1981 Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Community Tasting Notes (11) Avg Score: 91.8 points

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  11/1/2016 - LongViewCellars wrote: 92 Points

  Still has life, but fading. Drank on my 35th. #birthyearbottle

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  1/17/2014 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

  Still managing a medium ruby core, though fully bricked, as expected. The initial nose is promising - pipe tobacco, black currants, worn leather and decayed red floral. No pyrazines on this bottle. At once a touch rustic, but also of a noble pedigree, the wine seemed to struggle to find its sea legs over the course of the first hour. The back and forth continued into the second glass until it (stealing a line from The Jerk) found its purpose. From that point forward, this gained weight, complexity and the seamless nature that seemed to be lurking finally came together. Like a grand ocean liner of yesteryear, with nothing but calm seas as far as the eye could see, this steamed along brilliantly. Proved a nice complement to braised lamb shanks (mine) and even spicy seafood pasta (another's). Medium-bodied, fully mature, served non-blind with 30 minute decant. A great bottle, and a great surprise from a so-so vintage. Still some good years left, but not getting better. IIRC, the abv was 12,0%,recommended

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  11/19/2013 - coremill wrote: 92 Points

  As is usually the case with Mayacamas, a unique profile. I don't know if it's the terroir (not to many others are making wine on Mt Veeder) or the winemaking.
  
  A fair amount of pyrazine on first pouring that faded away with air. Lots of rich, ripe blackcurrant/plum fruit, a nice earthy quality, hardly any tertiary development except for a slight walnut note. None of the typical cedar/tobacco elements one might expect, and no hints of oak at all. The fruit has a lovely freshness to it. Very high-acid (Mayacamas always has the most acidity of any of the top Napa cabs in my experience), which made this an excellent pairing with food. A fair amount of tannin remaining and while the tannins aren't the silkiest, they're ripe and smooth and not bitter or drying. Good length. A really delicious old cabernet that may not improve much with more bottle age but should hold on for quite a while. I hope the new regime doesn't change too much.

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  7/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 86 Points

  1970-1981 Mayacamas Cabs (Tasted blind) (Tom's house in Palo Alto, California): Lots of (bad) funk. Nose feels very old (B). Thin, green palate (B).
  My #8, Group's #9 (122). Tasted blind.

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  7/3/2013 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Blind Tasting '70-'81 Mayacamas Cabernets (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Floral, blackberry, mint nose. Lovely balanced package of fruit, acid and structure. So good. (my 1st, group's 9th)

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