Reviews

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

This is really compelling for a modern styled Napa Cab. An exquisite balance of extract and concentration with flavor and plain 'ol yum factor. Just when you think it'll be too sweet, too rich, or…

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Blackberry, blueberry, earth, river rock, and pulverized granite. This started off as many 2014s do with a giving amount of fruit and flavor on the front end. Finished plump and ripe (but balanced on…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Much less of the rocket propulsion drive when compared to last year. Instead, this LPV impresses for its chewy black core and namesake minerality that make for a go-go gothic profile that can't help…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Eeeeeeesh... What happened to my precious prefect Scarlett?!?!?!

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

Red and black raspberry, vanilla, red currant, and hints of scorched earth and espresso powder. A floral note briefly appears but then quickly dissipates. Smooth and fairly balanced on entry, but…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Gorgeous depth of flavor, with succulent dark berry fruit coating the palate as it drops into a deep mid-glide and opens up even further and more opulent on the finish. Maintains focus throughout,…

Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon

Not yum.

Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon

Hilariously horrible. Served alongside a string of discount domestic wines that all should've been put in front of a firing squad as soon as they were born.

Wente Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Nth Degree

Similar to my experience two years ago. Plum, currant, and some cedar. More of a flat delivery here, with a fruity core that struggles to expand or provide any layering. There's some plushness here,…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

This wine continues to own the dance floor with its dark fruit core and striking black mineral elements that offer so much endurance throughout consumption. For me, this is how a 2013 Napa Cabernet…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

From .375ml. This took some time to get out of its gobs-o-fruit lush and fruity mode. It has shed a bit of its trampy overt liqueur side (which is a good thing), but it stayed in black cherry and…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Pretty notable performance considering it was out of a plastic cup right before the 2020 countdown. :)

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Black cherry, purple plum, and black raspberry are flanked by asphalt and spice notes, creating a mouthwatering delivery that both exhibits drive and exquisite balance from front to back. Neeeds air,…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Black cherry, blackberry, black rock, deep/dark cassis, and some bitter dark chocolate present a POW-erful unloading on the palate. Back in June when I last sampled this beast, it was behaving more…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Morlet Estate

Red-fruit driven, with red cherry, spice, and earth skipping across the palate in a primary and somewhat washed-over delivery. Some heavy cassis notes (which I'm finding have really been a hallmark…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

Fuller and richer than the Mon Chevalier and Passionnment, this suave debutante impresses for its plush black cherry liqueur core that gratifies the palate from stem to stern. Notably balanced with…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnément

The spice trade is alive and well in the 2012 Passionnement, with all sorts of Indian spices and black pepper swarming around the black raspberry and black cherry core. Finishes dry (not as dry as…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier

A Bordeaux lookalike from Knights Valley that offers up some old school flavors of red and black currant, black and red cherry, tobacco, underbrush, and some leather. Finishes with an herbaceous…

12c Cabernet Sauvignon G3 Reserve Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Red fruit driven with deeply pitched red raspberry and cassis notes. Finishes sweet and savory, with red currant and cedar flavors adding nuance. 91-92 points.

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Not completely unlike the 2018 in that it showed some nice black mineral elements to counterbalance the fruit core, but it certainly is a bit of a tricky comparison when having the vintages…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Massive chocolatey and meaty fruit on the attack, with sweet gobs of black and red raspberry, cassis, licorice, and charcuterie on the front end. Quite the bitter bite on the tail at the moment.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

So.Much.Cassis.. and black cherry liqueur on the front of this wine right now. This sample was all about the frontal push of heavy gobs of cherry, cherry, cherry. It's like a bulldog with its…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family

As chewy and fruit-driven as the 2018 Myriad Crane, the Peterson rides a little higher than the Crane in terms of overall depth, but notably fills the palate with a gorgeous saturation of sweet…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Showing even more ripeness than when I last sampled it in August, the 2018 GIII shows the familiar ripeness of the Myriad GIII fruit vintage after vintage; round, ready, and fairly sweet. An…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Gobs of ripe fruit, sweet cassis, and red/purple licorice. A dark stallion kind of wine at its core, but encompassed by the typical Mike Smith-meets-Crane rounded ripeness and succulence. Beautifully…