Started Pungoing this last week, and decided to pull the cork tonight.
During the first day and second day of Pungo it was very tight but still showed nicely. Never got much off the nose but showed lots of red fruit. the tannins are very soft drying and mineral notes show.
After pulling the cork Sitting in the glass for about a hour while I helped the wife with the apple pie that we are having for desert :>) it is showing a lovely smooth richness and the red fruit is really showing now also the nose also seems to have a hint of cinnamon. Might have to find a few more of these if I can get a nice price also would be nice to find in magnum format, though I rarely buy them.
I should add that I pulled the pungo off the bottle four days ago and replaced it with the pungo plug. I think that might have helped it open up from then to now.
Carlos,
We just had one of these in January. Double-decanted at 6:00am and had with dinner at 7:00. It was fabulous. Really a remarkable wine. So good I bought another 3 pack. I do think this wine is really tightly wound and needs a good bit of air to open up at this stage. Makes sense that a pungo sample would seem austere or tight.
For those wanting a elegant and structured Napa cab, this fits the bill. It has become one of my favorites but I have realized I only like the vintages with Denis Malbec as the winemaker (2010-2014). The previous winemakers (Martha McClellan, and Helen Turley) made wines that I just never seem to like, regardless of producer. Really excited to see what Graeme MacDonald can do with this site as their new winemaker.
If you give these wines a lot of air they open into really special wines. Also, if you are a big fan of the fruit forward, super sexy, velvety, new wave cult cab (Schrader, Bevan, Realm, Myriad), these may not fit your style.