"There's a lot of fish at Montrose Harbor" (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Stunning stuff, with a glorious, old-school California cabernet nose. So aromatic and perfumed, the nose on this was magnificent. The palate is a bit of a let-down in comparison to the nose, it's no slouch but it just doesn't reach the same heights. In general, this was a bit softer in structure versus the other cabernets, but there's no denying how good the nose was on this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose screams out of a forested mountain side on the Pacific coast. Leaf litter, distant ocean mist, light rain in the trees. Bits of fresh mushrooms, and cedar.
Palette is incredibly silky and cool to start. Opens up into blackberry bush, green stem, and some very dark, astringent fruit, and black cherry. Still with rigid structure, but elegantly expressed. Grips and lingers into the finish starting with black cherry and progressing into dried black currant, with a bit of cedar powder. The saline notes of the ocean persist through the palatte and come forward in the lingering finish.
Beautiful, mature California Cabernet. Old and refined and IMO, perfect.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with 7mm transitional margin. Brought this to the holiday party with hopes after Coravining a little to check on it first. The first whiffs had a lot of bottle stank and didn't look great, but sitting in the glass for 15 minutes revealed a nice bit of pretty red cherry and dried roses on a rather featherweight engaging palate. After that, I thought it would need a little air to come around at dinner. Unfortunately, it never really panned out that way coming off as old and dull with funk, sundried tomato, ripe black cherries. Drinkable but not satisfying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very pretty wine in the glass with no bricking appearance. Some “funk” on the nose, but otherwise suggestive of black fruit. On the tip of the tongue, I’m getting a bit of tart dark fruit. As the wine passes back I am enjoying the elegance that comes from years (decades, in this case) of bottle age. However, there is a slight suggestion of oxidation. Negative points for the retro-nasal sensation of alcohol. The latter observations suggest to me that the wine is past its prime, but, regardless, it is a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for my fiancee's birthday (birth-year wine for her). This is on the greenish/underripe side even by Macayamas' standards. Still quite fresh at 31, nice redcurrant/cranberry fruit and lots of pyraziney green peppercorn/pine needle and good earthy character. Very high acid, still quite structured, not showing much in the way of tertiary cedar/tobacco development. Better with a steak, which cuts the structure and allows the fruit to express itself more. Could maybe actually use more age, as it doesn't seem to be drying out on the finish. Not a typical Napa cabernet, this is only for those who like the house style, which I do.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.
4/2/2024 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
"There's a lot of fish at Montrose Harbor" (Chicago, IL): From magnum. Stunning stuff, with a glorious, old-school California cabernet nose. So aromatic and perfumed, the nose on this was magnificent. The palate is a bit of a let-down in comparison to the nose, it's no slouch but it just doesn't reach the same heights. In general, this was a bit softer in structure versus the other cabernets, but there's no denying how good the nose was on this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2023 - chandlerc@gmail.com Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nose screams out of a forested mountain side on the Pacific coast. Leaf litter, distant ocean mist, light rain in the trees. Bits of fresh mushrooms, and cedar.
Palette is incredibly silky and cool to start. Opens up into blackberry bush, green stem, and some very dark, astringent fruit, and black cherry. Still with rigid structure, but elegantly expressed. Grips and lingers into the finish starting with black cherry and progressing into dried black currant, with a bit of cedar powder. The saline notes of the ocean persist through the palatte and come forward in the lingering finish.
Beautiful, mature California Cabernet. Old and refined and IMO, perfect.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2021 - rocknroller wrote:
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with 7mm transitional margin. Brought this to the holiday party with hopes after Coravining a little to check on it first. The first whiffs had a lot of bottle stank and didn't look great, but sitting in the glass for 15 minutes revealed a nice bit of pretty red cherry and dried roses on a rather featherweight engaging palate. After that, I thought it would need a little air to come around at dinner. Unfortunately, it never really panned out that way coming off as old and dull with funk, sundried tomato, ripe black cherries. Drinkable but not satisfying.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2017 - EMark Likes this wine:
Very pretty wine in the glass with no bricking appearance. Some “funk” on the nose, but otherwise suggestive of black fruit. On the tip of the tongue, I’m getting a bit of tart dark fruit. As the wine passes back I am enjoying the elegance that comes from years (decades, in this case) of bottle age. However, there is a slight suggestion of oxidation. Negative points for the retro-nasal sensation of alcohol. The latter observations suggest to me that the wine is past its prime, but, regardless, it is a winner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2015 - coremill wrote: 89 Points
Opened for my fiancee's birthday (birth-year wine for her). This is on the greenish/underripe side even by Macayamas' standards. Still quite fresh at 31, nice redcurrant/cranberry fruit and lots of pyraziney green peppercorn/pine needle and good earthy character. Very high acid, still quite structured, not showing much in the way of tertiary cedar/tobacco development. Better with a steak, which cuts the structure and allows the fruit to express itself more. Could maybe actually use more age, as it doesn't seem to be drying out on the finish. Not a typical Napa cabernet, this is only for those who like the house style, which I do.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment