Reviews

Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon

Black cherry, eucalyptus, plum, and blackberry skin dominate the profile. There is decent tension, with a broad grip housing the flavor carriage wanting to bust out of the frame. The fruit power is…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Harbison Vineyard

A textural dream, with a smooth and enveloping mouthfeel that is Bevan at his best. The flavor profile is straightforward and fruity, with black and red cherry creme, black raspberry, and some spice.…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Heimark Vineyard

Another outstanding showing on this wine, with meaty black berry, dark earth, char, embers, unsmoked cigar, and spice captivating the palate immediately upon first sip. The attack is strong but…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Pouring a dark purple-black color, with a nose that instantly rockets up the nostrils with fresh wet muddled black cherries and wild blackberry aromas, the 2016 Vice Versa LPV lets you know way ahead…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Steltzner Vineyard

Powerfully sharp and angular on the first pop of the cork, the Steltzner doesn't take long before it is hale and hearty with unified black and red berry fruit, rock, black cherry skin, and black…

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

Dusty red berry, purple plum, currant, earth, and some embers. I much appreciated this wine more since my last having it back in January 2020. This bottle takes a short bit of time to open up, but…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Flawed. Wet cardboard and a moldy funk on the nose. Bitter and seedy on the palate. Not like any MACDONALD I've ever had. Clearly flawed and not even close to being representative of 100 point-type…

Promontory

Refined and acutely polished, the 2015 Promontory showed even better than when I had it back in April. Sophisticated red berry fruit and tobacco notes initially load the front end with classicism and…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Of the three 2015 Vice Versas consumed this night for the dinner portion of the event, the Crane was.wait for it. the most fruit-forward of the three. It starts out a little hollow and plummy, but…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Displaying an exceptionally young and tight demeanor, the 2015s in general seem to require even more time in bottle before coming to full fruition. Double-decanted for over 8 hours, the To Kalon BBS…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

I've played around with this wine here and there over the last few years and I am always a little circumspect about predicting how it is going to perform. LPV in general can shut down throughout…

Les Cousins Cabernet Sauvignon

A joint venture with the Bretons and Stephan Asseo of L'Aventure, the Les Cousins is a hybrid of Vice Versa's Napa juice and L'Aventure's holdings from the Willow Creek District in Paso Robles. 100%…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

This is just so intense and concentrated that one can't help but be utterly mesmerized by its commanding presence. Blackberries and scorched earth are spun together in a commercial-grade blender on…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Mysterons

As before when I gave this a try in April, the Mysterons is a punchy and fruity ride on a purple and red berry rollercoaster. Spice, bitter chocolate, and dust (Thorevilos/Ecotone tufa dust…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

The first time I sampled the 2019 Crane back in April, it was surprisingly shut down and playing coy. Well, it's done hiding in the corner and waiting to be asked to dance. This sample was exactly…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Initially, the 2019 To Kalon was a bit reserved (by Napa standards of course) and took a little bit of coaxing after the first pull of the cork. Double-decanted and given over four hours to find its…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This is round #2 with the 2019 LPV since my last sampling it back in April. Once again, it is unquestionably the star of the show. This is the best LPV Vice Versa has ever produced and is…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Three 2016 Myriads: GIII, Empyrean, Crane.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Empyrean Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Three 2016 Myriads: GIII, Empyrean, Crane.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Three 2016 Myriads: GIII, Empyrean, Crane.

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Another stellar performance from the 2018 MACDONALD. This is my second time sampling this vintage of what I believe to be an absolutely perfect wine. For me it's kinda simple: This is one of the best…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Black Magic

Black Magic and Pure Magic side by side.

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Reserve

12/2019 since my last bottle. This is performing like a champ, but it needs a decent amount of air to truly unlock the complexities it is otherwise coveting. In fact, I imagine this wine will be…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Actaeon Quixote Vineyard

It's been about 3.5 years since my last bottle of this. Well, when Pott strikes the perfect chord, he nails the notes right on cue without a doubt. This was a beautiful bottle of wine, needing just…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This took a while to get to where it needed to be, but once it found its sense of place, it fell into a wonderfully balanced expansion of flavor. Small Coravin pours over the course of a week barely…