Nick DiSanto

9.4

WRW ? Love it. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.4

Cardinale Winery Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, California

#AgedWineTuesday

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

Fruity nose of black currants, black plums, blackberries, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruit forward on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, dried fruits, cedar, chocolates, figs, cola, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, herbs, spices and light earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 17 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Rich and engaging. Elegant, soft and fruit forward. Beautifully balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Needed 90 minutes in the bottle to open up properly and show great complexity, with good structure.

This gorgeous Cabernet is still drinking at its peak, but will not get better from this point on. Will continue to drink nicely in the next 7 years.

A great sipping wine that will pair nicely with a big piece of steak too.

A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$200. — 4 months ago

John Van Trijp

9.4

The new White Cuvee — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Many of you that see my posts know I don’t open a Napa Cabernet this young. However, this was selling at my Costco for $69.99. K&L Wine Merchants $99.99. Delectable at $115. So, I had to buy a four. I coravined this bottle for a Somm friend last weekend who likes his Napa reds young. 🤷‍♂️

While this has seen a bit of bottle evolution, it still needs another 6-8 yrs before I open another and has the potential to pick up another point or two then.

Nose shows; brambly blackberries, stewy black plum, black raspberries, darkest cherries, boysenberries and strawberries off the glass edges. Dry tobacco, leather, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon notes, vanilla, anise, dark, rich, turned earth and withering, dark, slightly candied flowers.

The palate expresses some evolution. It is rich, ripe; brambly blackberries, stewy black plum, black raspberries, darkest cherries, boysenberries, hints of blueberries and strawberries off the glass edges. Tarry, dry medium plus tannins. Dry tobacco, leather, dark spice with a touch of heat, mixed darker berry cola, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon notes, vanilla, black tea, anise, mixed fresh & drier herbs, dark, rich, turned earth, barrel shavings/dust, a hint of black pepper, moist, grey clay, dry top soil, dry river stone and withering, dark, red, slightly candied flowers with violets, very round, phat acidity with a well; balanced, big structured, tensioned, lush, elegant and nicely layered & polished finish that lasts a full 90 seconds. Still kind of in its primary stage.

This is made by Chris Carpenter who also makes; Lokoya, Cardinale, La Jota, Hickinbotham (Australia) made at Yangarra. Sofia & I tasted at Yangarra and after tasted his Hickinbotham with him in 2017.

Photos of; staff picking on Mount Veeder, Chris Carpenter in the cellar and scenic shot of Mount Veeder. — 2 years ago

Dario Scimeca

9.6

Nectar. One of the single vineyard Merlot components of Cardinale. — 6 years ago

with Heather

Adam Quarello

9.1

lots of mature black fruit with slightly sweet spice and tobacco — 7 years ago

ESF

9.2

last had the 2020 vintage - this is just as solid! outstanding QPR as well — a month ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2023 Intuition blanc from Fleur Cardinale. 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 39% Sémillon and 16% Sauvignon Gris. An excellent white from Saint-Emilion, with a beautiful balance between freshness and opulence. — 5 months ago

Lyn Farmer

9.6

An exquisite wine, understated and with great finesse. Luscious black fruit - cassis, black berry, black cherry, black plum, a touch of mint in the background, balanced with restrained cedar and vanilla. Opulent velvety tannins that never intrude on the fruit. Still a bit tight but there is so much here - it’s a wonderful wine that’s Napa at its heart but has Bordeaux in its soul. — 6 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.0

@delectable: this is the Révélation de Croix Cardinale — 2 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.4

It is a medium dark wine with a savory nose, showing violets, licorice, forest floor and a touch of cardamom. The palate is spicy, with black pepper and herbs joining the black berry profile. The tannins are quite firm and the acidity is fresh. It is a youthful wine which will pair nicely with a pork roast. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.5

This was my contribution for a 10-yr retrospective of Napa cab with a local group. All wines (16 of them) were tasted blind. Others of note were Cardinale, Larkmead, Bryant Family, Vineyard 29, Corra and Jacquelyn To-Kalon.

My first experience with this wine, and when I acquired it, I wasn’t aware it was a 100 pointer. I’ve had many Hall wines but this is definitely their most structured wine. It’s fruit forward but in no way close to their other offerings. At 100% cab, it drinks like it. I let this breathe from bottle for about 2hrs before it was thrown in a decanter for another 2-3hrs and consumed. I had a splash at pop and it was crazy coiled, underripe and dusty. When I came back to it later (albeit blind, so I’m looking at my notes), it sported dark fruit on both the nose and the palate. Dark cocoa dipped black cherries, ripe blueberries and blackberries, as well as cassis and espresso aromatically. There was also a bit of a lavender/floral note that gave it a unique quality. On the palate, it eventually smoothed out beautifully, but was powerful the entire time. Dense and rich with added notes of fig, baking spices, and cocoa dusted fruits. One of those wines that makes you think overpowering, but then dials it down to silk on the finish. I think this is just entering a prime drinking window. Bummer I don’t have more. — 6 years ago

Mike

9.0

Pretty sweet — 8 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

Strawberries, black cherries, dark chocolate and truffles. Very powerful. Apparently it is aged in 100% new oak, which is often not the best idea,but in this one it's perfectly integrated. Very long finish. — 2 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2020 vintage. Another great "second"wine. A blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. — 5 months ago

LM Segal

9.7

So awesome to crack this ‘97 last night with a Wagyu steak. Killer nose of camphor and shroomy undergrowth led a powerful, feminine palate of cassis and light espresso, dark red and blue fruit. Initially came across as young but quickly bricked out visually and as it came to room temp the secondary aromatics - pencil shavings of note - and palate layers - vanilla, espresso, blackcurrant, roasted chocolate bean, light oak - came through. It stayed strong for over 2 hours in decanter and kept evolving, but then headed for a downslope not unexpected for a 27 year old (to say nothing of its downsloping taster!). — 2 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 1997 | Laurel, introverted, quite strict, Bordeaux alike > Claudi Cardinale alike — 5 years ago

Andy Hall

9.7

Sorry to say I turned 60 a couple of weeks ago. My daughters came in to celebrate this past weekend and we wanted to drink some good wine. What a trio: ‘12 Cade Reserve, ‘13 Cardinale, and ‘05 Leoville Las Cases. Ironically, I am going to score all 3 of these as 97+. They were really a treat. The Las Cases was decanted for 5 hours and it was clear that we were about 7 years too early. It’s a terrific wine and at at age ~25 it will be absolutely stunning. Already has balance and harmony. Can’t wait until I am about 67 so that I can revisit the remaking 11 bottles! — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Brought by a friend. Dark tawny and opaque. High pitched fruit forward nose, dominated by black cherries and some dry brush. Tannins still present. Complex and refined. Reminded me of a young Bordeaux that needs more age to gain more secondary/tertiary notes. Good juice. — 6 years ago

Conrad Woodard

10

Deliciously flavorful! — 8 years ago