Cardinale
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Napa Valley, California, USA
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.
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.
Popped and poured into red Solo cups. The 1995 pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some decent sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly ripe and some desiccated black and red fruits: black, currants, blackberries, black cherry, plum, cocoa, tobacco, old leather bound books, dried purple flowers, a mix of organic and inorganic earth and gentle 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. I sometimes feel like Cardinale is an overlooked label in the Jackson Family lineup. It’s been around for decades and these wines always impressed me, especially with age. Drink now through 2035.
Popped and poured into red Solo cups. The 1995 pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some decent sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly ripe and some desiccated black and red fruits: black, currants, blackberries, black cherry, plum, cocoa, tobacco, old leather bound books, dried purple flowers, a mix of organic and inorganic earth and gentle 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. I sometimes feel like Cardinale is an overlooked label in the Jackson Family lineup. It’s been around for decades and these wines always impressed me, especially with age. Drink now through 2035.
Sep 19th, 2025
Brambly dark berries, mocha, soft licorice, leather, pencil shavings…& hoisin?
Popping cassis, currant & Razzles lean to plum & dark chocolate finish
Approachable yet finessed and linear now – surely will broaden over time
#WINEPIMP
Brambly dark berries, mocha, soft licorice, leather, pencil shavings…& hoisin?
Popping cassis, currant & Razzles lean to plum & dark chocolate finish
Approachable yet finessed and linear now – surely will broaden over time
#WINEPIMP
The nose reveals; dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, notes of ripe port, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, black tar, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, dry & fresh tobacco, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals.
The body is; full, round, velvety and drop dead, gorgeously sexy. Their 97 shows the excellence of the vintage. The structure, tension, length and balance are in peak form. However, this wine has another 10 years ahead. The soft, round, silky tannins melt in your mouth. Dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, rich, black, turned earth, black tar, dark chocolate, coco powder, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, big graphite, some, subtle, grilled meats, dry & fresh tobacco, touch of black pepper, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals. The acidity is round and beautifully phat. The long, ruby, ripe, rich, well knitted texture & balance are outstanding and persists endlessly. Beautiful vintage and wine tonight!
Photos of; Cardinale tasting room, our Lokoya & Cardinale hybrid tasting as the road to Lokoya was not open after the big rains a couple of winters back and their terrace view from the tasting room.
The nose reveals; dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, notes of ripe port, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, black tar, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, dry & fresh tobacco, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals.
The body is; full, round, velvety and drop dead, gorgeously sexy. Their 97 shows the excellence of the vintage. The structure, tension, length and balance are in peak form. However, this wine has another 10 years ahead. The soft, round, silky tannins melt in your mouth. Dark, sweet, tarry, currants, ripe, ruby, candied, blackberries, dark cherries, ripe black plum with soft skin, purple fruit blend, blueberries, creamy dark raspberries, mixed berry cola, anise to black licorice, sandstone/limestone, dark spices, steeped teas, dry & fresh herbaceousness, crushed, dry rocks, rich, black, turned earth, black tar, dark chocolate, coco powder, caramel, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, soft leather, saddle-wood, leather, big graphite, some, subtle, grilled meats, dry & fresh tobacco, touch of black pepper, bay leaf with fresh & withering, very dark florals. The acidity is round and beautifully phat. The long, ruby, ripe, rich, well knitted texture & balance are outstanding and persists endlessly. Beautiful vintage and wine tonight!
Photos of; Cardinale tasting room, our Lokoya & Cardinale hybrid tasting as the road to Lokoya was not open after the big rains a couple of winters back and their terrace view from the tasting room.
One of my favorite vintages of Cardinale
One of my favorite vintages of Cardinale
Nov 30th, 2018
What a wine and what a night - even won money at the casino - the cork wasn’t cooperating and gave us problems but once open this was creating lots of smiles
Good friends and wine and a memorable place spells fantastic night - Houston Texans are arriving for Practice camp Sunday
What a wine and what a night - even won money at the casino - the cork wasn’t cooperating and gave us problems but once open this was creating lots of smiles
Good friends and wine and a memorable place spells fantastic night - Houston Texans are arriving for Practice camp Sunday
Man was this so approachable and was big bold and beautiful
Man was this so approachable and was big bold and beautiful
May 1st, 2018
Tasted blind. Dark ruby. Big and thick. Sweet fruit in the nose, notes of cranberry, blueberry, and some wood. Very rich. Some heat. Good finish to the evening.
Tasted blind. Dark ruby. Big and thick. Sweet fruit in the nose, notes of cranberry, blueberry, and some wood. Very rich. Some heat. Good finish to the evening.
Apr 22nd, 2018This a beautiful wine. The texture glides over the palate and its smooth as silk. It just needs time to bring out its complexity.
This a beautiful wine. The texture glides over the palate and its smooth as silk. It just needs time to bring out its complexity.
Feb 5th, 2018