Gorgeous garnet purple color, slight bricking at at the rim, but deep and bright at the core.
Nose is reticent for the first 10-15 minutes, but straightens up and shows a nice plum, blackberry, floral and spice tones. Lots of violets and cinnamon on the nose that enliven the dark fruit.
Palate is excellent. Fine silky mouthfeel with good weight, but not at all overbearing. The modest 13% abv gives just enough glycerin, but the overall freshness, herb garden, plum, cassis and leather notes lead. Detailed spice on the back end.
Finish is spicy with clove and cinnamon notes, and a great sweet plum that lingers. This is drinking around peak, but is on a plateau where it will be great for another 10-15 years if well stored. Classic 90's Napa before the ripness trend took over.
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With Prime Rib…..bottom neck Really nice lots of Cassis, black cherries, herbal potpourri, glycerin, light peppercorns, hints of dark cocoa, melted blackberries and mint occasionally. Good acidity still. Was concerned by previous reviews. Very elegant silky. Peaked but holding strong.
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I gave this a 30 minute decant, then decanted back into the bottle, where it got another 3 hours or so of slow O. Needed every minute of that, based on my initial impressions upon opening prior to heading out for dinner. Rich nose of black cherry, with some vanilla and cedar. Smooth on the palate, with some blackberry liquor. This struck me as slightly out of balance, with a more tannic finish than I would have expected. I think it suffered a bit following a flight of aged red burgs and then an '87 Biondi Santi Brunello, all of which showed far more nuance and restraint. Still, a great example of Napa cab.
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Haunting Dinner (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color, 2mm clear edge Double decanted for 30 minutes. Some volatility on the nose, strong violet notes and dried spices, cassis, and earth. The palate shows cassis and plum, oak, full bodied, plenty of tannin still offers some pucker. There is a little bite on the back end and the alcohol comes through a bit here too. Still very good, but there's some signs it may be time to drink up. 92+pts.
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Same btl as JCGuthrie & James btl. This drank remarkably young from a color & structure standpoint. Deep ruby red belies its 30yrs! Plenty elegant & easy drinking. Just not quite as placid "from the getgo" as you'd expect after 3 decades & a prior double decant. That said, I enjoyed the light cigar box notes, dark fruit & cedar. I think this would have fit more naturally & shined more in a flight w/ other aged CA Cabs. Tonight it was more akin to playing a 90s Gibson J45 flattop after playing a 50s/60s era Gibson acoustic guitar. Didn't have quite the resonance of its soulful table mates from Burgundy & Brunello tonight.
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Lovely nose of menthol, red cherries, red plum, mint, raspberries, and a bit of vanilla. Fully integrated tannins with good acidity on the palate along with more red fruit, cherries, sweet berries, and leather. Long finish. Amazing wine that is drinking perfectly right now. Very well balanced, powerful, yet elegant.
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Another superb bottle of this. Popped and poured. The nose is just gorgoeous. Cherry, flowers, herbs and truffles. The wine is beautifully integrated with black currant, cherry, earth and lead pencil. Well balanced and long on the finish. Excellent. Too bad this is my last bottle of this.
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Slow ox for two hours. This is the best bottle of this I have had yet. Very refined nose of black current, violets and smoke. Complex, layered palate with a wonderful core of black fruit, well integrated oak and long satisfying finish. This bottle was simply in a great place.
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13.5% abv. Cork sound and dry, almost black at wine contact face. Wine is dark garnet with some bricking, light rust rim. 86% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Franc, 5% Merlot. Red staining of tears. Served cool, 55 deg - will allow this to warm up to room temp. A tremendously fragrant aged Napa cab nose, red and blue berries, leather, tomato aspic, eucalyptus. Med mouthfeel, acid, red berry, tobacco, soy sauce, savory; tannins melt quickly but there’s enough left that suggest this wine could go another 5-10 years with good storage. This bottle, from auction, was very sound - exceptionally glad I purchased. This wine is at peak drinking - enjoy now and for another 5 years. Bravo!
10th bottle of a case bought on futures (for a ridiculously low price:) at the Barrel Tasting hosted by MacArthur Beverage. YUM!! Still going strong. No hurry. I continue to be impressed by the 1992 Cali Cabs.
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A far from perfect bottle, with an absolutely unredeemable cork, dry and fragile, but the wine was very much alive, if less appealing than a prior bottle I opened a few years back. Dusty red fruit, muted spice and a clipped finish.
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Some weedy burnt notes a bit concerning. Slightly oxidized. Good fruit on the palate and with a sour edge to the flavor. A bit tired and faded, yet some sweet fruit shows through.
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Double decanted. Was moderately open on first pour but continued to develop over time. Classic cabernet, with spicy rich cassis, leather, a hint of mint and dried herbs. Youthful despite its 28 years. Lengthy finish. Drank well by itself and was excellent along with tomato soup and spinach ravioli. A great bottle of wine.
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Still very dark in color with very little bricking. On the nose, start to get that new leather aroma, but not overwhelming at all. On the palate, the age starts to show, but with beautiful fruit balancing the savory elements. This is in a great place right now.
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Decanted one hour. Classic cab nose with black fruit, tobacco and cedar on the nose. The palate is fully mature with fruit and earthy flavor in nice harmony. There is some rusticity which partially blows off with time in the glass. Flavors of red and black fruits, iron, cigar box and spice rolls up into a nice satisfying finish.
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After 3 hour decant. a little musty when first opened so I decanted. Awoken and vibrant with many secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas. Tannins fully resolved and it was a soft but medium long finish. Very nice.
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Still holding on. It started a little rusty tasting but sweet fruit emerged with air. Tannins are fully resolved and this is now a quiet wine. We drank it alongside a 1997 Dalla Valle that had more vigor. Both were lovely and showed the Dalla Valle class.
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Very nice wine tonight but not quite to the level of the 1994 I had last month. Very nice balance and still with some nice acidity. Tannins are just whispers. Tertiary aromas abound over the cassis notes. Good stuff.
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Dark brick red. Dark fruits, herbs, forest floor and grilled meat on the nose . For me this nicely balances ripe cherry, tartness, tobacco, pesto, and savory herbs and soy. Well integrated tannins. Moderate sediment. Clean finish. Good juice at 26 years old.
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The Somm at our club pulled the cork and decanted...wow in a perfect spot. Early Heidi Peterson (Barrett) and Gustave DallA Valle. showed well against a comparably aged 2nd growth from Bordeaux.
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Brilliant. In a perfect spot right now. Nose of mint, cedar, blackberry, forest floor. Good acid and grippy tannin, great balance. Pure fruit on the palate to carry the structure of this wine. Long finish with a tobacco hint that developed over about 30 min in the glass. Exceptional.
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Drinking to honor my son, who was born 25 years ago today. He is on the East Coast so I'll have to drink this one alone. Also thinking of the winery, which appears to be near the Epicenter of one of the most devastating wildfires currently raging. Opened last night to give it some air, the wine was initially a bit offputting in it's extreme smoky, caramel nose. However some 16 hours later the wine still is showing some of those somewhat off putting characteristics but it is also showing some of the lovely fruit that must've been there in spades in younger days. Colorwise, the wine is more ruby then brown which surprised me just a little given the relatively short drinking window posited by the experts. There are some appealing violet and purple fruit notes in the nose. Still quite drinkable, the wine has great balance and decent depth, with rustic fruit and iron remaining, but it is beginning to dry out just a tad. Certainly past it's prime, this one needs to be drunk up, but well-stored bottles should be decent. 4-10-14-7: 85/100. PS: I bought this at K&L at least ten years after the vintage, and the bottle has some staining on the glass, so it's possible this particular bottle suffered some heat damage, and may not be representative of other bottles.
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Drank for Christmas Eve dinner, grilled lamb chops and sautéed portobello mushrooms. Dark red. Dust and black fruit with some graphite and grilled herbs. Tons of fruit still present, carefully balanced acidity, dark cherries, chocolate, cassis, and ripe plum with a hint of prune. Surprisingly youthful.
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Dark garnet with obvious bricking. Medium(+) aromas of black cherries, chocolate and licorice. Well integrated medium tannins. Still a lot of fruit evident in this wine but secondaries well evident. Drinking very well right now. Very impressive.
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The Papies join the 5000 Tasting Notes Club (The Kitchen Table, London): Our 5000th TN. Decanted for 2 hours, needs its time to open up. Good level in neck but dry brittle cork. Wine was healthy Dark in color still, ripe and juicy and its as if time had limited impact to it. Nice density, nice vitality and had a healthy acidity and still grippy tannin. Light leather notes, black currants, a few bitter notes here and there but not enough to spoil the joy of this wine. Drinks very well now albeit past its peak but still a beautiful wine. Its like a classic Bordeaux with a kick of extra ripeness. 93 and drink now
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If you've stored this one well, it will reward you. It needs a little air but develops into something great in the glass. Nose of classic can fruit. Smooth and well integrated. Great balance and an amazing finish. Well worth the wait.
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Dark Garnet. Chocolate , herbs, and black fruit on the nose. Did go through several stages as it received air time. Started with crisp cherry, then went through a savory dominant stage that then transformed to a fully mature, balanced, beautiful Cali Cab that was supposed to be over the hill. These have consistently aged well. After being open for three hours it developed an interesting spicey cinnamon component on the nose .
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Mild nose of berries. A very soft feeling, well integrated - I taste darker berries than others and mild bitters on the end. Mild viscosity with essentially no tannins and low acidity. This is drinking great right now with probably 5 more years to go max.
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Cork was in perfect condition and color still very dark with just a hint of bricking on the rim. Subtle nose of tobacco and cinnamon spice. Very smooth mouthfeel with cherry predominate fruit on front palate leading to med long smokey finish. Very good and Boudreaux like even though it was rather understated but not underwhelming. Had with 91 Opus One that was much more in your face so may have influenced this review.
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New Year's Eve (In memory of Charlie Trotter) (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Large scaled, roasted nose with varnish, oak and a slightly disconcerting tawny port note that speaks to oxidation. On the plus side, the wine offers attractive plummy molasses nuance which is rather attractive. Very very earthy notes. Tawny port aged quality in mouth, which in this bottle is fully or past fully resolved. Slightly over the top and monolithic tonight. This bottle is slightly past it with the tawny noted. In its day (or possibly with pristine bottles) this should be outstanding. It is certainly possible that the grapes were picked too ripe. Bad cork a likely reason behind the slight advanced age (hopefully). My previous bottle (drunk in 2009) did not display these advanced characters.
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Pop and pour but still took about 30 minutes in the glass to fully open. Slightly sour red cherries throughout and on a long finish with some blackberries, dried herbs and hard leather underneath. Very smooth. Color showing some age but still a 30 second finish.
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Served the '92 La Jota against '92 Dalla Valle...both were spectacular and each will be fine for several more years. In fairness I have cellared them at 55 degrees since their release and last night was a just reward. Decanted 2 hours before dinner and served with grilled leg of lamb. Upon first taste the Dalla Valle was a little more open and fruit forward while the La Jota displayed vegetal notes, was lighter and more "French" in style. Most of us preferred the Dalla Valle while my son was La Jota all the way. An hour later the La Jota showed its stuff and most of us switched our allegiance. Both were perfect with the lamb and roasted red peppers and next year I expect both to still be drinking perfectly.
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Cooked and oxidized nose but taste was almost unaffected. M acids and L tannin of fine grade coating the mouth, nothing bitter. Elegant power and thorough breed potential. Wish we had gotten a pristine btl instead, because this should be really great!
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Possibly my worst bottle to date, but still a quality wine. Although the cork and fill were all good, the wine was clearly just past peak with a little but of prune coming through. Otherwise, it was consistent with my prior notes. I've got one bottle left of this vintage and it might be time to drink up.
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With wines which are 20+ years in age, the issue of bottle variation becomes a concern. This bottle, kindly opened by a generous friend (K.A.), was obviously well-cellared. It was decanted off its sediment and serially tasted over the ensuing two hours. The robe is a youthful opaque red/garnet and the nose is immediately expressive of black fruits, baking spice, minerals and pipe tobacco. The wine is full-bodied and well-structured on the palate, with medium acidity and medium polished tannins. The alcohol (listed as 13.5%) is well-integrated and the middle palate is layered with black fruit-dominated flavors. The finish is smooth and seems to go on and on. A truly impressive showing for this wine! A comparably cellared bottle should (amazingly) provide pleasure for another decade. Drink now-12/22.
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Another bottle that has probably just crossed the peak line by about a year, but still a wonderful bottle of wine. Soft and smooth, blackberrries, dried herbs, a little cassis with sweet vanilla Oak.
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Another excellent bottle. Smooth as silk. Wonderful black fruits layered with a little Oak, vanilla, dried herbs, soft leather and cassis. The wine took about 60 minutes to fully open and had a 20+ second finish.
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Sampled 12/5/12. Opened a second of the 6-pack I recently bought. This one was much better but still clearly not stored as well as others I've had in the past. Just slightly past its peak but showing well nonetheless. The many of my same notes from prior tastings just a little thinner in terms of the fruit.
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I relatively recently bought a 6-pack from a private seller. The labels and capsules were in great condition and the fill into the neck. The first bottle I opened had a slightly depressed cork, which came out in one piece. The wine, however, clearly had browning at the edges and was bricking. I had not seen this in the other '92s I've consumed. The was clearly past peak and oxidized. I am hoping this bottle was an exception, and I did not get ripped off by a seller of poorly stored wines.
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Some Wine Poured at Christie's (Christie's - New York NY): Tasting. Slightly mature black fruit aromas with great cigarbox spice. Lush black fruit flavors, hint of reduced mushroom,also big spice on finish. At at great place now, still well structured and balanced with well integrated tannins and acidity. Probably at its peak, but I'd expect this wine to drink very well to 2020.
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Drank together with the 1991 and the 1992. Still very closed, and not as enjoyable as the other two... though I suspect this will have the longest life. Will wait another 10y before opening the last two.
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At 20 years of age, this is showing perfectly. The bottle was sourced from California a couple of years ago. I decanted it for 2h+ before serving, as a previous serving straight from the bottle had proven suboptimal. More St Estephe like than Pauillac this time (sorry my references are French). The fruit came into balance with the tannins progressively, and by the end of the bottle, the wine was at its best. Will continue to show well for the next decade I would think, but certainly very enjoyable now.
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Domino's 40th (The Anvil Club, East Dundee, IL): Deep crimson core. Plum, leather, tobacco and blackberry aromas. Balanced; velvety mouthfeel. Dark fruit, leather and sandalwood qualities on the palate. Long finish. Youthful. 94 pts.
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Slow-O 1 hr. Brilliant ruby core, several well-developed transitions. Aromas of cigar wrapper, creme de cassis, high-toned cherry, herbs. The nose, like the palate is fairly monolithic, but still shows great freshness and vibrancy. The full-bodied palate shows fully integrated tannins, with an equal mixture of cherry and red berries. Medium finish, average acidity. This was nice, but as other tn's indicate, it's time to drink up, it's not getting any better. Drink thru 2015, score: B+/A-
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Excellent mature wine. Purple, with slight browning at edge. Medium body, fully integrated tannins with great fruit with earthiness and a touch of cedar on the finish. Probably near its peak. Very nice.
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Medium to dark swirls of purple hues in appearance. Nose of mushrooms and prunes. Palate of blackberry fruit, fully integrated tannins, tar, tobacco, supple texture and very smooth medium finish. An elegant and delightful wine.
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This wine is in a great place. Fully mature dark red cherry with cassis and some mocha and chocolate on the mid palate. Tannins are smooth and silky. Nice body and mouthfeel. Just edged out the 1991.
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Sampled 10/22/11. Another wonderful bottle filled with layers of raspberries and black fruits and some cassis are right up front. Good balance of sweet Oak, herbs and hint of spice from mid palate through the finish. Long finish. Almost no sediment.
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THe CT drinking window shows 11 as the latest to drink this wine. Don't believe it. There are lots of years left in this one. Very balanced with great fruit, acidity and smooth tannins to back it up for many years to come. The bottle had some sediments but no too much. Slow ox'd for an hour.
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Solid dark red color. Nose of prune, heavy toast oak, tar, mint. Medium low tannin, balanced acidity. Pungent oak and somewhat burned prune and tarry flavors. Supple texture, slightly hot finish and fairly popular at the table, if also too clumsy for my taste.
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Decanted one hour. Youthful ruby red in glass. Nose of black fruits, with cedar, menthol and vanilla. Currants and boysenberries on the palate, with flourishes of espresso, vanilla, star anise, mint, tobacco and graphite. Long finish. Starting to hit the zone.
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Sampled 7/8/11. Excellent layers of red and black fruits which attack right from the start but are not overly ripe, but definitely fully ripe. Nice Oak, herbs and hint of spice from mid palate through the finish. I've had better bottles of this wine in the past, but there is very little sediment and this wine still has at least 5 more excellent years in it.
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Medium consistency for a cab. Thins on the edges quickly. Medium purple\red hue. On the nose, there was some black fruit, some burnt cherry and what seemed like some heat. On the palate, mostly Blackberry, some ripe red fruit, with subtle touches of tar, tobacco, herbs and vanilla. A few layers of very subtle taste blending well together. Decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Better than previous bottle two years ago.
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excellent wine, ranged with the Shafer HSS as WOTN for me. This wine definitely suprised me and I will seek out more. Flavors integrated and tannin's all but resolved. This wine is in a good place and will live on for another 10 or so years.Maybe longer.
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Served right after 1992 Shafer HSS didn't do justice to this wine. Still managed to be the second wine of the night. Long life ahead of this one. Flash decanted and could have used more air. No sediments in the bottle.
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Sampled 7/30/10. I love this wine, which is still going strong and needs less than an hour to open at this point. Blackberries, cassis, some raspberries, tar, cedar, smokey sweet vanilla Oak, hints of white pepper and all beautifully layered in a smooth package. The finish goes on and on.
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Popped and poured. Blackcurrant, a little stewed red fruit, cedar, a hint of old leather and smoke, and a strong minty orange blossom note. Nice weighting and presence on the palate. Just enough tannin remains to frame the finish. That interesting minty, citrus element is the closing note. A solid wine but nothing to get excited about. Likely would have been better with a decant. 18 years has not brought much in the way of character.
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initially decanted only one hour...dark red..opaque..cant read through it..no brown on the edges.....this is 17 years old!!! ...nose of dark cherry, espresso..cedar..tobacco as it opened..on the palate..dark Bing cherry..more coffee....long finish..it was initially quite astringent..but with air this smoothed out..not that points matter, but would rate it higher if not for this astringency..other notes have described this as acidity..I must respectfully disagree and characterize this as a fault rather than a plus .which, hopefully , with more time..will smooth out....IMO, this wine can easily age 5-10 years more .
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Wow -- exceeded my expectations! This bottle was in excellent condition, and right off the cork this smelled and tasted unbelievable! Dark purplish black, almost opaque, to the rim. Exotic and intoxicating aromatics of copious lush black fruits, forest floor, flowers.
In the mouth, this has a powerful and intense core of black cherry, boysenberry and ripe plum flavors, has a light and elegant mouthfeel, is medium bodied with excellent balance between fine and perfectly integrated tannins, bright acidity, and a long satisfying finish.
This is impossible to resist, and keeps you coming back for more!
Based on the scores from some other reviewers, I'm questioning the provenance of their bottles, because this was outstanding, and appears to be in a perfect drinking window.
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Drunk with Bud, Liz, Dean, Rosie and J. Excellent wine which clearly outclassed the 1990 Caymus Special Selection. Has an extra dimension which really supports the wine's reputation. Will age for years.
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Cool dark fruit, cedar, smoke, and mint. Silky, and well balanced with a long, cool finish. A bit better than 18 months ago but still tannic and I still don't think the fruit will outlast the tannins.
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Greatly enjoyed this wine last night at the monthly meeting of the Hickory Wine Club at Lake HIckory CC as part of a '92 - '97 vertical tasting, what a flight. Huge bouquet of oak, allspice, smoke and dark fruit. Very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins remaining for a few years of cellaring. Primary flavors included cassis, strong dark fruit, well balanced oak with development of some smoke and black pepper on a long aftertaste. Very very good, highly recommend this wine.
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Inky dark. Tight both in the nose and mouth. Picks up with some air. Soften tanin, with aroma of dark choco, tobacco, cassis, dense black fruits. Very concentrated. Slightly noticeable alcohol in nose.
I felt that there's not much room for improvement but will drink beautifully for at least 5-10 years.
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Dark color and a bit funky on the nose. Not particularly bad, but different. It wasn't a bold, in-your-face wine, but it had some disjointed components.
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A rarity. A cabernet sauvignon I liked. Tobacco, chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. On the palate, plum and blackberry flavors. Still some zinginess to the tannins. For a wine that's been in the bottle for 15 years, I don't think that bodes well. I wonder if the fruit will fade before the tannins smooth out. Decent finish. Kind of big but balanced. Probably better around 2012.
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Nose of cassis, tobacco, cedar, earth, and dark fruits. Good ruby red, no bricking. Still very tannic and it didn't soften much over time. We enjoyed it very much but I'm afraid the tannins will outlast the fruit.
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Great tannic cali cab. Rich ruby with just the faintest hint of bricking at the edges; earthy aroma evocative of stone and chocolate. There is a fair amount of tannic structure here; one wonders if the fruit will fade before it is fully resolved. But this is drinking splendidly right now.
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As I was decanting this the aroma of a California Chocolate Monster filled the room, and then like Dorian Gray it aged into something frail right before my eyes. The first impression struck me more like an old Rioja than anything Cabernet-based. Eventually it showed the cigar-box flavors and bitterness that are more typically Cabernet. But the fruit is on its deathbed, so the firm tannins and alcoholic bite stick out unpleasantly, and the more air it gets the more the wine falls apart.
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Still somewhat backward and tannic upon opening and needed a good 30 minutes to resolve. Once opened up the wine became almost creamy. Hallmark aromas od lead pencil, cedar and blackberry. Fine and long on the finish. Tannins still somewhat present, but behind the fruit.
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dark red, not showing it's age. nice full cabernet, showing some tannin and overall has more of a bordeaux structure to it than i expected. very enjoyable, but has a few years to go. A-
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Youthful ruby/purple shows no signs of age. Rich, precise nose of currants, chocolate, blackberry and Irish cream. Medium-to-full bodied in the mouth with sweet fruit that manages restraint. Full on the entire palate with a strong, if simple, finish. 50+5+11+18+8=92
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A classy nose of cassis, tobacco and a minty note. Medium weight with well defined dark fruit. Still quite tannic with solid acids on the long finish. Over time in the glass a pleasing mineral and leather element emerged. This needs another 3-5 years to show its best. Tasted next to a 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, it showed younger, slightly sweeter but surprisingly similar in profile.
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opened and decanted into a wide bottom decanter, then immediately consumed out oreidel vinum cab glasses.
for a 13 year old wine one couldn't tell from looking at it. the coler was very dark with a slight amount of bricking. upon opening the aroma just burst from the bottle and while decanting i knew this was going to be good. the nose was like a wild array of christmas kitchen smells. there was cinnimon, nutmeg, maple syrup and apple pie crust. the palate didn't quite deliver as much as the nose. with rigorous swirling it started to come alive with dark brooding fruit. the oak has completely vanished and the tannin was unbeliveably sweet. the finish was medium to long and left just the greatest aftertaste in the mouth. with 2 more left in the cellar i will hold off at least another 3-5 yrs to pop another one.
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Always love the early 90's DV...This to me was the best wine of the night, bigger and bolder with more fruit than the Mondavi...Chocolate and smoke noted, but all flavors were integrated and balanced...
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This wine has really opened up, fleshed out and is fully mature. Ripe Plums with some flowers on the nose. Voluptuous and fat with fully integrated tannins. These should be consumed over the next 3-5 years.
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Drank 7/04 Generally agree with WS recent tasting (03). Wile very good, it is not a 90. Had high acid that balanced out after it was decanted for a while. Not a “big” cab, but more in the French styling. Was great with steaks.
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Dan's Dalla Valle Vertical @ XXXX: Very dark, youthful plumy color. Appears younger than I would have expected from an eight year old California Cabernet. When first sampled, the wine appeared to display a bit of alcohol in the nose, but this quickly blew off. This wonderful wine was totally filled to the brim with ripe, sweet cassis fruit. Hints of herbs kept poking in and out, but this is a wine of pure fruit expression. Tannins were present, but they were much more plush than the 1991. My favorite wine of the night for drinking now. I recently tasted a vertical of the Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet, and there as well the 1992 provided the best enjoyment for current drinking (although with the Beringer, I felt the 1991 version would eventually prevail). Great showing, and I ranked this particular bottle EXCELLENT+.
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3/9/2024 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous garnet purple color, slight bricking at at the rim, but deep and bright at the core.
Nose is reticent for the first 10-15 minutes, but straightens up and shows a nice plum, blackberry, floral and spice tones. Lots of violets and cinnamon on the nose that enliven the dark fruit.
Palate is excellent. Fine silky mouthfeel with good weight, but not at all overbearing. The modest 13% abv gives just enough glycerin, but the overall freshness, herb garden, plum, cassis and leather notes lead. Detailed spice on the back end.
Finish is spicy with clove and cinnamon notes, and a great sweet plum that lingers. This is drinking around peak, but is on a plateau where it will be great for another 10-15 years if well stored. Classic 90's Napa before the ripness trend took over.
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2/15/2024 - RS_HH wrote:
Amazing
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12/28/2023 - JoeDwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
With Prime Rib…..bottom neck
Really nice lots of Cassis, black cherries, herbal potpourri, glycerin, light peppercorns, hints of dark cocoa, melted blackberries and mint occasionally. Good acidity still.
Was concerned by previous reviews. Very elegant silky.
Peaked but holding strong.
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4/4/2023 - Philip67 wrote: flawed
High neck, soft cork. Wine gone. Like an oxidised port.
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11/1/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote: 93 Points
I gave this a 30 minute decant, then decanted back into the bottle, where it got another 3 hours or so of slow O. Needed every minute of that, based on my initial impressions upon opening prior to heading out for dinner. Rich nose of black cherry, with some vanilla and cedar. Smooth on the palate, with some blackberry liquor. This struck me as slightly out of balance, with a more tannic finish than I would have expected. I think it suffered a bit following a flight of aged red burgs and then an '87 Biondi Santi Brunello, all of which showed far more nuance and restraint. Still, a great example of Napa cab.
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10/30/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Haunting Dinner (Ciao Bella, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color, 2mm clear edge Double decanted for 30 minutes. Some volatility on the nose, strong violet notes and dried spices, cassis, and earth. The palate shows cassis and plum, oak, full bodied, plenty of tannin still offers some pucker. There is a little bite on the back end and the alcohol comes through a bit here too. Still very good, but there's some signs it may be time to drink up. 92+pts.
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10/30/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Same btl as JCGuthrie & James btl. This drank remarkably young from a color & structure standpoint. Deep ruby red belies its 30yrs! Plenty elegant & easy drinking. Just not quite as placid "from the getgo" as you'd expect after 3 decades & a prior double decant. That said, I enjoyed the light cigar box notes, dark fruit & cedar. I think this would have fit more naturally & shined more in a flight w/ other aged CA Cabs. Tonight it was more akin to playing a 90s Gibson J45 flattop after playing a 50s/60s era Gibson acoustic guitar. Didn't have quite the resonance of its soulful table mates from Burgundy & Brunello tonight.
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9/26/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely nose of menthol, red cherries, red plum, mint, raspberries, and a bit of vanilla. Fully integrated tannins with good acidity on the palate along with more red fruit, cherries, sweet berries, and leather. Long finish. Amazing wine that is drinking perfectly right now. Very well balanced, powerful, yet elegant.
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4/29/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another superb bottle of this. Popped and poured. The nose is just gorgoeous. Cherry, flowers, herbs and truffles. The wine is beautifully integrated with black currant, cherry, earth and lead pencil. Well balanced and long on the finish. Excellent. Too bad this is my last bottle of this.
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9/25/2021 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Slow ox for two hours. This is the best bottle of this I have had yet. Very refined nose of black current, violets and smoke. Complex, layered palate with a wonderful core of black fruit, well integrated oak and long satisfying finish. This bottle was simply in a great place.
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3/26/2021 - dclaggett Likes this wine: 92 Points
13.5% abv. Cork sound and dry, almost black at wine contact face. Wine is dark garnet with some bricking, light rust rim. 86% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Franc, 5% Merlot. Red staining of tears. Served cool, 55 deg - will allow this to warm up to room temp. A tremendously fragrant aged Napa cab nose, red and blue berries, leather, tomato aspic, eucalyptus. Med mouthfeel, acid, red berry, tobacco, soy sauce, savory; tannins melt quickly but there’s enough left that suggest this wine could go another 5-10 years with good storage. This bottle, from auction, was very sound - exceptionally glad I purchased. This wine is at peak drinking - enjoy now and for another 5 years. Bravo!
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11/7/2020 - Dr.Scott Likes this wine: 95 Points
10th bottle of a case bought on futures (for a ridiculously low price:) at the Barrel Tasting hosted by MacArthur Beverage. YUM!! Still going strong. No hurry. I continue to be impressed by the 1992 Cali Cabs.
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10/27/2020 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
A far from perfect bottle, with an absolutely unredeemable cork, dry and fragile, but the wine was very much alive, if less appealing than a prior bottle I opened a few years back. Dusty red fruit, muted spice and a clipped finish.
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8/29/2020 - KenK wrote: 87 Points
Some weedy burnt notes a bit concerning. Slightly oxidized.
Good fruit on the palate and with a sour edge to the flavor.
A bit tired and faded, yet some sweet fruit shows through.
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4/23/2020 - racerchris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted. Was moderately open on first pour but continued to develop over time. Classic cabernet, with spicy rich cassis, leather, a hint of mint and dried herbs.
Youthful despite its 28 years. Lengthy finish.
Drank well by itself and was excellent along with tomato soup and spinach ravioli.
A great bottle of wine.
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1/27/2020 - TomTom wrote:
Still very dark in color with very little bricking. On the nose, start to get that new leather aroma, but not overwhelming at all. On the palate, the age starts to show, but with beautiful fruit balancing the savory elements. This is in a great place right now.
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10/26/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted one hour. Classic cab nose with black fruit, tobacco and cedar on the nose. The palate is fully mature with fruit and earthy flavor in nice harmony. There is some rusticity which partially blows off with time in the glass. Flavors of red and black fruits, iron, cigar box and spice rolls up into a nice satisfying finish.
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8/17/2019 - wa2ofd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still fresh, alive!
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6/23/2019 - daved Likes this wine: 94 Points
After 3 hour decant. a little musty when first opened so I decanted. Awoken and vibrant with many secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas. Tannins fully resolved and it was a soft but medium long finish. Very nice.
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4/24/2019 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
This was just a perfect bottle. Rich, intense and dense but in no way overpowering. Perfectly ripe Napa.
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4/10/2019 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Still holding on. It started a little rusty tasting but sweet fruit emerged with air. Tannins are fully resolved and this is now a quiet wine. We drank it alongside a 1997 Dalla Valle that had more vigor. Both were lovely and showed the Dalla Valle class.
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4/7/2019 - Kansas1955 Likes this wine:
Still holding its structure. Mature but good.
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6/10/2018 - Lateva wrote: 93 Points
Very nice wine tonight but not quite to the level of the 1994 I had last month. Very nice balance and still with some nice acidity. Tannins are just whispers. Tertiary aromas abound over the cassis notes. Good stuff.
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6/3/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark brick red. Dark fruits, herbs, forest floor and grilled meat on the nose . For me this nicely balances ripe cherry, tartness, tobacco, pesto, and savory herbs and soy. Well integrated tannins. Moderate sediment. Clean finish. Good juice at 26 years old.
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5/11/2018 - tutticalvi wrote: 93 Points
Delicious with gobs of dark fruit. Unbelievably young still. Remarkable.
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4/24/2018 - nbrue wrote: 96 Points
The Somm at our club pulled the cork and decanted...wow in a perfect spot. Early Heidi Peterson (Barrett) and Gustave DallA Valle. showed well against a comparably aged 2nd growth from Bordeaux.
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3/17/2018 - AWBryce wrote:
Brilliant. In a perfect spot right now. Nose of mint, cedar, blackberry, forest floor. Good acid and grippy tannin, great balance. Pure fruit on the palate to carry the structure of this wine. Long finish with a tobacco hint that developed over about 30 min in the glass. Exceptional.
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11/24/2017 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
In phenomenal shape, with a velvet smoot texture, gentle, sweet cassis and a touch of leather on the palate. A treat indeed.
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10/15/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 85 Points
Drinking to honor my son, who was born 25 years ago today. He is on the East Coast so I'll have to drink this one alone. Also thinking of the winery, which appears to be near the Epicenter of one of the most devastating wildfires currently raging. Opened last night to give it some air, the wine was initially a bit offputting in it's extreme smoky, caramel nose. However some 16 hours later the wine still is showing some of those somewhat off putting characteristics but it is also showing some of the lovely fruit that must've been there in spades in younger days. Colorwise, the wine is more ruby then brown which surprised me just a little given the relatively short drinking window posited by the experts. There are some appealing violet and purple fruit notes in the nose. Still quite drinkable, the wine has great balance and decent depth, with rustic fruit and iron remaining, but it is beginning to dry out just a tad. Certainly past it's prime, this one needs to be drunk up, but well-stored bottles should be decent. 4-10-14-7: 85/100. PS: I bought this at K&L at least ten years after the vintage, and the bottle has some staining on the glass, so it's possible this particular bottle suffered some heat damage, and may not be representative of other bottles.
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3/26/2017 - JJ58 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow...literally no bricking,fruit holding up well,as good an aged Cali cab as I had. Ric and Kala enjoyed this with us at a casual dinner/tasting
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12/24/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank for Christmas Eve dinner, grilled lamb chops and sautéed portobello mushrooms. Dark red. Dust and black fruit with some graphite and grilled herbs. Tons of fruit still present, carefully balanced acidity, dark cherries, chocolate, cassis, and ripe plum with a hint of prune. Surprisingly youthful.
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11/25/2016 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet with obvious bricking. Medium(+) aromas of black cherries, chocolate and licorice. Well integrated medium tannins. Still a lot of fruit evident in this wine but secondaries well evident. Drinking very well right now. Very impressive.
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3/29/2016 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
The Papies join the 5000 Tasting Notes Club (The Kitchen Table, London): Our 5000th TN.
Decanted for 2 hours, needs its time to open up. Good level in neck but dry brittle cork. Wine was healthy
Dark in color still, ripe and juicy and its as if time had limited impact to it. Nice density, nice vitality and had a healthy acidity and still grippy tannin. Light leather notes, black currants, a few bitter notes here and there but not enough to spoil the joy of this wine. Drinks very well now albeit past its peak but still a beautiful wine. Its like a classic Bordeaux with a kick of extra ripeness. 93 and drink now
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3/6/2016 - tmhouse wrote: 94 Points
If you've stored this one well, it will reward you. It needs a little air but develops into something great in the glass. Nose of classic can fruit. Smooth and well integrated. Great balance and an amazing finish. Well worth the wait.
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10/2/2015 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
20-30 year old Cab/Bordeaux blends from anywhere in the world (tasted blind) (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Rich, smooth nose (A-). Rich California style palate (A-/A).
My #5, Group's #9 (107 pts). Tasted blind.
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7/5/2015 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark Garnet. Chocolate , herbs, and black fruit on the nose. Did go through several stages as it received air time. Started with crisp cherry, then went through a savory dominant stage that then transformed to a fully mature, balanced, beautiful Cali Cab that was supposed to be over the hill. These have consistently aged well. After being open for three hours it developed an interesting spicey cinnamon component on the nose .
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12/27/2014 - jbean007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mild nose of berries. A very soft feeling, well integrated - I taste darker berries than others and mild bitters on the end. Mild viscosity with essentially no tannins and low acidity. This is drinking great right now with probably 5 more years to go max.
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9/20/2014 - blakehastings wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/26/2014 - Tracypyo wrote: 92 Points
Cork was in perfect condition and color still very dark with just a hint of bricking on the rim. Subtle nose of tobacco and cinnamon spice. Very smooth mouthfeel with cherry predominate fruit on front palate leading to med long smokey finish. Very good and Boudreaux like even though it was rather understated but not underwhelming. Had with 91 Opus One that was much more in your face so may have influenced this review.
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12/31/2013 - Marc wrote: 88 Points
New Year's Eve (In memory of Charlie Trotter) (Eketahuna, New Zealand): Large scaled, roasted nose with varnish, oak and a slightly disconcerting tawny port note that speaks to oxidation. On the plus side, the wine offers attractive plummy molasses nuance which is rather attractive. Very very earthy notes.
Tawny port aged quality in mouth, which in this bottle is fully or past fully resolved. Slightly over the top and monolithic tonight. This bottle is slightly past it with the tawny
noted. In its day (or possibly with pristine bottles) this should be
outstanding. It is certainly possible that the grapes were picked too ripe. Bad cork a likely reason behind the
slight advanced age (hopefully). My previous bottle (drunk in 2009) did not display these advanced characters.
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10/23/2013 - LoireFan wrote: 92 Points
And surprisingly, quite ready to go. This bottle was not stored properly.
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8/10/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour but still took about 30 minutes in the glass to fully open. Slightly sour red cherries throughout and on a long finish with some blackberries, dried herbs and hard leather underneath. Very smooth. Color showing some age but still a 30 second finish.
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7/7/2013 - northbridge wrote: 95 Points
Served the '92 La Jota against '92 Dalla Valle...both were spectacular and each will be fine for several more years. In fairness I have cellared them at 55 degrees since their release and last night was a just reward. Decanted 2 hours before dinner and served with grilled leg of lamb. Upon first taste the Dalla Valle was a little more open and fruit forward while the La Jota displayed vegetal notes, was lighter and more "French" in style. Most of us preferred the Dalla Valle while my son was La Jota all the way. An hour later the La Jota showed its stuff and most of us switched our allegiance. Both were perfect with the lamb and roasted red peppers and next year I expect both to still be drinking perfectly.
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6/19/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: flawed
Cooked and oxidized nose but taste was almost unaffected.
M acids and L tannin of fine grade coating the mouth, nothing bitter. Elegant power and thorough breed potential.
Wish we had gotten a pristine btl instead, because this should be really great!
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6/15/2013 - mxpbuy wrote: 90 Points
Possibly my worst bottle to date, but still a quality wine. Although the cork and fill were all good, the wine was clearly just past peak with a little but of prune coming through. Otherwise, it was consistent with my prior notes. I've got one bottle left of this vintage and it might be time to drink up.
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2/21/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
With wines which are 20+ years in age, the issue of bottle variation becomes a concern. This bottle, kindly opened by a generous friend (K.A.), was obviously well-cellared. It was decanted off its sediment and serially tasted over the ensuing two hours. The robe is a youthful opaque red/garnet and the nose is immediately expressive of black fruits, baking spice, minerals and pipe tobacco. The wine is full-bodied and well-structured on the palate, with medium acidity and medium polished tannins. The alcohol (listed as 13.5%) is well-integrated and the middle palate is layered with black fruit-dominated flavors. The finish is smooth and seems to go on and on. A truly impressive showing for this wine! A comparably cellared bottle should (amazingly) provide pleasure for another decade. Drink now-12/22.
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2/9/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another bottle that has probably just crossed the peak line by about a year, but still a wonderful bottle of wine. Soft and smooth, blackberrries, dried herbs, a little cassis with sweet vanilla Oak.
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2/5/2013 - sacprod wrote:
- Ruby color.
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1/5/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another excellent bottle. Smooth as silk. Wonderful black fruits layered with a little Oak, vanilla, dried herbs, soft leather and cassis. The wine took about 60 minutes to fully open and had a 20+ second finish.
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12/7/2012 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young and vibrant with nice fruit. A definite note of eucalyptus in the nose. Tannins have receded and the wine is drinking quite nicely.
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12/6/2012 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sampled 12/5/12. Opened a second of the 6-pack I recently bought. This one was much better but still clearly not stored as well as others I've had in the past. Just slightly past its peak but showing well nonetheless. The many of my same notes from prior tastings just a little thinner in terms of the fruit.
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12/2/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: flawed
I relatively recently bought a 6-pack from a private seller. The labels and capsules were in great condition and the fill into the neck. The first bottle I opened had a slightly depressed cork, which came out in one piece. The wine, however, clearly had browning at the edges and was bricking. I had not seen this in the other '92s I've consumed. The was clearly past peak and oxidized. I am hoping this bottle was an exception, and I did not get ripped off by a seller of poorly stored wines.
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12/2/2012 - kfk wrote: 90 Points
Prime window for drinking. Still has a lot of life in it but not sure if it will get much better.
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10/24/2012 - cabwiz wrote: 94 Points
Excellent wine holding up well
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10/12/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Some Wine Poured at Christie's (Christie's - New York NY): Tasting. Slightly mature black fruit aromas with great cigarbox spice. Lush black fruit flavors, hint of reduced mushroom,also big spice on finish. At at great place now, still well structured and balanced with well integrated tannins and acidity. Probably at its peak, but I'd expect this wine to drink very well to 2020.
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10/4/2012 - Dubie wrote: 90 Points
Drank together with the 1991 and the 1992. Still very closed, and not as enjoyable as the other two... though I suspect this will have the longest life. Will wait another 10y before opening the last two.
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6/28/2012 - Dubie wrote: 92 Points
Another stunning bottle, very expressive and structured wine
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6/9/2012 - Dubie wrote: 91 Points
At 20 years of age, this is showing perfectly. The bottle was sourced from California a couple of years ago. I decanted it for 2h+ before serving, as a previous serving straight from the bottle had proven suboptimal. More St Estephe like than Pauillac this time (sorry my references are French). The fruit came into balance with the tannins progressively, and by the end of the bottle, the wine was at its best. Will continue to show well for the next decade I would think, but certainly very enjoyable now.
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5/19/2012 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Domino's 40th (The Anvil Club, East Dundee, IL): Deep crimson core. Plum, leather, tobacco and blackberry aromas. Balanced; velvety mouthfeel. Dark fruit, leather and sandalwood qualities on the palate. Long finish. Youthful. 94 pts.
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2/15/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 1 hr. Brilliant ruby core, several well-developed transitions. Aromas of cigar wrapper, creme de cassis, high-toned cherry, herbs. The nose, like the palate is fairly monolithic, but still shows great freshness and vibrancy. The full-bodied palate shows fully integrated tannins, with an equal mixture of cherry and red berries. Medium finish, average acidity. This was nice, but as other tn's indicate, it's time to drink up, it's not getting any better. Drink thru 2015, score: B+/A-
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1/29/2012 - zinfidel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent mature wine. Purple, with slight browning at edge. Medium body, fully integrated tannins with great fruit with earthiness and a touch of cedar on the finish. Probably near its peak. Very nice.
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1/18/2012 - Dvogt wrote: 95 Points
Medium to dark swirls of purple hues in appearance. Nose of mushrooms and prunes. Palate of blackberry fruit, fully integrated tannins, tar, tobacco, supple texture and very smooth medium finish. An elegant and delightful wine.
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1/14/2012 - rdsboca wrote: 93 Points
This wine is in a great place. Fully mature dark red cherry with cassis and some mocha and chocolate on the mid palate. Tannins are smooth and silky. Nice body and mouthfeel. Just edged out the 1991.
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10/23/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 10/22/11. Another wonderful bottle filled with layers of raspberries and black fruits and some cassis are right up front. Good balance of sweet Oak, herbs and hint of spice from mid palate through the finish. Long finish. Almost no sediment.
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10/23/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
THe CT drinking window shows 11 as the latest to drink this wine. Don't believe it. There are lots of years left in this one. Very balanced with great fruit, acidity and smooth tannins to back it up for many years to come. The bottle had some sediments but no too much. Slow ox'd for an hour.
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10/21/2011 - Hodby wrote: 88 Points
Solid dark red color. Nose of prune, heavy toast oak, tar, mint. Medium low tannin, balanced acidity. Pungent oak and somewhat burned prune and tarry flavors. Supple texture, slightly hot finish and fairly popular at the table, if also too clumsy for my taste.
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8/27/2011 - Fielding wrote: 94 Points
Decanted one hour. Youthful ruby red in glass. Nose of black fruits, with cedar, menthol and vanilla. Currants and boysenberries on the palate, with flourishes of espresso, vanilla, star anise, mint, tobacco and graphite. Long finish. Starting to hit the zone.
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7/10/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 93 Points
Sampled 7/8/11. Excellent layers of red and black fruits which attack right from the start but are not overly ripe, but definitely fully ripe. Nice Oak, herbs and hint of spice from mid palate through the finish. I've had better bottles of this wine in the past, but there is very little sediment and this wine still has at least 5 more excellent years in it.
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4/11/2011 - Dvogt wrote: 95 Points
Medium consistency for a cab. Thins on the edges quickly. Medium purple\red hue. On the nose, there was some black fruit, some burnt cherry and what seemed like some heat. On the palate, mostly Blackberry, some ripe red fruit, with subtle touches of tar, tobacco, herbs and vanilla. A few layers of very subtle taste blending well together. Decanted for 2 hours before drinking. Better than previous bottle two years ago.
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3/24/2011 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
tanins are still harsh, decanting is a must
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1/12/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Light looking but intense, fresh and impressive.
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1/1/2011 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
no tannic, oak nose. plum. cherry, little sulfur. prob better 5 years ago. got better after opening up. drink now
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11/21/2010 - wallstreet wrote:
excellent wine, ranged with the Shafer HSS as WOTN for me. This wine definitely suprised me and I will seek out more. Flavors integrated and tannin's all but resolved. This wine is in a good place and will live on for another 10 or so years.Maybe longer.
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11/21/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Served right after 1992 Shafer HSS didn't do justice to this wine. Still managed to be the second wine of the night. Long life ahead of this one. Flash decanted and could have used more air. No sediments in the bottle.
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8/26/2010 - mxpbuy wrote: 95 Points
Sampled 7/30/10. I love this wine, which is still going strong and needs less than an hour to open at this point. Blackberries, cassis, some raspberries, tar, cedar, smokey sweet vanilla Oak, hints of white pepper and all beautifully layered in a smooth package. The finish goes on and on.
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7/6/2010 - Edclr wrote: 91 Points
Agree with last tasting note. Had better exlpectations.
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6/11/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Blackcurrant, a little stewed red fruit, cedar, a hint of old leather and smoke, and a strong minty orange blossom note. Nice weighting and presence on the palate. Just enough tannin remains to frame the finish. That interesting minty, citrus element is the closing note. A solid wine but nothing to get excited about. Likely would have been better with a decant. 18 years has not brought much in the way of character.
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4/3/2010 - KimberlyDo wrote: 92 Points
Ready to drink. Smooth with medium length. Consistent flavor throughout taste.
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3/20/2010 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 93 Points
This wine still looks great.
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1/10/2010 - michaelgor wrote: 95 Points
initially decanted only one hour...dark red..opaque..cant read through it..no brown on the edges.....this is 17 years old!!! ...nose of dark cherry, espresso..cedar..tobacco as it opened..on the palate..dark Bing cherry..more coffee....long finish..it was initially quite astringent..but with air this smoothed out..not that points matter, but would rate it higher if not for this astringency..other notes have described this as acidity..I must respectfully disagree and characterize this as a fault rather than a plus .which, hopefully , with more time..will smooth out....IMO, this wine can easily age 5-10 years more .
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11/8/2009 - emosleeper wrote: 96 Points
Wow -- exceeded my expectations! This bottle was in excellent condition, and right off the cork this smelled and tasted unbelievable! Dark purplish black, almost opaque, to the rim. Exotic and intoxicating aromatics of copious lush black fruits, forest floor, flowers.
In the mouth, this has a powerful and intense core of black cherry, boysenberry and ripe plum flavors, has a light and elegant mouthfeel, is medium bodied with excellent balance between fine and perfectly integrated tannins, bright acidity, and a long satisfying finish.
This is impossible to resist, and keeps you coming back for more!
Based on the scores from some other reviewers, I'm questioning the provenance of their bottles, because this was outstanding, and appears to be in a perfect drinking window.
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5/9/2009 - Marc wrote: 93 Points
Drunk with Bud, Liz, Dean, Rosie and J. Excellent wine which clearly outclassed the 1990 Caymus Special Selection. Has an extra dimension which really supports the wine's reputation. Will age for years.
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4/19/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 92 Points
Cool dark fruit, cedar, smoke, and mint. Silky, and well balanced with a long, cool finish. A bit better than 18 months ago but still tannic and I still don't think the fruit will outlast the tannins.
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4/14/2009 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
Greatly enjoyed this wine last night at the monthly meeting of the Hickory Wine Club at Lake HIckory CC as part of a '92 - '97 vertical tasting, what a flight. Huge bouquet of oak, allspice, smoke and dark fruit. Very well balanced, very full bodied and complex with enough tannins remaining for a few years of cellaring. Primary flavors included cassis, strong dark fruit, well balanced oak with development of some smoke and black pepper on a long aftertaste. Very very good, highly recommend this wine.
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2/18/2009 - loverboy wrote: 92 Points
Inky dark. Tight both in the nose and mouth. Picks up with some air. Soften tanin, with aroma of dark choco, tobacco, cassis, dense black fruits. Very concentrated. Slightly noticeable alcohol in nose.
I felt that there's not much room for improvement but will drink beautifully for at least 5-10 years.
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12/30/2008 - brynmair wrote: 90 Points
Dark color and a bit funky on the nose. Not particularly bad, but different. It wasn't a bold, in-your-face wine, but it had some disjointed components.
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10/7/2008 - KirkR wrote: 94 Points
Still youthful after more than 15 years. Plenty of dark fruit with a good earthiness. Very nice balance.
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8/18/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding.
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6/6/2008 - stevetimko wrote:
A rarity. A cabernet sauvignon I liked. Tobacco, chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. On the palate, plum and blackberry flavors. Still some zinginess to the tannins. For a wine that's been in the bottle for 15 years, I don't think that bodes well. I wonder if the fruit will fade before the tannins smooth out. Decent finish. Kind of big but balanced. Probably better around 2012.
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5/29/2008 - M DU VIN wrote: 93 Points
Cigar box and cedar aromas with nice deep fruit. Tannins are still pretty firm and this probably needs another 5 years to fully resolve the tannins.
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7/9/2007 - rsepulve wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cassis, tobacco, cedar, earth, and dark fruits. Good ruby red, no bricking. Still very tannic and it didn't soften much over time. We enjoyed it very much but I'm afraid the tannins will outlast the fruit.
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6/11/2007 - mnh wrote:
Has lost a bit of fruit but still very complex
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12/31/2006 - nvandyk wrote: 94 Points
Great tannic cali cab. Rich ruby with just the faintest hint of bricking at the edges; earthy aroma evocative of stone and chocolate. There is a fair amount of tannic structure here; one wonders if the fruit will fade before it is fully resolved. But this is drinking splendidly right now.
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11/26/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 79 Points
As I was decanting this the aroma of a California Chocolate Monster filled the room, and then like Dorian Gray it aged into something frail right before my eyes. The first impression struck me more like an old Rioja than anything Cabernet-based. Eventually it showed the cigar-box flavors and bitterness that are more typically Cabernet. But the fruit is on its deathbed, so the firm tannins and alcoholic bite stick out unpleasantly, and the more air it gets the more the wine falls apart.
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10/29/2006 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 93 Points
Still somewhat backward and tannic upon opening and needed a good 30 minutes to resolve. Once opened up the wine became almost creamy. Hallmark aromas od lead pencil, cedar and blackberry. Fine and long on the finish. Tannins still somewhat present, but behind the fruit.
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8/16/2006 - LoireFan wrote: 93 Points
Decanted three hours. It was excellent, but I wish I had opened it 8 years from now.
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8/12/2006 - davidandrose wrote: flawed
Corked. DAMNIT!!!
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2/11/2006 - MC wrote:
dark red, not showing it's age. nice full cabernet, showing some tannin and overall has more of a bordeaux structure to it than i expected. very enjoyable, but has a few years to go. A-
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1/28/2006 - burningstarIV wrote: 92 Points
Youthful ruby/purple shows no signs of age. Rich, precise nose of currants, chocolate, blackberry and Irish cream. Medium-to-full bodied in the mouth with sweet fruit that manages restraint. Full on the entire palate with a strong, if simple, finish. 50+5+11+18+8=92
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1/8/2006 - pgordon62 wrote: 93 Points
A classy nose of cassis, tobacco and a minty note. Medium weight with well defined dark fruit. Still quite tannic with solid acids on the long finish. Over time in the glass a pleasing mineral and leather element emerged. This needs another 3-5 years to show its best. Tasted next to a 1989 La Mission Haut Brion, it showed younger, slightly sweeter but surprisingly similar in profile.
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10/22/2005 - anthonyiez wrote: 95 Points
opened and decanted into a wide bottom decanter, then immediately consumed out oreidel vinum cab glasses.
for a 13 year old wine one couldn't tell from looking at it. the coler was very dark with a slight amount of bricking. upon opening the aroma just burst from the bottle and while decanting i knew this was going to be good. the nose was like a wild array of christmas kitchen smells. there was cinnimon, nutmeg, maple syrup and apple pie crust. the palate didn't quite deliver as much as the nose. with rigorous swirling it started to come alive with dark brooding fruit. the oak has completely vanished and the tannin was unbeliveably sweet. the finish was medium to long and left just the greatest aftertaste in the mouth. with 2 more left in the cellar i will hold off at least another 3-5 yrs to pop another one.
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8/6/2005 - jmd60611 wrote: 95 Points
Always love the early 90's DV...This to me was the best wine of the night, bigger and bolder with more fruit than the Mondavi...Chocolate and smoke noted, but all flavors were integrated and balanced...
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5/2/2005 - cassetta wrote: 94 Points
This wine has really opened up, fleshed out and is fully mature. Ripe Plums with some flowers on the nose. Voluptuous and fat with fully integrated tannins. These should be consumed over the next 3-5 years.
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9/9/2004 - bdenuyl wrote: 92 Points
Drank 7/04 Generally agree with WS recent tasting (03). Wile very good, it is not a 90. Had high acid that balanced out after it was decanted for a while. Not a “big” cab, but more in the French styling. Was great with steaks.
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1/28/2002 - mnh wrote:
Medium deep ruby, complex cab nose, drinking very well at 10 yrs old.
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5/4/2001 - mdefreitas wrote: 95 Points
Dan's Dalla Valle Vertical @ XXXX: Very dark, youthful plumy color. Appears younger than I would have expected from an eight year old California Cabernet. When first sampled, the wine appeared to display a bit of alcohol in the nose, but this quickly blew off. This wonderful wine was totally filled to the brim with ripe, sweet cassis fruit. Hints of herbs kept poking in and out, but this is a wine of pure fruit expression. Tannins were present, but they were much more plush than the 1991. My favorite wine of the night for drinking now. I recently tasted a vertical of the Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet, and there as well the 1992 provided the best enjoyment for current drinking (although with the Beringer, I felt the 1991 version would eventually prevail). Great showing, and I ranked this particular bottle EXCELLENT+.
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5/1/2000 - mnh wrote:
Deep color, well structured, will age well but very approachable now
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3/3/1999 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
BLACK CHERRY, CHOCOLATE, AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE. FLAVOR MATCHED THE NOSE WITH DEEP RICH FRUIT, NICE COMPLEXITY, AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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