Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Oh…the fruit is still solid with dry herbs. 94 a special Napa vintage. 13.4% ABV, miss it. This is when FA was still rocking it.

This gets better & better with each sip. The fruit still ripe, ruby and glorious. When Napa didn’t pick overly ripe fruit. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, purple fruit blend, dark cherries, strawberries, blueberries & raspberries. Sage, black earth, dry twig, red & dark berry cola, softly layered baking spices-clove, cinnamon & vanillin, caramel, mocha powder, chocolate pudding, anise to lighter tarriness, some graphite, soft charcoal, volcanic ash, understated; oak, leather, tobacco, fine grain still somewhat grippy tannins, touch olive tapenade, fresh florals that are; dark, red, blue with liquid violets, balance, length, mid structure & tension with polished elegance for days.

Recent retail purchase. Large library allocation they bought winery direct.

This well stored has another 4-7 yrs left.

What is a good 1994 memory? A question I ask friends when I enjoy an older wine with them. — 23 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some signs of very fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of mostly ripe with some tart and drying fruits: cassis, blackberries, pipe tobacco, Serrano pepper, purple flowers, leather, and a pleasant mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the alcohol is medium+. FWIW, this is an impressive wine on the nose and the palate.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet Sauvignon (or blend there of) or Sangiovese-blend, or Tempranillo (or blend) from the United States, France, Italy or Spain. However, the shear generosity of fruit and lavish oak treatment leads me to Napa. Additionally, there’s a structure that gives me mountain fruit vibes. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain, 2015. Perhaps I was trying to be a bit too clever but scoring lots of points nonetheless. Probably one of the more memorable, contemporary Freemark Abbey’s I’ve had. Really impressive. Drink now through 2050. — 2 months ago

Mark

9.2

Big oaky flavor matched with strong tannins. This wine can cellar a few more years. Nice fruit with cherry and strawberry finishes. Nice wine that is pairing well with smoked pork tenderloin. — 6 months ago

with Jeron and Jessica

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2016 | Opaque and dark. Multi layered bouquet to dream of: dark pepper, plum, leather, tobacco, Scottish pipe tobacco, everything in a rich, chic style. Chocolate in taste, rondeur as well as some unbending characteristics. A real treat. — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Dark Ruby color with aromas of ripe berry fruit and herb spice aromas. On the palate flavors of ripe cherry and blackberry with leather and tobacco notes. Dusty tannins, medium+ finish ending with toasty herb mineral spice. — 9 months ago

Jeffrey Ritterson

9.2

Touriga Nacional (40%), Touriga Franca (20%), Tinta Roriz (30%), Tinta Barroca (10%). Medium to deep purple. Medium body, medium tannin at most, medium acidity, dry. Some slight funk on the nose, in a very good way. Wet rocks, violets, light baking spices. Better after open for a day. Benchmark Duero for what I can find in the US so far. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Dense Ruby with a Crimson rim. Aromas of red and black berries, chocolate, and smoked meat. Full bodied and muscular. From a single vineyard in McLaren Vale which was planted 124 years ago. Silky tannins. A great red on a cold night in Winter. Love the old fashioned label which probably hasn’t changed in 100 years showing the two Kay Brothers. Hope to have the patience to drink the last bottle in say 2028 to 2030. — 24 days ago

Diane Is Moving To CellarTracker

9.2

Black raspberry jam — 5 months ago

Diane Heyboer

8.9

Had the 2022 in February of 2026. Blackberry and dark cherry with a barrel forward character on the nose. Not super tannic- berry/cherry throughout. Short finish with hints of tannin on the end. — 5 months ago

with Matthew, Ethan and 2 others

John Pavlovich

9.3

Opened for my 80th birthday. From a magnum, fully mature, still plenty of freshness, perfect balance, full body with excellent presence in the mouth, so tasty, it really went well with roasted suckling pig dinner. — 7 months ago

Paul St Clair

9.0

Powerfull well rounded blueberry and black currants. Soft tannins carrying pepper leather and tobacco. Well balanced with acidity that rounds out the red fruit flavors the wine is abundant with. — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 69% Shiraz, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale, deep Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of vanilla, spice, licorice and tobacco. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. — 10 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

First, if you haven’t had this producers wines at 15-20 years of age, you’re missing some spectacular juice. I bought this at auction for $38-$40 a bottle and because I was unaware of its storage, I was prepared to short decant it. Well…until I pulled the cork, smelled it and saw the color. This nearly 20 year old bottling is still big but with nice integration & evolution. I would say it has another 5-8 years of good life in it.

The palate fruit is ruby, ripe and lush; blackberries, boysenberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum. Mid berry cola, dark chocolate to pudding, mocha powder, wet clay, light, black pepper, Asian spice, dry-ish tobacco, black licorice, some dry herbs-sage dominate, limestone, dry top soil, dry brush, used leather, sandlewood, fresh to slightly withering, dark, purple, red florals set/framed in violets and lavender. The acidity is near perfect. The well balanced, structured, knitted finish is excellent and lingers minutes. Steal for the price. Another excellent gourmet burger wine. Beef Patties from El Salchichero. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose and full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and complex.

Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, toast, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, licorice, coffee, tobacco, light earth, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Merlot from Napa Valley. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with nice complexity. Tangy and interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime.

Still young, and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, but already drinking beautifully.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 19 months in (32% new) French Oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — a month ago

Doug Powers

8.9

Some petrol/diesel aromas and flavors in this lovely bone dry Australian Riesling, solid acid, some white stonefruits as well, great cut/acidity, medium-long finish, very good! — 5 months ago

with Jim

Nicholas Cotton

10

With Jay and Ted — 5 months ago

Vitaly Domnenko

9.1

Bm+. Tm. Am. Fm+. — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon color with aromas of stone and citrus fruits with toasty aromas, aged in about 35% new oak. On the palate flavors of melon and peach with lemon citrus zest and nutty vanilla notes, good balanced with acidity. Medium+ finish ending with fruit, oak and mineral character. — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant for sediment(lots of chunky sediment) and pour. A remarkable dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: expressive perfumed notes of cherry, currants, dark olives, worn leather, wet forest floor, smoked meat. Taste: silky, savory, elegant wine with fading dried cherries, tobacco, dark chocolate, bell pepper, earth, and a nice mineral, espresso medium plus finish. YUM! Never disappointed with well aged Bosche or Sycamore wines — 10 months ago

with Brenda

Mark

9.3

Ok the patio in NH on the lake. Good fruit. Balanced. Soft tannins. — 4 years ago