Reviews

Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée

Same notes as a year ago. This is built to last and may not reach its true potential until well after 5+ years. Hold until after 2022+.

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoiseur's Series Colbert French Oak St. Helena Mountain

This was served from a massive 12 Liter bottle. A really nice showing considering it was served toward to end of a lengthy evening full of huge Cabernets over the course of four hours. By this time,…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 887 St. Helena

This was served after I had the 2013 version at the bar. I preferred this 2014 to the 2013 mainly because it displayed some nice blue and black fruit and had a touch more concentration. Not…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 887 St. Helena

Same as last year. Tasted at the bar. This had medium concentration and depth; average display of core fruit. Decent frame, but fell off a bit on the back end. The 2014 version was a little more…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Cinghiale Vineyard

A decent Pinot that exhibited some nice dark red cranberry, raspberry, bramble, cedar, and sassafras notes. Not terribly interesting, but had a notable frame and acidic structure that was a welcome…

Del Dotto The David Napa Valley

Similar to the 2014 David except that this was less overt in the sweet department. A little more blue fruit from the 2014, but the 2015 seemed to house its core a little better than the 2014. I…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseur's Series Mo/Fo Blend Vineyard 887 St. Helena

My least favorite of the three 2015 887 BTs. Ripe and rich, but missing some focus on the mid-palate. Came off a little heavier on the back end than the 887 Orion and Colbert.

Del Dotto Chardonnay Family Reserve Cinghiale Vineyard

Similar to the standard 2015 Chardonnay except that the Reserve showed more focus and direction. A little less giving than the standard Chardonnay, with more restrained fruit flavors; some white…

Del Dotto The David Napa Valley

Same as last year. Soft, round, and somewhat inviting, but not displaying any interesting levels of complexity or concentration. This was much sweeter than the 2015 David. Extraction was a bit high,…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoiseur's Series Colbert French Oak Vineyard 887 St. Helena

This was another 887 that displayed very nicely overall. I preferred the 887 Orion South a little more, but this North/Front 887 had a similar profile, but had just a little less depth mid-palate…

Del Dotto Chardonnay Cinghiale Vineyard

A very well done domestic Chardonnay. I much preferred this to the 2014 version I had last year. This 2015 was ripe and voluptuous, with signature yellow fruit, popcorn, vanilla, and lemon curd…

Del Dotto Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve

Similar to my notes on this wine from last year when it was a barrel sample, except that this time around (from bottle) it exhibited a heavy cedar note that distracted a bit from the red and black…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Orion French Oak South Vineyard 887

My favorite of all the Cabernets we had at Barrels & Beasts, the 887 Orion South struck a nice balance between big black fruit (and hints of deep blue and red) and a nice frame of vanilla-laced oak…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Cinghiale Vineyard

This seemed a ways away from coming into any sort of optimum consumption window at this point. Once in bottle with a year of sleep, this may come into better form. The 2014 (served later in the…

Del Dotto Red Dessert Wine

Infused with brandy. Rich, heavy, heady, and super, super extracted. Motor oil, blackberry molasses syrup, and moonshine.

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseurs' Series Centre Sylvain Family Reserve St Helena Mountain Block 2

A bit less blown out by the heavy extracted fruit displayed by the standard 2015 St. Helena Mountain Family Reserve, but this Centre Sylvain still kicked out a bevy of predominantly black fruit…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Rosé

Much like the Sauvignon Blanc, the Rose (which was also offered upon entry to the winery) would have been at least a decent sipper. But again, it was served at near-room temperature. No bueno when…

Del Dotto Cave Blend

The 36% Merlot component of this wine really jumped to the front of the line when it came to core fruit flavors. Blackberry and milk chocolate dominated, with some cedar notes. Round and fat, but…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Mountain

We started off the barrel tastings jumping right into the back of the caves with this big boy Cabernet. Huge, ripe, blue and black fruits. Mid-palate was immediately rushed with heavy fruit flavors…

Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill

A very good wine. Close to one of my favorites of the entire evening. This Villa Del Lago, the Orion South Reserve 887, and the 2012 St. Helena Mountain (from a 12 Liter!) were the stars of the show…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon The Beast

You can essentially cut/paste my notes from last year on the 2014 Beast, except this 2015 seemed even more extracted and lacked much of the finesse or frame found in the 887 wines. It showed me that…

Del Dotto Cabernet Franc Seven Rows

I just couldn't get into this wine. Thin, lacking character, and throwing out some odd high-toned fruit flavors.

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Estate Family Reserve

Similar to the 2014 BT version of this wine from last year. Hints of wood to balance out the extracted fruit, but overall it was a bit forgettable. The 887 wines were much more interesting (and broad…

Del Dotto Sauvignon Blanc

Resembling a comparatively lighter, less tropical version of the domestic varietal, this wine exhibited fairly typical yellow and white stone fruit notes. An agreeable SB, but not one that…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon American Oak Carved & Grooved Family Reserve Alain Fouquet South Oakville

It was an unfortunate pass for me on the American Oak wines. As with the U-Stave North, this Alain Fouquet suffered from the same caramel-laced flavor that distracted from the core fruit. I couldn't…