There are a few reviews of this wine posted on this site but this wine, or at least this bottle, seemed much tighter than prior bottles. It was spectacular but tight with no decant. It was opened while visiting friends in Napa, so it could be that due to the bottle having flown 2,500 miles earlier in the day. Travel shock with wines is controversial but I know I was tired, so why wouldn't the wine? After all, it is a living breathing thing too. Anyway, this bottle was opened as we were visiting the property the following day, and it gave a nice reference point to one of the great wines of Napa. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice and kept opening all night with cassis, slight hay, slight tobacco and with air, more cigar box than tobacco. On the palate, there are layers but tight. They sat in the glass without really unwinding. That made it very concentrated. Lovely cassis fruit. an amazing texture. Long finish. This wine was amazing but I bet if it had been decanted for six hours, it would have gotten another perfect score. Perhaps, if the bottle had not been opened six hours after getting off the plane. So, it "only" gets a 98. An amazing wine.
