Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(some fine sediment). A splendid still dark magenta color with bricking. On the nose: Beautiful areomatics of blackberry, cigar box, worn leather, green vegi, bandaid(brett). Taste: savory, elegant, structured wine with some sour cherry, currants, tobacco leaf, charred earth, and a crushef rock-coffee medium finish. Sure, on the downside, but still drinks savory good tonight. — 7 days ago

with Brenda

Stephen Fitzpatrick

9.1

2023 Vintage. A very pleasant and easy drinking Napa Cab up front. Decent aroma on the nose, vibrant notes of cherry and blackberry, delicately structured tannins, with a very smooth finish. Not chewy or viscous, but still a bold Cab flavor that resonates with the right amount of spice. Would gladly enjoy again. — 11 days ago

GaryWEdwards

9.4

Perfumed and floral with a nice earthy blackberry thing going on. Slow bloomer drinking beautifully. Compares to ‘09 — 14 days ago

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(lots of fine sediment). A striking still dark purplish garnet color with bricking. On the nose: Alluring perfumed notes of red/blue fruit, smoked meat, tobacco, vanilla, eucalyptus, wet forest floor, cloves. Taste: silky, old school restraint, elegant wine with some red fruit, leather, earth, dried herbs, tobacco, and a medium spiced smokey wood finish. Did not wow, but still a pleasure to drink at 38 years. — 21 days ago

with Brenda

Doug Powers

9.4

Another absolutely fabulous older CdP, I saw @Jay Kline’s excellent tasting note from a few years ago on the 1990 (thanks for the info, @Jay Kline!!), this is amazing, amazingly a little better than the 1989 Beaucastel, what a trio of 1988-1990 CdPs!!! — 5 days ago

with Jim

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — 17 days ago

with Brenda and

Adam

9.0

My review may not be beneficial to all because of my drinking style. I drink the bottle myself over the course of a week. With this Freakshow Cab Sauv, my review changed from the first to last glass. The first glass was strong, thin, and barely enjoyable. With subsequent glasses tasted a developing sweetness and thickness. I realize this is counter intuitive to wines normally being best when being allowed to breathe a bit after opening. Just wasn’t the case for me with this one. Rating was a 6.5 to start and a 9.5 at the end I’m grading with a curve to give it an overall 9. Will buy again based on Freakshow reputation and hope for a better early result. — a month ago

Ming L

9.1

Aromas of strawberry, pomelo, watermelon, rose petal, sea breeze, and hint of thyme. The palate adds additional red berries, citrus, and faint earthy notes. Medium body that is nicely textured. Fresh yet round acidity. There is off-dry sensation on the otherwise slightly savory medium finish.

Lovely but pricy rose. — 9 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This 2006 was a tale of 1/2 of the bottle decanted in a wide decanter and the other 1/2 left in bottle. The bottom 1/2 bottle better than the 2 hour decant. The decanted part lost complete Bordeaux character, mid palate and depth. A shorter decant was in order, but that doesn’t mean this 06 is waning. It has another 7–10 yrs from bottle.

2006 was the vintage that followed the grand 2005 vintage, not an entirely fair growing seasons. Based on the 2005 vintage, the Bordelaise overpriced the 2006 vintage. The Bordelaise disappointed in the price they sold 2005’s looked to make up their perceived losses in 2006. Except, the quality wasn’t the same. Not even close.

The nose shows brambly, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries and lean raspberry edges. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark chocolate bar, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather,. softy layered baking spices, black licorice-tarriness, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender.

The palate is ripe, juicy w/ medium, rounded tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries, strawberries and lean raspberry. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark & slightly melted chocolate, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather, softy layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, mid dark spices w/ some palate heat, black licorice-tarriness, dry herbs, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dry top soil, moist, grey, volcanic clay, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender, very nice acidity, nicely balanced, well structured/tensioned w/ an elegant finish that lasts a minute plus and lands on earth & spice with mid intensity palate heat.

92 decanted. 93 the bottom 1/2 of the bottle, not decanted. — 6 hours ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Tasted blind . Slightly more mature colour than 1 . Ruby with some garnet and a more garnet tinged rim . Cooler more mineral on the nose , touches of grafite and wet rocks , sea spray , with some dark spicy cassis . On the palate this is more dark cassis , spicy grafite , cedar , touch of iron filings . Good roundness on the palate , with dusty tannins and balanced acidity, intense and saline . Long cedar tinged grafite length . Quite intense and stlight sterner overall , a little more aloof , more Cabernet , darker in style. Better in 5-10 years and will last well a further 10-20. Had this as Margaux . My 5th placed wine . — a month ago