Dark black ruby color with the barest hint of amber at the rim. Intense, low-toned nose of cassis, smoke, and a pencil lead/graphite component. Concentrated and medium full-bodies in the mouth, with flavors of dark cassis extract and minerals. Still lots of ripe tannins, which, in conjunction with the deep fruit, lead me to conclude that this guy could age for a few years further still. Impressive for an $8 bottle. 88. (Caveat: I've heard that the regular bottlings of this winery in more recent vintages are not up to the standards it set in 1999-2002 -- so more recent vintages might not measure up to this one.)
2002 Casa Lapostolle CABERNET SAUVUGNON (Rapel Valley, Chile)
This had been tucked away unseen in a corner of my wine closet for the last three years, forgotten. It had actually aged very well and was quite a surprise for an entry-level, cheap Cabernet.
Dark black ruby color with the barest hint of amber at the rim. Intense, low-toned nose of cassis, smoke, and a pencil lead/graphite component. Concentrated and medium full-bodies in the mouth, with flavors of dark cassis extract and minerals. Still lots of ripe tannins, which, in conjunction with the deep fruit, lead me to conclude that this guy could age for a few years further still. Impressive for an $8 bottle. 88. (Caveat: I've heard that the regular bottlings of this winery in more recent vintages are not up to the standards it set in 1999-2002 -- so more recent vintages might not measure up to this one.)
Dark black ruby color with the barest hint of amber at the rim. Intense, low-toned nose of cassis, smoke, and a pencil lead/graphite component. Concentrated and medium full-bodies in the mouth, with flavors of dark cassis extract and minerals. Still lots of ripe tannins, which, in conjunction with the deep fruit, lead me to conclude that this guy could age for a few years further still. Impressive for an $8 bottle. 88. (Caveat: I've heard that the regular bottlings of this winery in more recent vintages are not up to the standards it set in 1999-2002 -- so more recent vintages might not measure up to this one.)