Rich black and red fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant. Layered and quite good with all the tertiary characteristics of earth, leather and mushrooms emerging well made. 14.8% abv. Drink now -2027.
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Drinking wonderfully now. Still a dark purple core, turning into a lighter magenta towards the rim. On the nose there’s sweet cassis, earth, and a touch of menthol. It’s lively on the palate, showing blackberry jam, some slight raspberry notes, with plenty more earth and some spice. The tannins are noticeable but definitely fading, with a long finish and well balanced acidity. Upon opening, there more alcohol than anticipated, which suggests this has plenty more life to it, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give it some air before enjoying.
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This wine continues to evolve nicely since my last tasting a few years ago. Notes of black raspberry, cassis, cherry with hint of forest floor and crushed pepper. Overall, very well balanced with well integrated tannins and long finish.
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First of 3, brought to E&K's for dinner. This was drinking really nicely. Good mix of red and black fruit, and some nice herbal notes. Still has some tannic grip but is drinking well now. That said, I see no hurry on these and think they will be good for another 4-5 years easily. Good stuff.
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Decanted one hour. Full bodied, rich, a little over the top but has mellowed a bit over time. Black currant, cigar box and tar. Long finish. Early maturity but can drink over the next five to ten years.
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Another broken cork. This is the second time in a row. Fortunately no pieces of cork fell into the wine. This bottle was fantastic. Lots of fruit on the nose and on the palate. The tannins were there but soft and the finish long and beautiful.
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Cork crumbled and had to be removed with a Durand. This was very drinkable, but not quite as impressive as a bottle I drank a year ago. I'm chalking it up to bottle variation due to the cork.
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Deep dark center, some signs of age on the rim. Sweet, ripe plums and cherry jam, a little roasted. Smooth and ripe (glycerine), mature black fruits, more plums than cassis, good acidity and tannin still, alcohol in noticeable, a little hot, good finish. Very drinkable, a little over-extracted, hot and too much alcohol (14.8%) for my tastes, but I can see the appeal for others. Drinks well now, not sure the high alcohol will do well with further age.
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Gave this a quick 30 minutes decant. Aromas of dried cherry, leather, currant, dusty berry and blackberry. Lot of fruit on the nose still. Flavors of blackberry, currant, sour cherry, touch of iron and touch of balsamic. Ends with a dried cherry and blackberry finish of 35-40 seconds. This is showing no signs of fading and aging quite nicely.
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Popped and poured. Full on black currant, black cherry, mocha, licorice and toast. Full bodied, a bit jammy, modern style with noticeable oak. Today I am not loving this but I do feel this may get better integrated with time. It still has a long way to go
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Alluring nose with a beautiful mixture of ripe red berry notes and great tertiary notes like wet forest floor, fresh mushrooms and dry leather. Very elegant and super balanced on the palate with ripe red fruit notes and a fine acidity in the background. Medium + bodied. Tannins are round and fully integrated. Great complexity and depth. Very long and savory finish - excellent. This is in an amazing spot right now. Drink within the next few years. (IG)
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3rd of 5 bottles. last tasted 2.5 yrs ago. Regal and elegant, this 14 yr old Napa Bordeaux blend is really first class, and drinking beautifully. Cassis, pencil lead, wet soil, bell pepper, menthol and licorice. Just goes on and on, lovely complexity, full in body, perfect acidity. Drink through 2027+.
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Popped and poured. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I remember. There is a lot of concentration with flavors of black and blue fruits, tobacco weed, and spice. It’s a big wine which is still drinking quite youthful but it feels a little hot at this stage. Whether time will cure that is hard to tell. Perhaps this would have been better with some decanting.
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Extremely well integrated at this point, did not require much decanting. Medium red-brown color on the rim at first pour. Medium nose intensity matched on the palate tells me the community drinking window may be a tad long.
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Screened into a decanter and poured from decanter over time. Screening or filtering is highly recommended with this wine as there was significant sediment clumped on the sides and bottom of the bottle and caught by the screen. The wine has a beguiling nose with highlights of mint, cherry sauce, and tobacco. The mouthfeel is smooth and medium weight with a mix of red and black fruits and a touch of forest. The medium-length finish ties everything up nicely. Overall, this is a poised and very enjoyable wine. It’s in great shape and probably at or near peak. This has been a terrific wine to enjoy over the past decade or so. 92 points.
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Inky nose with some oak. Ripe palate is a touch hot, don’t recall this from previous bottle (years ago tho). Very good acidity. Still a very solid tasty wine that is aging well.
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Dark magenta color; translucent and polished. Very slight bricking (rose petal) on the watery edge. Raspberries, orange zest, plum, leather, some dark minerals (dusty neck wafers) and a hint of "thin mints" on the nose. Pomegranate and italian cherries are the dominate flavors with the orange rind arriving on the mid-plate and through the finish. Some astringency on the with a little tree root characteristic. Very fine soft tannins (cashmere versus silk). Dinking window is now. Very pleasing wine - would have guessed italian 99 times out of 100.
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Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with tongue-staining concentration. There is some medium sediment toward the end of the bottle, so decanting wouldn’t hurt. On the nose, I get mint, blueberry, huckleberry, and some coffee grounds. In the mouth, the wine is smooth, lush, and layered – it generally brings a full sensation throughout. The finish is long, juicy, and marked by chocolate and mint (again). Overall, this is a forward and expressive wine. It seems at peak now, so I would drink up during the next 4-5 years. 92 points.
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Decanted 90 minutes before dinner. Excellent good Bdx blend from and excellent producer. Dark and blue fruit with spice and cedar notes on nose. Much the same on palate along with some lifting minerality. Balanced acidity and a bit of tannic bite to keep the wine fresh. Long finish. Continued to improve over the course of a long evening. Considerably better than 2005 served alongside it. Drink or hold.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next 90. Complex, well balanced, great finish, tasted to me like a throwback to classic California Cab from the eighties (86 & 87) and early nineties. I think there may be some upside with further cellaring, but no need to wait. It's drinking really well right now. 94+
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Wow, my first bottle of this and is it beautiful. Dark and red fruit, graphite, spice and mineral flavors. Smooth and well balanced. Really in a good place with a decant, but no need to rush.
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Aerated to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind. Shows a combination of secondary/tertiary, with a med+/full body, good+ elegance, and gentle layers of red/black fruits. For my palate, it's in a great spot now, and the next 4-5 years before any real decline. NR
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Tasted along side the 2008 vintage. Bottles in my cellar since release. Both wines are indistinguishable from each other visually. Translucent, medium to dark garnet with no bricking.The nose of both are very similar but the 2007 has a distinctly floral aroma along with cedar, tobacco, vanilla and decidedly red fruited, cherries, red currents and pomegranate. Finish is moderately long. The mouth feel is very soft and smooth with little noticeable tannin. Easy to drink alone but in need of acidity in my mind, so it is better paired with some spicy food or something with acidity to raise the brightness of flavor in the wine. Both wines are good but not great in my mind. Perfectly pleasant but lacking some distinction and due to the lack of structure should probably be consumed over the next few years. P.S. 3 nights later had the half bottle of wine left and just corked up on the counter since...Pleasant enough with a rich texture and ripe fruit but as before the lack of acidity makes it rather short on the finish and just a touch flabby. Fortunately I had it with some meatballs, red sauce and some spinach tortellini which added a bit of acid to the pairing.
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I've waited over 10 years to drink this bottle and it was well worth the wait. This wine is very well balanced and it still has some tannins on the finish, suggesting 5-10 more years of peak drinking, IMHO. My other impression of this wine is that it tastes more like a true Bordeaux wine than any other California wine I've had. The winemaking style is obviously restrained and therefore reveals subtle tasting delights the longer it's allowed to breathe. So enjoyable!
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My last bottle! This is firing on all cylinders. Gorgeous CA meritage at its best. Blueberry and cherry on the nose with vanilla and leather notes. Plush soft mouth feel with a long finish. The best wine from this winery I have ever had to date. You might be able to wait...but why?
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Deep dark center, red rim with some age. Sweet smooth and a little spicy, stewed plums and graphite, tobacco. Smooth and sweet, briar, some pyrazine, integrated oak, alcohol is present, modest tannin and acid at this point Drinking well now.
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Perfect right now, no decanting required. I seriously question the community tasting window time frame of 2029, however - I give my remaining bottles another year before heading into decline.
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Double decanted and rested open for two hours. Then drank over two hours. Acid / fruit balance shifted nicely in favor of fruit with time. A much better experience than our first bottle which was simply decanted and poured in a restaurant & heat was still dominant after two hours.
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30 minute slow ox out of a magnum This is really delicious. The nose is pretty red fruit and flowers. The palate show ripe red and black fruit, tobacco and lead. The wine is delicious and a little hedonistic but reasonably well balanced. Not sure this will develop much complexity but it delivers a lot of pleasure today. It can hold another 5-10 years.
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This was really drinking nicely last night. Great red and black fruits with integrated oak that’s a bit of milk chocolate in there with some light baking spices. The tannins are very soft as is the acidity but it all works to make a nice Bordeaux blend CA style.
Not a 98, but probably 93-94 today.
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Screened into decanter and then drank from decanter over several hours. Decanting was a good idea as there is some chunky sediment clustered in the bottom of the bottle. This is a medium red wine with a nose of light red fruits, dark plum, mint, stone, and some fresh coffee. In the mouth, this is juicy and smooth, with a touch of sweetness, all leaving a long and sensual finish. Overall, this is nicely balanced and nicely presented. It is showing well now and should stay in a nice spot for several years. I am happy to have more bottles. Drink or hold – can’t go wrong. 93 points.
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Not sure what to say here... good overall, but something was out of balance btw the acid and tannins. Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Better w food. 91?
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This opens up nicely after a short decant delivering a delicate bouquet of berries, cherries, and a hint of vanilla. Very enticing nose to say the least. It drinks like a well rested left bank Bordeaux and does not disappoint.
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Decanted. Plush fruity nose on opening. Out of balance initially. Too much fruit and short finish. This did improve over the evening, but not to the point where it was great. Hopefully this bottling will improve eventually, but I'm not holding out hope. This was so much better in it's youth.
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Well-balanced and fully integrated at this point. Drinking very well. Solid fruit with some secondary flavors. No hard edges. More interesting than I anticipated. Will be interested to see how this drinks in a couple of years, but happy I opened one now. Definitely not too early.
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I held onto this last bottle for quite some while - still drinking very fresh, and lively, with gorgeous fruit, quite new world but in a juicy fresh sort of way. perfect stand alone sipper. drink now but will last several years still
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Not a strong showing for an otherwise consistently excellent bottling. Stewed fruit that was a touch too ripe with extra heat. With time it did improve but lacking the velvet textures of previous bottles.
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Extremely ripe. Bordering on hedonistic. The impression of sweetness was off-putting but there was just enough tannic structure to allow this to work with a steak.
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(Decanted and drank over three hours.) Nearly four years ago I thought this wine was coming along nicely but it has not really budged much since then. If anything, it has closed down a bit and gotten a tad sullen. The color is still quite dark and the nose remains expressive with blackberry, plum, sage, coffee and mellow oak notes. In the mouth there is gorgeous black and red fruit infused with spring herbs, mocha and vanilla bean. There is also a racy acidity providing verve and interest. However, the wine’s flavors and energy are nearly hidden beneath a bushel of still unresolved tannins. Luckily these tannins are sweet and soften nicely after a very long airing. This Éloge has so much potential but patience is required for it to balance. It should be a marvel in four to six years. 94+++ points.
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Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): 8/17 wines tasted double blind. This one was another confusing one for me. There was a lot more acidity on this wine then the prior bottles in the line up - so it made me think possibly old world and maybe either Italian (although the fruit profile was different) or possibly Loire Cab Franc. Fruit was dark and there were also some more green notes. I would have liked to have spent more time with this one to try and figure it out.
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Tasted non-blind. Poured into decanter and tasted immediately. Dark black / red color - looked pretty young. On nose, tobacco, herbal (green pepper but not overbearing), black cherry & blackberry. On palate, great fruit and fruit was brighter than nose with similar flavor profile (no green pepper on palate). Very balanced and this has aged well. medium body, medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins that are well integrated but noticeable on the long finish. 93+
Thanks Doc G. for bringing to the tasting in Chapel Hill, NC.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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very nice right out of the bottle poured through vinerator restrained and more bordeaux like but still very new world; great with steak after some time, it seemed to get tighter saving a bit for tomorrow to see what happens wish I had a lot more of this
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Decanted one hour to blow off some earthy funk. Cherry chapstick, leather, damp soil, milk chocolate, and cedar. Structured but ready to drink with acid and tannins resolved. Nonetheless the fruit is still fresh with at least 5-10 years before peaking.
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Get-Together with Friends (Santa Rosa): From a vertical of 2006-2011 Conn Valley Eloge. The 2006 and 2007 were my favorites in the lineup. A decent amount of cedar and thin red and black currant dominated throughout the attack. This 2007 had a little more body to it than the 2006. Drink now. 87-88 points.
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours w grilled steak. What a pleasant surprise, I haven't had a CVV wine that I liked in a while - to my palate they lack concentration of fruit, depth of flavor, and character. A bit more concentration to warrant a higher rating, but this had just enough. Silky tannins and some perfumey aromatics. Drink or hold 5 years.
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Rich black fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant but not jammy. Layered and quite good; more full bodied, more dark versus fed fruits but less elegant than other Eloge vintages. Pop and pour, but would have benefited from 1-3 hour decant. 14.8% abv.
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The practice of French parents serving their children wine cut with water is commonly accepted. Why not take the same approach to premium wines that are a bit over the top alcohol wise? My preferences has shifted dramatically in the last 10 years, as I gravitate towards classical wines, often European and lower in alcohol. So, what do you do with the higher alcohol, new world wines in your cellar?
Tonight I "cut" this 14.8% alcohol Eloge with 100 ml of filtered water. The result was a wine that sacrificed nothing on the nose, palette or finish. A bit more voluptuous, round and easy to drink -- with not the slightest hint of heat at its reduced ~12.5% alcohol level. I'd easily rate this wine a 90 plus in its adulterated state.
Napa insiders know that winemakers add water, oak chips and even sugar during the fermentation and aging process. So why not add a bit of water yourself to a high alcohol wine -- especially if these bottles are sitting in your cellar collecting dust and going to waste. Why risk a foggy head tonight or an aching one tomorrow morning?
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Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of cherry, cedar, blackberry, currant and leather. Flavors of cherry compote, blackberry, currant, iron and tobacco. Ends with a 45 second finish with the blackberry and tobacco theme. Better than the last time I had it. Aging quite nicely.
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P n p. After the CdP, the Napa cqb was big and still felt young. Classic Napa profile. No surprises. In a good place, with time to cont evolving nicely.
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Drinking pretty perfectly right now; cork broke on removal, but the wine was fine. A little bricking on the rim, but dark red in the center. Core of cherry/raspberry in the nose, a touch of earth and spice. Nicely balanced in the mouth, cherry/cassis and plum overlaying French oak. Really enjoyable.
Did not throw any sediment, despite it's age, which surprised me.
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Q1 - 2017 Tasting - Starts with the Letter.... (notes from another taster) (New York, NY): #5 of 17 wines tasted double blind. A bit of browning in the color with an earthy nose. On the palate this seemed quite mature with more earthy flavors of forest floor and loam dominating. It was nice, but not as much of a stand out for me today. This was high middle of the pack for the group with 6 pennies voted.
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Maturing nicely. Fruit layering into a a silky mouth feel. Both dark and red fruit, some graphite and cola. This bottle was less fruit forward than past ones- very encouraging.
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Drank this in PHL at Will BYO with Wineberserker Ted E and wives. Very smooth and elegant from pnp through 120 minutes. No other notes. Very good, but not great. If I had another bottle, I'd drink this sooner rather than later.
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Decanted for 1.5 hours and this was ready to go. I got a ripe candied red fruited nose along with cedar, herb and mushroom notes that lead way to a full bodied black cherry and tobacco driven palate that is silky smooth and lasts on the long finish.
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- Garnet color and aromas of blackberry and black currant. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of oak, smokey and mushroom with a light/medium body. Narrow texture with a short finish - Woody, earthy, limited complexity, black fruits, proper acid balance is best thing going for this wine.
Very solid but it needed more air in my opinion. We let it air for 4 hours but I think 8 would have done it more justice. Towards the meals end it was very decadent.
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Popped and poured. Best after an hour. Fell off after two hours. Hopefully just a little bottle variation, but this did not show as well as the last time I tried.
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An excellent wine! Opened for about 2 hrs before serving with filet and black trumpet mushroom sauce. Notes consistent with other tasting notes here - nose: plum, fig, blueberry, a little oak, leather, herb and eucalyptus; taste: consistent with the nose, nice tannins and acidity, med-long finish. Just excellent, I want to keep drinking it!
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Super tasty, did not take down an organized TN, but the wine was drinking beautifully, showing well integrated tannins and good med acidity. There is a gritty earthiness behind the cassis and deep plum flavors. The wine will likely continue to improve another few years, and drink well through 2025+.
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We opened this after almost killing the 2007 Right Bank 3L. Popped and poured cool from the wine refrigerator. Just started wowwing immediately. Herbs, earth, leather, dark chocolate. Full bodied, long finish. Silky smooth. I saw my prior note after we drank this bottle and the wine seems to have really hit its stride over the last 6 months. This is why we cellar wine.
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4.5 Wow. Coming from Napa, the land of excess and high-octane Cabernet, this Bordeaux blend maintains European-like restraint and gentle herbal corners. Layer upon layer unfolds with each sip. Tannins have softened delightfully. A well tuned 8 part choral arrangement--complex and harmonious. Stellar.
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Could have used a proper decant (poured a glass at restaurant and let it all sit for 45 minutes) as it was a bit disjointed early. But it came around and showed strong fruit and a stronger finish. Well balanced and typical Eloge smoothness. Went quite well with Short Ribs.
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Decanted and began drinking. Black cherry, herbs, savory. Decent finish with a little acidic streak. Just too young. If drinking now I suggest 2 hour decant at least.
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This is in such a good place right now. Little funky out the gate and decanted for an hour. Great red fruit on the nose with a dab of green pepper. The palate had red cherry, bell pepper and touch of currant and some tertiary flavors of earth. The finish is moderate. This is a damn fine bottle of wine that we enjoyed with a beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner.
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95+. Great showing. 2hr decant. Iron, currants, forest floor, herbs on the nose. Palate is big but balanced and explodes with layers of dark and red fruit supported by a strong tannic foundation. The finish is long, layered and thought provoking.
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This took quite a while to come around from magnum, 4 hour double decant and it was singing. A bit austere at first, but classic cab came on big with air. Very food friendly, will age a very long time. Good stuff.
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Dark cherry color. Berries, leather, orange zest, mint chocolate on the nose. Raspberries, earth, on the palate with muddled cocktail fruit on the finish. Long finish with lots of layers. The tannins are round but mouth coating. Obviously still very young and, while very good now, will be better in a few years.
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Decanted 3 hours. Intense and powerful on the nose and palate and quite surly. Lacks charm presently. Lots of great material but to my palate this needs quite a few years to unlock the pleasure palace. Try again 2019+
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Coravin taste. Beautiful nose, with red fruit (a touch candied), and forest floor and tobacco. On the palate, great red fruit, a pronounced tobacco/herbal/vegetal streak, and great acidity. Overall, a lot in common with the 07 ACVV Reserve Cab, but more green characteristics and the tannins are more robust. I think this one is slightly behind the Reserve Cab in development, but is a bit more complex and will eventually nudge it out. Really lovely. But I think I will leave it alone for at least another year or two.
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Consumed at graduation dinner at Tanta, Chicago. Probably too big for the menu which had a lot of fish, chicken, and pork. Tannins are well-integrated and the wine is overall pretty mellow.
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This wine continues to impress. Fine dark color. The nose is a combination of ripe fruit, cedar shavings and earthy elements such as mushrooms, loam and barley miso. The flavors of dark and red berries, herbs and chocolate are sustained through the long finish. Very deep and beautifully poised in the mouth. It is classy and perfectly balanced. The unresolved yet fine tannins suggest that this outstanding wine is still coming into its own. 96+ points.
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I liked this wine more than the rest of the group at tonight's dinner/tasting. A bit of tobacco here, and a lovely balance of red fruit and oak. But many found it a bit simple and despite the elegant presentation, few had it in their top wines.
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Beautiful and still fresh. Still a bigger wine, but not for Napa. Very smooth and integrated. Nice round tannins. Light but clear, high quality oak. Excellent balance, and solid structure.
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way way too early but you can tell this is going to be a winner in a few years - fruit forward right now, but with an hour in the glass it really starts to open up - wait another year or two on the next one.
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This was my favorite wine last night. It out-shined the excellent '07 Phelps Insignia, primarily because the tannins of the latter require significantly more cellar time. This wine is open and ready for business. Just a lovely, excellent, balanced, complex, fruit-forward, approachable Bordeaux blend from Napa.
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(Decanted for two hours.) The color is impressively dark: purple at the core and black cherry red at the edge. The nose is more muted than the ACV cabernet reserves but is also a bit more complex: ripe black and red fruits, fresh cut herbs, violets, cedar wood, bramble bush, tobacco and rich earth make you want to keep your nose in the glass. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied with flavors of blueberries, mulberries, chocolate and oak. These flavors are rich, deep and round and are enlivened by zesty acidity and soft tannins. The long velvety finish is “lip smacking” gorgeous and very, very fragrant in the mouth. The wine’s complexity certainly leans towards Bordeaux but its overall ripeness and size say California. This luxurious and harmonious wine exhibits perfect balance and is perhaps two to three years from being fully ready to drink. But I’m going to start drinking mine now! 96+ points.
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Pop and pour at a restaurant - allowed the waiter to taste, who was a somm, and he was floored. Long finish even without the proper decants. A great bottle of wine.
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May have been a partially flawed bottle, with red streaks up the cork. Non-existent nose, but very nice flavors and tannins, particularly on the second day. Have other bottles and will compare
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Rich black fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant but not jammy. Layered and quite good, but not as elegant (at this stage) as I have found other Eloge vintages. 14.8% abv.
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Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Deep purple color and rich aromatic smells. Very smooth and tasteful even at this age. A great smooth tasting wine. Bought a case and would buy a few more at the $60 level.
Decanted for 2 hours before consuming. This had a lot of oak on the nose and although I enjoyed it, it didn't quite display the complexity of the previous time I had it. Oak was a little overpowering and kind of masked the fruit to a degree. Still a very nice wine but had high expectations from the previous time.
This inky-colored wine is loaded with ripe blackberry and cassis fruit balanced by well integrated tannins with mild earthy tones and a lingering finish.
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Excellent, excellent, excellent. All good things. Great nose, great body, delicious. What more do you need to know? It is a well-rounded tasty Napa wine in the spirit of good fruit, but not overly done.
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Slow-O 4 hours, served non-blind. Consistent with the bottle of 18 months ago, which is to say, highly enjoyable. In a great place right now, with the last glass showing the best. recommended, thru 2023
What amazes me is that the tasting note you are about to read is in complete contrast with two earlier notes of mine. I must be a complete hypocrite or idiot. What I learned this evening is that Eloge is clearly the family favorite among the Conn Valley wines. That is not so revealing. But my notes for this tasting are considerably more favorable than two earlier ones. What gives? Not age infused wisdom on my part. Perhaps age infused bio-chemistry in the bottle. Read on...
The addition of the broader set of Bordeaux varietals seems to tame the raw power of the Anderson Cabernet; I do think the shift in focus from California to Paulliac also helps set a more classic wine making benchmark. As a consequence, the fruit is noticeably more restrained.
This wine has quite the floral nose with hints of violet. There is plenty of spicy, mouth puckering tannin on the finish. I suspect the wine will drink at its best over the next 3-5 years.
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This wine was near perfect. Consumed an '04 Bremer Family claret which was excellent, then this wine, which went right up to Top Shelf level. Outstanding balance, aroma, fruit, tannins and long finish. One of the best wines I have had in a while. Probably should rank this in the high 90s, not sure how much better it can get.
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Holy oak bomb. I don't understand where this has gone, initially I loved this wine but this bottle was just oak juice and a some dark fruit just barely coming through. The palate was very silky which was nice but I couldn't even finish the bottle, only so much oak I can take.
With Beef Wellington on NYE dinner. Very beautiful red. I decanted this for many hours and the fruit settled down, but was still quite lovely with dark and red fruits present on the nose and palate. Notes of leaf tobacco and finished leather, combine with some underbrush notes and a touch of Earth. I think as far as Napa goes, this is as close as you might get to a really nice Right Bank bordeaux. Having said that I need to compare this directly to ACV Right Bank blend, for more perspective. This was an exceptional wine.
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65% Cab Sauv, 25% Cab Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot. 14.8% alc. Silky and elegant. Tasted it blind and although my first guess was Napa Cab, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a full bodied California Grenache or some such thing because I didn't sense it had the density or tannins I'd expect in a Napa Cab. Luscious with high toned fruit. Outstanding, but I think I prefer the flavor profile of the Estate bottling - especially if it's a bit more affordable.
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Drinking very well at this early stage. The tannins are not obtrusive and the fruit is not overbearing. Really well done CA version of a bordeaux blend.
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Tighter than last time maybe shutting dowsn? Lots of black fruits and chocolate on the nose with similar profile in the palate. All black and brawny with tannins to spare. My other one will sleep.
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I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to this. Battle of the 2002/2007 Eloge from Anderson Conn Valley in CA. We drank this at WineDo 5 at North Square in NYC. Drinkers are members of www.flyertalk.com We major in miles and points, and minor in wine. I thought the 2002 was a little musty. Everyone else felt otherwise, and made that known to me The 07 Eloge was fuller and richer than the 02. Some heat that wore away. We popped and poured it. The 02 was opened 90 minutes earlier. The 07 dwarfed the 02. No rush to drink on the '07.
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Big with some depth and a finish with some oomph. Deep black/purple. Not killer complexity, and a little short on this price point, but a solid bottle regardless. 50/5/12/15/9
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Notes of cassis, plums, cherry, and hints of lilly and toasty oak. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration, a velvety mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and impressive depth. Good grip and focus on the long finish.
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I'm still struggling to reconcile my impressions with the tasting notes of others. No disrespect intended but I am missing something. Searching for fruit, all I sense is wood with a halo of ethanol ester. There is a sharp burn on the finish which can't ever possibly be described as classical.
In a not so fair competition, I just opened a 1990 Cos D'Estournel -- picture a petite ballerina in your mouth with velvet slippers sliding down your throat. This is classic Bordeaux at its finest.
Thought I pulled the Right Bank bottle and oops, it was the Eloge. Still young but approachable after about an hour +. Got better as the night went on. Bordeaux in style, not big and fruity but also not too earthy. Good bottle.
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nose - dark cherry, olive, maple or other wood, cocoa mouth - complex mouth - mixed dark and red fruit with prominent dark cherry, reminiscent of a fruit punch made with proper starting ingredients, flavors of fig and maple, fine and complex mouthcoating tannins, , all framed by sweet but not overbearing oak. An impressive and classy effort. Ideally I would get a case of this and try a bottle a year to see how it evolves.
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Wonderful, delicious wine. A little young still, but with 2-3 hour decant becomes a deep, layered wine. Floral nose with dark berries, smoke and fresh fruit. Long finish. This did not hold up to the '94 Montelena Estate but would be amazing on its own. (Doris enjoyed)
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Delicious. One hour decant and got better as the night wore on. As amazing as the bouquet was and the wonderful dark fruit, cassis and earthy flavors of the wine, the long, lingering finish outdid them all. (Doris - a really really good wine)
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Decanted 2 hrs and served with prime rib. Highly aromatic nose with lots of red fruits, fresh rose petals, spice cake, mocha, and oak. Really lovely with great depth. Palate seemed a touch more reticent than the nose but still offered ripe and juicy red and black fruits, cocoa, more of the spice cake, and a measured dose of oak. While not massive, this is full bodied with very good concentration, a soft velvety texture yet with good structure, and sweet ripe tannins. Excellent length as well. Power and finesse are both on display. Really an impressive wine that has lost some of the exuberance of its youth but shows great promise for the future. 94+
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4th Annual OTBN - Amazing wine! Best finish of any wine I've experienced, and all the other parts were good too! Crowd pleaser with it well integrated tannins and smooth mouthfeel.
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Decanted for two hours. Deep purple color with beautiful nose of dark fruit and creme de cassis. Velvety texture, perfect balance and long finish. Cab Franc really comes through in this wine. Beautiful.
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Deep purple color and rich aromic smells. Very smooth and tasteful even at this age. A great smooth tasting wine. Bought a case and would buy a few more at the $60 level.
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Wonderful cherry nose. Smooth, soft with dark red fruits and slight oak in background. Long finish. Popped and poured but got even better with a little time.
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Wonderful nose. Took a bit of a decant to open up. beuatiful balance the finishes long and strong. Red and purple berry fruit hint of tobacco. Vanilla, cinemon and a touch of anise. Terrific integration. Wished we hadn't drunk it so quickly as it was still changing in glass for the better.
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Just a great wine!!! Good nose. Good smell. Good taste. I poured through aerator and it didn't need decanting. Bought a case at $65 each-wish I had bought 5!!!
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An impressive wine that moved from a score of A- (night 1) to a solid A (night 2), as it shed some of its open-knit appeal from the first night and replaced it with a very restrained, elegant style on night 2. The wine showed in the sweet-spot of full-bodied on night one (restraint, focus, a touch of ripeness), but moved a notch backward on night two, toward medium-bodied, enhancing the elegance. Great purity of fruit, with a lovely textural component highlighted by the soft fruit and sweet fine-grained tannins. I'm not in the habit of spending $80 on Cali juice anymore, but this would be a very good candidate if I was. One of the more elegant Napa reds I can recall having in some time, especially at this price-point. Recommended, drink thru 2018, score: A
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This is great stuff. Decanted. The first hour was tight and almost tasted like an off bottle. A little acidic/vinegar. After two hours the rough edges smooth out into a beautifully balanced wine. Still very young, but drinking well after two hours in the decanter. The nose is full and complex, typical napa cab. The only "Bordeaux" part about this wine is the balance. Great nose, great fruit and acidity through the palate and wonderful finish. I've been waiting a year to try one of these and it did not disappoint. Great with local right ribeye steaks! Hour three was good, but hour four was unbelievable! This stuff needs a few years. I'm glad I tasted it now so I can go out and buy more.
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Super wine - integrated cab / bordeaux blend with fantastic integration, restrained intensity, and overall deliciousness. Not overly fruity, and perfect balance. Love this wine.
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Dense red to purple color and then fading to dark brown orange at the rim. Fruit aromas of a very young wine though still quite pervasive. There is not much finesse or balance to this wine. It is big bold fruit that channels its way down the throat. Lots of dark berry fruit. Almost Ridge Zinfandel in character. Grounded by tannins rather than terroir. A well made wine but definitely muscle car city in my view.
I am actually quite confused by the other tasting notes. In my view, there is nothing Bordeaux about this wine unless the benchmark is highly rated Parker wines. Its more Argentine Malbec than Right Bank Cabernet Franc. I would prefer to drink more classically made wines that typify the small village wines of France or Italy. Wines with the fruit in check and grounded by earthy terroir. As a reference point, review the other tasting notes which all suggest a massive fruit bomb. In other words, drink enough Coca Cola and the corn syrup sweetness fades.
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Tasted at the winery. Violet, leather, cigar box, cassis, and blueberry aromas. Black tea, blackberry, cassis, leather, and violets on the palate. Big firm tannins and a long rich finish. Excellent.
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nose - huge complex nose. Cranberry, cherry, rose petal, fruit punch, cocoa, coconut, and even a hint of greens. A wow nose. After a few hours the cocoa and coconut (barrels aromas) began to predominate mouth - complex mouth. Far from a fruitbomb. Superb balance of fruit, tannins, sweet, and acid. I find myself prolongedly smaking the jowls after the wine has gone down then hatch to see what all i can pick up on the finish. On the attack red fruit and oh so juicy sweet red fruit meets cocoa that has been put in its place. This wine has considerable oak, but no one is going to boss the fruit around. Long tannic finish. One of the better california cabs I have had. Considerable amount of sediment for an '07.
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This wine is Napa meets Bordeaux. The Cab Franc really comes through on the nose. Layers of black and blue fruits with tobacco and herbs on the palate. Incredibly smooth with a long, semi-sweet finish.
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After 2 hour decant, drank like a mix between a good, 10-year-old napa cab and a young, right bank grand cru. Wet tobacco, ripe blue fruit, fresh-ground cinnamon.
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The Cab Franc really comes through with a nice autumn leaf aroma to complemenet the Cabernet fruit. Lighter and more Bordeaux-like than your typical Napa Cab, but the acid spine in this lends itself well to food.
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The nose is a little tight but the palate is smooth, thick and ripe. No alcohol, very well balanced with ripe currants, dark cherries, cinnamon, and a back end hint of camphor. Long, sweet finish that feels like its got a lot more to give but is delicious now.
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Great cab, drank it young....but nothing survives our cellar more than 2days lol...the store we go to was hiding this in the back for good customers because it's $75 and a parker 98 points...I like the conn valley wines, very strong tastes
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Wow is a good description, though my thoughts are not at all like the previous notes. This is not huge, nor typical of a 2007 napa cab in any way. The cab franc (though 'only' 25%) dominates, but does so in a good way. Rather than a huge vanilla, dark fruit and oak monster, you get a balanced, albeit young wine with lots of cab franc character (if you do not like herbs and perhaps some veggies, stay away), giving this wine a personality not typical of Napa 2007. While the fruit is good, I just keep coming back to the herbs and earthiness; my only concern is if 10-15 years from now that same earth and herbs overwhelm the fruit. Much tannins now as you would expect; I would guess the sweet spot for this is 5-10 years from now. Kudos for Todd Anderson for producing something great, but also unique.
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Decanted about 1 hour and consumed over 4. This wine really evolved over the course of the evening..quality and elegance with subtle fragrant layers of black currants, hints of blue fruit with an earthy component- impeccable balance and a remarkable textured finish. What a great, straightforward classic Bordeaux blend..Drink AND Hold!...last sip was the best. 96+
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Wow, this drinks beautifully for such a young wine. A vertical spike of delicious bright, pure red fruit really jumps out at first, quickly joined by a mouthcoating horizontal wash of black & blue fruit, chocolate and spice. Very fruit forward without being OTT. Sweet tannins are well integrated. Full bodied, well delineated, and quite fresh, the flavors kept coming in waves. Very long, persistant finish that lasted for minutes. Paired perfectly with braised lamb shanks. Best red I've had recently and a candidate for wine of the year thus far!
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This was drinking beautifully! A more concentrated wine than the 2006 with very silky tannins. The wine had big black fruits with licorice and a touch of earth, then ended with a nice complex finish that had to last 45+ seconds.
California Wine Tour; 8/27/2009-8/30/2009 (Sonoma/Spring Mtn/Napa/Santa Cruz): Taken from the barrel for 18 months, I have little experience with barrel tasting but this is damn good. A nose of Cassis, oaky at this stage, hopefully will subdue overtime. VERY LONG FINISH, but well hidden tannins. Reminds me very much of the Nicolas Catena Zapata 2004. Very Raspberry like, but not over extracted. Getting Creamier with exposure to air.
I am looking forward to its release. 96++
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2/11/2024 - StainedGlass wrote: 94 Points
Rich black and red fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant. Layered and quite good with all the tertiary characteristics of earth, leather and mushrooms emerging well made. 14.8% abv. Drink now -2027.
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12/25/2023 - MBurka Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking wonderfully now. Still a dark purple core, turning into a lighter magenta towards the rim. On the nose there’s sweet cassis, earth, and a touch of menthol. It’s lively on the palate, showing blackberry jam, some slight raspberry notes, with plenty more earth and some spice. The tannins are noticeable but definitely fading, with a long finish and well balanced acidity. Upon opening, there more alcohol than anticipated, which suggests this has plenty more life to it, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give it some air before enjoying.
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10/19/2023 - spendergast Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine continues to evolve nicely since my last tasting a few years ago. Notes of black raspberry, cassis, cherry with hint of forest floor and crushed pepper. Overall, very well balanced with well integrated tannins and long finish.
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8/30/2023 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 94 Points
First of 3, brought to E&K's for dinner. This was drinking really nicely. Good mix of red and black fruit, and some nice herbal notes. Still has some tannic grip but is drinking well now. That said, I see no hurry on these and think they will be good for another 4-5 years easily. Good stuff.
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8/5/2023 - Arcturus wrote: 94 Points
Pnp. Burst of black raspberry on the palate. Smooth and layered. Plenty of life remaining. 94
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3/24/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted one hour. Full bodied, rich, a little over the top but has mellowed a bit over time. Black currant, cigar box and tar. Long finish. Early maturity but can drink over the next five to ten years.
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10/2/2022 - merlot78 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Again another broken cork, but this time the wine was still stable. A beautiful wine. The tannins are slowly getting softer.
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2/12/2022 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just perfectly harmonized right now. Decanted for 1 hour.
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1/31/2022 - merlot78 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another broken cork. This is the second time in a row. Fortunately no pieces of cork fell into the wine. This bottle was fantastic. Lots of fruit on the nose and on the palate.
The tannins were there but soft and the finish long and beautiful.
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12/30/2021 - pdadams66 wrote: flawed
Unfortunately strong coarse wood note.
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12/13/2021 - rsbeck wrote:
Cork crumbled and had to be removed with a Durand. This was very drinkable, but not quite as impressive as a bottle I drank a year ago. I'm chalking it up to bottle variation due to the cork.
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10/30/2021 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep dark center, some signs of age on the rim.
Sweet, ripe plums and cherry jam, a little roasted.
Smooth and ripe (glycerine), mature black fruits, more plums than cassis, good acidity and tannin still, alcohol in noticeable, a little hot, good finish.
Very drinkable, a little over-extracted, hot and too much alcohol (14.8%) for my tastes, but I can see the appeal for others. Drinks well now, not sure the high alcohol will do well with further age.
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10/2/2021 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gave this a quick 30 minutes decant. Aromas of dried cherry, leather, currant, dusty berry and blackberry. Lot of fruit on the nose still. Flavors of blackberry, currant, sour cherry, touch of iron and touch of balsamic. Ends with a dried cherry and blackberry finish of 35-40 seconds. This is showing no signs of fading and aging quite nicely.
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9/28/2021 - merlot78 wrote: 75 Points
The cork broke into small pieces as I opened it. Barely drinkable even after decanting for an hour.
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9/17/2021 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Full on black currant, black cherry, mocha, licorice and toast. Full bodied, a bit jammy, modern style with noticeable oak. Today I am not loving this but I do feel this may get better integrated with time. It still has a long way to go
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7/4/2021 - DrZett wrote: 95 Points
Alluring nose with a beautiful mixture of ripe red berry notes and great tertiary notes like wet forest floor, fresh mushrooms and dry leather. Very elegant and super balanced on the palate with ripe red fruit notes and a fine acidity in the background. Medium + bodied. Tannins are round and fully integrated. Great complexity and depth. Very long and savory finish - excellent.
This is in an amazing spot right now. Drink within the next few years. (IG)
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6/2/2021 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
3rd of 5 bottles. last tasted 2.5 yrs ago.
Regal and elegant, this 14 yr old Napa Bordeaux blend is really first class, and drinking beautifully.
Cassis, pencil lead, wet soil, bell pepper, menthol and licorice. Just goes on and on, lovely complexity, full in body, perfect acidity.
Drink through 2027+.
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5/26/2021 - mclanew wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I remember. There is a lot of concentration with flavors of black and blue fruits, tobacco weed, and spice. It’s a big wine which is still drinking quite youthful but it feels a little hot at this stage. Whether time will cure that is hard to tell. Perhaps this would have been better with some decanting.
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4/23/2021 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely well integrated at this point, did not require much decanting. Medium red-brown color on the rim at first pour. Medium nose intensity matched on the palate tells me the community drinking window may be a tad long.
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3/13/2021 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Screened into a decanter and poured from decanter over time. Screening or filtering is highly recommended with this wine as there was significant sediment clumped on the sides and bottom of the bottle and caught by the screen. The wine has a beguiling nose with highlights of mint, cherry sauce, and tobacco. The mouthfeel is smooth and medium weight with a mix of red and black fruits and a touch of forest. The medium-length finish ties everything up nicely. Overall, this is a poised and very enjoyable wine. It’s in great shape and probably at or near peak. This has been a terrific wine to enjoy over the past decade or so. 92 points.
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2/6/2021 - ephorn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky nose with some oak. Ripe palate is a touch hot, don’t recall this from previous bottle (years ago tho). Very good acidity. Still a very solid tasty wine that is aging well.
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1/25/2021 - Ranjan wrote: 94 Points
Graphite, smooth silky tannins
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1/23/2021 - unionst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark magenta color; translucent and polished. Very slight bricking (rose petal) on the watery edge.
Raspberries, orange zest, plum, leather, some dark minerals (dusty neck wafers) and a hint of "thin mints" on the nose.
Pomegranate and italian cherries are the dominate flavors with the orange rind arriving on the mid-plate and through the finish. Some astringency on the with a little tree root characteristic. Very fine soft tannins (cashmere versus silk).
Dinking window is now. Very pleasing wine - would have guessed italian 99 times out of 100.
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1/17/2021 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a solid red wine with tongue-staining concentration. There is some medium sediment toward the end of the bottle, so decanting wouldn’t hurt. On the nose, I get mint, blueberry, huckleberry, and some coffee grounds. In the mouth, the wine is smooth, lush, and layered – it generally brings a full sensation throughout. The finish is long, juicy, and marked by chocolate and mint (again). Overall, this is a forward and expressive wine. It seems at peak now, so I would drink up during the next 4-5 years. 92 points.
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12/24/2020 - stoneb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 90 minutes before dinner. Excellent good Bdx blend from and excellent producer. Dark and blue fruit with spice and cedar notes on nose. Much the same on palate along with some lifting minerality. Balanced acidity and a bit of tannic bite to keep the wine fresh. Long finish. Continued to improve over the course of a long evening. Considerably better than 2005 served alongside it. Drink or hold.
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10/27/2020 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next 90. Complex, well balanced, great finish, tasted to me like a throwback to classic California Cab from the eighties (86 & 87) and early nineties. I think there may be some upside with further cellaring, but no need to wait. It's drinking really well right now. 94+
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8/22/2020 - jonphillips Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle ... thought this was really nice; opened up after about an hour. No opinion on how long it will go, but drinking well now.
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8/8/2020 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Wow, my first bottle of this and is it beautiful. Dark and red fruit, graphite, spice and mineral flavors. Smooth and well balanced. Really in a good place with a decant, but no need to rush.
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7/14/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Aerated to decanter 2 hours, served non-blind. Shows a combination of secondary/tertiary, with a med+/full body, good+ elegance, and gentle layers of red/black fruits. For my palate, it's in a great spot now, and the next 4-5 years before any real decline. NR
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6/7/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted along side the 2008 vintage. Bottles in my cellar since release. Both wines are indistinguishable from each other visually. Translucent, medium to dark garnet with no bricking.The nose of both are very similar but the 2007 has a distinctly floral aroma along with cedar, tobacco, vanilla and decidedly red fruited, cherries, red currents and pomegranate. Finish is moderately long. The mouth feel is very soft and smooth with little noticeable tannin. Easy to drink alone but in need of acidity in my mind, so it is better paired with some spicy food or something with acidity to raise the brightness of flavor in the wine. Both wines are good but not great in my mind. Perfectly pleasant but lacking some distinction and due to the lack of structure should probably be consumed over the next few years.
P.S. 3 nights later had the half bottle of wine left and just corked up on the counter since...Pleasant enough with a rich texture and ripe fruit but as before the lack of acidity makes it rather short on the finish and just a touch flabby. Fortunately I had it with some meatballs, red sauce and some spinach tortellini which added a bit of acid to the pairing.
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6/2/2020 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still holding up well. A touch hot, with very slight woodiness. Good now, but also in 5 years.
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4/16/2020 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 95 Points
I've waited over 10 years to drink this bottle and it was well worth the wait. This wine is very well balanced and it still has some tannins on the finish, suggesting 5-10 more years of peak drinking, IMHO. My other impression of this wine is that it tastes more like a true Bordeaux wine than any other California wine I've had. The winemaking style is obviously restrained and therefore reveals subtle tasting delights the longer it's allowed to breathe. So enjoyable!
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3/15/2020 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 96 Points
My last bottle! This is firing on all cylinders. Gorgeous CA meritage at its best. Blueberry and cherry on the nose with vanilla and leather notes. Plush soft mouth feel with a long finish. The best wine from this winery I have ever had to date. You might be able to wait...but why?
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3/14/2020 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep dark center, red rim with some age.
Sweet smooth and a little spicy, stewed plums and graphite, tobacco.
Smooth and sweet, briar, some pyrazine, integrated oak, alcohol is present, modest tannin and acid at this point
Drinking well now.
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2/23/2020 - Sugarb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect right now, no decanting required. I seriously question the community tasting window time frame of 2029, however - I give my remaining bottles another year before heading into decline.
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2/8/2020 - The Wine Write Likes this wine:
Solid Bordeaux blend. Delicious fruit, silky texture. Plenty of life.
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12/21/2019 - Mr T wrote:
I didn't get much...folks really liked it
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10/27/2019 - bonedoc wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/30/2019 - amiller68003@gmail.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted and rested open for two hours. Then drank over two hours. Acid / fruit balance shifted nicely in favor of fruit with time. A much better experience than our first bottle which was simply decanted and poured in a restaurant & heat was still dominant after two hours.
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9/25/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
30 minute slow ox out of a magnum This is really delicious. The nose is pretty red fruit and flowers. The palate show ripe red and black fruit, tobacco and lead. The wine is delicious and a little hedonistic but reasonably well balanced. Not sure this will develop much complexity but it delivers a lot of pleasure today. It can hold another 5-10 years.
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6/8/2019 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine:
This was really drinking nicely last night. Great red and black fruits with integrated oak that’s a bit of milk chocolate in there with some light baking spices. The tannins are very soft as is the acidity but it all works to make a nice Bordeaux blend CA style.
Not a 98, but probably 93-94 today.
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5/5/2019 - Reblin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful depth and body, no sharp edges, lovely red fruit with leather notes
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4/14/2019 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Screened into decanter and then drank from decanter over several hours. Decanting was a good idea as there is some chunky sediment clustered in the bottom of the bottle. This is a medium red wine with a nose of light red fruits, dark plum, mint, stone, and some fresh coffee. In the mouth, this is juicy and smooth, with a touch of sweetness, all leaving a long and sensual finish. Overall, this is nicely balanced and nicely presented. It is showing well now and should stay in a nice spot for several years. I am happy to have more bottles. Drink or hold – can’t go wrong. 93 points.
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1/15/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
Not sure what to say here... good overall, but something was out of balance btw the acid and tannins. Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Better w food. 91?
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12/29/2018 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 94 Points
This opens up nicely after a short decant delivering a delicate bouquet of berries, cherries, and a hint of vanilla. Very enticing nose to say the least. It drinks like a well rested left bank Bordeaux and does not disappoint.
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12/27/2018 - D3S Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Sour with heat and no finish. This wine is not aging well or was flawed.
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10/2/2018 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
Delicious Napa Cabernet.
No formal TN, but a beautiful Cab with a long and velvety finish.
Drink now through 2026+.
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6/4/2018 - hawkeye54 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted. Plush fruity nose on opening. Out of balance initially. Too much fruit and short finish. This did improve over the evening, but not to the point where it was great. Hopefully this bottling will improve eventually, but I'm not holding out hope. This was so much better in it's youth.
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4/22/2018 - MLwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well-balanced and fully integrated at this point. Drinking very well. Solid fruit with some secondary flavors. No hard edges. More interesting than I anticipated. Will be interested to see how this drinks in a couple of years, but happy I opened one now. Definitely not too early.
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4/13/2018 - soyhead wrote:
I held onto this last bottle for quite some while - still drinking very fresh, and lively, with gorgeous fruit, quite new world but in a juicy fresh sort of way. perfect stand alone sipper. drink now but will last several years still
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4/11/2018 - ledwards wrote: 90 Points
Not a strong showing for an otherwise consistently excellent bottling. Stewed fruit that was a touch too ripe with extra heat. With time it did improve but lacking the velvet textures of previous bottles.
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4/9/2018 - Redguy wrote:
Extremely ripe. Bordering on hedonistic. The impression of sweetness was off-putting but there was just enough tannic structure to allow this to work with a steak.
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3/10/2018 - tummala wrote: 95 Points
Amazing wine. Awesome bouquet.After 4 hours decant there is absolute perfection. Smooth but has heat. Tannins are there but on the sweeter side.
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2/23/2018 - Wine Fool Likes this wine: 94 Points
(Decanted and drank over three hours.) Nearly four years ago I thought this wine was coming along nicely but it has not really budged much since then. If anything, it has closed down a bit and gotten a tad sullen. The color is still quite dark and the nose remains expressive with blackberry, plum, sage, coffee and mellow oak notes. In the mouth there is gorgeous black and red fruit infused with spring herbs, mocha and vanilla bean. There is also a racy acidity providing verve and interest. However, the wine’s flavors and energy are nearly hidden beneath a bushel of still unresolved tannins. Luckily these tannins are sweet and soften nicely after a very long airing. This Éloge has so much potential but patience is required for it to balance. It should be a marvel in four to six years. 94+++ points.
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2/18/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Tampa Spring Break III; 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Tampa FL): 8/17 wines tasted double blind. This one was another confusing one for me. There was a lot more acidity on this wine then the prior bottles in the line up - so it made me think possibly old world and maybe either Italian (although the fruit profile was different) or possibly Loire Cab Franc. Fruit was dark and there were also some more green notes. I would have liked to have spent more time with this one to try and figure it out.
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2/18/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Tampa Spring Break (the third); 2/16/2018-2/18/2018 (Various Tampa locations (Seasons 52, Capital Grille, Berns etc.)): Wine #8: Interesting - very different experience with this wine than the last time. Mostly I get cough syrup (like the cherry one). Some menthol and medicinal notes. A touch of cleanness and then sandstone. I would have thought Italian.
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12/27/2017 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Tasted non-blind. Poured into decanter and tasted immediately. Dark black / red color - looked pretty young. On nose, tobacco, herbal (green pepper but not overbearing), black cherry & blackberry. On palate, great fruit and fruit was brighter than nose with similar flavor profile (no green pepper on palate). Very balanced and this has aged well. medium body, medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins that are well integrated but noticeable on the long finish. 93+
Thanks Doc G. for bringing to the tasting in Chapel Hill, NC.
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12/16/2017 - EMTAME wrote: 92 Points
Still fairly young. I’d recommend a couple hours of decanting or, even better, another 3 years in the cellar.
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11/24/2017 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 93 Points
in terrific shape and went so well with turkey yesterday
elegance and remains youthful
simply delicious at 10 yrs old
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11/23/2017 - rdp1529 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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11/7/2017 - hughe wrote: 93 Points
very nice right out of the bottle poured through vinerator
restrained and more bordeaux like but still very new world;
great with steak
after some time, it seemed to get tighter
saving a bit for tomorrow to see what happens
wish I had a lot more of this
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10/29/2017 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour to blow off some earthy funk. Cherry chapstick, leather, damp soil, milk chocolate, and cedar. Structured but ready to drink with acid and tannins resolved. Nonetheless the fruit is still fresh with at least 5-10 years before peaking.
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10/19/2017 - ledwards wrote: 95 Points
Best showing yet.
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10/16/2017 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
An excellent Bordeaux blend - concentrated fruit with notes of cherry, cassis, cedar, earth with nicely integrated tannins and long finish.
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9/23/2017 - csimm wrote: 88 Points
Get-Together with Friends (Santa Rosa): From a vertical of 2006-2011 Conn Valley Eloge. The 2006 and 2007 were my favorites in the lineup. A decent amount of cedar and thin red and black currant dominated throughout the attack. This 2007 had a little more body to it than the 2006. Drink now. 87-88 points.
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9/2/2017 - sdezutti wrote: 94 Points
Nose of cassis and leafy earth. Medium bodied, low acidity, low tannin. Elegant, if not particularly exciting.
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8/30/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours w grilled steak. What a pleasant surprise, I haven't had a CVV wine that I liked in a while - to my palate they lack concentration of fruit, depth of flavor, and character. A bit more concentration to warrant a higher rating, but this had just enough. Silky tannins and some perfumey aromatics. Drink or hold 5 years.
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8/29/2017 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich black fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant but not jammy. Layered and quite good; more full bodied, more dark versus fed fruits but less elegant than other Eloge vintages. Pop and pour, but would have benefited from 1-3 hour decant. 14.8% abv.
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8/21/2017 - The Wine Write Likes this wine: 92 Points
PNP, paired with steaks. Really solid Bordeaux blend. Blue and black fruit, good structure.
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7/20/2017 - pepmi wrote: 90 Points
The practice of French parents serving their children wine cut with water is commonly accepted. Why not take the same approach to premium wines that are a bit over the top alcohol wise? My preferences has shifted dramatically in the last 10 years, as I gravitate towards classical wines, often European and lower in alcohol. So, what do you do with the higher alcohol, new world wines in your cellar?
Tonight I "cut" this 14.8% alcohol Eloge with 100 ml of filtered water. The result was a wine that sacrificed nothing on the nose, palette or finish. A bit more voluptuous, round and easy to drink -- with not the slightest hint of heat at its reduced ~12.5% alcohol level. I'd easily rate this wine a 90 plus in its adulterated state.
Napa insiders know that winemakers add water, oak chips and even sugar during the fermentation and aging process. So why not add a bit of water yourself to a high alcohol wine -- especially if these bottles are sitting in your cellar collecting dust and going to waste. Why risk a foggy head tonight or an aching one tomorrow morning?
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7/15/2017 - Reblin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aging beautifully. Gorgeous, bold nose. Well-balanced fruit and acid. No harshness. Long finish. Continues to benefit from decanting.
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6/18/2017 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Aromas of cherry, cedar, blackberry, currant and leather. Flavors of cherry compote, blackberry, currant, iron and tobacco. Ends with a 45 second finish with the blackberry and tobacco theme. Better than the last time I had it. Aging quite nicely.
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5/30/2017 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 92 Points
P n p. After the CdP, the Napa cqb was big and still felt young. Classic Napa profile. No surprises. In a good place, with time to cont evolving nicely.
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4/30/2017 - THaas wrote: 95 Points
Drinking pretty perfectly right now; cork broke on removal, but the wine was fine. A little bricking on the rim, but dark red in the center. Core of cherry/raspberry in the nose, a touch of earth and spice. Nicely balanced in the mouth, cherry/cassis and plum overlaying French oak. Really enjoyable.
Did not throw any sediment, despite it's age, which surprised me.
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3/25/2017 - Mr T wrote:
PNP
some maturity but never really got going
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3/16/2017 - 560 B&W wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Drinking fine now but will get better. Handles its alcohol well. 14.8%
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2/4/2017 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q1 - 2017 Tasting - Starts with the Letter.... (notes from another taster) (New York, NY): #5 of 17 wines tasted double blind. A bit of browning in the color with an earthy nose. On the palate this seemed quite mature with more earthy flavors of forest floor and loam dominating. It was nice, but not as much of a stand out for me today. This was high middle of the pack for the group with 6 pennies voted.
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2/4/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Q1 2017 Tasting - Starts with the Letter (The Apt): Wine #5: Very new world and fruity and just fun. Mostly red fruits. Leather. Enjoyable. (6 pennies)
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12/25/2016 - Reblin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth, balanced fruit. Opened up after an hour. An elegant wine
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12/12/2016 - ledwards wrote: 94 Points
Maturing nicely. Fruit layering into a a silky mouth feel. Both dark and red fruit, some graphite and cola. This bottle was less fruit forward than past ones- very encouraging.
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11/12/2016 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this in PHL at Will BYO with Wineberserker Ted E and wives. Very smooth and elegant from pnp through 120 minutes. No other notes. Very good, but not great. If I had another bottle, I'd drink this sooner rather than later.
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8/20/2016 - ephorn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous rich nose, ripe balanced palate with very good length. I didn't notice heat or oak.
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8/13/2016 - Trolson wrote: 94 Points
Rich and brooding and ready to drink now.
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7/16/2016 - bugdoced wrote: flawed
corked
ugh!!!
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6/28/2016 - callmeacab22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great California Cab. Needed decanting/filtering, but is drinking well. Good depth and lingering flavors.
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5/29/2016 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hours and this was ready to go. I got a ripe candied red fruited nose along with cedar, herb and mushroom notes that lead way to a full bodied black cherry and tobacco driven palate that is silky smooth and lasts on the long finish.
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5/21/2016 - ekirby wrote: 88 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of blackberry and black currant. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of oak, smokey and mushroom with a light/medium body. Narrow texture with a short finish - Woody, earthy, limited complexity, black fruits, proper acid balance is best thing going for this wine.
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5/4/2016 - seifer187 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very solid but it needed more air in my opinion. We let it air for 4 hours but I think 8 would have done it more justice. Towards the meals end it was very decadent.
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1/25/2016 - hawkeye54 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Best after an hour. Fell off after two hours. Hopefully just a little bottle variation, but this did not show as well as the last time I tried.
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12/31/2015 - mdkraft99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
An excellent wine! Opened for about 2 hrs before serving with filet and black trumpet mushroom sauce. Notes consistent with other tasting notes here - nose: plum, fig, blueberry, a little oak, leather, herb and eucalyptus; taste: consistent with the nose, nice tannins and acidity, med-long finish. Just excellent, I want to keep drinking it!
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10/9/2015 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
Super tasty, did not take down an organized TN, but the wine was drinking beautifully, showing well integrated tannins and good med acidity. There is a gritty earthiness behind the cassis and deep plum flavors. The wine will likely continue to improve another few years, and drink well through 2025+.
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9/29/2015 - spendergast Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 40 minutes. Deep red with notes of raspberry, cedar. Good balance with long finish.
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9/10/2015 - RDHudak wrote: 93 Points
HOS nailed it below. Very nice and surprisingly restrained for the vintage. Very nice.
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9/8/2015 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Ditto my last note.
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8/24/2015 - HOS Likes this wine: 96 Points
We opened this after almost killing the 2007 Right Bank 3L. Popped and poured cool from the wine refrigerator. Just started wowwing immediately. Herbs, earth, leather, dark chocolate. Full bodied, long finish. Silky smooth. I saw my prior note after we drank this bottle and the wine seems to have really hit its stride over the last 6 months. This is why we cellar wine.
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8/4/2015 - wagonwine wrote:
4.5 Wow. Coming from Napa, the land of excess and high-octane Cabernet, this Bordeaux blend maintains European-like restraint and gentle herbal corners. Layer upon layer unfolds with each sip. Tannins have softened delightfully. A well tuned 8 part choral arrangement--complex and harmonious. Stellar.
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6/12/2015 - carlsport Likes this wine: 92 Points
Could have used a proper decant (poured a glass at restaurant and let it all sit for 45 minutes) as it was a bit disjointed early. But it came around and showed strong fruit and a stronger finish. Well balanced and typical Eloge smoothness. Went quite well with Short Ribs.
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5/9/2015 - Frabjous Likes this wine:
Had with Tim and Martha and Carl and Charlene at Evo Bistro in McLean - a Champney reunion!
Very tasty; enjoyed by all. Will improve with more time in the cellar, glad we have more.
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3/19/2015 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2+ hours and needed all of it. Love the impact the cab franc has on the deep and rich mid palate leading into a long finish.
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3/14/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 95 Points
my last bottle. Delicious.
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1/27/2015 - HOS Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted and began drinking. Black cherry, herbs, savory. Decent finish with a little acidic streak. Just too young. If drinking now I suggest 2 hour decant at least.
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12/23/2014 - Rayburn Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in such a good place right now. Little funky out the gate and decanted for an hour. Great red fruit on the nose with a dab of green pepper. The palate had red cherry, bell pepper and touch of currant and some tertiary flavors of earth. The finish is moderate. This is a damn fine bottle of wine that we enjoyed with a beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner.
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12/6/2014 - Arcturus wrote: 95 Points
95+. Great showing. 2hr decant. Iron, currants, forest floor, herbs on the nose. Palate is big but balanced and explodes with layers of dark and red fruit supported by a strong tannic foundation. The finish is long, layered and thought provoking.
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11/22/2014 - fine137 wrote: 93 Points
This took quite a while to come around from magnum, 4 hour double decant and it was singing. A bit austere at first, but classic cab came on big with air. Very food friendly, will age a very long time. Good stuff.
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11/7/2014 - unionst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark cherry color.
Berries, leather, orange zest, mint chocolate on the nose.
Raspberries, earth, on the palate with muddled cocktail fruit on the finish. Long finish with lots of layers. The tannins are round but mouth coating. Obviously still very young and, while very good now, will be better in a few years.
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10/30/2014 - Redguy wrote:
Decanted 3 hours. Intense and powerful on the nose and palate and quite surly. Lacks charm presently. Lots of great material but to my palate this needs quite a few years to unlock the pleasure palace. Try again 2019+
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10/17/2014 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Good, but def not a 98. Conn valley wines lack concentration of fruit to warrant 95 pt scores.... In my opinion.
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10/11/2014 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Coravin taste. Beautiful nose, with red fruit (a touch candied), and forest floor and tobacco. On the palate, great red fruit, a pronounced tobacco/herbal/vegetal streak, and great acidity. Overall, a lot in common with the 07 ACVV Reserve Cab, but more green characteristics and the tannins are more robust. I think this one is slightly behind the Reserve Cab in development, but is a bit more complex and will eventually nudge it out. Really lovely. But I think I will leave it alone for at least another year or two.
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6/30/2014 - kantmakem wrote: 91 Points
Consumed at graduation dinner at Tanta, Chicago. Probably too big for the menu which had a lot of fish, chicken, and pork. Tannins are well-integrated and the wine is overall pretty mellow.
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4/11/2014 - Wine Fool Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine continues to impress. Fine dark color. The nose is a combination of ripe fruit, cedar shavings and earthy elements such as mushrooms, loam and barley miso. The flavors of dark and red berries, herbs and chocolate are sustained through the long finish. Very deep and beautifully poised in the mouth. It is classy and perfectly balanced. The unresolved yet fine tannins suggest that this outstanding wine is still coming into its own. 96+ points.
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3/3/2014 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
I should have decanted this. It was still very tight and tannic. Some reluctant black fruit on the nose, and lots of cassis.
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2/2/2014 - KPB wrote: 91 Points
I liked this wine more than the rest of the group at tonight's dinner/tasting. A bit of tobacco here, and a lovely balance of red fruit and oak. But many found it a bit simple and despite the elegant presentation, few had it in their top wines.
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1/1/2014 - pdemaio wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful and still fresh. Still a bigger wine, but not for Napa. Very smooth and integrated. Nice round tannins. Light but clear, high quality oak. Excellent balance, and solid structure.
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12/14/2013 - AtoZ wrote: 86 Points
Just did not love it. Weird vermouth note I dis not like.
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12/3/2013 - AngryPrez Likes this wine: 93 Points
way way too early but you can tell this is going to be a winner in a few years - fruit forward right now, but with an hour in the glass it really starts to open up - wait another year or two on the next one.
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11/30/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was my favorite wine last night. It out-shined the excellent '07 Phelps Insignia, primarily because the tannins of the latter require significantly more cellar time. This wine is open and ready for business. Just a lovely, excellent, balanced, complex, fruit-forward, approachable Bordeaux blend from Napa.
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11/15/2013 - Wine Fool Likes this wine: 96 Points
(Decanted for two hours.) The color is impressively dark: purple at the core and black cherry red at the edge. The nose is more muted than the ACV cabernet reserves but is also a bit more complex: ripe black and red fruits, fresh cut herbs, violets, cedar wood, bramble bush, tobacco and rich earth make you want to keep your nose in the glass. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied with flavors of blueberries, mulberries, chocolate and oak. These flavors are rich, deep and round and are enlivened by zesty acidity and soft tannins. The long velvety finish is “lip smacking” gorgeous and very, very fragrant in the mouth. The wine’s complexity certainly leans towards Bordeaux but its overall ripeness and size say California. This luxurious and harmonious wine exhibits perfect balance and is perhaps two to three years from being fully ready to drink. But I’m going to start drinking mine now! 96+ points.
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10/25/2013 - dstraub wrote: 96 Points
Pop and pour at a restaurant - allowed the waiter to taste, who was a somm, and he was floored. Long finish even without the proper decants. A great bottle of wine.
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10/1/2013 - TheWineDon wrote: 93 Points
May have been a partially flawed bottle, with red streaks up the cork. Non-existent nose, but very nice flavors and tannins, particularly on the second day. Have other bottles and will compare
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9/25/2013 - StainedGlass wrote: 93 Points
Rich black fruits (blackberry and plum); full bodied oak and fruit predominant but not jammy. Layered and quite good, but not as elegant (at this stage) as I have found other Eloge vintages. 14.8% abv.
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8/19/2013 - johnbhamrick wrote: 95 Points
Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Deep purple color and rich aromatic smells. Very smooth and tasteful even at this age. A great smooth tasting wine. Bought a case and would buy a few more at the $60 level.
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8/4/2013 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours before consuming. This had a lot of oak on the nose and although I enjoyed it, it didn't quite display the complexity of the previous time I had it. Oak was a little overpowering and kind of masked the fruit to a degree. Still a very nice wine but had high expectations from the previous time.
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6/20/2013 - Mark Brandon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just entering the window... so very good. Bright, rich fruit with enough body to make it opulent. So glad to have one more on the side-lines.
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6/8/2013 - Rarffa wrote: 95 Points
This inky-colored wine is loaded with ripe blackberry and cassis fruit balanced by well integrated tannins with mild earthy tones and a lingering finish.
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5/28/2013 - rsternth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, excellent, excellent. All good things. Great nose, great body, delicious. What more do you need to know? It is a well-rounded tasty Napa wine in the spirit of good fruit, but not overly done.
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5/12/2013 - Wink Likes this wine: 95 Points
Served after Rich's graduation. No formal notes. Incredible, opulent, wonderful Napa Red. Everyone loved it.
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4/21/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 4 hours, served non-blind. Consistent with the bottle of 18 months ago, which is to say, highly enjoyable. In a great place right now, with the last glass showing the best. recommended, thru 2023
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3/29/2013 - pepmi wrote: 90 Points
What amazes me is that the tasting note you are about to read is in complete contrast with two earlier notes of mine. I must be a complete hypocrite or idiot. What I learned this evening is that Eloge is clearly the family favorite among the Conn Valley wines. That is not so revealing. But my notes for this tasting are considerably more favorable than two earlier ones. What gives? Not age infused wisdom on my part. Perhaps age infused bio-chemistry in the bottle. Read on...
The addition of the broader set of Bordeaux varietals seems to tame the raw power of the Anderson Cabernet; I do think the shift in focus from California to Paulliac also helps set a more classic wine making benchmark. As a consequence, the fruit is noticeably more restrained.
This wine has quite the floral nose with hints of violet. There is plenty of spicy, mouth puckering tannin on the finish. I suspect the wine will drink at its best over the next 3-5 years.
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3/1/2013 - Black Pearl Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine was near perfect. Consumed an '04 Bremer Family claret which was excellent, then this wine, which went right up to Top Shelf level. Outstanding balance, aroma, fruit, tannins and long finish. One of the best wines I have had in a while. Probably should rank this in the high 90s, not sure how much better it can get.
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1/27/2013 - guyfred wrote:
simply delicious
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1/21/2013 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 91 Points
quite young and better the second day;will try and hold off opening another one for awhile
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1/5/2013 - pakabear Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Holy oak bomb. I don't understand where this has gone, initially I loved this wine but this bottle was just oak juice and a some dark fruit just barely coming through. The palate was very silky which was nice but I couldn't even finish the bottle, only so much oak I can take.
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1/1/2013 - Champagneinhand wrote:
With Beef Wellington on NYE dinner. Very beautiful red. I decanted this for many hours and the fruit settled down, but was still quite lovely with dark and red fruits present on the nose and palate. Notes of leaf tobacco and finished leather, combine with some underbrush notes and a touch of Earth. I think as far as Napa goes, this is as close as you might get to a really nice Right Bank bordeaux. Having said that I need to compare this directly to ACV Right Bank blend, for more perspective. This was an exceptional wine.
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1/1/2013 - RobertDwyer Likes this wine: 92 Points
65% Cab Sauv, 25% Cab Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot. 14.8% alc. Silky and elegant. Tasted it blind and although my first guess was Napa Cab, I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a full bodied California Grenache or some such thing because I didn't sense it had the density or tannins I'd expect in a Napa Cab. Luscious with high toned fruit. Outstanding, but I think I prefer the flavor profile of the Estate bottling - especially if it's a bit more affordable.
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12/31/2012 - jtinto Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well at this early stage. The tannins are not obtrusive and the fruit is not overbearing. Really well done CA version of a bordeaux blend.
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12/29/2012 - drcoop wrote: 94 Points
Phenomenal. Milk chocolate. Tart red fruit. Good acid. Softened tannins. At least 3-5 years of aging left.
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10/12/2012 - JR512 wrote: 93 Points
Tremendous bottle with a great steak. Lots of fruit. Excellent nose and color. Have two more bottles and looking forward to the next one.
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9/13/2012 - hawkeye54 wrote:
No note. The wife drank wit a friend. Ouch!
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7/15/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Tighter than last time maybe shutting dowsn? Lots of black fruits and chocolate on the nose with similar profile in the palate. All black and brawny with tannins to spare. My other one will sleep.
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7/6/2012 - HenryW wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful delineation and purity of fruit. Nose of graphite and cassis. Slightly sour cherries on the palate. Fresh and lively. Nice lingering finish.
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6/18/2012 - dhammer53 wrote: 93 Points
I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to this. Battle of the 2002/2007 Eloge from Anderson Conn Valley in CA. We drank this at WineDo 5 at North Square in NYC. Drinkers are members of www.flyertalk.com We major in miles and points, and minor in wine.
I thought the 2002 was a little musty. Everyone else felt otherwise, and made that known to me
The 07 Eloge was fuller and richer than the 02. Some heat that wore away. We popped and poured it. The 02 was opened 90 minutes earlier. The 07 dwarfed the 02.
No rush to drink on the '07.
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6/16/2012 - pakabear wrote: 95 Points
Incredibly silky, great fruit and balance. Toward the end there is a lot of oak still, this will get better if that can integrate some.
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5/30/2012 - Johnny C NYC wrote: 91 Points
Big with some depth and a finish with some oomph. Deep black/purple. Not killer complexity, and a little short on this price point, but a solid bottle regardless. 50/5/12/15/9
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5/6/2012 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Notes of cassis, plums, cherry, and hints of lilly and toasty oak. Medium to full bodied, with great concentration, a velvety mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and impressive depth. Good grip and focus on the long finish.
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5/4/2012 - pepmi wrote: 80 Points
I'm still struggling to reconcile my impressions with the tasting notes of others. No disrespect intended but I am missing something. Searching for fruit, all I sense is wood with a halo of ethanol ester. There is a sharp burn on the finish which can't ever possibly be described as classical.
In a not so fair competition, I just opened a 1990 Cos D'Estournel -- picture a petite ballerina in your mouth with velvet slippers sliding down your throat. This is classic Bordeaux at its finest.
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4/25/2012 - BinVA wrote: 93 Points
Thought I pulled the Right Bank bottle and oops, it was the Eloge. Still young but approachable after about an hour +. Got better as the night went on. Bordeaux in style, not big and fruity but also not too earthy. Good bottle.
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4/24/2012 - soyhead wrote: 95 Points
nose - dark cherry, olive, maple or other wood, cocoa
mouth - complex mouth - mixed dark and red fruit with prominent dark cherry, reminiscent of a fruit punch made with proper starting ingredients, flavors of fig and maple, fine and complex mouthcoating tannins, , all framed by sweet but not overbearing oak. An impressive and classy effort. Ideally I would get a case of this and try a bottle a year to see how it evolves.
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4/4/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful, delicious wine. A little young still, but with 2-3 hour decant becomes a deep, layered wine. Floral nose with dark berries, smoke and fresh fruit. Long finish. This did not hold up to the '94 Montelena Estate but would be amazing on its own. (Doris enjoyed)
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3/23/2012 - cliffkol wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. One hour decant and got better as the night wore on. As amazing as the bouquet was and the wonderful dark fruit, cassis and earthy flavors of the wine, the long, lingering finish outdid them all. (Doris - a really really good wine)
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3/4/2012 - Redguy wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hrs and served with prime rib. Highly aromatic nose with lots of red fruits, fresh rose petals, spice cake, mocha, and oak. Really lovely with great depth. Palate seemed a touch more reticent than the nose but still offered ripe and juicy red and black fruits, cocoa, more of the spice cake, and a measured dose of oak. While not massive, this is full bodied with very good concentration, a soft velvety texture yet with good structure, and sweet ripe tannins. Excellent length as well. Power and finesse are both on display. Really an impressive wine that has lost some of the exuberance of its youth but shows great promise for the future. 94+
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2/20/2012 - carlsport wrote: 95 Points
4th Annual OTBN - Amazing wine! Best finish of any wine I've experienced, and all the other parts were good too! Crowd pleaser with it well integrated tannins and smooth mouthfeel.
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2/11/2012 - wdb001 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours. Deep purple color with beautiful nose of dark fruit and creme de cassis. Velvety texture, perfect balance and long finish. Cab Franc really comes through in this wine. Beautiful.
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1/24/2012 - JDB wrote: 94 Points
On pop & Pour... YUM
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1/8/2012 - johnbhamrick wrote: 95 Points
Deep purple color and rich aromic smells. Very smooth and tasteful even at this age. A great smooth tasting wine. Bought a case and would buy a few more at the
$60 level.
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12/25/2011 - drgrape wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful cherry nose. Smooth, soft with dark red fruits and slight oak in background. Long finish. Popped and poured but got even better with a little time.
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10/18/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful nose. Took a bit of a decant to open up. beuatiful balance the finishes long and strong. Red and purple berry fruit hint of tobacco. Vanilla, cinemon and a touch of anise. Terrific integration. Wished we hadn't drunk it so quickly as it was still changing in glass for the better.
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10/16/2011 - johnbhamrick wrote: 95 Points
Just a great wine!!! Good nose. Good smell. Good taste. I poured through aerator and it didn't need decanting. Bought a case at $65 each-wish I had bought 5!!!
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9/25/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
An impressive wine that moved from a score of A- (night 1) to a solid A (night 2), as it shed some of its open-knit appeal from the first night and replaced it with a very restrained, elegant style on night 2. The wine showed in the sweet-spot of full-bodied on night one (restraint, focus, a touch of ripeness), but moved a notch backward on night two, toward medium-bodied, enhancing the elegance. Great purity of fruit, with a lovely textural component highlighted by the soft fruit and sweet fine-grained tannins. I'm not in the habit of spending $80 on Cali juice anymore, but this would be a very good candidate if I was. One of the more elegant Napa reds I can recall having in some time, especially at this price-point. Recommended, drink thru 2018, score: A
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9/19/2011 - hawkeye54 wrote: 97 Points
This is great stuff. Decanted. The first hour was tight and almost tasted like an off bottle. A little acidic/vinegar. After two hours the rough edges smooth out into a beautifully balanced wine. Still very young, but drinking well after two hours in the decanter. The nose is full and complex, typical napa cab. The only "Bordeaux" part about this wine is the balance. Great nose, great fruit and acidity through the palate and wonderful finish. I've been waiting a year to try one of these and it did not disappoint. Great with local right ribeye steaks! Hour three was good, but hour four was unbelievable! This stuff needs a few years. I'm glad I tasted it now so I can go out and buy more.
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9/5/2011 - xtian wrote: 94 Points
Super wine - integrated cab / bordeaux blend with fantastic integration, restrained intensity, and overall deliciousness. Not overly fruity, and perfect balance. Love this wine.
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9/2/2011 - pepmi wrote: 85 Points
Dense red to purple color and then fading to dark brown orange at the rim. Fruit aromas of a very young wine though still quite pervasive. There is not much finesse or balance to this wine. It is big bold fruit that channels its way down the throat. Lots of dark berry fruit. Almost Ridge Zinfandel in character. Grounded by tannins rather than terroir. A well made wine but definitely muscle car city in my view.
I am actually quite confused by the other tasting notes. In my view, there is nothing Bordeaux about this wine unless the benchmark is highly rated Parker wines. Its more Argentine Malbec than Right Bank Cabernet Franc. I would prefer to drink more classically made wines that typify the small village wines of France or Italy. Wines with the fruit in check and grounded by earthy terroir. As a reference point, review the other tasting notes which all suggest a massive fruit bomb. In other words, drink enough Coca Cola and the corn syrup sweetness fades.
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6/20/2011 - xtian wrote: 95 Points
Rich, smooth, elegant - incredible cabernet.
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5/31/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at the winery. Violet, leather, cigar box, cassis, and blueberry aromas. Black tea, blackberry, cassis, leather, and violets on the palate. Big firm tannins and a long rich finish. Excellent.
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5/23/2011 - soyhead wrote: 95 Points
nose - huge complex nose. Cranberry, cherry, rose petal, fruit punch, cocoa, coconut, and even a hint of greens. A wow nose. After a few hours the cocoa and coconut (barrels aromas) began to predominate
mouth - complex mouth. Far from a fruitbomb. Superb balance of fruit, tannins, sweet, and acid. I find myself prolongedly smaking the jowls after the wine has gone down then hatch to see what all i can pick up on the finish. On the attack red fruit and oh so juicy sweet red fruit meets cocoa that has been put in its place. This wine has considerable oak, but no one is going to boss the fruit around. Long tannic finish. One of the better california cabs I have had. Considerable amount of sediment for an '07.
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5/14/2011 - marlons34 wrote: 93 Points
Good nose, very complex and bold taste. Finish was not as smooth as I expected. Too young, needs more time.
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3/8/2011 - wineguy21 wrote: 94 Points
This wine is Napa meets Bordeaux. The Cab Franc really comes through on the nose. Layers of black and blue fruits with tobacco and herbs on the palate. Incredibly smooth with a long, semi-sweet finish.
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2/12/2011 - WineScoundrel wrote: 94 Points
After 2 hour decant, drank like a mix between a good, 10-year-old napa cab and a young, right bank grand cru. Wet tobacco, ripe blue fruit, fresh-ground cinnamon.
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1/30/2011 - Wink wrote: 95 Points
Tasted at the winery. I recorded a score, but the only word in my notebook is, "Wow!"
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1/21/2011 - T-Mac wrote: 93 Points
The Cab Franc really comes through with a nice autumn leaf aroma to complemenet the Cabernet fruit. Lighter and more Bordeaux-like than your typical Napa Cab, but the acid spine in this lends itself well to food.
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1/20/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
The nose is a little tight but the palate is smooth, thick and ripe. No alcohol, very well balanced with ripe currants, dark cherries, cinnamon, and a back end hint of camphor. Long, sweet finish that feels like its got a lot more to give but is delicious now.
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1/12/2011 - Vinomarcus wrote: 89 Points
Wednesday Night Blind - January 2011 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Fairly well integrated wine, a bit acidic though, could be a Sonoma blend, a touch lean on the finish but overall a nice wine.
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1/10/2011 - drycab wrote:
Drank with friends in Rancho Santa Fe-#2 WOTN
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1/8/2011 - Stevehogantoyota wrote: 95 Points
Great cab, drank it young....but nothing survives our cellar more than 2days lol...the store we go to was hiding this in the back for good customers because it's $75 and a parker 98 points...I like the conn valley wines, very strong tastes
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1/8/2011 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Wow is a good description, though my thoughts are not at all like the previous notes. This is not huge, nor typical of a 2007 napa cab in any way. The cab franc (though 'only' 25%) dominates, but does so in a good way. Rather than a huge vanilla, dark fruit and oak monster, you get a balanced, albeit young wine with lots of cab franc character (if you do not like herbs and perhaps some veggies, stay away), giving this wine a personality not typical of Napa 2007. While the fruit is good, I just keep coming back to the herbs and earthiness; my only concern is if 10-15 years from now that same earth and herbs overwhelm the fruit. Much tannins now as you would expect; I would guess the sweet spot for this is 5-10 years from now. Kudos for Todd Anderson for producing something great, but also unique.
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1/2/2011 - Arcturus wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 1 hour and consumed over 4. This wine really evolved over the course of the evening..quality and elegance with subtle fragrant layers of black currants, hints of blue fruit with an earthy component- impeccable balance and a remarkable textured finish. What a great, straightforward classic Bordeaux blend..Drink AND Hold!...last sip was the best. 96+
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11/6/2010 - Redguy wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this drinks beautifully for such a young wine. A vertical spike of delicious bright, pure red fruit really jumps out at first, quickly joined by a mouthcoating horizontal wash of black & blue fruit, chocolate and spice. Very fruit forward without being OTT. Sweet tannins are well integrated. Full bodied, well delineated, and quite fresh, the flavors kept coming in waves. Very long, persistant finish that lasted for minutes. Paired perfectly with braised lamb shanks. Best red I've had recently and a candidate for wine of the year thus far!
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10/20/2010 - ews3 wrote: 94 Points
Zachys Robin Hood 2010 Wine Tasting (La venue, NYC): nicer than the 2006, with great concentration of fruit and a long finish. really nice wine.
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5/19/2010 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was drinking beautifully! A more concentrated wine than the 2006 with very silky tannins. The wine had big black fruits with licorice and a touch of earth, then ended with a nice complex finish that had to last 45+ seconds.
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12/14/2009 - wgb wrote: 93 Points
a big wine; fruit almost jammy; dark long fiinsh; hedonistic and compelling
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8/29/2009 - LelouchViBritannia wrote: 96 Points
California Wine Tour; 8/27/2009-8/30/2009 (Sonoma/Spring Mtn/Napa/Santa Cruz): Taken from the barrel for 18 months, I have little experience with barrel tasting but this is damn good.
A nose of Cassis, oaky at this stage, hopefully will subdue overtime. VERY LONG FINISH, but well hidden tannins. Reminds me very much of the Nicolas Catena Zapata 2004. Very Raspberry like, but not over extracted. Getting Creamier with exposure to air.
I am looking forward to its release. 96++
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