Loving this tonight. Last bottle, wish I had more. Cork was darkly stained with some smaller crystals but completely clean for most of the sides. Deep dark red color with beautiful flavors of dark fruit with some structure and plenty of finish. I'm not great with descriptions but I know I'm enjoying this bottle. I suspect it could have survived a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PNP: not much on nose initialy, but definintely expanded over half hour to a very pleasant earthy/ fruitiness. Lovely acid/fruit balance on palate. Tannins present but nicely intergrated. Not as full bodied as some cabs; such as the 05 Staglin we paired it with.I find the CT drinking window about right; probably will not improve but no need to rush to finish. This is somewhere between 92 and 93 for my palate. Very good QPR for Napa cab. PS: it paired great with ribs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Opener 2021 (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red color with a 3mm bricked edge. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. This wine moved around a bit too. The nose takes a little time come around, starting with a lot of wood spice and overt dried wood, black currant, mushroom, subtle vanilla, light potpourri and herbs, and distinct black licorice. The nose is the highlight for me. The palate comes off a bit leaner, and my sense is this was probably a bit better a couple years ago. Black cherry, black currants, heavy wood influences, not a lot but more alcohol showing, licorice, well spiced, nice dry tannins on a medium plus body. Drink up. 92+ to 93pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely deep ruby, no sign of bricking, big open nose of dark cherry dominate, perfectly balanced full body, nice fruit complemented by a hint of acid. Drinking perfectly no need to wait, however should continue to cellar for years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jammy, strawberry, creme initials, developing into a black cherry pie bouquet. Palate of black fruits, liquorice, mint leaves, with a tinge of sweetness and jam. Long minty finish. Dense and powerful, and somewhat intriguing for me. Alcohol is still rather forward. Ok to open now but I reckon this should get better with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Octagon - tight nose upon opening with cherry and a tight pallet. Opened up after roughly 20-30 min and was unbelievable. Berries, dark cherry, spice. Great wine with some complexity. After about an hour this shut down - drink now because it won’t last much longer. 93 points. $69 CAD upon purchase but worth the $119 CAD 2014 price currently.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has matured into a very nice Cab. It does not have the complexity, depth and wow factor that you get with 08 Dominus which recently just blew me away, but it did pair well with a grilled porterhouse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is drinkable now (march 2018), it shows nice signs of maturity. We had it with entrecôte, but you can also have it on its own. In the first 30 minutes after decanting we got strong berries with dark cherry and a little spice. After 30 minutes the flavours turned more into canned fruit bordering on Jam. About 1 hour after that, it became more masculine as tobacco, leather and very faintly cacao beans began to enter the scene. Nice long sugary tail. Nice and playful back and forth between fruits and leather etc. nothing to complain about at the price of Euro 59,95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really delicious napa cab at the peak of its maturity. Ripe red fruit, a hint of chocolate, fine tannins, good body, smooth and drinking beautifully with a quick decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In OCNJ, drank over 2 nights w casual fare. Slow oxed on first night. Wine opened nicely at about 20 minutes in.
Consistent w prior notes: "Medium garnet color. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. On the palate, dark and red berries, herbs, tobacco, graphite and vanilla. Plate is smooth, a little thin. Medium weight and finish..." Maybe a shade better (from memory) than last bottle. Nice secondary notes of cocoa and cream(?).
In a great spot now, I think this will be at its best over next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 30 minutes. Surprisingly fruit forward with loads of dark berries. Smooth tannins. Didn't detect any oak at all. Paired with steak and was able to hold its own. Very good for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with excellent steak on our wedding anniversary. This wine was good, maybe very good, but somehow I felt a little down. I am not sure about the precise blend but the overt spice suggested Zinfandel somewhere. The spice rather dominated the primary fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank during the NCAA championship game, nice wine to savor during a great football game...been in my cellar since release, big fan of this wine, first time with this vintage. Slow oxed, drank over 3 hours.
Medium garnet color. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. On the palate, dark and red berries, herbs, tobacco, graphite and vanilla. Plate is smooth, a little thin. Medium weight and finish.
All in this is a nice and elegant wine from Dominus. Its aging nicely and adding secondary characteristics. In a really good spot now, I think this will be at its best over the next 5 years. Napanook Red is a consistent performing "second" wine from Dominus, great QPR
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nicely combines the ripe fruit of napa with some old world flavors of spice and leather. Blackcurrant and black and red fruited. Acid and tannins still evident. The alcohol is a bit obtrusive, but I often find that with napa wines. Wouldn't expect it from Christian mouiex. He's just about my favorite winemaker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was showing very well. A cooler more savory style of cab, with a distinct herbal streak (but no green notes). Mostly red and black fruits, acidity still quite forward on the palate but tannins in the background. Fresh, spicy, and complex--this is terrific for the price.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, viscous red with a medium clear rim in the glass. Mulberries, tobacco, and a very faint whiff of barnyard on the nose. Sweet mulberries and vanilla with just a hint of acid on the palate. Nicely balanced. Fine tannins thoroughly resolved. Pnp great but improved with time in air. A very nice Napa blend, especially for the price point. Glad I held it until now. It beat the socks off the 2007 I opened earlier this year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 45 mins. Deep, opaque red/black. Lovely rich and ripe nose with buckets of black cherries as well as cedar and light leather notes. Palate has great balance with medium fine tannins and a good zip of acid. Super ripe black cherries and berries with some violets. Ripe flavours makes the wine really appealing. Can certainly drink now and likely to continue to integrate well over next 5-7 years. Now-2023.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The color is quite dark as one would expect from the origin of this wine. The nose is clear and of high intensity, a lot of alcohol coming through, a bunch of lactic notes, sweet spice, nutmeg and clove, almost jammy black currant and berry, liquorice as well. In the palate, the wine is round, black and red fruit, cherry and vanilla, smooth and sweet, nice oak, alcohol bites at the end, med to long finish. Outstanding quality, drinking already but could hold. Happy to drink a bottle but not my style to buy one
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a very enjoyable wine. Smooth classic Cabernet blend with lots of fruit flavors on a medium finish. Complex blend of red and black fruit with a touch of cedar on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slow to open aromatically; after two hours very pleasing cherry-cassis, leather and olives. On arrival, fine grained low tannin and low-medium acidity. Flavor intensity moderate, matching the nose entirely, but entirely very good. Medium length finish, hint of oakiness here. Bottle #2 of two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 45-min. Initial nose fairly complex with leathery undertones to the fruit and mild funk. Medium-light bodied and classic cab to taste. Disappointing that the nose and body faded quickly, even getting sour fruit by the end of dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright and young, fresh a touch unbalanced on the sweet side. We decanted for like 30 minutes, but we knew from the start that albeit not austere we should have waited, at least we think, for a few more years. Quite a bit of red fruits, rich ripe fruit. a touch too sweet. The oak is not evident at this stage. Interesting but not inspiring at this stage. Maybe with time. 89-90 now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a super smooth wine right now. I actually think it is ready to drink right now. I question whether it will improve more with time unless you want a more mellow, softer wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Robe de couleur rouge violace fonce ... Nez sur les fruits, le chaume et le bois ... Papilles sur les fruits noirs bien murs, les épices et le chêne ... La finale est longue ... Je suis fut déçu par ce vin dégusté à la suite du Crognolo 2009 ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Old World in style and well put together, offering a lovely mix of red and black currants, cherries, cedar bark, forest floor, and mint on the nose. Bright, lively, and mineral-driven, the palate is mid bodied, smooth, juicy, showing a hint of green peppercorn on the back end, and a long and pure finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby color, medium depth with slight haze. Moderate aromas of saddle soap, new leather & barnyard. Off dry, medium to high tannins. Moderate flavors of black cherry, subdued fruit, a bit closed down. Very old world. Needs a couple of years laying down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light purple. Drank over 4 hours. Cedar, stones , blackberries, cherry. This is still very young and tightly wound. Does need some air to open up, but will keep my other bottles for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-bodied, silky and well integrated. Nose is earthy with hints of raspberry jam. After some time in the glass this opens into expressions of cherry and blackcurrant, accented by tobacco, licorice and a touch of herbs. Tannins are firm but in balance, and the finish is medium to medium long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
- Ruby color and aromas of raspberry, strawberry, rose and cherry. It's overly tannic with a medium body. Narrow texture with a medium finish - Overall not a bad cab from the king of cabs - Napa. The balance on this is what threw me off. Would like to have see a little more complexity and longer finish. This one cuts like a knife with acidity and sharp tannin. Give it some time or drink it now with some rich food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think I liked this more than the 2008 Dominus. Honestly this is the little brother to Dominus but it is still a great wine. The Dominus is in my opinion more old world style while this is more in the style of California. Very fruit forward and rich. Not overly powerful but really has the style and structure of a wine that will cellar for a decade. For a middle of the week bottle this may be as good as it gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very robust wine with good concentrations. Reasonably well balanced. Smooth tannins. Cassis, blackberries, tobacco, and a hint if oak. Good full bodied wine but a bit one dimensional for me. Not sure how much it will improve with time. Decent bottle but there are better offerings for the money.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark nearly black colour. Deep black currant, tobacco, wild flowers, licorice, herbs and a kind of an earthy touch on the nose. This wine is full-bodied, with a nice texture but a bit one-dimensional to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark garnet to black. Black cherry, cassis, asphalt, green herbs on the nose. Straightforward Cab palate, medium- to full-bodied, black cherry, tight black fruit, strong acid and tannin. Would benefit from a few hours decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I am not getting this wine... It's BIG and inky, but rather dull and uninteresting. Decanted for about an hour and tasted little improvement. Maybe in a few years it will grow up an be something, but I found this wine way too overpowering to sip on. Also, I think this wine always gets a pass from the press because of it's highly esteemed owner, Christian Moueix of Chateau Petrus, who seemingly can do no wrong. But Me? I just think this is a mediocre wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep opaque ruby red color. Not a big nose, some pencil shavings and oak. Refined cherry and licorice, well balanced and luxurious mouth feel. good finish with smooth tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark crimson and brooding color. Nose is layered and likely needs more time - opened and let breath in bottle for four hours. Dried cherries, earthy tobacco, vanilla, plumbs and apricots on the nose. Mouth feel is velvety with mild acidity. The finish shows modest velvety tannins that linger and a sweet kick. 5+12+16+8=91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unwound and followed over 2 hours. Second wine of Dominus.
Nose: Ripe Cherry, Blackberry and a bright red fruit sensibility. Some clay soil, tobacco and mineral notes show as well. Palate: Feels rich and dense with a lively balance. Cherry, Blackberry, Oak and vanilla are prominient with some toasty notes accenting. Does have its darker moments out of the gate with licorice and cassis pre-air. Finish: Very nice red berries, chocolate and some heat. Soft and velvety on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very solid California Cabernet blend. I wish I had the chance to taste other vintages, but this was a fantastic balance of new world fruit and old world secondary (tobacco, leather, herbs, vegetal) characteristics. It outclasses many $50+ Napa Cabs and I wish more new world producers made wine in this style. Very good value. 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At the keg $89. Really good quality, definitely California wine. Sparked a discussion if Moueix could make Cali taste like Bdx. We figure not, but why bother when it tastes so great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine was enjoyed 1/28/12 at Bailey's Prime Plus in Fort Worth TX. The wine was uncorked and poured into glasses. Cannot comment on the cork but I believe it was a very dark red and inky stain. The initial color was a dark red on the pour, very full. The nose out of the glass was some pepper, but mostly a cedar tone that was quite strong. The taste was reminiscent of a wine that was very tight, with quite an acidic finish with fruit characteristics all buried/muted beneath a floor of minerality, acidity, cedar bark, and leather. Rest of the bottle was decanted through a Vinturi into a decanter. I would have given this wine about an 87 if this is all it produced. HOWEVER,after the decant and another 15 minutes this wine changed 180 degrees. The nose was black cherry, blackberry, full bodied spicy nose. The palate was all blackberry, cherry, plum, some dark chocolate (not much) with an undertone of crushed rock and some soil characteristics coming through. Mid-palate is where the pepper spice exploded, mixing well with Lobster Bisque. The fruit gave way to a nice black licorice on top, cedar that is mild in the middle, and again fruit that stayed with you throughout that 20 second finish. Tannic structure was harsh before decanting but just about PERFECT after decanting, really mellowing out with a peppered filet mignon, seared black and blue, lobster mac and cheese, and asparagus. Wine finished strong and balanced. Napanook - the affordable child of the Dominus regime is an excellent, sub-100 restaurant choice that will drink like a 250+ bottle. Nice, nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First of the Napas for the evening. Nose reveals medium plus complexity, and deep black currant, some jame, blackberry and licorice. Velvety palate with some oiliness. Palate reveals some brewed black coffee and black dark chocolate. Despite these darker notes, there is plenty of acidity, medium plus fine tannins and lots of youth. Needs some time but still suave. Nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dominus Seminar with Christian Moueix (Binny's Lincoln Park): Dark purple color. Opaque almost to the rim. Uber ripe candied nose. Grapey, chocolate, black licorice candy. Creamy baking spice. Some touches of meat and pepper corn but only slightly. Cola and Dr. Pepper more specifically. Wall of fruit is hard to get around. Really nice and jammy though. Nice palate. Balanced and big Napa fruit. Get a lot for your buck. Black and blue styling with some nice minerality. Really yummy. Fruit bomb for sure but barely hanging on with the fair dose of acidity I need in a big boy. Dusty cocoa powder on the finish. Just a little too much to merit a higher score. Less is more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I had high expectations going into this one. The Chateau Petrus reputation had my taste buds on high alert. Perhaps my lower score reflects my sense of relative value and my expectations. I was also quite surprised at how this evolved in the glass: it went flat rather than improved with time. It is entirely possible that I was over-eager to taste this ($50/bottle) and should have waited longer. However, unlike other wines that I've sampled that are a bit early, this one didn't show a sense of something that I'd expect to age with time in a deeper way. The uneven quality was also echoed on the 2nd night, so I'm really a bit puzzled as to what it will be like with age. The initial nose was of bread toasted with butter. The taste was a strong fruit-forward dominated by plums, cherry, and dark fruit. The following on taste was of tobacco and some talc. This reminded me of an alcoholic version of 'juicy fruit' gum, being sweeter and fruitier than I'd expected. In sum, I'd be inclined to go with Petrus directly and skip the Napanook ones from this point, it seemed over-priced relative to the value and not likely to get better with further aging. But, maybe I'm missing something in the analysis. One further note is that the tannins were quite modest and that over time it did show some oscillations of the pepper sense, but not the fruit/sweet sense.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice blue/red fruit, hints of dry chocolate. Massive dry tannins and a little heat on the backend. This bottle need to calm down a bit. Almost too young to drink at this point. Give this a few years of bottle age. SS 91+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. First drink was great right out of the bottle. Great fruit and a little bit of jam. I'm not feeling much tannin. Makes me wonder about it's aging potential. I've got a few bottles in the cellar so I'll find out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
6/25/2021 - andrewdodd86 wrote:
NR - still good but has lost a bit of its luster post Coravin
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2021 - MrD Likes this wine:
Loving this tonight. Last bottle, wish I had more. Cork was darkly stained with some smaller crystals but completely clean for most of the sides. Deep dark red color with beautiful flavors of dark fruit with some structure and plenty of finish. I'm not great with descriptions but I know I'm enjoying this bottle. I suspect it could have survived a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/16/2021 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great dusty cherry, tannins have subsided. Forest floor, grilling herbs, mushrooms and a black currant note I really dig.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2021 - robertgf wrote: 93 Points
PNP: not much on nose initialy, but definintely expanded over half hour to a very pleasant earthy/ fruitiness. Lovely acid/fruit balance on palate. Tannins present but nicely intergrated. Not as full bodied as some cabs; such as the 05 Staglin we paired it with.I find the CT drinking window about right; probably will not improve but no need to rush to finish. This is somewhere between 92 and 93 for my palate. Very good QPR for Napa cab. PS: it paired great with ribs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
The Opener 2021 (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red color with a 3mm bricked edge. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 3 hours. This wine moved around a bit too. The nose takes a little time come around, starting with a lot of wood spice and overt dried wood, black currant, mushroom, subtle vanilla, light potpourri and herbs, and distinct black licorice. The nose is the highlight for me. The palate comes off a bit leaner, and my sense is this was probably a bit better a couple years ago. Black cherry, black currants, heavy wood influences, not a lot but more alcohol showing, licorice, well spiced, nice dry tannins on a medium plus body. Drink up. 92+ to 93pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2021 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely deep ruby, no sign of bricking, big open nose of dark cherry dominate, perfectly balanced full body, nice fruit complemented by a hint of acid. Drinking perfectly no need to wait, however should continue to cellar for years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2020 - no leashes wrote: 91 Points
Still rich and pure, a wonderful cabernet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2020 - MrD Likes this wine:
Yum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2020 - Grapetomeetyou Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super smooth right on first pour
Raspberry sweet delicious fruit
Vanilla hints
Enjoying
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2019 - dnnk88 wrote: 90 Points
Jammy, strawberry, creme initials, developing into a black cherry pie bouquet. Palate of black fruits, liquorice, mint leaves, with a tinge of sweetness and jam. Long minty finish. Dense and powerful, and somewhat intriguing for me. Alcohol is still rather forward. Ok to open now but I reckon this should get better with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2019 - mcease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at Octagon - tight nose upon opening with cherry and a tight pallet. Opened up after roughly 20-30 min and was unbelievable. Berries, dark cherry, spice. Great wine with some complexity. After about an hour this shut down - drink now because it won’t last much longer. 93 points. $69 CAD upon purchase but worth the $119 CAD 2014 price currently.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2018 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature. Silky smooth with a good cabernet backbone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has matured into a very nice Cab. It does not have the complexity, depth and wow factor that you get with 08 Dominus which recently just blew me away, but it did pair well with a grilled porterhouse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2018 - VG123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is drinkable now (march 2018), it shows nice signs of maturity. We had it with entrecôte, but you can also have it on its own. In the first 30 minutes after decanting we got strong berries with dark cherry and a little spice. After 30 minutes the flavours turned more into canned fruit bordering on Jam. About 1 hour after that, it became more masculine as tobacco, leather and very faintly cacao beans began to enter the scene. Nice long sugary tail. Nice and playful back and forth between fruits and leather etc. nothing to complain about at the price of Euro 59,95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2018 - walkerjfw wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle from this stash, first to drink with a Coravin...drank over three nights. In a great spot, fully mature, drink now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2017 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Really delicious napa cab at the peak of its maturity. Ripe red fruit, a hint of chocolate, fine tannins, good body, smooth and drinking beautifully with a quick decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 91 Points
In OCNJ, drank over 2 nights w casual fare. Slow oxed on first night. Wine opened nicely at about 20 minutes in.
Consistent w prior notes: "Medium garnet color. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. On the palate, dark and red berries, herbs, tobacco, graphite and vanilla. Plate is smooth, a little thin. Medium weight and finish..." Maybe a shade better (from memory) than last bottle. Nice secondary notes of cocoa and cream(?).
In a great spot now, I think this will be at its best over next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2017 - superboo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Surprisingly fruit forward with loads of dark berries. Smooth tannins. Didn't detect any oak at all. Paired with steak and was able to hold its own. Very good for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2017 - belfast taxman wrote: 88 Points
Drank with excellent steak on our wedding anniversary. This wine was good, maybe very good, but somehow I felt a little down. I am not sure about the precise blend but the overt spice suggested Zinfandel somewhere. The spice rather dominated the primary fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 90 Points
Drank during the NCAA championship game, nice wine to savor during a great football game...been in my cellar since release, big fan of this wine, first time with this vintage. Slow oxed, drank over 3 hours.
Medium garnet color. Dark fruits and oak on the nose. On the palate, dark and red berries, herbs, tobacco, graphite and vanilla. Plate is smooth, a little thin. Medium weight and finish.
All in this is a nice and elegant wine from Dominus. Its aging nicely and adding secondary characteristics. In a really good spot now, I think this will be at its best over the next 5 years. Napanook Red is a consistent performing "second" wine from Dominus, great QPR
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2016 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nicely combines the ripe fruit of napa with some old world flavors of spice and leather. Blackcurrant and black and red fruited. Acid and tannins still evident. The alcohol is a bit obtrusive, but I often find that with napa wines. Wouldn't expect it from Christian mouiex. He's just about my favorite winemaker.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was showing very well. A cooler more savory style of cab, with a distinct herbal streak (but no green notes). Mostly red and black fruits, acidity still quite forward on the palate but tannins in the background. Fresh, spicy, and complex--this is terrific for the price.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2016 - Jonny d wrote: 92 Points
Deep, viscous red with a medium clear rim in the glass. Mulberries, tobacco, and a very faint whiff of barnyard on the nose. Sweet mulberries and vanilla with just a hint of acid on the palate. Nicely balanced. Fine tannins thoroughly resolved. Pnp great but improved with time in air. A very nice Napa blend, especially for the price point. Glad I held it until now. It beat the socks off the 2007 I opened earlier this year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/3/2016 - no leashes wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely delicious. Sweet tannins, excellent depth and texture. Ripe red fruit, some earth and smoky overtones. Smooth and wonderful.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/19/2016 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 91 Points
I like this, but find it to be a bit thin, as if it's lost a bit of it's fruit with age. I enjoyed the 2012 vintage significantly more recently.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2016 - ravbik wrote: 95 Points
Great depth and value . In wonderful place with ripe red fruits , earth notes cocoa and some tannins
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2015 - GNBB wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 45 mins. Deep, opaque red/black. Lovely rich and ripe nose with buckets of black cherries as well as cedar and light leather notes. Palate has great balance with medium fine tannins and a good zip of acid. Super ripe black cherries and berries with some violets. Ripe flavours makes the wine really appealing. Can certainly drink now and likely to continue to integrate well over next 5-7 years. Now-2023.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2015 - kostaslonis wrote: 90 Points
The color is quite dark as one would expect from the origin of this wine. The nose is clear and of high intensity, a lot of alcohol coming through, a bunch of lactic notes, sweet spice, nutmeg and clove, almost jammy black currant and berry, liquorice as well. In the palate, the wine is round, black and red fruit, cherry and vanilla, smooth and sweet, nice oak, alcohol bites at the end, med to long finish. Outstanding quality, drinking already but could hold. Happy to drink a bottle but not my style to buy one
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2015 - Tiderunner22 wrote: 90 Points
This is a very enjoyable wine. Smooth classic Cabernet blend with lots of fruit flavors on a medium finish. Complex blend of red and black fruit with a touch of cedar on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2015 - Hodby wrote: 91 Points
Slow to open aromatically; after two hours very pleasing cherry-cassis, leather and olives. On arrival, fine grained low tannin and low-medium acidity. Flavor intensity moderate, matching the nose entirely, but entirely very good. Medium length finish, hint of oakiness here. Bottle #2 of two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2015 - WinthropT96 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 45-min. Initial nose fairly complex with leathery undertones to the fruit and mild funk. Medium-light bodied and classic cab to taste. Disappointing that the nose and body faded quickly, even getting sour fruit by the end of dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2015 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Bright and young, fresh a touch unbalanced on the sweet side. We decanted for like 30 minutes, but we knew from the start that albeit not austere we should have waited, at least we think, for a few more years. Quite a bit of red fruits, rich ripe fruit. a touch too sweet. The oak is not evident at this stage. Interesting but not inspiring at this stage. Maybe with time. 89-90 now
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2014 - Trolson wrote: 92 Points
I really like this wine. I wish I had a case. ? Ramp up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2014 - Trolson wrote: 92 Points
This is a super smooth wine right now. I actually think it is ready to drink right now. I question whether it will improve more with time unless you want a more mellow, softer wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2014 - Bro Likes this wine: 88 Points
Robe de couleur rouge violace fonce ... Nez sur les fruits, le chaume et le bois ... Papilles sur les fruits noirs bien murs, les épices et le chêne ... La finale est longue ... Je suis fut déçu par ce vin dégusté à la suite du Crognolo 2009 ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2014 - Baron Slick wrote: 91 Points
Old World in style and well put together, offering a lovely mix of red and black currants, cherries, cedar bark, forest floor, and mint on the nose. Bright, lively, and mineral-driven, the palate is mid bodied, smooth, juicy, showing a hint of green peppercorn on the back end, and a long and pure finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2014 - Mrp2008 wrote: 92 Points
Still needs over an hour to open up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2014 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby color, medium depth with slight haze. Moderate aromas of saddle soap, new leather & barnyard. Off dry, medium to high tannins. Moderate flavors of black cherry, subdued fruit, a bit closed down. Very old world. Needs a couple of years laying down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light purple. Drank over 4 hours. Cedar, stones , blackberries, cherry. This is still very young and tightly wound. Does need some air to open up, but will keep my other bottles for a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2014 - BadOyster wrote: 92 Points
firewood, plush round fruit with red berries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2013 - VintageSully wrote: 90 Points
Medium-bodied, silky and well integrated. Nose is earthy with hints of raspberry jam. After some time in the glass this opens into expressions of cherry and blackcurrant, accented by tobacco, licorice and a touch of herbs. Tannins are firm but in balance, and the finish is medium to medium long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2013 - Crateandbarrell wrote: 87 Points
- Ruby color and aromas of raspberry, strawberry, rose and cherry. It's overly tannic with a medium body. Narrow texture with a medium finish - Overall not a bad cab from the king of cabs - Napa. The balance on this is what threw me off. Would like to have see a little more complexity and longer finish. This one cuts like a knife with acidity and sharp tannin. Give it some time or drink it now with some rich food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2013 - Crateandbarrell wrote:
- Ruby color with fast forming legs and aromas of strawberry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2013 - JDV.DDSPHD Likes this wine: 93 Points
I think I liked this more than the 2008 Dominus. Honestly this is the little brother to Dominus but it is still a great wine. The Dominus is in my opinion more old world style while this is more in the style of California. Very fruit forward and rich. Not overly powerful but really has the style and structure of a wine that will cellar for a decade. For a middle of the week bottle this may be as good as it gets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2013 - Mrp2008 wrote: 92 Points
Tonight this needed a full 2 hours to open up. Do not pop and pour
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2013 - jonanator wrote: 89 Points
Very robust wine with good concentrations. Reasonably well balanced. Smooth tannins. Cassis, blackberries, tobacco, and a hint if oak. Good full bodied wine but a bit one dimensional for me. Not sure how much it will improve with time. Decent bottle but there are better offerings for the money.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2013 - m_arcon wrote: 90 Points
Dark nearly black colour.
Deep black currant, tobacco, wild flowers, licorice, herbs and a kind of an earthy touch on the nose.
This wine is full-bodied, with a nice texture but a bit one-dimensional to me.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2013 - Cdoyl10 wrote: 92 Points
Very nice ... Needs 1-2 hours to open.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2012 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very ripe and complex. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2012 - Giggs wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet to black. Black cherry, cassis, asphalt, green herbs on the nose. Straightforward Cab palate, medium- to full-bodied, black cherry, tight black fruit, strong acid and tannin. Would benefit from a few hours decanting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2012 - shkalata wrote: 88 Points
I am not getting this wine... It's BIG and inky, but rather dull and uninteresting. Decanted for about an hour and tasted little improvement. Maybe in a few years it will grow up an be something, but I found this wine way too overpowering to sip on. Also, I think this wine always gets a pass from the press because of it's highly esteemed owner, Christian Moueix of Chateau Petrus, who seemingly can do no wrong. But Me? I just think this is a mediocre wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2012 - davidrh1 wrote: 91 Points
Deep opaque ruby red color. Not a big nose, some pencil shavings and oak. Refined cherry and licorice, well balanced and luxurious mouth feel. good finish with smooth tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 90 Points
Not really getting it. Seems disjointed. Red fruit with balanced vanillin oak. Just not impressed. I wonder how it would show with 5 yrs of btl age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2012 - Delli Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark crimson and brooding color. Nose is layered and likely needs more time - opened and let breath in bottle for four hours. Dried cherries, earthy tobacco, vanilla, plumbs and apricots on the nose. Mouth feel is velvety with mild acidity. The finish shows modest velvety tannins that linger and a sweet kick. 5+12+16+8=91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2012 - RockinCabs wrote: 90 Points
Unwound and followed over 2 hours. Second wine of Dominus.
Nose: Ripe Cherry, Blackberry and a bright red fruit sensibility. Some clay soil, tobacco and mineral notes show as well. Palate: Feels rich and dense with a lively balance. Cherry, Blackberry, Oak and vanilla are prominient with some toasty notes accenting. Does have its darker moments out of the gate with licorice and cassis pre-air. Finish: Very nice red berries, chocolate and some heat. Soft and velvety on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2012 - RyanJames wrote: 91 Points
Very solid California Cabernet blend. I wish I had the chance to taste other vintages, but this was a fantastic balance of new world fruit and old world secondary (tobacco, leather, herbs, vegetal) characteristics. It outclasses many $50+ Napa Cabs and I wish more new world producers made wine in this style. Very good value. 91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2012 - Mrp2008 wrote: 93 Points
Must decant for at least an hour, shows nice complexity after that. A good mix of Napa and Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote:
At the keg $89. Really good quality, definitely California wine. Sparked a discussion if Moueix could make Cali taste like Bdx. We figure not, but why bother when it tastes so great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2012 - mflesh wrote: 92 Points
Wine was enjoyed 1/28/12 at Bailey's Prime Plus in Fort Worth TX. The wine was uncorked and poured into glasses. Cannot comment on the cork but I believe it was a very dark red and inky stain. The initial color was a dark red on the pour, very full. The nose out of the glass was some pepper, but mostly a cedar tone that was quite strong. The taste was reminiscent of a wine that was very tight, with quite an acidic finish with fruit characteristics all buried/muted beneath a floor of minerality, acidity, cedar bark, and leather. Rest of the bottle was decanted through a Vinturi into a decanter. I would have given this wine about an 87 if this is all it produced. HOWEVER,after the decant and another 15 minutes this wine changed 180 degrees. The nose was black cherry, blackberry, full bodied spicy nose. The palate was all blackberry, cherry, plum, some dark chocolate (not much) with an undertone of crushed rock and some soil characteristics coming through. Mid-palate is where the pepper spice exploded, mixing well with Lobster Bisque. The fruit gave way to a nice black licorice on top, cedar that is mild in the middle, and again fruit that stayed with you throughout that 20 second finish. Tannic structure was harsh before decanting but just about PERFECT after decanting, really mellowing out with a peppered filet mignon, seared black and blue, lobster mac and cheese, and asparagus. Wine finished strong and balanced. Napanook - the affordable child of the Dominus regime is an excellent, sub-100 restaurant choice that will drink like a 250+ bottle. Nice, nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2011 - DSaeedi wrote: 91 Points
First of the Napas for the evening. Nose reveals medium plus complexity, and deep black currant, some jame, blackberry and licorice. Velvety palate with some oiliness. Palate reveals some brewed black coffee and black dark chocolate. Despite these darker notes, there is plenty of acidity, medium plus fine tannins and lots of youth. Needs some time but still suave. Nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Dominus Seminar with Christian Moueix (Binny's Lincoln Park): Dark purple color. Opaque almost to the rim. Uber ripe candied nose.
Grapey, chocolate, black licorice candy. Creamy baking spice. Some touches of meat and pepper corn but only slightly. Cola and Dr. Pepper more specifically.
Wall of fruit is hard to get around. Really nice and jammy though. Nice palate. Balanced and big Napa fruit. Get a lot for your buck. Black and blue styling with some nice minerality.
Really yummy. Fruit bomb for sure but barely hanging on with the fair dose of acidity I need in a big boy. Dusty cocoa powder on the finish. Just a little too much to merit a higher score. Less is more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2011 - CarpeVinoDiem wrote: 89 Points
Roederer rep tasting at Party Source.
Decanted 6 hrs.
Look: '09 great deep purple [actual 2008].
Nose: Plum, cedar, clay; blackberry.
Body: 2.5% milk.
Taste: Plum, oak, cedar, eucalyptus, dust, red soil.
Finish: Big tannins on the end. Finish 1 minute.
Summary: 89 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2011 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 88 Points
I had high expectations going into this one. The Chateau Petrus reputation had my taste buds on high alert. Perhaps my lower score reflects my sense of relative value and my expectations. I was also quite surprised at how this evolved in the glass: it went flat rather than improved with time. It is entirely possible that I was over-eager to taste this ($50/bottle) and should have waited longer. However, unlike other wines that I've sampled that are a bit early, this one didn't show a sense of something that I'd expect to age with time in a deeper way. The uneven quality was also echoed on the 2nd night, so I'm really a bit puzzled as to what it will be like with age. The initial nose was of bread toasted with butter. The taste was a strong fruit-forward dominated by plums, cherry, and dark fruit. The following on taste was of tobacco and some talc. This reminded me of an alcoholic version of 'juicy fruit' gum, being sweeter and fruitier than I'd expected. In sum, I'd be inclined to go with Petrus directly and skip the Napanook ones from this point, it seemed over-priced relative to the value and not likely to get better with further aging. But, maybe I'm missing something in the analysis. One further note is that the tannins were quite modest and that over time it did show some oscillations of the pepper sense, but not the fruit/sweet sense.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/13/2011 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
Retail tasting.
Nice blue/red fruit, hints of dry chocolate. Massive dry tannins and a little heat on the backend. This bottle need to calm down a bit. Almost too young to drink at this point. Give this a few years of bottle age. SS 91+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2011 - MrD Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. First drink was great right out of the bottle. Great fruit and a little bit of jam. I'm not feeling much tannin. Makes me wonder about it's aging potential. I've got a few bottles in the cellar so I'll find out.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment