Reviews

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Black cherry liqueur, initially tasting a bit like the Elysian, but with a little more swanky red cherry tones. Round and somewhat boozy; the most plush of the lineup. Finished a little chewy…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Barrel sample. Chocolate, rich black soil, black licorice, bitter Baker's chocolate, and a fat, healthy dollop of bad-assness. I LOVE the earthy qualities of this wine, which really make to elevate…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Black cherry and red cherry cassis; not as dark or as concentrated as the Memento Mori served directly beside it. Rode higher in its tonal expressions, with some booze and glycol on the back end. A…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

Barrel sample. Electric purple fruit, blackberry, black cherry, black licorice, garrigue/underbrush, and some earthy stems. The Vine Hill is a much more expressive and zippy sample when compared to…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Keenly focused and pure blackberry, black cherry, black river rock, and bitter dark chocolate notes fired-off in deliberate succession on the front end of the attack. A more serious wine when…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. The first sip of this barrel sample immediately commands respect and careful attention. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, char, and faint violets. A very refined and focused Crane in its…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Compelling aromatics of dark muddled fruit and a slight floral whiff. On the palate, beautifully rich blackberry and chocolate on the front end. Cassis, black cherry, blueberry skin, clove, and a…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD

Black cherry and black and red currant encircled by a subtle zing of strawberry give way to a medium-bodied attack that offers supple delivery of flavor. Draws thinner as it approaches the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

This was the richest and most concentrated of the wines sampled, with chocolate, huge blackberry and ripe black cherry, floral, and black wet soil. Like the Realm, the texture on this wine was…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Similar to how it behaved in barrel, the Weitz is sporting a super fruity profile of uber-ripe cherry syrup, cassis, char, and candied raspberry. Unresolved in its delivery and seemingly searching…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Exquisitely balanced with richness akin to the Memento Mori, with just a little less of the bitter dark chocolate notes coming out (which I was surprised about when I later learned this was the Realm…

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

Composed and alluringly poised when mirrored to its 2017 counterparts, the GTO lets you know it is showing up to the ball with a touch of class. Less concentrated and intense than the OG, but…

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

On first sip, this OG was a sweeter and riper version of the barrel sample I had before. Rich black cherry starts off the race on the front end, pulsating out additional flavors of cassis, fresh…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Almost identical in profile to the Three Kings, but with more plush and somewhat rotund ripe fruit, the Grand Daddy was the most unresolved of the To Kalon offerings. True to its usual form, the…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Black cherry liqueur and licorice rule the roost here, with a kirshwasser note that ramped it up to a higher register profile, especially on the finish. The delivery was party-ready, but certainly…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Black cherry, saccharine, bitter chocolate, fresh red and black licorice, and black rock steamroll onto the palate and deliver whopping gobs of fruit on the frontloaded attack. A bit overwhelming,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Much like the Fortuna, but indeed richer and more intense mid-palate, the Bam karate kicks out a "Kiai!" ("Hi-yah" for the uninitiated) of red and black cherry fruit that thrusts across the palate…

Buoncristiani Cabernet Sauvignon The Core

Ripe blackberry preserves, with some dark soil and chocolate picking up the rear of the delivery and saving it from becoming an absolute, singular implosion of ripe black fruit. Much more rich and…

Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Wonderful black currant and crunchy blackberry notes, with a bit of a hardened minerality streak that kept the delivery fairly linear and somewhat primary. There is definitely sophistication and…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Steltzner Vineyard

Still as awesome as last year. Perhaps, dare I say, gaining some refinement since my last sample in the Fall. The latter half of my previous notes apply (a la the John Stamos reference), with the…

Greer Cabernet Sauvignon Greer Vineyard

This rendition of Greer carries the signature Pott black cherry compote and pummeled ripe strawberry core, with some nice dust and cassis notes to balance it all out. More focused and framed-out than…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

It's been over a year since I last sampled this vintage of Teucer. As expected, this has progressed nicely, with unctuous but not overbearing flavors of dark berry fruit, dark chocolate, and black…

Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark and fairly rich. Chewy and a little bubblegumy in terms of mouthfeel. A nice full texture, but kind of a dumb delivery in that it lacks complex and expansive layering of flavors. Blackberry,…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Almost a year since I've had this. Followed over three days. I've posted way too much in this wine as it is, but it's worth saying that there is stuffing to last a number of years. Notable focus…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

A surprising come-around with this wine since I last had it. Much more balanced and seamless this time, and not too Syrah-gamey or Cornas-esque (as MH can sometimes come off to me).