It'll be hard to put this bottle to bed. 25 years ago, I might have enjoyed this, but an over-oaked, slightly over-tuned Napa Cab of this caliber just doesn't age well. Give it 10 years and you're going to have a mess on your hands. That's the case here. It's not terrible, but it's pretty dead and disappointing to drink. My last bottle of 2 here, but sadly I have so many more of its ilk lying in the "cellar."
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Dark blackish garnet colored with brownish hue setting in, medium full bodied, black fruits are overtaken by licorice and cedar/camphor and tones of smoke and creosote that burn off over time turning to tangy firm, tight black cherry and black raspberry with tongue coating tannins on the lingering finish.
Very pleasant surprise given its age and the fact that I have a case left. Complex fruit structure remains. Healthy tannins and decent finish. Black raspberries with chocolate hints. Held up well against beef. Looking forward to drinking remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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9/16/2021 - z_willus_d wrote: 84 Points
It'll be hard to put this bottle to bed. 25 years ago, I might have enjoyed this, but an over-oaked, slightly over-tuned Napa Cab of this caliber just doesn't age well. Give it 10 years and you're going to have a mess on your hands. That's the case here. It's not terrible, but it's pretty dead and disappointing to drink. My last bottle of 2 here, but sadly I have so many more of its ilk lying in the "cellar."
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7/27/2017 - taylorr5 wrote:
Past its prime, but appears tombs more harshly judged on CellarTracker than it appears in the glass
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12/12/2016 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark blackish garnet colored with brownish hue setting in, medium full bodied, black fruits are overtaken by licorice and cedar/camphor and tones of smoke and creosote that burn off over time turning to tangy firm, tight black cherry and black raspberry with tongue coating tannins on the lingering finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/12/lail-vineyards-blueprint-napa-valley.html
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6/20/2016 - RAD2626 wrote: 90 Points
Very pleasant surprise given its age and the fact that I have a case left. Complex fruit structure remains. Healthy tannins and decent finish. Black raspberries with chocolate hints. Held up well against beef. Looking forward to drinking remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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7/5/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good balance and integration, nice with a handle full of dark chocolate, typical Cali cab.
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