Reviews

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

Exact same notes as 3/25/2016 and 4/15/2016. Dark chocolate notes of fairly intense deep blackberry, black currant, mocha, and vanilla bean. By comparison, lacked a little complexity, but had a nice…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

I'll defer to all of my previous tasting notes on this. A good wine, showing continued integration each time I revisit it (compared to my previous CT notes); somewhat simplistic, but very satisfying…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

Still not my thing. This was used simply to juxtapose the 2012 and 2013 Brown Labels...and juxtapose it did. Not even in the same ballpark as the other two vintages, with its distracting vegetal…

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

The absolute best of the bunch for me. I had absolutely no problem picking the OG as my favorite in the lineup as soon as I took a sip of this bad boy. That clone 337 just reaches out and slaps you…

Mark Herold Wines Herold

Same as my notes from 4/15/2016 and 3/25/2016. Powerful and youthfully dark, gravely berry fruit. Cool berry notes (but not as cool as the 2012); blackberry, black currant, black licorice, charcoal,…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard

Wait; wait; wait! This needs much more time. I had this last year with a couple of hours in the decanter and it seemed to be moving along nicely. However, this go-around it was extraordinarily tight…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

I know I should wait a while, but with a case of a wine I've not yet tried staring me in the face, it was a little hard to resist anymore. In the name of science...

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Very similar to my CT notes from 11/7/2015 except I do agree with others that the intensity has shifted a bit, but not much (in my opinion). I was still very much drawn to the core fruit and depth…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

Well I was planning on holding this last bottle for a year or so, but it didn't work out that way this time. So...

Favia Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP with a striking hit to the palate of dark fruit, red and black licorice, pumice/stone, asphalt, and the faintest of clove. Wonderful tension and verve, with an energetic pulse of ripe muddled red…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

A wonderful expression of a Stags Leap Cabernet. PnP with elegant but dark purple and black berry fruit notes, red and black licorice, black wet slate, red and black currant, and faint baking spice.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

First bottle of this was flawed (I presume). This second bottle was better, but not overwhelmingly better. Plum flavors, round purple and red berry notes, as well as faint earth and spice. All in…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Pulled the cork and there was absolutely no "pop" sound; that's sometimes the first sign of "all bad." The smell of the cork wasn't too bad, but it certainly had a bit of a funky smell about it.

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes on this wine 6+ months ago. Hasn't changed too much except that it appears to have softened a bit, which is a little unusual given the BTK pedigree. On PnP it was a…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beautiful Generation

Similar to my notes on 2/12/2016. Just an amazing bottle of wine and a comparatively good QPR among the realms of high-class Napa Cabernets.

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard

Holy bajeezus! What an amazing ride of a wine. PnP with tight and slightly chalky notes of black and purple berry fruit, slate, granite, asphalt, road tar, dust, bramble, and a hint of black coffee…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Cloudy's Vineyard

On initial PnP, this wine unloaded with a dense, fully packed punch of dark purple and black berry core fruit. Some red and black currant and black raspberry cut like a spear through the coiled-up…

Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon M5 Stagecoach Vineyard

PnP with notes of red currant, black raspberry, black cherry, tight purple plum, and some cedar and earth. A little narrow and linear, but not astringent or distractingly tannic. A nice cut to the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Previous notes apply. 94-95 solid points. Awesome as always. Didn't really give this time to open up, so I would recommend a few hours in the decanter.

Rudius Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

PnP with notes of red and black currant, strawberry compote, red and black raspberry, asphalt, slate, granite dust, chalk, and a hint of cedar. A little tight and tart on entry, keeping it close to…

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

I've been following this wine starting in late 2014, again in the summer of 2015, and now. The 2012 OG has certainly developed a sense of elegance and poise over the course the last year-and-a-half.…

Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

PnP with deep, classic notes of red and black currant, black raspberry, red and black licorice, tobacco leaf, leather, toffee, and a hint of bramble and powdered cocoa. A soft, biting nip at the very…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my notes from 3/19/2016. I keep saying I will wait until 2017, but I can't seem to help myself. It's good stuff, but wait another 6-12 months if you have more patience than me! 93++

Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP with hedonistically lavish notes of black, blue, and purple berry fruit, huckleberry compote, olallieberry pie (with crust!), black (and some red) licorice, dark chocolate, black cherry liqueur,…

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

PnP with overtly "fruity" notes of rounded purple and red berry, and faint vanilla. This seemed a little simple and round at first. Almost overly plush, like a high-end Merlot without the chocolatey…