Cabernet themed "European Lunch" (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): Dark raspberry red color with pale meniscus; dill, cassis, berry, maturing nose; tasty, tart cassis, berry and dill palate with depth and structure; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (poured double blind, and I properly guessed South African Cab)
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Drank with Ray. This was wonderfully surprising, and rather surprisingly wonderful. Served blind, Ray thought it was a classed growth left bank Bordeaux at first. The wine did take awhile to settles down and breathe, but when it did, it was a complete dead-ringer for the 2004 Cos d'Estournel that we had a few weeks back. Nose showed dried mushroom, dried earth some sweet but fresh cassis notes and higher-toned bramble, menthol and with time, roasted green pepper notes. Incredibly young and primary on the palate still, superb fresh acidity, cassis, menthol and a touch of chinese herbs as it moved into the longish finish which had a little linger of bitter chocolate. Superb balance and refined, velvety tannic structure aside, we thought it lacked a slight amount of richness in mid-palate to be top-class,. However, the wine took on a good amount of weight and filled out very nicely as the night wine by. There were whiffs of alcohol on the nose and palate at first as well, but that too subsided. Towards the end of the bottle the primary fruit flavours started taking on secondary layers with coffee roast and cigar smoke filling up the finish. An excellent wine - wish I had bought more, because this will be singing in 5-7 years time.
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11/23/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Boekenhoutskloof Winemakers dinner. (@ Bottles; Sas van Gent, Netherlands): In the bouquet beautiful black berries and some pleasant oak. On the palate red and black berries, good acidity, a touch of sweetness and bell pepper. Soft tannin. Beautiful wine.
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8/7/2009 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Cabernet themed "European Lunch" (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, California): Dark raspberry red color with pale meniscus; dill, cassis, berry, maturing nose; tasty, tart cassis, berry and dill palate with depth and structure; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (poured double blind, and I properly guessed South African Cab)
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1/19/2009 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Drank with Ray. This was wonderfully surprising, and rather surprisingly wonderful. Served blind, Ray thought it was a classed growth left bank Bordeaux at first. The wine did take awhile to settles down and breathe, but when it did, it was a complete dead-ringer for the 2004 Cos d'Estournel that we had a few weeks back. Nose showed dried mushroom, dried earth some sweet but fresh cassis notes and higher-toned bramble, menthol and with time, roasted green pepper notes. Incredibly young and primary on the palate still, superb fresh acidity, cassis, menthol and a touch of chinese herbs as it moved into the longish finish which had a little linger of bitter chocolate. Superb balance and refined, velvety tannic structure aside, we thought it lacked a slight amount of richness in mid-palate to be top-class,. However, the wine took on a good amount of weight and filled out very nicely as the night wine by. There were whiffs of alcohol on the nose and palate at first as well, but that too subsided. Towards the end of the bottle the primary fruit flavours started taking on secondary layers with coffee roast and cigar smoke filling up the finish. An excellent wine - wish I had bought more, because this will be singing in 5-7 years time.
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