This is smoking good California wine that defies my usual statement that California wines dont age well. When I find wines like this that open so beautiful and gain muscle and become even stronger over a long drinking afternoon, I revert back to the old saying that "even a broken clock is right twice a day". Its ambitious to attempt and duplicate Bordeaux from California, and while this one is still fruit laden and wears a Smoky the Bear hat, it has lots of Bordeaux trapped inside the bottle. The deep vibrant fruit is laced with scents of barnyard, tobacco, and bits of graphite. Nothing meaty, murky, or tired like the 05' Les Pavots I had a few nights ago, this is just a lustrous beautiful wine with Latour like power, Montrose like character, and Haut Brion like fruit. I think you get the point...If blind, 1990 Bordeaux. This is ready! Drink!!!!
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Red and dark fruit, unsmoked cigar wrappers, graphite and old shoe leather come together to create a classic Napa Valley blend. At age 21, it is singing beautifully. This wine has evolved nicely. Great juice.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 1 hour, consumed over next two. Tannin is nicely resolved, a tiny bit of the fruit has receded and tobacco notes have moved forward the same tiny bit. Really nice Napa Cab made in an older, more classic style.
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Initial nose is absolutely gorgeous; quintessential Napa but clearly reminiscent of old-world purity (perhaps Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux) & considerable new world exuberance. Alluring, very well balanced (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot) and tightly structured with abundant red fruit flavors. Not a huge wine style but rather deep and brooding; it’s very similar to 20-year-old La Mission Haut-Brion. This is the “perfect wine” to pair with a porterhouse steak with gorgonzola, onions, and peppers. Yum!
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Last bottle of the '02 and it was lovely. Brought to Char for Mothers Day dinner. This wine was a great accompanyment to a Char steak and drank very well. The Cab Sauv fruit is up front, but the Cab Franc provides some nice herbal highlights, and the wine has good acidity to keep it feeling fresh and not flabby. Really delightful.
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Drinking beautifully. Deep red with minimal bricking. Strong nose of red and black fruits. Full palate, integrated tannins and long finish. Drink or hold but not too long.
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Brought to Edibles for dinner with speaker. At first, this was a tiny bit jammy with a slight vanilla oak note as well. As it opened up, this became a bit leaner and more structures and the cab franc notes came to the fore. Some nice herbal and earthy notes to go with lots of dark fruit. Very nice, and for me slightly preferred over the '03 Andrew Will Champoux
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Paine grille, pencil lead and dark fruit dance beautifully together here. A touch of minerality and underbrush join in as well. The Cabernet franc adds an elegant to this outstanding cuvée.
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Poured using aerator - but it needed 30 minutes in the glass to really open up. A wonderfully balanced, moderately bodied effort with lovely restrained fruit forward and seamlessly integrated spice and supple tannins. Tasted much like an old world bordeaux. I would not decant this wine, instead recommend opening it an hour before you plan to drink it and using a large bowled glass to control its dopening up.
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Forgot to take detailed notes, but this was a beautiful bottle. My first of the '02 Eloge. Beautiful nose with red fruit, forest floor, and a hint of vanilla. Similar on the palate, with nice intensity and a slightly creamy quality almost. Good acidity keeps it balanced. This is drinking superbly well now, but should be good for at least a couple more years.
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Forest floor notes and integrated oak hold hands with blue and black fruits mingling together as if they were from the left bank in Bordeaux. Todd and team have done a masterful job here creating a style that blends the best of the old and new world characteristics.
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Coravin'd a taste from a recent purchase. Bottles arrived less than a week ago so possible there is still some travel shock. Really nice nose with the cab franc character coming through. On the palate, this is bigger than the 01 Estate Cab, which I also tasted. I'm getting quite a bit of astringency and tannin, to my surprise. The 01 Estate Cab seemed a lot more ready to drink. This one has the longer finish though. Good acidity to keep it mouthwatering, but the tannins are a bit drying. Will be interesting to see how this softens up over time. With air, this gained a bit of weight and smoothed out a tad, just as my taste was running out. Give this a good decant when opening it -- upped score to 93.
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Excellent wine. Classic Napa with that characteristic red fruit of the Anderson Reserve Cab. Drink or hold. May not get much better but should hold for another 5 years or more.
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Day II. 3rd bottle over 20 months. Dont recall this wine at all. 18 months since last bottle. Just delicious. Love the blendBig dollop of CF really gives this depth, weight & beautiful nose. Almost like the Cab Sav was blended into the CF. Beautiful wine, real nice mineral thing going on, some green notes, then heavy black tea, jee wizz, still the tannins are agressive.
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taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and nice tannins still persisting. Balanced with nice depth and tones of mint, berries, cassis and dark red cherries.
overall: A very nice Eloge. It probably could use a bit more time and it would've been nice to spend more time with it. It's still a quality wine that is drinking on the young side.
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I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to this. Battle of the 2002/2007 Eloge from Anderson Conn Valley in CA. We drank this at WineDo 5 at North Square in NYC. Drinkers are members of www.flyertalk.com We major in miles and points, and minor in wine. I thought the 2002 was a little musty. Everyone else felt otherwise, and made that known to me The 07 Eloge was fuller and richer than the 02. Some heat that wore away. We popped and poured it. The 02 was opened 90 minutes earlier. The 07 dwarfed the 02.
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Dark berries, earth/leather on the nose initially. Full, balanced, well-rounded - fantastic feel in the mouth - with dark and red berry elements, hint of green, cacao, light tannins and just the right savory acidity. Long finish continues the core elements. In a great place now. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cab Franc, 10% Merlot.
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Second in the 6pack. P&P impression, rest into decanter. Showing some hints of age, purple to the edges. Touch of greenness and the CF really coming through. Tihs is old world. Sevelte on the palate, building flavors & intensity Really juicy stuff, some heat? Prob will go away.
Much later. The nose is still light, some violets, floral thing going. Same growing palate, subtle fruit filling all the mouth, touch of white chocolate, truffles?, just keeps expanding, then some real fine tannins, still young. Really nice balance, everything so well integrated, a well made wine, no edges, so simple, which we know it is not so that is cool. This has 10 years left. 94 w some upside.
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Decanted for an hour and consumed over two. Youthful dark violet in glass. Nose of dark berries, espresso and cedar. Currants and blackberries on the palate, with cocoa, graphite, smoke and vanilla. Lush mouthfeel and long finish. The only thing wrong with this bottle is that it isn't a magnum.
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P&P for a quick taste before MOrton's tonight. Very Bordeaux style as others mention. The color, the nose. Boy the tannins are right up front at the moment, a bit of mature sour fruit, some green to it. Very consisten notes as others. Real hard to peg this as Cali.
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Decanted for an hour, consumed over next two. Took awhile to open up, but when it did, fascinating on all levels. Layers of perfectly ripe red, black and blue fruits, cedar, tobacco, copper, clove, cherry pit, forest floor with a fabulous note of Old World funk. Unique, memorable, and still evolving. Final sips were the best. Wonderful now and only going to get better.
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Very good wine, especially in it being unique from most Napa cab based wines. Cab franc stands out, giving a funky green stalk like nose that may turn some off, but makes me think 'yea, something more than oak and alcohol'. Blue fruits, cocoa, veggies and strange but interesting funk. Kept evolving in the glass. Young. Nice.
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Bordeaux 2001 vs. Napa 2002 (Bordeaux blend)- Blind Tasting: 93 -Pretty nose, floral, subtle and refined. Plush , thick core of dark fruit on the palate, powerful but elegant. Long textured finish with tannins present . Great bottle-many similarities with the Poyferre , guessed right . (my #2, groups #1).
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Didn't see the wow factors that others have noted with this one but I wasnt paying close attention. Dusty cocoa, some black and red fruits, nice silky mouthfeel and some dusty tannins. This was a good wine for the little time I spent with it but I am sure it has potential upside. Hoping to revisit another bottle soon and see whats really going on.
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On Christmas Eve paired with Individual Beef Wellington..The first bottle of the 2002 that I've opened..Still very young and tannic, despite a 1 hour decant.. Very Bordeaux like, with great fruit purity and a long finish. I'm going to wait at least 2-3 years before opening up another.
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Deep dark center, red to pink rim with signs of age. Wow, brambles, cassis, intense red fruit, great smoked meat finish. Sweet and smooth, concentrated cassis and blackberry, smokey middle, long finish of ripe plums and berries. Great length and balance. Fantastic. Very Bordeaux like. Great now, will last five more years at least.
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Deep dark center, deep red rim with some signs of age (more than expected at this point in its evolution). I wonder about the quality of storage given what I saw in the store. Cassis, minerals, coffe and cocoa, intense smoke, extracted berries (raspberries and blackberries), slightly ammoniacal at the end. Cassis, smoke and raspberries at the start, some tannin and acid in the middle, smoother mature fruits on the finish (which is long), cherries and plums and a little green astringency. Fantastic wine. drinking well now but will last another 5 years at least. Needed time in decanter to come into balance (off putting woodiness in the middle of the mouth for the first 8 hours, now gone).
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Excellent in every way. After a one hour decant, the nose envelopes the senses with cassis, black raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, and leather. On the palate, rich red/black fruit is offset by earthy notes and a nice hint of pencil lead. Very long finish, smooth all the way down. Not tannic, acidity still provides good balance.
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Showing a bit of age in the color & aroma. Cool red fruit flavors with good sweetness & a slight tinge of alcoholic heat in the finish. Nice. Tasted blind.
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Not much going on shortly after opening, but the ravishing beauty showed up in due time. Had to wring out the bouquet initially, but eventually it appeared on its own -- the great CVV we've come to know. Some fruit and spice, more cab than bordeaux. Deserving of respect.
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Everything you could ask for to pair with a grilled bone-in ribeye. Classic cassis and cedar nose, beautiful red fruits on the attack, nice acidity and sweet tannins.
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(Paired with 2001 Vineyard 29 Aida) An elegant meritage, nicely balanced, red currants, baking spice, tannins are in check, more approachable than the Aida but not as deep. Took a while to open up, needs more time. 92+
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Wine opened only one hour before tasting of California cabs. Licorice, spice box (cinnamon notes), floral with light cigar box. Smooth tannins and finish. A nice wine which showed well versus 02 Montelana,Mondavi Reserve and 97 Far Niente.
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This was the dinner red for the Annual Rotary Wine Dinner. Decanted eight hours prior. Very elegant with deep fruit flavors. This was my favorite this night opposite the 2001 Arrowood, David Arthur and 1999 Hartwell Cabs. For this price, you can't beat it.
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Tasted blind alongside a 2002 Ridge Montebello (94), 2002 Mondavi Rsrv (93), 2002 Montelena Estate (92), 2001 Anderson Conn Valley (92), 1997 Far Niente (89), all decanted about an hour and consumed over 4 hours. This was my #1 wine, the groups #3. The perfumed/floral nose continued to improve over time. Palate seemed to evolve throughout the evening showing additional complexity and layers of dark fruits and red raspberries. A fabulous finish. Very impressive showing- 94+ (blind rating)
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Decanted for half an hour; nose of smoke, cedar, cigar and earthy fruit; full body with silky tannins; rich complex fruit with long, 45 second, finish.
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Full structured nose of soft, aromatic fruits. After the heat blew off, some of the soft jammy casis began to emerge. Relatively linear in its delivery, dominated by a ripe cherry profile but lacking any real sense of secondary nuance. It has a delicate and equitable finish, with moderate heat. The oak felt properly integrated and not excessively new worldish (aged in 24 month French). In a sense, this performed very similarly to a Pine Ridge Cab, minus the excessive American cedar. Finish was nice, but hardly inspiring. Paired well with Ricotta Gnochi and equitably with Lamb Loin. By the end of the secondi, the wine was really begining to fade away, loosing some of the fruit integration that it showed earlier. Price tag was not worth the performance.
note: the cork was quite stained when I opened the wine. Could it have been heat damaged? Perhaps...
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Wines that make you go hmm. I loved the ‘01 version of this. This was a little light in color. The body was medium, soft and silky. Maybe it was going into a shutdown mode. The fruit early on was curranty with some cedar and tobacco, but vegetal/bell pepper came out later. It was not bad, but it wasn’t great either. Medium finish. Meniscus was good as color ran constant to the rim. Still overall, I’d have to give it 92-94 points.
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This really, truly needs a healthy decant. Decanted and enjoyed over 3 hours and still improving at the end, noticably closed for the first 90+ minutes. The nose remains subdued with a very fresh mixture of rainfall, dust, pine, licorice, hints of cassis, raspberry and cedar. Medium to full bodied with bright and sappy berries, licorice, spices, hints of vanilla and some pleasant herbal notes. Lots of big, round tannins, mildly chalky and vibrant acidity. Finishes long with mildly chalky tannins and a lot of sweet fruit. Nice now but a bit closed and tannic, should be terrific in a few years! Lots of upside here...
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This was a superb wine. Singing from the beginning. Great dark fruits and 2ndry nuances that reminded me of bordeaux. Mid 90s range. Slight decline in pleasure on night 2, but still a 90+ point wine even on night 2.
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This is a very well made wine and J. liked alot, but it had a style and flavor that I was not particularily fond of. It was not unpleasant, just I would opt for a different wine.
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Had with dinner at Paolo's in San Jose. Very tight and didn't really open up until after the table had drained the bottle. Just started to get some cherry and to find some of the structure after 20 minutes. Clearly needs a good decanting to bring it around, but it was an interesting contrast to the Beringer Merlot and BV Cabernet, which became seemingly fruity drinks after the weight of the Eloge. So while not really showing well, the tannins and structure raised it above the others effortlessly.
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Very nice indeed. Color is dark garnet. Nose shows smoky cassis, dark berry, hint of mocha, and spice. Palate reveals chewy plum, dark fruit, smoke, and a hint of tar. Very velvety and a nice wine.
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[Blue Hill] Decanted for an hour, drnk over 3 hrs; but relatively unchanged from when it was first opened. Bordeaux in style. Cedar, herbs, licorice, tar, spice, and smoke. Well balanced, great structure, Drinking well now.
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2/3/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
This is smoking good California wine that defies my usual statement that California wines dont age well. When I find wines like this that open so beautiful and gain muscle and become even stronger over a long drinking afternoon, I revert back to the old saying that "even a broken clock is right twice a day". Its ambitious to attempt and duplicate Bordeaux from California, and while this one is still fruit laden and wears a Smoky the Bear hat, it has lots of Bordeaux trapped inside the bottle. The deep vibrant fruit is laced with scents of barnyard, tobacco, and bits of graphite. Nothing meaty, murky, or tired like the 05' Les Pavots I had a few nights ago, this is just a lustrous beautiful wine with Latour like power, Montrose like character, and Haut Brion like fruit. I think you get the point...If blind, 1990 Bordeaux. This is ready! Drink!!!!
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4/22/2023 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 96 Points
Red and dark fruit, unsmoked cigar wrappers, graphite and old shoe leather come together to create a classic Napa Valley blend. At age 21, it is singing beautifully. This wine has evolved nicely. Great juice.
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5/3/2021 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 1 hour, consumed over next two. Tannin is nicely resolved, a tiny bit of the fruit has receded and tobacco notes have moved forward the same tiny bit. Really nice Napa Cab made in an older, more classic style.
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7/31/2020 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Initial nose is absolutely gorgeous; quintessential Napa but clearly reminiscent of old-world purity (perhaps Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux) & considerable new world exuberance. Alluring, very well balanced (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot) and tightly structured with abundant red fruit flavors. Not a huge wine style but rather deep and brooding; it’s very similar to 20-year-old La Mission Haut-Brion. This is the “perfect wine” to pair with a porterhouse steak with gorgonzola, onions, and peppers. Yum!
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7/1/2019 - wino121 wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely stunning, no sign of age, the cab franc is in control, ++++ on all levels.
Drink now thru 2022.
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5/12/2018 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle of the '02 and it was lovely. Brought to Char for Mothers Day dinner. This wine was a great accompanyment to a Char steak and drank very well. The Cab Sauv fruit is up front, but the Cab Franc provides some nice herbal highlights, and the wine has good acidity to keep it feeling fresh and not flabby. Really delightful.
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1/18/2018 - cupoverflowing1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP was very nice, plenty of life left, but a bit bitter finish; gave it 5 mins in iFavine, then 1 hour decant and it was just wonderful
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10/1/2017 - bsreid wrote: 92 Points
Consumed 4 of 6 bottles in 2017 after storing since release. Gorgeous, complex wine that is drinking perfectly now.
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle.
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9/28/2017 - Cmainardi wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully. Deep red with minimal bricking. Strong nose of red and black fruits. Full palate, integrated tannins and long finish. Drink or hold but not too long.
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4/10/2017 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought to Edibles for dinner with speaker. At first, this was a tiny bit jammy with a slight vanilla oak note as well. As it opened up, this became a bit leaner and more structures and the cab franc notes came to the fore. Some nice herbal and earthy notes to go with lots of dark fruit. Very nice, and for me slightly preferred over the '03 Andrew Will Champoux
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4/10/2017 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Paine grille, pencil lead and dark fruit dance beautifully together here. A touch of minerality and underbrush join in as well. The Cabernet franc adds an elegant to this outstanding cuvée.
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1/7/2017 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 89 Points
Last one. Seems to be fading...
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1/4/2017 - pmk wrote: 93 Points
Poured using aerator - but it needed 30 minutes in the glass to really open up. A wonderfully balanced, moderately bodied effort with lovely restrained fruit forward and seamlessly integrated spice and supple tannins. Tasted much like an old world bordeaux. I would not decant this wine, instead recommend opening it an hour before you plan to drink it and using a large bowled glass to control its dopening up.
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12/30/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP, good cork; little acidic and tannic, but nice fruit. See no reason this can't go another 3 to 5 years
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12/19/2016 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Forgot to take detailed notes, but this was a beautiful bottle. My first of the '02 Eloge. Beautiful nose with red fruit, forest floor, and a hint of vanilla. Similar on the palate, with nice intensity and a slightly creamy quality almost. Good acidity keeps it balanced. This is drinking superbly well now, but should be good for at least a couple more years.
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10/16/2016 - Oldmanzin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Forest floor notes and integrated oak hold hands with blue and black fruits mingling together as if they were from the left bank in Bordeaux. Todd and team have done a masterful job here creating a style that blends the best of the old and new world characteristics.
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11/8/2014 - pmk wrote: 80 Points
Past its time or corked
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10/26/2014 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravin'd a taste from a recent purchase. Bottles arrived less than a week ago so possible there is still some travel shock. Really nice nose with the cab franc character coming through. On the palate, this is bigger than the 01 Estate Cab, which I also tasted. I'm getting quite a bit of astringency and tannin, to my surprise. The 01 Estate Cab seemed a lot more ready to drink. This one has the longer finish though. Good acidity to keep it mouthwatering, but the tannins are a bit drying. Will be interesting to see how this softens up over time. With air, this gained a bit of weight and smoothed out a tad, just as my taste was running out. Give this a good decant when opening it -- upped score to 93.
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6/1/2014 - Cmainardi wrote:
Excellent wine. Classic Napa with that characteristic red fruit of the Anderson Reserve Cab. Drink or hold. May not get much better but should hold for another 5 years or more.
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3/3/2014 - Bobo N Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding wine with sweet black fruit, cherry cola, cedar and spice.
Drinking perfectly now. Wish I had bought a case.
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10/7/2013 - tplskylrk wrote:
Day II. 3rd bottle over 20 months. Dont recall this wine at all. 18 months since last bottle. Just delicious. Love the blendBig dollop of CF really gives this depth, weight & beautiful nose. Almost like the Cab Sav was blended into the CF. Beautiful wine, real nice mineral thing going on, some green notes, then heavy black tea, jee wizz, still the tannins are agressive.
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12/2/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Second Annual Butcher&Larder dinner (Butcher&Larder, Chicago IL): nose: Nice and balanced nose with tones of cedar, mint, berries, cassis and dark red cherries. Very good depth with a nice touch of class to it as well.
taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and nice tannins still persisting. Balanced with nice depth and tones of mint, berries, cassis and dark red cherries.
overall: A very nice Eloge. It probably could use a bit more time and it would've been nice to spend more time with it. It's still a quality wine that is drinking on the young side.
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6/18/2012 - dhammer53 wrote: 90 Points
I have to tell you that I was really looking forward to this. Battle of the 2002/2007 Eloge from Anderson Conn Valley in CA. We drank this at WineDo 5 at North Square in NYC. Drinkers are members of www.flyertalk.com We major in miles and points, and minor in wine.
I thought the 2002 was a little musty. Everyone else felt otherwise, and made that known to me
The 07 Eloge was fuller and richer than the 02. Some heat that wore away. We popped and poured it. The 02 was opened 90 minutes earlier. The 07 dwarfed the 02.
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3/16/2012 - dekay wrote: 94 Points
Dark berries, earth/leather on the nose initially. Full, balanced, well-rounded - fantastic feel in the mouth - with dark and red berry elements, hint of green, cacao, light tannins and just the right savory acidity. Long finish continues the core elements. In a great place now. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cab Franc, 10% Merlot.
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1/10/2012 - tplskylrk wrote: 94 Points
Second in the 6pack. P&P impression, rest into decanter. Showing some hints of age, purple to the edges. Touch of greenness and the CF really coming through. Tihs is old world. Sevelte on the palate, building flavors & intensity Really juicy stuff, some heat? Prob will go away.
Much later. The nose is still light, some violets, floral thing going. Same growing palate, subtle fruit filling all the mouth, touch of white chocolate, truffles?, just keeps expanding, then some real fine tannins, still young. Really nice balance, everything so well integrated, a well made wine, no edges, so simple, which we know it is not so that is cool. This has 10 years left. 94 w some upside.
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1/6/2012 - Fielding wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour and consumed over two. Youthful dark violet in glass. Nose of dark berries, espresso and cedar. Currants and blackberries on the palate, with cocoa, graphite, smoke and vanilla. Lush mouthfeel and long finish. The only thing wrong with this bottle is that it isn't a magnum.
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1/1/2012 - 11mcraig wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding bottle, loved it...another great bottle from Conn Valley!
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12/29/2011 - tplskylrk wrote:
P&P for a quick taste before MOrton's tonight. Very Bordeaux style as others mention. The color, the nose. Boy the tannins are right up front at the moment, a bit of mature sour fruit, some green to it. Very consisten notes as others. Real hard to peg this as Cali.
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6/4/2011 - rsbeck wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour, consumed over next two. Took awhile to open up, but when it did, fascinating on all levels. Layers of perfectly ripe red, black and blue fruits, cedar, tobacco, copper, clove, cherry pit, forest floor with a fabulous note of Old World funk. Unique, memorable, and still evolving. Final sips were the best. Wonderful now and only going to get better.
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4/30/2011 - cadamson wrote: 92 Points
Very good wine, especially in it being unique from most Napa cab based wines. Cab franc stands out, giving a funky green stalk like nose that may turn some off, but makes me think 'yea, something more than oak and alcohol'. Blue fruits, cocoa, veggies and strange but interesting funk. Kept evolving in the glass. Young. Nice.
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4/29/2011 - Arcturus wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2001 vs. Napa 2002 (Bordeaux blend)- Blind Tasting: 93 -Pretty nose, floral, subtle and refined. Plush , thick core of dark fruit on the palate, powerful but elegant. Long textured finish with tannins present . Great bottle-many similarities with the Poyferre , guessed right . (my #2, groups #1).
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1/19/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote: 90 Points
Didn't see the wow factors that others have noted with this one but I wasnt paying close attention. Dusty cocoa, some black and red fruits, nice silky mouthfeel and some dusty tannins. This was a good wine for the little time I spent with it but I am sure it has potential upside. Hoping to revisit another bottle soon and see whats really going on.
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12/24/2010 - BobBachus wrote: 94 Points
On Christmas Eve paired with Individual Beef Wellington..The first bottle of the 2002 that I've opened..Still very young and tannic, despite a 1 hour decant.. Very Bordeaux like, with great fruit purity and a long finish. I'm going to wait at least 2-3 years before opening up another.
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11/28/2010 - pdadams66 wrote: 94 Points
Deep dark center, red to pink rim with signs of age.
Wow, brambles, cassis, intense red fruit, great smoked meat finish.
Sweet and smooth, concentrated cassis and blackberry, smokey middle, long finish of ripe plums and berries. Great length and balance.
Fantastic. Very Bordeaux like. Great now, will last five more years at least.
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11/13/2010 - pdadams66 wrote: 91 Points
Deep dark center, deep red rim with some signs of age (more than expected at this point in its evolution). I wonder about the quality of storage given what I saw in the store.
Cassis, minerals, coffe and cocoa, intense smoke, extracted berries (raspberries and blackberries), slightly ammoniacal at the end.
Cassis, smoke and raspberries at the start, some tannin and acid in the middle, smoother mature fruits on the finish (which is long), cherries and plums and a little green astringency.
Fantastic wine. drinking well now but will last another 5 years at least. Needed time in decanter to come into balance (off putting woodiness in the middle of the mouth for the first 8 hours, now gone).
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6/28/2010 - Bill in Chicago wrote: 94 Points
Why don't I have more of this?
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3/7/2010 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
Excellent in every way. After a one hour decant, the nose envelopes the senses with cassis, black raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, and leather. On the palate, rich red/black fruit is offset by earthy notes and a nice hint of pencil lead. Very long finish, smooth all the way down. Not tannic, acidity still provides good balance.
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1/26/2010 - ed-d wrote: 91 Points
Showing a bit of age in the color & aroma. Cool red fruit flavors with good sweetness & a slight tinge of alcoholic heat in the finish. Nice. Tasted blind.
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1/1/2010 - RamblinRon wrote: 95 Points
Not much going on shortly after opening, but the ravishing beauty showed up in due time. Had to wring out the bouquet initially, but eventually it appeared on its own -- the great CVV we've come to know. Some fruit and spice, more cab than bordeaux. Deserving of respect.
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10/18/2009 - smokie wrote: 95 Points
Everything you could ask for to pair with a grilled bone-in ribeye. Classic cassis and cedar nose, beautiful red fruits on the attack, nice acidity and sweet tannins.
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5/22/2009 - shadow wrote: 93 Points
fresh and tasty, still not prime but very close, just a super example of a cab not on steroids
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3/8/2009 - davergny wrote: 92 Points
(Paired with 2001 Vineyard 29 Aida) An elegant meritage, nicely balanced, red currants, baking spice, tannins are in check, more approachable than the Aida but not as deep. Took a while to open up, needs more time. 92+
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1/31/2009 - NealN wrote: 93 Points
Wine opened only one hour before tasting of California cabs. Licorice, spice box (cinnamon notes), floral with light cigar box. Smooth tannins and finish. A nice wine which showed well versus 02 Montelana,Mondavi Reserve and 97 Far Niente.
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1/24/2009 - Scooter wrote: 95 Points
This was the dinner red for the Annual Rotary Wine Dinner. Decanted eight hours prior. Very elegant with deep fruit flavors. This was my favorite this night opposite the 2001 Arrowood, David Arthur and 1999 Hartwell Cabs. For this price, you can't beat it.
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1/23/2009 - Arcturus wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind alongside a 2002 Ridge Montebello (94), 2002 Mondavi Rsrv (93), 2002 Montelena Estate (92), 2001 Anderson Conn Valley (92), 1997 Far Niente (89), all decanted about an hour and consumed over 4 hours. This was my #1 wine, the groups #3. The perfumed/floral nose continued to improve over time. Palate seemed to evolve throughout the evening showing additional complexity and layers of dark fruits and red raspberries. A fabulous finish. Very impressive showing- 94+ (blind rating)
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11/8/2008 - knelsfk wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for half an hour; nose of smoke, cedar, cigar and earthy fruit; full body with silky tannins; rich complex fruit with long, 45 second, finish.
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9/1/2008 - Newplace31 wrote: 96 Points
Just keeps getting better. Ripe cherry, a little smoky, aromatic fruits.
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6/7/2008 - texaswino wrote: 95 Points
rich, complex and what a finish. Loads of tannins still so decant if you want to drink it now or give it a few more years
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8/6/2007 - Faryan wrote: 89 Points
Full structured nose of soft, aromatic fruits. After the heat blew off, some of the soft jammy casis began to emerge. Relatively linear in its delivery, dominated by a ripe cherry profile but lacking any real sense of secondary nuance. It has a delicate and equitable finish, with moderate heat. The oak felt properly integrated and not excessively new worldish (aged in 24 month French). In a sense, this performed very similarly to a Pine Ridge Cab, minus the excessive American cedar. Finish was nice, but hardly inspiring. Paired well with Ricotta Gnochi and equitably with Lamb Loin. By the end of the secondi, the wine was really begining to fade away, loosing some of the fruit integration that it showed earlier. Price tag was not worth the performance.
note: the cork was quite stained when I opened the wine. Could it have been heat damaged? Perhaps...
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2/6/2007 - rothdog wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Rich, complex, firm tannins, yet not overdone. Do not overlook this wine. It's a real bargain.
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11/6/2006 - mebydef wrote: 93 Points
Wines that make you go hmm. I loved the ‘01 version of this. This was a little light in color. The body was medium, soft and silky. Maybe it was going into a shutdown mode. The fruit early on was curranty with some cedar and tobacco, but vegetal/bell pepper came out later. It was not bad, but it wasn’t great either. Medium finish. Meniscus was good as color ran constant to the rim. Still overall, I’d have to give it 92-94 points.
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10/24/2006 - pbjosh wrote: 92 Points
This really, truly needs a healthy decant. Decanted and enjoyed over 3 hours and still improving at the end, noticably closed for the first 90+ minutes. The nose remains subdued with a very fresh mixture of rainfall, dust, pine, licorice, hints of cassis, raspberry and cedar. Medium to full bodied with bright and sappy berries, licorice, spices, hints of vanilla and some pleasant herbal notes. Lots of big, round tannins, mildly chalky and vibrant acidity. Finishes long with mildly chalky tannins and a lot of sweet fruit. Nice now but a bit closed and tannic, should be terrific in a few years! Lots of upside here...
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10/16/2006 - texaswino wrote: 94 Points
Huge nose of fruit, cassis, cigar tobaco. Ruby red color. Super richness and ample tannins. A real beauty of a wine.
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7/17/2006 - RJD wrote:
This was a superb wine. Singing from the beginning. Great dark fruits and 2ndry nuances that reminded me of bordeaux. Mid 90s range. Slight decline in pleasure on night 2, but still a 90+ point wine even on night 2.
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5/7/2006 - bdenuyl wrote: 92 Points
This is a very well made wine and J. liked alot, but it had a style and flavor that I was not particularily fond of. It was not unpleasant, just I would opt for a different wine.
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4/27/2006 - ths wrote:
Had with dinner at Paolo's in San Jose. Very tight and didn't really open up until after the table had drained the bottle. Just started to get some cherry and to find some of the structure after 20 minutes. Clearly needs a good decanting to bring it around, but it was an interesting contrast to the Beringer Merlot and BV Cabernet, which became seemingly fruity drinks after the weight of the Eloge. So while not really showing well, the tannins and structure raised it above the others effortlessly.
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4/16/2006 - Thilo wrote: 94 Points
Very nice indeed. Color is dark garnet. Nose shows smoky cassis, dark berry, hint of mocha, and spice. Palate reveals chewy plum, dark fruit, smoke, and a hint of tar. Very velvety and a nice wine.
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3/23/2006 - 97mjr wrote: 92 Points
[Blue Hill] Decanted for an hour, drnk over 3 hrs; but relatively unchanged from when it was first opened. Bordeaux in style. Cedar, herbs, licorice, tar, spice, and smoke. Well balanced, great structure, Drinking well now.
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