Reviews

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Depth and concentration were most notable here. Not surprisingly, this was my favorite of the Quivet lineup and my favorite LPV that I've had from Quivet. It is certainly a fledgling, but it still…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

I completely loved this wine. Black cherry liqueur (but not too alcohol laced at all), plum, cacao, cassis, and some gray stone notes that really moved this into the next level. This wine will need a…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Pellet Vineyard

My favorite Quivet Pellet to date (Yes, I'm saying a lot of these wines are my favorite to date.2015 is really delivering some amazing versions of Mike Smith's wines). This was similar to the…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kenefick Ranch

My favorite Quivet Kenefick to date; grabs ahold of you and gets your attention. It's not a slap in the face, but a nice forward delivery of layered flavors. It was similar to the Myriad NV, but even…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

As expected, this is a masterfully crafted version of the NV. A lot of Kenefick fruit apparently went into this wine, and it shows with its youthfully fleshy, fruit-forward attack. A quick hit of…

Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon

A very nice bottle of wine. Pretty much what one would expect from this producer. Deep, rich, and full of black fruit, dark chocolate, and quality wood. Some alcohol on the finish that never fully…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP was an attack of extra ripe plum and super sweet vanilla bean. The blueberry and blackberry smoothie notes were a bit too extracted and cloying initially.

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

Previous notes apply from last year. It was very smooth and inviting; it was significantly better than a 2013 Rivers Marie Cabernet we had alongside it. This Wildfoote had some nice licorice, anise,…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon

I suppose I am admittedly less stoked on this wine than my other CT compadres. I got plum. I got some black cherry. If I tried hard enough I got a little earth. But at the end of it all, I got just…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

It's been over a year since I last had this wine. Specific previous descriptors apply. In fact, last year I wrote, "full spectrum of purple, blue, black, and red berry fruit notes, blueberry and…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Project Winfield Vineyard

A beautifully concentrated and opulent wine. Just a hair more intense and powerful than the standard 2014 Grade Cabernet. Dark blue and black fruit, deeply pitched, and a hint of sweetness on the…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

This was the most accessible and giving of the standard Grade Cabernets. It displayed that signature kiss of sweet blue and black fruit that I consider a hallmark of the 2014 vintage. Glycerin and…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Project Winfield Vineyard

As with the standard 2013 Grade Cabernet, the Kingly was also pretty wound tight. Coiled up and ready to pop, but not yet; not for another two years I would estimate.

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

As others have mentioned, this wine still needs some time. It came off a bit linear and tight; higher toned red fruit when compared to the 2012 or 2014 versions. This was the least accessible when…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Project Winfield Vineyard

Same as my note from 2 months ago. The best of all The Grade 2012/2013/2014 wines (standard and Kingly). The 2012 Kingly truly has that opulent, concentrated, and rich display of dark fruit, earth,…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

Same as my notes from 10/19/2016. A well crafted Cabernet with still some nice energy behind it to push the flavors forward. Fell off just a tad on the back end, but was otherwise a very giving style.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

For a sub-$100 Napa Cabernet, and from the Fortuna site no less, this wine drinks way above its price point. Just a tick below some of the other more expansive and concentrated 2015 Carters, the…

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

Perfect, quality fruit, beautiful concentration, extraordinary depth the likes of which I haven't had in a wine, and a finish that went on for 60++ seconds (and this was after having the other Carter…

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

I've written quite a lot about this particular wine, as it is often my absolute favorite in the Carter lineup. Other previous notes have indeed covered it well. I will say once again that this wine…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This reminded me of the OG, but with a little less of that core black fruit and massive attack that inherently comes from the OG. This GD was surely opulent and inviting, but had a verve that kicked…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

I had this wine served from 2 separate bottles (2 separate ways): Multiple Coravin 3-day old bottle and a fresh PnP.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

A very interesting wine with vibrant energy and elevated, higher-toned fruit. Displaying more tight red fruit than the La Verdad (the "original" Carter LPV block from previous vintages), the La Bam…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This and the GTO were the absolute best in the entire lineup. Where the GTO was a 110 point wine, this LPV was a mere 100 points. From the first sip, I knew it was Las Piedras. Dark purple fruit with…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Carter

This 2015 Proprietary Cabernet is a resurrection of the 2004/2005 Carter Proprietary/A&J Cabernet that originally sold for $300 over a decade ago (RP gave those wines 99 and 98 points respectively).…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

The best Carter Weitz to date, the 2015 ratchets up the depth and richness and tones down the acid to just the right amount. The amazingly beautiful grip on the Weitz is certainly one of the first…