On PnP, dark ruby, medium to full bodied, with quite sweet fruits and very little acid or prominent tannin. Dark fruits with some cassis but bordering on plummy. I suspect this would have been killer 10 years ago, but the va va voom has left the building. Nose consistent with the taste, with some earthy notes. Still tasty, with a decent finish.
Let's see what this is like in an hour. it could go either way, but I suspect it will become even more simple.
Update: 2 hours later, considerable improvements. Tannins and acid now more present, but still dominated by overly sweet fruits.
Next night update. Closed with plastic filter/pourer overnight. So here's all that acid that was AWOL last night, and the oversweet fruits have diminished, in favor of a thinner, more acid-dominant, mature California cab taste and nose. A bit sour on the finish. Overall a much better (but not great) wine than yesterday.
I'm normally not one to consume 2nd day wine, particularly one this old. But this improved it. Who knew?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa with friends; 8/15/2019-8/18/2019 (Napa, CA): Fully mature and probably time to drink up. This is tasting very soft and accessible, red fruited with some earth and tea leaves - easy drinking. Not bad but not very complex. No need to wait on these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose presents with muted dried spearmint and bing cherry. The palette confirms the aromatics as the drying tannins provide a grippy finish. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Spicy up front with tons of dark fruit and hints of chocolate. Finish a little lacking, but otherwise delicious. Surely at the end of its window, but still worth it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not thrilling, just deep, dark, complex, and gorgeous. Such simple quality. OK--different story day 2! Very dirty funky as some fruit dissipates to reveal the embers underneath. Wonder if that was there, unnoticed, that first night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cool and settled, like a magical pool in a dark cave. Deep and dense with tobacco, black cherries, and cassis. Right out of 10 years in temperature controlled storage; did not decant; drank over a couple of hours; paired with ribeye.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromas of currant, blackberry & tobacco. Still nicely layered dark fruit, black currant and toast flavors with still prominent but nicely integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was not nearly as good as the one I had last year which was a pop and pour. Unless I had a flawed bottle, this really needs some decant time. Came back to it after about 2 hours and there was significant improvement but still nothing special. May have been slightly corked - since I had to drink an entire bottle to let this breathe in the decanter I may be off the mark here. I think I need to open another bottle soon to see if this one was bad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted at 5pm and tasted. Finished by 8pm when it was really coming together. At first, sharp fruit on the nose with a lean, tight and dry tannic finish. After awhile it opens up to be a pleasing drinker. Overall impressions: a subtle and refined wine and not a fruit bomb by any means. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted one hour (closed when first poured). Ruby red in the glass. Nose of red and black cherry, currant. Medium-bodied wine in the mouth, with bright cherry and red fruit flavors, and rather delicate notes of chocolate and peppery mint, but without much power. Tannins are fully integrated in this bottle. Gets points for poise and elegance, but not as exciting as I anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm not liking the Pine Ridge's that much. This one just doens't put it all together for me. They have good depth of fruit but not much character IMHO. It's a decent drinking wine for dinner but not something I want to own at this price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic wine. Aromas of blackberries, dark red cherries, cedar, and spice with hints of chocolate and licorice. On the palate, this wine definitely provides plenty of tannins but is still reasonably balanced at this stage with a wonderful finish highlighted by blackberries, currants, and spice. On the second day, the wine really opened up and gave a hint at its potential. I plan to buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Large tannins and tremendous nose of spice. A very earthy Cab with a peppery middle and a medium length finish. Probably will become more complex and interesting with some age. So far its good but not great. I enjoyed this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10/9/2022 - kzkpt wrote: 88 Points
On PnP, dark ruby, medium to full bodied, with quite sweet fruits and very little acid or prominent tannin. Dark fruits with some cassis but bordering on plummy. I suspect this would have been killer 10 years ago, but the va va voom has left the building. Nose consistent with the taste, with some earthy notes. Still tasty, with a decent finish.
Let's see what this is like in an hour. it could go either way, but I suspect it will become even more simple.
Update: 2 hours later, considerable improvements. Tannins and acid now more present, but still dominated by overly sweet fruits.
Next night update. Closed with plastic filter/pourer overnight. So here's all that acid that was AWOL last night, and the oversweet fruits have diminished, in favor of a thinner, more acid-dominant, mature California cab taste and nose. A bit sour on the finish. Overall a much better (but not great) wine than yesterday.
I'm normally not one to consume 2nd day wine, particularly one this old. But this improved it. Who knew?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2019 - nkromberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank as part of a post holiday event at the house. Great color. Awesome flavor. Held up well for the age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2019 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Napa with friends; 8/15/2019-8/18/2019 (Napa, CA): Fully mature and probably time to drink up. This is tasting very soft and accessible, red fruited with some earth and tea leaves - easy drinking. Not bad but not very complex. No need to wait on these.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2015 - juicejammer wrote: 87 Points
The nose presents with muted dried spearmint and bing cherry. The palette confirms the aromatics as the drying tannins provide a grippy finish. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/13/2014 - slobak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow! Spicy up front with tons of dark fruit and hints of chocolate. Finish a little lacking, but otherwise delicious. Surely at the end of its window, but still worth it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Not thrilling, just deep, dark, complex, and gorgeous. Such simple quality. OK--different story day 2! Very dirty funky as some fruit dissipates to reveal the embers underneath. Wonder if that was there, unnoticed, that first night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Cool and settled, like a magical pool in a dark cave. Deep and dense with tobacco, black cherries, and cassis. Right out of 10 years in temperature controlled storage; did not decant; drank over a couple of hours; paired with ribeye.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2012 - Brenda&John wrote: 78 Points
Too old - gone bad. Pored down the drain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2012 - gavinesq wrote: 92 Points
Opens with a lot of cedar and tobacco. A lot of the cedar blew off to leave black cherry and ripe plums. Decanting recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2012 - FPNova wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of currant, blackberry & tobacco. Still nicely layered dark fruit, black currant and toast flavors with still prominent but nicely integrated tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2012 - mraabpfg wrote: 94 Points
awesome wine everything you want in a cab
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2011 - jbehrendt wrote: 93 Points
This was really a wonderful cab. Paired with steak. Enjoyable experience. Still has some years to go; but this was my last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2011 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Joe P's): Aromas of vanilla, red fruit and cassis. Flavors of red fruit with a nice, spicy finish. Guessed Cal cab.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2011 - mas01950 wrote: 83 Points
A bit one-dimensional, typical $20 Napa cabernet flavor profile for $50? More structure than fruit, disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2011 - tkoby11 wrote:
Over the hill sow, nice, but rather simple.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2010 - TinMan wrote: 91 Points
Great legs, typical CaliCab color (nice), followed by balanced but forward deep red fruit with some earth and subtle spice. This is good juice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2009 - TannicBeast wrote: 93 Points
very young yet very balanced. should improve with age. got a 93 from WS.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2009 - lpk22 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking pretty well right now, but could still benefit for some additional time in the bottle. Chocolaty, oak, and red fruit, good long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2008 - ejca wrote:
Very good, what i expected, good solid offering.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2008 - Rex66 wrote: 88 Points
Flashes of blackcurrant fruit, but hidden by slightly green tannins. Don't think this will improve much.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2008 - dmorris wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was not nearly as good as the one I had last year which was a pop and pour. Unless I had a flawed bottle, this really needs some decant time. Came back to it after about 2 hours and there was significant improvement but still nothing special. May have been slightly corked - since I had to drink an entire bottle to let this breathe in the decanter I may be off the mark here. I think I need to open another bottle soon to see if this one was bad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2007 - stevenp22 wrote: flawed
Very nice, smooth tannis well put together. Had the last glass two days later and it had deteriorated significantly
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2007 - winetexan wrote: 91 Points
drank with my son for Hallowine, very balanced wine, enjoyed very much
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2007 - lizjagla@yahoo.com wrote: 90 Points
Very well balanced - tasted better as it went along. Very much enjoyed this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Decanted at 5pm and tasted. Finished by 8pm when it was really coming together. At first, sharp fruit on the nose with a lean, tight and dry tannic finish. After awhile it opens up to be a pleasing drinker. Overall impressions: a subtle and refined wine and not a fruit bomb by any means. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2007 - pgm wrote: 90 Points
Decanted one hour (closed when first poured). Ruby red in the glass. Nose of red and black cherry, currant. Medium-bodied wine in the mouth, with bright cherry and red fruit flavors, and rather delicate notes of chocolate and peppery mint, but without much power. Tannins are fully integrated in this bottle. Gets points for poise and elegance, but not as exciting as I anticipated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2006 - beachnic wrote: 89 Points
I'm not liking the Pine Ridge's that much. This one just doens't put it all together for me. They have good depth of fruit but not much character IMHO. It's a decent drinking wine for dinner but not something I want to own at this price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2005 - rlysecky wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic wine. Aromas of blackberries, dark red cherries, cedar, and spice with hints of chocolate and licorice. On the palate, this wine definitely provides plenty of tannins but is still reasonably balanced at this stage with a wonderful finish highlighted by blackberries, currants, and spice. On the second day, the wine really opened up and gave a hint at its potential. I plan to buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2005 - tstan wrote: 89 Points
Large tannins and tremendous nose of spice. A very earthy Cab with a peppery middle and a medium length finish. Probably will become more complex and interesting with some age. So far its good but not great. I enjoyed this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Quick visit to Napa and Sonoma; 7/9/2004-7/10/2004 (Sonoma and Napa): Aromas of ripe plum and some cassis. Black cherry and plum on palate with slightly sweet tannins that give a somewhat simple character in middle, but finishes with good fruit and spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)