Winery - Niebaum-Coppola
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Lavishly smoked oak, with its vanilla and aromatic wood-sap, just can’t quite overcome the fruit’s thinness. As soft and pretty as the texture and tannins are, the wine still leaves you wishing for more, especially at this price.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Quite richly textured, with a strong spice, pear, apricot and apple core. It's viscous, but carries good acidity for balance. An unusual wine that finishes long and fresh, yet has plenty of weight.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dramatic from the get-go, an amazing wine that oozes well-ripened black currant, cassis, mocha and oak aromas and flavors. Exuberantly, decadently rich, with a chocolate fudge sweetness, although it’s totally dry. The tannins are ripe, sweet, smooth and unctuous. Would score even higher were it not for a softness that could limit its ageworthiness.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon celebrates the old Inglenook Cask Cabs, but has to grapple with a thin vintage. It’s dry, but excessively soft and low on fruit. Tries to make up for a lack of stuffing with oaky sweetness, and has charm, but no depth.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Rhône white blend is very dry and bright in acids, with a racy mouthfeel that stimulates the palate. The flavors veer toward wildflowers, apricots, vanilla and oak, but they thin out and turn oaky and bitter.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tasting a bit raisiny from this warm, dry year, with gobs of sweet cherries and cocoa. Lush, rich, full, still fairly tannic at the age of 9-1/2 years, the wine should continue to develop for an additional five to ten years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Impressive for its sheer size, a dark, muscular wine jammed with juicy cherry and currant flavors. Drinks dry, with firm but sculpted tannins. It’s on the tough side. At its youthful best now with a juicy steak.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A new wine from Francis Coppola, named after his son Roman and made from Syrah grapes planted in 1996 on the estate. The high score reflects the amazing extract and beautiful integration of fruit with the tannins and oak. This is pure ambrosia. Clearly New World in origin with its ripeness and softness. Small amounts of Petit Verdot and Merlot round it out.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
It doesn’t say Syrah on the front label, but that’s what’s in the bottle, nicely concentrated and rich, layered with toasty, vanilla-scented oak and imbued with a creamy, supple texture and chewy finish. The flavors are an intricate blend of blueberry-blackberry and vanilla, which should develop more complexity with age.
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