Brick-ruby color, amber edges, showing its almost 19 year age. Moderately viscous and quite translucent. Pronounced aroma of almost pure cassis, with some plums but no herbal or barnyard components. On the palate surprisingly soft and round, medium body, cassis flavors, elegant. I expected a bigger, much more concentrated flavor. There is no tannin left. The aftertaste is medium length. Overall excellent, but a bit of a disappointment from what I expected. I will try one of the two remaining bottles to see if it is the same. If so, it's time to drink up. It will also be interesting to try 2005 The Ark for comparison. Addendum: 6 hours after opening it opened up considerably. The aroma developed some French oak and the wine was fuller bodied, with a longer aftertaste. The following evening it was definitely darker, which may have been from some sediment. Aroma and flavor were more pronounced cassis and plum, with more prominent tannins. French oak was now more evident. The aftertaste was much longer and a bit hot. This was an excellent example of a wine changing over 24 hours, becoming darker and richer. For our next bottle I will open and decant it the morning of our dinner. My score increased from 91 last night to 96 tonight. Ric
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Solid wine. 2 hr decant. Napa lovers will probably rate this low 90s. Bordeaux lovers may rate i high 90s. It compares very well to a 2005 Margaux for example. For me it was an easy 98 but I took the average of the group. :)
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Dark ruby-garnet with crimson under the light. Intense red cherries with ripe purple plums dominate the nose with ripe wild strawberries framing it. Intensely powerful wine that is drinking incredibly young. Intense black currant, black raspberry, plum skin, wild strawberries, distant barnyard, and a touch of sweetened tar. This is the Platonic form of California Cabernet.
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Had this in my cellar for a decade and opened, along with a 2009 Shafer Hillside Select at Hawksmoor NYC with good friends. Was much less of the extracted fruit bomb of its youth and displayed mature, almost Bordeaux-like notes of earthy tobacco over its blackberry jam undertone. Improved some in the glass but seemed to be in a fully mature state. Overall liked the Hillside more, but still a very fine bottle. Dont think this gets better, so drink up!
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2/9/2024 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brick-ruby color, amber edges, showing its almost 19 year age. Moderately viscous and quite translucent. Pronounced aroma of almost pure cassis, with some plums but no herbal or barnyard components. On the palate surprisingly soft and round, medium body, cassis flavors, elegant. I expected a bigger, much more concentrated flavor. There is no tannin left. The aftertaste is medium length. Overall excellent, but a bit of a disappointment from what I expected. I will try one of the two remaining bottles to see if it is the same. If so, it's time to drink up. It will also be interesting to try 2005 The Ark for comparison.
Addendum: 6 hours after opening it opened up considerably. The aroma developed some French oak and the wine was fuller bodied, with a longer aftertaste. The following evening it was definitely darker, which may have been from some sediment. Aroma and flavor were more pronounced cassis and plum, with more prominent tannins. French oak was now more evident. The aftertaste was much longer and a bit hot.
This was an excellent example of a wine changing over 24 hours, becoming darker and richer. For our next bottle I will open and decant it the morning of our dinner. My score increased from 91 last night to 96 tonight.
Ric
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11/18/2023 - Hppr Cellar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Solid wine. 2 hr decant. Napa lovers will probably rate this low 90s. Bordeaux lovers may rate i high 90s. It compares very well to a 2005 Margaux for example. For me it was an easy 98 but I took the average of the group. :)
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7/7/2023 - soyhead wrote:
impressively floral nose. quite perfumed. a bit of heat in the mouth, and perhaps unsettled. young at age 18?
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3/24/2023 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark ruby-garnet with crimson under the light. Intense red cherries with ripe purple plums dominate the nose with ripe wild strawberries framing it. Intensely powerful wine that is drinking incredibly young. Intense black currant, black raspberry, plum skin, wild strawberries, distant barnyard, and a touch of sweetened tar. This is the Platonic form of California Cabernet.
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12/30/2022 - bradfgross@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Had this in my cellar for a decade and opened, along with a 2009 Shafer Hillside Select at Hawksmoor NYC with good friends. Was much less of the extracted fruit bomb of its youth and displayed mature, almost Bordeaux-like notes of earthy tobacco over its blackberry jam undertone. Improved some in the glass but seemed to be in a fully mature state. Overall liked the Hillside more, but still a very fine bottle. Dont think this gets better, so drink up!
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