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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.7 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 32 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by knlowery on 9/5/2022 & rated 89 points: A bit acidic and not unlike other 2008s (583 views) | | | Tasted by md928 on 8/24/2020 & rated 91 points: Tastes fantastic. Very berry. Opened it 9 years after purchasing, and tasted pretty good immediately after opening the bottle. I let breathe another two hours. (834 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 12/29/2018 & rated 91 points: My last of 3 bottles. Spent $73 USD, quite expensive (not a re-buy for me).
This one is ready to roll, showing dark chocolate, plum, black cherry, and refreshing green pepper notes.
The palate echoes the nose, with thick and chewy tannins, alongside moderate acidity and a medium-length finish of black and blue fruits.
Tasty now, but honestly this could last through 2021+. No rush. (1255 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 12/9/2015 & rated 92 points: Last time I had a bottle of this wine was exactly 2 years ago. Scored it 89 points. It is definitely better today.
Brought to a restaurant and PnP at the table. The wine really sung tonite.
40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot.
15.0% abv. 72% new French oak for 18 mos.
Notes of mocha and black cherry syrup on the nose, and deep flavors to match. The wine has nice med acidity, and a velvety mouthfeel with finely grained tannins that are resolving nicely as the wine develops with bottle age. Developing some earth-driven notes on the nose and palate, the wine shows nice complexity and I am really, really pleasantly surprised that this has not turned into a fruit bomb Napa blend, but quite a nice and delicious wine (although it should be for $70).
Drink now through 2019 or so. (2720 views) | | | Tasted by kennyd on 7/18/2015 & rated 92 points: Really like this. It was good the first day, and perhaps even better the second day. It's in a perfect place right now. The Right Bank style is showing through, with the merlot truly singing with its red fruitiness. I respectfully disagree that it is "sweet." It is resolved, in order, soft and plush, like an aged bordeaux-style Cali red would hopefully be after a few years in the cellar. Nice! (2842 views) | | | Tasted by kennyd on 12/26/2014 & rated 90 points: OK, on the see-saw of opinions for this wine, I come down on the side of pretty good. It's a somewhat typical Right Bank bordeaux style wine, but with a Cali, "new world" (redundant?) fruitiness. Someone suggested that maybe it's not too interesting, and yet, that it will be yummy to drink. Agreed! I'm about three hours into sipping, and I'm liking what I'm tasting. Pretty ruby color. Bouquet of merlot, with the aroma of some of the more strident bordeaux blending varietals. Similarly, taste is of a merlot blended with these other varietals. In other words, a wine from the Right Bank. I'm thinking that there's no rush to drink our last bottle: this wine is in a good place, and isn't going anywhere (at least no where bad). (2795 views) | | | Tasted by Tom Warden on 12/14/2014 & rated 86 points: Disappointing...too sweet and alcoholic. (2617 views) | | | Tasted by cos65 on 9/18/2014: Decanted for 2 hours.
Still very dark colored. Very fresh plummy red fruit. Very lush on the palate with no sharp edges. Definitely California, but without being over the top. I think you could serve this to almost anybody. Goes down way too easily, if not necessarily the most memorable drink. (2636 views) | | | Tasted by Tom Warden on 9/9/2014 & rated 88 points: This is a nice wine, but that's about all I can say for it. (1381 views) | | | Tasted by K28226 on 1/18/2014 & rated 90 points: This wine badly wants to be an old world Bordeaux but the alcohol is to high and throws it slightly of tilt. Still it is very tight and improved over the course of 2-3 hours after an hour decant. This makes me believe that it may improve dramatically with extended bottle age- so potential is there . (1611 views) | | | Tasted by drrobvino on 12/6/2013 & rated 89 points: Formal TN to follow.
Nice new world Merlot blend. Tannins came out a bit better on day 2, but with med acidity (or less) and fairly supple tannins, I would consume this wine by 2018 at the latest. There is also a slight "charred meat" characteristic that I get in this wine, and some other wines I've had from CL, that is slightly concerning and off-putting to me. Must be a vineyard or barrel-driven characteristic. (1488 views) | | | Tasted by wiggle64 on 11/10/2013 & rated 89 points: Maybe needs more time? I decanted two hours and still felt tight. (1674 views) | | | Tasted by Blue Shorts on 8/30/2013 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2 hours at cellar temperature. In a great phase right now. Nose of dark fruits, cassis (I know) and a touch of earth. Tastes of cherry, chocolate, blackberry, leather and earth. In a wonderful place right now. Tannins are plentiful and well-rounded. Great now. Went superbly with New York Steaks (montreal style) and filets. Likely good for at least a few more years. (1504 views) | | | Tasted by ejca on 5/28/2013: Not great, probably should have decanted. (1673 views) | | | Tasted by Fokker's Feint on 12/29/2012: Very young. Still needs at least a couple of more years. (1952 views) | | | Tasted by ONEFIVE on 1/15/2012: Hi-Fidelity just seems to be one of those wines that needs some time in the bottle. Not a bad experience, but don't think this is showing its max potential at this point. (525 views) | | | Tasted by bway_wine on 12/4/2011 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 2 hours and was ready to drink. Very enjoyable bottle. Drank with a steak, but would also be good with a creamy dish. Smooth with red fruit. Will evolve for 3-5 more years. (2311 views) | | | Tasted by Schmidco on 10/15/2011 & rated 93 points: Tasted immediately after decanting, good structure, dancing tannins, fruit was still subtle but should open nicely, distinctive finish (2295 views) | | | Tasted by jdesimone4 on 6/30/2011 & rated 90 points: Really liked this red; a solid red blend (2125 views) | | | Tasted by RobSter on 2/10/2011: Winemakers Notes: Persimmon, nutmeg, allspice and cassis evolve in multiple layers. Sweet balck tea, plum, tar and cocoa power build through the finish. The tannins are silky and generous, which indicates that this wine will continue to develope for the next 15 years. (2580 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Cliff Lede Producer websiteRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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