At Jeanty with Randy and Peter. Drinking fantastically - an outstanding wine. Mature, but still has several years to go. Such a shame Heitz stopped making this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red center, red rim with surprisingly little signs of age. Sweet, licorice, pipe tobacco, plums and red cherries, creamy, touch of greenness. Smooth, red currants, cherries, well integrated oak, good acidity, modest tannins, sappy, dusty, a touch chalky, great length. Great Bella Oaks, drinks well now, but is surprisingly young, will last another 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank after two hours breathing in bottle, needed another hour or so to open fully. Still an excellent wine, not past TD prime, good and balanced, still fruit on the front end, solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aroma - dark fruit, vanilla, coconut Flavor - jammy Texture - smooth and lustrous Finish - balanced, tart - purple tongue The fruit is dominant - with no signs of youth or age. So I would call this mature.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic California Cabernet, one of my go-to wines. Light chocolate, cedar, and dark fruit. I haven't had the experience of others who seemed not to enjoy it as much, but would say that you can never under-estimate the power of a good decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep dark red center, red rim with only modest signs of age. Sweet, licorice, crushed raspberries and boysenberries, sinuous, a little musky, some citrus acidity and toasted coconut. Smooth with an acid undertone, good tannin still, plums and freshly pressed grapes and ripe strawberries, coconut and a little stalky tannin, good length of sweet fruit and dried herbs. Classic Bella Oaks nose, drinking okay now but will be rewarded by 2 or 3 years of patience. A real shame that Heitz will no longer be making Bella Oaks.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had tonight just before 2002 trailside. Was the same wine, although the bella was a bit more fruity and better. Decanted one hour and on Riedel cab glasses
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Thank you for the tip on decanting for one hour instead of longer. It was very good and has legs for additional aging. Drink now or a couple more years. Drank in reidel cab vinum
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine lacks the concentration I would expect from Bella Oaks. The regular Heirz bottling that's much cheaper has more extraction but none of the nuances of the Bella. I did love the layering of flavors, especially the mint tones reminiscent of Marthas Vineyard. The finish was a little short and am now wondering if I should have decanted 3 hours or so instead of 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
a bit disappointed in this. tannins weren't as polished as i would have liked and the finish fell short to me. i think it could probably use a couple more years in the cellar. would be interesting to try in 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lighter transluscent garnet, crunch red, pure focused berries, good acidity, good grip still but does not seem like a long termer, especially when the appeal is in its light crispy crunchiess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good ruby color. Nice black currant on the nose. Sweet blackberry & black currant fruit flavors with some alcoholic heat prickling th tongue. Warm, slightly tannic finish. I expected more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is always a wonderful wine. This bottle is very tight - I'd really give it 10 years. But you can taste that it has that wonderful Bella Oaks chocolate, leather and tobacco thing going on, nicely understated fruit and good acidity. A steal compared to the more than twice as expensive (and larger production) Martha's vineyard.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright cherry fruit with strong glycerin. In a couple more years this will likely settle down some and be a very enjoyable wine. While it did not have the same complexity as the Martha's it was certainly similar in flavor profile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
6/1/2021 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
At Jeanty with Randy and Peter. Drinking fantastically - an outstanding wine. Mature, but still has several years to go. Such a shame Heitz stopped making this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2020 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red center, red rim with surprisingly little signs of age.
Sweet, licorice, pipe tobacco, plums and red cherries, creamy, touch of greenness.
Smooth, red currants, cherries, well integrated oak, good acidity, modest tannins, sappy, dusty, a touch chalky, great length.
Great Bella Oaks, drinks well now, but is surprisingly young, will last another 5-10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2019 - Pluecht Likes this wine: 94 Points
In greT condition. Hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2019 - chezbeach Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank after two hours breathing in bottle, needed another hour or so to open fully. Still an excellent wine, not past TD prime, good and balanced, still fruit on the front end, solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2018 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Getting better with age. Smooth, plenty of fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2018 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2017 - helispud Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful, mature CaliCab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2017 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic Cabernet, rich, great depth. Drinking wonderfully now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2017 - grizzlymarmot wrote: 91 Points
Aroma - dark fruit, vanilla, coconut
Flavor - jammy
Texture - smooth and lustrous
Finish - balanced, tart - purple tongue
The fruit is dominant - with no signs of youth or age. So I would call this mature.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2017 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank at Peter and Mary's Xmas eve. Excellent as usual. Drinking well now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2016 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well, but no rush.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2016 - danstrings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Inky dark, silky and showing no signs of age. Taut and sleek, not a huge fruit bomb at all -- more earth, round sleek dark fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2015 - redwiner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2015 - danstrings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sleek and elegant, lighter next to a Dunn Howell Mountain, bright juicy cherry and ultra ripe strawberry
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2015 - eporres wrote: 91 Points
Classic California Cabernet, one of my go-to wines. Light chocolate, cedar, and dark fruit. I haven't had the experience of others who seemed not to enjoy it as much, but would say that you can never under-estimate the power of a good decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2014 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep dark red center, red rim with only modest signs of age.
Sweet, licorice, crushed raspberries and boysenberries, sinuous, a little musky, some citrus acidity and toasted coconut.
Smooth with an acid undertone, good tannin still, plums and freshly pressed grapes and ripe strawberries, coconut and a little stalky tannin, good length of sweet fruit and dried herbs.
Classic Bella Oaks nose, drinking okay now but will be rewarded by 2 or 3 years of patience. A real shame that Heitz will no longer be making Bella Oaks.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2014 - Les Kangas Likes this wine: 96 Points
One year later, magnificent. One hour air in Riedel cab glasses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2013 - Les Kangas Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had tonight just before 2002 trailside. Was the same wine, although the bella was a bit more fruity and better. Decanted one hour and on Riedel cab glasses
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2013 - its_juicy wrote: 91 Points
drank with a marbled delmonico steak. perfect pair
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2013 - fdub wrote: 88 Points
From magnum. A bit austere and plain when in the company of the other great wines at the table.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2013 - Les Kangas wrote: 90 Points
Thank you for the tip on decanting for one hour instead of longer. It was very good and has legs for additional aging. Drink now or a couple more years. Drank in reidel cab vinum
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2013 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine lacks the concentration I would expect from Bella Oaks. The regular Heirz bottling that's much cheaper has more extraction but none of the nuances of the Bella. I did love the layering of flavors, especially the mint tones reminiscent of Marthas Vineyard. The finish was a little short and am now wondering if I should have decanted 3 hours or so instead of 1 hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2012 - danstrings wrote: 88 Points
A bit more lean and spicy, with some oak showing thru, but an elegant Napa cab nonetheless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2012 - sipnwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this, great wine, never had a flavor profile like this before, wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2012 - Pugs wrote: 89 Points
a bit disappointed in this. tannins weren't as polished as i would have liked and the finish fell short to me. i think it could probably use a couple more years in the cellar. would be interesting to try in 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2011 - RCBAROLO wrote: 90 Points
Thought it was a blend with some cab franc but it appears to be 100% cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2011 - TheEngineer wrote: 86 Points
Lighter transluscent garnet, crunch red, pure focused berries, good acidity, good grip still but does not seem like a long termer, especially when the appeal is in its light crispy crunchiess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2010 - slywka7 wrote: 88 Points
decent Napa Cab made in an old word style but not worth the money.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2010 - ed-d wrote: 86 Points
Good ruby color. Nice black currant on the nose. Sweet blackberry & black currant fruit flavors with some alcoholic heat prickling th tongue. Warm, slightly tannic finish. I expected more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2010 - herberto wrote: 93 Points
This is always a wonderful wine. This bottle is very tight - I'd really give it 10 years. But you can taste that it has that wonderful Bella Oaks chocolate, leather and tobacco thing going on, nicely understated fruit and good acidity. A steal compared to the more than twice as expensive (and larger production) Martha's vineyard.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2010 - wongkevins wrote: 90 Points
Very peppery finish, could use some more aging, but once opened it mellowed out and was enjoyable
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2010 - aaronwine wrote: 92 Points
Bright cherry fruit with strong glycerin. In a couple more years this will likely settle down some and be a very enjoyable wine. While it did not have the same complexity as the Martha's it was certainly similar in flavor profile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment