Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Bosche, Napa Valley

Smooth and silky but with a bit of a bitter vegetal smell. Wasn’t terrible and I didn’t pick up green pepper notes but better vintages show their capability much better.

2011 vintage

Medium to full body. Palette has nice density of dark red and black fruit but is dominated by green pepper vegetal flavor, overwhelming it. At age 14, structure has mellowed and integrates nicely. Not a good vintage for Napa and This wine.

2011 vintage

didn't 't purchase

2011 vintage

Kerry brought to Llanos for Huskers game.

2019 vintage

Early dark fruit on the nose quickly gave was to strong herbacious notes. Very pleasant but not much time left for this vintage.

2011 vintage

A wine for a second ( and third+) sip, a bit introvert. Seems young. Needed lots of air to unfold, better after 2 hours, fabulous on day 2. Deep color, elegant and complex nose. Dark fruit, delicate notes of cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, vanilla. Round and well balanced, not too big. Harmonious long finish with some silky tannins. Bordeaux-ish. Will hold for many more years.

2004 vintage

Nice aged cab and starting to get tired for my taste

2004 vintage

Quite good at age 19. Prune fruit, a little oak, iron notes. Lacked purity seemed a little muddled.

2004 vintage

Napa 2023: the quieter version; 2/6/2023-2/11/2023 (Napa/Sonoma California) : Interesting to try on the heels of the Sycamore. This was showing its age a lot more. Bit of oxidation going on, more dried fruits, more secondary. Drinking alright. Very reminiscent of a good aged Bordeaux (2nd or 3rd growth where the fruit is more muted). Leather and cigar box style.

1993 vintage

Corked

2004 vintage

Structurally this was good. Smooth silky tannins, full bodied with a medium finish. Unfortunately, the green pepper and herbal notes overwhelmed the blackberry, blueberry, cassis and mint.

2011 vintage

Full bodied with blackberry, cassis, cocoa and saddle leather. Smooth and balanced with nicely integrated tannins. Some earthy notes on the finish. A classic, well aged Cabernet.

2008 vintage

Drank this following a comparative tasting at Freemark Abbey in St. Helena. This was still dark and inky in color. Nice balance between dark fruit, plum, a hint of mint and sublime tannins. Still drinking well but beginning to morph into "older wine" status.

2008 vintage

What a surprise. Solid aged California Cab. Lovely nose, earthy … wasn’t expecting this!

1993 vintage

Tasted over 2 hrs -med ruddy dark red no clearing -earthy soft cassis jam -med acidity, med/med+ weight earthy cassis jam, med tannins and very good length -definitely in a mellowed stage though not much for overt mature elements, still going strong

2001 vintage

Ample fruit including dark cherry and raspberry on the palate. Also found a hint of creosote and green pepper. Fully integrated tannins and a medium finish. In my view, this bottle is a bit past prime. I found a bit of caramelization on the back palate although there is no hint of age in the color of the wine. Think I’ll finish up my last bottle soon. 3/29/2021 On the second day, what I perceived as caramelization was no longer …

2011 vintage

Tannins resolved, still a nice acidic backbone, has plenty of life left.

2001 vintage

Delicious

2004 vintage

Medium ruby in color. Explodes upon opening with aromas of berry and floral notes that fill the room. Surprisingly For a 14 year old this took over 90 minutes to open. When it did open, It revealed dark cherry, black raspberry, green olive, white pepper and forest floor. Medium to full bodied. Well integrated tannins, suggesting this is unlikely to improve but drinking nicely right now.

2006 vintage

Wonderful. Decanted for 6 hrs before drinking. Still had amble Tanins. Tart cherry. Dark fruit. Very well integrated. Light perizines, but the green is there. Not the best vintage like 1994 and 95 but this wine is fantastic. Buy and drink. Good for another 5 to 10 years!

1993 vintage

Opened on Sunday and thought we missed out on full bounty of a vineyard we have come to adore. Decanted and left open for another attempt at Monday. Took notice that it was starting to showcase what the Bosche vineyard has always offered / power and structure that makes Silver Oak look like a second cousin. On Tuesday, the reward was even greater. Sophistication, elegance and beauty. Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard is one of the best there is when it …

2001 vintage

At Acacia House with Randy and Alice. Brief notes: Great cassis nose, smooth in the mouth, plums, balanced oak, and well matured, long finish. Drinking well now - could last a couple more years, but one for the short(ish) term.

2008 vintage

Awesome wine. Really opened up. Needs a bit of time to decant to regain full flavor.

2004 vintage

Deep indigo in color. Layers of dark, black and blue fruit on the front palate followed elegant layers of licorice, smoky oak, and Rutherford dust. Drank side by side with a Freemark Sycamore from the same vintage. The Sycamore seemed almost harsh by comparison. I admit to being Bosche’ biased but this was spectacular. Full bodied, medium finish with a hint of sweetness on the finish.

2004 vintage

Plenty of fruit up front. Lots of raspberry, blackberry, dark cherry and plum. However tannins seem a bit diminished and the wine was a touch astringent. A little oaky on the finish. 2008 was a lesser vintage but expected a little more from this. Was a bit one dimensional. Maybe a faded bottle.

2008 vintage

Velvety with a long finish

2006 vintage

At Jeanty with Randy and Peter. Drinking well now, plenty of structure, classy - restrained and not jammy.

2006 vintage

Still shows gobs of black & red fruit. Tannins seem integrated. Very good in general.

2008 vintage

The vintage really got the better of this wine. Green bell pepper & olive all over the palate. Medium bodied with firm tannin structure. Drink this now. Can't see any real improvement on the horizon. Finish is a bit better.

2011 vintage

dark raisiny fruits, gentle minerality held in balance with firm (but not overpowering) structure, adequate acidity. Best 2-4 hours after opening, rounded out the tannins to an exquisite composition.

2008 vintage

Cork in pristine condition. Tasted immediately upon opening. Dark fruit, caramel and savory notes on the nose. Mouth filling red and black fruit on the palate. Balanced acidity with some smooth tannins. Amazingly fresh for its age.

2001 vintage

This wine just keeps getting better and better. First tried it at the Abbey in January 2016 and was surprised at its youthfulness. It is a beautiful rich silky purple color in the glass with a strong crescendo as it sits of increasing vanilla and dates. Tremendously unique and a perfect example of how a wine can truly evolve and mature into greatness. I love this wine.

2004 vintage

Very smooth, definitely a mature cab, really enjoyable, not big fruit, long finish, wouldn't age much longer

2006 vintage

Nice wine right away and gets better.

2004 vintage

Decanted; moderate sediment. Beautiful red-orange dark brick with orange rim. Lovely aged floral leather cigar box peat nose. Not perfectly integrated (acidity thin through the light body to the present tannin) but still very nice. 90 if rating.

2002 vintage

Last bottle. Gave it a good decanting and let it hang around for a leisurely drink. It was very nice; old but very nice. I recommend enjoying this vintage soon.

2001 vintage

Dark garnet color. Lots of cedar, tobacco box and some eucalyptus on the nose. Open opening with a very brief decant, this was a bit musty with caramel and herbal notes on the palate. With several hours of air, the Bosche' began to reveal some dark fruit, clove and a hint of vanilla. This is starting to show its age a bit. Real enjoyment requires experience with and an appreciation of aged wines.

2001 vintage

I noticed a spike of acidity through the tasting, every sip. Good oaky black fruits core, medium finish. I would have been better with a good greasy steak than by itself.

2004 vintage

Amazing. Velvety. Wanted to bathe in it. We had this at dinner (Ox) with Bryce and Alison.

2004 vintage

Shared by a friend. Really like this. Standard well aged Cali cab which has great fruit characteristics but is well balanced with more of a leather and earthy set of flavors. It was a good evening sipping wine pre-food with cheese.

2004 vintage

Fantastic bottle of aged Cabernet. Drinking very nicely now and should last for several more years

2006 vintage

Really good

2004 vintage

Still complex and delicious. This wine has held up quite well! Glad I have 1 more!

2001 vintage

The Judgement of Paris (67 Pall Mall) : Rich deep and mature with a lovely mouthfeel.

2001 vintage

Bricco's 10 year Anniversay Dinner (Bricco) : Very classy wine. Velvet wine with red fruit and the Rutherford dust. Long finish that leaves you very satisfied.

2006 vintage

See prior comments

2004 vintage

Dark color, nose of black fruits, plums, cedar, coffee. Well integrated and very tasty. Medium to long finish.

2004 vintage

Beautiful wine, the cork did crumble a bit. Decanted for 2 hours. Past it's prime, but still delicious.

1993 vintage

Fantastic Cab. Very tasty and smooth. Everyone loved it at the party.

2006 vintage

I used the corvain on this bottle for almost 2 years. I firsted opened this bottle on 8/25/13 and finished it off tonight. One glass at a time. It is going south a little but has held up. It has a old world on the noise.

2001 vintage

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Freemark Abbey, Cabernet Bosche, Napa Valley

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