Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Fifteen-Forty

Neal Family Vineyards

Other · Cabernet Sauvignon
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Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
91 /100
Reviews
24
professional

Vintages

1
2002 Other 91/100
Cabernet Sauvignon
NV

Community Reviews

25
25
Reviews
91.5
Avg Score
93
Highest
Taster #9122 · Nov 26, 2019
90/100
This was the top wine in the "Drink Now" list so I opened it when I got home after a wine dinner. While it didn't taste young, it was not over the top. A mature cab with an excellent taste! At the end of a good life, and it would have been better 5 years ago, it was still very good.
2002 vintage
Taster #0935 · Apr 24, 2015
91/100
Opened by TLV who shared a glass with our table. Deep color with aromas of black fruit and plum with a dominant mint/eucalyptus overtone. Tannins are fine and have softened nicely. Flavors of plum, black currants and eucalyptus. Finishes nicely. 91-92 pts.
2002 vintage
Taster #5081 · Apr 24, 2015
92/100
Opened at Anvil with Jeff and Kay. Still very dark with no visible signs of age. Black fruits on the nose and palate. Balance is nice with integrated tannins.
2002 vintage
Taster #6322 · Apr 6, 2014
92/100
Drinking great now.
2002 vintage
Taster #2952 · Dec 26, 2013
91/100
This 11 year old cab was a great accompaniment to slow roasted prime rib on Xmas day. Other than a bit of tannic bite the wine was drinking well.
2002 vintage
Taster #0935 · Apr 20, 2012
92/100
No formal notes. Decanted for about half an hour & rebottled. Consumed after dinner about four hours later. Dark fruit and florals dominate the bouquet. Palate features dark fruit and balanced, somewhat sweet tannins. Nice finish. 92-93 pts.
2002 vintage
Taster #4278 · Mar 30, 2012
92/100
Black cherry and chocolate with earth notes. Still a bit tannic but getting better.
2002 vintage
Taster #7128 · Nov 25, 2011
91/100
cherry, smokey, big powerful
2002 vintage
Taster #7325 · Sep 16, 2011
93/100
I was really impressed by this wine tonight, Ive had quite a few 01/02 Neals and I think this has been the best to date. Not really showing any hint of age, just a very nice integration of parts coming together. Still very fresh dark fruit, yet there is no sense of oak or over doneness in this wine. The mid palate seems to have fleshed out, which was my complaint from a couple of years ago upon tasting. Still …
2002 vintage
Taster #6724 · Jun 9, 2011
92/100
Still loads of structure and in no danger of decline. Red fruit and a touch of tobacco/herb. No noticeable oak. A bit tight and this may do better with even more time.
2002 vintage
Taster #1571 · May 28, 2011
92/100
From 750ml bottle. Not tasted blind. Mark Neal's cabs are never too extreme nor showy. More traditionally restrained, but still offering fully ripe fruit, high density and tell-tale mountain Cabernet character. At 9 years of age, this wine has lost all of the oak influence, and is entering a beautiful mature stage, with sufficient tannin and body to stand up to the greasy Cowboy ribeye steak I had with it. excellent wine. De botella de 750ml. No porbado a ciegas. …
2002 vintage
Taster #4278 · Dec 27, 2010
91/100
Muted fruit with chocolate notes. Needs time to sit.
2002 vintage
Taster #7734 · Apr 11, 2010
91/100
Deep, dark, brooding jammy fruit (plum, blueberry, and spice) with well-structured tannins. Oak is very nicely integrated. This should cellar well for another 3-5yr.
2002 vintage
Taster #3346 · Apr 4, 2010
Third and last of the Neal Family Cabs with Easter lunch/dinner. My personal favorite among the three wines. The most primal, structured, brooding, muscled wine of the trio. Dark fruit and smoke. Beefy flavors and bramble. A wine that can be aged for many years without going into decline, IMO. Also had a touch of tobacco and earth. One of my favorite "young" CA Cabs in a long time.
2002 vintage
Taster #4866 · May 25, 2009
89/100
from magnum...pretty tight and tannic even after 3 hours of decanting...I reserve full judgment but seems simple compared to the Howell Mtn Estate we had a few weeks ago
2002 vintage
Taster #0167 · Mar 13, 2009
93/100
Great stuff. Even better on the 2nd night
2002 vintage
Taster #5445 · Sep 23, 2008
91/100
Neal Tasting (Scott) : Red berry fruit on the nose. Tastes of raspberries, blueberry, bramble and violet. Good balance. Well integrated oak. The oak treatment is unlike any of the other Neal's tasted tonight. Sweet tannins. Nice elegant finish. 14.6% alcohol.
2002 vintage
Taster #7262 · Sep 23, 2008
92/100
Neal Family SVD (My House) : Day 1 - Decanted for 4 hrs. Served with buffalo meatloaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and organic green beans. Well balanced & one of my favorites of the tasting. Medium to full bodied with exotic spice and notes of plum and cocoa. This was the last bottle in the tasting and it definately stood out. Very different profile. Kevin mentioned possibly different oak treatment? Day 2 - same, what little was left..... 50+5+14+16+7=92+
2002 vintage
Taster #3046 · Sep 23, 2008
90/100
decanted. i wrote "pleasant", and by that, given the neal MO of the night, i meant that the tannins weren't out of control.
2002 vintage
Taster #5558 · Sep 23, 2008
92/100
Best nose and wine of the night..... cherry, blueberry, vanilla, well balance between acidity/tannins and 14.6% alcohol. Revisited a few hours latter, nice wine.
2002 vintage
Taster #8307 · Sep 5, 2008
90/100
decanted for about 20 minutes and consumed over 90 minutes. red cherries and a little red dusty character and very light touches of dried herb. not so far as a rutherford dust type taste, but more so than i have had in a long time. much lighter than i expected, no deep brooding Neal trademark. the cherries notes lingered through a medium finish.
2002 vintage
Taster #7280 · Mar 20, 2008
93/100
Inky dark, predominant aromas of black olives. This wine is still really tight and needs a bunch of time. On day two, the dark fruits started to reveal themselves in a brooding wine with wood smoke layer and lovely chocolate layers. Hold this one for 2-3 more years.
2002 vintage
Taster #7325 · Sep 21, 2007
89/100
I was a little let down by this wine right now. This bottle seemed to be a little leaner than the regular bottling. Tons of spicy mint on the first palate hit, but the fruit just didnt carry through for me to the finish. Still pretty tannic. Less oak here than in Napa bottling I think as it was not noticable to me. In retrospect it may be better than Im giving it credit for, its just different than I …
2002 vintage
Taster #1571 · Sep 21, 2007
93/100
Wine dinner TNs: 1999 Mumm DVX Santana, 2005 Beringer Sbragia Chardonnay, 2001 Pride Vintner's Select Merlot, 2002 Neal 1540 Vineyard Cab, 2002 Pride Cab & 2001 Delesvaux SGN (San Marcos, Texas) : Had at Chuck's house in San Marcos. This wine showed very well. This has more finesse than the regular Neal Cab, although it remains securely in the brutish side of the cab spectum. Black color, austere aromas of back fruits. The palate impression this wine leaves is serious, …
2002 vintage
Taster #0935 · Sep 15, 2007
93/100
Another of Zepplan's bottles, which he had decanted. Served alongside the '91 Kathryn Kennedy and '98 David Arthur. This is a big wine, even with the decanting. Deeply colored, with notes of fresh mint leaves, cassis, blackberry, wood and spice. Firm tannins eventually give way to cassis, blackberry and dark fruit flavors. Oak and vanilla tones join the fruit on the finish. A bit young for my taste at this stage, I'll let mine rest for a while yet. 92-94 …
2002 vintage