2016 Arkenstone Estate

Community Tasting Notes (29) Avg Score: 96.1 points

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  4/13/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Two hour slow ox, followed by a splash decant. Very deep dark, slightly hazy magenta color. Blackberry, dark chocolate covered pretzel, rum cake, and bay leaf. Dry palate. Full tannins on the longish finish. 79% CS, 9% CF, and some PV.

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  2/6/2024 - SWHighlander Likes this wine: 95 Points

  PNP. High end Napa for sure. Well outshown a 2016 Lewis Cellars that was in very large format and needed to open up more. No alcohol / heat that needs to blow off, but I'm sure it would be better with more decanting and/or more cellar time. Can't wait to try it later.

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  12/31/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 97 Points

  Haven't popped one of these in about 18 months and the last bottle was so good......
  
  Pnp'd into a decanter for this evening's steak dinner. Dark, opaque garnet/purple in the glass. Sample is juicy, jammy big berries, quite over the top! Slight tightness on the back end. 92?
  
  5-6 hours later, viola! The nose is one of graphite, violets and rich black currant/cassis. The palate is much the same. This is very rich and layered with a soft round mouthfeel, well integrating tannins and still a great bead of acidity throughout. Many, years yet ahead, maybe decades ahead for this one. However it's still not where it needs to be for tonight's dinner. It pairs well with the steak but I can't wait to see what it does in the hours after dinner.......94-95?
  
  8-9 hours of air and now, it's turning that beautiful corner I've come to expect from it. Everything, every element comes into balance and plays well together. The over-the-top fruit and extra fine acidity both back off a tad. The fruit deepens and develops more class. The blackberry/cassis and acidity balance each other perfectly.....the finish is strong and long with great fruit all the way to the end. 96-97 easy!
  
  Approaching hour 10 of air and the fruit turns just the slightest bit tart on the ending and with a smidgen of grittiness to the tannins as well, maybe a 94 at the end? A beautiful way to spend 8-10 hours of the day.......

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  10/15/2023 - Franken Berry Likes this wine: 95 Points

  It was fun to follow this wine over two days. IAMANDYC brought this to our impromptu mid week dinner with CYCLIST at a French BYOB, and, I was generously allowed to bring the last half of the bottle home with me.
  This is a very dark opaque purple wine of great density and intensity. This is largely cabernet sauvignon, with smaller dollops of the usual blenders, cab franc, merlot and malbec. cassis, dark cherries and blueberries on the nose and palate mixed with notes of pine, mint, forest floor and bay and blackcurrant leaf. well balanced, but the fruit is still a bit reserved at this young age (not surprising for howell mountain). I suspect its best days lay ahead. Reminds me of an Outpost Cab

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  4/6/2023 - Jimaronson Likes this wine: 95 Points

  It took a two hour decant and should have been three or four hours. Wine settled down in the glass and exhibited violets, blueberry, and vanilla with sweet fruit from the beginning to the end. Unfortunately, there was practically no nose and the finish was short which dropped the score. I found a coolness in its structure. The texture was smooth. Clearly a wine from a cooler climate than one from the valley floor. This is wine from Howell Mountain.

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