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Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family)

11 notes Sort by: Vintage - Name - Rating

2013
85
Light, sharp. bright, acidic yellow, citrus fruit oriented wine with a strong grapefruit character. This is one of those, best on a hot summers day wine.

Light, sharp. bright, acidic yellow, citrus fruit oriented wine with a strong grapefruit character. This is one of those, best on a hot summers day wine.

2,517 Views   Tasted
2012
91
With loads of sweet, chocolate covered cherries, plush, soft textures and a sweet, fruity finish, this Bordeaux variety blend is ready to go. For a Napa Valley wine of this quality, it's also fairly priced.

With loads of sweet, chocolate covered cherries, plush, soft textures and a sweet, fruity finish, this Bordeaux variety blend is ready to go. For a Napa Valley wine of this quality, it's also fairly priced.

4,449 Views   Tasted
1966
87
Light, yet rather charming in a simple, fresh, red cherry, earth and tobacco infused, medium bodied style. Drink up as it's not going to get better. Still, it's quite a treat to drink bottles of 50 year California Cabernet Sauvignon that are hanging in there.

Light, yet rather charming in a simple, fresh, red cherry, earth and tobacco infused, medium bodied style. Drink up as it's not going to get better. Still, it's quite a treat to drink bottles of 50 year California Cabernet Sauvignon that are hanging in there.

3,906 Views   Tasted
Wet earth, truffle, stone, cassis, plum, smoke and cigar box aromas reminded me of an old Pauillac. The chewy wine offered a mouthful of red fruits with some tart characteristics. It's always a treat to taste these old California Cabernets, even when they have already started to get tired and drop their fruit.

Wet earth, truffle, stone, cassis, plum, smoke and cigar box aromas reminded me of an old Pauillac. The chewy wine offered a mouthful of red fruits with some tart characteristics. It's always a treat to taste these old California Cabernets, even when they have already started to get tired and drop their fruit.

5,154 Views   Tasted
1965
88
Fading, but still offering plenty of old-school Napa charm. Medium-bodied, with much more of a tertiary character than fruit, with all of its cedar, tobacco, earth, spice, and bright red currant nose and palate, the finish is a bit light, but there is still a modicum of sweet cherries in the finish. Drink up.

Fading, but still offering plenty of old-school Napa charm. Medium-bodied, with much more of a tertiary character than fruit, with all of its cedar, tobacco, earth, spice, and bright red currant nose and palate, the finish is a bit light, but there is still a modicum of sweet cherries in the finish. Drink up.

2,756 Views   Tasted
This is the first red wine from 1965 I've tasted. Served blind, I thought it was a 60's era Bordeaux wine from the Medoc. Tobacco, smoke, mushroom, earth and forest floor scents, a mouthful of chewy cabernet and a cassis filled finish are the hallmarks of this shockingly good wine. If the finish had been longer, the wine would have earned a higher score. This bottle was opened by the original purchaser.

This is the first red wine from 1965 I've tasted. Served blind, I thought it was a 60's era Bordeaux wine from the Medoc. Tobacco, smoke, mushroom, earth and forest floor scents, a mouthful of chewy cabernet and a cassis filled finish are the hallmarks of this shockingly good wine. If the finish had been longer, the wine would have earned a higher score. This bottle was opened by the original purchaser.

3,164 Views   Tasted
1965
89
Still delivering pleasure at close to 50 years of age! Tobacco, earth, forest floor, cherry, olive, herb and cassis scents can be found with some effort. Solid in texture, with a masculine leaning, this almost ancient, (By today's standards) California Cabernet was a lot of fun to taste. The wine ended with a smoky, cassis finish. This is worth seeking out as a an example of what the previous generation of vintners in California were producing.

Still delivering pleasure at close to 50 years of age! Tobacco, earth, forest floor, cherry, olive, herb and cassis scents can be found with some effort. Solid in texture, with a masculine leaning, this almost ancient, (By today's standards) California Cabernet was a lot of fun to taste. The wine ended with a smoky, cassis finish. This is worth seeking out as a an example of what the previous generation of vintners in California were producing.

7,876 Views   Tasted
1964
86
With a strong lean to the green, leafy, tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar and herbal side, there was still a nice hit of spicy, peppery, bright red fruit on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, with a strong leafy finish, considering the vintage and its advanced age, it was quite fun to drink.

With a strong lean to the green, leafy, tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar and herbal side, there was still a nice hit of spicy, peppery, bright red fruit on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, with a strong leafy finish, considering the vintage and its advanced age, it was quite fun to drink.

1,393 Views   Tasted
1961
92
My first tasting of any older California Cabernet Sauvignon from 1961 proved worth the wait. Medium-bodied, earthy, leafy, cigar and bright red fruit notes on the nose and soft-textured palate. Fully mature, this was a treat.

My first tasting of any older California Cabernet Sauvignon from 1961 proved worth the wait. Medium-bodied, earthy, leafy, cigar and bright red fruit notes on the nose and soft-textured palate. Fully mature, this was a treat.

2,506 Views   Tasted
1959
93
On the lighter side, with some rusticity to the tannins that did not stop me from digging all the cassis, bright red cherries, leaf, herbs and tobacco. Blind, this reminded me of a mature Classified Pauillac.

On the lighter side, with some rusticity to the tannins that did not stop me from digging all the cassis, bright red cherries, leaf, herbs and tobacco. Blind, this reminded me of a mature Classified Pauillac.

1,753 Views   Tasted
1958
91
So, this is what 50 California Cabernet tastes like! Smoky, cassis, earth, mushroom, tobacco, and blackberry tea aromatics introduced the wine to your senses. Full bodied with cassis and a hint of bitter cherry flavors made up the finish. This outstanding wine was a treat to taste and share with friends.

So, this is what 50 California Cabernet tastes like! Smoky, cassis, earth, mushroom, tobacco, and blackberry tea aromatics introduced the wine to your senses. Full bodied with cassis and a hint of bitter cherry flavors made up the finish. This outstanding wine was a treat to taste and share with friends.

3,163 Views   Tasted
1956
88
It's a treat to be able to open wines with close to 60 years of bottle age. Especially when those wines are from California, as I seldom see wines from the golden state with that much age. Charles Krug Claret is a blend of Bordeaux varietals. Light in color, almost tea like in hue, tobacco, earth, stone, jammy, dark cherry liqueur and whisky aromas greet your nose. With the soft, syrupy, patina of age in texture and the earthy, spicy, cassis filled finish, this could have passed for an old, Left Bank Bordeaux wine in a blind tasting. After 20 minutes, the wine began to lose focus and take on maderized characteristics. Still, for those first 20 minutes, it was great to be able to taste history with friends.

It's a treat to be able to open wines with close to 60 years of bottle age. Especially when those wines are from California, as I seldom see wines from the golden state with that much age. Charles Krug Claret is a blend of Bordeaux varietals. Light in color, almost tea like in hue, tobacco, earth, stone, jammy, dark cherry liqueur and whisky aromas greet your nose. With the soft, syrupy, patina of age in texture and the earthy, spicy, cassis filled finish, this could have passed for an old, Left Bank Bordeaux wine in a blind tasting. After 20 minutes, the wine began to lose focus and take on maderized characteristics. Still, for those first 20 minutes, it was great to be able to taste history with friends.

1,789 Views   Tasted
1947
97
Brickish in tint, with a strawberry, cherry, herbish nose was further complicated with a bit of VA. Silky palate entry with kirsch accents accompanied by the special texture that only truly aged wines offer. What a beautiful wine and special treat. This was the finest older bottle of California wine I have ever tasted. Bravo!

Brickish in tint, with a strawberry, cherry, herbish nose was further complicated with a bit of VA. Silky palate entry with kirsch accents accompanied by the special texture that only truly aged wines offer. What a beautiful wine and special treat. This was the finest older bottle of California wine I have ever tasted. Bravo!

2,035 Views   Tasted