Reviews

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar flavor profile to my notes on this wine back in April. Really rich, dark/black core fruit (a very dark side of To Kalon-esque ripeness), black licorice, dark loam, and some faint grey…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard

Unfortunately this had some VA funk and wet earth notes that made their way in front of the core fruit flavors almost immediately. With more air, the damp mulch and mushroom notes became more…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

This poor little guy kicked out some cedar and funk on the initial attack which jumbled the flavor profile. The seemingly beautiful fruit was dark and deep, but the frame was lost and the back end…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

PnP with red and purple berry notes. A black cherry liqueur flavor was prominent, surrounded by river rock and alcohol on the back end. Concentration and depth were notable, as was the sweet tannic…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Last minute pull. Still needs some time in my opinion. Similar to my previous notes, but a little more rambunctious than I remember. Kicking out a lot of black cherry liqueur, red and black licorice,…

Argot Cabernet Sauvignon Borrowed Jewels, Sugarloaf Vineyard

Gobs of blackberry pie and ripe plum notes. Just bottled last week, so it's going to need another year or two to really settle into itself. Lots of acid and some bitterness on the back end, but the…

Argot Cabernet Sauvignon StarStruck

Just bottled; a little difficult to totally assess at this juncture, with some strong acid pushing out in front of the overtly primary fruit. Some herbal notes on the back end that helped to frame…

Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

This poor little guy couldn't come close to hanging with the other big boys served alongside it. Some dark currant and cedar notes, but pretty thin mid-palate. Unfortunately forgettable. 88-90 points…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my previous notes. Especially notable mid-palate this time around. Softer and rounder on the finish, but then the tannins crept up nicely and framed out the fruit. Hold until 2018+ at least.

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

Similar to previous notes. This came off as a little clunky and funky this time around. It was a PnP and in need of more air to clear out some of the dark mulch funk. Otherwise, this was chalk full…

The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Similar to all of my previous notes on this wine. The only issue this go-around is that the Debate fell behind the competition when served alongside a whole host of Russell Bevan top flight 2015s…

Addax Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

A very deep and extracted Cabernet. Dark black fruit, with some earth and subtle spice notes. Indeed captivating and extraordinarily crafted with quality in mind.

PerUs Wine Co. Armaan

Insane concentration and intensity. Grabs ahold of you and doesn't let go. Blackberry, forest floor, black currant, tobacco, cacao, tar. A seemingly endless kick of dark, rich black fruit flavors.

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Calixtro Tench Vineyard

A very intriguing wine. Displayed classical red and black currant, cedar, and fruitcake notes, but also enveloped the palate with a rush of dark purple and black core fruit, cloves, and asphalt. The…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Actaeon Quixote Vineyard

Same as my notes from 12/13/2016. Developed a really nice dusty, sedimentary rock tinge on the back end after about 3 hours of air. Stags Leap represented very well with this wine. A very "complete"…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

PnP with initially tart red and purple berry notes and alcohol on the back end. An hour in the decanter yielded ripe and fruity core flavors with plum, red and black licorice, and some vanilla. There…

Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari

Dark black fruit, oak char, wood, mulch, and some stone. An earthy, brooding rendition, with the forest floor and wood notes really dominating over the fruit after some air. Seemed as though it was…

Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Medium bodied and fairly thin mid-palate. Tasted somewhat cheap for a Howell Mointain Reserve Cabernet. Performed at around the $30 level. Some decent dark fruit flavors, but not much complexity and…

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon

From Magnum. Shockingly intense and powerful for a 2002. Really nice concentration. A little rough around the edges, with a gritty, cedar-laced finish. However, the core purple and black fruit, black…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD

Same notes as last month. Seems to be falling fairly rapidly. Some odd sweetness on the back end. Flat finish (but not as flat as a Rivers Marie Cabernet served alongside it). This was the less…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

Same notes as last week. My girl liked it more than I did; I found this go-around to be a bit plumy and flat.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Sophisticated and absurdly silky; a creamy texture that sneaks up on you before the fruit even has a chance to tell you how beautiful it is. This is a texture-first type of wine. A velvety frame…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Solid core fruit (I LOVE Crane fruit) housed in a perfectly balanced frame of darker spice and some vanilla bean-laced wood. Red and purple berry and currant fruit (a little blacker possibly than the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Empyrean Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Unbelievable showing for such a young wine. The first sip forces you to stop what you're doing, take a breath, sit back in your chair, and smile (at least that's what I did). It commands your…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes from two weeks ago. A lot of power here. This bottle was slightly more subdued than the bottle I tried on 6/17/2017 (In fact, Mike Smith mentioned it might have even been…