There's a bit of an old school thing going on with this vintage of OVR, kicking out leather, cedar, and dried herb notes, complimenting the red and black plum fruit. Additionally, true to Keplinger's…
Franc is for Freshness, and the RBK has plenty of freshness. It's an airy and lighter version of the vintages before it, but it carries a basket full of lift and energy wholly led by the Cab Franc at…
Surely the standout in the 2022 lineup, the VHR displays captivating intensity and flex in a fashion that also embraces Keplinger's hallmark poise and purity. Though the fruit is primary and compact,…
The one thing I was curious about with this sample was the integration of the Viognier element. Past infant Sumos have been overridden by the floral component put out by the Viognier, masking what…
Iron, earth, black raspberry, muddled red raspberry, and plum notes fill the mouth with superb purity. The bit of age the Caldera has received in bottle has helped broaden the span of flavor. This is…
I used to drink the 2013 vintage of this wine back when it was an inaugural release. I loved it then and I find it just as interesting now. The 2014 is a more rounded delivery and less intense than I…
I've ripped through a number of versions of VHR from most of those producing wine from this site and have found them to vary quite a bit depending much upon what I believe to be the winemaker's…
95% Cabernet Sauvignon/4%Cabernet Franc/1% Petit Verdot. More earth and darker fruit mark the Oakville relative to the RBK served beside it. Once again, the elegance and purity of fruit are on full…
75% Cabernet Sauvignon/25% Cabernet Franc. A burst of floral, iron, and bright red berry elements rocket across the palate, but are quickly tamed by riper expressions of black cherry and red and…
The Donna's is much more of a Funky Cold Medina compared to its fraternal twin Block 45 sibling. Less floral as well, the Donna's smells more like a 2011 Napa Cabernet (or maybe a 2011 Cornas) than a…
100% Syrah from Block 45 of the Bien Nacido vineyard, the Gratus Amico leads with a bouquet of roses and a red berry fruit basket, followed by red raspberry, red and black cherry, and faint stone…
85% Viognier/15% Chardonnay. Strong grapefruit, lemon juice, and rock notes. A vibrant and high-riding yellow citrus white, finishing with a slight pucker factor but also incredible purity. Previous…
Final bottle and last review of this wine (of many reviews). A really gorgeous showing, with a whirlwind of flavors that swarm around the palate with both flowing finesse and depth, as well as…
More upfront fruit this go-around, leading with ripe plum, kirsch, and deep red raspberry. Progressing along nicely (and a little more rapidly than I had initially expected). Carries additional, more…
Tight and linear on initial PnP, but quickly opens up to reveal dark kirsch, cassis, purple plum, pulverized granite, and a touch of garrigue and camphor. This stayed pretty locked and loaded…
A fabulous showing, with totally enthralling garrigue and Herbes de Provence notes that perfectly maneuvered their ways through the earthy black raspberry, kirsch, and red and black cherry core.…
How in the name of all that's holy is anyone getting any flavor or semblance of the varietal out of this wine is beyond me. Constricted, astringent, and bitter as the day is long. This needs more…
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…
Similar to my notes from last summer. Double decanted and then swirled it around in a wide bottomed decanter at 54 degrees for about one hour. Notes of kirsch, black cherry, black raspberry, thyme,…
Tight and totally balled-up through the entire 4+ hours of tasting (decanted in a wide-bottomed decanter for most of that time at 54 degrees - warming it up in the glass to more room temperature…
PnP with high-toned notes of violets, grass, stone, bitter blackberries, and some blue fruit. Three total hours in the decanter didn't help to evolve this much.
PnP with red and purple berry fruit, raspberry, plum, wet slate/minerals, pumice stone/chalk, red dirt, herbs, and some alcohol. Not astringent as I thought it might be on PnP. Certainly a bit tight,…
Tasting event at 750 Wines in St. Helena with winemakers Russell Bevan, Aaron Pott, Benoit Touquette, Roy Piper, Helen Keplinger, Dan Petroski (Larkmead), Sam Kaplan (Memento Mori, Arkenstone, Nine…
