Opened a bottle last night and drank great. Beautiful aged Bordeaux noses with a good amount of fruit. Drank well over two hours and was only improving with time.
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Another killer bottle. 12.5 ABV. Gorgeous, complex aromas of mature but still vibrant plum fruit laced with cigar smoke, tobacco leaf, bell pepper and wet cedar. Rich, seamless palate goes on and on. Still in peak drinking window.
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Heater week; 3/26/2023-4/3/2023 (Chicago, IL): Absolutely awesome old school Napa cabernet, with very much a ripe-vintage old world sensibility to it. The fruit is more Napa though, with its generosity and breadth. Mostly black fruit and pencil shavings with balanced sweetness on the palate. Leathery tannins, a fair bit of acidity. Very much balanced, with just the right amount of pyrazines. Outstanding drinking now, but good bottles of this (like tonight's) should just be reaching maturity now.
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decanted off sediment and acid is a bit high. 30 minutes in, it’s beautiful, vibrant California fruit, tertiary just coming in. Perfect acid and tannin, very nice.
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Beautifully mature while still rich, fresh and vibrant. Typical Forman tobacco, ashy and tar notes with lots of bell pepper intrigue. Fruit is a nice mix of plush and dried plums. Should hold at this level for 5-10 years, and drink beyond that.
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opened without great expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised - dark red with brick rim - aromatic nose of dried red and white flowers and spices - full round mouth of perfectly balanced fruit,acid and tannins - long 30 second finish - a truly elegant wine that has matured beautifully after 35 years - easily can hold its own against many equivalently aged Bordeaux wines
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Slight seepage coming through the foil and a soaked cork, which fortunately came out in one piece with some coaxing from an ah-so. Funky nose at first but blowing off to reveal leather, tea bags and some faded red fruit. On the palate this is very similar, very restrained and almost veering towards minerality but unfortunately with a bit of sweaty sock and Sherry flavours mixed in, no doubt from the less than ideal bottle condition. One of the better 1987s I’ve had but YMMV.
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In vertical. Black plum, tobacco, green pepper. Rick said it sometimes comes across as volatile, which faintly comes across on the finish. Otherwise good+ balance.
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Nose of black berry, and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, showing its age, savory, time to enjoy is now, and a long, herbal finish.
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8th Annual QoA Fundraising Dinner (Chez Nanda): Signature Forman -- with cedar, tobacco and bell pepper infused fruit. Great tarry signature. Fruit is still fresh. Second in the flight after the '89 Margaux. Wow.
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Thank you, Ric Forman for creating this WONDERFUL Bordeaux blend from decades ago!! It was especially perfect for a Christmas Day Feast; I could not have asked for more. Had an immediate gardenia floral aroma upon opening and delivered consistently throughout the dinner in every way. My last bottle (sigh). But I am forever grateful to the NAPA CAB producers of the 80's+++. They created magic in a bottle.
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Nose of black cherry, black berry, and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, on the downhill side, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, with a long, herbal finish.
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Perhaps a little tired and flat, but 40 year aged Bordeaux-like Napa CAB deserves kudos in every way. Ric Forman created something for the ages here, which produces a slight, fruity floral that one could describe as a "barnyard", that gets better which each glass upon decant. The cork impossibly survived but just enough to preserve.
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Don't ask me how but the cork survived! 30 years of Ric Forman brew. Lucious dark smooth CAB. Great floral. I can't explain except wait a few decades and u'll understand.
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AGREE! Ric Forman knew exactly what he was doing 3 decades ago to create incredible vino with long aging potential. Definitely Bordeaux like. Beautiful floral aroma immediately upon opening. Lucious blackberry with a slightly dry feel. Perfect NAPA CAB.
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Really nice - about as close as Cali gets to Bordeaux. Cedar, lots of campfire smoke, attractive green streak, cigar, cherry, and a lot of tannin. Good with food, in fact, it still needs it because at the end of the night there isn't enough flesh in the wine alone to knit with the structure here.
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Low fill, terrible shrunken saturated cork. Smells nice; all cedar, chocolate, and berries, but round, dull, flat, gently sweet and caramelly oak on the palate. NR
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It looked young, but tasted mature. Dark fruit along with cedar and tobacco. I thought it might go un-noticed at friend's barbecue, but it stood out. A Bordeaux ringer - excellent!
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Tasting of 3 Forman Cabernet Sauvignons. Nose of green bell pepper, smoke, plum, black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, like a Chateau Pichon Lalande, almost elegant, more complexity but less power than its peers tonight, medium body, long, herbal finish. My #2.
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Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Jammy black fruits but also strong presence of green bell pepper, ash and smoke, lead pencil, dry leather, a hint of licorice and cedar. Good concentration, dry dark fruit driven palate impression, noticeable green, dust, a hint of dry tannins and bitter finish. The nose is better than the palate. Should go well with a piece of charred steak.
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Acquired on release, Ricks famous short cork holding up OK, less than 50% stained with wine Dark ruby red, no brown at the edges. complex herbal cranberry fruit nose, added anise, it faded as time in the glass -over all think of a 70 or 86 St Julien/St Estephe. Beautiful amalgam of Calif fruit and Bordeaux structure. A Bulls eye for Rick's vision of what Napa can do. Please, don't look for this- you won't like it!
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Tuesday night in H-town with dontime (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Absolutely pristine bottle. Great nose of currants, sour cherry, mint, tobacco, and hints of bell pepper. On the palate, rich and dense with currants, bright cherry, tobacco, and mint. Long balanced finish.
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Not as impressed by this as others at the table were. A nice medium-bodied Cab with strong pencil notes. Offers good fruit though it's not particularly well-defined. Drinking nicely, with enough tannin to go for awhile yet. Not a showstopper.
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Dinner at PDH (PDH): This is the best cabernet-based wine I've had in a while. The nose shows tons of graphite, with redcurrant fruit and just a touch of green. With air a cedary note becomes more noticeable. The palate is complete and full but elegant, with rich redcurrant and cranberry fruit perfectly balanced by acidity you rarely see in Napa cab. Tannins are mostly resolved and this is at peak, but there's just enough structure left to hold everything together. Wonderful.
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From magnum. An exceptionally good Cabernet. Solid red color, with a touch of bricking at the rim of the glass. A wonderfully complex bouquet, filled with all sorts of secondary aromas, with tobacco and earth and damp forest floor, along with black currant and floral notes. In the mouth, this wine was seamless, gorgeously balanced, and showing such great purity. The fruit was more vibrant than the Hillside on this night, with more muscle to stand up to the strong earthy notes and layers of deep tobacco and pencil lead. Still showing the faintest tannic grip, the wine finishes very completely. Delicious and satisfying all the way around. Maybe not utterly profound but awfully pleasing old Cab. A-/A
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Absolutely gorgeous wine. Red color with merely hints of bricking at the rim of the glass. Pretty nose of tobacco, currant, dried herbs, and rich earth. In the mouth, sumptuous, with a cool style of fruit that's supported by tremendous layers of complexity. Perhaps not as concentrated or silky as the very best Forman Cabs, but this has aged beautifully, and it is drinking very well right now. These wines are benchmarks for California. A-/A
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After an hour decant, light to medium bodied with subdued aromatics. Sweetness then cedar on the nose, to me typical cab. Though again light. Subtle hints of mushroom and leather. The palette is surprisingly still very tannic. The fruit is attenuating llike an older cab but still there. Very enjoyable but I can't help but imagine a few years over the hill. Especially since there is a bit of hotness and a touch of green on the finish. This wine needs a steak! With dinner a certain earthiness comes out and while it doesn't light up with fruit, it works as a Bordeaux would.
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From magnum. Pulled the cork at noon & poured a small taste; still tight after 4 hours so into the decanter it went for another two before being rebottled for travel. At its best perhaps two hours later, this was still rather dark in color, with aromas of leather & cedar, with dark fruit- currants & blackberry. Sweet black Cabernet fruit on the palate, and nicely balanced with a medium plus finish. Perhaps some lavender and plum qualities too. Lovely.
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Astoundingly youthful and still quite tight. Dark red color. Pretty nose of black currant, tobacco, and minerals. Never quite got unwound in the glass, with a cool fruit profile that expands into pleasing earthy and tobacco notes, along with some pencil lead. Structured and still working on resolving acidity and tannins. More patience required. A-
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Ruby red. Cherry and mild green bell pepper nose, bay and cumin accents eventually. Lightly acidic. Simple flavor of currant-laden mid-valley Cabernet. Not much finish. A sound, if unexciting wine, I think a victim of an over-zealous filtration; zero sediments. Bottle #3 of four.
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Gourmet Dinner #1- All American Summer Fare (Chateau VinoMe): Allred brought this 21 year old Cal Cab. It was showing very nicely. Medium red color. Notes of cherry soda, wet earth and some sour fruit on the finish. Fresh acidity. Right on par with the 1986 Forman that Allred opened a year or two ago. 90 points.
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purchased 3 bottles from auction, opened the first bottle several months ago and it was oxidized so i was skeptical about the lots storage. The second bottle was a treat. Deep, dark color, showing only slight signs of age - not near as i expected from an '87. The nose of violets, tobacco and spice was impressive. On the palate there was plum, spice and tobacco - the tannins were fine, well integrated and the fruit has held up well. The finish was brief initially but after about 45 minutes turned soft, supple and lingered nicely.
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Quickly decanted off its sediment and returned to the bottle. Faded garnet core, turning clear toward the rim. Aromas of cedar, lavender, violets, tobacco and red fruit. Flavors of black cherry and dark fruit,, with a savory herbal undertone. Fully integrated and probably in the back end of its drinking window.
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From the bottle opened two days ago, just a couple of sips remained. A bit more robust aromatically, with dark fruit and spice. The palate has turned just slightly, with dark fruit, cherries and a very slight oxidized quality..no doubt from the bottle having been left on the counter and not vacuum sealed over the past two days.
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Having a need for one more bottle, our guests picked this out. Deep ruby to garnet color, with a very weedy bouquet to start. Previous bottles had needed a couple of hours to come around and this was no different. After an hour in the decanter, this blossomed with aromas of tobacco, violets, cedar and velvety red fruit. Flavor of plum, black cherry and violets on the palate, with a very nice finish.
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Opened this to replace the madeirized 1987 Hess Cab...what a great idea that was. This is drinking wonderfully. Decanted for sediment, pouring the first glasses after maybe 20 minutes or so in the decanter. Garnet color, barely showing signs of its age, just a bit of bricking toward the rim. Notes of cedar, leather, plum and soft spices. Fully integrated on the palate, with plum and dusty fruit flavors.
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This cab has aged extremely well showing only slight browning on the edge. Still has plenty of fruit and is drinking great. Sure glad I have three other bottles. Should hold for at least another few years. Who says California cabs don't age.
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Smells youthful with kirsch notes and a hint of bell pepper. Great fruit on the palate. This still has a few years but is coming around. Others found it still a bit tight. The tannins and acids in the finish seem to coincide well. Top five of the night.
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At home at dinner with pasta. Gorgeous deep black cherry color. Excellent, viscous. Impressive crushed berry fruit in the nose. Violets. Beautifully oaked. Excellent balance. Youthful fruit is concentrated, rich, purple. Mouth coating fruit. Fine structure and very well balanced. Has plenty of tannin for aging, but the fruit is more than a match. Terrific wine all around, with an extended finish. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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Singer and Foy survey of new “killer Cabernets.“ Good color. Brilliant. The nose seems a bit “off“; I’m not sure why. Great flavor. Nice fruit, smooth, round, Rich. Good mouth, bad nose. 5-7-16-7: 85/100.
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4/3/2024 - chetlee wrote: 94 Points
Opened a bottle last night and drank great. Beautiful aged Bordeaux noses with a good amount of fruit. Drank well over two hours and was only improving with time.
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2/3/2024 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Another killer bottle. 12.5 ABV. Gorgeous, complex aromas of mature but still vibrant plum fruit laced with cigar smoke, tobacco leaf, bell pepper and wet cedar. Rich, seamless palate goes on and on. Still in peak drinking window.
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4/1/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Heater week; 3/26/2023-4/3/2023 (Chicago, IL): Absolutely awesome old school Napa cabernet, with very much a ripe-vintage old world sensibility to it. The fruit is more Napa though, with its generosity and breadth. Mostly black fruit and pencil shavings with balanced sweetness on the palate. Leathery tannins, a fair bit of acidity. Very much balanced, with just the right amount of pyrazines. Outstanding drinking now, but good bottles of this (like tonight's) should just be reaching maturity now.
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2/18/2023 - Stumptown Steve Likes this wine: 92 Points
this bottle aged gracefully, soft, smooth, elegant and balanced but still vibrant. Have one more so looking forward to retrying in a couple of years.
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8/5/2022 - adnorthup wrote:
decanted off sediment and acid is a bit high. 30 minutes in, it’s beautiful, vibrant California fruit, tertiary just coming in. Perfect acid and tannin, very nice.
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3/27/2022 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully mature while still rich, fresh and vibrant. Typical Forman tobacco, ashy and tar notes with lots of bell pepper intrigue. Fruit is a nice mix of plush and dried plums. Should hold at this level for 5-10 years, and drink beyond that.
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1/20/2022 - Verb Likes this wine: 94 Points
opened without great expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised - dark red with brick rim - aromatic nose of dried red and white flowers and spices - full round mouth of perfectly balanced fruit,acid and tannins - long 30 second finish - a truly elegant wine that has matured beautifully after 35 years - easily can hold its own against many equivalently aged Bordeaux wines
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7/3/2021 - bavaur wrote: 90 Points
Slight seepage coming through the foil and a soaked cork, which fortunately came out in one piece with some coaxing from an ah-so. Funky nose at first but blowing off to reveal leather, tea bags and some faded red fruit. On the palate this is very similar, very restrained and almost veering towards minerality but unfortunately with a bit of sweaty sock and Sherry flavours mixed in, no doubt from the less than ideal bottle condition. One of the better 1987s I’ve had but YMMV.
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3/26/2021 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cassis, dark fruit, graphite, tobacco and leather. Palate is round and structured. More Bordeaux than Napa for sure. Drinking beautifully.
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6/28/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
In vertical. Black plum, tobacco, green pepper. Rick said it sometimes comes across as volatile, which faintly comes across on the finish. Otherwise good+ balance.
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10/20/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of black berry, and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, showing its age, savory, time to enjoy is now, and a long, herbal finish.
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6/8/2019 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
8th Annual QoA Fundraising Dinner (Chez Nanda): Signature Forman -- with cedar, tobacco and bell pepper infused fruit. Great tarry signature. Fruit is still fresh. Second in the flight after the '89 Margaux. Wow.
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12/26/2018 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Thank you, Ric Forman for creating this WONDERFUL Bordeaux blend from decades ago!! It was especially perfect for a Christmas Day Feast; I could not have asked for more. Had an immediate gardenia floral aroma upon opening and delivered consistently throughout the dinner in every way. My last bottle (sigh). But I am forever grateful to the NAPA CAB producers of the 80's+++. They created magic in a bottle.
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11/23/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of black cherry, black berry, and bell pepper, more of the same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, on the downhill side, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, with a long, herbal finish.
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2/13/2018 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perhaps a little tired and flat, but 40 year aged Bordeaux-like Napa CAB deserves kudos in every way. Ric Forman created something for the ages here, which produces a slight, fruity floral that one could describe as a "barnyard", that gets better which each glass upon decant. The cork impossibly survived but just enough to preserve.
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1/18/2018 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking. It has softened and is a truly beautiful bottle of one of California’s great cabs.
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12/17/2017 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautifully aged for 3 decades. Just a bit sweet but completely smooth. Delightful floral aroma like gardenia.
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9/11/2017 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Don't ask me how but the cork survived! 30 years of Ric Forman brew. Lucious dark smooth CAB. Great floral. I can't explain except wait a few decades and u'll understand.
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10/11/2016 - DaleW wrote:
Straightforward CalCab, darker fruits, modest acid, resolved tannins, a little dull. B-
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4/29/2016 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ric Forman CONSISTENTLY delivers!
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3/29/2016 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 93 Points
I've decided that I am now a HUGE Ric Forman FAN. This bottle was absolutely delightful! Savor every drop.
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3/20/2016 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
AGREE! Ric Forman knew exactly what he was doing 3 decades ago to create incredible vino with long aging potential. Definitely Bordeaux like. Beautiful floral aroma immediately upon opening. Lucious blackberry with a slightly dry feel. Perfect NAPA CAB.
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2/23/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Really nice - about as close as Cali gets to Bordeaux. Cedar, lots of campfire smoke, attractive green streak, cigar, cherry, and a lot of tannin. Good with food, in fact, it still needs it because at the end of the night there isn't enough flesh in the wine alone to knit with the structure here.
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10/27/2015 - andtheodor wrote:
Low fill, terrible shrunken saturated cork. Smells nice; all cedar, chocolate, and berries, but round, dull, flat, gently sweet and caramelly oak on the palate. NR
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5/24/2015 - Diane (LI) wrote:
It looked young, but tasted mature. Dark fruit along with cedar and tobacco. I thought it might go un-noticed at friend's barbecue, but it stood out. A Bordeaux ringer - excellent!
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12/29/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting of 3 Forman Cabernet Sauvignons. Nose of green bell pepper, smoke, plum, black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, like a Chateau Pichon Lalande, almost elegant, more complexity but less power than its peers tonight, medium body, long, herbal finish. My #2.
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11/21/2014 - wynlvr wrote: 93 Points
Another great bottle.
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11/12/2014 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
Mike Grammer Comes to Town - KS version (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Jammy black fruits but also strong presence of green bell pepper, ash and smoke, lead pencil, dry leather, a hint of licorice and cedar. Good concentration, dry dark fruit driven palate impression, noticeable green, dust, a hint of dry tannins and bitter finish. The nose is better than the palate. Should go well with a piece of charred steak.
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9/26/2014 - vinojones wrote: 93 Points
Acquired on release, Ricks famous short cork holding up OK, less than 50% stained with wine
Dark ruby red, no brown at the edges. complex herbal cranberry fruit nose, added anise, it faded as time in the glass -over all think of a 70 or 86 St Julien/St Estephe.
Beautiful amalgam of Calif fruit and Bordeaux structure. A Bulls eye for Rick's vision of what Napa can do.
Please, don't look for this- you won't like it!
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8/3/2014 - wynlvr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing cabernet, bought new from the winery, kept in a cold cellar, thank you Rick!
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5/4/2014 - wynlvr wrote: 93 Points
great bottle from start to finish, opened and drank over 5 hours
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10/29/2013 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tuesday night in H-town with dontime (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Absolutely pristine bottle. Great nose of currants, sour cherry, mint, tobacco, and hints of bell pepper. On the palate, rich and dense with currants, bright cherry, tobacco, and mint. Long balanced finish.
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5/3/2013 - GalvezGuy wrote: flawed
CT Texas V - North Dallas Forty and then some; 5/3/2013-5/5/2013 (McKinney, North Dallas, TX): Corked. Bummer, I was really looking forward to this.
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3/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Euro-Themed Lunch - In Pursuit of Balance with US Domestic Wines (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Bouquet reminiscent of a California Cab. Tasted blind and definitely felt younger than the vintage.
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9/1/2012 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
From magnum. Right on par with the bottle about a year ago. Terrific cigar box spiciness and supple texture. A-/A
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8/23/2012 - cooberp wrote: 89 Points
Not as impressed by this as others at the table were. A nice medium-bodied Cab with strong pencil notes. Offers good fruit though it's not particularly well-defined. Drinking nicely, with enough tannin to go for awhile yet. Not a showstopper.
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8/23/2012 - coremill wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at PDH (PDH): This is the best cabernet-based wine I've had in a while. The nose shows tons of graphite, with redcurrant fruit and just a touch of green. With air a cedary note becomes more noticeable. The palate is complete and full but elegant, with rich redcurrant and cranberry fruit perfectly balanced by acidity you rarely see in Napa cab. Tannins are mostly resolved and this is at peak, but there's just enough structure left to hold everything together. Wonderful.
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3/31/2012 - Colia wrote: 89 Points
A fading beauty. Slightly cloudy. Took about an hour to develop red fruits and rose petals with a whiff of mushroom. Lovely texture and finish.
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7/12/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
From magnum. An exceptionally good Cabernet. Solid red color, with a touch of bricking at the rim of the glass. A wonderfully complex bouquet, filled with all sorts of secondary aromas, with tobacco and earth and damp forest floor, along with black currant and floral notes. In the mouth, this wine was seamless, gorgeously balanced, and showing such great purity. The fruit was more vibrant than the Hillside on this night, with more muscle to stand up to the strong earthy notes and layers of deep tobacco and pencil lead. Still showing the faintest tannic grip, the wine finishes very completely. Delicious and satisfying all the way around. Maybe not utterly profound but awfully pleasing old Cab. A-/A
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4/2/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
Absolutely gorgeous wine. Red color with merely hints of bricking at the rim of the glass. Pretty nose of tobacco, currant, dried herbs, and rich earth. In the mouth, sumptuous, with a cool style of fruit that's supported by tremendous layers of complexity. Perhaps not as concentrated or silky as the very best Forman Cabs, but this has aged beautifully, and it is drinking very well right now. These wines are benchmarks for California. A-/A
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1/29/2011 - njvin wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly still a little tanic at first but opened up nicely after a few hours. Still dark ruby red with nice fruit. Enjoyable!
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1/7/2011 - Barnaby33 wrote:
After an hour decant, light to medium bodied with subdued aromatics. Sweetness then cedar on the nose, to me typical cab. Though again light. Subtle hints of mushroom and leather. The palette is surprisingly still very tannic. The fruit is attenuating llike an older cab but still there. Very enjoyable but I can't help but imagine a few years over the hill. Especially since there is a bit of hotness and a touch of green on the finish. This wine needs a steak! With dinner a certain earthiness comes out and while it doesn't light up with fruit, it works as a Bordeaux would.
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12/11/2010 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Pulled the cork at noon & poured a small taste; still tight after 4 hours so into the decanter it went for another two before being rebottled for travel. At its best perhaps two hours later, this was still rather dark in color, with aromas of leather & cedar, with dark fruit- currants & blackberry. Sweet black Cabernet fruit on the palate, and nicely balanced with a medium plus finish. Perhaps some lavender and plum qualities too. Lovely.
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12/9/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
Astoundingly youthful and still quite tight. Dark red color. Pretty nose of black currant, tobacco, and minerals. Never quite got unwound in the glass, with a cool fruit profile that expands into pleasing earthy and tobacco notes, along with some pencil lead. Structured and still working on resolving acidity and tannins. More patience required. A-
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8/6/2010 - Hodby wrote: 86 Points
Ruby red. Cherry and mild green bell pepper nose, bay and cumin accents eventually. Lightly acidic. Simple flavor of currant-laden mid-valley Cabernet. Not much finish. A sound, if unexciting wine, I think a victim of an over-zealous filtration; zero sediments. Bottle #3 of four.
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12/28/2008 - Screameagle wrote: 87 Points
drink up. fruit is fading but still an enjoyable wine. drink last 2 bottles over the next 6 months.
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9/3/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Gourmet Dinner #1- All American Summer Fare (Chateau VinoMe): Allred brought this 21 year old Cal Cab. It was showing very nicely. Medium red color. Notes of cherry soda, wet earth and some sour fruit on the finish. Fresh acidity. Right on par with the 1986 Forman that Allred opened a year or two ago. 90 points.
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9/1/2008 - szang wrote: 92 Points
purchased 3 bottles from auction, opened the first bottle several months ago and it was oxidized so i was skeptical about the lots storage. The second bottle was a treat. Deep, dark color, showing only slight signs of age - not near as i expected from an '87. The nose of violets, tobacco and spice was impressive. On the palate there was plum, spice and tobacco - the tannins were fine, well integrated and the fruit has held up well. The finish was brief initially but after about 45 minutes turned soft, supple and lingered nicely.
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8/29/2008 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Quickly decanted off its sediment and returned to the bottle. Faded garnet core, turning clear toward the rim. Aromas of cedar, lavender, violets, tobacco and red fruit. Flavors of black cherry and dark fruit,, with a savory herbal undertone. Fully integrated and probably in the back end of its drinking window.
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2/11/2008 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
From the bottle opened two days ago, just a couple of sips remained. A bit more robust aromatically, with dark fruit and spice. The palate has turned just slightly, with dark fruit, cherries and a very slight oxidized quality..no doubt from the bottle having been left on the counter and not vacuum sealed over the past two days.
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2/9/2008 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Having a need for one more bottle, our guests picked this out. Deep ruby to garnet color, with a very weedy bouquet to start. Previous bottles had needed a couple of hours to come around and this was no different. After an hour in the decanter, this blossomed with aromas of tobacco, violets, cedar and velvety red fruit. Flavor of plum, black cherry and violets on the palate, with a very nice finish.
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7/14/2006 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Opened this to replace the madeirized 1987 Hess Cab...what a great idea that was. This is drinking wonderfully. Decanted for sediment, pouring the first glasses after maybe 20 minutes or so in the decanter. Garnet color, barely showing signs of its age, just a bit of bricking toward the rim. Notes of cedar, leather, plum and soft spices. Fully integrated on the palate, with plum and dusty fruit flavors.
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8/31/2005 - Screameagle wrote: 91 Points
This cab has aged extremely well showing only slight browning on the edge. Still has plenty of fruit and is drinking great. Sure glad I have three other bottles. Should hold for at least another few years. Who says California cabs don't age.
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11/28/2003 - buckeye76 wrote: 92 Points
BLACKBERRIES, BLACK CHERRIES, MINT, AND A TOUCH OF HERBAL IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE WITH A TOUCH OF LICORICE AS WELL. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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3/2/2002 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Smells youthful with kirsch notes and a hint of bell pepper. Great fruit on the palate. This still has a few years but is coming around. Others found it still a bit tight. The tannins and acids in the finish seem to coincide well. Top five of the night.
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7/20/1991 - MicklethePickle wrote: 82 Points
Singer and Foy survey of 1987 Cabernets. Excellent dark ruby color. Nose is shy and light. I don’t like the mouth. 5-9-12-6: 82/100.
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7/2/1991 - MicklethePickle wrote: 92 Points
At home at dinner with pasta. Gorgeous deep black cherry color. Excellent, viscous. Impressive crushed berry fruit in the nose. Violets. Beautifully oaked. Excellent balance. Youthful fruit is concentrated, rich, purple. Mouth coating fruit. Fine structure and very well balanced. Has plenty of tannin for aging, but the fruit is more than a match. Terrific wine all around, with an extended finish. 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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6/23/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 85 Points
Singer and Foy survey of new “killer Cabernets.“ Good color. Brilliant. The nose seems a bit “off“; I’m not sure why. Great flavor. Nice fruit, smooth, round, Rich. Good mouth, bad nose. 5-7-16-7: 85/100.
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