Popped and poured. Drinking great. Extremely smooth and definitely in its prime window. Certainly can lay a while longer but this is soooo good, I wish I had more.
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It has been 5 years since we last tried this. It was good but young then..now it is very good and drinking very well. Decanted about 1 hour. Big red fruit forward with this bottle and not as much Cab as I remembered. This is drinking wonderfully right now and we thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Lots of black pepper and smoke.
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In an excellent spot. Enjoyable as pop and pour but improved significantly with time. Sweet cherry, vanilla bean, cake batter, and cassis. Has many more years to go.
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Wow, did this get better since 3 years ago. My notes showed 87 with no comments; must have been totally closed. Now it is a lovely smooth wine with generous fruit but just enough acid and tannin to keep it in balance; I would suspect it is at peak. Oak is not really in evidence as my wife, who hates Napa Cab oak, liked this wine.
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Inky dark purple with dark brambly berry, cherry nose. Dry tart medium body and fruit followed by chewy tannins. Bright and somewhat fruity without any jamminess. The acid and tannins along with the restrained character give an Old World quality. We had another wineries '06 Sagemoor Vineyard Cab last night which showed the bright red fruit and was very enjoyable. No longer a big Cab fan, but this was good with the acid leading the and balancing the fruit. Starting to get some earthy notes after open a couple of hours. Night two and olive brine for the acid and some rich cassis for the fruit followed by substantial chewy stemmy tannins to round out a very nice cab with the fruit and acid nicely balanced.
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Amazing nose of pure cassis fruit, a touch of vanilla, both following to the palate. Smooth, seriously in the "drink me now" zone, but many years to go.
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Great wine, in a really good place right now, needing just a bit of air to really open up. Good cassis and cherry fruit, nice tannins, really enjoyable paired with pork tenderloin.
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Like many Tamarack wines, this is a very dark and brooding wine in the glass. The wine had a restrained nose, offering muted notes of black currant and plum. On the palate, the tannins are upfront, though more tamed than 2007 Tamaracks are at this point of development. On the palate there is tobacco, black cherry, cedar, and dry tannins that finish with a bit of plum and chalk. There is also a smoky toast and vanilla on the mid palate. Happily this wine did not have the cloying that I often find with some WA wines. Does not possess a complex finish, but does leave behind the chalky mouth-feel.
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Color: Deep plum with a reddish tinge at the edge.
Nose: Pretty tight; not a very expressive nose. Dark and brooding with smoke and gamey meat notes mixed with dark fruit aromas of plum, blackberry, and black raspberry. Also some suede and potpourri / dried flower smells. More charcoal and bacon than I remember from my last bottle, but it still has a strong whiff of alcohol and, with air, a plasticky note.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied and plush.
Palate: Brambly, spicy dark fruit (blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry again) that veers too far toward the overripe/stewed. Also vanilla, baking spice, and gingerbread oak flavors, alongside some Italian herbs. The finish is rather bitter, with overextracted espresso and dark chocolate, heat, and moderate but unripe tannin, as well as that plasticky off-note. Big concentration but little expression. Awkward.
Similar experience as my first bottle a little less than a year ago. I went a few points lower because what I found to be its weaknesses are all still there, but it's lost some of the fullness and purity of fruit that partially covered them up.
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Delicious. Beautiful red fruits, spices, toasted vanilla. Very smooth and creamy. Danny Gordon was pouring this a couple of years ago at Spring Release weekend. It was great to meet Danny.....but even better to drink his wine creation !
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Decanted for 2 hours and returned to bottle to transport. Red fruit, baking spices and vanilla. Very, very smooth and well integrated. Medium to full body and a long finish. Great wine, and especially for this price point.
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As previous notes, decanted for a couple of hours. Big red fruit forward with this bottle and not as much Cab as I remembered. This is drinking wonderfully right now and we thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Lots of black pepper and smoke.
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Color: Deep purplish magenta at the edges, opaque at the center.
Nose: Rich dark fruit aromas of plum and blackberry, with rounded notes of sweet baking spices and vanilla from the oak, plus some eucalyptus and a whiff of smoked meat. A nice enough profile, but simple, dominated by fruit and oak, and a bit distant. With air, you get a little bit of pepperiness from the Merlot and a more pronounced herbal character. Unfortunately, you also get some plastic notes.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and creamy.
Palate: Big strong attack of rich dark fruit and black pepper, then a bit of vanilla and spice, leather, and mocha. The finish is tart with brambly blackberry, nutmeg, and creme, then solid but slightly bitter tannin. The plastic note also creeps in a bit at the end.
A very big, opulent, New World bruiser. Impressive concentration, and some good pure ripe fruit, but it's weak on the nose, and I don't find it to be very complex or expressive on the palate. The faint artificial plasticky note also damages it for me. It tastes expensive, and you can tell considerable money went into this, but I found it fatiguing and lacking in soul. You'll be happier with it if you decant for a few hours and serve it with a big fatty steak.
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Opened early in the afternoon and let decant for about 3-4 hours. Very smooth with the Cab coming to the forefront and the merlot and cab franc evening it out. Dark, intense fruit with a hint of earth and leather. I was surprised how well this went with a massive ribeye. Suberb taste and feel throughout.
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Decanted for a short time, but couldn't wait too long to try a glass. Beautiful dark purple in color. Aroma of creamy cassis and blackberry, spice, herbs and purple flowers like lavender and lilac. Great balance of fruit, sweet tannins, and a salty minerality. The alcohol is completely integrated. Medium to full body with a very long and pleasant finish. This is a great example of a Washington Bordeaux blend, made up of 50% Cabernet, 25% Merlot and 25% Cab Franc. Very well done wine.
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11/8/2018 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delish! Time to go! Drink up! (or hold, but maybe 2 years for ultimate enjoyment - IMHO)
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3/22/2018 - krhaugh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Drinking great. Extremely smooth and definitely in its prime window. Certainly can lay a while longer but this is soooo good, I wish I had more.
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5/4/2017 - krhaugh Likes this wine: 94 Points
It has been 5 years since we last tried this. It was good but young then..now it is very good and drinking very well. Decanted about 1 hour. Big red fruit forward with this bottle and not as much Cab as I remembered. This is drinking wonderfully right now and we thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Lots of black pepper and smoke.
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2/9/2017 - weinmatt Likes this wine: 93 Points
No detailed notes. Brought to Capital Grille and decanted alongside a porcini rubbed ribeye. Smooth as silk; wish I had more.
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6/12/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
In an excellent spot. Enjoyable as pop and pour but improved significantly with time. Sweet cherry, vanilla bean, cake batter, and cassis. Has many more years to go.
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4/16/2016 - ddingley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow, did this get better since 3 years ago. My notes showed 87 with no comments; must have been totally closed. Now it is a lovely smooth wine with generous fruit but just enough acid and tannin to keep it in balance; I would suspect it is at peak. Oak is not really in evidence as my wife, who hates Napa Cab oak, liked this wine.
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3/26/2016 - hoops92 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very tight, almost tasteless until decanting. Opened up into a big Cabernet with round mouthfeel and solid structure.
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3/13/2016 - dsgris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Inky dark purple with dark brambly berry, cherry nose. Dry tart medium body and fruit followed by chewy tannins. Bright and somewhat fruity without any jamminess. The acid and tannins along with the restrained character give an Old World quality. We had another wineries '06 Sagemoor Vineyard Cab last night which showed the bright red fruit and was very enjoyable. No longer a big Cab fan, but this was good with the acid leading the and balancing the fruit. Starting to get some earthy notes after open a couple of hours. Night two and olive brine for the acid and some rich cassis for the fruit followed by substantial chewy stemmy tannins to round out a very nice cab with the fruit and acid nicely balanced.
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10/19/2014 - RPerro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazing nose of pure cassis fruit, a touch of vanilla, both following to the palate. Smooth, seriously in the "drink me now" zone, but many years to go.
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4/19/2014 - RPerro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great wine, in a really good place right now, needing just a bit of air to really open up. Good cassis and cherry fruit, nice tannins, really enjoyable paired with pork tenderloin.
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12/29/2013 - COWineLover wrote: 88 Points
Like many Tamarack wines, this is a very dark and brooding wine in the glass. The wine had a restrained nose, offering muted notes of black currant and plum. On the palate, the tannins are upfront, though more tamed than 2007 Tamaracks are at this point of development. On the palate there is tobacco, black cherry, cedar, and dry tannins that finish with a bit of plum and chalk. There is also a smoky toast and vanilla on the mid palate. Happily this wine did not have the cloying that I often find with some WA wines. Does not possess a complex finish, but does leave behind the chalky mouth-feel.
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10/26/2013 - mhewitt wrote: 87 Points
Great nose but astringent in the mouth.
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9/1/2013 - SeaWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth and ready to drink. Didn't get any of the stewed notes one reviewer cited. 91+
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2/19/2013 - JVG wrote: 84 Points
Color: Deep plum with a reddish tinge at the edge.
Nose: Pretty tight; not a very expressive nose. Dark and brooding with smoke and gamey meat notes mixed with dark fruit aromas of plum, blackberry, and black raspberry. Also some suede and potpourri / dried flower smells. More charcoal and bacon than I remember from my last bottle, but it still has a strong whiff of alcohol and, with air, a plasticky note.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied and plush.
Palate: Brambly, spicy dark fruit (blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry again) that veers too far toward the overripe/stewed. Also vanilla, baking spice, and gingerbread oak flavors, alongside some Italian herbs. The finish is rather bitter, with overextracted espresso and dark chocolate, heat, and moderate but unripe tannin, as well as that plasticky off-note. Big concentration but little expression. Awkward.
Similar experience as my first bottle a little less than a year ago. I went a few points lower because what I found to be its weaknesses are all still there, but it's lost some of the fullness and purity of fruit that partially covered them up.
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1/19/2013 - 1964vintage wrote: 92 Points
Delicious. Beautiful red fruits, spices, toasted vanilla. Very smooth and creamy. Danny Gordon was pouring this a couple of years ago at Spring Release weekend. It was great to meet Danny.....but even better to drink his wine creation !
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5/13/2012 - hende14 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and returned to bottle to transport. Red fruit, baking spices and vanilla. Very, very smooth and well integrated. Medium to full body and a long finish. Great wine, and especially for this price point.
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4/22/2012 - krhaugh wrote: 92 Points
As previous notes, decanted for a couple of hours. Big red fruit forward with this bottle and not as much Cab as I remembered. This is drinking wonderfully right now and we thoroughly enjoyed this bottle. Lots of black pepper and smoke.
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3/12/2012 - JVG wrote: 87 Points
Color: Deep purplish magenta at the edges, opaque at the center.
Nose: Rich dark fruit aromas of plum and blackberry, with rounded notes of sweet baking spices and vanilla from the oak, plus some eucalyptus and a whiff of smoked meat. A nice enough profile, but simple, dominated by fruit and oak, and a bit distant. With air, you get a little bit of pepperiness from the Merlot and a more pronounced herbal character. Unfortunately, you also get some plastic notes.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and creamy.
Palate: Big strong attack of rich dark fruit and black pepper, then a bit of vanilla and spice, leather, and mocha. The finish is tart with brambly blackberry, nutmeg, and creme, then solid but slightly bitter tannin. The plastic note also creeps in a bit at the end.
A very big, opulent, New World bruiser. Impressive concentration, and some good pure ripe fruit, but it's weak on the nose, and I don't find it to be very complex or expressive on the palate. The faint artificial plasticky note also damages it for me. It tastes expensive, and you can tell considerable money went into this, but I found it fatiguing and lacking in soul. You'll be happier with it if you decant for a few hours and serve it with a big fatty steak.
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2/12/2012 - dzal808@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Drank over 2 days w half in a 375ml bottle for overnight. Very nice but not as good as my recall of the first bottle. Nothing memorable here.
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1/16/2012 - dzal808@gmail.com wrote:
Drank 11/11 and can't remember the details. My only note says "VERY GOOD, wish I'd got more". Only 2 bottles from Lot18.
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11/13/2011 - krhaugh wrote: 92 Points
Opened early in the afternoon and let decant for about 3-4 hours. Very smooth with the Cab coming to the forefront and the merlot and cab franc evening it out. Dark, intense fruit with a hint of earth and leather. I was surprised how well this went with a massive ribeye. Suberb taste and feel throughout.
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11/9/2011 - chj wrote: 90 Points
Wine Enthusiast
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11/9/2011 - chj wrote: 93 Points
Wine & Spirits
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11/9/2011 - chj wrote: 93 Points
Wine Advocate
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11/9/2011 - Silveradoup wrote: 93 Points
Love this wine!
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5/22/2011 - hende14 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for a short time, but couldn't wait too long to try a glass. Beautiful dark purple in color. Aroma of creamy cassis and blackberry, spice, herbs and purple flowers like lavender and lilac. Great balance of fruit, sweet tannins, and a salty minerality. The alcohol is completely integrated. Medium to full body with a very long and pleasant finish. This is a great example of a Washington Bordeaux blend, made up of 50% Cabernet, 25% Merlot and 25% Cab Franc. Very well done wine.
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