Ackerman Family, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville

Good but not great for the price.

2005 vintage

Tonight we discovered a buried treasure. I had no idea 2005 Napa had produced such a jewel. An uncommonly elegant elegant nose followed by pure power on the palate. Ruby red in glass - no sign of any age. Nose of blackberry, black currant, black cherry and violets. A whiff of capsicum with only the faintest hint of barnyard. Palate dry, high acidity, high alcohol (but from label, not from taste - would never have guessed), med+ integrated tannins, full …

2005 vintage

I was blown away with this wine. It followed a 2011 Silver Oak Napa and made the Silver Oak seem harsh by comparison. I was concerned when the cork broke even though I was careful. I eventually had to push the cork in and decant quickly. I have learned from past experience that when I have an old great wine that gives me trouble that I don't aerate much. I immediately put it in a small decanter and corked the …

2005 vintage

Decanted for 2.5 hours and then poured back into the bottle, it was brought to the restaurant. It was rich, flavorful, and went perfectly with our steaks. I can't imagine it will get any better than this.

2005 vintage

Fantastic. Needs more time to reveal tertiary notes.

2005 vintage

Simply magnificent.

2005 vintage

Decanted for an hour or so. 95 for finesse and quality, though been wanting more fruit as we drank for over 2 hours with various foods from prawns to pork, duck, beef and lamb pasta. Nowhere near the 2004 mouth coating glycerin, fruit, acid and tannins, but as silky and smooth.

2005 vintage

Drinking beautifully. May improve further but no regrets opening it.

2005 vintage

Cork crumbled worse than anything I’ve ever seen. Fortunately the wine was in great shape. Red currant, tobacco, leather…. More Bordeaux than Napa. Probably close to peaking now. It lost some freshness getting a little too thick after 4-5 hours decanting. I would likely only give it about an hour open.

2005 vintage

PNP the first night - was big, velvety and a bit tightly wound. Night 2 the wine came alive - flavors sprang from the glass and melded together in a gorgeous dance across the palate. p.s. thanksgiving leftovers

2005 vintage

Clear winner in a vertical tasting with 06 and 07 vintages

2005 vintage

Peak drinking for this great cab. Full of flavor, stewed red fruit, moderate tannins, and a long, smooth finish.

2005 vintage

Garnet, mostly opaque, just a hint of brown at the edge. Pronounced but very elegant and complex aromas of cassis, raspberries and blueberries. Soft, round, but still full-bodied red and black fruit flavors, fully mature, no significant tannin, nice acid balance. Very long aftertaste. A perfect and perfectly mature, great California cabernet. Ric

2005 vintage

Drinking really well. Smooth and balanced with unique character. Should continue to age well for a long time.

2005 vintage

From the moment the the corkscrew begin to pull out, the cork disintegrated onto the counter. I was hoping, amongst hope, that the bottom of the cork would be solid and moist. It was. After a decant, which proved to show there was little, if any, sediment at all, I poured a small amount into my glass. Next came the moment of truth. The aroma was pure, clean sea air with lovely fresh pipe tobacco and other forest scents. On …

2005 vintage

Blackberry, cassis and pencil lead on the nose. Fruit acid and tannin in complete balance on the palate. A pleasure to drink.

2005 vintage

Blackberries, leather and spice on the nose. Big body, tannins are nicely integrated, good acidity. Very tasty with my rib eye

2005 vintage

Fully mature California Cab. Color dark garnet, minimal bricking, no decanting needed. Nose of blackberry, currants, blueberry, smoke, leather, cedar, allspice, anise vanilla and chocolate. Palate is full to medium body, mouthcoating, balanced, ample acidity, with well integrated tannins which are smooth. Palate of cherry, cedar, earthy flavors, spices with some pepper. Finish is medium to long. Drink now, doubt will improve but will keep for few more years. Good QPR for this quality of wine at $70 per bottle

2005 vintage

This wine is 14 years old and definitely on the down slide but I’ll let it decant for a few more hours before I draw a conclusion. Tannins are all mellowed out but still has a blackberry fruit flavor but not as intense as it probably was a few years ago.

2005 vintage

A dark cab with notes of balsamic, grilled meats, black currant, black cherry and cedar. Integrated medium-full acid/tannins. Drinking quite well now, no rush but not sure it will improve.

2005 vintage

Deep purple color, nose with hints of cocoa, cedar and light smoke. Finish was decent - about 30 seconds. Surprised by 13 year old wine that has aged nicely

2005 vintage

From a magnum purchased at auction in 2015. Nose of lovely, rich, black berry, boysenberry, cassis, black currants, and saddle leather, lovely nose from the first pour, more of the same on the palate, big body, mouth filling fruit, very rich fruit, nearly elegant, very tasty, really showing well all three nights, started to fade a little on night three, suggest you drink up if you own 750ml bottles, but will easily last another 5 years, a trifle short on …

2005 vintage

Love the wine. Enjoyed it with Jeannette and Beau and aaron.

2005 vintage

Decanted for 1.5 hours. Beautiful bottle drinking well now.

2005 vintage

Dark purple, dark berries, subtle tannins. Very smooth. Would drink sooner rather than later.

2005 vintage

Excellent

2005 vintage

Open & decanted for 40 minutes. paired with a grilled filet. Nice dark purple and this bottle did not show any bricking or color changes around the edges. Warm and solid nose of black fruits and berries, oak spices, leather and mineral whiffs. Amazing on the palate.... The tannins and acids are well balanced, the dark fruits are still front and center with allspice, leather, vanilla and that mineral finish. This has come together quite nicely... on to the 2006 …

2005 vintage

Tasty but a bit simple, this wine shows ripe red-to-purple fruit with a slightly raisiny quality and noticeable alcohol. I wished for more complexity but the wine was saved by a nice purity of fruit and a smooth, not overly dense texture. Grateful to try this (shared from a neighboring table at Morrell) but this does not live up to its price tag or the level of many of its cult cab competitors, including a '10 Colgin poured a short …

2005 vintage

D20; G15; 4.5+8.5+4.9+8.9+9+4.9+4.9=95+; clean, bright, medium purple; aroma really opens as the wine sits in the glass - blackberry, cassis, cedar, nutmeg; silky smooth mouthfeel - seductive; delicious dark fruit palate that adds some cherry vanilla and oak to the list of aromas; super long and palate saturating finish that stays silky all the way through - can a cab be 'elegant?'; bit on the high alcohol side (15.7%) but the heat is moderated and the overall balance is really …

2005 vintage

Had this wine at Araxi in Whistler. Beautiful wine as expected from Bryant. Showed a little more age than expected but still a treat to drink!

2005 vintage

Definitely time to drink. This is just past its drinking window in my opinion. Decanted for 1 hour and it opened up nicely. Smooth and clean with medium+ body. Fully resolved tannin. Black and red current, a touch of oak and tobacco, with a little earthiness. It's a solid wine. Had with Beef Wellington which worked really well!

2005 vintage

Excellent , soft and elegant. Changed over 2 hour period. I still have a 2004 that looking forward to.

2005 vintage

Very Bordeaux-like wine, which is a negative for me. Not old and bricking but you can definitely tell it is an aged wine. Nor does it necessarily have fresh flavors. Cassis, black fruit flavors, fine integrated tannins, good mouth feel. Despite all of that, I wasn't a big fan, but I can see how others might be.

2005 vintage

337 cab. Bloody and mature with some concentration.

2005 vintage

Annual gathering with Chicago winos in Chicago - Burgs, SQNs and Cult cabs (David Burke's Primehouse) : It is very similar to the 07 but even more ripe and more heat so it is a bit disjointed. Extremely ripe black fruits, blackberry liqueur but no fresh fruit, cinnamon coming from alcohol, baking spices and lead pencil. Excellent concentration, really muddy overripe black fruit driven palate impression and the heat clips the finish. This wine reminds me quilceda creek a bit. …

2005 vintage

Wine Dinner Extravaganza (David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago IL) : Not for me. Ultra extraction gives this an off-center balance. I would have believed if you told me this was 20% alcohol. Even tonight's fruit whores didn't love this wine.

2005 vintage

At the risk of offending some of its competitors, on whose allocation lists I reside, ( and whose wines I like or I would have dropped off) Bryant might be tops. Of course I've yet to try any of my Screaming wines, but from the rest, I find the purity and complexity of Bryant, the length, the integration, the feel on the palate to be marvelous. This is a wine I would bring to Bordeaux to show off what Napa …

2005 vintage

Served with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day dinner. This 10 year old Napa Cabernet is still fruit forward. Typical Bryant - lovely tannins, soft on the approach with a long finish.

2005 vintage

Slightly opaque mid-dark red/purple with some browning around the edges showing signs of age; Nose is big intensity, all spice, vanilla, blueberry aromas, big smoky/peaty forest floor coming through; on the palate the wine is fading into secondary flavors, cedar, forest floor, and oak are evident; Big round tannins, mid-sweet/acid making it a more graceful restrained cab. Complexity goes on and on, with a big finish.

2005 vintage

Unabashedly Cali cab, remarkably well structured and focused, still on the first half of its time, I think. The purity of the fruit here thrills every time I open Bryant. Very lucky to have this.

2005 vintage

Always a pleasure to drink Bryant Family. The 2005 is very good and very typical of BF. It is not a stellar wine like the 1997.

2005 vintage

During PNV week at the Coombsville tasting. First experience with this wine, surprised to the upside. Drank along side the 09 and 12 (current release) Dark red, vibrant color. Great nose of rich dark and blue fruits. Palate was black cherry, blueberry, plums, spices, anise, toasted oak. Medium body, elegant. Right in its zone now... If their skill with 05 is an indication, the 12 should be terrific. Will look to buy some of this, ready now and should hold …

2005 vintage

Good bottle, but a little high on the price point for the value.

2005 vintage

Delicious after 4 hr decant, in a very nice place

2005 vintage

Very enjoyable. Typical black cherry overall but with a bit of smoke. We'll balanced. 2014 seems to be a perfect time to drink this.

2005 vintage

Decant this for 90 minutes, and it becomes silky smooth. Lots of red berry and a bit of smoke. Delicious.

2005 vintage

This was recommended to us by the vineyard owner and we enjoyed it at John Bentley's in Menlo Park. It was the only Cab on the list with any sort of age on it. Quite enjoyable, and a steal at the tariff ($50)!

2005 vintage

Nice balance - smooth but firm. Not overpowering fruit, more Bordeaux in style.

2005 vintage

2013 Passport Tasting. Nose of lovely, rich, dark fruit with hints of chalk and cassis, more of the same on the palate, lovely tasting fruit, medium/big body, medium/long finish. At its peak, easy and elegant to drink, will hold easily for ten years.

2005 vintage

Needs time...

2005 vintage

Are you sure?

Ackerman Family, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews