Opened for a buddy’s birthday party. What a lovely surprise. Cork was a struggle, but hardly any seepage at all. On a table with a ridiculous amount of bottles, including standouts like ‘95 Opus, ‘85 Freemark Bosche, ‘74 Sterling Merlot, ‘13 Salon.
Pop and poured. Excellent youthful color! Deep ruby, hardly any bricking. Gorgeous aromatics of red and black berries, vanilla pipe tobacco, sweet spices. On the palate, it is wonderfully integrated and layered with stewed red and black fruits, fig, espresso, dusty coco (maybe fading signature Rutherford dust?), and a small bit of tannin at the finish keeping this buttoned-up and well structured. Excellent finish and balance. Held strong all evening. Seems as though this had a toe in the early ‘90s style of more bright Napa cabs and one toe in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s style of starting to increase ripeness…great marriage of the two. Pop and enjoy!
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1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #4 had great color, had a gorgeous, slightly lifted nose. Developing, the fruit leaned a little more opulent, but only just. Some secondary characteristics beginning to emerge but no signs of fading. There was excellent structure with lovely acid. I called Staglin. A real beauty that’s ready to drink through 2037
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Surprisingly fresh for a wine this old (the deep ruby color made it look half its age) and was delicious even upon opening. Fully integrated tannins and well balanced overall. It's likely at its peak or slightly past now, but could develop more tertiary notes in the coming years.
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deep young red/purple color, cassis and cherry nose rich with spice notes and forest floor, pine, on the palate a really lovely ripe and mature sweet fruit, cassis, cherries, hints of sugarplum, generous and wholly captivating, well framed in chalk notes and a structure that remains concealed under the deep pool of alluring fruit, fine long finish, with time dried leaf notes, oak in its proper place and adding a lovely spiciness throughout, perfection, in its prime now but should hold there for many more years.
*****, now to 2030+
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Very opaque color, it looks like 5-7 years old wine. Sweet and intense nose of blueberries, blackberries and black cherries. Fantastic concentration and soft, warm, sexy style. There is still enough tannins to provide excellent structure and acidity to give balance and depth. A Beauty. Fortunately Parker gave only 90-92pts from barrel sample and I could have afford to buy it as sleeper of great vintage at bargain price. Buy every bottle you can. This is best kept secret of 1997 in Napa. One of 3 best wines I have ever had in my life.
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What a wine! It was rich yet elegant - bold yet with a softness. In short, it was stunning It is everything I said last year and more. A great nose of rich dark fruit, that was balanced but more elegant now. The fruit was softer - primarily dark with some raspberry and just that lovely hint of sweetness. On the palette, it was rich but with a bit of airiness or lightness. The finish - it went on and on and on. And this not decanted; it was simply PnP. This wine proves that if you are patient, CA cabs with reward you beyond your expectations. Put another way, this is a great CA Cab. I raise my glass to the Staglins - as did everyone who enjoyed it with us. Thankfully, I have more.
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Decanted at Craft for approx an hour. Wow, incredible bottle! It’s up there with many great 97 Napa that I’ve drunk so far (Insignia, Pahlmeyer, Seavey, Peter Michael, Araujo). Beautiful aroma of some meat, cigar box, dusty chocolate, burnt rubber. I can sniff this out of the glass all night. Long finish of balanced fruit, acid and paired with smooth tannins.
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Wow! The "pros" either missed this one or had no idea how it would evolve. It is drinking incredibly well right now. I did not decant, but should have. The 1997 Staglin just continued to get better and better in the glass and from the bottle. Almost perfectly balanced, with blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruit and some licorice, chocolate, and earthiness. Still showing nice tannins in the long finish. This was not what we were expecting...
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I thought this one I might have aged a bit too long. While the cork was very dry and broke apart, the wine was still spectacular. Smooth with plenty of blackberry and chocolate flavor with just the right amount of tannins.
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This wine was absolutely delicious!! Needed 1.5 hrs to open up but when it did, dark fruit, menthol, cedar, clove, chocolate and potting soil. Nose was fabulous right off the bat. Probably has another couple of years max. Will pay $75 for another bottle
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A beautiful, mature CA Cabernet that I used to toast President Trump's Inauguration with friends. Dark in color, fully integrated tannins, wonderful red fruit on the nose and pallet - rich with a hint of sweetness, great mouth feel, lovely long finish, bright, and clean. In short, it was really, really good. Maybe it was the occasion, but whatever the reason, my hat is off to the Staglins for making this beauty.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Opened up beautifully, presenting red and black fruits, earth and some leather. Very nicely balanced. Just a hint of tannin leading to a long smooth finish. This wine is mature and very enjoyable. It will hold up for another few years but why wait.
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Opened for the 13th Anniversary wine, along with a '97 Delaforce port. From a half bottle, this is just as good as the prior two bottles. Simply amazing, perfumed nose with incredible florals, cherry, just jumping out of the glass. Reminiscent of the 200 Gaja Sperss. There's some slight secondaries of leather, cedar, cotton candy, and loads of cherry. Smooth and in the grove, this just gets better with air....full bodied, not showing any signs of tiredness. Long finish, textured and plush. Fantastic.
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Dinner with Friends: This wine has come together since the last bottle opened in 2013. Classic Cali Cab with some age on it. Decanted for about 1 hour. Dark fruit is still present, but more mature notes are now predominate: cocoa, spice and earthy leather. The finish was a little short but but that may have been more of a comparison to the 1998 that was side by side. This wine is at its peak right now and I think it will be awhile before it begins to fade. But it is time to open these.
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Second notes on this wine from about two years ago. Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with no visual signs of aging. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of developed & mature, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, cassis, blackberries with cedar overtones, spices, dark cocoa notes, mint & dried herbs, a bit of earthiness, vanilla & a hint of toasty oak. Full bodied with a very good concentration of developed & mature, smooth & polished texture, well-integrated, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries, cassis & plums, cola, dark cocoa, herbs, spices, earthy, vanilla & toasty oak. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the structure & fruit to last a few more years longer although any further development may be minimal. A nicely aged Napa Cabernet at 18 years of age.
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PnP for vote night out of a 375ml stored in the cellar. Dark, purple to ruby. Full bodied, showing sweet leather, cherry, cocoa powder, fresh raspberry and some tart chalk. Sweetness is fading for sure, but there's plenty of acidity and structure to hold this together. Dense blacks and blues on the palate, with iodine and squid ink components. Superb!
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Similar to previous bottle, but maybe even a bit better. This vintage of Staglin continues to impress me. '97 was considered a great vintage in Napa at the time, but apparently not all of the wines have held up as well as expected. The Staglin definitely has.
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Decanted 90 minutes, consumed over 3 hours. Deep, dark in the glass. Nose shows black cherry, coffee, tobacco, and a little leather. Palate followed nose with a little riper fruit profile. Tannins were fully integrated and bottle held up well over the 4+ hours of being opened.
NOTE: This bottle has a special place in our hearts as it was one of the first nicer bottles of wine we shared together at a now defunct local restaurant. Our original selection was sold out and the staff offered this in its place at a reduced rate. In some way this bottle introduced me to fine wine.
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W veal chop upon return from LSGRV Bordeaux. Very good wine, not young as described in a few notes before but still very fresh. Tannins (dryness) there uponopening but disappeared after half hour. Great fruit, onpalate and nose. Good finish. Some smoke. Just a very good enjoyable wine. Next five years life.
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From a magnum. Beautiful wine, but consumed alongside the '02 Insignia and lacked some of the depth and complexity by comparison. No hurry on this one. Opened about 3 hours before dinner and was drinking nicely in the glass at dinner.
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Drank as part of a 1996-1999 vertical. There was a slight earthiness on the nose and first glass. Within twenty minutes, that quality was gone and all fruit emerged. This was the class of the vertical.
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amazing nose. like a high quality ink pen. hard to describe mouth - complex, cornucopia of fruit, swaty, lovely. in a word amazing, and it made at the younger wines at the table taste harsher the second time around. wow wine.
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Wine was properly stored (temp controlled) from purchase upon release until drunk; good color; needs time to open, perhaps 30 minutes; perfume, then intense fruit bowl; mouthwatering. Unable to identify individual fruit aromas, all mashed together. Lovely bottle, but perhaps a bit too old now.
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Got to say I was a little disappointed. Cherries, blackberries, leather, ever so slight mint feel. Long finish. But there was something not quite in balance with the tannins a little prominent while the acidity was a little out of whack. Based on all the other reviews, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was just going through that "dumb" phase and will continue to integrate over the next year or two. I will save my last bottle until 2015 or beyond and see.
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Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with no visual signs of aging. Fragrant & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, cassis, blackberries with some cedar, sweet spices, dark cocoa, mint/herbs, a bit of black pepper, some earthiness and vanilla bean overtones. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well developed, smooth & polished rich, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries, cassis & plums, cola, dark cocoa, herbs, spices, earthy and vanilla. Silky smooth lingering finish with well integrated tannins. Drinks quite well at present and has the depth, structure & fruit to last longer if cellared properly although further development may be quite limited.
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- Brick color. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Standout and still holding the cherry flavor. It's depth is amazing after all the years. It's style takes you back to older Napa cabs. What a treat!
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- Garnet color with a medium finish - Drank this bottle which has been laid down since purchase with our good friends from Italy..Francesca and Federico. Federico is Director General of the OIV ..clearly a knowledgeable individual when it comes to wine. Well, we loved the wine. Perfect condition. Decanted a short while before..wined the glasses a bit and enjoyed. A bit of peppery spice and smooth finish. A very enjoyable wine.
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Killer. Total full mouth of dark red fruit. Tannins attenuate with some air and time. Still young so if you have only a couple bottles I would wait 3-5 years.
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Good red/black fruit, still holding up very well. Some soft tannins and well integrated oak, plus some herbal notes. What really stood out though, was the acidity. Much more acid than a typical Napa Cab, giving it structure and probably longetivity.
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In a great place.Fruit deepened over time in the glass and tannins were well integrated but still providing a nice backbone. Tasted fresh and plenty of life. Fruit dominated by casis, plum and dark cherry.
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Sampled 11/4/11. A still tannic wine that even after a couple hours had a very firm backbone. Some good black fruits and casis with pencil lead. I'm beginning to think the fruit will fall off before the tannins will every fully resolve themselves. Almost no sediment in the bottle.
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University Club Dinner in deemed Cathedral Hall - no formal notes. Very pleasant Cab for a '97. Refined but not a muted nose. Not a great depth of fruit but a clean, focused black fruit with some earthen elements and a nice structure.
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pop and pour. started out with little fruit and underwhelming tannic structure. Evolved a bit to release some fruit, but this bottle definitely a few years past prime. the corked '92 was actually better and younger acting.
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Great wine with everything you look for in a great cab --- fruit, structure and the IT. It was good alone or with fatty food like streak. I wish this was not my last bottle but I do not think it is getting any better -- LOVED IT!!!! and even better with GREAT friends.
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Wow! Velvety smooth that only a well aged Napa can be. Decanted and just got better within an hour. Tobacco and leather. This is why you age your wines.
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Decanted for 2hrs in afternoon. Ellen detected a slight hint of brett, which I identified as Rutherford dust. Good bouquet, slightly reticent, rich dark fruit and forest notes, with a good finish. Will continue to improve from here.
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•1997 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon - Here come the big boys. This was a 1.5L and the wine was absolutely excellent, my third favorite of the night. The nose was spot on, palate complex and coated the mouth, nice blueberry,. leather notes, integrated oak and just a well done wine. Finish wasn't very long, but this wine can live another 5-10 years easy. I am very happy to see how some of these 97's are holding up. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED A+
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From Magnum. I was pleasantly surprised by the mouth feel. Still young and vigor after 13 years in the bottle. Chocolate notes don't clash with oak and the tannins are still on the scratchy side. The wine benefited from air tremendously.
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After a few hours open (which is really needed -- this bottle was stored in personal cellar temp. controlled since release) was really good if not amazing -- the structure, the finish, the nose and the taste were all excellent -- could not imagine this wine could get any better -- so may drinking at peak.
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Probably just starting to go down hill, though this was better than the last two bottles consumed over the last 4 years. Drink up!
Color: Purple red core, garnet edges.
Nose: Currants, flowers, pencil shavings and Rutherford dust. Some interesting savory notes after an hour.
Palate: Still plenty of body, medium to more full, very focused - well made. Currants, mocha and spice, dusty cherry and sweet tobacco. Fine grained and focused tannins, great lush finish.
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Seriously well-aged Cab, but not at all over the hill. Full nose with hints of black licorice and even a little bubble gum, along with gobs of black cherry. Compelling nose. Dark fruits dominate the palate, along with cassis, more dark fruit, pencil lead, and licorice. Nice long, full finish. Although this is drinking great right now, I think if it is well-stored this bottle will keep several more years. Had with grilled ribeyes and vegetables.
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Deep, dark color. Dark fruit and oak on the nose followed by a touch of earth. Taste was deep and long with dark cherries and cassis. Good acidity and drying tannins. Faded over the course of the evening. Very good wine, but not the best effort from Staglin. Drink soon.
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Piece de Resistance for New Years Eve dinner with Karen & Ally. Paired with wine braised short ribs, roasted vegetables and potatoes. Pristine storage in the cellar. 1/2 bottle. Oh yes, just as good as the last bottle consumed 3 years ago. Phenomenal, deep, still young looking purple in the glass. Dark aromas of black cherry, forest dampness, plum, cedar, cocoa. Superb structure, with tannin chasing the black currant and cherry fruit through the mid-palate and finish. 30+ second finish. This offering is highly impressive....a top tier '97 of the dozens of offerings I still have in the cellar. Day two shows more dusty spice aromas, anise seed, graphite, creosote and leather with black cherry flavor and integrated tannins.
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Deep ultra dark and brooding. This has some mature edges, but still vibrant. The nose has some dark complex cassis with some lead pencil shavings and tar. A little petroleum evident that adds complexity and interest. As this comes down to room temperature there is a hint of reductiveness, just a hint. Not distracting, but there. There is black currant, crème de cassis, some cedar box, a touch of tar and some black olive. This is very 'Left bank'. The tannins have resolved and the acid level is slightly, ever so raised. A very nice bottle indeed. I say drink 'e if you got them. Should be good for some time yet. There was more than its share of sediment here too. (from a 375).
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Bottle 11 of a case purchased on release. This has been a great experience following the evolution of this wine. A very nice wine. But I believe it was a little better a year ago. Fruit is starting to fade just a bit. Drink up.
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Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits and plums. Tannins are resolved and integrated. Just a fantastic wine, that I paid about 1/3 of the current asking price for the 03.
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absolutely fantastic, shared with friends over a great meal at Bones Steakhouse in Atlanta, the wine was the perfect balancing act and complemented the steaks wonderfully
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Tasted blind. Finished in 2nd to a 2003 Roar Rosella's Syrah in a pairing with seared duck with raspberry red wine sauce. Rich and substantial, with a big artery of black currant fruit running through it. Long balanced finish. Throwing tons of sediment. Drink now through 2010.
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Bright ruby red. Decanted 2 hours. Elegant nose of cassis and cedar with smoke, tobacco and a bit of mint emerging with aeration. Silky mouthfeel. Finish is a little short. An elegant, mature cab. I don't know that it will improve much with more age but it should hold on for quite a while longer.
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Seemless and delicious. Somethimes we get so seduced by the blockbusters that we forget the fabulous sensation of drinking a beautifully balanced bottle of wine at just the right time with just the right food. Bravo.
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Opened and poured without decanting this wine was a bit soupy at first, but it woke up in the glass. Really dark, beautiful plum-purple color. Impressively rich, black currant, plum, and blackberry flavors with coffee, herb, spice (cinnamon), and chocolate notes on the nose. A little too much vanilla flavor for me on the palate but this turns more elegant and complex as it moves through the finish.
Good stuff. Perfectly drinkable now, just give it a little while unfold.
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Decanted for 30 minutes before 1st sip and then consumed over the next 2 hours. Served with pan seared tenderloin over wilted spinach with a red wine sauce. Beautiful dark purple color. On the nose a classic cabernet was apparent with clear creme de cassis and vanilla. Notes of graphite and charcoal arrived after a bit. This wine displayed strong tannins that had yet to fully resolve, but certainly displayed a liveliness that was more apparent to me than I notice in many cabs. Perhaps it is the strong tannins/acid profile but this wine felt a little disjointed to me. Notwithstanding, I did enjoy this wine, but felt that it was internally a little inconsistent with itself which took away from the wonderful nose. Had it not been for the delightful aromas, my personal score would have suffered more. Perhaps, with time this could further develop. It clearly has the stuffing to last a while.
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97 STAGLIN Cab Sauv Rutherford Bench 1 $58 W 92 2003 ****- USA Napa $58 Gulf 11/14/2000 Prime 112 Rebottled Super; Rutherford dust, try again in a year
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Third time I have tried this since 2000 and it is really starting to arrive. I think it will improve more. The '01 is supposed to be awesome, but will it be better than this?
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Tasted at the Victorville get together on 4/19/03.
Another case of infanticide, slowly unfolding to show dark cherry and currant fruit, coffee, and cedar. It needs at least another 5 years of cellaring, and should go for 15.
My rating 90 points. An extreme case of infanticide. This one needs at least five more years before trying again, to let the drying, gripping tannins integrate.
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4/3/2024 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
94-95
Opened for a buddy’s birthday party. What a lovely surprise. Cork was a struggle, but hardly any seepage at all. On a table with a ridiculous amount of bottles, including standouts like ‘95 Opus, ‘85 Freemark Bosche, ‘74 Sterling Merlot, ‘13 Salon.
Pop and poured. Excellent youthful color! Deep ruby, hardly any bricking. Gorgeous aromatics of red and black berries, vanilla pipe tobacco, sweet spices. On the palate, it is wonderfully integrated and layered with stewed red and black fruits, fig, espresso, dusty coco (maybe fading signature Rutherford dust?), and a small bit of tannin at the finish keeping this buttoned-up and well structured. Excellent finish and balance. Held strong all evening. Seems as though this had a toe in the early ‘90s style of more bright Napa cabs and one toe in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s style of starting to increase ripeness…great marriage of the two. Pop and enjoy!
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1/18/2024 - thesternowl wrote: 94 Points
1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE): Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #4 had great color, had a gorgeous, slightly lifted nose. Developing, the fruit leaned a little more opulent, but only just. Some secondary characteristics beginning to emerge but no signs of fading. There was excellent structure with lovely acid. I called Staglin. A real beauty that’s ready to drink through 2037
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12/27/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Jammy blackberry and cherry; crunchy; layered; full finish.
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11/10/2023 - awitz78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Could have been from a recent release. 375. Cork in great shape. Lots of sediment on neck. Fresh maybe but peppery. Good fruit. Medium finish.
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9/21/2023 - veraisondetre Likes this wine: 95 Points
Surprisingly fresh for a wine this old (the deep ruby color made it look half its age) and was delicious even upon opening. Fully integrated tannins and well balanced overall. It's likely at its peak or slightly past now, but could develop more tertiary notes in the coming years.
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3/23/2022 - vino555 wrote: 95 Points
still great!
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2/26/2022 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deep young red/purple color, cassis and cherry nose rich with spice notes and forest floor, pine, on the palate a really lovely ripe and mature sweet fruit, cassis, cherries, hints of sugarplum, generous and wholly captivating, well framed in chalk notes and a structure that remains concealed under the deep pool of alluring fruit, fine long finish, with time dried leaf notes, oak in its proper place and adding a lovely spiciness throughout, perfection, in its prime now but should hold there for many more years.
*****, now to 2030+
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12/30/2020 - Vmaster007 wrote: 94 Points
Encore une jeunesse, ce vin a de belles épices fines et un fruit encore bien présent. Wow.
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10/10/2020 - ejmwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork disintegrated otherwise very nice.
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5/5/2019 - Joealex Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very opaque color, it looks like 5-7 years old wine.
Sweet and intense nose of blueberries, blackberries and black cherries. Fantastic concentration and soft, warm, sexy style. There is still enough tannins to provide excellent structure and acidity to give balance and depth. A Beauty. Fortunately Parker gave only 90-92pts from barrel sample and I could have afford to buy it as sleeper of great vintage at bargain price.
Buy every bottle you can. This is best kept secret of 1997 in Napa.
One of 3 best wines I have ever had in my life.
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12/7/2018 - Labrador Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a wine!
It was rich yet elegant - bold yet with a softness. In short, it was stunning
It is everything I said last year and more. A great nose of rich dark fruit, that was balanced but more elegant now. The fruit was softer - primarily dark with some raspberry and just that lovely hint of sweetness. On the palette, it was rich but with a bit of airiness or lightness. The finish - it went on and on and on. And this not decanted; it was simply PnP.
This wine proves that if you are patient, CA cabs with reward you beyond your expectations.
Put another way, this is a great CA Cab.
I raise my glass to the Staglins - as did everyone who enjoyed it with us.
Thankfully, I have more.
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7/28/2018 - grafighter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted at Craft for approx an hour. Wow, incredible bottle! It’s up there with many great 97 Napa that I’ve drunk so far (Insignia, Pahlmeyer, Seavey, Peter Michael, Araujo). Beautiful aroma of some meat, cigar box, dusty chocolate, burnt rubber. I can sniff this out of the glass all night. Long finish of balanced fruit, acid and paired with smooth tannins.
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1/13/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow! The "pros" either missed this one or had no idea how it would evolve. It is drinking incredibly well right now. I did not decant, but should have. The 1997 Staglin just continued to get better and better in the glass and from the bottle. Almost perfectly balanced, with blackberry, black cherry and black currant fruit and some licorice, chocolate, and earthiness. Still showing nice tannins in the long finish. This was not what we were expecting...
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2/14/2017 - The Raven Likes this wine: 92 Points
I thought this one I might have aged a bit too long. While the cork was very dry and broke apart, the wine was still spectacular. Smooth with plenty of blackberry and chocolate flavor with just the right amount of tannins.
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1/29/2017 - Kyle_Stewart wrote: 93 Points
This wine was absolutely delicious!! Needed 1.5 hrs to open up but when it did, dark fruit, menthol, cedar, clove, chocolate and potting soil. Nose was fabulous right off the bat. Probably has another couple of years max. Will pay $75 for another bottle
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1/20/2017 - Labrador Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beautiful, mature CA Cabernet that I used to toast President Trump's Inauguration with friends.
Dark in color, fully integrated tannins, wonderful red fruit on the nose and pallet - rich with a hint of sweetness, great mouth feel, lovely long finish, bright, and clean. In short, it was really, really good. Maybe it was the occasion, but whatever the reason, my hat is off to the Staglins for making this beauty.
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10/22/2016 - Rich289 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Opened up beautifully, presenting red and black fruits, earth and some leather. Very nicely balanced. Just a hint of tannin leading to a long smooth finish. This wine is mature and very enjoyable. It will hold up for another few years but why wait.
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10/11/2016 - Senso-beak wrote: 95 Points
Opened for the 13th Anniversary wine, along with a '97 Delaforce port. From a half bottle, this is just as good as the prior two bottles. Simply amazing, perfumed nose with incredible florals, cherry, just jumping out of the glass. Reminiscent of the 200 Gaja Sperss. There's some slight secondaries of leather, cedar, cotton candy, and loads of cherry. Smooth and in the grove, this just gets better with air....full bodied, not showing any signs of tiredness. Long finish, textured and plush. Fantastic.
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8/11/2016 - Capitolhack Likes this wine: 94 Points
Has aged well. Good fruit, some leather notes. Drink by 2018. Great CA cab.
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1/2/2016 - JS1056 wrote: 90 Points
Dinner with Friends: This wine has come together since the last bottle opened in 2013. Classic Cali Cab with some age on it. Decanted for about 1 hour. Dark fruit is still present, but more mature notes are now predominate: cocoa, spice and earthy leather. The finish was a little short but but that may have been more of a comparison to the 1998 that was side by side.
This wine is at its peak right now and I think it will be awhile before it begins to fade. But it is time to open these.
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9/20/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second notes on this wine from about two years ago. Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with no visual signs of aging. Full, fragrant & attractive nose of developed & mature, ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, cassis, blackberries with cedar overtones, spices, dark cocoa notes, mint & dried herbs, a bit of earthiness, vanilla & a hint of toasty oak. Full bodied with a very good concentration of developed & mature, smooth & polished texture, well-integrated, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries, cassis & plums, cola, dark cocoa, herbs, spices, earthy, vanilla & toasty oak. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the structure & fruit to last a few more years longer although any further development may be minimal. A nicely aged Napa Cabernet at 18 years of age.
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3/20/2015 - Senso-beak wrote: 91 Points
PnP for vote night out of a 375ml stored in the cellar. Dark, purple to ruby. Full bodied, showing sweet leather, cherry, cocoa powder, fresh raspberry and some tart chalk. Sweetness is fading for sure, but there's plenty of acidity and structure to hold this together. Dense blacks and blues on the palate, with iodine and squid ink components. Superb!
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1/9/2015 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to previous bottle, but maybe even a bit better. This vintage of Staglin continues to impress me. '97 was considered a great vintage in Napa at the time, but apparently not all of the wines have held up as well as expected. The Staglin definitely has.
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11/28/2014 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Decanted 90 minutes, consumed over 3 hours. Deep, dark in the glass. Nose shows black cherry, coffee, tobacco, and a little leather. Palate followed nose with a little riper fruit profile. Tannins were fully integrated and bottle held up well over the 4+ hours of being opened.
NOTE: This bottle has a special place in our hearts as it was one of the first nicer bottles of wine we shared together at a now defunct local restaurant. Our original selection was sold out and the staff offered this in its place at a reduced rate. In some way this bottle introduced me to fine wine.
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11/15/2014 - jinks Likes this wine: 94 Points
still youthful in appearance and taste. Fabulous napa cab
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10/12/2014 - MichielV Likes this wine: 92 Points
W veal chop upon return from LSGRV Bordeaux. Very good wine, not young as described in a few notes before but still very fresh. Tannins (dryness) there uponopening but disappeared after half hour. Great fruit, onpalate and nose. Good finish. Some smoke. Just a very good enjoyable wine. Next five years life.
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9/20/2014 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a magnum. Beautiful wine, but consumed alongside the '02 Insignia and lacked some of the depth and complexity by comparison. No hurry on this one. Opened about 3 hours before dinner and was drinking nicely in the glass at dinner.
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5/17/2014 - mfriedman12 wrote: 95 Points
Drank as part of a 1996-1999 vertical. There was a slight earthiness on the nose and first glass. Within twenty minutes, that quality was gone and all fruit emerged. This was the class of the vertical.
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4/15/2014 - pipegarcia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Looks like a new red violet wine. Ripe cassis, oak, tobacco, and spice box aromas and flavors. Rich, structured, resolved tannin. Long finish.
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2/28/2014 - soyhead wrote:
amazing nose. like a high quality ink pen. hard to describe
mouth - complex, cornucopia of fruit, swaty, lovely. in a word amazing, and it made at the younger wines at the table taste harsher the second time around. wow wine.
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1/2/2014 - Wine_Bear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine was properly stored (temp controlled) from purchase upon release until drunk; good color; needs time to open, perhaps 30 minutes; perfume, then intense fruit bowl; mouthwatering. Unable to identify individual fruit aromas, all mashed together. Lovely bottle, but perhaps a bit too old now.
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12/24/2013 - JS1056 wrote:
Got to say I was a little disappointed. Cherries, blackberries, leather, ever so slight mint feel. Long finish. But there was something not quite in balance with the tannins a little prominent while the acidity was a little out of whack. Based on all the other reviews, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and say maybe it was just going through that "dumb" phase and will continue to integrate over the next year or two. I will save my last bottle until 2015 or beyond and see.
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11/21/2013 - JCDR Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic.
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11/1/2013 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple in color with no visual signs of aging. Fragrant & attractive nose of ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, cassis, blackberries with some cedar, sweet spices, dark cocoa, mint/herbs, a bit of black pepper, some earthiness and vanilla bean overtones. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well developed, smooth & polished rich, ripe dark fruit flavors of cherries, blueberries, cassis & plums, cola, dark cocoa, herbs, spices, earthy and vanilla. Silky smooth lingering finish with well integrated tannins. Drinks quite well at present and has the depth, structure & fruit to last longer if cellared properly although further development may be quite limited.
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10/9/2013 - gabird wrote: 93 Points
- Brick color. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Fleshy texture with a long finish - Standout and still holding the cherry flavor. It's depth is amazing after all the years. It's style takes you back to older Napa cabs. What a treat!
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9/1/2013 - Tep wrote:
- Garnet color with a medium finish - Drank this bottle which has been laid down since purchase with our good friends from Italy..Francesca and Federico. Federico is Director General of the OIV ..clearly a knowledgeable individual when it comes to wine.
Well, we loved the wine. Perfect condition. Decanted a short while before..wined the glasses a bit and enjoyed. A bit of peppery spice and smooth finish. A very enjoyable wine.
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2/19/2013 - AtoZ wrote:
date is wrong tasting note is right
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1/3/2013 - norsktorsk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Killer. Total full mouth of dark red fruit. Tannins attenuate with some air and time. Still young so if you have only a couple bottles I would wait 3-5 years.
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12/23/2012 - RBaird wrote: 91 Points
wow
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6/4/2012 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good red/black fruit, still holding up very well. Some soft tannins and well integrated oak, plus some herbal notes. What really stood out though, was the acidity. Much more acid than a typical Napa Cab, giving it structure and probably longetivity.
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5/26/2012 - Yak wrote: 95 Points
drinking great right now.
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5/13/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 92 Points
Very nice again and outshone a 2000 Phelps Insignia.
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3/21/2012 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well. Full bodied with round tannins. Drink now. PDQ93+
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2/6/2012 - g289519 wrote: 95 Points
One of the best wines I've had in a while and my cellar is pretty good. In a good place right now. Smooth, long finish.
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2/3/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 94 Points
In a great place.Fruit deepened over time in the glass and tannins were well integrated but still providing a nice backbone. Tasted fresh and plenty of life. Fruit dominated by casis, plum and dark cherry.
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2/1/2012 - Brett wrote: 94 Points
Very good bottle....last bottle.
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11/7/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 92 Points
Sampled 11/4/11. A still tannic wine that even after a couple hours had a very firm backbone. Some good black fruits and casis with pencil lead. I'm beginning to think the fruit will fall off before the tannins will every fully resolve themselves. Almost no sediment in the bottle.
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10/5/2011 - Brsed wrote: 93 Points
University Club Dinner in deemed Cathedral Hall - no formal notes. Very pleasant Cab for a '97. Refined but not a muted nose. Not a great depth of fruit but a clean, focused black fruit with some earthen elements and a nice structure.
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6/9/2011 - bruinesq84 wrote: 89 Points
pop and pour. started out with little fruit and underwhelming tannic structure. Evolved a bit to release some fruit, but this bottle definitely a few years past prime. the corked '92 was actually better and younger acting.
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3/6/2011 - dwhsieh wrote: 97 Points
From magnum, excellent. Drinking perfectly
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2/5/2011 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 95 Points
Great wine with everything you look for in a great cab --- fruit, structure and the IT. It was good alone or with fatty food like streak. I wish this was not my last bottle but I do not think it is getting any better -- LOVED IT!!!! and even better with GREAT friends.
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1/23/2011 - n2wine wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Velvety smooth that only a well aged Napa can be. Decanted and just got better within an hour. Tobacco and leather. This is why you age your wines.
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11/13/2010 - jamesr wrote:
Took to Imlach's
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8/20/2010 - Yak wrote: 93 Points
lots of life left here. decanted for an hour and wonderful aroma. Black cherry. Dust, forward and long finish.
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4/24/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2hrs in afternoon. Ellen detected a slight hint of brett, which I identified as Rutherford dust. Good bouquet, slightly reticent, rich dark fruit and forest notes, with a good finish. Will continue to improve from here.
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3/7/2010 - wallstreet wrote:
•1997 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon - Here come the big boys. This was a 1.5L and the wine was absolutely excellent, my third favorite of the night. The nose was spot on, palate complex and coated the mouth, nice blueberry,. leather notes, integrated oak and just a well done wine. Finish wasn't very long, but this wine can live another 5-10 years easy. I am very happy to see how some of these 97's are holding up. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED A+
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3/7/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
From Magnum. I was pleasantly surprised by the mouth feel. Still young and vigor after 13 years in the bottle. Chocolate notes don't clash with oak and the tannins are still on the scratchy side. The wine benefited from air tremendously.
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2/15/2010 - ccarlinma wrote: 90 Points
Valentine's Day dinner wine
This wine opened up some after awhile.
Soft tannins and a nice long finish.
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1/19/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 91 Points
Still good but starting to fade.
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1/2/2010 - Brett wrote: 90 Points
Very nice wine.
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12/21/2009 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 94 Points
After a few hours open (which is really needed -- this bottle was stored in personal cellar temp. controlled since release) was really good if not amazing -- the structure, the finish, the nose and the taste were all excellent -- could not imagine this wine could get any better -- so may drinking at peak.
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10/2/2009 - tkoby11 wrote: 94 Points
Probably just starting to go down hill, though this was better than the last two bottles consumed over the last 4 years. Drink up!
Color: Purple red core, garnet edges.
Nose: Currants, flowers, pencil shavings and Rutherford dust. Some interesting savory notes after an hour.
Palate: Still plenty of body, medium to more full, very focused - well made. Currants, mocha and spice, dusty cherry and sweet tobacco. Fine grained and focused tannins, great lush finish.
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4/25/2009 - jakearoe wrote: 94 Points
Seriously well-aged Cab, but not at all over the hill. Full nose with hints of black licorice and even a little bubble gum, along with gobs of black cherry. Compelling nose. Dark fruits dominate the palate, along with cassis, more dark fruit, pencil lead, and licorice. Nice long, full finish. Although this is drinking great right now, I think if it is well-stored this bottle will keep several more years. Had with grilled ribeyes and vegetables.
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3/29/2009 - Druidh wrote: 91 Points
Deep, dark color. Dark fruit and oak on the nose followed by a touch of earth. Taste was deep and long with dark cherries and cassis. Good acidity and drying tannins. Faded over the course of the evening. Very good wine, but not the best effort from Staglin. Drink soon.
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3/21/2009 - dberan wrote: 91 Points
Friggin great.... but drink soon.
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3/15/2009 - Capybara562 wrote: 90 Points
Aging well, but I found much more on the nose than on the palate.
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12/31/2008 - Senso-beak wrote: 96 Points
Piece de Resistance for New Years Eve dinner with Karen & Ally. Paired with wine braised short ribs, roasted vegetables and potatoes. Pristine storage in the cellar. 1/2 bottle. Oh yes, just as good as the last bottle consumed 3 years ago. Phenomenal, deep, still young looking purple in the glass. Dark aromas of black cherry, forest dampness, plum, cedar, cocoa. Superb structure, with tannin chasing the black currant and cherry fruit through the mid-palate and finish. 30+ second finish. This offering is highly impressive....a top tier '97 of the dozens of offerings I still have in the cellar. Day two shows more dusty spice aromas, anise seed, graphite, creosote and leather with black cherry flavor and integrated tannins.
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12/21/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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12/12/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful mature Cali cab. Sadly, it was my last bottle.
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11/30/2008 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
Deep ultra dark and brooding. This has some mature edges, but still vibrant. The nose has some dark complex cassis with some lead pencil shavings and tar. A little petroleum evident that adds complexity and interest.
As this comes down to room temperature there is a hint of reductiveness, just a hint. Not distracting, but there. There is black currant, crème de cassis, some cedar box, a touch of tar and some black olive. This is very 'Left bank'. The tannins have resolved and the acid level is slightly, ever so raised. A very nice bottle indeed. I say drink 'e if you got them. Should be good for some time yet. There was more than its share of sediment here too.
(from a 375).
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10/3/2008 - DT-Mills wrote: 85 Points
Tried 2nd bottle, It's going fast, it's gone!
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10/3/2008 - DT-Mills wrote: 85 Points
It's going fast, maybe gon!
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9/8/2008 - Mike V wrote: 91 Points
Bottle 11 of a case purchased on release. This has been a great experience following the evolution of this wine. A very nice wine. But I believe it was a little better a year ago. Fruit is starting to fade just a bit. Drink up.
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8/19/2008 - tevans wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic, at it's peak now. Wish I had more in the cellar!
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5/4/2008 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. This elegant wine is drinking beautifully.
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1/7/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby color. Nose of dark fruits and plums. Tannins are resolved and integrated.
Just a fantastic wine, that I paid about 1/3 of the current asking price for the 03.
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11/29/2007 - shoophi wrote: 95 Points
absolutely fantastic, shared with friends over a great meal at Bones Steakhouse in Atlanta, the wine was the perfect balancing act and complemented the steaks wonderfully
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11/23/2007 - ejca wrote:
Drank with thankgiving dinner, just never came around. Pretty good after 2 hours, but expected more especially from this vintage.
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8/30/2007 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Restaurant purchase. Nice cedar, dark cherry and lush currant flavors. Great finish, chewy tannins.
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7/14/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Finished in 2nd to a 2003 Roar Rosella's Syrah in a pairing with seared duck with raspberry red wine sauce. Rich and substantial, with a big artery of black currant fruit running through it. Long balanced finish. Throwing tons of sediment. Drink now through 2010.
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5/30/2007 - rsepulve wrote: 92 Points
Bright ruby red. Decanted 2 hours. Elegant nose of cassis and cedar with smoke, tobacco and a bit of mint emerging with aeration. Silky mouthfeel. Finish is a little short. An elegant, mature cab. I don't know that it will improve much with more age but it should hold on for quite a while longer.
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3/24/2007 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Tasted from magnum; Very well balanced; Strong flavor of strawberry; 5-11-17-9
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2/25/2007 - dwhsieh wrote: 94 Points
excellent
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1/8/2007 - jfm wrote: 89 Points
Still some life left. Good fruit and balance. Finish is shorter than I remember from prior bottles. Not sure this will improve from here
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12/25/2006 - gharris767 wrote: 93 Points
Drank very well, maintained a lot fruit flavor, nice finish
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12/23/2006 - Screameagle wrote: 88 Points
This wine didn't age very well at all considering it was from an excellent vintage. Doubt it will get any better.
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12/19/2006 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Seemless and delicious. Somethimes we get so seduced by the blockbusters that we forget the fabulous sensation of drinking a beautifully balanced bottle of wine at just the right time with just the right food. Bravo.
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11/7/2006 - bdenuyl wrote: 93 Points
An excellent Cab that has the Staglin structure and flavor. Very much a ’97 with great structure and flavor and balance. Buy a few more.
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5/7/2006 - vendange wrote: 91 Points
Opened and poured without decanting this wine was a bit soupy at first, but it woke up in the glass. Really dark, beautiful plum-purple color. Impressively rich, black currant, plum, and blackberry flavors with coffee, herb, spice (cinnamon), and chocolate notes on the nose. A little too much vanilla flavor for me on the palate but this turns more elegant and complex as it moves through the finish.
Good stuff. Perfectly drinkable now, just give it a little while unfold.
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4/23/2006 - tmay wrote: 94 Points
Lots of fruit. Long finish. Very nice.
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2/18/2006 - dwhsieh wrote: 95 Points
drinking beautifully. full bodied, jammy with well integrated tannins. very nice.
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1/28/2006 - jhngo wrote: 92 Points
Soft supple tannins, beautiful soft fruit nose. A smooth velvety wine with a good ripe finish. Delicous!
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1/15/2006 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Delicious.
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9/19/2005 - Mike V wrote: 93 Points
This wine is ready to go. Classic nose cedar and a little smoke. Long finish with fresh red fruit.
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6/27/2005 - tmay wrote: 93 Points
Excellent nose, long finish. Classic California cab. Should last many more years.
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6/15/2005 - tendring wrote: 94 Points
The Fine Wine Experience - Staglin Family Vineyard (E&O Restaurant): A wonderful wine.
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2/4/2005 - RJD wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes before 1st sip and then consumed over the next 2 hours. Served with pan seared tenderloin over wilted spinach with a red wine sauce. Beautiful dark purple color. On the nose a classic cabernet was apparent with clear creme de cassis and vanilla. Notes of graphite and charcoal arrived after a bit. This wine displayed strong tannins that had yet to fully resolve, but certainly displayed a liveliness that was more apparent to me than I notice in many cabs. Perhaps it is the strong tannins/acid profile but this wine felt a little disjointed to me. Notwithstanding, I did enjoy this wine, but felt that it was internally a little inconsistent with itself which took away from the wonderful nose. Had it not been for the delightful aromas, my personal score would have suffered more. Perhaps, with time this could further develop. It clearly has the stuffing to last a while.
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11/16/2004 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
97 STAGLIN Cab Sauv Rutherford Bench 1 $58 W 92 2003 ****- USA Napa $58 Gulf 11/14/2000 Prime 112 Rebottled Super; Rutherford dust, try again in a year
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10/30/2004 - How wrote: 94 Points
Third time I have tried this since 2000 and it is really starting to arrive. I think it will improve more. The '01 is supposed to be awesome, but will it be better than this?
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4/19/2003 - SacredCow wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at the Victorville get together on 4/19/03.
Another case of infanticide, slowly unfolding to show dark cherry and currant fruit, coffee, and cedar. It needs at least another 5 years of cellaring, and should go for 15.
My rating 90 points. An extreme case of infanticide. This one needs at least five more years before trying again, to let the drying, gripping tannins integrate.
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