Reviews

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Exhibiting a more fruit-driven core when compared to its LPV sibling, this sample of the Crane delivered darker and richer plum and black currant notes, with less of a mineral-driven undertow than…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Barrel samples: 2017 Carter OG, Verdad, Grand Daddy, and Weitz.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Darker and a bit more powerful than the 2014 Grand Daddy served beside it, this version of the Kings impresses with its black and purple berry, licorice, and cassis core. Rich but amazingly focused,…

Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Barrel sample. So the only reason I didn't just jump straight to 100 points on this phenom was because I have had no experience with this wine label and had never even heard of Vangone until this day…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

This latest experience with the 2012 Wildfoote was from a multi-Coravin'd bottle than clearly was a bit tired and flat. The flavors were all there, but the drive and intensity had fallen off quite a…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard

As versions of the various Bevan wines offered up from this site go, this Tench Cabernet Sauvignon is bit more of a front-end downshift from the EE or Calixtro in terms of the initial push of…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

Take one 250-pound ballerina barista roasting a vat of Death Wish coffee in a 55 gallon drum of plutonium, add 185,000 teaspoons of chocolate covered chocolate, mix with a six-mile strip of newly…

Melka Sauvignon Blanc Mekerra

Fresh lemon juice and zest, lemon verbena, dry grass, lime zest, subtle vanilla-coconut pina colada, and trailing tropical fruit notes make up the profile of this beautifully crafted Sauvignon Blanc.…

Morlet Family Vineyards Pinot Noir En Famille

Black cherry, unripe red and black raspberry, soil, forest floor, and some leather. Earth driven and softer in terms of an overt flashiness of fruit. The core is ripe, but less concentrated or…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard

Bigger, chewier, and more powerfully extracted than its more focused and complex 2015 sibling, the 2016 EE in its current state is a swirling whirlpool of black and dark red berry fruit. Hints of…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Sentinel Ridge Vineyard

Red and black berry core, with a thick bloody roast beef/black sanguine of Satan element that rides shotgun with the fruit and dark oak char flavors. A little gamey and roasted in its current state,…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier

Earthy plum, black and red currant, dusty black cherry, topsoil, and saddle leather compile the profile of the 2012 Mon Chevalier. A medium attack with a more lithe skip across the mid-palate;…

Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Ma Douce

Crème brûlée, lemon curd, vanilla bean, and yellow pear notes glide across the palate in a wonderfully flowing delivery. The Ma Douce houses it's flavors in a soft and subtle grip, with a more plush…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Coming along very nicely since I last had it six months ago, this 2016 version of the Ontogeny is a dark and extracted example, with powerful black, purple, and deeply pitched red berry notes. The…

Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée

Yellow pear skin, lemon rind, apricot, marzipan, fondant, acacia, and a touch of dry sherry. The initial attack starts off a tad dry, but then rushes to the mid-palate picking up elegant yellow core…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cour de Vallée

An intense pop of red and black cherry, red and black raspberry, and some red plum skin flavors launch across the palate in a flavorful and powerful front-loaded attack. Mid-palate intensity and…

Melka Métisse Jumping Goat

Kicking out just as much energy as the 2012 sampled before it, but managing to counterbalance some of its speed with notable intensity and concentration, the 2016 Jumping Goat catapults notes of…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnément

Black currant, plum, charcuterie, topsoil, and faint leather. The tannins grip throughout but are offset well by the meaty core fruit that takes the flavor intensity up a tick or two and makes for a…

Melka Métisse Jumping Goat

A blast of grippy and floral-laced red raspberry and cranberry notes launch on to the palate with a Fast and Furious "Kapow!" that initially leaves a numbing and slightly bitter effect. With some…

Morlet Family Vineyards Billet Doux

Apricot and honey dominate the profile here. Pleasantly viscous without coming off heavy or syrupy. A nice combination of mid-palate density/concentration and speed. A succulent and semi-chewy finish.

Melka Métisse Martinez Vineyard Pritchard Hill

Black cherry, blackberry, iron rust, Kauai red dirt, and powdered chocolate notes pop with an energetic pulse that grabs your attention and begs for another sip. Layer after layer of fruit and flavor…

Melka Cabernet Sauvignon Métisse Montbleau

Black and red cherry, purple plum skin, unripe wild blackberry, and wonderfully compelling dark bitter chocolate notes undulate along the length of the palate with intent and to layered effect.…

Realm Cellars Moonracer

Plush and decidedly rich on the front end, but trailing off to a more superficial mid-palate and ultimately a round, somewhat simple finish, this inaugural rendition of Moonracer showed up to the…

Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Katrina Eileen

This is just now starting to embark on its consumable evolution and is coming into a worthy drinking window since I last had it two years ago. A great deal of power and fortitude pushes an array of…

Donelan Chardonnay Genevieve's Block DeVoto Vineyard

A bit more expressive than when I last had it in September. With some air, this opened up nicely with some yellow citrus and mineral notes. The lemon note became more prominent and riper over the…