1971 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Cask

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 90 points

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  8/13/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 90 Points

  Our good friend Mike had a birthday last week and threatened to open a birthyear wine at our gathering yesterday (ultimately, it turned out to be 2 rather than 1). I knew he had a '68 Inglenook (a wine I will take credit for pushing him to pull the trigger on at auction) so I thought this '71 might be a good foil. These two bottles were the first Inglenooks either of us had tasted, and to say that they exceeded expectations would be an understatement. The '71 was from cask 2, and had a top shoulder fill and pristine cork that was unsaturated and had wine only half way up. Upon opening, there was a bit of a nutty, sherry note that gave me some concern, but in the ~1h between opening and pouring, this seemed to dissipate. The color was dark purple with moderate amber bricking, slightly cloudy with a good dose of suspended sediment. I should have pulled this bottle the night before to stand it upright, but this was a last minute audible, so lesson learned. Despite the grit, this was a very pleasant bottle, quite red-fruited, with sour cherry, pomegranate, shoe leather, tar and a bit of walnut skin. Lots of acidity here, with a long, bright finish. The '68 was an interesting contrast, in that it was much more black-fruited, with a more typical cassis-driven fruit profile, a velvety smooth mid-palate, and a soft finish. Two great wines, with very different characters, though most at the table preferred the '68.

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