Reviews

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel Sample from a Taransaud T5 barrique. An absolute bad a** example of the BTK site. Tons of power and concentration, but with a textural superiority that seldom graces such bombastic fruit…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Barrel sample. Not surprisingly, this 2016 is essentially the 2014 MH on steroids...like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando type of steroids. Big and rich, with hefty doses of black, purple, and blue…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Gobs of ripe black raspberry, blueberry, sweet cassis, Baker's chocolate, gray slate, river rock, soil, and spice flavors. Just a hair too much of a good thing in the rich and ripe fruit department.…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

An immediate gratification push of smooth black and red/blue fruit, blackberry, black raspberry, black soil, spice, and some vanilla. A beautiful and finessed version of the site, with an super…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Bam! Pow! Clench! Grip! Acid! Fruit! Rock! Spice! ...Like a Wham! Blam! comic strip page getting torn out of a magazine, crumpled up, and thrown in your face. The initial delivery of this wine was…

Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel sample. Not atypical of the BTK site, this wine displayed hallmark black core fruit, with black raspberry, blackberry, truffle, soil, char, and spice. Plenty of push mid-palate to move the…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply, however I did feel like this was displaying in a way that was less concentrated and unctuous than how I had previously experienced this wine (by Purlieu BTK standards at least).…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

Specific notes of dark candied black raspberry, black and red cherry, cassis, blackberry, fresh vanilla bean, dark chocolate, and some subtle grey river rock (adding a bit of cut through the…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Lore Vineyard

I'm still working on trying to understand these RM wines. The notion of them needing a lot of time indeed has merits, but I'm not entirely confident it's only a time issue. The 2013 and 2015 were…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Lore Vineyard

I'm still working on trying to understand these RM wines. The notion of them needing a lot of time indeed has merits, but I'm not entirely confident it's only a time issue. The 2013 and 2015 were…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Finished off the bottle of a Coravin pour from last month. This took about two hours to really come to life. This was served next to a '15 Vice Versa LPV, which had more…

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

...Crisis averted from yesterday's strange Coravin experience. Same bottle as yesterday; Coravin pour again. This was not displaying in any sort of disjointed fashion, but I will say it appears to be…

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

A follow-up to a Coravin pour from the same bottle a month ago. It was good, but something seemed a bit off. Displaying some overt alcohol atop the core fruit. It might have just needed more air, but…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This is really coming into a nice drinking window at this point. A much different experience than a year or so ago. A more seamless rush of black and dark red core fruit. A little bit of classical…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

A really great showing on this wine. Sifting through the droves of wine at the table, this was probably my WOTN (next to a '13 Bevan McGah that was also performing well). PnP was a little tight with…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Aaaaagh! Mother-lovin' holy dammit all! Horribly corked right out of the gate. On initial "pop" (or rather, "puuhf"), the cedar and vinegar smell launched right out of the bottle. Such the bummer,…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Same as a week or so ago. One of the most elegant and deep versions of BTK I've had recently. Hold 6-12 months just cuz. Otherwise, drinking great now with a little air.

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

Same as it ever was...which is awesome of course. I gotta stop blowing through these young wines, but they are so delicious right now. Served next to a 2014 Myriad GIII, which was a bit of an apples…

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…

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 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…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes from last year. Blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry, black raspberry, black and dark red currant, Baker's unsweetened chocolate, dark baking spices (nutmeg), and clove.…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Opened the night before, gassed, re-corked, and tasted at 11AM the next day. Fairly tight and clipped on the back end. However, youth aside, this wine seems to show some of the most agability over…