Arrowood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley

I won't grade this one again since I just did one about 5 months ago but suffice to say, it's in the 93-94 ballpark over 2 hours of drinking. Kelly (who's a youngster, comparatively speaking) and normally a big Cali fruit 'ho like Carol, absolutely loved it and kept going back to it. She loved the aged red cherry fruit and caramel notes and the great nose notes to it. My last of the great '93.......I'm still laughing at the …

1993 vintage

From a perfect bottle, purchased on release. Cork only stained for the first few mm. This pours medium ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose takes some time to open up but shows a lovely and traditional aromatic profile of black currant, plum, peonies, cedar, a touch of grapefruit, vanilla, cloves, and faint eucalyptus. The palate enters on the deep and rich dark fruit with medium tannin and medium acid. The texture is quite silky and the structure …

1997 vintage

About 2 years since my last bottle and since this is now 32yo probably time for another note...... Decanted for air and sediment for 30 minutes then back into a clean bottle to take to Thanksgiving dinner with extended family, which is always the best! Enjoyed with Honey Baked ham and turkey and all the fixins'....beautifully integrated. Leather, black strap molasses/caramel, still decent dark red fruit and appropriate levels of acidity. In a good place and performing very well. Still …

1993 vintage

This was pretty good. Perhaps a touch too velvety and ripe on the palate, but there is a lot of interesting cured tobacco, ashy minerality, and smokiness to provide some complexity to the rich, dark fruit. Unapologetically a California Cab, but there is enough tautness in the structure and acidity of the wine to provide shape and form to the ripeness of the fruit.

1997 vintage

Double decanted, back into a clean bottle for tonight's event. A very thoughtful gift from DQ..... It's very nice dark red fruit but a bit thin in the mouth and one dimensional at this point in time. Still, it's not bricky and might have some significant time left.....thanks DQ! I did enjoy it more so than others at our event tonight.

1992 vintage

Consistent with others' notes. Dark ruby color and medium to heavy body. Fruits/primary tastes mostly gone, with secondary characteristics predominant and somewhat drying tannins. The middle is largely spent. Tasty for its age, but should have been opened 10 years ago. Not unpleasant but just ok. Drank half bottle slow ox over 2 hours.

2007 vintage

I agree with the last review so no reason to be repetitive. This wine is a testament to the craftsmanship of Arrowood. Still very pleasant fruit left in this wine and the acids and tannins are very muted at this point. Lots of tertiary undertones that you get to experience as the primary tastes rather than having to search for them in the finish. One word of warning. The cork on this bottle was nearly rotted through, only the top …

1993 vintage

Just a spectacular wine, aged cabernet exactly as it should be. A tiny bit of funk on opening but it blows off. Still surprisingly dark in color, plenty of fruit remaining, so smooth. Drinking beyond peak but plenty of time left that this will be good.

1997 vintage

Opened after we drank the 1997 way too quickly and this was just as good. Same score as last year (93) and amazes me every time that this is an entry level Sonoma cab that is still going strong 30 years later. Glad I am only halfway through the case. Dark color, plenty of fruit but also many tertiary notes. Nice balance and acid. If you like old style cali cab you will love this, if you only like fruit …

1992 vintage

Almost 6 months since the last one of these. My score is an average for the overall bottle given the stages it went through. Some bottle variation present with corks. I took no chances and used the Durand on this one to be safe, the other night. The cork was pristine upon inspection. Poured off a nice glass and put a Repour stopper on the bottle and then back into the cellar with it. Immediate nose of sweet cedar, mushrooms, …

1993 vintage

Leave it to Dick Arrowood

1997 vintage

Outstanding. Great fruit Great body. Hasn’t lost a thing. One of our best wines of the year!

2006 vintage

2nd bottle of this...pnp'd into a decanter to have with my Domino's meat lovers pizza getting ready for the Phillies eventual WS victory ........but alas, it's a rainout, tonight. Great from the pnp, this cork not spongy as the last one was, but rather dried out a tad and came out in 2 parts even with an ah-so. Moderate sediment on the bottle, nice dark garnet color still. So smooth right from the get go....settled in better after 1-2 hours …

1993 vintage

Acker Pre-Auction September 2022 (Redbury Lounge) : Good solid old Napa which avoided the too intense ‘97 style but which doesn’t seem to have the nuances that I always get more in other vintages and find more lacking in this one.

1997 vintage

Pnp, opened at the restaurant (with difficulty, a crumbly cork so glad I had my durand to give to our server!). These never fail to amaze me. Drinking so youthfully for its age and original price point. So much fruit and so balanced.

1992 vintage

These Arrowoods age so nicely and this one was no exception. Not as good as my last bottle but a bit more overpowering oak. But otherwise delightful, plenty of fruit. Still needs 30 min to burn of the aromas of dirt and transform into florals and fruity and sweet oak. Glad I have more although clearly there is bottke variation even in a case with the same provenance. My 1000th tasting note!!! If I had realized I would have tried …

1992 vintage

Cork was 'spongy' saturated about two-thirds of the way up. Removed with an ah-so, no problem. Great from the pnp, but improved nicely over the next hour or two then sat there for another 2 hours or so, before it was gone. A nice blend of red fruit, integrated tannins and acidity, drinking exceptionally well right now. All five BDX varietals included in this one. Caramel on the nose and palate, still a very nice spice/oak/cedar component, still somewhat garnet …

1993 vintage

After my corked ‘97 last night, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Pnp’d Bottle was in great condition, the wine dark in color. Immediately blew us away with an intense nose of florals, fruit and tobacco. Needed some time, maybe 30 min for the palate to open up and then it was wow. These wines were just built to age.

1992 vintage

Corked Wine seemed to be in excellent condition underneath. So sad.

1997 vintage

PnP (with half going into 375 ml for the following night.) Started out off-balanced and thought I'd waited too long. Not bad, but not what I'd expected. Did improve as the night went on, so had some hope. The following night, wow! Everything came together nicely, with red and black berries, dried tobacco, hints of mocha and sandalwood. Tannins were soft, finish was medium long and enjoyable.

2006 vintage

Purchased on release. It’s just uninteresting and not giving pleasure. Very disappointing.

1992 vintage

Got a glass here now and the nose is fragrant with dark fruit, flowery, and chocolate bar. The color is dark red and lacks sediment. The wine swirls around on the palate with a decent amount of fruit like black cherry, cassis, and good amount of chocolate. The finish get's lighter as the wine opens longer and there's a minimal amount of acid in the delicate, but short finish. All in all, it's not bad, and if you have a …

2009 vintage

Has now tipped over the edge. Still drinkable but past its best.

2007 vintage

Medium ruby with no sign of color degradation. Warm mint chocolate chip on the nose. Sumptuous chocolate-covered red berries dominate. Very soft tannins. Quite tasty.

1992 vintage

Meilleure que la dernière fois. J'ai bu un Caymus 40e anniversaire lendemain et l'Arrowood était nettement mieux.

2011 vintage

Encore très bien fait. Par contre, un peu plus épicé que les autres millésimes que j'ai déjà essayé. Faut absolument le laisser respirer 2 heures minimum pour laisser sortir le fruit rouge confit et le boisé. Peut se garder encore quelques années (3-5 ans).

2011 vintage

High fill into neck - perfect bottle. Pop and Pour, wait 15 mins. A little bricking but almost no sediment. Overripe but not jammy black cherry fruit, some blackberries and blueberries. Sweet vanilla Oak in background with a hint of sage. Velvety smooth. Great balance. Blown away by how good this bottle was. This bottle had 3+ more years of top quality drinking left in it.

1997 vintage

A sentimental bottle purchased on 1st trip to Sonoma back in the day! Opened on daughter's birthday after Sea Smoke and Caymus bottles. Started out a bit thin and tight but then blossomed after about an hour in the decanter. Got really nice with blue fruit, decent balance and some spice. Tried on day #2 and it fell apart overnight. Drink up if you have them

1997 vintage

At Owens with his famous pasta dish

2009 vintage

Decent blend of red & dark fruit, some pencil lead and mocha. Light tannins and nice length on the finish.

2006 vintage

Was not disappointed. After cellaring for five years, decanted 3L bottle at least an hour before party. Delicious. Would have been interested to taste if it was decanted for at least two or more hours.

2011 vintage

Le 2009 n'est certainement pas le plus grand millésime que j'ai dégusté pour l'Arrrowood, mais celui-ci est très respectable. Relativement en finesse pour un Cabernet-sauvignon américain. Prêt à boire sans plus attendre.

2009 vintage

Not nearly as rich and complex as '91 we recently had, but still a wonderful wine that put on a little weight after an hour or so. Black fruits, hints of cedar and eucalyptus, sweet Oak. Very smooth and very little sediment. This bottle would have been good for another 4+ years.

1992 vintage

Een jaar na mijn vorige tasting Note de laatste fles geopend uit mijn kelder. Oog: Helder, intens, kers tot granaat, kleine doorzichtigheid, gevulde meniscus, grote viscositeit, veel licht gekleurde tranen. (geen evolutie na het ouderen) Neus: Zuiver en intens aroma van zwart fruit, zwarte kers, Cassis, braambes, bosbes, pruimen, humus, chocolade, zachte kruidigheid, zoethout, vanille, zacht leder. Mond: molligheid, zuren en tannines mooi in balans (+1), afdronk van 5 - 6 sec., krachtig en rond met 14,5% alc. welke niet …

2009 vintage

Bought 6b from local Sam's Club for 20/b 20+ years ago. Decanted with normal sediment for its age. Muted color and nose initially, then rich dark purple, deep fragrance of mature redcurrant, plums, old oak; mouth-filling flavors of mature fruit, excellent mouthfeel. Outstanding! First bottle from this purchase in 10+ years. Served with succulent leg of lamb, creamy mushroom gravy, scalloped potatoes, curried lentils, and fresh broccoli--a very good match. Dinner host and fellow aficionado asked for us all to …

1993 vintage

Well played it down for 8 years but now I think it's on it's edge. Color still good. Nose is a little burnt embers. Tannis high. Dry finish with some friut that indistinguishable.

2007 vintage

Opened 1.5 hours before pouring. Outstanding. Smooth dark dark cherry color. Nose still had some fruit- not musty not smoky but full. Wonderful. Bottle gone. Served w filet and mushroom but still tasty even after food was gone

1992 vintage

Weekend in Minneapolis; 8/17/2018-8/18/2018 (Various Locations) : I'm generally a sucker for old Napa although not always the '97s. This one was totally fine. Good aged character. Lots of dried fruit and potpourri. It should have been a wine that I quite liked, but I felt like something was missing. Perhaps a bit more of a shift? It was fairly one dimensional which is odd for a wine with this much age. Decent though and given the string of corked …

1997 vintage

Oog: Helder, intens, kers tot granaat, kleine doorzichtigheid, gevulde meniscus, grote viscositeit, veel licht gekleurde tranen. Neus: Zuiver en intens aroma van zwart fruit, zwarte kers, Cassis, braambes, bosbes, pruimen, humus, chocolade, zachte kruidigheid, zoethout, vanile. Mond: molligheid en zuren mooi in balans (+1) en verweven tannines, afdronk van 5 - 6 sec, TOP WIJN! Gerecht: Rood vlees, lamsvlees, meditatiewijn

2009 vintage

While the fruit is very much subdued, it had mulchy earthiness that went very well with meat and grilled vegetables.

1992 vintage

Great bottle in the $30 range. Dark color, dark red and purple fruit profile. Good structure and well balanced. Drink now

2009 vintage

John Henry wedding

1992 vintage

Not good.

1992 vintage

OK Cab

2006 vintage

I'm probably going against the flow when it comes to this wine, but this cabernet, I believe, was the last produced by Dick Arrowood at his namesake winery in Sonoma. The wine was aerated and decanted for an hour plus. Color was deep dark purple, almost black. The nose offered aromas of pepper, blackberry, plum and floral notes. A full mouth feel with cherry, boysenberry, raspberry, earth, vanilla and graphite on the palate. All elements came together after 30 minutes …

2009 vintage

My wife drank this with friends. This was WOTN versus a 2013 Daou cabernet and 2012 Adelaida nonconformist.

2009 vintage

Very good. Mid-purple color with slow thin legs. Syrupy on the nose. Very Syrah-like in my opinion; not what I like in a cab. Even after decanting and drinking over three hours, it never seemed to turn the corner. Had previously had in a restaurant (not sure what year) and enjoyed much more.

2011 vintage

Pop and pour. It may have partly been that we tasted 8 chardonnays first, but this was absolutely gorgeous. Textbook old school napa cab. Leather, tobacco and cedar.

1997 vintage

Monthly Tasting Group: Worldwide Chardonnay with Blast of Chablis (Oceanaire, Mpls, MN) : Another one with a small pour, but I was quite happy to get to try it. Thanks Steve. And no Joe, you're right, this is delicious and in such a lovely old school way. Arrowood simply performs and these old bottles a always a treat. Very nice red fruits, dried berry, leather, earth and fine tannins. 92+pts.

1997 vintage

Decanted for two hours and it needed every bit of time to show up completely. Very fine nose, with dark fruits and at times, deep rose fragrances. Full mouth feel with some acidity, earthy, spicy and solid, but not overly long, finish. Tannins were evident but not overpowering. A real treat to enjoy at this stage in its' maturity.

2007 vintage

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Arrowood, Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley

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