Community Tasting Notes 13

• wconnolly Likes this wine: 88 points

  May 2, 2020 - Medium ruby color. A floral nose. Full of bright red fruit...raspberry, cherry, strawberry. A bit astringent at first. Nice replication of a right bank Bordeaux blend. Medium bodied and actually better the next day.

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• The Wine Sherpa Likes this wine: 93 points

  February 17, 2020 - Silky smooth wine with soft tannins. Red fruit is balanced.

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• wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 points

  June 14, 2019 - Deep, opaque purple in color. Nose consists of floral notes, blueberry and pencil lead. Highly concentrated black and blue fruits on the palate with some licorice and a mildly vanilla and oak finish. Full bodied with a lengthy finish. Suprisingly big, full bodied and fruit forward for a high percentage merlot.

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• duchamp wrote: 93 points

  June 8, 2018 - Dark rich purple, anise, black currant and black plum on the first nose followed by vanilla, mocha and spice, big and juicy on the top with dark black fruit on the mid-palate followed by black tea, smooth soft tannins and tangy acidity, finish is long and complex with "grappy" red and black fruit, berry fruit and so much more

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• msuwine wrote: 91 points

  December 14, 2017 - This rich and extracted Merlot-based blend is drinking fine right now, but it's too sugary and fruity to be that enjoyable, at least to me. (And for perspective: I drank this next to a 2014 Bevan Ontogeny, which destroyed this wine. In other words, I like big and ripe fruit, but everyone has limits - and the Cliff Lede was a bridge too far.)
  
  Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blueberry pie, liqueur, and leather. Juicy tastes of plum, boysenberry, vanilla, and red licorice, with a finish that coats the mouth not because of the tannin but because of the sugar. Blend of 50% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot. 15.2% alcohol.
  
  This isn't my first Cliff Lede to taste a bit over-blown: lots of fruit, lots of sugar, not a lot else. To each his own, I guess. For what it's worth, Tynan's own label presents a more savory and dense profile - one I like a bit more. This is a decent Merlot-based wine, but it's just a bit too loud for my taste - and I do like loud (e.g., Carter, Realm).

  1 person found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 1

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2013
• Type Red
• Producer Cliff Lede
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation High Fidelity
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Napa Valley

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 1 (0%)
• In Cellars 506 (53%)
• Consumed 441 (47%)

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