Reviews

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Black, black, black fruit, with black wet burnt cedar, tar, scorched earth, and black rock. Extraordinarily complex, with the best of Venge's often flamboyant style perfectly harnessed by the best…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

It's big. It's dark. It's awesome.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Tight and linear this time around, with the 2013 vintage showing its desire to clamp down on those otherwise beautiful black and red berry fruit notes desperately trying to push their way forward.…

Fait-Main Chardonnay Penhoet Toyon Farm

Previous notes apply, though this behaved a bit more like a Sauvignon Blanc this time around (especially when it was on the colder side). Linear but hyper-clean pure yellow citrus, flint, and chalk…

Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Somewhat similar to my last year's note in terms of specific flavor elements by name, except that every aspect of the flavor profile here has tripled in terms of richness. This has become even more…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Blackberry, blueberry, black asphalt, black currant, and dark spice. Medium-bodied weight-wise, but pushing forward with a formidable drive that provides energy and verve. Finishes dry and rocky,…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Barrel sample. Dark and dense, rich and concentrated, this Vangone is a stellar example of a decidedly monstrous fruit core encompassed by a formidable but amazingly flavorful robe of sweet tannins.…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Barrel sample. Enticing and brooding blackberry and obsidian flavors lead the way on the front wave of the attack. Swiftly tannic and mineral-driven within seconds of delivery, skirting across the…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Black raspberry, blackberry, black and purple plum skin, black cherry, asphalt, slate, bitter chocolate, clove, and some incense. The rock elements continue to encompass and drive the rest of the…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

Red and black cherry, ripe strawberry, red-purple plum, red currant, sandalwood, leather, and a little vanilla-alcohol on the periphery. Riding a little higher and redder than the LPV and Crane…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. Much in line with the 2016, the 2018 Memento Mori Crane seems to be headed on a trajectory that highlights gorgeous, dark black and red core fruit, most especially in regards to…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD

Notes of cranberry, strawberry, red and black cherry, red licorice, and vanilla lead the way in the newest rendition of the Arkenstone NVD. Riding high with a register that currently darts around the…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Exhibiting a more fruit-driven core when compared to its LPV sibling, this sample of the Crane delivered darker and richer plum and black currant notes, with less of a mineral-driven undertow than…

Arkenstone Estate

Barrel sample. Young and vibrant, with a fruit-forward attack that pushes out blackberry pie, purple plum, black raspberry, and bitter chocolate. Well balanced and mouthwatering, with the fruity…

Arkenstone Syrah

And the headline reads... "Herd of hairless yogurt-fed Moroccan goats fatally entangled in a summer-ripened blackberry patch in the scorching 120-degree Sahara. 'Goat Parfait' becomes new Moorish…

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,…

Arkenstone Estate

Black raspberry and black cherry dominate here, with cinnamon, anise, and some faint cedar filling out the overall profile. Determined tannins, with a grippy frontal attack. Hyper-focused, with the…

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…

Realm Cellars Moonracer

As Cristal2000 mentioned, this is likely the best Moonracer to date. Far more complex and expanding in the palate than the 2014, and a worthy follow-up to the 2015, this 2016 Moonracer delivers…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

Performing very well since I sampled it from barrel last year, the Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc pops onto the palate with vibrant lemon verbena, dry grass and hay, lemon and lime zest, citrus blossom,…

Realm Cellars The Bard

Chocolate covered red cherries, raspberry truffle, Amarena black cherry syrup, and chocolate covered chocolate. Chewy, meaty, and encircled by some confection-heavy flavors. The delivery comes off…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

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

Arkenstone Obsidian

Dusty blackberry, black cherry, red and black currant, and Muir Woods forest floor make up the core elements of the 2010 Obsidian (Estate). Showing some age with its earth and saddle leather notes,…

Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Fidelio

Grapefruit, lemon grass, melon, and yellow citrus. A guava-meets-grapefruit flavor repeats throughout the delivery as well, with faint hits of pear and peach on the tail end. Finishes smooth and…

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

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