A. Rafanelli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Coast

WOW! drinks like a well aged bordeaux, great legs, finish is long, worth the wait.

1997 vintage

Drinking splendidly. Blackberry/black currant, hint of cinnamon, dusty tannins and medium acidity.

2016 vintage

Notes of dark cherry, blackberry, and a touch of cedar and tobacco. I popped the cork and started drinking it kept on opening and getting better with air. My last bottle on the 2016 and now on to 2017

2016 vintage

Has years left. Balanced, good fruit with cherry aspects, moderate tannins

2016 vintage

drinking nicely, excellent fruit

2016 vintage

Superb. Amazing. 30 minute to an hour decant - served blind. Immediate guest responses were "incredible," "wow-what is this and where can I buy it," "wonderful."

2007 vintage

Lead pencil, veg, spice cedar combo and some dark plums on the nose. The taste had some plums and a bit of veg. The finish was okay but a bit short. Overall a great wine and my last of 2016 and now on to the 2017s.

2016 vintage

Holding up really well for 18 years - has time left, but I'm not sure it will improve. Well balanced now with cassis fruit, tannins, acid, Rafanelli charcoal. Slightly sweet, as Sonoma cabs can tend to be. Enjoyable.

2007 vintage

Drank on NYE. Nice example of tertiary development, with just a touch of prune on the finish. Drink now.

1997 vintage

As in the prior note- still drinking beautifully- and many years to go.

2016 vintage

If you haven’t had a well aged bottle of this producer, you owe to yourself to acquire a bottle or more. I had the 06 Sunday and it had much bigger tannins…it was still youthful…more so than this 08 tonight. Tonight this was leaner than the 06, but had beautiful fruits, nice evolution and violets for days. The nose & the palate blossomed with florals, ripe fruits & also had excellent acidity/finish. It was a nose that the group engaged …

2008 vintage

Simply stunning! Especially, for a Sonoma, not a Napa Cabernet. 😳 Follow up AB Cowgirl wine after the Saxum. If ever you thought a Sonoma Cabernet could not stand tall with a great Napa Cabernet, have a well aged good vintage of A. Raf.. 4 hour decant. Still medium plus, round, velvety tannins. Lush, rich, ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, ripe strawberries, hints of heavenly raspberries, plum, dark, rich forest floor w/ dry leaves, steeped fruit tea, mid/dark berry …

2007 vintage

Blackberry bramble, tobacco on nose with slight pryazine. Nicely structured with medium tannins, subtle fruit and acid. Medium -long finish is well-balanced.

2008 vintage

Holly's Birthday Dinner - an A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Omaha, NE) : Poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service; enjoyed over period that lasted a few hours. The 2008 pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with mostly fresh, tart, vibrant red fruits: red brambles, red currants and tart cherries with some pyrazines, tobacco, some cool herbs, dry …

2008 vintage

Decanted for 3 hours. NYE at our house. USDA Prime Bone-in Rib Roast (4 ribs) reverse seared ala J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Fabulous meal and excellent wine! This Rafanelli cab was my WOTN. There were other excellent wines on our table, but this one was my favorite. I liked the vibrant fruit, the long finish, the youthfulness that seemed to say, "Come on! Let's play!" This vintage still has plenty of years ahead of it, but it is drinking beautifully right …

2016 vintage

Consistent with previous note - and still getting better. Finish here is a mile long.

2016 vintage

Nice and smooth, good balance, tannins not too overpowering

2007 vintage

Mostake

2016 vintage

14.4% ABV Celebrating Cabernet Day w/ Rafanelli !!

2016 vintage

Nice balanced fruit and tannins. Mild for a cab.

2016 vintage

...and I'm sure will get even better. This right-out-of-bottle bouquet and taste were off the wall. This family has always produced great items--but this one has been their best, so far.

2016 vintage

deep color, rounds out after 1hr in decanter, ready

1997 vintage

14.4% ABV Black fruit, nice oak. Marvelous wine. Happy Cabernet Day!🍷

2016 vintage

Classic Sonoma. Giant fruit but stunning structure. Paired it with pork sliders. Gorgeous.

2016 vintage

Immediate iron and graphite on the nose. Richness is slightly disappointing on the palette as a medium bodied juice emerges. Still expressive with blackberry fruit then bell pepper, vanilla, and cocoa. This wine contains the goods to further improve with present acidity.

2016 vintage

Wintergreen, tar, black currant, green bell pepper are the foundation with ripe fruit and red licorice adding balance. Warm oak vanilla sweetens the finish. Very much alive and showing few mature notes.

2008 vintage

Touch light on fruit little green pepper, black cherry. Nice wine

2008 vintage

Opened a corked bottle of this a few months back, so I was a bit anxious here. Pleased to say this bottle was utterly gorgeous. One of the best cabs I’ve had in a while. Really in a nice spot. Deep and dark enveloping black fruits. Velvety mouth feel. Smooth tannins. The “green pepper” that I like so much is there too, but not overwhelming. Damn this was good!

2016 vintage

Bottle was quite badly corked...wet newspaper and all. Disappointing.

2016 vintage

Good nose, great wine. Black fruit and currant, with well balanced fruit and acid. The body is great but without the sharp acid bite that over processed wine have. It has mellowed quite nicely over time. I'd drink over the next few years

2007 vintage

Rich black currant, good acidity, nicely integrated oak. Has many years left.

2008 vintage

None Found

2016 vintage

deep ruby. On the nose medium plus aromas of blackberry, bramble, black cherries, green bell pepper, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, toast. On the palate the wine is dry with medium plus acidity, medium plus fine ripe tannins, velvety in texture, medium plus alcohol and a medium plus pleasing finish of baking spices and toast. On the palate the flavors are of medium plus intensity of blackberry, bramble, black cherries, green bell pepper, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, toast. This is another outstanding cab …

2016 vintage

Still excellent. Give it time to breathe.

2007 vintage

Very good. Concentrated fruit and flavors. Perhaps a bit rough on the finish but drank great with a ribeye steak. Can probably age a few more years. Drank virtually with Steve for his 58th birthday. (14.5% alc)

2008 vintage

Second Sunday Group: 2010 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (R&D's) : Courtesy of Doc & E. Bell pepper, cedar and black currant notes. Medium tannins. Currant, red plum and herb tones on the palate. Medium finish. Nice.

2003 vintage

Great Cabernet. Black cherry, black currant, perfectly oaked. Excellent.

2007 vintage

Dang that was good. Like real good. 375. One hour decanted. Started out thin, then the weight came. The nose was always there. So tell-tale A Raf. This is a really delicious Italian style Sonoma Cab

2016 vintage

Lots of sweet dark fruit, nice warm oaking, quite green (but pleasantly so), nicely spiced, excellent structure. This is made with some clearly gorgeous fruit. Somewhat tight now but opening up into something really lovely. Give it a few years. 14.4%, $72 at a local restaurant.

2016 vintage

“Let me tell you somethin’! Let me tell you...✋". Don’t drink these now. Seriously. Just don’t. Five years from now? That’s probably okay. But not now. Unless...unless you are willing to decant for an extended period of time or slow-ox for three days. Patience will be rewarded, however, if you allow time to do its work. Only then will you get the classic Rafanelli of red and dark fruits with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and baking spices; executed in a most …

2016 vintage

Another corked Rafanelli. Perhaps the third corked bottle in the last 6 opened. Wine was properly stored, so storage is not the source of the problem (actually, it is not the cause of corked wines). Bad corks. Sad.

2007 vintage

Drinking great now!

2008 vintage

Great, as always!

2008 vintage

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Day 1: very primary, fresh, vibrant fruit with some tobacco but super compact. Day 2: pleasant evolution with more of the story unfolding. Complexity with fresh raspberries, cassis, plums, and tobacco and wonderfully balanced. Loads of structure to go with. Finish is long and delicious. This bottle already exhibits a lot of sediment so expect more in the future. Best yet to come but it’s always fun to try them in their youth.

2016 vintage

Good CA Cabernet. Good tannin structure to keep it balance and a touch of oak, in a structure way not vanilla. Enjoyable lingering finish. Easily will last longer but I am not sure it will improve, but may get smoother if you enjoy that.

2007 vintage

Perfect condition... drinking beautifully. Decanted to filter, but needed no time to open up. Wonderful aroma, balanced and crisp fruit. Drank like a well-aged bordeaux. Had with friends, they really enjoyed as well. Still drinking great... no need to wait any longer on this one.

1997 vintage

Wow!

2008 vintage

Led off the tasting. My WOTN. Wonderfully elegant, still youthful. Has plenty of life left, and could get even better.

2008 vintage

Excellent ready

2007 vintage

Paperwork not handy. Bought a few bottles from the winery on release--probably nine years ago around 36/b. Decanted with normal sediment for its age. Dark purple color, lots of aroma of blackcurrant with subtle oak, very good mouthfeel with blackcurrant, lead pencil, some old leather; very good finish. Went fast in our group of five. A wine that rewards patience thusfar, though not likely to improve. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. My evaluation: I've stopped giving …

2007 vintage

Are you sure?

A. Rafanelli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Coast

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews