2014 Amelia Park Cabernet Merlot

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 90.0 points

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  10/27/2019 - barrkel Does not like this wine: 87 Points

  My second bottle, even more aggressively decanted (you could say hyperdecanted) than the previous, owing to my experience.
  
  The oak in this wine doesn't have hints of cedar and cigar-box; it's like furniture with a heavy dose of polish, a lingering chemical stain across the palate. The oak is aggressive, clumsy, jagged, and almost obscures the fruit in the wine.
  
  Who knows, this might be palatable many years in the future. But I'm glad this is my last bottle.

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  3/19/2019 - GD77 Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Sweet and savoury but big tannins needs some time. Rich fruit, perhaps a touch more merlot than necessary. Black olive nose with hint of licorice. Acid a bit harsh. Good wine, perhaps it will settle.

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  1/22/2019 - barrkel wrote: 87 Points

  This was disappointing. Perhaps it didn't get enough air, but I had it in a magnum decanter - maximum surface area - for over 5 hours and it still had a concentrated chemical flavour that I've associated with very perfumed wines in the past, but it just didn't develop. Perhaps it needs to be decanted and rebottled and left for the next day, but that seems extreme. More age, perhaps. There was certainly a savoury aspect, and fruit in the nose, but overall it wasn't satisfying.

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  5/28/2018 - daveyk39 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Been laying down since December. Decided to pull a bottle and try an experiment I also tried with the 2015 Substance CS. Gave 4:30h of air, double decanted, then placed back in the wine fridge and drank on day 2.
  
  Of course, it's impossible to isolate precisely what made the difference, but what a difference!
  
  Inky Purple/Ruby color. Pronounced and deep aromas of black currant, redcurrant, violet and smoke. Equally bold flavors, with dark brooding fruits (mostly black currant). Lush on the palate: crisp, velvety and viscous.
  
  The big difference is the taming of the tannins, which are now on the border of firm and structured. They no longer obliterate the fruit or dominate the finish, which is now transformed into equal parts fruit and firmness.
  
  If you have the time to spend decanting and/or serving on Day 2, this is drinking really well right now. If you have room in the cellar, I think in 1-2 years this could be a real gem, especially considering the price tag.

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  3/17/2018 - Jackstraw212 Likes this wine: 87 Points

  I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the last tasting. Pretty tightly wound tobacco, mineral, and currants. A strange oak funk to this bottle. Not enough to make it bad, just a little off. Waiting another 6 months at least for the rest

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