Reviews

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon 9 Oaks 36 Month French Select Block 2 St. Helena Mountain

Surprisingly accessible and overall a well done, top shelf expression of Napa Cabernet. As good or better as the 2014 equivalent barrel sample tried at the winery's Barrels & Beasts a few months…

Blankiet Estate Proprietary Red Wine Paradise Hills Vineyard

It's been almost a year since I last had this wine. Previous notes apply except that this is ready to drink now. Showed really great for the first hour (96+ points for a brief minute), but after a…

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

Bright and lively, with nice yellow citrus acidity and grassy notes. Some minerality, pear, pith, and just a hint of alkaline.

12c Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

PnP with notes of black and red berry fruit, black cherry, prominent licorice, tire tread/rubber, and some forest floor and earth/funk. Came off a little wonky and unresolved at the moment; flavors…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

I was going to wait on this, but I wanted to follow it over a couple of days. PnP was nice and vibrant, with red and black berry fruits. Not a lot of additional flavors initially, but after a few…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

On the heels of having thoroughly loved the 2014 TOR BTK Cabernet recently at the Tor tasting at Meadowood, I decided to pop this 2012 BTK Cabernet.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Interesting... I had this side-by-side with a day-two-in-bottle (gassed) 2013 Scarlett. Though I've had a number of bottles of the Myriad GIII (and previous specific notes still apply), this was the…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, YACKMAN called it (no surprise). This wine has certainly continued to transition into something noteworthy over the last 4 months. I kept saying I was going to wait until the Fall, but hey, I…

Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon

Served at La Toque restaurant, Napa.

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon East Meets West

As with the majority of Tor's high end Cabernets, the East Meets West was a very well done wine. However, I'm not sure it was ultimately the best use of the vineyards necessarily, as two great…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Black Magic

Though the Black Magic was undeniably an incredible wine (essentially a "Reserve" offering of the BTK Cabernet), I much preferred the BTK over the Black Magic. For certain, the Black Magic was…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard

The 2014 Tor Melanson ratcheted up the intensity and was the first wine of the afternoon where everyone looked at each other and collectively began nodding their heads with that notion of, "Now we're…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Vineyard

Surprisingly, this was served after the 2014 BTK Cabernet. Even though I was still experiencing the finish from the BTK, I was able to hitch a ride right on to the Cimarossa flavor train and…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon

This was smartly the first Cabernet (+Cab blends) of the lineup. Medium bodied, and showing a little like a second-rate Cabernet at this stage, this wine struggled to come out of its shell and…

TOR Syrah Rogers La Herradura

Like the Grenache, this Syrah came off a bit thin mid-palate. Undeniably young, and a step up from the Grenache for sure, this Syrah was in serious need of sleep time. Not astringent or tannic; just…

TOR Grenache Palisades Vineyard

I know Tor loves his Rhone varietals, but I always seem to struggle with his versions of these wines, especially the Grenache. I've been trying these wines for the last 6 years or so, and quite…

TOR Chardonnay Cuvée Torchiana

Reminding me of an elevated version of the 2015 Tor Hyde Chardonnay, the Torchiana had a nice pop of minerality and salinity to frame the yellow citrus, lemon, white peach, and some oaky vanillin…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Hands down the best wine of the fifteen Tor wines sampled during the tasting event. Even more captivating than the Black Magic (the "Reserve" BTK). Unbelievable intensity and depth, kicking out…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Tierra Roja

This was a little more wild and brambly when compared to the softer and rounder Herb Lamb tasted just before it. Higher-toned red and black fruit-driven at the moment, the Tierra Roja will likely…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard

A new offering from Tor using the Herb Lamb Vineyard to source a single vineyard designation Cabernet Sauvignon. A beautifully centered wine, with some nice darker fruits peeking out of it. Showed…

TOR Proprietary Red Wine

The heavy addition of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (both 43%, with the Cabernet Sauvignon only accounting for the remaining 14%) with this Oakville blend initially came off a bit angular and…

Carlisle Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard

PnP with extraordinarily tight and tart high-toned red and purple berry notes. NUTTY08 noted a prominent pomegranate flavor, which was dead on. Not astringent or biting, but clenched so tight I could…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous tasting notes apply. My last bottle. PnP was slightly tight, with some alcohol lingering on the finish. Red and black fruit dominant, with black licorice, red and black currant, and some…

Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Eisele Vineyard

Lovely and smooth. Not especially memorable as a stand-alone drink, but obviously well crafted. Classic SB flavors; not a tropical fruit bomb, but not plagued with an alkaline/wet stone astringency…

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Identical to my notes from October 2015. This wine has a lot of verve and energy, packed with coiled-up red and blue fruit flavors. Very good now; will hopefully be greater in another year or two.…