End Nov Wine Night @ GWC!: Red fruits, leather, tobacco, slight funk. Was in two minds whether this was an Old or New World cab. Very well made. Glad to see that it is a Diamond Creek as I have been wanting to try this. In its drinking window now - open up! One of my fav for the night.
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Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): A little funky and farty initially but this blew off to show ripe plums, a little vanilla and cream, sweet spices and, with time, cassis and and blackcurrant. Medium plus intensity acidity (adjusted or possibly a smidge of VA?), tight, chalky textured tannins close down the palate beating down some muted black and red currant fruit. Bit out of whack for me.
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Slight cork taint but this is classic '90's Cab. The big fruit for which they are famous has largely mellowed away, leaving behind tertiary notes of leather backed by subtle fruit and relatively soft structure of tannin and acidity. This is by far and away not the greatest mid-90's Cali Cab I've experienced (try Monte Bello '96) - but very nice nonetheless.
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Opened last Saturday with small group at the wine club. Bottle was consumed relatively fast as it was well received. Fruit was a bit muted but nice. Alcohol came in around 12.5%. It's fun when one of these older wines bought on auction works out.
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Q1 - 2019 Tasting - 1995 Vintage Napa Valley (NYC): 2nd/16 wines tasted double blind. Color here is more faded and much browner than wine #1. On the palate this tastes faded and dusty to me - past its prime - not a lot of fruit but not much else either. I suspect the bottle was poorly stored.
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Q1 2019 Tasting - 1995 Napa (The Apt): Wine #2: I suspect that some of the lack of love here comes from the bottle and how it was stored. This came across as much more faded than either the wine before or the wine after. Fruit almost all gone. So much more of the tobacco and again that almost balsamic quality to it. Wine Bid purchase which generally doesn't bode as well as the location we got the first bottle. That being said, I still foudn it enjoyable. Just more secondary. So it goes. (0 pennies)
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If Diamond Creek is the only wine which survives the apocalypse, dolphins and the space aliens from whom they acquire flipper-grips and other key tech will have a good understanding of Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Fantastic, nice secondary notes on the nose (including some gamey, pungent notes), palate had some great dark red fruits along with minerals, cedar and maybe a bit of leather, med+ bodied, plenty of flavor and great med-rich velvety mouthfeel, bravo, the team in Hawaii loved it
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no notes but remember this being good, very good... but not outstanding / memorable... still old cali cab is the best bang for buck you can get and in my opinion wins out over bordeaux exept in some rare cases of very very old bordeaux (40's / 50's?) which turn out to be stars
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Opened and left for 2 hours but not decanted. Bordeaux style nose with cassis, leather and pencil lead. Quite fresh with medium plus body and plenty of dark fuit on the palate. Secondary notes of leather and graphite. Medium length finish with smooth tannins. Probably a little past its best but still very good.
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Such a wonderful wine. Had similar characteristics to some Bordeaux in the sense of a more elegant profile than many Cali Cabs. Really in a sweet spot of tannins that had relaxed, fruit was still excellent. Hints of black currant, some black fruits. Would definitely recommend.
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11/27/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 94 Points
End Nov Wine Night @ GWC!: Red fruits, leather, tobacco, slight funk. Was in two minds whether this was an Old or New World cab. Very well made. Glad to see that it is a Diamond Creek as I have been wanting to try this. In its drinking window now - open up! One of my fav for the night.
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7/15/2020 - chatters wrote:
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): A little funky and farty initially but this blew off to show ripe plums, a little vanilla and cream, sweet spices and, with time, cassis and and blackcurrant. Medium plus intensity acidity (adjusted or possibly a smidge of VA?), tight, chalky textured tannins close down the palate beating down some muted black and red currant fruit. Bit out of whack for me.
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11/10/2019 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slight cork taint but this is classic '90's Cab. The big fruit for which they are famous has largely mellowed away, leaving behind tertiary notes of leather backed by subtle fruit and relatively soft structure of tannin and acidity. This is by far and away not the greatest mid-90's Cali Cab I've experienced (try Monte Bello '96) - but very nice nonetheless.
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6/24/2019 - golf and wine wrote: 94 Points
Opened last Saturday with small group at the wine club. Bottle was consumed relatively fast as it was well received. Fruit was a bit muted but nice. Alcohol came in around 12.5%. It's fun when one of these older wines bought on auction works out.
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3/2/2019 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Q1 - 2019 Tasting - 1995 Vintage Napa Valley (NYC): 2nd/16 wines tasted double blind. Color here is more faded and much browner than wine #1. On the palate this tastes faded and dusty to me - past its prime - not a lot of fruit but not much else either. I suspect the bottle was poorly stored.
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3/2/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Q1 2019 Tasting - 1995 Napa (The Apt): Wine #2: I suspect that some of the lack of love here comes from the bottle and how it was stored. This came across as much more faded than either the wine before or the wine after. Fruit almost all gone. So much more of the tobacco and again that almost balsamic quality to it. Wine Bid purchase which generally doesn't bode as well as the location we got the first bottle. That being said, I still foudn it enjoyable. Just more secondary. So it goes. (0 pennies)
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12/20/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 95 Points
A lovely wine.
If Diamond Creek is the only wine which survives the apocalypse, dolphins and the space aliens from whom they acquire flipper-grips and other key tech will have a good understanding of Cabernet Sauvignon.
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7/12/2016 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic, nice secondary notes on the nose (including some gamey, pungent notes), palate had some great dark red fruits along with minerals, cedar and maybe a bit of leather, med+ bodied, plenty of flavor and great med-rich velvety mouthfeel, bravo, the team in Hawaii loved it
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1/17/2016 - invein Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still has lots of fruit and smooth as silk. Very good!
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12/25/2015 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 90 Points
no notes but remember this being good, very good... but not outstanding / memorable... still old cali cab is the best bang for buck you can get and in my opinion wins out over bordeaux exept in some rare cases of very very old bordeaux (40's / 50's?) which turn out to be stars
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4/9/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. This wine is starting to show it's age but still very enjoyable. Drink now if you have some.
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2/21/2013 - cabber Likes this wine: 95 Points
Aged California Cabernet Tasting (Manhattan Beach, CA): Bright sparkling cherry fruit, balance and long finish. a beauty
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1/22/2012 - Old Vino wrote: 92 Points
Right at its prime. Some fruit left. Balanced. Overall, very enjoyable.
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3/2/2011 - Yamadori wrote: 90 Points
Opened and left for 2 hours but not decanted. Bordeaux style nose with cassis, leather and pencil lead. Quite fresh with medium plus body and plenty of dark fuit on the palate. Secondary notes of leather and graphite. Medium length finish with smooth tannins. Probably a little past its best but still very good.
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2/28/2010 - kenthargis wrote: 95 Points
Such a wonderful wine. Had similar characteristics to some Bordeaux in the sense of a more elegant profile than many Cali Cabs. Really in a sweet spot of tannins that had relaxed, fruit was still excellent. Hints of black currant, some black fruits. Would definitely recommend.
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1/4/2010 - Colia wrote: 95 Points
Tight for an hour, then whoosh. Perfectly integrated wonder of black cherries, bramble berries and a hint of graphite dust. Finish went on and on.
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4/20/2007 - psmith wrote:
Graduation wines (Columbus, OH): Unfortunately mildly corked. Some classic Diamond Creek notes, but sort of ignored once the TCA became obvious.
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10/15/1997 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
nice, cabernet nose with berry fruit, flashy fruit, sweet/sour chocolate, intense fruity taste, with medium/soft tannins, long, pleasant finish.
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