Brought by cyclist to the Mustard’s dinner. Wonderful nose and palate with blackberries, red cherries, cedar, rose petals, tobacco, graphite, cassis and plums. Medium to dark purple, medium to full bodied, medium legs. Medium tannins and medium+ acidity, both well integrated, no heat. VG+ complexity, VG intensity and persistence. Cyclist has been a real evangelist for this label—we had a fun tasting there where I bought a bottle of the current release—and I can see why. the most BDX-inflected of the cabs we drank with dinner (a bit of a surprise, as cyclist may have the most modern palate), this wine, like the current releases, and the Arrow & Branch offerings for that matter, reflects the winemaker’s Spottswoode lineage. Elegant and subtle without in any way being soft, like the Abreu and Tynan, it excelled with food and without, showing wonderfully between sweet and savory, fruit and secondary notes and structure. This tastes well into its ideal drinking window, yet also like it should have 3-5 years of equal quality drinking for well-stored bottles. Behind the Abreu and close to to but edged out, for my tastes by the Tynan, this wine challenges my desiderata of what I most want in a bottling when poured against bigger bottles—at least those bigger bottles—and seems like it would shine brightest in more of an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, but it was still excellent on this evening, and I’m appreciative of cyclist for putting me onto this label and the tremendous hospitality shown by the C&S crew during our tasting. 94-95+
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Purple plum, blackberry, cedar, and hints of leather. A smooth and fulfilling entry that speaks to a nicely aged red with the seeming ability to evolve into its tertiary flavors with poise. There is a confident saturation here that allows for worthy gratification, but also a sense of deliberateness that too will continue to offer pleasure down the road. Drinks fine now but can also be held for a handful of years without compromising freshness. Unlike many 2007s, this has not imploded on itself or become too ripe-flabby. Solid effort.
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Intense floral and perfume nose; it’s hard to stop snifting. A great deep red color and lots of legs. The wine is both soft on the palate yet big and bold as well. I get lots of forward fruit with dark blackberry, cherry cola, oak, vanilla and soft but pronounced tannins. Everyone here loves the wine
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Really in an excellent place. Calmed some over the course of four hours open. Should drink well until 2025, think the CT window thru 2031 is a little optimistic.
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Pop and pour, not decanted. As others note this is a little bit past its peak but still quite enjoyable.
Bottom third of the cork was moist when opened; not decanted. Needed 35 minutes to open up as this was initially shallow and one dimensional. Nearly 3 hours after opening There’s a lot of red cherry here, along with faint wood and fine pencil shavings.
This was a little better with food then on its own, but a fine wine either way.
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Tasted this at a tasting a few years ago and had to buy the bottle. It was pricey at $90 plus tax, but it really sang to me. This was pretty luxorious, heavy black fruit, velvet texture, some dryness on the finish, not much acidity. This style may not be for everyone but I really liked it. The quality of the fruit was great. 94+pts
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Decanted an hour and drank the next several hours. Dark red fruit, cassis with sweet tannins and long finish. A nicely balanced wine which was thoroughly enjoyable.
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Not a lot has change from my last posting. Elegant, showing fineness, with nice balance and structure. On the pallet, the acidity and tartness has subsided, sweet tannins medium cherry, berries, modest fruit, soft and smooth. Best enjoyed with a meal. 90.8 points.
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Decanted and allowed to rest for 30 mins before following for an hour. Nose is muted with faint dark fruit, lavender/flowers, summer rain. More fruit than structure, the glass I poured upon opening was better than what I'm drinking from the decanter, indicating that this would have been better as a pop and pour, differing from what most feel.
None of the green notes I detected during a corvin sampling earlier this year, a closer examination of the cork shows light seepage up to the tip of the cork, so this may have gotten some oxidation. 93 out of the bottle, 89 when drunk (expeditiously) out of the decanter.
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Same thoughts as previous post.Elegaant beet red color, showing fineness, good balance and structure. On the pallet, tart, sweet and sour medium dark cherry, berries, modest fruit, soft and smooth, and some oak. Acidic, but not overberaing. This wine will excel with food. 90.7 points
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Backwards on PnP. Throwing some sediment. Decanted for an hour and it started to open up, but it didn't fully emerge until Day 2. Gingerbread, orange peel, camphor, boysenberry, cedar, cocoa. Smooth on the palate with fine dusty tannins. A bold wine that should last at least another 5 years.
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This is an absolutely gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with meal. The perfect compliment to a N.Y. Steak (prepared medium well) dinner. This wine is elegant, pretty, and drinking nicely with a meal. I would recommend it, if you can still find it.
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Coravin'd into a glass and followed over two hour. Started out slightly backwards but deep/tannic; as it aired it softened more than I wanted, becoming one-dimensional with faint green notes back-palate. Will retry, no rating.
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Sumptuous, still young but drinking beautifully. Opened and decanted for an hour. Violets, cedar, black dark fruit and balanced burnt oak. Gorgeous nose leading into a full bodied structured classic Napa Cab with gobs of dark black fruit ending with soft dusty tannins. Good now but can last another 6-10 years.
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More giving early on than the 2009 Songbook. Dark, massive but not rough or sappy. The acidity gave a freshness to it. Some charred oak notes. Undoubtedly Napa cab. Became balanced and smooth within 5 hours. Secondary notes missing to rate higher. My first Crocker & Starr - impressed.
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Decanted briefly. Nose of sweet mixed berry, acetone/rubber cement, lots of spearmint, graphite, and mesquite. The nose gives the impression of a tight, acidic, young Cab, and the palate definitely confirms that. It's heavily marked by dry oak barrel—which needs time to integrate—with more spearmint, tart acidity, bitter espresso and cocoa, berry liqueur, and an extremely tannic, green, bitter, herbal finish. This still needs a lot of time. Drink 2018-2028.
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Aerated in decanter for 8 hours, served just above cellar temp. Large-scaled, with elegance and complexity, this well-structured, full-bodied Cab has a little something for everyone, but only after it's had enough aeration. Last glass was the best. Drink thru 2022
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I had a bottle of the 06 in 2010. It was a dark, brooding swirl of black fruit with deep mocha and coffee secondary flavors and a long finish. I liked it enough to recently buy a mixed case of the 06 and the 07 (which had even better reviews on CT). Needless to say I was somewhat disppointed with my first bottle of the 07. This could simply be an awkward stage or an off bottle. Time will tell.
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10/28/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brought by cyclist to the Mustard’s dinner. Wonderful nose and palate with blackberries, red cherries, cedar, rose petals, tobacco, graphite, cassis and plums. Medium to dark purple, medium to full bodied, medium legs. Medium tannins and medium+ acidity, both well integrated, no heat. VG+ complexity, VG intensity and persistence. Cyclist has been a real evangelist for this label—we had a fun tasting there where I bought a bottle of the current release—and I can see why. the most BDX-inflected of the cabs we drank with dinner (a bit of a surprise, as cyclist may have the most modern palate), this wine, like the current releases, and the Arrow & Branch offerings for that matter, reflects the winemaker’s Spottswoode lineage. Elegant and subtle without in any way being soft, like the Abreu and Tynan, it excelled with food and without, showing wonderfully between sweet and savory, fruit and secondary notes and structure. This tastes well into its ideal drinking window, yet also like it should have 3-5 years of equal quality drinking for well-stored bottles. Behind the Abreu and close to to but edged out, for my tastes by the Tynan, this wine challenges my desiderata of what I most want in a bottling when poured against bigger bottles—at least those bigger bottles—and seems like it would shine brightest in more of an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, but it was still excellent on this evening, and I’m appreciative of cyclist for putting me onto this label and the tremendous hospitality shown by the C&S crew during our tasting. 94-95+
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10/27/2022 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Purple plum, blackberry, cedar, and hints of leather. A smooth and fulfilling entry that speaks to a nicely aged red with the seeming ability to evolve into its tertiary flavors with poise. There is a confident saturation here that allows for worthy gratification, but also a sense of deliberateness that too will continue to offer pleasure down the road. Drinks fine now but can also be held for a handful of years without compromising freshness. Unlike many 2007s, this has not imploded on itself or become too ripe-flabby. Solid effort.
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6/5/2020 - aerosol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense floral and perfume nose; it’s hard to stop snifting. A great deep red color and lots of legs. The wine is both soft on the palate yet big and bold as well. I get lots of forward fruit with dark blackberry, cherry cola, oak, vanilla and soft but pronounced tannins. Everyone here loves the wine
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7/24/2019 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really in an excellent place. Calmed some over the course of four hours open. Should drink well until 2025, think the CT window thru 2031 is a little optimistic.
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6/15/2019 - scotty_b wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant. Blackberry, tobacco, bubble gum, cedar, orange peel. Velvety mouthfeel with medium tannins. Drink up.
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6/2/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine:
Pop and pour, not decanted. As others note this is a little bit past its peak but still quite enjoyable.
Bottom third of the cork was moist when opened; not decanted. Needed 35 minutes to open up as this was initially shallow and one dimensional. Nearly 3 hours after opening There’s a lot of red cherry here, along with faint wood and fine pencil shavings.
This was a little better with food then on its own, but a fine wine either way.
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12/29/2018 - Bluethunder wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle and was enjoyable. Dark fruit, cassis, soft tannins. A nicely balanced wine with a medium/long finish.
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11/18/2018 - Bluethunder wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and drank over 4 hours. Dark cherry, cassis, with nice balance and long finish.
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9/29/2018 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Tasted this at a tasting a few years ago and had to buy the bottle. It was pricey at $90 plus tax, but it really sang to me. This was pretty luxorious, heavy black fruit, velvet texture, some dryness on the finish, not much acidity. This style may not be for everyone but I really liked it. The quality of the fruit was great. 94+pts
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1/21/2018 - Bluethunder wrote: 92 Points
Decanted an hour and drank the next several hours. Dark red fruit, cassis with sweet tannins and long finish. A nicely balanced wine which was thoroughly enjoyable.
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7/22/2017 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit, sweet soft tannins with nice balance.
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2/1/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 91 Points
Not a lot has change from my last posting. Elegant, showing fineness, with nice balance and structure. On the pallet, the acidity and tartness has subsided, sweet tannins medium cherry, berries, modest fruit, soft and smooth. Best enjoyed with a meal. 90.8 points.
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12/4/2015 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted and allowed to rest for 30 mins before following for an hour. Nose is muted with faint dark fruit, lavender/flowers, summer rain. More fruit than structure, the glass I poured upon opening was better than what I'm drinking from the decanter, indicating that this would have been better as a pop and pour, differing from what most feel.
None of the green notes I detected during a corvin sampling earlier this year, a closer examination of the cork shows light seepage up to the tip of the cork, so this may have gotten some oxidation. 93 out of the bottle, 89 when drunk (expeditiously) out of the decanter.
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11/8/2015 - tgkswine wrote: 91 Points
needs more time decanted for an hour. was comng into its own as we were finishing the bottle.
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7/18/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same thoughts as previous post.Elegaant beet red color, showing fineness, good balance and structure. On the pallet, tart, sweet and sour medium dark cherry, berries, modest fruit, soft and smooth, and some oak. Acidic, but not overberaing. This wine will excel with food. 90.7 points
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5/7/2015 - scotty_b wrote: 93 Points
Backwards on PnP. Throwing some sediment. Decanted for an hour and it started to open up, but it didn't fully emerge until Day 2. Gingerbread, orange peel, camphor, boysenberry, cedar, cocoa. Smooth on the palate with fine dusty tannins. A bold wine that should last at least another 5 years.
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2/22/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is an absolutely gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with meal. The perfect compliment to a N.Y. Steak (prepared medium well) dinner. This wine is elegant, pretty, and drinking nicely with a meal. I would recommend it, if you can still find it.
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1/28/2015 - davidandrose wrote:
Coravin'd into a glass and followed over two hour. Started out slightly backwards but deep/tannic; as it aired it softened more than I wanted, becoming one-dimensional with faint green notes back-palate. Will retry, no rating.
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1/22/2015 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 96 Points
late night drink out of 375ml
great nose
wonderful presentation
superb!
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12/30/2014 - lvepicure Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sumptuous, still young but drinking beautifully. Opened and decanted for an hour. Violets, cedar, black dark fruit and balanced burnt oak. Gorgeous nose leading into a full bodied structured classic Napa Cab with gobs of dark black fruit ending with soft dusty tannins. Good now but can last another 6-10 years.
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12/25/2014 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
More giving early on than the 2009 Songbook. Dark, massive but not rough or sappy. The acidity gave a freshness to it. Some charred oak notes. Undoubtedly Napa cab. Became balanced and smooth within 5 hours. Secondary notes missing to rate higher. My first Crocker & Starr - impressed.
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6/19/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Structured, powerful, elegant.
Pam strutting her stuff!
Wonderful sip.
Ready to drink now yet still but a baby.
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8/24/2013 - Justin B wrote: 94 Points
Great wine and got better too over the few hours in the decanter at dinner.
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7/5/2013 - Giggs wrote: 92 Points
Decanted briefly. Nose of sweet mixed berry, acetone/rubber cement, lots of spearmint, graphite, and mesquite. The nose gives the impression of a tight, acidic, young Cab, and the palate definitely confirms that. It's heavily marked by dry oak barrel—which needs time to integrate—with more spearmint, tart acidity, bitter espresso and cocoa, berry liqueur, and an extremely tannic, green, bitter, herbal finish. This still needs a lot of time. Drink 2018-2028.
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9/29/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Aerated in decanter for 8 hours, served just above cellar temp. Large-scaled, with elegance and complexity, this well-structured, full-bodied Cab has a little something for everyone, but only after it's had enough aeration. Last glass was the best. Drink thru 2022
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7/15/2012 - DarinC wrote: 89 Points
Never really opened up much, but there's potential here. A little too much heat on the finish concerns me.
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3/5/2012 - grapemaven wrote: 91 Points
I had a bottle of the 06 in 2010. It was a dark, brooding swirl of black fruit with deep mocha and coffee secondary flavors and a long finish. I liked it enough to recently buy a mixed case of the 06 and the 07 (which had even better reviews on CT). Needless to say I was somewhat disppointed with my first bottle of the 07. This could simply be an awkward stage or an off bottle. Time will tell.
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8/26/2011 - Justin B wrote: 93 Points
93 now, with 94-95 of potential with time for me.
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6/3/2011 - mehalsoslovewine wrote:
C and S cabs always on top of my list. The 07 was a bit young. After an hour or so, awesome. Better next year.
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7/26/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 94 Points
Vanguard (Columbus, OH): Similar nose to the Cab Franc. Smooth, creamy, medium tannins, good acid. Oaky but balanced. Elegant! $95
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