Reviews

Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

Following suit with Revas of the past, I was happy to find this was kicking out some nice dark blackberry, deep and ripe black raspberry, wild blueberry, charred oak, fresh layed asphalt, earth,…

Donelan Chardonnay Nancie

Ripe and inviting, with some savory lemon curd and sweet, ripe citrus notes in full display; enough acid to keep it from being too plush and round. A lovely, silky texture provided a beautiful glide…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Last minute pull. PnP was a little hot with fleeting beams of sweet black cherry and black raspberry. Great wild and pure red, black, and some blue-ish/purple berry fruit, but just a bit overrun by…

Bacigalupi Vineyards Chardonnay

Drinking great now. Previous notes apply. PnP was perfect. Served at around 54+ degrees. Beautiful texture. Drink now and over the next year.

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Lore Vineyard

I'm continuing to try to follow this wine with some diligence over a tracked span of time. From a healthy Coravin pour. Over the course of an hour, it didn't budge much (as expected). I noticed a bit…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Between two BTKs: '15 Carter OG vs. '15 Purlieu BTK. The Purlieu displayed lovely black and dark red raspberry core fruit, dark chocolate, black soil, and clove. I favored the OG this go-around, but…

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

Between two BTKs: '15 Carter OG vs. '15 Purlieu BTK. The OG KILLED IT this go-around. A Coravin pour no less. The Purlieu was delicious no doubt, but the concentration and complex array of flavors on…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

My other previous notes still apply. This is in a good drinking window right out of the gate on PnP. No reason to delay gratification on this, as I personally believe it is operating at/close to its…

Cirq Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill

PnP was a touch thin and linear initially. Two hours was needed to really bring out much needed depth and concentration, especially mid-palate. Once this started to get out of second gear, it…

Keplinger Mars

Same notes as earlier this year. An hour+ decant brought out notable depth and concentration. Some nice bass purple and wild ripe raspberry core fruit flavors emerged as well. The evergreen and…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Served alongside the 2014 Bone Ash. I favored this 2015 just a bit more, as its complexity, grip, and drive were more prominent. The fruit was a little more focused and the delineation of flavors…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Silencieux

A decent ground pounder, with signature (if not a bit pedestrian) notes of red and black currant, black raspberry, and some spice. A little hot, but not too distracting. Medium-bodied and somewhat…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve

A fistful of dark fruit, with a notable concentration that held interest from start to finish. Mid-palate was especially satisfying, with the enveloping fruit and spice really ratcheting-up the…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the 2015 Bone Ash. I favored the 2015 a bit more, but this held its own quite well. Deep, plush, and a hallmark representation of the 2014 vintage. Contained some nice power…

Venge Vineyards Syrah Block I-4 Stagecoach Vineyard

Somewhat unconventional and a bit of a sidewinder on the palate. Moments of Cote Rotie earthiness and barnyard funk that provided interest, but then wonky core fruit that wobbled in and had you…

Venge Vineyards Merlot Oakville Estate Vineyard

I'll say it like this: For Merlot, it's pretty good. It has some grip. It has some acidic cut. It has some energy and drive that enable the purple and red fruit flavors to push through to the back…

Venge Vineyards Zinfandel Signal Fire Vineyard

Not an entirely lost example of the varietal, and a significant improvement over the Scout's Honor served beside it. As others have noted, this was a little hot and lacking overall complexity (the…

Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor

Man, do I really love the backstory to this wine, paying homage to the beloved canine Scout and all, but I unfortunately just can't get down with this wine. So fruity and wonky for me that I can't…

Venge Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Jewell Vineyard

Somewhat traditional tropical fruit notes (without being a Carmen Miranda hat) juxtaposed with elements of stone and yellow citrus notes. Soft on the edges and thankfully no harsh steely bite on the…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Same as my previous notes from last year. Much better than the '14 Kathryn tasted next to it. The Howell remains in the 91-93 point max range for me. A good bottle of wine with the usual "crowd…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley

Same as before. A fruit-brute that hits you with a monolithic blast of RIPE dark blue and black core fruit flavors and leaves you wondering what else is there. Answer: more fruit. Too sweet and…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece

Previous notes apply. From two different bottles. The one opened yesterday and had 18+? hours of air was mostly alcohol and spice. The fruit took a definite back seat. Bitter on the back end. 80…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld

Previous notes apply, but this was a little muted this time around. The fruit was there, but not displaying itself with its typical accessibility and friendly flavor profile. Good but reserved. Hold…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

Black cherry, cola, and spice box flavors dominated throughout consumption (total of 3 hours). Some faint herbal notes, but nothing that provided that much additional interest or lift. This had some…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Well, please permit me to overhype a bit if I may...