Reviews

Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard

Though fairly tight and somewhat constricted, this was probably the best in the lineup from this producer. Notes of black and red cherry, vanilla, black raspberry, cedar, red and black currant, and…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It's been three years since my last bottle of this wine. A slight bit of evolution in bottle has served it well, but it hasn't changed all that much. Perhaps a little more expressive and less linear,…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Still best to hold until after 2021++. This bottle was followed for four separate days over the course of two weeks (Coravin pours and a final day of a few hours of open air).…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

2016 Materium and 2016 Amoenus side-by-side.

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

As before, this CdV displayed notes of black and red raspberry, plum skin, soil, traces of cassis, green peppercorn, tobacco leaf, and some leather. Exquisitely balanced and, inside of an hour of…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Darker and a bit more powerful than the 2014 Grand Daddy served beside it, this version of the Kings impresses with its black and purple berry, licorice, and cassis core. Rich but amazingly focused,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Blackberry and black cherry dominate, with a flowing delivery that washes over the palate with beautiful fruit flavors. Cassis, plum, and some river rock round out the profile. A touch dry on the…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel samples: 2017 Carter OG, Verdad, Grand Daddy, and Weitz.

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

Barrel samples: 2017 Carter OG, Verdad, Grand Daddy, and Weitz.

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

From two separate barrel samples (Clone 4 and 337), the VHR is slated to be a new SVD from Memento Mori starting in 2017. This is an extremely exciting edition to the already mind-blowing bad-assery…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnément

Black currant, plum, charcuterie, topsoil, and faint leather. The tannins grip throughout but are offset well by the meaty core fruit that takes the flavor intensity up a tick or two and makes for a…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard

As versions of the various Bevan wines offered up from this site go, this Tench Cabernet Sauvignon is bit more of a front-end downshift from the EE or Calixtro in terms of the initial push of…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard

Bigger, chewier, and more powerfully extracted than its more focused and complex 2015 sibling, the 2016 EE in its current state is a swirling whirlpool of black and dark red berry fruit. Hints of…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

An intense pop of red and black cherry, red and black raspberry, and some red plum skin flavors launch across the palate in a flavorful and powerful front-loaded attack. Mid-palate intensity and…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Harbison Vineyard

Initially taught and a bit linear, but keenly focused and energetic, the 2013 Harbison hits the palate with a firm push of dark black and purple berry core fruit. Black rock, clove, burnt bark, and…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

2016 Becklyn lineup and vertical tasting of Becklyn NV 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

So here I am diligently scanning my CT notes from a year and a half ago that stated I should wait on opening this wine until at least 2019+. I thought to myself, "That's pretty much now, right?!"…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

So for those familiar with B Cellars, Venge, and To Kalon, it should come as no surprise that this particular concoction is chock-full of hedonistic and viscous unctuousness that delivers up-front…

Bevan Cellars Merlot Alexis' Cuvée Showket Vineyards

PnP with just some swirling in the glass. Performed as described in my previous notes. Despite a touch of booze on the initial pull, the flavors of plum, black cherry, currant, and some faint…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

So after an uber-goofy restaurant experience with a previous bottle of this wine, I had to conduct the at-home test to see if I just blew a cool grand on a pile of wine that was going to amount to…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Making almost as much of a lasting impression as the titanic Tasmanian Teucer, this To Kalon impresses for its deep black and dark crimson red fruit flavors of chocolatey black raspberry, rich…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard

A new wine from Purlieu. This little bugger seemed to be doing pretty well initially... A nice dark crimson hue, interesting earthy wild raspberry and strawberry fruit compote aromas on the nose, and…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

From a comparative side-by-side BTK tasting with this Cliff Lede, a '16 MACDONALD, and a '15 Purlieu BTK (which ended up being an off-bottle it seemed).

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This arrived on-stage with a dull, fruity "pffffud" on the palate, with strawberry water, red currant, and red beet juice. Some earth on the back end, with crippled fruit flavors muddling their ways…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel samples of the BTK, Crane, and LPV.