Reviews

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Holy Mary Mother of God. If you've loved previous LPVs from Carter, you're gonna freak out over this wine. If this shakes out right, I can see this wine following its 2013 older brother and becoming…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

The 2013 Coombsville and Stagecoach were a straight tie for me this time around. Exact same notes of blackberry, black currant, black raspberry, black licorice, dark cacao, freshly turned mulch,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Here is where we really started to ratchet up the intensity and complexity. This felt like a huge jump in flavors compared to the Coliseum and Fortuna. The 2014 Weitz displayed wonderful purple,…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Uproar

Same as my notes from 2/12/2016. Blackberry, black raspberry, black and red currant, purple berry, and red and black licorice. The best of the Uproars, but still straightforward and simple.…

TOR Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

PnP with tight lemon and steely, pebbly notes. After some air, a bit of an uptick with additional hints of grass and nuanced minerality.

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard

Wait; wait; wait! This needs much more time. I had this last year with a couple of hours in the decanter and it seemed to be moving along nicely. However, this go-around it was extraordinarily tight…

Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Old Vine Block Peterson Family Vineyard

Similar to the standard 2011 SBR PS with its purple and black berry fruit, black raspberry, asphalt, and chocolate notes. However, the Old Vine ratchets up the vanilla bean and oak a tad bit, but…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée

Not too much different from my CT notes in August 2015. This didn't start to really show its stuff until 2+ hours in the decanter. Raspberry liqueur, chocolate covered cherries (not overly sweet),…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

I know I should wait a while, but with a case of a wine I've not yet tried staring me in the face, it was a little hard to resist anymore. In the name of science...

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Very similar to my CT notes from 11/7/2015 except I do agree with others that the intensity has shifted a bit, but not much (in my opinion). I was still very much drawn to the core fruit and depth…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

Well I was planning on holding this last bottle for a year or so, but it didn't work out that way this time. So...

Realm Cellars The Tempest

As expected, a superb Merlot-based red. I echo previous notes from others on this wine. Still holding a little back on the PnP, but managed to push out some really nice flavors after about three…

Favia Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP with a striking hit to the palate of dark fruit, red and black licorice, pumice/stone, asphalt, and the faintest of clove. Wonderful tension and verve, with an energetic pulse of ripe muddled red…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

A wonderful expression of a Stags Leap Cabernet. PnP with elegant but dark purple and black berry fruit notes, red and black licorice, black wet slate, red and black currant, and faint baking spice.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

First bottle of this was flawed (I presume). This second bottle was better, but not overwhelmingly better. Plum flavors, round purple and red berry notes, as well as faint earth and spice. All in…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Pulled the cork and there was absolutely no "pop" sound; that's sometimes the first sign of "all bad." The smell of the cork wasn't too bad, but it certainly had a bit of a funky smell about it.

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes on this wine 6+ months ago. Hasn't changed too much except that it appears to have softened a bit, which is a little unusual given the BTK pedigree. On PnP it was a…

TOR Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It has been a year since I last had this wine. The punchline here is HOLD for another year or two at least. Upon PnP, this wine felt both restrained and clumsy, with tight red and purple berry,…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beautiful Generation

Similar to my notes on 2/12/2016. Just an amazing bottle of wine and a comparatively good QPR among the realms of high-class Napa Cabernets.

Mending Wall Stone on Stone

Nice tropical fruit, pineapple, lemon verbena, grass, and some mineral notes. Decent acidity and texture, but dropped off a bit on the mid-palate and finish. Would not be able to differentiate this…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard

Holy bajeezus! What an amazing ride of a wine. PnP with tight and slightly chalky notes of black and purple berry fruit, slate, granite, asphalt, road tar, dust, bramble, and a hint of black coffee…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Cloudy's Vineyard

On initial PnP, this wine unloaded with a dense, fully packed punch of dark purple and black berry core fruit. Some red and black currant and black raspberry cut like a spear through the coiled-up…

Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon M5 Stagecoach Vineyard

PnP with notes of red currant, black raspberry, black cherry, tight purple plum, and some cedar and earth. A little narrow and linear, but not astringent or distractingly tannic. A nice cut to the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Previous notes apply. 94-95 solid points. Awesome as always. Didn't really give this time to open up, so I would recommend a few hours in the decanter.

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

PnP with coiled-up flavors of purple berry and black licorice notes. A good dose of alcohol and a tart aftertaste that made me wonder if this bottle was flawed. This threw off my palate in a way that…