Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Previous notes apply. This is just as solid as it gets for a 2014 sub-$100 wine. PnP and it was good to go, though some air in the glass with a little swirling brought out deeper black cherry and…

Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon HL

At first sip, a similar experience to my CT notes a few months ago. However, a soft plum note appeared after an hour or so of decanting, which threw off some of the initial classical Cabernet flavors…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Same as my notes from 8 months ago. Black cherry and plum liqueur dominated for the first three hours (slowly draining the bottle between our two glasses - no decant). Showed especially beautiful and…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

Likely one of the best representations of the Coombsville site that I've ever had. Beautifully haunting and dark blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, black currant, charred oak, melted dark…

Realm Cellars The Tempest

PnP with notes of blackberry, black cherry, charcoal, bitter chocolate, and hints of cassis liqueur. After a 30 minute decant, the alcohol/liqueur flavor tapered off; the charcoal note became more…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Martinez Vineyard

Deep black raspberry, black cherry, cassis, black currant, and subtle bitter chocolate. Some vanilla-laced alcohol at the tail end of the attack, circling inside the mouth and clipping the finish…

AJ Pearce Cabernet Sauvignon Massoumi Vineyard

Made by the proprietor at The Wine Thief in Napa. As a sub-$100 wine ($75 retail), this showed a very approachable side to the 2013 vintage. If I understood him correctly, this wine was aged for 39…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Franc

Tasted at the House of Tusk Celebration event.

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted at the House of Tusk Celebration event.

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

Black and red fruit; some spice and sweet cassis as well. Deeply pitched and kicking out much more drive when compared to the 2014. The 2015 wrapped around the palate nicely, especially on the front…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

PnP, with somewhat reticent notes of red and black fruit, cassis, and some earth and spice notes. I was missing some of the superlative intonations that would have otherwise driven me to express…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon

Round and accessible with no hard edges. Some nice red and black (and hints of blue) fruit. Black cherry and cacao nibs dominated, with some vanilla alcohol, cedar, and earth on the back end.

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Very much in my lane in terms of the superior level of overall delivery that comes from the BTK site. Oakville fruit shown with a concentration and depth one would expect from a top tier wine, but…

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my notes from last year, except that I would project an optimum drinking window as far out as after 2020 or 2021+. The first few hours of consumption were so constricted it was difficult to…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus

Similar to my tasting notes in March, except that this especially showed dominant red and black cherry liqueur notes, along with red volcanic minerality and red clay earth notes. A fascinating wine…

Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Fidelio

Same as my specific tasting notes from June 20, 2017. I've been fortunate enough to have a couple beautiful SQN whites lately, so they were still in my mind as I was sipping this Realm. I'd love to…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Initial sip on PnP was a hit of heat/alcohol and high register notes of pink terra cotta, hot red brick, pomegranate, and tart plum. A bit splintery on the attack, with the heat washing around the…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tin Box Vineyard

Similar to last year, this version of Tin Box displayed its signature red, black, and some purple fruit flavors, plum, black and red currant, black cherry, and the slightest hints of spice. This was…

Staglin Family Chardonnay Estate

Pure yellow citrus, lemon curd, pear, and subtle stone fruit. More focused and precise than the 2014 Salus served before it. This had a notable delivery of flavors across the palate; very deliberate…

Staglin Family Ineo

Round, plush, fruit-forward, and indicative of the 2014 vintage. Not extraordinarily complex in terms of its delivery of any captivating, tiered flavors, the Ineo was a bit forgettable, especially…

Bevan Cellars Danger D Cuvée Showket Vineyards

A special treat to be able to try this wine. Tasted with "Danger D" himself - a remarkable man indeed. Beautifully integrated tannins with resolved flavors of deep black and red fruit, black and red…

Staglin Family Chardonnay Salus

A nice, round style exhibiting expected notes of lemon curd and yellow citrus, creamy vanilla, and subtle pineapple. Smooth and simple. The balance is noteworthy, as is the overall mouthfeel and…

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

Previous notes apply. 9 months since my last 2012 OG. Performed very nicely, but I felt like this was still a bit restrained. Purity of fruit was noteworthy, with a nice cedar note that crept up on…

Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

I was quite impressed with this wine. Not my preferred style in some respects, with a more reserved, classical profile on the attack. Yet, the delineation of flavors was extremely precise and…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard

Same as my notes two months ago. The best of the 2015 Bevans. Though still young and somewhat primary in its youthful delivery, the mid-palate concentration and complex flavor profile are certainly…