Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

PnP with higher-toned red fruit notes that scream baby in a bottle. Purity of fruit is evident, as is the balance among the acidity, structure, and core fruit. However, as good a bottle of wine as…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap

Served with a few of the "heavier"/final courses in the evening at Madrona Manor, but still managed to have enough finesse to act like a Pinot when it needed to. Paired great with dishes that…

Iron Horse Vineyards Wedding Cuvée

Served at Madrona Manor (amazing dinner!) with the first few amuses. Decent depth and a little less crisp than expected. It made it an easy drinker in that regard. Not overly brut, dry, or…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

PnP was very tight and acidic; typical young RM notes of cranberry, pomegranate, red cherry, and hints of orange rind and spice box. No worries, as this is usually the way most of these little guys…

Three Sticks Chardonnay Durell Vineyard

A pleasant, round, and inviting Chardonnay. The creamy, yeast and almond-laced notes were at the forefront, with agreeable lemon curd and citrus fruit rounding out the finish.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

I hadn't originally planned on opening this wine, but a flawed 2012 Carter Coliseum pushed me to make sure a bottle of the 2013 wasn't having issues too.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block

Slight hints of alcohol and vinegar on the nose. Same on the palate. Fruit was dead and flat; slightly sour aftertaste. No finish otherwise. Air made the alcohol and acid more pronounced. Never…

12c Cabernet Sauvignon G3 Reserve Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

PnP with a small pour; it was really tight and high-toned. Red fruit notes with alcohol. A little tart in the finish, but some deeper red and purple fruit flavors started to peek through. Came across…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Not surprisingly, PnP was indeed a little jammy and primary. Purple and red berry notes, alcohol, and some asphalt.

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Demigods & Demons

This is in as perfect of a drinking window as I would imagine it will ever be. Hugely plush, deep, fruit forward, and extremely giving on the attack. The silky glide is unreal, with a glycerin-coated…

Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

Similar to my previous notes. A little more higher toned black raspberry liqueur and Amarena Fabbri black cherry notes dominating the palate this time around. This particular bottle threw off a lot…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

PnP and over the course of the first couple of hours, notes of higher-toned, red berry fruit dominated. Red currant, some tart cranberry (which wasn't the most desirable of flavors for me personally…

Keplinger Mars

Similar to my notes from last summer. Double decanted and then swirled it around in a wide bottomed decanter at 54 degrees for about one hour. Notes of kirsch, black cherry, black raspberry, thyme,…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard

Similar to my previous note except this has really smoothed out since the last time I tasted it 6+ months ago. PnP with just some swirling in the glass gave way to nice black raspberry, black cherry,…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

Same as last month. A decent bottle of wine that is on the downswing of its life (not in a bad way, but just reaching the secondary/tertiary stages of its maturity). It didn't need decanting at all.…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP was an exercise in all things glutinous and homey: fat, fruity, sweet, and succulent. Started out as too much of a good thing, like an awkward, romping Labrador puppy that was just full of…

Forman Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as all of my previous notes, except that I felt this go-around had a decent hit of more fruit and overall depth than before. This might be the most encouraging experience I've had with this…

Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

Same as my previous notes. Drink sooner than later in my opinion. 93 tops. A bit overdone and sweet for me.

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

I am actually reluctant to rate this as 100 points just because that tends to set different expectations for different people. Tonight, for me, this was a perfect wine for my palate. Somewhat…

Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

I'm not sure how some folks are getting all of these tiered flavor profiles out of this wine at the moment. For me, it stayed fairly linear and static over the course of a three hour decant. PnP…

Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

After a couple of hours in the decanter, this wine exhibited notes of red and black currant, black cherry, purple plum, cedar, alcohol, and a bit of chalky limestone. Had a lot of verve and energy on…

Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley

Tight, reserved, and not extremely giving in terms of core fruit flavors. Some red and black currant, alcohol, and cedar. Mid-palate was weak and flat. Not something I would ever revisit if I didn't…

Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon Cask

PnP with notes of black fruit, dark plum, black licorice, and some dark chocolate. Agreeable and an easy crowd pleaser, but fairly flat and predictable on the attack. What I would consider a "basic"…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

I'm really liking this wine right now. It is in a very good place with barely a splash decant. Red and black currant, licorice, black cherry liqueur, purple plum, blue and grey pebbles, and hints of…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

NOW we are back in business with this wine! On 5/8/2016 I had the 2012 Ontogeny and it was extremely tight and fairly unforgiving. I was a bit worried this was going into a prolonged transitional…