calicabnut
Member #115,448 signed up 3/7/2010
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Mrbuzz
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rjonwine@gmail.co…
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Member since March 2010
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Member #115,448 signed up 3/7/2010
2,917 Tasting Notes
47,865 Tasting Notes
This member's profile is not public.
2007 Robert Foley Claret
3/25/2011 - calicabnut Likes this wine: 98 Points
A massive, hedonistic wine! Enormous nose of flowers and springtime. Beyond purple to a nearly ebony color. Tartrates have already started to form hinting at what's to come. Not just full bodied but voluptuous and amazingly round and balanced for how young it is right now, but at the same time there's no doubt room for even more improvement with some cellar time as the fruits are huge and the acidity is there to round them even further. Sweet, rich tannins and smooth, almost velvety on the palate with notes of both chocolate and vanilla coming through. For my taste, if there's a weakness it's that the oak may be just a tad too subdued, but many will like that. I won't touch another until at least 2014 not because it's necessary but because the expectation of what will come starting 3 to 5 years from now is too good to pass up by drinking more any earlier, and it will almost certainly hold up for another 5 to 10 years beyond that.
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2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
3/13/2011 - calicabnut Likes this wine: 95 Points
I committed oenophilic sin and popped one of these far before it was ready to be popped, but I'm oh so glad I did. As young as it is, it's already delivering a beautiful wine experience .. medium to full body that will likely gain in weight in the next year in bottle, spectacular fruits even though just a tad plum dominated, smooth tannins, layers of complexity and a warm, lingering finish.
I fell in love with Cali Cabs starting with the 2001 Mondavi Reserve and have enjoyed many excellent years since with the 2002, 2004 and 2006 but none have matched the 2001 for me ... but this one is going to not only match it but exceed it in the next 2 to 3 years. Time to watch for end-of-vintage sales and stock up!
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2006 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Éloge
3/13/2011 - calicabnut Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a special wine. Showing a somewhat subdued nose, it did not explode and show capturing aromas on the opening or even later in the glass, but the opaque purple color and tartrates signalled there was much more to come. Superb fruits followed with excellent acidity and medium to full body (it gained more weight with more air time). Nicely integrated, smooth tannins made for a luxurious roundness and silky mouthfeel and a long, tantilizing finish.
A beautiful wine ready to drink and enjoy right now, this one has everything it needs to get even better over the years. My plan is to restrain myself to one per year and watch it as it matures, and I fully expect the journey to be a highly rewarding one.
It can be difficult to find QPR in a $70 wine but this one makes it. You really can't ask for much more in a wine unless (for me) you go up to some significantly more expensive 100% Cab stunners by Shafer, Araujo, Buccella or Hobbs.
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