It is not often I would give a 100 point rating to a wine, but this wine was absolutely stellar and flawless. I brought it to s restaurant for dinner and the server broke the cork, so it was not a propitious start, but he was able to get the rest out clean with a durand. We did not decant, but poured out glasses and ordered a white wine to start while the Eisele had a little time to open up. It was like velvet in the mouth. The tannins were silky and the alcohols quite moderate from this vintage. The tannin integration is superb and the wine is displaying great complexity and length on the palate. Again, we thoroughly enjoyed this and I am certainly happy I have another bottle.
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This was an exceptional bottle of this vintage Eisele. Paired perfectly by George with A5 Wagyu, it absolutely dominated the 89 Lafite in the next glass. Gorgeous fruit, harmonious tannins and power held in balance. This vineyard epitomizes what Cal cab can be when at its best.
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Agree with all prior comments, and having the first glass Coravin'd. Far less rich than the almost erotic '05, but a nice zip of acid and verve that the '05 had matured away from. A delicious and very much alive and just-at-the-edge acidity of a lovely wine singing before going muted into maturity. The dark fruits in the nose and the long finish with the acid zip makes this wine juicy and delicious. Don't wait.
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One off ($131 for a .375) from a pre-birthday mixed case from large Napa cellarage operation #1. Briefer note here than usual for reasons that will be clear below. On the nose and palate, nice medium notes of crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry, leather, anise and tobacco. Medium+ bodied, medium- silky tannins, no present acidity. VG+ complexity, good persistence, medium intensity. Completely integrated with a lovely creamy texture, solid fruit and some interesting secondary notes on the pour, this wine was already far more mature than I’d have had any reason to expect—all the more so in light of the decade older, and generally less expensive wines I drank the prior Friday—so I kept it corked as I drank it. While the first glass didn’t have the structure I’d have expected for a wine of this reputation, age and price point, it was a really good drink (low to mid 90s), but after the bottle had been opened (albeit resealed) for 30-45 minutes, absolutely all of the life drained out of it, such that, as I described it, it tasted like a $5-10 Lodi blend of CS, Zin and Petite Sirah you might find at Trader Joe’s. Not horribly unpleasant, but zero interest, zero varietal typicity, something, even at my relatively low level of the ether compared to my CT friends, more suitable for cooking, if that, than drinking, a mid 80s wine at best. Since I’d not saved the remainder, the vendor was initially reluctant to refund my purchase price—just the second time in my life I’d requested a refund for a purchase—but after a couple of calls, graciously did so, so I look forward to giving them much more business, with what I’m sure what will be mutually better results, in the future.
It’s hard to know what to do with this bottle from a CT category standpoint. I did like the first glass, which showed some, but I suspect not nearly all, of what this vintage of this bottling had at an earlier age, but by the end of the split, I’d have gone in exactly the opposite direction. Likewise on scoring, while some of my bottles have lost some steam, particularly over the course of several nights (and others, conversely, have been tough on the pour but have improved noticeably thereafter), the disparity here seems too great to put a numeric score on this. This is my first Araujo cabernet in 20+ years (I’ve had a few vintages of the Syrah in the interim), and I’d really looked forward to it; in fact, the case just arrived yesterday, and this was the first bottle I popped. I did see a couple of other notes, most notably CT friend srh’s from a couple of years ago, talking about how advanced this wine seemed vs. his expectations, so I’m wondering if there might be an issue, as 16 years for this bottling doesn’t seem like it should take it to this point, all the more so considering the relatively youthfulness of the decade older wines I drank last Friday. Anyway, this producer remains on my radar, all the more so in light of recommendations from trusted CT friends, although I’ll likely be wary of this vintage, particularly in this format.
Deep color and lots of deep fruit in the nose and flavor. Not a big wine but very well balanced and an incredibly smooth medium to long finish. Does not have the same level of complexity as experienced in some other vintages, but still a very enjoyable food wine.
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Pencil shavings, cedar, bacon?! slight red fruit, and elegance on the palate. Much closer to a bordeaux and aged merlot than a cab. This was WOTN at a 2000-2010 wine party. Really unexpected and pretty unique
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Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
[From a bottle opened ≈24 hrs prior]
N: Earth, pyrazines, ripe berries, with undertones of smoke?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it fairly seamlessly evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a pleasant tangy/SWTNESS to the few, quite innocuous, dusty tannins. Ignoring the possible effects of how long it had been opened, for NOW & through '22, poss '23, in a TOTALLY mature style. 14.8% ABV; My EXC (92, 93/100 using that metric), though poss "but" EXC- *if* QPR is considered? [As of late Jun '20, wine-searcher still shows 7 sources from $195-$350].
A touch of bricking. cedar, tobacco, mint, chocolate, and some rich berries on the nose. Initially blackberries and plums, with currants and moist earth. Forest floor and cedar, with tobacco and some toast. Rich mouthfeel and silky tannins. This wine is in a great place and should be for another 7-10 years.
Drank from half bottle. Elegant full bodied wine with lots of dark fruits in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, blackberries, plums, and currants with chocolate, licorice, coffee, and earthy notes. Well balanced, nice complexity and a long finish.
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It’s not rock and roll, it’s precise and elegant piano jazz, but I like it (a lot). Dark red fruit with eucalyptus, allspice, and maybe a little chocolate. Rich, soft texture, with structure but no tannic bite. For a musical tasting note, try Night and the City by Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden. This is one of the best wines I’ve ever enjoyed, and the Barron/Haden recording is the same kind of lifetime favorite.
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Dark red and black fruits, sour cherry, licorice, vanilla, tobacco leaf, great profile, I liked it about the same as the '05 but for different reasons, wasn't as much as a power house but had better complexity.
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Mostly Napa Cabernet Dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Expressive nose displaying crème de cassis, crushed blackberry, a hint of plum, lavender, lead pencil, cedar and limestone dust. Beautifully integrated youthful palate, slightly lean pure black fruit, silky and polished, slightly lean, bright acidity, strong mineral presence, silky tannins and a long clean finish with lead pencil and lavender at the end. A nice contrast to the 05 as this is a classic Napa cab.
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From a 375. Lovely nose of fruit with some menthol, black cherry palate with eucalyptus following. Clean finish. Elegant, balanced. Has many years ahead to become even more complex. Would have guessed Dunn HM if tasted blind. Next day rounder, chewier, softer. Seems to have gained a lingering finish.
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2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Brighter reddish violet, semi-translucent; sweet herbs and cassis, blueberry, oak still fairly strong, tart berry, ripe and concentrated without being overly extracted; very good with long life ahead.
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Agree with other commenters. This wine is very smooth and silky, with dusty berry fruit, red flowers on the nose. Palate is smooth, perhaps lacking some back bone. More velvety violet fruits, some cola element and stewed fruit as well. Lighter on its feet than one would expect. Not sure this indices with age.
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Stood up for 45 minutes. Into duck decanter for about 30 minutes before I dove in.
No sediment in bottle/wine whatsoever.
Silky smooth and supple. Mostly black fruit. Some eucalyptus. Smooth, medium finish that was mostly the eucalyptus and even green tea tones.
A very pretty wine that is in peak drinking window for me. Had some left over for Day 2 and it was certainly still holding on. But the secondary tones are here in full effect and I think giving a great look at what this vineyard is all about.
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Aging beautifully. Tried quickly after it was opened and the fruit was closed down. But the wine was singing after a 2 hour decant. Dark fruits with hints of spice, leather, and graphite. This is in a great place and looks to be there for a while.
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I normally only comment on wines from my cellar, but this one deserves a post. Thanks to Doug in our wine group for bringing this gem. It won WOTN by more than half of our group of 12. To me, it had almost every feature of a perfect wine including balance, complexity, tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, vanilla, and incense. However, the only reason I cannot give this a perfect score is that I wish it had more density, as it was it was lighter than expected. A beautiful wine that is worth the current price ($300) it's going for on wine-searcher right now. Whoever bought this on release before Chateau Latour increased the prices, you are very lucky!
This is just stupid amazing. Put this up against some power house wines and wiped the floor with them. Outstanding balance and symmetry. This was like silk across your tongue. wonderful finish. Delivered from start to finish. Smooth and soft. Cherry cola, burnt oak barrels, raspberry jam, mocha. WOW!
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This is excellent in every way. Aroma is intoxicating with great purity of fruit, fresh cut flowers, mild spices. Palate is smooth in a great drinking place right now with well integrated sweet tannins.
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An excellent wine with surprisingly light finish, lighter body than expected, but which paired beautifully with my bone-in filet last night. Nice notes of dark berries and licorice, with some earthy tones, and a smooth but light finish. VERY smooth tannins. Lacked the punch of most Araujos with this much age.
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Nose of black berry, boysenberry, black cherry, and hints of earth and smoked meat, same on the palate, medium/big body, lovely, rich, creamy taste, almost mouth filling, elegant and polished, paired very well with the Filet Mignon and Rib Eye Steaks, easy to sip, savor, and pour more, and a medium/long finish, more and more floral as it opened during the dinner. Picture uploaded.
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Wow! Really good. It just has something extra that other wines don't have. It's the taste on the palate that is just different. It's smoky and meaty and, well, not tasted everyday.
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Needs 2 hours to get going. This had incredible depth and focus. Velvety, smooth, balanced, and rich. Smokey, flavors of jerky, charcoal, red and blue fruits. Mid palette was explosive. Finish lasted more than a minute. We drank 2 bottles and both were spectacular!
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While still a very big cab, the fruit has softened somewhat. Along with currant fruit, cassis, and hint of licorice, the wine now shows more earthy tones of leather and mushrooms. This is aging beautifully.
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Limited tasting note - restrained nose, showing purely red fruit, some flower hints of fruit tea. After some coaxing palate revealed some pure cab fruit, with an old world style of earth, forest, mountain berry and some overall freshness. Well made yet not as open as I would have liked at this point.
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Drank with a ribeye along side 2006 Colgin IX Estate and 2006 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan. This wine was thinner than the other two but still very nice. It reminded me of the Ridge Monte Bello style; not quite as "big" as most Napa cabs
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Decanted 90 minutes before tasting. Nose of currant, vanilla, chamomile, coffee, and some background minerality. Beautiful fruits in the palate with soft tannins that continued to soften over the next couple of hours. Strangely, I thought it was drinking better with less decanting.
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Terrific! Full of flavors. Smooth, velvety, blue and red fruits, creamy oak, vanilla, cola, tobacco, wet leather. This was simply outstanding. Much better than the bottle we drank several months ago by a long way. This was a step above. 96 may be low.
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This is drinking really nicely, better than an 05 I had a couple of weeks ago. Certainly could go longer but it's in a good place right now. Solid fruit core with soft tannins.
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Chocolate and cassis nose. Opaque crimson. velvety mouthfeel. Bittersweet chocolate, leather and cigar box. Opened to some floral notes, tobacco, forest floor and toast. This will develop for years.
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An elegant, restrained, and complex Cabernet. Garnet in color, medium in body, nose of blackberry and gravel. Layered tastes of black cherry, graphite, and licorice, with a dusty but (pleasantly) lingering finish. 14.8% alcohol, though tastes like it could be lower. Very classy - it doesn't reach for big fruit, but it doesn't have to: it's beautiful just the way it is.
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This was drank with minimal decanting at a local restaurant. The wine was clear and garnet red in colour. Red cherries and other red berries on the nose were joined by a quite strong taste of caramel and some chocolate in the glass. Both the tannins and acidity were quite light which makes me wonder how this wine will be in the future. For tonight though, this was a wonderfully enjoyable bottle.
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Very good bottle of wine very light on the edges. A more clear color wine as in not very dark in color. Seemed to have a lighter taste also. Not heavy or syrupy. Legs were fast/med and very clear. This seemed just a touch off and a little thin. Very clean and easy to drink though. Lots of oak on the second day as we didn't finish the bottle the first night.
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This was a very good wine from a vintage that I had not have a lot of success with. Nice color in the glass, and beautiful nose. Bright fruit on the nose...lovely. The tannins are well integrated, and reside nicely in the background. This is a lovely wine, and drinking really well at the moment.
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This was drank at Bartolotta Restaurant in the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas after an hour of decanting. The wine was clear and a mid level red in colour. Quite a bit of cherries on the nose as well as in the glass. Also in the glass was quite a noticeable taste of caramel and chocolate. The acidity is very good and the tannins are very well balanced right now. This wine really shone tonight.
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Please give it at least a couple hours in the decanter or 30 minutes in the glass to open up. This is certainly a very well made wine that really shows the class and elegance that the Eisele can produce. It's all about detail and complexity...relative to Napa standards. Lovely blueberry, boysenberry, lavender, charcoal, violets and minerality. Medium to full body. Very fine tannins on the minerally blueberry filled finish. It should continue to age nicely for several years. 2nd bottle with consistent notes.
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BYO - US wines (Skovridderkroen): Complex nose showing lots of black currants and glue. Cool fruit on the palate with an elegant dense and balanced black currant fruit. A HUGE wine that I simply adored.
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Drank after a three hour to Decant Wonderful nose of spices. An extremely well-rounded delicious California cab. The finish was long and the tannins were well integrated. This a fantastic complete wine.
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Stunning how good this wine is this early. Three hour decant and poured through a vinturi. Rich fruit, just beginning to develop more complexity, tannins were well integrated after a few hours of air. More elegance than power. Too easy to drink. Have had many different vintages of this wine, and this is the most accessible this early of any I have tasted.
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Youngish purple in glass. Warm nose of sweet chocolate and cedar. Lovely soft ripe red fruit with blackcurrant dominating. Unmistakeably Napa style with all its benefits and faults
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Decanted for two hours and served with beef tenderloin with a port wine mushroom reduction sauce. Exceptional pairing. Perfectly balanced and complex with a long finish. Drank alongside an 05 Bond St Eden. Araujo wins on complexity and finesse - Bond wins on intensity and finish.
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Bordeaux Blends Around the World (Manhattan Beach, CA): Decanted 4 hours. Wow - I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but this was fantastic. Beautiful nose of cedar and spice. Harmonious blackberry and cherry fruit. Nice balance, long finish. Built to be great for a long time.
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Had this along side a 1989 Lynch Bages...and the Araujo showed better. Full, mouthcoating, spice box, nice oak treatment, pencil shavings, black fruits and a little chocolate. This was really good. Beautiful deep color, too.
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We decanted the bottle for about 20 nimutes. It was singing. You could smell the decanter 5 feet away. Best Araujo we have ever opened. Black currant, mocha, spice box, and dark berry smells. Long finish. Hope our last bottle matches this one in a few years.
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Really well made wine. Medium to full-body with plenty of smoke, mocha, black cherries, blackberries, currant and some traces of minerals. Long finish. Perfect ripeness of fruit and beautiful oak treatment. Showed best after 30-45 minutes in the glass.
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drank next to 2005 trotanoy. maybe that was my mistake, but was closed and muted. bad bottle? re-approached bottle 6 mos later with 2007 . Still muted. are 06's going thru a phase? 07 has youthful presence but is very surly. drank like a potential cy young winner.
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- Garnet color and aromas of cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of chocolate, black currant and licorice anise with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Opened with sabrina on valentines day.
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Nice sweet dark black cherry aromas, sleeker edge to the wine. Very good dark sweet very spicy nice sleek creamy. Nice purity to fruit. Good detailed. 95-96
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Deep red color. Lovely, refined bouquet of black currant, oak, tobacco, and graphite. In the mouth, restrained and layered, with impeccable balance. The black fruit and earthy, pencil lead layers take a back seat to the textural feel in the mouth. There is plenty of acidic and big-boned tannic structure, but the wine carries its weight without being heavy. The finish is long and pleasingly complex. Certainly built to age. A
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Good to very good. Very smooth with flavors of berry and licorice. A nice big wine, but not as overpowering as some other cabs in its class. I think it's ready to drink now.
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Couldn't resist opening one of these to experience at an early stage. Decanted one hour. This had wonderful color and aromas of mushroom and cedar in the glass. Surprisingly approachable, this big-body cab had amazing layers of currant and dark fruit, with overtones of pepper, wood, and mint. Long finish, showing complete harmony between the fruit, tannin, and alcohol. Close to perfection.
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1/7/2024 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and drank over an hour at Ruth Chris. Good, not great. Mature, fading fruit, minimal secondary flavors.
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12/11/2023 - bordeaux4wino Likes this wine: 100 Points
It is not often I would give a 100 point rating to a wine, but this wine was absolutely stellar and flawless. I brought it to s restaurant for dinner and the server broke the cork, so it was not a propitious start, but he was able to get the rest out clean with a durand. We did not decant, but poured out glasses and ordered a white wine to start while the Eisele had a little time to open up. It was like velvet in the mouth. The tannins were silky and the alcohols quite moderate from this vintage. The tannin integration is superb and the wine is displaying great complexity and length on the palate. Again, we thoroughly enjoyed this and I am certainly happy I have another bottle.
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8/27/2023 - Topper wrote: 97 Points
This was an exceptional bottle of this vintage Eisele. Paired perfectly by George with A5 Wagyu, it absolutely dominated the 89 Lafite in the next glass. Gorgeous fruit, harmonious tannins and power held in balance. This vineyard epitomizes what Cal cab can be when at its best.
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8/11/2023 - Wineson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent balance of smooth and tasty.
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6/18/2023 - kzkpt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with all prior comments, and having the first glass Coravin'd. Far less rich than the almost erotic '05, but a nice zip of acid and verve that the '05 had matured away from. A delicious and very much alive and just-at-the-edge acidity of a lovely wine singing before going muted into maturity. The dark fruits in the nose and the long finish with the acid zip makes this wine juicy and delicious. Don't wait.
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11/12/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Exceptional aromatics! Fruit is deep and rich, with nice structure and balance. Very good.
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8/24/2022 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
One off ($131 for a .375) from a pre-birthday mixed case from large Napa cellarage operation #1. Briefer note here than usual for reasons that will be clear below. On the nose and palate, nice medium notes of crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry, leather, anise and tobacco. Medium+ bodied, medium- silky tannins, no present acidity. VG+ complexity, good persistence, medium intensity. Completely integrated with a lovely creamy texture, solid fruit and some interesting secondary notes on the pour, this wine was already far more mature than I’d have had any reason to expect—all the more so in light of the decade older, and generally less expensive wines I drank the prior Friday—so I kept it corked as I drank it. While the first glass didn’t have the structure I’d have expected for a wine of this reputation, age and price point, it was a really good drink (low to mid 90s), but after the bottle had been opened (albeit resealed) for 30-45 minutes, absolutely all of the life drained out of it, such that, as I described it, it tasted like a $5-10 Lodi blend of CS, Zin and Petite Sirah you might find at Trader Joe’s. Not horribly unpleasant, but zero interest, zero varietal typicity, something, even at my relatively low level of the ether compared to my CT friends, more suitable for cooking, if that, than drinking, a mid 80s wine at best. Since I’d not saved the remainder, the vendor was initially reluctant to refund my purchase price—just the second time in my life I’d requested a refund for a purchase—but after a couple of calls, graciously did so, so I look forward to giving them much more business, with what I’m sure what will be mutually better results, in the future.
It’s hard to know what to do with this bottle from a CT category standpoint. I did like the first glass, which showed some, but I suspect not nearly all, of what this vintage of this bottling had at an earlier age, but by the end of the split, I’d have gone in exactly the opposite direction. Likewise on scoring, while some of my bottles have lost some steam, particularly over the course of several nights (and others, conversely, have been tough on the pour but have improved noticeably thereafter), the disparity here seems too great to put a numeric score on this. This is my first Araujo cabernet in 20+ years (I’ve had a few vintages of the Syrah in the interim), and I’d really looked forward to it; in fact, the case just arrived yesterday, and this was the first bottle I popped. I did see a couple of other notes, most notably CT friend srh’s from a couple of years ago, talking about how advanced this wine seemed vs. his expectations, so I’m wondering if there might be an issue, as 16 years for this bottling doesn’t seem like it should take it to this point, all the more so considering the relatively youthfulness of the decade older wines I drank last Friday. Anyway, this producer remains on my radar, all the more so in light of recommendations from trusted CT friends, although I’ll likely be wary of this vintage, particularly in this format.
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4/4/2022 - Tridaddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
No notes, my last bottle, just enjoyed the help out of it, what a good wine.
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2/28/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep color and lots of deep fruit in the nose and flavor. Not a big wine but very well balanced and an incredibly smooth medium to long finish. Does not have the same level of complexity as experienced in some other vintages, but still a very enjoyable food wine.
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11/14/2021 - winejnky Likes this wine: 95 Points
A couple of dings for a slight green edge, but overall this is pretty great! Very smooth with great depth, nice velvety oak in the background.
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8/21/2021 - Asull2k Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pencil shavings, cedar, bacon?! slight red fruit, and elegance on the palate. Much closer to a bordeaux and aged merlot than a cab. This was WOTN at a 2000-2010 wine party. Really unexpected and pretty unique
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11/26/2020 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fullsome - fruits - berries on the nose, palette.
well textured
highly enjoybale
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6/27/2020 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 06/26/20 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): A heartfelt TY to all who made tasting this possible!
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
[From a bottle opened ≈24 hrs prior]
N: Earth, pyrazines, ripe berries, with undertones of smoke?
P: Med, poss LM, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a bit of astringent pucker which stays in contact with the init frt as it fairly seamlessly evolves into a LONG, balanced finish with a pleasant tangy/SWTNESS to the few, quite innocuous, dusty tannins. Ignoring the possible effects of how long it had been opened, for NOW & through '22, poss '23, in a TOTALLY mature style. 14.8% ABV; My EXC (92, 93/100 using that metric), though poss "but" EXC- *if* QPR is considered? [As of late Jun '20, wine-searcher still shows 7 sources from $195-$350].
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5/30/2020 - PDavisMarble wrote: 94 Points
A touch of bricking. cedar, tobacco, mint, chocolate, and some rich berries on the nose. Initially blackberries and plums, with currants and moist earth. Forest floor and cedar, with tobacco and some toast. Rich mouthfeel and silky tannins. This wine is in a great place and should be for another 7-10 years.
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1/14/2020 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank from half bottle. Elegant full bodied wine with lots of dark fruits in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, blackberries, plums, and currants with chocolate, licorice, coffee, and earthy notes. Well balanced, nice complexity and a long finish.
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9/2/2019 - Red Sox Fan wrote: 98 Points
It’s not rock and roll, it’s precise and elegant piano jazz, but I like it (a lot). Dark red fruit with eucalyptus, allspice, and maybe a little chocolate. Rich, soft texture, with structure but no tannic bite. For a musical tasting note, try Night and the City by Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden. This is one of the best wines I’ve ever enjoyed, and the Barron/Haden recording is the same kind of lifetime favorite.
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2/28/2019 - pakabear Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark red and black fruits, sour cherry, licorice, vanilla, tobacco leaf, great profile, I liked it about the same as the '05 but for different reasons, wasn't as much as a power house but had better complexity.
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2/28/2019 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Mostly Napa Cabernet Dinner (Eddie V's - Tysons Corner, VA): Expressive nose displaying crème de cassis, crushed blackberry, a hint of plum, lavender, lead pencil, cedar and limestone dust. Beautifully integrated youthful palate, slightly lean pure black fruit, silky and polished, slightly lean, bright acidity, strong mineral presence, silky tannins and a long clean finish with lead pencil and lavender at the end. A nice contrast to the 05 as this is a classic Napa cab.
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2/14/2019 - RonniePiemonte wrote: 95 Points
From a 375. Lovely nose of fruit with some menthol, black cherry palate with eucalyptus following. Clean finish.
Elegant, balanced. Has many years ahead to become even more complex. Would have guessed Dunn HM if tasted blind.
Next day rounder, chewier, softer. Seems to have gained a lingering finish.
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1/1/2019 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Brighter reddish violet, semi-translucent; sweet herbs and cassis, blueberry, oak still fairly strong, tart berry, ripe and concentrated without being overly extracted; very good with long life ahead.
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1/1/2019 - T.E.D. wrote: 93 Points
Agree with other commenters. This wine is very smooth and silky, with dusty berry fruit, red flowers on the nose. Palate is smooth, perhaps lacking some back bone. More velvety violet fruits, some cola element and stewed fruit as well. Lighter on its feet than one would expect. Not sure this indices with age.
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11/12/2018 - ageverett Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stood up for 45 minutes. Into duck decanter for about 30 minutes before I dove in.
No sediment in bottle/wine whatsoever.
Silky smooth and supple. Mostly black fruit. Some eucalyptus. Smooth, medium finish that was mostly the eucalyptus and even green tea tones.
A very pretty wine that is in peak drinking window for me. Had some left over for Day 2 and it was certainly still holding on. But the secondary tones are here in full effect and I think giving a great look at what this vineyard is all about.
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11/11/2018 - winejnky wrote:
This is a great wine, but it didn’t blow me away for the price.
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11/2/2018 - bexleytaylor Likes this wine:
Aging beautifully. Tried quickly after it was opened and the fruit was closed down. But the wine was singing after a 2 hour decant. Dark fruits with hints of spice, leather, and graphite. This is in a great place and looks to be there for a while.
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7/24/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely awesome! sexy and classy. lots going on and great depth without being overly extracted. see previous notes
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5/19/2018 - Wineson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smoky. Very nice.
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5/12/2018 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 98 Points
Group Wine Tasting: highest scoring CA Cabernet - as compared with Scarecrow, Silver Oak; Peter Michael Au Paradis, Dunn and even Shafer:
Berry, Earthy; Earthy with Fruity notes; Spicy; Woody; Smooth; Nutty; Tanic; High alcohol; "awesome"
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4/15/2018 - JEP007 Likes this wine: 99 Points
I normally only comment on wines from my cellar, but this one deserves a post. Thanks to Doug in our wine group for bringing this gem. It won WOTN by more than half of our group of 12. To me, it had almost every feature of a perfect wine including balance, complexity, tertiary flavors of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, vanilla, and incense. However, the only reason I cannot give this a perfect score is that I wish it had more density, as it was it was lighter than expected. A beautiful wine that is worth the current price ($300) it's going for on wine-searcher right now. Whoever bought this on release before Chateau Latour increased the prices, you are very lucky!
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3/10/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is just stupid amazing. Put this up against some power house wines and wiped the floor with them. Outstanding balance and symmetry. This was like silk across your tongue. wonderful finish. Delivered from start to finish. Smooth and soft. Cherry cola, burnt oak barrels, raspberry jam, mocha. WOW!
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12/30/2017 - farinas wrote: 96 Points
This is excellent in every way. Aroma is intoxicating with great purity of fruit, fresh cut flowers, mild spices. Palate is smooth in a great drinking place right now with well integrated sweet tannins.
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12/29/2017 - bhrubin Likes this wine: 93 Points
An excellent wine with surprisingly light finish, lighter body than expected, but which paired beautifully with my bone-in filet last night. Nice notes of dark berries and licorice, with some earthy tones, and a smooth but light finish. VERY smooth tannins. Lacked the punch of most Araujos with this much age.
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12/28/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of black berry, boysenberry, black cherry, and hints of earth and smoked meat, same on the palate, medium/big body, lovely, rich, creamy taste, almost mouth filling, elegant and polished, paired very well with the Filet Mignon and Rib Eye Steaks, easy to sip, savor, and pour more, and a medium/long finish, more and more floral as it opened during the dinner. Picture uploaded.
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8/19/2017 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! Really good. It just has something extra that other wines don't have. It's the taste on the palate that is just different. It's smoky and meaty and, well, not tasted everyday.
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11/6/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Needs 2 hours to get going. This had incredible depth and focus. Velvety, smooth, balanced, and rich. Smokey, flavors of jerky, charcoal, red and blue fruits. Mid palette was explosive. Finish lasted more than a minute. We drank 2 bottles and both were spectacular!
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8/21/2016 - kgh wrote: 95 Points
While still a very big cab, the fruit has softened somewhat. Along with currant fruit, cassis, and hint of licorice, the wine now shows more earthy tones of leather and mushrooms. This is aging beautifully.
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7/22/2016 - T.E.D. wrote: 86 Points
Limited tasting note - restrained nose, showing purely red fruit, some flower hints of fruit tea. After some coaxing palate revealed some pure cab fruit, with an old world style of earth, forest, mountain berry and some overall freshness. Well made yet not as open as I would have liked at this point.
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3/27/2016 - bulldurham Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with a ribeye along side 2006 Colgin IX Estate and 2006 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan. This wine was thinner than the other two but still very nice. It reminded me of the Ridge Monte Bello style; not quite as "big" as most Napa cabs
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11/26/2015 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
See earlier comment.
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11/26/2015 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Thanksgiving dinner. So much going on. The nose is great. The palate taste and feel gives you a lot.
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11/11/2015 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pop. wow, wow, wow. Very, very good. It could do with a little more breathing.
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11/8/2015 - timdrex wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 90 minutes before tasting. Nose of currant, vanilla, chamomile, coffee, and some background minerality. Beautiful fruits in the palate with soft tannins that continued to soften over the next couple of hours. Strangely, I thought it was drinking better with less decanting.
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10/18/2015 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Terrific! Full of flavors. Smooth, velvety, blue and red fruits, creamy oak, vanilla, cola, tobacco, wet leather. This was simply outstanding. Much better than the bottle we drank several months ago by a long way. This was a step above. 96 may be low.
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10/2/2015 - G8tor80 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is drinking really nicely, better than an 05 I had a couple of weeks ago. Certainly could go longer but it's in a good place right now. Solid fruit core with soft tannins.
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7/24/2015 - PDavisMarble wrote: 94 Points
Chocolate and cassis nose. Opaque crimson. velvety mouthfeel. Bittersweet chocolate, leather and cigar box. Opened to some floral notes, tobacco, forest floor and toast. This will develop for years.
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7/11/2015 - msuwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
An elegant, restrained, and complex Cabernet. Garnet in color, medium in body, nose of blackberry and gravel. Layered tastes of black cherry, graphite, and licorice, with a dusty but (pleasantly) lingering finish. 14.8% alcohol, though tastes like it could be lower. Very classy - it doesn't reach for big fruit, but it doesn't have to: it's beautiful just the way it is.
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7/11/2015 - Meneley wrote:
Fabulous oak integration with plush tannins. LO
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7/10/2015 - Rosengoo wrote: 95 Points
This was drank with minimal decanting at a local restaurant. The wine was clear and garnet red in colour. Red cherries and other red berries on the nose were joined by a quite strong taste of caramel and some chocolate in the glass. Both the tannins and acidity were quite light which makes me wonder how this wine will be in the future. For tonight though, this was a wonderfully enjoyable bottle.
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12/6/2014 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good bottle of wine very light on the edges. A more clear color wine as in not very dark in color. Seemed to have a lighter taste also. Not heavy or syrupy. Legs were fast/med and very clear. This seemed just a touch off and a little thin. Very clean and easy to drink though. Lots of oak on the second day as we didn't finish the bottle the first night.
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10/27/2014 - jclary wrote: 97 Points
This was a very good wine from a vintage that I had not have a lot of success with. Nice color in the glass, and beautiful nose. Bright fruit on the nose...lovely. The tannins are well integrated, and reside nicely in the background. This is a lovely wine, and drinking really well at the moment.
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9/19/2014 - Wineson Likes this wine: 95 Points
French Laundry
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8/16/2014 - zazoo wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Very nice
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5/3/2014 - Rosengoo Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was drank at Bartolotta Restaurant in the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas after an hour of decanting. The wine was clear and a mid level red in colour. Quite a bit of cherries on the nose as well as in the glass. Also in the glass was quite a noticeable taste of caramel and chocolate. The acidity is very good and the tannins are very well balanced right now. This wine really shone tonight.
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11/12/2013 - DarinC Likes this wine: 94 Points
Please give it at least a couple hours in the decanter or 30 minutes in the glass to open up. This is certainly a very well made wine that really shows the class and elegance that the Eisele can produce. It's all about detail and complexity...relative to Napa standards. Lovely blueberry, boysenberry, lavender, charcoal, violets and minerality. Medium to full body. Very fine tannins on the minerally blueberry filled finish. It should continue to age nicely for several years. 2nd bottle with consistent notes.
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9/28/2013 - canan wrote: 97 Points
BYO - US wines (Skovridderkroen): Complex nose showing lots of black currants and glue.
Cool fruit on the palate with an elegant dense and balanced black currant fruit.
A HUGE wine that I simply adored.
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9/8/2013 - LSussman wrote: 98 Points
Drank after a three hour to Decant Wonderful nose of spices. An extremely well-rounded delicious California cab. The finish was long and the tannins were well integrated. This a fantastic complete wine.
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5/4/2013 - JimN Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning how good this wine is this early. Three hour decant and poured through a vinturi. Rich fruit, just beginning to develop more complexity, tannins were well integrated after a few hours of air. More elegance than power. Too easy to drink. Have had many different vintages of this wine, and this is the most accessible this early of any I have tasted.
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3/23/2013 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Youngish purple in glass. Warm nose of sweet chocolate and cedar. Lovely soft ripe red fruit with blackcurrant dominating. Unmistakeably Napa style with all its benefits and faults
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3/18/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 95 Points
Stellar example of Cali CS. What balance, what fruit, what structure!. Great.
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12/27/2012 - jbouchy wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours and served with beef tenderloin with a port wine mushroom reduction sauce. Exceptional pairing. Perfectly balanced and complex with a long finish. Drank alongside an 05 Bond St Eden. Araujo wins on complexity and finesse - Bond wins on intensity and finish.
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12/23/2012 - steinersing wrote: 91 Points
Wow quite intensive and dominant after a Burg - however, refined intensity.
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9/20/2012 - cabber wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux Blends Around the World (Manhattan Beach, CA): Decanted 4 hours. Wow - I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but this was fantastic. Beautiful nose of cedar and spice. Harmonious blackberry and cherry fruit. Nice balance, long finish. Built to be great for a long time.
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8/17/2012 - B-Love wrote: 96 Points
Had this along side a 1989 Lynch Bages...and the Araujo showed better. Full, mouthcoating, spice box, nice oak treatment, pencil shavings, black fruits and a little chocolate. This was really good. Beautiful deep color, too.
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8/2/2012 - WVWine wrote: 99 Points
We decanted the bottle for about 20 nimutes. It was singing. You could smell the decanter 5 feet away. Best Araujo we have ever opened. Black currant, mocha, spice box, and dark berry smells. Long finish. Hope our last bottle matches this one in a few years.
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7/30/2012 - DarinC wrote: 94 Points
Really well made wine. Medium to full-body with plenty of smoke, mocha, black cherries, blackberries, currant and some traces of minerals. Long finish. Perfect ripeness of fruit and beautiful oak treatment. Showed best after 30-45 minutes in the glass.
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5/26/2012 - WVWine wrote: 94 Points
Dark garnet color. Smells of cherries, spices and cedar.
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4/5/2012 - txfireman wrote: 92 Points
drank next to 2005 trotanoy. maybe that was my mistake, but was closed and muted. bad bottle? re-approached bottle 6 mos later with 2007 . Still muted. are 06's going thru a phase? 07 has youthful presence but is very surly. drank like a potential cy young winner.
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2/16/2012 - sjdoc wrote: 97 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of cherry. It's balanced and has flavours of chocolate, black currant and licorice anise with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Opened with sabrina on valentines day.
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2/20/2011 - KenK wrote: 95 Points
Nice sweet dark black cherry aromas, sleeker edge to the wine.
Very good dark sweet very spicy nice sleek creamy. Nice purity to fruit.
Good detailed. 95-96
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11/27/2010 - kraneland wrote:
Gorgeous fruit-forward smell. Wine was too young...big body.
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10/17/2010 - jasonkle wrote: 95 Points
An excellent bottle. So smooth is this finish. It is a very light cabernet -- very light. But delightful.
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10/7/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
Deep red color. Lovely, refined bouquet of black currant, oak, tobacco, and graphite. In the mouth, restrained and layered, with impeccable balance. The black fruit and earthy, pencil lead layers take a back seat to the textural feel in the mouth. There is plenty of acidic and big-boned tannic structure, but the wine carries its weight without being heavy. The finish is long and pleasingly complex. Certainly built to age. A
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9/24/2010 - starkravingmad wrote: 98 Points
Berries on the nose; flavors of chocolate, cherry; perfect silky-smooth finish
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7/19/2010 - sjdoc wrote: 98 Points
Had at cru. Paid corking fee. Brian and Shirelle joined Sabrina and I. Simply a phenomenal wine. Well structured.
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6/13/2010 - jeffm_fla wrote: 92 Points
Good to very good. Very smooth with flavors of berry and licorice. A nice big wine, but not as overpowering as some other cabs in its class. I think it's ready to drink now.
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4/28/2010 - sjdoc wrote: 99 Points
phenomenol. opened and decanted for 30 minutes. flavor full of fruit. well structured finish. light on tannins
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4/17/2010 - kgh wrote: 99 Points
Couldn't resist opening one of these to experience at an early stage. Decanted one hour. This had wonderful color and aromas of mushroom and cedar in the glass. Surprisingly approachable, this big-body cab had amazing layers of currant and dark fruit, with overtones of pepper, wood, and mint. Long finish, showing complete harmony between the fruit, tannin, and alcohol. Close to perfection.
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3/16/2010 - MarkC wrote: flawed
Corked slightly--too bad, as there was a great wine behind the TCA.
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