Reviews

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

...Killed the remainder of the bottle. About an hour+ of air prior to consumption served it well, balancing out the flavors nicely and enabling it to find a steadier glide across the palate (less of…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

Last week's note on this wine was a Coravin pour. This evening was a PnP from the remainder of the bottle. With some additional air, this wine really hit a stride that speaks to certain promise if…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

2013 Tusk vs. 2015 Vice Versa Magnificant 7.

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

2015 VV M7 vs. 2013 Tusk.

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

Open for business right on PnP. Drink now and over the next few years. Not a long terms ager by any means, but enjoyable for what it is. Good flavor (really nice dark black and blue fruit). Good…

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Notes of black core fruit, earth, fresh black soil, chocolate, and dark spice. Medium-bodied and readily accessible, this exhibits a somewhat standard appellation profile in terms of complexity and…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP was an initial palate pimp-slap of black cherry liqueur, electric purple plum, strong spice, and a decent amount of rocket fuel. Not to worry though...not my first rodeo with this bucking bronco.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Update from my previous note on 3/4/18 on a Coravin pour of this wine. The remainder of this bottle was consumed as a PnP, and without the 2015 Verdad alongside it. As a stand-alone, this 2014 really…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

A month ago I gave this a shot via Coravin and found it to be overly restrained, especially after some open air in the glass. I was (and am still to this day) not exactly sure of the root cause of…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Coravin pour; this was smooth and singing with just a few minutes of swirling in the glass. Black asphalt and gravel led the attack, with astoundingly pure black, purple, and…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

100 points. Why?! Because it's friggin' awesome, that's why!

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series

Boozy and sweet, with a ripe, cloying plum note overpowering most of the other flavors trying to come through. Some black cherry, currant, and cedar notes eventually emerged, but the attack of the…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

Interestingly enough, this experience with this wine was strikingly similar to the one I had with it nearly two years ago. Previous note from 2016 still applies. Alcohol, cedar, and a off-sweet plum…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Much improved since I last had this wine 6 months ago. More captivating in both the flavor and complexity department, with dark black and blue core fruit, plum, black raspberry, black currant, black…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

A beautifully concentrated Cabernet, with a core that exhibited both rich and vivacious flavors of black and dark red fruit. Hauntingly dark blackberry and black raspberry, dark chocolate, mocha,…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

Previous notes apply. A fairly hedonistic experience this time around, with sweet blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, red raspberry, spice, mulch, and some blue/black rock. Rich, dense, and a…

Realm Cellars Farella Vineyard

Disappointingly mulchy and cedar-driven, with black currant, forest floor, tobacco, wood-paneling, and a bitter leather note on the back end. This felt like something more from the mid-90's than a…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Social Currency

Available only in Magnum, the Social Currency is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A complete standout compared to the TEN and Napa Valley offerings served alongside it, this wine exhibited more complete and…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon

Black and purple core fruit. Dark plum, black currant, black cherry, earth, black rock, and cedar. A little more of a display of darker bass tones on the mid-palate when compared to the TEN, with a…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Ten

Purple and red berry core fruit. The 13% Cab Franc provided a nice lift to the otherwise basic delivery of flavors. Some black and red currant, red licorice, allspice, and subtle minerality rounded…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon

Previous notes apply, but I have to say this was a pretty impressive showing considering it is the NV version. Blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, dark cassis, espresso, clove,…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Beautiful and giving flavors of dark black cherry, black and dark red currant, dark spice (clove, anise), earth, wet black pavement, and wet cedar. Even more resolved and…

Clark-Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon Eternity

Even more confusing than the standard Estate Cabernet, this Eternity ping-ponged from muddled and grapey, to bitter and astringent (especially on the back end). Some red and black currant, alcohol,…

Clark-Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown

Black cherry, plum, red and black currant, alcohol, and cedar. Basic and somewhat muddled. Best forgotten.

Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon HL Reserve

I'm not entirely sure why you would make a Reserve version of this wine in 2014, but ok. An ever-so-slight improvement from the original version in terms of depth, but otherwise this is the same wine…