Reviews

Mail Road Wines Pinot Noir Blocks 2, 3, 5 Mt. Carmel

Same as my notes from February, but this still needs quite a bit of time in bottle to integrate. High pitched and never fully shedding itself of a tartness/sourness that was a bit distracting,…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Summit 2114

Same as my notes from 3/8/2016. Took some time to open up (about two total hours in the decanter). Ended up mellowing out pretty quickly at the post-two hour mark. Glided into a nice (though less…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

I definitely concur with much of what J_Smallwood had to say about this wine. This has certainly opened up quite a bit since I last had it back in February. After about an hour or two in a…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Same as four months ago. PnP and served around 54 degrees. Drink now and over the next year or so. Ready right now. Drinks WAY above its original allocation price point ($25). 92-93 points.

Shafer Relentless

Previous notes on specific flavors still apply. Awesome wine, and inching its way up in score for me as time goes on. PnP was near-perfect and ready right out of the gate.

Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my previous notes from May. Delicious wine. Didn't really even need a decant. After a few hours of air, it was gliding beautifully. A big fistful of Cabernet hendonism. Outstanding!

DuMOL Syrah Jack Robert's Run

A very "friendly" Syrah, with easily accessible notes of blackberry and blueberry, with smoke and floral hints framing out the core fruit.

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Same as my notes a few weeks ago, though this was inching toward the 95 point range. This was the final wine in the lineup, and managed to hold strong even in the face of the amazing Daughters of…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Daughters of Earth Goldrock Ridge

Same as my other previous notes on this wine. An absolutely amazing bottle of wine. One of the best domestic Pinots on the planet, and one that totally blew all of the others in the lineup out of the…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Druid's Metaphor

Same as my notes from August, the Druid's still came across very young and a bit primary. It's no wonder they held the release of this wine back until recently. I still continued to taste strawberry…

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Second in the lineup, and the first of the trio of Cabernets, the 2014 Boich GIII reminded me of the 2012 in its round fruit and friendly, approachable flavor profile. Still young (bottled in June)…

Wren Hop Chardonnay Needle's Eye

I hadn't tasted this wine since its release a few years ago. Back then, I especially loved the lemon curd and mineral notes that raced across the palate. This go-around, it seemed like the fruit was…

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

What a great showing on this wine! Drank alongside a 2013 Myriad; after 30 minutes in the decanter, the Rudd took off like a rocket. Bursting with dark black raspberry, black cherry, deep red and…

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Select

The inaugural release of this wine from the Howell Mountain appellation, Boich's Howell Mountain Select is exactly what you might expect from a young Cabernet from the region: bold and dark blue and…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Architects & Saboteurs

Same as my notes from August and before. Almost as good as the Daughters of Earth, with just a tad less in terms of layered complexity. Wins huge points for power and intensity, and the most…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Served side-by-side with a 2008 Rudd Oakville. At first PnP, the Myriad exploded with its typical awesome dark berry fruit.

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road

The best of the wines tasted from Boich, the Wall Road inched its way past the Howell Mountain Select. With its more enticing dark bramble berry fruits and elevated vivacity, the Wall Road came off…

Boich Family Cellar Syrah Wall Road Terrace

The first of four wines poured. This was understandably tight and a little lithe for a California Syrah. Some of the mountain fruit was evident, with hints of bramble and minerality surrounding the…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Hustle & Flow

Much more interesting and elevated than the 2014 War and Peace, with more depth (even for a 2014) and nice spice box flavors. Still incredibly young and in need of at least 2 years of bottle age, but…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir War & Peace

The lightest and least expressive of the wines tasted, the War and Peace played into the delicate stigma associated with its Swan clone configuration. A thin representation of the varietal, even…

Pruett Vineyards Syrah Taylor's Reserve

Still about the same as my notes from last year. A very well-made Syrah, especially for the price-point. Not sure time will really move this into any further significant or elevated flavor profile;…

Keever Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

A very enjoyable Cabernet, with just a little more restraint and "middle-of-the-road" flavor profile than I tend to be otherwise drawn to. Classic red and black currant, unburnt cigar/tobacco leaf,…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

Same as my previous notes almost a year ago. A solid wine to be sure, with still some youthful restraint keeping it from coming to full fruition. Decanted for a total of three hours. Time/air helped…

D.R. Stephens Cabernet Sauvignon Moose Valley Vineyard

The best of the three wines tasted at the winery. Still high pitched and somewhat tart, but not nearly as acidic as the Walther.

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

It's been about 6 months since I last had this wine. Specific flavors were identical to my notes back then. PnP was an explosion of fruit-forward and dark/ripe blueberry, purple plum, black…