Reviews

Séléné Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Fred Vineyard

PnP with notes of black and purple fruits, blackberry jam, black licorice, tar, and wet rock. An hour of slow O2 and opening up in the glass rounded out and softened this wine a bit, whereby some of…

Shafer Relentless

PnP with notes of dark purple and black fruit notes, alcohol, and baking spice. Full of energy and just a little bit of initial, unresolved tannins, the 2010 Relentless is an electric, fascinating…

Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Similar to my notes on 7/20/15. A profile of chocolate cherry and blackberry liqueur, vanilla, cassis, and chocolate truffle. Not overly sweet like the flavors might first have you believe, but…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Tasted at Mike Smith's house in late 2014 and this thing was really screaming with bold, young notes of powerful black and blue fruits, licorice, cassis, and spice. Clearly it was flaunting its youth.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Opened up with aromas of dark fruit, cedar soil, wood, and alcohol. In the glass, similar notes of dark black fruits, ripe blackberry, cedar/wood, forest floor, and a hint of coffee. Initially the…

Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes on the 2010 Old Vine version of this petite, with a little less extraction and less sweet, overt vanillin notes than the Old Vine.

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

PnP with a bit of a restrained nose of black fruits, black licorice, and stone. Initial palate entry showed notes of tightly coiled-up black and red fruits, blackberry, black and red licorice, and…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting, with additional 2013 Myriad wines for comparison.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting, with additional 2013 Myriad wines for comparison.

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée

An outstanding nose of candied licorice, sweet red and black fruits, and subtle spices, the Bevan EE is a winner for sure. On the palate, perfectly balanced blackberry liqueur, blueberry, ripe red…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

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

Tasted at a private Carter Cellars 2013 Horizontal tasting.

Bremer Family Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

What one would expect from a standard, mid-level Napa Valley cabernet. Plum, red currant, cedar. After some air, the cedar and dust notes come more to the forefront, with subtle tannins clamping down…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok Kicu'me

An outstanding Spring Mountain cabernet, with complex and fascinating notes of purple and black fruits (copious energetic dark berry notes - blackberry, blueberry, ollalaberry, marionberry), scorched…

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…

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 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…

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.

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…