Reviews

Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosemary's Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Wait another year. Still a little thin and linear mid palate.

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

It's been a year since I've last had this wine. My previous notes apply from November 2015. It was a little tight and acidic at first, but unwound nicely after some vigorous swirling in the glass.…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

Previous notes apply. Hold for another year in hopes the hot, sweet, alcohol-tinged flavors will settle in a more integrated fashion.

Switchback Ridge Anniversary Blend Peterson Family Vineyard

Good. Not astounding. A cedar aftertaste distracted from the core fruit. Time in a decanter for an hour or two helped, but I'm not sure if this will ever really come into a place of real excitement…

Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Could still use 6-12 months to develop its glide a little better. A beautiful 2011 PS for sure. Hold for now.

Carlisle Syrah James Berry Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Hold until 2018. Came off a little sweet and disjointed initially. Opened up a bit more after a few hours in the decanter, but was still a little too plush and round for my…

The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

All of my previous notes apply. WOTN for everyone. Needed a splash decant and was quickly on its way to showing itself off. Quickly disappeared.

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld

An enticing bottle of wine from start to finish. Drinking extremely well with about a 30 minute decant. Rich and deep, with the perfect kiss of sweet cassis and red and black licorice to compliment…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

PnP with surprisingly accessible but still fairly tight and somewhat muted notes of red and black currant, black licorice, a smidgen of blueberry-chocolate liqueur, blue slate, and a faint hint of…

Valdez Family Winery Petite Sirah Landy Vineyard

Same as my previous notes, with earthy funk and olive brine flavors to compliment the otherwise dark core of purple, red, and black berry fruit. Asphalt and some spice on the back end. My girl…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Actaeon Quixote Vineyard

PnP with tightly coiled notes of red and purple berry fruit, red currant, tobacco leaf, and some spice. I let this balled-up little monster unravel in a decanter for two-three hours. What emerged…

Cliff Lede High Fidelity

Some of my previous notes apply, but this was indeed more accessible than six months ago. With a short decant, it was drinking at what I would expect to be close to its apex. It developed over time,…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

Same as my notes from last month except that I moved this up a point. It was tasted side-by-side with a 2010 KB Gap's Crown. Both were very good, and sort of intersecting each other in their…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

Same as my notes from July, except that I knocked this down a point, as it seemed to fade fairly rapidly after a few hours of air. I would not recommend decanting. Enjoy sooner than later; I feel…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

As previously mentioned, and quite ironically, this was poured at a private event with around 50 guests. For that, this wine was indeed a safe bet. All of the bottles were ultimately drained and the…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Oracle's Whisper

I need to listen to my own advice... WAIT...

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

Starting to show a little progress from 6 months ago when I last tried it, the Hossfeld Coliseum displayed some nice Merlot-driven curves and rounded (but a little reserved) richness. Similar to my…

Envy Wines Chenin Blanc

Crisp and a bit dry without totally sucking the moisture out of the palate and sides of the cheeks the way some Chenin Blancs can do. Light and vibrant, with a finish that was surprisingly not bitter…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

I really dig this wine. Previous notes apply. I could drink the hell out of this GIII and kill the bottle before I knew what hit me.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

The final wine in the lineup - and for good reason - the Carter Three Kings showed why it can compete with the best in Napa Valley. Though I am still partial to the OG and LPV in 2014 (so far), the…

Ancillary Cellars Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard

A little darker than the Sun Chase, but a little more muted and thin, with black cherry, mulch, and a hint of mushroom. Once the Sun Chase got past its balled-up tartness and predominantly red,…

Ancillary Cellars Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard

Fairly high-toned and a little tart at first, with cranberry and pomegranate flavors. Acid seemed high initially, with a drying quality on the finish. Some swirling in the glass coaxed out some nice…

Ancillary Cellars Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard

A really beautiful bottle of Chardonnay all the way around. Notes of lemon olive oil, lemon verbena, quince preserve (hints of tropical fruit), pear, and some faint vanilla bean. A bit of a buttered…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

After having the Myriad GIII (which was a very giving wine, displaying tons of dark fruit and a hedonistic mouthfeel), the Carter Weitz seemed extra tight. All of the flavors were there (previous…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

In a year's time, I feel like I will like this wine close to as much as its 2013 older brother. The fruit here is unquestionably beautiful, especially for an appellation, "standard" Cabernet. Same as…