Wine Doctrine
Every tasting note

Reviews

1,936 notes

2007

Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

BIGTUNA and WINEPT have this wine pegged. A wine-by-the-glass at a bar that doesn't specialize in wine kind of wine. It is tolerable and will pass the time as you skulkingly peer across the room…

Reviewed 14 April 2018
2014

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

Previous notes from two months ago apply. I have to admit I'm really loving this wine right now. It's not as good as some of the SVDs, but dammit if I don't find this to be a really fine example of a…

Reviewed 14 April 2018
2015

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Cloudy's Vineyard

California · Napa Valley

Holy behemoth wine of the Seven Seas! A massive, massive wine at this stage, with a steroid-ridden attack of black raspberry and black cherry liqueur, red and black licorice, cassis, black currant,…

Reviewed 13 April 2018
2015

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Napa Valley · St. Helena

Coravin pour. Dark and powerful, with a grab-hold-of-ya, palate-gripping intensity that pumps waves of youthful dark fruit from its initial attack. Dark black raspberry, black cherry, blackberry,…

Reviewed 11 April 2018
2014

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Napa Valley · Rutherford

Same notes as over a week ago. Finished the bottle. An enjoyable wine from beginning to end. Ok to drink now, but I'll hold another 6-12 months to see what comes next. No decant needed as far as I'm…

Reviewed 9 April 2018
2012

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

California · Napa Valley

It has been a year-and-a-half since I last had this wine. A two hour+ decant did this well, as the initial PnP was a bit hot. Medium-to-full bodied, with beautifully energetic purple and dark red…

Reviewed 8 April 2018
2015

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley · Howell Mountain

Coravin pour, with initially linear, but beautifully pure black and purple core fruit flavors. Blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, black currant, pencil lead, and some subtle earth. A bit of…

Reviewed 7 April 2018
2015

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

Previous notes apply. I prefer the 2014 version of this wine at the moment. This vintage may eclipse the 2014 at some point, but I have my doubts. This 2015 displayed a linearity that I think will be…

Reviewed 7 April 2018
2015

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Napa Valley · Rutherford

Similar to my previous notes. As a PnP this was fairly tight and linear. Some air in the glass coaxed out its familiar flavor profile of red and black core fruit. Not as "spicy" as I remember from…

Reviewed 7 April 2018
2015

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Napa Valley · Oakville

Previous notes apply. This particular bottle was opened the day before, gassed, then reopened today. Showed much more potential to reach some elevated richness and concentration with exposure to air.…

Reviewed 7 April 2018
2013

Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Booth Bella Oaks

Napa Valley · Rutherford

Similar to my notes in February. Another Coravin pour. Allowed for 3 hours of air, which helped a smidge, but this wine still displayed as linear and somewhat flat. The fruit was muted and shut down.…

Reviewed 5 April 2018
2014

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

Finished the bottle. Two hour total decant. Previous notes apply. Compelling juice with real promise. Hold until 2020+

Reviewed 4 April 2018
2014

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

Another Coravin pour from the same bottle as last week. Previous notes apply, except that with some time to settle down (after shipping) and some air today, let's just say I'm not worried one bit…

Reviewed 2 April 2018
2015

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Napa Valley · St. Helena

Refer to previous notes for the initial Coravin pour on this wine. Today, I consumed the remainder of the bottle after essentially giving this wine a couple of days of slow O2. This go-around it was…

Reviewed 2 April 2018
2014

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Napa Valley · Rutherford

Previous notes apply. Coravin pour. I'm really loving this wine as I follow it through its evolution. Wonderful black and dark, dark purple core fruit, with black asphalt, tar, obsidian, black soil,…

Reviewed 31 March 2018
2014

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

California · Napa Valley

PnP. Displaying some older world characteristics, with red currant, cedar, and dust. Some purple plum, brick, and dried cranberry also emerged. Medium-bodied with a decent mid-palate, but still a bit…

Reviewed 30 March 2018
2015

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Napa Valley · St. Helena

Coravin pour. Initially, notes of black cherry, black and red currant, unripe plum, garrigue, and Christmas fruitcake dominated. The attack was youthfully linear, with the core fruit hitting the…

Reviewed 28 March 2018
2014

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kenefick Ranch

California · Napa Valley

I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. About 20-30 minutes of air yielded some really nice black and red core fruit flavors. Easy-going and approachable, this was one of the most stylistically…

Reviewed 28 March 2018
2013

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Napa Valley · Oakville

PnP with notes of black cherry, red and black currant, dried cranberry, black tea, incense, spice box, and cedar. A bit of heat rushed up initially, which took about 20 minutes to dissipate.

Reviewed 27 March 2018
2012

Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family Vineyard

California · Napa Valley

Previous notes apply. Black and dark red currant, black licorice, and cedar notes dominated this time around. Some asphalt and earthy minerality hit the back end as the core flavors tailed off. The…

Reviewed 22 March 2018
2014

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

California · Napa Valley

So...for the few of you actually taking notes on this wine, there are two obvious things I would advise not doing - that I of course was bamboozled into doing by a partner in wine crime (you know who…

Reviewed 21 March 2018