Reviews

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

I've written quite a bit on this wine already. Strikingly similar to the 2019 barrel sample we had two days earlier, the 2016 LPV from Memento Mori busts out of its seams with powerfully ripe black…

Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge

A gorgeous wine. For me, my experience here is best explained by a comparison some might find unfair. Nevertheless, here goes nuthin'... Take all of your favorite things about Aubert's best…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

At the French Laundry. A mouthful of ripe fruit illustrative of what one might expect from this house and this site. A whopping wine from a big vintage from a vineyard that often produces succulent…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 3 Tench Vineyard

Decidedly Tench, with red and purple fruit and a sack of booze to boot upfront, as a wave of cassis and freshly washed berries play catch-me-if-you-can with a bouquet of dried flowers. The power and…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Barrel sample. Outstanding acid and beautifully defined fine-grained tannins fashion a gorgeously fresh and grippy MG. Blackberry seed and freshly popped pomegranate seeds lead the charge, with the…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

A barrel sample, and one that is all about yummy Crane goodness. If you're a fan of this site, then this will not disappoint. Flamboyant and chewy-sweet fruit wash over the palate with notes of…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 Pritchard Hill

Pritchard Hill berries baby! Unripe red raspberries, cranberry, red and black cherry, cassis, and iron all culminate to push out higher register tones, finishing youthfully fuzzy and grippy. Treble…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Electric and fresh, exhibiting matching sparkle akin to the 2019 MG barrel sample, the 2018 MG is locked-and-loaded with acidic vitality and dynamism. With notable structure and acidic speed, this is…

VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

Young, driven, and really, really determined in its energy and thrust, this wine was off to the racetracks with a super thrilling acidic frame that was spinning its essences in the mouth with so much…

Arkenstone Estate

A barrel sample, carrying firm and fine tannins that showcase blackberry, black licorice, and violet notes with cleverness and class. The floral component becomes more intense with air, racing…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 1 Perrarus Block 1

Dark berry fruit with a gravelly Las Piedras-type of demeanor. In fact, I would have guessed this Stones 1 was still carrying the LPV site in its profile. Blackberry, black currant, river rock,…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

My second time trying this wine (since 12/07/2019), the 2017 MG carries interesting plum and muddled blackberry flavors complimented by red/purple licorice, vanillin black cherry, and some dark spice…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

Hot and ripe on the first pop, but then it gets right into a nice stride, inviting another sip (and another bite of food). Plump black cherry, black and red currant, red and black licorice, and…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

FRESH GRAPEFRUIT! ...with lemon-lime, guava, clementine, white flowers, and dry grass notes all making for a compelling Sauvignon Blanc. Year in and year out, Sam Kaplan crafts an exceptional…

Fairchild Estate Stones Longitude - Latitude

Red and black fruits, with the red berry and currant notes ultimately elbowing their ways ahead of the overall march of flavors, this offers slightly more depth than the Sigaro initially, but then…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Two years since I've last sampled this juice. One of the most phenomenal wines I've had all year, the 2012 Tynan MG absolutely soars from the glass with aromas of ripe blackberries and earth. On the…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

A perfect wine in the making, the 2018 Macdonald is undoubtedly going to be one of the top wines of the vintage. For those familiar with the Macdonald lineage, the 2018 will be no surprise as a…

Arkenstone Estate

Rooti-Tooti-Fresh-And-Fruity, the 2017 Estate pops out of the fold with blossoming red and black cherry flavors that shake out plump money-maker-rump-shaker berry fruit. Veers more toward the red…

Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar in profile to the 2016, this 2017 exhibited the driest of demeanors when compared to its siblings. Mid-palate was a tad hollow initially but began to fill in nicely as air penetrated the…

Promontory

At the French Laundry. Red berry fruit, unsmoked cigar, leather, and additional deeper plum notes make for a more sophisticated delivery of flavor, especially when served side-by-side with the…

Vice Versa Beatrix Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel sample. Immediately recognizable as Valley Floor/Oakville fruit. Big, warm, fruity, and earthy, this specimen is a To Kalon mullet on the palate: Cab Franc on the front end, Cab Sauv on the…

Bella Oaks Vineyard Proprietary Red

This wine zips by the front end and rushes straight into mid-palate pleasure, with deep and dark plum and red and black cherry flavors complimented by earth and subtle spice notes. Stays ever-juicy…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Rhadamanthus

Well now party people, you can add me to the list of Cellar Trackers who are all about trumpeting the Kinsman label. The hype is real my friends. I know you don't need me to convince you otherwise,…

Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Red and black cherry dominant, with a dry but concentrated flavor profile that begs for time in bottle (and food). There is power here, especially when compared next to the Laurea, with the Estate…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

A barrel sample. Open your arms up super wide because here comes a big slathery fruit hug that might initially suffocate the senses with its wrap-around Lennie Smalls-like power. But without worry…