PnP with notes of ripe (reductive) plum, saline, amarena fabbri wild black cherry, ripe cranberry, hot brick, terra cotta, worn leather, brush, and a hint of vanilla. Fanned out nicely over the…
A big, black, brooding Cabernet with a near-bottomless pit of dark core flavors. PnP with coiled-up blackberry, black licorice, red and black currant, asphalt, tar, bitter dark chocolate, obsidian,…
Notes of huckleberry, purple/red plum, ollalaberry, pulverized granite, faint vanilla bean, and some residual alcohol. Nothing hollow, filling the mid-palate nicely, but just a tad shy on the back…
PnP and my initial reaction was along the same lines of a number of folks who commented about this wine needing time. Very tight and clipped at first, but bursting at the seams with a medley of dark,…
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the openness and accessibility of this wine. The 2012 Carlisle Syrahs have proven to be an improvement overall from the past few vintages Mike Officer has put…
A nice and smooth bottle of wine, with notes of lightly whipped lemon curd, pear, and some minerality on the back end. Much less complexity than I had anticipated, and a lot less energy and verve as…
Same as my CT notes on 2/12/2016. I bumped this up another point, as it was rocking, with all of the right parts in place. It had been open for a few hours in the bottle, which seemed like a great…
I tasted this wine in a side-by-side comparison with a bottle that had been open for approximately 6 hours, and one that was served via a Coravin device. These two 2013 Brown Labels were also served…
Lighter notes of pineapple, apple, lemongrass, and flint/chert. Not especially complex or gleaming with any sort of notable flavor depth. A fine drink for a hot spring day in Napa Valley, but nothing…
A little better than the 2011 Cliff Lede Stags Leap Cabernet, but just barely. A 2012 Cliff Lede Stags Leap Cabernet was much better than either of the 2011s tasted alongside it.
Tasted alongside a Cliff Lede 2012 Stags Leap Cabernet and a 2011 High Fidelity. This was the weakest of the trio, with a thin and watery mouthfeel, lacking viscosity and depth. Some red currant and…
Same as my specific notes from 2/12/2016. Not surprisingly, this wine bested a 2011 Cliff Lede Stags Leap Cabernet and a 2011 Cliff Lede High Fidelity.
PnP with notes of tart raspberry, strawberry, alcohol, and some wood and citrus. Allowed to breathe in a wide-bottomed decanter for over an hour at 54 degrees.
PnP with notes of smooth black raspberry, red/black currant, wild berry (almost a brambly, mountain fruit quality), red licorice, and a nice dusty/chalky component that added good cut on the back end.
Tasted side-by-side with the 2006 Salinia Heintz Chardonnay. Same specific CT notes on this wine as on 10/9/2015. I bumped it up a point to 95, as that lovely sherry/Jura style was rocking perfectly…
Tasted side-by-side with the 2008 Salinia Heintz Chardonnay. Same as my specific CT notes from 07/5/2015, except that I feel as though this has smoothed-out even more so than 8 months ago. Ready to…
