Mike R

9.2

Wednesday night and went to cellar and lately I have been digging into holes looking for wine I don't normally go to - why - well you bought it so you need to drink it - my wife is not happy with my judgement and craves her 9.4 and higher rated Napa cab - so that said as a qualifier I say this

Decanted 2 hours and first sip is not bad - actually I like it - but the normal posse (WNH) would never be served this in visiting for they would as I do not call this BiG BOLD BEAUTIFUL

What I call this -- color is nice and works with its dark reddish color - smell and taste is a little short of the goal but surprising in not trying to disguise with pepper - more black fruits and currants than you might expect - finish also surprised me and reminded me of the white label by Mark - it was at least a minute

I think all this is summed best by using @Antonio Galloni review which I restate as [91-93pts Vinous] The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Herold by Mark Herold is mostly about pure energy and tension at this stage. There is plenty of inner sweetness in the glass, so it will be interesting to see where the wine goes over the coming year. - [*Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2012*]

I know it is 2011 but suggest giving this a new try and I bet the rating might have improved

All said it is hump day according to a GEICO commercial with a camel which says "Mike Mike Mike' for it is Wednesday and this wine is leaving with a nice smile!!!! May the rest of your week be all smiles folks — 9 years ago

Joe Mar

9.1

Honeycrisp apple, lime oil and chalk. Incredibly clean but very full, silky mouthfeel. Unripe white peach with a long stone finish. — 10 years ago

Nate Miles

8.9

A stoner Nebbiolo. Chill and laid back. Do I really keep a couple of these for 50 years, or am I confusing with a different Vallana Spanna? — 11 years ago

maria t

9.1

casa do Antonio & Beta, na Foia — 13 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.2

@delectable @Antonio Galloni this is the 2016 Especial Alder Springs Vineyard. @everyone else, this is delicious but still early days, even with a 3 hour decant. Just starting to show nerve, depth and complexity I would expect, and definitely comes across as more muscular then previous incarnations of Especial. Do I have to say it's lip smacking delicious, even as it's clearly not even out of second gear? I probably don't. As much as I wanted to follow this over a couple days, my will and palate were weak... but happy. 😁😁😁 — 9 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.3

Bottle no. 4260 (of 10300).

Italian wines generally take up a small space of my cellar but I really do enjoy them aged. This was no exemption.
Based on tonight's experience I have a few Travaglini's from the '80's that might see the corkscrew soon.
@Antonio Galloni - should I count you in next time you're in Napa? — 9 years ago

with Kurt-Inge

Patricio Junqueira

9.5

Prontissimo, taninos abrandados, aroma complexo, Bom corpo apesar da evolucao, belo Vinho, grata surpresa — 10 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

8.9

Bought these a few years ago based on a great trip to Sasa's Enoteca years ago. I had honestly forgotten all about them (how do you know when you have too much wine?). Showing excellent. — 11 years ago

Luiz Cola

Wine Editor Vinhos e Mais Vinhos Blog

9.5

Um dos melhores SB's do Chile — 14 years ago

LM Segal

9.7

Top 2-3 Napa Cabs I've ever had. Magical nose, cassis, cocoa, red flowers. Rich but nicely aged mid-palate, spreading into a wide swathe of candied red and black fruit, soft but powerful. Secondary stuff in spades. Then - an explosion at the back-end of cedary fruit and fig, tobacco, dark chocolate that lasted for >60 seconds. Just a monumental wine, sadly a solo.
This is note #500 for me, grateful to so many Delectable contributors who take the time to educate and expand my wine perspectives (or, in the case of @Bill Bender...other stuff, too!). Thanks to @Anthony Lombardi @Kimberly Anderson @Jörgen Lindström Carlvik @Jeff Savigny@Ron R@Shawn R @Richard Steinberg @Martin G Rivard (who is living the dream), @Greg Gregory among so many others, not to mention @Roman Sukley with magical reach to inaccessible, iconic SQNs (and the will to pop them) and frank open perspectives from legendary winemakers like @Mike Smith and @Cathy Corison, you all make this a neat community of which I try to be a small contributor.
Finally - a renewed plea to @Antonio Galloni to return "trending" to this community, as it was stolen by the bean counters! I'm no social media expert (I do have 2 teenagers!) but I'm pretty sure that "trending" speaks to the integrity and will to contribute of an entire community...take a look! — 9 years ago

with Melissa

Gustavo Martin

8.9

This Sameiras from DO Ribeiro is a powerful red blend from native grapes, lot of wet leaves, earthy notes, red confited fruits, no doubt a complex red, still needs aging... — 10 years ago

Roman Remeyev

9.0

Antonio Galloni have given 95pnts for 2006 vintage. Absolutely truthfully, frankly saying. Firstly, great price for so strong structure which helps to hold this wine up to 2025 or even longer. Secondly, nice refining features - rich texture, all over the nose hints of chocolate, tobacco and dried herbs, but this wine is too young to judge about it. The best way you can do is to put it in your cellar if you prefer not overfruity Cabernet in classical Old World style. — 12 years ago