Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Structure and tannins lead the attack here, with some hot-off-the-presses, racy red and black fruit flavors that are pushed rapidly over the palate with significant heft and energy. Stops in time to…

Steltzner Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

Cotton candy confection is at the forefront of this wine at the moment. Some purple and red berry fruit notes, laced with vanilla and whipped cream. Hold for 3-5+ years so it can hopefully shed some…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

The standard Myriad Crane offers well-balanced flavors of black cherry yogurt, red and black licorice, and some gravelly earth notes. Faint dirt and soil notes can also be found running around in the…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Pangkarra Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Ah, the "Supa Hoppa!"... As expected, this is the super-duper-uber Becklyn Missouri Hopper 2.0, and it shows accordingly. Take everything you know about the Hopper, add more wet soil, more roast…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Steltzner Vineyard

Red and purple berry fruit, pulverized granite, and some subtle spice. Much less black and intense this go-around than from when I had it out of barrel. A very satisfying and complete wine, though…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Blackberry, black cherry, and ripe purple fruit compile the core fruit, with scorched earth, wet cedar, and obsidian framing the general profile. This is displaying a bit of a reduced and macerated…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper

Creosote, blackberry, damp black earth, fresh turned soil, and some charcuterie notes cut in line before the frame eventually catches up with its semi-sweet, rich tannins. A bit of an onslaught on…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Steltzner Vineyard

A tight and fuzzy frame surrounds a pulsating core of blackberry, black cherry, black rock, and bitter chocolate. Behaving almost like a Las Piedras on an Arnold Pumping Iron horse juice regimen of…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Not surprisingly, the Crane is similar in most ways to the Elysian in terms of its enticing flavor profile. Black cherry dominates, with some red cherry and licorice; faint earth and spice…

12c Cabernet Sauvignon G3 Reserve Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Almost indistinguishable from the 12C, the 12C G3 Reserve displayed a same red and black fruit interlaced with cedar and dry, dusty soil notes; exhibited nearly-identical weight distribution and…

Ancillary Cellars Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard

Very similar to the Sun Chase, if not a little lighter on its feet overall in terms of depth of flavor and elongated finish, the Sangiacomo impresses for its freshness and purity of higher-toned red…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elysian Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Pumping out that Dr. Crane black cherry core that ya'll are familiar with, the Elysian falls in-line with the compelling 2015 and 2016 vintages in terms of overall profile and intensity. Earth and…

12c Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Red and black fruit, and seemingly the most light-footed of the 2017s in the tasting. As is typical with the 12C, a cedar and earth element rides throughout the delivery. A much daintier example of…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Pellet Vineyard

The Pellet displays very similar to the Kenefick, perhaps even a hair deeper and intense, with a darker, more brooding profile. There is also some elevated red fruit that skips across the palate and…

Ancillary Cellars Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard

A healthy does of rhubarb and muddled strawberry lead the charge here, with a slight vanilla cream note on the finish. If you try hard, you'll maybe detect a citrus element, but it plays…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Round Pond Vineyard

Similar as I recall from barrel, but ultimately the Round Pond was somewhat of an enigma for me. There is purple fruit intermingling with tobacco leaf and earth, but I was getting a Pine-sol note…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kenefick Ranch

The 2017 Quivet Kenefick and Pellet samples tasted identical to me in their current states. Some sweet vanilla and strawberry cream elements encircle the red cherry core, with hints of spice barely…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

My notes on this wine started out with "WAIT," as the first sip displayed a walled-off demeanor fortified with tannins and an almost bitter clamp that initially stomped on the fruit. Luckily, with…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Lighter bodied than the Steltzner, but with a very similar fruit profile; exhibiting red and purple berry fruit and some strawberry vanilla cream to add some interest. Purple plum shows up on the…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

Purple and red fruit. Initially an unassuming and straightforward delivery, but the Scarlett picks up some weight mid-way through and pushes its fruity character on through the medium finish. A much…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kenefick Ranch

Black fruit galore; likely the blackest Kenefick I've had to date, behaving more like a throttled-down version of the Steltzner. Blackberry, black cherry, black currant, and black rock. Did I mention…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Empyrean Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Similar to the GIII with its red and black cherry and subtle chocolate-spice, but much more linear and clamped-down in its current state. It has sophistication and the potential stuffing for a…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Much like the Myriad Twins, the standard Becklyn sample displayed fresh, ripe red and black fruit, albeit with a more reserved temperament overall at the moment. Complete, friendly, and with medium…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Big fruit upfront, with a redder profile than the more gothic-hot-tattoo-chick 2018 GIII. The 2017 shows some of its traditional black cherry and earthy notes, but to a lesser degree when compared to…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Moulds Vineyard

This wine is admittedly a tricky one for me, as this particular site jives less with my palate in general; so, full disclosure there. Many will find it to be a well-honed machine that reflects…