Rattlesnake Hills, Columbia Valley, Oregon/Washington, USA
Tasting Note:
Before trying the wine I had it open for a 6 hour decant. The color is a dark opaque red and is not cloudy at all. The nose has a light hint of cassis near the middle to end, and some chalk. Additionally as the wine aired a little longer (around hour 7 or 8) some cherry notes began to appear in the nose. Within the palate there are some moderate plus rounded tannins, which lead to moderate and smooth finish. The smoothness in the mouthfeel most definitely came from the 6 hour decant that Maloney recommended. I also tasted a little bit of cassis, and some smokiness at the end. Overall I was impressed with the Elephant Mountain Cab from Maloney. Definitely needed the 6 hour decant, it mellowed it out and rounded out the tannins. As for longevity, it is a screw top bottle which I believe is supposed to slow down the aging of a wine compared to a cork.
This leads me to believe that this wine has the drink dates of 2015 until 2025. If you have to try it now, use the 6+ hour decant and you will not regret it! (94) Greg.
Tasting Note:
Before trying the wine I had it open for a 6 hour decant. The color is a dark opaque red and is not cloudy at all. The nose has a light hint of cassis near the middle to end, and some chalk. Additionally as the wine aired a little longer (around hour 7 or 8) some cherry notes began to appear in the nose. Within the palate there are some moderate plus rounded tannins, which lead to moderate and smooth finish. The smoothness in the mouthfeel most definitely came from the 6 hour decant that Maloney recommended. I also tasted a little bit of cassis, and some smokiness at the end. Overall I was impressed with the Elephant Mountain Cab from Maloney. Definitely needed the 6 hour decant, it mellowed it out and rounded out the tannins. As for longevity, it is a screw top bottle which I believe is supposed to slow down the aging of a wine compared to a cork.
This leads me to believe that this wine has the drink dates of 2015 until 2025. If you have to try it now, use the 6+ hour decant and you will not regret it! (94) Greg.
