Reviews

Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon

Consumed with friends (otherwise I had planned on waiting until later in 2016 before reassessing this wine). Definitely glad I opened this bottle, as it has improved quite a bit. Similar to my prior…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

A lot going on here, with in-your-face flavors of black and blue berries, black raspberry, blackberry, black licorice, dark cacao, white chocolate, chocolate covered blueberry, cassis, asphalt/tar,…

Sarocka Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted alongside the 2012 Antra and the 2010 Scully.

Sarocka Antra

Tasted alongside the 2012 Sarocka Estate and the 2010 Scully Cabernets.

Scully Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

Tasted alongside the 2012 Sarocka Estate and 2012 Antra.

Forman Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar to my CT notes 5 months ago. PnP with a chalky bite surrounding the red plum and black raspberry notes. 45 minutes in the decanter shed this wine of the chalky clamp on the finish, leaving…

Château Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

PnP with soft notes of plum, red currant, wood, and some spice. There were some additional forest floor and sage flavors that emerged in the glass over the course of an hour, adding interest to the…

Stags' Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

PnP with barely any fruit to speak of, almost like drinking water that has been aged in used Cabernet barrels. Diluted red currant and wood notes are at the forefront, with a runny, thin texture and…

Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Thin, dry, and cedar-ridden, with watery red currant and flabby plum notes. A hint of black currant keeps this wine from totally collapsing into a completely overly-lithe wine. Best forgotten.

Mark Herold Wines Herold by Mark Herold

Same as my previous CT notes on this wine. Solid wine with complex and tiered flavors. A dark profile, especially flaunting its blackberry and black licorice notes. Has a cool, striking minerality…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

Elevated from a 92 to a 93 this tasting, as air continues to be a friend to this wine. Akin to my previous CT notes on the 2012 Brown Label, a slow O2 and some vigorous swirling in the glass surely…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

Keeps getting better and better. Moved this up to 98 points after a flight of Cabernets at the Mark Herold tasting room in Napa; tasted alongside the 2012 White and Brown Labels. As usual, the 2013…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Uproar

Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Drank at Carter/Envy alongside the 2013 Carter Fortuna, Coliseum, and Hossfeld Coliseum. Also had barrel samples of the 2015 Myriad Dr. Crane and 2015 Quivet Kenefick Ranch Cabernets.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Drank at Carter/Envy alongside the 2013 Carter Weitz, Coliseum, and Hossfeld Coliseum. Also had barrel samples of the 2015 Myriad Dr. Crane and 2015 Quivet Kenefick Ranch Cabernets.

Envy Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Drank at Carter/Envy alongside the 2013 Carter Fortuna, Weitz, Coliseum, and Hossfeld Coliseum. Also had barrel samples of the 2015 Myriad Dr. Crane and 2015 Quivet Kenefick Ranch Cabernets.

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kenefick Ranch

Barrel sample during racking.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample during racking.

Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari

Tasted at Larkmead alongside the Salon, Firebelle, and the standard Cabernet.

Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Drank at Larkmead alongside the 2012 Solari, Salon, and Firebelle.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

Drank at Carter/Envy alongside the 2013 Carter Fortuna, Weitz, and Hossfeld Coliseum. Also had barrel samples of the 2015 Myriad Dr. Crane and 2015 Quivet Kenefick Ranch Cabernets.

Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family Vineyard

Drank alongside a 2009 Lewis Reserve Cabernet, 2010 L'Aventure Estate Cuvée, and a 2012 Bevan Ontogeny. The SBR came in #4 among the competition.

Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

I bumped this up a point to 95 from the last couple of tastings I've had of this wine over the course of the past few months. Really shined nicely this time around. Almost identical tasting notes in…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Pnp with tight but wild notes of red and black licorice, red and black currant, red and black raspberry, blackberry, cacao nibs, and a hint of pencil lead. Just faintly chalky tannins, incredibly…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Tasted at Cliff Lede alongside the 2012 BTK, Beautiful Generation, and High Fidelity. All wines were double decanted through a Vinturi four hours prior to my tasting.