2003 Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Slightly chocolaty with a hint of dusty plum and juicy blackberries, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille is still oaky with hints of dark cherry skin aromas. The wine is full-bodied on the palate, with notions of leather and graphite and a ripe frame, followed by hints of turned earth, soft tertiary notions and a balanced structure. The wine leaves me wanting more complexity and layers, and I fear it is on its last leg. Drink up!
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(includes 13% merlot, 8% malbec and 3% petit verdot; largely from Red Mountain fruit) Bright ruby-red. Classy cabernet aromas of cassis, blueberry, iodine, minerals, tar, tobacco leaf, mocha and sexy oak spices. Sweet, lush and thick; conveys a high-pH feel without coming across as heavy. The chewy, layered currant and spice flavors are perked up by a captivating minerality. Finishes with firm, broad tannins, palate-saturating fruit and terrific length. This wine was quite approachable when I sampled it but may well close down in the bottle. (I retasted the 2002 Pere de Famille next to the 2003. The earlier vintage showed superb grip and minerality, still needs five or six years of cellaring, and should be long-lived, while the 2003 came across as much more forward.)