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$199.95
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RP 98
WS 96
CG 96
United States
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Cabernet & Blends
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California
In stock,
1
available
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List $250.00
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98 points Robert Parker: "[$250 list] The 2002 Insignia (a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec) is performing even better than it did post-bottling. A cross Napa County blend of some of their finest vineyard sources, it offers a super-sweet nose of creme de cassis, charcoal, incense, cedar and forest floor, full body and silky tannins. It is one of the few Napa Cabernet Sauvignon blends that is world-class, capable of 30+ years of cellaring, and made in abundant quantities (between 8,000-15,000 cases). I remember tasting the 1974 Insignia in the late 1970's and stating that it would need to be drunk in its first 5-6 years of life. Wrong. That wine, which is now 38 years of age, is still a beauty! (Jun 2012)"
'#1 Wine of the Year for 2005' and 96 points Wine Spectator: "A rich, polished, seductive style with layers of complexity built around a dense, concentrated mix of currant, blackberry, plum and exotic mocha- and cedar-scented oak. This mouthcoating young wine is powerful yet elegant and deftly balanced, finishing with a long, succulent aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Best from 2008 through 2014. (11/15/05)"
96 points Connoisseurs' Guide: "78% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% Merlot; 7% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec. Once again showing the extraordinary combination of polish, fruity depth and wonderfully rich oak that is particular to the very best of the Insignia lineup, this concentrated, intensely aromatic wine comes up long on character and style. Its evident ripeness is manifest in a touch of last-minute heat, but its fleshy feel, superb balance and neatly fit tannin bring it a peerless sense of refinement that will tease us all long before this stunningly compelling bottling reaches its finely polished peak some five to seven years hence. (Dec 2005)"
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$129.95
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RP 96
IWC 93
WE 93
United States
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Cabernet & Blends
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California
In stock,
3
available
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96+ points Robert Parker: "This appears to be one of the great efforts from Chateau Montelena, something I think I was correct about when I gave it an 'in the bottle' rating in 2006 of 95+. It is still an amazingly young wine that came from old vines on the famous St. George rootstock that did not require replanting because of the phylloxera epidemic that swept through Napa in the late 1980's and 1990's. Despite its lofty 14.4% alcohol (high by Montelena standards) and the overall flamboyance of the 2002 vintage, it needs another 4-6 years of cellaring. This young, classic Cabernet Sauvignon represents the quintessential traditional school of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. It possesses an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a tight, but promising nose of black currants, crushed rocks, earth and spice. Rich, full-bodied, pure and brilliantly executed, with perfect harmony, this is a sensational yet forebodingly backward, youthful Cabernet Sauvignon that needs 4-6 years of cellaring and should keep another quarter of a century. (Jun 2012)"
93 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good deep ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose combines musky redcurrant and tobacco. Plush, broad and fine-grained; atypically sexy and showy for this wine, in much the same way that Montelena's basic 2002 Napa cabernet is unusually pliant and rich. Finishes with big, dusty, but rather suave tannins. This offers early accessibility but has the material and structure for extended aging. The alcohol here is 14.3%, the highest since the 1978, which was 14.4%. (May/Jun 2005)"
93 points Wine Enthusiast: "Right now this wine is strutting its stuff, showing dense, fudge-like scents of tobacco, cassis and whiffs of vanilla and coconut and flavors of blackberry with lashings of vanilla and cocoa. But like many vintages of Montelena, expect this one to shut down in another year only to reemerge as a beauty around age 10 or 12. Another classic. (Sep 2006)"
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$189.95
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RP 96
IWC 94
WS 93
United States
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Cabernet & Blends
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California
In stock,
2
available
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96 points Robert Parker: "The 2002 Reserve Claret (two-thirds Merlot, one-third Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot) is the most flashy, exuberant and flamboyant of this trio. Close to full maturity, it offers complex, intense, pervasive notes of unsmoked cigar tobacco, licorice, graphite, spring flowers, blueberries and blackberries. Gorgeous ripeness, full-bodied opulence, decent acidity, and ripe, silky tannin make for a hedonistic as well as intellectually provocative wine. This rich, mountain-styled proprietary red can be drunk now and over the next 10-12 years. (Jun 2012)"
94 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(two-thirds merlot and one-third cabernet sauvignon) Good deep ruby. Knockout nose combines currant, cedar, licorice and tobacco. Large-scaled, thick and rich, with compelling density and sweetness. This has superb depth and an intriguing minerality. Finishes with horizontal tannins and superb vinosity and persistence. (May/Jun 2005)"
93 points Wine Spectator: "A seductive style that provides a rich mix of ripe, juicy wild berry and blackberry fruit with an overlay of smoky, toasty oak. But on the finish, it comes together nicely, with the fruit pushing past the oak flavors, caressed by supple tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2009. 400 cases made. (10/31/05)"
Producer notes: "A Superman’s Merlot! A 2/3 - 1/3 blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and just a splash of Petit Verdot, the depth of color makes for a virtually opaque appearance. Ripe red cherry, cassis and a trace of cedar grace the aromatic medley. Sweet rich textures flood the palate with berry, chocolate and espresso flavors framed by fine mouthwatering tannins. These flavors linger in an exceptional finish that extends for several minutes. Alcohol 14.4%. 417 cases produced."
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$675.00
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RP 100
IWC 94
United States
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Rhone Varietals
In stock,
1
available
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100 points Robert Parker: "A dead-ringer (at least aromatically) for Guigal’s single vineyard Cote Rotie La Mouline, the 2002 Just For The Love of It is the greatest California Syrah I have yet tasted. A one-thousand case blend of 96% Syrah, 2% Grenache, and 2% Viognier, it is nearly equal parts Alban, Bien Nacido, and Stolpman fruit with a small amount from both Shadow Canyon and White Hawk. It boasts a provocative perfume of creme de cassis, toast, blackberries, licorice, barbecue spice, and exotic floral scents. Extremely full-bodied, with fabulous intensity, great purity, awesome length, and a finish that lasts over a minute, this classic is a must purchase. Already accessible, it will drink well for 10-15 years. (Aug 2004)"
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$450.00
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RP 94–98
IWC 96–98
United States
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Rhone Varietals
In stock,
2
available
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2 x 375ml bottles Mr. K The Nobleman (Chardonnay)
1 x 375ml bottle Mr. K The Strawman (Semillon)
Sine Qua Non Mr. K The Nobleman (Chardonnay) California 2002
94 points Robert Parker: "The 2002 Mr. K The Noble Man (321 grams per liter of residual sugar and 10.25 grams per liter of acidity) is made from 100% botrytised Chardonnay. Its medium gold color is followed by a wine with honeyed complexity, and huge body, sweetness, and thickness. This effort is never as complex or focused as its siblings, but it is still a phenomenal sweet wine that can stand on its own merits against any great sweet wine made in the world. (Jun 2005)"
Sine Qua Non Mr. K The Strawman Vin de Paille Santa Ynez Valley 2002 (Semillon)
98 points Robert Parker: "The virtually perfect 2002 Mr. K. The Straw Man boasts astounding statistics. Aged 30 months in barrel, with only 7.2% alcohol, it carries 482 grams per liter of residual sugar (half the wine), and 7.8 grams per liter of acidity. It is simply off the charts. Sexy, eye-popping, palate-staining stuff, it is like liquefied honey with extraordinary complexity, aromatics yet freshness and delineation. I simply do not understand how this wine was made given the technical numbers and its amazing sugar. It is neither heavy nor cloying, and is a remarkable tour de force created by two Austrian geniuses. (Jun 2005)"
96-98 points Stephen Tanzzer (International Wine Cellar): "(from semillon that was air-dried for 57 days) Deep yellow-gold. Initially extremely closed, then hinted at high-toned pineapple, maple syrup, lime and vanillin oak; gives up its perfume like a tree yields its sap. This pours, and tastes, more like a solid than a liquid. Incredibly thick, honeyed, clinging wine that's virtually impossible to spit. This elixir is not especially aromatic and yet it's not particularly heavy either. In fact, this is amazingly wine-like for a semi-liquid that's nearly 50% sugar (482 grams per liter). Find a loved one and get out the rubber sheets: maybe this one should have been called Inamorata. (Jul/Aug 2005)"
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