Not giving a score because this bottle was so unlike prior ones. GREEN. Bouncing between green pepper and pine needles, the smell and taste just never worked for me.
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I would say it remains consistent with my prior notes. It was somewhat surprising to me that I did not feel alot of aging on the wine compared with my prior tastings of it. There is no need for longer decanting as in prior servings, but it is still aging. I would say it can be held abit more, but it was a great end of weekend/weekday treat. (all stored in temp/humidity offsite wine storage)
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My last bottle. So long old friend. Mid-body cab vs the '16 Becklyn. Some fruit. Some tannins. If you still own this, drink or hold until 2023. This was very good QPR.
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Still drinking very well, with plenty of life to go. Drank with a 2012 Chappellet Malbec and a 2013 Scherrer Grenache at our good friends’ home with a chile dinner. All three wines drank really well. I wasn’t sure of the drinking order from lightest to heaviest, but when I opened all three wines, this Cabernet landed right in the middle. A solid medium-body, with fruit, acid, and tannin in a very nice balance. Needs only 15-20 minutes of air and it’s ready to go. No rush here. This wine still has years of very good drinking ahead. Sad about the winery closing, as the wine is quite good.
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Opaque dark violet color. Nose dark fruited with faint hints of herbal green pepper and tobacco. Palate crisp dark fruits, bright acidity livening up a rich cassis core. Still holding strong but fully mature to my palate. Nice complexity and good with a grilled steak. 92 pts
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Delicious right now, with wonderfully perfumed red and black napa fruit on the nose. Palate is medium-full bodied with great balance and a good finish. Secondary flavors are in full force. Wish I had bought more when I had the chance to get them on clearance. Just pure tastiness!
There is quite a bit of heavy sediment, especailly around the neck and cork, so wipe and decant.
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No detailed notes. Shared with a friend during an afternoon of conversation. It's got your high fruit profile that is pretty standard in a Napa cab. Not over the top though and some structure to compliment. Not an overly complex or deep wine, but enjoyable.
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Complex dark fruit flavors with oak and vanilla trickling in. Blending all together in a well rounded body all in balance. Nothing overpowers, this wine seriously delivers in flavor profile, balance and finesse
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Dark indigo/violet color. Throws off quite a bit of sediment. Nose dark fruited, some herbal green pepper notes. Palate dusky cassis, some hints of cocoa, vanillin, still some bright acidity. Overall goes well with a steakhouse-type meal. 91 pts
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served blind. dark purple. Chocolate. Slightly muted. Plum mid palate. Coco coats palate. Med long finish. Pretty tasty and restrained side of Napa Cabs..
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Felt like it needed more time in bottle than the 09, which is drinking easier/better at the moment. I should mention that it's an excellent Napa Cabernet that is reasonably priced
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Drank this at my wife/daughters 65/30 birthday dinner at Ruby's Oyster Bar and Grill in Rye NY. I've enjoyed the 2010, so I was looking forward to the just received 2008 that a friend was holding for me. Decanted for 45 minutes. There was just a hint of tannins, just a hint. No oak taste. This was smooth and delicious. The wine was mouth coating, which was an unexpected surprise for me. I had one bottle left that I'll save for 2018/19. I'm sorry that Steve is no longer producing wine.
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More oak-forward than previous bottles. Needed more time than we were able to give it. This got popped and poured and, basically swirled in the glass. Was much better towards the end of our two-hour dinner. Rating based on overall experience with the wine, not necessarily this bottle, which were not fair towards.
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Excellent and in a prime drinking window right now. I disagree with the 2017 end-of-life projections, as I think this has at least another year at its current ideal drinking window, and will remain a great bottle for another 2-3 years. Fruit and tannin are integrated very nicely right now. Drink and enjoy!
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Consistent with the previous notes. I will note that the decanting time needed seems to have been surprisingly increasing. I thought about 2 hours would be sufficient. That said, the participants enjoyed it alot (again, almost all noted that 2 hours was not sufficient decant). Vote of the bottle- nearly complete. (Current mean CT reflects well, imho)
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Drinking great with plenty of life. Several years of improvement left with another 5 at peak after that. Big, but smooth and integrated. Blackberry, blueberry, currant and Violets on the nose. Black and blue fruit on palate with cassis and violets. Medium to full bodied. Plenty of body and structure. Really nice. Quite a deal too. Excellent QPR. Great work by Steve E.
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Tasted to see the progress of the wine (as the '13 release is coming up).Decanted for two hours+. Very consistent with my previous notes, but certain elements progressed- imho it will keep improving and since I first tasted the '08 bottles in 2013 the integration of the oak and fruit notes has even improved. Also, I think that the finish got somewhat longer. Drinks above its price range? yes. To make sure I get a second opinion I offered the neighbors a tasting, and they took refills. I count it as a very good sign. Still needs somewhat of a decent decanting (not a PnP wine) [Gave it 93 before (twice) and I think it remains a very good grade. CT's current average, 92.6 may be an under estimation]
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Opened, decanted, and drank over the course of a few hours (later paired with burgers since it's the 4th of July after all). This wine was very approachable and easy to drink now although suspect you'd also find some evolution with more time. Lots of blackberries that stand out almost instantly, but also a soft, earth like flavor. No detailed notes, we were just enjoying an afternoon sipping wine.
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Clear, deep purple in color w/ruby rim exhibiting youthful aromas of violet, black raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, black/red currant, tobacco, cocoa and warmed cedar. Dry, full bodied with medium levels of acidity and alcohol presenting intense flavors of aforementioned profiles. Multi-faceted and elegantly crafted; a real Tour de Force displaying a luscious combination of red and black fruit flavors that envelope the palate and offer a long finessed finish. Full bodied and brooding with fiercely gripping tannins. An hour or longer decant is warranted and well rewarded. Drinking well now and see no reason why this could not finish out the decade in style.
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Brought to a X-Mas Dinner party, initially PnV a little over 50% of bottle into decanter and then poured back into bottle and let breathe for over 3.5+ hours over the course of the night. Deep purple hue. Very smooth and elegant in its approach, with flavorful red currant fruit, black cherry, vanilla bean, and framed by fine dusty teeth-staining tannins, velvety texture and ending with a nice lingering finish. What a gorgeous Cab, outdoes many in its price range.
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Drank over two nights and consistent with my previous notes from CLONYC40. I think it even has more into it now in terms of the nose and the finish. Wonderful wine, wonderful QPR. Well done, Steve
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pop and pour, in glass for over an hour - floral nose emerged over time, notes of graphite as well - tart/raspberry - a touch fruit-forward to my palate. Potential for higher with time, clearly well-made - nice job.
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Tasted blind after being opened 34 hours with one small pour missing from the bottle. Ripe berry, mocha, some heat, redwood, mature/oxidative notes. Seems like a mature Napa Cab, maybe '99. With a couple minutes in the glass black currant and cedar come to prominence over the other notes. Some graphite and blackberry, too. Lingering glycerinny sweetness on the finish. Oxidative nature and heat fall to the background, so maybe a bit younger, like '06. Nice classic Cab notes, despite the ripeness. Continues to gain complexity and vitality over time. Now a kiss of vanilla on the nose. // At this point 30 minutes in the decanter would be about right. Drink now-'19 or so. Might do fine for quite a bit longer.
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Tasted it at a full line-up of Congruence @ CLONYC40. This one, along with the '10 reserve, where my WOTN (though the '10 will win for the long run, IMHO). Cassis and blackberry, with oak in the background. Very nice (not too heavy) finish. Very enjoyable by itself and with the meal, though the '10 would work better with a full meal and the '08 better by its own. Bravo. I would like to try it again in a year or two and see where it goes :-)
Edited (Jan-27-2014): Does voting with the wallet counts? I just bought two to enjoy while waiting for the '10 reserve to 'grow' :-)
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Not unexpectedly shows similar characteristics to the '07, with raspberry, blueberry, linen, florals, hints of vanilla.
But there are certainly differences that shine through. Steve said the '08 was done in 60% new oak, as opposed to the '07 in neutral oak, and also saw the addition of 5% Cab Franc from Stags Leap, and 1% Petit Verdot. All of these, along with the vintage variation, made a wine with more tannic structure and balance.
Drinking well now, but I'm sure could hang out in the cellar till the end of the decade at least.
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Black. Man is this black. I can't even see through it on the edges. Nose of refined red currants and framboise. Palate immediately displays a richness that is mind boggling, and after the tasting week I just came off of I know mind boggling. It shows some pretty spring flowers amongst a solid wall of black/red fruits of currant, blackberries and plum. This is a powerhouse that left shyness at the door; if full throttle and coming at ya without actually hitting you upside the head. You need to respect a wine like that. Balance is very nice but today this is all about the richness. It certainly is rich and expressive. A perfect Saturday where I have nowhere to be and the only appointment I have is with my Weber grill. The black fruits retain hold of this gutsy enjoyable wine and finish goes on and on. Now I need to find me more of this.....
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(This was double decanted 4 hours previous). Dark and ominous. This has fleshed itself out nicely.Black cassis and blackberry goodness. A precise mid-weight wine that has so much to give. I got cola and uncola. I also got rubber leather, exotic tea leaf and cardamom. Certainly shows its Coombsville roots. Nicely balanced with a long black fruit ruled finish. Well done.
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Another great bottle, shared with my Mom and stepfather at Biaggi's in Algonquin, IL. Notes very similar to the last bottle, though this bottle had quite a bit of sediment. Regardless, this was a crowd pleaser, and a HUGe wine...even the "old world" fans truly enjoyed this! Great bottle, and looking forward to trying the 2009's!
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Decanted 2 hours. Loved the nose. But somewhat muted flavors on the palate for me. Good balance though and very smooth. Like "Uglypinga", I prefer a little more ripeness. Still, I rate this "very good" although QPR is not great.
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Central New Jersey Off-Line Tasting at Fresco Steak and Seafood Grill in Milltown, N.J. (Fresco Steak and Seafood Grill in Milltown, New Jersey): this wine was brought by mj (jersey foodies) to the central jersey CT off line holiday tasting at fresco steak and seafood grill in milltown, n.j. decanted into reidel goose neck vessel. this wine bursts wide open with lush fruit. red raspberry predominates for me. looking at mj's tasting note from april, i would have to say that there must have been too much distraction tonite to properly evaluate the wine. in any event, it is my 2nd runner up for WOTN. mj informs us that this wine is made by Steve Eisenhower who resides in millburn. the wine is made using facilities at crushpad. anyone interested in finding the wine can go to: www.congruencewines.com
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nice currants on the nose with something that reminds me of sweetarts. the palate is medium with very bright raspberries almost underripe. lots of acid. great with steak. not my style by itself. I like it better than the first time but still prefer them riper.
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Cigar ash and currants on the nose. Somewhat angular fruit with a coolness to it and lacking thing tanninsheft and ripeness that I prefer in cabs. Drying tannins. Not my cup of tea.
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Oozes dark cabernet fruit, hint of vanilla, some brightness and touch of ripeness, nice overall balanced, with plenty of dusty tannins coming through on the finish. Very nice Napa Cab.
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Dark and glorious and teeming with some classy Coombsville goodness. The black fruits abound in this. There is a hint of cola and some Kirsch Royal. Full of character. With a bigger decant, this really showed its full 'stuff' tonight and it was amongst some strong competition and it pulled ahead quickly. I have always liked the way this exhibits a near perfect balance and weightlessness in mid-palate, this has purity, precision and power tonight. Nice job!
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After having the 2007 Congruence and loving it, I figured it was time to open a 2008. If I remember correctly, this wine is 95% Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, and the final blend got a bit of petite verdot, as well as some cabernet franc. Sorry, I don’t know what the exact blend was here. Popped and decanted at cellar temperature for 4 hours.
Gorgeous garnet color in the glass. On the nose, I get a ton of black cherry, ripe jammy raspberry, cassis, currants, and just a tad of vanilla. The nose is rounded out by a bit of spice, some floral notes, coffee grounds, and espresso. Needless to say, there is a ton going on within the nose here, to the point that it was almost overwhelming. But is that really a bad thing? I don’t think so.
On the palate, first thing that I notice is the lack of alcohol, and the lack of oak on this wine. Everything here seems to be really integrated, and that was shocking to me. There is nothing worse than opening a wine in its infancy and being smacked in the face with a giant oak log. Not the case here at all, and the alcohol seemed very integrated as well. Maybe this was because we were drinking it at cellar temperature? I don’t know.
The fruit is the shining star here, and the palate shows nice currants and cassis, with more mocha tones, black cherry, and raspberry. Definitely a bit of dusty tannin here, however, they are well integrated at such a young stage. Even so, I think that this wine will easily age for 10 plus years, however, it is drinking so well now, I think it is going to keep my hands off these.
When it comes to our house cab, I really wish I could afford to serve this to all of our guests. This is a hell of a well made wine, and you can tell that some serious time and thought was put into this. Overall, this is a winner, and I need to figure out somewhere to come up with a bit of extra cash, and order another 6-12 bottles. Hell of a good wine, and 93 point worthy. Guessing this could gain 1-2 more points, if not more, with some time on its side in the cellar. For all of you who took advantage of this on the Berserkerday Birthday Sale, you are in for a pleasant surprise! Great job! Cheers!
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I originally wanted to decant this for a few hours, so an 11:30 am opening was warranted, BUT on pop and pour I might not make it that long.
The nose is a refined sweet black fruited medley with hints of Kirsch and Framboise. Palate is black cherries, black cassis, black plums and black raspberries. There is some undercurrent of lush tones. A hint of cola with a wee bit of exotic spice and violets. Perfect balance and near weightlessness in mid-palate, this has purity and concentration without ever stepping into over-bearing. Keeping it in the mid 60s temp-wise really makes this sing and dance. The finish is long and sumptuous. Overall, this is a beautiful Cabernet that can sit on the table with kings and hold his own. As the day went on, this gained some fleshiness and got a deeper mid palate all while remaining with the original fruit/stylistic profile. www.congruencewines.com
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From the pick up party earlier today: This has really became the sum of all the parts I tasted a bit back as barrel components. Its dark and sexy with great backbone and some real Coombsville character, (a character I am learning more & more about all the time). This was a bit closed at first, but after about 30 minutes it opened nicely. There is a silkiness about it this that stems from the fruit, always showcasing its purity. Theres some black currant, black cherry and hints of cool cola, this had some power within the elegance that really catches and holds your attention. It has some great balance which displays the iron fist/velvet glove thing nicely. Did I say it was sexy? It was. Once this sheds its baby fat this will really be an amazing bottle. I am going to try and hold back opening my first bottle for a bit, but its will be tough..
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1/12/2024 - RDHudak wrote: 92 Points
This was still drinking well, despite being an older bottle. Plenty of Napa fruit and spice with a long finish. I really miss this winery.
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12/31/2022 - BURGHen Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Blackberry, blueberry with a velvety mouthfeel. The flavors melded with some light oak for a long bold finish. Very balanced throughout the palate.
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7/15/2021 - Cow Town Does not like this wine:
Not giving a score because this bottle was so unlike prior ones. GREEN. Bouncing between green pepper and pine needles, the smell and taste just never worked for me.
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9/13/2020 - odds Likes this wine:
I would say it remains consistent with my prior notes. It was somewhat surprising to me that I did not feel alot of aging on the wine compared with my prior tastings of it. There is no need for longer decanting as in prior servings, but it is still aging. I would say it can be held abit more, but it was a great end of weekend/weekday treat.
(all stored in temp/humidity offsite wine storage)
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8/19/2020 - RAD2626 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Terrific fruit. Great length. Bright cherry and red berry flavor. Very pleasant wine showing no deterioration.
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4/19/2020 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good to go on PnP
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2/3/2019 - dhammer53 wrote: 91 Points
My last bottle. So long old friend. Mid-body cab vs the '16 Becklyn. Some fruit. Some tannins. If you still own this, drink or hold until 2023. This was very good QPR.
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11/24/2018 - WineGold wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking very well, with plenty of life to go. Drank with a 2012 Chappellet Malbec and a 2013 Scherrer Grenache at our good friends’ home with a chile dinner. All three wines drank really well. I wasn’t sure of the drinking order from lightest to heaviest, but when I opened all three wines, this Cabernet landed right in the middle. A solid medium-body, with fruit, acid, and tannin in a very nice balance. Needs only 15-20 minutes of air and it’s ready to go. No rush here. This wine still has years of very good drinking ahead. Sad about the winery closing, as the wine is quite good.
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10/19/2018 - Mootsie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Napa Cab. Still relatively young. Should go a few more years.
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9/21/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Opaque dark violet color. Nose dark fruited with faint hints of herbal green pepper and tobacco. Palate crisp dark fruits, bright acidity livening up a rich cassis core. Still holding strong but fully mature to my palate. Nice complexity and good with a grilled steak. 92 pts
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9/7/2018 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
This is still a delicious wine. Sorry, no notes. I have 1 bottle left.
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8/15/2018 - dhp. Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious right now, with wonderfully perfumed red and black napa fruit on the nose. Palate is medium-full bodied with great balance and a good finish. Secondary flavors are in full force. Wish I had bought more when I had the chance to get them on clearance. Just pure tastiness!
There is quite a bit of heavy sediment, especailly around the neck and cork, so wipe and decant.
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4/29/2018 - klezman wrote:
On first opening, big, powerful, and yummy. Excellent balance, flowers, herbs, dark ripe fruit, and some dust.
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4/6/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
No detailed notes. Shared with a friend during an afternoon of conversation. It's got your high fruit profile that is pretty standard in a Napa cab. Not over the top though and some structure to compliment. Not an overly complex or deep wine, but enjoyable.
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1/12/2018 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar comments as prior bottles.
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12/25/2017 - BURGHen Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Complex dark fruit flavors with oak and vanilla trickling in. Blending all together in a well rounded body all in balance. Nothing overpowers, this wine seriously delivers in flavor profile, balance and finesse
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12/17/2017 - fred o. Likes this wine:
Dark indigo/violet color. Throws off quite a bit of sediment. Nose dark fruited, some herbal green pepper notes. Palate dusky cassis, some hints of cocoa, vanillin, still some bright acidity. Overall goes well with a steakhouse-type meal. 91 pts
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11/7/2017 - RDHudak wrote: 91 Points
More restrained than the '09. Herbs, dried fruit. This got better in the glass and I think it could use a bit of time to come around.
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10/24/2017 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice restrained style Napa Cab blend.
Very nice QPR
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10/17/2017 - mye wrote:
served blind. dark purple. Chocolate. Slightly muted. Plum mid palate. Coco coats palate. Med long finish. Pretty tasty and restrained side of Napa Cabs..
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9/26/2017 - dhp. Likes this wine:
Felt like it needed more time in bottle than the 09, which is drinking easier/better at the moment. I should mention that it's an excellent Napa Cabernet that is reasonably priced
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9/24/2017 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I liked slightly better than the '09 the other day but loved both a lot and great QPR.
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9/3/2017 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle. Drank at a BBQ on Cape Cod. This is still firing on all fours. See my last note for comments. What a pleasure to drink. Great QPR.
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8/11/2017 - King Cab wrote:
gave to mikey
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5/3/2017 - dhammer53 wrote: 92 Points
Drank this at my wife/daughters 65/30 birthday dinner at Ruby's Oyster Bar and Grill in Rye NY. I've enjoyed the 2010, so I was looking forward to the just received 2008 that a friend was holding for me. Decanted for 45 minutes. There was just a hint of tannins, just a hint. No oak taste. This was smooth and delicious. The wine was mouth coating, which was an unexpected surprise for me. I had one bottle left that I'll save for 2018/19. I'm sorry that Steve is no longer producing wine.
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2/11/2017 - WineGold Likes this wine: 92 Points
More oak-forward than previous bottles. Needed more time than we were able to give it. This got popped and poured and, basically swirled in the glass. Was much better towards the end of our two-hour dinner. Rating based on overall experience with the wine, not necessarily this bottle, which were not fair towards.
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12/23/2016 - WineGold Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent and in a prime drinking window right now. I disagree with the 2017 end-of-life projections, as I think this has at least another year at its current ideal drinking window, and will remain a great bottle for another 2-3 years. Fruit and tannin are integrated very nicely right now. Drink and enjoy!
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11/16/2016 - odds Likes this wine:
Consistent with the previous notes. I will note that the decanting time needed seems to have been surprisingly increasing. I thought about 2 hours would be sufficient. That said, the participants enjoyed it alot (again, almost all noted that 2 hours was not sufficient decant). Vote of the bottle- nearly complete.
(Current mean CT reflects well, imho)
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5/29/2016 - WineGold wrote: 93 Points
Drinking great with plenty of life. Several years of improvement left with another 5 at peak after that. Big, but smooth and integrated. Blackberry, blueberry, currant and Violets on the nose. Black and blue fruit on palate with cassis and violets. Medium to full bodied. Plenty of body and structure. Really nice. Quite a deal too. Excellent QPR. Great work by Steve E.
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9/13/2015 - odds Likes this wine:
Tasted to see the progress of the wine (as the '13 release is coming up).Decanted for two hours+. Very consistent with my previous notes, but certain elements progressed- imho it will keep improving and since I first tasted the '08 bottles in 2013 the integration of the oak and fruit notes has even improved. Also, I think that the finish got somewhat longer. Drinks above its price range? yes. To make sure I get a second opinion I offered the neighbors a tasting, and they took refills. I count it as a very good sign.
Still needs somewhat of a decent decanting (not a PnP wine)
[Gave it 93 before (twice) and I think it remains a very good grade. CT's current average, 92.6 may be an under estimation]
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7/4/2015 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Opened, decanted, and drank over the course of a few hours (later paired with burgers since it's the 4th of July after all). This wine was very approachable and easy to drink now although suspect you'd also find some evolution with more time. Lots of blackberries that stand out almost instantly, but also a soft, earth like flavor. No detailed notes, we were just enjoying an afternoon sipping wine.
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6/12/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 91 Points
could do better with some more air, medium bodied, lots of fruit
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1/23/2015 - SouthernStateofMind Likes this wine:
Clear, deep purple in color w/ruby rim exhibiting youthful aromas of violet, black raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, black/red currant, tobacco, cocoa and warmed cedar. Dry, full bodied with medium levels of acidity and alcohol presenting intense flavors of aforementioned profiles. Multi-faceted and elegantly crafted; a real Tour de Force displaying a luscious combination of red and black fruit flavors that envelope the palate and offer a long finessed finish. Full bodied and brooding with fiercely gripping tannins. An hour or longer decant is warranted and well rewarded. Drinking well now and see no reason why this could not finish out the decade in style.
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12/20/2014 - DRS-Inc wrote: 93 Points
Brought to a X-Mas Dinner party, initially PnV a little over 50% of bottle into decanter and then poured back into bottle and let breathe for over 3.5+ hours over the course of the night. Deep purple hue. Very smooth and elegant in its approach, with flavorful red currant fruit, black cherry, vanilla bean, and framed by fine dusty teeth-staining tannins, velvety texture and ending with a nice lingering finish. What a gorgeous Cab, outdoes many in its price range.
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11/8/2014 - odds Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over two nights and consistent with my previous notes from CLONYC40. I think it even has more into it now in terms of the nose and the finish. Wonderful wine, wonderful QPR. Well done, Steve
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7/14/2014 - AngryPrez Likes this wine: 92 Points
pop and pour, in glass for over an hour - floral nose emerged over time, notes of graphite as well - tart/raspberry - a touch fruit-forward to my palate. Potential for higher with time, clearly well-made - nice job.
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7/12/2014 - yhn wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind after being opened 34 hours with one small pour missing from the bottle. Ripe berry, mocha, some heat, redwood, mature/oxidative notes. Seems like a mature Napa Cab, maybe '99. With a couple minutes in the glass black currant and cedar come to prominence over the other notes. Some graphite and blackberry, too. Lingering glycerinny sweetness on the finish. Oxidative nature and heat fall to the background, so maybe a bit younger, like '06. Nice classic Cab notes, despite the ripeness. Continues to gain complexity and vitality over time. Now a kiss of vanilla on the nose. // At this point 30 minutes in the decanter would be about right. Drink now-'19 or so. Might do fine for quite a bit longer.
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11/6/2013 - odds Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted it at a full line-up of Congruence @ CLONYC40. This one, along with the '10 reserve, where my WOTN (though the '10 will win for the long run, IMHO). Cassis and blackberry, with oak in the background. Very nice (not too heavy) finish. Very enjoyable by itself and with the meal, though the '10 would work better with a full meal and the '08 better by its own. Bravo. I would like to try it again in a year or two and see where it goes :-)
Edited (Jan-27-2014): Does voting with the wallet counts? I just bought two to enjoy while waiting for the '10 reserve to 'grow' :-)
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11/6/2013 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Consistent; Expressive nose; Slightly more restrained; Nice expression
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10/23/2013 - wineberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Congruence Wine Dinner with Steve Eisenhauer (Bourbon Steak, DC): My 2nd favorite of the Cabs next to the '10r in the lineup.
Not unexpectedly shows similar characteristics to the '07, with raspberry, blueberry, linen, florals, hints of vanilla.
But there are certainly differences that shine through. Steve said the '08 was done in 60% new oak, as opposed to the '07 in neutral oak, and also saw the addition of 5% Cab Franc from Stags Leap, and 1% Petit Verdot. All of these, along with the vintage variation, made a wine with more tannic structure and balance.
Drinking well now, but I'm sure could hang out in the cellar till the end of the decade at least.
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3/9/2013 - King Cab wrote: 95 Points
Black. Man is this black. I can't even see through it on the edges. Nose of refined red currants and framboise. Palate immediately displays a richness that is mind boggling, and after the tasting week I just came off of I know mind boggling. It shows some pretty spring flowers amongst a solid wall of black/red fruits of currant, blackberries and plum. This is a powerhouse that left shyness at the door; if full throttle and coming at ya without actually hitting you upside the head. You need to respect a wine like that. Balance is very nice but today this is all about the richness. It certainly is rich and expressive. A perfect Saturday where I have nowhere to be and the only appointment I have is with my Weber grill. The black fruits retain hold of this gutsy enjoyable wine and finish goes on and on. Now I need to find me more of this.....
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6/8/2012 - King Cab wrote: 92 Points
(This was double decanted 4 hours previous). Dark and ominous. This has fleshed itself out nicely.Black cassis and blackberry goodness. A precise mid-weight wine that has so much to give. I got cola and uncola. I also got rubber leather, exotic tea leaf and cardamom. Certainly shows its Coombsville roots. Nicely balanced with a long black fruit ruled finish. Well done.
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2/11/2012 - placecarnot wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured, still so young but starting to drink very well. Fine tanin, big fruit, but not overripe at all, nice balanced.
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1/1/2012 - markjahnke wrote: 93 Points
Another great bottle, shared with my Mom and stepfather at Biaggi's in Algonquin, IL. Notes very similar to the last bottle, though this bottle had quite a bit of sediment. Regardless, this was a crowd pleaser, and a HUGe wine...even the "old world" fans truly enjoyed this! Great bottle, and looking forward to trying the 2009's!
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12/28/2011 - TastesGoodToMe wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Loved the nose. But somewhat muted flavors on the palate for me. Good balance though and very smooth. Like "Uglypinga", I prefer a little more ripeness. Still, I rate this "very good" although QPR is not great.
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12/8/2011 - bacchus wrote: 93 Points
Central New Jersey Off-Line Tasting at Fresco Steak and Seafood Grill in Milltown, N.J. (Fresco Steak and Seafood Grill in Milltown, New Jersey): this wine was brought by mj (jersey foodies) to the central jersey CT off line holiday tasting at fresco steak and seafood grill in milltown, n.j. decanted into reidel goose neck vessel. this wine bursts wide open with lush fruit. red raspberry predominates for me. looking at mj's tasting note from april, i would have to say that there must have been too much distraction tonite to properly evaluate the wine. in any event, it is my 2nd runner up for WOTN.
mj informs us that this wine is made by Steve Eisenhower who resides in millburn. the wine is made using facilities at crushpad. anyone interested in finding the wine can go to: www.congruencewines.com
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9/27/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
nice currants on the nose with something that reminds me of sweetarts. the palate is medium with very bright raspberries almost underripe. lots of acid. great with steak. not my style by itself. I like it better than the first time but still prefer them riper.
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6/6/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Cigar ash and currants on the nose. Somewhat angular fruit with a coolness to it and lacking thing tanninsheft and ripeness that I prefer in cabs. Drying tannins. Not my cup of tea.
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5/15/2011 - alanr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oozes dark cabernet fruit, hint of vanilla, some brightness and touch of ripeness, nice overall balanced, with plenty of dusty tannins coming through on the finish. Very nice Napa Cab.
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4/16/2011 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Great nose; Really shining; Great body
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4/15/2011 - King Cab wrote: 94 Points
Dark and glorious and teeming with some classy Coombsville goodness. The black fruits abound in this. There is a hint of cola and some Kirsch Royal. Full of character. With a bigger decant, this really showed its full 'stuff' tonight and it was amongst some strong competition and it pulled ahead quickly. I have always liked the way this exhibits a near perfect balance and weightlessness in mid-palate, this has purity, precision and power tonight. Nice job!
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4/2/2011 - markjahnke wrote: 93 Points
After having the 2007 Congruence and loving it, I figured it was time to open a 2008. If I remember correctly, this wine is 95% Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, and the final blend got a bit of petite verdot, as well as some cabernet franc. Sorry, I don’t know what the exact blend was here. Popped and decanted at cellar temperature for 4 hours.
Gorgeous garnet color in the glass. On the nose, I get a ton of black cherry, ripe jammy raspberry, cassis, currants, and just a tad of vanilla. The nose is rounded out by a bit of spice, some floral notes, coffee grounds, and espresso. Needless to say, there is a ton going on within the nose here, to the point that it was almost overwhelming. But is that really a bad thing? I don’t think so.
On the palate, first thing that I notice is the lack of alcohol, and the lack of oak on this wine. Everything here seems to be really integrated, and that was shocking to me. There is nothing worse than opening a wine in its infancy and being smacked in the face with a giant oak log. Not the case here at all, and the alcohol seemed very integrated as well. Maybe this was because we were drinking it at cellar temperature? I don’t know.
The fruit is the shining star here, and the palate shows nice currants and cassis, with more mocha tones, black cherry, and raspberry. Definitely a bit of dusty tannin here, however, they are well integrated at such a young stage. Even so, I think that this wine will easily age for 10 plus years, however, it is drinking so well now, I think it is going to keep my hands off these.
When it comes to our house cab, I really wish I could afford to serve this to all of our guests. This is a hell of a well made wine, and you can tell that some serious time and thought was put into this. Overall, this is a winner, and I need to figure out somewhere to come up with a bit of extra cash, and order another 6-12 bottles. Hell of a good wine, and 93 point worthy. Guessing this could gain 1-2 more points, if not more, with some time on its side in the cellar. For all of you who took advantage of this on the Berserkerday Birthday Sale, you are in for a pleasant surprise! Great job! Cheers!
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2/6/2011 - King Cab wrote: 93 Points
I originally wanted to decant this for a few hours, so an 11:30 am opening was warranted, BUT on pop and pour I might not make it that long.
The nose is a refined sweet black fruited medley with hints of Kirsch and Framboise. Palate is black cherries, black cassis, black plums and black raspberries. There is some undercurrent of lush tones. A hint of cola with a wee bit of exotic spice and violets. Perfect balance and near weightlessness in mid-palate, this has purity and concentration without ever stepping into over-bearing. Keeping it in the mid 60s temp-wise really makes this sing and dance. The finish is long and sumptuous. Overall, this is a beautiful Cabernet that can sit on the table with kings and hold his own.
As the day went on, this gained some fleshiness and got a deeper mid palate all while remaining with the original fruit/stylistic profile.
www.congruencewines.com
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11/21/2010 - King Cab wrote:
From the pick up party earlier today:
This has really became the sum of all the parts I tasted a bit back as barrel components. Its dark and sexy with great backbone and some real Coombsville character, (a character I am learning more & more about all the time). This was a bit closed at first, but after about 30 minutes it opened nicely. There is a silkiness about it this that stems from the fruit, always showcasing its purity. Theres some black currant, black cherry and hints of cool cola, this had some power within the elegance that really catches and holds your attention. It has some great balance which displays the iron fist/velvet glove thing nicely. Did I say it was sexy? It was. Once this sheds its baby fat this will really be an amazing bottle. I am going to try and hold back opening my first bottle for a bit, but its will be tough..
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