My last bottle of three purchased over the last 8-12 months. Bottle 1 was outstanding, bottle 2 was corked, and thankfully bottle 3 was equally as outstanding as the first one. Such a great value if you can find some of these.
No need for a decant (unless getting off the sediment). Just a wonderfully balanced and mature Napa Cabernet. Soft and muddled red and black fruits hit you as the cork is removed. Fig, sweet pipe tobacco, and leather eventually come around, with some funk. Totally seamless and integrated on the palate showing more soft muddled fruits (raspberries, black cherries, black currant) with a really pretty high note (not quite mint), graphite, mocha and dark cocoa powder. Gorgeous finish.
While not getting any better, this 20yr old Napa Cabernet is drinking superb, and is worth picking up if you see any! Plenty of structure still in place.
From glass. Boy, when these California cabs get time to mellow out: yeah, buddy. Nose of cigar, sweet greens, and with 5 minutes in the glass much more dark fruited sweetness, but also some funk. Palate is mellow and cool but still dark, rich, and full, with mild dark fruit to eucalyptus to nice green pepper char and tar on the finish. Easy, easy California living. Terrific glass of wine.
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This needed an hour to fully open up but then really was singing. Similar to the Jan 2017 from BigCactus on this wine. Great mature fruit still with great tannin structure and balance. Second time that I have had this wine in 2 years and previous bottle was similar. Think I paid $100 for this and that is a screaming good value.
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Previous notes apply except this bottle preserved a bit more fruit and power than the most recent bottle. Takeaway - Drink up now or soon for those with more bottles in the cellar. 93-94
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45 min decant. Drinking more like a Bordeaux not the Napa cab I remembered from a year ago and the discrepancy is vast, which I am struggling to comprehend. The bottle I remembered had all the power driven by fruit in spite of being a decade old Napa. For this bottle, dark purple garnet color; black cherry, dry plum, blue berry, dry bark, savory notes, herbal medicine (in a nice way) and hint of Indian spice. Well-integrated alcohol, medium body, viscosity, length. Served with beef stew which paired nicely. Still an enjoyable wine by all standards but perplexing how much wine evolved in a year.
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PnP - the wine is absolutely singing right now. Deep dark/opaque purple and high viscosity. Deep dark fruit all around with a hint of blueberry, concentrated flavors of cassis, plum, blueberry/blackberry pie, vanilla, mocha and sweet oak. Same on nose as palate. Seductive as the tannins have mellowed out by this stage. Drank with my family members and finished the bottle in no time. Super easy to drink. Would not wait to start finish up the rest of the bottles. Wish Mondavi still makes this wine as it is representative of Oakville and Big Napa Cab as any other. Stylistically this is different from the Mondavi TK Reserves. Extremely happy with how this turned out. 96-97 pts.
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The 2002 VH has transformed into an elegant cab. It have very typical Mondavi characteristics ... smoke, leather and "dusty" fruit. This wine has really rounded out and is showing like a well aged Bordeaux.
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Decanted for 30 minutes, had a "barnyard" aroma throughout. Very smooth, not very fruity however. Deep cassis, dark plum perhaps, not much more. Might be past it's prime.
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maybe i had a bad bottle.. will have to try again when i get home... this had a a beautiful maroon color, with hints of cheery and earth on the nose. The first taste was delicious, with sweet cheery and almost no tannins... but alas, it started to give an "off" flavor like the wine had gone bad.
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Nose - Straight up high quality Oakville cabernet with deep black currant, black cherry, a touch of sage and some mineral-smoke. Fruit dominates.
Taste - Definitely black currant up front with other dark fruit in the background, filtering in hints of anise/licorace on the attack. Midpalate shows the same then the tannins step in. It's all fruit and structure with this wine right now, it hasn't yet turned the corner into secondary characteristics. Give it another 3 years or so, and consume within 10. Very good yet somewhat mysterious now, likely much more compelling in the future. Cellar.
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Double decanted 24hrs ahead. Initially there was a funky nose of briary blackberry, honeysuckle, roasted coffee with a stong barnyard and old leather element. Charry sensuous black fruits, a little bitter chocolate and a strong citrus note on the tight, rather linear palate. There was a very zesty finish. After a couple of hours this settled into a nicely integrated form with smoky (almost creamy) cassis, licorice, truffle, a pleasing leather/earth note, and a touch of mocha. The mouthfeel softened a but still retained a fresh, focused structure. An excellent but very serious wine that is currently dominated by brett (which I rather enjoyed). Should be outstanding in 5-7 years.
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Umm... wow. At times, shockingly good, at others, reminding me of how young it still is. Color: garnet. Impressive aromas of black currant, blackberry, and wet stones. On the palate it is creamy and dense, with fine tannins coming in late. It has nice balance to it, not in an overblown style. Very Bordeaux-like. Tightens up with air and was most pleasurable within the first 30 minutes to an hour. Not quite there in its evolution, but this was still one of the best cabernet based wines I've had so far this year. (93+)
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Outstanding dark color, smooth lingering finish, very slight tanis, light smell. Tasted side by side with 1999 and 1997 Silver Oak Napa valley. Color was deeper than both the Siver Oaks. Excellent value at $75/bottle.
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It had a great fruity nose. The color is much more denser than most cab's in this price range / region. Bottle needs to be decanted a bit as this could have been the reason for a harsher finish than I remember when I tasted at the winery. Originally I gave this a rating of 95, because it was just an amazing wine compared to the others at RM winery... and it still is an amazing wine. Still believe it is the best RM winery offers... but a more realistic rating of 90 is due when you compare it to other wineries as well as my other favorites... Put me in a room with a Don Melchor and this bottle... I'll choose Don Melchor.
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Visited the RM winery and tried every bottle they offered for tasting, from the cheap to the pricey reserves... I like this one the best from all the Cabernet's offered at the winery during May 2008...
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11/28/2023 - webbaker wrote: 89 Points
Past its prime, drink up.
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4/5/2022 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last bottle of three purchased over the last 8-12 months. Bottle 1 was outstanding, bottle 2 was corked, and thankfully bottle 3 was equally as outstanding as the first one. Such a great value if you can find some of these.
No need for a decant (unless getting off the sediment). Just a wonderfully balanced and mature Napa Cabernet. Soft and muddled red and black fruits hit you as the cork is removed. Fig, sweet pipe tobacco, and leather eventually come around, with some funk. Totally seamless and integrated on the palate showing more soft muddled fruits (raspberries, black cherries, black currant) with a really pretty high note (not quite mint), graphite, mocha and dark cocoa powder. Gorgeous finish.
While not getting any better, this 20yr old Napa Cabernet is drinking superb, and is worth picking up if you see any! Plenty of structure still in place.
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12/19/2021 - Shay.Aldriedge wrote: flawed
Corked. Too bad, last one I had of these was spectacular. I’ve got one left.
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11/18/2019 - Necowine wrote: 91 Points
From glass. Boy, when these California cabs get time to mellow out: yeah, buddy. Nose of cigar, sweet greens, and with 5 minutes in the glass much more dark fruited sweetness, but also some funk. Palate is mellow and cool but still dark, rich, and full, with mild dark fruit to eucalyptus to nice green pepper char and tar on the finish. Easy, easy California living. Terrific glass of wine.
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5/9/2018 - Lateva wrote: 95 Points
This needed an hour to fully open up but then really was singing. Similar to the Jan 2017 from BigCactus on this wine. Great mature fruit still with great tannin structure and balance. Second time that I have had this wine in 2 years and previous bottle was similar. Think I paid $100 for this and that is a screaming good value.
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1/5/2018 - big.cactus34 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Previous notes apply except this bottle preserved a bit more fruit and power than the most recent bottle. Takeaway - Drink up now or soon for those with more bottles in the cellar. 93-94
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12/31/2017 - big.cactus34 Likes this wine: 93 Points
45 min decant. Drinking more like a Bordeaux not the Napa cab I remembered from a year ago and the discrepancy is vast, which I am struggling to comprehend. The bottle I remembered had all the power driven by fruit in spite of being a decade old Napa. For this bottle, dark purple garnet color; black cherry, dry plum, blue berry, dry bark, savory notes, herbal medicine (in a nice way) and hint of Indian spice. Well-integrated alcohol, medium body, viscosity, length. Served with beef stew which paired nicely. Still an enjoyable wine by all standards but perplexing how much wine evolved in a year.
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1/20/2017 - big.cactus34 Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP - the wine is absolutely singing right now. Deep dark/opaque purple and high viscosity. Deep dark fruit all around with a hint of blueberry, concentrated flavors of cassis, plum, blueberry/blackberry pie, vanilla, mocha and sweet oak. Same on nose as palate. Seductive as the tannins have mellowed out by this stage. Drank with my family members and finished the bottle in no time. Super easy to drink. Would not wait to start finish up the rest of the bottles. Wish Mondavi still makes this wine as it is representative of Oakville and Big Napa Cab as any other. Stylistically this is different from the Mondavi TK Reserves. Extremely happy with how this turned out. 96-97 pts.
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8/30/2015 - ipp Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2002 VH has transformed into an elegant cab. It have very typical Mondavi characteristics ... smoke, leather and "dusty" fruit. This wine has really rounded out and is showing like a well aged Bordeaux.
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1/4/2015 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
tjis one had faded a bit more then the first. Leather is a bit more prominent over the fruit. Still a great wine.
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1/4/2015 - mlawren1 wrote: 94 Points
beautiful wine. Layers of berries and cherries with a leathery finish.
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11/4/2013 - webbaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted about 4 hours, then tasted over the next 48. Typical Mondavi profile, old leather, smoked meat. Fruit is really drying up, drink up.
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4/16/2013 - themki wrote: 97 Points
Powerful nose combination of old leather and rich fruit - smooth and deeply satisfying long tobacco and fruit finish. Best '02 cab I've tasted
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2/23/2013 - stevetony wrote:
Decanted for 30 minutes, had a "barnyard" aroma throughout. Very smooth, not very fruity however. Deep cassis, dark plum perhaps, not much more. Might be past it's prime.
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7/16/2012 - rtd3 wrote: 85 Points
maybe i had a bad bottle.. will have to try again when i get home... this had a a beautiful maroon color, with hints of cheery and earth on the nose. The first taste was delicious, with sweet cheery and almost no tannins... but alas, it started to give an "off" flavor like the wine had gone bad.
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9/23/2011 - rtd3 wrote: 94 Points
Still fantastic! Strong currant, black cherry nose and taste upon opening. Very nice smooth finish with a little oak at the tail end.
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11/30/2010 - RSLyss wrote: 92 Points
Nose - Straight up high quality Oakville cabernet with deep black currant, black cherry, a touch of sage and some mineral-smoke. Fruit dominates.
Taste - Definitely black currant up front with other dark fruit in the background, filtering in hints of anise/licorace on the attack. Midpalate shows the same then the tannins step in. It's all fruit and structure with this wine right now, it hasn't yet turned the corner into secondary characteristics. Give it another 3 years or so, and consume within 10. Very good yet somewhat mysterious now, likely much more compelling in the future. Cellar.
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5/27/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted 24hrs ahead. Initially there was a funky nose of briary blackberry, honeysuckle, roasted coffee with a stong barnyard and old leather element. Charry sensuous black fruits, a little bitter chocolate and a strong citrus note on the tight, rather linear palate. There was a very zesty finish. After a couple of hours this settled into a nicely integrated form with smoky (almost creamy) cassis, licorice, truffle, a pleasing leather/earth note, and a touch of mocha. The mouthfeel softened a but still retained a fresh, focused structure. An excellent but very serious wine that is currently dominated by brett (which I rather enjoyed). Should be outstanding in 5-7 years.
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2/13/2009 - MarkLA wrote: 93 Points
Umm... wow. At times, shockingly good, at others, reminding me of how young it still is. Color: garnet. Impressive aromas of black currant, blackberry, and wet stones. On the palate it is creamy and dense, with fine tannins coming in late. It has nice balance to it, not in an overblown style. Very Bordeaux-like. Tightens up with air and was most pleasurable within the first 30 minutes to an hour. Not quite there in its evolution, but this was still one of the best cabernet based wines I've had so far this year. (93+)
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1/16/2009 - gdm1 wrote:
Second bottle: 90 point rating / review given previously stands today.
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10/17/2008 - hhhwine wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding dark color, smooth lingering finish, very slight tanis, light smell. Tasted side by side with 1999 and 1997 Silver Oak Napa valley. Color was deeper than both the Siver Oaks. Excellent value at $75/bottle.
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8/5/2008 - gdm1 wrote: 90 Points
It had a great fruity nose. The color is much more denser than most cab's in this price range / region. Bottle needs to be decanted a bit as this could have been the reason for a harsher finish than I remember when I tasted at the winery. Originally I gave this a rating of 95, because it was just an amazing wine compared to the others at RM winery... and it still is an amazing wine. Still believe it is the best RM winery offers... but a more realistic rating of 90 is due when you compare it to other wineries as well as my other favorites... Put me in a room with a Don Melchor and this bottle... I'll choose Don Melchor.
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6/10/2008 - gdm1 wrote: 95 Points
Visited the RM winery and tried every bottle they offered for tasting, from the cheap to the pricey reserves... I like this one the best from all the Cabernet's offered at the winery during May 2008...
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3/30/2008 - spendergast wrote: 95 Points
Tried at Mondavi Winery. A great cab. Full bodied, Dense ruby red color, Loads of concentrated fruit, wet earth, soft tannins with long finish.
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3/30/2008 - spendergast wrote: 94 Points
Tried at Mondavi Winery. A great cab. Full bodied, Dense ruby red color, Loads of concentrated fruit, wet earth, soft tannins with long finish.
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8/9/2007 - pakabear wrote:
Might be flawed.
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12/27/2006 - pakabear wrote: flawed
Corked...
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