David Shaw

9.1

Horse Heaven Hills, 325 cases made. Purple red, moderate pigment extraction. Light herbaceous nose, call it tobacco light. Blackberry flavor with length on initial pour, nice round mouthfeel with fresh blackberry aftertaste. Just a tad tart. Tobacco leaf aftertaste emerges after 20 minutes with some fine seed bitterness. I might have popped this one open too early as it’s got plenty of tannins for further aging. Still, it’s got fruit to spare… — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing black fruits with earth, vanilla, cedar, leather, licorice, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, spices and dark chocolates.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

What a great Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Saint Julien.

This gorgeous wine feels much younger than it is right now. Complex and tasty.

This 18 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours in the decanter.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Wine Advocate 97 points.

Thank you Robbie for sharing this with me.

The 2005 vintage was outstanding, and it's really shining through right here.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Will pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$325. — 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Been awhile since I had one of these; the label looks promising: 38/28/21/7/6 blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, aged in used oak, 325 cases made. Dark garnet red, very good clarity, moderate to high pigment extraction. Blackberry, raspberry and butter aromas, red fruit flavors, followed later by a note of tobacco and cooked vegetable, quite rounded mouthfeel, soft, not much tannin expression initially. Mint, wintergreen and white pepper aftertaste. A light skin astringency emerges after 30 minutes. A decent flavor-dense, almost syrupy red table wine, balanced perfectly for whatever hearty winter dishes you are consuming. Roasted root veggies and cheese or red meat entrees seem the best match to me at the moment. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a short purple rim. Not showing age at all.

Fruity nose, but not very pronounced.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, dark chocolates, light vanilla, coffee, black pepper, earth, tobacco leaf and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 10 year old Syrah is starting to drink nicely now, although still very young. Rich, extracted and definitely in your face kind of wine.

Needs a few hours to open up. I gave it 2 hours in the decanter, but it was not enough, and unfortunately it finished too quickly.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 years.

Big, bold and beautiful.

Robert Parker 96 points.

A blend of 90% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, 5% Viognier and 2% Grenache. Aged for 38 months in new French oak barrels.

16.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$325. — 10 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Dry and very fruity on the palate, with medium acidity and long legs.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, earth, licorice, tobacco leaf, herbs and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel.

Smooth and elegant, with a gorgeous nose. Rich, extracted and so enjoyable by itself.

Robert Parker 94 points.

This 10 year old is good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

Love these Napa Bordeaux Blends, especially from this great 2013 vintage.

A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are from Oakville and Stags Leap regions, and were fermented together. 559 cases produced.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$325 (current vintage). — 2 years ago

Kevin Sweet

8.9

Nice, Wynn 325 — 2 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 12/30/20.

A selection from the Costco Wine Advent Calendar.

From 325 mL.

Plum, cherry, leather, and a bit of spice scents lead to flavors of black raspberries, black cherry, and leather. A bit lighter, and higher acidity than what I'd expect from most cabs. I would think this had an Italian varietal blended in, but there is no mention of anything other than cab on the label.

3/21/7/5/3 +89 pts. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

A blend of 6 vintages - 2020 (51%), 2019 (31%), 2018 (3%), 2017 (8%), 2016 (5%), and 2015 (2%). From the Hoffmann’s Dallwitz vineyard. 6327 bottles filled. Aromatics of old vine Barossa Shiraz. The fruit is so plush and ample together with liquorice, chocolate, blue fruits, and spices that it masks the M plus tannins. I note that Fraser likes to taste these Little Wines “when primal and vital, a year or two after vintage “. I totally agree. I have tasted Little Wines with over 5 years of cellaring and find that you are giving up that freshness and vitality for a limited increase in savoury profile. The secondary value of Sami-Odi wines have increased dramatically in recent years. I paid $55 per bottle on release and note that United Cellars are now selling for $325. All the more annoying when I broke a bottle unpacking the tricky little cartons of 3 when I received them. The odd 4 letter word was uttered!!! Therefore I have one left for future enjoyment. — 10 months ago

Deborah M

9.5

I am a big fan of Malbecs. I describe them as being a “fuller” Merlot (bear with me and my non-technical descriptions). I find Malbecs to be brooding, seductive, and complex. I like that I can enjoy a glass with or without food. Kudos to Jesse Katz on producing such a gem. I am also giving myself credit for exercising patience and letting this one get a little bottle age before opening.

First off, the label on this bottle is everything! You can’t help but smile with the lady while you are enjoying this wine.

Details: 100% Malbec. Single vineyard. This wine comes from the Alexander Valley hillsides in Northern Sonoma County. The wine is described as being both elegant and powerful. 14.6% ABV (but doesn’t come across that high). Only 325 cases were made.

It is worth repeating that my best wine experiences always involve sharing wine with friends and last night proved no different. Halloween costume shenanigans and Devil Proof’s Farrow Ranch helped make for a memorable night. It should go without saying that this wine wine should be paired with friends, laughter, and costumes. @55Seventy — 2 years ago

PS Michaels

9.3

Bottle 325 of 582 — 3 years ago