11/9/2009 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
Haven't opened one of these in a while. Still a nice wine, but no real improvement over the past 6 months. Drink now I think.
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11/8/2009 - JAT wrote: 92 Points
Very nice Cabernet. Blackcurrant, well integrated oak adding a nice touch of chocolate, and supple tannins. Very nice mouthfeel and complex enough to keep your interest.
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11/6/2009 - gmbdds wrote:
Not scored. Opened for some company and didn't pay close attention. I will say this seemed a little funky for a Joseph Phelps Cab and never seemed to unwind from a tight start.
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10/24/2009 - bin905 wrote: 92 Points
Well-balanced and very smooth tannins.
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10/13/2009 - Yiannis wrote: 92 Points
Impressively elegant and round, very old-world like but with the signature Napa fruit and silky tanins. An excellent cab for now or for the next 5-7 years.
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10/4/2009 - Ombibulous wrote: 86 Points
Nice new world style, with semi-jammy fruit, but good dryness still (firm tannins). Worth they money; I like this wine a lot (86.5). But not as good as a Grgich Cab, though cheaper.
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9/26/2009 - Eric Guido wrote: 92 Points
Deep, dark ruby red color. Nose is moody and dark with blue fruit, vanilla barrel, forest funk and dusty mocha... yum. On the palate, black current, raisin, licorice and with a rich, sweet mid-palate. Cherry liquor on the long finish. A really great wine that always pleases.
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9/12/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
2005 Cali cabs tasting; 9/12/2009-9/14/2009 (NYC): Tasted single blind. Oaky nose, good fruit. Tannic. One of the expensive ones? 91ish. Guessed this one correctly.
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8/23/2009 - bundydavis wrote: 89 Points
Was a bit disappointed in this wine. It wasn't bad, it just was missing something.
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8/7/2009 - michigan dogs wrote: 93 Points
I really like this wine, my scores consistently are higher than other posters. Decanted for an hour, enjoyed it along with a Groth Cab (90-91) over a couple of hours along with Joe. The wine changed over that period of time as we had some good cheese, and was really singing. Good value, great wine
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7/30/2009 - difran wrote: 91 Points
In Coronado smooth.
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7/5/2009 - the godfather wrote: 86 Points
Massively oaked
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6/20/2009 - masonjp wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Distinctive cola and red cherries on the nose. Good structure with current and chocolate. This is an excellent balance of tannins, fruit, and spice. The finish lingers nicely. Wonderful. In another year this could be extraordinary.
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6/8/2009 - tendring wrote: 95 Points
Wine Education Service - The Napa Valley (LSE): Looking very dark and undeveloped.
Lovely complex nose, balancing fruit with a bit of tobacco.
Oaky fruit, with strong tannins, very youthful, spicy but smooth midpalate, quite long.
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6/8/2009 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Dark purple with garnet rim. Nose of vanilla, cedar, black cherry. Full bodied palate of dark fruit, spice, cedar, licorice, and minerals. Long finish with a little chocolate. Smooth tannins. Pleasant acidity. Toasty oak. Should last several more years, but why wait?
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6/1/2009 - Khamen wrote: 90 Points
Deep, deep ruby and flashing some epic legs in the glass. Nose is big and full, packing black and red fruits in abundance with a dusting of dessicated coocnut. Walking a fine line between freshness and jamminess. Almost sinfully sweet and shamelessly fruity attack kept in check by a slightly drying moderate-to-long finish. A little one-dimensional maybe, and the party piece is definitely the fruit-forward attack, but there's a real sense of sunshine in a glass about this wine. Very easy to enjoy. If this Californian wine was a Hollywood movie star it would be Cyd Charisse in a boiler suit and sensible shoes...
EDIT : Have been advised via the forums to give this another hour or so to let it open up. Will revisit then, although it's rather good now...
EDIT II : Bravo. An excellent wine with additional nuances becoming apparent after an hour or two in the jug, although notes above are still pretty much in order. Maybe Cyd has ditched the sensible shoes for something slightly more exotic. Boiler suit remains however. Upgraded a point to 90
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5/16/2009 - AlexHop wrote: 92 Points
Lush nose like jam. Good solid classic Cabernet profile and pretty spicy. Medium long finish. Tasted at Insignia day 2009.
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5/2/2009 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Philadelphia Wine Festival (Marriott, Philadelphia PA): the best of the basic napa cabs I had, this had good fruit, but also the tannic structure to develop and a very nice finish.
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5/2/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Eighth Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown): This was an exceptionally good "2nd" wine and one to keep an eye on. Great complexity and finish for wine at this price point.
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4/18/2009 - spretzer wrote: 90 Points
solid wine, but overly ripe right now, my wife loved it and it came around for me , but I wouldn't open another for a year.
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4/12/2009 - brigcampbell wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine and completely approachable after decanting for 1 hour.
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4/8/2009 - hutch wrote: 88 Points
Wine Marketing Tasting (Newport): Nice acidity. Some mocha notes. Very good. 88+
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4/1/2009 - Surfdoc wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple color. Fruit forward flavor of mixed dark berries with subtle undertones of green pepper and tar. Soft tannins with a medium finish.
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4/1/2009 - Wine Guild of Charlottesville wrote: 92 Points
Republic wines -- mostly CA cabs (Guild Office): Solid nose of chocolate, coffee and cherries. Palate is rocking -- with creamy cherries, chocolate and toasty oak. Great purity of flavor and balance. There's structure here, but an opulence as well. Outstanding! $45 retail.
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3/29/2009 - bigdomer wrote: 91 Points
Really, really good. Super smooth.
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3/27/2009 - jts_brown wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Very enjoyable cab. Blackberry pie, a little chocolate fine tannins. This brought everything I like about CA Cab. It had an elegance about it. I didn't think it had a lot of stuffing for long term aging but it's delicious now.
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3/23/2009 - mye wrote: 90 Points
Medium purple in color. Nose reflects California pure Cab.. black currant, dark berries, some earth/smoke. Smooth on the palate, with quite a bit of oak and tannins. drinking well now with a rib eye steak..probably even better in a couple of years.
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3/20/2009 - btennan1 wrote: 90 Points
A: Ox blood.
N: Strangely overwhelming smell of clementines (citrus reticulata) and bananas foster. Toasted marshmallows, skunk and plumb. I do not know how we came up with this but we did.
T: Blackberry pie, cedar and cassis (Ribes nigrum).
F: Velvet glove. One of the longest finishes I recall in a wine in a long time. Warming, probably too hot in the alcohol. Little like biting into a grape seed, strong strong tanins. Almost a meaty wine.
Overall: There is a lot going on in this wine. It is quite elegant. A crafted wine without holes. If I was to do this again I would wait several years before opening, give it more air and make sure it was supporting a meal. Not a wine to have by itself.
V: 3/5
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3/1/2009 - wineotim wrote: 90 Points
Plummy, cedary aromas, beautiful dark ruby color, dusty tannins, rich and full feel on the tongue, just wish the alcohol would settle down. Give it plenty of air time, or keep it in the cellar for another year or two.
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2/15/2009 - jonwill wrote: 91 Points
Last time I tasted this was about a year ago and it has shed quite a bit of its baby fat since. Mild upfront fruit flavor which becomes more pronounced through a very solid, long finish. Drinking really nicely right now with a couple hour decant. Those who keep this a year or two more in their cellars will be rewarded!
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1/30/2009 - Arch57 wrote: 90 Points
I went to my cellar to grab the 2003 Phelps but my labels were wrong and I did not realize I had opened and decanted the '05. I was a bit suspicious because this wine did taste young and the tannins made themselves known. Anyway, this wine opened up nicely, with some nice dark fruit and a medium finish. There was a tad too much oaky vanilla, that maybe 1-2 years in the bottle would have mellowed. Overall though a really nice effort by Phelps.
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1/20/2009 - djb wrote: 88 Points
jammy and a little bland, but tasty and not over-the-top.
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1/17/2009 - buckeye76 wrote: 90 Points
BLACK CHERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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1/16/2009 - kbaker wrote: 90 Points
There is alot going on in this one, its very BIG. Chocolaty and fruity. I decanted it for about an hour and then had with filet mignon. Very good but I was a bit dissapointed with the alcohol taste, I tasted the alcohol right at first and at the finish. I think this needs to lay down for at least a year or two and then it will be much better. I had a previous bottle at a restaraunt, just popped and poured and it was fantastic so I am thinking dont decant this baby next time.
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1/5/2009 - vkcellars wrote: flawed
cor
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12/30/2008 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
smoky with dark fruit
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12/25/2008 - mcgarty wrote:
good, but not as good as i remember it from 1998
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12/22/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 90 Points
Had with filet at the keg restaurant. Cherries and licorice on the nose with a soft medium bodied mouth feel. tannins were building with air. Very good wine and drinking well now.
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12/15/2008 - michigan dogs wrote: 92 Points
I clearly like this one better than everyone else, probably because I love Cal Cabs over everything else, this wine does not dissapoint
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12/13/2008 - pinotluvr wrote: 91 Points
Opened this wine and began drinking almost immediately. Haven't had this vingtage since tasting at the vineyard last May. As young as this wine is, it is tasing great right now, but will definitely get better with age.
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12/1/2008 - Eric Guido wrote: 89 Points
This wine was rich and inviting on the nose hinting at dark fruits and forest floor. Showed a glimmer of green pepper but in a subtle and attractive way. Full bodied with intense currant and sweet plum fruit. Great balance and a pleasure to drink. Ended with a medium finish reminiscent of the dark fruits with a bit of licorice.
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11/24/2008 - troutmonster wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured at a restaurant with a friend. Fruit filled nose of cherry and hints of chocolate?. Well balanced wine and drinking extremely well despite its young age.
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11/10/2008 - michigan dogs wrote: 92 Points
continue to really like this one, decanted for several hours, enjoyed w Mark over a too short of a period.
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11/9/2008 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
A very nice bottle of wine. It has deep, dark color with dark fruit and licorice on the palate. It is very well balanced wine, with very low levels of tannins. I wonder how well it will age. It may be in its peak in another year or two.
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11/7/2008 - annerk wrote: 89 Points
Gorgeous red plum color with graphite and spice on the nose. Loads of minerals and "Napa Dust" mix with red currant and a hint of plum in the mouth. Nice finish with balanced tannins. We drank this undecanted in a direct pour. This one needs to rest for a couple years and be decanted for a couple of hours prior to serving. Potential for an easy 90+ after it unwinds a bit.
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11/3/2008 - hcampana wrote: 92 Points
Retailer wine tasting (Lots of TNs incl. 05 Torre Muga, 05 Guado al Tasso, 06 Achaval Mirador, 05 Pintia, etc.) (Monterrey, Mexico): Dominated by very ripe, lactic aromas and blackberry. medium to full bodied, full palate.
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11/1/2008 - M. Ware wrote:
decanted half the bottle and let the rest set overnight in the sealed bottle. spicy with ample fruit on the nose. cherry, leather and currant. dark ruby color. smell is excellent, palate not as robust as the 05 insignia. great wine for the price.
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10/28/2008 - Double-A Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pepper, currant, and vanilla biscuit nose. Full, warming and spicy with dark fruit flavours and good grip on the finish.
3.5/5
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10/26/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
Incredibly solid, and holds up very well against its cousin at 4X the price.
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9/27/2008 - Shelbi & Kirk wrote: 88 Points
Overly unimpressed at this point. I would let it cellar for at least 3+ more years before trying again. I'm sure it will be a 90+ by then.
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9/20/2008 - vine20 wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby color and a modest, subtle fruit nose. This wine had nice dark red fruit with a bit of licorice and spice and nicely harmonious tannins.
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9/15/2008 - bryon m wrote: 89 Points
Good wine, I believe not really ready and will drink better in 6 months to a year. Currently not balanced well but will change with aging.
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9/5/2008 - jeffm_fla wrote: 91 Points
slightly woody cabernet flavor, but good flavor and finish.
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9/1/2008 - vardaman wrote: 88 Points
Velvety with hints of vanilla, lightly oaked, toast, nice tanins, good balance long finish, dark chocolate and minerality. Died a little bit after a while.
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8/30/2008 - jaimerae wrote: 89 Points
I tasted a lot of mineral on the finish
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8/18/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 90 Points
Well balanced, but not much expression of the fruit.
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8/14/2008 - Clarkmeister wrote: 89 Points
August 2008 Napa and Santa Cruz Mtn Trip; 8/9/2008-8/15/2008: Pretty good wine, easily findable on many wine lists.
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7/16/2008 - michigan dogs wrote: 93 Points
shared a couple bottles at cameron's steak house, this wine is drinking so well now, balanced, smooth, surprising for a young cabernet.
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7/16/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 90 Points
Served too cold but i survived. Black fruits dominated the nose. I expect was muted because of temperature. Juicy midpalate with not much compexity. Smooth finish with decent acidity but nothing like first bottle I had at restaurant. How do they do it.
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7/13/2008 - DTWOB wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding bottle! Better than the 05 Caymus!
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6/15/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 88 Points
Didn't show well. Smooth on the finish but not much fruit or nose. Kinda dull.
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6/9/2008 - scott davis wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby in color, with perfumed aromas of white flowers and cedar spice. Vibrant palate of high pitched blue fruit, blackcurrant, violets, dark chocolate, tar, and a creamy layer of rich vanilla showing through the medium tannins. Though still young, very approachable now. 14.5% alcohol.
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5/27/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 93 Points
Had at Keg Reastaurant for 65 dollars which I thought was very reasonable. Red fruit nose with some plum and chocolate. Wonderfully approachable and silky smooth in the mouth. A bit one dimensional but delicious none the less. Chocolate covered cherry finish. Very nice effort.
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5/17/2008 - redpine42 wrote: 92 Points
Creamy full body, great fruit nice nose.
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4/28/2008 - d'Yquembe Mutombo wrote:
Very ripe and jammy. Not what I was expecting and slightly disappointing for my taste.
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4/16/2008 - hutch wrote: 89 Points
AD Trade Show: Rich ripe fruits. Very ripe in style, with some pretty big tannins. 89+
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3/29/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Pebble Beach Food and Wine; 3/27/2008-3/30/2008 (Pebble Beach Resort, CA): Nose almost sweet with cassiss and cherries. Palate is smooth, firm and slightly drying with lots of earth, flint and mocha and some oak that's a bit overdone and intrusive. medium finish. OK, but not great for the price.
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3/25/2008 - krlee1029 wrote: 89 Points
Fruity and jammy, berry, very forward Cabernet. Well put together, but nothing fabulous about it. Decanted for 1.5 hours. It went great with steak. It does not quite deserve a 90. There is better out there for less money. This is not in the same league as Insignia or Backus
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3/25/2008 - jtcseventysix wrote: 89 Points
Straightforward cab; medium-bodied and balanced; blackberry and chocolate on the nose; chewy texture, ripe fruit with some minerals; somewhere in between cali cab and bordeaux.
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3/24/2008 - Winetree wrote:
A rich bouquet of cinnamon, spice, licorice, graphite and caramel are followed by integrated layers of cherry, currant, fresh cream and balanced, sweet tannin, all of which contribute to a youthful, bright, multi-layered wine.
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3/24/2008 - RutherfordDust wrote: 90 Points
Beautifully balanced jammy cab. Very smooth, it was hard to believe it was as young as it was. Velvety texture with a gentle finish.
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3/19/2008 - mmyette wrote: 90 Points
Not with the depth of complexity of the insignia, but this is a really pleasant, nice, and easy to drink cab, with good balance and acidity.
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3/17/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Joseph Phelps Vineyards Visit (St. Helena, Napa Valley): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 4% Petite Verdot. Deep purple color. Full bodied with notes of cassis and plum. Slightly behind the 1999 and 2002 in my opinion. 89-90 points
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3/14/2008 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
This wine has deep color with purple undertone. Tha palate is full of dark fruit with light tannins, It drinks very well now.
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2/29/2008 - michigan dogs wrote: 93 Points
this was outstanding, especially for such a young wine, decanted for an hour and fruit came out, this is great value. I was a little surprised at how well it is drinking right now, interesting to see how it matures
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11/14/2007 - ToddR911 wrote: 87 Points
Sampled at a wine tasting last night. It was good and compared favorably to most of the other offerings. I have had numerous vintages before and have not been disappointed by Joseph Phelps.
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10/13/2007 - Paul Lin wrote:
Joseph Phelps Winery (Napa Valley, CA): I was told that this was just bottled recently, so it may still be suffering from bottle shock. Notes of red fruits, stem, and cedar. No rating.
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