Reviews

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Daughters of Earth Goldrock Ridge

Explosive notes of rich black cherry and dark berry fruits, sweet plum, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, Jamaican allspice, and cedar. A fun and complex wine. Fans of Wren Hop and Russell Bevan will be…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Similar notes as 7/4/15. At the request of friends (as I think this still needs a couple of years to fully integrate), opened a bottle and decanted an hour. Served at the cooler side of cellar…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

Good black fruits, licorice, earth, slate/granite, and faint wood notes. Drank alongside a 2010 Myriad Napa Cabernet. The Napa was a little more expressive compared to the Spring Monutain, but the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Similar to some of my notes from 7/16/2015 on the 2011 version of this wine, with black fruits, licorice, and a faint streak of slate minerality.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Right out of the gate, the 2010 Myriad Dr. Crane reminds you why Mike Smith knows what the hell he is doing. A velvety smooth version of a Dr. Crane and a solid, hedonistic effort that's showing very…

Carlisle Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard

Initial PnP was a little tight with blackberry, black cherry, and somewhat gritty tannins. Had a 30 minute decant and began to open up with smoother, richer black fruit flavors, as well as muddled…

Pruett Vineyards Syrah Championship Cuvee

A outstandingly balanced Syrah, with notes of licorice, blackberry, dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla bean, macchiato, asphalt, and cassis. A full-bodied profile with a rounded-out and smooth texture.…

Saxum James Berry Vineyard

Cracked the cork on this knowing full well it was too early, but in the name of science it had to be done! Restrained notes of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, raspberry, blueberry, bramble, underbrush,…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Enthralling notes of honeysuckle, buttered popcorn, creme brûlée, vanilla, and Meyer lemon. For a Sonoma bottling, an outstanding, nuanced example of a regional cuvee. TRB has a way of exhibiting…

Favia Cerro Sur

Tasted alongside a 2009 Grade Napa Auction Cabernet. The Favia out-performed the Grade, in that the Favia had more rounded dark berry flavors. The cedar and wood components of the Grade started to…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Premiere Napa Valley Auction 15 Lot 76

Same notes as 7/21/15. Tasted side-by-side with a 2009 Favia Cerro Sur red blend. The Favia out-performed the Grade, with the Favia giving more dark berry fruit and a more voluminous texture.

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

A solid Pinot, with a seductively smooth and upfront appealing texture. Drinking really well at the moment. Lacks just a tad of the complexity of some other '10 KB Pinots. Tasted alongside '12 Bevan…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Similar notes as on 7/24/15. Tasted tonight side-by-side with a '10 KB Sonoma and Bevan 2114. The 2114 was WOTN, with the Wren Hop Mortal Coil a close #2. The Mortal Coil was a little tight tonight,…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Summit 2114

Red fruit and spice on the nose. On the palate, rhubarb, sassafras, red berry, dark red cherry, a little earth, and spice. A very accessible and fruit-forward Pinot, with a rich, voluptuous profile.…

Bevan Cellars Syrah Moaveni Vineyard

An opaque, deep, dark colored Syrah; the darkest black-purple. PnP. On the nose, sweet, complex aromas of muddled blackberry, meaty smoke, and faint violet. On the palate, phenomenal purity of…

Forman Cabernet Sauvignon

The best Forman Cabernet I've had to date. PnP and then decanted over a two hour period. Nose was a little muted at first, but then opened up a bit with aromas of earth, licorice, and dark berry…

Forman Cabernet Sauvignon

A graceful, feminine, medium-bodied style, with notes of red currant, cedar, and light plum. On more of the red fruit side of the cabernet profile; almost pinot-like (which is a bit visually…

Carlisle Syrah Bennett Valley

On the nose, faint aromas of purple fruit and an initial whiff of alcohol. On the palate, very subtle (almost fragile) blue and purple fruit flavors. Especially light and lithe for a Carlisle Syrah.…

Culler La Palette

A soft, rounded-out wine at this point, with a seemingly less dimensional profile than I recall from past bottles. Still a nice, well made medium-bodied cabernet, with traditional notes of red…

Brian Benson Cellars S & M

A huge, full-throttle, complex Paso Syrah blend. Boatloads of purple and black fruit, cassis, vanilla bean, blueberry and blackberry liqueurs, dark chocolate/cacao, and espresso. Compared to the '09…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

Black licorice and earth on the nose. The aromas repeat on the palate, along with that distinctive BTK black fruit, coffee, charcoal, ink, and graphite. A less sweet, more earthy version, (by Morlet…

Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Old Vine Block Peterson Family Vineyard

On the nose, deep chocolate, mocha, dark berry. On the palate, a core of huge, rich blackberry, marionberry, blueberry, sweet chocolate, cassis, and prominant vanilla. A extravagantly extracted…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Tasted at Wren Hop on initial release and again tonight. On the nose, dark red berry, earth, cedar, incense. On the palate, rich black cherry, plum, strawberry jam, vanilla, and forest floor.…

Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard

On the nose, a distinctive whiff of lemon curd, marshmallow, and citrus blossom. On the palate, the wine totally bursts with a complex interplay of Meyer lemon, pear, butterscotch, salted caramel,…

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

Aromas of dark red and black fruit, cedar, and alcohol on the nose. On the palate, a tightly coiled mix of red and black licorice, espresso, blackberry, currant, and bitter chocolate. Still a taut,…