Reviews

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Creosote, funk, blackberry skin, and cedar. A wine to which I immediately made "that face" when I took a sip. A rough go here. I thought this was a flawed Bordeaux. Turns out it was just a terrible…

Kenzo Estate Cabernet Franc Asuka

Big fruit. Big power. Big Big. The drive on this puppy is super intense and concentrated, with a dump truck-load of blackberry and black cherry fruit that lap around the palate multiple times before…

Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red

Funky and cedary, this was a battle among ping-ponging alcohol, dusty plum, and cedar flavors. This was definitely not a 2012-recent vintage wine (as was the original intent of this blind tasting).…

Addax Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard

Rich blackberry, bitter chocolate, red and black cherry, and embers, this wine showed upfront modernity and couldn't be anything other than a VERY recent version of Napa Cabernet. So, the 2018 Addax…

Kapcsándy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Vin) State Lane Vineyard

Spicy black cherry and fig notes present in a simple fashion initially, with a finish that falls a little flat and superficial. The purity of fruit is evident, as is the sophistication and…

Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon

Black cherry, eucalyptus, plum, and blackberry skin dominate the profile. There is decent tension, with a broad grip housing the flavor carriage wanting to bust out of the frame. The fruit power is…

Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Dark plum, round and rich black cherry, sweet blackberry, and hints of soil, this was immediately identified as New World Napa (or an Aussie Shiraz posing as a Cabernet Sauvignon) crafted for the…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Harbison Vineyard

A textural dream, with a smooth and enveloping mouthfeel that is Bevan at his best. The flavor profile is straightforward and fruity, with black and red cherry creme, black raspberry, and some spice.…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Heimark Vineyard

Another outstanding showing on this wine, with meaty black berry, dark earth, char, embers, unsmoked cigar, and spice captivating the palate immediately upon first sip. The attack is strong but…

Realm Cellars The Bard

Much improved since my last bottle 2.5 years ago, this Bard is full of dark berry, bitter chocolate, allspice, asphalt and black soil notes that present initially as somewhat brooding and heavy, but…

Bevan Cellars Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard

Three years since I've last had this wine. The good news is that the booze blows off with some time in the decanter. The "other" news is that it's become even more lush and fruity. It kind of reminds…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Pouring a dark purple-black color, with a nose that instantly rockets up the nostrils with fresh wet muddled black cherries and wild blackberry aromas, the 2016 Vice Versa LPV lets you know way ahead…

Realm Cellars The Falstaff

A 40/40 split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with the remaining fifth composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 Falstaff is flaunty and flirty with its mélange of red, black, and blue fruit…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

This is just so intense and concentrated that one can't help but be utterly mesmerized by its commanding presence. Blackberries and scorched earth are spun together in a commercial-grade blender on…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Flawed. Wet cardboard and a moldy funk on the nose. Bitter and seedy on the palate. Not like any MACDONALD I've ever had. Clearly flawed and not even close to being representative of 100 point-type…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Mysterons

As before when I gave this a try in April, the Mysterons is a punchy and fruity ride on a purple and red berry rollercoaster. Spice, bitter chocolate, and dust (Thorevilos/Ecotone tufa dust…

Harlan Estate

I got all ramped-up to write about this wine and then just re-read my notes from 4/30/2021 that basically say it all (so, refer to those notes if you want to read my novella from April). This was…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Displaying an exceptionally young and tight demeanor, the 2015s in general seem to require even more time in bottle before coming to full fruition. Double-decanted for over 8 hours, the To Kalon BBS…

Vice Versa Beatrix Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to my experience with this wine back in April, the Beatrix showed a healthy dollop of red berry, cassis, earth, dry flowers, and an almost-Grenache-garrigue element that provides an herbal…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Initially, the 2019 To Kalon was a bit reserved (by Napa standards of course) and took a little bit of coaxing after the first pull of the cork. Double-decanted and given over four hours to find its…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Of the three 2015 Vice Versas consumed this night for the dinner portion of the event, the Crane was.wait for it. the most fruit-forward of the three. It starts out a little hollow and plummy, but…

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

Dusty red berry, purple plum, currant, earth, and some embers. I much appreciated this wine more since my last having it back in January 2020. This bottle takes a short bit of time to open up, but…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

I've played around with this wine here and there over the last few years and I am always a little circumspect about predicting how it is going to perform. LPV in general can shut down throughout…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

The first time I sampled the 2019 Crane back in April, it was surprisingly shut down and playing coy. Well, it's done hiding in the corner and waiting to be asked to dance. This sample was exactly…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This is round #2 with the 2019 LPV since my last sampling it back in April. Once again, it is unquestionably the star of the show. This is the best LPV Vice Versa has ever produced and is…