upon initial opening had some notes of being spoiled. However, that blew off but left a weird taste. Have to open my last bottle right away to see if there is anything left to enjoy with this wine
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Out of three consumed over the last six months, this (the last) was the best. Nose of bandaid and camphor; on the palate, currants, red berries, black pepper, and strong drying tannins, with a medium to long finish. There has been some bottle variation among these, with the first one being noticeably more evolved than the others. I'm sure this bottle would have improved a bit if I had held it for three or four more years. I paid $29 for this, and it drinks as well as a $50 wine. Too bad there's no more at that price.
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Menthol on the nose; currant, cherry, and black pepper/spice on the palate, with some drying tannins and a medium to long finish. I think this is in better form than the previous bottle I had.
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Menthol and camphor on the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate - sweet black cherry/plum with a bit of black pepper, and completely integrated tannins that are barely detectable. Opens up a bit with half an hour of air, becoming richer and more interesting. I suspect this is about at its peak.
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Light cassis, plum and cedar. Leather, earth, dark fruit packaged in a medium body with light acidity and fully integrated acidity. Unlike so many Napa cabs, it does not overpower its accompanying food. Medium finish.
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Impressive nose. The nose is a big, bruising wine mostly dominated by black licorice.
On the palate, this initially opens up with a well structured and complex dark fruit and again, the domination of black licorice. The tannins upon opening suggest this has another 3 - 4 years it can go. However, after decanting for 1 hour, this softed up, with more nuanced notes of black cherry, cedar, tobacco and the tannins really settled down.
Not enough complexity on the palate to go higher than 90 points, but it is still an outstanding wine.
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This wine has aged nicely and is a pleasure to drink. Agree with a prior note who said this was "lush with mature fruit tied together by nicely balance acidity and tannins". That is a great description of the palate.
The mature black fruit is nicely integrated, no overly oaky taste but just a great black cherry and plum flavor. It lacks a little complexity. Drink up now as it is at (or maybe even a little over?) its peak!
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Nose of pure creme de cassis and kirsch royal; black cassis controls the ride on this. After about an hour it's fragrant and beautiful. It's dense and precise with a head of cardamom, sassafras and black raspberries. I love the slight chewiness on the mid-palate. Tannins have resolved nicely and there is no sign of a cliff. A verve of black fruits run thick through the middle of this one; count me a fan. I just carries on an on. This epitomizes my perfect Thursday drop: tons of confidence, large boned, fleshy and purity. Happy Thursday. Bring on Friday.
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Slightly better than my last bottle. As before, it took an hour or so to open up. Straightforward but appreciable aromas of cassis, tobacco/earth that continue to develop for hours. Wonderfully full, with lively acidity and integrated but still slightly dusty tannins. Finish is moderately long. It's of a piece and a bargain for less than $30
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Dark, deep, thick ruby color; a nose of tobacco, spicebox and plum fruit; smooth, well-balanced with plenty of sweet plum/black cherry fruit, oak and still a fair amount of tannins through the mid-section. Kind of a short finish. This is probably peaking now. Good overall expression.
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had it at a restaurant with chilean sea bass in black bean.awesome btl that was followed by heitz 1997 trailside.full of cherries but starting to fade a bit.drink up in next 2 yrs if you have any
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Decanted and drank over the course of half a day. Nose was shy upon opening, but blossomed within an hour to feature aromas of red fruit / cassis. Palate was full and and lush with mature fruit tied together by nicely balance acidity and tannins. Finish is long, lingering and delicious. Peaked between one and three hours and slowly faded. Not complex enough to earn a higher score - hints of chocolate, tobacco, in the background, but secondary characteristics don't appear likely to develop further.
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– decanted for a couple hours before tasting – – tasted blind over one hour – – 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot – – yonster 24's bottle of same date –
NOSE: ashy/cementy; “smells like a ripe Pauillac” — that’s the singular thought that kept running through my head when smelling this, so I figured it could be Pauillac or a very Bdx-esque Napa Bdx blend.
BODY: fine particulate matter present; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: a bit sweet; drying tannins provide mid-palate grip; moderately oaky; earthy; Bdx blend; a tad warm on the back palate; pretty smooth; 14.6% alc.; overall, this was a very nice Napa Cab. that is not in the stylistic area code occupied by so many Napa Cab. darlings of today. I guessed Napa Bdx. blend on this; after the reveal, I was convinced it wasn’t 100% C.S. so I did some additional investigation to find that there is 4% Merlot in the blend – while tasting, I was guessing Petit Verdot, but finding-out it was Merlot does not surprise me.
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Fantastic aged cab and absolutely blew away the 2003 Peby-Fagueres. Gorgeous nose of unsmoked cigar, tobacco, leather and some black cherries. Medium-Full bodied wine with a wonderful silky feel to it. Fabulous and tasty, this all leads to a medium + finish with well integrated tannins and wonderful acidity. I think this can go at least a few years longer, personally. (I see that others here have mentioned this was an oak bomb...I got the oak, but it was nowhere near an Oak Bomb, IMO.
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What a fantastic surprise this was. Picked it up from K&L for $40 bucks a few weeks back and opened it on 10/30. Started off OK, with some leather, earth and cassis notes, but nothing profound. On the palate was more of the same. Then we let it sit for 2 hours in the decanter. Came back and this was a totally different wine. More open now with Dark Cherries, a bit of unsmoked cigar, earth and dark fruits. Body has gained weight and is now much more tasty than it was previously. Leading to a wonderful finish where the acidity and tannins really tied this together well. Could go a few more years, but if decanted this is fantastic right now.
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Delicious! Dusty, tobbaco, slight clover on the nose Taste like a wet, grubby piece of oak, with dirt rubbed into it. This is an OAK MONSTER!!!! Beware.
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This is rock solid stuff. I saw some of the good recent reviews on celllartracker so i decided to pop a bottle of this open, I had some high expectations based on what I read, well I was really blown away by this wine. This is in its prime, singing right out of the bottle. Brooding dark color. Viscous body. There's no new or unusual flavor wise from this wine, it's classic cab profile, but its done really well. The oak is obvious but soooo good, not harsh. Long Finish. 93 points may be conservative.
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2/18/09-At the Bird Cage. Really really good wine that is drinking exceptionally well right now, but will age for about 5 more years. Cork was really long and dense and barely any infiltration at 9 years old. Legs ran fat and super slow as well. Not much on the nose when first opened, but that improved some as the night went on. Very deep magenta for a cab, not really on the red side at all. Full flavored, great, and well made. Taste of current and fruit and not over extracted. Just the right touch of oak at this age as well. Thick and really nice flavor profile. Perhaps a trifle hot when first opened but don't hold it against this wine. Once of the two best cabs I have ever had, the other being 2001 Stagecoach Vineyard by Paul Hobbs. Hobbs edges this one out by a tick. Get this producer in a good year and you won't be disappointed. Checked another reviews comments on the Julia where he stated best blended cabs to him were Shafer, Schrader, Merus, and Delectus. Have bottles put down of Merus and Shafer and, while I've not tasted to compare, just by this showing, I am inclined to agree with this reviewer. 94 (ties w/Hobbs)
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Beautiful wine with currants, blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco and licorice. Complex, full bodied, deeply fruited and still with nice structure and acid. This was incredible.
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This wine is simply delicious. Dark fruit reduced into a sauce and some grilled meat on the nose. Also a touch of chewing tobacco (Skoal natural). The taste is loaded with red and dark fruits and a touch of oak. Perfect balance of acidity and tannins. Really good special occasion wine.
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Decanted for an hour. Deep purple color. Classic cab on the nose and palate. Nose of black cherries, spices, currants. Wonderful in the mouth, dark berries, cedar & tobacco; a good deal of complexity. Good thinkin' and drinkin' wine. We belong to their wine club; while a bit pricey, it's worth it!! It's our guaranteed splurge!
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Decanted for 2 hours. Deep opaque purple....classic cab nose with cassis and currants...with undertones of tobacco and leather....balance with with soft mouth coating tannins....wish I had more.
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Tasted this bottle a year ago with an 89 rating. Right now this wine is really singing with a nice open nose of tobacco, minerals and cherry scented spice box right out of the bottle. It is deep garnet-black and opaque with a rich mouthfeel and long, fine tannins and pure 20 second finish. Not Jammy or cloying, this is Napa Cab at its best and the past year has done wonders for this bottle. I want more.
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Dark garnet color. Vegetal aroma of blackberries, beets and cedar. Taste of spicy blackberries and some black plum. Long, velvety, tannic finish. No fruit bomb here.
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Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Opaque ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of vanilla, black currants, black cherries and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. The oak is not subtle. Long, smooth finish. Quite nice, although a lighter hand with the oak would have probably resulted in a better wine.
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I tried a small glass of this at 55 degrees in Mandalay Place, Las Vegas. I was actually quite impressed by the complexity and the extremely classy, long tannins at the end. Combines power with old-world-finesse, and has no clumsy jamminess. Was going to buy a bottle, but when the price was $78, I passed.
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Second bottle from this lot. Had the first about a month ago. Nice complexity. Cherry, plumb and tobacco on the nose. Red berry fruit on the palate. Fine tannis on the finish and the signature cedar note through the end.
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Outstanding example of the California Cab. Very opulent with a complex layering of flavors that include cherry, currant, cedar, vanilla and mocha. This wine is aging well in the bottle.
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I can't wait for another one of these. Notes of tobacco and stewed plums add some intrigue to bright cherry on the palate. The finish is long with some gripping tannin and pepper.
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5/31/2023 - bwhite11625 wrote: flawed
Unfortunately it was corked
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12/25/2016 - Winestache wrote: 90 Points
Still outstanding! Popped and poured. Tremendous balance with long, smooth finish. Sadly my last bottle.
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12/9/2014 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow wine. Beeaaautiful structure, plenty of fruit. Will attempt to buy more! Gotta love wax capsule wines.
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9/5/2013 - njgolfer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle....
Still going nicely and has a great balance of tannins, acidity, dark fruit and earthy-notes.
Black cherries, rustic tannins, hints of cedar and ground up pine needles. Some roasted black peppercorns. Maybe some bitter-sweet cocoa powder
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9/1/2013 - njgolfer wrote:
upon initial opening had some notes of being spoiled. However, that blew off but left a weird taste. Have to open my last bottle right away to see if there is anything left to enjoy with this wine
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8/25/2013 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Out of three consumed over the last six months, this (the last) was the best. Nose of bandaid and camphor; on the palate, currants, red berries, black pepper, and strong drying tannins, with a medium to long finish. There has been some bottle variation among these, with the first one being noticeably more evolved than the others. I'm sure this bottle would have improved a bit if I had held it for three or four more years. I paid $29 for this, and it drinks as well as a $50 wine. Too bad there's no more at that price.
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6/8/2013 - RichardP wrote: 91 Points
Menthol on the nose; currant, cherry, and black pepper/spice on the palate, with some drying tannins and a medium to long finish. I think this is in better form than the previous bottle I had.
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2/26/2013 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Menthol and camphor on the nose. Lots of fruit on the palate - sweet black cherry/plum with a bit of black pepper, and completely integrated tannins that are barely detectable. Opens up a bit with half an hour of air, becoming richer and more interesting. I suspect this is about at its peak.
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1/23/2013 - dekay Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light cassis, plum and cedar. Leather, earth, dark fruit packaged in a medium body with light acidity and fully integrated acidity. Unlike so many Napa cabs, it does not overpower its accompanying food. Medium finish.
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12/9/2012 - mgl wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking very nicely
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9/30/2012 - njgolfer wrote: 90 Points
Very dark, almost black color.
Impressive nose. The nose is a big, bruising wine mostly dominated by black licorice.
On the palate, this initially opens up with a well structured and complex dark fruit and again, the domination of black licorice. The tannins upon opening suggest this has another 3 - 4 years it can go. However, after decanting for 1 hour, this softed up, with more nuanced notes of black cherry, cedar, tobacco and the tannins really settled down.
Not enough complexity on the palate to go higher than 90 points, but it is still an outstanding wine.
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6/8/2012 - Quarked wrote:
My last bottle -- great after a two hour decant. Sorry to see this go, but it's been very nice to open for a special meal.
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5/20/2012 - njgolfer wrote: 92 Points
Day 1:
This wine has aged nicely and is a pleasure to drink. Agree with a prior note who said this was "lush with mature fruit tied together by nicely balance acidity and tannins". That is a great description of the palate.
The mature black fruit is nicely integrated, no overly oaky taste but just a great black cherry and plum flavor. It lacks a little complexity. Drink up now as it is at (or maybe even a little over?) its peak!
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3/22/2012 - King Cab wrote: 93 Points
Nose of pure creme de cassis and kirsch royal; black cassis controls the ride on this. After about an hour it's fragrant and beautiful. It's dense and precise with a head of cardamom, sassafras and black raspberries. I love the slight chewiness on the mid-palate. Tannins have resolved nicely and there is no sign of a cliff. A verve of black fruits run thick through the middle of this one; count me a fan. I just carries on an on. This epitomizes my perfect Thursday drop: tons of confidence, large boned, fleshy and purity. Happy Thursday. Bring on Friday.
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2/17/2012 - dekay wrote: 92 Points
Slightly better than my last bottle. As before, it took an hour or so to open up. Straightforward but appreciable aromas of cassis, tobacco/earth that continue to develop for hours. Wonderfully full, with lively acidity and integrated but still slightly dusty tannins. Finish is moderately long. It's of a piece and a bargain for less than $30
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1/7/2012 - Sleahy511 wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied with lots of black cherries
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12/3/2011 - Quarked wrote: 92 Points
Needs a couple hours to open up, but then is rich, deep, long, with lots of fruit, cedar, tobacco.
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10/11/2011 - mda7 wrote: 91 Points
very nice, major fruit and lots of complex interesting flavors that follow. think it's peaking- maybe another year tops.
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8/10/2011 - jtcseventysix wrote: 88 Points
Dark, deep, thick ruby color; a nose of tobacco, spicebox and plum fruit; smooth, well-balanced with plenty of sweet plum/black cherry fruit, oak and still a fair amount of tannins through the mid-section. Kind of a short finish. This is probably peaking now. Good overall expression.
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7/23/2011 - lpk22 wrote: 93 Points
Full body, long finish, tobacco, really nice. Some good tannins left, will last several more years.
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6/18/2011 - AEROSMITH wrote: 91 Points
had it at a restaurant with chilean sea bass in black bean.awesome btl that was followed by heitz 1997 trailside.full of cherries but starting to fade a bit.drink up in next 2 yrs if you have any
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2/24/2011 - dekay wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and drank over the course of half a day. Nose was shy upon opening, but blossomed within an hour to feature aromas of red fruit / cassis. Palate was full and and lush with mature fruit tied together by nicely balance acidity and tannins. Finish is long, lingering and delicious. Peaked between one and three hours and slowly faded. Not complex enough to earn a higher score - hints of chocolate, tobacco, in the background, but secondary characteristics don't appear likely to develop further.
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12/31/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– decanted for a couple hours before tasting –
– tasted blind over one hour –
– 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot –
– yonster 24's bottle of same date –
NOSE: ashy/cementy; “smells like a ripe Pauillac” — that’s the singular thought that kept running through my head when smelling this, so I figured it could be Pauillac or a very Bdx-esque Napa Bdx blend.
BODY: fine particulate matter present; medium to medium-full bodied.
TASTE: a bit sweet; drying tannins provide mid-palate grip; moderately oaky; earthy; Bdx blend; a tad warm on the back palate; pretty smooth; 14.6% alc.; overall, this was a very nice Napa Cab. that is not in the stylistic area code occupied by so many Napa Cab. darlings of today. I guessed Napa Bdx. blend on this; after the reveal, I was convinced it wasn’t 100% C.S. so I did some additional investigation to find that there is 4% Merlot in the blend – while tasting, I was guessing Petit Verdot, but finding-out it was Merlot does not surprise me.
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12/31/2010 - yonster24 wrote:
Fantastic aged cab and absolutely blew away the 2003 Peby-Fagueres. Gorgeous nose of unsmoked cigar, tobacco, leather and some black cherries. Medium-Full bodied wine with a wonderful silky feel to it. Fabulous and tasty, this all leads to a medium + finish with well integrated tannins and wonderful acidity. I think this can go at least a few years longer, personally. (I see that others here have mentioned this was an oak bomb...I got the oak, but it was nowhere near an Oak Bomb, IMO.
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10/30/2010 - yonster24 wrote:
What a fantastic surprise this was. Picked it up from K&L for $40 bucks a few weeks back and opened it on 10/30. Started off OK, with some leather, earth and cassis notes, but nothing profound. On the palate was more of the same. Then we let it sit for 2 hours in the decanter. Came back and this was a totally different wine. More open now with Dark Cherries, a bit of unsmoked cigar, earth and dark fruits. Body has gained weight and is now much more tasty than it was previously. Leading to a wonderful finish where the acidity and tannins really tied this together well. Could go a few more years, but if decanted this is fantastic right now.
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3/22/2010 - collinb227 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious!
Dusty, tobbaco, slight clover on the nose
Taste like a wet, grubby piece of oak, with dirt rubbed into it.
This is an OAK MONSTER!!!! Beware.
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3/21/2010 - Joelene wrote: 93 Points
This is rock solid stuff. I saw some of the good recent reviews on celllartracker so i decided to pop a bottle of this open, I had some high expectations based on what I read, well I was really blown away by this wine. This is in its prime, singing right out of the bottle. Brooding dark color. Viscous body. There's no new or unusual flavor wise from this wine, it's classic cab profile, but its done really well. The oak is obvious but soooo good, not harsh. Long Finish. 93 points may be conservative.
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2/18/2010 - pmarlo wrote: 94 Points
2/18/09-At the Bird Cage. Really really good wine that is drinking exceptionally well right now, but will age for about 5 more years. Cork was really long and dense and barely any infiltration at 9 years old. Legs ran fat and super slow as well. Not much on the nose when first opened, but that improved some as the night went on. Very deep magenta for a cab, not really on the red side at all. Full flavored, great, and well made. Taste of current and fruit and not over extracted. Just the right touch of oak at this age as well. Thick and really nice flavor profile. Perhaps a trifle hot when first opened but don't hold it against this wine. Once of the two best cabs I have ever had, the other being 2001 Stagecoach Vineyard by Paul Hobbs. Hobbs edges this one out by a tick. Get this producer in a good year and you won't be disappointed. Checked another reviews comments on the Julia where he stated best blended cabs to him were Shafer, Schrader, Merus, and Delectus. Have bottles put down of Merus and Shafer and, while I've not tasted to compare, just by this showing, I am inclined to agree with this reviewer. 94 (ties w/Hobbs)
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2/5/2010 - krmcgrath wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine with currants, blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco and licorice. Complex, full bodied, deeply fruited and still with nice structure and acid. This was incredible.
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12/6/2009 - cawineaux wrote: 91 Points
Bright red fruit, dusty, lasting finish. Probably just past peak.
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9/5/2009 - Brett wrote: 91 Points
Very nice!
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6/22/2009 - MarcInDSM wrote: 92 Points
This wine is simply delicious. Dark fruit reduced into a sauce and some grilled meat on the nose. Also a touch of chewing tobacco (Skoal natural). The taste is loaded with red and dark fruits and a touch of oak. Perfect balance of acidity and tannins. Really good special occasion wine.
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2/4/2009 - MarkPTheCFP wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Deep purple color. Classic cab on the nose and palate. Nose of black cherries, spices, currants. Wonderful in the mouth, dark berries, cedar & tobacco; a good deal of complexity. Good thinkin' and drinkin' wine. We belong to their wine club; while a bit pricey, it's worth it!! It's our guaranteed splurge!
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10/10/2008 - lano wrote: 92 Points
nose was somewhat floral. palate showed cherries, currants, and a bit of spice. very smooth finish and easy drinking. solidly built, enjoyable wine.
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7/20/2008 - Phin wrote: 92 Points
Good red and blue fruits. Decent acid / tannin balance. Age is perfect.
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7/12/2008 - pitt71 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Deep opaque purple....classic cab nose with cassis and currants...with undertones of tobacco and leather....balance with with soft mouth coating tannins....wish I had more.
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7/4/2008 - JorgeH wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding juice. Quite restrained and elegant flavors of chocolate, black currants, tobacco and leather. A beauty of a wine.
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5/8/2008 - CMCLR wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding.
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2/15/2008 - mgl wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth and nice flavor but not as nice as the first bottle.
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9/10/2007 - Anthony Lombardo wrote: 94 Points
Tasted this bottle a year ago with an 89 rating. Right now this wine is really singing with a nice open nose of tobacco, minerals and cherry scented spice box right out of the bottle.
It is deep garnet-black and opaque with a rich mouthfeel and long, fine tannins and pure 20 second finish. Not Jammy or cloying, this is Napa Cab at its best and the past year has done wonders for this bottle.
I want more.
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9/7/2007 - AtlantaBill wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet color. Vegetal aroma of blackberries, beets and cedar. Taste of spicy blackberries and some black plum. Long, velvety, tannic finish. No fruit bomb here.
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8/17/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 90 Points
Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Opaque ruby robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of vanilla, black currants, black cherries and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, big ripe tannins and black fruit-dominated flavors. The oak is not subtle. Long, smooth finish. Quite nice, although a lighter hand with the oak would have probably resulted in a better wine.
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8/14/2007 - whynblog wrote: 94 Points
Different lot but consistent notes to previous bottles. Popped and poured this bottle but it does need a little time to open up. Still great.
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5/11/2007 - hoob wrote:
I tried a small glass of this at 55 degrees in Mandalay Place, Las Vegas. I was actually quite impressed by the complexity and the extremely classy, long tannins at the end. Combines power with old-world-finesse, and has no clumsy jamminess. Was going to buy a bottle, but when the price was $78, I passed.
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3/17/2007 - whynblog wrote: 94 Points
Consistent notes as previous two bottles.
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3/4/2007 - whynblog wrote: 94 Points
Second bottle from this lot. Had the first about a month ago. Nice complexity. Cherry, plumb and tobacco on the nose. Red berry fruit on the palate. Fine tannis on the finish and the signature cedar note through the end.
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2/9/2007 - whynblog wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding example of the California Cab. Very opulent with a complex layering of flavors that include cherry, currant, cedar, vanilla and mocha. This wine is aging well in the bottle.
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12/10/2006 - burkekr wrote: 93 Points
I can't wait for another one of these. Notes of tobacco and stewed plums add some intrigue to bright cherry on the palate. The finish is long with some gripping tannin and pepper.
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8/6/2006 - ScottS wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple in color.. cedar, blackberry and tabacco med wieght on the palate. Dusty tanins and a silky finish. Glad I Purchased a 6-pak for $29/btl.
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