Reviews

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Colesworthy Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Better than the 2014 Schrader LPV, but in no way a top performer among the other LPVs served throughout the evening. It was good. It was fine. It was maybe even better than fine. But considering the…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

The best showing of this wine ever. Totally compelling; totally enthralling. A complete package of class and pleasure. All previous notes apply, except that this just shot to the moon in every…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Vastly less concentrated than the 2012 Schrader LPV I've had previously, and a shadow of a wine when compared to the 2014 Colesworthy served beside it. On top of it all, this was also side-by-side…

Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

It's been over a year since I last had this wine. Notes of blackberry, black currant, mocha, cedar, black pebbles, fresh vanilla bean, and allspice. A really nice depth of flavor; The attack was full…

Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Booth Bella Oaks

Finished the bottle from multiple Coravin pours over the course of three months. The best showing of this wine, especially when given a couple of hours to air-out in the glass. A darker profile than…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Day 2: Some remaining wine from yesterday (about 1/4 of a .750 bottle) was poured into a small bottle, filled to the top, capped, and stored at 54 degrees for 24 hours.

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to my notes on 9/9/2017. Beautifully pure and sexy black core fruit. Scorched earth, fresh vanilla bean, fresh asphalt, incense, clove, black tar heroin (kinda like an adult tootsie roll…

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon

Finished a bottle that was the victim of a few previous Coravin taps over the past month or so. This was the best showing out of this bottle yet. Allowed some time in the glass to really get some…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Le Nouveau Western Star Vineyard

PnP, tasted, and then decanted for about an hour at 54 degrees; small pours from the decanter, which remained in the wine fridge throughout consumption. This seemed to be the most appropriate service…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

All previous notes apply. A little more muted than the last bottle. Grossly improper stemware is likely to blame for that. Drinking fine now otherwise.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Hey man...all I can say is that I'm a fan. PnP is right now, ready to go. A few minutes of alcohol on the initial pull, but otherwise its delivery was fun, filling, vivacious, and concentrated. It's…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Pretty prune-ridden and over-ripe. I'm guessing a Coravin malfunction from last week? Bummer. Note to self: Just PnP in about 1.5 years and not bother with trusting "technology" to screw up an…

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard

Another Coravin pour. Seems to have moved along to a riper stage with some air. I had a Coravin issue with a Quivet LPV at the same time last week when I hit this bottle too; so, maybe there was some…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Everyone loves Ms. Scarlett. This intense femme fatale delivers with wonderfully sassy concentration and sex appeal. PnP with around 15 minutes in the glass brought about her buxom flair and…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

All previous notes apply. Smooth and accessible on PnP. Served next to a '14 Scarlett, which had a little more concentration and intensity. Drink the Myriad now or hold with confidence for a couple…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

These adorable little .375s make it too easy to grab-and-go with one when you're headed to a restaurant and want a crazy ace up your sleeve during dinner. This wine is bringing all sorts of fun with…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

All previous notes apply. A truly awesome expression of Stags Leap, seamlessly gushing with dark, black berry core fruit; dark chocolate, asphalt, black/blue river rock, scorched earth, and clove…

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard

Coravin pour. As others have noted, this needs 2-3 more years to get its full act together. Enticing notes of black core fruit, black licorice, black mulch, asphalt, and some river rock.

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Coravin pour. Black core fruit, with charcoal, burnt embers, obsidian, black asphalt, scorched earth, and some clove. A little alcohol on the back end nudged its way in. Overall weight was…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Cloudy's Vineyard

Bottle finished. Previous notes apply. Nearly four hours of decanted air at 54 degrees made for a more seamless display of flavors. This still needs a couple of years to chill out. Plan on 2020.

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon

Another Coravin pour. Same notes as before. Started to show more layers and depth over an hour of consumption. Needs time, but definite promise in a couple of years.

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Cloudy's Vineyard

Previous note applies. Another Coravin pour. Pretty wild and crazy. It couldn't fully shed itself of a confection/saccharine vanilla aftertaste. Air helped some, but not enough. Fruit seems pure, but…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Finished the bottle. Definitely in need of time in the bottle to develop a better sense of seamlessness. Swirling with ripe, chocolatey, oak-influenced flavors, this is akin to…

Celani Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Ardore

Thick, dark, chewy, and rich. This wine epitomizes hedonism in Napa Cabernet. Previous notes apply, as the Ardore maintained its seriously intense flavor profile throughout a few hours of…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Vineyard

Flawed indeed... Cedar, alcohol, black currant. The best part was the Twilight Zone experience that I had just after I took a sip (and a whiff) of this "wine"... As soon as I ended up taking my first…