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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 97.3 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 10 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by iamandyc on 12/29/2022 & rated 97 points: Still a big, dense, dark wine that demands 4+ hour decant to soften and allow some fruit to balance out all the dark earthy elements. When hitting its stride, it becomes smooth with great minerality and a long finish. I'm seeing a trend in these Lede BTK bottling that I may enjoy them more at a younger age before they dive into beast mode and the fruit is still front and center. (2843 views) | | | Tasted by joshabramson on 8/28/2020 & rated 98 points: This is seriously good. Needs at least an hour to open up, otherwise there is a bitter/astringent situation happening on the finish, but I found that blew off after some air and the fruit really came through. Smooth as silk, super precise, ripe without being overdone, drinking well now with air but has many years ahead to continue to evolve. (5384 views) | | | Tasted by MADV on 6/10/2020 & rated 98 points: Oh my!! I have several bottles of 15, 16 and, 17. I busted out the the 15 with a long time friend . It was in a word , Awesome! This has to be the most under appreciated bottle out there. Inky dark and just incredible depth with a nose that left me wondering what could be better. Pure excellence !!! After we drank it I actually wished I had not shared it. Can’t imagine how good it will be in a couple of years !! (4563 views) | | | Tasted by Marietta Walsh on 4/22/2020 & rated 98 points: Our favorite from Cliff Lede!! (4625 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 11/29/2018 & rated 96 points: From a comparative side-by-side BTK tasting with this Cliff Lede, a ‘16 MACDONALD, and a ‘15 Purlieu BTK (which ended up being an off-bottle it seemed).
Black currant, asphalt, bitter blackberry, unsmoked cigar, and graphite notes made their place keenly in the palate. Linear and overtly direct on its attack on initial PnP, like it was holding its breath and being held underwater. A bit of a suffocating, clenching presentation at first, but backing off on its frame-first delivery once it was able to come up for air.
It didn’t take long before it started to open up, never breaking stride once it got going, but never fully blossoming either at this stage. Still maintained quite a bit of grip, but did so in a purposeful way, studiously releasing some its handle as it worked its way along the palate, allowing the fruit to open up some more, bit by bit. Finished slow, but fairly long, continuing to latch on to the back end with its mindful clenching of the core.
There were indeed some similarities between the MACDONALD and the Cliff Lede, primarily in the overall profiles related to scaffolding. However, the MACDONALD was no joke when it came to its next-level flavor complexity and perfect structure intensity. The MACDONALD showed a bit more pick-me-up, especially on the tail.
Ideally, hold the CL for another 3-5+ years. (8167 views) | | | Tasted by Somm David T on 10/9/2018 & rated 95 points: On the nose; very ruby, floral plum fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, Thompson raisins, fresh dates and prunes. Black licorice, creamy dark fruit cola, caramel, milk & dark chocolate, soft beautiful dark spice, touch of eucalyptus, fresh herbs, limestone, soft presence dry crushed rocks, a whiff of pepper, fresh lavender, violets and dark withering floral bouquet.
The body is full and lush. Fine meaty, tarry, tannins. Very ruby, floral plum fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, Thompson raisins, fresh dates and prunes. Black licorice, creamy dark fruit cola, caramel, milk & dark chocolate, soft beautiful dark spice, touch of eucalyptus, fresh herbs, limestone, soft presence dry crushed rocks, suede leather, dry clay, dry top soil, dry underbrush, a whiff of pepper, fresh lavender, violets and dark withering floral bouquet. The acidity is very nice. There is good structure, tension, length and balance that needs 10 years plus to flush out. The finish is good, well balanced with fine powdery sticky tannins. (4568 views) | | | Tasted by Cristal2000 on 9/14/2018 & rated 99 points: This is a brilliant wine, but you need to give it at least 5 hours of air before consuming. Unlike many BTK's that are built for the NOW, this wine is amazing at present but really built to last. I spent about 5 mins with my nose in the glass on this baby. Just so wonderfully aromatic. All the hallmark To Kalon traits on steroids - creme de cassis, violets, blackberries and spice box. Extraordinarily dense, layered and packed chock full of dark fruit on the pallet. The tannins are super fine grained, but they support a tremendously well built spine that will allow this wine to last for a long, long time. This actually reminds me of the 2015 MacDonald, perhaps with a bit more fruit - a super high compliment in my eyes. The finish here goes on forever, and the purity is basically perfect. Not sure this could get much better. 99+ (4454 views) |
| By Linda Murphy
Decanter, 2015 California Cabernet Sauvignon (7/23/2018)
(Cliff Lede, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Brilliance in Napa Valley: 2016 & 2015 Cabernets (Jan 2018) (1/18/2018)
(Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, California, Napa Valley: Napa’s Exuberant, Powerful 2015s (12/29/2017)
(Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon) Login and sign up and see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (10/3/2017)
(Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Red, United States) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JebDunnuck.com and JamesSuckling.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Cliff Lede Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonBeckstoffer To Kalon VineyardBeckstoffer To Kalon continues to receive worldwide accolades for its wines, particularly in the last decade. The vineyard is on a gentle slope on the western foothills of the Oakville appellation. Soils are Bale loam/Bale clay loam, and are impeccably farmed by Andy Beckstoffer’s team. We have a by-acre contract so we can determine canopy, crop load and picking dates – but rely on the Beckstoffer viticulturists for insight into this unique vineyard to guide our decisions. ... ©2012 Tor Kenward Family Wines
On weinlagen-info
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)Oakville |
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