Reviews

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Becklyn lineup and vertical tasting of Becklyn NV 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

2016 Becklyn lineup and vertical tasting of Becklyn NV 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Becklyn lineup and vertical tasting of Becklyn NV 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Moulds Vineyard

2016 Becklyn lineup and vertical tasting of Becklyn NV 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

Ultramarine Blanc de Noirs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast

It has been over a year since I last had this wine. Much less funky and yeasty than I remember (thankfully), with the sea foam and saline notes orchestrating much more seamlessly with the rock and…

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

I continue to love the keen delivery on this wine. The apple skin and quince notes interplay well with the limestone minerality and saline components. A bit linear on the front end of the attack, but…

Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé

Strawberry water, watermelon, lemon seed, cantaloupe rind, and chalk. A lithe and instantly drying attack, with a hollow mid-palate; finishes dry and somewhat bitter, with the pithy lemon seed note…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Daughters of Earth Goldrock Ridge

A wine I'm very familiar with as a stand-alone, but also one that paired surprisingly well with a bittersweet chocolate pots de creme dessert. There was a dried fruit element in the chocolate that…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Shadow Voices Estate

Behaving like a younger version of the 2013 Oracle's Whisper served before it, the Shadow Voices displayed a bit of booze on the front end of the attack on the initial sips, but then kicked into…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Oracle's Whisper

From magnum. The best showing of the Oracle's to date. Dark and earthy black cherry and black raspberry, forest floor, incense, evergreen, orange citrus sencha green tea, burnt orange rind, bark, and…

Wren Hop Chardonnay Ritchie by Proxy

Upon service, and once the wine warmed up to around cellar temperature (initially served at refrigerator temp - too cold/muted for me for the first 15+ minutes), the Ritchie displayed its familiar…

Wren Hop Chardonnay Shipwreck Savior

For a Chardonnay that is a decade from vintage, this had a beautifully elongated stretch of flavors that drove across the palate with surprising verve and tension. Showing some age with the slightest…

Emmanuel Brochet Champagne Premier Cru Extra Brut Le Mont Benoit

20% 2011. 80% 2012. 11 months sur lies. Bottled unfined and unsulfured.

Hartford / Hartford Court Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard

Ripe lemon citrus, bruised lemon and orange rind, olive oil, golden raisin, and some salted caramel. A ripe, somewhat oxidized style, with an overtly aged profile that fakes you into thinking this…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Old Vines

Ripe black cherry, dark red raspberry, cranberry, loam, forest floor, evergreen, stems, and some citrus. Medium on the attack, with a ripe core fruit drop mid-palate that added weight and some depth.…

La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

A migraine Chardonnay all the way through. Steely and astringent alcohol-laced lemon water topped with 9V batteries wrapped in green apple skin. Finishes bitter and hollow.

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

Initially heavy on the lamp oil, lemontini, and vanilla alcohol flavors, making for an angular entry and less-than-seamless delivery overall. Primary and somewhat hollow yellow citrus and bruised…

Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

Honeyed yellow citrus, vanilla, meringue, yellow pear, lychee, and faint/light butterscotch notes. Medium-to-full front end and mid-palate weight, with a medium-long finish that tails off with a…

Outpost Immigrant True Vineyard

It's been three years on its side since I last stirred awake the wine that is the 2013 Outpost Immigrant. Hey, guess what?! It still doesn't want to be bothered with all of my, "let's see what's…

Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard

Previous notes from March 31, 2018 are still applicable, with special attention to the notion that a little time in bottle has seemingly elevated this wine even further. PnP was fresh, lively, and a…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Last minute pull. Still a good idea to hold on to these for a couple/few more years in hopes of best capturing the heightened complexity this wine potentially has to offer.

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

PnP was almost immediately accessible, with a fruit forward attack that also pushed out the requisite acid, grip/tannins, and verve to keep it all moving to the mid and back ends in proper…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

So here I am diligently scanning my CT notes from a year and a half ago that stated I should wait on opening this wine until at least 2019+. I thought to myself, "That's pretty much now, right?!"…

B Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Black cherry, bark, spice, and some faint evergreen. Similar to my previous experience with this wine a few months ago, except the core fruit seemed a little more deeply pitched and saturated this…

Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

A broad and primary hit of yellow citrus and petrol on the initial pull gave way to a more relaxed profile after about two hours of air. It took every bit of that time to fan out and find some…