1986 Inglenook Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reunion Reserve Cask

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 89.2 points

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  11/24/2023 - NoahCap wrote:

  Bought on a whim because an online order was a few bottles short of a case- thrown in at the last minute with zero expectations. Research shows this was produced for just a few years in the 80s as a blend of vineyards historically owned by the Inglewood winery that had been previously sold off.
  
  The cork is amazing- soaked less than 1 cm. Pours a clear garnet with just the tiniest amount of bricking. Amazingly young looking for a 37 yr old wine.
  
  The intensity of the aromas are not strong. They are gentle and take coaxing- but they are elegant and really just gorgeous: pipe tobacco, turned earth, lead pencil, oiled cedar, green pepper, menthol, with still a decent amount of candied red cherry fruit left. Smells like a classically styled Bordeaux with age to me.
  
  Smooth in the mouth, medium body, very silky, with just a whisper of fine powdery tannins. The core of red fruits is surprisingly intact at the beginning, followed by the tertiary earth, tobacco, and a good amount of pyrazines. This is not an intense wine, this is a reserved wine that is admittedly in old age, but without those weird off-putting soy sauce flavors that old red wines can develop when too old.
  
  This is not too-old; it is distinguished, still perfectly balanced. Very enjoyable, smooth, relaxing. Do yourself a favor if you have this, don’t open this in a crowd, save it for a quiet moment that you can give it attention.

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  6/24/2017 - Christine Havens Likes this wine: 89 Points

  A wine that's aged gracefully, Inglenook's 1986 Reunion Cabernet Sauvignon is line with other Napa Valley Cabs I've tasted from that era. Poured from a magnum, the nose is reveals dried rose petal, dust, leather and dried black currants. It's seems like it's reaching the end of its drinking window, though there is still plenty of enjoyment left in this bottle—lightly styled, with slightly faded black currants and cassis fleshing out the core along with black tea and dried fall leaves at the close.

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  1/22/2011 - mtdv wrote: 90 Points

  Outstanding in Large Format 3.0L

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  1/22/2011 - mtdv wrote: 90 Points

  Outstanding in Large Format 1.5L

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  12/10/2010 - JeremyQ wrote: 89 Points

  (Jez's 3rd Annual Festive drinks) - again, cork disintegrated on opening, had to pass it through a sieve into a decanter. Initial nose of more wet earth and tasted a bit of black tea on the end. Improved with more air, still decent dark fruit, a bit of tobacco and the black tea component at the end definitely still there. Probably a little past its prime but still an interesting and enjoyable wine. 88-89pts

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