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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2011 (based on 7 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.4 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Fernandez Vino on 2/7/2015 & rated 92 points: Very alcohol forward. We let it breath for about an hour. Was a lot better the longer it was open (2306 views) | | | Tasted by VinoServant on 5/19/2012 & rated 91 points: I consumed three bottles of this wine over the last 12 months or so and it was fantastic. I had some people over and served it against a '05 Richard Partridge, NV, C/S; '97 Potensac and a '00 Chateau Haut Ferrand, Pomerol. All the wines were great, but the Cliff Lede Claret was everyone's favorite. Really well integrated with good fruit and a very smooth finish. The wine was decanted for 1 hour before consumption. I have had several wines from the '03 vintage recently and they have all been fantastic. VinoServant Mobile - http://m.vinoservant.com (3137 views) | | | Tasted by pernst on 6/9/2011 & rated 88 points: On first taste, it a pleasant meritage that is much more delicate in its taste than most US wines. After an hour it opened up and showed more fruit and still quite a complex but soft blend of tastes. I would think now is a good time to drink this. (3387 views) | | | Tasted by ArizonaWineGuy on 10/3/2009 & rated 86 points: Continues to disappoint. I think it is the vintage though, not the wine itself. (3615 views) | | | Tasted by ArizonaWineGuy on 4/7/2009 & rated 88 points: Lots of fruit here - cherries and cassis. Nicely integrated tannins. A bit thin on the finish. Nearing the end of it's life - drink up in the next 12 - 18 months. (3631 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 11/20/2008: 14.6% alcohol. Popped and poured, just for the heck of it. Significant oak jumps out of the glass, but with some swirling it recedes, leaving a pretty, dark fruit bouquet. Not incredibly complex, but a lush mouth feel and big fruit that is pleasant to drink. Good acidity. A tad of heat on the finish sticks out, where the oak is prevalent once again. New style. Ripe and unctuous, but somewhat uncomplicated. B+ (2043 views) | | | Tasted by ArizonaWineGuy on 10/5/2008 & rated 89 points: Good drinking, solid structured, Bordeaux blend going on here. The tannins, while still pronounced, are nicely integrated along with a good bit of dark fruit. Probably has another 2 - 3 years before it starts to decline. (1482 views) | | | Tasted by ejca on 2/11/2008: really enjoyed, thought it improved over the last time I drank it. (1760 views) | | | Tasted by RWilkinson on 1/6/2008: tannins finish with some alcohol, structure okay, I don't see this improving... (1846 views) | | | Tasted by Haggis on 12/29/2007 & rated 91 points: Wonderfully balanced and nuanced meritage. Decidedly Bordeaux-like, with emphasis on merlot. Cherry, red currant, and enough Cab heft to lift this to a layered complexity that beautifully complemented beef roast with herb rub. Velvety tannins. This would benefit from another few years in the cellar, but it drinking wonderfully now. Opened for two hours and decanted for another hour. (1969 views) | | | Tasted by vancouvermatt on 8/29/2007 & rated 92 points: There's a lot going on this this wine. Dark cherry, mulberry, blackcurrant on the palate. Well integrated tannins and a solid finish. Beautiful and expressive nose after about an hour, I even picked up a bit of an barnyard aspect on the nose, which I really liked. Great QPR, wish I had a few more. (2080 views) | | | Tasted by rjoyer on 12/24/2006 & rated 89 points: Good, but nothing special. (2297 views) | | | Tasted by The Modernist on 12/1/2006 & rated 89 points: This is a very friendly, easy drinking wine. It is fruit forward with hints of blueberries, ripe plum, blackcurrant. The initial aroma of this wine is framed with floral high notes and a hint of cherry and citrus. An easy wine to drink and pleseant surprise. (2370 views) | | | Tasted by Mlermontov on 9/12/2006 & rated 89 points: Martin Scott Wines (Fall 06); 9/11/2006-9/13/2006 (Lincoln Center): good clean claret. very balanced. (4253 views) | | | Tasted by flashvictor on 6/20/2006 & rated 90 points: Deep ruby color leads to a nose of dark cherry and currant. The body has loads of cherry, currant, chocolate and a tiny bit of vanilla. The tannins are full but integrated. This has improved since tasting 3 months ago. A great bordeaux blend for $30. (2838 views) | | | Tasted by GolferChris on 5/25/2006 & rated 90 points: Elegant and rich with red cherry, currant, chocolate, sweet oak. Lush mouthfeel. Fine-grained tannins. Sweet, long, lingering finish that provides a bit of caramel. Lighter style than the 03 SLD Cab. (2018 views) | | | Tasted by tanglenet on 4/15/2006: Opened and decanted just a little while. Cherry cola notes still young with tight tanins. Started to soften up towards the end of our meal. Easy drinking wine. (2921 views) | | | Tasted by flashvictor on 4/11/2006 & rated 89 points: Deep garnet color leads to a nose of currant and vanilla. The palate carries the currant and vanilla flavors in addition to dark cherry and plum. There is a hint of cigar but very subtle. The impressive tannins finish with a bit of alcohol. A solid wine with a potential upside of another two points if bottle age leads to better integration. (3033 views) | | | Tasted by tanglenet on 3/24/2006: Opened not decanted. When I picked this up at the winery, I had a small pour and it was disjointed and not ready for drinking. It's still a little jumbled, but drinking well. Probably needs a couple of months more to get in the full swing. Dark red color, dark cherry flavor, sweet taste with a slight sour and dry finish. A little hot, but good. (2888 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)Stags Leap District Stags Leap District |
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