Reviews

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP was an initial palate pimp-slap of black cherry liqueur, electric purple plum, strong spice, and a decent amount of rocket fuel. Not to worry though...not my first rodeo with this bucking bronco.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Update from my previous note on 3/4/18 on a Coravin pour of this wine. The remainder of this bottle was consumed as a PnP, and without the 2015 Verdad alongside it. As a stand-alone, this 2014 really…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

A month ago I gave this a shot via Coravin and found it to be overly restrained, especially after some open air in the glass. I was (and am still to this day) not exactly sure of the root cause of…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Coravin pour; this was smooth and singing with just a few minutes of swirling in the glass. Black asphalt and gravel led the attack, with astoundingly pure black, purple, and…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

100 points. Why?! Because it's friggin' awesome, that's why!

L'Aventure Estate Cuvée

All of my previous notes apply. Drinking very well as a PnP. Drink now and over the next few years.

Larkmead Vineyards Firebelle

Super young, high and tight, this Marine was in bootcamp mode, with a fairly stiff delivery, high-toned red cherry and black raspberry core fruit, and a finish that was washed over by alcohol and…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series

Boozy and sweet, with a ripe, cloying plum note overpowering most of the other flavors trying to come through. Some black cherry, currant, and cedar notes eventually emerged, but the attack of the…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

Interestingly enough, this experience with this wine was strikingly similar to the one I had with it nearly two years ago. Previous note from 2016 still applies. Alcohol, cedar, and a off-sweet plum…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Much improved since I last had this wine 6 months ago. More captivating in both the flavor and complexity department, with dark black and blue core fruit, plum, black raspberry, black currant, black…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

A beautifully concentrated Cabernet, with a core that exhibited both rich and vivacious flavors of black and dark red fruit. Hauntingly dark blackberry and black raspberry, dark chocolate, mocha,…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

Previous notes apply. A fairly hedonistic experience this time around, with sweet blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, red raspberry, spice, mulch, and some blue/black rock. Rich, dense, and a…

Revana Chardonnay

A bit of a "flat" meets "fat" profile this time around. This wine screamed domestic Chardonnay, with "fat," buttery flavors of lemon curd, pie crust, clarified butter, movie theater popcorn, and…

Realm Cellars Moonracer

Captivating and concentrated black core fruit, a fistful of dark spices, and black minerality all pulsate across the palate in a beautifully powerful display of flavor and intensity. This Moonracer…

Realm Cellars Farella Vineyard

Disappointingly mulchy and cedar-driven, with black currant, forest floor, tobacco, wood-paneling, and a bitter leather note on the back end. This felt like something more from the mid-90's than a…

Realm Cellars The Bard

Previous notes apply. Sweet blackberry liqueur, blueberry smoothie, dark chocolate chunk, vanilla bean, bread dough, mocha, clove, and anise. Still exhibiting a bit of a clumsy profile, with a fat,…

Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Fidelio

Traditional SB notes of yellow citrus and white stone core fruit, yellow pear, lemon juice, honeydew melon, mango, pumice, sulfur, and wet pavement. A medium attack with an equally medium-weighted…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Social Currency

Available only in Magnum, the Social Currency is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A complete standout compared to the TEN and Napa Valley offerings served alongside it, this wine exhibited more complete and…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon

Black and purple core fruit. Dark plum, black currant, black cherry, earth, black rock, and cedar. A little more of a display of darker bass tones on the mid-palate when compared to the TEN, with a…

Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Ten

Purple and red berry core fruit. The 13% Cab Franc provided a nice lift to the otherwise basic delivery of flavors. Some black and red currant, red licorice, allspice, and subtle minerality rounded…

Dakota Shy Sauvignon Blanc McKenna's

Soft and approachable, with soft curves and an easygoing delivery of light and traditional SB flavors. Yellow citrus, quince, grass, and grey rock. A leisurely saunter of an attack, gliding across…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Stolen Crown

Dark black currant, black cherry, mulch, forest floor, dark maple syrup, and dark spice (clove). Fully resolved and coming into its final turn before starting its descent on the bell curve. It's…

Aubert Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard

A little over a year-and-a-half since I last had this wine. Much more giving this time around, with a nice combination of flash and sophistication. PnP was rockin' out some pretty compelling flavors…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon

Previous notes apply, but I have to say this was a pretty impressive showing considering it is the NV version. Blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate, dark cassis, espresso, clove,…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Beautiful and giving flavors of dark black cherry, black and dark red currant, dark spice (clove, anise), earth, wet black pavement, and wet cedar. Even more resolved and…