At eighteen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve with further age, but should drink well for several more years to come. The fill level, label, foil, and most importantly, the cork, were pristine. Dark garnet colored, complex and concentrated blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, licorice, vanilla, bitter chocolate and cedar, turning to full dusty tannins on the long bold finish. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/09/ladera-howell-mtn-cabernet-with-beef.html
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As my first Ladera wine, this well-preserved bottle exceeded my expectations. Nose was slightly muted but pleasant. Lots of both red and black fruit remaining and significant tannins hanging out in the glass, with plenty of structure. This tasted more like a 2012, and I think this could’ve gone another few years at a minimum. However, I should’ve heeded the prior CT note and decanted for much longer than I did (<30 min).
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Looking at CT notes, I find myself the contrarian on this wine. It has darkness with ayouthful tinge. Nose shows macerated blackberries, pure black cherries and some soft cardamom. Palate shows a wonderfully resolved cornucopia of black fruits, all pure and finesse-fully flamboyant. A wonderfully structured Cab with doses of cassis, Asian & baking spice and cocoa. Balance seems pretty spot-on and finish stays true, long and precise, this is an interesting and delightful wine that seems to get no love; from a greatly regarded vintage and hallowed ground, I find myself really loving my choice for this beautiful Fall day.
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I'm thinking we should have consumed this bottle a couple of years ago. It was quite good but not excellent. Lots of sediment. I filtered, aerated and decanted for about 90 minutes - it needed it.
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I'm not sure about some of the hype. It was good, smooth, etc. But not close to amazing. I was thinking 88-89 and decided to go with 89. Certainly not higher. Nice fruit. Medium to medium+ finish.
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Decanted for two hours and consumed over the next three. Solid but entirely unspectacular, and disappointing that this has shown basically no improvement over the past 2+ years. A little disjointed, this showed a mix of dark and red fruit, ok structure, and too much heat on the nose and the relatively hollow finish. Maybe this just wasn't the best vintage, but I had much higher hopes for this, coming from a generally well regarded producer and one of my favorite AVAs. At $30, I feel like I got my money's worth, but I don't consider this to be a great value, nor would I be likely to buy again.
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Excellent bottle of wine. Really expressive nose of dark fruit with subtle vanilla. More dark fruit on the palate with some cassis and cacoa. Tannins were a bit grippy and dusty, but smoothed out after a couple of hours. We opened this about 3 hrs before dinner and it never made it to the table. We kept going back for another taste and before we knew it, the bottle was empty.
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Served with grilled london broil, roasted garlic mashed potatoes & green beans. Decanted 3/4 bottle, and poured from other 1/4. Rich deep red in glass. Lovely rich cherry & light earth nose, full & smooth same on palate. Fine right out of bottle, but opened up nicely in decanter and over course of dinner. Developed more spice & vanilla, and fruit became more general red and less cherry. Nice balance of tannic edge and acid--not chewy or fat, but also not as deep as might be.
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nose: rather dusty red fruit, with cellar dust, subtle cacao (reminded me of Scharffenberger nibs) to complement. The Howell Mtn menthol was barely noticeable.
palate: while velvety and supple, with fine tannin and deliciousness, I didn't find this particularly complex. It was also pretty short on finish. Overall happy, but not upset it was my only bottle.
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Decant for at least an hour to let the tannins open and relax. Solid and complex with a good finish. Dark fruit with a shadow of old world but a heavier full bodied cab that might be good on its own to eat.
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1 hr decant.Expressive nose of blackberry, cassis, licorice and cocoa. Creamy palate with black and blue fruits, spice, and espresso notes. Long silky finish.
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This was given as a gift, so my expectations were based upon other tasting notes I had read...no personal preconceptions. I found this to be....okay. Fairly typical California Cab, a good amount of fruit but, in this case, not too tanic. I could have used a bit more tanin.
Also, this is a wine that should be decanted for a bit before enjoying...in my opinion.
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Shows lots of potential. Needs several more years in the bottle. Cassis, strawberry, vanilla, and floral notes under the tannins. Would likely develop with decanting but we drank it all before that could happen.
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Great QPR, but as other tasters have noted needs a couple hours at least of decanting but there is lots of fruit underneath the tannins. I would hold bottles for a few years. B+ now but will improve.
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This wine never took off. Was fearful it was corked, sat in bottle for 2 hrs. Good fruit and body but a bit acidic. Disappointing as I love Howell mtn cabs.
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1/2 hr decant. Expressive nose of plums, cassis, cocoa, and vanilla. Medium plus body dark cherry, blackberry, toffee and licorice. Drying tannins on long mocha finish.
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Popped and decanted. Tartaric acid on the cork which I doubt impacted the palate. Aside from the other reviews (very approachable with strong black cherry notes with a short tannic finish) I would add something that was predominant. When one says "just like butter" you think figuratively, but with this wine I mean it literally. It had this buttery nose that was more predominant as it breathed; so think of cherries coated in popcorn butter. I found it distracting - and wouldn't want it with a meal - but this was a social pouring and became a conversation piece much to my surprise. Time to rework the guest list in the future, I suppose.
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Second bottle tasting and I admit the wine is memorable, score is bumped up. Decanting is a benefit.
addendum 7/7/11: this vintage is on sale I've seen at two stores. So the good deal I got on a 6 pack was what every one can get. At any rate, we've tried two bottles and my wife is also is pleased, so I did go in for another 6 pack as $30 for a cellerable Howell Mountain Cab was right for me. I plan to leave on the "OK to drink now if your looking for a nice but not too nice cab" shelf for us and drink over next 5+ years.
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Popped and poured. Nose: Black cherry, eucalyptus, nutmeg, and vanilla. Palate: Black cherry and earth, good balance, fruit turns a little harsh in the back-end. Finish is medium length dominated by ripe red fruit.
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A bit austere but pleasant and balanced. This is my first bottle and I will give some cellar time to the rest. I got a good deal on a six pack and happy with it but suspect other vintages may be driving the producers reputation.
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Had this wine with venison. Very nice modern style napa cab. Nose of dark berries , cassis, and oak. Full bodied and smooth medium length finish. I would buy this again. Drinking good now.
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Had with nice steak at S&W in Vegas. Decanted but still needed more air - firm tannins that softened as evening went on. Great fruit, and very good wine. Well balanced. Look forward to more in the future.
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Pop and pour from a .375. Not rich or lush, but good red fruit with hint of blueberry. An easy drinker if a bit thin, it was right for the evening and enjoyable. Drink by 2011?
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K&L Charity Event. Big intense Howell mountain nose of earth, dark fruit, and currants, more of the same on the palate, medium amount of soft tannins, big body, should improve in 5 years in the cellar, long, flavorful finish.
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not decanted. this wine has structure and delicious fruit, consistent with another recent taste, although perhaps a little more closed than that previous bottle. i find this to be a marvelously consistent producer providing the napa cab genre with an excellent example. drink, or preferably hold.
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powerful, young, with moderate tannin/oak, and really nice fruit. how many wines could you start a TN about with those words? tells you nothing, actually. but, this wine stands out from the crowd because of the sum of it's parts. recommended.
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9/11/2023 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
At eighteen years, this is likely at the apex of its drinking window, not likely to improve with further age, but should drink well for several more years to come. The fill level, label, foil, and most importantly, the cork, were pristine.
Dark garnet colored, complex and concentrated blackberry fruits with notes of cassis, licorice, vanilla, bitter chocolate and cedar, turning to full dusty tannins on the long bold finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/09/ladera-howell-mtn-cabernet-with-beef.html
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3/26/2022 - cheitmann wrote: 94 Points
Rich dark cherry and licorice, still vibrant. Probably could go another 2 years
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10/13/2021 - GulfIslandPond Likes this wine: 92 Points
As my first Ladera wine, this well-preserved bottle exceeded my expectations. Nose was slightly muted but pleasant. Lots of both red and black fruit remaining and significant tannins hanging out in the glass, with plenty of structure. This tasted more like a 2012, and I think this could’ve gone another few years at a minimum. However, I should’ve heeded the prior CT note and decanted for much longer than I did (<30 min).
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3/20/2021 - Halfeel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Improved over a few days in the decanter.
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11/28/2019 - JGirl wrote: 89 Points
Tony & Joan picked this over the 2008. Other 5 picked 2008.
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1/7/2019 - Halfeel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still drinking very well here in 2019. Wish I had purchased a lot more than 6 bottles when I got it for a really good price back in early 2012.
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10/1/2017 - King Cab wrote: 91 Points
Looking at CT notes, I find myself the contrarian on this wine. It has darkness with ayouthful tinge. Nose shows macerated blackberries, pure black cherries and some soft cardamom. Palate shows a wonderfully resolved cornucopia of black fruits, all pure and finesse-fully flamboyant.
A wonderfully structured Cab with doses of cassis, Asian & baking spice and cocoa. Balance seems pretty spot-on and finish stays true, long and precise, this is an interesting and delightful wine that seems to get no love; from a greatly regarded vintage and hallowed ground, I find myself really loving my choice for this beautiful Fall day.
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9/24/2017 - andyelcid wrote:
88, sediment, little if any fruit, some tannins, may have even been corked.
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5/15/2017 - Bill1100 Likes this wine: 89 Points
I'm thinking we should have consumed this bottle a couple of years ago. It was quite good but not excellent. Lots of sediment. I filtered, aerated and decanted for about 90 minutes - it needed it.
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10/2/2016 - pickhardt wrote: 89 Points
I'm not sure about some of the hype. It was good, smooth, etc. But not close to amazing. I was thinking 88-89 and decided to go with 89. Certainly not higher. Nice fruit. Medium to medium+ finish.
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11/26/2015 - ctmilner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still showing a lot of fruit; classic Howell Mtn Cab
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3/21/2015 - konadog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Soft dusty tannins, tobacco, some sage and black fruits
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1/4/2015 - ctmilner Likes this wine: 90 Points
lovely bottle of wine. Classic Howell Mtn cab
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2/14/2014 - TKS9 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for two hours and consumed over the next three. Solid but entirely unspectacular, and disappointing that this has shown basically no improvement over the past 2+ years. A little disjointed, this showed a mix of dark and red fruit, ok structure, and too much heat on the nose and the relatively hollow finish. Maybe this just wasn't the best vintage, but I had much higher hopes for this, coming from a generally well regarded producer and one of my favorite AVAs. At $30, I feel like I got my money's worth, but I don't consider this to be a great value, nor would I be likely to buy again.
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12/21/2013 - chukon99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Really expressive nose of dark fruit with subtle vanilla. More dark fruit on the palate with some cassis and cacoa. Tannins were a bit grippy and dusty, but smoothed out after a couple of hours. We opened this about 3 hrs before dinner and it never made it to the table. We kept going back for another taste and before we knew it, the bottle was empty.
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10/27/2013 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with grilled london broil, roasted garlic mashed potatoes & green beans. Decanted 3/4 bottle, and poured from other 1/4. Rich deep red in glass. Lovely rich cherry & light earth nose, full & smooth same on palate. Fine right out of bottle, but opened up nicely in decanter and over course of dinner. Developed more spice & vanilla, and fruit became more general red and less cherry. Nice balance of tannic edge and acid--not chewy or fat, but also not as deep as might be.
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9/21/2013 - tarheel17 Likes this wine: 89 Points
nose: rather dusty red fruit, with cellar dust, subtle cacao (reminded me of Scharffenberger nibs) to complement. The Howell Mtn menthol was barely noticeable.
palate: while velvety and supple, with fine tannin and deliciousness, I didn't find this particularly complex. It was also pretty short on finish. Overall happy, but not upset it was my only bottle.
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1/28/2013 - JJamba Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant for at least an hour to let the tannins open and relax. Solid and complex with a good finish. Dark fruit with a shadow of old world but a heavier full bodied cab that might be good on its own to eat.
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8/20/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 93 Points
1 hr decant.Expressive nose of blackberry, cassis, licorice and cocoa. Creamy palate with black and blue fruits, spice, and espresso notes. Long silky finish.
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6/29/2012 - saki846 wrote:
This was given as a gift, so my expectations were based upon other tasting notes I had read...no personal preconceptions.
I found this to be....okay.
Fairly typical California Cab, a good amount of fruit but, in this case, not too tanic. I could have used a bit more tanin.
Also, this is a wine that should be decanted for a bit before enjoying...in my opinion.
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6/10/2012 - Dangelmaier wrote: 90 Points
Popped but has to decant it, very strong black cherry notes with a short finish. Great with a meal..
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4/6/2012 - knorthrip wrote: 92 Points
Shows lots of potential. Needs several more years in the bottle. Cassis, strawberry, vanilla, and floral notes under the tannins. Would likely develop with decanting but we drank it all before that could happen.
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2/22/2012 - bigdomer wrote: 90 Points
Typical 2005 napa. Huge wine with unfortunate green notes. Not my favorite vintage.
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2/22/2012 - Jay Win wrote:
Great QPR, but as other tasters have noted needs a couple hours at least of decanting but there is lots of fruit underneath the tannins. I would hold bottles for a few years. B+ now but will improve.
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2/21/2012 - nkredich wrote: 86 Points
This wine never took off. Was fearful it was corked, sat in bottle for 2 hrs. Good fruit and body but a bit acidic. Disappointing as I love Howell mtn cabs.
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1/15/2012 - jcasey555 wrote: 92 Points
- Brick color with fast forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish.
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1/11/2012 - mplech wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic wine. Moderate oak. Smooth finish.
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1/4/2012 - shereen wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple w a beautiful boysenberry nose. Rich chocolate and soft tannins on forward palate. Delicious
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12/21/2011 - hr3 wrote: 93 Points
Score is based on day three and four drinking. This bottle needs a lot of decanting/rebotting to reach its full potential.
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12/10/2011 - TKS9 wrote: 90 Points
Much better on day two. Decant. 88-91
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12/9/2011 - hr3 wrote: 93 Points
It took a while to get here, but by the third day after decanting and rebottling, wow. Dense, rich, and full of dark red fruit flavors.
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12/5/2011 - bobpsi wrote: 91 Points
1/2 hr decant. Expressive nose of plums, cassis, cocoa, and vanilla. Medium plus body dark cherry, blackberry, toffee and licorice. Drying tannins on long mocha finish.
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11/20/2011 - ardria wrote: 93 Points
big tasty Napa Cab - dark chocolate, dark berries.
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9/25/2011 - EdmondDantes wrote: 90 Points
Popped and decanted. Tartaric acid on the cork which I doubt impacted the palate. Aside from the other reviews (very approachable with strong black cherry notes with a short tannic finish) I would add something that was predominant. When one says "just like butter" you think figuratively, but with this wine I mean it literally. It had this buttery nose that was more predominant as it breathed; so think of cherries coated in popcorn butter. I found it distracting - and wouldn't want it with a meal - but this was a social pouring and became a conversation piece much to my surprise. Time to rework the guest list in the future, I suppose.
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5/21/2011 - Empirate wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle tasting and I admit the wine is memorable, score is bumped up. Decanting is a benefit.
addendum 7/7/11: this vintage is on sale I've seen at two stores. So the good deal I got on a 6 pack was what every one can get. At any rate, we've tried two bottles and my wife is also is pleased, so I did go in for another 6 pack as $30 for a cellerable Howell Mountain Cab was right for me. I plan to leave on the "OK to drink now if your looking for a nice but not too nice cab" shelf for us and drink over next 5+ years.
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5/15/2011 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Nose: Black cherry, eucalyptus, nutmeg, and vanilla. Palate: Black cherry and earth, good balance, fruit turns a little harsh in the back-end. Finish is medium length dominated by ripe red fruit.
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4/29/2011 - Empirate wrote:
A bit austere but pleasant and balanced. This is my first bottle and I will give some cellar time to the rest. I got a good deal on a six pack and happy with it but suspect other vintages may be driving the producers reputation.
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12/30/2010 - turbochad wrote: 91 Points
Had this wine with venison. Very nice modern style napa cab. Nose of dark berries , cassis, and oak. Full bodied and smooth medium length finish. I would buy this again. Drinking good now.
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11/21/2010 - winoj wrote: 91 Points
Solid cab, could certainly cellar for a couple more years.
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10/12/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour from a 375. Austere nose, a little rough / oaky on the way down but this seems to dissipate with time. Enjoyable and approachable.
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10/1/2010 - elamasters wrote: 90 Points
Very nice Howell Mountain Cabernet. Full-bodied, with good fruit and some complexity. Nice structure with fine, polished tannins. Good finish.
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7/28/2010 - stoll wrote: 92 Points
Had with nice steak at S&W in Vegas. Decanted but still needed more air - firm tannins that softened as evening went on. Great fruit, and very good wine. Well balanced. Look forward to more in the future.
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2/5/2010 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Restaurant pop and pour from multiple bottles. A little more depth and structure than last tasting.
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10/28/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour from a .375. Not rich or lush, but good red fruit with hint of blueberry. An easy drinker if a bit thin, it was right for the evening and enjoyable. Drink by 2011?
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7/19/2009 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
nice nose of red fruits, leather. nicely balance wine that drank very easily.
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6/28/2009 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
K&L Charity Event. Big intense Howell mountain nose of earth, dark fruit, and currants, more of the same on the palate, medium amount of soft tannins, big body, should improve in 5 years in the cellar, long, flavorful finish.
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5/29/2009 - jeff nowak wrote:
not decanted. this wine has structure and delicious fruit, consistent with another recent taste, although perhaps a little more closed than that previous bottle. i find this to be a marvelously consistent producer providing the napa cab genre with an excellent example. drink, or preferably hold.
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4/28/2009 - jeff nowak wrote: 92 Points
powerful, young, with moderate tannin/oak, and really nice fruit. how many wines could you start a TN about with those words? tells you nothing, actually. but, this wine stands out from the crowd because of the sum of it's parts. recommended.
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