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Community Tasting Notes (32) Avg Score: 90.7 points

  • Tight and tannic on the pop n pour but opened up nicely after about an hour. Definitely on the back end of its life but worked well with our steak dinner.

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  • Dark red with slight bricking around the rim. A savory nose shows herbs, leather, dark red fruits and hint of licorice. The palate shows a savory edge to the herbal dark red berries, decent acidity and a leather tinged finish.

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  • In a lovely window now. Incredibly expressive, floral nose of cherry blossoms, spring violets, lavender, chocolate, and grape hard candy. The palate is medium-full, square, dry, but tangy, bringing a dual surge of sweet blueberry/blackberry with tart cherry/raspberry into a gritty, savory mix of pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, coffee bean, dried leather, and forest floor, that flows into a refined finish. Best with food. Drink 2021-2025. Technical score: 93. Enjoyment score: 93.

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  • In full disclosure, this is one of my favorite Cabernet producers in Napa. I haven’t checked on this in over six years. At thirteen years, this is just beginning to enter into the mature phase; tertiary characteristics are starting to predominate. Shows a clear, deep ruby color without noticeable signs of bricking. Pronounced aromatic and flavor profile leads with bell pepper and drying celery, followed by cocoa powder, dried red currant, overly ripe, drying blackberry, stewed cherry, dried tobacco, burned charcoal, and crusty, black earth. As like most of Nils Venge’s wines, the mouthfeel is somewhat austere and dry. Structure is still very much in play, with chewy tannin and an acidic backbone showing on the long, very dry finish. This requires “big” food, such as a grilled steak or roasted beef, lamb or pork. Tonight this was pulled from a 55 degree cellar, decanted, and enjoyed with a grilled ribeye, and sautéed spinach and mushrooms. Outstanding wine, should cellar for another 5-7 years, assuming the fruit doesn’t fade...structure is solid. Maintain my earlier 94 point scores.

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  • Dark red in color. Classic but muted aromas of dark red berries, dark olive paste, cocoa, loam and herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied and restrained palate shows sweet and savory dark small red fruits with olive, green herbs, licorice, medium acidity, no tannins and a medium long finish with a hint of oak.

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Vinous

  • By Stephen Tanzer
    May/June 2012, IWC Issue #162, (See more on Vinous...)

    (Saddleback Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley) Login and sign up and see review text.

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