Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family

As chewy and fruit-driven as the 2018 Myriad Crane, the Peterson rides a little higher than the Crane in terms of overall depth, but notably fills the palate with a gorgeous saturation of sweet…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

So.Much.Cassis.. and black cherry liqueur on the front of this wine right now. This sample was all about the frontal push of heavy gobs of cherry, cherry, cherry. It's like a bulldog with its…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Gobs of ripe fruit, sweet cassis, and red/purple licorice. A dark stallion kind of wine at its core, but encompassed by the typical Mike Smith-meets-Crane rounded ripeness and succulence. Beautifully…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Blackberry, oak char, burnt embers, asphalt, seriously dark cassis, and a fistful of enticing minerality make for another sexy-gothic bottle juice. The 2018 Quivet LPV is indeed the jet-black haired…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

From Oakville, this sample was opened yesterday (which seemed to show a little bit of its evolution in terms of frame over flavor at this point). Nevertheless, red and black cherry fruit show good…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

Fuller and richer than the Mon Chevalier and Passionnment, this suave debutante impresses for its plush black cherry liqueur core that gratifies the palate from stem to stern. Notably balanced with…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnément

The spice trade is alive and well in the 2012 Passionnement, with all sorts of Indian spices and black pepper swarming around the black raspberry and black cherry core. Finishes dry (not as dry as…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Massive chocolatey and meaty fruit on the attack, with sweet gobs of black and red raspberry, cassis, licorice, and charcuterie on the front end. Quite the bitter bite on the tail at the moment.

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

The nose hits you pretty quickly with ripe blackberry and poblano chili, letting you know almost immediately that this is definitely hailing from the cooler, wetter 2011 vintage. First sips confirm…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

This is certainly up there with the top 2017s to come out of Napa by far. Immediately it shows itself as a "complete" wine, with all the necessary moving parts hitting the right chords at the right…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Obviously a barrel sample that has only had just a wee bit of time to even start thinking about what it wants to be when it goes up, the 2019 MG juice clearly has high aspirations from becoming an…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Reserve

As Cristal2000 mentioned, this wine was a definite surprise of the tasting. The 2012 Saint Helena Reserve punches WAY above its division; I personally thought this had all the complexity and flavor…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Red and black cherry liqueur and purple plum skin beautifully explode in a cascade of pure and fresh fruit flavors. Primary and vigilant, but focused and lively, the core delivers a mouthful of…

Melka Cabernet Sauvignon Métisse Montbleau

Rich chocolatey black raspberry, licorice, and black cherry liqueur rush up front-and-center with the initial kick of fat fruit on the attack. A highly perfumed candy shop of flavor, like a Viognier…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Estate

So, there's the Estate Sauvignon Blanc...and with the 2018 vintage there will also be this RESERVE Sauvignon Blanc to put its dukes up and battle the domestic Sancerre movement in the Napa Valley.…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Block B

From B Block. A higher register animal than the 2015 and 2016 dark earthy beasts, this 2017 hits the palate with red and purple plum skin and red and black raspberry notes. Offers a youthfully…

Melka Métisse Martinez Vineyard Pritchard Hill

From the first sip, anyone who is familiar with Pritchard Hill knows that this wine speaks loud and clear about its roots. Tension-driven and nervy; high on acid and higher-toned aromatics on the…

Arkenstone Syrah

I loved this sample. Super meaty and viscous, like chewing on a bacon-wrapped date that was dipped in the most flavorful tar you could lap up from dragging your tongue across I-5 on a late August…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus

From the site that has been known as "Not the Materium, but the other wine that Maybach makes," the Amoenus makes an appearance on the Arkenstone label in 2018. The first sip tells you this thing is…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

If the VHR wasn't enough to slap me silly with the possession of a thousand fun-filled flavors, the Crane offered little help in the exorcism from the continuing onslaught of savor-the-flavor palate…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

An initial horizontal attack of primary black cherry and cassis flavors made for a youthfully primary delivery on the front end. With air, blackberry and black raspberry liqueur, blackberry seed,…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

A big wine with fantastic grip. Black and red raspberry dominate. The acid rushes in and swiftly grips the front end. A zippy mid-palate, finishing with a much-needed downshift that allows for some…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

An initial horizontal attack lends its way to a broader flavor expansion with a good hit of air, jumping into gear and kicking out read and black cherry notes on the front end. Much more red-fruited…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Rich, chewy, perfumed, and about as exciting as they come, the 2016 Macdonald is a shake your money maker kind of experience, grabbing a hold the palate and unloading gobs of dark, black fruit;…

Arkenstone Estate

Blackberry seed, obsidian, burnt embers, and chewy licorice, with mineral and scorched earth notes zipping around the concentrated core. More than a fair amount of power here, finishing youthfully…