SO closed at the moment. Starting to open up 45-60 mins in. First vintage of Phelps Eisele (mid-shoulder fill). Not oxidized, not corked, perhaps a bit of fruit stew? Doug thinks not as great as other Eisele 1975s opened up. Now, starting to open (75-90 mins in). Bordeaux-esque tertiary musk coming to play. @ Napa Boys Trip
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
disappointing - opened to compare with some 1975 Bordeaux (Cheval Blanc, Lafleur), but couldn't compete - mature cabernet nose - light body but still some sweet cabernet fruit present - low acidity and tannins - practically non-existent finish - this was a great wine once, but this bottle was a mere shadow of that wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark red, brick rim - initially a beautiful nose of bright red fruit, along with some earthy/herbal complexity - full mouth with resolved tannins and good acidity - medium length 15-20 second finish - fruit decreased dramatically in the glass after 2 hrs but still a solid well-structured wine - a very nice fully mature CA cab that was a pleasure to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At tasting. Brief note. A real treat to be able to try this piece of history. Pours a slightly cloudy ruby red with minimal bricking in the glass. Nose and palate are exceptionally pure and focused with sweet, feminine red fruits including muddled strawberry, macerated cherries and perfumed raspberries, new leather, cigar box, unlit charcoal, smokey earthiness and baking spice laden oak. Midpalate is fresh too with singing high-toned red fruits that go hand in hand with the high-toned acidity making this really sing. Finishes long with layers of fruit trading places with spice, smoke, and earth as it lingers. A lovely wine to savor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very youthful with plenty of fruit, moderate power and great vibrancy. This is why this is a famous vineyard. Just barely beaten by the same year Heitz Martha's vineyard but only because of the distinctiveness of that wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Long Long Lunch: Such a pretty wine. Kept gaining weight over 2 hours. Had that slutty California fruit but never crossed the line into the thermal nuclear fruit meltdown territory. Yankee directness but with genuine sincerity. Drinking at peak. Most people pegged this as French but I thought quite representative. One of my WOTD
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ginsberg and Chan Singapore Steak Supreme (Wooloomooloo Steak House): Well preserved, this had a hint of cloud on first contact but then snapped back into its youthful vigour, with lovely cherries, blackberries and leather. A find body and decent finish shows this is aging remarkably well. To be enjoyed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
OMG! A 39 year old wine caught at the peak of perfection. This is what Cal Cab aspires to but rarely achieves. Brick red color, intense Cab nose with notes of oak, leather, earth and black fruits. We spent almost an hour in our glasses before it seemed to start to fade. On the palate in was intense, rich, balanced with tannins softened to a mild background note. Excellent complexity of flavor, after putting it in your mouth you didnt want to swallow as it kept delivering balanced flavor. I remember this wine from it's release being perhaps the best of the dozens of Napa Cabs I tried from the 1975 or 1974 vintage. It's gratifying to see it has developed so perfectly. I wish I had more left!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Twelveth Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON): Extremely Bordeaux like, in fact it is much like Pichon Lalande. Loads of leather, mushroom, cedar, herbs, cherries, red currants, black currants and wet animal fur. Really beautiful and just a bit green and herbal. Palate is well integrated with just a bit of fine dusty tannin remaining and finishes long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Twelfth Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON, Canada): This is dead ringer for aged bordeaux… Pure black and red fruits augmented by leather, cedar and earthy notes. The palate again shows such purity….brown sugar, dark black cherries, currants and berries mix with earth, cedar leather and saddle notes. The finish is medium+ and very complex. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Filled with smoke, earth, truffle, cassis and spice, blind, I would have pegged it for a Pauillac. The wine is concentrated, powerful and filled with cassis and blackberry. Some greeness along with tart sensation intrudes in the finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/4/2023 - ash_then_chase Likes this wine: 94 Points
SO closed at the moment. Starting to open up 45-60 mins in. First vintage of Phelps Eisele (mid-shoulder fill). Not oxidized, not corked, perhaps a bit of fruit stew? Doug thinks not as great as other Eisele 1975s opened up. Now, starting to open (75-90 mins in). Bordeaux-esque tertiary musk coming to play. @ Napa Boys Trip
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2021 - Verb wrote: 88 Points
disappointing - opened to compare with some 1975 Bordeaux (Cheval Blanc, Lafleur), but couldn't compete - mature cabernet nose - light body but still some sweet cabernet fruit present - low acidity and tannins - practically non-existent finish - this was a great wine once, but this bottle was a mere shadow of that wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 93 Points
dark red, brick rim - initially a beautiful nose of bright red fruit, along with some earthy/herbal complexity - full mouth with resolved tannins and good acidity - medium length 15-20 second finish - fruit decreased dramatically in the glass after 2 hrs but still a solid well-structured wine - a very nice fully mature CA cab that was a pleasure to drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
At tasting. Brief note. A real treat to be able to try this piece of history. Pours a slightly cloudy ruby red with minimal bricking in the glass. Nose and palate are exceptionally pure and focused with sweet, feminine red fruits including muddled strawberry, macerated cherries and perfumed raspberries, new leather, cigar box, unlit charcoal, smokey earthiness and baking spice laden oak. Midpalate is fresh too with singing high-toned red fruits that go hand in hand with the high-toned acidity making this really sing. Finishes long with layers of fruit trading places with spice, smoke, and earth as it lingers. A lovely wine to savor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2018 - Verb wrote: flawed
unfortunately corked, but could appreciate a full rich mouthful of fruit underneath
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2016 - Topper wrote: 94 Points
Very youthful with plenty of fruit, moderate power and great vibrancy. This is why this is a famous vineyard. Just barely beaten by the same year Heitz Martha's vineyard but only because of the distinctiveness of that wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2016 - cortoncharlie wrote: 96 Points
Long Long Lunch: Such a pretty wine. Kept gaining weight over 2 hours. Had that slutty California fruit but never crossed the line into the thermal nuclear fruit meltdown territory. Yankee directness but with genuine sincerity. Drinking at peak. Most people pegged this as French but I thought quite representative. One of my WOTD
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2015 - bengti wrote: 93 Points
Ginsberg and Chan Singapore Steak Supreme (Wooloomooloo Steak House): Well preserved, this had a hint of cloud on first contact but then snapped back into its youthful vigour, with lovely cherries, blackberries and leather. A find body and decent finish shows this is aging remarkably well. To be enjoyed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2014 - Tantamnt wrote: 95 Points
OMG!
A 39 year old wine caught at the peak of perfection. This is what Cal Cab aspires to but rarely achieves. Brick red color, intense Cab nose with notes of oak, leather, earth and black fruits. We spent almost an hour in our glasses before it seemed to start to fade. On the palate in was intense, rich, balanced with tannins softened to a mild background note. Excellent complexity of flavor, after putting it in your mouth you didnt want to swallow as it kept delivering balanced flavor.
I remember this wine from it's release being perhaps the best of the dozens of Napa Cabs I tried from the 1975 or 1974 vintage. It's gratifying to see it has developed so perfectly. I wish I had more left!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2013 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
The Twelveth Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON): Extremely Bordeaux like, in fact it is much like Pichon Lalande. Loads of leather, mushroom, cedar, herbs, cherries, red currants, black currants and wet animal fur. Really beautiful and just a bit green and herbal. Palate is well integrated with just a bit of fine dusty tannin remaining and finishes long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2013 - Dave Canada wrote: 93 Points
The Twelfth Annual Stonefields Dinner (Guelph, ON, Canada): This is dead ringer for aged bordeaux…
Pure black and red fruits augmented by leather, cedar and earthy notes.
The palate again shows such purity….brown sugar, dark black cherries, currants and berries mix with earth, cedar leather and saddle notes.
The finish is medium+ and very complex. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Filled with smoke, earth, truffle, cassis and spice, blind, I would have pegged it for a Pauillac. The wine is concentrated, powerful and filled with cassis and blackberry. Some greeness along with tart sensation intrudes in the finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2007 - chatsworth05 wrote:
A classic California Cab with a great nose for an older wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 98 Points
Huge, just forward cabernet fruit on the nose; great viscous, mouthful, intense concentrated, taste goes on and on for over 3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/1988 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 98 Points
LaCigale with rack of lamb; tremendous nose, of fruity cabernet prefume; big, intense, rich, elegant mouth; great finish and aftertaste.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/1988 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
With MPL and Niley Dorit at Singer & Foy. Nose fruity but a bit shy. Flavor good but tannic. Nice. 5-11-16-6: 88/100.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment